Page 139 of Embrace Me Darkly

“Luke, what is it?”

He shook his head, then kissed her forehead. “We cannot close our eyes to the possibility that she’ll try to harm you again.”

That wasn’t what was troubling him, but for now, she let it pass, instead offering him a smile. “Well, the price isn’t too bad. I get to sit here in this incredible house and read books and be totally pampered. I’ve never really taken a vacation before,” she said. “I honestly don’t know what to do with myself.”

She was gratified by his quick smile. “You’re not vacationing,” he said, stroking his fingers lightly up her arm. “You’re recovering. And if you’re at a loss for ideas, I’m sure I can think of one or two things to keep you entertained.”

“Yeah? You want to show me?”

“Very much,” he said. “But I’m afraid we’ll have to wait. Right now you have a visitor.”

“Really?” She wanted to ask who it was, but he’d already crossed the room and stepped out. A moment later, he returned with Ryan Doyle in tow.

“Well, look at you,” Doyle said, a grin lighting his usually sour face. “You look a damn sight better than you did the last time I saw you. You doing okay?”

“I’m great,” she said, happy to see the investigator. “Thanks for coming. And thanks for handling the wrap-up. Blair told me you talked Leviathan through everything. Smoothed out getting Luke’s charges dropped.

He shrugged. “Least I could do, what with you almost dying.” She noticed that he didn’t look at Luke. Whatever trouble had brewed between them was still there. Perhaps, though, it had faded a little.

He was turning as if to go when Luke’s phone rang. He held it to his ear, but with her newly sharpened hearing, Sara could easily hear both sides of the conversation.

“Pain, Lucius,” Tasha said, her voice thick with tears. “And blood, so much blood! The serpent. It came out, Lucius, and I tried to fight it. Tried to do what you told me. Tried to be good, but it wouldn’t let me.” She sobbed. “It kept me under for so long. It kept me buried. It made me lie and hurt people. Hurt children! And it wouldn’t let me find you.”

“Tasha,” he said, and Sara bristled at his low, calming tone. “Hush. Hush. It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay. Where are you?”

“South. La Jolla. You’ll come get me? You’re not mad at me? I did bad things, Lucius. Naughty things. But it wasn’t me. I wouldn’t. I didn’t, and I’m so scared now. Scared of me, and what’s inside. We need to push it back again, Lucius. Please, please help me. Help me push the monster back under.”

“I’ll come get you,” he said in that low, toneless voice. “I’ll help you. You know that I will.”

“Because Lucius Dragos takes care of what’s his.” Her voice was calmer, the relief palpable. “I’m yours, Lucius. I’m yours, yours, yours.”

“That’s right, Tasha,” he said, with a hard look toward Sara. “Lucius Dragos takes care of his own.”

The moment he hung up, Doyle rounded on him. “What the fuck are you doing?” he asked, voicing Sara’s exact thoughts.

“Exactly what I have to,” Luke said, his face hard and his eyes sad. “I’m doing exactly what I have to.”

* * *

Tasha stood on the roof of the house across the street from Luke’s Malibu mansion, miles away from the Los Angeles subway tunnels where she’d been hiding in grime and filth. A dark place, not right for someone like her. Someone precious. Someone extraordinary.

She tossed her arms out at her sides and let the breeze blow over her, causing the white gown to billow around her ankles. So soft. So pretty.

He should have wanted her. Should have taken her. And yet he’d never touched her. Never bit her lip and drew sweet, sweet blood. Never thrust himself inside her.

She’d played, though. She’d played with other boys’ toys, and there’d been blood and teeth and glorious pain and their thick bodies filling her up, making her spread her legs and draw them in, and it was good and nice and she wanted it more and more and more.

But Lucius never saw it. Never saw her.

So now she had to show him. Had to make him see.

Needed him to prove he loved her. Prove he’d be with her always. That he’d take care of her.

That he truly did love her. Did, did, did.

Wasn’t that why he killed that pasty-faced Braddock? Hadn’t she planned everything just so?

Except she hadn’t planned for the bitch. And the bitch had swooped in.

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