The Vampire Laird (A Ravynne Sisters Paranormal Mystery/Romance) (20 page)

Making a decision was not always her forte, but she took the passage that led to the right. It seemed both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Had she passed that alcove before? But then again, she conceded, didn’t they all look alike? Just a few feet farther, she told herself, and if she didn’t see the door she was looking for she’d turn them both around and try the other way. Time was too precious to waste wandering around inside the walls perhaps forever.

She turned another corner and the passage ended, abruptly, in a narrow wooden door. Something she knew she had never seen before, but hoped it offered a way out. At this point, she decided, anything was worth a try.

Opening the door quietly, she flashed her light inside. It was the interior of an enormous armoire filled with expensive looking men’s clothing, including several kilts that looked all too familiar. Seth’s bedroom must be just on the other side, she thought grimly, where he might be holding Charlie prisoner. But not for long. She would save her somehow, though her only weapon at the moment was a flashlight and a whole lot of mad.

Cloud pushed ahead of her and she followed him into the armoire, then eased open the outer door the smallest crack. It was quiet. No one was there…at least as far as she could tell…so she opened the door farther and partially crawled out.

It was a very elegant room…decorated in midnight blue and gold…its furnishings clearly from the 18th century. A fire burned low in the marble fireplace, but it was the portrait above it that caught her eye. Orianna! Much younger and dressed in a filmy white dress from another era, she had an
innocence
about her that she had clearly lost long ago. Suddenly, voices in the hall, sent her drawing back into the safety of the armoire. She prayed no one heard the ‘click’ as the latch caught.

The door from the hall opened and closed then she heard, “Well, she’s not in here. Where is she?” a voice that was unmistakably Orianna’s asked with a viscous snap.

Seth’s voice answered her, “She’s cooling her heels in my den, why do you ask? You don’t usually show much interest in whom I take or what I do to them. Which reminds me, Alla and Daryna can be added to the shipment. They’ve served me well. There is a lad in the cargo below. A ‘pretty boy’ they called him. I thought he might interest you.”

Meg could hear the sound of footsteps wandering about the room, then Orianna replied, “Allyn lasted longer than I thought. He really was both amusing and sexually satisfying until he became emasculated by the drugs I gave him. An unfortunate side effect, but I didn’t want him tattling to his sisters. And then, of course, I wanted him because they wanted him.”

Seth laughed, “You do keep me entertained if nothing else. I am glad you’ve given up using the local boys. Two in less than six months made them uneasy, shall we say, not that there was much they could do about it. Storming the castle is rather out of vogue these days.”

Orianna laughed then. “Though it’s been done, I’ve been told, and as close as Blood Castle.”

“Closer still,” he murmured, “closer still.”

Meg heard the door open then close and thought they’d both left. She listened for a long moment just to make sure and then, as quietly as she could, she turned the latch and opened the door. To her horror, Seth stood in front of the fireplace looking up at the portrait, just as Cloud slipped past her and ran across the room. Her heart was thumping wildly as she waited to see what would happen next, but Cloud vanished through the wall without being seen. Not that Seth would have noticed him anyway, she thought, if he’d run right over him. The portrait had his complete attention. Though she couldn’t see his expression, he seemed both sad and pensive and then, with a harsh expletive, he strode from the room.

***

“You really look uncomfortable, Charlie, hanging there like a side of beef, but I could remedy that if you’ll promise to behave,” Seth told her in a teasing voice, as he let his eyes slowly cover her length.

“And just what does that entail?” she murmured as she watched him under half closed lids.

He smiled sardonically. “That you don’t try to escape is the only rule I insist on.”

“Clawing and biting is allowed?”

He laughed then. “I rather encourage you to try. I would enjoy experiencing your efforts to pit your strength against mine. All of which will be futile, of course, but still…amusing…at least for me. Ever since I first laid eyes on you, I’ve wanted to crush you, rape you savagely, let you see just who’s master and who isn’t. The latter would be you in case you wondered.”

She smiled sweetly. “I see. And you’ll use that whip and the other interesting looking implements over there to bend me to your will?”

His answering smile wasn’t a smile at all…just the baring of very white teeth. He moved closer still. Dressed in nothing more than a pair of black silk drawstring pants that clung to his heavily muscled body with every move, his chest matted thickly with dark red hair, he was predatory…and very dangerous. His green eyes glittered as he flipped the jeweled dirk she had seen him wear earlier, from hand to hand.

“This, my dear, is very sharp. It’s called a ‘dirk’ in case you didn’t know and this particular one has been in the MacMorley clan for many centuries….”

“But at the right price it found its way to you,” she said coldly.

“Yes and no, but how I acquired it is irrelevant at this time. It is beautiful though, don’t you think? And could slice through your lovely flesh so cleanly you would scarcely feel it. But first…I want to play with you…make you scream for me. The sweetest of sounds imaginable is a female’s scream of terror or pleasure. With you, I shall combine both.”

Her mouth grew dry and her pulse quickened even more. Seth was as mad as Orianna. “Don’t expect too much. I don’t scream for just anyone.”

His answer was as sharp as the blade in his hand. “Very amusing. You will scream for me…long and loud, but where to begin?” Using the tip of his dirk he lifted a strand of her silver blonde hair and let it fall back over her breast. Smiling wickedly, he dragged its tip along her throat, then traced the contour of her collarbone and slipped lower. With a quick upward movement, he sliced part way through the front of her tank top, exposing half of her breasts.

Refusing to flinch, she growled low in her throat. “If you touch me or my sister I will find a way to kill you no matter how long it takes or where I have to go.”

He laughed self-mockingly. “You may find that far harder to do than you can possibly believe. And then again, what if I kill you first? You wouldn’t be much of a threat dead, would you?”

It was her turn to laugh. “At one time I would have had to agree with you, but recent events have taught me a whole lot about what ‘dead’ means. The smart thing to do would be to let me go. Now.”

“At the risk of sounding like some melodramatic villain, the answer is ‘never’. You will never know how much effort it took for me to turn you over to Quinn, but I had a ringside seat and that was pleasurable, too. And now it’s my turn…I will be your very last lover.”

“‘Never’ says it for me as well,” Charlie told him sweetly, “but, if you release me from these shackles, I might be inclined to see things a teensie bit more your way.”

Their eyes locked. His hand ripped open the rest of her top, exposing still more of her breasts. She squirmed in spite of her resolve not to let him see her react. His hot gaze slid over her and he bent forward searing her exposed throat with his lips and tongue. She felt the edge of his teeth on her flesh, then, suddenly, the door opened behind him and Orianna sauntered into the room. He whirled to face her…his eyes flashing dangerously… his hand tightening on the dirk he still held.

“Really, my darling, why so angry? Did little Orianna disturb something?” she purred, gliding across the room till she was standing right in front of them. “I don’t see any blood yet…try the whip. Its sharp metal points leave lovely trails on white flesh. I would dearly love to see her body criss-crossed with such.”

Seth raised his hand and, for a moment, Charlie thought he would strike Orianna but instead he ground out between clenched teeth, “What are you doing here?”

“Just seeing what you are up to with your latest…what is she exactly?…food? drink? an object to sate yourself with? And you…Charlie Ravynne…do you have any idea how he’ll use you…feed on you?”

Charlie didn’t like the sound of what Orianna was hinting at anymore than she liked the woman herself. “Still the same bitch as always, aren’t you?”’ she found herself saying contemptuously.

Orianna’s hand shot out and she gave her a stinging slap across her face.

“Easy to do when I’m all tied up,” Charlie told her with a smile. “Try it again when I’m not.”

Snarling like a feral cat, red fingernails raised to rake her face, she pounced again only to be jerked off her feet by Seth, who had gone from furious to a deadly cold calm. “She’s off-limits and you know that. Get out of here now and don’t let me see you in here again or….”

“Or what? I have rights, you know, or have you forgotten?”

He smiled then and his words dripped ice. “As have you. A long time ago.”

Orianna’s eyes flashed as she spun on her heels and fled towards the door, pausing just long enough to hurl at him, “I’ll make you pay for that and her, too. I’ll find her sister and there won’t be much left of her when I’m finished…or should I give the credit where due?..when Cerberus finishes with her.”

As the door snapped shut behind her, Seth took a turn around the room, working off the anger that still seethed visibly. Finally he stopped in front of her and smiled. “I am sorry she is like that. Her mother was quite mad. Orianna took care of her until she died suddenly…and rather suspiciously. Orianna had wanted her freedom…wanted to be with me… and her mother had become an
inconvenience
. I never knew what really happened and I did not ask. I used Orianna for my own purposes that some would say were wrong. I hadn’t thought so at the time, but now?” he shrugged and sighed. “Never mind all that. It is an old tale for another time perhaps, but now I am here to enjoy you, Charlie, not reflect on what cannot be changed. I have a bath being prepared for you. If you cooperate with me, I will spare your sister’s life, when we find her… which we will…and Allyn, too, if he’s not dead already. Will you obey me in this?”

“I will take your bath, but will not commit myself beyond that,” she replied with a sigh of apparent resignation. No harm in letting him think he was getting what he wanted.

He opened the door and signaled. Two men entered carrying an antique copper bath enameled in blue and gold. Buckets of hot water followed and then Daryna entered with a pile of thick towels and a tall bottle. Her eyes were downcast, her mouth tremulous, as she poured a generous amount of something that smelled both floral and spicy into the hot water…an evocative erotic fragrance that stirred Charlie’s senses.

Seth signaled again and she was released from her manacles. Grimacing, she rubbed her chaffed wrists and stretched her aching muscles. Seth smiled, enigmatically, as he watched her and then said, “I’ll leave you to your bath. Remember our agreement” and with that he left the room.

She knew he was watching through his peephole, just as he had watched her and Zack. Fleetingly, she allowed herself the comfort of Zack to fill her thoughts, as she kicked off her sneakers and pulled off her tattered top, then slid out of her jeans and panties. Daryna seemed to understand her embarrassment and tried to shield her from Seth’s view, as she stepped into the bath and slid down as far as she could into the hot fragrant water.

“Give in not fight and it will be bedder,” Daryna whispered.

“I’m going to stay in here till I get all pruney and maybe he won’t find me so appealing,” she told her with a smile she was far from feeling. Many minutes passed and fear began to creep into Daryyna’s blue eyes. “Okay…I’ll get out,” Charlie said with a resigned sigh.

She stood as Daryna wrapped a towel around her and helped her out of the tub, then handed her a beautiful purple silk dressing gown. She slipped it on and belted it around her waist, then let Daryna lead her to a chair, where she sat while her hair was brushed until its long length shone like moonlight.

Suddenly, the door opened and Seth walked in, signaling to Daryna, who hurriedly gathered up what was left of Charlie’s clothes and fled after flinging a sad smile in Charlie’s direction. He moved closer until they were only an arm’s length apart. She lifted her head and met his gaze unflinchingly. “Well, now what?” she asked dryly.

“More than you can imagine,” he murmured huskily, lifting a strand of her hair, “shall we begin?”

“I’d rather not. I took your bath…which was rather nice…and you watched. You promised you would not harm my sister.”

“What if I lied. I’ve been known to do that, when it suits my purpose.”

“And why am I not surprised?” she murmured, studying her chances of taking this man in a fight if it came to that. He was much larger…powerfully built and, his eyes told her, without mercy. “Okay…do your worst. I just don’t care anymore,” she said with a yawn.

“You might find my ‘worst’ is more pleasurable than you ever imagined. I am going to do things to you…awaken you to the most intense sexual orgasm…to the most exquisite sensations that can only be found in the bridge between pleasure and pain. I will bring to you dark delights forbidden to most mortals, but not to me, or to you, when I take you. Now where do we begin?”