Crimson Debt: Book 1 in the Born to Darkness series (22 page)

“Hello, Addison. I’m glad you’ve come on time
tonight,” he said blandly, looking up.

“I told you I wouldn’t miss it,” I snapped,
giving him a glare. “Who was that?” I jerked my head in the
direction the Goth girl had gone.

“A business acquaintance. No one you need to
be concerned about,” he said coolly. He frowned but then the
expression on his face changed to one of concern. “Are you all
right? You look…tired tonight.”

“Thanks a lot, Corbin. Like I don’t know that
“tired” is a nice way to say you look like shit.”

“You are lovely as always,” he said quietly.
“I was simply worried about your health.”

“My health is fine. I’m just a little sleep
deprived, that’s all.” I had no intention of telling him exactly
why
I’d gotten so little sleep the night before… it would
give him too much satisfaction.

After leaving his daytime resting place, I
had managed to wait until I got back to my car to cry but once I
started, it took a long,
long
time for me to stop. I had
cursed myself for a fool and told myself that nothing between us
was ever going to be possible. That I didn’t
want
it to be
possible. Corbin was a self-absorbed, arrogant jerk
and
he
was a vampire. Why should I give a damn about him or what he
thought or said or did?

But no matter how many ways I tried to make
myself feel better, I just couldn't help remembering the look in
his eyes when he’d told me to get out. Couldn’t help feeling like
I’d killed something fragile and beautiful that was in the process
of being born between us.

When I had finally made it home and gotten to
sleep, I dreamed over and over of a big black boot grinding a
crimson rose bud into the dust. That was bad enough but then the
dream changed to a girl with red hair crying for her lost baby.
Poor Janet!
I thought. I went to her, wanting to comfort
her, to put my arms around her and tell her everything would be all
right. But when she looked up…she was me.

I had woken up in a cold sweat and couldn’t
go back to sleep, though it was hours until my alarm was set to go
off. Add that to the fact that I’d had to pull a rare day shift in
order to be off for the stupid Roderick thing that night and I was
absolutely exhausted.

“Well, as I said, I’m glad you are here on
time,” Corbin said, apparently deciding to drop the subject of my
“health”.

“And why is that? Are we having a freaking
cocktail party before we commence the ass kissing for Roderick
tonight?” I demanded.

“I wouldn’t call it a party,” he said. “But
yes, we are having a kind of gathering and since it intimately
involves your friend Taylor, I thought you might like to witness
it.”

Instantly I was on high alert.

“What about Taylor? What are you doing to
her?”

“I’m not doing anything
to
her—I am
ensuring that she has someone to protect and take care of her, at
least until the time—if that time ever comes—that she can take care
of herself.”

I bristled on my friend’s behalf. I knew that
Taylor was a crappy vampire but there was no way I would admit that
to Corbin.

“She manages just fine. Just let her move
back in with me and I’ll take care of her.”

“No.” He frowned at me sternly. “Absolutely
not.
Didn’t I say she would get no more of your blood?”

“What do you care if she takes my blood after
Roderick leaves?” I demanded.

“I told you it will not happen again. Taylor
will
not
drink from you again. Nor will any other
vampire.”

I put a hand on my hip. “You’re getting
awfully possessive for somebody who’s basically just a business
partner.”

“I am your master—at least for now.” His eyes
blazed silver. “And I have put out the word in Tampa that no other
vampire is to touch or taste you in any way. To do so means death
and I will not hesitate to enforce that penalty.”

“So you put out the word to every vamp on the
street that you
own
me? Thanks a lot, you big asshole,” I
stormed. “What do you think that’s going to do to my professional
reputation?”

“I don’t care what it does to your reputation
as long as it keeps you safe,” he replied.

“Why you…” I couldn’t come up with a bad
enough word to call him. While I was sputtering angrily, someone
knocked on his office door.

“Master?” came a voice I recognized as
belonging to Corbin’s cute-as-a-button vampire office assistant—the
one who was so confused about the idea of a “booty call”.

“Yes, come in,” Corbin said in a bored tone.
Obviously he was done discussing the “do not touch” order he had
practically stamped on my forehead for the rest of the vampire
community.

The little curly-headed assistant popped his
head in the door and smiled at me.

“Oh, hello, Mistress.”

“Mistress?” I stared at him and then looked
at Corbin. “Since when am I known as ‘Mistress'?”

He shrugged. “You are my consort. It’s a
title of respect.”

“Whatever.” I sighed and looked at the little
vamp who was glancing back and forth between us like we were
playing a particularly confusing tennis match. “Well, what do you
want?” I asked him.

“Oh, er…I actually had a message for my
Master.” He gave Corbin a little head-bobbing bow. “I wanted to
tell you that the were is here."

Corbin frowned. “Victor is here already? Did
you show him in to the small studio?”

“I did.” The little vamp nodded. “I offered
him refreshments but he just, er, growled at me. Forgive me,
Master, but I don’t think he’s very happy to be here.”

“I wouldn’t expect him to be,” Corbin said
blandly. “Still, he is in my debt and he is obligated to pay.”

“The deal was to pay back the money in
installments—not to call the whole fucking debt in at once,” a low,
growling voice announced.

I looked up in surprise. And up…and up. The
doorway was suddenly filled with a huge, angry man with black hair
that curled around the edges and dark brown eyes. He was somewhere
between being scruffy and having an outright beard and he was six
foot six if he was an inch. Even if the little vampire hadn’t said
so, I would have known he was a werewolf just by looking at him—he
had that animalistic energy that only the really strong weres seem
to carry around them like a cloud.

By the way he was dressed— in a black
wife-beater that showed off his muscular arms, worn jeans and
scuffed work boots—it was clear he didn’t give a damn about making
a good impression in a vampire establishment. That was par for the
course for a were
—
they hate vamps. But he still looked
really out of place in
Under the Fang.

The glam club was mostly an upscale place,
despite Corbin’s tendency to walk around in jeans and t-shirts half
the time. Tonight, as he had been the night before, the blond
vampire was wearing a beautifully tailored suit. I had stepped up
my own outfit as well and was wearing a little black dress I
usually saved for cocktail parties and Christmas with my family,
when I couldn’t get out of it. It wasn’t that I wanted to look nice
for Corbin, I told myself—more like I didn’t want to be forced into
changing again.

“Victor, what a pleasant surprise. I was
under the impression that you were waiting in the other room.”
Corbin shot his assistant a look of extreme displeasure and the
little vamp turned white with fright. Well, whiter than usual,
anyway.

“Yeah, he put me in there but I’m in no mood
to wait. We need to talk
now,”
the other man growled. “What
the hell do you think you’re doing, calling in my debt all at once?
That
wasn’t
the fucking agreement and you know it.”

“What if I told you that you could pay back
the entire debt without giving me another penny?” Corbin asked.

The big were frowned.

“I’m not killing anybody—I’m not a damn
assassin for hire.”

Corbin showed his fangs with an irritated
hiss.

“Don’t be foolish, Victor—I do my own
killing. No, what I need from you is entirely different.” He looked
the other man up and down, frowning. “Although I must say, you are
rather underdressed for it.”

“Underdressed for
what?”
Victor
demanded impatiently.

“Why, for your wedding, my friend.” Corbin
gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “For your
wedding.”

“My
what?”
Victor shook his head,
obviously not understanding. “Sorry, I think I heard you wrong. It
sounded like you said something about me getting married.”

“That is precisely what I said.” Corbin rose
smoothly from behind his desk and was suddenly standing beside the
big were. “I have a female that needs protection outside the
vampire sphere. And you, Victor, are as far outside it as it is
possible to get.”

“Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.”
I took
a step forward, looking up at both of them. “Corbin, you’re not
actually thinking what I think you’re thinking—are you?”

“I don’t know, darling,” he said, raising an
eyebrow. “What exactly do you imagine I am thinking? Please do
elaborate because so far you have done
so well
at guessing
what is in my mind.”

I decided to ignore the sarcasm and get
straight to the point.

“Tell me you’re not trying to marry Taylor
off to this…this Neanderthal.” I gestured at the big were who
frowned at me in obvious irritation.

“Taylor? Who’s that?”

“My best friend who also happens to be a
vampire,” I said tartly.

“What? A vampire?” He turned to Corbin. “You
want me to marry a
fanger?”

“That is
exactly
what I want, minus
the slurs.” Corbin gave him a level stare. “And unless you have the
fifty thousand dollars you owe me in your pocket at this moment,
you will do it without question.”

“Look, I know I owe you a lot of money but
there’s no fucking way I’m marrying a vampire,” Victor growled.

“And there’s no way Taylor is marrying anyone
like
him,”
I put in. “You know what she’s been through
recently, Corbin—why would you even suggest it?”

“To make her unavailable to Roderick, of
course.” He sounded exasperated. “Now that you have made an issue
of him wanting her, he will not be deterred from claiming her
unless she is completely out of his reach.”

“And you think this is the best answer?” I
demanded.

“It is the
only
answer,” Corbin
snapped. “And you should be grateful I am willing to bring it
about. It is costing me a considerable amount of money to ensure
the safety of your incompetent little friend.”

“I said, I don’t care how much I owe you,”
Victor growled at Corbin, his eyes flashing gold.
“I’m not
marrying a fucking fanger.”

“Hello? Can I come in?” We all looked up and
saw Taylor standing there, framed in the doorway.

She was wearing a sleek, cream-colored gown
that clung to her curves in all the right places and a crown of
white rosebuds in her long dark hair. Her big blue eyes were wide
with uncertainty as she took in the scene in Corbin’s office. I
thought she looked beautiful.

“Taylor,” I said quickly, going to take her
hand. “Don’t worry, hon, it’s not going to happen.”

Victor had been staring silently at her, his
eyes still glowing gold and his mouth open. He tore his gaze away
and looked at Corbin.

“You’re damn straight it’s not
happening.”

“
What’s
not happening?” Taylor asked,
a look of confusion on her face.

I gave Corbin an exasperated look. “Did you
tell
anybody
that they were getting married and who they
were marrying tonight?"

“I thought it best to let them get a good
look at each other first.” Corbin seemed to be trying to smother a
smile. “You must admit, they appear to be well suited.”

“Well suited? She’s a vamp and he’s a
were—they’re mortal enemies!” I exclaimed. “His pack will rip her
apart!”

Taylor went pale. “Addison? What are you
talking about? I’m not actually supposed to marry a man I don’t
even know, am I?”

“As your new Master, I say you will,” Corbin
said sternly, before I could reply. “And do not worry about
Victor’s packmates—he has none—that is one reason I chose him. He
is what the weres call a ‘lone wolf’.”

“But he’s still a wolf,” I pointed out. “And
she’s still a vamp.”

“Ah well.” Corbin shrugged philosophically.
“The course of true love never did run smooth.”

“Ha-ha. Very funny,” I snapped. “Corbin, this
is ridiculous and you know it.”

“Very well.” He took a step back and spread
his hands. “If you can think of a better way to put your friend out
of Roderick’s reach then by all means, let me hear it. Please bear
in mind, though, that he will be here within the hour.”

“Roderick?” Taylor turned even whiter until
she was really as pale as a ghost. She looked at Corbin
appealingly. “Oh please, you said he would never…that I never had
to go with him again.”

“And you don’t,” he said firmly. “As long as
you do as I say.”

“I don’t know what you guys are talking about
but I’m out of here.” Victor started to shoulder his way out the
door.

“You’re not going anywhere unless you have
the cash to pay me back at once.” Corbin was suddenly standing in
front of the other man, blocking his escape. “Fifty thousand
dollars
plus
interest please,” he said pleasantly.

Victor scowled. “You know I don’t have it—I
just got my company off the ground. You have to give me time.”

“Time is what I do not have.” Corbin stared
at him implacably. “Make your choice—pay the money or bind yourself
to my underling. Those are your only two choices.”

The big were ran a hand through his curly
black hair and took a step back.