Stephen (12 page)

“
You think?” Stephen went to the large opening that had once held a window. Now it was letting in the cold air. Looking down at the lot below, he could see that someone had thrown his desk down there to no doubt bust the glass. “She wasn’t alone. Another vampire was with her, and he did most of the heavier work. But the blood here is a human.”

She’d written him a message in human blood. And from the looks of it, it might have killed the person too. Stephen looked at the message again.

I found you. And now that I have, I will stop at nothing to get you back between my legs, fucking me for all of eternity.

“
She’s very poetic.” Stephen looked at the man speaking and nodded. The police officer had been the one who had met him downstairs when they’d arrived. “I don’t suppose you will tell me who she is? And why she is so pissed at you? Did you leave her hanging?”

The man was kidding, of course, but Stephen felt his beast rise. The smell of blood notwithstanding, he was pissed too. Walking away, he let Samuel deal with the officer. He went to the bathroom that had curiously not been touched, walked in, and shut the door. Reaching again for Clar, he nearly cried out when he was able to contact her.

You should know that someone is hanging around my stepfather’s house that knows you. She and he are having a wonderful time of it, I think.
He could hear her sarcasm. Before he could ask her if she was all right, she continued.
When she first arrived, he had locked her out, but that did him little good. She just busted in the door and screamed at him. After a bit, she got in. I’m guessing she had to be invited.

She did. She’s looking for me, I would imagine. You’re not safe there, or anywhere, for that matter. You should go back to my house.

No. I’m only allowing you to contact me because I think you should know that this woman is going to use Edward to kill you. Not that I really give a shit what happens to you, but I like Summer, and she loves you.
He didn’t ask her how she knew that, but she continued anyway, and he never got the chance.
I came by the house to see if I could get some cash. I’m going to be leaving the area soon, so you don’t have to worry about us accidently bumping into each other again.

I’m sorry.
He started to say more, but she cut him off. Stephen knew that for as long as he lived, he’d never forgive himself for hurting her the way that he had.

Fuck off. You got what you wanted, so why the hell should I care if you’re sorry or not? Anyway, it doesn’t matter really. I’m going to be gone and you’ll be the same fucking dick shit that you’ve always been.
He heard her anger but knew that letting his own temper get the better of him wasn’t going to help.
There is a man going in the house now. He’s like you, a vampire. Wait.

Stephen did wait but not by standing idle until she got back to him. He moved out of the bathroom and into the offices to Samuel. He was going to see if he could find her and bring her to safety. After telling Samuel where he was headed, he left the building and willed himself to the address. He had no idea where she was, but he could smell the other vampires nearby.

“
You were told to wait.” Her voice behind him startled him. Turning toward her, he looked at what he’d done to her.

“
I did hurt you.” She jerked away from his touch when he made to pull her to him. “I’m so sorry. I was…it matters little what I was feeling. I should never have taken it out on you.”

“
I’m used to it.” Stephen felt the stab of her words in his heart. He had no use for a mate, but she was his, and he had hurt her in ways that tore at him. Before he could try to even make it up to her, she started talking again. “They’re moving. I’m not sure where to, but the female took Edward away about a minute ago, and the other vamp is moving through the house like he’s on a mission.”

“
They’re probably looking for money or something valuable to sell.” He closed his eyes and reached into the house. That’s what the man was doing, and when he turned so that Stephen could get a look at his face, he realized he knew him. “His name is Ted. I’m not sure if I ever learned his last name or not, but he is her day walker. Or he used to be. She must have converted him sometime over the past few days.”

“
When he leaves, you should follow him.” Stephen didn’t bother telling her that wasn’t going to happen. When she left, he was going to go too. “The house has a safe, and it’s doubtful that even Edward knew about it. My mom…she set it up for us. In the event something happened to her.”

“
Did he kill her?” Clarice moved away from him without answering, and Stephen thought he knew. She made her way to the house, and Stephen knew as surely as she did that Ted had left. She moved into the house while he stood at the door. “You have to invite me in.”

He hadn’t expected her to and wasn’t surprised when she kept moving deeper in the house. Stephen waited by the door hoping that she came this way and not out some hidden passage while he stood there. It would be just what he deserved if she left him there for the sun to take.

When she appeared twenty minutes later, he watched her stuff something into a bulging pack. He also noticed that she had a laptop bag, as well as a nice-sized jewelry box. He reached for some of the things when she was standing in front of him. Again he wasn’t surprised when she didn’t let him carry them.

“
I’ve enough here to live on for a while.” He didn’t answer her because there wasn’t any way he was going to agree to her leaving him. “Here. These belong to you.”

The envelope was heavy, and he glanced inside before looking up at her again. They were the missing recordings from his office, he’d bet, something that he’d never told anyone about. He would bet any amount of money that Ted had taken them because Velvet wouldn’t have known about such things.

“
Will you come back to my home with me? I would like to talk to you.” She shook her head. “Please? I know that I’ve given you no reason to trust me, but I’d like to—”

“
You’re right, I have no reason to trust you. And it’s very doubtful even if you were to tell me why you are no different than Edward is that I’d believe you.” She looked away but not before he saw the tears. “Men like you deserve whatever happens to you. I’ve never hurt anyone in my life. But I’ve been abused more than…yes, he killed my mother. Hired a man to rob the car we were in, but he got greedy and killed her. Then he…I don’t know if Edward was there, but someone hit me when he saw that I was watching him from the side seat. Hit me with the ball bat that had been used to kill my mother. And as I lay there dying, watching the two people I could no longer see take her jewelry off her hands and wrists, one of them spit on me.”

“
But you didn’t die and were enhanced somehow. Do you know why?” She shook her head, and he raised his hand to touch her face. When she backed away, he held his ground until she nodded once. “I’m going to only look at what happened.”

The pain hit him first. He had no idea that a human could endure so much. But then he realized it wasn’t from the wound but from what he’d done to her. Moving deeper into her mind, he touched the area of her mind that held so much magic that he was amazed by it. And there he saw what he needed. Pulling back from her, he stared at her for several seconds before he spoke.

“
The faeries healed you. Their magic is why you lived when you should have died.” She didn’t say anything, and Stephen figured she knew it. “My blood gave you the rest. Enough to heal Summer for us.”

This time when she moved past him, he let her. Stephen moved to follow, and she didn’t stop him. They were nearly to the gate again when someone pulled into the drive. He pulled her back just as the car turned toward them. They watched as a large van drove by them. Looking down at her, he could see that she was out. Touching her head gently, he saw that he’d knocked her onto a rock and he’d rendered her unconscious. Stephen picked her up and wondered if there would ever be a time when he didn’t hurt her somehow. He took them back to his home.

Chapter 7

Edward sat as still as he could so that they’d not notice him. He was terrified beyond reason right now and didn’t want to spook the woman into a rage again. She’d been so violent that his arm had been broken and his head had been knocked against the wall hard enough to knock him out. When he’d awakened ten minutes ago tied to a chair, he found he was in her house and not his, and that his body was healed again.

“
You think that I don’t know what you’re thinking?” He wasn’t sure if she was talking to him or the other man next to him. He was dead, of course. She’d killed him as soon as Edward had woke, but he wouldn’t put it past her to talk to the dead. “I’m speaking to you, Eddie. Do you think I can’t read your mind?”

“
I don’t know. Can you?” The pain behind his eyes was incredible, and he cried out with it. She laughed at him.

“
I can do just about anything I want to you and you’ll love it. Won’t you?” She was suddenly naked, and Edward felt his cock jerk. She had some sort of sexual power over him, and he hated her for it. “You’re going to fuck me again.”

“
No, please no.” She moved toward him, nodding. “I’m not in the mood. I don’t want to hurt again.”

“
You’ll be in the mood for me. Let me show you.” His clothes were suddenly gone, and he looked down at his erection. Christ, he was bruised and cut and wondered what the hell they’d done to him. But she dropped to her knees in front of him and wrapped her hand around his thickening cock. He moaned when she licked his crown.

“
Don’t.” But it was too late. She sucked his cock, bringing him close to the edge twice before she stood up. He leaned back in the chair to allow her to sit over him and felt his cock being swallowed by her pussy.

“
You’re so good at fucking me.” He moaned again when she started riding him. He realized suddenly his hands were free, and he lifted her breast to his mouth while he held her hips. “Bite me, Eddie. Bite me hard and suck the blood out of my tit.”

He did as she commanded him to do and he tasted her blood. The taste had him coming hard, and he slid his finger in her ass when she told him to. Lifting his head up by his hair, she showed him her fangs. Nothing in the world could have stopped him from tilting his head to give her his throat.

The bite was painful, but as soon as she sucked at him, he felt his balls tighten to his body. His climax was close again. Grabbing both her hips, he lifted her up and took her to the desk and spread her over it. He pounded in her hard enough to have her scooting away from him. Holding her by the shoulders while she fed from him, he nearly cried out when someone touched his ass. Knowing who it was without looking, he welcomed Ted into his ass.

The pain was bliss, and he came screaming out both their names as he emptied himself in Velvet. He felt Ted bite him hard at the shoulder as the man came in him and felt his cock let go again. Edward came an incredible third time when Velvet tightened around his cock again. He was light headed when she pulled away from his throat.

Edward wasn’t sure how he made it to the couch, but he was suddenly sitting there watching as Ted fucked Velvet in the ass. Her breasts bounced in time to his taking her, and Edward reached down to fist his cock. When Ted cried out he was coming, Edward did as well, spraying his cum all over his body and the pillow next to him. He watched as the two of them kissed. If someone would have tried to attack him right now, he knew that he’d simply let them. He was completely drained sexually and anything else they’d done to him.

“
You have cum on your face.” Edward reached up and wiped his face with his hand and grimaced when it came away with cum on it. He looked at Velvet to see her smiling at him. “Are you going to piss me off again by leaving us?”

Edward looked at Ted, who was lounging in the chair across from him stroking his cock. He’d done it again…Edward had let a man fuck him. Looking at Velvet, he shivered. He was afraid that if he tried to leave again, she’d kill him.

“
And you’d be right.” She picked up his hand and laid it over her breast. Her nipple hardened under his touch, and she pulled him toward her. Taking her breast into his mouth, he felt his cock harden again, but she pulled him back before he could get fully hard. “I asked you a question.”

“
You know I can’t. And as much as I hate myself afterwards, the sex is incredible.” He looked at Ted when he laughed. “Why do you fuck me when you know how much I hate it?”