Surrendering: A Regent Vampire Lords Novel, Book #1 (27 page)

“Dev, what the hell are you doing?” she yelled. Something was terribly wrong here. She tried to struggle free, to no avail. Even her enhanced powers didn’t help her.

Then he simply stepped back and exited the room. He didn’t look at her or utter a word.

“What the hell is going on?” she screamed. “You can’t leave me like this! Dev, why are you doing this? I don’t understand!”

She continued to yell for several minutes into the complete silence of her barren prison. Dev didn’t return.

C
hapter 47

Mike

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Mike said, pulling her into one of the interrogation rooms. He’d only met Giselle a few short months ago and she might be the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on, but the fact remained that she was a predator, just like the rest of them. Except, possibly even more deadly and volatile.

“Now, Detective, is that any way to treat a woman?” Giselle purred.

“No. But you’re not a woman, so the same rules don’t apply,” he responded, a smirk turning up the corner of his mouth. He was being an asshole, but he didn’t care. They hadn’t pried any more useful details from the professor in their earlier interrogation, he was still sporting the mother of all headaches, and he’d barely slept in days. So yeah, he
felt
like an asshole and she was the perfect target to take it out on.

She stepped into his personal space, licked her ruby red lips and ran a perfectly manicured fingertip down his chest. Mike was a tall guy at six foot, two inches. And at six feet tall, with her fuck-me heals on, Giselle was looking him straight in the eyes, their noses nearly touching. Her breath mingled with his.

“Hmmm…I can assure you I’m all woman. And it would be my pleasure to show you. After we’re done here, of course.”

Mike laughed, but it was humorless. The urge to take a giant Simon Says step backward was overwhelming, but he would not show any hint of weakness. What was Giselle doing here anyway? He had one very good guess.

“Not if you and I were the last living beings on earth, baby.” As he said it, though, surprisingly, he didn’t really believe it. Every time he saw Giselle, his cock was unexplainably drawn to her. And that pissed him the fuck off.

She frowned, her bottom lip pouting. “That’s not very original, Detective.” She looked in his eyes with undisguised lust. Then she leaned in, speaking directly in his ear. “And I assure you,
baby
, it would be pleasure beyond your wildest comprehension. You’d be begging me for more.”

His dick had gone rock hard the moment she’d stepped into his space, and at that comment, it throbbed with anger. Traitorous bastard. He needed to get both of his heads on the same page. A knowing smile broke out across her gorgeous face and she finally took a step back, as if she’d accomplished what she wanted. Another Giselle mind-fuck special. Bitch.

Still not moving, he responded, “And I repeat. What is it you want, Giselle?”

That infuriating smirk remained on her stunning face. “I want to visit our house guest, of course.”

“This isn’t the goddamn Ritz, sweetheart. Forget it. You can tootle on back home and report to Dev that I don’t take kindly to him sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. Nothing about our professor concerns you. Or him.”

“Now, now, Detective. Don’t be like that. You know this does concern us. We’re just trying to help solve a mutual problem, which is in both of our best interests.”

Shaking his head, Mike said, “Yeah? How’s that?”

Giselle dropped her sultry persona, becoming the ice-cold bitch that she generally was.

“Don’t be obtuse. We are both very much aware that this case has crossed the territory boundaries, and you are incapable of handling this alone. If you want to live, that is. So drop the high and mighty act. I
will
see our professor and I only stopped by to discuss it with you as a professional courtesy. Don’t mistake this as me
asking
for your permission. I’m not.”

“Are you threatening me?” Rage built deep within Mike. He balled his hands into fists, desperately trying to keep from strangling her. Or fucking her. She may be spot on, but he’d rot in hell before he let her know that. He was going to rot in hell anyway, so no more skin off his nose.

She had once again slipped back into her sex kitten act, stepping into his personal space. The rate at which she was able to do that was dizzying. Could vamps be bi-polar, he wondered?

“Of course not, Detective. You’re a very handsome man and I’m just trying to protect you.” She leaned in, her lips whispering over the shell of his ear again. “I’d hate for anything to happen to you before I had a chance to spend hours fucking your brains out.”

The way his body responded to her repulsed him. He simultaneously wanted to throw her down and bury himself deep in her, while thrusting a rusty, serrated knife into her heart, ripping it out of her sexy body. Christ, he was one sick bastard. And in desperate need of a vacation. Or another bottle of Jack. And clearly a lay. How he longed for the days of complete ignorance about vampires.

Giselle was no longer at his ear, but stood close enough that he could feel every breath she took on his lips. He knew two things with certainty. One, if Giselle wanted to see the professor, she would…by any means. And two, he wasn’t about to let her near him without being present, so he really had no choice but to accommodate her. Besides, this could work to his advantage if he learned anything new. If anyone could get additional information out of this guy, it was Giselle. And she was so smokin’ hot she probably didn’t even need her vampiric skills to accomplish it.

“After you,” he said, with a flourish of his hand.

Her eyes narrowed in skepticism, but she made her way toward the door, letting Mike lead once she’d exited the room. They entered another infrequently used interrogation room toward the back of the station. The intercom wasn’t currently working and he needed complete privacy for this conversation.

“Stay here while I get our perp.” He turned to leave as she called out to him.

“You’d better not fuck me over, or you’ll regret it.”

His face hardened as he turned and glided toward her, leaning down so they were nose to nose. “When I fuck you, Giselle, I guarantee I will regret it.” He turned and fled the room before she could respond. He’d been dead serious.

Ten minutes later Mike returned with Professor Bailey.

“Have a seat, Professor,” said Mike, gesturing toward an empty chair.

“I don’t know anything more than what I’ve already told you. I don’t understand why I’m in here again.” The professor had sweat dotting his pale balding head, slightly dripping down his temples, as his beady eyes flitted back and forth between Mike and Giselle. They lingered longer on Giselle, of course.

Giselle leaned forward, grinned seductively, and put her elbows on the table effectively shoving together her…
assets
.
Assets
that were simply fan-fucking-tastic.

“I’m afraid I have a few more questions for you, Professor Bailey. It shouldn’t take too long and we’d really appreciate your help.”

Mike guessed the professor forgot where her eyes were located as he replied to Giselle’s chest…uh,
request
, that is. And for some godawful unknown reason, that supremely pissed him off.

“Y-Yes. Yes, of course. That’s fine. I want my daughter found and returned safely, so whatever you need from me, just ask.”

She whispered, “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”

C
hapter 48

Dev

“So, to what do I owe the pleasure of being summoned to the great Lord Fallinsworth’s residence?” Esmeralda purred as she sauntered toward Dev’s desk.

Esmeralda was a stunningly beautiful woman and she knew it. At a tall five foot nine inches, she had voluptuous curves in all the right places. Her olive skin always glowed with a unique golden aura. He thought it was specifically designed to draw in her prey. Her dark chocolate eyes gave you a false sense of warmth and security. Her waist-length midnight, ramrod straight hair rounded out the entire sexy package. As sensual as she was, she’d never once made him hard. Not for lack of trying on her part, either.

Ren growled. Actually growled. There was definitely no love lost between those two. Dev wasn’t particularly fond of Esmeralda either, but she was a necessary evil at this point. He didn’t have time to track down another witch.

Throwing Ren a glare, Es turned back to Dev. “You really should learn to keep your pets on a leash, darling.”

Ren started toward her and Dev held his hand up, never taking his eyes from Esmeralda. He didn’t trust her enough to look away for a second. Ren retreated to stand by the door, beefy arms crossed, death glare pasted on his face.

“Enough. Es, I’m in need of your assistance.” Damn, it physically hurt to say that.

She regarded him for a moment, her dark eyes drawing him in. A smile curved her full, red lips.

“It will cost you, darling.”

Another reason he didn’t like to ask Esmeralda for help. She’d wanted to bed him ever since they met more than one hundred years ago. She’d tried just about everything. And since her sorcery didn’t work on him none of her advances had been successful. He was actually afraid that the witch might try to harm Kate when she found out about her, which was just about to happen.

“Of course it will. What’s your price?”

Esmeralda ambled slowly around the desk, stopping directly in front of Dev. In his personal space, as always. As she reached out to touch him, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her midstream. A flash of surprise crossed her face, but she quickly hid it. To keep a semblance of peace, in the past he’d always indulged her in these games. No more. He had a mate—even if she may be a traitor—and being touched by another female, especially Esmeralda, repulsed him.

Her mask firmly back in place, she seductively purred, “It’s not money that I want, Dev.”

He smiled, although he knew it looked cruel. “I’m afraid that’s all you’re going to get from me, Esmeralda. I’m bonded now.”

She immediately jumped out of his hold as if she’d been burned, shock forcing her mouth to hang open. “What? How can that be possible?” she shrieked.

“Oh come on, Es. You understand how vampire bonding works. I found my Moira, quite by accident, but found her nonetheless and the rest, as they say, is history. I don’t think I need to explain the bonding ritual to you in detail,
do I
?” He was pushing the envelope, but this was just a bit too enjoyable.

She blanched just a little. Her aura dimmed significantly. Wow, she was way more besotted with him than he’d originally thought. Fuck. This could end very badly.

“When?”

He straightened to his full height. “When is irrelevant. In fact, my mate is one of the reasons I need your help.”

A smug look replaced the one of shock. The corners of her mouth turned up in a smirk and she took a step back toward him. “Is that so? Trouble in paradise already then?”

Damn. This was such a bad fucking idea. “Never mind. I’ve changed my mind. Leave.” He should have asked Rom, who could sense the spoken truth, but he didn’t want the other Lords to find out about this possible subterfuge just yet.

“Now, Dev, don’t be like that. I can and will help you, of course. For just a small price. It’s nothing, really. And it doesn’t involve getting you into my bed. Although if you were willing, I wouldn’t turn it down either.”

His spidey senses were immediately on high alert. “You haven’t even heard what I’m asking of you.”

“It matters not. My price won’t change, regardless of the ask. But go on. What grave problem causes you to scrape the bottom of the barrel in asking for
my
help?”

He regarded her carefully. She was playing him, he was sure of it. If his instincts were wrong in asking for her help, all that he cherished could be at risk. But if he didn’t, all of the lives he was responsible for could also be lost. Goddamn it, he was backed into a corner and this may be his only way out. Esmeralda was the most powerful witch he had ever come across and he’d formed a loose alliance with her as he knew he might need her help from time to time. Unfortunately her services hadn’t been useful in uncovering Xavier’s home base and they knew he also must be working with a powerful witch to hide his whereabouts. No, he had to proceed with the plan. Whatever her price, he would have to pay it.

“Confidentiality goes without saying. If I find out you’ve spoken of this to anyone, I will personally tear out your heart and enjoy doing so.”

She laughed, throwing her head back. “Good luck, vamp.” Chuckling, she added, “I promise to keep your
deep, dark secret
, darling. Spill it. How can I serve
his majesty
?”

He glanced quickly at Ren. He didn’t know how much Ren knew about Kate and he didn’t want it getting beyond these four walls. He knew her life would be in danger from the other lords, should they find out.

“I recently discovered my mate is a direct descendent of the bloodline belonging to Xavier Illenciam. In fact…blood tests conclude he is her father.”

A collective gasp bounced off his office walls. Obviously Big D hadn’t told Ren.