Chapter Five

  “Where’ve you been? There’s plenty of fresh blood in the basement. You’re the one who keeps telling us to bring them home to save us from prowling the streets at night.” Christian played a game of solitaire on the kitchen table, the early morning light kept out by the heavy curtains. He’d been awake since sunrise but hadn’t gotten up until Heidi phoned the house at nine o’clock in the morning.

  “I do more with my life than prey on helpless humans.” Francis opened the refrigerator and grabbed an apple, polishing it on his shirt. “There’s a lot involved in planning a move of this magnitude, many loose ends to tie up.”

  Christian placed an ace of hearts at the head of the table, planning the next move in his game. “There wouldn’t be any loose ends if we stayed put. I just got promoted at the law firm last year, and now I’ll have to start all over again.” Between him and Joseph, Christian knew he was the sharper thorn in Francis’s side. He questioned everything, never satisfied with the status quo or following old traditions in a modern world. So what if some vamps wanted to devote their lives to a human. The days of plagues were long behind them.

  “Everything I do is in your best interest. Don’t you believe that?”

  “Yes, brother.” But Francis was often blinded by his hard-set ways, unwilling to see the world around him changing. He may believe he had the best intentions, but in reality he kept them in the Dark Ages. “You’re doing your best to keep us in a time warp.” Pushing his eldest brother’s buttons was something he also couldn’t resist, even though Francis was far more powerful.

  Francis banged his fist on the table, leaving his game of cards in disarray. He leaned forward, his lips curled over fully extended fangs, thick and glistening white. “Don’t test me! Your lack of respect is grating on my nerves.”

  Why the fuck was Francis coiled so tight? The move was his idea, so he couldn’t blame the associated stress since he’d created it himself. Christian leaned back and rolled his eyes. Francis’s display of dominance may work on the blood whores in the basement, but it had little effect on him.

  Christian brushed the cards into a makeshift pile on the table. Ignoring Francis’s theatrics had become second nature to him. He learned long ago that feeding the insanity only made things worse. Still, as easily as Francis could destroy him with a thought, he knew his brother loved him—despite love being frowned upon by their race. “Heidi called.”

  Francis straightened his posture, his eyes widening slightly. “What now?”

  “Feign disinterest all you want. You’re not the only one with heightened sense in this house.”

  Francis took a cleansing breath, as if fighting for control. “I’m trying to get this house sold. What did she want?”

  Christian didn’t buy it. The little Ms. Walsh had both his brothers by the balls. “She has a potential buyer. She’s bringing him through the house this afternoon.”

  Francis nodded. “Make sure no one goes in the basement.” He took a noisy bite of his apple, the wet crunch the final punctuation on their brief conversation.

  Christian spent the next couple hours sorting through his clothes for the move, tidying his room, and making the main areas of the house presentable. Despite what most people probably thought, it was Christian who kept the house in order. Hiring a maid would be too risky. She could see or hear things not meant for her eyes or ears. Some days things got out of control in their private lower room. Cries, moans, spankings, and the rattling of chains from below would guarantee them a visit from the authorities if a nosy human happened to overhear.

  Unlike in their last city, they had managed to stay under the radar. Christian didn’t resent the fact he needed blood, that he was different in immeasurable ways from his neighbors. He only hated that being a vampire automatically meant he was unable to grow, adapt, or walk a different path than the one laid out for him.

  When the doorbell chimed a few minutes after the agreed-upon time, Joseph was the one to answer the door. They were supposed to leave the house during a showing, but Francis wouldn’t leave the house unguarded, not with such a dirty little secret in the basement. And heading outside in the light of the midday sun would be too much for them to bear.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. DeVille. This is Jeremy Carpenter. He’s come to view the house, if that’s okay.”

  “By all means.” Joseph waved them into the house in a courteous manner and stepped to the side.

  The buyer wore khakis and a polo shirt, not a suit as Christian had expected. Then again, he’d learned that the filthy rich rarely flaunted their wealth. Only the mediocre trying to climb the totem pole of success obsessed about their outward appearance.

  Christian picked up on the malevolent vibe from Joseph as he assessed the buyer. Either he didn’t like a human male in the house or he was jealous. By the way Joseph had behaved earlier with Ms. Walsh, Christian guessed the latter. The new guy had dirty-blond hair and blue eyes to match their lovely Heidi. The fact they made a cute couple probably riled Joseph even more.

  “As I mentioned on the phone, everything’s included. The artwork is amazing, and just look at this entryway. The staircase was custom-made by hand. It’s not your everyday find.” She did her job dressed in a killer suit, her long hair rolled back into a functional bun.

  “It looks exactly like what I’ve been looking for.” The buyer, Jeremy, gazed around the foyer, exchanging glances with him and Joseph on occasion.

  Christian wasn’t sure why he also had an instant dislike of the human. It’s not like he had a hard-on for Heidi. Sure, he’d noticed her over the years, but he wasn’t out-of-his-mind obsessed like Joseph.

  “Wait until you see the upper level.” Heidi walked side by side with Jeremy. Her excitement was palpable. Was it due to the potential sale or the man beside her?

  Christian shook his head and escaped into the kitchen. He wasn’t going to get all worked up over a woman. His vampiric nature made him possessive and controlling to a fault, so he ignored the invading feelings. Unlike what they were spoon-fed since birth, he wanted to choose a mate out of love, not bloodlust or pedigree. The whole shift to interracial marriages was fine, in his opinion. But he wouldn’t dare voice his opinions when Joseph and Francis were so hard-set on keeping tradition.

  * * * *

  Joseph followed at a safe distance from Heidi and Jeremy. He could sense the dominant aura coming off of the male, and it brought out his hackles. He didn’t like competition. While Christian could care less about their natural base desires, and Francis was an expert at maintaining control, Joseph struggled each and every day. Passion, anger, hunger, and an array of other volatile emotions played in his head constantly, which was why he had to seek out his eldest brother’s assistance on numerous occasions. Living in human society would always be a challenge.

  “What brings you to this end of the country?” Heidi asked the client. How did she know where he was from? Had they talked at length before coming here? His irritation with the stranger grew.

  “Business. I’m a journalist. There seems to be a lot of work in this area.”

  “Really.” Joseph could hear the uncertainty in her voice. The unemployment rate in their little town was sky-high. There wasn’t an abundance of anything but alcoholics and welfare cases. They’d returned to the old mansion owned by their late parents to start fresh, and certainly were the talk of the town. This guy was either lying or very lucky, especially possessing the kind of money he’d need to buy their house on a journalist’s salary.

  He stood in the upper hallway as the two entered Francis’s room. He fidgeted as he waited, wondering what was taking so long but not willing to check on them directly. There was friendly chatter and laughing. When they finally came out of the room, Jeremy walked ahead, so Joseph used the opportunity to grab Heidi’s arm. He held her steady, his grip tight.

  “Behave yourself,” he whispered in her ear before releasing his hold. She stared at him for a long moment then continued on down the hall.

  What the fuck was he doing? She wasn’t his to claim. Not his to command or keep. Then why did she invade his dreams and his every waking thought?

  “Forever wanting what you can’t have?” asked Francis, appearing beside him. He hadn’t even heard him come down the hall, too busy watching Heidi retreat with Jeremy.

  What kind of a name was Jeremy anyway?

  “I don’t want her. I just don’t like him.”

  “If he buys our house, I like him just fine. Now stop making trouble.”

  Joseph turned to face his brother, crossing his arms over his chest. “And just where did you disappear to last night?”

  Francis laughed, a sound he rarely heard. “Am I to check in with my baby brother now?” He squeezed Joseph’s shoulder. “I brought a fresh girl in last night. She’s very eager to play our games. You should pay her a visit before you lose it.”

  Lose it? Yes, he did feel like a bomb ready to go off. If that prick walked any closer to Heidi, he may just ignite. There was no way he could hide his emotion from Francis.

  “Is something wrong with me?” He uncrossed his arms, bracing one against the wall as he dragged the other through his hair. “I don’t even know her, but I’m ready to kill for her.” It took a lot to admit the truth to Francis. He didn’t want to appear weak or disappoint him and their race.

  “It’s natural, but you have to fight it. She’s a human, and no good can come from courting her.”

  “But others have taken humans. She could be my mate, right? Everything I feel would make sense if that were the case.”

  “How many generations do you think it would take before there is no pure blood left? Our race will die out as fast as it was created. Do you want that? Now be strong and know that you’re making father proud by maintaining order.”

  He nodded, unwilling to blather on about the years of unfulfilled desires he had for the girl. Or the fact he couldn’t even contain his fangs when she was in the room. If Francis knew the whole truth, he’d hand him over to the other elders himself for reprimand.

  They returned to the main floor. It killed Joseph to leave Heidi alone with the man he knew had ulterior motives. He saw the way Jeremy looked at her, heard the minute changes in his heart rate when she brushed against him. He cracked his knuckles as he paced the kitchen, waiting for their return.

  “Relax.” Francis took a seat at the table beside Christian. “You’ll put the power out again.”

  Already the lights flickered from the energy waves Joseph unwittingly emitted.

  “What’s his problem?” Christian asked Francis as if Joseph wasn’t even there.

  “He needs to feed.”

  “No. I think he has his panties in a bunch because of Heidi’s new boy toy.” He chuckled as he continued playing his game, nonchalant about the war waging within Joseph. How could his brothers be so calm? Was he a freak amongst freaks, destined to stay on the periphery of society because he had no self-control?

  “He’s just a client…and I could care less if he was her boyfriend. As soon as the house sells, we’re moving to the homeland, where I’ll find myself a proper vampire bride.”

  Christian flipped another card. “Sure, big guy. Keep telling yourself that.”

  Before he could throttle his younger brother, the distinct click of Heidi’s heels neared the kitchen. He stood straight, smoothed away his frown, and greeted them with all the sickeningly sweet hospitality he could muster.

  “As you can see, the kitchen’s huge. Everything’s custom built. You could create a meal for a small army in here.” She motioned her arm at the wide expanse, ignoring the brothers. The girl was just doing her job, but he had the overwhelming urge to toss her over his lap and smack her bare ass.

  Jeremy wandered around, his hands in his pant pockets. “The house has been well maintained. How long have you three lived here?” he asked.

  “Five years,” said Christian.

  “Seems odd, three brothers living all alone in this big place.” He opened one of the refrigerators and peered inside before quickly shutting it. The human was overstepping his bounds in more ways than one.

  Joseph wanted to tell him to mind his own fucking business, even taking a threatening step forward. But Christian saved the day. “That’s why we’re moving, Mr. Carpenter. We aren’t getting any younger, and we plan to choose wives from our native country.”

  * * * *

  Wives? Heidi felt sick to her stomach. No wonder these men didn’t appear interested in her. Their plans here had always been temporary. It was time for them to move on and find some dark-haired beauties to raise their children. She remembered her erotic dream with Francis and cringed. It no longer felt good to desire a man who was already planning to marry another.

  Why had Joseph looked at her like a piece of meat? He probably wanted to sow his royal oats on her before moving on to bigger and better things. She felt cheap and stupid, and if it weren’t for the huge commission on the property, she’d have asked to get out of the contract. There may not have been any relationship between her and any of the DeVilles, and therefore no betrayal, but she’d crushed on them for years, even dreamed about them in unholy ways at night. There was even a small inkling within her, hoping one of the brothers would suddenly realize she was the woman they’d been waiting for. It was all just one of her fantastical daydreams, never to come true. Heidi Walsh would probably become another statistic, marrying one of the town losers and pumping out the kids like a rabbit.

  If she had her way, she’d have no children at all. The world was already sorely overpopulated. The one thing she yearned for was the love of a good man. A guy to come and sweep her off her feet, get her out of her parents’ basement, and show her what if felt like to be wanted. Her mom and dad had been married forever, and they got along fine, but it was clearly evident the love had fizzled out long, long ago. She didn’t want to be like them, playing a role to please everyone but her. Heidi wanted to break the mold, live dangerously, fuck hard, and have no regrets.

  “Can you show me the backyard?”

  “Huh?” She had to pull out of her reverie. Jackson…Jeremy was standing beside her, awaiting her response. How long had she zoned out?

  “The rear gardens. Could you show them to me?”

  “Yes…” She adjusted her bun, feeling slightly frazzled, as if her personal thoughts were on display. “They’re all professionally manicured, of course.”

  Jeremy was good-looking, fit, with an adorable dimple set deep in his left cheek when he smirked. But he wasn’t a DeVille. He was only an afterthought with the three other men in the room with her. Their piercing black eyes seemed to look right into her soul.

  As she turned to leave the kitchen, she glanced back and met eyes with Francis. His leveled stare nearly brought her to her knees. Her pussy responded as she recalled the way his lips and tongue felt against her clit. The spark of recognition in his eyes when her mouth parted had her rushing to get out into the fresh air.

  Chapter Six

  Francis whacked the ass of his vampiress plaything. The meaty sound echoed within the concrete walls. The women in his race were masochists, well fitted to their males. Her long black hair fell forward like a waterfall at night, the flickering candles resembling the glow of the moon. He couldn’t seem to expel all the unwanted energy pent up and growing inside him. Keeping such a profound secret from his family was eating away at him. He often doubted if he was making the right decision at all.

  Fate was toying with him, giving him a gift that he wasn’t allowed to accept. Heidi Walsh bore the mark. He’d seen it on her milky-white skin as she writhed beneath him the night before. But somehow he’d known all along. That simple little birthmark on her hip carried unparalleled significance. Francis, Joseph, and Christian had an identical mark to hers. It was a symbol, a binding icon to help vampires recognize their true mates. In this case, it couldn’t be true. Even elders rarely spoke of fated partners, arranging many marriages that would keep the lines purest. Survival of the fittest was what he was always taught.

  But he had the visible proof. There was no refuting it. Why would a human bear the mark? If she was truly their mate, then everything he’d worked to defend, and the ideals he’d enforced over a lifetime were all in vain.

  Joseph had been an excellent student for decades, and then five years ago he took an abrupt turn for the worse. It was the girl. Without knowing why, Joseph was drawn to her, to the point he thought he was losing his mind. It would be so easy to give him the explanation he probably sought so desperately—that he craved her because she was his. All of theirs.

  Francis wasn’t sure what kind of cruel hoax was being played on him. First, he was expected to ignore vampiric law and mate with a weak human, further diluting the bloodlines. Then he was supposed to share her with his own brothers? His race was known for their ruthless possessiveness. If he chose a mate, he’d snap the hand of a male who dared to lay a finger on her. Sharing was an absurd proposal. It’s why he knew the marking on Heidi must be a coincidence. He hoped.

  He rubbed circles over the bare flesh of the vampiress’s ass. She lay over a leather-covered bench, naked, her rear branded by his hand.

  Whack, whack, whack.

  His plaything moaned, wriggling about for more. She wanted it harder, rougher, needed to reach a certain threshold of pain to meet her peak. He usually found much more pleasure in doling out her punishment.

  “Hurt me. Please…”

  This had gone on long enough. He’d tried to arouse himself with the women they kept for blood, but it had little effect. Francis braced one knee on the bench and leaned across her back. Her neckline was lovely, but marred by several fresh bite marks. It seemed Joseph had been visiting more often, same as he. The sooner they moved away from Heidi Walsh, the better.

  He sank his fangs into her neck, cracking the thin membrane. His eyes lolled back in his head as the sweet, metallic blood swam over his tongue and down his throat. He savored the taste, the texture, the power. The female under his grasp cried out in orgasm as he took what he needed, but his cock remained only semierect. All he could think about was that foolish little human girl, the one with the blonde hair, peach-colored nipples, and irresistible scent. He tried to imagine it was her beneath him begging for more. Only her blood would be even more exquisite.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13