Darkness Binds Read online

  There was a pop and his eyes closed as he leaned back.

  Someone cleared their throat.

  Amelia’s breath caught. She tucked him back into his pants and zipped.

  “Sorry, we need to talk. I may have a lead,” Robert explained.

  “We were forming the bond,” Amelia explained breathlessly.

  “Sorry to interrupt. Are you two decent?”

  Brent sighed, stepped back, and pulled her skirt down. “Yes. What’s going on?”

  At least Robert had the decency to turn away and stare out the window.

  Amelia moved beside Brent, her expression blank, but pale pink stained her cheeks. He hoped that had everything to do with the interruption, and not something Brent did.

  Robert faced them, dipping his head while his eyes stayed on the ground. “There are unknown vampires at Dark Temptations. Victoria and Lincoln left so you two could go there, see what you can find. Are you going to feel comfortable in a sex club, Amelia?”

  “Very,” she answered. “Won’t be the first time I’ve been there.”

  That was news to Brent. He kept a straight face, though. “Then we’ll start there.”

  Amelia in a sex club? He shouldn’t have been surprised. There were several visions of her in an outfit that belonged in such a place.

  She turned to him. Her head cocked. “You’re shocked?”

  “Surprised.” Brent lifted one shoulder. He wasn’t sure he could say pleasantly, but he wasn’t disappointed. “I’ll need to change.”

  A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. “Me too. We should hurry, though.”

  Nodding, he had to agree. No matter how disappointed he was, they wouldn’t be able to finish what they’d started.

  “I’ll leave you to it.” Robert disappeared.

  Amelia walked out of the office, grabbed her purse, and turned back with a raised brow. “If you don’t mind, can you take me by my place?”

  “You didn’t drive?”

  Her face screwed up briefly. “I ran from home. I didn’t want to give Tyrone a way to follow me.”

  “Tell me what happened with him.”

  She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. When she met his gaze she said, “I woke up, and he wanted to make love while I drank from him. I couldn’t. I know what he feels, but I don’t.”

  “And if he’s there, waiting for you?”

  “Then I find a way to tell him it’s truly over.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head. “You didn’t cause this. I did.” She nodded toward the front door. “Let’s get changed and go.”

  “Would it help if you stay with me in the morning?”

  “In your room?”

  “Yes. And Jared has officially moved out, taking his things with him.”

  “But you want me in your room?”

  “Yes, nowhere else.”

  “Then stop by my place first. He won’t come back until closer to dawn.”

  “You’re sure about that?”

  “Fairly.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  Chapter 5

  Brent parked on the street outside Amelia’s apartment. He took her hand. “Tyrone is up there.”

  She wanted to groan but held it back. “Yeah, I know. Let me deal with him.”

  “I’ll wait down here, and if you need help, I’ll be there.”

  “You sense him?”

  “The spirits do.” He lifted a shoulder. “You may need to use your persuasion to make him forget you. Otherwise, he’s going to be in trouble if the vampires we’re investigating find out who you are.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that.” She climbed from the car and made her way up the steps to her apartment.

  Tyrone sat against the door, watching her with so much longing she didn’t know what to do.

  Amelia opened the door and nodded inside. “We need to talk.”

  “We do.” He stood and followed, shutting the door. Then he stalked her across the room even though she held her ground.

  “Love me,” he whispered.

  Loving him would never be enough. “Tyrone…”

  Closing the distance, he captured her face. “Tell me you need me.”

  She couldn’t. Brent said the same thing earlier. Only, it sounded right coming from his lips. The words were wrong on Tyrone’s.

  Words wouldn’t get through to Tyrone. And he would only get himself or them hurt if the vampires got their hands on him. That left one choice.

  She opened her mouth, letting him see her fangs descend.

  “Good enough,” he answered, opening the buttons of her blouse.

  Leaning up, she sank her teeth into his throat, wiping out every memory of her since becoming a vampire, then implanting the need to at least call Samantha.

  Enough time had passed that Samantha was probably missing what they shared. If he went to her, he’d be out of the country, safe, at least from these vampires.

  Finally, she put him to sleep, and as he slumped to the floor, she lifted him and carried him to his car. Leaving him there, she hurried up the stairs, buttoning her shirt.

  Brent caught up. “Are you okay?” Jealousy colored his tone.

  Nowhere near okay, but he didn’t want to hear that. Instead, she tried to put a different spin on her predicament. “I lost a good friend. But this is for the best.”

  “What did you put in his head?”

  She turned to him, so he could see the truth on her face. “I sent him back to Samantha. Worst case, she’ll break his heart again, but I won’t be there to fall back into the previous pattern.”

  His expression softened. “You care for him. This can’t be easy.”

  Her shoulders fell with her sigh. “It’s not. But I don’t love him, not like that.”

  “Get dressed. I’ll wait here.”

  Dropping her gaze, she went back to her room. Amelia dressed in leather shorts and a corseted vest, with a pair of thigh-high boots. Then she darkened her makeup.

  She came back, and Brent licked his lips as he swept his eyes over her.

  “Bloody abyss, you look like my darkest fantasy.”

  Her lips quirked. “That’s the point. Now, we should go to your place.”

  “Bringing anything?”

  She lifted a shoulder where a backpack hung. “Yup. I’m ready if you are.”

  “Very,” he answered.

  She followed him down and was thankful Tyrone still slept in the car. “Let me call my sister. Maybe Delilah and Christian can help him.”

  “Will they judge you?”

  She shook her head. At least she hoped not, but she’d been wrong about Tyrone being there.

  Amelia dialed, and Delilah answered a ring later. “Hey, sis. What’s going on?”

  “You know how you told me not to mess around with Tyrone? That I would wind up hurting him?”

  “Oh no, what’s going on?” And there was the judging tone Amelia hoped to avoid.

  She sighed. “I took his memories. Look, he needs to go after Samantha. Can you convince him?”

  “How much of his memory?” Delilah demanded.

  “Just what we shared. And the fact I’m a vampire now. Nothing else. But I have a new assignment, and he’ll only get himself hurt if he follows me around.”

  “Okay, what do you need me to do?”

  “He’s asleep in his car, outside my place. Can you and Christian pick him up? Please. Convince him to go after Samantha.”

  “I don’t know about that, but we’ll see what we can do. You be careful. Love ya, Amelia.”

  “Love you too, Delilah. And thank you.” She hung up and laid her head back on the seat.

  * * * *

  Watching Tyrone touch Amelia had boiled Brent’s blood. But seeing the tears in her eyes when she took him to his car twisted him into knots.

  Yes, he was jealous of the man who brought her comfort, but he drove her into his arms by keeping his word. She hadn’t believed Brent would wait f
or her to be ready.

  Then again, he was worried he would destroy everything good in her when she delved deep into his secrets and found the monster that hid beneath the surface.

  Not to mention, being with her meant one or both would die. Nearly all of his visions were tied up in their end, not their love.

  “Bring your bag,” he said as he parked and climbed out of the car. She moved to the door too fast, and he caught a slight tremble in her hands.

  Brent glanced back as he opened the door. “Don’t be nervous. I want you here.”

  She followed him to his room and dropped her bag against his dresser. “I’ll be in the living room.”

  In the next blink, he was alone. Sighing, he went to the closet and changed. He needed to find a way to bridge the distance growing since she left Tyrone in his car without his memories.

  Dressed in his own black leather pants, a black silk shirt, and trench coat, he found Amelia staring out the window at the busy street.

  He moved to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “What can I do?”

  “We need to get to the club, and I need to process what I just did.”

  “What’s to process?”

  A laugh devoid of humor left her lips. “I stole his memories. I took from him. If I were him and found out, I’d hate me.”

  “You’re protecting him.”

  “Yeah, in more ways than one. But will the longing go away? I know I can alter his memory, but does that change what he’ll feel?”

  He didn’t have the answer to that question. “You asked your sister to convince him to go back to his ex. Isn’t she overseas?”

  She turned to Brent with a sigh. “London. But my sister seems to think he won’t go.”

  “Would the other woman take him back?”

  Amelia shrugged. “Maybe? I think she hoped he would chase her. First, he was mad. Then he broke down. I’m not even sure he still loves her. Maybe Delilah is right.”

  “Don’t second-guess yourself. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

  “How, if you’re with me?”

  “Trust me, Amelia. Please.”

  She nodded, looking out the window.

  Brent squeezed her hand. “The spirits. When they know it’s important to me, they’ll keep me informed. And you’re important to me. Which is why I know so much I probably shouldn’t.”

  “That makes sense.” She seemed unfazed.

  “I promise we’ll make sure he’s safe.”

  “Thank you.”

  Brent licked his bottom lip. “We need to pass for lovers in the club.”

  Light danced in her eyes. “I’m the vampire. You’re supposed to be passing for less than you are. That makes me the one in control.”

  “I’ll be the best sub you’ve ever witnessed.” For her, he would do anything, no questions asked. Now that the bond was in place, he would tear down any barrier in their way. “I have one question though. Why did you go to the club?”

  “I did some of my investigation into Yuri at the club. It was one of the places some of the players met. A smaller group. Most of them had made it through the ranks of Blood Bound.”

  “You never mentioned you went there.”

  She sighed. “I visited before that. Mostly in hopes of exploring my options. Never found what I was looking for.”

  “Were you a participant?”

  Her eyes dropped. “Watched more than participated. I haven’t been twenty-one that long.”

  “I’m sorry if I made you feel unwanted.”

  She sighed. “Look, that’s over with, right? We can skip the apologies. I don’t need to know every detail of your past, and you don’t need to know mine. Besides, there’s not much compared to yours.”

  That didn’t sit well with him, but he parked and stepped out of the car as he willed his appearance to change. His hair darkened, his eyes deepening and shifting from blue to green. His body slimmed down.

  Amelia eyed him. “I suppose I’ll get used to the glamour.”

  He smiled, liking the fact she preferred his true face. “We should hurry.”

  They made the trip in silence. He wished he knew what to say, but it seemed she was sliding into the role she needed to play. Brent let her concentrate.

  Once he parked, she stepped from the car and waited for him on the sidewalk. He hurried to catch up.

  “We need to fit in,” she murmured.

  One corner of his mouth turned up as he dropped his gaze. “Yes, Mistress.”

  She tugged his arm, pulling him toward the entrance. The troll at the door looked up with a smile as he swept his gaze over Amelia.

  Brent kept his attention down, though a possessive streak roared through him. Here, now, in their situation, he wasn’t in control, he wasn’t the one claiming her.

  No, she had staked the claim on him. Their cover story depended on her being the one in charge. No vampire would want to bring a submissive vampire in if they were abducting their food. They would want one strong and in control. And Amelia had a way about her that showed off her confidence, even when it was failing.

  She was going to have to play the part of a vampire ready to take power. How far would she take the role?”

  Shit, he had wanted more time to discuss a plan, and now they didn’t have that option.

  Chapter 6

  Thankfully, Amelia hadn’t taken Tyrone to the club. She had kept their relationship a secret from everyone she could. Declan and Consuela knew. Delilah told her to end it. Christian didn’t offer an opinion, but it was clear he pitied her.

  None of that had helped.

  At least, she set Tyrone free the best way she could.

  They were admitted into the main portion of the club. She hadn’t thought to ask if Brent had been through the process. But that didn’t matter with her acting as his sponsor. And he was undercover, in disguise. Being a full-fledged member, she could take him where she wanted. Especially now that she was a vampire. Management would watch her to make sure she didn’t endanger her guest, but they watched even the most mundane human.

  Amelia took Brent to a table where they would be seen and sat close, leaning in to whisper, “What would you like to drink?”

  “Red wine. I’m not picky.”

  She caught the waitress’ attention and ordered for Brent. Then again, the only thing she could drink would be blood, and they did offer that. However, she always felt wrong drinking from a glass in front of so many people.

  Sooner or later, she would have to drink from the source publicly. She’d done that once, in the club, in a back room a few nights after she first drank from Tyrone. She chose a human, of course.

  Her lips quirked as she scanned the people in the bar. She recognized two vampires. Hopefully, if she had to take another sip of Brent’s blood, his magic wouldn’t have the same effect. Either way, she would play the part.

  Brent tensed beside her, but didn’t look up, and patiently waited for his drink.

  Amelia leaned closer, running her nails up and down his neck. A shudder worked through him, and she longed to see his real visage, preferably without his eyes downcast.

  She leaned in to whisper against his ear, “After your wine, you need to trust me.”

  “Yes, Mistress,” he murmured.

  Figuring it was as good as she was going to get, she wished she had a way to converse with him without words. Maybe after their bond settled, they’d find that ability.

  By the time the wine appeared at the table, the vampires had spotted her. She made eye contact with the one who emanated power. Long wavy blond hair, eyes of cerulean skies. Her heartbeat picked up as his lips formed a familiar smile. She’d seen him upon waking for a month. Those same eyes.

  Brent stiffened slightly as he caught on and sipped at his wine. He finished faster than she would have expected, and she led him from the table, down a hall, into a round room. One side had a small stage, with a built-in bench outside the rest of the room. This was where the public sex and feedings
happened.

  There was a human chained to a rack. She wore a scarlet bralette, matching panties, and a tiny black leather skirt that had ridden up.

  A female vampire in leather dragged a flogger down the human’s body before slapping the threads across her bare thighs.

  A thought entered her head. If Brent were supposed to be her pet, should he be marked in some way? That was something she should have considered before entering the club. However, she could always use the excuse that she was trying him out.

  It wasn’t unheard of. She’d seen other vampires do the same before settling on a pet, while others considered their partners equal. And she wanted to consider Brent equal.

  Unfortunately, the assignment called for roleplay. Brent playing submissive in this situation proved his trust in her and served a purpose. Especially when he knelt beside her instead of sitting on the bench.

  More questions poured through her head. How much would he know about this place? Had he visited many times? Had he played on both sides? Would he expect her to?

  * * * *

  Those eyes. The same color leaves turn in autumn brought back memories of his only love.

  Eamon fell into Oriana’s stare and the first time he’d set eyes on her thousands of years ago seared into him.

  Back when Eamon led his father’s battles. Delaney Mac Domhnaill, the first King of Ossery, trusted Eamon, his only son, to conquer the lords and kings who threatened to encroach on their territory.

  He came from a long line of druids. They shifted to wolves, birds of prey, sometimes other animals. They could call the storm and heal. And Eamon was one of the most powerful druids, next to his father.

  After a bloody campaign to expand their lands, Eamon came home to find a young woman standing outside his bedroom door. Her hair fell around her white dress in deep red waves.

  “What are you doing here, woman?” Eamon asked.

  Eyes the color of autumn leaves met his and his breath caught as his heart hammered behind his ribs. First, he found fear in those stunning eyes, but that melted away to hope and desire. “Eamon?”

  “I am, and you are?”

  “Oriana of the Black Mire clan. We should speak.”