Savage Chains: Scarred (#2) Read online

  For that reason, she couldn’t have admired him more.

  But she also knew that she and Reyes lived on opposite sides of a deep gorge, with a very flimsy rope bridge between. The human and vampire worlds didn’t mix.

  She simply didn’t know how to make this decision.

  ###

  Reyes sat in his office, at his large burl-wood desk, going through page after page on the Starlin Group private Web site. Now that he was officially a member, he’d been given access.

  So far his cruise through the site had essentially confirmed what he’d learned about Starlin over the decades, that Engles was Scorpion’s link to the rest of the group and that Scorpion remained the most powerful force behind the organization. But the Web site had at least given Reyes the names of all the Starlin board members.

  His next step had to be getting on the Board of Governors, a process that would no doubt take a long time to achieve. And as much as he’d like to get this whole thing settled as fast as possible, he’d already accepted that his mission might require years, if not decades, of patient effort. But being on the board would give him access to the information he needed to bring the entire organization down.

  When he’d opened up the Web site the first thing he’d checked was a slave mortality counter from the recent auction. The counter was still set to “zero,” which meant that none of the slaves had died yet. That number would change, but the fact that it sat on the Web site, with a flashing graphic around it, was one more indicator of the perverse nature of this group.

  A link next to the mortality counter led to a secondary site for placing bets on which slaves were likely to die next and when, down to the minute. He’d clicked on it to familiarize himself with every aspect of Starlin’s operation, but what he found there only deepened his disgust, something he hadn’t thought possible. The site had pictures posted of every slave and her stats as well as information on the slave owners, including their known levels of abuse toward the humans they’d owned previously. Both he and Angelica were listed there, which meant that his cover held. He’d fabricated a reputation of having kept and killed over thirty-eight slaves over the past two decades, preferring slow-kills to short, brutal ones. Odds changed constantly, an indication that serious betting was going on even now.

  As he scrolled back to the home page his thoughts turned toward Angelica and his senses told him she was awake. He almost shifted to altered flight and hurried to his bedroom in order to find out what decision she’d made about staying in his world. But he decided against it. He’d know soon enough, and the woman might want to have a shower first before confronting her vampire host.

  He turned his attention, therefore, to the Starlin Festival and to the string of social events that would give each winning bidder more chances to display their newly acquired slaves.

  He clicked on the Festival tab at the top of the Starlin Web site and found a rather lengthy list of parties that he could attend with Angelica, that is, if just this once the wind decided to blow in his direction.

  ###

  Angelica still didn’t know what to do. She’d never been so torn about a decision in her entire life.

  She wanted to stay as passionately as she wanted to get the hell out of this insane world.

  Once more, she rose up from the bed and crossed to the leather box.

  This time, she took it back with her, sat down again, and balanced the box on her lap. Opening the lid, she decided to hold one of the chains this time. Maybe the blood-infused links would speak to her in a way that would help her make up her mind.

  Several very small metal latches kept the chain in place, and once she removed them she drew the chain from the box. She set the red leather container aside.

  She slid the blood-chain over her wrist and found that it had a nice weight. Only this time, perhaps because it rested against her skin, she experienced a faint vibration that felt like Reyes. She couldn’t express it any other way. The chains reflected the way she thought of him, very powerful, intense, with a layering of determination that expressed his current goals.

  She closed her eyes and forced her mind to relax. She posed the question silently: Why should I stay here with Reyes? Why should I choose such an impossible path? Why?

  A single image rose swiftly within the center of her brain, of the Russian female slave from last night, the one who bore bruises all over her naked body. Angelica saw her clearly outside Engles’s mansion, when her slave owner had attacked her throat and drunk from her neck.

  Angelica opened her eyes. She could still hear the woman’s whimpers.

  From that memory Angelica’s decision roared toward her with hurricane-force winds. Though she’d wanted to escape back to her ordinary life, she was needed here, maybe even for as long as it took to make sure that Starlin didn’t abduct even one more vulnerable human.

  She slid the chain off her wrist, holding it in both hands.

  With her decision made, she simply slid the blood-chain over her head and let it fall around her neck. She pulled her hair from beneath until each link connected with her skin.

  She drew in a deep breath as the chain began to vibrate softly and a sense of Reyes came into focus. She could even tell where he was in relation to the upstairs bedroom, as though some kind of vampire locator process had just clicked into place. Right now he sat in his office on the bottom floor.

  She took another breath, and through the chain she began to siphon his power, letting it flow into her. She felt strengthened and renewed, something she hadn’t expected.

  ###

  Reyes had been so intent on reviewing all the parties to which he’d been invited that at first he didn’t notice that his power was leaving him in a steady stream.

  When he realized what it had to be he stood up abruptly and struggled to take a couple of breaths.

  Angelica had put on one of the blood-chains.

  Though he’d never been chained before, he knew instinctively that this was exactly what had happened. He could sense it in the same way he felt the level of Angelica’s determination.

  She’d made her decision.

  She was staying.

  A wave of relief poured through him, as well as a thrill that he’d have the woman with him for at least the next few days.

  But he had to calm down. His adrenals had released a huge amount of hormones, which had in turn ramped up his ever-present desire for the human. Glancing down at his jeans, he saw he had an uncomfortable bulge and adjusted himself because what shouldn’t have been the least bit swollen was now rock solid.

  He hadn’t expected such a sudden, profound reaction. Maybe he’d wanted the bond and wanted her with him, but he’d set aside just how deeply attracted to her he was. Now, however, all that longing came into sharp focus.

  But the last thing she needed was him coming at her in an aroused state.

  Closing his eyes, he focused not on Angelica, but on his mission. That, at least, would help calm things down. He could finalize his itinerary now and choose which of the Festival parties to attend. There’d be a boat parade first in an extensive underground cavern that had over fifty mansions built on either side of a wide and very deep underground river. Engles had a place there, so his party would definitely be one of the stops.

  Reyes was still the acknowledged guest of honor, and a variety of invitations had lit his in-box within the first hour following his winning bid at the auction.

  Now Angelica would be with him. But how was he supposed to control his drive toward her?

  At last calm, he shifted to altered flight and made his way slowly toward his bedroom, though he thought it only fair to give her a warning. I’m coming to you.

  ###

  I’m here. Angelica still sat on the bed, the red leather box beside her.

  She was suddenly very nervous. The chains would change everything. She’d known it instinctively, which was why the decision had been so damn hard.

  But even as these thoughts rippled thro
ugh her mind she could also sense Reyes’s feelings and reactions. She smiled. His initial response had been full of sex, so much like a man.

  She’d gotten that.

  His desire for her had been like a warm wave easing down her body and making her feel things she shouldn’t be feeling. But she’d known this would be a problem for her and for him as well. The chains merely accentuated what was already there, what had been simmering between them from that first kiss in the foyer of the Ocean Club.

  When he arrived she watched him move through the solid wall and cabinet in the sitting room, appearing almost opaque at first, then solid, as he shifted from altered flight to mere levitation. He touched down near one of the brown leather club chairs but stayed put.

  She rose to her feet to face him, suddenly aware that she should have at least gotten dressed. She’d been so caught up with her need to make a decision that she’d forgotten, until his gaze drifted up and down her body, that she wore only a short blue silk negligee.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “For what?” But his voice sounded hoarse.

  “I should have put something on.”

  He nodded. “It’s okay. I’m just so … grateful.” His gaze fell to the chain around her neck. “Angelica, what you’ve done is enormous.”

  He moved toward her slowly, which affected her senses all over again. He walked like the powerful athlete he was, the outlines of his muscular shoulders and chest visible beneath a thin dark-blue V-neck sweater. He wore snug jeans and she couldn’t decide whether she preferred this look, or the leather jacket he’d worn at the Ocean Club, or his tux. The man looked great in anything.

  She touched the blood-chain, which vibrated more and more heavily the closer he got.

  When he stood in front of her she caught a whiff of the ocean, like he’d been running along a seashore. The scent was very male and weakened her knees. His eyes were so blue, and once more the scruff over his jaw and chin made her tongue tingle.

  “Angelica, I don’t know what to say.”

  “You’ve already said it.” She reached down and picked up the leather box, opening it once more so that it faced him.

  He released the small clasps that held the second chain in place, then lifted it carefully with both hands. “The vibration is already so strong.”

  “And you’ve never done this before?”

  He shook his head.

  “Having reservations?”

  He met her gaze. “I promised myself that I’d never be bound in chains again, of any kind, yet here I am.”

  She felt his distress, which caused her to reach out and settle her hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be all right. It’s just me.”

  At that he smiled ruefully. “You’re right, but now I feel bad.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I should be the one comforting you.”

  Her turn to smile. “As to that, I have a feeling you’ll be doing a lot of that before we’re through.”

  He held her gaze. “And it will be the least I can do.”

  She glanced at the chain he held in his hands. “So, what do you say? Now that I’ve made the decision, I’m dying to find out what it’s really like.”

  He nodded and, using both hands, slid the chain over his head. It looked good on him, especially the dark metal against his blue sweater. She realized then that her vision had sharpened.

  “I can see better.”

  “That would follow, but I can also sense your fear. I can almost feel your heart racing.”

  She nodded. “All that’s true. I’m frightened half out of my mind right now.”

  “By me?”

  “Oh, God, no, Reyes, not even a little. I trust you implicitly; otherwise I could never have done this. I fear what’s likely to happen as we move forward with your mission. If the Festival events are anything like the after-auction party …” She let the rest of the thought hang.

  At that he drew her into his arms, holding her tight, exactly what she needed. She slid her arms around his back, the sweater soft beneath her fingers. “See, you’re comforting me already.”

  He held her like that for a few minutes, maybe waiting for her heart to settle down. He couldn’t have known how much his big body and the latent strength of his arms eased her.

  Finally, he drew back. “I want to test the proximity limitation. I think it’ll be a bit of a challenge to get used to.”

  “Good idea.”

  He started backing away from her, one step at a time, and when he’d reached the ten-foot mark she felt the pull on her chain, a very strong warning tug.

  “Do you feel that?”

  He nodded but continued to inch backward. With each movement the tension increased. It was the strangest sensation, as though it would pull her forward soon and she’d fall flat on her face.

  Instead of letting that happen, he took a couple of steps in her direction. “What did that feel like for you?”

  “As though we had a taut rope between us and you were tugging. Hard.”

  “Same here.”

  What she didn’t say was just how much of him she could feel, as though whatever thoughts he had or reactions he experienced automatically communicated themselves through the chains. It was both unsettling yet in a way thrilling. She felt strangely close to him right now. “So, what’s on the agenda?”

  At that he smiled as he returned to stand close to her once more. “The first part shouldn’t be too bad. It’s a boat parade.”

  She laughed. “A what?”

  He explained about the underground river community where many of the wealthier members had homes and which was hidden behind a heavy, layered disguise.

  “So these creeps can keep doing their thing without threat of jail time.”

  “Exactly. Although in our courts there isn’t much risk of meaningful prosecution. Most of the judges are corrupt. Of course, if the entire vampire population knew what was going on there would be an uprising.”

  She considered all that he’d said. “No wonder you had to develop a cover over a period of years. With so much security in place, you couldn’t have gotten this far otherwise. So tell me more about the festival.”

  “The parade lasts for several hours, with the boats coming and going and parties held at riverside. Most of these homes have landscaped front yards, patios, barbecues, and viewing decks.”

  “If I wasn’t so horrified by what these people did, I’d be excited about seeing this place.” She shook off the uneasy feeling about what would be ahead of her. “So you’ll show me off, like you did at the after-auction party, which doesn’t sound too bad.” She felt the chain at her neck vibrate. “But you’re worried.”

  “The situation won’t be much different; that’s true. The new slaves will be on display, forced to perform certain acts.”

  “And you’re worried that we’ll end up in a similar situation to the theater.”

  “I’ll do my absolute best to avoid it; just be prepared.”

  “I understand.”

  He took her arm in his hand and squeezed gently. “I’ll try to get us through without incident. The main thing is to make a show of being there. All we’ll really need to do is appear at a number of the parties, talk to a few of the Starlin board members, then we can leave.”

  “I don’t suppose we could avoid Engles.” Angelica could only hope.

  “He’ll have to see you at least once, but we’ll make it quick; then I’ll bring you back here.”

  “So, how much time do I have?”

  “We can go whenever you want. The parade has already started but lasts for hours, as do all the parties. Later is always better; that way we can make an entrance.”

  “I’m thrilled. Okay, I’ll shower now.” When she turned to go he moved with her, which brought her up short. “I think I can do this alone.”

  At that he smiled, but she didn’t understand why. “Of course.” He stayed put.

  She moved on a quick tread, and the next mome
nt the blood-chain bond not only gave a strong tug on her neck but also jerked her backward so that she fell on her tush.

  Still sitting on the floor, she looked back at him and scowled. “You did that on purpose.”

  He chuckled. “I’m sorry. If I thought it would have done that to you, I would have said something. But I also thought that it wouldn’t be a bad thing for either of us to experience the proximity problem of the bond.” He slid a hand beneath her arm, lifting her to her feet.

  She waved him forward. “Fine. Looks like you’ll have to be in the bathroom with me.”

  “Hold on. Let me grab my laptop.”

  Without thinking he moved swiftly in the direction of the sitting room, and the next thing Angelica knew this time he was flying backward. She laughed as he rose to his feet, but she hurried past him, picked up his laptop, and handed to him. “It’s really not that funny, is it?”

  He narrowed his gaze at her, but his lips curved. “Let’s go. I have what I need.”

  Chapter Two

  Once inside the bathroom Reyes had to keep moving himself and his laptop, tracking with Angelica, in order to sustain their distance restriction and avoid another tug at his neck. At least the toilet had its own small room for privacy, so that wouldn’t be an issue.

  He decided, however, that there were too many mirrors in the room. Though he could avoid watching her actually strip out of her short nightgown or hop in the shower, a couple of stray glances had allowed him too many glimpses of her naked body.

  Fortunately, the shower was a walk-in separated by block glass tiles and he really couldn’t see anything. He could imagine it, though.

  He took a deep breath and opened his laptop, letting it sit on the side of the long marble counter. He returned to the Starlin Web site and once more perused the various parties he could attend.

  Now that he knew who the board members were, he set up a separate document and listed the ten most influential. He then removed five whose human slaves rarely made it past the first week. He wasn’t about to expose Angelica to the worst of the slavers if he could help it. That left him with five less-criminal party hosts, including Engles.