Over the past year, I may have fought Rurik on the things he deemed necessary for me to learn, such as swordsmanship, which was for medieval knights. I had better things to do with his body than poke holes in it, and unless stripping was involved in chess, I didn’t want to play. Strengthening my skill to protect my mind made sense, especially after what Dragos did to me.
Rurik taught me not to build my mental walls with only stone like Colby taught me, they shattered with enough brute strength, but to use all the elements and switch them around for my need. With this strong attack, I changed it to hurricane force winds that absorbed the strikes and sent them asunder. Even with my new skills, though, I wouldn’t be a match for Luckard. He came from a line of the strongest vampires.
“Rurik!” I hated that I cried out for him. He’d hear, I had no doubt, and try to rescue me. Our only chance would be to work together or die together. Sometimes my selfishness astounded me.
The assault stopped and I gasped at its sudden retreat. I snapped my eyes open, surprised to find them closed, and got flung over the Nosferatu’s shoulder. Fumbling the cell phone, I caught it between my fingers and crushed it to my chest, remembering Colby’s order to keep it with me, right before Luckard lifted me over his shoulder like a wet towel and took off running.
I lifted my head and caught a glimpse of Rurik at the mouth of alley. We turned a corner and I heard his tentative voice.
“Connie?”
Chapter Four
So far, I’d spent my time with Rurik in the wealthy, touristy areas of Rio. Luckard showed me a different side, one I didn’t care for, haunting in its familiarity. I grew up in similar conditions and spent my adolescence in worse, except all on American soil.
The slum’s roads were narrow with apartment buildings crowding from both sides.
Laundry hung from clothes lines, alleys filled with leaning, makeshift shanties and not a soul visible. I could sense their eyes, though, watching us in the dark.
Luckard dropped me onto my feet and I wobbled on the broken heel of my shoe. He grabbed my arm. “Stay close.”
“Wait, don’t pull just yet.” I kicked off the shoes so I could keep up with his pace then wrapped Joao’s cell phone in my hand. The asphalt poked at my soles. “What do you want with m-me?” I tried to sound strong and failed miserably.
He glanced at me, keeping silent.
“Did that bastard, Tane, put you up to this?”
“Bastard?” He whispered. At the next intersection, he made a left, guiding me with his grip. “I want the truth.”
“Ask me, I’ll tell you what you want. I don’t have secrets.”
“Then why block me from your mind?”
I swallowed. Discussing mind rape with Luckard, when I didn’t even talk about it with Rurik, made me want to crawl into a deep hole. “Someone forced his way in my head and hurt me. I don’t let anyone inside.” I blinked away angry tears. “Not anymore.”
At the thought of Rurik, my blood lust roused. Damn it, I just drank a few hours ago.
Exhaustion burned my eyes, my soul cringed at Luckard’s touch, and now, my fucking hunger took a peek from its hiding place, making it hard to think. Like I didn’t have enough to deal with.
Luckard marched us down the street in silence. He took a right on what I could only call a paved path. It wound between buildings and we passed two allies before he stopped to face me. “Are you blood bound to Tane?”
“Never.” I stepped back as if slapped. “I’m bound to Rurik.”
His dark eyes narrowed as he stared into mine. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I’ve been told otherwise. I could sense Rurik’s affection for you, but no link to a blood bond.”
“I don’t let anyone in my head.”
“That has nothing to do with it.” He sighed and pulled me farther down the path until we reached a faded, green-chipped door. “If you’re lying, I will find out.” His gaze stayed on the door as he spoke and his grip on my arm tightened enough to make me squirm. “If you’re telling me the truth, then I apologize in advance.”
“What—” The cell hidden in my hand rang.
He snatched at the phone and it tumbled from my fingers to the ground. “What have you been doing?”
“Nothing. I hadn’t a chance.”
He stomped on it with crushing force and I heard it snap. The ringing stopped and my salvation died. He yanked the door open. Its dark maw threatened to consume me.
I retreated.
His firm hold on my arm kept me in place and he dragged me through the doorway.
Once inside he closed and locked it.
My eyes adjusted to the thick darkness, but even with my enhanced vision, I could only see his outline. I stumbled when he guided me to ascend some stairs. They creaked with each step and groaned under our combined weight.
At the top, the rough wooden floors scraped my soles. My stomach turned as we neared another door. I swallowed around a hard lump in my throat.
Luckard knocked and it opened, this one guarded from the inside. They closed and locked the door after we passed. What were they hiding here that needed vampire guards?
Maybe something that craved little blondes?
My racing heart bounced in my chest like a trapped hummingbird trying to escape, which made it hard to breathe. The sweat trickling along my hairline clung the curls to my skin, as I drowned in my retained tears swelling in my eyes.
How the hell was I going to get myself out of this?
Inside the studio apartment, a bare light bulb hung from the ceiling. The grimy walls seemed to absorb all the light, leaving the room dim and each bricked up window closed out the world. The guards went to stand at the far side of the room.
In the center stood a naked, bald man. Four thick steel bars pierced his body at different angles. Two going in from his shoulders and out his flanks, the other two went in his back and out his hips. Anchored to the ceiling and the floor, it made a perfect Nosferatu prison.
He lifted his head and my gaze met his black soulless one.
“Tane.” Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse.
“Oh for crying-out-loud, getting Rabbit to yabber at me all night is the most diabolical torture yet, Luckard.” He slurred his words. I’d witnessed this vampire slug back martini after martini and never reflect it. His eyelids drooped closed for a moment as his shoulders sagged. He shifted his feet to support more of his weight and stood taller.
“Nice to see you again, Rabbit. What brings you to Rio?”
“You anal-sucking-zombie-breeder, what do you want with me?” Luckard held me as I tried to step forward. My anger clouded any logical reasoning. I hated this dark creature made into a pincushion.
Tane grinned. “I’m not exactly running the show here, sweet cheeks.” His head rolled on his shoulder before he straightened again. With dilated pupils, he tried to stare at me. What was he on? It had to be strong to keep him from breaking out.
Someone banged on the door with a thunderous knock. I jerked in Luckard’s grip as I jumped.
He pulled me to the side; the other two vampires who helped him jump me and Rurik at the beach sauntered in.
Blondie’s eyes brightened when he saw me. “Good, you caught her.” His darker, more somber companion ignored us and approached a table by the wall.
Quicker than my eyes could track, Luckard struck my admirer. “No thanks to your help.” Luckard towered over him with power oozing from his body.
The blond shuffled away to the corner and held his jaw.
“Al, hand me the dagger.” Luckard outstretched his hand to the darker one by the table and dragged me next to him. Only then did I recognize what sat on the tabletop.