Blood Lure (14 page)
But now, because he knew the truth of him, and had accepted that, the boundaries of their lovemaking seemed limitless. At least, Jared had no boundaries. Joey, being mortal, knew that as much as he was willing to match Jared’s endurance, to make love all night long, again and again, he had to acknowledge he was, after all, only human. For that reason each moment like this was precious to him, and to have it be over in a heated rush was not what he desired.
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His lover innately knew Joey’s concerns and pulled back, releasing him from his mouth, moving over him, leaving a trail of fiery kisses over his torso as he reached for Joey’s mouth.
Once there, the kiss he laid on Joey’s lips was all things at once—incredibly sweet, yet filled with an underlying passion that had Joey’s senses reeling as he clung to Jared, his arms wound tightly around the vampire’s neck, holding their mouths pressed together with a feverish raw need.
Joey lifted his legs and wound them round Jared’s slim waist, raising his hips to meet Jared’s probing fingers made slick with his saliva. One, then two, stretching Joey, readying him for the moment they both craved.
“Yes…” Joey breathed out his acceptance as Jared pushed forward, his cock sliding past Joey’s resistance with one long rapturous thrust. His eyes, wide open, locked on Jared’s dark gaze. Their mouths met again in another long and searing kiss as Jared fucked Joey with deep, powerful strokes. Their bodies moved together to a rhythm born of mutual passion and desire, their moans of pleasure mingling in each other’s mouths.
Never let this end
, was Joey’s yearning wish, even as he felt the undeniable pressure of his orgasm build inside him.
“Come for me, Joey. Let me feel your hot seed on my skin…”
“Jared!”
Joey’s strangled cry was followed by his body shuddering in Jared’s arms as his climax rolled through him, blinding him with its intensity, sending a fountain of cum over both their chests. His body spasmed again as Jared came in one long sustained orgasm that filled Joey with a white hot blast. Their bodies heaving, breath rasping in their throats, they clung to one another in a straining embrace, their kisses roaming over each other’s faces and throats. His heart pounding madly, Joey cupped Jared’s face between his hands and gazed into the darkest blue eyes he had ever seen.
“I love you, Jared Lantos,” he whispered. “I love you.”
Andrew, watching from his hotel room window, spotted the two men standing on the other side of the street opposite the hotel entrance. There was no doubt in his mind that they were there to do him harm.
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So Bernard Fieldman’s power can reach as far as Los Angeles, despite his arrest and pending
trial.
He’d even managed to find the hotel where Andrew was registered.
No mean feat
, Andrew mused.
It is obvious I must take the threat these men pose seriously.
He considered calling Jared for help, but felt confident he could handle two mortals by himself, if they should confront him. He reached out, probing their minds, found them dull and stupid, awaiting instructions. One of them was carrying a canvas bag, and from the bulges inside their jackets Andrew could determine they were armed.
Unless they are loaded with silver bullets, their guns are useless
.
The sun had almost set, the street lined with lengthening shadows, enough shade for Andrew to get nearer to the men, perhaps frighten them enough with a sudden appearance that would make them abandon their watch. He smiled as he mulled over that possibility, then his extra sensory hearing picked up a muttered conversation.
“You knuckleheads, why’d you wait until sunset? The freak’ll be awake!”
“Don’t worry, boss, we can take him with what we got here.”
“I hope so. For your fuckin’ sakes, I hope so.”
Andrew heard the words, “Okay, go get him.”
The men moved, walking briskly across the street towards the hotel. They were obviously in touch with Fieldman, or someone in league with him, by cell phone.
Well, they are in for a little surprise
.
A few minutes later he sensed them in the hallway outside his room. Andrew doused all the lights but one, then slipped into the shadowed recesses of the room. The door was suddenly kicked in and the two men rushed in.
One of them looked wildly around the dimly lit room. “Where the fuck is he?”
“He’s here,” the other grunted, holding his gun straight out in front of him. “The fucker’s hidin’ somewhere in here. Get that
thing
ready!”
Andrew moved from the shadows and clamped a hand on the gunman’s shoulder.
“Here I am.”
The gunman squeaked with shock then with terror as Andrew’s hand fastened around his throat and lifted him off the ground. Andrew whirled round, fangs bared, to face the other man, still holding the first man aloft. The man’s face was turning purple, his breath coming in spluttering gasps.
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“Get him!” he croaked. “For fuck’s sake—”
Andrew threw the man aside and advanced on his partner, who although he looked like he might faint at any moment, managed to pull something from the bag he carried.
A net.
It glinted in the man’s gloved, shaking hands as he threw it over Andrew’s head. With an angry growl, Andrew grabbed the net and tried to peel it back.
Silver
…
Tiny jagged pins of pain seared through Andrew’s skin as he struggled to remove the net, but cunning barbs impaled him, weakening him. The two men were holding it down, forcing Andrew to his knees, the silver barbs imbedding themselves deeper into his flesh, poisoning his blood, draining him of his strength.
“That’s it, we got the fucker,” the gunman hissed through clenched teeth. “Just hold it there ‘til he can’t move no more.”
Andrew’s struggling grew weaker. Even as he called out Jared’s name, his mind became blurred, then began to close down.
The final death was upon him.
As Andrew’s body stilled, the men stepped back, gloating. They’d done it. Now only one more thing remained to make sure there was no trace of the vampire left. They ran from the room spraying the walls and floor of the hallway with a combustible liquid from aerosol containers they’d secreted in their pockets. When they reached the emergency stairs the gunman turned and struck a match.
“Goodbye, freak,” he muttered, throwing the match onto the carpet. “Let’s get the fuck outta here,” he snarled at his partner. “This place will be toast in no time.”
Joey could hardly contain his excitement as he and Jared waited outside Carlos Galeano’s apartment door. Chris was going to be so totally freaked when he saw who was coming to dinner!
He gripped Jared’s hand tightly as the door opened and yet another magnificent looking man smiled at him. As he stared at the tall, athletic man with a mane of black hair BLOOD LURE
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and the darkly mysterious eyes he remembered, Joey wasn’t sure if he could handle this surfeit of male beauty he seemed to have been surrounded by since he’d met Jared.
If Carlos was surprised to see Joey standing alongside his old friend, he hid it well.
“Jared, welcome.” He waved them inside, then the two friends embraced.
“You remember Joey?” Jared asked.
“Indeed.” Carlos gave him a bemused smile. “How are you, Joey?”
Joey grinned at him. “I’m good, but don’t tell Chris I’m here yet. I want to surprise him.”
Carlos raised an aristocratic eyebrow. “I think you will do just that. Well, come on through to the living room, and spring your surprise.”
Chris was standing at the bar in the elegantly furnished room, opening a bottle of wine in preparation for Carlos’ guests. The bottle almost slipped from his hands as he looked up and saw his best friend in the doorway, smiling at him.
“Joey! But—”
“Surprise!” Joey rushed forward and gathered Chris in his arms. “Don’t be nervous, I know…
everything
.”
“You do?” Chris’s eyes were wide with wonder. “That’s good. Wait, you do? But how, and who’s that with you?” he added in a whisper.
“Jared, my boyfriend.”
“But he’s…he’s—”
“A vampire. I told you, I know everything. I’ve met Marcus and Joseph and—you look stunned.”
“I am stunned, but you just solved the problem of how I was ever going to tell you about Carlos.” Chris kissed Joey’s cheek. “I still can’t believe it. How did it happen? Wait, we’re being rude. You should introduce me to, uh…”
“Jared. Yeah, come and meet him. He is so incredible—” Joey realised he was gushing, and shut up long enough to let Chris and Jared exchange ‘hellos’ after he’d introduced them.
Carlos led them all back to the bar and poured the wine Chris had opened.
“I think we should have a toast, don’t you?” The vampire’s golden brown eyes gleamed in the candlelight. “To newfound friends,” he said, smiling at Joey. “To old friends”—with a nod to Jared—”and to friends who have many new things to talk about tonight. Salud.”
“Salud.”
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Tommy Cordain, lying on a bench inside the fire station, had just completed his fiftieth press-up when the alarm went off. The computerised voice telling the location of the fire was followed by Fire Chief Brad Lambert yelling, “Come on, ladies, haul ass, now!”
Tommy leapt off the bench and headed for the row of lockers with the rest of the crew where they grabbed their boots and heavy gear. Tommy experienced the usual rush of adrenaline that preparing for action always brought him.
“Barclay Hotel on Robinson,” his buddy Alex Benson muttered beside him as they pulled on their boots. “Hope they managed to evacuate the guests.”
Tommy had an instant vision of parents trying to guide their frightened children through smoke-filled hallways. He hoped like hell, along with Alex, that they’d had enough warning to get out. He pulled up his fire retardant pants, grabbed his helmet.
“Let’s go!”
He and Alex jumped aboard the quint, squeezing into the back of the cab while Chief Lambert climbed in front with the driver, Lenny Holmes. A fire truck followed them out of the station as they sped onto the darkened street, klaxon braying at full volume.
“Fire started on the fourth floor.”
Lambert relayed the information as he received it.
“Pretty much everyone’s out, but there’s a couple of guests unaccounted for. Could be they’re just out on the town, of course, but we need to check.”
He glanced back at Tommy. “Cordain, make sure your air equipment’s A-okay. I’m sending you and Benson in.”
“Okay, Chief.”
The building came into view as they roared round the corner onto Robinson.
“Shit…”
Dense black smoke poured from almost every window from the fourth floor up, while flames leapt from the roof. The quint skidded to a halt outside the entrance and Tommy, along with Alex, jumped out, air equipment in hand. The foyer was empty, the elevator doors wide open. The men took the stairs.
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“I’ll check out the third floor,” Alex yelled. “Make sure there’s no stragglers, then I’ll head up to the fourth.”
“Right.” Tommy didn’t argue, just took the stairs two and three at a time.
He pushed his way through the fire door on the fourth floor. Smoke and heat and the smell of some kind of fuel caused him to gag. He slipped his oxygen mask over his face then turned his fire extinguisher onto the burning carpet in the hallway ahead of him. Kicking in each closed door, he did a hasty check of the rooms on both sides, drenching any remaining flames with foam. All of the rooms were empty.
Thank God
…
He came to the last room, his eyes widening as he saw the door had been taken off its hinges, and what looked like a man’s body lay crumpled on the floor.
Oh, shit, the poor son-of-a-bitch
…
Tommy crouched low and reached for the body.
What the hell—?
He gaped at the net studded with metal points that covered the man from head to foot.
He knelt down and began pulling at the net, then eased up when he realised there were hidden barbs tearing at the man’s flesh. Taking more care, he forced himself to slow down in removing the net. He grimaced at the sight of the man’s arms and hands covered in blood.
Shit, who the hell would do this to you?
He threw the net to one side. A long groan escaped the man’s lips.
Still alive, thank God
.
Tommy turned him onto his back and stared at his bloodied face, at the raven black hair that fanned out under his head.
Wait. Don’t I know you?
He heard the clump of heavy booted footsteps heading his way.
“Alex, in here! I’ve got a guy here needs the medics in a hurry.”
Alex rushed into the room and squinted down at the man. “What the hell happened to him? He’s covered in blood.”
Tommy pointed at the net. “That
thing
was all over him. Looks like somebody was trying to make sure he couldn’t get out.”
“Jesus. Okay, let’s go.”
Together they lifted the man to his feet then Tommy took the inert body over his shoulder. They hurried down the hallway.
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“He’s the only victim,” Alex said, listening to his headset as they ran down the stairs.
“The other missing guest has shown up, and it looks like they have the fire almost contained.”
They ran out onto the street, Tommy carrying the man he’d saved through the gathering crowd to the waiting ambulance. “He needs oxygen and he’s pretty badly cut up,”
he told the paramedics in a rush. “It’s amazing he’s still alive.”
He hovered nearby, watching as the medics removed the man’s shirt and started swabbing at the cuts that Tommy could now see covered most of his body.