Bound By Blood (26 page)
Authors: Amanda Ashley
He opened his preternatural senses while he waited, grinned as he caught snatches of conversation from the dressing room.
“You look beautiful. . . .”
“How about this one?”
“. . . need a smaller size . . .”
With a shake of his head, he stepped outside and glanced up and down the sidewalk. Only a few people were on the street, mostly couples coming from the direction of the movie theater. No scent of vampires, Romanian or any other kind. No hint of danger.
Returning to the shop, he took a seat on a chintzcovered sofa, and waited. And waited. Just when he thought he’d have to go in after them, Kaitlyn and her mother emerged from the dressing room.
Zack frowned when he saw they were both emptyhanded. “No luck? Don’t tell me we have to do this again.”
“No.” Kaitlyn kissed him on the cheek. “I found the perfect dress. Well, it’ll be perfect with a little altering. The seamstress said it will be ready next week.”
“Wait until you see your bride in that gown,” Elena said, smiling. “She’s gorgeous.”
“She’s already gorgeous,” Zack said, winking at Kaitlyn.
“I found a veil, too. And everything else I’ll need for the wedding.” She smiled at him, her cheeks turning pink. “And the wedding night.”
“Really?” he asked with a wicked grin. “Something black and slinky?”
“Zack!”
“Come on,” he said, laughing. “Let’s go home.”
The next week passed peacefully. The day after the battle, Andrei, Katiya, and their children returned to the Carpathian Fortress, along with Ciprian and Liam. By right of battle, the Italian Fortress and everything in it now belonged to Drake. Four days after Lucien’s defeat, Stefan and Liliana moved into the Italian Fortress, along with a number of Liliana’s daughters and their families. On the fifth day, nearly everyone who had once resided at the Carpathian Fortress had returned.
Three days later, Drake returned to Wolfram Castle. He hugged Kaitlyn, shook Zack’s hand, then swept Elena into his arms and carried her swiftly up the stairs to their bedroom.
“So,” Zack said, looking at Kaitlyn, “what do you want to do tonight?”
“As if you didn’t know,” she replied with a wicked grin.
“Yeah, well . . .”
“I’ll bet any other man would be happy to take me to bed.”
“If any other man tries, I’ll break his neck.”
“Zack! You’re making me crazy.”
Crazy, he thought. That’s exactly what he was. He loved her. She loved him. They were getting married soon. What was he waiting for?
“Listen, Katy, I don’t expect you to understand this, but I was brought up in a different era, a time when men didn’t touch their brides until the wedding night.”
“Are you saying men and women were all virgins back then? Because I don’t believe that for a minute.”
“Of course not. But men went to prostitutes before they were married. And some long after. I guess I’m more old-fashioned than I thought,” he muttered ruefully.
“All right,” she said with an exaggerated sigh of exasperation. “I’ll stop trying to seduce you. But, mister, you’d better be worth the wait!”
They went looking at churches the following night. Zack and Kaitlyn sat in the backseat of the Porsche, stealing kisses, while Drake drove to the first church.
“This one is beautiful,” Elena remarked.
“And very old,” Drake said as they approached the entrance. He glanced at Zack over his shoulder. “I never thought to ask. Are churches a problem for you?”
“No.”
With a nod, Drake opened the carved front door and stepped inside. Elena, Kaitlyn, and Zack followed on his heels.
It was a lovely old church, with arched ceilings and stained-glass windows. Candles burned on either side of the high altar. Baskets of fresh flowers, undoubtedly left over from a recent wedding, or perhaps a funeral, filled the air with a sweet fragrance. The wooden pews glowed with a patina of age.
“I love it,” Kaitlyn said, glancing around. “Zack?”
“If you like it, I like it.”
“Any point in looking anywhere else?” Elena asked.
“No.” Kaitlyn shook her head. “I want to be married here.”
“All right, then,” Elena said cheerfully. “I’ll call tomorrow and make the necessary arrangements.”
Drake and Elena left the church, their heads together.
Zack caught Kaitlyn by the hand when she would have followed.
“What?” She looked up at him. “You don’t want to get married here?”
“I just wanted to kiss my bride. Do you mind?”
“What a silly question.” She moved into his arms, went up on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his. “Your bride,” she murmured, smiling up at him. “I like the sound of that. Just think, soon I’ll be Mrs. Zackary Ravenscroft.”
“Not soon enough,” he growled.
Chapter 38
The ringing of his cell phone brought Zack instantly awake. Sitting up, he grabbed the cell from the nightstand and checked the display.
“Scherry. What’s wrong?”
“Zack! The club . . .”
“What about it?”
“It’s gone.”
“Gone? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Someone burned the place down early this morning. There’s nothing left.”
He frowned as he considered her words. “Are you saying it wasn’t an accident? That someone did it deliberately?”
“Yes. The fire department said someone broke in shortly after dawn and torched the place. The fireman I talked to said it was the work of a pro.”
“Did anybody get hurt?”
“No. The club was empty.”
“All right. What time is it there?”
“Six
P.M.
”
P.M.
”
He grunted softly. Romania was ten hours ahead of Nevada. “All right. I’ll be there sometime tomorrow night. Reserve me a room at Harrah’s under an alias. Get one for yourself, too. I’ll call you when I get there.”
“Who do you think did this?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ve got a pretty good idea. Tell Walls and Lautner to lay low until they hear from me. That goes for you, too.”
“All right, Zack. I’ll see you tomorrow night. And Zack . . . be careful.”
“You, too, kid.”
Zack closed the phone and tossed it on the nightstand. He sat there a minute, lost in thought. There was no way to prove it, but he would bet his last dollar that Nadiya was behind the fire. She might not have lit the match, but he’d bet she knew who did.
He had no sooner ended the call than Kaitlyn opened the door and peeked inside. “Zack?”
“What are you doing up?”
“I heard your phone ring. . . .”
“Come on in, nosy, and close the door.”
His gaze moved over her as she tiptoed toward him. Clad in a sleeveless long white gown that fluttered around her ankles, she looked like a raven-haired apparition as she glided across the floor toward him.
“I’m not nosy,” she said defensively. “But good news doesn’t come at four in the morning.”
“You’re right about that.” He patted the bed, inviting her to join him. “Somebody burned down the casino this morning.”
She stared at him, her eyes wide. “That’s terrible! Wait a minute. Are you saying someone did it deliberately?”
“Right the first time. Any guesses on who did it?”
“You don’t think Nadiya . . .”
“Who else?”
“But why? She doesn’t know you killed Daryn and Marius.”
“I think she’s got a pretty good idea that I had something to do with Daryn’s death.”
“So, you think she’s in Tahoe?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out. I’m going home tomorrow.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“As long as it takes. I need to talk to the fire department, find out what they know. Get in touch with my insurance company. See about getting the mess cleaned up. Call the architect who built it the first time.”
“But . . . we’re getting married next Saturday.”
“Right. How do you feel about getting married in Tahoe?”
She blinked at him, and then shrugged. “I guess it doesn’t matter where we get married, as long as we get married. But . . . what about my mom and dad?”
“They can come with us. Hell, the whole family can come along.”
“Our marriages are usually private affairs, with just the immediate family present.” Of course, she’d already strayed from tradition by insisting on flowers and a church wedding.
“Really?”
Kaitlyn nodded. Weddings among her kind were not the romantic affairs of books and movies, since most marriages were arranged by the parents of the bride and groom. There was no music, no flowers, no reception afterward. At the Fortress, marriages were solemnized by the Master of the Coven. She wasn’t sure if that was legal in Nevada, but it didn’t matter. Wherever they were, her father would perform the ceremony.
She made a soft sound of contentment when Zack drew her into his arms. “I can’t wait to be your wife.”
“I’m kinda looking forward to that myself.” He hugged her close, his tongue sliding over her lower lip, slipping inside to mate with hers.
She was like a flame in his arms, igniting his desire, burning away all his good intentions. Her hands moved over his shoulders and down his arms, testing the strength of his biceps, then slipping under his T-shirt, her fingernails raking his chest, his back, sliding down to the waistband of his sweats. Every touch aroused him more.
“Katy . . .”
She covered his mouth with hers, swallowing his protest.
With a low groan, he surrendered to the need that would no longer be denied. Taking her in his arms, he kissed her fervently, his desire growing as his tongue dueled with hers. He took his mouth from hers only long enough to pull her nightgown over her head. He stared at her, speechless. She was beautiful from head to foot. Her skin was lightly tanned and perfect, her waist narrow, her hips nicely rounded, her legs long and shapely. He quickly rid himself of his T-shirt and sweats, then stretched out beside her.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he asked.
“You are.” Kaitlyn rose on one elbow, her stomach fluttering as she admired his muscular arms and chest, his long legs and flat belly. “Definitely beautiful,” she murmured.
“You think so?” Slipping an arm around her, he buried his face in her cleavage. “So soft,” he murmured. “So warm.”
A needy moan rose in her throat as he nuzzled her breast. “Zack . . .”
He drew her into his arms, molding her body to his. The gentle abrasion of skin against skin aroused him still more. But it was the scrape of her teeth against his neck that carried him past the point of no return. Pleasure engulfed him as she drank. Only a taste, but it was enough. It heightened his desire and his thirst, made him forget everything but his need for this one particular woman above all others.
She turned her head to the side, offering him her throat. And he was lost.
Her musky scent filled his nostrils as his fangs pierced her tender flesh. She moaned softly, her hands clutching his shoulders as he rose over her. She cried out with mingled pleasure and pain as his body merged with hers.
He held her close for a moment, showering her with kisses while her body adjusted to his.
She writhed beneath him, urging him on, her hands caressing him as he moved deep inside her. She was silk and satin in his arms.
Kaitlyn clung to him, holding him so tightly it seemed as if they had melted into one another. Two made one, she thought, and felt the bond between them grow stronger even as tension built up within her.
She cried his name, desperate for release.
“Hang on, darlin’,” he said, his voice husky.
One soul-shattering kiss. One last thrust, and they tumbled over the edge to paradise.
Kaitlyn spiraled slowly back to reality. Never before had she felt so complete. So content. So utterly happy.
Opening her eyes, she saw Zack watching her intently. She smiled drowsily. “Wow.”
He arched one brow. “Wow?”
She kissed his chin. “It was worth the wait.”
“I’m sorry I waited so long,” he said, and then grunted softly. “So much for all my good intentions.”
Propping herself up on her elbow, she traced his lips with the tip of her finger. He had a remarkable mouth, she thought, capable of doing remarkable things. “I’m sorry for seducing you.”
He stared up at her, and then burst out laughing. “No, you’re not.”
“You’re right,” she admitted with a grin. “I’m not. In fact, I’m ready to do it all over again!”
Drake stood in front of the hearth, his arms crossed over his chest, as Zack told him the details of his phone call with Scherry that morning. “And you think Nadiya is behind it.”
“She’s the most logical suspect, don’t you think?”
Drake shrugged. “Why you?”
“Maybe she wants to separate the two of us. Or maybe she thinks if I go back to Tahoe, Kaitlyn will go with me. Either way, I’m heading home. I know this messes up the wedding plans, and I’m sorry about that, but I need to take care of this.”
“Of course you do,” Elena said.
Kaitlyn glanced at Zack, who was sitting on the sofa beside her, then smiled tentatively at her mother. “We thought we’d get married in Tahoe.”
Elena and Drake exchanged looks.
“Is that what you want?” Drake asked quietly.
“We want you both to be there, of course,” Kaitlyn added quickly. “And Grandmother and Stefan.”
“Whatever you want is fine with us,” Elena said. “It isn’t as though we’ve sent out a hundred invitations and rented a hall.”
“I think Kaitlyn should stay here while Zack goes ahead and takes care of whatever he has to,” Drake said.
“No way!” Kaitlyn exclaimed. “I’m going with Zack.”
“I think your dad’s right,” Zack said. “You’ll be safer here. My lair is toast. A threshold in a hotel or a rented room doesn’t offer any protection from intruders, supernatural or otherwise.”
“Then you won’t be safe, either,” Kaitlyn said.
“I’m not going to sleep at the hotel. I’ll go to ground somewhere.”
“But . . .”
“It’s only for a few days, Katy. I’ll find a church and set the date for a week from today.” He kissed her cheek, then whispered, “Just think how happy you’ll be to see me again.”
“I don’t want to stay here without you,” she said, pouting.
“Katy, I can’t guarantee your safety during the day. Not in a hotel. And I’m not willing to take a chance on Nadiya getting her hands on you again.”
Nadiya, she thought glumly. How had she forgotten about Nadiya?
Knowing Kaitlyn and Zack would like to spend a few hours alone before he left for Tahoe, Drake and Elena decided to go into town.
“To do a little shopping and maybe take in a movie,” Elena said, giving Kaitlyn a hug. “We won’t be too late.”
“Ya know,” Zack said when her parents had gone, “I have a feeling they know what was going on in my room this morning.”
Kaitlyn stared at him, her eyes wide. “What makes you think that?”
He shrugged. “Just a hunch.”
“No way. If my dad knew . . .” Kaitlyn shook her head. “Well, he would have said something. Done something.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Of course. Well . . . I don’t know. Why do you think they know?”
“Like I said, just a hunch.”
“Well,” Kaitlyn said, grinning, “you’re still alive, so they must not be too upset. And since we’ve already done it, and they already know”—she looked at him through the veil of her lashes—“I’m thinking—”
“Yeah,” Zack said dryly. “I know exactly what you’re thinking.”
She jumped to her feet, her hands fisted on her hips. “Are you saying you don’t want to?”
“You’re a wild, wicked woman, Kaitlyn Liliana Sherrad.”
“If I am, it’s all your fault. I never even thought about s-e-x until I met y-o-u.”
“Sure, blame me. Just like a woman.”
“I am a woman, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“Not likely,” he said, grinning.
“I’m going up to my room to read. Good night, Mr. Ravenscroft. Have a pleasant trip.” And so saying, she flounced out of the room.
She was something else, Zack mused as he watched her climb the stairs. His eyes lingered on the angry sway of her hips and her curvy behind. “All mine,” he said. And he wanted her, now and for always.
He was sitting on her bed, legs crossed, feet bare, the pillows propped behind his back, when she opened the door.
He laughed at the look of surprise on her face, but she recovered quickly.
She closed and locked the door behind her, then kicked off her shoes. “Been waiting long?”
“Oh, yeah.”
She yawned behind her hand. “I don’t think I’m in the mood,” she said, stifling a grin.
“No?” He patted the mattress beside him. “Come on over here, and I’ll put you in the mood.”
“Mighty sure of yourself, aren’t you, mister?”
“Yep. No complaints so far,” he said, laughing. “Of course, there was only the one time.”
She stood there, her arms crossed and then, with deliberate slowness, she peeled off her sweater and tossed it on a chair. “Maybe once was enough.” She stepped out of her shoes, unzipped her jeans, and slid them, ever so slowly, over her hips and down her legs. Her gaze never left his face as she kicked her jeans aside.
Other books
Spiral of Bliss 01 Arouse by Nina Lane
I'm Not Sam by Jack Ketchum, Lucky McKee
AMP Blitzkrieg by Arseneault, Stephen
Sea of Troubles by Donna Leon
Waypoint Kangaroo by Curtis C. Chen
The Missing Link by Kate Thompson
Lauren Oliver - Delirium by Lauren Oliver
New Contract (Perimeter Defense Book #3) by Michael Atamanov
Discovering Pride (Pride Series) by Sanders, Jill
Hard Core (Onyx Group) by Jennifer Lowery