On My Knees (4 page)

"There's nothing ordinary about you, Layla. You must know that."

"No, Augustus, I don't. I don't know why you'd want me."

"Is there an explanation for why one person is attracted to another, what makes us desire one person over another? Is it chemical, biological, psychological, spiritual? A combination of all or none of the above? And does it matter? There is a truth that exists between us and it is a simple truth. I want you and you want me. But in that wanting lies danger."

"What kind of danger."

"Lust."

"Lust isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"Lust such as mine may be. For you. You must understand that strong desire can awaken the blood lust within me."

"You mean…?" She had not considered that. Would he bite her? She wasn't sure she wanted to experience that.

"Yes, I mean it makes me want to take blood from you."

The curious part of her nature sprang to the forefront. "Look, I'm not saying I want to experience it, but what exactly does that do to a human? Is it like the books and movies? Does it make your—victim—swoon and get all orgasmic? Does it make them under your control so they can't do anything you don't want them to? And what about you? Does taking blood from someone connect you to them in a special way? Also, if you—"

His laugh cut her short. Her first reaction was irritation, until she realized that his laugh was one of genuine amusement. "Sorry. I just never imagined I'd meet a real Vampire and you know how we romance readers are – we just loves us some sexy Vampires and –"

His kiss silenced her. It was hard and fast, but ripe with passion. When he pulled back and smiled at her, she saw his fangs. Strangely, this time it didn't make her cringe. "So? What if you did bite me?"

"It would evoke pleasure beyond anything you've ever dreamed."

God that sounded tempting, so tempting that it unsettled her. What was she doing? She was so out of her depth. She shouldn't be here. Shouldn't be with him.

"Do you truly want to leave, Layla?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. I want to go home, to be free to leave. But—" She could not look at him and speak the words so she walked around him to gaze out of the window. "But I want you, too. I just … I just want it to be my choice."

"It is."

"Is it?" She looked over her shoulder at him. "If I asked you to make love to me all night and then when the sun rose I asked to go home. Would you let me?"

His own decision shocked him. He'd been determined to have her, to keep her and yet now he no longer wanted that. Well, he did want her, but he wanted her to be with him because it was what she wanted as well.

Surprising as it was, for the first time in a thousand years, Augustus
wanted
someone to love him just for him. Not because he could charm them, or control them. Not because he had power or wealth, but to honestly love him.

"Yes."

Surprise was clear on her face. "Do you mean that?"

"I do."

"Then what are you waiting for, Augustus?"

He swept her up in his arms and headed for the master suite. She might well want to leave in the morning, but until then she was his.

Chapter Five

I keep expecting to wake up and discover that all of this is some crazy elaborate dream. It seems impossible even though I believe it's real.

Vampires, Skinwalkers, Angels, and fairies? They're real. God, I bet I'd get myself put into a looney bin if I went home and told anyone. But then if Augustus was telling the truth and I do believe he was, then people are going to find out soon enough.

Damn, I should start a new series about it now, before word gets out. Oh god, what's wrong with me? Something monumental is about to become public knowledge – something that will alter reality for everyone in the world and all I can think about is how to capitalize on it?

But thinking about that is easier than thinking about what I'm getting ready to walk away from.

There was an almost imperceptible lightening of the sky. She could see it through the window of his bedroom. Layla remained motionless, lying on her side, watching the steady rise and fall of Augustus' chest as he slept.

She'd been a bit surprised when he drifted off to sleep. Too many Vampire tales? She didn't know they slept. It was obvious that her knowledge of Vampires was sorely lacking. There was a substantial gulf separating fiction and reality if Augustus was representative of his race.

Emotions welled inside her, forcing tears to gather in her eyes. Last night had been the most incredible, sensual, and emotional night of her life. Layla had been with men, she was no virginal girl, but making love with Augustus had certainly made her feel like a novice to passion and pleasure.

If she lived to be a hundred she'd never forget it. She'd never imagined a man could be so tender and gentle and yet so dominant and commanding. He was, without a doubt the perfect lover, giving pleasure that was so overwhelming it felt unreal.

He'd taken her heart last night and right now it was breaking because she fully intended to leave him. Not because she wanted to. That was the last thing she wanted, but she'd lain there, searching inside herself and she knew she had to.

Layla wanted Augustus to want her. No, she wanted him to love her. Whether it was his Vampire nature or just the man he was, she'd already fallen for him and didn't imagine she'd ever feel about another man the way she felt about him.

Nonetheless, she had to leave. If there was to be a future for them, it had to be based upon mutual choice and she couldn't make that decision here. She had to go back to her life, pursue her career and…

…
and what?
Layla had no answer for the question her inner voice posed. She knew what she wanted. She wanted him to follow, to be with her in her world, part of her life. She didn't want to be sequestered away from the world. She wanted to be part of it.

Selfishly, she wanted the life she'd just started to have. Being a writer was her dream. Being a bestselling writer was that dream come true and multiplied by a thousand. She was honest enough to admit, at least to herself, that she didn't want to give that up. If she did, there would come a day she would regret it. If she gave it up for him then the regret would be accompanied by resentment. She'd blame him and whatever they might have would be eroded or possibly destroyed.

That wasn't a promising future, at least not to her. No, like her Grannie always said, be honest with yourself and then choose your path. As long as you walk it with honesty and integrity, it will turn out okay.

Layla sure hoped Grannie was right. With one last glance at Augustus, she eased out of the bed, gathered up her clothes, took his key fob from the pocket of his jeans, and tiptoed from the room. It took her only minutes to dress and let herself out.

The sun was just starting to rise. She climbed in his truck and started the engine. Her heart raced just a little as she put the truck into gear, fearing that he might have heard her. She wasn't prepared for a confrontation. She didn't want to try to explain her reason for leaving.

Besides, a factor in her decision was his statement that he would not try to stop her. Would he be good to his word? That was important to know.

She turned the truck and headed down the drive, trying to remember the turns he'd made. Twenty minutes later, she heaved a sigh of relief as she rode by the house where she'd first been taken.

A couple of minutes later she reached the gate. Still unclear how to open it, she abandoned the truck and found the tree she'd used yesterday to get on top of the wall protecting the property.

This time Augustus was not there to break her fall and she landed hard, stumbled, and reached for purchase on the wall to steady herself. It was light enough to see and she looked both directions. Which way?

She didn't have a clue but took a chance and headed west. Layla tried not to think about Augustus as she walked, but that was impossible. She replayed last night over-and-over and with each passing minute felt more bereft. God, what had he done to her? She hadn't been this upset when her fiancé Mike broke up with her and they'd been together for three years.

The sun rose higher in the sky and the air warmed. It wasn't long before she was sweaty, tired, and thirsty. How long had she been walking? It seemed like a long time and not one car had passed by nor had she seen any signs of houses. Where the heck was she?

Just then, she saw it. A car. Coming toward her.

Layla ignored caution and ran into the middle of the road, waving her arms. The car slowed and came to a stop. Layla could see it was driven by a middle-aged woman. Relieved, she ran to the driver's side of the car.

She waited for the woman to roll down her window. "Can you please help me?"

"Have you been in an accident?"

The woman's question gave her pause. There was no way she was going to tell what had happened. She didn't want to get the police involved and if she said she'd been abducted the woman was probably going to want to call the police.

"I'm stranded. I lost my purse and everything. I just need to get to a phone. Do you have a cell phone I could use?"

"I'm afraid I don't have one."

"Oh, well do you think you could give me a ride to somewhere that has a phone?"

"Of course. Get in."

Layla hurried around the car to get in. "Thank you so much."

"My pleasure. My name is Madeline."

"Thank you, Madeline. I'm Layla."

"Well you just sit back and relax Layla while I turn us around and head back to the house so you can make your call."

"Thank you so much." Layla wiped at the sweat on her face and then dried her damp hands on her skirt. The air conditioning in the car felt divine and after a minute or two, she started to cool off.

She felt herself getting a bit drowsy. She didn't want to fall asleep but soon it was almost impossible to keep her eyes open. Maybe she'd just close them for five minutes. What could that hurt?

A loud clang woke her. Disoriented, she straightened and looked around. They were driving down a long narrow blacktop road. Behind them was a big metal gate.

"Where are we?" She turned to look at Madeline and gasped.

Shock at seeing Madeline holding a Taser and wearing an evil smile was her last conscious thought.

*****

Madeline tucked the Taser into her pocket and smiled again. What a stroke of fortune. The young woman, Layla, was involved with Augustus Thurinus. Her network of spies had been flying small drones over his property, Sanctuary, for weeks and had footage of this young woman being brought into the compound by Thurinus.

Which meant, Layla Whatever-Her-Last-Name-Was could be used as bait.

That thought broadened Madeline's smile. She had spent most of her adult life amassing followers to help her rid the world of Thurinus and his kind. In the years since she had started her crusade, the rank of followers had grown exponentially and they had rid the world of nearly a thousand of the Daemons.

A thousand less abominations, but there were thousands more to be dealt with and she fully intended to see every one of them eliminated. No matter the cost, in funds or life. She had more money than she and a hundred others could spend in a lifetime thanks to her family. They'd been in the oil business for five generations and as her father used to gloat, were as rich as Midas.

He'd wanted her to follow in his footsteps and she had originally intended to do just that. Then she fell in love.

Even now, memory of that failed love brought a rush of rage. The man, Davidson Markus had played her. Wined and dined, charmed and seduced. So much that inside of two months she was wearing his engagement ring on her finger.

Madeline had not intended to sleep with Davidson until their wedding night but the eve of the rehearsal dinner, she had too much champagne and let him talk her into her bedroom at her parents' home.

That's when his true nature was revealed. They were in bed, their bodies twined, hands caressing and lips exploring. He drew back and smiled and she saw it. Correction, she saw them. Fangs.

Madeline was a born and bred Texas woman. She wasn't a stranger to guns. Her father had taught her to shoot before she was ten. Terrified at the sight of the fangs in Davidson's mouth, she tore away from him, raced across the room, and snatched a revolver from the top dresser drawer.

Davidson came off the bed, his hand held out before him, begging her to stop, to listen to him. He loved her. He wanted her to be his wife.

Those were the last words he spoke. She put a bullet in his brain and one in his heart. Then she threw on a robe and ran from the room screaming.

Madeline pushed back the tiny pang of guilt as she remembered Davidson appearing on the stairs wearing only his slacks, blood on his forehead and chest but no wounds evident.

She and her father were at the foot of the stairs. She still held the gun in her hand. At Davidson's appearance, she raised it and fired until there were no bullets left. Davidson fell, rolled down the stairs, and landed at her feet.

Her father took one look at the fangs in Davidson's mouth and called for help. Between him and two of his men, they hauled Davidson outside, doused him with gasoline, and set him on fire just as he was waking.

Madeline smiled again, remembering the screams, the way he thrashed and tried to run, to roll on the ground, and put out the flames.

That would be Thurinus' fate. Now she had a way to lure him into the trap that would end his Demonic existence.