Relentless Seduction (13 page)

He released his grip on her shoulders slowly and set her away from him. “You’re right, Ro. I’ve been ignoring my business and you. But I’m back now. So you can tell me what you did to her, okay?”

“Don’t patronize me!” She shoved him hard in the chest. “I’m not crazy. I just did what I had to do. For us.”

Oh, no. What had Ro done? Despite his body quaking in dread, Rafe set his jaw and narrowed his eyes. “Then you better tell me what you did and where she is.” He leaned close and promised retribution with his expression. “Now. Or I’ll haul you into the cops and you can tell them yourself.”

13

C
LAIRE
LIMPED
AROUND
the sarcophagus that sat in the middle of the tomb, testing her ankle, trying to keep it from getting stiff. The sunlight was almost gone from the hole of crumbling bricks and she knew once darkness fell completely, maneuvering around the tomb would get more difficult.

If she could use her ankle, she’d try to climb on to the sarcophagus, lean over to the hole in the wall and use the half brick she’d found to break up more bricks and enlarge the hole.

Granted, she couldn’t hope to climb out of the hole, but maybe she’d get lucky and a larger part of the wall would crumble away. Although, if the entire wall fell, she could cause the tomb to collapse completely with her inside it.

At this point, with night coming on soon, and no hope of rescue anytime in the near future, that fate seemed almost preferable. Besides, moving around kept the cold at bay.

Rubbing her hands up and down the chill bumps on her arms, she took another cautious step, wincing at the pain in her ankle, but determined not to curl up and give in to panic or self-pity.

“Claire!”

She froze and held her breath like the last time she thought she’d heard a voice in the distance.
Please don’t let this be a hallucination.

“Claire, help me find you,
cher.
” The voice got louder. “Can you hear me?”

With a sob, she hobbled over to the door and pounded and shouted. “Rafe! I’m in here.” She kept pounding until the door swung open and she fell out onto her hands and knees.

Then she was lifted into warm strong arms. “Claire, my God. I’m so sorry,
cher.
”

“Rafe.” She held on as he ran his hands down her back and up to her shoulders.

“Are you hurt? Are you okay?”

“I t-turned my ankle and I was so s-scared and I didn’t think anyone would c-come,” she babbled. “And it was g-getting dark and the t-tour group didn’t hear me when I yelled and yelled.” She was crying and speaking incoherently, acting hysterical, she knew, but she was just so happy to be free. Was she hyperventilating?

“Breathe slowly.” He was stroking her hair, her back, murmuring calming words. “It’s all right now.” His hands felt so comforting. She forced herself to draw in a measured breath and let it out little by little. And again.

She looked into his gray eyes, darkened with worry. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Claire.” His gaze dropped to her lips. For a moment she thought he might kiss her. But he drew back. “Your mouth is blue and you’re shivering. We need to get you warm.” He hunkered down to examine her swollen, bruised ankle, feeling the bone and muscle with gentle fingers. “This needs ice and elevation.” He straightened and without asking, swung her up into his arms and carried her to his car.

In his sturdy arms she felt safe. And cared for. She rested her head on his shoulder and breathed in his masculine scent. She was no lightweight, and yet he carried her with strong steady strides over uneven ground as if she weighed no more than a microbe. He wasn’t even out of breath once they reached his car.

After he set her into the passenger seat she remembered her purse and, without complaint, Rafe turned the motor on, letting it warm up before going back for her purse. When she unlocked the door, he got behind the wheel, switched on the heater and drove away, all without once glancing at her. His jaw was set, but his face was unreadable.

“How did you know where to find me?”

His body tensed and his face transformed into snarling fury. “Ro eventually confessed. I fired her. If you want to press charges, I’ll back you up.”

Claire was too emotional to make a rational decision about that. Part of her wanted to punch the other woman’s face to a pulp. Another part of her wanted to curl into the fetal position and hide from the world for a month. “Why did she do it? Is it because I took you away from the bar so much?”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “She was jealous. I thought we were friends.”

She almost asked if they’d been lovers. But it was none of her business. Still, the thought of Rafe and Rowena in bed together caused a painful jab in her chest.

“Claire, I thought she’d murdered you!” He finally looked at her, his eyes blazing with anguish.

“I’m all right.” She put her hand on his shoulder.

And then she understood. Her dying would’ve been someone else that left him, in his eyes. No wonder he was the King of Flings. If he never let himself care about anyone too deeply, then it didn’t hurt when they left him.

And yet he’d asked her to stay this morning. And she’d refused. How much courage had it taken for him to even ask? He probably wouldn’t again. And she didn’t blame him. She’d destroyed whatever they might’ve had together.

But the important thing was, he’d come for her.

She stared out her window. “I’m not going to press charges. I’m not permanently injured and at least she told you what she’d done eventually.”

The sun had disappeared as Rafe drove, shifting gears with each punch of the clutch between each stop sign. Which meant that the “ceremony” was most likely about to begin. Julia could be drinking Armand’s blood even now.

It also meant Once Bitten should be opening about now. “If you fired Rowena, and you’re here, who’s opening your bar tonight?”

His lips flattend. “Once Bitten is closed tonight.”

“Oh.” She squeezed her eyes closed. “I’m sorry. I’ve been nothing but a hassle to you.”

He shot her a sizzling look, his stare intense. “That’s not all you’ve been.”

Caught in his fiery gaze, she shivered, and not just because the heat was finally thawing her toes and fingers. She wanted to crawl into his lap and kiss her way down his body. Tear off his clothes and hers and settle in for a long, passionate night with his body against hers. With his mouth and his hands, and her mouth and her hands, taking and giving pleasure until her mind was nothing but mush.

But, besides the fact that he probably couldn’t wait to be rid of her, she still had to get to Julia.

He turned the car left and then a quick right into a hospital emergency room driveway.

“Oh.” She’d just assumed he’d take her home. She looked at the doors swishing open and people coming out on crutches or in wheelchairs. “I don’t want to go to the hospital.” What she wanted was a hot cup of coffee, a hot bath and a soft bed. Preferably the same one Rafe would be in. But she’d forfeited that privilege when she’d lied to him this morning.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Your ankle needs x-raying. You could be hypothermic. Dehydrated at the very least.”

“My ankle is only sprained. If it were broken, I couldn’t do this.” She wiggled her foot around. “I had a bottle of water in my purse. And I’m not experiencing any of the symptoms of hypothermia. Shivering, slurred speech or drowsiness.”

He scowled. “You should at least get checked out.”

She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Could you please take me to my hotel?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Les Chambres Royale called me when they couldn’t reach you. They still have your luggage.”

Her luggage. She’d forgotten about it. She had nothing clean to change into until she retrieved it. This morning seemed like years ago. But she didn’t care about clean clothes right now. “Okay, take me there, please?”

“Come on, Claire. You’re still going to try to save your friend tonight, aren’t you?”

She dropped her gaze to her lap. If she told him the truth, would he try to stop her? Or would he insist on going with her? She didn’t want to involve him in her mess any more than she already had. If he were to get hurt because of her, she’d never have another night’s peaceful sleep.

But could she lie to him again? She brought her thumb up to her mouth and chewed on the nail. For the first time in her life she understood, deep in her bones, the phrase,
lesser of two evils.

Yet, it was crystal clear what she couldn’t do. She drew a deep breath and turned in her seat to face him. “I am going to the asylum to try to get Julia to leave the cult. But I don’t want you to get involved anymore.”

His eyes flared and he bared his teeth. “You are the most obstinate, pig-headed, unreasonable woman I’ve ever met.” He yanked the car into gear and stomped on the gas. “I thought after what you must’ve gone through today you’d have had enough of danger. You could’ve died! Don’t you think you’ve risked enough?” He drove like a wild man and cursed under his breath the whole way. “I don’t know what you think you’re going to accomplish with a twisted ankle. And I can’t stop you if you’re determined to jeopardize yourself. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to help you get there,” he mumbled between gritted teeth. “You can call a cab and find your own way. I have a business to run. I can’t believe I was going to close the bar the whole damn night for you.”

He peeled into the parking lot behind Once Bitten, slammed the gear into Neutral and pulled the brake. He jumped out and rounded the front of the car to her side. Before she could get out, he slid an arm behind her back and the other beneath her knees and lifted her into his arms, and carried her all the way up the stairs.

Claire didn’t fight him. His tirade sparked a flame of warmth inside her heart. He cared about her. Maybe they could at least end this strange relationship as friends.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed the underside of his jaw as he set her down to fish his keys from his pocket. With a deep groan, he turned his head and covered her mouth with his. He drew away only to unlock the door, then resumed the kiss as he swooped her up and carried her to the bed and lowered them both onto it.

Between kisses he pulled her poncho off and tossed it. She tugged his T-shirt over his head. He yanked her sweatshirt off and cupped her breast through her bra. She kissed him and unzipped his jeans. He slid his fingers under her bra straps and pushed them down her arms until her nipples were exposed, then he captured one between his lips and teased the tip with his tongue.

With a cry of delight Claire grabbed his hair and wiggled beneath him as he licked her sensitive peak. He sat up, took off his boots, found protection and slipped out of his jeans. Then he was back, covering her with his big warm body, his weight like a blanket shielding her from harm.

He helped her slide off her jeans and panties and she toed off her shoe. His fingers caressed her between her thighs while his mouth captured her nipple again. She was already aching for him when he moved between her legs and entered her with a deep thrust. He nuzzled into her neck and moved in her, setting up a rhythm that had her shouting out in pleasure within minutes.

But he stilled and waited until she came back to him, opened her eyes and smiled. Then, as she languidly kissed his stubbled jaw, he pulled out, took her waist in his hands and rolled her onto her stomach. Ready for him, she parted her thighs and he pushed in. She cried out as he filled her completely. He lay over her carefully, protectively, and laced his fingers through hers, to place her arms over her head, to build her up all over again.

The angle and depth of his strokes from this position had Claire calling out for Rafe, begging for completion. But he was relentless, kissing along her neck, nibbling her ear, gently biting her shoulder. Whispering other things he wanted to do to her, with her. Emphasizing his words with the powerful rock of his hips.

She came again, her body stiffening, her passage tightening in primal spasms. Rafe stilled, groaned, squeezed her hands with his and then relaxed against her. After drawing in a deep breath, he let it out on a moan and lay beside her.
“Claire, Claire, aw, cher.
What am I going to do with you?”

She couldn’t move. Could barely think. But he sounded resigned. As if he was done with worrying about her. But he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she snuggled close and rested her head on his chest.

His skin was hot and damp and his heart still beat double-time beneath her ear. She knew she should get up. She had somewhere to be. Her friend. She needed to save her. Stop her from doing something stupid. But Rafe’s rough hand ran up her arm and through her hair, soothing her, caressing her. The tension and terror of the day finally caught up to her. She was exhausted. Her body felt weighted down, so heavy. And her eyes wouldn’t stay open....

14

R
AFE
WAITED
UNTIL
C
LAIRE
’
S
breathing evened out. Until she sighed and burrowed her nose into his ribs. Until his arm fell asleep. Then he slowly slid out from under her, pausing to make sure she didn’t stir.

The fact that he wanted to stay in bed and hold her all night was exactly why he had to get up. Nobody had ever been able to sidetrack him like Claire had. And the only thing keeping Claire here was her friend. She would leave him. Her life was a thousand miles from here. Letting himself care about her too much was sheer self-torture. But he wasn’t sure how much longer he could be around her and not start to care too deeply. He needed her gone.

So. This would end tonight. One way or another. He’d be damned if he was going to let this problem with Julia go on one more hour. Once he got her away from Armand’s influence, she was Claire’s problem. And he could get his life back on track.

He stepped into his jeans and tugged a shirt over his head, then grabbed his jacket and gun and silently made his way down to the Barracuda. Before he fired it up, he pulled the magazine from his Sig and emptied the bullets into his palm, then snapped the magazine back in and tossed the bullets in his glove box. The Colony may be a cult of crazies, but they were basically harmless crazies. And he wasn’t going to risk shooting anyone, not even for Claire.

His only hesitation was whether to call the cops. There was no crime to report. And if he told them he was going to try to force a woman to leave a cult at gunpoint, he’d be the one they arrested. Even if the gun wasn’t loaded.

Grim but determined, he pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the Delacroix Asylum. Shutting off his lights and parking a couple blocks away, he quietly shut his door and began with a reconnaissance outside the house, scouting for alternate escape routes.

When he came upon the only window with a light flickering, he peered inside and, through an opening in the curtains, caught glimpses of people in black hooded robes standing in a circle. There were only about six or seven, so crowd control shouldn’t be too tough.

Armand’s white-blond hair stood out in the center of the ring. He’d pulled his hood back and was holding up an ornate golden chalice above his head with both hands. Rafe couldn’t see Julia at all. Not good.

He returned to the broken window he’d found on the other side of the house and cautiously climbed through, landing awkwardly on broken floorboards. He lost his balance and fell, knocking against a pile of old, smashed chairs. They toppled over with a loud crash and Rafe froze, his heart hammering against his ribs. He could only hope the chanting he heard in the distance had covered up the sound.

After a few tension-filled moments, he took a cautious step and the creaking wood made his pulse jump. From then on, he took every step painstakingly slowly until he finally made his way to the ceremony room.

Not knowing what to expect, he pulled his Sig before stepping through the door. For a moment he wished he’d kept it loaded. But no one even noticed him. He made his way inside the room and aimed the gun at the circle of robes. “Everyone stay calm and do what I say and no one gets hurt.”

The chanting stopped. The circle broke and one of the female cult members screamed and scattered for the door. A couple more spun toward him in surprise and then backed away from him with their hands raised. The rest merely turned to stare.

As they moved he saw Julia on her knees before Armand. She wore the same black robe, but it was open down the front and she was nude underneath. A trickle of blood ran from two cuts down the side of her neck onto her collarbone. She was holding the chalice and it was almost to her lips.

Armand’s face contorted with rage. “How dare you interrupt our sacred ceremony?”

Rafe aimed the Sig at him. “Yeah, it’s a crying shame. Julia, get up and come with me or your boyfriend gets it.” He sure hoped she believed he would actually shoot someone. Otherwise he was out of options.

Julia’s gaze darted back and forth between Rafe and Armand, fear and confusion apparent in her expression. She rose to her feet and started toward Rafe. Armand grabbed her arms and held her in front of him. “My blood bride and I are immortal. Your bullets cannot hurt us.” Still with the fake French accent.

Julia frowned. “But my love, I haven’t drunk your blood yet.”

“He will not shoot you, beloved. You must trust me.”

“You willing to risk your life for this guy, Julia?” Rafe cocked the gun.

Julia blinked. Rafe could see the cogs turning in her mind. Would she figure out the flaw in this con man’s logic? Her eyes narrowed and she tilted her head. “But...if you’re immortal, then you should be guarding me, right?”

Armand smiled and bent over to speak softly in her ear. “Julia, my life’s blood. This is a test. You must be willing to die for me. And then I will make you immortal.”

Rafe laughed. And if she believed that one... Julia frowned, obviously torn. She turned to face Rafe. “Why are you doing this?”

The circle of followers turned from Armand to Rafe also, watching events as if this was a stage play and they were the audience.

Rafe shrugged, still aiming the gun at Armand, his left hand supporting his right. “Claire refuses to leave New Orleans without you.”

She frowned. “She’s still here? But why?”

“She told me all about how you saved her when you were kids, and how she would never have had the courage to go on to become who she is without you. She’ll never give up on you, Julia.”

Tears welled up in Julia’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She sniffed and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “She told you all that? That
I
gave
her
courage?”

“Julia, don’t listen to him, my beloved.” Armand put his arm around her shoulders, but she shrugged him off.

Her gaze moved past Rafe, her eyes widened and she pointed above his shoulder. “Look out!”

Rafe dodged right and the two-by-four meant for his head hit his shoulders. The force of the blow knocked him to his knees and he dropped the gun. It spun across the floor somewhere to his right. He didn’t have time to look. He was too busy fending off another blow from the wooden beam.

When his attacker swung again, Rafe rolled to his back and caught the blow with his forearm. He thought he heard a bone crack and excruciating pain shot up his left arm. With a grunt, he kicked out and caught Shadow in the shin, kicked again and the guy dropped to his knees.

Rafe jumped him, knocking him onto his back and then planted his fist in the guy’s face. While he was still stunned from the first punch, Rafe pulled back and hit him again. Rafe felt the satisfying crunch of broken cartilage and blood splattered from Shadow’s nose.

But Shadow grabbed Rafe’s broken left arm and wrenched it behind him. Rafe yelled out in pain and Shadow scrambled away.

Rafe tried to chase him, but Shadow got to the gun first.

Shadow grabbed it and pointed it at Rafe, then swung it around to aim at Armand. “Nobody move!”

The other cult followers let out a collective gasp.

Armand held tight to Julia.

Shadow’s body twitched. He was sweating and sniffing and wiping his temple on his shoulder. He waved the Sig around wildly. “I want the money!”

Rafe’s arm throbbed. He held it to his side, waiting to see what Shadow would do.

Nobody else responded. But Rafe noticed Armand’s gaze darted to a crumbling fireplace on the wall to his left.

“I said I want the money and I want it now!” Shadow staggered over to Armand and held the gun to his head. “And I want Julia back. You stole her from me!”

“Here, take her!” Armand’s French accent had disappeared as he shoved Julia into Shadow.

“Armand!” Julia looked repulsed and disillusioned at the same time. But Shadow had his arm tight around her neck as he turned the gun on her. “You gotta help me find the money, baby. I need it, okay?

“Sweetie, I don’t know about any money. Armand? What’s he talking about?”

“I don’t know, I swear. He’s crazy.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You lost your accent,
beloved.
”

Rafe had to give her credit. Julia was playing it pretty cool.

Shadow spat. “He drugs you, see? A-and then he gets you to sign over your money to him.”

Julia gasped. “You bastard!” She struggled against Shadow, trying to get to Armand, presumably to claw his eyes out, and Shadow used the hand holding the gun to restrain her arm.

Rafe wouldn’t get a better chance. He charged him, punched him in the temple.

The gun went flying as Shadow staggered back. But he recovered quickly and charged Rafe, knocking him down. Shadow fought like a crazed man, rolling on top of Rafe and wrapping his hands around his neck, choking him. Rafe punched his jaw and reared back for another shot when the light was blocked by a figure and a two-by-four came smashing down on the back of Shadow’s head.

Shadow dropped on top of Rafe, out cold. Rafe shoved him off and sat up.

She stood over him wielding the piece of wood like an avenging angel come to save the innocent. “Claire?”

* * *

“W
HAT
THE
HELL
DO
YOU
think you’re doing?” Rafe snarled at her.

She blinked behind her thick glasses. “Saving you.”

“I didn’t need saving.” He gingerly got to his feet, ignoring the hand she offered. “I had it under control.”

Fists on hips, she raised her brows. “I’ll remember that next time.”

Favoring his left arm, he found his Sig and bent to retrieve it, and she caught him wincing.

“You’re hurt!” She marched over to him and tried to examine his arm. It was swollen and already turning purple.

He pulled away from her. “I’m fine.”

Yeah, right. Blood ran from a cut lip. His cheek was reddened and his right eye was swollen. Of all the stubborn, prideful, male ego—

“Claire?” Julia rushed to her and hugged her.

“Julia!” Claire slowly lifted her arms around Claire and returned the hug.

Julia started sobbing. “I’m so sorry. You were right. Armand was nothing but a fake and a liar. Why do I always get mixed up with these losers?”

“Shh, it’s all right.” Claire patted her back awkwardly.

“I want to go home,” Julia wailed. “Can we just go home now?”

“Yes. We will. It’s all over now. Let’s get out of this strange city and go home.” Why did that sound like the very last thing she wanted to do? But she couldn’t stay in New Orleans. Her life was in Boston. Her job. Her...coworkers.

Julia pulled away and gripped the front of her robe together. “I don’t ever want to do Mardi Gras again.”

Claire examined the cuts on Julia’s neck. “These might need stitches. We need to get you to the hospital.”

Julia gave her a wobbly smile. “Okay.” Then she scowled. “Wait a minute.” She twisted around to scan the room. “Where’s Armand?”

The few followers left standing around looked around the room also. No Armand.

And Rafe was missing, too.

Then a high-pitched wail came from the front part of the house.

Claire rushed out, followed by Julia and the rest of The Colony.

By the time they reached the entryway, Rafe was holding the gun on Armand with a satisfied smirk on his face. Armand was on his knees holding up a black duffle bag bulging at the seams.

“Take it,” Armand cried. “Just don’t shoot me.”

“Toss it over to the ladies,” Rafe ordered, gesturing to Claire with the gun.

Armand pitched it toward them, and then stuck his hands above his head.

Julia dove for the bag and unzipped it, the other followers gathering around her.

Julia shrieked. “He must have hundreds of thousands in here.” She started pulling out wads of cash. The other followers swarmed the bag, demanding their money back. “Just hold on.” Julia held the bag against her chest. “If he got to all our bank accounts, we’ll all have to check our statements online and see who is owed what. I say we give the bag to the police as evidence so they can arrest this scumbag and put him away for a long time. Deal?”

The others grumbled and a few complained as Julia stood and handed the bag to Claire.

“What’s your real name?” Rafe asked Armand.

“I-it’s Jed. Jed Banks.” No trace of a French accent now.

“Claire, call the cops and tell them we have a thief they might want to come arrest named Jed Banks. He’s probably got priors.”

Jed whined. “Come on. Everybody got their money back, didn’t they?”

Claire ignored the thieving coward and called Sergeant Mulroney. Again, though it was after midnight, he answered. She explained the whole situation and gave him their location. He told her he’d send several squad cars out and then hung up.

She moved to stand beside Rafe, even though his right arm never wavered holding the gun, his left arm hung useless at his side. Pain etched lines around his mouth. She’d never admired a man more. “What now?”

Rafe called to The Colony people. “You think you can keep your fake guru from getting away until the cops get here?”

Several of the black-robed figures came forward and took hold of Jed by his arms. Jed began pleading with them to let him go. That he hadn’t harmed anyone.

Rafe dropped his right arm, turned and headed for the front door.

Claire followed him and caught up. “I’m taking you and Julia to the hospital.” She held out her palm. “Give me your keys.”

Rafe halted on the front porch. “Like hell,” he ground between his teeth.

Claire stopped abruptly. “Rafe. Be reasonable. You can’t drive with a broken arm.”

“Can you drive a stick?”

“Uh...I understand the basic mechanics involved.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“I can drive a manual transmission.” Julia piped up from behind them. “My car’s a five-speed.”

“You should both wait here for the police.”

Claire shook her head. “So should you.”

He grimaced. “Cops and I don’t generally see eye to eye on things. They might not appreciate the fact that I used this.” He held up the gun.