ROMAN: Fury of Her King (Kings of the Blood Book 2) (6 page)

Chuckling, Valentina kept up her pretense of them somehow being
friends by leaning forward and patting Cyn’s knee. “No, I guess we won’t.”
Pausing as she sat back, the Morticia lookalike straightened her skirt and
added, “But we do have something very important to discuss, after which, you
will be free to go.”

Unsure how much of what Valentina was saying was the truth and
afraid to hope that her nightmare was about to come to an end, Cyn put on her
best ‘whatever’ expression and nodded. “Whatever you say, Mor…ah…Valentina.
Let’s get this over with. I’m tired of being chained up and need a shower.”

Once again, her hostess sat and stared, but this time Cyn could
tell she was being sized up. She’d seen it a hundred times; starting in high
school all the way through her life. Shock and awe was what Valentina was
trying to achieve. Cyn thought about telling her that she’d been worked over by
the best but decided to let the bitch get it out of her system.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long for Valentina to begin,
but of course, the loon had no clue how to get to the point. “What I am about
to tell you will be very hard to accept, but I assure you that I am being
completely honest. Which, by the way, is more than I can say for our Roman.”
She paused and sighed with a dreamy look in her eyes that made Cyn think about
throwing up on Valentina’s very stylish Christian Louboutin crocodile
stilettos.

As Morticia spoke, Cyn almost gave herself a migraine trying not
to roll her eyes at her syrupy sweet tone and over exaggerated inflection.
“Roman and I have known one another for years. As matter of fact, I am his
closest friend, his confidant, and well, I don’t like to kiss and tell, but I
guess I can tell you just to set the record straight, his lover.” Keeping eye
contact for just a second before looking away, Valentina pretended to be
embarrassed at her admission.

Narrowing her eyes, Cyn employed her favorite
the-first-one-that-talks-loses tactic and instead of commenting, simply watched
Valentina fix her cuffs, pick imaginary lint from her skirt, adjust her slit,
then tuck several stands of her long, straight, ebony hair behind her ear, all
while avoiding eye contact. She thought about yelling, “Liar, liar, pants on
fire” but decided to see where all of Morticia’s pageantry was leading.

Laying her hand over her heart, Valentina once again leaned
forward but didn’t touch Cyn this time as she continued, “I know this must come
as a terrible shock, but I thought you should know that you’re chasing after a
man with no intentions of being anything but a friend to you. I know we barely
know each other, but if the roles were reversed, I would want to know the
situation and be allowed to walk away without any further humiliation.”

From the look on her face, Cyn could tell Valentina was looking
for a reaction, hoping for outrage and would continue pushing buttons until she
got it. Leaning back, Valentina worked hard to school her features but couldn’t
hide the tiny lines of stress around her eyes and mouth.

Now who’s feeling embarrassed? Or maybe finally starting to worry
she might get caught?

Snapping her fingers over her shoulder, Valentina called,
“Laurent, dear, can you bring me the photos?”

Oh great! Visual aids…

Appearing from the shadows, the chauffeur handed Valentina a large
leather bound album, glanced at Cyn with unexpected sympathy, then turned and
disappeared. Flipping through the pages of the book, Valentina hummed to
herself, obviously planning her Hail Mary since nothing so far had worked. It
was actually kind of a letdown. Cyn had really expected more after all that had
transpired thus far but then again, she was dealing with ‘Morticia’ and
‘Lurch’; maybe this was the best they could do.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Valentina looked up from
her book and smiled. Cyn had seen the same look in her competitors’ eyes over
the years. It said they were brimming with confidence and ripe to be knocked
off their pedestal. Settling back into her seat, Cyn returned Valentina’s
stare, cocked her head to the side, and waited.

A slight nod then a clearing of her throat and Valentina began
again, “I had hoped to handle all this more delicately, but I can see from the
look in your eyes that it will take proof you can see and feel for you to
believe what I am saying.”

She looked back down at the album in her lap and continued without
glancing up, “Roman has many secrets and as his confidant, I’ve kept these
secrets for more years than I can remember.” She flashed her onyx eyes at Cyn.
“So, as I’m sure you can understand, I’m going to have to ask for your utmost
discretion and secrecy. What I show you here today must stay just between us
girls.”

Unable to stop herself, Cyn added, “And Laurent. Let’s not forget
about your henchman.”

Chuckling like she was at a cocktail party as opposed to addressing
the woman she’d being holding captive for a day, Valentina tittered, “Oh, never
fear. Laurent will keep our secret.” She glanced over her shoulder. “He always
has. He’s my cousin, you see.” Another chuckle. “We’ve been thick as thieves
for years.”

Clapping her hands together, Valentina smiled, “So, where were
we?” Patting the book, “Oh yes, Roman’s dirty little secrets.”

Narrowing her eyes ever so slightly and leaning forward like she
was about to divulge state secrets, Valentina lowered her voice, “I supposed
the easiest way is to just rip off the Band-Aid and get it over with.”

Yeah, I’m growing old here. Ya’ stupid cow…

It took everything in her not to say what she was thinking, but
Cyn had to admit she was seriously losing her patience. Valentina was working
up to something. Had put a lot of thought into her presentation and was
preparing to move in for the kill. Cyn knew what that felt like and although
she hated Valentina unlike anyone she’d ever known, she wasn’t about to
interrupt. Besides, maybe it would be something she and Roman could laugh about
if he ever wanted to see her again after being stood up.

But then again, he’s the reason you’re in this mess…

Her inner monologue was cut short as Valentina took a deep breath
and said, “Roman Marinos, the man you have set your sights on bedding, is a
three-thousand-year old King of the Blood. He and his closest friends are part
of a group of men who lost their human lives almost three millennia ago, but
because of their valor and service to the gods, Zeus allowed them to be born
again and serve as his warriors on earth.”

Pausing and taking a sip from a bottle of water Cyn hadn’t noticed
until that moment, Valentina raised her heavily painted-on eyebrows as if to
say, “No questions?”

Cyn thought about giving her captor the number of a good
psychiatrist she knew from work but had to admit she was too intrigued to see
what other fairy tales her hostess would come up with, so she simply waited. It
was apparent her lack of response bothered Valentina as she tightly screwed the
lid back on her drink and set it on the floor at her side with a bit more force
than was necessary, making the plastic pop and crinkle.

When she spoke again the strain was evident in her voice, but Cyn
had to give her credit for keeping her smile in place even if the look in her
eyes was quickly becoming murderous. “Any questions?”

“None.”

Another nod followed by a quick intake of breath and Valentina was
again talking, “For all intents and purposes, Roman and the other Kings are
immortal. They have traveled the countryside helping those who cannot help
themselves, doing the will of the gods since before the birth of Christ.
Unfortunately, their longevity comes at a price.”

Valentina paused and her stiff smile turned into more of a smirk
as she went on, “You see, once a month they must,” she paused and tapped her
chin with the pointed tip of the red nail of her index finger, what Cyn was
beginning to think of as a ‘villainess’ signature move, “how should I put
this?” Then shrugging said, “They must drink blood to stay alive.”

Unable to school her features any longer, Cyn burst out laughing.
Her head fell forward, her arms slipped down around her waist, and she laughed
long and hard until tears actually rolled down her face. Taking a deep breath,
trying to contain her hilarity, she looked at Valentina, whose smirk had been
replaced with a scowl, and while still chuckling, said, “So, let me get this
straight. Roman Marinos, high profile businessman, playboy, and millionaire, is
actually a what? A vampire?”

Her giggles got the best of her for another moment before she
could go on. “And so are his closest friends.” Holding up her hand to stop the
retort she saw coming from Valentina, she chortled, “But not the bad kind. No,
they’re on a mission from Zeus. Is that about right?” Then shaking her hand to
stop Valentina again, she quickly added, “OH! And let’s not forget that you
know all this because you’re Roman’s lover, even though he has chased me like
the bunny at a greyhound track for almost two years, kissed me like I was the
very air he breathed less than two days ago, and 
demanded
 I
have dinner with him.” Cocking an eyebrow, she pursed her lips and asked, “Is
that what you’re trying to tell me?”

Valentina’s scowl was now a scary frown, her tone harsh, and her
accent so pronounced it took Cyn a second to understand what she was saying as
she spat through gritted teeth while slamming the book on her lap shut, “You
will not laugh at me, 
pórni
.”

Pulling a cellphone from her pocket and fiddling with the buttons
while Cyn continued chuckling and couldn’t help but add insult to injury by
commenting, “And you’re gonna need to insult me in English if you want to hurt
my feelings.” Valentina literally shook with fury and growled.

Tapping the screen with her long nails so hard Cyn was sure it
would shatter, Valentina had apparently found what she was looking for as she
stood and looked down her nose. “Now, you will see the truth.”

With a confidence Cyn had to admire considering the circumstances,
Valentina strutted around her chair, reached over her shoulder, and thrust the
phone in front of her face. Pressing a button on the side, the still photo
became a video, complete with sound.

Cyn watched the new bane of her existence, Valentina, walk into a
candle lit room and ask, “You called for me, sire?”

“Yes.” One word was all it took. Cynthia would know that voice
anywhere. Her attention was now riveted to the screen as she watched him stand
and meet Valentina in front of a huge mahogany desk.

He gave the tall thin woman a lukewarm smile while she unbuttoned
the top two buttons of her sheer black blouse and moved one side of the collar
off her shoulder. Without further preamble, he placed his hands on her
shoulders, looked her in the eye, and asked, “Do you, Valentina, agree to
provide nourishment to me, a King of the Blood, freely and of your own
volition?”

“Yes, sire. I do.” Valentina swooned, causing Cyn to clench her
fists until her short manicured nails bit into the skin of her palms as she
reminded herself not to show any signs that the bitch’s manipulation was
working.

“Then I shall take only what I need. Thank you for your service.”

Roman leaned in and placed his lips on Valentina’s neck as the
camera zoomed in for a closer shot. As she watched, his canines lengthened and
Valentina sighed as he pierced the tender skin over her carotid. Cyn couldn’t
stop her gasp as for several heartbeats, she literally watched Roman feed from
the witch’s neck.

Removing his teeth from her flesh, he wiped a single drop of blood
from her neck with his handkerchief before setting her an arm’s length away and
quietly thanking her. Although he showed no signs that it was anything more
than a business transaction, Valentina’s pupils were dilated, her breathing
shallow, and her cheeks flushed. Cynthia had no idea what she had just
witnessed but one thing was for sure, Valentina had a really good time.

Pressing pause, her captor pulled the phone away and whispered in
Cyn’s ear. “Nothing to say now, 
asteío korítsi
? No jokes?”

Rage, white and hot and all-encompassing, overtook Cyn as she
grabbed two handfuls of Valentina’s hair where it hung over her shoulders and
pulled while screaming, “Let me out of here, you crazy bitch!”

Valentina screamed in pain as Cyn pulled with all her might,
trying to flip the bitch over like she’d seen people do on TV. But, of course
that didn’t work and Laurent was immediately on the scene, pulling her fingers
from her captor’s tresses and yelling, “Let go!”

No sooner did he have her hands free of hair than Valentina flew
around her chair, slapped Cynthia across the face, and seethed, “You
little 
skýla
, you will pay for that.”

Grabbing a handful of Cyn’s hair at the crown and pulling until
they were nose-to-nose, Valentina continued through gritted teeth, “I was going
to let you walk out of here. Now, you will sleep and maybe you will wake, maybe
not, but one thing is for sure, you will be alone with the rats just as you
deserve.”

Before she could argue, Valentina slapped her across the face
again, pulled a syringe from her other pocket, and with more force than Cyn
knew she was capable of, shoved the needle into her neck. Her vision
immediately blurred. Laurent let go of her hands and asked Valentina, “Do you
want her in the bed?”