Misty Read online

  “Radames, how good to see you. I am disappointed that you would visit my home and not pay me the honor of calling on me. May I join you?” One of the men held up his hand for a waiter.

  Rad looked up at the tall imposing figure. “I don’t think so, Bathromo, even you can see I am entertaining.”

  “Funny, I had heard you were working. But I smell something delicious. What have you ordered for dinner?” He stepped forward towards Misty.

  She looked up at Rad and he held her eyes with his pale ones. But he spoke to the standing man.

  “You would not make the mistake of touching my lady.” She knew that she was doing everything she could to keep from flinching at the possessive comment from the man across the table. But she also felt that for some reason it was important that she sit here and not show any emotion. For once it was important to keep her temper. But boy, was he going to get it when they got out of all of this.

  “Perhaps she might choose a different protector?” The two men moved in closer to the man who was speaking.

  “There has been a report to Rome that you’ve been a little too loose on the rules around here, Bethromo. If you can’t get things under control, they might send in an enforcer.” Rad spoke in that velvet voice and still looked at her, but she heard the stress on the word enforcer.

  It was at this time that a waiter and his helper brought the meal. He moved around the three men without saying a word, removed her soup and the tray from the middle of the table and set a plate of veal parmesan in front of her. They placed a large basket of warm bread in the middle and large plates of butter and cheese. One of the men topped her wine and there was a fresh whiskey glass placed in front of Rad.

  “I guess it would depend on whether anyone was worried about enforcers anymore.” The man spoke as he reached over, took a roll and split it in half. He took a pinch of it and dipped it into the sauce on her plate and put it into his mouth. “I have developed a small taste for some foods. Strange the habits we pick up when we grow old. I see you have a taste for whiskey. I will see that some good single malt is sent to you.”

  Rad continued to hold her gaze as he spoke to the man. “I think sometimes a person can developed bad habits and get careless as we grow old. We do not heed the proper warnings.” He suddenly stood. It was so fast that it was almost invisible. The three men stepped back. So they were afraid of him. Suddenly Misty found that reassuring.

  The maître d’ appeared and had a couple of waiters with him. The three men stepped back and the leader nodded and turned. They quickly made their way out of the restaurant.

  “Sir, is there a problem?” The maître d’ was almost bending over at the waist.

  Rad reached in his pocket and pulled out a fold of money. He counted off five one hundred dollar bills and laid them on the table. “The gentleman ruined our meal. I am afraid I must take the lady somewhere else.” He held his hand out to Misty. She hesitated only a second, took the offered hand and stood up. Okay, smallest meal in the fanciest restaurant in her life. This whole thing was getting more and more surreal.

  He led her to the front and they went out the door to wait for the car. He had her lace scarf that he put it around her but he slid his arm around her waist and she gasped as she felt him slip his hand inside the vee of the dress in the back, against her skin. She bit her lip, trying not to let the valet see any reaction as the cool hand pushed gently against her bare back, to guide her to the passenger seat. She got in as fast as possible to end the contact.

  Chapter Six

  They moved off through the night in the luxury car. There was no conversation. She had no idea where they were in relation to her house, so she couldn’t tell where they were going. When they pulled into a gated parking lot that led under an apartment building, he put in a key card that opened the gate. Going into the dark parking area, he found a parking place that was marked Reserved.

  He got out to come around, opened her door and waited for her to get out. She sat with her arms folded over the seat belt that was still buckled. He leaned back and looked at her. “There was a woman in Rome who recently told me that my life had become dull lately. I think I owe that woman a very nasty gift. I will have to think about it for a long time. Now get out of the car.”

  She sat stubbornly. “Where are we?”

  He let out a large sigh. “We are at a place that has furniture.”

  She still sat, her arms grasped tightly over her chest, and looked at the cement wall in front of the car. “I don’t need furniture. I need to go to my own home and to get out of this dress so I can work on my projects, which, by the way, I am getting behind, because I need the money. So get back in the car and take me home.”

  He looked down at her for a long moment. He shook his head. “What am I to do with you?” Very quickly he stooped down, pulled the belt loose and she was out of the car. He suddenly hefted her up, thrown over one shoulder. She let out a yelp and started to kick but he simply wrapped his arms around her knees, pulling them against his chest until they were in an elevator. She finally quit fighting.

  “Put me down.” She spit out the words.

  *****

  He could feel the anger in her. He had to smile. He always respected a spirited person as opposed to a coward. This one would never be a coward. Unfortunately, she could also get herself into a situation that would harm her.

  The elevator was a private one and opened directly into the suite that was leased in a corporate name. He had let them know that he wanted to use it, was told it was their honor to have an enforcer of his rank staying there and if there was anything he required it would be supplied immediately. He turned to sit her down and caught a glimpse of the lace panties as she twisted over his shoulder.

  He sat her on her feet and walked away to the dark windows. He pushed them open to walk out on the balcony. He was so tempted to go against the Council’s order and sample her. It wouldn’t be the first time he had broken a rule, and he had always been willing to pay the price. The Council had still found a way to accept him back. This woman was indeed very special. To make it more interesting he was drawn to her fighting spirit. Of course, he didn’t want anything permanent. It had been a long time since he had committed to a single individual. He had a sense that this female would not like a temporary fling.

  On top of the problem of her attraction, there was Bathromo. He had to make a report to Rome immediately, and he knew it would be bad. They would recall Bath to answer to the Council. From the reports he had been told, Bath had been close to going rogue and taking a large portion of troops with him. There were hopes that this rumor was wrong. But from the insolence that Rad had picked up tonight, the rumors were correct. If Bath couldn’t get onto the Council, then he was going to set up his own little Council. Rad would make his report immediately and see how fast the Council reacted.

  He heard the female moving around behind him in the rooms. He didn’t need to see her to know where she was, but one thing he knew that the Council didn’t know. She had talents. She sensed him, he was aware she knew when he was close and she had sensed Bath and his thugs. Mortals did not sense the night breeds.

  She stood for a moment where he had left her, catching her breath and trying to think what she should do. She watched him warily as he moved outside. She looked around and went back to the elevator, but of course it would not respond for her. Shit. She walked back into the room. As she stepped from the marble of the entry to the deep carpet she removed her heels.

  She saw the kitchen behind the dark black marble bar and went over to it. She found that she was really hungry. The small kitchen was a work of art. All the appliances were black with black tiles behind the black marble counter top. As she entered a low light came on under the cabinets. She found that all the cabinets, including the refrigerator had dark glass fronts. In the refrigerator she found what she wanted, covered plates of cheeses, meats, and fruit, yogurts along with creams and spreads, sliced breads with nuts and fruit in them. Sh
e pulled out several plates and put them on the bar, then pulled out a couple of drawers until she found tableware so that she could fix what she wanted. She discovered some fruit juice and standing behind the bar she had her first good meal in almost a week.

  She finally moved to where she could see him, noticing that he had not moved. He was just standing in the dark on the balcony. Was this the way Vampires slept or rested? He didn’t seem to move a muscle. She didn’t want to approach him so she chose a chair to sit in, pulled her legs up under her and just watched. The room was cool and the lights were low and she laid her head back. She was not sure when she drifted off to sleep.

  * * * *

  It was much later when he came into the room. He approved that she had eaten and then cleaned up afterwards. He stood over her and he felt the pull. It was strong and dangerous. She had fallen asleep with her head back, exposing her long neck where he saw the vein, especially the one that would be so easy to pierce. This one would let him taste the blood that flowed down to the heart. He felt the stirring in his groin and the push of his manhood as it enlarged against the restraining material of his clothes. Fuck! No, wrong word, wrong thought.

  He turned and left, using the speed of a Vampire, taking the elevator down and away from her, to keep from mounting her right there on the floor. He walked only a short distance before a woman stepped up. He looked at her for only a moment before he entered her mind. She was clean and young. He tried not to take them this young, but tonight he needed to feed or he would not be able to hold himself back when he returned upstairs.

  “Do you have a room?” He looked into her mind and saw the hesitation. She had a room, but she never took clients there. He mentally let her want to take him there. In the privacy of her room he fed, carefully taking only enough, but not doing her harm. He left her with the thought of having good sex and five hundred dollars. He waited an hour and her roommate came home. He was able to sate himself on her. By that time he had more control so he did complete an act of sex, but part way through it he thought of reddish brown hair and pulled out of the woman, letting her finish by using his mouth. Again he sealed her bites by using his tongue. He left another five hundred for her. Perhaps he would use these women again, as they were close to his location.

  As he left he went by the manager’s apartment and knocked, waking the man up. The man told him they were paid up until the end of the month. He paid him for six months and made the man think that the girls had made the payments. He told him to go back to bed and forget that he had a midnight visitor.

  When he returned to the suite she was as he had left her, that beautiful neck still exposed. But something, his presence maybe, woke her.

  “I need to go home now. It is late and I want to go to bed.” She sat up and rubbed the back of her neck that was stiff, from the angle she had slept.

  “There are four bedrooms. Take your pick.” She was surprised that there seemed to be a little anger in his voice.

  “Okay, I get it. The big bully has proven he can push me around. Big deal. Do you trip old ladies and knock over kids ice cream cones?” She was talking as she moved to look into a couple of the doors. Each bedroom was pretty much alike, very generous with king size beds. Each had a private attached bathroom. “I don’t suppose you packed my nightgown—you know, that big sweatshirt I like to sleep in?”

  She went into the bedroom of her choice, closed the door and found it did not have a lock. Great. She went into the bathroom. It had a lot of extras, like toothbrushes in unopened packets, combs and brushes the same way. She took a washcloth and scrubbed her face. She took the clips out of her hair and brushed it until it was almost straight again.

  She looked around and just reached under her dress to undo the bra and slid the straps down, in the way only women could do, taking it off without removing their outer clothes. She went out into the bedroom. Of course, he was there. He held out a shirt for her. It was a black tee. When she did not move towards him or take the offered item, he tossed it on the end of the bed. “That should do, and those pretty red panties will have to stay until I pick up some of your things tomorrow.” He turned and went out closing the door behind him.

  She let out an exasperated moan. How did he know about her underwear? She finally walked over and picked up the tee. It was a very large, heavy cotton tee shirt with a tiger’s head silk-screened on the front in brilliant colors. She looked around and decided she had enough privacy so she slipped off the red dress and dropped the large tee over her head. It indeed was very large with the hem coming down mid-way of her thighs.

  She went back into the bathroom and opened a couple of drawers until she found the packaged toothbrushes and brushed her teeth. She stepped back and did a double take as she looked at the face of the tiger in the mirror. The eyes, very large and outlined on the black tee, were the same pale blue as the man in the other room. Great, was he making a statement or was it just a coincidence? She didn’t think so—everything he did had a purpose. She wondered if some woman, walking through an expensive store, saw the shirt and thought about him. Surely he had lovers, or at least women involved with him. Were they also Vampires? He was extremely good looking and there was something that was very sexy about him. Wait, what was she thinking? Shit, she had read about this in one of the books on Vampires. There was an attraction built into them. Okay, she was just going to have to be aware of it and not give into any so called allure that might be around him.

  She turned out most of the lights but left one on in the bathroom, with the door partially open. She didn’t want to sleep in a strange place in the dark. She got into bed, pulled the covers over her and knew she was too nervous to sleep, but decided she might be able to relax.

  Her next thought was turning over and looking at the bedside clock and seeing that it was 11. She realized this had to be 11 in the morning, almost noon, and she had slept. She got up, went over to slowly open the door. She looked into the living room. No one was there so she quietly went over to the kitchen nook. She could see the other three bedrooms and their doors were open. The sliding glass doors were open on the balcony but she could not see anyone there either. She seemed to be in the suite by herself.

  She made a small breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, and walked out on the balcony. She was not familiar with where the apartment was located, but it was quite a view. There was a lot of traffic below. She wondered when he would be back and if he was bringing her clothes. She heard the sound of the elevator so she returned to the main room expecting her tormentor but instead it was worse.

  The three men from last night stood inside the elevator, the older man in front and the other two like tin soldiers behind him. They stood there looking at her and at the room but they did not step in. One of them had a finger on the button that kept the door open. What was his name? Bath something. She really wished she had more clothes on, because he was giving her a look from head to toe with stops in between.

  “Ah, Madame, how lovely, and where is the lord of the manor?”

  She backed up and slipped behind a chair to put more distance between them since they were still in the elevator and she was about twenty feet in the room. The chair also hid her legs and bare feet.

  “He is out right now. You should come back later. You know, when he is home.”

  “Well, you could invite us in and we could wait.” He spread his hands and gave her a really big smile, but she saw a frown on one of the soldier’s face begin to form. She felt a little worry begin to tickle her mid-section. What was it that Rad had said to her about her house? A mortal must invite a Vampire in? These men were Vampires and she was mortal and, wait a moment, as of right now, this was her place until she could convince Rad to take her to her regular home. Okay, she was not inviting any more Vampires into the same room she was in if she had any control. Also, she guessed they were trying that mind control thing on her, finding out that it was not working. Thank God for small blessings.

  She moved again, this time
behind the kitchen bar. She pulled out the drawer that had the knives. She chose a medium size one that she thought she could handle. She put it on the bar in front of her. She looked up seeing that they had watched her every move.

  “Well, beautiful lady, what do you say, shall we get comfortable?” His voice was low and very commanding. Did all Vampires learn that low sexy voice?

  “Well you see, I think we should wait for Rad to come home before I start inviting guests. He might get mad at me and we both know about his temper.” She smiled at him. Actually she didn’t know about his temper but she decided now would be a good time to act like a…well…a trained timid little girl. She saw the anger starting to show on the main guy’s face. Evidently he was used to getting his way.

  “You know that it is an insult from Radames to me. to leave me standing here. Now just be a good girl and invite us in. We will all sit down to have a nice conversation.”

  She looked at him. “You know, yelling is not a good way to get anything from me. Rad, will tell you, I also have a temper that I just can’t seem to get under control.” She picked up the knife and slammed it down on the counter. At that moment she felt Rad behind her. She was afraid to turn and look because she did not want to face away from the threat in the elevator.

  She heard a door behind her close and a lock snap shut and she realized there had to be stairs. When he couldn’t get the elevator to come down he had taken the stairs. He walked over and put a hand on each side of her on the cabinet.

  “Well, hello, Bathromo, did I hear you yelling?” How could Rad’s voice sound so calm?

  There was silence from the trio. Finally Bathromo spoke up. “There have been rumors about the young woman you are protecting. I just wanted to ascertain that the Council did issue an order concerning someone within my security without informing or asking me. After all, I have been in this area for a number of years.”