Revelations in Blood Read online

  “They won’t hurt me.” Though she believed her assertion with all her heart, she was secretly grateful he wanted to keep her close.

  “No, they will not.” As Nic spooned the linguini into the pan, he switched to his thoughts. “Perhaps I need you close so I do not hurt them. My patience, my emotions…I cannot control them. The interrogation still weighs heavily on my mind.”

  Nodding, Evangeline cleaned the last drop of her blood from the knife. One innocent accident and she’d almost ruined everything. Put herself in danger. Risked both Bayard and Sylvie’s lives. No question in her mind, Nic would have killed either of them had they touched her.

  “Tell me how Carlo found you both,” Nic said once he’d fixed four plates—a human-sized serving for Evangeline, and smaller portions for Sylvie, Bayard, and himself.

  Sylvie twirled the pasta around on her fork. “MI-5 and MI-6 have rules about how long a vampire can serve. After seventy-five years, you’re out. No questions asked. Doesn’t matter how good you are at your job. I’m a spook. That’s all I’ve ever been. All I want to be. A lot of us feel that way. When a vampire retires, they’re contacted by the Network. We handle private security, kidnap and ransom, and overthrow small countries from time to time…” Cracking a smile, Sylvie added, “That last part’s mostly an exaggeration.”

  “The Network was responsible for the unification of Korea and the end of the fighting in Crimea,” Bayard said. “Hardly an exaggeration.”

  “And you?” Nic asked him. “Are you part of this…Network as well?”

  “No.” Hunched over his plate, Bayard poked at a clam with his fork. “I was Philipe Bagel’s bodyguard until he disappeared.”

  “Merda. What happened to him? To all of them?”

  “Who’s them?” Despite her earlier nausea, Evangeline had put away half the plate of linguini in the few minutes they’d been talking. She set her fork down to reach for her wine. “And who’s Philipe Bagel?”

  Nic shook his head. “I am sorry, cara. I forget you do not know our history. Interrogations require all members of the Conclave to be present. We were twelve before my capture. Today, the table held seats for only eight. Philipe, Elisabetta, and Vincenzo were missing.”

  “Vincenzo is dead,” Bayard spat. “His car spun out of control on his way to Mount Lussari. The explosion killed him.”

  “His car…exploded?” Nic choked on a sip of wine. He coughed, his voice rough. “Vincenzo drove an electric car. The man hated the smell of petrol.”

  Bayard raised his gaze. “Oui. And Philipe never went anywhere alone. Yet he slipped out of his villa in the middle of the night without a phone call, note, or text message. Six months I spent searching until the Conclave ordered me to return to Italy.”

  Evangeline’s stomach clenched. “Pietro…”

  “Who?” Sylvie asked.

  “My former bodyguard.” Nic scrubbed his hands over his face, his shoulders tense. “When I disappeared, he flew to America to search for me. The Conclave demanded he return after a year.”

  “Their patience is waning,” Bayard said. “Elisabetta quit. Less than two years ago. That is the story. Yet no one has heard from her beyond letters. She bonded—or so we were told. Moved to Australia.”

  “And you do not believe the reports?” Nic asked.

  With a snort, Bayard shook his head. “I went to Australia. After two months with no sign of her, I gave up.”

  Evangeline chewed on her lower lip, her mind racing. “No one’s concerned about three high-profile vampires—well, four, counting Nic—disappearing in the past eighteen years?”

  “The Conclave offered a reward for information about Philipe,” Bayard muttered. “But when I asked to be a part of the investigation, they terminated my employment.”

  Nic started to pace, frustration rolling off of him in waves. “Carlo hired a disgraced bodyguard and a former British agent now part of a group that overthrows governments? Why?”

  “Because he thinks the Conclave is up to something.” Sylvie ran a hand through her hair, tugging on the purple and platinum strands. “He practically said as much when he told us not to let on that E was human. If he and Vittoria hadn’t taken Evangeline’s blood—and drugged her—I’d say they were on your side. But now…”

  Nic wrapped his arm around Evangeline, tucking her against him. His emotions buffeted her as he looked from Sylvie to Bayard. “You know Evangeline’s blood is special. However, if you are to protect us, you need to know everything. Tell us why we should trust you.”

  15

  Nic arched a brow while he waited for the two guards to answer him. At his side, Evangeline worried her lip, and he ached to brush his thumb over the abused flesh.

  Bayard and Sylvie exchanged glances, seemingly trying to decide who would speak first, and finally, Bayard shrugged. “The Conclave has blackballed me. When I returned from Australia, they threatened to have me jailed for disobeying their orders. As I pointed out, they did not employ me at the time, and I broke no laws. Finding work since my return has been…difficult.”

  “I’ve heard the rumors,” Sylvie said. “You’re a proper tosser who can’t keep his head on straight. You’re impulsive, disobey orders, and you were drunk on duty when Philipe disappeared.” She winced when Bayard growled. “I didn’t say I believed any of that, mate.”

  Nic braced his hands on the counter. “Were you drunk?”

  Dropping his head, Bayard pressed his lips together, a muscle in his jaw ticking for a moment until he met Nic’s gaze. Sadness softened his usually cold eyes, and he struggled to keep his voice steady. “No. Philipe and I…we were close. I…was in his bed the night he disappeared.”

  “You were lovers?” Sylvie’s brows shot up. “Fuck.”

  “Is that a problem?” Bayard challenged, straightening on the stool, his chest puffing out slightly.

  “Um, no. But it puts a whole different spin on the rumors.” Her voice softening, she rested her hand on Bayard’s arm. “I’m sorry. I’m not bonded—obviously—but I’ve been in love.”

  Sadness infused Bayard’s tone as he spoke of the past. “Philipe was a good man. We arrived…home after a long trip, both of us exhausted. Philipe said he had to finish some research. I tried to wait up for him, but sometime after midnight, I fell asleep. When I woke in the morning, he was gone. No signs of forced entry. His home office was in order, though I do not know if anything had been taken. He did not often share the details of his work with me. Only what I needed to know to protect him. I do not believe the Conclave knew anything of our relationship.” Bayard returned his focus to Nic and Evangeline. “I believe there may be certain members of the Conclave indirectly or directly responsible for Philipe and Elizabetta’s disappearances. I know—knew—Philipe. I loved him. He would not have left me. So if you ask me why you should trust me? I cannot give you an answer. But I do not trust the Conclave and I do not think you should either.”

  “The enemy of my enemy is my friend, then?” Nic asked.

  “At the very least.”

  Nic turned to Sylvie. “And you?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t want this gig. Carlo’s friends with one of the males in the Network—Rufus. He’s the one who put me up for it. As much as we like to spout equality these days, there are only three active female agents right now. And I was the only one not currently engaged on a job.”

  Evangeline’s uncertainty was a bitter taste in the back of his throat. She pressed closer to Nic. “This isn’t helping me to trust you,” she said quietly. “Even after the past two days…”

  Sylvie shifted on the stool, clearly uncomfortable. “I’m not prejudiced against humans. Or…at least I didn’t think I was. But after I heard what the job was, I told Carlo to take a hike.”

  “I am certain he took that well,” Nic said with a dry chuckle. Carlo’s betrayal was still a fresh, bleeding wound, but there had to be a reason. If only he knew why.

  “He showed up at my flat.”


  “In England?” Carlo had left Nic’s home close to eight the day of their wedding. Had he flown out that night?

  “Showing up at four in the morning? He’s lucky my neighbors didn’t call the police on him.” Sylvie shook her head. “And I wanted to beat him senseless. But he begged me. Told me Evangeline had fully bonded to a vampire. That got my attention. I studied genetics during one of my university stints. Decided I needed to understand how I’d been turned. Between my curiosity and the twenty thousand euro he gave me as a deposit…”

  Shock stole Nic’s words, and Evangeline looked up at him, her lips forming a little o. “That’s…a lot, right?”

  “Si. Even for a vampire. I paid Pietro five thousand euro a month when he protected me, but most other members of the Conclave pay much less. He offered you the same?” Nic asked Bayard.

  “Oui. The contract was for two months, and after that, we were to negotiate with you for a more reasonable permanent salary.”

  “But that means,” Evangeline said, stiffening, “that you work for Carlo. Not us.”

  Merda. He loved his life mate’s quick reasoning. She might not know their world, but she’d experienced enough avarice and evil in her lifetime to understand the risks that could befall them now.

  “No.” Sylvie said sharply, her eyes bright. After a quick glance to Bayard, who nodded, she continued. “We work for you. Carlo was very clear about that. The money has already been transferred, and we signed contracts that explicitly stated we were to take orders only from the two of you.”

  “I questioned him about that clause,” Bayard said. “Because of the very concern you raised. He responded, ‘Nicola and his life mate are the only ones who matter.’ Protect them at all costs.”

  The four of them sat in silence for several minutes before Nic sighed, suddenly unsure he could keep his eyes open much longer. “It is late, and I do not think any of us have slept much in the past two days.”

  The exhaustion—physical and emotional—from the interrogation, the fight with Evangeline, and even the wine conspired to leave him a shadow of the man he needed to be in order to make an informed decision.

  “Evangeline and I need to discuss everything you have told us. Will you give us until the morning to make our decision?” Though he wouldn’t admit it to Bayard and Sylvie, Nic also wanted a bit of time to research the public statements on the missing Conclave members…and why no one had been appointed to fill their seats.

  “We’re not going anywhere,” Sylvie said. “Not unless you order us to. I may not trust Carlo anymore, but I vowed to keep you both safe when I signed the contract. So did Bayard. We’ll honor that promise until you tell us otherwise.”

  With Nic’s arm around her, Evangeline could almost pretend life was…normal as they climbed the stairs to their bedroom. “Are we safe here?” she asked when he locked the bedroom door behind them.

  “I do not know.” With a sigh, Nic dropped onto the bed. Food and blood had restored the healthy glow to his bronzed skin, and his eyes were clear, but subtle lines bracketed his lips and crinkled around his eyes. “I am not thinking clearly. They had me bound to that cursed chair for at least five or six hours today. At least as many the day before. And I have no idea what drugs they administered after they tased me.”

  “They tased you? What the hell were they thinking?” In her world—or at least the one she thought had existed before she’d escaped the catacombs, the government didn’t tase someone who was already restrained. She was beginning to realize how naive she’d been. “They can’t just—”

  “They can.”

  “Why?”

  Loosening the leather tie that bound his thick black hair at the nape of his neck, a muscle in his jaw ticked. “I was angry. But I believe it was all a ruse. They knew I would fight if they attempted to drug me and they had no good reason to perform a medical exam. My…frustration gave them the only excuse they needed.”

  As Nic stripped down to his boxers, Evangeline pulled off her sweatshirt. The black lace bra and panties she’d found in the dresser fit her perfectly, and a low growl rumbled in Nic’s chest as he watched her.

  “I want you, Evangeline.”

  “You can’t be serious,” she said, climbing into bed next to him. A slight discoloration on his neck worried her, and she brushed her fingers over the reddened dots.

  “Burns from the taser, cara. They should be gone by morning.” He pulled her against his sculpted chest and deftly unhooked her bra. “And I am very serious. I always am when it comes to you and your delicious body.”

  “Nic…you can’t keep distracting me with sex.” Even as she said the words, her core heated for him, and she shuddered. “Oh, God. Kiss me.”

  “Gladly.” He slid his fingers through her hair, gripping the silky strands with enough force to send tiny pinpricks of pain along her scalp. He traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, and she opened for him, letting him take, greedily. His fangs grazed her lower lip, and Evangeline moaned as desire flooded her.

  “I thought of nothing but you,” Nic said as he eased her to the side so he could slip off his boxers. “Your laugh. Your kiss. Your smile.”

  Kneeling next to him, Evangeline licked her lips. A drop of his essence already coated the tip of his cock, and she scented his arousal—and her own. The Italian coin she wore around her neck brushed his chest as she straddled him. “I wish I had your memory,” she whispered. “I had to make due with sleeping on your pillow.”

  “Will you take my blood as I take yours, cara?”

  As Evangeline eased down onto his cock, savoring the feeling of him filling her completely, she stared down at the man she’d bound herself to. How could she have doubted him? Thought for a moment they were too different?

  “Si,” she said as she ground her hips against his. “But how?”

  “Open the drawer.” He grinned as he cupped her breasts, pinching her nipples until she cried out and her inner walls clenched around him.

  “Stop that.” With a light laugh, she batted his hands away and snagged the drawer handle. Inside, a small pocket knife rested atop an old book. “Nic.”

  “It is the same one. I did not know…if you would be willing.”

  Curling her fingers around the knife, she remembered their bonding. The intense closeness they’d shared when their souls had become one. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  Setting the blade to the side, she draped her body over his, and Nic palmed her ass, pulling her closer with each thrust. Where before, their coupling had been desperate, now, they took their time. Nic whispered in her ear, alternating Italian with English, translating all the beautiful things he said to her. How he ached for her, how her scent drove him half mad, but most of all, how he loved her mind, how he craved her every word.

  She hadn’t realized just how much she needed his reassurances, how unsteady she’d been until this moment. Every nerve ending in her body tingled with desire, and tiny tremors ran through her with each thrust, each kiss, each rasp of his cock against her clit.

  “Nic…I…” Flicking open the blade, she rose up on an elbow as he continued to drive into her, and when their gazes locked, she gently pressed the tip of the knife against the bonding mark at his neck.

  With a groan, Nic thrust harder. Evangeline couldn’t hold on, and tossing the knife onto the bedside table, she sealed her lips over the wound she’d made. The taste of him, so rich, so very Nic, drove her higher, and when his fangs pierced her, she lost control, taking a deep pull on his vein so his taste, the feel of him, the sound and scent of him were all she knew.

  Nic followed her over the cliff, his release filling her, hot and desperate, as her blood flooded over his tongue. “Evangeline. Dio mio, sei perfetta. Sei mio.”

  His hand trailed up and down her back, long, sensual, calming strokes as her body shook against him. “Amore mio. You honor me with your trust, with your heart. I do not deserve you.”

  Drawing the blankets over them, Evangeline peered at him th
rough the hazy aftereffects of her release. His words worried her, but sleep hovered too close for her to press him tonight. “You’re a good man, Nic,” she mumbled as he flipped off the light. “And tomorrow, you’re going to tell me what you’ve been hiding.”

  “Si,” he said as he brushed a kiss to her lips. “I will tell you everything.”

  16

  Weak sunlight filtered through the blinds as Nic’s sensitive hearing picked up angry voices from downstairs. Against him, Evangeline shifted with a sleepy sigh. “What’s wrong?”

  “Someone is here. Bayard is upset. Stay in the bedroom, Evangeline. Please.” Panic roughened his voice, and before she could respond, he’d belted his robe and was heading for the stairs. Halfway down, he recognized the other voice. Carlo.

  Bayard blocked the door, but Carlo tried to push past him. “I must see Nicola. I have called a dozen times since he left the facility last night. Is he here?”

  “I thought I made myself clear,” Nic said as he reached the foyer. “We are done, Carlo. You betrayed me and drugged Evangeline. Leave now.”

  Carlo looked as if he hadn’t slept in a week. Dark circles swelled under his eyes, and his rumpled shirt was unbuttoned at the collar. “Nicola, please. I know I do not deserve your trust. But I have information that you and Evangeline must know. Once we speak, if you still wish me gone—”

  “Oy,” Sylvie called from behind Carlo. “Get the fuck out of here.” She grabbed his arms and spun him around, shoving him down the stairs hard enough that he flew back ten feet and hit the ground.

  “Enough!” Nic snapped. “Sylvie, go to Evangeline. I do not want her to be alone.”

  “I’m right here.”

  Clenching his hands into fists, Nic kept his gaze on Carlo as Evangeline came up behind him. “Cara, please go upstairs.”

  “No.”

  Her firm tone didn’t surprise him, and he was tempted to order her back to the bedroom, but he knew she wouldn’t listen. With a quick nod to Sylvie, who strode into the house to stay by Evangeline’s side, Nic slowly descended the steps, barefoot, until he stood over Carlo. “You were my oldest friend. For that reason only, I will give you five minutes. But if you so much as look sideways at Evangeline, I will not be held responsible for my actions. Do you understand?”