Lover Awakened

He spun her to face the bricks and held her in place by the back of her neck. As she giggled and pretended to struggle, he restrained her and thought of the countless human females he'd sucked over the years. How clean did he get their memories? Did they wake up from nightmares of him when their subconscious stirred?

User, he thought. He was a user. Just like the Mistress.

The only difference was, he had no choice.

Or did he? He could have used Bella tonight; she'd wanted him to. But if he fed off her, it was only going to be harder for both of them to let go. And that was where they were headed.

She didn't want to be ahvenged. He could not rest while that lesser took up space on the earth…

More than that, though, he couldn't bear to watch Bella destroy herself by trying to love a male she shouldn't. He had to get her to walk away from him. He wanted her to be happy and safe, he wanted a thousand years of her waking up with a peaceful smile on her face. He wanted her well mated, with a male she could take pride in.

In spite of the bonding he had for her, he wanted her to know joy more than he wanted her with him.

The prostitute wiggled. 'We going to do this or what, daddy? 'Cause I'm getting kind of excited.'

Z bared his fangs and reared back, prepared to strike.

'Zsadist—no!'

Bella's voice brought his head around. She was standing in the middle of the alley, about fifteen feet away. Her eyes were horrified, her mouth open.

'No,' she said hoarsely. 'Don't… do it.'

His first impulse was to get her the hell back to the house and then yell at her for leaving. His second was that he had his chance to sever ties between them. It would be a surgical maneuver, involving a lot of pain, but she would heal from the amputation. Even if he wouldn't.

The whore looked over, then laughed, a high, happy trill. 'Is she going to watch? 'Cause that'll cost you fifty bucks extra.'

Bella put her hand up to her throat as Zsadist held the human between his body and the brick wall of a building. The pain in her chest was so great she couldn't breathe. To see him so close to another female… a human, a prostitute at that… and for the purpose of feeding? After all they had shared last night?

'Please,' she said. 'Use me. Take me. Don't do this.' He spun the female around so the two of them were facing front; then he clamped an arm across the woman's chest. The prostitute laughed and undulated against him, rubbing her body into his, her hips moving in a sinuous twist.

Bella put her hands out into the frigid air. 'I love you. I didn't mean to insult you in front of the Brothers. Please don't do this to get back at me.'

Zsadist's eyes locked on hers. Misery shone in them, an utter desolation, but he bared his fangs… then sank them into the woman's neck. Bella cried out as he swallowed; the human female laughed again with a lilting, wild sound.

Bella staggered back. And still his eyes didn't move from hers, even as he repositioned his bite and drank harder. Unable to watch for a moment longer, she dematerialized to the only place she could think of.

Her family's house.

CHAPTER 38

'The Reverend wants to see you.'

Phury looked up from the glass of seltzer he'd ordered. One of ZeroSum's bouncer mountains was looming over him, the Moor oozing a quiet threat.

'Any particular reason?'

'You're a valued customer.'

'So he should leave me alone.'

'Is that a no?'

Phury cocked an eyebrow. 'Yeah, that's a no.'

The Moor disappeared and came back with reinforcements: Two guys as big as he was. 'The Reverend wants to see you.'

'Yeah, you told me.'

'Now.'

The only reason Phury slid out of the booth was because the trio seemed ready to carry him off, and he didn't need the kind of attention that would come when he smacked them around.

The moment he walked into the Reverend's office, he knew the male was in a dangerous frame of mind. Not that that was a news flash.

'Leave us,' the vampire murmured from behind his desk.

As the room emptied out, he sat back in his chair, violet eyes shrewd. Instinct had Phury easing one hand behind his back, close to the dagger he carried on his belt.

'So I've been thinking about our last meeting,' the Reverend said, making a temple out of his long fingers. The light over him picked out his high cheekbones and his hard jaw and his heavy shoulders. His mohawk had been trimmed, the black stripe no more than two inches off his skull. 'Yeah… I've been thinking about the fact that you know my little secret. I'm feeling exposed.'

Phury stayed silent, wondering where in the hell this was going.

The Reverend pushed back his chair and crossed his legs, ankle on his knee. His expensive suit fell open, revealing his broad chest. 'You can imagine how I feel. How it keeps me up.'

'Try some Ambien. That'll knock you out.'

'Or I could light up a lot of red smoke. Just like you, right?' The male ran a hand over his mohawk, lips lifting into a sly grin. 'Yeah, I really don't fee! safe.'

What a lie that was. The guy kept himself surrounded by Moors who were as smart as they were lethal. And he was definitely someone who could handle himself. Besides, symphaths had advantages in conflict that no one else did.

The Reverend stopped smiling. 'I was thinking maybe you could cop to your secret. Then we'd be even.'

'Don't have one.'

'Bullshit… Brother.' The Reverend's mouth pulled up at the corners again, but his eyes were a cold purple. 'Because you are a member of the Brotherhood. You and those big males you come in here with. The one with the goatee who drinks my vodka. The guy with the fucked-up face who sucks my whores. Don't know what to say about that human you hang with, but whatever.'

Phury stared hard across the desk. 'You've just violated every social custom our species has. But then, why should I expect good behavior out of a drug dealer?'

'And users always lie. So the question was pointless anyway, wasn't it?'

'Tread carefully, my man,' Phury said in a low voice.

'Or you'll what? You saying you're a Brother, so I'd better shape up before you hurt me?'

'Health should never be taken for granted.'

'Why won't you admit it? Or are you Brothers afraid that the race you fail will rebel? Are you hiding from all of us because of the shitty job you've been doing lately?'

Phury turned away. 'Don't know what you're talking to me for.'

'About the red smoke.' The Reverend's voice was bladed like a knife. 'I've just run out of it.'

A flicker of unease tightened Phury's chest. He looked over his shoulder. 'There are other dealers.'

'Have fun finding them.'

Phury put his hand on the doorknob. When it refused to turn, he glanced back across the room. The Reverend was watching him, still as a cat. And trapping him in the office with his will.

Phury tightened his grip and pulled, tearing the piece of brass right off. As the door lolled open, he tossed the knob onto the Reverend's desk.