Bad Mouth Read online

  “What things?”

  “He mutilates them. I can’t even describe it. I’m sending pictures.”

  “I’m not sure I want to see them. We’re about to go in.”

  “We? So you at least have Graham with you. As if a lawyer would do any good.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Sure. Say that again after you see the photos.” Alice’s multiple phone lines rang in the background. “You have media crawling all over each other to talk to you.”

  “Send them to Glenn.” The VLO director, her boss, would be too happy to be in the spotlight.

  “I hate to say this, but you should leave this to the detectives. You’re a paper-pusher, Val.”

  “The Immortalis weren’t talking to them. There hasn’t been a vampire-on-human murder in nearly two decades and people are scared. I had to do something.”

  “If you say so,” Alice replied. Val pictured her assistant’s reluctant shrug. “You should be scared to meet this guy. Just be careful.”

  Val stared at the phone after the unusual call. If Alice the Unshakeable was upset over what she’d learned, Val would need to use extreme caution with the Dominorum’s pet desk jockey. Only, from what Alice described, he didn’t sound like some desk jockey. Now she knew why Olen had sounded so pleased with himself.

  Val took a quick look at the first few photos Alice sent but couldn’t stomach any more. Her assistant hadn’t exaggerated. She flipped her phone shut and took a minute before sliding out of the cab with Graham trailing close behind. Ignoring his confused frown, she smoothed her sleek pencil skirt and inspected herself.

  She’d opted for a more casual look than usual, a little bit of professional but a little bit of laid back. The dark navy skirt fell an inch shy of her knees, all business except for the deep slit up the back and the rear-hugging fit.

  “Let’s go,” she said, not waiting to see if Graham followed. She walked briskly from the curved drop-off lane and crossed the narrow, minimally landscaped plaza in front of the Akkadian Towers. Forty-five floors of sleek, black skyscraper to rival Columbia Center in all but height loomed over them. There weren’t really two separate towers, but the design intended such an appearance. In contrast with the Ancients’ stone mansion, the Towers were tastefully elegant.

  A subjugate in an impeccably tailored suit held the doors open as they approached. He led them to an elevator beyond the security desk and swiped a keycard under a small, wall-mounted scanner. At the sound of a beep and blink of a light, he left them to wait unescorted. Val fidgeted in the blatant silence until Graham broke the tension.

  “How long are you going to be mad at me?” he asked as they waited for Rollins’s private elevator.

  “I’m not mad, Graham. I’m disappointed.”

  “I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

  “No.”

  She didn’t look at him as she answered without hesitation. His change of heart about the vampires cut deep. Maybe it wouldn’t have felt like such a betrayal if he’d kept it to himself. Instead he’d proceeded to beat his newfound vampire-hugging view into her.

  They entered the elevator and rode to the top in silence. Val avoided Graham’s reflection in the mirrored doors, staring instead at a point past her right shoulder because if she took one look at his puppy-dog eyes and angel face, she might soften.

  The doors slid open to reveal a single wooden door carved with symbols at the far end of a softly lit lobby. The walls were a warm rust color, undecorated other than the recessed lighting. A small half-moon table sat flush against the wall midway between the door and the private elevator. Nothing in the hallway indicated a wild beast lived nearby.

  The tremors began in her hands and slowly made their way toward the center of her body. This wasn’t supposed to happen until after she left a vampire’s presence. If only she hadn’t seen those pictures of his atrocities.

  Val stopped short of the door and tensed. She balled her fists at her sides and tried desperately to get her shit together. She couldn’t meet Rollins in such a state. He’d eat her alive. Get it together, Val.

  “I won’t let him hurt you, V.”

  She shot Graham a measure of wide-eyed disbelief. He obviously had no clue what kind of monster they would soon face. Still, his preposterous yet valiant statement swept the impending panic attack away. Her smile might have been a little shaky as she answered. “I know. Thank you, Graham.”

  She buzzed the doorbell. It made no sound, but there was a faint click of the lock before the door cracked open. Seconds passed before she realized no one would answer, and they had to let themselves in. She glanced at Graham, but his brow furrowed as much as hers.

  Where were the subjugates? Servants? Slaves? Groupies? There were always subordinate beings to feed and cater to the vampires. Her body urged her to flee as she stared at the dark space at the open edge of the door. With shaking hands, she pushed it open the rest of the way.

  Val stepped in and surveyed the penthouse. The ceilings were high, but unlike the Ancients’ mansion, the extravagance of the penthouse was understated in simple, clean lines, uncluttered. Other than a touch of red here and there, it echoed all blacks, dark and light grays, charcoals. What wasn’t smooth marble or granite was another chilly sort of construction—glass and crystal and pewter-colored metals.

  There were no dividers in the main living area, just one spacious room all the way to the plate glass wall with a stunning view of the Sound. A sparse sitting area with long, low couches spread between Val and the floor-to-ceiling sliding door to the balcony. Elegant but unused fireplaces sat at each end of the sitting area. Who required two fireplaces in the same room? Like a vampire would need the heat.

  She needed it now, however.

  Crisp, salty air wafted in from the open door to the balcony. She drew in a lungful; the freshness revived her and drew her toward the balcony. Her three-inch heels made no sound on the thick, iron-gray carpet. She glanced back at Graham, but he’d headed toward the wet bar and poured himself a liberal drink.

  She turned away to focus on the horizon and calm her nerves and her rising anger. Alice had set this meeting up personally, so the useless desk-jockey vampire had known damn well to expect them. Rollins was playing with them already, but she refused to be intimidated by his lack of attendance.

  Val heard nothing, not even a hint of sound, but a heavy awareness swept through her. Her muscles tensed with a fight-or-flight burst of adrenaline. A charge of energy whispered along her nerves, causing her skin to tingle and raising goose bumps on her arms that had nothing to do with the frigid room. A ticklish sensation brushed at her nape, as if someone stood a hairsbreadth away. Though she tried for nonchalance as she turned, the movement was too fast and jerky to fool a vampire.

  She drew a sharp breath when she saw Rollins. He wasn’t right behind her but at least ten feet away. Lord, if he had that much presence at ten feet, he would overwhelm up close and in full contact. Before she could examine the thought further, he made a slow approach like a predator stalking his prey.

  She had to remind herself to breathe. The man was devastating. The top of her head barely made it to his shoulders, and he was nearly twice as wide as her, his broad shoulders straining the white fabric of his T-shirt. His denim jeans were dark but faded in the area snug around his strong, thick thighs.

  Where Graham had the soft features of an angel, this man was all solid, firm angles, his jaw a determined square, cheekbones high, and nose perfectly straight and proportioned, like Olen’s. His lean cheeks gave him a harsh aspect. His hair was shiny and black, but cut military-short in the back and slightly longer in the front. He wasn’t GQ pretty, but raw and wickedly handsome, so ruggedly sexy the sight of him made her inner muscles clench. The sensual being that had slumbered for too long inside of her unfurled and sat up at attention.

  Those seductive, kiss-you-senseless lips moved up into a humorless curve. Then his eyes registered through her daze. They were colder than the ro
om, the deep bloodred of them reminding her just what he was and what he liked to do to humans. No matter how handsome his appearance, animosity hardened his face. It didn’t take a genius to figure out how he felt about the VLO’s investigation.

  “Mr. Rollins?” Her voice came out more like a whisper. She knew she must look like a deer in the headlights, and she would swear she’d tried to make her words into a statement, not a question. So much for appearing nonchalant. Despite the chill in the room, heat shot straight down to her core.

  “Valerie.” His voice fed dark chocolate to her senses, rich and decadent. The vampire was a hot, enticing male, and she was a healthy female in the midst of a sexual dry spell, so her attraction made perfect sense. It made her want to heave. Her body might respond to him, but her mind reeled at the idea.

  He was evil and cruel and as guilty of Will’s derangement as whatever vampire had done it.

  Somehow she worked her demeanor down to the temperature of the room, her tone dropping to subzero. “You kept us waiting.” Her temper flared when his smile widened.

  “I apologize.” He looked as if he wanted to bite into those words and kill them where they sat on his tongue. “I was on my cell when you arrived.”

  His gaze dropped slowly down the length of her body. It felt like a touch, and her skin heated along the path he took. Oh, man. He could melt an iceberg. Then she met his gaze again. No, he could make an iceberg with those. She’d encountered angry and prejudiced vampires before, but this man seemed absolutely hateful.

  This arrangement was never going to work.

  Chapter Four

  When the liaison whirled to face Kade, a jolt powered through the center of him. She wasn’t what he’d expected. Someone mousy maybe or someone butch, some kind of tree-hugging, nature-loving, hairy-legged creature. Instead, she looked pale and fragile, like he could blow on her and knock her down.

  She was a tiny little thing, slender with generous, well-placed curves that teased through the thin fabric of her suit. Her cleavage didn’t show, but her blouse gently cupped the sides of her breasts. He doubted she had any idea how provocative that was. Kade wanted to bare his teeth at the pounding of blood to his southern region. And damn, it had been a long while since that area had raised its lazy head. Most days his heart rarely beat at all, a side effect of age.

  His knee-jerk reaction to her was about as welcome as a beheading.

  She cleared her throat, drawing his focus to the graceful column of it and the swift pulse fluttering under her delicate skin. For once, the thought of his mouth settling over that tempting spot didn’t inspire disgust, only an aching hunger. “Now that you’ve deigned to grace us with your presence, Mr. Rollins, we should get to our business here.”

  Although her insolence made no impression on him, his name formed by those plump, bow-shaped lips raked down his spine in a pleasurable shiver as surely as if it had been her fingernails. Since when did a name warrant a raging hard-on? The fact that he could smell her anxiety and arousal incited his erection further until it damn near sprang from his jeans. His eyes should have been glued to her body, but instead they returned to meet her dazed but direct stare. Those irises of hers were electric and so brilliantly green they seemed unnatural. The heavens had to have colored them.

  He nodded, not bothering to hide his amusement from her. “I’m quite ready for you, Valerie.”

  She trembled when he spoke her name, and he felt an urge to hold that tremble against his lips. A moment later, she snapped to, like a soldier coming to attention. Her body went rigid, her chin lifted, and she stared him down gunslinger-style. God. Damn. If he throbbed any harder, his male equipment could have been the useless muscle driving the blood in his veins.

  He couldn’t keep the grin off his face. Who was this creamy-skinned little vixen challenging him in his own home? She’d contained most of her fear, only a trace remaining under the scent of lilacs and caramel latte.

  A throat cleared loudly behind him, but he ignored the intrusion of the woman’s associate. Her attention went to the man, however. A hot flash of irritation darkened into a scowl, effectively wiping Kade’s grin away. The pretty-faced man took up space at Valerie’s side, too close for a casual acquaintance, subtly staking a claim. Kade wasn’t sure she noticed the man’s posturing, but he noticed.

  “Mr. Rollins, this is my partner, Graham Fischer.” Her emerald-sea eyes on Kade and her slightly breathy introduction calmed his unrest, though he couldn’t say why. The breathiness amplified as she continued. “Apparently, you already know my name.”

  “I’ve been informed.”

  “So you know why we’re here and what we need from you.”

  “Why don’t you tell me what you need from me?”

  Her eyes darkened, and she shivered again. So slight, he doubted a human would catch it. Her hands came up halfway as if she might rub her arms, before she forced them down to her sides. His stomach tightened. As hard as she tried to hide it, she was attracted to him.

  Dammit all to hell, he wanted to fuck her. He wanted her under him with her long legs over his arms or her on top riding him like a rodeo star. He wanted to pound her against the glass window with his cock. The dilation of her pupils told him she saw similar images behind those eyes, images of his body naked, their limbs entwined and their sweat mingling. And she hated it. That almost made him smile again. This disastrous collaboration might end up being more fun than he’d anticipated.

  “Mr. Rollins—”

  “Kade.”

  She paused and her lips parted, her tongue darting out to moisten them. He couldn’t resist looking at them, his mouth watering for a taste. Her lips were full and rosy. She’d taste like the raspberries he scented in her lip gloss.

  “Kade,” she said.

  That husky rasp of his name made his balls ache. Kade’s jaw clenched tight, a molten anger clawing his chest. The physical desire she incited could go to hell.

  She blew out a breath. “We have to find the deranged vampires and the adjuvants responsible for them. The Immortalis won’t speak to us. I need you to make sure they do.”

  His brows rose at her look of steely resolve. “You sound damned determined to get these rogues.”

  “They’re not rogues,” she insisted. “And of course I’m determined.” Her head tilted like a curious cat, and he almost hesitated to crush her stubborn illusions of justice.

  “And if the victims were vampires? How would you feel then?” he asked.

  “Vampires?” She laughed until she saw he wasn’t joking. “They aren’t victims, Mr. Roll—Kade. They’re performing derangements that lead to the murders of humans by the newly transformed. There’s no question that vampires are behind this.”

  “If you think we’re invulnerable and godlike, you can kneel down to me right now. I could really get off on that.” And that was no lie. If she went on her knees right then, he’d embarrass himself in his pants.

  “Not gods. Predators who thrive on draining humans dry, leaving them to rot. Fiends who don’t care about children or husbands or wives left behind to bury their loved ones.”

  “Bullshit. You only see what you want to believe. The truth is some cocksuckers murdered some other poor cocksuckers and framed vampires. A human would never question the setup, which to me is a perfect crime.”

  “That’s ridiculous. No one would go to that trouble, and we’ve already authenticated the bloodings.”

  “Well, fuck. You know everything, don’t you?” He felt his eyes flare a moment before she gasped. Her useless sidekick stepped halfway in front of her. As if the human could stop him. A railroad spike of fury flashed through him, but he fought for calm before he violated Olen’s orders.

  Val pushed what’s-his-face out of her way and took a step closer to Kade. Brave woman or very, very stupid. He’d lay money on the former. And his hard-on just got harder when he’d been pretty sure it had maxed out.

  She advanced until she stood inches from him and poked hi
m in the chest as if she were a prudish schoolteacher with a wayward pupil. “You are the most detestable, mannerless, foulmouthed vampire I’ve ever met.”

  “My apologies,” he bit out. “Care to call Olen and tell him you don’t need my help?”

  “Right. Because I can see you’ll be loads of help.” She rolled her eyes, her hands moving to her hips. Kade couldn’t stop his surprised laugh. She was supposed to be afraid. Humans were always afraid of him. But she wasn’t running away and she wasn’t brandishing her anger at him. Instead, she offered sarcasm. He laughed even harder when she stared up at him in amazement.

  “What’s the joke?”

  He studied her a moment. She had a gentle curve to her cheeks, ripe for cupping with a palm. This was a strange feeling. Humans had never fascinated him before, but they’d never reacted to him the way she did, either. He could spend all day just looking at her and kissing her. And fucking her. His erection wouldn’t let him forget.

  “Kade?” Her voice wavered with uncertainty this time.

  “I don’t think you find me detestable.” He kept his voice too soft for her human doormat to overhear. Her cheeks flushed a dainty pink as her gaze met his. “And I’m really quite helpful. I might surprise you. But if you’d rather call Olen—”

  “I’d never ‘rather call Olen’ about anything.”

  “I don’t even call Olen, and he’s my own flesh and blood.”

  She froze. “Your flesh and blood?”

  “He’s my father. Didn’t he tell you?”

  “You’re a—you’re a Dominus?” she whispered. The flush left her face in a hurry.

  “Some call me that. Others call me the Prince of Darkness.” He laughed. “Why does it matter? You wanted an adjuvant. You got an adjuvant.”

  “And I called you a Legion desk jockey…” she murmured.

  “You called me a what?”

  Her fingertips darted to her lips. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. I didn’t know who you were. Neither of the Ancients said a word. And I didn’t ask for an adjuvant. In fact, I specifically objected to working with an adjuvant.”