Trust Me When the Sun Goes Down (Forged Bloodlines Book 8) Read online

  “Hey,” I said once I had his full attention. “Did you eat?”

  “Naw, I wanted to wait and share that with you. Ready?”

  “Um, sure.” We still hadn’t fed together, and I wasn’t sure it was a habit I wanted to get into. Bishop hadn’t wanted to share meals, because he’d wanted our intimacies to be private. Then again, he hadn’t wanted me to feed from men at all and we’d made that agreement between us. Whereas Jakob hadn’t minded in the least, the one and only time we’d fed together had nearly turned into a threesome in an alley and I wasn’t sure I wanted to repeat such an experience with Rob.

  “What sounds good? Take your pick,” he said with a gesture to the crowd. What did I want? I knew what I didn’t want, which was to worry about a dead body in the club. That meant no stick-thin girls or lanky guys, so I focused on finding the biggest guy in there, a burly brute with bulging biceps and thighs like tree trunks.

  “What about the big guy with the buzz cut? Think we can handle him?”

  “Easy peasey, luv. You want to go fetch him, or shall I?”

  I thought about it for a second. “Why don’t you practice your compulsion? I’ll follow along just in case.”

  It was easily done, and before I knew it, the three of us stood in one of the feeding rooms in the back, the cube shaped room feeling claustrophobic with so much muscle in it. There was no decoration in there, the lights subdued, the beat of the music muffled, nothing but a red vinyl couch and the drain in the center of the floor that reminded me of the last time I’d been in one of the rooms with Rob and Serena. It wasn’t one of my favorite memories.

  The guy waited patiently, watching us both thanks to the compulsion, and I gave Rob a shrug. “How do you want to do this? Do you want to eat first? Do you want to try it together?”

  “I’ve got another idea,” Rob said, pushing lightly on the guy’s chest so that he plopped down on the center of the vinyl couch. “How’s about you go ahead and get started with him.”

  Surprised by the suggestion, I moved closer to the man, whose neck I could now easily reach thanks to his seated position. “What about you? You’re the one who needs to feed more than I do.”

  “Never you mind about me,” he replied with the hint of a smile.

  “Alrighty then,” I breathed, stepping between the guy’s legs, a ribbon of trepidation curling my stomach. I wasn’t sure what Rob had in mind, but it was clear he had some kind of plan. Maybe he wanted to watch first and then jump in? Or maybe he was being overly protective of me and wanted to make sure I got enough? Either way, I offered the guy a smile.

  “Hi, what’s your name?”

  “Clayton Waldrup,” he replied equably, his voice deep, with a hint of a Boston accent.

  For some reason it always made me feel better to know who I was about to snack on. “Nice to meet you, Clay. Now, I don’t want you to be nervous at all. This isn’t going to hurt one bit,” I promised, darting a look over my shoulder to Rob. “You sure you want me to…”

  “Go ahead, Anja. I ain’t worried about what’s to come.”

  “Okay,” I breathed, hoping he didn’t come to regret those words. Making sure I had Clay on the hook, I took hold of his massive shoulders and leaned in close, my fangs descending once I felt the throb at his neck. My sharp teeth easily pierced his skin, and I allowed myself that one glorious pull against his flesh where I focused on nothing but the life that pulsed between us before I began the count. Clay was positively bursting with vigor, and I drew harder on the wound, encouraged by his groan of pleasure. His thick arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer as I drank.

  In the back of my mind I knew it might bother Rob, but that didn’t stop me from pressing up against the guy, my body’s instincts kicking in despite the detached count I tried to keep straight in my head. I’d intended to stop before I had my fill, knowing Rob would need more than I would. When I felt Rob step up behind me, I released my hold on Clay, but he kept me in place.

  “Shh, don’t stop on my account,” he rumbled near my ear, the sound reverberating through his chest and down my back.

  “But you need to feed too,” I protested, even as Clayton gave a desperate moan of loss.

  Instead, he brushed the hair away from my neck to place a soft kiss behind my ear. “And I shall,” Rob whispered, his hands wrapping around to smooth down the tops of my thighs. “Drink.”

  His voice was almost like a compulsion of its own, and I happily returned to my feast, more than a little distracted by Rob’s touch as I drank. I’d barely begun the count again when I felt the sting of his teeth at my neck, his mouth pulling at my pulse even as I pulled from Clay’s. All the while his clever hands kept up their tender assault, driving me mad with their teasing promise of pleasure.

  Leaving off from touching Clayton except where my mouth was fastened to his neck, I reached back to touch Rob in kind, stroking his rigid length through the rough denim. The cool air kissed my bare flesh as he lifted my skirt higher, a sharp snap of elastic making me squeal as he tore my panties away. It was too much, we were going too far. I wasn’t sure whose hands were on me anymore. I was drunk on the sensation of Rob’s mouth setting my veins on fire, the quickening beat of Clay’s lifeblood into me sending a corresponding throb deep below, the count forgotten.

  Rob’s hands slipped between us to work at the stiff closure of his jeans, and I felt the tip of him nudging me seconds later, thick and hard. In the next moment he buried himself deep, his mouth never faltering. His groan of pleasure reverberated through me, and my body clenched around him in welcome.

  Clay’s hands stroked and pinched, his blunt fingers seeking to please me where Rob couldn’t reach and I didn’t care anymore. Nothing was forbidden. I split my attention between them, seeking to give as much pleasure as I was getting. The men’s hands met over my bare flesh, but there was no discomfort or awkwardness before they slid on, we were all one.

  We pulsed together, Rob’s thrusts sending me into Clay to slide against him intimately. Harder, faster, almost with desperation, Rob drove into me, stoking me higher and higher until I burst through to the other side, my cries of satisfaction filling the small room. Clay groaned beneath me, jerking once, twice, before going slack.

  Rob’s hands gripped my hips with punishing strength, his powerful muscles shaking as he bucked against me in a frenzy. He held me tighter, closer, so that I couldn’t draw a breath. We were so tightly pinned together, I knew his release was coming almost before he did. I felt it along the length of my body when he came, his mouth leaving my neck to call my name before he collapsed against my back.

  We were all still then, intimately pressed together, the deep, even breathing coming from Clayton telling me he was passed out for the moment, but alive and out of danger. I closed my eyes as the sensations started to ebb, not needing to catch my breath in the literal sense, but figuratively, I sure as heck needed a breather. Rob’s withdrawal came a few seconds later, and I heard him putting himself to rights as I stood and adjusted my skirt on wobbly legs.

  Without the cloud of passion between us, I felt awkward, and a little ashamed. How had I let things get so carried away? Clay was still fully clothed, but the dark stain on his pants told me he’d had almost as much fun as we had, largely do to my efforts. What would Rob think of that? I looked up to find him picking up my torn panties and stuffing them in his pocket, as though nothing untoward had happened.

  “Hullo,” he said, catching my eye with a smirk, his cheeks ruddy with color.

  “Hi,” I replied, not quite sure what else to say, but he looked comfortable enough. Thanks to Clay’s blood I felt energized instead of zapped from Rob drinking from me. “So that was, um…”

  “It was that,” Rob chuckled when I couldn’t come up with a descriptor, leaning over to give me a brief kiss. “You’d better fix him up before he bleeds out,” he pointed out, and I hurried to seal the wounds on his neck with my own blood. I spent a few moments listening to Clay’s heart, m
aking sure he wasn’t in rougher shape than I’d thought, but he appeared to be in a heavy sleep, and nothing worse.

  “Did you have this in mind the whole time or did one thing sort of lead to another?” I wondered aloud and Rob gave a half shrug.

  “There are all manner of things I’ve seen done by vamps over the years. Thought this might be a good fit once I saw who you picked out.” It made sense, he’d been in service to Jakob off and on for over sixty years, Rob was no stranger to blood play, and I wondered if he usually played the part of the guy on the couch.

  “Things you’ve been a part of?”

  “Some, and some I’ve been interested to try on my own.”

  “Is that the first time you’ve done that before?”

  “Piggybacking? Yes, like that. But it definitely lived up to the expectation, yeah?”

  “Then, it doesn’t bother you that he was there with us while we were… doing it?”

  A pucker appeared on his forehead. “Why, does it bother you?”

  “I feel a little weird about it,” I admitted, and the pucker deepened into a furrow as he pulled me close for a hug.

  “Sorry, it’s not something we have to do again. Seemed like you were keen on the idea at the time.”

  “In the moment, sure, I’m betting there’s not much I wouldn’t be down with. That doesn’t always mean it’s a good idea. I think maybe next time we should set some ground rules so there are fewer surprises.”

  “Fair enough,” he agreed easily, kissing my cheek.

  Something still bugged me though, and while we were getting everything out in the open, I couldn’t help but ask, “And it honestly didn’t make you jealous at all that I was, you know, touching him and stuff? And that he was touching me?”

  “It ain’t my favorite thing to think on, you pointing it out like that,” he frowned. “But like you said, in the moment, it don’t matter all that much as long as it’s me inside you. It’s the call of the blood making you touch him like that, ain’t it? Or do you fancy that bloke?”

  “No, it was definitely all about the blood,” I said quickly. “You’re the one I happen to fancy, in case you couldn’t tell. I guess I was expecting more jealousy. You didn’t seem too happy about having to watch me feed before.”

  “That was when I couldn’t be a part of it. Like I said, it don’t matter all that much as long as it’s me inside you.”

  “You’re a better man than I am,” I chuckled. “I think I’d still be jealous if I had to watch you feeding from a girl like that. Touching her, or…” The thought of him having sex with another woman while he drank from her made me nauseous.

  “What if we was to feed on a woman together? Would it bother you if I touched her then?”

  “I… don’t know. I guess we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it.” It didn’t sound appealing, but as I was finding out, the call of the blood changed everything.

  “Right then, I’ll try to stick to men if it means so much to you. It makes no nevermind to me who I feed from. Truth be told, I prefer a bit of a hunt. Fear spices the blood.”

  “Like that pimp you first fed on when I came with you?”

  “Yeah, like our friend Jimmy the pimp,” Rob smiled. “Ready to go rejoin Lee and Maggie then?” he asked, hand going to the doorknob.

  “Wait, what about Clay? We can’t leave him here.” I stood in front of the man, giving him a shake and then a pinch when he didn’t wake at first. “Go on home, Clayton, forget you ever saw us, or that you’ve been back here in this room. You had too much to drink and all you want to do is go home and sleep it off.” The compulsion worked like a charm, and he stumbled out ahead of us into the club. Rob and I waited a few seconds before we emerged, but no one paid us any mind.

  Rob was much more relaxed now than he’d been before we’d fed. He even took a few turns out on the dance floor with me, but only for the slow ones where he could hold me close. That night I expected him to fall asleep early as usual, but he stayed up with me until I was ready to go down to bed myself. He surprised me with his energy level and stamina, turning on the familiar strains of Nina Simone once we reached the bedroom for a private dance that turned into something far more intimate.

  It was well past dawn when we finally fell asleep together, entwined in each other’s arms. Every fiber of my being felt infused with such a deep sense of peace, I couldn’t help but think we were finally over the worst of our troubles.

  I was such an idiot. As any Firefly fan knows, life is full of sudden but inevitable betrayal.

  Chapter Six

  I rose early the next sundown, lingering only to give Rob a kiss on the cheek before I stepped into the shower. The events of the night before still brought a blush to my cheeks as I thought about them. Sweet, innocent Anja… a hair’s breadth away from a threesome. Or did that count as one if the guy kept all his clothes on? I almost wanted to call Bridget and ask her opinion, but I knew I’d never hear the end of it.

  Still, I resolved to call her later, there was so much I wanted to catch up with her on! By now Felix must’ve filled her in on the big parts, but I did want to talk to her about Rob and make sure there were no hard feelings about my dating her ex. Sure, she’d urged me in his direction before, but a meaningless bout of sheet sweat (as she’d recommended) and love were two very different things.

  The sound of an alarm caught my attention, and I turned off the water, ears straining to hear what direction it came from. But by the time I had the towel in my hands it had shut off. Figuring it was probably from some other part of the house, I finished drying off and stepped out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped around my hair only to find Rob sitting on the side of the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

  I glanced at the clock, wondering if I’d slipped into a time distortion and accidentally showered for two hours, but the clock showed only twenty minutes had elapsed since I’d risen. Suddenly it clicked, what that sound must have been. “Did you set an alarm?”

  “Yeah,” he said with a jaw cracking yawn, his eyes red rimmed and tired. “Wanted to get up bright and early.”

  I knew it had to do with his macho idea of keeping me safe, and I sat beside him to massage his shoulders. “You don’t have to, you know. You must be exhausted. Why don’t you go back to bed? You won’t do anybody any good if you’re a zombie.”

  “Nah, I’m fine. I’ll have a shower, a quick bite and a cuppa, and Bob’s your uncle.”

  “Okay then, but I don’t have anything interesting on the schedule. I promise I’m not sneaking out to ditch you.” I headed for the closet to get dressed.

  “You’d better not if you know what’s good for you,” he grinned, giving my behind a playful smack on his way to the bathroom. Somebody sure was in a cheeky mood that evening.

  Later on I was deep in the middle of a conversation with the magistrate up in Seattle, when I heard a commotion coming from the front of the house. Focusing my hearing, it took everything I had inside me to suppress a squeal when I heard a certain baritone standing in my foyer. “I’m going to have to call you back.” Without waiting for a response, I hung up and dashed out to the hallway as fast as my feet would carry me, nearly crashing into the man in question.

  “Gunnar!” I cried out, wrapping my arms around his shoulders in a happy embrace. The bodyguard’s eyes widened slightly at the enthusiasm in my greeting, but then a moment later he caught me up in a bear hug that left my feet dangling.

  “It is good to be home, boss,” he said, his face split with a dopey grin.

  “It took you long enough,” I pouted, giving his arm a playful punch as he set me down. It must’ve been harder than I’d intended, because he rubbed it absently.

  “I am sorry, I make the arrangements the first night, but then there is a change of plan and the jet is not available. This was the first commercial flight I can book in the night hours.”

  Oh right, Jakob had commandeered my jet. “I’m just glad to have you back home where yo
u belong. Are you thirsty? Can I get you anything?”

  I got the impression he wouldn’t have minded something to drink but didn’t feel right in asking me to fetch it for him. Instead we all moved out of the foyer into the parlor, eager to hear about what he’d been up to the whole time he’d been gone on Lodinn’s orders.

  “It is mostly waiting,” he said with a grimace. “I was sent to New York not long after he command me to join him to wait on a business deal.”

  “A business deal? What kind of a business deal?” I asked, wondering why he’d felt the need to use Gunnar for something like that. The man wasn’t what I’d call a skilled negotiator.

  “I wish I know,” Gunnar shrugged. “I had a briefcase full of money to meet with the man, but he never show.”

  Interesting. Had the deal fallen through because of Lodinn’s death, or was it something else? And what would he be buying with a case full of cash in New York? “Where’s that briefcase now?”

  Gunnar’s face colored. “In a safe place.” He didn’t say more and the rest of us understood he’d tucked it away for himself. Guilt stained his cheeks even darker. “Did I do wrong, boss?”

  “No, it’s fine. I think you earned it,” I replied with a soothing pat. Apart from Hanna, he’d been the one most physically inconvenienced by Lodinn’s mercurial decisions. Why not get some kind of reward out of it? The others didn’t seem to think anything was wrong with keeping the cash either.

  Lee launched into the story of a drug deal gone bad back in the eighties. Both sides had erupted into gunfire, neatly killing each other off. Lee had thrown himself over the guy he’d been protecting, ending up shot himself, but not too badly. When the dust had settled, he’d picked himself up and walked off a few hundred thousand dollars richer, tossing the drugs into the nearest dumpster.

  We sat around speculating about what would happen to Lodinn’s money now that he was dead and gone. Maggie seemed to think that I had some kind of claim to it, but I didn’t want any part of it. Rob was fairly sure Jakob would step in to take over his assets, but we weren’t sure it’d occurred to him since he’d left town so quickly to find Carys. Gunnar revealed that he’d never seen any sign of the golden haired girl, or anyone else who might be attached to a permanent household Lodinn had set up.