Amaury's Hellion (37 page)

Amaury felt Luther slacken under his grip, clearly realizing he’d lost. Amaury’s hand twitched, eager to finish what he’d started.

“Don’t,” Nina warned him, “or you’re not any better than he is.”

“Why should I spare him?” he asked, avoiding her gaze and instead training his eye on Luther’s throat, where the silver dagger burned his flesh. He would only have to press a little deeper to end his life, to make him pay for the pain he’d caused.

Recalling the sight of Nina on the podium and the panic that had gripped him when he’d realized her handcuffs were made of silver, made his heart beat in a violent rage. He could have lost her forever.

“You’re not his judge.” Nina’s calm voice drifted into his ears.

“No, but I
am
his executioner.”

“Then I will be his defense counsel.”

Amaury stared at her, his jaw dropping. “What do you mean? He’s guilty. We all know that.”

“Let’s get it over with,” Luther suddenly interjected.

“No,” Nina said, taking a step forward. “There are mitigating circumstances.”

Even Luther’s face twisted into a confused frown.

“Mitigating circumstances?” Amaury repeated. He noticed Delilah reaching for Nina’s arm. The two women exchanged a look.

“He needs to know,” Nina said quietly.

A sense of dread came over Amaury when Nina locked eyes with him. “If you and Samson had told him back then, this would have never happened.”

“Stay out of it,” Amaury warned. This was between the men. He and his colleagues would deal with Luther the only way possible. Kidnapping and attempting to murder a vampire’s mate called for the only possible punishment: death.

“Quinn, get the women out of here,” he ordered. When Quinn looked at Samson for confirmation, his boss nodded.

“No, I’m not leaving!” Nina underscored her protest by bracing her hands on her hips and widening her stance. His little fighter was ready to do battle with him. But Amaury wouldn’t allow it, not this time.

“I said—”

Nina interrupted him, her voice furious now. “I heard what you said. And as Rhett so enlightened Scarlet: frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. I’ll say what I’ve got to say, and nobody will stop me.” Nina leveled a defiant glare at him.

Damn, his woman had balls. And she used them to defy him. If he weren’t so busy with keeping his knife at Luther’s throat, he’d grab her right now and bend her over his knee for a well-deserved ass-paddling.

Nobody other than Samson had ever truly stood up to him. And he was a six-foot-something tough vampire, not the delicate human woman whose fists where trembling at her waist. No, he hadn’t missed that. Nina was nervous, but at the same time she was willing to go through with this. He had to admire her, even if he didn’t agree with her this time.

Amaury caught how Samson opened his mouth to speak, but was held back by Delilah. A soft shake of her head and a touch of her hand on his arm stopped him.

“Luther,” Nina addressed the vampire at the end of Amaury’s knife, “I despise you for what you tried to do to me and Delilah, but I can understand the pain in you. But you should know neither Amaury nor Samson is the source of that pain. It was Vivian who didn’t want to be turned even though she was given the choice.”

An instant roar tore from Luther’s chest as he tried to grab for Nina. “
You’re lying
!” He struggled against Amaury. “You’ll pay for that lie!”

Luther’s kick landed in Amaury’s groin before he could avert it. The pain shot through Amaury’s entire body and made his hand release the silver dagger, before he doubled over. Luther escaped from his grip and lunged for Nina. A startled scream burst from her lips.

Despite the pain and nausea his body was fighting, Amaury jumped after Luther. With horror he saw his enemy clutch Nina by the shoulder.

“No!” A scream ripped through the night, and Amaury realized it was his own. He had to save Nina.

His friends were faster. Within seconds, Zane and Samson had pried Luther off her and had him restrained.

Like a wild man Luther stared into the round, looking from one to the other then back at Nina.

“You’re lying! Admit it—
you’re lying
!” he demanded.

Nina shook her honey curls, her face sad. “I wish it was a lie.”

Amaury noticed a solitary tear dislodge from Nina’s eye and run down her cheek. Luther had seen it too.

 “No!” A violent scream came from Luther’s chest and echoed in the night. “No! No!”

A moment later, Amaury saw him break. Luther’s entire body collapsed as he sank onto his knees. “Oh God, no.”

Samson turned to his men. “Quinn, you and Yvette, take Delilah and Nina back home. We have to take care of things here.”

Quinn nodded.

Amaury noticed Nina send a questioning look first into Eddie’s, then Luther’s, direction. He took a step toward her. With his voice lowered, he addressed her. “Eddie is safe with us. I promise.”

“And Luther?” she asked.

“We won’t kill him. But he will be punished.”

For a long moment she looked at him then nodded. He motioned to Quinn and Yvette, and the two led the women away. Amaury followed Nina with his eyes. Would he have a future with her?

When he turned back, he saw Samson crouching next to Luther, a hand on his shoulder.

“We couldn’t tell you; I’m sorry.” Samson’s words were spoken softly.

“I loved her.” Luther’s voice was laden with unshed tears.

Amaury understood his pain only too well. He turned away. Samson would have to deal with Luther. He didn’t have any strength left. It would cost him enough to make it through the next few hours and make things right with Nina.

“What’ll happen now?” Ricky asked next to him.

Amaury looked up. “Luther will have to go before the council. He’ll have to stand trial for having created new vampires. And for the murders of those humans the bodyguards killed.”

“Do you think we can keep Eddie and Kent out of the proceedings?” Ricky asked.

“They’ll have to testify, but they’ll be held blameless. They were under Luther’s influence when they committed those murders which means the crimes became Luther’s.”

“What’ll happen to him?”

“I don’t know, but I know the council is fair. They’ll look at motivation.”

Amaury looked back at Samson, who’d helped Luther up.

“Are you ready?” Samson asked.

Luther looked first at Amaury then back at Samson. There was something Amaury couldn’t put his finger on, but he could see Luther’s mind clicking.

“I want to say goodbye to Vivian.”

With a nod from Samson, Zane released Luther’s arm and allowed him to turn toward the mausoleum. Amaury caught hate glinting in Luther’s eyes and realized instantly that this would be no loving goodbye to his dead wife.

Not knowing why, but acting entirely out of instinct, Amaury jumped toward Luther. But he was too late. By the time he reached him and slammed him to the ground, Luther’s hand had already pulled out a small electronic device from his pocket.

“THE TRIGGER!” Samson screamed from behind him.

Amaury wrestled with Luther, trying to pry the device out of his opponent’s hand. Luther was quicker. His thumb pressed down on the button.

A split second later, the mausoleum was shaken by an implosion. The walls caved in and crumbled before they sank into each other. A cloud of dust rose from the rubble.

Vivian’s resting place was no more.

Forty

Amaury's legs felt heavy as he stepped into his private elevator and pressed the button to his apartment. He’d spent the entire night searching for Nina. She hadn’t waited at Samson's house for him. She’d simply left without a word.

If he was honest with himself, he wasn't even surprised. He'd been an ass, and convincing his mate to forgive him and come back to him wouldn't be easy. But first, he'd have to track her down. After finding her studio in Chinatown empty, he'd scoured every alley and every club for her. Nothing. She'd vanished. The only reason he was returning home now, was the rising sun. Once the sun set again, he’d continue his search for Nina.

The moment he walked into his place, Amaury realized he wasn’t alone. At the sight of Nina standing in the door to his bedroom, dressed in his white bathrobe, he froze.

The elevator door clicked shut behind him.

Hallucinations wouldn’t set in until his body was in starving mode, but it was too early for that. Twenty-four hours without blood wouldn’t do that to him. He’d gone longer without it before.

“Amaury, you’re home.”

Even the voice of the mirage sounded like her. And the scent drifting into his nostrils was all Nina. She was real, and she stood in his apartment, looking like she’d just taken a shower. She didn’t look like a woman on the run. And if she was trying to avoid him, this had to be the worst hiding place he could possible think of.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“You’re here.” His parched throat hurt as he spoke, but his heart leapt with joy.

“And you’re stating the obvious.” Nina took a few steps toward him as he watched with caution. She didn’t look like she was angry at him. Could it be that she already knew what he wanted to tell her? And how had she gotten into his apartment in the first place?

“I broke in. Fire escape,” she answered his unspoken question and tilted her head to the window.

He raised an eyebrow. “I would have given you a key.”

Nina shrugged her shoulders. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“Or you could have just waited at Samson’s for me instead of making me chase all over town for you.”

“Even
less
fun in that,” she countered.

“You knew I was looking for you?”

She gave a nonchalant shrug. “You wouldn't be the Amaury I know if you weren't.”

Nina wanted to spar with him? He took a few steps toward her. “And I wouldn't be the Amaury you know if I didn't paddle your sweet ass for that.”

She stemmed her fists at her hips, but mischief glinted in her eyes. “You'd have to catch me first.” In a flash she took off toward the window. He cut her off before she even got halfway. Thank God for vampire speed.

With one swift move, Amaury hauled her body against his and locked his arms around her. She gave him a coquettish look. Damn, did it feel good to have her soft form pressed into his.

“So now that you've caught me, were you going to come out with that apology anytime soon, or were you planning on kissing me into submission?”

Damn again! Nina knew him better after knowing him for a week than his friends did after two hundred years. And within seconds, she’d turned him from a man who'd been prepared to grovel into a predator ready to claim his prize without considering the consequences—again.

Amaury let out a deep breath. “You tell me,
chérie
, given that you're holding all the strings.”

Nina gave him a long look until her expression changed to serious. “Why didn't you save yourself when I asked you to?”

He gave a slow shake of his head. “Save myself for what, to live a life without you?”

“Next time you'll—”

He framed her face with his hand and put a finger on her lips. “Next time, I would do exactly the same. And you can fight me all you want on that.”

“Stubborn vampires are a pain,” she claimed.

“That's right,
chérie
, but you know what's even worse?” He paused briefly. “A vampire in love. Because when he gets something into his head, there's no stopping him.”

“In love?”

“Yes,
chérie
,” he whispered, “I love you.”

Amaury took in the hitched breath she released and brushed his lips against hers. “Now, are you ready for that apology I owe you?”

“Kiss first, talk later.”

“If I start kissing you, I’ll never get to talking. And besides, shouldn't you still be mad at me?” He gave her a curious look. Would he ever figure out what was truly going on inside her pretty little head?

“It's kind of hard to be mad at the man who just saved your life without any regard for his own. And it’s even harder to stay pissed off with you, knowing the kind of power you gave me over you.”

She could only have found out from one person. “Delilah told you that?”

“Yes, she and I had time to talk. So tell me, why would he do such a stupid thing?”

“What stupid thing?”

“Bonding me without my permission, without knowing whether I would stay with you.”

Amaury swallowed away the lump in his throat. Yes, he’d given her power over him, made himself vulnerable, yet he didn’t feel weak. “That night, I realized I needed you. For the first time since I became a vampire, I felt something. I wasn't prepared to give up this feeling of finally being complete. And tonight, when you stood up on that platform a minute away from dying, I knew a life without you wouldn't be worth living. Nina, I love you.” He closed his eyes for a second, knowing he had to offer her a way out. “But if you don't feel the same for me, I will let you go.”

***

Amaury loved her. Her crazy, stubborn, big vampire loved her. Yet was prepared to give her her freedom. Loved her? But, he couldn’t, could he?

“But you said you weren’t capable of love.”

He smiled. “That’s just it, I wasn’t. And then you came along. I was told by a witch that there was one way to reverse the curse. At first I didn’t believe her, but then she proved me wrong.
You
proved all of us wrong.”

“What did she say?”

“She told me that the object of my affections had to be a forgiving heart. That could only be you—you forgave not only me for what I’d done in my past, but also Luther.”

Nina smiled. “Without forgiveness life stops in its tracks. It was time for you to move on.”

Amaury gave her a soft kiss on her lips. “I know that now. You’ve helped me see that. But it wasn’t the only thing that the witch said. My control over you had to be ineffective. Remember? Mind control didn’t work on you.”

“You mean when you tried to get me to untie you?”

“That’s right – and let’s not try this again, at least not with silver. Other materials, I’m open to ...” The hungry look he raked over her made her shiver with pleasure. “And I still don’t know how you were able to do that.”