B0089ZO7UC EBOK (16 page)

It had been a long time since I was the woman I was trying to be.
 
Shame wasn’t what I felt for the path I’d chosen at the time, but I was no longer blind to the dangers and games of men.
 
More importantly, I knew how risky it was to play with their hearts.
 

I’d already made my first mistake in pulling away from Dante in front of the gathering.
 
To make up for it, I would have to step up my own game.
 
I pulled my dress up a few inches and climbed into his lap facing him with my most seductive grin and the confidence to go along with it.
 
I ran my hand over his short silver-white hair and rested it on his cheek before leaning in and pressing my lips against his own.
 
It would have been easy to enjoy if I hadn’t known the man and his potential for evil.
 
I thought when I escaped him the first time that I wouldn’t be a slave any longer to my maker.
 
I was wrong.
 
Now, I wanted his death to set me free.

Dante’s hands easily navigated my body.
 
He did know it well.
 
“You’re in so much trouble.”
 
His fangs were extended so his voice came out with a slight hiss.
 
With a swift jerk on the front of my dress, he exposed the milky white flesh of my breasts.
 
I didn’t have the emotions left to feel modest in front of the gawkers.
 
There was too much fear.
 
 
“I know you’re a bad girl, but that’s one of the reasons you are such a prize.”
 
Once again the room was silent aside from the music.
 
His thumb brushed over my lips.
 
“A good girl wouldn’t know how to do all those delicious things with her mouth.”

“I’m here to be yours and give you everything I’ve denied you for too long.
 
I ask your forgiveness for I am a woman and we are the lesser of the species, prone to many mistakes.”
 
Seriously, it was hard not to choke on the words.
 

“One kiss won’t prove that to me, but we have plenty of time to test your devotion.” His smile was demented as he spoke.

 
Dante had more patience than anyone I had ever met.
 
I didn’t know how old he was, but Antonio assured me I was a
meer
child to the vampire.
 
My captivity to him had probably seemed like sending a bad child to their room.
 
I wasn’t able to make a response before Dante lowered his mouth to the top of my right breast.
 
I hoped, despite what my instincts already told me, that he was only going to kiss them.
 
That desperate hope was a waste of energy.
 

A vampire can gently slide their teeth into the flesh so that the bite only stings.
 
Our teeth are very sharp and excrete a light anesthetic when extended that coat the fangs.
 
As Dante’s teeth buried into the tender flesh of my bosom there was a moment of severe pain.
 
He’d sunk the fangs hard and quickly, not giving me the luxury of a gentle bite.
 
 
He drank deeply of my blood until my head started to swim and I almost passed out.

 
I caught a small glimpse of Antonio out of the corner of my eye.
 
His hands were gripping the arms of his chair so tightly that his knuckles were white.
 
One of the naked women was massaging his shoulders.

“He’s going to kill her!”
 
One of the human girls in the room called out.
 
I heard a snap and I could only assume that a guard or perhaps her vampire had broken her neck.
 
From my vantage point I couldn’t see much.
 
The sound I heard was sickening and I don’t think I will ever be able to forget it.
 

My blood was leaving my body too fast and I couldn’t fight him.
 
It would have been futile even if I had the strength to do so.
 
“M…master…” I groaned out weakly and he finally withdrew his fangs, giving the wound a small lick.
 
It sealed quickly but some blood had already spilled down my cleavage.

“
Shh
…” He whispered softly putting his lips against mine this time in a soft kiss.
 
I could taste my own blood on his mouth.
 
It took pretty much all my effort to return the kiss.
 
Afterwards, he stood with me gathered easily in his arms.
 
 
“My Queen is exhausted.
 
Perhaps tomorrow she will introduce herself formally to her subjects.”
 
I wasn’t dead yet, but that was the only relief I felt.
 
I had the feeling he would keep me alive for a while to torment me.
 
Tears fell silently down my cheeks and I buried my face against the vampire for lack of having anywhere else to hide them.

How much time had passed was impossible to tell when I awoke.
 
This room was the first I’d seen with heavy curtains and shutters blocking out any light. I tried to lift my head but I was groggy and let it fall back against the plush pillow.
 
After a while, I tried again, attempting to pull myself up in the bed.
 
That’s when I noticed I was tied by my wrists and ankles to the large four poster bed.
 
A velvet blanket covered my body, which I suddenly realized was nude underneath.
 

“Oh no....” I whispered underneath my breath.
 
My head was clearing increasingly with each dawning realization.
 

“Oh yes,” the voice said from the doorway and I turned my head toward the sound.
 
Dante was dressed for business, so much different than the way he looked last night.
 
He straightened his tie, not trying to hide the triumphant grin on his face.
 
“So very yes.”

I opened my mouth to speak.
 
My lip started trembling and I could feel the scream caught in my throat.
 
The anxiety of my predicament was sending me into a panic.
 
No, the plan had not included this, not at all.

The vampire walked over caressing my cheek with the back of his hand.
 
“I know.
 
I wanted to wait for you to be awake.”
 
His hand lowered, touching my body through the cover.
 
“A man can only suppress his desire and need for so long.
 
You’re just as satisfying as you always were.”
 
His voice was laden with lust as he spoke.
 
“I’d take you again, but I have to return to my business today.
 
Antonio running it surely means it’s falling apart by now.”

His words only confirmed the violation I’d expected took place.
 
If my resolve would have faltered before, it wouldn’t now.
 
My eyes scanned over Dante’s face.
 
The tearful glisten in my eyes was fading as my emotions started turning from sadness to unrelenting rage.
 
He leaned down and placed a wet, aggressive kiss on my mouth before pulling away and walking toward the door.

Was he really going to leave me tied to the bed until he returned?
 
It would have been to torture me because there was no way I was escaping even without the bindings.

“One of my servant girls will be in to untie you in a couple of hours.
 
If, and only, if you are quiet and behaved.”
 
He pointed his finger at me in warning.
 
“I better not find this one dead.
 
I’m still vaguely angry about the last girl that died because of you.
 
Good help is hard to find.”
 
With that, he left me alone to suffer what I’d endured.

From my limited range of vision, I couldn’t see my purse in the room.
 
I burst into tears, trying to keep my sobbing from becoming too loud.
 
By the time my tears were spent, I could barely catch my breath.
 
He was too strong.
 
Without the weapon in the purse, it was hopeless to try to kill him.
 
I struggled against the bindings as I grew more agitated.
 
They were not budging.
 
 
The urge to yell obscenities about the vampire was hard to repress.
 
Just when I thought I’d go mad and never return to sanity, the door creaked up slowly.

“Hello, mistress.”
 
The girl said softly.
 
 
She looked at me with wide, brown eyes.
 
I figured she was probably around twenty years old.
 
Her accent was heavy and I doubted she’d been in America for very long.
 
My first guess would have been that she was Filipino.
 
Her skin was dark and smooth.
 
She had a choppy bob hair cut with bronze highlights a few shades lighter than the rest of her hair. I was not surprised that Dante would take such a beautiful woman from her homeland.

Hope.
 
It always returns at the darkest moments.
 
She was carrying clothing for me to change into and on top of the attire was my purse.
 
“Hello.”
 
I said calmly in return, forcing myself to tear my gaze from the purse.

She gave a quaint curtsey and walked through a door in the room.
 
When she returned, she was free of the items.
 
“They were reluctant to give me your pretty pocket book, but I told them you needed the feminine items to look good for the master.
 
Besides, I saw the photo of the cat you had in it.
 
I figured you’d want a little something to remind you of your old life.”

I didn’t know if this woman wanted to work for Dante, but at that moment I was overwhelming grateful she did.
 
“Thank you.”
 
I said simply as she worked to undo my bindings.
 
When she was finished I sat up slowly on the side of the bed.
 
It was surprising that I was sore.
 
My body must have taken quite the beating from the vampire.

“It’s because he drank so much of your blood last night that you are healing slower than normal.”
 
The servant said matter-of-factly when she saw me wince.

“What’s your name?”
 
I asked as I hugged the blanket tightly around my body while sitting on the edge of the enormous bed.

She was walking around the room now, picking up shredded articles of clothing. My clothing…. I wouldn’t be wearing that dress again.
 
“I’m not allowed to talk to you about anything other than giving you Master
Sanuto’s
directions.”
 
Her voice was neutral.
 
“Though since I am the Queen’s servant, I will do as she wishes.”
 
I could detect something in her voice.
 
It was like everything she said had a double meaning and I wondered if I had an ally on the inside.
 
 
“I’m going to get your breakfast.
 
Oh, my name is
Taya
.”

I worried that I was reading too much into her words, but I had to find out for sure.
 
She seemed different than the other servants I had encountered.
 
Perhaps she was desperate to escape life within these halls.
 
Maybe she wanted to go home.
 

While I waited for her return, I walked around the room.
 
There was a desk near the window.
 
I saw a newspaper on the desk.
 
It was from over four months ago and I recognized it.
 
There was a small photo of me surrounded by children and their pets.
 
I’d done a pet safety education course which the paper included an article about.
 
I guess he wanted me to know that he’d been watching me for a while.
 
Disgusting.
 
I moved on and found personalized stationary with my name.
 
Well, sort of,
Evelina
Sanuto
is what it read.
 
That’s when I realized this wasn’t Dante’s room, but mine.