Eden's Charms (23 page)

“Sir?” she asked, “Can I help you?”

Julian spun away from the woman so she couldn’t see his facial fur. Lucian threw on sunglasses and yanked his bottom lip up over his top teeth leaving him with a sad under-bite.

André rolled his eyes. “My daughter checked in here last night, and she’s not answering her door.”

“Well, Sir,” the woman blushed, “neither would you if you were on your honeymoon.”

“Wha—uh, oh shit—did you say?” Julian choked.

André held up the wall and turned ghostly white, and Lucian? Lucian had tears in his eyes, laughing.

“Oh bloody hell, brother. Your baby’s finally gone and done it.”

“Bust the door down!” André pointed to Julian.

“Sir, really, you must let them be.”

“Lady, you don’t understand. That’s my baby.”

“And babies grow up, Ands.” Lucian slapped his brother’s shoulder.

“I can’t wait for Elyza to get married. Then don’t come to me looking for help, because I’ll laugh in your face.” André turned his attention back to the locked door. “
Savanah!!!
” André screamed. The silence that followed might as well had been death lurking in the darkness. Or at least that’s how André saw it. His heart hurt. Something was wrong, and he knew it wasn’t due to the nuptials between his daughter and Mr. Kitt.

Jovan? I know you told me not to channel, but, hon, we are standing in the hallway of Mrs. Kitt’s room, and she’s not answering the door.

Mrs. who?

Kitt. He married her, Cherié. Our baby got married!

Oh bloody hell.

That’s exactly what Lucian said.

Bust down the door and let me know the second you do. She didn’t tell me that little detail.

I’ll talk to you later.

The maid pried André from the door. “Sir, let me go first. She may love you, but I don’t think she’d appreciate seeing you if she and her husband…”

“Don’t—say another word! Get in there.” André bit out, “Thank you,” as his foot tapped impatiently.

The maid disappeared behind the door. “Misses? It’s housekeeping, dear. You descent?”

André pounded his fist into the wall. “Is she descent?”

The housekeeper raised her voice to carry into the room. “Mister? Misses? You two in here?”

The three men waited in the hallway looking more like thugs in a Martin Scorsese movie than a doting, overprotective father and two uncles.

Thump
.

Three stooges squeezed through the door at the same time. Taking in the dismembered room, André ran to his daughter’s side. His heart sank seeing Savanah bound, her hands and ankles duct taped with silver shackles as a secondary binder. Her mouth was stuffed with a sock. Copious amounts of blood covered the bed she lay in, yet the only visible wounds on her were a few scratch marks and two very distinct puncture marks on the right side of her neck, centered over her jugular.

Savanah’s eyes filled with tears. André tenderly removed the tape from her.

“Oh princess, who did this to you? Where’s Ethan? Where’s Lucian now?” André pulled her into his arms, and rocked her back and forth.

Dizzy and confused, she tried to answer them, “They gave me Foxglove. It could’ve killed me, Papa. It’s a cardiac stimulant. Why would they do that? I threw up all over before they taped up my mouth to stop me from yakking up any more shit.”

“Mouth, Peanut,” Julian said.

Both Savanah and André turned, giving Julian an irate glance.

“What?” Julian threw his hands in the air. “Sorry. It’s habit. She swears and someone always says, ‘Mouth!’ Jesus, Savvy,” Julian turned from her and wiped his eyes.

Lucian entered the room breathless. “Ethan’s not here. I evanesced and covered this hotel. There is a trail of blood going out the bathroom window and up the side of the wall on the other side of the breezeway. Scratch marks are gouged into the stucco. From the looks of things he put up one hell of a fight. But someone got him.”

“Savvy, what happened?” Julian knelt and took her hand. “Don’t worry, Peanut, we’ll find your husband.”

Savanah snapped her head to face Julian and started laughing hysterically…until she passed out.

“Call the cops. Now. Get the maid up off the floor and don’t touch a thing,” Lucian ordered as he looked around the room. Just as Julian picked up the phone, Lucian picked up a small black business card from the table. He read the card: “Draque, Thank you for your Indentured Service. What in blazes is this?” Flipping the card over, Lucian finished, “How does it feel to have something stolen from you that you love? We’ll be in touch. I’ll call. You’ll come.” He turned to Julian. “Put the phone down.”

André went to the bath, grabbed a wet a cloth came back and sat beside Savanah. He dabbed it over his daughter, cleaning the dried blood from her. “Peanut, tell us.”

“I ah, I—don’t—I can’t.” She began to shake with tense involuntary rigors. “What did you say before I passed out?”

André held her tight until he relaxed. “Lucian, does she need blood? Is she in shock? Someone took a chunk out of her.”

Savanah looked between her father and two uncles blankly. “What makes you think he’s my husband? Papa, I met Draque. The big guy himself paid me a visit. You know all those movies, all the books, all the folktales ever depicted about the guy don’t hold a candle to the real deal. He’s actually beautiful. His eyes are black, his hair is so very white and straighter than a pine needle and as soft as a feather. Look.” Savanah dug into her pocket and pulled out a chunk of blond hair, roots attached, showing them. “We didn’t exactly see eye to eye on a few things. Things got physical. He’s bigger than you, Papa. A lot bigger. Six-six or even six-seven and comes in about three hundred pounds of death-defying brutality.”

Not one of them said a word, but instead gawked at Savanah, jaws dropped open like nutcrackers waiting for a token to crunch.

“Ethan is gone, Papa. He took him from me. I tried to stop him. Ethan tried to protect me. He really tried.” Tears filled her eyes again. “Draque had some bloke with him that’s bigger than the
Hulk
on steroids. He and Ethan got into it pretty good. Most of the blood is Androgen man’s. Eth may not be as big as you three, but he got the guy, that is right up until Draque sank his choppers into me. Then Ethan started bargaining for my life, using his as bait.”

André dropped his head. The mere thought of Dracula biting his daughter drove him to the brink of madness.

Julian bent forward fast. Speaking with his head between his knees, he asked, “What happened to Ethan?”

“Draque tag-teamed with Androgen man and knocked out my would-be lover, squeezing him through an all too tiny window and flew off into the night. Who’s the lady on the couch?” Savanah pointed to the maid.

“Housekeeping.”

Savanah!

Savanah spun toward the door. “Did you hear that?”

“No. What?”

Savage?
The voice whispered to her in the wind.

“That! Ethan!” Savanah bounced off the bed and into the breezeway just in time to intercept Ethan. Julian followed on her heels.

Ethan didn’t have time to apply his brakes and ran both of them down.

“Come on, Savage, we gotta get the hell outta here. Come on, baby. Please tell me they didn’t hurt you.” Ethan spoke so fast he never noticed Julian under him. His lips went in search of Savanah’s and when they met he thought he might devour her in one single kiss.

Savanah gave him the quick once over and cringed. “Ethan, slow down. God, you’re one bloody mess.”

“Nowhere near as bad as Androgen man.”

Savanah cracked a subtle smile. “That’s what I called him too.”

“Really?” Ethan stood and helped her to her feet, and then realized she wasn’t alone. “Uncle Julian, I’m actually glad to see you.”

Ethan put his forehead to Savanah’s. His hands trembled as he struggled to hold her. “Are you really okay?”

Savanah shook her head yes. “Are you?” She kissed the tip of his nose.

Ethan drew her to him and clung to her with a thread of his sanity left. “I am, sweets, but we gotta get outta here. Draque’s got a lair over in the City of the Dead. How
apropos
! The vile mosquito bit me and then Androgen man came at me with a silver prod. Use your imagination as to where he lodged it.”

“Oh, Eth, no. Can I do anything?”

Kiss my ass better
, was the very first thing that popped into Ethan’s head, but he’d finally learned some restraint and kept his mouth shut. “I castrated the steroidal-mutant. I got him good.”

“Ethan, TMI,” Julian added.

“I shifted after the vamp climbed into his casket for the day and ripped the mutant’s nuts off him.”

“Ewh!” Savanah’s stomach tightened.

“I thought they’d be more like brass beach balls, looking at the dude, but his were more like Q-tips. Seriously, Savvy, they were this freaking big.” Ethan spread his fingers out less than an inch apart, showing her what he meant. “He can’t reproduce now. Thank God.”

“Ethan! Don’t really need the gory details.” Savanah covered her ears.

“My bad?” Ethan looked up, and noticed the maid staring at everyone. “Probably shouldn’t have said all that aloud. Can you blink at her, you know, do your,
I Dream of Jeanie
sexy move?”

Savanah turned to the maid and did as she was asked, knocking the maid on her feather duster.

“You saw me asleep on my bed. Thank you for allowing my family in.”

“You’re welcome, Misses.” The maid got up, straightened her skirt, turned and walked out of the room rubbing her rump.

“That is so cool,” Ethan said.

Savanah could have sworn she saw stars in his eyes. Hearing a loud crash in the bathroom she turned and ran. She found her father slumped over the toilette, clammy, pale and disoriented.

“Papa? Can I help you?”

André barely whispered, “Blood.”

“Take my wrist, Papa. Take what you need.”

André swatted at his daughter. “Get away from me.”

“You can have mine,” Ethan offered.

In a voice that no one recognized, André pleaded again, “Get her out of here. I think some pissed off spirit is messing with me.”

Julian guided her out the door. “Go, Peanut. He needs blood and doesn’t realize it.” Turning to André, Julian explained, “You haven’t been invaded, Ands. You’re just low on fuel. You’ll be fine.”

“You sure? Jovan told me I could get possessed.”

Julian pat his shoulder. “You’re fine. There isn’t a spirit stupid enough to screw with you. Shifters are a whole other story.” Julian gave Ethan a look that asked without words, “Death wish?”

Ethan shoved his wrist under André’s nose. “Here you go. This little mutt’s your meal ticket, so ask politely or you won’t get seconds. You want to be able to trust me? I’m all yours. Be careful. It packs a wallop. Second time’s the charm all right. One more and I might as well be the choir boy.”

“I want your throat, boy.” There was no humor indicated behind his obsidian eyes.

Looking between the three men, Ethan realized this was one test of wills he couldn’t lose. He had to be stronger or respect would never be his. He’d just be considered fodder. Those days, he thought, are through
.

“It’s my wrist or nothing. My neck is not an option. There’s only one person getting her lips on this, and it ain’t you. And don’t forget—Xier may very well be able to track you from this, and Draque. Jesus, I feel used.” He attempted to crack a smile, but no one else seemed to understand his humor. To his astonishment André bowed before him.

Emerging from the bathroom, Ethan glanced at his reflection in the mirror. He had a pasty pallor, and André held a healthy rejuvenated glow. Funny how that worked, he thought.

“Ethan, if at any time you’re up to no good, I’ll find you.”

“You’re welcome,” Ethan finished.

André walked to Savanah, dropped to his knees and kissed her palm. “You are everything to me, little girl. Why don’t you lie down and rest. You looked exhausted. I’ll be right here.”

****

After a short restless nap, getting clean and fed, Savanah asked, “So what time to do we head to the City of the Dead? We’re going after Draque right?”

Ethan waggled his index finger
no
in Savanah’s face. “We? We—your father, Lucian, Julian and I will head out just before dusk. You, Pippy, are not included in this.”

Hearing his concern for Savanah’s welfare, André gave Julian,
the nod,
behind her back.

“Oh, you’re so not leaving me here alone. We are a team, Eth. Papa, tell him. Tell him I’m coming.” Savanah bat her big baby blues for all she was worth at her father.

“Ethan’s right, it’s too risky. It’s hard enough to take care of ourselves, let alone worry for your health.”

“Oh because I’m so much safer here alone? Really? I’m quite capable of caring for me.” With an exaggerated huff one black curl lifted and landed exactly where it began; in her eyes.

Studying her, Ethan decided, “You look like you could cry at the drop of a dime. That’s blackmail, Savanah. Don’t get all girly on me.” Then her bottom lip started to quiver.

Julian, Lucian and André sat back, eager to see how Ethan would handle this, having lived the past century with the little woman, who in her own right was a skilled actress.

I’m so bad. I can’t believe I have to resort to this
. Savanah bit at the evil little grin trying to work its way onto her lips.

Ethan gave her a soft kiss. He swept her tears away, and pressed his forehead against hers, watching her through crossed eyes.

“Savage,” he murmured, “I grew up with five sisters, sweet cheeks. You’re gonna have to do better than this to get what you want.”

André, Lucian and Julian got up abruptly and walked away, all suddenly finding busy things to do.

Appalled, Savanah pushed him so hard Ethan did a backwards dive off the bed. He landed squarely on his feet.

“Ta-da! I seem to have nine lives these days with more agility than a kitten.”

“Come here you little fur ball.” Savanah tried to sound angry, but she grinned regardless.

“Why?” Ethan teased, backing away from her as she stalked him across the room.

“I want to give you a good licking.”