His Ruthless Bite | Historical Paranormal Romance: Vampires (Scandals With Bite Book 4) (34 page)

“Why do you want me to suffer?” Gavin demanded. “I know you were unhappy to be exiled, but surely you understand that I should have killed you for what you did. I showed you mercy at risk to myself.”

“It’s not that,” Justus glared at him. “It’s what you did to Bethany after.”

Gavin gaped at him. “I didn’t do anything with her.” Could Justus have truly gone mad?

“Liar!” the vampire roared. “I tracked down her family in Derbyshire and she is not with them. No one in their town even knows they have a daughter. You must have done something to get rid of her.”

Gavin shook his head. “I’d thought that
you’d
tracked her down and Changed her. It would have been just as unlawful for me to abduct or kill that girl as it would have been for you to Change her. I would swear a blood oath that I’ve done nothing to her.”

As Justus digested his words, Gavin had a sudden thought. Justus said Bethany’s parents were in Derbyshire. But that wasn’t where they went first. Perhaps he could make use of that information.

He watched his former friend’s shoulders slump and defeat shadow his face. Justus believed him.

Gavin sighed. “What do you want, Justus?”

“I want a pardon. One for Will too. As for Rolfe,” He inclined his head at the bound and gagged vampire in the corner, “You can arrest him and try him, or let me kill him, whichever you choose.”

“And?” Gavin prodded, knowing things could not be that easy.

Justus’s green eyes went cold. “And I want you to step down, leave Rochester, and live in exile as I have. Let you always be watching over your shoulder when you hunt. Let you scramble to find a new safe place to hide from the sun. Let you be alone.”

Alone.
The word was uttered with such malice that Gavin felt a tremor of foreboding. “And what makes you presume that I will agree to this?”

“Because I’ll kill the woman you love if I don’t.” Justus brought the tip of his dagger to Lenore’s bodice and sliced off one of the tiny silk roses.

Lenore gasped and her eyes held Gavin’s, large and pleading.

Gavin crossed his arms over his chest, resting the haft of the axe on his hip. “What would become of her after I left?”

Justus smiled. “She shall come with me and Will. She’ll live the life of a rogue. We’ll keep her safe, and preserve her honor, don’t worry. She’s a brave, yet tender youngling. I understand why this one claimed your heart, and how it will hurt you to be apart from her.”

Oh, how he’d thought this through, his old, clever friend. Gavin couldn’t help but be impressed. However, there was no way in hell he’d agree to such terms.

“What about me?” Lenore looked up at Justus. “
I
didn’t part you from your love. I’ve done nothing to you at all. Why should I be punished? How could you take my love away from me, when you know how much that hurts?”

A thousand myriad emotions flickered in Justus’s eyes before his jaw tightened. “Quiet, or I’ll silence you forever.”

Thinking carefully, Gavin measured his words. “Which matters most to you? Punishing me, or being reunited with Bethany?” Keeping a tight grip on the axe, he reached in his pocket and withdrew the locket.

Justus’s eyes widened in mixed outrage and longing at the sight of the trinket. “Give that back!”

“Give me my bride,” Gavin countered.

“Trade her for a painting and a lock of hair?” Justus scoffed, though his eyes were lined with pain. “I think not.”

“No, you
will
trade her for the locket, your pardon,
and
some information I have on Bethany’s whereabouts.” Gavin faced him with a level stare. “I never reported your exile to the Elders. You could come home with a clean slate, if I decree it. If Bethany’s family has truly hidden her to the point where people are unaware of her existence, that changes the restrictions on making her one of us. She’s also reached the age of majority by now, so there’s no impediment there either.”

Justus stared at him, a spark of hope igniting in his gaze. “You have information on Bethany?”

“I know that her family spent time somewhere else other than Derbyshire right after you left,” Gavin said, praying it was enough. “From there, perhaps a trail could be sniffed out.”

“Where?” His former second’s voice cracked with desperation.

Gavin shook his head, jaw clenched with determination. “Drop the knife and give me Lenore.”

Justus’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “How do I know you don’t have a group of your people waiting above to ambush me?”

Gavin kept his features composed, not giving anything away. “Because I have no reason to. I’m looking to kill the vampire who brought the Hunter here. You have him, and my wife has given testimony that you had nothing to do with his crime. My people would let you go unharmed.” Gavin silently thanked the heavens that this was the case. Elena and Benson were reasonable vampires. “That is,
if
Lenore is safe and here to vouch for you.”

For what seemed like an eternity, Justus silently struggled. Finally, the knife slipped from his fingers and clattered on the ground.

Then Lenore was in his arms, and Gavin could finally breathe. He dropped the axe and pulled her tighter against him with one arm, while holding out the locket with the other. Justus quickly snatched the locket away, but Gavin was oblivious to all but his bride.

His lips claimed hers and blissful heat that he’d never realized he’d missed spread through his being, warming his soul.

“I love you,” he whispered when he broke the kiss.

“I love you too.” She rested her head against his chest, still trembling from her ordeal.

Her chains rattled between them, bringing him back to reality. A wave of agony washed over him as he imagined the tormented memories those shackles had to have invoked.

“Unchain her,” he commanded his former second.

Gavin turned and looked over his shoulder in time to see Justus pick up the axe.

Lenore gasped as Gavin swiftly whipped her around and forced her down. As she fell to the dusty ground, Gavin covered her with his body. Peering over her husband’s shoulder, she saw Justus lift the axe in the air…

Her heart stopped. A blur passed before her vision.

The axe sliced down in a flashing arc. Firelight glinted from the blade.

And Justus brought the axe down on Rolfe’s outstretched arm, severing his hand, which held a stake.

The rogue’s shriek of pain rent the air as the stake fell from nerveless fingers and clattered on the stone floor.

Lenore breathed out and clung to Gavin in helpless relief. Dear God, what if she’d lost him?

“Damn it, Will!” Justus roared. “I told you to watch Rolfe!”

“Sorry, Justus.” Will scrambled from his place on the floor and secured Rolfe’s legs with what was left of the broken chain, ducking the vampire’s thrashing arm.

Blood splattered across the stone wall.

Justus wiped a splash of blood from his cheek and approached Gavin and Lenore with the key to her shackles and a smirk on his face that belied the relief in his eyes. “Blimey, Darkwood, love makes you even more blind than it did with me.”

“Thank you,” Gavin whispered, face white as linen.

“Your debts to me continue to amass,” Justus replied with a chuckle and then shackled Rolfe’s ankles and wrists together, keeping the cuff tight on the vampire’s bloody stump. Then, he wrapped the previous length of chain around Rolfe’s head, making sure the rogue’s fangs were tangled in the iron links to keep him from talking until his interrogation.

Not that he’d be doing much talking anytime soon. With his hand severed and still bleeding profusely, all Rolfe could do was make incoherent, high-pitched pain sounds. Despite Rolfe’s abominable crimes, Lenore couldn’t help but pity him and hope he received a quick death.

“Do not think I’m not aware of how much I owe you,” Gavin told Justus as he grasped Lenore’s hand. “You will have your pardon and be welcomed back here after you serve a requisite sentence. I’ll give you a comfortable cell.”

Justus frowned and opened his mouth to respond, but Will interrupted. “What about me?”

Gavin clapped him on the shoulder. “You’ll be put under guard and questioned. If you do not seem to be a troublemaker, you will be allowed to become a Rochester vampire as well.”

The rogue drew back. “You mean you’ll arrest me?”

“Not exactly. You will be taken into custody, yes. But you won’t be treated as a prisoner so much as a supervised guest. And if you do not wish to do this my way, you are free go, so long as you never come back.” Gavin fixed him with a penetrating stare. “What were you exiled for?”

Will’s face twisted into an exasperated frown. “The woman I was tupping was also the Lord of Grimsby’s lover, but I didn’t know.”

Gavin made a snort of disgust. “Grimsby is a tawdry ass. If that was the sole reason for your position, you will be welcome here… as long as you do not presume to touch my wife.” He cast Lenore a sideways smile before turning back to Will and Justus. “Shall we take our prisoner and go?”

Will nodded and seized Rolfe, who’d fallen unconscious from blood loss. Justus remained still, arms crossed over his chest.

“Where did Bethany last go?” he asked, making it clear he wouldn’t budge without an answer.

“Manchester,” Gavin said after a long pause. “I found it odd that you said her parents were in Derbyshire and behaving as if she never existed. Perhaps they packed her off to live with a relative.”

“Or worse.” Justus shivered, eyes haunted. Fear and anguish tore through him before his shoulders straightened in resignation. “I
must
find her… whether she’s alive or…” he broke off with a choked sound.

“After your probationary period, I’ll draft up a writ of passage for you,” Gavin told him coolly.

“No,” Justus said with a firm shake of his head. “I must go now.”

Gavin sighed, eyes clearly anguished at the prospect of losing his friend once more. “If you do, you’ll have to remain a rogue. I will have a difficult time pardoning you as it is. If I allow you to roam off, free reign with a writ of passage right away, I may as well give my Lordship to Benson.”

Justus held his gaze, fists clenched at his sides. “So be it.”

Gavin extended his hand. “I wish you luck. Do write to me, and perhaps after you’ve located Bethany, you can petition for reentry into my lands.” He paused a moment as if measuring his words. “Or, if you still bear me ill will, the Lord of Cornwall has told me that he’d welcome you.”

The crimson-haired vampire nodded curtly and vanished in a blink.

Lenore led the way out of the tunnel as Gavin and Will followed behind with the prisoner. The dead Hunter was left behind to be recovered later. When they emerged in the cathedral courtyard, she was astonished to see the carriage awaiting along with Benson, Elena, and Chandler, the vampire who sometimes served as Gavin’s driver.

Gavin chuckled at her wide eyes. “I told them to meet me here with the carriage, since I was expecting to haul prisoners.” He grinned at Will. “Of course, I’d meant to collect more than one, but ah well.” His attention shifted to Rolfe’s unconscious form. “We’ll secure him in the dickey box in back. I do not want blood on my upholstery.”

Benson and Elena did as bade, and then turned back to Gavin.

Elena enfolded Lenore in a warm embrace. “I am so happy to see you alive. How terrible this ordeal must have been.”

“I’ve endured worse,” Lenore replied, though she was still grateful this rigorous trial was over.

“What about this one?” Benson pointed at Will.

Gavin sighed. “Guard him while we return to Darkwood Manor. I will explain everything then.”

Elena and Benson both shot him impatient looks before they reluctantly bowed and escorted Will into the carriage. Gavin helped Lenore into the conveyance and held her hand for the entire ride. She rested her head on his shoulder, thanking the saints that they were together once more.

Two other vampires waited in front of Darkwood Manor. Lenore recalled their names. Elliot and Carolyn. They watched as Gavin handed Lenore down and followed her out, Benson and Elena emerged next with Will between them.

Before they could erupt with a thousand questions, Gavin gestured to the rear of the carriage. “This is the vampire who lured the Hunter here. Take him to the low cells.”

Benson gasped. “You mean, it wasn’t Justus?”

“Yes,” Lenore asserted, still digesting a plethora of emotions when it came to the crimson-haired rogue. “Justus killed the Hunter and arrested the rogue who was guilty.”

Elena raised a brow. “And where is he now?”

Gavin answered. “He chose to remain a rogue for the time being. The Hunter’s corpse lies below the cathedral cloisters. I’ll send someone to fetch it tomorrow so we can search the body and make certain he didn’t have any accomplices before I make my report to the Elders.”

“I see.” She regarded Gavin with a knowing smirk before pointing at Will. “And what of this one?”