Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Screaming, Amandine started for the next room.
Luke grabbed her before she could do something stupid. “We have to get out of here.”
Amandine’s eyes widened. “I can’t go outside. It’s daylight.”
“You can’t survive a fire, either,” Luke reminded her before he told Eli and Sorcha to leave. He shrugged his leather coat off. Covering Amandine from head to foot, he picked her up and ran with her, out the door and toward the stairs.
Other occupants were filling the hallway. “What was that?”
“Fire!” Luke shouted. “Get out of the building!” He rushed down the stairs to find Eli and Sorcha waiting for him by his car. “Delilah! Start your engine and raise the top.” He turned to Sorcha. “Get in. We have to get Amandine to the office as fast as we can.”
Luke gently put Amandine in the back as the convertible top raised to shield them. As soon as Eli was in and Sorcha belted, they raced to their offices.
Once they were in the garage, Luke called out. “Helly!”
She appeared instantly, then gasped as she saw Eli and Amandine.
“Close the garage door and take care of Delilah, please.” He carried Amandine out the back, to his office, while they ran behind him to catch up.
By the time Sorcha was inside Luke’s office, he’d already closed the blinds, pulled his coat off a bedraggled Amandine and shrugged it back on.
“You okay?” Sorcha asked Luke.
He nodded as he turned toward Amandine. “What about you, princess?”
Amandine was running her hands over her body, looking for damage. “I think I’m okay. Thank you for getting me out of there so fast.”
That confused Sorcha. “You weren’t kidding about vampires and daylight?”
Eli knelt down by Amandine’s side. “Sunlight won’t kill them, but it weakens them enough that they can be killed.”
“And it blisters terribly. The pain is unbearable.” Amandine looked to Luke. “Thank you for saving me.”
Inclining his head to her, Luke passed a furious glare toward Sorcha. “And fire definitely kills them.” He pulled his phone out.
Before she could ask him who he was calling, he started speaking.
“Hey, boss. Sorcha and I just fled an apartment house near Forsyth. Someone tossed a Molotov through the windows. I had to rush a college kid out and I don’t want the local LEOs to think we had anything to do with it.
” He paused a few minutes. “Yeah, we’re in my office.
We’ll stay here and wait. Thanks.” He hung up.
“Reyes?” she asked.
He nodded. “I think this confirms our theory about the real target.” He jerked his chin toward their guest.
Amandine stood up. “I won’t be intimidated or threatened!”
“Better intimidated than dead.”
She glared at Luke for his comment. “What am I supposed to do? Give up my life because someone takes issue with my father?”
Luke swept his gaze from Amandine to Eli. “If the Orders find out about the two of you, you’ll have a lot more than just your father to contend with.”
Eli gnashed his teeth. “They’re locked in the Middle Ages. There’s nothing wrong with our relationship. It doesn’t threaten anything other than their overly rigid sensibilities.”
Luke made a snort so dismissive that it sounded equine in nature. “Historically speaking, that’s not true. When two Orders unite, they have the ability to do some serious damage to the others and to the world. But there might be a compromise.”
They looked at Luke hopefully.
“What?” Eli asked.
“Abdicate. One or both of you. Give up your inheritance and the other Orders can’t complain. If there’s no conflict, there’s no conflict.”
Sorcha was impressed at his King Solomonesque approach. It made complete sense.
Amandine’s face lit up. “It’s perfect! We should have thought of that ourselves!”
Eli wasn’t so quick to agree. “Wait… What?”
Rising to her feet, Amandine took his hand. “Think about it. If we’re not the heirs, our union won’t make the others nervous. Let’s do this!”
He shook his head. “I can’t do that.”
Grimacing at Eli’s reaction, Sorcha bit her lip to keep from speaking. This wasn’t right. If he really loved her, how could he refuse such a simple request?
And it ruffled Amandine. “What do you mean, you can’t do that?” The anger in those last four words was savage.
Eli went pale. “My brother is an idiot. If he takes over…you’ve met him. He’s worthless.”
The fury in Amandine’s eyes said that Eli needed to stop talking. Fast. “He’ll be fine.”
Unfortunately, he wasn’t smart enough to shut up. “Would you be okay with your brother ruling in your stead?”
“I was until you took that tone. It doesn’t sound like you care about your brother so much as you don’t want to give up the power and money.”
“And there is that,” Eli said in an equally irritated tone. “We’re talking a fortune. Can you honestly look at me and say that you’d be good with having to work three jobs to pay for tuition?”
Rage descended on her face. “My father was right. You never loved me. You just wanted vampiric sex. Get out!”
Sorcha actually took an involuntary step toward the door. That deep, demonic command that was hard to resist.
“Mandy,” Eli pleaded.
“Don’t you even, you bastard. Out!”
When he failed to listen, Amandine threw her hands up and an invisible shove pushed Eli to the door, plastering him up against it.
“Mandy, stop!” That shrieking tone was impressive. So was the fact that he was shoved aside while the door opened itself and then he was forced outside.
The door slammed shut with a resounding finality.
“Feckless bastard!” Amandine turned toward Luke who held his hands up and took a step back.
“Might be a bastard, but I’m not a feckless one.”
That succeeded in breaking through Amandine’s tears. “Are all men worthless?”
He glanced toward Sorcha. “Yes seems to be the right answer since I’m outnumbered.”
Baring fangs at Luke, she turned toward Sorcha. “Did I do the right thing?”
“You’re asking the wrong person. I have a bad history with men. If there’s a loser, I always gravitate straight to him.” Sorcha hesitated a second, as this was really off topic. “Can I ask you something?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, Amandine lifted a brow. “Sure.”
“What’s vampiric sex?”
Luke gave her a grin. “Ever heard of tantric sex? It’s that on steroids.”
Sorcha both could and couldn’t believe that. Was it like Schrodinger’s sex? She had no idea. “Is he right?” she asked Amandine.
Before Amandine could answer, a large black dog appeared in front of the closed door. While not quite as big as a German Shepherd, it was still an intimidating beast. Sleek and hairless, it had large shoulders and glowing red eyes.
Never had Sorcha seen anything like this.
But if she had to guess, hellhound came to mind.
She looked at Luke for confirmation. “Mom?”
He nodded. “And she’s on a hunt.”
In response to those words, the hellhound transformed into a tall, elegant woman whose eyes were a perfect match for Luke’s. Other than that, Sorcha saw no family resemblance whatsoever.
Unless someone counted that devastating presence that commanded attention. Was that an inherited trait or something Luke picked up from living with his mother?
“You found the heiress?” Her voice was smooth and deep. A female version of Luke’s.
Luke tsked at his mother. “She wasn’t lost.”
“According to her father, she was.”
Luke ignored that comment. “Sorcha? Meet my mother, Senka. Mom, this is my new partner, and I take it that you’re familiar with Amandine.”
She inclined her head to Sorcha before she glanced about the room. “Where’s your imp?”
“I sent her to Delilah.”
“Good.” She turned toward Amandine. “Come, child. Your father awaits.”
Amandine jutted out her chin in childish defiance. “I’m not going.”
Senka arched an irritated brow. “Pardon?”
Luke cleared his throat to get Amandine’s attention. “You don’t want to tell her no. It’s not a word she hears often, and it doesn’t ever bode well for the one saying it.”
“I am Amandine Dufresne, daughter of Antoine, leader of the Order of Blackthorn. No one tells me what to do.”
The way Senka’s eyes flared, Sorcha felt the disaster that was brewing. Even the air felt electric. Rife with conflict and anger.
This was about to be an epic showdown between two creatures who profaned the word no. And she was sure that Senka’s bite would be much more vicious than her bark.
Luke moved to stand between them. “No destroying my office, Mum. Seriously.” He turned toward Amandine.
“She’s a hellhound. Last thing you want is for her to drag you out of here.
Grabbing those who are reluctant to leave is what she specializes in.
Don’t run or fight. She will hunt you down, and it won’t end well for you. ”
“My father—”
“Is the one who sent her after you. Means he knows how my mother’s breed functions and that was what he wanted for you. Go peacefully. Please. For your own sake.”
Sorcha saw the rebellion that glowed in the younger woman’s eyes. It was obvious that she wanted to run. Craved it.
And Sorcha couldn’t blame her. She didn’t like being ordered around, either. But it wasn’t in Sorcha’s nature to back down or run. She’d fight to the bitter end.
Thankfully, Amandine saw the truth in Luke’s eyes and sighed. “Fine. I’ll go home.”
Senka moved toward Luke and pulled his head down so that their foreheads touched.
“Thank you.” She kissed his cheek. “And just so you know, I like this one much better than your old partner. She smells better, too.” And with that she lifted her arm and summoned a purple cloud to engulf the two of them. Then, she vanished along with Amandine.
Stunned, Sorcha stood there. “I smell better?”
He laughed. “Don’t ask.”
Okie dokie.
Suddenly, someone started knocking furiously on Luke’s door.
“Amandine! Talk to me!”
Sorcha cringed at the pain-filled tone. She would say poor kid, but he’d been a bastard to Amandine. If what he’d shown them was his true nature, better Amandine learn it now than years down the road.