Chapter Nineteen
Madison’s softly spoken apology reached Simon’s ears seconds before Svetlana appeared in the room.
Simon wanted to go to her, to assure her that she had nothing to be sorry for. She was in this predicament because of him.
The smell of Madison’s blood suddenly permeated the room, sending heat to swirl behind Simon’s eyes. “You foul piece of shit!”
Svetlana paused in removing her stilettoes. “Careful, dear one, lest I go back and finish her off.”
Simon gritted his teeth to keep from snarling another insult.
“I do see the attraction you have with her. I have tasted millions through the centuries. And I must admit, there haven’t many whose blood were as sweet as hers. No, she’s a rare treat, that one.”
Simon’s stomach tightened with hunger at the mention of Madison’s blood. He knew exactly what Svetlana attempted to describe. He’d scented Madison’s blood on more than one occasion. But the thought of Svetlana, putting her filthy fangs anywhere near Madison enraged him. “You leave her alone.”
“Or you’ll what? Shoot daggers at me while I take you into my body?”
The mere thought of Svetlana touching him, triggered his gag reflex. “You don’t need her.”
Svetlana reached up and unzipped her long, flowing, red dress. “You’re right, I don’t need her. But I want her. As do you, which is why I’m keeping her.”
Simon fought against the silver binding his wrists and ankles to the bed. “Please.”
She hesitated, standing at the foot of the bed wearing nothing but a ruby necklace.
To the eye that didn’t know any better, Svetlana would appear perfect. From her high, perky breasts, to her tiny waist and gently flared hips. Yet beneath it all lay a rotted corpse of sadism and greed. She had no empathy, no compassion, no…heart.
“You want to save your little pet?” Svetlana raised an eyebrow. “Then do something for me.”
Simon swallowed hard. “Tell me what you want and it’s yours.”
“Mate with me.”
Everything inside Simon screamed in denial. She was asking the unthinkable. If he mated with her, he’d never be with another. He’d be bound to her, and only her, for all eternity. “You ask too much!”
She shrugged a dainty shoulder. “Be that as it may, it’s what I want. You can either mate with me or watch her slowly weaken to the point where I can either let her die…or give her the Dark Gift. The choice is yours. You have until the sun sets to decide.”
Which meant he had an hour.
She crawled up onto the bed and took his shaft in her hand. “You think I cannot give you an erection?”
Simon’s mind hardened against the invasion he knew was to come. “It will be forced. It damn sure won’t be me.”
Anger flashed in her blue eyes. “You will submit!”
“It must irk you to have to mentally assert control to get what you want.”
She squeezed his shaft in a painful hold. “I do what I must, just as you will. I see beyond your devil-may-care attitude. You’re weak and pathetic.”
Simon’s eyes narrowed. “Release me and I’ll show you exactly how weak and pathetic I am.”
She loosened her hold, her palm slowly sliding up and down his still soft sex. “I think not.”
“Gene,” Svetlana snapped, her gaze lifting.
The door opened, and a rather large vampire poked his head inside. “My lady?”
“Bring me the woman.”
“No!” Simon snarled, yanking on his bonds to the sounds of burning flesh sizzling from his wrists. He glared up at Svetlana. “I’ll do it.”
She made a shooing motion toward the door sending Gene back to his post in the hallway. “That’s better.”
Simon swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and let his eyes drift shut. Left with no choice but to give Svetlana what she wanted, he relaxed his body and let his mind slip to a place where no one could touch him. Especially not Svetlana.
* * * *
Simon awoke slowly, his body weak and lethargic. The burning sensation on his wrists and ankles told him he was still chained to Svetlana’s bed.
He raised his head and glanced down his still nude form; bits and pieces of the night before flashing behind his eyes. He’d never gotten hard.
Fear sliced through him. Svetlana was probably torturing Madison at that very moment. “Svetlana!”
Seconds ticked by with no response. “Svetlanaaaaa!”
The door swung open and the object of his ire waltzed inside. “Really, Simon. Must you be so rude?”
“Let me up from this fucking bed!”
She fluffed her blonde curls. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. We had a deal, you see. And you didn’t hold up your end of the bargain.”
“What did you do?” he snarled, his fangs so elongated they impaired his speech.
Svetlana lowered her arms, her hands moving to rest on her hips. “I haven’t done anything yet. I thought I’d wait for you to join us in the land of the living first.”
Gene suddenly stepped into the room holding Madison in front of him. He wrapped a hand in her hair and forced her forward.
Simon went completely still, willing Madison to look at him.
She finally met his gaze. “Simon…”
“Shut up,” Svetlana snapped, stepping between them and cutting off Simon’s view of Madison.
Svetlana smiled. “She is here at my request, not yours, dear. You can either hold your tongue, or I will hold it for you.” She moved aside.
The first thing Simon noticed were the dark circles around Madison’s eyes. Her skin was pale and her cheekbones were more pronounced. Svetlana was slowly draining her. “I’m so sorry, Madison.”
“She brought me here to screw with your head,” Madison rasped, flinching as Gene yanked on her hair. “Don’t let her win, Simon. She feeds on control.”
Simon knew all too well what Svetlana was about and, under any other circumstances, he would agree. But not tonight. Not when Madison’s life hung in the balance. He couldn’t let Svetlana kill her because of him. He wouldn’t.
“Strip her,” Svetlana demanded of Gene.
Simon went wild. “If you fucking touch her, you piece of shit, I will remove your intestines, and choke you to death with them!”
The sound of material ripping wrenched a roar from Simon’s throat. Gene had ripped Madison’s shirt from her body, exposing dozens of bruises along her flesh.
If it was the last thing Simon ever did, he would kill Svetlana with his bare hands. He wasn’t sure exactly how he would make that happen, he only knew that he would.