Meghann"s eyes met his again, burning with a disturbing intensity when she asked, "Do you trust me?"
"Always," Charles responded firmly. He knew Meghann wasn"t asking if he trusted her to make the right choice regarding Simon Baldevar no, Meghann wanted to know if he trusted her not to lead him into harm.
Meghann nodded and took his hand, stretching out her other hand to clasp Lee"s. "I love you both; I"ve missed you terribly. I don"t know what I would have done if you didn"t show up tonight. Will you come with me now, so you can see all that"s happened? This isn"t something I can explain. You have to see it for yourself. Oh, wait they"re making their announcement." Meghann plopped down into an empty seat between her friends and made a shushing gesture to Charles.
Why do we have to sit through some mortal announcement before you tell me how you lost your mind"?
Meghann"s eyes took on a dangerous shine. Do I appear crazy to you?
No, she didn"t. Charles wasn"t sure what he"d expected tonight but it certainly wasn"t the lively beauty beside him. He"d imagined Lord Baldevar must have broken her in some way to get her back at his side. Now Charles was forced to acknowledge that, far from harming her, his enemy had restored Meghann somehow, banished the depression that kept her uncertain and tense all these months.
But how? It was beyond Charles"s comprehension how Meghann went from the tight-lipped hatred and never-discussed fear that were her only emotions toward Simon Baldevar for forty years to staring at him with adoring eyes that followed his every move as he stood on the dais in the center of the hall with a cl.u.s.ter of men and women Charles intuited was the board of directors.
Lord Baldevar intercepted one of Meghann"s glances and gave her a smile that transformed his hawkish features from the predatory mask Charles was so familiar with to an almost Charles leaned back in his seat, clamping down on his jaw to keep his mouth from hanging open with astonishment. Meghann wasn"t the only one who"d changed. Charles kept his gaze on Lord Baldevar and observed that, while the vampire wasn"t any less imposing a presence, there was something a bit less glacial about him when he looked at Meghann. If Charles didn"t know his enemy so well, the meltingly soft amber eyes locked on Meghann would almost charm him.
Suddenly a soft hand took his. You see it too.
Dumbfounded, Charles could only nod. You have a lot of explaining to do.
Meghann nodded but then sat a bit straighter in her chair. Charles was about to question what caused this sudden alertness when he felt what bothered her, a bitter, dark hatred directed at Lord Baldevar.
Charles followed Meghann"s gaze, finally settling on a raven-haired mortal woman standing off to one side of the dais. The woman"s mouth was pulled into a little snarl that made her appear almost ready to leap onto the dais and attack not only Lord Baldevar but a man introducing himself to the room as Del Straker.
Puzzled, Charles watched the chairman of the board and vampire shareholder shake the hand of an elderly man with a shock of long white hair, almost yellowed with age. They thanked him for his eighteen years of service and the old man made a quick speech before a fiftyish, matronly-looking woman was invited to the podium the new casino manager for The Seraglio.
Charles didn"t have to read the unhappy woman the betrayal and rage simmering in her eyes told him what must have happened, and he turned back to Meghann. One of your lover"s victims?
Meghann gave a nonchalant shrug. I have no sympathy for women that exchange s.e.x for promotion, and neither does Simon. Excuse me, I want to tell him we"re leaving.
Bemused, Charles watched Meghann approach her lover from behind and wrap her small arms about his waist. She picked a fortuitous moment to drag him off the podium, right as the photographers started snapping pictures of the new casino manager being welcomed to The Seraglio by the board of directors.
Frowning, Charles wished Meghann hadn"t chosen to speak telepathically to Lord Baldevar he couldn"t follow the conversation and he wanted to know what made Meghann blanch and seem so anxious. The fiend hadn"t threatened her, had he?
"What"s going on?" Lee too was disturbed by Meghann"s abrupt change of mood going from dazzling happiness to darkened emerald eyes and hands that fidgeted with her long plait of hair.
"I don"t know " Charles started to say but Lord Baldevar"s putting one large hand over Meghann"s and gently pulling it from her hair caught his attention. He grasped her hands and Charles would never know what he said to her but the nervous expression left Meghann"s eyes and she smiled again. What did Lord Baldevar do to rea.s.sure her?
He reached into his tuxedo jacket and handed Meghann a valet ticket, and she reached up to kiss him good-bye no polite, social gesture but a full, lingering kiss that made Lord Baldevar wrap one long, tuxedo-clad arm about her waist and pull her against him before releasing her with a small groan that reached Charles"s keen ears.
The vampire gazed down at Meghann, and Charles felt the air between them nearly smolder. Good G.o.d, he"d never felt such an undercurrent of pa.s.sion and sensuality as he did right now, observing Meghann with her lover.
"I think I see how he enchanted her," Lee whispered dryly at his side. "Be honest, could you resist that?"
Resist the heat in those gold eyes, the implied promises that made Meghann gaze up at Lord Baldevar, her body all but vibrating with need and desire? No, Charles did not have that kind of puritanical denial running through him and he couldn"t blame Meghann for lacking it either.
He understood Meghann seeking Lord Baldevar"s bed. There wasn"t a vampire in the world that didn"t know his reputation for being a sensual, accomplished lover all but an incubus in the way he could make women respond to him. But why did Meghann have to give him her heart as well as her body? Charles knew Meghann well for forty years, she"d taken lovers and with the exception of Jimmy Delacroix she"d always separated her emotions from her physical needs. Of all the people in the world, why did she give her love to a creature that had none within him to give back to her?
Lord Baldevar smiled tenderly as Meghann left him but the moment her back was turned he locked eyes with Charles and a sharp pain entered Charles"s temple as the vampire directed a message at him Guard her with your life.
Charles rubbed his forehead, puzzled by the communication. He"d expected threats, expected his enemy to fill his head with all kinds of horrifying tortures to show what would happen if he dared try and tell Meghann to leave Lord Baldevar.
But that simple directive and the unwavering gold eyes that held his with no hint of his former contempt or hatred Then Meghann came back to his side and Charles had no more time to ponder the unsettling contact between himself and Lord Baldevar.
Del Straker gave Simon a friendly poke in the ribs and extended a gla.s.s of scotch to him. "How are you planning to keep your wife if you let her go wandering around with two good-looking boys like that?"
Simon returned the mortal"s leer with one of his own. "Can you think of better companionship for my young bride than two men with no interest in women?"
"No interest in " Del"s eyes widened and he let out a booming, good-natured chuckle. "Don"t you think of everything! What better way to keep her out of trouble than sticking her with two gay boys? I shoulda tried that with some of my wives instead, I let them go off with their girlfriends and d.a.m.ned if the wh.o.r.es didn"t go out to pick up men. But now I make sure the prenup states they don"t get a dime if I can prove they were cheating on me. You got that clause in your contract with Meghann?"
"I would not insult Meghann by asking her to sign some doc.u.ment that states I believe she won"t stay married or faithful," Simon replied, enjoying Del"s astonished gaze. He knew the much-married entrepreneur longed to point out the folly of a billionaire getting married without any attempt to protect his fortune from his wife"s grasping hands, but Del feared offending a powerful shareholder with such blunt words. "Besides, I don"t believe in entering into a marriage fully expecting it to dissolve at some indeterminate point."
"But she"s pregnant," Del protested. "That means she"ll be able to get child support along with alimony and when you think of what any sharp lawyer"s gonna ask for nanny payment, trust funds, monthly expenses, tuition "
"Meghann will never leave me," Simon said with absolute certainty, for Meghann was no longer the quick-tempered, impulsive brat who"d abandoned him forty years ago; this time she"d honor her vows to him. He had to admit though, this discussion with Del was amusing in the event of divorce, where could Meghann sue a four-hundred-year-old vampire for half his worldly goods?
"How can you be so sure of her that you"d risk your fortune?"
"Del, all you have to do is be certain of your wife"s character before you marry her make sure she"s not some greedy, calculating, fortune hunter." Idly, Simon"s eyes settled on Louise Caraway, guzzling down liquor at the open bar. Simon wondered if the alcohol was supposed to give her false courage so she could confront him or was she drinking to blot out her crushing disappointment at not being named casino manager?
"d.a.m.n barracuda," Del spat, following Simon"s stare.
Simon raised an eyebrow at the rancor in Del"s tone. "What has she done to you?"
The mortal hesitated but then began speaking after Simon slipped some rea.s.surance into his thoughts. "You know I"m thinking of running for Congress back in Texas?"
Simon nodded and Del pulled him into a secluded corner of the hall, speaking in a low tone. "The d.a.m.ned b.i.t.c.h came up to me tonight," Del whispered, his voice shaking with rage. "Showed me a video she made of me with her and some little hooker. Now she"s telling me the wh.o.r.e"s underage! Simon, she told me she"d put the G.o.dd.a.m.ned video in the hands of the Nevada D.A. if we don"t make her casino manager "
"I"ll take care of it, Del," Simon said calmly. "How?" the mortal whined, his mouth pulled into a pucker that reminded Simon of a small child denied something. "She could have made a dozen of them "
"Del, on my word of honor, by this time tomorrow night you will have your video along with any duplicates, and Louise Caraway will never bother you again."
How delicious power was always Simon enjoyed this moment when supposedly influential mortals stood before him in abject grat.i.tude.
"If you"re right how can I thank you?" Del said, pumping Simon"s hand up and down.
"What are friends for?" Simon said expansively. "After all, when Meghann said she adores the ocean did you not agree to give us that wonderful estate you bought in the Hamptons as a wedding gift?"
Del had said no such thing he and Lord Baldevar had been negotiating the price of the multimillion-dollar property for weeks. But now the mortal stopped pumping his hand and gave Simon a long stare before he finally nodded. "That that"s what I said. Thanks for your help friend."
A friend in need, Simon thought wickedly and bid Del a good night. He left the banquet hall and turned his thoughts to Meghann. She"d been worried about tonight, though she tried not to let him see her anxiety. What a sweet child she could be not wanting him to think she lacked confidence in his plans. He understood Meghann"s fear battle was something she had little experience with, and after Guy"s attack it was only natural that she"d dread the confrontation Simon knew would take place tonight. He didn"t think Meghann feared for her own safety but rather for that of Charles Tarleton.
It"ll be over soon, darling, Simon promised and prepared to join Meghann but Louise Caraway planted herself in front of him, weaving in a drunken manner.
"You double-crossing son of a b.i.t.c.h," she slurred, and everyone in hearing vicinity gasped in shock.
Simon reached into their minds and commanded them to forget what they heard before he grabbed Louise by the scruff of her neck and forced her through a nearby fire exit so he could speak to her in the privacy of the empty stairwell.
Louise scowled when he blocked the door but her frown changed to fear when Simon gave her a sharp crack across the face. "Clear your desk before working hours begin tomorrow, madam. As of this moment, The Seraglio no longer employs you. You may contact the personnel office regarding your severance package."
"You can"t fire me!" Louise howled but her outrage was replaced by uneasy apprehension when Simon raised his hand again. "You you were supposed to make me casino manager. You promised!"
"Did I indeed? Produce the papers where I made this vow."
"You won"t get away with this," Louise hissed. "You give me what I want or I"ll tell that little teenybopper you knocked up everything you did to me!"
"If you value your life, you will never again mention Meghann in my presence.
A wh.o.r.e has no right to speak of a lady so far above her," Simon said pleasantly, knowing his even tone terrorized Louise far more than a shout ever could. He grasped Louise by her shoulders and banged her head into the heavy steel door, knowing the blow would make her see stars. "It has come to my attention that you are making a pest of yourself with the board. I expect all videotapes of your activities with Del Straker to be delivered to my home at three tonight. If it is entering your devious little brain to try and deceive me, keep in mind the marvelous Mother"s Day present I plan for next May, Louetta Caraway." Simon gave Louise a malicious wink and chucked her under the chin. "That"s right I know all about little Louetta Caraway and the seedy trailer park she grew up in. I admire your attempt to claw your way out of such a sordid background did you develop your aversion to s.e.x because of your father"s overtures?"
"No one knows about that," Louise gasped.
"No one except myself and the mother you"ve stashed away in that nursing home under a false name," Simon agreed, his smirk widening as Louise slumped, glaring at him with the impotent hatred he reveled in.
"Your mother recovered rather nicely from her stroke," he went on, watching her alarm grow with each word. "But I rather doubt that devoutly Pentecostal dame could withstand the horror of watching her little girl perform all manner of foul acts with another little girl. It might bring what do doctors call the penultimate stroke resulting in death? Ah, yes the Big One. Try to betray me and I"ll personally hold your mother"s head in place while she watches a videotape you never want to come into her possession. Remember, Louise, I"ll expect those tapes at three no earlier, no later."
Simon shoved Louise through the door, happy to find himself in this isolated area of the hotel where he could disappear with no one the wiser. He dismissed the mortal from his thoughts and flew to Meghann.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"Guy Balmont attacked me," Meghann said abruptly, and two concerned, aghast voices immediately fired questions at her.
"When? How did he find you? Why didn"t we feel his presence?"
"Are you all right? Meghann, let me examine you. Did you sustain any injuries to your abdomen?"
Meghann took her right hand off the steering wheel, holding it up for silence.
"First, I feel fine but I agree, Lee. You should examine me if for no other reason, a month"s gone by since the last exam. Guy didn"t strike my stomach but I felt contractions during the attack. I was able to stop them quickly but I don"t know if anything was damaged."
"Was there any bleeding?"
Meghann shook her head and watched through the rearview mirror as Lee sagged against the backseat in relief.
"Guy attacked you?"
Meghann turned her head, and saw Charles"s pale skin was mottled red with fury and his eyes mirrored the hatred she"d seen in Simon"s expression when he killed Guy.
"He knew you went to San Francisco," Meghann explained. "He planned his attack so I"d be alone "
"What about Lord Baldevar?" Charles demanded and then his eyes lit up with comprehension. "Now it makes sense Guy didn"t know Simon was here?" At Meghann"s confirmatory nod, Charles went on. "So Simon saved you? No wonder you turned to him but, Meghann, I don"t understand. Why didn"t you tell me before?"
"I wanted to," Meghann said. "But Simon made me see the only way they could know I was pregnant was by reading your thoughts while you were at Ballnamore."
Charles frowned. "Yes, that makes sense but who read my thoughts? No one on the Council is in my bloodline and I don"t understand wait! The Council doesn"t know you survived! That"s why Simon spirited you away he wants them to come investigate so he can do away with them."
"And if I told you any of this and they arrived "
"They could read me and Lord Baldevar would lose the element of surprise."
Charles glanced around the isolated desert surrounding them. "Is that why we"re driving out of town? To lure them into Simon"s trap?"
Meghann nodded. "He wants me to take you to the spot where Guy attacked me."
"So he can fly the astral plane and arrive in a matter of seconds. How can he be so sure the Council will be waiting?"
"Simon felt the presence of other vampires the moment we returned," Meghann said. "He"s camouflaged our presence from them and he says when they sense the two of us out here by ourselves "
"They won"t be able to pa.s.s up the chance to attack," Charles finished grimly.
"I a.s.sume you have weapons in this car?"
"Two axes in the trunk," Meghann answered and pulled the car over to the side of the road.
She killed the engine and Charles fetched the weapons out of the trunk.
Charles handed her one, and she came out of the car, gripping his hand.
"Charles, you do know what you"re doing tonight? If you stay by my side "
"I"ll do what I d.a.m.n well should have been here to do when that lowlife attacked you." Charles glared over at the debris from the mesa she"d destroyed as if the red boulders were something obscene. "I"m receiving images, Meghann.
How dare they torture you like that in our dead master"s name! You think I care that I"ll be considered a turncoat after tonight? I will not align myself with anyone that would try to destroy a pregnant woman and her unborn child!"
Meghann smiled softly, feeling some measure of happiness in spite of her anxiety over the battle she knew could only be moments away. The only shadow over her joy in the past month was the thought that Charles would reject her now that she was Lord Baldevar"s consort again. But now, seeing him at her side, she felt that last worry slip away. "You understand now why I"m with Simon?"
"Meghann." Charles sighed. "I can only guess at how frightened you were after they attacked you. Of course you turned to Simon for comfort. I know no matter what else he"s done, he saved your life. For that, I owe him a huge debt of grat.i.tude and I intend to tell him so the next time I see him. But has it occurred to you that you"re mistaking grat.i.tude for love?"
"I know what I feel," Meghann said quietly. "G.o.d knows I"ve tried my best to deny it but even when I despised Simon, I think some small part of me still loved him. But this is a discussion we should have at another time we have to prepare for attack now."
Charles nodded and glanced at Lee, standing a few feet from them. "Was it wise to bring him out here?"
"How can we be certain they don"t have someone at the house? It"s better that we have Lee where we can see him and protect him."
Charles started to nod and then stood ramrod straight. "You feel it? Lee, get between me and Meghann!"
Meghann and Charles turned their eyes to the five figures approaching them from the mountains. Strangely, Meghann felt her fear evaporate and then realized where her sudden sense of relief came from Simon was nearby, shielding his presence until the right moment came to strike, but he"d given Meghann a brief moment of contact to bolster her spirits. Now she could raise her head high and glare at the remaining members of the Council with unconcealed scorn.
She was surprised that Sir Walter (the oldest member of the Council after Alcuin and Guy) was able to meet her eyes more surprised when he offered her and Charles a congenial smile. "Children, you won"t need those weapons this evening. We mean you no ill will."
"Where I come from, attacking a vulnerable woman is ill will," Charles snarled.
Sir Walter sighed. "We"ve come here tonight to offer our apologies. Guy Balmont was only supposed to bring Meghann to Ballnamore to make her see reason and have an abortion."