Blood Bound (14 page)

A lot of eyes were on them as they walked across a broad expanse of marble flooring to the elevators.

Rafi looked at the buttons and took a breath as she realized exactly what floor Julian’s office was on.

The doors opened on the penthouse suite, to wide glass doors with  JL Investments etched into them and thick gray carpet beneath their feet.

Well.

Apparently the man at the security desk had alerted Julian’s secretary of their arrival, she was already stalking across the marble to intercept them.

“Can I help you, officers?” she said, pleasantly. “Mr. Lüceanu is a very busy man. Perhaps I can answer any questions you might have.”

Her face was a mask of makeup perfectly applied so that she appeared to be made of porcelain.

“Now she’s just being insulting,” Sasha said. “The badge clearly says Detective on that gold shield.”

The woman’s gray eyes flashed to him coldly.

“Would you just ask Julian if he’s free to see me?” Rafi said, mildly, “Rafaela Stratford.”

“As I said,” the secretary responded, emphasizing the next, “Mr. Lüceanu is busy. If you can tell me what this is about, I’ll tell him.”

“It’s police business,” Rafi said, “but we’ll wait.”

Her first impulse was to go to the broad mahogany doors and knock, suspecting that Julian wouldn’t mind, but she didn’t want to make things uncomfortable.

The woman sat down at her desk, made a few minor notations until Rafi leaned an arm on her desk and just stared at her.

Finally, exasperated, the woman stalked to the doors, knocked sharply and walked in at Julian’s call.

Through the half-opened door she caught a glimpse of Julian pacing across the floor of his office before a bank of windows but his dark eyes were on the display screen and the figures on it.

Like the night they’d met he was dressed immaculately in a business suit and a crisp white shirt, somehow making them look sexy. His hair was brushed back to display the sharp widows peak. He was so beautiful.

One look, a glance and her heart was pounded.

She sighed softly. Already she had it so bad.

In the next instant, he straightened, turned and his gaze found hers.

“Rafi,” he said, clearly delighted, tossing the remote mouse to the secretary as he swept past her.

The look in his eyes was all Rafi needed to see. Her heart lifted.

Julian gave Sasha a quick acknowledging glance and a smile before he gathered Rafi up in his arms for a quick but thorough kiss.

“Apparently,” Sasha said, to no one in particular, “the feeling is mutual.”

Julian chuckled and broke off the kiss.

“It is,” he said, turning to offer his hand. “Very.”

Still trying to get her breath back from the kiss and what he’d just said, Rafi smiled a little and said, “Julian, my partner, Sasha.”

The two men eyed each other, but there was no sense of animosity, just assessment.

Slowly Julian nodded. “I see why Rafi trusts you.”

It had been something that had concerned Sasha. Paranormals, with their heightened senses, knew each other for what they were. So just as he knew that Julian Lüceanu was a vampire, Julian also knew Sasha was a werewolf.

He trusted Rafi too much not to know that she would do everything to protect him, so it was a measure of the trust this man had earned in such a short time that she would bring them together. And a measure of her concern.

“Come in, come in,” Julian said, gesturing them into his office.

He glanced as his secretary. “Unless I’m in a meeting, anytime Rafi comes here, show her right in.”

Affronted but trying not to show it, the secretary stiffened, then walked out.

Rafi resisted the childish need to stick her tongue out at the frosty woman. It was likely that she was very efficient, and equally likely that she’d wanted Julian, so she couldn’t blame her.

Seeing the look, Julian grinned. “Behave.”

Laughing, Rafi said, “You already know me far too well.”

“I do,” Julian said, burying his hands in her hair to tilt her face up to his to look into her twinkling eyes. He glanced at Sasha. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Sasha shook his head, grinned ruefully. “Nothing I don’t see in the pack.”

In fact, he kept waiting to meet his own mate. He kept looking, but so far, he hadn’t found her.

“Good,” Julian said, and gave Rafi another quick kiss. “So, what brings you here? Not that you’re not welcome, but this seems to be more like official business.”

“It is,” Rafi said, looking up into his deep brown eyes. “Julian, when we first met, you said something about vampire hunters. Was there a reason?”

In a moment, she watched as he shifted from lover to a predator. His eyes went darker, if that was possible. His body went stiff, muscles tightening, although his hands were still cupped around her head gently. A part of her thrilled to see it, to feel that powerful energy. She was reminded her almost instantly of a panther, dark and sleek.

Every sense in Julian’s body went alert.

Very carefully, looking from his Rafi to her partner Sasha, he said, “Why do you ask?”

Rafi’s deep blue eyes were intent. “We got word from on high that there’s talk of a vampire hunter in town.”

Like many police departments after 9/11, they found it was easier to go more pro-active, and so they had a fairly intricate web of informants and snitches. And Sid Barnes.

“Apparently there’s reason enough to believe that the information is credible,” she said, looking up at Julian intently. “They don’t do that lightly.”

“No,” Julian said, “they don’t.”

“I didn’t know who else to talk to who might be able to put a warning out,” Rafi said, “to the vampire community.”

The popular fiction was that the paranormal community was like everyone else, just common citizens with no power structure. Of course, nothing was further from the truth.

Julian looked at her, and smiled, despite his fears for his people. Her instincts were better than she knew.

“You came to the right place,” he said.

That confirmed Rafi’s guess. Then the import of his words really hit her. Julian was the de facto leader of the vampire community. For a moment the reality of it just…stunned her.

Seeing it, Julian drew her closer and looked down into her turbulent blue eyes. He grinned.

“Nothing’s changed, Rafita. I’m still Julian.”

Rafi looked up at him, at the dimples that had appeared from nowhere, at the warmth and light in his eyes.

She smiled. “Yes, you are.”

“I’ll put the word out, warn my people,” he said. “Dinner’s at six. Catalena will be very disappointed if you miss it. She made Beef Wellington just for you.”

Chapter Eight

A hand appeared before Rafi’s eyes, turning a single white rose between strong, agile fingers. Warm buttery yellow seemed to glow in heart of the flower. Julian’s aftershave enveloped her. Rafi took a deep breath, drawing in the slightly spicy sent of it as she turned her head to look up at him with a smile. The files had been putting her to sleep, or she’d have heard him coming.

“Julian,” she said, delighted, looking up at him, aware of a dozen eyes watching her as she took the offered rose. “What are you doing here?”

It was unusual. Remembering the rumors of the vampire hunter she looked at him. “Nothing’s happened, has it?”

As perfectly dressed as always he sat on the edge of her desk and shook his head. “Nothing. All our people are being careful, traveling only in groups. Other than that one incident…” an attempted kidnapping that might have been a domestic, “there’s been nothing.”

Rafi let out a sigh of relief.

With a slight frown at the memory, he said, quietly, “I was called down. A small problem of a newly made vampire. Apparently he ‘persuaded’ a girl he was attracted to into allowing him to feed on her. Even though by her own admission the girl was interested, it’s little better than rape to use his abilities that way.”

Abilities that had once been necessary for survival, the ability to exert one’s mind to influence another had enabled more than one vampire to escape certain death. It required will and determination, or, in this case, a victim who’d wanted to be persuaded and a vampire willing to do so.

Over the centuries it had been used and misused but there was little need for such talents in these times. Even so, there were always repercussions.

His mouth tightened.

“Now, knowing what he did and what he’s capable of, she’s not. The judge will plead it down to a misdemeanor in much the same way as those who use date rape drugs, but even so, we didn’t need this now. Not with vampire hunters around. It will just inflame those who were looking for an excuse anyway.”

Anger moved in him. “The one who made him should have taught him better. I’ll be talking to her as well.”

Julian tightened his jaw and shook his head.

He’d needed something to clear away the memory, to calm him down. Since he was downtown and in police headquarters… It had only taken a question or two to determine that Rafi was in the building and then to find a nearby florist. Symbol of pure love, the single white rose was perfect, especially as he watched Rafi breathe in the scent of it, her own stiff shoulders and creased brow relaxing. She faced difficulties every day that he could imagine only too well, remembering centuries when law and order had been nonexistent, but some days were worse than others. This seemed one of them.

“I remembered you said you’d be working on old files unless something came up so I thought I’d stop by and see if I could persuade you to run away with me. Nico and I have a surprise for you when we get home. Leave your motorcycle here if you’d like, I’ll drop you off in the morning.”

Rafi grinned. She glanced at the clock automatically but knew she didn’t need to – Julian had timed it perfectly.

“Sasha?” she asked.

He looked at the stack of files. “Go. I’m packing it in for the day, too.”

She grabbed her jacket with a smile. “I’m ready.”

It had been a tough day. Some of those files brought back memories of the cases they covered. It was walking through a mental sewer in file after file.

Signing out, she waved to all the watching eyes, grinning. Most of them grinned back, and one dared to give her a thumbs up. Smiling, she shook her head and nodded to Sasha’s knowing grin.

Nico’s bike wasn’t in the garage when they reached the house.

“He’s working late. Get changed, relax. I’ll meet you on the terrace,” Julian said, giving her a kiss.

The terrace had swiftly become one of their favorite places in the house, for many reasons, not least of which was the view. Raised high enough to see over the walls that enclosed the estate, a low marble balustrade edged the broad slate floor. It and towering yews to each side framed the scenery and the city beyond and below. At night the city and the stars rivaled one another for brightness. Hidden to one side by the yews was the garage with Julian and Nico’s wide selection of cars. On the other and down a level was the enormous in ground pool with its granite skirt and marble columns. It glittered in the sunlight.

She changed into a bikini, the warm air wonderful on her skin. Basking like a cat in the late afternoon sun, Rafi stretched out on one of the wide thickly-cushioned cedar chaises, letting the warmth bake into her, soothing away the tension.

On the table beside her chaise stood a decanter of fresh lemonade and a dish of fresh fruit that Nelly, one of the maids, had set there before she left for the day. She’d been delighted that Julian had given them the evening off early.

It still amazed her, service like that, even after several weeks. She supposed she might truly get used to it…someday.

Julian came out to join her, brushing a hand over her hair as he came to sit beside her. Gestures of affection like that came naturally to both he and Nico. One or the other of them were always touching her, tugging gently at her hair or kissing her as they passed. When they weren’t fucking her, which was often. Once Julian had caught her eyeing him, just admiring the sheer beauty of him and a rush of pure lust had flashed in his eyes. It had set off a matching burst of heat inside her. One moment he’d been across the room, the next stripping her dress off before lifting her up in the air to fuck her against the wall, his cock driving deep inside her.