Devil Mine Pt. 04

Balthazar was waiting for her. He got up from her couch as soon as she opened the door.

"Do you have a key that I don't know about?" She tossed her keys in her purse and dropped it on the side table.

"You were with him tonight." He backed her against the wall. "I can smell him on you."

"I was trying to get some answers." Her voice came out in a hiss. "Since you won't give me any." She slid along the wall trying to get past him but he followed her. "If you move out of the way I can go shower."

His eyes closed cutting off the glow that had started with his snarl, before she could see it. "Sorry." He stepped away to give her room.

"Thanks." She slipped past him to disappear into the washroom.

Her shower took longer than she intended but she was distracted by thoughts of Crimson. It was hard not to be, every time she saw him she ended up with more questions. She knew they'd talked for a least part of the time they were together but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something. There had to be more to the story than he was sent to track down Balthazar. She was sure of it.

Balthazar was laying in the bed when she came out of the washroom. "Were you planning on staying over?" She smirked.

"I thought we could talk."

"Are you going to tell me what's really going on?" She pulled open a drawer to search for a t-shirt to wear.

"I'm trying to protect you," he said quietly.

"From who?" She pulled an old faded red shirt over her head and let the towel fall down, draped it over the chair at the dresser then turned to him. He had sat up, his eyes were fixed on her legs. "Is someone trying to kill me?" She smiled.

"Not trying but they will if necessary." His eyes slid up to her face. Her smile faded quickly.

Holy shit. He's serious.

"Please tell me what's going on," she said softly. He stood and walked towards her. Half truths weren't working, he was going to have to show her what he really was. Internally he braced himself, knowing with her past it was unlikely that she would react well.

"Have you noticed anything different about me?" He asked softly.

"Like you being a stalker?" His smile was a little lopsided.

"Beyond that."

"I don't know. You're a little pale but that's about it."

He took her hand and laid it on his chest. "What do you feel?"

"What are you—?" She looked at her hand and pressed a little harder. Her head tilted, as if she was trying to listen for something. "I can't feel anything."

"Nor will you."

"What the hell are you trying to tell me?" She pulled her hand away from him and backed up a step. He stepped forward, following her till she bumped into the wall.

"I'm going to show you." She looked for a way past him but he had her cornered. "Try to stay calm."

"I don't like where this is going," she whispered.

"This may not be easy for you to accept." His voice changed slightly. She noticed his eyes first, they seemed to glow in the dim light. Bright green, as if his irises had caught fire. He moved closer as her gaze slid down his face to his mouth.

"Are those fangs?" She took a breath. "Holy shit!" Her hands connected with his chest, shoving hard. "You're a vampire!" He didn't budge. It was like trying to push a mountain out of her way. She kept trying even though he closed the space between them with another step.

"Em please. You have to lower your voice."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She looked up. "We treated him like he was insane and all along you were hiding right under our noses." Her voice rose. "How am I supposed to stay calm? The thing that drove my brother to kill himself is standing right in front of me." She pressed herself against the wall with a groan. "You were in my bed." He put his hand over her mouth.

"I was not one of the ones that tormented your brother. I didn't know about him until you told me what happened." Tears were running down her cheeks. "If I ever find who did that to him I will make sure they pay for it." His eyes had returned to the guise she was used to. "That will have to wait though. We need to leave." She tried to shake her head. "I'll take you somewhere safe until the danger has passed."

She reached up and pulled at his hand. "I'm not going anywhere with you," she hissed.

"Please. It's not safe for you. Especially now that he knows where you live."

"Because he's looking for you?"

"He was sent by my queen to find me." He stepped back.

"The queen of your coven?" He nodded. "And you can't go back why?"

"She will force me to do something I've chosen not to." His eyes closed, his voice was tight. "Turn a human."

"I can't believe I'm asking this." She threw her hands up. "Why would you refuse, isn't that part of being a vampire?"

"I won't force this existence on anyone." His hand settled in the middle of her chest. "You know how precious life is. Can you not believe that I would feel the same?"

"Do not use my brother to plead your case." She yanked his hand away.

"I'm not," he said softly. She stared at him for a minute, torn between grabbing her keys and storming out and wrapping her arms around him. The look in his eyes pulled her towards him. It was loneliness and regret. She been carrying it around with her for over a year. She took a breath and shook her head.

"I can't go with you." Her voice wavered. "I have responsibilities here that I can't just drop because some vampire says I'm in danger." He opened his mouth to speak but she turned away from him, wiping her cheeks dry. "I don't know if I can trust you anyway. This could all be an act to get me somewhere more private so you can do whatever it is you do to unsuspecting women."

"If I wanted to kill you I could have several times already." She shivered in the humid summer air. "And if I'd wanted to make this easier on myself I could have compelled you and forced you to do anything I wanted."

"How would I know if you haven't done that already?"

"You wouldn't."

"That's not reassuring you know."

"Would you rather I lie to you?" She shook her head. "Em, it's my fault you're in danger, please let me protect you."

"I'm not going anywhere." He moved to her, grabbed her shoulders and turned her around.

"Em."

"Balthazar." She took a step back. "Can you back off for just one bloody second?" She threw her hands up. "It's all a bit much. You know?" He took a step closer. She turned and marched to the kitchen, yanked the fridge open, pulled out a beer, twisted the top off and took a long pull. He watched her with a smile. She swallowed and wiped the corners of her mouth with a well manicured index finger. "What?" She held the beer out to him. He shook his head. "So are you going to explain what any of this has to do with me?"

"You're leverage," he said quietly.

"Against you? That doesn't make any sense. We hardly know each other."

"The queen read my thoughts while I was arguing against what she ordered me to do."

"You were thinking about me?"

"Of course I was. We'd just had a fantastic night together then I had to run off and leave you without saying goodbye." Her eyes narrowed.

"Don't tell me that's the first time you've ever done that." He smiled.

"Of course not." He stepped towards her. "But I hadn't intended to do that to you."

"What were you intending?" She looked up at him as he got closer.

"I don't know." He reached out with his fingertips and cupped her cheek. Her eyes closed as she turned her cheek into his palm. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this."

"Me too," she whispered, her eyes opened. "Why did you?"

"I've been asking myself the same thing for weeks," he said quietly, leaning closer.

"And?" Her eyes focused on his lips.

"I can't explain it." It came out in low murmur. She let him take the beer out of her hand and set it on the counter. His hand slid to the back of her neck and he drew her closer. "I tried to ignore it but there is something about you that just won't let me." His lips brushed hers softly.

"Crimson said you're dangerous," she whispered. "That you're not who you say you are." His lips lifted from hers.

"He'll say whatever he needs to convince you to trust him."

"And you wouldn't?"

"No."

She ducked down and slipped by him. "Then tell me the truth." He spun around to face her. "I want all of it Balthazar."

"Em," he said quietly. It was a plea. She shook her head.

"No, you're not getting out of it this time. I need to know so I can protect myself."

"You can't." He moved to her and took her hand. "He's a professional who's had hundreds of years to hone his skills." She stared at him, her lips turned into a frown.

Be nice to the serial killer.

Where did that come from?

"Em?" He stepped closer. "What is it?"

"Nothing." She shook her head slightly. "Just something I remembered. I think."

"What happened tonight?" He pulled her towards the couch. She followed slowly.

"To be honest, I'm not really sure." She sat down on the faded cushion. "It's all kind of fuzzy."

"What do you remember?" He held onto her hand, rubbing her fingers slowly.

She looked at him. "I went to his hotel room to see if I could more information from him." He nodded slightly. "We talked for a while and then I must have fallen asleep because when we left it was hours later."

"You probably didn't fall asleep." He squeezed her fingers. "Do you remember what you talked about? Was he asking you questions?" Her eyes closed.

"He asked if I had left you at home and went to visit him." Flashes of naked bodies, hers and Crimson's, scattered through her mind as she searched. She grabbed Balthazar's hand. "There's something I can't quite make out."

"Did you tell him I was here?" He asked softly. She shook her head.

"I told him I hadn't see you in weeks. He admitted he was sent to find you." She took a deep breath. Her thighs pressed together tightly. "Jesus," she whispered.

"What?" He leaned closer. She didn't answer right away, just took another breath. "Em."

"I think I was naked." An image of Crimson's wicked smile, his hands parting her thighs as he lowered his face to feast on her heat coalesced in the fog invading her brain.

"Do you remember if he bit you?"

"I don't think so." Her free hand went to her neck.

"Will you let me check?" She looked at him. "There are better places, more discrete places, where he could have."

"You want me to get naked so you can examine me?" She laughed. He looked so serious that her laugh faded quickly. "Why does it matter?" She leaned closer. "Does it create some kind of psychic link with the victim?"

"What?' His head tilted.

"Never mind." She smiled. "That show must have gotten it wrong."

"I just don't want him drinking your blood." He looked down at her hand, he flipped it over to study her wrist. "It's very intimate."

"You're jealous." She leaned back against the cushion.

"He's not a good guy," he said softly and reached for her other hand. "He doesn't deserve anything from you."

"Balthazar." She watched him search her wrist. "Is he going to kill me?"

He took both her hands and looked up at her. "I'll do everything I can to prevent that but it would be easier if you would let me take you somewhere safe."

She shook her head. "The end of the year recital is on Thursday."

"You'd risk your life for a bunch of kids?"

"Those kids were the only thing that kept me going after Jason died." He looked down at her hands. She was quiet for a few minutes while she weighed the evidence in her mind. "I'll make you a deal." His fingers tightened around hers. "We can go after the recital."

"I guess that's better than nothing." He smiled slightly. "I don't suppose there's any way I can convince you to stay here until it's over?" She shook her head.

"You can compel people right?" His head tilted in question. "I'm going to need some help with my boss. When this is all over I want to be able to come back to my life."

"Give me the address and I'll go have a chat with him tomorrow." She nodded. "Now can I have a look for marks?"

"Still on that huh?" She pulled her hands free and stood. "Fine, but not out here." He watched as she strode to the bedroom and flicked on the lights. He followed after a moment and entered just as she was pulling the t shirt over her head. "You're not going to find anything." She flipped her hair back and faced him.

"Maybe not but I'll feel better when I know for sure." He moved closer, his eyes scanning her skin, her soft warm skin. He took a breath and forced himself to focus, ignoring how his loins tightened as he approached her.

He started with her neck, brushing her hair over her shoulder and skimming his fingers along the cords of her neck down to the curve of her shoulder. Finding nothing he moved to the other side and repeated his movements. Her heart rate picked up speed as his touch moved from one spot to the next. He smiled as he stepped behind her and held her hair away from her neck. He leaned closer to press his lips on the back of her neck. She shivered with a little laugh. Her eyes glanced towards the window. A slight breeze blew the sheer curtains open for a moment. Her head tilted slightly. There was a faint musky scent close by. As though someone wearing a heavy cologne had passed by and the fragrance lingered in their wake. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she took it in.

"Couldn't resist," Balthazar murmured. His knees bent and he lowered himself behind her, studying the lines of her back, his finger tips running along her skin lightly. Seeing nothing suspicious he lowered himself further to examine her legs.

"Anything?" She asked softly.

"Not yet," he answered, rising to his feet and stepping around her. His hands cupped her shoulders. She sucked in a breath as his fingers slid along her collarbones then lower to the tops of her breasts.

********

Outside the window the shadow settled onto the metal step. It's leaned forward, listening to the faint sounds coming from Em's bedroom. It focused her, listening to the pounding of her heart, the scent of her arousal carried on the cross breeze from the opposing window, her little gasps of pleasure. She was with someone.

The darker part shifted within it, trying to force it's way to the surface. It pushed back, clenching it's fists tightly. After a few moments. It was successful.

It moved closer to the open window, determined to know the identity of her lover.

**********

Balthazar slid his fingers along the outside curve of her breasts. She turned her head away with a little smile.

"Still nothing," he murmured.

"I told you," she said and looked at him. "If I was the suspicious type I'd think you just wanted a reason to get me naked." He laughed softly.

"But you're not?"

"No, but it seems I may need to change."

He stopped and looked into her eyes. "It's a dangerous world out there."

"I'm beginning to see that." She stepped closer, her hands reached for his waist, easing under the hem of his shirt. His abs contracted under the heat of her fingers.

"Em."

"You started it," she whispered and slid her hands down, easing them past the waistband of his jeans.

He chuckled. "Do you really think now is a good time for this?"

"I'm already naked so I'm going with yes." She slid her hands to the front of his jeans and started to work the button free. The zipper followed quickly. She held his gaze as her fingers moved. "You know, for a dead guy, you're pretty hot." He smiled.

"I'm not exactly dead," he said softly.

"But you have died."

"It was a long time ago." His hands grabbed hers as they moved along his hips targeting his ass. "I'm not done." She sighed softly and dropped her hands. His hands slid along her sides, she stifled a giggle and pulled back slightly. "Sorry," he murmured.

"I'm going to have to find some way to get back at you for this," she huffed. His hands moved to her breasts, his fingertips skimming the underside lightly. Her nipples tightened into little pearls of arousal. He caught his tongue between his teeth to keep from bending and drawing one between his lips. "This is so unfair."

"If I let you touch me after I'm done will you let me finish?" He looked into her eyes. She nodded with a little smile.

******

The shadow had heard enough. It stood up and crept past the window to go down the stairs. The darker part was trying to force it's way free and it fought to control it. It took several deep calming breaths as it moved. When it got to the bottom of the stairs it took off for the end of the street in a jog.

You have to stop before someone sees us! It bellowed at the darker part.

I want her! It raged back.

We will get her.

It's steps slowed as it came to the corner of the block.

Now!

You have to be patient.

It walked towards a doorway with deep shadows and stepped into it. The dagger in it's hand slid into the sheath on the back of it's belt. It stepped back onto the sidewalk smiling at two young women walking toward it. The women smiled back, leaning towards each other and whispering, their eyes focused on the handsome, well dressed man in front of them.

Brown eyes that seemed to sparkle under the bright street lights swept over them. Both were very attractive blondes. The kind used to having their pick of men. And dressed for the hunt. He smirked when they slowed as the distance between them shrank. His speed didn't decrease in spite of the need twisting through his loins. There was no point in engaging with them. Only one person was going to satisfy the enormous lust of his darker side.

Sorry ladies. He cast a quick glance down the street he had just come from. I'm taken.

**********

Balthazar bent his knees to scan her abdomen. Her skin was unblemished so he continued till he was on his knees. He turned his head from the wetness between her thighs, forcing himself to finish checking her legs, right down to her ankles. There was nothing.

He let out a small sigh but didn't stand. She looked down at him with her hands out, waiting for him to pronounce her unbitten. He looked up at her while reaching for her hips and pushed her toward the bed. She sat down when her legs bumped into the mattress.

"What are you—?" She sputtered.

"Almost done," he answered. His hands pulled her knees apart. She flopped back on the bed. His fingers followed the trail of his gaze. Her thighs were perfectly smooth. He took a deep breath, the scent of her desire filling his head, and leaned closer. His hands lifted her legs higher, till her feet were planted on the bed, then moved to her hips and gave her a little tug. She started to protest as his fingers moved to her soft folds. Her voice faded into a moan as his touch changed. He circled her opening slowly. "I didn't find anything."

"Feel better?" She asked softly.

"Much," he murmured then pushed his fingers into her and leaned closer to give her a toe curling open mouthed kiss. Her hands tightened into fists against the sheets. She moaned as he stroked. His arm wrapped around her hips, holding her in place.

"You said I could touch you," she murmured. He chuckled, then lapped her soft lips a few more times. His fingers eased out of her and he stood.

She sat up as he pulled his black t shirt over his head. He let her tug his jeans down with his underwear. She leaned closer, slid her hands into his hair and pulled him into a deep kiss while he reached down to finish taking his pants off. A throaty laugh escaped her lips as he wobbled. Once he was free she took hold of his thighs, pulling him between her knees.

His lips left hers and he straightened. She immediately wrapped her hands around his shaft with a happy little growl and lapped at the wetness glistening on the tip. He groaned deeply as her lips suctioned around the silky head. Her head dipped as she took him all the way to the back of her throat with a little moan. His hands cradled her head as she moved. He sensed her need for control and let her set the pace.