Page 21 of Love, Rekindled

“You said when you kidnapped me?—”

“Rescued,” he corrected.

She didn’t argue. “You said that you sent your clansmen to capture the vampires following me,” she reminded him. “So, you’re no longer alone.”

“True.” He slowly turned, his expression brooding as he gazed down at her. “Seven hundred years ago, I realized that I craved a family.” He placed a hand over his unbeating heart. “In fact, it was driven home with painful clarity.”

Her lips parted, but before she could speak, a loud knock sounded on the door.

“Dinner!” Siros called out.

CHAPTER 5

Chiron strolledinto the lobby of the hotel several blocks from Dreamscape. It was the first time he’d stepped foot into the rival resort.

Not surprisingly, it was as large as his and equally sophisticated. What he didn’t expect was the dramatic black and gold décor. His brows arched as his gaze ran over the sleek furnishings: supple black leather and steel-framed tables with smoky black glass. The floors were a polished black marble, and in each corner stood a massive, priceless vase in isolated glory.

It reeked of sex appeal. Expensive, addictive sex appeal.

Chiron was busy considering the practicality of discovering the interior decorator responsible for the design to update Dreamscape when a female vampire appeared in front of him.

She was young, at least in vampire years, with blond hair pulled into a smooth knot at the back of her head. She wore a black A-line skirt and a shimmering gold blouse. The smile pasted to her lips revealed a hint of fang.

“Come with me.”

Chiron tilted his head. He hadn’t been trying to sneak in. He was too powerful not to alert every demon in the area that he was there. But he didn’t appreciate the female’s tone.

“What if I don’t want to?”

Lifting her hand, the female held Chiron’s gaze as three large vampires in black uniforms stepped out of the shadows. They looked like clones. All bald, each packed with muscle, and all staring at him in hopes he’d give them an excuse to beat the shit out of him.

Chiron hesitated. He wasn’t a male who allowed other creatures to intimidate him. He did the intimidating. And he did it very well. But he was genuinely concerned for Jayla. If it meant indulging Emile’s need to flex her muscles, then so be it.

“Lead the way.”

The female swiveled on her high heels and led him through a side door into a narrow hallway. Distantly, he heard the sounds of the kitchen staff as they prepared for the humans who would soon be lining up at the breakfast buffet. They turned into another hallway that ended at a private elevator. The female pulled out a small card and touched it to the control panel. The gold-plated doors slid open, and she gestured for Chiron to enter.

Hesitating for only a few seconds, Chiron stepped into the elevator and watched the panels close, locking him in the six-by-six space. If this were a trap, he’d deal with whatever waited for him. If worse came to worst, he’d left word with Styx before entering the hotel. The King of Vampires would come searching if Chiron didn’t check in by dawn.

There was a woosh, and Chiron plummeted downward. Like most vampires, Emile obviously preferred to control her empire from below. Underground was the only place guaranteed to be sunproof. The doors slid open, and Chiron stepped into a vast office that reflected the décor from above. Black marble floors, gold walls, and streamlined furnishings.

The female vampire matched her theme.

A tall and proud demon with stunningly beautiful features, she had long, deep gold hair and eyes as black as a midnight sky. She wore a black silk pantsuit with a long jacket that plunged to a deep vee, revealing that she had nothing underneath but smooth, pale skin. Her heels were three inches and shimmered gold in the muted light.

“Chiron. I’m honored.” The female folded her arms over her chest. “I would have been more honored if you’d sent word you planned to visit.”

“And ruin the surprise?” Chiron drawled, closely studying the female. Her expression was impossible to read.

“I don’t like surprises.”

Chiron decided for a direct attack. “I don’t like the fact that my manager has disappeared.”

“Manager? What manager?”

“Jayla.”

Emile stood as still as death, her dark eyes narrowing. “Is this some sort of riddle?”

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