Sweet Ruin (Immortals After Dark 16)

Because of his blood. Only his blood.

He crossed to the wall beside the bedstand, pushing a symbol. One second the bed was unmade, the next it was remade, then freshly turned down.

Don’t wig out, Jo. “Handy.”

He raised his brows. “Any more commentary?”

“Not at present.” She sauntered to the fire to warm herself. Her dress was still wet, and most of her damp skin was uncovered. Plus, thirst always made her chilled.

She turned her attention to a comfortable lounge chair situated in front of the fire. Beside it was a container of feathers and arrow shafts.

He made his arrows there. Alone. “Your sitting area only has one chair?” Was he a loner like her? Not that she cared.

Whatever he saw in her expression made his tighten. “A nymph friend decorated this place for me. The styling choices indicate nothing about myself.” He unbuckled the quiver around his leg, setting it against the wall.

“Uh-huh.” The styling choices must indicate a lot about him.

He unhooked his bow and hung it on a spike above the hearth. “There’s a ward over my bow here. Reach for it, and you’ll be blown back on your ass. If you’d still like to try, inform me so I can watch.”

Dickwad!

“In any case, this is a secondary residence.”

“Ruin’s whorehouse weekender.”

With an irritated look, he pressed another symbol, and a wide doorway opened to reveal a huge library. The shelves had to be three stories high. All those books were like safes full of never-ending treasure, and everyone but her seemed to have the keys.

Another of Rune’s symbols opened a second adjoining room with a gigantic swimming pool. Marble columns surrounded it. Torches blazed to life all at the same time, their flames reflecting in the still surface of the water. Steam wafted from a back room.

Cool!

“Copied from an old Roman design.” He surveyed it as if seeing the area anew. “Just when I deem mortals completely without flair, a choice century will come along. . . .”

“How many rooms do you have?”

“As many as I wish. It’s infinite.”

Again, handy. “So this is where you think to keep me.”

“Not exactly a hardship, then.” He cast her that smug look, the one he wore when manipulating nymphs with his dick, the one that made her want to claw his face to ribbons.

“You’ve got no idea what my home is like.” Big Sleazy Weeps. She lifted her nose. “In comparison, I find this . . . quaint.”

“Lucky for me I don’t give a damn about your lofty standards.” He parted his lips, then seemed to change his mind about what he’d been about to say. “Follow me.” He turned in a different direction, opening up another area.

When they crossed through the doorway, she stutter-stepped. Holy shit. Relics filled the room. Suits of armor, statues, jewels, vases, weapons of all kinds. “Where’d this stuff come from?”

“I’ve collected these priceless items over my lifetime.”

Jo collected things as well. One difference. Everything in here was “priceless.” She’d never been to a museum; she wanted to explore this place for days. “Collected? Or stole?”

He leaned his shoulder against a wall. “They’re war prizes.”

“You some kind of soldier?”

“I suppose you could say that. Do you still think my home quaint, vampire?” He cared about her opinion, which surprised her.

She managed a careless shrug. “ ’S okay.”

He looked like he wanted to throttle her.

“Now that you have me here, what’s your plan? My death is on the agenda for some point in the future, right?”

He exhaled. “No. I was angry and wanted to punish you for fouling my shot. A soothsayer like Nïx won’t stroll into my sights so easily next time.”

His change of tactics put her on edge—

Wait. He’d been aiming at the woman? That Nïx chick?

Not Thad!

Rune closed in on her. “I’ve realized fighting is the last thing I want to do with you. We’ll put what happened earlier behind us. Consider it water under the bridge.”

“Oh, really?”

“Don’t believe me?” He curled his forefinger under her chin.

“Till death us do part?”

“Killing you was an option I considered and have since permanently discarded.”

For some reason, she believed him. At least in that.

He brushed her damp hair over her shoulder, revealing her ear. His eyes grew hooded. Dude really dug her ears. “We could sit before the fire and open a bottle of wine. All you have to do is tell me how long you’ve been in league with Nïx and the other Valkyries.”

Valkyries existed? Weird. Why not tell Rune she’d never met this soothsayer before? Nïx had seemed like a friend to Thad—but if so, why had the female been talking about bait? Had she been leading him straight into a trap?

What else could be expected of a freak? Jo had encountered few of them, but so far she had been unimpressed.

Her first impulse was to say, “Don’t know Nïx. Put an arrow between her eyes.” But then Rune would know Jo had been protecting Thad.

She couldn’t predict how the dark fey would use information like that against her. And she didn’t trust anyone—under the best of circumstances. No, she’d keep that tidbit close for now.

Which left her with one play: persuade this male to trust her, then convince him to let her go. Will I sleep with him for my freedom? At the thought of his body over hers, thrusting, she shivered again.