[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
murdered and he was turned into a vampire. He wasn t happy with the world in general at that time and
especially not with Bazhena. During the short duration that she had kept him on her leash, his only thought
was murder. He wanted her dead and he would do whatever he could to accomplish that. She had
altered his life forever and killed the woman he loved. At that time it hadn t mattered that he caused his
own troubles by questioning his love, and lusting after Bazhena. She was to blame and he wanted to
make her pay for it. He went crazy from the rage and rational thought was not part of his life for a time.
He took revenge often, wherever and on whomever he felt like.
Alyssa s stalker hadn t reached that stage, yet. But he was getting closer to it, closer to her. And as his
anger and frustration grew, so would the severity of his actions. So far, Alyssa was the only one at risk,
but others could be hurt. If they got in the way, they could be killed. And once that step had been taken,
there was no turning back.
He remembered the first time he had killed someone in his anger to get back at Bazhena. Although he
had no power over her at that time, he had power over mortals. He fed and killed. He was vicious and
cruel, causing his victim as much pain as possible. It had been intoxicating. Addicting. It had momentarily
satisfied him. If Alyssa s stalker got a taste of that, there was no telling how many people he would kill.
Christian did one more check of the perimeter, then talked to the on-site security team. They said
everything was going as planned. Nothing unusual. But Christian wasn t satisfied. Something wasn t right.
He couldn t place it, but he felt the disturbance in the air. As he headed back to Alyssa s room, the
feeling got stronger and stronger. When he realized the implication of that, the awareness hit him. He
could feel the danger and he could sense Alyssa s fear. He raced forward, using his mind to scan what he
couldn t see.
Bazhena. He would know her sickly sweet, cloying smell anywhere. She was trying to get to Alyssa.
Christian slammed his mind into Bazhena s, jamming her thoughts with his own. Because she had created
him, they had a mental bond that was difficult to break. He had forgotten how sick her mind was and
almost recoiled from the evil he felt. But he held on, pushing at her, diverting her attention from Alyssa.
Bazhena was surprised by his presence. She had been giving her full concentration to Alyssa. This gave
him a momentary advantage. Before she could switch to him, Christian sent Bazhena a violent mental
push. It was designed to wreak havoc with her brain and cause incredible pain.
He heard Bazhena s mind scream, then her presence was suddenly gone. He knew she would be out of
commission for the rest of the night. He reached Alyssa s door and pushed it open. He found her
crumpled on the floor, unconscious.
Alyssa slowly opened her eyes. It hurt too much. Seeing could wait. She shut them again.
You must open your eyes some time,palomita .
Her eyes opened wide at the sound of Christian s amused voice and she grimaced in pain. His softly
teasing tone sent tingles up and down her body. She realized two things at once. She was lying on the
floor. And Christian was holding her. The first fact left her curious. The second made her downright
confused. She looked around, studiously avoiding Christian s eyes. She already knew what those eyes
did to her. She didn t need any more confusion at the moment.
What happened? She tried to sit up, but Christian kept her in his arms.
Her gaze swung to his then. What was going on?
I m not sure. I think you must have gotten dizzy and fainted. I found you lying on the floor when I
walked in, he said.
Fainted? I don t faint. She quickly dismissed his explanation. Her brow furrowed in concentration.
Why couldn t she remember?
The last thing I remember is going over my speech. Then waking up on the floor. In your arms. Alyssa
looked pointedly at his arms around her.
The feel of him holding her was starting to take its toll. Although she didn t know what had happened,
her body was very aware of what was going on right now. Christian held her so that he supported her
head, the upper half of her body cradled in his lap. His hands lay just below her breasts. All he had to do
was move them up an inch and she would probably lose it. Right there in the dressing room. Lose control
and attack him.
The desire burning in his gaze didn t help matters. It scorched her. She shifted her body restlessly and
encountered something very hard pressed against her back. She froze. Christian s eyes narrowed
dangerously and he started clenching and unclenching his jaw. He looked like he was in pain.
This time when she tried to sit up, he didn t stop her. She scrambled to her feet. Dizziness overwhelmed
her. She had to steady herself by grabbing the nearby chair. After a minute or so, the feeling passed and
she let go. Christian was watching her warily, cautiously, as if he wasn t sure what she would do.
Ignore it. That s what she would do. She was not about to acknowledge the fact that the man made her
knees weak. Stick to the business at hand. That s what she had to do. She jumped slightly when
Christian interrupted her little internal pep talk.
How are you feeling? he asked.
Other than the fact that she wanted to jump his bones, she was feeling much better.
Better. That was all she could manage.
Why don t we cancel your speech for tonight? he suggested.
Thatgot her attention back to business.
No, she declared. Those people bought my book. They came tonight to hear me talk. I need to do
this. Don t worry. The dizziness has passed and I m feeling much better. It was probably just nerves.
Are you sure?
Yes. Positive.
Christian studied her silently until she felt like squirming, then he nodded his head. Alyssa released the
breath she hadn t known she was holding.
Fine, but take it easy out there. I ll be to the right of you, backstage if you need me. Just look my way
and I ll come to you, Christian said.
Okay. I ll keep that in mind.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]