Three-Marley

Keeping my thoughts from Rhayden was not hard. The moment the doors to the library opened and he stepped into its darkened interior, my only thought was on the other man inside.

Rhayden cleared his throat. “Absinthe, Marlene Brennan, as requested.”

“Thank you, Rhayden. Give her a room.”

That silken voice called to me, and I could not help but move.

Stepping into the doorway of the grand library, I stopped.

The mansion’s library had always had me in awe. The walls lined with rows upon rows of shelves, crammed with old tomes. Soft lighting illuminated a wooden desk against the back window and a huge slab of wood in the center of the room, which served as a conference table.

A table currently surrounded by vampires.

Each one dressed in suit or formal wear, the enamel pins of their coven, attached to their lapels. Over a dozen gazes fell on me, the hunger evident.

Most had not dealt with a human in years. If I had my way, each of them would be dead.

I did not trust the elder vampires, any of them could turn rogue at any moment, which meant their names would cross my own desk and I would have to hunt them.

My own past dealings with the bloodsucking creatures were far from pleasant.

“Marlene.”

My gaze slid from the vampires around the table, to the one at the head. This one, and his brother at my side, were the exceptions...

Absinthe Raynes.

Vampire Lord of Miami.

Regal, powerful—beautiful.

His dark hair was raked back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. The robes of his house, covering his impressive physique. My gaze slipped up his frame, meeting his.

Moss green eyes faded to silver, a smirk coming to his perfect lips as he leaned forward slightly and addressed me, as if I were the only one in the room. “Please, Marlene. I bid you stay. We have much to discuss.”

Nodding like a love-struck teen, I almost slapped Rhayden as he pulled the doors closed. sealing Absinthe back in with the elders.

“Who’s the puppy now?”

I flipped him off and turned, storming through the corridors of the mansion.

I would not let Rhayden get under my skin… even though I knew it was what he wanted. Not only did he enjoy riling me up, but he also enjoyed seeing how far he could push his flirting before I kicked back and shut him down.

We had an interesting relationship.

We loved to hate and hated the blossoming love we felt for each other.

I was simply better at hiding it.

My thoughts were so jumbled about the man following me, I didn't notice the corner coming up, until I had slammed into the mountain of muscle, coming around it.

Bouncing back, I blinked and looked up, the stench of death washing over me.

“Watch it. Food.”

The man’s huge hands hung loosely by his side, but I could see in his gaze how much he wanted to use them to crush my skull. Instinctively, my hand dropped to the dagger at my hip and his gaze fell on it, followed by a snarl.

Blonde hair and a firm body stepped into my path. “Back off Vince. She is here at Absinthe’s command.”

Vince’s gaze did not leave mine and he snarled again. “Whatever.”

The big vampire pushed past us, continued his way down the corridor, and I sighed with relief. The last thing I wanted was a confrontation with the big man. We did not particularly get along, and I knew it would never change. Even though I hadn’t done anything to provoke his anger toward me.

Rhayden turned and raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to be fish food for Vince?”

Again, I flipped him off and he chuckled, turning, and leading us toward the room I would be staying in.

My room.

It had been mine for over a year and a half. Ever since staying in the human population was deemed too dangerous according to Absinthe. I had had a few run ins with rogue vampires, to the point where I had even been attacked in my own apartment and the Lord of the Miami coven did not like the idea I could accidentally slip up about the existence of Vampires.

The mansion was safer.

But I imagined it was so Absinthe could have access to me more often.

Following Rhayden down the corridor, my gaze could not help but gravitate to his ass. Clad in those dark jeans, his physique was different to Absinthe’s but nonetheless just as impressive.

“Do I have to fear for my safety?” My gaze snapped up. His head was turned slightly to the side as he walked and the smirk on his lips was evident.

“What?”

“Keep looking at my ass like that, Mars, and I am going to have to do something about it. And we both know Abe will not share.”

My heart hammered with the nickname he called me, and I looked away, face heating.

His chuckle did not help my embarrassment.

Had it been that obvious?

I could not believe my feelings for the pale vampire in front of me were starting to bubble to the surface and become so… readable. I had been so good at hiding them.

I bit down on my lip, letting blood wash into my mouth and tried to think of something else.

We continued toward my room, the mansion’s sprawling corridors hiding the vampires within. There were over two-hundred bloodsuckers living in this one three-story building. Absinthe had one of the largest covens of vampires in the United States. His leadership was renowned throughout the country, and he had turned away many more vampires than he had allowed in.

My gaze lifted to the door as we came to the end of the corridor on the third floor. My room was at the end, the biggest guest room, rivaled only by Absinthe’s and then Rhayden’s. It showed the vampires in the coven, I was important to their Lord.

Rhayden stepped to the side of the door, his hand coming out, flourishing around the lock. “Your room, M’Lady.”

“Ass.” I spat and stepped up to the lock. I lifted my hand, gripping the chain around my neck and pulled out the ornate key which sat on the end of it. Heavyset, it was still warm in my hand as I slipped it into the lock.

Before I had time to twist it, Rhayden stepped closer, his hand lifting. Soft, but chilled fingers moved the hair from the side of my neck and the vampire whispered across my skin.

“You know we still can run away together, Mars. Just you and me.”

My skin goose-pimpled with his words, a flash of heat racing through my body as his fingers traced down my neck, over my shoulders and to the small of my back. My eyes closed as Rhayden leaned closer, his lips against my ear. “I could give you so much…”

His fingers moved again, his hand tracing lightly over my backside, tracing the seam of my jeans downward— footsteps and I stepped away, my eyes opening.

I turned my head, looking down the corridor at the vampire who had stepped out of their room and gone in the other direction.

It was not Absinthe and relief rushed through me.

He would have torn Rhayden apart and I didn't want to know what he would have done to me. Turning my head back to the vampire next to me, I twisted the key and shoved open the door.

“Not going to happen, Rhayden. You know that.”

His eyes flashed from the silver of lust to the copper of anger his species was prone to, and he stepped back, arms folding over his chest. “And why the fuck not?”

Not only had I been at the end of this vampire’s flirting, but I had also been on the end of his anger before and the scars on my side burned with memories. “Because you know we’d be hunted.”

“I can fight them.”

My heart soared at the idea this creature would fight to keep me. I sighed, stepping closer and lifted my hand, pushing back the strand of silken hair from his angry gaze. “But could you fight Absinthe?”

His eyes faded from copper back to their bright electric blue and closed. There was only one man in the world Rhayden would never lay a hand upon in anger.

His own brother.

I stepped back and his eyes opened. “I’m sorry, Rhayden. It just isn’t going to happen.”

The metallic tang of blood came to my tongue as I bit down on my lip again and his gaze dropped to my mouth. He stepped forward, his thumb brushing my bottom lip and electric shocks raced across the sensitive skin.

Rhayden pulled his thumb away; a smear of blood sitting on it and lifted it to his mouth. His gaze lifted to mine as he sucked the blood from his flesh and his eyes paled to silver.

My stomach contracted with need and my panties flooded as he pulled the digit out of his mouth and stepped back.

“Then a small taste is all I’ll ever get.” He bowed slightly. “Until later.”

Rhayden turned and walked down the hallway, turning the corner and I exhaled in a deep whoosh. My breath was ragged, my heart hammering and I turned, rushing into my room and slammed the door. I sagged against it, sliding down the dark wood and sank to the floor. My knees lifted and my arms wrapped around them as I tried to slow my heart.

Rhayden had always been open about his desire to have me in his bed… but he had never been so blatant before. He knew what would happen if we took it any further. We would both be dead.

Leaning forward, I buried my head against my knees and tried to calm myself before Absinthe’s arrival.