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wound closed.
Nice job, the woman commented. Those two know what
they re doing I could see that right away. Not like some of the other
brutes in here. They think it s still the thirteenth century. No
technique at all.
I think I did meet the guy you mean, Lindsay said, trying not to
look startled. Luckily, it was a brief encounter.
Yeah, Rolando s thinking of eighty-sixing that creep. Too bad,
because he has nowhere else to go, but I say we have to draw the line
somewhere. He tried to grope me the other day, too. I was thinking of
bringing in some garlic spray.
Would that work? Lindsay asked, incredulous.
Loving Two Vampires 49
As long as he thinks it does. The woman winked. The
vampires were as superstitious as the humans in his world. We can
use that to our advantage with his type.
When the woman handed her a drink the same color she d
selected the night before and moved on, Lindsay touched her own
neck and frowned. Only the slightest bump remained in the spot
Caine had sunk his teeth into. She remembered the rush of pleasure
mixed with pain as his lips closed over the breach in her flesh and
coaxed the sweet fluid from her veins.
At least, she thought she remembered it. Now she wondered if, in
the heat of the moment, she had imagined some of the details. After
all, neck wounds didn t heal that fast.
The alternative explanation wasn t an option.
Gabriel stood at her side again. He stared down at the drink she
held.
Is this safe? she asked, holding it up for his scrutiny.
Of course. Why wouldn t it be?
Well, you know, I ve heard about clubs spiking their drinks to
make people more& vulnerable.
Nothing illegal goes on here. Gabriel sounded a bit impatient.
Relax, Caine said, sliding in beside her as well. We re
supposed to explain things to her, not get defensive. Let s start with
the basics. He pointed to a tall, steel-faced man walking around the
bar and nearby tables as if on an inspection tour. That s Rolando, the
owner of Purgatory. He s old about four hundred, give or take, but
not the oldest specimen you ll meet here.
Lindsay scowled. Four hundred?
Years, of course. Surely you know vampires don t age. That was
one thing the movies did get right.
I& see.
Rolando s mate is human. She provides him with blood.
Therefore, he no longer hunts here or anywhere else. He gets
50 Cassandra Pierce
everything he needs to survive in the bedroom, or wherever the urge
takes him. Caine s smile tilted. Rolando is a bit of a wild one.
That doesn t hurt her?
So far, he s managed to take just what he needs. They ve been
together quite a while.
Both of us feasted on you, and you re not hurt, Gabriel pointed
out.
Many humans find feeding a vampire pleasurable, Caine said.
Some even become addicted. It s like a sex act, but far, far more
intimate. Done properly, it s as safe as donating a pint or two to the
local Red Cross wagon.
Some of which are run by vampires, by the way, Gabriel said.
If you ever see a blood drive at night, you should scrutinize the
volunteers.
Caine laughed. They never seem to miss a few bags. Creative
paperwork.
So all of these people are& vampires? Lindsay looked around,
bewildered. Aside from a few odd costumes, they looked like the
patrons in any urban bar that catered to eccentric tastes.
Gabriel shook his head. Donors, mostly. The vampires don t
waste their time up here. This area is for the dabblers.
Lindsay remembered the cheers of encouragement when she d so
naively charged into the back room the night before. No question
about it, she could have gotten herself into real trouble here. Thank
goodness she d run into Caine and Gabriel when she had.
Come on. Caine motioned for her to follow. Let s go where the
real action is. Gabriel and I need to feed.
Gabriel fell into place behind her, and the three of them moved
through the outer bar into the space where she had seen the man tied
to the scaffolding. This area, too, was filling fast, and she endured a
round of lecherous looks as Caine led the way to a thick metal door
she hadn t noticed the night before.
Loving Two Vampires 51
It opened into a shadowed passageway that ended in three stone
steps. The atmosphere below was murky, the only illumination
provided by small round portals recessed into the brick walls. Lindsay
expected to see candles or sconces, but she supposed such materials
would pose a fire hazard.
Ahead of them, silhouetted figures ambled through the gloom.
The low rumble of conversation replaced the throb of techno music.
Some of the voices spoke in languages Lindsay didn t understand or
even recognize.
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