Compelled~Cerise_Blood Courtesans by Rebecca Rivard

Author:Rebecca Rivard [Rivard, Rebecca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wild Hearts Press
Published: 2018-09-16T16:00:00+00:00

Cerise

The sun was setting over the yard as I let myself out the French doors onto the patio. I strolled past the pool, taking a gravel path that wound through the grounds. This late in the year, even the south of France was chilly at night. I wrapped my arms around myself, glad for my cashmere sweater.

As darkness descended, the lights along the path glowed on and I found myself in a lush Mediterranean garden that must be spectacular in the summer. Even now, in mid-December, it was beautiful. Soft spotlights illuminated a small olive grove and the statues dotting the grounds. I passed spiky agave and yucca, tall grasses with golden brown tassels rustling in the breeze, and terra cotta pots spilling over with sedum, lavender and other sun-loving flowers.

The other vampires had awakened, and several joined me in the garden along with their courtesans. I tried to avoid them, but a slim vampire with the features of an English lord cornered me by the olive grove. His gaze traveled up and down my body like I was an item for sale in a shop window. “I’m George, sweetling. And you are?”

“Bard’s courtesan,” I returned with a smile. Inside, I tensed, afraid that like Jean-Paul, the man would think he could help himself to any blood courtesan, contract be damned. I’d left my dagger in the room, but my fingers closed around the lipstick flash bomb in my pocket. Toss it at a vampire, and the bright light stunned them for a good half-minute.

But I couldn’t fight back without blowing my cover.

Fortunately, George’s companion murmured in his ear, and he turned back to her with a cold smile. I suppressed a shudder and moved on, glad I wasn’t that woman.

The path circled a bronze statue of a dryad with upraised arms and oak leaves spiraling around her body, sprouting from her fingers and twisting through her hair. As I paused to study the statue, I ran my fingers along my bracelet to the earbud disguised as a red garnet. With the touch of a catch, the earbud slipped into my palm. I toyed with my earlobe—and inserted the earbud into my ear.

Remy de la Lune’s voice came over the listening device I’d planted earlier in the dining room. He was questioning Virginie.

I knew of the count, of course, but this was the first time we’d met. My stomach had been churning the whole time he was in the room. I’d had a bad moment when Bard introduced me to him, fearing he’d see through my cover. Vampires that ancient had enhanced powers. They said the count could even walk in the sunlight.

I adjusted the sound until I could hear Remy clearly, and continued strolling along the path.

“Calm yourself,” he said in a formal, old-fashioned French. “If you speak the truth, no harm will come to you.”

“Merci, Monsieur le Comte.” Virginie’s voice was strained.

“You say you did not go into Madame Felice’s suite that night?”

“That’s correct, my lord.”

“But perhaps someone else did?”

A hesitation.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.