“This morning?” Lucian growled, and Leigh glanced his way to see that his face was still expressionless, but anger and suspicion were growing in his eyes.
“Yes, this morning,” Morgan said, sounding like he was enjoying himself as he added, “I watched you together.”
Leigh’s gaze shot to Morgan, a seed of horror bursting to life in her mind. Surely he didn’t mean... ?
“The little episode on the stairs was quite appetizing,” he announced, and she closed her eyes as she realized exactly what he’d meant. He continued, “I was sorry when it ended partway through and Leigh fled upstairs.”
“You were here then?” Lucian’s question was sharp.
“Yes,” Morgan answered easily. “Donny and I arrived at the Night Club just in time to see you and Jean Claude’s brood enter. I decided it was prudent to wait for Brad and Martin outside. When they arrived, I sent them in to see if they couldn’t find out what was going on. They heard most of what you said, that you’d be taking Rachel’s car and going to some cottage, but they didn’t catch where. So we drove over to Rachel and Etienne’s and waited for you to leave.”
“And followed us here last night,” Lucian said.
Morgan nodded. “When you stopped, Donald and I stayed to keep an eye on you, while Brad and Martin looked for somewhere nearby to take shelter during the day. We watched through the front window as you made love to Leigh on the steps... Well, at least until she fled upstairs.”
Leigh turned her head and peered at the front window beside the door. Like the rest of the house, it had no curtains. But then why should it? No one could see in unless they crept up to the house and played voyeur... as Morgan and Donny had. And they’d seen them on the stairs, she thought, embarrassment making her angry.
“I’m sorry, Leigh,” Donny said miserably. “I’m sorry about everything. I—”
“Shut up, Donald,” Morgan snapped. “Just shut up. I’m sick to death of your mealy-mouthed, spineless, whining ways. You were the one who wanted her turned in the first place, then you refused to watch them on the stairs like some goody two shoes little—” He cut himself off sharply and took a deep breath. He turned back to Leigh and Lucian to continue, “Brad returned shortly after that to tell us they’d located an inhabited cottage nearby.”
He shrugged. “The show was over, and you two appeared to be settled in for the night, so we went next door to feed and wait out the worst of daylight.”
Leigh first felt rage at what the unknown neighbors must have suffered, and then a grim satisfaction that his disgusting actions had at least made him miss the show he’d wanted to see. And he would have had a fine seat since it had taken place right here on the floor in front of the glass wall.
When the rogue vampire’s mouth tightened with sudden displeasure, she knew he’d read her thoughts again.
“So we missed the big show after all,” he said, sounding angry again.
“I’m afraid so,” Leigh said with pleasure.
“No you’re not,” Morgan countered. “But I am. It’s a long time since I’ve felt the passion and beauty of life mates joining. I could have slipped into your mind and experienced it with you.”
Leigh shuddered at the very idea. She was glad he hadn’t and thought he was a disgusting little man for even considering it.
“Oh, now, Leigh,” he chided. “Surely you wouldn’t begrudge me? Not one who has lost his own life mate? It would be good to feel alive again.”
“Lost your life mate?” Lucian asked with obvious shock. “I didn’t know you’d found a life mate.”
“Oh yes.” Morgan released a breath, then said bitterly, “But she wouldn’t allow me to turn her. She was very religious and thought it would be a sin against God. Pious little—” He choked on whatever else he would have said, then added, “I had to watch her age and grow frail, watch time take its toll... Only at the end when she realized she was going to die did she agree to let me turn her, but it was too late then. She was eighty-two and ailing. Her heart gave out while the nanos were trying to reverse it all. She died in my arms.”
There was real pain on his face, but more bitterness, and it quickly turned to rage. “The stupid bitch! If she’d just—” He cut himself off, then glanced at Lucian. “I wasn’t willing to wait for another life mate, as you have. I don’t have the patience. I have no family. Jean Claude was my only friend and he’s now dead. I don’t want to be alone for thousands of years in the hopes that someday, maybe, another life mate will come. I’d rather end it.”
Leigh blinked. He’d as good as just admitted—at least in her mind—that his going rogue was just another form of suicide.
“Well why didn’t you, then?” she asked with amazement. “Why harm so many people and take them with you?”
“Because there’s still pleasures to be had.” Morgan said it as though she were stupid not to realize it. “I thought I’d give some of them a try.”
He ran his hand down her arm once more. “Perhaps you could make me smile again.”
“What he really means is that he’s too cowardly to kill himself, and selfish enough that he wants to take others with him,” Lucian said dryly.
“I’m afraid so,” Morgan admitted without shame. “Why go alone when I can make so many others miserable, too?”
Lucian snorted with disgust, but merely said, “So I suppose you intend to begin a new nest with these three?”
Morgan glanced at Donny, then at the other two men, before returning his gaze back to Lucian and saying, “Four.”
He smiled at Lucian as he ran his hand down Leigh’s back, adding, “And the many more I shall turn. A smart man could make himself an army. There are lots of them to choose from. If there’s one thing mortals can be counted on for, it’s that they breed like bunnies. In truth, it’s all they’re really good for.”
“That and for you to feed on,” Leigh pointed out sarcastically.
Morgan shrugged. “You feed on them, too. You couldn’t survive without it now.”
“I use bagged blood from a blood blank,” Leigh snapped. “I don’t attack and maul people.”
“We can feed from blood banks?” Donny perked up with interest.
“Yes.” Leigh frowned as she realized he hadn’t known that. Of course, Morgan wouldn’t have told him, it would have weakened his control.
“No,” Morgan said grimly. “It weakens you, takes away your freedom. The Argeneaus control you through their blood banks.”
“Oh please. He’s not stupid enough to fall for that.” Leigh rolled her eyes, then turned to Donny. “He’s been feeding you crap, Donny. You can feed on bagged blood. And you don’t have to stay out of daylight, or sleep in a coffin.”
“But he said daylight could kill us,” Donny said with confusion.
“Of course he did. It helps him control you. It’s still daylight now, barely,” she added, looking out the window to see the setting sun. “How did you get into the house? You weren’t here when we left, it was daylight then, and still daylight now. You must have come out into the sun.”
“It was overcast and he said the long-sleeve clothes helped.”
Leigh shook her head. “I’ve been out today in daylight. Full-on daylight when we left for the restaurant for lunch,” she pointed out. “It didn’t burn me. I’m alive and well.”
“Shut up,” Morgan snapped, but Leigh ignored him.
“We’re not soulless either. It’s not a curse, it’s nanos.”
“Nanos?” Donny asked with bewilderment.
“Shut up!” Morgan caught Leigh by the hair, jerking her head back cruelly in an effort to silence her.
“You’re starting to piss me off, Morgan,” Leigh said grimly. “This move is rather like something Kenny used to do.”
“How unfortunate,” he snarled. “Get used to it.”
Leigh felt anger build within her. She’d sworn never to be manhandled again. Never to be under another’s control. Fury and rage from years of Kenny’s abuse reared up in her, but she stamped down on it.
“Are you going to hiss and spit like a kitten?” Morgan asked with interest, tugging her head farther back.
“Keep it up and you’ll find out,” she answered grimly.
Her eyes sought Lucian. He was stiff and still, a statue of furious stone. She wasn’t the only one to notice the way he’d tensed. The two men on either side of him had stepped closer, weapons turned his way.
“Let her go!”
Leigh glanced to Donny, not so much surprised by the anger in his voice as by his courage in voicing it and sticking up for her.
Fortunately for Donny, rather than angered by it, Morgan gave a little laugh and reminded him with glee, “You wanted her turned. She’s only here because of you.”
“It was a mistake. She was my best friend. I didn’t want to lose her. I was wrong. I should have just accepted my fate and left her out of it. You like to hurt people. You—”
“Yes, yes, I’m the big bad wolf,” Morgan said dryly. “And you’ve seen the error of your ways and regret everything.” He turned to Leigh. “Don’t you find indecisive men annoying?”
“Mostly, I find men who lie and cheat to keep others in their control annoying,” Leigh said, scowling, then added, “And don’t blame Donny for my being here now. You obviously don’t care what he wants. He isn’t why you’re here.” Frowning, she asked, “Why are you here? What do you want with me?”
His hold on her hair eased and Morgan stared at her a long time. So long, in fact, Leigh was positive he wouldn’t answer, but then he said, “You’re the first mortal I haven’t been able to fully control since my life mate died. You fascinate me. Why can’t I control you? I could control your body before, but not your mind, and now... ” His eyes narrowed on her face and she felt that ruffling again, then he shook his head. “Now I don’t even have full control over your body anymore.”
When she stiffened, he admitted, “I felt you resist when I first brought you to me. I know you’re just letting me think I’m controlling you and can take it back any time. And you’re speaking. You shouldn’t be speaking.”
So much for the element of surprise, Leigh thought on an inward sigh. It seemed all those years of martial arts training she’d taken since leaving Kenny were going to come in handy after all. The classes had been expensive, especially the first two years while she was on the run and money had been so short. It appeared now, however, that those lessons would be put to good use.
A grunt drew her attention to Lucian in time to see him drive his elbow into the stomach of the immortal with the sword. Leigh didn’t wait to see any more. Without even thinking about it, she snapped her own arm down, slamming it into Morgan’s throat. The man’s eyes went wide with shock and pain and his hold on her hair loosened abruptly.
While he was still stunned, Leigh turned on his lap and drove a thumb into his eye, grimacing at the sensation as the wet orb gave way, but that was as far as she got.
Morgan’s survival instinct kicked in and he lunged to his feet with a roar, dumping her to the ground. Leigh instinctively rolled away and out of kicking distance, then glanced back warily. Much to her surprise, Morgan wasn’t following her. He couldn’t. Donny had launched himself at the man. The two were now struggling in front of the couch. Her gaze shot to Lucian.
He was doing quite well on his own, and she found herself admiring the way his body shifted and rippled as he fought. He really was beautiful. Lucian glanced over his shoulder and shouted something, but Leigh couldn’t hear him over the yelling and grunting going on in the room and the barking that had suddenly erupted from the bathroom in the loft. Julius sounded frantic to get out. She could hear the repeated thud of something hitting the bathroom door upstairs, interspersed with the barking, and could imagine the animal hurtling himself at the door. It appeared Morgan had been right to be concerned—at this rate, the dog would be through the door and downstairs within minutes.
A scream from behind drew Leigh’s attention. Donny was on the hardwood floor, blood pouring from his arm and his head though she wasn’t sure how exactly he’d been wounded. Morgan’s eye was a mess, but it didn’t look like Donny had added to his injuries. In truth, Donny appeared to have just kept him busy.
She’d have to give Donny self-defense lessons when this was over, she thought as she crawled to her feet. He fought like an untrained girl, hands flying every which way, his face turned away to protect it. He seemed to think he was having a bitch-slapping session rather than the life and death struggle it was. Morgan was suicidal, but he was also afraid to die, otherwise he’d have killed himself rather than drag in the countless numbers of people he’d pulled into this mess to get the council set on himself.
Honestly, people drove her crazy. How much easier would it have been had he just killed himself and left everyone else out of it? On the other hand, then she never would have met Lucian and fallen in love and—
Well hell, Leigh thought with amazement, this was a fine time to—
A scream from Donny caught her attention, and she saw that Morgan had pulled a knife from somewhere on his person and was trying to cut through Donny’s throat. Geez. The guy might be suicidal, but his survival instinct was still strong. She hurried forward and lunged onto Morgan’s back, then reached around to put her hands over his on the knife. She pulled, trying to get it away from Donny’s throat, but Morgan was very strong. Brute strength wasn’t going to work here.
Pulling herself off of him, she kicked, slamming the toe of her running shoe into his throat. Much to her satisfaction, Morgan made a choked sound and grabbed for his throat as he rolled off Donny.
“Thanks,” the redhead muttered, wiping the blood from his face.
Nodding, Leigh turned to see how Lucian was doing. He was weaponless, and ducking and feinting with one man with a sword while trying to avoid the other man’s knife. Actually, his ability to do so was quite impressive. But Leigh was afraid he’d get hurt. She hesitated briefly, eyes widening as Lucian carried out a move that suddenly put the man with the knife between himself and the man with the sword as he swung at Lucian. Unable to stop himself, the man thrust his sword through the heart of his comrade and all three men froze.
It was then that Leigh made her move. The swordsman’s sword was temporarily out of commission, so she approached from the side and slammed her foot into the immortal’s knee. Leigh grimaced as it snapped, then shot her hand out, catching him in the nose with the heel of her hand. There was a disgusting crunch and the man hit the floor with a thud. Geez, they should warn you about how gross this could all be, she thought, then gave a start when Lucian gave her a quick hard kiss.