Dracul's Revenge 01: Dracul's Blood (18 page)

116

Bobby frowned. “About what?”

“Getting taken off the case.” Nik snuggled close, offering him comfort.

Nuzzling Nik’s cheek, Bobby hummed in pleasure at the feel of Nik’s slender body tight to his. “I’m not on the case anymore, at least officially. Even though I’m taking a vacation, my lieutenant knows I’ll keep working on it. Especially now that the kid was murdered.”

Nik stepped back and grabbed Bobby’s hand. “Good to know, because you need to read the results of the tests on the wine.”

“Why?” He let Nik drag him back to the couch where the papers were scattered over the cushions along with the journal Nik had been reading.

“Because if I’m reading the results right, then it coincides with what’s in the journal. It could explain why the wine affects the drinker the way it does.”

“Am I going to need a beer?”

Nik grinned. “You got any whisky?”

Bobby whistled. “That bad, huh?”

Nik rarely drank, but even he knew he could use something. “Make it two.”

Bobby disappeared into the kitchen and came back with two highball glasses. He handed one to Nik and made himself comfortable in the corner of the couch.

As much as Nik wanted to crawl back into his lover’s lap, he stopped himself.
Business
first.
“I think it might be better to start with the journal.”

Bobby nodded and took another sip of his drink.

Nik carefully picked up the journal he’d saved from the fire. “This was written by the grandson of Radu Cel Frumos’ servant and lover, Dumitru Blaga. The grandson, Mihail Cuza wrote the stories his grandfather told him. Dumitru was only fifteen when he was deemed too old to take to bed in Radu’s eyes, so although I’ve no doubt most of what I read is true, keep an open mind that Dumitru was a scorned lover.”

Bobby nodded and sat up a little straighter. “Go on.”

“There’s a lot of the history of the time period, but if you don’t mind, I’m going to break it down and give you the
Reader’s Digest
version.”

Bobby chuckled. “I’d appreciate that.”

DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

117

“Okay. According to the journal, Radu and Vlad III, the man everyone knows as Vlad the Impaler, hated each other, which actually was pretty common for the time period.

Brothers fought brothers and fathers for seats in power. Anyway, Vlad III wanted his father’s throne, but his brother Mircea II was next in line. In a bold move, Vlad III ordered his private army to track down his father and brother and have them killed.”

Nik glanced up from the journal. “Here’s where it gets interesting. Radu found out about the plot and sent his own men to try and warn his father and brother. He also sent his servant, Dumitru with special instructions in case his men were too late to stop the deaths.

As it happens, they
were
too late. Dumitru followed his instructions and dug the bodies up from their hastily buried graves, and drained the blood from both victims.”

He noticed Bobby stiffen.

“Do you want me to go on?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Dumitru gave Radu the vessels containing his own father and brother’s blood. Radu instructed a local winemaker to mix the container’s contents with a batch of specially prepared wine.”

Bobby’s face screwed up in disgust, Nik couldn’t blame him. The details of what Radu did were disgusting.

“According to Dumitru, the winemaker gave him six specially designed casks of the tainted wine which he took back to Radu. Then there’s a strange entry about Dumitru spying on Radu as his master performed ‘The Ritual’, whatever that is. It goes on to talk about Radu slicing open his own chest, smearing his body with the blood and chanting in a language Dumitru didn’t understand.”

“Devil worship?” Bobby questioned.

Nik shook his head. “Sounds like it to me. Whatever it was, Radu didn’t seem to suffer much. According to Dumitru, hours later, he appeared stronger than ever. Dumitru was given orders to send one cask to Vlad III on the eve of his celebratory dinner for gaining the seat of power. Vlad III, drank the wine his brother, Radu had sent and that was the beginning of Vlad III’s blood lust.”

“He began drinking people’s blood?” Bobby asked.

Nik nodded his head. “That’s an understatement. He not only consumed the blood of his servants and ladies of the court, but began openly fucking his soldiers and feeding from DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

118

them as well. People seemed drawn to Vlad like never before. The more insane he became, the more people offered themselves to him. The carnage of his battles was legendary, but after a while, he began to slow down. His desire for blood waned, and his people began to lose interest in following him. That’s how Radu was able to take the power away from him.”

Nik picked up his glass and took a drink. He noticed Bobby’s glass was completely empty. Without being asked, he rose and retrieved the bottle of whisky from the kitchen. He handed it to Bobby.

“Thanks.”

He bent and gave his lover a quick kiss before continuing. “By then, Dumitru had been replaced in Radu’s bed by a younger servant. He was extremely bitter and went to Vlad III and told him what his brother had done. Vlad asked Dumitru if there was any of the wine left, and Dumitru told him there were two casks, knowing there were actually five. He figured he could use the other three casks at a later time to bargain for either Vlad or Radu’s favours.”

Nik paused. He knew this was all new to Bobby. Because Nik felt at ease in front of a classroom, giving lectures, he needed to make sure Bobby was keeping up with him.

“You okay?” he asked as Bobby poured more whisky into his glass.

Bobby nodded. “Keep going.”

Nik nodded. “After consuming two more casks of the tainted wine, Vlad once again became the charismatic man he’d enjoyed being earlier, but to a higher degree. He regained his seat of power and waged an all out war. This was the period in which he became known as Vlad the Impaler, later to be immortalised by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. According to Dumitru, rumours began to circulate that Vlad was consuming large amounts of blood trying to maintain the edge the casks of wine had given him. Some theorized it was Vlad’s way of
feeding the demon within him
. Dumitru knew he wasn’t safe, that in his insanity, Vlad would go after him. He fled with the three remaining casks to Greece, where he married, sired a son and made his son vow to protect the casks at all costs.”

“And somehow those casks ended up five hundred years later at an auction in New York?” Bobby questioned.

Nik carefully opened the journal and extracted an engraved invitation and passed it to Bobby. “I found this.”

Bobby took the card. “I need to call Jablonsky.”

DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

119

“There’s more. The lab report you received indicates two sources of DNA in the wine.

It was the real stuff. I wonder…if the wine was able to make a man insane five hundred and sixty-three years ago, what are its capabilities after maturing for that many years?”

While Bobby called his partner, Nik carefully wrapped the journal in its cloth and put it in the new messenger bag he’d purchased. He hoped Bobby wouldn’t turn it over to Jablonsky, but he knew his lover would do what he thought was best for the investigation.

With the business side of the evening over, Nik curled up on the couch next to Bobby and waited patiently for him to finish his call. His mind kept returning to the passage about the demon being inside Vlad and the demon’s need for blood to keep it alive. He’d never believed in the supernatural, but it made as much sense as blood tainted wine driving businessmen to rip out the throats of innocent people.

“Okay, keep me in the loop as much as you can,” Bobby told his partner before hanging up.

As soon as Bobby was finished, Nik took the invitation out of his hand. “Did you notice this?”

Bobby stared at the raised seal at the top of the cardstock. “Yeah. I didn’t tell Jablonsky about it though. Do you think The Knights of Paiderastia were the only ones to receive these?”

“I do. If Jablonsky can track down the auctioneer and get a list of who the invitations went out to, we’ll have a list of the society’s members.”

Bobby pulled Nik in for a deep kiss. Nik melted against his lover’s chest as his mouth was thoroughly fucked.

“Ready for bed?” Nik asked, coming up for air.

“Beyond ready.” Bobby tried to stand with Nik still wrapped around him and nearly toppled them both over the coffee table. “Shit.”

Nik laughed and got his feet under him. “Might be safer if I just walked with you to the bedroom.”

“But not nearly as much fun.” Bobby reached down and gave Nik’s ass a squeeze.

Nik enjoyed this playful side to his lover. He took several steps before he began to undress. With his shirt tossed to the floor, he walked backward while he pushed down his oversized sweats.

Bobby groaned and reached for Nik’s cock.

DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

120

Laughing, Nik shook his finger. “Uh. Uh. Uh. You’re next.”

While Bobby struggled to push his jeans down and off, Nik rounded the corner leading to the bedroom. He launched himself onto the mattress, and with a quick change in positions, he was on his knees with his ass facing the door by the time Bobby came into the room.

“Well, isn’t that a pretty sight.”

Nik spread his knees even more, opening himself fully to his lover’s gaze. “It’s all yours. Come and get it.”

One moment he was teasing Bobby, and the next a wet tongue ran up the length of his crack before moving back down to rim the puckered skin. “Oh, fuck.”

Bobby chuckled and continued to lap and drill at Nik’s hole.

The scrape of teeth against his sensitive skin sent Nik’s back bowing towards the mattress.
Oh God.
He reached under him and wrapped his hand around his cock, applying a firm grip. “I’m gonna come.”

Bobby removed his face from the crack of Nik’s ass and grabbed a condom and the lubricant from the bedside table. He entered Nik’s hole with a lubed finger and began to saw in and out. “Hard and fast, or soft and sweet?”

Nik tightened his grip on his cock. “Just fuck me.”

Bobby chuckled again and removed his finger. Nik heard the crinkling sound of the foil as Bobby opened and rolled on the condom. After several cool drops of lube dripped down the crevice of his ass, Nik felt the blunt head of Bobby’s cock as it slowly pushed inside.

He blew out several calming breaths as the pain threatened to overwhelm him.

Bobby’s cock was bigger than an average man, and Nik hadn’t given his lover proper time to stretch him.

Once Bobby’s cock was fully seated, Nik waited for that moment when pain turned to pleasure. He was grateful he didn’t have to wait long. “Okay.”

His hands gripping Nik’s hips, Bobby began a slow rhythm in and out. “Let me know how you’re feeling.”

Nik’s brain was so muddled with pleasure, he wasn’t sure he understood the question. “How I’m feeling? Well, I think I’m falling in love with you.”

DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

121

Bobby paused mid-stroke. “Although that wasn’t what I meant by the question, it’s good to know.”

Embarrassed, Nik buried his head in the blankets.

He received a nip on the shoulder and a nuzzle to the neck. “I feel the same way. In case you were wondering.”

Nik grinned. He knew how easy it was to say things you didn’t mean in the heat of sex, but he really wanted to believe Bobby’s words.

His declaration must’ve done something to Bobby, because his lover picked up, not only his speed, but the intensity of his thrusts. At that moment, Nik didn’t care. He was lost in sensations beyond his wildest dreams. Never had he been with a lover with such passion.

Had the bedspread been any rougher, Nik knew he’d have come away from their session with a burn on his cheek. As it was, the flesh was becoming sensitive as it rubbed against the material underneath.

With his free hand, Nik reached back towards Bobby, needing something of his lover to hang onto.

Bobby’s thrusts slowed. “Is something wrong?”

Nik tried to calm his beating heart enough to speak. “No. Need to touch you.”

Bobby pulled out and flipped Nik to his back. He positioned Nik’s legs over his shoulders and entered him once again. “Touch me.”

Nik smiled into his lover’s eyes and ran his hands over Bobby’s lightly furred chest.

“You are so fucking unbelievable.”

After several deep thrusts, Bobby removed Nik’s legs and lay on top of him. He rubbed his lips against Nik’s for several passes before settling on them. The kiss was gentle even as Bobby’s cock continued to ravage Nik’s hole.

Nik slid his tongue against Bobby’s, playing charge and retreat as the pleasure continued to build. “I need…”

Bobby repositioned enough to rub against Nik’s cock.

“Yes!” Nik howled, arching his back as he warmed the area between their bodies with his seed.

Bobby reached above Nik’s head and grabbed the edge of the mattress as he hammered his cock in and out of Nik’s hole.

“Feels. So. Good!” Bobby punctuated with each thrust before burying his cock deep.

DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

122

Nik held onto his lover as Bobby stiffened and came, the aftershocks causing Bobby to jerk and buck against him. Nik threaded his fingers through the short, sweaty hair on the back of Bobby’s head and pulled him into another kiss. With every flick of his tongue, he mentally cried his love for the man in his arms. Never would there be another lover that could compare to his detective.

DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

123

A buzzing sound woke Bobby up the next day.

What the hell?

Bobby blinked, staring up at his bedroom ceiling as he worked out what the noise filling the air was.

“Are you going to shut that off?”

Turning his head to the left, he met Nik’s dark green eyes. A frown marred his lover’s forehead. Bobby realised the alarm on his clock was the culprit. He flung his hand out, knocking the offending thing to the floor.