"What I want, I get." She smiled, turned and ran through the open lobby door.

Hesitating only briefly, he flashed across the room after her. Just as he cleared the door, he sensed someone or something just beyond it. He turned to jump back inside. Before he could a series of brutal blows rained onto the back of his head.

He was unconscious before his body crumpled in the doorway.

"What do you mean you haven't seen or spoken to him since we all gathered at Aleksei's place?"

Derri Morgan sat in her office at Lewis, Beckmen and a.s.sociates, staring at the pretty, blonde, forty-something woman facing her with an anxious look in her eyes.

Derri turned her gaze to the exotic brunette with the vivid blue eyes who stood behind Erica Dumont's chair. Katie Dumont's gaze held open hostility.

Derri sighed. No matter how hard she tried, she and Katie were never going to be friends. Ignoring Katie's curt question, she turned her attention back to Erica. "As I said, I haven't seen or talked to Mikhel since we all met at Aleksei's house. I have no idea where he is."

"He called Erica at her sister's place three days ago and told her he was meeting you." Katie moved from behind Erica's chair, placed her hands on the desk and glared directly into Derri's eyes. "No one has seen or heard from him since. And we want to know where he is."

Derri resisted the urge to reach out and slap Katie. As angry as Katie's hostility and suspicion made her, Derri knew it would be unwise to give the vampire a reason to attack her. She sat back in her chair, narrowing her gaze. "You're in my personal s.p.a.ce."

"Your personal s.p.a.ce?" Katie bared her incisors. "My brother is missing-after arranging to meet you! Don't you talk to me about personal s.p.a.ce. You tell us where he is and what you did with him or-"

Erica rose and placed a hand on Katie's shoulder. "That's enough, Katie. You can't really think Derri had anything to do with his disappearance."

Katie swung around to face Erica. "Stay out of this, Erica."

"No, Katie, I won't." Erica narrowed her gaze. "You know how she and Mik feel about each other. Do you really think she'd have anything to do with his disappearance?"

"Why are you defending the hussy who l.u.s.ts after your husband?"

Derri sucked in a deep breath and exploded to her feet. "Hussy? This from a woman who f.u.c.ked for a living? Get the h.e.l.l out of my office, Katie."

Katie turned to face her. "And just who is going to make me? You and what army?"

"There's no army available, but will I do?"

Startled, Derri jumped at the sound of the new voice. A tall woman with dark skin and blue eyes leaned against her closed office door. Derri released a soft breath at the sight of Katie and Mikhel's older sister, Tatiana.

Katie turned to face Tatiana. "This b.i.t.c.h knows where Mikhel is and won't tell us."

Tatiana moved across the room to stand in front of Derri, facing Katie. "You don't believe that anymore than Erica does. You know she would never do anything to hurt Mikhel, and it's unworthy of you to attempt to frighten Serge's bloodl.u.s.t."

"I don't care," Katie cried, her voice rising. "I'm afraid, Tat. Something awful is happening to Mik. If we don't find him soon-"

Tat put her arms around Katie and drew her close. "We will find him, Katie. I promise. Now you and Erica go home."

Erica turned to look at Derri. "I'm sorry. I hope you-"

Derri shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "It's all right. If I knew anything, I'd tell you. I don't. I haven't talked to him in weeks. I'm not the one he was meeting."

Left alone in her office with Tat, Derri sank down into her chair, allowing the tears to stream down her cheeks.

Tatiana frowned. "Where is Serge?"

"He's in Africa."

"Can you reach him?"

She shook her head. "I tried when Erica first called. He must be someplace where there are no phones. He usually calls me every night, but I haven't heard from him in two days." She gulped in a deep breath. "Mikhel is missing and Serge...what if something has happened to Serge too?"

Tat shook her head. "If it had, Katie would know. Serge is all right. It's Mikhel we have to worry about."

"I don't know anything. G.o.d, I wish I did. If anything happens to him, I-"

Tat touched her cheek. "Don't worry, little one. Even if we have to tear this city apart piece by piece, we'll find him."

"Where's Aleksei? Is he helping with the search?"

She shook her head. "No. He's with Acier and Dani and that's where he needs to be right now. We won't call him unless things get desperate."

Derri bit her lip. As far as she was concerned, with Serge out of communication and Mikhel missing, things were already desperate.

Vladimir stood by the gla.s.s doors leading onto Tatiana's rooftop terrace. "Why should I care what happens to that p.i.s.sy little baby vamp when I have troubles of my own?"

He watched Tat toss her head, her eyes flashing angrily. "You can say that about one of our brothers?" She leveled a finger at him. "Do I need to remind you that he has been there every step of the way when one of us has had problems? Even though he and Serge must have known they were out of their league, they stood with us when we faced Santiago after he'd sent his hunters after you. He almost died trying to defend Aleksei. And do not forget that although he didn't even know him, he and Serge took their turn guarding Etienne. Why? Because Etienne, like Mikhel, is family." She flashed across the room and glared up into his gaze. "And we look out for family-no matter what. So don' t you dare stand there and tell me you won't help find him."

He stared down at her, his own eyes glowing. "I know all of that, Tat, but you don't understand."

"What don't I understand?"

He sighed before he spoke. "He took my place in Mother's affection."

She grabbed him by the collar. "I don't want to hear that. I know that thought hurts you, but right now, we don't have time to deal with that. Our little brother is missing. Now what the h.e.l.l are you planning to do about it, Vladimir? With Aleksei so far away, you're the elder sibling. It's your duty to protect those of us younger than you, including Mikhel. Mother, her husband and Katie are out looking for him. Are you going to take your rightful place as elder sibling and search for him, or must I do that?"

The anger and disappointment he saw in her gaze cut through him like a sword. He swallowed the taste of bile rising in his throat. Next to Aleksei, she was the one person whose good opinion he valued most. d.a.m.n if he would allow Mikhel to ruin his relationship with her.

He took several deep breaths. "I'll do my best, but I'm no Aleksei."

She smiled and stroked a finger along his cheek. "I'll tell you something you keep forgetting. You don't need to be anyone but who you are. There is a wealth of goodness in you, Vladimir, waiting to be tapped. Don't think you need stand in Aleksei's shadow."

"How can I avoid it when he casts such a large one?"

"Like Aleksei, you are our elder brother. Cast your own shadow, Vladimir, and we will follow you as we do Aleksei."

She slipped her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. "You are as dear and as precious to us as Aleksei is." She lifted her head and looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. "I know there was a time when I made the mistake of trying to distance myself from you. That was one of the biggest mistakes of my life and I... I hope you can forgive me."

His heart ached at the mention of one of the darker periods of his life, when what he now knew was his aberrant behavior had alienated her and Andrei. He shook his head and cupped her face between his palms. "You and Andrei had every right to want to keep a certain distance between us when I was at my darkest. And I-"

"No. It was my doing, not Andrei's. He was just so devoted to me he followed my lead. When you were at your darkest was when you needed us most. I failed you. I'm so sorry, Vladimir. I-"

He pressed a thumb against her lips, fighting to hold a rush of tears at bay. "There is no need for apologies. We are family and you were there when Santiago sent his hunters after me. When it counted, you were there and that's all that matters."

With tears streaming down her face, she pressed her cheek against his shoulder again. "I'm so sorry, Vladimir."

He pressed his lips against her hair and held her close. "There's no need for regrets, little one."

"There's something I need to talk to you about, after we find Mikhel."

"You can tell me now."

"No. We must find Mikhel first. Then I have something else to confess for which I hope you'll be able to forgive me."

"Never fear, little one. I can forgive you anything."

She lifted her head and looked up at him. "This is not such a little thing, Vladimir, and it feels like a betrayal."

The anguish and pain he saw in her gaze tore at his heart. He smiled. "It doesn't matter what it is. I can and will forgive you anything."

She wiped her cheeks. "Then we have to go find Mikhel." She flashed across the room to the front door. She glanced over her shoulder. "Are you coming?"

"Yes." Under duress. "I know someone who can help us."

Chapter Seven.

Deoctra stood in the doorway of the dark, cold cellar fighting hard to suppress a shiver. On the floor, with what appeared to be a crystal chain strapped around his right wrist and ankle, Mikhel lay naked and unconscious.

Also naked, Lina straddled his body, cupping her small b.r.e.a.s.t.s in her hands and moaning as she repeatedly impaled herself on Mikhel's large c.o.c.k.

Deoctra clenched her hands into fists. "What are you doing to him?"

Lina glanced over her shoulder. Their gazes met and locked. Deoctra looked into the other fem's dark eyes and saw an endless dark pit.

Lina leered. "Having a little fun."

Deoctra swallowed slowly, noting the healing marks on Mikhel's handsome face. "You've tortured him and now you're raping him. That's not what we agreed to."

"Yes. Oh yes, I know, but when I saw the size of his c.o.c.k, I couldn't help myself. I had to have him." Her eyes glowed. "He has the most divine c.o.c.k. No wonder you couldn't get over him."

Memories of the days when she and Mikhel had been a couple rushed at Deoctra with the force of a gale wind. She remembered the first time she'd tasted him. The flavor of his c.o.c.k and his c.u.m had driven her nearly mad with hunger. She had been content to stand by and allow him to taste l.u.s.t with other women-confident that when he was ready to settle down, he'd return to her. Instead he had fallen for a blonde, human wh.o.r.e. All her hopes and dreams had been dashed into tiny pieces.

The pain his betrayal had engendered had driven her to an ill-advised plan for revenge. Two of her younger sisters had paid with their lives. When all had seemed lost, she had met Leon. Leon. As improbable as a match between a vampire and a shifter was, she had been happy with him-until Mikhel's nephew, Acier Gautier, had killed him.

His death had rekindled her desire for revenge. She longed to see Mikhel suffer for all the pain and anguish that had begun with his betrayal. She touched her stomach. Now that she saw him helpless and at the mercy of a fem who had none, feelings of revulsion and remorse overwhelmed her.

She flashed across the room. "Get the h.e.l.l away from him." She s.n.a.t.c.hed Lina off him and flung her against the far wall.

Lina bounded to her feet and went into a crouching position, baring her incisors. "b.i.t.c.h. For now, he's all mine. If you want some c.o.c.k, you'll just have to wait your turn. Now get out of my way."

Mikhel groaned softly and Deoctra glanced quickly over her shoulder. His lids fluttered up. She saw resignation in his eyes as their gazes met.

She tore her gaze away from his and turned her attention back to Lina. "You know this is not what I intended."

Lina laughed. "Frankly, I don't give a f.u.c.k what you intended. He's here now and he's mine. And there's absolutely nothing you can do about it."

Deoctra smiled. "You know, it's been quite awhile since I beat anyone's a.s.s." She beckoned to the other female. "Come get your a.s.s kicked from here into the next county, b.i.t.c.h."

Lina somersaulted into the air. Deoctra flashed forward and leaped upward, closing her fingers around the other fem's neck just as her feet were about to touch the floor. Landing lightly on her own feet, she slammed Lina onto her back on the floor and straddled her body. She wrapped both hands around her neck and glared down into the dark, hate-filled eyes staring up at her. "Don't you ever challenge me again, b.i.t.c.h, or you won't live very long. Now you remove those d.a.m.ned chains from him and I'll take him and leave."

"Oh, I don't think so."

Keeping her grip on Lina's neck, Deoctra glanced over her shoulder and tensed. Crowded into the cellar were several members of the brotherhood. She bounded to her feet, dragging Lina upright along with her. Wrapping her forearm around Lina's windpipe, she flashed across the room to stand in front of Mikhel's p.r.o.ne body.

She addressed the young, blue-eyed vampire who had spoken. "This is between me and Lina. Don't make the mistake of getting on my bad side, Lover."

The full-blood called Lover shook his head. "Oh no." He cast a quick glance at Mikhel. "I want a piece of him. I'm going to bust that tight a.s.s of his open."

The thought of Lover's short, fat, greedy c.o.c.k pushing its way into Mikhel's a.s.s enraged Deoctra. "No. You stay away from him or I swear I'll kill you."

Lover laughed. "I might be impressed, except that there are four of us and only one of you."

Lina's fingers clawed at her arm. Deoctra tightened her forearm around the other fem's throat. "I'm warning you, Lover, if you touch him, you won't live long enough to regret it."

Lover looked at the three vampires flanking him and laughed. "I'm shivering in my boots. If I were you, I'd leave while we're still prepared to allow it."

She heard zippers being lowered and sucked in a breath. All four males had popped out their c.o.c.ks and were looking at Mikhel.

Deoctra swallowed. There was no way she could protect Mikhel from four fullblood vampires. And she didn't want to save him from sodomy enough to risk her own life. Why should she try to save him after all the grief he had caused her?

Yet, she knew she would not be able to walk away knowing what they planned to do to him. She stared at Lover. "I'm leaving, but let me remind you all just who he is. He is Mikhel Dumont, younger brother of Aleksei and Vladimir Madison."

"So?"

"So just what do you think they'll do when they learn you've violated their little brother?"

"I hear Aleksei is out of state and I can a.s.sure you Vladimir will not care. h.e.l.l, he might even want a piece of that tight-looking a.s.s himself. You know he's an a.s.s man. Now get out or die, b.i.t.c.h."

Deoctra stood her ground. "He wouldn't touch his own brother. And even if Aleksei is out of state, don't forget, Luc is his mentor. Just what do you think he'll do to each of you if you touch the favorite brother of his pet vampire? I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want Luc mad at me." Noting a hint of fear in each vampire's gaze, she was satisfied they would leave Mikhel alone-for the time being.

She looked at Mikhel. Fight them as long as you can.

Why? What's the point? I'm in no shape to offer any real resistance.