"Is he vocalizing?"

"No," Meghann said. "Charles, I try to read him and it's like there's this wall up in his mind I don't know if it's a defense mechanism to shut me out or he's hiding from himself. But I'm not too discouraged he isn't even on Clozapine anymore!

Charles, there's one thing I need to ask you. If Jimmy has a full recovery well, he's not going to be very happy with me, and I hardly blame him. But he'll need someone to guide him into our life would you be his mentor?"

Charles thought Jimmy wouldn't be overly happy with him either he'd ask why Charles hadn't done something to drag Meghann from Lord Baldevar. How could Jimmy Delacroix understand all that had happened when Charles didn't really understand himself? All he knew was Meghann finally seemed secure and happy, and on top of that, tonight had proven the only person who could really protect her was Lord Baldevar.

So Charles smiled at his best friend and nodded yes, he'd help Jimmy Delacroix, swallowing all his misgivings and praying the little voice that whispered Meghann was making the biggest mistake of her life was wrong.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Meghann started, then smiled at the blurry reflection fat black and goldfish swam through in the clear water of the large stone fountain. "I thought you were busy with all the wheeling and dealing you neglected during our honeymoon."

"I have other matters to attend to now," Simon said huskily and pulled her against him.

What a perfect spot for making love, Meghann thought, taking in the formal sculpture garden with its man-made streams, footbridges, and roses of every color perfuming the air. She looked up at Rodin's The Kiss and thought marble was one thing that couldn't possibly look as beautiful during the day as it did at night when the moonlight illuminated the polished, white surface.

"Now I know what it is," Meghann murmured breathlessly between kisses, twining her hands in the perfectly styled chestnut hair she'd longed to ruffle all night.

"What what is, my love?"

"What makes you so attractive," she said, giving Simon her best smile before licking the skin exposed in the half-open ruffled tuxedo shirt he wore. "Whenever I'm with you, the world has a glamour to it, enchantment."

"I believe it's called being in love, for I feel the same way with you." Simon smiled and pulled her off the fountain with him, one hand exploring her leg while they rolled around on the dewy gra.s.s.

"Strawberries and cream," Simon said as he pulled away the velvet laces on her dress and exposed her newly rounded b.r.e.a.s.t.s, now topped with bright red nipples. "I don't think I've ever seen you look more beautiful."

Meghann smiled at the compliment. When she'd first begun to show, she'd been shy about letting Simon see her thickening body until he convinced her, not with words, but with the ceaseless attention of his lips and hands to her fuller, rounded form that he truly did find her as attractive as ever.

"I love you," she cried when he entered her. What a curious intimacy this was, having Simon take her when his children were inside her. She'd never felt so possessed by anyone, felt herself on the brink of climax when a disturbing sound reached her ears Louise Caraway angrily demanding that Vinny let her in the house. "Why is she here?"

"I invited her," Simon murmured, thrusting harder at Meghann's suspicious look. "Nothing untoward, little one a minor business concern. I must meet with her."

"You're not going to stop now?" Meghann gasped.

"I value my life far more than that." He laughed at her horrified eyes. "But we must be quick, pet."

Meghann laughed throatily, and joined him in the never-changing rhythm that made them both scream out in delight.

Meghann found her gown at the feet of Michelangelo's David and tossed it on while Simon pulled his black pants and ruffled shirt on, the elegant dinner jacket hiding the gra.s.s stains on his shirt.

"Come along, my lady," Simon said to Meghann after a lengthy search for her shoes that somehow wound up under a privet hedge. "This visit provides me with a perfect opportunity to develop your gifts."

They entered the house through the back, hearing Louise continue to screech.

"Get that a.s.shole now!"

"I gather something happened after I left the party," Meghann commented and raised her eyebrows. "Can't leave you alone for a minute, can I?"

Simon gave an enigmatic shrug, and they entered the foyer together. He dismissed Vinny, and gave Louise/Louetta a mocking bow.

Meghann was shocked by the condition of the mortal in front of her. Even in her jealousy, she could admit Louise had an icy beauty, with her severely bobbed hair, flawless makeup, and tailored clothes. Now she tottered on her feet, her hair spiked wildly in every direction, and she'd obviously done some heavy drinking over the past several hours. What on earth had Simon done to her?

Apparently not nearly enough if she thinks she may show up on my doorstep screaming profanity.

"Louise," Simon said pleasantly. "Won't you introduce us to your friend?" He waved an elegant hand at the hulking mortal standing by Louise. He had to be at least six feet seven a good three inches taller than Lord Baldevar. All his intimidating glare drew from Simon was the faintest hint of an amused smile.

"He's my boyfriend I only screwed you because you forced me to but Tommy will make sure you don't put your hands on me again," Louise snarled and turned to Meghann. "You hear that, honey? Your husband told me he'd fire me if I didn't f.u.c.k him. But I'm suing him and Del Straker for s.e.xual hara.s.sment."

Louise kept her gaze on Meghann, her smug vindictiveness changing to openmouthed shock when Meghann began giggling.

"Simon," Meghann gasped. "I don't believe it oh, G.o.d, you su su sued for s.e.xual hara.s.sment ha, ha, ha, ha!"

"I am glad my legal troubles amuse you."

"But don't you see the irony?" Meghann giggled.

"It's almost as good as you getting syphilis! Oh, don't worry," she said to the pale Louise. "It was a long time ago I'm sure you didn't catch anything."

"I know The Seraglio doesn't want the embarra.s.sment of a trial," Louise said coyly, and Meghann wondered how the mortal could not feel the menace emanating from Simon's steely expression. "I'll settle with you right now if you give me my job back with a twenty percent raise, of course."

"I could produce a dozen witnesses to testify in court about your calculating promiscuity," Simon said flatly. "Your frivolous lawsuit will be naught but an irritation."

"Don't you threaten her," the strapping bodyguard told Simon, stepping closer to him. "I'll mop the floor with you, you f.u.c.king perverted a.s.shole."

"I rather doubt that," Simon replied and delivered a swift chop to the man's throat. He dropped to the floor, a wheezing sound coming from his ruined throat.

Simon gave Louise one withering glance. "Foolish woman, you should have been content with what you had, rather than try to rise above your station with blackmail threats. Now see what your actions have wrought, you white trash slattern."

Louise watched in stunned terror as Simon reached down and pulled Tommy upright with one hand. Her inertia broke and she started screaming hysterically when the majority shareholder for The Seraglio plunged his sharp fangs into Tommy's neck.

"Be quiet," Meghann snapped, and Louise's cries cut off abruptly. Poor Louise, Meghann thought; she thought power meant a position at the hotel she had no idea what true power was. She'd never know the glory of holding others in your thrall against their will or know what it was to drain them dry and feel your victim die as you grew ever more powerful A strangled whimper escaped her lips and Simon looked up, smiling at the blood l.u.s.t and naked craving that made her green eyes glow like a cat's.

He ignored the trembling Louise and spoke to Meghann. "Come feed, my pet."

When Meghann saw the blood trickling from Tommy's neck, all she could think was how badly she wanted it. Her concentration on Louise wavered, and the mortal started howling.

"Help me!" she screamed and made a wild dash for the door. "Somebody help me!"

Simon grabbed Louise by the hair and gave her an annoyed slap. "Stop that incessant noise at once."

With Louise once again silenced, he pointed to the bleeding mortal on the floor and Meghann felt her blood teeth rip through her gums. "Finish him, little one."

Meghann needed no further invitation. She threw herself on top of the mortal, and plunged her fangs into the wounds Simon had already made, sucking and tearing at her victim's flesh like a woman possessed. She felt an o.r.g.a.s.mic rush go through her body when the blood started pouring down her throat.

No nausea attacked her while she devoured her host, hungrily sucking down all his nourishing, hot blood. She'd almost forgotten what it was to feed from a mortal, the heady sensation of life force and vitality invigorating her soul while the blood infused her body with dazzling strength.

Stop now, a voice reprimanded. It was Alcuin's training coming back his exhortation that vampires take as little from their victims as possible. He's going to die.

You don't have to stop, Simon told her. Drink until he lies dead at your feet.

Remember the joy of having no constraint, of drinking until you are sated.

Oh, how well she remembered those nights! Meghann pulled her prey into her arms; they almost looked like lovers except for his rolled-back eyes and the utter whiteness of his skin.

When she felt the man's body go slack in her arms, Meghann reluctantly tore her mouth from his neck, not hearing Louise's horrified shriek when she saw her blood teeth and the blood that covered her from her chin to the exposed swell of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

"I killed him," Meghann said, running her hand gingerly over his neck. It looked as if a lion had gotten at him! The left side of his neck was a gaping, savage mess of viciously lacerated tendon with small bits of skin clinging to the muscle. He'll make your soul as bleak and shattered as his own.

Meghann didn't feel bleak she felt supreme pleasure course through her and remembered from the past she'd remain this way all night. Her body would tingle with the strength she'd gained from her victim and she'd have a hyperawareness that would make the world seem to glow.

With an impatient gesture, Simon tore a strip from Louise's cerulean satin evening gown and handed it to Meghann. "Clean your face, sweet. Are you ready to learn how to use the blood rush?"

At Meghann's nod, Simon dragged Louise into the drawing room.

"Please let me go," Louise begged piteously. "I swear I won't tell "

"I am not going to do anything," Simon told her and shoved her down on the silver and black chaise longue she'd sat in that night he used her to make Meghann jealous. "Meghann is."

"I am?" Meghann questioned numbly.

"Do you know why I torture my prey? The true source of a vampire's power is the ability to feed on pain, as well as blood." Simon stroked her cheek, and licked the blood on his hand. "I want you to destroy Louise not by drinking her blood, but by controlling her mind. You're going to feed on her terror the same way you'd feed on her blood. Then, you can take her agony and transform it into strength. That is true magick, Meghann the ability to derive power from mortal's torment."

"I don't understand," Meghann said.

"You will." Simon smiled. "You are now my apprentice and this is your first lesson." He gestured to Louise, still whimpering on the chaise longue but unable to move because of his iron grip on her psyche. "You agree we cannot let her leave here alive?"

Meghann nodded and Simon went on. "Then here is your task. We cannot mark her or kill her here too many people know I amused myself with her. I do not care for the headache of diverting mortal authorities if they believe her death was homicide."

"So it has to look like suicide!" Meghann said.

"Close," Simon said. "It has to be suicide, Meghann. Make her commit suicide."

Now Meghann understood. She glanced at a plush black ottoman, and made it move across the floor until it was directly in front of Louise. Then she sat down, looking into the mortal's eyes and holding her hand the tableau was a grotesque parody of the counseling sessions she used to have with mortal women.

He'll make your soul as bleak and shattered as his own.

"No!" Meghann cried and pulled her hands away from Louise. What was the matter with her? Killing to satisfy her blood l.u.s.t was bad enough, but Simon was asking her to commit cold-blooded murder.

"Very well," Simon told her and gently shoved her out of the way so he sat across from Louise.

"You aren't mad?" Meghann asked, surprised that he'd let her off the hook so easily maybe time really had mellowed Lord Baldevar.

"You found the blood l.u.s.t tonight," Simon replied. "The rest will come in time. Now be silent and learn from what I do."

He gave Louise an open, disarming smile and spoke in soft, even tones again Meghann was struck by the similarity to psychotherapy.

"You never came here tonight," Simon began. "Do you understand?"

Louise didn't respond like a person under hypnosis her eyes were clear and focused, her voice steady. "Yes."

"Tell me about that man you came here with. Does he have family? Someone who will miss him?"

"He's just a degenerate gambler."

Simon grinned and in an aside to Meghann said, "That is why I adore this tacky wh.o.r.e of a city in the middle of the desert. There are so many transients, a vampire could feed for decades without arousing suspicion." He turned his attention back to Louise, and continued to mold her mind to suit his needs. "You were very upset at not getting that promotion. But you know that was not my fault.

It is because you are incompetent."

"I am incompetent," Louise agreed in the same calm voice.

"You are very sad because you know your life will never be any better than it is tonight. So you have decided to end your life."

Simon smiled at Meghann's wide-eyed astonishment. "I am sorry the morals my uncle infested you with made this exercise impossible. It is a marvelous tool for sharpening your concentration."

He turned back to the mortal. "You will get into your car and drive directly home. Once in your house, you will write a note to your mother, saying I just can't go on. You'll sign it Louetta. After, you will go into the bathroom do you shave your legs?"

Meghann almost laughed at what seemed like a non sequitur but Simon gestured for her to keep quiet.

"Yes," Louise said.

"Good. After you write your suicide letter oh, before I forget, tell me the location of that videotape you blackmailed Del Straker with and where you're keeping the duplicates."

"I have a safe deposit box at my bank 0927."

"Thank you. Once you've written your note, draw yourself a nice bubble bath.

Let the warm water soothe you, relax you, then take your razor and draw it across your wrists. Stay in the tub afterward do you understand?"

"Yes," Louise said without the slightest tremor in her voice. How was Simon doing this? Meghann wondered. Surely nothing could be stronger in the mortal mind than the will to live, the survival instinct.

"Powerful though the survival instinct is," Simon said to Meghann, "it is like flimsy gauze against the will of a vampire that knows how to use the power he gains from the blood rush. Now I must finish up."

Simon went through the commands again and Louise repeated his instructions verbatim when he asked her to. Afterward, without looking at Simon or Meghann, she stood up like an automaton, left the house, and got into her car.

Simon turned to Meghann. "This should only take a half hour or so but I must go to Louise's apartment keep an eye on her. Suicides should never be left to chance; the survival instinct does make it a risky undertaking. Also, I must retrieve poor Del's tapes. Why don't you go upstairs and freshen up?"

Meghann nodded and Simon disappeared drawing an envious sigh from her.

She missed the astral plane, the ability to fly. Meghann headed for the master suite, looking forward to a long soak in the walnut-lined, claw-foot tub.

She discarded her blood-soaked gown, pinned her hair to the top of her head in a casual knot, and sank into the bath. Meghann leaned her head back, thinking that tonight was the first time in over forty years that she willfully killed a mortal when she fed.