Claude's Conquest (Maura's Men Book 2) Read online

  “Xander! Let’s discuss this before you go and make our lives worse.” Claude grabbed Xander’s arm. He barely managed to stop him before he’d made it to the study, where they usually had important discussions.

  “The sooner she is gone, the safer everyone will be.” Xander snatched his arm away.

  “Maybe, or she could run and tell Maura all about our little set up. Not to mention, your new wife will surely make the rest of your life a living hell if you force Molly to leave.” Claude waited for his friend to relax his aggressive stance.

  “She doesn’t even want to be here,” Xander sighed and rubbed at his brow. The stress of the situation apparent in the defeated slump of his shoulders.

  “Yeah, but Cat, and more importantly Shane, needs her to be here. I don’t know about you, but between Cat’s temper and Shane’s star-crossed love, it’s the only option that guarantees any peace at the moment.”

  “We need to find Maura. It goes against everything inside me to wait for her next attack.”

  “I’ll get right on it. She will need blood, and I’m sure she is somewhere close. If Molly knew where to find us, it makes sense that she got that information from Maura or Declan. All I have to do is look for a blood trail.”

  “Fine. We will leave Molly for now, and tomorrow night we start our hunt.”

  Xander turned away from the door to the study and headed the opposite direction towards his room.

  “Tomorrow night, I’ll be ready,” Shane’s weak, gravelly voice said catching Claude completely off guard.

  Claude looked back to see Shane in the doorway. It was a shame in his pre-vampire life that Shane had been a pacifist because he would have made one hell of a spook.

  “I think you should sit tomorrow night out.” Claude took note of Shane’s thin almost sickly frame.

  With the advanced healing ability that vampirism afforded it took a lot of damage to achieve such a gaunt look. The sad part, it was still better then how he was before they had found out Molly was alive. Claude was worried about his friend and not just his physical health. In all honesty, with Shane’s mental state, he would be more of a liability than an asset in any dangerous situation they would come across.

  “I’m going with you.” The determined set in Shane’s eyes was only weakened by their sunken, hollow appearance.

  “It’s better if you stay here, in case Maura makes a move on this place.”

  “She won’t. That isn’t her way, Maura doesn’t come to you. You go to her.”

  Shane had a point, but they didn’t have the luxury to assume that things hadn’t changed.

  “Let’s discuss this tomorrow.”

  “No, we will discuss it now. I know what you all think, that I’m too fragile, but I’m not. I’m ready and more than willing to take my part in destroying that bitch. I won’t just stand on the sidelines this time.”

  “Alright, all three of us will go tomorrow.” Claude hated to give in, but ultimately, Shane would be staying. There was no way Xander would allow him to come, and right now Claude didn’t have the patience to continue to argue with him.

  Shane eyed him warily but moved in his slow, halting gait towards his section of the house.

  Claude sighed with relief, “Disaster averted.”

  For a brief moment, he contemplated returning to the shed to fix the disaster that was still there, but then he thought about Gretchen, alone in her room, and changed his mind. He took the stairs two at a time and didn’t even bother knocking on her room door before flinging it open.

  “Now where were we,” he announced to an empty room.

  His cocky smirk faltered as he realized he was all alone. Maybe she was with Cat and Molly in the theater room. The girls liked to congregate there and have little girl chats. He left the room and walked back down the stairs. The theater room was in Shane’s domain, but he wasn’t as territorial about it as the rest of his space. When he saw that it was empty as well, a brief moment of panic overtook him before he sprinted down the hall, past the study, and to the kitchen.

  He skid to a halt as he encountered a thong wearing Xander raiding the fridge. Cat obviously wasn’t with the girls. Xander was kind of a prude, so only the urgency of pending sex would have him so exposed in any area of the house outside of his room.

  “She’s gone!” He blurted, startling Xander and causing him to drop the bowl of grapes he’d been holding.

  “Who’s gone?” Xander bent over to clean up the newly made mess while trying to shield his partially naked body from Claude.

  “Gretchen, she isn’t in her room and she isn’t in the theater. She’s obviously not with Cat.” Claude rambled, and Xander had the nerve to burst into a fit of laughter.

  “Man you have got it bad. This is truly amusing. She could be in Molly’s room or still in the gardens. There are lots of places on this property she could be.”

  “She’s not that close to Molly, and she rarely leaves her room.”

  “Just go ask Molly.”

  “Yeah right. Like Molly would even open her door for me.”

  “I’d love to help you, but I’m kind of busy. Just let the girl have some space.”

  Claude threw his hands up in defeat and headed out to the garden. Something just wasn’t right about this, and it wasn’t the fact that he’d just seen Xander in a thong.

  Going out for ice cream had been fun, but for Gretchen going back to the mansion was nerve racking. It almost felt like the times she’d snuck home well after curfew as a teen. The tension building in her shoulders was the same at least.

  “Oh, don’t be so tense. I doubt anyone has even noticed. I do this all the time,” Molly said, obviously amused by the situation.

  Gretchen was the first to admit she knew close to nothing about Molly, but her experience with her today was a far cry from the gullible, good girl the others had described her as. This Molly had a dark side that Gretchen wasn’t entirely sure had anything to do with her drama with Shane. Still, Gretchen was inclined to trust her. Who wouldn’t be changed by the trauma she’d been through? It made Gretchen’s turning seem tame. At least, Gretchen had kept her head. Molly wasn’t physically scarred by her ordeal, the mental scars had to be much deeper.

  “Where do you go? I mean; it must be hard trying to avoid places you used to frequent.”

  “Oh, here and there. I hate being cooped up for so long, and it’s not like those boys are the only vamps in town, as much as they like to act like they are.”

  “Wait, there’s more of us?”

  “Of course there are, it’s not like that bitch Maura is the only ancient vamp. Though, I have learned she is the oldest as far as anyone knows. She is one serious mental case, so the others tend to steer clear of anyone associated with her.”

  “So, how did you get to know them?”

  “They found me. How else do you think I got here all the way from Scotland with no money and no plan? They saw how ragged and desperate I was and being female, they knew I couldn’t possibly be in league with her.”

  “I still find it weird how you and Maura were at MacDonald Estate that the whole time, and I had no idea.”

  “Well, you didn’t exactly come inside often, and that place has a lot more secrets than any one person could ever know.”

  “Wait, so if there are others, and you are friendly with them, why are you still at the mansion?”

  “Hmmm -- mansion or run down basement living, which would you choose? Other vampires are more nomadic. They don’t stick around and rely on bagged blood like the boys do, so their accommodations aren’t as important to them.”

  “I guess I’ve read too many vampire novels then.”

  “Not all of them are like that either. I’ve been told in the major cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco there are more civilized vamps with major infrastructures and class systems and all that, but Maura is my sire, so I would probably be killed on the spot.”

  “I know you don’t like to talk about it, but how
exactly did Maura sire you? I mean, from what the others said, it should have been impossible, you know, the whole missing a head thing?”

  “You ask a lot of questions you know that?” Molly said, shaking her head.

  “Sorry, my curiosity is kind of a curse.”

  “You got that straight. Curiosity killed the cat isn’t just a saying in your case.”

  Her words sent a chill down Gretchen’s spine, and even the cheerful grin she flashed didn’t help. Molly was right; it had been curiosity that brought her to Scotland, curiosity that hadn’t let her drop the issue of Felix’s disappearance, and curiosity that led her away from the group when Declan wanted to talk.

  Maybe it was time Gretchen be a little less curious. It surely hadn’t done her many favors in the past. Despite the millions of questions running through her head, Gretchen kept quiet. They spent the rest of the ride back to the mansion in virtual silence

  Waiting game

  She wasn’t in the garden. Claude searched every inch of it three times before checking her room again, then the theater, and the kitchen twice more. He’d even interrupted Xander and Cat’s little love fest to ask if Cat had any idea where else she could be. Xander had nearly ripped his head off, but it had been worth it. Claude was now 100% sure Gretchen was not on the grounds thanks to the security guard at the gate.

  “Mr. Smith’s car is the only one to pass through the gates today, about an hour ago.” The guard checked the log sheet in front of him.

  “Mr. Smith hasn’t left the grounds all day.” Claude couldn’t hold back the edge in his voice.

  “It was the red headed woman, driving. She’s been using Mr. Smith’s car for a while now so I recognized her. She is usually alone but had another female with her this time. I thought it might be Mrs. Smith.”

  “Thank you, inform me when they come back.” Claude stalked away from the security booth, hands clenched into fists at his side. It had taken all his restraint not to kill the man for letting them off the property, but this particular guard had been with them longer than any of the others. There was something to be said for his loyalty even if he was possibly the worst guard in the world. Okay, maybe not the worst, but at the moment that’s how Claude saw it.

  They had beefed up security, but Molly had taken Xander’s car, so there was no reason for the man to question its comings and goings. At least now they knew Molly was definitely up to something, he just prayed that kidnapping Gretchen wasn’t part of that plan. Xander wasn’t going to be happy about a second intrusion, but this new information was too crucial to keep from him.

  “Sorry Cat, but this is too much. We can’t trust her any longer.” Claude argued for the fifth time in ten minutes. He’d interrupted the happy couple in their coital bliss, so of course Cat had insisted on joining their discussion in the study.

  “She was held hostage for two years! Who cares if she wants to get out every once in a while?”

  “She stole Xander’s keys!”

  “She didn’t steal them, I gave her my set since I wasn’t going to be using them.”

  “You what!” Xander chimed in, glaring at his wife.

  “I gave her the keys. I know just as well as you do that she doesn’t feel comfortable here. I gave her the keys so she could go to job interviews and things.” Cat rubbed her temples with her fingers.

  “And give the layout of the mansion and its security to Maura.” Xander countered, and Cat rolled her eyes.

  “Molly has nothing to do with Maura anymore!”

  “How do you know that for sure?”

  “She’s my best friend. I trust her.”

  “She tried to kill you!” Xander roared. His hands clenched firmly at his sides. Xander was typically the pillar of restraint, but he was easily brought to shaking rages when it came to Cat.

  “No, that was your creepy shadow girlfriend. The spell Maura gave to Molly would only have scared me, but your stupid girlfriend made it real so she could transfer the necklace holding Maura’s power to me. Don’t blame Molly for that.”

  “What? Shadow girlfriend? Xander, please tell me you know what she’s talking about?” Claude shook his head as he took in Xander’s equally perplexed look.

  Cat sighed and flopped down on the couch. Adjusting her robe so it modestly covered her long brown legs. Cat was a true ebony goddess, but Claude had never seen her in a sexual way. It had taken a lot to get them to the point of friendship to begin with. She was perfectly Xander’s opposite and his mate.

  “I meant to tell you before, but I’ve been getting visits from a shadow figure that I think is Rachel, Xander’s ex-girlfriend.”

  “Like dreams?” Xander sat next to his wife. Taking her into his arms, a worried look on his face.

  “No, she actually appears. It’s happened twice now. The first time was while you were all in Scotland looking for Felix. She told me that you were all in danger and she showed me things about your past with Maura. She also explained to me about the necklace. Maura got the necklace somehow and used it to hold her dark magic.

  Without it, she is weaker, but she can’t be destroyed until the dark magic is. The second visit was the day before our wedding. I wasn’t able to sleep so I went to the courtyard and she came to me again. This time she told me that in order to destroy the magic and Maura, Shane and Claude had to find true love.”

  Claude rolled his eyes. “I think Shane might have slipped you something. How in the world will that help us defeat Maura?”

  “Look, I think it’s crazy too, but I have no reason to doubt the Shadow.”

  “How do you even know this shadow is Rachel? It could be something Maura’s cooked up to distract us,” Xander said, pulling Cat into his arms.

  “It’s hard to explain. Believe me or don’t, but I don’t get a bad vibe from the Shadow, so I trust it.”

  “So I have to fall in love?”

  “And have it reciprocated, fairy tale love,” Cat laughed.

  “Then we are surely screwed,” Xander said, holding his wife tighter.

  “Alright, alright, but back to the matter at hand. Where the hell would Molly take Gretchen?” Claude waved his hand in the air as if to hurry Cat along.

  “Probably for ice cream.”

  “We have ice cream here.” Claude was perplexed.

  “Not the point.” Cat stood and patted Claude on the shoulder before leaving the room with Xander in tow.

  “This is insane,” Claude huffed before he began to pace.

  This was all some sick joke. Maura had to be behind this somehow. How could his falling in love have anything to do with destroying Maura? If anything, it would destroy him first. And where the hell were those crazy women? The longer they were gone, the more upset he got.

  Claude went to wait in Gretchen’s room first, but after thirty minutes he moved to pacing by the entry hall, until finally he was outside sitting on the front step, waiting. His ears perked up at the first sounds of crunching gravel and when the car pulled up his heart started to race, well, beat normally if compared to a human’s.

  When Gretchen stepped out of the car he had so much he wanted to say, but all he could do was stand there and glare at her.

  “I think I’ll skip this lover’s quarrel.” Molly pushed passed Claude on her way inside leaving him alone with Gretchen.

  Claude let her go. She would get what was coming to her later, right now all that mattered was Gretchen. She was back; she was safe, and she was never leaving again.

  “I don’t have anything to say to you,” Gretchen said, and tried to move around him, but he grabbed her and hauled her up tight against his body.

  “Good.” Claude hissed and crushed his lips to hers. He’d meant to yell at her, to express to her just how stupid of a risk she had taken by leaving the mansion, but when he’d seen her. He’d been flooded with relief and an urgency to express a whole different set of feelings to her.

  Gretchen wanted to be angry that he had waited for her, but he’d looked so c
ute sitting on the front step, almost like a puppy welcoming their owner home after a long trip. Then he’d acted all bull-headed male, reminding her exactly why she wanted to leave in the first place.

  Seriously? Blocking the door like he was some bouncer at a club!

  She’d thought she could just walk right by like Molly had, but of course, she was wrong. He’d swept her off her feet, caveman style and was currently reminding her body just how long it had been sexually dormant.

  His kiss may lack the finesse of the last, but it was definitely scorching her from the inside out. At first just an angry mash of lips that had her ready to slap him silly, but her baser instincts kicked into gear before her brain could signal for any prohibitive actions. Instead, she found herself reaching up to stroke his muscled chest and neck, it was the only real movement possible as his vice like grip held her not only off the ground, but impossibly close to his slim, muscular frame.

  Gretchen tried not to think of the implications of their actions, especially as he carried her over the threshold and up to his room. She only wanted to feel as he laid her gently on his bed. She watched as he made quick work of his clothing. It was no seductive strip tease, just an efficient shucking of clothing, but the reveal of his manhood didn’t need any extra trapping to get her worked up. He was beautiful, long, but not outrageously so with enough girth to make sure she felt every inch.

  As he moved closer, her brain started working again. Screaming warning after warning, but it was too late. Things had gone too far and maybe, just maybe, she needed to give in. Get him out of her system, let him get her out of his system and then this stupid game of theirs could end. Her heart had nothing to do with this. It was just flesh against flesh, or at least it would be once she joined him in the birthday suit club.