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 That s Van, Nathaniel said as he smoothed his hands down his
jeans, wondering what in the hell he was going to tell Manny. Rhys
stayed where he was, but his expression hadn t changed. Nathaniel
stayed frozen to the couch, thinking that maybe coming back here
wasn t one of his more brilliant ideas.
 Are you going to welcome him in? Rhys asked as he moved
away from the television, heading toward the door.  He is family.
Family is always welcome.
The Dark Side of Love 71
Oh shit. Nathaniel jumped up from the couch, blocking Rhys from
going to the door. That wasn t an easy thing to do. Rhys was a very
large vampire. His shoulders were almost as wide as Nathaniel was
tall. Power and authority didn t ooze from the man. He wore it like a
second skin. Rhys was definitely comfortable in who he was.
Nathaniel only wished he possessed confidence like that.
The knock sounded again, harder this time.
 Your brother seems to be growing impatient. Give him the coins
he needs so we can be gone from here.
Nathaniel could feel panic setting in. He shouldn t have lied to
Rhys. He knew that now, but telling Rhys he had lied wasn t going to
go so well. Nathaniel started to get a headache, right behind his left
eye. It pounded insistently, making him swallow a few times as he
glanced at the door.
Rhys stepped closer, the dark expression growing as he leaned in
and sniffed at Nathaniel s neck.  The poison you ingest has come to
the surface, why? he asked as his head slowly rose, the blue in his
eyes bleeding until the whites were no longer visible.  Is it your
brother that feeds you these wicked things?
 No, Nathaniel answered quickly.  Van hates drugs.
 Then why is the craving in your eyes? Rhys grabbed
Nathaniel s upper arms, pulling him closer as he licked Nathaniel s
neck.  I can even taste a slight lingering.
Nathaniel was shaking so badly that it felt like Rhys holding him
was the only reason he hadn t fallen apart.
 What are you afraid of, Nathaniel? Rhys seemed confused, but
his eyes softened slightly.  Tell me your fears and I will slay them for
you.
If only it were that easy. But the offer touched him& in some
deranged sort of way.
The knocking sounded as if Manny was trying to break the door
down. Nathaniel knew that knock. Manny was pissed.
72 Lynn Hagen
Nathaniel had seconds to gasp before Rhys slammed his lips onto
Nathaniel s. He struggled to pull away, to get free. Visions of what
Rhys had looked like when he first saw the vampire chased through
his mind. Nathaniel didn t want to kiss the man. He wanted to get free
and run as fast and as far as he could.
The kiss turned from demanding to exploring in the blink of an
eye. Nathaniel stood stiffly, allowing Rhys s tongue to lick across his
lips, to trace the lines of his mouth. The tension eased as Nathaniel
started to relax. He never would have thought that an ancient vampire
could kiss like a god.
Nathaniel moaned, pulling at his arms. Rhys released them, and
Nathaniel snaked his arms around Rhys s shoulders. To feel so much
strength, so much power under his hands was intoxicating. Nathaniel
sank into the kiss, opening his mouth wide to let Rhys in.
Gods, help his insanity, but he wanted Rhys in the worst way. The
man may have been what nightmares were made of when Nathaniel
first laid eyes on the man, but he was a gorgeous warrior in
Nathaniel s eyes now. The man was muscular, big, and powerful. The
combination was heady as Nathaniel moaned into the kiss.
Rhys pulled Nathaniel closer, his fingers digging into Nathaniel s
back as he crushed Nathaniel to him. Nathaniel grew hard, his cock
straining against his jeans.
When Rhys pulled back, Nathaniel whimpered and tried to chase
after Rhys s lips with his own. He didn t want the kiss to end. He
wanted Rhys to grab him and take him to bed. Nathaniel was yearning
to be fucked by this god.
 The scent has abated, Rhys said as he licked at Nathaniel s lips.
Nathaniel groaned and opened wider.
 What scent? Nathaniel asked as he slid farther into Rhys s hard
body.  Kiss me again.
When Rhys gave him a smile that said he intended to do more
than just kiss, Nathaniel s breath left his lungs in a whoosh. He d seen
that look. All men had it. It was a promise of wicked things to come.
The Dark Side of Love 73
But Nathaniel had never had anyone give him that look before. He felt
like he was Rhys s entire universe in that one smile.
 Answer the door, Nathaniel, Rhys said gently.
And just that quickly Nathaniel s gut tightened and his heart
began to beat so hard that his chest hurt. Rhys released him, but didn t
move away as Nathaniel walked toward the door. Nathaniel didn t
want to do this. He had fucked up. He knew this. But he didn t want
to pay the piper. He didn t want Rhys to know how truly weak he was
when it came to Manny and the drugs he sold.
Taking a deep breath in for bravery, Nathaniel opened the door.
Manny stood on the other side, glowering. His fake smile was gone,
with no pretense to it showing up anytime soon.  Are you trying to
avoid me? Manny asked angrily.  I gave you things in good faith,
Nate. If you think you re going to hide from me, then I haven t scared
you enough with how I collect my debts.
Nathaniel knew how Manny collected his debts. He had seen it a
time or two. Manny always made sure his new clientele was aware of
what would happen if they tried to get away with not paying him.
Manny had taken Nathaniel to one of his client s homes, shooting
the client s brother in the leg when the client said he wasn t paying
Manny what he owed. Manny seemed to have enjoyed seeing the
terrified look on Nathaniel s face when the brother screamed and the
client begged for another day.
Nathaniel shivered at the memory.  I remember.
 Good, Manny said, his lips slightly upturning.  I ll take the two
hundred you owe me and be on my way then.
Nathaniel s fingers gripped the doorknob harder. He hadn t been [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]