Page 16 of Wedlock (Vampire Bachelor Games #3)

“Has he now?” I drawl as my butler informs me that a certain Viscount Jaguar Speardon of Versailles Province has called the castle every hour on the hour for the past three days.

“Yes, Your Lordship. He says he must speak with you as a matter of some urgency, ‘life and death,’ I believe, were his words.”

‘Fucking Jag. No doubt he just wants to ensure I’ll keep his bastard alive.

He needn’t fear on that account; I haven’t so thoroughly become my father yet that I’d kill an infant.

Still, let him squirm and think so. No one has seen or heard from Angie or the baby since he’d delivered her here.

Let him think them both dead, the cunt.’

Just hearing his name brings my blood to the boil, images of him with my wife swimming unbidden before my eyes, of her calling his name as she’d once called out mine, her hair a wild, molten mess, eyes purple, body quivering in ecstasy.

“And didn’t I tell you,” I turn in the corridor to glower down at the portly little man, red-faced and puffing from keeping up with me as I’ve walked, “that it would be your death if you mentioned his name to me ever again?”

“Indeed, My Lord,” he stammers, “it’s just that I felt, given the nature of his insistence, that I simply must pass on his request.”

“And?” I quirk an eyebrow.

Knowing Jag he’d been very persuasive if this scared little human would risk my ire to pass on a message.

The man turns puce.

“He said he’d kill every person I’d ever known, My Lord. From the doctor who’d helped deliver me, to the postman who drops off my mail, and everyone in between. And he handed me this…”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wad of bloodied tissue paper, unwrapping it to reveal a finger bearing a plain gold band and a small diamond circlet.

“Someone you know?” I drawl.

“My wife, Your Lordship.”

I sigh and look from his distraught expression to the ceiling as I try to restrain myself, but fail. Lunging forward, I grab him by the neck and squeeze until I hear a satisfying snap.

As he falls to the ground, eyes wide, I shake my finger at him.

“Never be more scared of anyone than your employer,” I snort, “it’s really quite embarrassing.”

Stepping over him I continue on to the door I’d intended, entering without knocking.

Benita, my new mistress, is waiting for me on the bed, her little negligee opened at the front, revealing full, rounded breasts, the caramel tint of her Italian skin contrasting beautifully with the crisp white lace.

I’d picked her up on a whim on my way back from Wolf’s estate.

I wasn’t really interested in keeping her, but I’d been drunk, and since she’d been so keen.

I couldn’t see any reason not to take her.

Also, she was completely the opposite of Angie in every way possible, from her dark looks to her vacant eyes.

They were night and day. And as the old saying goes, a change is as good as a holiday.

“Lord Falcon,” she pouts, “you told me I was the only one!”

“The only what?” I snort, walking towards her and unbuckling my belt. Tonight I just need to let off some steam. I want it quick and hard, and I don’t want any conversation.

“The only mistress.”

“I would never have said something so blatantly untrue,” I snort, turning her around so her face is pressed into the bed and her round little ass is turned up towards me.

“Well, you intimated,” she whines as she reaches back to shimmy down her lacy, white panties.

“Bullshit,” I growl as I push them down to her ankles and spread her legs. “And what the fuck are you talking about?”

“The other woman, the redhead, I saw her move into the room next door just this afternoon.”

I pause, both hands gripping her wide hips, and glower down at the back of her head, my ardour suddenly doused.

Mother had been given strict instructions to keep Angie in her room.

No one was to know she was here, and any who did, the very few like the nanny and wetnurse, were told she was under suicide watch and could never leave her suite.

Letting my hands slide off the girl’s hips, I lean down and pull up my pants, not bothering to do up my belt as she flips over and frowns.

“Mia cara, have I said something wrong?”

I sigh heavily and glare at her before stomping to the door.

“I have work to do.”

‘I have to hire a new fucking butler.’

“Perche` mai!” She huffs, bouncing off the bed and running to stop me from leaving. “You have ME to do. I won’t mention any other woman again, I promise, cross my heart and hope to die.”

I pause, turning slowly back to her.

“That’s really not a wise thing to say to a vampire.”