“I’m just making sure. I really don’t want to send your shredded body back to your bosses. I hate having to explain things like that.”
“Thanks for your concern.”
She smiled at him and started down the steps. As she moved she could feel him behind her. True to his word, he was pressed in close to her back. She liked that he was seeking protection from her. There was nothing more Olena liked than control.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the smell of blood intensified. From the way Cale’s nose wrinkled, he could smell it as well. But so far they didn’t see any crimson pools or a body.
The basement was obviously where Luc played. A billiards table and a dartboard were set up near what looked to be a fully stocked bar. A huge projection TV with surround sound took up one wall. Olena counted about ten speakers mounted nearby. The music was coming from a state-of-the-art high-tech sound system mounted on the wall, shelves of CDs surrounding it.
The walls and the floor were done in an old-world tavern style. Hardwood floors, wooden bar stools, wood paneling on the walls with what appeared to be oil lamps lighting the way. Olena liked it. It made her homesick for a few of her old haunts in London and Paris back in the early 1900s.
“Looks like he’s a big entertainer,” Cale said as he inspected the full bar. He motioned toward three half-full glasses on the counter. “And he had company.”
Olena carefully made her way to another door in the corner. She didn’t think it led to the bathroom. The scent of blood was strongest coming from underneath the door.
“I have a feeling he did some other types of entertaining as well.”
Cale came over to her as she slowly opened the heavy wooden door. He produced a flashlight from one of his pockets and shone it into the dark room.
It was what Olena had suspected. Luc Dubois was one of those vampires who got off on the pain and suffering of others, or in some cases, their own.
As Cale swung the light around the room, they could plainly see the iron manacles fastened to the wall, a padded wooden horse in the middle of the room likely used for punishment, both sexual and otherwise, and the rack mounted on the wall with varying instruments of pain and pleasure.
What they didn’t expect to see was a completely na**d Luc Dubois—or what Olena thought was him—also fastened on the wall by several wooden stakes. Without his head.
Chapter 6
Cale cursed. He’d vampire-killing scenes but never been witness to one. It was disturbing on many levels.
He glanced at Olena and saw that she’d gone deathly still. He holstered his weapon then put his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, but he could tell that she wasn’t.
Her body was vibrating, and her naturally pale skin had gone even paler. Wrapping his hand around her shoulder, he pulled her to him. She let him. He knew then that she must’ve been in shock, otherwise he was sure she would’ve pulled away from him, not wanting to appear weak.
He didn’t think she could appear weak in any circumstances.
Cale wrapped his arms around her and steered her away from the open door. She held on to his shirt and nuzzled her face into his shoulder. Acting on instinct, he ran a hand down over her hair. It was silky smooth under his palm, and he had to fight the urge to bury his fingers in it.
“Just give me a minute,” she said, still clutching his shirt. “I’ll be fine.”
“Okay.” Was it wrong of him to want her to take her time? To want her to need to hang onto him for support, for comfort? She felt so right in his arms.
He liked the way they fit together, like interlocking puzzle pieces.
After a few more moments, she breathed deeply, then uncurled her fingers from his shirt and took a distancing step back. She brushed the front of her jacket, as if to sweep away the moment.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a vampire execution.” She didn’t make eye contact with Cale as she spoke, but looked toward the open door.
“Is that what this is?”
She nodded. “Someone wanted to make an example of him. It’s a message.”
“To whom?”
She shook her head. “Someone who knows Luc Dubois. A business partner maybe, or a relative.”
Olena took out her cell phone. “I’d better call this in and get the team down here.”