“None of us did this to your brother. But I know something about it stinks. That’s why we brought in reinforcements. We’re investigating this. Nina, believe me, we’re trying to get behind this. We’re just as worried about this as you are. We’re trying to figure out who did this to him.”
“More like sweeping it under the rug.”
“No. We know something is wrong, and we’re doing everything we can to find out what it is. We need some time. Please trust me. I’ll help you find out who’s done this to Eddie. I can find who’s responsible.”
His eyes were pleading with her, but she couldn’t trust him. As soon as she released him, he would turn the tables on her and punish her. No, she couldn’t go back now. She’d already gone too far.
She gripped the stake tighter. “Somebody has to pay for his death.”
“Somebody will, chérie, I promise you. But don’t do this.” His voice was the softest whisper. Too soft for a vampire—too gentle for a murderer. “You’ll hate yourself for hurting an innocent person. I can help you. Let’s work together. I can protect you. You don’t want to be out there on your own. Whoever is responsible is dangerous. Please.”
***
Amaury didn’t understand what he was offering her, but the sad look on Nina’s face tore at his heartstrings. Suddenly she looked smaller and more vulnerable, not like the slayer she was trying to portray. Despite the stake in her hand, he knew she had a good heart.
And despite the agony he was currently in, he wanted to help her. The silver was painfully eating into his skin, the blisters that had first formed now breaking open, making any further contact with the silver even more painful. He tried to move as little as possible to confine the effects of the poisonous metal to a smaller area, but it was hard not to shift as the burning sensation became worse.
All he could do was distract himself. Amaury concentrated on Nina and saw a flicker in her eyes which he recognized as doubt. She wasn’t sure anymore that her action was right. He had to use her doubt to get to her.
“Let me kiss you and make it better.” He had sensed how her body had reacted to him, and doubted she had faked it all. She wasn’t that good an actress. “Please, you know my body doesn’t lie. And neither does yours. Do you really think you would have enjoyed touching and kissing me, if you truly thought I was guilty? Trust your instincts.”
His own instincts told him she was good, and only desperation had driven her to these extreme measures. Somehow he would get through to her. He had to try.
“Before Zane captured you tonight, we had a staff meeting. My colleagues from New York and I are trying to figure out who knew anything about your brother and what happened. We have some leads.” They weren’t really leads, just hunches. He’d sensed some oddities about several of the staff present and had selected those to be interviewed separately.
“What leads?”
There was interest in her eyes now. He was getting somewhere.
“Some indication that some guys aren’t telling us the whole truth. There’s something hidden, and we’ll find it, trust me. Finding the truth is just as important to us as it is to you.”
“You’re just saying that to pacify me.”
Her plump lips parted. What he’d give to kiss her right now. She would believe him then.
Amaury shook his head. “If we can’t get behind this, it’ll ruin the company. We’ll lose our clients. Nobody wants to be protected by bodyguards who are unstable. Samson spent years building up the company and making it into what it is today. Do you really think he’d throw that all away by driving his staff to commit murder?”
He noticed the expression in her eyes change. Something was getting through to her. Was he making any sense?
“You know what I am, and have I hurt you? No. Because that’s not me. I don’t hurt women.”
Well, spanking didn’t count as hurting anyway, especially not when the other party encouraged it.
“I’m a vampire, and you kissed me. You allowed me to touch you, and you shared your passion with me.” He dropped his gaze to her mouth. “You have the softest lips I’ve ever tasted. No woman has ever ignited this kind of desire in me. Your mouth on me gave me more pleasure than I’ve ever felt before. Nina, you can’t tell me you didn’t feel that. You didn’t fake it. It was real. Now let me show you the same pleasure. Please, let me make love to you.”
Amaury searched her eyes for signs of acceptance and wished he could have sensed her emotions, but her heart didn’t release any emotions for him to read. He’d never learned to read people’s faces since he never had to, because his gift always provided him with everything he needed to know. Now he regretted his ineptness.