Read Online First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost - Free Book Online
Authors: Jeaniene Frost
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into a chair and closed his eyes. Sleep was what he needed. He’d feel better on the morrow.
When he fell asleep, however, he kept dreaming of Denise…only her hair was blond, her eyes were brown, and her throat had been cut from ear to ear.
Chapter Seven
Denise gasped when she saw the red-haired man who waited for them in the drawing room. “You!”
Sadly, it wasn’t her relative Nathanial she’d recognized. Ian blinked, obviously surprised to see her, too. Then his turquoise gaze slid to Spade and he laughed.
“When you said you were coming to see me, I thought this was going to be another boring social call, but I was wrong, wasn’t I? Look at you, sneaking behind Crispin’s back with his wife’s best friend. I’m impressed.”
Spade crossed his arms. “Don’t snicker so, Ian. We’re here on business, though yes, I don’t want Crispin informed of it.”
The sly smile stayed on Ian’s lips. “Silence like that will cost you, mate.”
“I have no doubt,” Spade replied in an ironic tone.
Denise still couldn’t believe Spade involved Ian in this. Bones’s sire didn’t have a good reputation on the best of days, and at his worst, he’d nearly gotten several of Cat’s soldiers killed.
“Don’t trust him, he’ll go right to Bones and Cat,” she muttered.
Ian’s gaze settled on her, unoffended by the accusation. “Not if Charles makes it worth my while, poppet.”
“Who’s Charles?” Denise repeated, looking around. Then she remembered. Right, that’s what Bones called Spade, too.
“My human name,” Spade said, even though Denise figured it out.
“Don’t know why you still insist on being called by that other name,” Ian said, shaking his head. “I’d just as soon forget we were ever prisoners, but you’ve chosen to remind yourself of it every day.”
“Keeps me focused,” Spade replied lightly.
“Prisoners?” Denise cast a look at Spade. He was a former convict? How could someone keep a vampire locked up, anyway?
“Didn’t you know, poppet?” Ian purred. “It was how we met, on the voyage to the New South Wales penal colonies. Baron Charles DeMortimer here thought it was very beneath his station, being chained to common criminals like me, Crispin, and Timothy. Imagine his horror once we arrived and the overseer only addressed him by the tool he had to labor with instead of his title. Makes no sense that he insisted on being called that after he became a vampire, too.”
A tick in Spade’s jaw said he didn’t appreciate the subject, but Denise was intrigued. She’d had no idea Spade had been both a prisoner and a noblemen. In a way, it explained some things. Spade reeked of danger, true, but he also never let her touch a door or car handle, streaking to open them for her. Then his insistence on sleeping in a chair despite it being his bed he was kicking himself out of, and she’d never heard him so much as raise his voice. Add that to the regal air he carried himself with, and she should have guessed that he’d come from far different circumstances than Bones.
“Aren’t you interested in hearing what I’ll offer in exchange for your discretion, Ian?” Spade asked, coolly changing the topic.
Ian grinned. “Of course.”
“My property in the Keys you’ve long admired. I’ll loan it to you for the next decade. That should be more than adequate to ensure your silence.”
Denise let out a shocked noise that both men ignored. “Not good enough,” Ian replied. “Crispin will be very angry at me if he discovers my part in whatever it is you’re up to with her, so you’ll have to give me the house to make it worth my while.”
“You greedy schmuck!” Denise burst out.
Ian cast a leisurely glance in her direction. “And now my feelings are hurt. That’ll cost you the boat, too.”
Spade shot a look at her that had Denise clamping her mouth shut. Greedy SCHMUCK , she silently screamed at Ian.
“Only if I have your silence and cooperation by
When he fell asleep, however, he kept dreaming of Denise…only her hair was blond, her eyes were brown, and her throat had been cut from ear to ear.
Chapter Seven
Denise gasped when she saw the red-haired man who waited for them in the drawing room. “You!”
Sadly, it wasn’t her relative Nathanial she’d recognized. Ian blinked, obviously surprised to see her, too. Then his turquoise gaze slid to Spade and he laughed.
“When you said you were coming to see me, I thought this was going to be another boring social call, but I was wrong, wasn’t I? Look at you, sneaking behind Crispin’s back with his wife’s best friend. I’m impressed.”
Spade crossed his arms. “Don’t snicker so, Ian. We’re here on business, though yes, I don’t want Crispin informed of it.”
The sly smile stayed on Ian’s lips. “Silence like that will cost you, mate.”
“I have no doubt,” Spade replied in an ironic tone.
Denise still couldn’t believe Spade involved Ian in this. Bones’s sire didn’t have a good reputation on the best of days, and at his worst, he’d nearly gotten several of Cat’s soldiers killed.
“Don’t trust him, he’ll go right to Bones and Cat,” she muttered.
Ian’s gaze settled on her, unoffended by the accusation. “Not if Charles makes it worth my while, poppet.”
“Who’s Charles?” Denise repeated, looking around. Then she remembered. Right, that’s what Bones called Spade, too.
“My human name,” Spade said, even though Denise figured it out.
“Don’t know why you still insist on being called by that other name,” Ian said, shaking his head. “I’d just as soon forget we were ever prisoners, but you’ve chosen to remind yourself of it every day.”
“Keeps me focused,” Spade replied lightly.
“Prisoners?” Denise cast a look at Spade. He was a former convict? How could someone keep a vampire locked up, anyway?
“Didn’t you know, poppet?” Ian purred. “It was how we met, on the voyage to the New South Wales penal colonies. Baron Charles DeMortimer here thought it was very beneath his station, being chained to common criminals like me, Crispin, and Timothy. Imagine his horror once we arrived and the overseer only addressed him by the tool he had to labor with instead of his title. Makes no sense that he insisted on being called that after he became a vampire, too.”
A tick in Spade’s jaw said he didn’t appreciate the subject, but Denise was intrigued. She’d had no idea Spade had been both a prisoner and a noblemen. In a way, it explained some things. Spade reeked of danger, true, but he also never let her touch a door or car handle, streaking to open them for her. Then his insistence on sleeping in a chair despite it being his bed he was kicking himself out of, and she’d never heard him so much as raise his voice. Add that to the regal air he carried himself with, and she should have guessed that he’d come from far different circumstances than Bones.
“Aren’t you interested in hearing what I’ll offer in exchange for your discretion, Ian?” Spade asked, coolly changing the topic.
Ian grinned. “Of course.”
“My property in the Keys you’ve long admired. I’ll loan it to you for the next decade. That should be more than adequate to ensure your silence.”
Denise let out a shocked noise that both men ignored. “Not good enough,” Ian replied. “Crispin will be very angry at me if he discovers my part in whatever it is you’re up to with her, so you’ll have to give me the house to make it worth my while.”
“You greedy schmuck!” Denise burst out.
Ian cast a leisurely glance in her direction. “And now my feelings are hurt. That’ll cost you the boat, too.”
Spade shot a look at her that had Denise clamping her mouth shut. Greedy SCHMUCK , she silently screamed at Ian.
“Only if I have your silence and cooperation by
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