Crimson Debt Read online

  “What’s that?” I asked, staring at it blankly.

  “That’s the stake! The soul eater.” She thrust it at me and I pulled back instinctively.

  “What the hell—keep it out of my face!”

  “It can’t hurt you now—it can’t hurt anyone. Someone neutralized it—someone reversed my spell.” She glared at me as if I was personally responsible. Which actually, I probably was. “That was my best magic and I come from a long line of powerful witches. Even I couldn’t have reversed that spell. How the hell did you do it?”

  Taylor turned to me, her eyes wide. “You reversed a witch’s magic? But how, Addison? You’re not a witch—are you?”

  “No, of course not.” I tried to laugh. “I think you’d know by now if I was. You would have caught me out casting spells at midnight or dancing with the devil or something.”

  An uncomfortable look crossed Gwendolyn’s face.

  “That’s a fucking stereotype and I don’t appreciate it. Witches are neutral agents of power—they have nothing to do with demons or any other creatures of the Shadow Lands.” She glared at me. “So how did you reverse my magic?”

  “She paid the Crimson Debt.”

  The new voice came from the doorway. I looked up to see Corbin standing there with a scowl on his face. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt—a black one this time that clung to his broad, muscular chest and seemed to match his mood. His announcement brought a collective gasp from everyone in the room—as well as outside it. Bambie was still standing there just behind him, her eyes wide, no doubt soaking up the gossip.

  Taylor shook her head. “Addison…you didn’t.”

  “Of course, she didn’t,” Gwendolyn said flatly. “If she did, she wouldn’t still be here. The vamp she paid the Debt to would have killed her.”

  “He very nearly did,” Corbin growled, frowning at me.

  Okay, it was getting just a little too crowded in Taylor’s tiny room for my taste. And I didn’t like sitting meekly on her lumpy cot like a naughty child while Corbin glared down at me like an angry father.

  “This is not the place to be talking about this,” I said, getting up and only wobbling a little bit as I pushed past Taylor and Gwendolyn to get to Corbin. “I think,” I said, looking up at him, “We could use a little privacy.”

  “Oh, is it privacy you want?” He suddenly swept me into his arms and carried me down the hallway. He was moving so fast I barely had time to see the shocked look on Bambie’s face before he turned the corner and entered his office.

  Once we were alone, he shut the door and put me down. Then he walked across the room, leaned back against his desk, folded his arms over his chest and just…glared at me.

  “Corbin—” I started but he shook his head.

  “So now we have some privacy,” he said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. “Only I seem to recall that the last time you asked for privacy you lured me downstairs and chained me to the bed.”

  I lifted my chin. “Yeah, well, I didn’t see you protesting at the time.”

  “That is because I had no idea what you were about to do. Gods!” He ran a hand through his hair in a very human gesture of frustration. “How could I have not seen it? How could I have not understood what you were about to risk?”

  “Because you were almost dead at the time,” I shot back. “And you were about to be all dead if I didn’t do something fast—so I did it.”

  “You nearly died, Addison!” he roared.

  I couldn’t help it—I flinched. I had never seen him angrier.

  “Corbin—” I started.

  “I could have killed you—could have ripped you to shreds!” His eyes were blazing and every muscle in his big body was tight. But I was through flinching.

  “You think I don’t know that?” I shouted back. “I knew what I was getting into—I see it at work all the time. Hell, I saw it last night, right before I came to you.”

  Corbin shook his head. “You are insane. If I had killed you…”

  “But you didn’t,” I said more softly. “You didn’t, Corbin—I’m all right. We both are. Yes, I took a risk but it paid off.”

  “No, we are not all right,” he ground out, his eyes narrowed. “Even though I didn’t kill you I still hurt you—and badly.”

  “Look,” I said, putting out a hand. “I know I’m a little banged up but—”

  “A little banged up?” he repeated. “Addison, come here.”

  I came to him reluctantly and stopped about two feet from him.

  “What?”

  “Look.” He tugged at the belt of the silky dark green kimono I was wearing and it fell open with a whisper of cloth.

  I looked down at myself…and bit back a gasp.

  I was covered in bruises. My arms, my thighs, my hips and torso, all were covered in long, finger shaped marks that had to be from Corbin’s hands.

  “I did that,” he said softly and there was a depth of sorrow and regret in his voice that made me ache to hear it. “I hurt you, Addison. And…forced myself on you, as well.”

  “Oh, come on,” I objected. “If anyone forced anyone it was me forcing you. I chained you down, remember?”

  “Yes, and now I know why.” He shook his head. “You should have known that silver wouldn’t hold one of my age and strength.”

  “Well, I didn’t. And it seemed like a good idea at the time. Corbin…” I stepped closer and put my hand on his arm. “You didn’t force me, okay?” I said gently. “It was consensual, all the way.”

  He frowned. “Maybe it started out that way, but I know how it ended. Darling… I saw blood on your thighs. I know what I did. How I hurt you.”

  The pain in his eyes was awful to see. It felt like someone had reached into my chest and was squeezing my heart.

  “I know what it must have looked like but it wasn’t like that,” I told him. “I mean, it could have been. I’m sure it would have been if I hadn’t…hadn’t figured out a way to make it work.”

  He laughed bitterly. “You found a way to make being raped work? How very clever of you.”

  “It wasn’t rape,” I said angrily. “It was submission.”

  “What?” He frowned at me, clearly surprised.

  I ducked my head, unable to look at him.

  “Submission,” I repeated. “You were…more animal than human while…while it was going on. You had needs that had to be met. I just…gave you what you needed.”

  Corbin looked at me with a new light in his eyes.

  “So you willingly submitted to me? That doesn’t sound like you, Addison.”

  I pulled my robe closed and crossed my arms protectively over my breasts.

  “Yeah, well…maybe I’ve changed.”

  “Well, I have not,” he said grimly. “I am a vampire and my true nature was revealed to you last night.”

  “Will you please get over the ‘oh, I’m a guilty monster’ crap already?” I snapped, losing my patience. “Yes, you were out of your mind and you got a little rough. Hell, Corbin—I expected that. You want to know the truth? I excepted to be torn to pieces.”

  He had been looking a bit calmer but now his eyes went hard again.

  “Then why did you do it?” he demanded in a low, angry voice. “Damn it, Addison—I was prepared to die. I never asked you to give your life to bring me back. To risk a horrible and painful death out of some twisted sense of obligation and duty.”

  “Is that what you think?” I demanded. “Listen to me, you big asshole—” I reached up and poked him angrily in the center of his broad chest. “I didn’t do it out of duty or because I owed you anything for saving Taylor or protecting me from Roderick or anything else like that. I did it because I love you! And you’re an even bigger idiot than I thought if you can’t see that.”

  Corbin’s eyes widened and then narrowed.

  “You are lying.”

  “What?” I glared at him and shook my head. “I tell you I love you and you say I’m lying? Why the hell would you say a