Unhallowed Redemption Read online

  Calm down. You’re fine.

  “How are we going to find the way inside?” asked Faina.

  They all looked at each other and shrugged. Not only had this been a bad idea, but they had no plan at all.

  Dani pointed toward a high cement wall. “Let’s see if we can get over that and look for a gate or something.”

  “You’d think there would be more people here on the night before Halloween,” said Shayla. “I don’t hear any voices.”

  Were they even supposed to be in here? Once they’d found the entrance and were inside the cemetery, Faina couldn’t help but think how dead quiet it was. No pun intended.

  Heidi pointed toward an hourglass with wings that adorned the center of an iron gate. “Does that hourglass mean that time flies?”

  “Maybe that time is a deceptive figment of the imagination,” said Shayla.

  “I’ve got to pee,” said Heidi. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  “Is she out of her mind?” asked Dani.

  “She might be,” said Faina, “but now that she’s said it, so do I. Be right back.”

  Faina took off in the opposite direction as Heidi. She hadn’t gone to the bathroom with a group of girls since their college days, and she wasn’t drunk enough now to do it again. She hated to pee at all inside this place. It seemed wrong, but she had drunk way too much rum and there was no way she was going to avoid this.

  She found a group of bushes away from the tombstones, and once that was taken care of, she set off in the direction she believed she’d come. But it didn’t take long for her to realize she’d turned herself completely around. Where was she? Where were the others?

  She called their names, but the only answer she received was the sound of insects singing and the flat echo of her voice falling against marble and tree bark. “Himno,” she whispered. “No fucking way I just got myself lost in a cemetery on Halloween in New Orleans!” Her voice raised in pitch to a yell by the end of the sentence. She glanced around, clamping a hand over her mouth.

  She had her cell phone. She could call them, but they’d just laugh, thinking she was really drunk. They were probably not more than a few yards away, and then she’d feel like an idiot. They couldn’t possibly have strayed that far.

  Okay. Just think. Retrace your steps. She set off in a different direction, and when faint voices reached her ears, she relaxed, smiling at how carried away she’d become in such a short time. When the voices included male ones, she froze, straining to hear.

  Had someone found the others? Were they in danger? “Oh God…”

  She ran toward the sounds, slowing down when she realized she wasn’t listening to her friends and a few would-be attackers or the police. She heard chants in a language she couldn’t identify, and as she drew closer she could smell the torches. What the hell had she stumbled upon?

  Faina hid behind a magnolia tree and watched the crowd. Her pulse raced, and beads of sweat gathered at her hairline and under her arms. At least fifty people, most dressed in masks and elaborate costumes, stood in a circle lit by torches—actual torches, as if they were in a movie about some ancient civilization. It seemed to be a ritual of some kind, but damned if she knew what it was, or what they were shouting and singing. Whatever this was, she had no business being this close to it.

  As she turned to leave, the dark figures of two men came into view, and Faina would have screamed if one of them hadn’t placed an arm around her chest and a hand over her mouth. Her knees buckled, but he held her up. She’d never been so scared in her life. Why the hell had they come here tonight?

  Her fate was about to end up the same as Lisette’s. These men would kill her, after they had some fun, of course.

  She couldn’t make out the features of the second one as he advanced toward her, but she kicked at him, hoping to connect her new boots with his balls. She was surprised to see him jump back and hold up his hands. “Hold on there, little lady. We’re not trying to hurt you.”

  What? Bullshit.

  She tried to free herself from the other man’s grasp, but his damn arm was made of steel. Maybe she could bite him? Warm breath tickled her right ear, and she moaned in fear. “Relax. Alexei speaks the truth. We’re not going to hurt you. But we need to get you out of here. This is no place for a human woman.”

  A human woman? What did that make them, then? What the fuck had been in that rum? She knew it was bad news to drink the voodoo priestess’s rum. She’d fucking known it, and she’d drank it anyway.

  “If I take my hand off your mouth, do you promise not to scream? We can’t protect you if they see you.”

  Was he talking about the chanters? What the hell was going on here?

  “We don’t have much time,” said Alexei. “Answer Konstantin’s question. Will you keep quiet if he takes his hand away?”

  The noise in the clearing grew louder, more frantic. She wasn’t sure whose fate she’d rather place her hands in, but there were only two of them, as opposed to an unknown number in that wild crowd, so she nodded.

  Konstantin’s hand moved away, and then his arm released her. She stared to run but tripped, and one of the men swore in Russian. But she didn’t have time to process that complete surprise, because he scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed no more than one of the magnolia flowers scattered on the ground, and began to run with her.

  Chapter Two

  Konstantin Veselov wished he could morph into his demon form to run with the human in his arms. It would be a hell of a lot faster than having to dodge these fucking tree roots in the dark. But if he did that, she’d start screaming bloody murder, and then those in the gathering would hear her. He couldn’t believe she hadn’t been spotted as it was. What the fuck was she doing here alone so late at night?

  Beside him, his brother, Alexei, breathed easy as he ran. The woman wasn’t heavy, but he wasn’t used to this. He and Alexei simply transported in spirit form when they had to get somewhere fast, and they didn’t have occasion to whisk away a human girl very often. Especially not through a cemetery.

  They reached the fence and Konstantin stopped, debating. They had to get over it, and quickly. He still wasn’t convinced they hadn’t been spotted. Either way, their plans were ruined tonight, but they couldn’t very well have simply left her there.

  “I’ll go through it,” said Alexei. “Hand her over when I do and then come through yourself.”

  He glanced down at her face, which was a mask of fear and disbelief. A strong aroma of rum hung about her. Could they get away with it? When she sobered up, she might believe she’d hallucinated the entire evening. Then again, she might not be as drunk as he hoped she was, and she’d remember every detail. Either way was dangerous for her. They worked hard not to be seen by humans, and now they had to figure out not only how to get her out of this cemetery, but what do to with her once they did.

  “Where are you taking me?” she whispered.

  His heart, if it could still beat, would have given a lurch at the sound of her voice. Her accent was detectible, but he couldn’t tell which region of Russia it was from. And he knew she’d understood him when he’d sworn in his native tongue earlier, which meant he’d have to be careful what he said.

  She was so pretty, with her dark hair and dark eyes, but this wasn’t the time to let his lust take over. He could see her in the dark, but she probably only saw him as a shadow right now, with barely discernible features. That was fine. The less she saw right now, the safer she’d be.

  He sighed, placing her feet on the ground but keeping a grip on her arm. “We’re taking you someplace safe. Do you think you can climb the fence?”

  “I’m not leaving this cemetery with you. My friends are around here somewhere. I need to find them and get back to—”

  He squeezed her arm, and she cried out in pain, making him wish he’d never come here tonight. He didn’t want to hurt her. “You can’t stay here. And I don’t know where your friends are, but I hope someone like us have found the
m by now and gotten them to safety. We have to get out of here.”

  She glanced from him to Alexei as if they’d just told her she had to sprout wings and fly. “And I said I’m not going anywhere with you.” Her voice shook, but he sensed fire under those words. This wasn’t a woman who would let a man order her around. She reached into her pocket, and Konstantin didn’t think. He merely reacted. It was for her own good, after all.

  “Put away the cell phone.”

  She faltered a bit, her face registering uncertainty, and Konstantin pushed a bit more. He really hated using his demon powers like this on humans. It always left them groggy, and this one had already had more than a few drinks. He could smell it on her. If he pushed too hard, she’d pass out. That would certainly make it easier to get her away from here, but it would also complicate matters unnecessarily.

  She put the phone away, and he pushed again as shouts reached his ears. Fuck it. They had no more time to waste. He pushed once more and caught her as she fainted.

  * * * *

  Faina opened her eyes and blinked a few times, glancing around. She must be in the hotel room, but she didn’t remember returning to it last night after they had sneaked into the cemetery.

  The cemetery…

  “Oh God…” She sat up, groaning as pain shot across her temples. Great. Just what she needed. A hangover. Her mouth was dry and her lips parched, as though she hadn’t had water in about a week. An odd smell like rotting leaves or moist dirt wafted across her nose, but then it was gone just as quickly.

  She glanced around again. This wasn’t her hotel room. Where the hell was she? What had she done? Her pulse raced as she gingerly climbed out of bed and stood. So far, so good. The fog lifted a bit. Maybe she wasn’t hungover after all? That would be a welcome relief. But it still didn’t solve the problem of where she was.

  Her gaze fell on the dress and short jacket she’d worn last night, both neatly folded across an ornamental armchair that looked as though it belonged in a museum. If it hadn’t come directly from Alexander Palace, or at least a home just as grand, she’d eat the entire chair. As she started to cross the room to get a closer look, she realized that if her dress and jacket were on the chair, they weren’t still on her.

  Faina glanced down at her body, running her hands across the satin bra and panties she remembered putting on the evening before. Whoever had brought her here had at least left those on, but it hardly mattered. Someone had taken off her dress and jacket. Someone had brought her here.

  What the fuck is going on?

  The smell was back, stronger now. She whirled around, this time taking in the opulent furnishings and heavy drapes. The entire room looked as though it had been plucked from one of Nicholas II’s palaces. Where the fuck was she? And what had died in this room?

  She was about to look under the bed for the rotting corpse of an animal when voices reached her ears. Two males and a female, and they were arguing. She jumped as the door opened and two men strolled in, followed by a woman with startling blue eyes and gray-streaked dark hair pulled back into a severe bun.

  Faina crossed her arms over her bra and blinked several times, trying to remember where she’d seen the men before. The woman swore in Russian, and it all came back to her. “Oh my God…you’re the two from the cemetery last night. You kidnapped me.”

  “Not kidnapped,” said the woman. “Rescued. Although I strongly object to their methods of doing so.”

  She advanced toward Faina while the men stood, arms crossed in identical gestures. Both stared at her half-naked body as if they’d never seen a woman before. Faina wished she could stop gawking at them, but the compulsion was too strong. She’d never seen two more beautiful men in her entire life. Even as the memories from last night came back to her in living color, she didn’t want to look away from their penetrating, lustful gazes.

  “Look at her. She’s terrified. And give her something to wear, for the love of all that’s holy.” The woman snatched the comforter off the bed and wrapped it around Faina’s shoulders, but all Faina did was watch the men.

  “All that’s holy? Good one, Magda.” His voice was familiar, and now she remembered why. He was the one who had carried her toward the gate. He was tall, with muscles his jeans and button-down shirt couldn’t hide, and she fought the urge to cross the room and run her fingers through his hair. She’d always loved dark brown hair. He wore it to his shoulders, quite unlike most styles today. Combined with his golden eyes, it gave him a carefree look, with just a touch of the bad boy.

  What the fuck was wrong with her? Snap out of it!

  “Konstantin Veselov, I will leave this house and you two can find another to look after you if you don’t give this poor creature some proper clothes and food.”

  Faina grasped the comforter and pulled it closer, then sat on the bed. She was hungry. And very thirsty. The smell in the room had dissipated, but now a headache threatened.

  The woman patted her arm. “It will be okay. You just sit here. I’ll bring you food and drink since these two seem unable to find their way around their own house this morning.” She glared at the men. “And they will stay with you and explain why you’re here.”

  Magda left the room, and Faina stared at the two, waiting. The one who hadn’t spoken moved toward her first, hand extended. “Forgive our appalling manners. I’m Alexei Veselov, and this is my brother, Konstantin.”

  Faina didn’t shake his hand. Instead she stared into his green eyes and tried to make sense of all this. His hair was a shade or two darker than his brother’s, but cut in the same style. Both men had old souls. She could sense it, along with something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Something dark but not evil, disturbing but not frightening.

  “You can touch me. I won’t bite.”

  His grin did nothing to dispel her uneasiness, but it did make her clit begin to throb. She glanced away from his gaze. This wasn’t the time to let her emotions get the better of her. “Where am I? Why did you bring me here? Where’s my phone? I have to call my friends. They must be worried sick by now.”

  “They’re not.” Konstantin sat next to her. She could feel the heat from his body, and fought an urge to move closer to him. What power did these two have over her? She should be terrified. She should be looking for a way out of here. Instead, she was fighting against lust-filled images of lying back on this enormous bed so they could both take her, over and over, until she could no longer move or even think.

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because we answered a text message from one of them named Dani and told her you were fine.”

  “You had no right to do that.” She glanced around. Was her phone in this room?”

  “It’s in a safe place,” said Alexei.

  She snapped her gaze to his face. “What is?”

  “Your phone.”

  How had he known that’s what she’d been looking for? “Where are we?”

  “Our home.”

  “And where exactly is this home?” She was tired of these damn games.

  “The Metairie-Kenner area of New Orleans. Don’t worry. You’re quite safe in this house.”

  “Pizdéť. Safe from what? What kind of game are you two playing here?”

  Alexei grinned, and then he spoke in perfect Russian and repeated that she was safe, and that she needed to trust them.

  Faina stood and brushed past them, gathering the comforter closer. She tried the door, but it was locked. Her body trembled, and she fought to keep from passing out. “How?” she whispered. “How is any of this possible?”

  “Please come over here and sit back down.” Alexei’s voice was gentle, soothing, like one might use when speaking to a frightened child. “We aren’t going to harm you.”

  She turned to face them, searching their expressions for a clue—any clue to what was really going on. If they’d wanted to rape her or something along those lines, they could have easily done so by now. Or had they already done that?


  She remembered every detail of last night now, up until she’d been standing in front of the gate with them. One of them had asked her if she could climb the fence, but she couldn’t remember anything after that.

  “We didn’t hurt you,” said Konstantin, his face registering disgust. “We would never do that.”

  “What?” How the hell had he known what she’d been thinking?

  “You’re wondering if we took advantage of you while you were sleeping. We did not.”

  “Then why am I here?” Faina was suddenly so tired, and all she wanted to do was go back to sleep. When she woke, she’d be back in her hotel room and all this would have been a horrible dream.

  He patted the bed. “Please. Sit down. We’ll do our best to explain what’s going on.”

  She didn’t want to be here. She wanted to be back in the hotel, out with her friends, and this time they’d stay put instead of wandering around cemeteries on Halloween at midnight. But she had no other choice right now. She had to listen to them, and hopefully this would all make sense in a few minutes.

  Chapter Three

  Alexei stood as Faina took her seat again, and then he pushed a small table on wheels in front of her. The lock on the door clicked as he did so, and Faina’s eyes widened. “Did you hear her coming?” she asked. “Because I didn’t.”

  He averted his gaze. She was so sensitive to them both. He’d caught the way her chin tilted upward slightly, as if sniffing the air. The scent clung to them no matter what they wore to try and cover it up. Most humans couldn’t detect it, but this woman could.

  Magda placed the tray on the table in front of Faina, then glared at him and Konstantin in turn. “Well?”

  “We were just about to explain.”

  “Leave the door unlocked this time,” said Konstantin.