Page 35 of The Duke’s Bloody Bargain

“And then there’s your temper and the sunlight.” Compassion filled her words, and I wasn’t sure I deserved it.

“I’ll be more careful, more focused. I promise. Things are changing, yes. It must be the deal with Cara.” I glanced at her. She narrowed her gaze. “But I’ll defeat whatever bad instincts I have. Trust me.”

She wasn’t reassured by my words, if her frown was any indication.

The carriage rolled to a stop, and I jumped out to help her. “Would you like to return to the mansion?”

“No. I feel better.” She shot me a glare.

The loud cacophony of sounds hit my ears and made me wince. The rattling of a cart itched along my skin although I was yards away.

“Is something the matter?” Irene touched my arm.

“Loud noises.” My vampire senses were heightened as if I’d released my powers.

“They shouldn’t trouble you.” Suspicion crept into her voice.

“My powers are stirring.” I rubbed my chest where the bond gave a tug.

“The deal again?”

“It could be.” I hated not understanding what was happening to me, but then again, Darius had warned me. If he were here, he would say I was a daft dimbo. “I need to focus on the rogue. If anything, my senses will help me find him more quickly.”

She exhaled. “All right. But I’m worried.”

“So am I.” I rubbed my chest again.

An ache bothered me, but it wasn’t the bond with Irene.

She was so close that the warmth of her body reached me. “How are we going to find the rogue?”

I ignored the different smells tickling my nose. “Two vampires think alike. If he needs to feed, he’ll search for prey in the rookeries. They’re overcrowded and filled with people whose disappearance won’t cause a stir through society. Three men died, and the police are barely investigating. Besides, if the victims are thugs, no one cares.”

“It’s sad though. Lucy was attacked, and if she’d been a regular human with no knowledge of the supernatural world, she wouldn’t have received any help.”

Sweatshops and gaming dens stood side by side in the overcrowded streets. The smell of filth, opium, and horse dung mingled. A man was pissing in a dark alley. A couple was satisfying other urges in another.

I forced myself to stay focused on Irene. “If the rogue has a personal vendetta against Rothbart, he’ll be here. If he’s close enough, I should sense his presence.”

“What about Darius? How is he going to find the rogue on his own?”

I held her hand, glad she allowed it. “Is there anything he can’t do?”

She smiled. “Good point.”

Her laughter lifted a weight from my chest, and the thirst diminished. As the thirst died down, guilt flared up. I’d been about to drink from her without her permission. I’d never drunk from anyone who hadn’t agreed. That worried me more than my intolerance to sunlight.

I cleared my throat. “There are a few clubs and gambling dens Rothbart’s minions love. We’ll start from there.”

Lords, gentlemen, and all sorts of workers mingled in this area, drawn together by the common pursuit of pleasure. The only limit was one’s wallet.

The smell of blood and the drumming of strong heartbeats distracted me. Men with unbuttoned shirts and women with low-necked gowns exposed their necks to my hunger. The thirst scratched my throat, roaring once more, and Irene’s scent tormented me. Her blood was perfection, but the thirst would be satiated with anyone’s blood if Irene didn’t want to let me feed from her.

“Alex.” She swept into view. “Did you hear what I said?”

“I didn’t.”

“Do you see any members of Rothbart’s gang? I think I’ve recognised one. That man over there in the brown jacket.”