I didn’t often take freelance cases anymore. My day job kept me too busy as it was, but there was something about this woman when she called. The concern in her voice resonated with me, and I couldn’t find the words to say no.
About half a mile before the café, I began my descent. I narrowed my beady eyes looking for a vacant alley. In the city, it was always challenging to find a quiet enough spot to transform back to human form. New Yorkers were always in a hurry, but they weren’t distracted enough not to notice that.
I spotted a narrow alley barely big enough for a person to walk through a few blocks away from Thank-A-Latte. I chuckled. Olexa had been right; it was a pretty funny name. I angled my wings downward and alighted on a piece of cardboard after a few short minutes. Popping back into my human form, I adjusted my shirt collar and ran my hand through my hair. Every time I transformed, I thanked my lucky stars I wasn’t a shifter. Emerging into human form naked was a terrible curse they had to bear. Fortunately for me, vampires kept their clothes.
Taking a quick left out of the alley, I walked the short distance to the café. A line of half a dozen people stood under the green awning waiting to order. I decided to forgo the coffee and went straight inside. A girl’s voice bellowed, “Welcome to Thanks-A-Latte,” as I strolled in. I glanced up; something about the voice sent a shiver up my spine.
A petite blonde girl manned the register. Her blue apron fit snugly around a full chest and wispy waist and for some reason I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her. My skin tingled. There was something about her I couldn’t quite figure out. All supernaturals had what I called sup-radar to be able to recognize others of our kind. I just couldn’t decipher the vibes this girl was giving off.
She rolled her deep blue eyes at the customer in front of her, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Excuse me?”
I turned toward the voice, finally tearing my gaze away from the girl.
“Are you Damian Spiros?”
“Yes. I am.” I held out my hand to the woman sitting at the table next to me. With one look at the platinum beehive she sported, I knew this was my client. “You must be Camellia.”
She nodded. “Please sit down.”
I pulled out the chair, sitting at the edge of my seat. It was poor form of me not to have spotted her first. I would have, had I not been so preoccupied with that girl. I glanced up at the coffee bar, but she was gone. A tall Latino-looking guy stood in her place.
“Thank you for meeting with me today, Mr. Spiros.”
“Please just call me Damian.”
“Very well, Damian.” Her gaze flicked to the line at the register. “I’m glad you’ve already taken an interest in my case.”
I arched a brow. “Excuse me?”
She turned toward the coffee bar where customers were picking up their orders. “Aria. The young woman behind the counter is whom I need you to keep an eye on. I couldn’t help but notice she caught your attention when you arrived.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I hoped my olive complexion would hide the flush. “She’s not like you,” I finally muttered.
“No. She’s human, and she needs to be protected.”
“Human?” My nose was telling me one thing, but my vampire senses were confused.
“The details aren’t important right now, Damian. What is important is that her life is in great danger. I need you to protect her. As I mentioned on our phone call, money is no object. I don’t know how long this task may last so I need someone that can commit to an indefinite time period.”
I looked up at the girl behind the counter tinkering with the industrial coffee machine. She bit down on her lower lip appearing deep in concentration.
“Damian? Can you do it?”
“Yes,” I breathed out.
She slid over a manila envelope with a few pages sticking out. “This is all the information you’ll need about her. In addition, you’ll receive your payments weekly via wire transfer direct to your bank account.””
“Fine.” I flipped through the small file. “This isn’t a lot to go on. Can you be more specific about the sort of danger she’s in?”
She shook her head. “No, not at this time. I can, however, tell you that there are both supernatural and human threats.”
Great.
She abruptly stood. “Please take care of her, Damian. I am entrusting you with her life.”
I nodded, my brows pulling together. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to her.”
She squeezed my hand and rushed out of the crowded café.
Chapter Twelve
I cracked my knuckles as I waited for Aria to emerge from the red brick building. The dilapidated sign for the Frederick Douglas public housing development was covered in black graffiti. The girl had to be tough to live in this part of town. I sniffed the air, the breeze thick with illegal substances wafting down from open windows.
There were plenty of human threats right in this building. This job might turn out to be more difficult than I’d imagined. Keeping an eye on her from afar might prove impossible, which meant I had to figure out a way to insert myself into her life. The idea of serving coffee at Thanks-A-Latte was not the least bit attractive so I had to find another way.
A few minutes later, the cute blonde pushed open the rusty metal door and descended the few steps to the sidewalk. Next to her was the Latino guy I’d seen at the café the day before. It had to be her roommate and co-worker, Ricky. I’d gone over her file last night and familiarized myself with all the important details of her life. She threaded her arm through his, and they made their way toward the subway station. According to Aria’s schedule she was slated to work in half an hour.
I followed them while keeping a half block distance between us. I didn’t want her to see me just yet. From what I’d learned in her file, she wouldn’t be too welcoming of a stranger. Let alone one that was trailing her.
My senses were on high alert as we walked down Amsterdam. I’d taken note of every car and person in a one-block perimeter. I focused my vampire hearing to hone in on every distinct sound around me, which was difficult in a bustling metropolis like New York City. Footsteps echoed from every direction, but I caught a faint pattern and paused.
The footfalls fell away as soon as I stopped moving.
I continued to walk again, closing the distance between Aria and Ricky and me. I peered through the corner of my eye and noticed a man a few yards behind me. He’d appeared a block or so after we left Aria’s apartment.
The stranger was short, medium build, dark hair and definitely Latino. I slowed my pace and let him pass me. Tucked into the back of his jeans was the bulky silhouette of a gun. A low growl reverberated in my throat. I kept a short distance between the man and myself. It could be nothing. I may have been paranoid, but I wasn’t letting this guy anywhere near my charge.
Aria and Ricky descended the stairwell into the 116th Street subway station, and so did the stranger. I hurried down the steps, swiping my metro card through the reader and slammed past the turnstile. The pair were further down the platform, talking and giggling about a nasty customer they’d encountered at work. The man still hovered nearby, scanning his cell phone.
I moved between him and the girl. The rumble of the approaching train sent my heart racing. I took a breath and forced myself to keep cool. What was up with me? I never lost control; I hadn’t for a very long time.
The train stopped, the silver doors gliding open. A rush of morning commuters spilled out, and I momentarily lost track of the petite blonde. I whirled back and forth until I caught sight of her and her friend slipping in between the closing doors. I dashed into the same car just in time.
I scanned the passengers for the man, but he was nowhere in sight. I released a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and relaxed against the cold metal pole. Aria and Ricky were halfway down the car engaged in deep conversation. I tuned in, focusing my super hearing. She was telling him a story about their m
anager, Scott. Her deep blue eyes twinkled as she ragged on their boss, a huge grin splitting her full lips. Again my skin prickled at her proximity. There was definitely something Camellia wasn’t telling me about her.
The rest of the trip to work went by without incident. The guy never showed up again, and I convinced myself I was just being paranoid. I hadn’t taken a case like this in awhile, and I must have been on edge. Aria and her friend disappeared into the employee entrance in the back, and I took my position outside the café.
Through the window, I watched Aria as she dealt with customer after customer. She kept a smile plastered on her face the entire time. As soon as the person was out of sight, she’d roll her eyes at Ricky from across the bar. I couldn’t help but chuckle at some of her more amusing faces.
The slam of the employee door at the back of the building drew my attention. I peered around the corner to investigate. The narrow alley was empty. I pulled out my phone and checked Aria’s schedule. There were no other employees scheduled to start a shift at this hour. Returning to the front of the café, I found Scott, the manager, manning the register. My eyes quickly scanned the interior searching for the girl as my breathing accelerated.
I whipped the front door open and stalked around the small seating area. There were two doors on opposite corners of the space: one marked Restroom and the other Employees Only. She could’ve been on a break. I barreled through the bathroom door and put my ear up to the one marked Women. It was empty.
I couldn’t just push my way through the employee area. That would definitely not go unnoticed. I moved toward the door and pretended to look at the menu above the coffee bar. Focusing my super hearing, I listened for anything unusual in the employee area. Footsteps. A heartbeat speeding up. A second heartbeat. Dammit!
I darted out of the café and to the back entrance of the alley. Rapid footfalls thundered down the corridor. I jerked the heavy metal door open, nearly taking it off its hinges, and a guy plowed right into me.
I grabbed him by the shirt and tossed him out into the alleyway.
“What the hell, man?” he shouted.
Fear blazed in his dark eyes. The same guy who had been following Aria earlier. I squeezed my hands into tight fists. How did I lose him before? This was my fault.
Approaching footsteps yanked me out of my inner ramblings. I scooped up the stranger and vamp sped out of the alley seconds before the back door opened. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aria looking up and down the alleyway. The pressure in my chest relented. At least she was safe.
I dropped the guy next to a dumpster behind a pizza place. His eyes were wide, and his heart was pounding so loud I was fairly certain one didn’t need supernatural abilities to hear it.
He scrambled backward until he hit the wall. “What do you want from me?”
“I’m the one asking the questions here,” I hissed. “What were you doing at that coffee shop?”
“Nothing, man. I swear.”
Why couldn’t people just cooperate? I yanked him up by his collar and fixed my eyes on his. Power poured out of my lips. “What were you doing at Thanks-A-Latte today?”
“Keeping an eye on Aria. She’s my boy, Omar’s, girl. He hired me to follow her. He’s real paranoid, thinks she’s cheating on him or some crap.”
Omar. Omar? I searched my memory for any mention of a boyfriend in Aria’s files. Camellia had omitted an important detail.
“Why do you have a gun?”
“It’s for my own protection. Omar has his hands in some shady dealings.”
I narrowed my eyes, infusing my pupils with power. “Does Omar want to hurt Aria?”
“Not right now, but if he finds out she’s been cheating on him, I don’t know. That guy’s got a screw loose.”
Both human and supernatural threats. What had I gotten myself into? I needed to get caught up on Omar fast. “One more thing, what’s Omar’s last name?”
“Devante.”
I lowered the guy back to the ground and he stopped shaking. “Forget this happened. If Omar ever asks you to hurt Aria contact me immediately. You are never to hurt a single hair on her head. Do you understand me?”
He bobbed his head up and down. I handed him my card and shot him a glare. “Never. Or you’ll wish I’d killed you today.”
“Got it.” He rushed down the alley, moving faster than some vampires I’d seen.
I strolled back to Thanks-A-Latte to resume my post. This case was getting more interesting by the minute. Olexa had been right. It was going to do me good to get out of the office for a while and focus my attention elsewhere.
When I arrived at the coffee shop, Aria was back at the register. She swept her blonde bangs to the side and winked at the man standing in front of her. I focused my vamp hearing just to hear the sound of her voice again.
It was almost an exact replica of Sofia’s.
Chapter Thirteen
The booming bass from the club reverberated in my eardrums—even at a full block away. The Lamborghini doors glided closed, and I made sure to engage the alarm. I glanced around at the broken streetlight and graffitied walls surrounding my car and grimaced. No one better break into my girl. I gave her a final pat and walked toward the music. The Lambo had become a symbol of my new life. It was very unlike me and was exactly what I needed following the dark years after being turned. Now it had become a tradition. Every few years I’d buy a new neon yellow one. This year’s model was the Aventador; Giallo Orion was the fancy Italian name for its color. It was a reminder of starting over.
Loud music and babbling voices increased in intensity as I neared the newest hot spot in Brooklyn. I stared up at the smiling cow mural painted over the old brick building. From meatpacking to exclusive nightclub—only in New York City. A NYPD police cruiser was parked near the entrance, and two officers leaned up against the car talking. As I got closer, green eyes peered up at me from underneath a tuft of unruly brown and silver curls.
I froze.
After thirty years, Theodore Grant had the exact same childlike mischief in his gaze. Time had worn a few more creases into the corners of his eyes and around his mouth, but I’d never forget that face.
He moved toward me, his eyes wide. “You?”
I cleared my throat and slid on the expressionless mask I’d perfected over the years. “Excuse me, officer?”
His cheeks reddened. “I’m sorry for staring, it’s just that you look so much like someone I knew a lifetime ago.”
“I guess I just have one of those faces.” I kept walking, avoiding the streetlamps.
He followed me, trying to get closer. “You’re not related to a Damian Spiros are you?”
“No, sorry,” I said over my shoulder. “Have a good evening, officer. I’m afraid I’m late meeting some friends.”
“Sure. Have a good night.”
I could feel his heavy gaze on the back of my head as I walked away. My young recruit, Ted. It wasn’t until years later I found out I hadn’t killed him the night I was turned. I often wondered if things would have turned out differently had I known all along. I pushed the somber thoughts to the back of my mind and searched the line of restless partygoers for Aria and Ricky.
Of course they’d pick a crowded nightclub. I cringed at the thought of sweaty bodies squeezed together on a packed dance floor. I passed by the velvet-roped entrance and found an empty spot along the wall. Leaning up against the brick façade, I scanned the line once more. Nothing yet. I’d followed them until the subway then drove the rest of the way. I figured having the car could come in handy in case things went south.
The clicking of heels on pavement drew my attention across the way. A petite blonde with hot pink streaks in her hair sauntered toward the front of the line. Black leather pants hugged every curve on her body, her bright red stilettos catching my eye. My jaw hung open. That girl did not look seventeen. I shook my head, forcing myself to focus. This was a job, not a night out on the town.
Aria and Rick
y approached the burly bouncer, and he unlatched the red velvet rope with a smile. As soon as they disappeared into the entrance, I sped over.
“Hey, hey. The line’s back there buddy.” The enforcer pointed to the end of the hundred-plus person queue.
I fixed my gaze on the towering giant, infusing power into my voice. “Let me in.”
Without another word, the bouncer retracted the rope, and I slipped in through a wave of angry complaints from the crowd in line.
The pounding base echoed in the narrow entrance hallway. I focused my hearing trying to isolate Aria or Ricky’s voice as I made my way to the middle of the club. It was an enormous circular space with four levels of music, sure to appeal to all tastes—except mine. I glanced up to the second level which overlooked the dance floor. I needed to get up there so I could find them.
At the far wall, the glow of the elevator lights caught my eye. I dashed over and jabbed at the call button. The door finally slid open and I hurried in, followed by two giggling girls. The brunette ogled me unabashedly. Heat seeped up my neck, warming my cheeks.
“Do you want to buy me a drink?” she asked with a flirty smile.
“I’m sorry, I can’t. I’m working.”
The elevator doors glided open, and I raced out, the girl’s words blurring into the background. I reached the railing and peered over into the mass of grinding bodies. Right in the center, a blonde head poked out of the crowd. Aria swayed her hips to the music, tossing pink and blonde hair from side to side. Ricky danced next to her, wiggling and bumping his butt into hers. She laughed, raising her arms up and fist pumping to the beat.
Aria glanced up, and our eyes locked. Heat swirled in my chest. What was it about this girl? The skin at the back of my neck tingled. I averted my gaze and ducked behind another guy leaning against the bannister.
Moonlight Rising Page 23
