by Becky Allen
“Put the knife down,” Zack said. “And we’ll talk about it.”
The man shook his head. “I want my money back! And I want this cheat fired!”
Zack looked at the dealer. “Were you cheating, Henry?”
Kaitlyn frowned as a ripple of power raised the hair along her arms. Was that coming from Zack? It felt much like the preternatural power her father possessed.
“No, sir,” Henry said, his voice laced with fear. “He’s just a sore loser.”
“He’s lying!” the man insisted.
Kaitlyn couldn’t see Zack’s face. He stood there, unmoving, as that same ripple of power washed over her.
When he spoke again, his words were slow and distinct, and there was a peculiar edge to his voice. “I want you to put the knife down, Farris, and follow me outside.”
Kaitlyn frowned, wondering how Zack knew the troublemaker’s name. Was he a regular at the casino?
Farris glared at Zack for stretched seconds, then he dropped the knife on the table and followed Zack out of the casino.
Kaitlyn waited until Zack and Farris were outside, then hurried after them. She paused just beyond the entrance, her gaze darting left and right, but there was no sign of either man.
How had they disappeared so quickly? Puzzled, she left the casino. She had a lot to think about and she couldn’t do it here.
It took only moments to navigate the path home. Kicking off her shoes, she went into the kitchen and fixed a cup of hot chocolate, then curled up on the sofa, the cup cradled in her hands as her mind replayed the scene at the poker table. She hadn’t imagined the power that rippled through the air when Zack spoke. She had felt it too often in the past to mistake it for anything but what it was—the same kind of preternatural power that her father and others of their kind were able to command. Was it possible that Zack Ravenscroft was one of them? She had never seen him eat, but that didn’t prove anything. At dinner the other night, he had said he’d already eaten. She’d had no reason to disbelieve him then, and none tonight. He drank wine, but so did millions of other people. He possessed a strong aura of danger, but, again, that didn’t prove anything. But that rush of preternatural power—no mortal possessed that kind of supernatural energy.
What if Zack really was a vampire?
Kaitlyn shook her head. If that was true, it changed everything.
Chapter 7
Standing in the shadows, the watcher followed Kaitlyn home. His first task was to learn all he could about her. Thus far, he hadn’t accomplished much of his goal. All he knew was that she was able to abide the sun, a fact he had learned while he lurked outside her house at sunset and saw her walking up the path, a grocery sack tucked under one arm. It was obvious she had left the house earlier in the day. He presumed she was able to walk by day because of her tainted blood. The second thing he had learned was that she could still eat mortal food, something that should no longer have been possible for her.
She was also very beautiful, a dark-haired angel with pale golden skin and sky-blue eyes.
He thrust the thought away. Lovely or ugly, it mattered not. He had a job to do, and he would do it. To fail was to incur his mother’s wrath, and that was worse than death itself.
Chapter 8
As soon as Zack returned to the casino, he knew that Kaitlyn had gone. Frowning, he went to the bar and ordered a drink from his special blend. Why had she left without a word?
Standing with his back to the bar, he perused the room. The patrons had returned to their games of chance as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He grinned inwardly. Mortals had ridiculously short memories.
With a sigh, he sipped his drink, a tasty concoction of chardonnay and type O, as his thoughts returned to Kaitlyn. Had she been bothered by the earlier disturbance? He considered that possibility a moment, then shook his head. She wasn’t the type to be spooked by anything so trivial. Had she grown tired of waiting for his return? He shook his head again. He hadn’t been gone that long. It hadn’t taken more than a few minutes to wipe his compulsion from the man’s mind and send him on his way with no memory of what had occurred. So, what had prompted her to leave without a word of farewell or explanation?
He drained his glass and left it on the bar; then, as was his wont at least once a night, he strolled through the casino. All of his employees were mortal save for the fledgling, Scherry, who was the night bartender, and two of the dealers.
Zack had sired Scherry six months ago at her request. She had been diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. She hadn’t wanted to face a lingering death and she had told him, candidly, that she didn’t have the nerve to take her own life. He had never turned anyone before, but he liked Scherry. After warning her that there were no guarantees, he had taken her up to his lair late one night and brought her across. It had been an interesting experience. Other than a desperate effort to save the life of someone he loved, he had never drained anyone to the point of death before. It had been an incredible high. He still wasn’t sure where he had found the willpower to stop before it was too late. But he had. And then he had given her his blood. And watched in amazement as the color returned to her cheeks, and the spark of life returned to her eyes.
The other two—Steve Walls and Jackson Lautner—had been vampires for several years. The three of them worked at the casino with the understanding that they would not prey on his customers or hunt in his territory, and the sure conviction that Zack would destroy them without a qualm if they did.
Assured that all was well on the casino floor, Zack started toward his office on the second level, then turned on his heel and left the club. Late or not, he needed to see Kaitlyn, needed to know why she hadn’t waited for him to return.
Kaitlyn was watching a late movie when someone knocked on the door. She frowned when she glanced at her watch. It was a little after one A.M. Who would come calling at such an hour?
Silly question. Since she only knew one person in town, the answer was obvious.
She ran a hand over her hair and tightened the belt on her robe before she opened the door. “Do you know what time it is?”
“Four and a half minutes after one. Can I come in?”
With a sigh, she moved out of the way, felt her heart skip a beat when he stepped inside.
He closed the door behind him, then followed her into the living room, stood there while she switched off the TV.
She turned to face him, her arms crossed. “So, what brings you here at this time of the morning?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Take a pill.”
He felt his anger stir at her flippant reply. “Why did you leave?”
“Excuse me?”
“Tonight. Why didn’t you wait for me?”
She sat on the sofa, her hands folded in her lap, her head tilted back slightly so she could see his face. “It was late. I didn’t know how long you were going to be gone, so”—she shrugged one shoulder—“I came home. No law against it, is there?”
“Hey, I’m sorry if I offended you or . . .” He blew out an impatient breath. “Look, I just wanted to make sure you got home all right and you did, so I’ll say good night.”
Kaitlyn bit down on the inside corner of her lower lip as she watched him turn and walk away. What was she doing? If she didn’t say something, he would leave. Did she want him to go? What if she never saw him again?
“Zack, wait!” Jumping to her feet, she hurried after him.
He stood on the porch, his expression implacable.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, not quite meeting his gaze. “I don’t know what came over me. I . . .” She tapped her foot nervously, uncertain of what she wanted to say, not knowing how to phrase it. If he wasn’t a vampire and she asked him if he was, he would think she was some kind of nut. On the other hand, if he was, she wanted—needed—to know.
“Listen, Katy, you don’t owe me any apologies, or anything else. We had some laughs. If you want to end it—”
&nbs
p; “No! I mean . . . no.” She clasped her hands to her chest. “Tonight, at the casino, when you were confronting that man . . .”
“Yeah, what about it?” he asked, then paused, his eyes narrowing. “How do you know about that?”
“I followed you downstairs.”
“Is that right?”
She shrugged. “I got tired of waiting.”
He regarded her a moment. “So, you were saying?”
“What? Oh, when you were confronting that man, I thought . . . that is, I felt something . . . peculiar.”
“Peculiar? In what way?” He cursed his inability to read her mind. Knowing what she was really thinking would make everything so much easier.
“Never mind. I probably just imagined it.” She slid her hands into the pockets of her robe and curled them into fists. Why was it, whenever he was close to her, all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him? What strange power did he have, that his presence should affect her so strongly? She had dated other handsome men, been held in their arms, tasted their kisses, and been unmoved. Yet a simple look from Zack, a smile, a word, and she wanted to be in his arms, naked in his bed.
She told herself again that it was nothing more than a bad case of lust, but it was getting harder and harder to convince herself that there was nothing more to it than that. “It’s late. Maybe we can talk about it tomorrow night.”
“Sure, Katy, whatever you want.”
She smiled, thinking her nickname sounded like an endearment when he said it. She looked up at him, waiting, hoping he would kiss her good night. Just when she had given up hope, he pulled her into his embrace and lowered his head to hers.
She folded her hands over his shoulders as his mouth claimed hers in a tantalizing kiss that aroused every cell and nerve ending in her body. She pressed herself shamelessly against him, wanting to be closer, to feel the hard length of his body against hers. He tasted so good, smelled so good. Felt so good. She was sorely tempted to exert her preternatural power over him, to invite him back inside and have her way with him, and then wipe the memory of it from his mind. She had never done such a thing before—never even considered it—but there was a first time for everything. She pondered the wisdom of it another few moments, then sighed. The fact that she couldn’t read his mind gave her pause. Perhaps it wouldn’t work. There was no doubt she could get him into her bed. He was a man, after all. He wasn’t likely to say no. But if she couldn’t read his mind, maybe she wouldn’t be able to erase the memory.
When he kissed her a second time, she wondered if that even mattered.
They were both breathless when, at last, he eased away from her.
“Whoa, girl,” he muttered. “Unless you want me to ravish you on the porch, right here, right now, you’d better tell me to go.”
She hesitated only a moment but then, as common sense overrode desire, she murmured, “Good night, Zack.”
Stepping back inside, she quietly closed and locked the door.
And instantly regretted it.
Chapter 9
Zack’s head was spinning when he left Kaitlyn’s house. Who the hell had taught her to kiss like that? In his time, he had kissed hundreds, maybe thousands, of women, but none had ever affected him like Kaitlyn. He hadn’t been kidding when he threatened to have his way with her right there on the front porch—although a bed would suit him better. He wanted to make love to her in every way possible, to caress every inch of her sweet flesh until she cried for him to take her. And at the same time, he wanted to fold her into his arms and make love to her gently, tenderly, all night long.
And nibble on her neck while he was at it.
Returning to the casino, he went to the bar to get a drink, but he wasn’t in the mood for bottled blood. He wanted something hot and fresh. Which wouldn’t be a problem. Standing with his back against the bar, he unleashed his preternatural power. He could almost see it as it flowed through the room like some irresistible, invisible lure. All he had to do was focus on the woman of his choice, and wait.
Within minutes, a buxom redhead wearing a low-cut, skintight green dress and three-inch heels sashayed toward him, her bright green eyes slightly unfocused.
“Hi,” she purred in a soft, Southern accent.
“Hi, yourself.” He smiled as he ran his fingertips over the inside of her wrist. He could feel the blood flowing just below the skin, hear the nervous beat of her heart.
She returned his smile, moving closer so that her thigh brushed his. “Buy me a drink, handsome?”
“Sure, honey.” Grabbing a bottle one of the bartenders had left on the bar, he took her by the hand. “Come on, let’s go someplace where we can be alone.”
“Whatever you want, sugar.”
Zack chuckled as he led her up the stairs to his private suite.
Whatever I want, he thought as he closed and locked the door.
She had no idea.
Chapter 10
Kaitlyn woke to the bothersome sound of her phone ringing. Her first thought was that it was Zack, until she realized she had never given him her phone number, an oversight she planned to remedy as soon as possible.
She smiled when she said hello and heard her father’s voice on the other end of the line.
“Kaitlyn, is everything all right?”
“Of course,” she said, surprised by the worry in his tone. “Why do you ask?”
“It is probably nothing, but there are rumors circulating—”
“What kind of rumors?”
“At the moment, they are vague, with no way to ascertain if there is any truth behind them. All I know is that Nadiya’s name has been mentioned a few times, and that her son, Daryn, hasn’t been seen lately.”
“So you had to call and check up on me,” Kaitlyn interjected, smiling.
“You are my only child, after all.”
“Well, I’m not hiding Daryn, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Nadiya was one of her grandfather’s many wives; Daryn was her son. Kaitlyn had only met Nadiya once, but once was enough. She had never met Daryn.
Her father’s laughter reminded her of home and of how much she missed it. And him.
“Seriously, I’m fine, Dad.”
“You are comfortable there?”
“Of course. The cabin is wonderful, the view is terrific. I was going to go back to my apartment in L.A., but I’m thinking of staying here indefinitely.”
“I see.”
“What do you see?”
“Your mother is listening. She thinks there must be a man involved.”
Kaitlyn grinned. She had never been able to put one past her parents. “As a matter of fact, there is. But I just met him, so don’t go making any wedding plans yet.”
Her father growled on the other end of the line.
“I’m kidding, Dad.” Even though her father had lifted the ban forbidding their people to marry mortals, she knew he hoped she would marry one of the Romanian vampires.
“Kaitlyn, are you still there?”
“What? Oh, yes.” She chewed on her lower lip as she pondered the best way to ask the question that had been niggling at her since last night. “I was wondering—is there a way for me to tell if a man is one of us?”
“You think this man you are seeing is a vampire?”
“I don’t know. But last night, I would have sworn I felt a surge of preternatural power coming from him.” Her father had the ability to detect those of his own kind when they were near; unfortunately, she hadn’t inherited that power.
“Explain.”
She quickly told her father about the events at the casino the night before.
“What is this man’s name?”
“Zackary Ravenscroft. Have you ever heard of him?”
“No. If he was of our blood, I would know it.”
“Maybe I just imagined it,” Kaitlyn murmured. But she didn’t believe that for a second.
“Perhaps. Your mother wishes to say hello. Take care of yourself.”
&
nbsp; “I will. Love you, Dad.”
“I love you, too.”
Kaitlyn heard muffled whispers and then her mom’s voice came over the line.
“Kaitlyn, how are you, sweetie?”
“I’m fine, Mom, really. I love it here. I wish you and Dad could have stayed longer.”
“Me, too, but I guess we’re stuck here at the Fortress for a while until your father gets to the bottom of these rumors.”
“You don’t think one of the other vampires is planning a coup, do you?”
“I hope not. I was here for the last one, and believe me, it wasn’t a pretty sight. Your grandmother sends her love.”
Kaitlyn grinned. Her grandmother, Liliana, wasn’t fond of telephones and refused to use them.
“Listen, sweetie, I’ve got to go. Call if you need anything.”
“I will.”
“All right. I love you.”
“I love you more. Give Dad a hug for me. And give Aunt Katiya and Uncle Andrei my best.” Though Kaitlyn had other aunts and uncles, Katiya and Andrei had always been her favorites.
“Consider it done. And keep us informed about your young man.”
Kaitlyn was smiling when she ended the call. Her young man. She very much liked the sound of that.
Shortly after sunset, Kaitlyn drove to the small convenience store her mother had told her was located on the other side of the hill. “Handy for when you’re in a hurry,” her mother had told her, and added that there was a supermarket in the city.
Kaitlyn only needed a few things tonight. She moved up and down the aisles, quickly picking up the items on her list. She exchanged a few pleasantries with the clerk, thanked the boy who bagged her groceries, and headed for the door, a sack cradled in each arm, only to have a man stumble in front of her, jarring her shoulder and causing one of the sacks to slip from her grasp.
The man was immediately apologetic. “I’m sorry,” he said, offering her a winning smile. “I wasn’t looking where I was going. Of course, if I’d known how pretty you are, I would have run into you on purpose. Here,” he said, when she began gathering her groceries, “let me do that.”
