by Kristi Cook
He nodded, his eyes softening a measure. “My dad and I went to Arlington every year for the Rangers’ opening day.”
I felt that familiar tug of kinship with him, as much as I hated to admit it. “How far is that from Austin?”
“Not far. ’Bout three hours in the car. We’d make a weekend of it. It was …” He shook his head, a faraway look in his eyes. “Nice. Good times, you know?”
I nodded, my mind flooded with images of my dad sitting beside me in the folding seats, the air redolent of hot dogs, popcorn, and beer. I could almost hear the crack of the bat, the blaring notes of the organ pumping up the crowd. My dad always insisted on wearing the same ratty blue hat he’d bought at the old stadium back when he was twelve, claiming that it brought the team good luck—his own personal version of a rally cap.
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” I said at last, an uncomfortable lump in my throat. “Let me go talk to Cece and Sophie.”
Tyler just nodded.
Ten minutes later we were all piled in a cab, headed toward Patsy’s apartment. Patsy was at some fancy work event, not expected home till after midnight—which was why she hadn’t been able to come to the tournament. I’d texted her to warn her about the strange guy she’d find sleeping on her sofa, but she hadn’t seemed to care. This was one of those times when I actually appreciated her parental indifference.
“Ouch, those were my ribs,” Cece cried, glaring at Tyler, who was squeezed in beside her.
“Sorry,” he muttered, and I wondered how I’d ever let him talk me into this.
Cece had said she didn’t mind, but the two of them hadn’t stopped squabbling since we’d gotten into the cab. It was going to be a long weekend if this kept up.
“Right here is good,” I called out to the driver. “This corner.” We could walk the last couple of blocks. Anything to get the two of them off of each other.
We paid and clambered out onto the sidewalk. The night air was crisp and cool, and I reached down to zip up my fleece jacket. A line spilled out of the yogurt shop on our right; the sound of laughter carried on the breeze along with the scent of waffle cones.
For perhaps the twentieth time that night, I reached out telepathically to Aidan.
Still nothing. If he was home, he wasn’t more than twenty blocks away. Our telepathy should have been good and strong.
“I’ve got to take a piss,” Tyler said, heading toward a darkened alley between two buildings just up the block.
“What is he doing?” Sophie asked.
I let out my breath in a rush. “Tyler! You can’t just—”
“Hey! Violet!” a familiar voice called out.
I turned to find Dr. Byrne standing on the sidewalk behind us, his hands thrust into his jeans pockets. “What are you guys doing here?” he asked, his forehead creased.
“Weekend pass,” I answered, glancing over my shoulder, looking for Tyler. He was still in the alley—relieving himself, I supposed. Idiot.
Dr. Byrne’s gaze swept across our group. “All of you?”
I turned back to face him and nodded. And then I remembered—tomorrow was Saturday, our usual coaching day. I hadn’t even thought to cancel. I reached a hand to my temple. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I totally forgot about our session tomorrow. So … yeah, obviously I’m not going to make it.”
His lips curved into a smile, the tension in his face lessening a fraction. “Yeah, I kind of figured that.”
A flush heated my neck. “Hey, what are you doing here, anyway?”
He looked slightly taken aback at the question. “I was visiting a friend. About to return to school, actually.” He shook his head. “I just wish you guys had an adult with you.”
“We’re fine, Dr. B.,” Sophie said. “Anyway, it’s still early.”
He glanced down at his watch. “I guess, but with this Stalker guy on the loose, it makes me a little uncomfortable.”
“Oh hey, Dr. Byrne,” Tyler said, rejoining us on the sidewalk.
“And look, we’ve got Tyler, too,” Sophie offered.
Dr. Byrne leveled a steady gaze at Tyler, who was pulling up his fly. “I’m not sure that makes me feel any better,” he murmured.
“Has the Stalker struck again?” I’d been so busy preparing for the tournament that I’d gotten lax in checking the news.
“Yeah, this past weekend. Here, why don’t you let me walk you guys wherever you’re headed.”
I shook my head. “We’re just going to my stepmom’s apartment a couple blocks away. We’re fine. Seriously,” I added.
He didn’t look convinced. “You sure?”
“I think we’re perfectly safe as long as we stick together,” Cece said. “It sounds like the Stalker attacks girls who are off alone somewhere. At least, that’s what my mom said.”
Dr. Byrne nodded. “True. So far, at least. Just … pay attention, okay?”
Cece held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
“Okay, I’ll see you back at school on Sunday. Take care.” With a wave, he turned and walked off, glancing back over one shoulder before disappearing into the crowd by the yogurt shop.
He seemed genuinely concerned, I realized. A knot of anxiety curled in my belly—not because of the Stalker; logically, we weren’t likely to be targeted. But—I wasn’t sure—things just seemed somehow off, especially with the total radio silence where Aidan was concerned.
I needed to talk to him, to make sure he was okay. If he wasn’t going to answer telepathically, then I was going to have to find him.
But first things first. I needed to get everyone settled in at Patsy’s. Then I’d start with Trevors, I decided.
My stomach growled noisily, interrupting my thoughts and reminding me that we hadn’t yet eaten. “Hey, didn’t you promise us dinner?” I asked Tyler.
“You feel like Chinese?” he replied, tipping his head toward the takeout across the street.
Cece nodded. “That’ll do. I’m starved!”
“You and me both,” Sophie said with a sigh. “C’mon. Tyler’s treat, remember?”
“You can’t go by yourself,” Cece whispered, shaking her head. “No way.”
I glanced back at Tyler, who was sprawled on the couch with the remote in one hand, flipping through the TV channels at lightning speed.
“Nice flat-screen,” he called out.
I let out a sigh. “Yeah, whatever.” He’d planted himself in front of it the moment we’d walked in, and so far no one had succeeded in prying the remote from his greedy fingers.
I leaned in toward Cece. “What am I supposed to do? He can’t go.”
Cece rolled her eyes. “Obviously.”
“So what do you suggest, then?” I asked.
“Hey, what are you two plotting over there?”
“Shut up, Tyler,” Cece bit out. “Or I swear I’ll make Violet kick you to the curb.”
“Who peed in your cornflakes?” he shot back.
“Oh, let’s see.” Cece tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Wait—it was you, wasn’t it?”
Before Tyler had a chance to reply, I grabbed her hand and tugged her into the kitchen. “Seriously, Cee, I can send him back to school. Just say the word—”
“Nah,” she said, cutting me off. “S’okay. I mean, yeah, he’s hot, but he gets on my nerves. I just like to give him a hard time, that’s all.”
I nodded, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders. “He totally deserves it,” I said, reaching into the sleek stainless-steel refrigerator and pulling out two bottles of water. “Want one?”
“Yeah, thanks.” She took the proffered bottle and leaned against the countertop as she twisted off the cap. “Anyway, don’t worry, I’m not letting Tyler off the hook that easily. I mean, whatever.” She waved one hand in dismissal. “We’ve known each other a couple of months, big deal. But Kate? I just don’t get it.”
I let out a sigh. “I don’t either.”
“Turns out I wasn’t all that into Tyler, after all, but Kate didn
’t know that. What if I really liked him?”
“I don’t know what she was thinking,” I said with a shrug. “I realize the whole thing with Jack really messed her up, but still. There’s just no excuse, you know?”
“Well, I hope she enjoys her weekend. Alone. And speaking of alone …” She trailed off, watching me as I took a long drink of water. “C’mon, you gotta take me with you. Over to Aidan’s, I mean. Sophie can stay here with he-who-can’t-be-trusted-to-keep-it-in-his-pants.”
“Yeah, and you’re going to leave him alone with Sophie? You just said he can’t be trusted.”
“Don’t worry, Sophie can handle him. She’s like the impenetrable fortress.”
I choked on my water, literally snorting it through my nose.
“Wait, ewww.” Cece screwed up her face. “I didn’t mean it like that. God, I just meant … you know, that she’s way too sensible to let him get to her, that’s all.”
I glanced back toward the living room. Tyler was sitting up now, his elbows on his knees and his chin resting in his palms as he stared at the screen. He must have finally found something worth watching for more than a few seconds.
An uncomfortable thought flitted across my mind. “You don’t think that he and Kate actually … I mean, they were just messing around, right?”
Cece’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding, right? This is Kate we’re talking about.”
“Yeah, but, you know … she and Jack had been going out a long time. This is different.”
“Yeah, but Jack was just a one-time hookup at first.” She plucked a shiny red apple from the big wooden bowl on the countertop. “Hey, can I have one?”
“Of course. Help yourself to whatever you can find.”
“Anyway,” she continued, rubbing the apple on the hem of her shirt. “It was a couple of months before they actually started … you know, actually going out.”
Huh. I hadn’t known that. “So, back to Tyler—”
“Hey, what’d I miss?” Sophie padded in wearing a tank top and pajama bottoms, her hair damp and smelling like coconut shampoo. “What did he do this time?”
“For once, nothing. There’s water in the fridge, if you want a bottle.”
“Nah, I’m good. What’s up?”
Cece hooked a thumb in my direction. “Crazy girl here actually thinks we’re going to let her trot off to Aidan’s by herself tonight.”
Sophie’s green eyes widened a fraction. “What? Now?”
“Just for a little bit. I swear I won’t stay long. I just want to check on him, that’s all, before Patsy gets home.”
Sophie appeared unmoved. “Yeah, I don’t think so. Not alone, at least. You heard Dr. Byrne.”
“Matthew, you mean,” Cece cooed, waggling her fingers at me.
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, one of you come with me, then. Do you want to draw straws?”
Sophie shook her head. “It’s okay, I’ll stay. As much as I’d love a peek at His Lordship’s mansion, we can’t leave Cece here alone with Tyler. She’s likely to claw his eyes out or something. Not that he doesn’t deserve it,” she added.
“You sure?” I asked, my gaze straying to her thin little tank top.
Clearly, Sophie was following my train of thought. “Hey, I didn’t know we were going to have bedtime company of the male persuasion. Besides, I am not my roommate.”
“No, it’s just”—I shook my head—“something stupid he said, that’s all.”
“I don’t even want to know.” Sophie folded her arms across her chest. “You got a sweatshirt I can borrow?”
“Follow me,” I said, leading her and Cece to my bedroom.
“Hey, if there’s gonna be a pillow fight, I’m in,” Tyler called out. “Or maybe some girl-on-girl wrestling—”
I slammed my bedroom door, effectively shutting him up.
16 ~ Tea for Three
This is it,” I said, stepping up to the shiny black lacquered door.
Cece let out a low whistle. “Nice.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” I quipped. My hands were shaking, I realized.
Aidan? I tried one last time.
Still nothing.
“Okay, here goes.” I reached for the bell, pressing it firmly and then stepping back to wait beside Cece.
In seconds, I heard footsteps on the opposite side of the door. I sucked in my breath expectantly, my heart pounding against my ribs.
The door swung open, and Trevors stood there peering down at me. His face was drawn, his brow furrowed. “Miss McKenna?”
“It’s—yes—Violet,” I stammered, wondering where this sudden case of nerves had come from. It was only Trevors, I reminded myself.
“Of course. Violet. Please, come in.” His voice was kindly as he stepped aside, gesturing toward the expansive marble-tiled foyer behind him.
As soon as I stepped across the threshold, Cece beside me, a shiver raced down my spine. Something was happening—I couldn’t explain it, but it felt as if my senses had become heightened. Colors were more vivid. The heated air from the radiator brushed against my skin, making it flush hotly. And the weirdest part? It was almost as if … as if my entire body was vibrating.
“Are you okay?” Cece whispered.
I couldn’t answer, couldn’t say a single word in reply. Instead, I was hyperfocused on my right hand, my fingers flexing at my side.
My stake. I wanted my stake. It was in my bag; if I could just get it, just wrap my fingers around the satiny shaft—
“Hey, snap out of it!” Cece reached for my forearm, giving me a little shake. “What the hell’s wrong with you?” she whispered harshly.
I shook my head. “I … I don’t know.” But I did know. It was almost like a voice in my head, an alarm.
Vampire, it was screaming.
Calm her, came another voice in my head. Let her know that you aren’t a threat.
Trevors?
He was watching me intently, seemingly unaware that I had just breached his mind—and I was pretty sure that I had.
“I am so sorry,” I said at last, shaking my head, forcing myself to take a deep, calming breath. “I think I need to sit down.”
“Of course,” he said, leading us into the living room. “You’re always welcome here, even in Master Gray’s absence.”
The word “absence” reverberated in my head. Aidan was absent. He wasn’t here.
Cece cleared her throat, nudging me in the ribs.
“Oh, Trevors, this is my friend Cece Bradford. She’s my roommate at Winterhaven. Cece, this is Trevors, Aidan’s … um, his …” I trailed off, unsure.
“Employee,” Trevors supplied. “Household manager, I suppose you could say.”
But I heard another word in my head, spoken silently with great pride: butler. He preferred the term “butler,” I realized, but somehow deemed it old-fashioned. Out of date.
Shaking my head, I forced myself to break whatever tenuous connection there was between Trevors’s mind and mine.
With a sigh, I took a seat on the sofa. Cece sat beside me. Aidan’s absence seemed like a big, gaping hole. I’d never been here without him. “Aidan’s not here?” I asked, running my fingers along the familiar velvet cushions beneath me.
Trevors shook his head. “No, he’s with Luc Mihailov. They left just yesterday. I’m not convinced that he’s well enough to travel, but …” He paused. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, Miss McKenna, I’ll make some tea. You’re looking rather pale, if I might be so bold.”
“Sure, of course,” I mumbled.
Cece nodded enthusiastically. “Tea sounds nice.”
“Very good, Miss … Bradford, wasn’t it? Just let me put the kettle on, and then we can chat.”
As soon as Trevors disappeared, Cece put a hand to my forehead. “Okay, what’s going on? You don’t feel hot or anything.”
I shrugged, noting that the uncomfortable sensations had lessened the moment Trevors left the room. “I think some Sâbbat stuff is goi
ng on. My instincts are starting to kick in or something.” It was the only explanation that made any sense.
Cece’s dark eyes looked troubled. “Do you think he’s a threat? Trevors, I mean?”
“I don’t think so. I mean, Aidan said I was one hundred percent safe with him—some sort of ‘life debt’ he owes him, or something like that.”
Still, butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I’d brought Cece here, to a house where we were alone with a vampire who wasn’t Aidan. What in the world had I been thinking? If something happened to her, if I couldn’t protect her …
I let the thought trail off, refusing to examine it further. This was Trevors we were talking about, not some random vampire. Aidan trusted him, and so should I. Hadn’t Aidan left me alone with him, late at night, when he’d gone off to feed? Whatever this life debt was, it meant that Trevors would protect me in the same manner that Aidan would, and I was sure that the protection extended to my friends, too.
Aidan and his kind were not dangerous—at least, not to people like me and Cece.
But where had Aidan gone off to with Luc? And more to the point, why hadn’t he told me? None of it made any sense.
I physically felt Trevors’s presence the moment he stepped back into the room carrying a large silver tray. He set it on the sideboard, removing two dainty teacups from the cabinet below. “Cream and sugar?” he asked, seemingly oblivious to my reaction.
I attempted to silence the warning bells going off in my head, to subdue the weird sensations. “Both, please. Lots of sugar,” I added.
“Same,” Cece chimed in.
“Careful, it’s hot.” He handed a cup to Cece, then to me.
I wrapped my hands around the delicate china, hoping the warmth would quell their trembling. This was crazy. I didn’t get this way around Mrs. Girard, I realized. Maybe her constant presence created some sort of immunity? I had no idea, and no one to ask.
Trevors sat opposite us, regarding me thoughtfully. “I assume we can speak freely in Miss Bradford’s presence? I believe Master Gray said that your roommate is aware of the situation.”
