He winked down at her, a soft smile playing about his lips.
Tracy bowed and motioned to the living room. “Your tables await.”
Ethan held Heather’s chair for her, then seated himself across from her.
Zach did the same for Lisette.
Sheldon approached the table with a white towel over one arm and dramatically poured each a glass of . . .
Heather raised her eyebrows. Sparkling grape juice?
He smiled as he filled her glass. “Alcohol sort of lost its appeal for immortals when they lost the ability to get a buzz from it. The virus doesn’t let alcohol affect them at all.”
“Oh.” That was kind of a bummer.
“I was going to bring you some wine,” he said as he straightened, “but figured you’d want to drink whatever they drank. And, honestly, I’m a beer kind of guy. I wouldn’t have known what to buy.”
She smiled back. “This is fine. Thank you, Sheldon.”
Bowing low like an obsequious servant, he backed away and bumped into Zach.
Heather laughed as he straightened with a jerk and spun around.
Zach narrowed his eyes.
Sheldon smiled and shrugged. “Sorry, man.”
Heather thought his steps were a little quicker, though, as he headed into the kitchen.
Ethan smiled. “I’m beginning to see why Richart keeps him around.”
Lisette nodded and smiled at Heather. “Sheldon is my brother’s Second and is a never-ending source of entertainment for us.”
“He seems nice,” Heather commented.
A groan sounded from the kitchen. “She called me nice,” Sheldon complained. “That’s the kiss of death to guys. Women want nice guys to be their friends, not their lovers.” A long moment passed. “I stand corrected,” he murmured, his voice deepening.
Lisette laughed, then raised her glass. “To one night of normalcy.”
They all toasted and sipped the sparkling juice.
And their double date began.
At first, Ethan and Zach seemed reticent around each other. But Lisette seemed to know just what to say to lure everyone out of their shells. Conversation soon flowed freely, as did laughter. Sheldon helped a lot with the latter, alternately assuming the personas of a stereotypically staid and somber butler and a comically inept waiter.
Ethan was charming and funny and so damned appealing. Heather learned more about his past, his transformation, the century he had spent since then . . . and liked him more with every tidbit he revealed.
As the meal progressed, the certainty that Ethan was the one, that he was everything she had been searching for, grew within her until she thought she might burst with the knowledge. She really did believe she could tell him anything. She felt so at ease with him—as though they had known each other since they were children—and thought they could spend every day for the rest of their lives just talking and would never grow bored or run out of things to say.
Sheldon and Tracy cleared the tables, then returned. Tracy transferred the candles to the fireplace mantel while Sheldon moved the tables to the outer edges of the room. Then Tracy picked up a small black remote and aimed it at the Bose speaker Heather hadn’t noticed on the mantel. Soft music swelled.
Tracy smiled as Sheldon stepped up beside her. “We’ll be upstairs if you need anything.”
Winking, Sheldon followed Tracy out of the room and up the stairs.
Heather turned to face Ethan as Etta James began to sing “At Last.”
Performing a gallant bow, he held his hand out to her. “May I have this dance?”
Her heart pounding at the warm affection reflected in his brown eyes, Heather nodded and placed her hand in his. “You may.”
He pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Drawing her close until their bodies brushed, he slid an arm around her waist as she placed her free hand on his shoulder. Then they began to sway.
“I don’t know how to dance,” Heather heard Zach murmur.
“It’s easy,” Lisette whispered. “Just take me in your arms and let the music guide you.”
Heather didn’t spare them a glance. She couldn’t tear her eyes from Ethan’s.
This had to be love, she thought, this unbelievably wonderful feeling that seemed to permeate every cell of her body as she stared up at him and met those beautiful brown eyes.
His arm tightened, urging her closer as brown gave way to luminescent amber. His body hardened against hers, but he made no move to whisk her away to the bedroom. No, he seemed to want nothing more than to hold her, sway to the music, and enjoy the moment.
How she wished she could read his mind and know what he was thinking just then. Know if he was as swept away as she was.
And how she wished this moment would never end.
Chapter Sixteen
Ethan closed his eyes and rested his cheek on Heather’s soft hair. He didn’t know how long they had been dancing, but Tracy’s mp3 player had cycled through several songs. All oldies she must have guessed he and Lisette would appreciate.
The current tune ended.
A big band song came on, drums thumping, trumpets blaring. “Sing, Sing, Sing.” Benny Goodman.
Opening his eyes, he lifted his chin. Heather leaned back and looked up at him, her full lips quirking in a smile. They glanced over at Zach and Lisette, who looked equally surprised.
Ethan grinned down at Heather. “May as well go with it.” Loosening his hold on her, he spun her away from him, then back again.
Heather laughed and stumbled against him. “This might be a good time to tell you I can’t dance.”
Tracy and Sheldon jogged into the room. “Sorry! Sorry!” Tracy called over the music. “I forgot that was on the playlist. Sheldon has been teaching me to swing dance.”
When she reached for the remote, Ethan stayed her. “No, leave it on. It’ll be fun.”
Heather arched a brow. “You can swing dance?”
Tracy laughed. “Hell yeah, he can swing dance. So can Lisette. They totally rock!”
Heather grinned and stepped back. “Show me.”
Ethan glanced at Lisette, not so sure that was a good idea. Heather didn’t know about his past relationship with Lisette. And Zach . . . offered Lisette a resigned smile and shook his head. “Go ahead. I can see you want to.”
Grinning, Lisette slipped her high-heeled shoes off and tossed them aside.
The next thing Ethan knew, they were dancing together like they had in the 40s. Ethan had been stationed in Harlem at the time, and Lisette would get Richart to teleport her there on weekends. They’d danced to music by some of the best. Had rubbed elbows with the greatest jazz musicians. And had had one hell of a time, night after night after night.
Lisette laughed as Ethan tossed her over his head, then swung her around his back and caught her on his other side. Sheldon and Tracy joined them and proved to be as schooled in the dance as Ethan and Lisette were.
Ethan spun Lisette away from him, then held his hand out to Heather.
Smiling, she shook her head. “I told you. I can’t dance. Not like that.”
“Sure you can,” he said, wanting her back in his arms. “Take off your shoes.”
Resting a hand on Zach’s arm, she bent to remove the uncomfortable pumps.
As soon as her feet were bare, Ethan grabbed her hand and drew her onto the makeshift dance floor. “It’s easy. Just follow my lead.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Lisette do the same with Zach.
In what seemed a very short time, both Heather and Zach had learned enough of the moves to engage in lively dance. Ethan thought both were naturals, with a great sense of rhythm and a willingness to try anything. Heather shrieked as Ethan flipped her over his shoulder to land smoothly on her feet behind him. A moment later, he lifted her, swung her around his back, then caught her coming around his other side.
Laughter and smiles abounded as the couples danced, especially when Sheldon began to spontaneously shout out 1940s ja
rgon. The temperature in the room rose. Skin began to glisten with perspiration. Ethan hadn’t had so much fun in decades.
A phone rang downstairs.
The immortals all stopped dancing.
“What’s wrong?” Tracy called over the music.
Ethan grabbed the remote and turned the volume down. “Heather’s phone is ringing.” He dashed down to the basement to retrieve it, then sped back upstairs.
Sheldon groaned. “Don’t answer it. We’re having too much fun.”
Ethan shook his head and handed it to Heather. “It’s probably her father, checking on her. I don’t want him to worry. We can crank the music up again in a minute.”
Heather took the phone and answered the call. “Hello?”
Ethan smiled. The dancing had left her breathless.
“Heather, baby, are you okay?” Her father’s frantic voice came over the line.
Heather’s brow furrowed. “Yeah, Dad. I’m fine. What’s wrong?”
Ethan heard her father mutter a quick prayer of thanks. “I was afraid . . .”
“Afraid what?” She lowered her voice. “That the immortals had harmed me? I told you, they’re good guys, Dad. They—”
“No. I was afraid you might have been attacked by vampires again.”
Ethan glanced at the window, surprised to see that the sun had set.
Heather shot him a concerned look. “Why would you think that?”
“Because you said you were attacked the same night vampires struck the base. And it’s happening again. I think vampires are attacking another base. No, I know they are. It has to be vampires.”
Ethan took the phone. “General Lane? It’s Ethan. What base? What can you tell us?”
Zach closed his eyes.
Seth appeared beside him a moment later.
“It’s a class-three prisoner detention facility,” the general spoke quickly. “Small. Isolated like the other one. It’s location classified. The bases have all been put on high alert, so we knew the moment the attack began.”
Seth took the phone from Ethan and addressed the general. “Where are you now?”
“In the building Heather questioned Nick Altomari in.”
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“Are there surveillance cameras in the room with you?”
“No.”
Seth vanished.
Heather bit her lip. “What is he going to do?”
Ethan curled an arm around Heather. “See what he can learn, I guess.”
Zach nodded. “This is the break we were hoping for. If the attack is happening as we speak, Seth can learn its location and we can descend upon the vampires in force, take them out, and bring this to an end.”
Seth reappeared with the general.
“Dad!”
Some of the color drained from General Lane’s face. Teleporting for the first time tended to do that. But the tension that tightened his features relaxed a bit when he saw his daughter. “Heather!” Lunging forward, he drew her into a tight hug. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Dad. Vampires didn’t attack me this time.”
Zach arched a brow. “Which begs the question why.”
Ethan wondered the same thing.
Seth shook his head. “We’ll have to worry about that later. The base the vampires are attacking has even tighter security than the other one did.”
Sheldon frowned “Seriously?”
General Lane nodded. “There are people who would pay a lot of money to break out the prisoners we keep there. Even more money than they would for the bioweapons.”
Sheldon’s eyes widened. “Who the hell are you holding there?”
“That’s classified.”
Seth moved forward to touch Ethan’s and the general’s shoulders. “Zach, bring Lisette, Sheldon, and Tracy to David’s place.”
The room went black.
David’s living room replaced Lisette’s.
David, Darnell, Marcus, and Ami played with Adira on the floor. Aidan, Chaahk, and Imhotep were present as well.
Zach appeared with Lisette, Sheldon, and Tracy.
Seth addressed Aidan. “I want all the local immortals here now. Their Seconds, too.”
Nodding, Aidan vanished.
The others all stood, Ami with Adira in her arms.
“Darnell,” Seth ordered, “call Chris and tell him to send a large contingent of men to guard this house, then call Richart and tell him to teleport Chris here as soon as Chris has made the arrangements.”
Darnell drew out his phone and started dialing.
“And, Darnell?” Seth added. “Tell Chris to lock down the network and let the vampires out to play. I want to cover all bases and don’t want to leave the network unguarded.”
Darnell nodded and turned away to murmur into his cell phone.
General Lane held on to Heather as the room erupted into activity.
Chaahk and Imhotep raced to the armory in a blur, then returned loaded down with weapons they donned and distributed to various sheaths and loops and pockets.
Aidan reappeared with Roland and Sarah, then vanished again. Bastien, Melanie, and their Second Tanner were with him when he returned. Then he disappeared again. Étienne, Krysta, and their Second Cam popped in with him next. Then Alleck and Linda.
“No,” Seth said, before Aidan could disappear again. “Alleck, Linda, we have a situation. I don’t expect any trouble at the network, but can’t rule anything out.”
Ethan frowned. “Do you think the attack on the base is a diversion? Something to draw us away from here?”
Seth shook his head. “I don’t know what Gershom’s plan is.”
Linda took a step forward. “Vampires are attacking another base?”
Seth nodded. “I want you and Alleck to guard the network. Darnell is telling Chris to lock it down, then let the vampires out to provide backup.”
General Lane frowned. “I thought vampires were the bad guys.”
Heather patted his back. “They are, Dad. Most of them anyway, but a few good ones work for the immortals.”
Aidan teleported Alleck and Linda away, returning seconds later.
The room began to fill. The mortals, having been up all afternoon taking care of business for their immortals, wore their usual black cargo pants and T-shirts. The immortals’ state of dress ranged from hunting gear to hastily donned sweatpants and, in the case of Melanie and Sarah, robes that Ethan suspected concealed bare bodies.
David motioned to the hallway. “Everyone get dressed and arm yourselves.” David always kept a substantial supply of clothing in his home for immortals or their Seconds to change into if they dropped by after hunting. Or for emergencies such as this.
All the immortals, except for Ethan, Seth, and David, sped from the room in a blur.
Ethan caught Heather’s gaze. “You should change, too. I want you to arm yourself as heavily as the Seconds.”
Heather pried herself from her father’s embrace. “I’ll be back in a minute, Dad. Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be okay.”
Ethan hoped she was right.
Lisette zipped back in and took Heather’s hand. “Come on. I’ll show you where all the good girly stuff is.”
Ethan almost laughed as the women strode from the room. The girly stuff consisted of clothing identical to the males’, only in smaller sizes.
Seth rested a hand on David’s shoulder. “We shall return shortly. I want to gather as much intel as we can.”
The two vanished. Ethan assumed Seth returned to the building from which General Lane had called.
General Lane turned to Ethan and looked him up and down.
Awkwarrrrrd.
“So . . . you two were on a date?” the general asked.
“Yes, sir. I was teaching Heather how to swing dance when you called.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Heather can dance?”
“She can now,” Ethan said with a smile as he began to back away. �
��Would you excuse me for a moment? I need to change and grab some weapons.”
The general nodded.
Ethan shot away in a blur.
In record time, the Immortal Guardians donned hunting gear and piled on the weapons. Katanas. Shoto swords. Broadswords. Short swords. Daggers. Sais. Throwing knives. Throwing stars.
Ethan headed back upstairs with the others, noting the females’ absence. Lisette, Melanie, Sarah, and Linda must be waiting for Heather to finish dressing and arming herself at mortal speeds so she wouldn’t be left alone. He made a mental note to thank them later.
Darnell waved them all over to the dining room. “Don’t forget these, gentlemen,” he said, motioning to the tranquilizer guns lined up on the table next to a box full of EpiPen-like autoinjectors that contained the antidote to the only known sedative that affected immortals and vampires. “Make sure you have one of the autoinjectors in every pocket.” He handed a tranq gun to Ethan, then one to Roland. “We don’t know what weapons these guys will be carrying, so if you see any immortals fall, get them to a teleporter immediately so they can be transferred to the network’s infirmary.”
General Lane moved closer, giving the tranq guns a look. “What are those?”
Darnell eyed the general. “Until we’re confident we can trust you, those are classified.”
The general studied Darnell for a moment, then nodded. “Fair enough.”
The women entered the room.
“Over here, ladies,” Darnell called.
Ethan stared. Heather was decked out in a black T-shirt and black cargo pants with heavy boots. Her hair had been drawn back into a braid like Lisette’s, ensuring it wouldn’t get in her way during a skirmish. A pair of holstered Glock 18s adorned her thighs. Extra thirty-three-round mags poked out of a couple of pockets. And sheathed knives were strapped to her wrists.
Though small (at least compared to him), she looked like she could totally kick ass.
Why did that turn him on?
Zach greeted Lisette with a kiss and drew her over to the weapons table.
Ethan wished he could greet Heather with a kiss, but her father was watching, damn it.
“How do I look?” Heather asked as she stopped before Ethan and looked up at him.
“Like you can kick ass,” he told her with a smile.
Shadows Strike Page 26
