by Dannika Dark
“Raven,” Lenore called out. “I’m so glad I caught you before you left.”
I turned on my heel. “Sorry to bail so early. It has nothing to do with you or the party; I had a lot of fun. It was just a last-minute invite, and I’ve got somewhere to be. Do you plan on having another one?”
She gave a noncommittal shrug.
I chuckled. “Maybe next time have someone vet your list and don’t invite the entire city. There are a couple of real jerks in there who never get invited to anything, so people are buzzing about it.”
Lenore tipped her head to the side. “Not everyone is as candid as you are. Weak character seems to be as ubiquitous these days as fast-food restaurants. I’m just an old Vampire who remembers a time when you knew what a person stood for upon first meeting them. I have great admiration for powerful women who don’t sleep their way to the top, and you’d be surprised how many immortals have. For lack of choice, really.” She fanned her face, but I knew she was neither hot nor cold. It seemed like she just liked the feel of wind against her skin. “I hope you don’t mind if I get your number from Viktor. I’d love to hear your honest opinion regarding some of the individuals so eager to impress me.”
Admittedly, my ego was stroked. A person in her position wanted my opinion? It was refreshing to have a new face around, someone who looked past social rank and treated me as an equal. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea for me to talk smack about the people who hire us.”
“Darling, I’m well aware that you receive jobs from more individuals outside the higher authority than in. You have nothing to fear. I’m not asking for incriminating details. Viktor seems like the most honest man I’ve met tonight, and I’m enthralled by the concept of your organization. Is the higher authority not doing enough to enforce laws that people like you have to exist?”
“I guess not.”
On one hand, her remark implied that people like us were valuable because of the higher authority’s incompetence. On the other, it suggested that if they made enough changes, we would become obsolete. Neither was insulting as both were true.
“Madam, your coat and hat.” A servant in a tux handed me my leather jacket and helmet.
I put on the helmet and lifted the shield while I slid my arms inside the jacket. “I’d like to hang out, but you’ll have to run it by Viktor first to make sure he doesn’t have a problem with it. I can’t promise I’ll be able to answer any questions about some of the officials.” I secured the chin strap. “Sorry if I don’t seem more excited. I’m not a social animal. Feel free to back out at any time.”
She gestured to Switch, who was pulling up on his motorcycle. “I like that one. Sexy, confident, bold—he’s a keeper. Hold on tight, because men like that don’t stay single for long.” After a deliberate wink, she turned away and rejoined the party.
I lowered the shield since Switch didn’t look like he was up for a conversation. After I straddled the bike and anchored my hands on Switch’s hips, I looked at the mansion one last time and glimpsed Christian walking outside before we sped away into the night.
CHAPTER 10
Christian reached the front entrance of the mansion and caught Raven speeding away on the back of a motorcycle, her arms wrapped around another man. He could see the attraction. Switch was exactly Raven’s type: confident, strong, attentive, and ruggedly handsome. He also wasn’t a Vampire.
Switch had also played a hero in her life, rescuing a young girl not from the flames of an inferno but from rejection and heartache. He had saved her in a different way, and Christian wondered if that meant more.
“Oh, Chrissy. I adore your partner immensely. Let’s you and I go for a walk.”
Lenore clutched his bicep and steered him down the steps and along a winding sidewalk that weaved around hundred-year-old trees. To a Vampire, the night came alive. The sky glittered with diamonds, and it was almost blinding to admire the universe overhead. Colors burst to life in a striking palette filled with rich hues that were normally washed out in the daytime. Night crawlers emerged to feed on the foliage, and birds quietly huddled in the trees and bushes to hide from predators.
Lenore drew in a deep breath and sighed. “I missed the silence. You wouldn’t believe how deafening the islands are at night. All you have to worry about here in the suburbs are a few crickets and the occasional airplane. My new home is far enough away from any main roads that I don’t have to endure noisy traffic. I used to think all that clip-clopping of horses was a nuisance, but they have nothing on eighteen-wheelers.”
“If you want quiet, go to the Arctic.”
She chuckled. “I might have to try that one day. That’s where some Vampires used to travel for refuge, you know. Long ago, when people hunted our kind, Vampires fled to uninhabitable regions of the world—places where men couldn’t travel, let alone live. The North Pole wouldn’t be so terrible. Six months of darkness, nothing but the sound of wind, no one to pester you.”
“I’ll pack your bags.”
Lenore moved in front of him, moonlight soaking into her flawless skin. Tendrils of flaxen hair hung askew, framing her angelic face and making a man want to capture it between his fingers. Christian remembered how quickly he’d fallen for Lenore—how the first time he’d laid eyes on her, he wanted to bed her.
She took his hand and held it. When her fingers circled his silver ring with the onyx stone, he pulled his arm out of her grasp. Lenore mocked him with her smiling eyes. “Commitment. Isn’t that adorable.”
“It’s just a ring.”
She tilted her head ever so slightly. “I see. Just as that Burmese ruby around Raven’s neck is just a necklace.”
“I had to get rid of it.”
“You’re such a terrible liar. I picked up on her quickening heartbeat and the way her pupils dilated when you looked at her. Partners you may be, but you two have been intimate. We’ll have to have a little girl talk so I can get the juicy details.”
Christian stared her down. “What do you want with her? I heard you two talking.”
“What concern is it of yours?” she asked, swaying as she admired the twisted canopy of branches above them. “It doesn’t seem she’s attached to you anymore, not with that sinfully delicious man at her beck and call. I bet you regret giving her that necklace. If she hasn’t given it back by now, she never will. And the way she paraded it around in front of you? What a wicked little heart she has.”
“If you want to live and work here, fine. But why the sudden interest in my life?”
“I’m merely curious. I’ve been away a long time, and I crave a circle of friends.” She stepped forward, an angelic look on her face that weakened him. “Be part of that circle, Christian. You hold so much resentment for me, but it’s time for you to let go of the past. I’m not the enemy. I never was.”
When Lenore leaned into him, a flood of memories washed over him. Shared moments that he’d pondered during his years underground. Had they been pure, or were they fueled by feeding on her blood? Christian had become obsessed with her, so maybe she’d had good reason to be afraid of him. Maybe that was the real reason she had put him six feet under. But now his feelings were clouded by her renewed affections.
“You’re the only one who understands me,” she admitted. “And just look at you!” She held him at arm’s length. “So handsome, except for the beard. Such a different aura about you. And Viktor informs me that Keystone is paid handsomely. You were but a pauper when we met. And so young. Do you remember how young you were?”
“Just a wee lad with dreams in his pocket.”
“Your maker held you back from all that potential.”
“I’ll have you know that Ronan saved me from a life of misery.”
“Yes, dear. We were all saved from the misery of old age and disease. Ronan wasn’t ambitious and never taught you how to rise to power. Sometimes our makers don’t give us all the tools we need to survive. Just look at Raven. I can tell she’s young, but that hasn’t stopped her f
rom doing what’s necessary to secure a high-paying job.” Lenore’s gaze swung up. “She’s a woman who’s going places and doesn’t even realize it.”
“And that’s what this is about? Securing your connection with those who are rising to power? Nothing has changed.”
“Everything has changed.” She jutted out her chin and gave him an icy stare. “I’ve learned a lot in my life. It’s difficult to forge relationships with those already in power. They’re jaded, paranoid, and already have a circle of trusted friends. If you can identify the ones on their way, you have a greater chance of benefiting from those early friendships. They already trust you.”
An awkward silence hung in the air.
“Maybe you should join us for tea,” she suggested.
“Over my rotting corpse.”
Lenore floated past him, pinching the fabric of his shirt as she circled around. “Such an odd reaction from a man who professes not to care about this woman anymore. Or… do you?” After a long silence, she gave him a reproachful look, her tone softening along with her gaze. “Viktor said you spent years working as a personal guard and bragged about what a skilled fighter you are. What are you doing with this renegade outfit, Christian? It pays well, and it’s a step up from your old ways, but you can only go so far. Is this where you imagined yourself a hundred years ago? Fighting crime?”
Christian kept his eyes trained on the bushes in front of him.
“You shouldn’t have wasted your entire fortune on a necklace. And now you’ve given it to someone who doesn’t own your heart. I can see the friction between you two. Do you know the reason Raven didn’t return it? Because you didn’t pay a red cent for it. You dug in your closet and gave a woman something you already had in your possession. I bet she picked out that ring for you and went to great lengths to choose the right one.”
“Maybe she’s not the kind of woman who cares about money.”
Lenore brushed a moth from his shoulder. “Does she know everything about you? All your little dark corners?”
His breath caught.
“You’re loyal to a fault. Don’t give your fealty to a group of misfits. You’re far better than that. I know all your deepest and darkest secrets,” she said, stroking his neck with her index finger. “And I accept the man who stands before me. Would Viktor say the same if he knew everything? You’re not as indispensable to him as you’d like to believe.”
Christian closed his eyes, a long-lost hunger awakening. One he couldn’t suppress or fight, one he’d spent decades in a pine box dreaming about.
“I’m here for good, Christian. And this time, I’m not going anywhere.”
SWITCH EASED his bike into my father’s driveway. I hopped off, my ass tingly and numb. When I removed my helmet and turned to give it to him, he circled the yard and headed out.
Just as well.
I didn’t want to take out my hostility on him when my anger stemmed from my unresolved issues with Christian. I had thicker skin than that. Switch had just caught me on a bad night.
As I approached the steps to Crush’s trailer, it dawned on me that I didn’t have the skill set to maintain healthy relationships with others. That was something I needed to work on, hence the reason I was living with Crush. Until I repaired the relationship with my father, all the others were doomed to fail.
Ren burst through the front door. “See ya, Crush.” He jogged down the steps and met me at the bottom, his dark hair perfectly slicked back like always. Ren was grossly underdressed for cool weather in his white tank top.
“You don’t have to leave just because I’m here,” I said. “Stay for as long as you want.”
He put on his leather coat and stared me down. “Maybe I need more details on why you called me to babysit your father, who’s a grown-ass man.”
I swallowed hard and shrugged. “I just thought he might want some company while I was gone. It gets lonely around here.”
“Your old man hasn’t needed company in over ten years. When you’re done with the bullshit and lies, call me. I’ll let it go… this time.”
Nothing got past Ren.
I set Switch’s helmet on the bottom step and slowly ascended. I felt bad about the secrets, but talking about Fletcher wasn’t a box I was ready to open. Since staying here, I felt even more protective of my father. He was too vulnerable out here by himself. Even though there was no imminent danger, I didn’t want to take any chances. Getting comfortable was a weakness I couldn’t afford. Ren gave me one final look as he mounted his bike. He obviously sensed something was up, and sooner or later, he was going to call me on it.
But not tonight.
I cruised inside and flung my coat over the back of the kitchen chair. Crush was sprawled out in his brown recliner, the footrest up and a tray of food on his lap. He cackled at some old comedian on the public access station.
I lifted the tray and stared at the empty TV dinner plate. “I bought you all that healthy food and went back yesterday for more. Why are you eating this crap?”
“Did all that food come with a cooking lesson?”
I sighed and walked around to the kitchen. “You need to eat the fresh stuff first before it goes bad. The TV dinners are for the zombie apocalypse.”
“I think I saw one outside earlier.”
“That was just your reflection in the window.” After setting the tray on the counter and tossing the TV dinner plate in the garbage, I grabbed a banana and headed back into the living room. “Here, eat this.” I tossed the banana in his lap.
When I plopped down on the sofa, one of the springs in the cushion popped. As the comedian threw out another joke, my stomach twisted into knots. It was time to tell Crush the truth.
All of it.
Crush peeled his banana. “What’s got your feathers all ruffled tonight? Did that peckerhead put his hands on you?”
“I’m at the age when just about any man I choose can put his hands on me.”
He cut me a sharp look. “That’s not what I meant.”
“You mean hit me? Don’t be absurd. I’ve never seen Switch with a temper. You don’t trust anyone, do you? Not even your buddies.”
“Not with my baby girl.” He took his first bite and spoke around a mouthful of banana. “How did your fancy party go?”
I reached down and took off my ankle boots. “I would have rather stayed home.”
He studied his banana. “You don’t miss your boss? Work?”
I sat back and wiggled my toes. “Sort of.”
“Then maybe it’s time you tell me why you’re avoiding them.”
I curled my legs beneath me and pulled a blanket onto my lap from the back of the sofa. The lamp to my right felt like a spotlight, so I switched the three-way bulb to the lowest wattage.
“I had an abusive Creator,” I began. “You need to know the full story about what happened to me all those years ago.”
His eyes slanted in my direction, the banana halfway peeled. After he swallowed, his voice fell flat. “Am I supposed to sit here with a banana in my hand like some kind of silverback gorilla while you tell me traumatic shit? Jesus, Raven. What are you thinking?”
Crush kicked in the footrest of his recliner and disappeared around the corner. I heard the trash can lid open and slam shut. When he returned, he muted the TV and sat beside me.
I turned toward him, my knees drawn up and the blanket covering my legs. In that moment, I felt like a little girl again. I remembered all the things that were good between us—all the memories—and braced myself, as I knew he’d never look at me the same again.
Crush rested his right arm over the back of the sofa and shifted toward me, giving me his full and undivided attention.
“From the beginning,” he said. “All the way.”
CHAPTER 11
Before telling Crush everything he was dying to know about my past, I gathered my thoughts and released a plaintive sigh. This moment would forever change how he looked at me, how he thought of me, and maybe
worst of all, how much or little he would love me.
With my hands curled against my chest, I kept my eyes low. “The night I went missing, I met a Vampire in a bar. I had too much to drink, and he had too many nice things to say. We connected. Sometimes you meet people in life and can’t explain why there’s this instant bond you have, like you’ve known them all your life. It felt easy to talk to him, and he didn’t make me feel silly about any of the wild ideas I had about life. He steered the conversation toward immortals and magic, making it seem plausible. To be honest, it sounded more believable than the idea of aliens. It was a conversation about evolution of the species. Anyhow, after a long talk, he told me he was a Vampire. I didn’t believe him at first, but he showed me things I couldn’t deny. The idea of it…”
“Seduced you,” he offered. Crush gave me a knowing look. “Immortality does that to men. It’s a temptress.”
“So why didn’t you ever seek it?”
He patted my leg. “This conversation isn’t about me.”
I scratched an itch beneath my jaw. The beginning was easy, but working up to the rest was a bitch. “My maker staged my death, but I’m not entirely sure why. I wound up in a morgue, and the man working there was a Mage. Since I was newly turned, the Vampire blood hadn’t quite taken complete hold. I was too weak to move and scared my maker wouldn’t come back for me. The thoughts that ran through my head about autopsies,” I said, shaking my head. “Anyhow, the Mage put his light in me to see what might happen. For reasons neither of us can explain, it also took hold. So that’s how I was born a crossbreed.”
“I don’t see how that’s possible,” he muttered.
“We’re talking about immortals and DNA we don’t fully understand, especially when their blood and light mixes with our own. Maybe my maker didn’t give me quite enough of his blood—just enough to turn me but not enough to inherit all the usual Vampire traits. I see better than most in the dark, but not like a Vampire. I can’t shadow walk, I don’t have sonic hearing, and obviously I don’t look like them. But I have fangs, and when I drink blood from a Vampire, I’m strong.”
