by Amie Gibbons
“Another crime? Was there a first one?”
She grinned. “Don’t worry, we’ll think of one.”
“And let me guess, the penalty is turning me.”
She blinked, quick, but it was enough.
“Yeah,” I said. “Don’t try to trick a psychic. I know the queen’s plan is to turn me herself so I’ll be under her control.”
“And yet, you were stupid enough to wander off on your own in the middle of vamp central.”
“Exactly. There’s hundreds of vamps in there. What happens when I don’t go back? What happens when I turn up turned? You think any of them will buy that I agreed to that?”
“You know too much, broke our rules, wanted to be turned so you could be with Quil. We’ll come up with something.”
I kept my hand up, grabbin’ my gun with my left. I flicked off the safety clumsily and held it up.
She smirked. “That gun’s not going to hurt me, well, not much.”
Silver bullets, why didn’t I get silver bullets yet?
I’d never shot left-handed, but I didn’t need to actually hit her.
I took a deep breath, trying not to flinch.
This was gonna be loud.
Which was kinda the point.
It wasn’t like hollerin’ would be loud enough to get the attention of the vamps in the club.
“What the hell!”
I jumped, barely keeping my eyes on the vamp as Quil zoomed past me.
My attacker went flying and slammed into the door to the club and I relaxed my trigger finger.
Quil grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the door hard enough to make me worry for the joints.
I put my knife down and tucked my gun back in the holster, pickin’ the knife back up when I was all situated.
Just in case.
Quil was busy staring at her and her face went slack, like she was sleeping with her eyes open.
Did he just hypnotize another vamp?
“Did the queen send you?” Quil asked.
“Yes,” she said, voice light and far away.
“To kidnap Ariana and take her to the queen to be turned?”
She shook in his hand, eyes jiggling back and forth.
“Is she fighting it?” I asked.
“Shush,” Quil said.
The vamp’s eyes focused and she bit down, hard.
She went stiff, eyes rolling back as foam bubbled outta her mouth.
“No!” Quil screamed, letting her go.
She fell to the ground, convulsing like an epileptic. Her body caved in, disappearing in a stain of mushy ash way faster than I’d seen any of them ever go.
Quil said something hard and loud in Italian and slammed his fist through the wall.
I jumped back as he drew his hand outta the hole.
“Sorry,” I said in a small voice.
“It wasn’t you. I was already losing her. You didn’t help her break free or anything. She was under strict orders from the queen. I could feel it. She was fighting it.”
“You or the queen?”
“The queen. She must have commissioned silver poison pills and ordered the vamps to take them if they were caught.”
“So she was ordered to commit suicide and was tryin’ not to?” I asked.
“That’s what it looks like.” Quil shook out his hand, the knuckles already healing.
“That’s… evil.”
“Yeah.”
I walked towards him, steps slow and careful.
“I’m fine, sweets,” he said. “I’m not going to hit you. I’ll have to pay Len for the damage to the wall though.”
I hugged him around the middle, resting my head over where his heart should’ve been beatin’.
He wrapped his arms around me. “I didn’t think she’d try something so obvious,” Quil said. “She’s getting desperate.”
“Why?”
“Vampire politics.”
“Carvi?”
He let me go and backed up to look down at me. “Vision?”
I gave a small smile and shrugged. “Little bit. Does he have her scared?”
Quil looked around and jerked his chin at the door to Len’s office. We went in and he closed the door, locking it behind us.
There was a package on the desk. I glanced at it. Yep, addressed to me.
“Yeah,” Quil said as I ripped the tape off the package. “Milo wasn’t supposed to die. No matter what happened that night, Milo should’ve lived, because we all knew what Carvi would do if anything happened to his brother.”
“Was she gonna go after me before Carvi started gunnin’ for y’all?” I asked as I opened the box and pulled the red and gold dreamcatcher out. I shoved it in my purse.
We’d see if it worked.
“I don’t know,” Quil said. “You’re valuable, but I think she would have been far subtler and planning for the long term if she wasn’t getting pressured.”
“I’m getting kinda sick of people coming after me.”
His face locked down, reminding me of Grant. “What?”
“Oh, I um, the psycho, that’s what I meant.”
“Yeah, but he’s not after you in a way he could do anything about, right?”
“Yeah. I’ve got the witch’s dreamcatcher so I should be fine. He can’t do anything. It’s not like he can get out… I don’t think.”
Quil growled under his breath.
“Please calm down,” I said. “You guys have my back here. The queen tried something already and look how fast you put her girl down. They can’t get me during the day, and if she tries anything like hirin’ someone, it’ll get back to you. And she’ll be go-”
He was in front of me so fast I hopped in place as he put a finger over my mouth.
“Bugged?” I mouthed.
He shrugged, mouthing, “Maybe.”
Quil dropped his hand, grinning. “You know,” he said out loud, “we are alone now.”
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him, kissin’ me before I even drew a breath.
He picked me up and put me on the desk, sliding my skirt up and taking my weapons off without once breaking away.
Quil grunted into my mouth, rubbing against me as he held me tight, building the pressure.
He pulled back from the kiss, lips swollen and delectable.
“I still have issues to deal with,” he whispered, nibbling on my ear.
“I’ll help. Let me talk to Carvi.”
He pulled back, body going colder than ice cream as he met my eyes. “No. This is not up for discussion. Carvi will never know you exist.”
“Quil,” I said.
“No,” he said a little too loud.
“I can help.”
“I don’t care. He finds out there’s a psychic here, he’ll claim you as his. He finds out his brother died saving you, he’ll take you as payment for his brother’s death. You will be turned and you will belong to him.”
I blew out a breath of air. “You can’t own somebody.”
“Vampires can. When you’re first made, you have to listen to your maker. Carvi finds out about you? Even the threat of war won’t keep him away.”
“You could turn me,” I said, freezing.
What did I just say?
“Sweets.” He shook his head and rested his forehead against mine. “The thought has crossed my mind, and it’s a discussion I’d love to have later, when it’s not forced, but… you have a life as a human. When you’re turned, it’s a completely different world. I don’t think you realize that since you are visiting our world, but even the new ones with family still alive, like Len, don’t see their families.”
“What if you guys come out?” I asked. “Let the world know about magic?”
“That would make it easier, but even then, you have no idea how heartbreaking it is to watch those you love grow old and die, while you’re standing still in time.”
I shrugged. “I mean, if we did this, we could also bring my family ov
er. Some friends maybe.”
“Grant?” he asked.
“Oh, hey now.” I pulled back and glared at him. “Don’t go startin’ something.”
“I’m not, sweets. I told you, I don’t get jealous easily. I can share, but I don’t think Grant would appreciate it. And if you were turned, yeah, I think the first person you’d want to bite would be him.”
I blushed, looking down. “Sorry. I feel like I’m betraying you by having these feelings.”
“You’re not. Just, if you’re going to do anything, I’d like to have a say. If you did something and hid it from me, that would be a betrayal.”
“Soooo, ask permission if I’m gonna cheat?”
He smiled. “It’s not cheating if I’m okay with it. I just would like to know where I stand.”
“Well, I don’t double dip, so.”
“Good to know.”
He kissed me and bent me back on the desk, climbin’ on top of me.
“Whoa,” I said when he pulled back. “We’re in Len’s office.”
“So, it’s not like he never had sex in here.”
“Ew.”
He grinned. “The maid was in here earlier today, so any cooties have been cleaned up.”
Quil undid his pants, leaning back over me.
“Besides,” he said, grabbing my thighs and pulling me down the desk hard enough to make me gasp, “we’ll make it quick.”
I gave him my best evil smile back. “I’ve never done it in a public place like this.”
“We’ll have to expand your horizons.” He pulled my panties off with one quick motion and spread my legs, putting my feet on the desk.
I held my arms out and he shook his head with a wicked gleam in his eyes as he grabbed my hips.
“We haven’t tried this angle yet,” he said, pulling himself out, ripe and ready to go.
“I don’t think I’m ready,” I said.
“I can fix that.”
He kneeled in front of me, putting my feet on his shoulders and going in before I realized what he was doing.
I moaned, propping myself up on my elbows, eyes sliding closed.
His tongue flicked over me so fast it had to be a facet of their super speed. He slid a finger into me, curling it towards the front. I crunched up harder, adding to the pressure until it crested, breaking into a million melty pieces as pleasure swamped me.
Flash.
A younger Quil than the one he’d been for about four centuries, pressed into the young woman under him.
She was nearly as short as me, but curvier.
Her eyes were large and dark and her cheeks pink, even without the decoration of makeup. Her dark curls fell nearly to her waist and Quil wrapped his hands in them, pushing harder into her, and pulling back when she cried out.
She shook her head with a smile that lit up her beautiful face and said something in Italian.
He drove down hard again and she came, screaming as she fell against the pillows. The bed was nothing large by today’s standards, but big enough for two, and the simple quilt on it was obviously hand sewn.
Quil came a moment later and collapsed on top of her. He whispered in her ear as he pulled out, his love shining clear as a bell through the vision.
My body flushed and I slumped back on the desk, shakin’ with the aftereffects of the vision and sex.
“What was that?” Quil asked.
“A vision.” I gasped, tryin’ to get enough air to sit up.
“It was wonderful.” Quil stood, mouth in a silly grin. “I felt that. I felt you through my blood. I felt that rush of power.” He stroked my cheek. “You’re burning up.”
“It happens,” I said. “I think it’s more draining when it’s a vamp, and it’s even worse when it’s really emotional.”
“What did you see?” he asked, grin slipping as I scooched back and sat up.
“You, having sex for the first time with your wife on your wedding night,” I said, closin’ my legs.
The grin fell off Quil’s face completely and he took my hand.
I felt… not sure, but the mood was dead.
Maybe cuz their first time was beautiful and sweet, all love and certainty.
And mine had been pretty much the opposite of that.
“I wasn’t thinking. The gris-gris is at my place. I should’ve remembered this could happen,” he said, dropping my hand.
What did he feel when I had visions?
I never feel like there’s a rush of power, I just see things, but what if there’s some juice that flows through me when I have visions that a vamp could feel, or even taste?
I shook my head, blood bouncing between hot and cold as I pushed off the desk, leaning against it on shaky legs.
“Are you alright, sweets?” Quil asked, eyes trying to meet mine.
I kept my head down as I shook it. “I can’t be intimate if I’m terrified of havin’ a vision in the middle of it. That was... that was powerful and kind of disturbing. It was after I was done, technically, but still, it interrupts things. And I won’t be able to concentrate if I have to worry about that during.”
I looked around for my underwear.
“Hey.” Quil wrapped his arms around me and pulled my back against him. “I just said I have the gris-gris in my room.”
His breath was cool and sweet on my neck. It helped chase away the ghost of his wife, his first love.
He kissed the top of my head. “Come to bed with me, sweets.”
“How far?” I asked, voice breathy.
“Not far.”
“You live in the nest?”
He chuckled. “No. It’s not safe for me there either. I have my own house.”
I grabbed my purse and looked around.
Seriously, where were my panties?
“But vamp homes don’t have the same barrier, right?” I asked, finally spotting them blending into one of the office chairs.
I grabbed them and pulled them on.
Quil took my hand. “No, but others don’t know about it, and the name on the house is an alias.”
“How?” I asked, quickly explaining about Truck and the missing records as I put my weapons in my purse.
“Magic,” he said. “It’s fairly easy to switch around some paperwork. Not as easy as it used to be before the internet, but I set up a fake identity pretty easily.”
Maybe Truck used magic on the records? We knew he had it.
Quil walked us to the wall behind the desk.
“Aren’t we goin’ the wrong way?” I asked.
“Just wait,” he said.
The wall held a large painting of a group of young women in bright seventeenth century gowns. The paint lines gleamed and danced in the low lighting, the girls in it seeming almost to move through the shadows.
He pressed on the side of the painting, nicking something just under the golden frame.
Click, the painting popped off the wall.
Quil lodged his fingers into the small crack and pulled. The painting swung away from the wall, revealing a dark tunnel.
“I thought you said you didn’t live in the nest?” I said.
“I don’t, but this tunnel does not connect to the nest. It leads from the club to a cellar under my garage. Gets me around during the day.”
“Wow. And nobody knows about this?”
“Len does.” He held out a hand and I took it, lettin’ him help me up the large step into the tunnel. “No one sees me come in, so they assume I’m somewhere in the nest, but only my closest friends know where I actually am.”
“I thought you were worried about bugs in here?”
“I just ran a check.” He pulled a stone out of his pocket. “Bought magic. Don’t want to use it too often because that drains it, but we’re good.”
He climbed in behind me and hit something in the wall.
The painting swung in and the small hallway plunged into absolute darkness.
“Quil!” I found his hand and held on. “Can you see in this?
”
“No, but…”
Light entered so suddenly it hurt, and I closed my eyes.
I blinked them open, letting them adjust. Quil held out his phone, the flashlight feature illuminating our path.
The tunnel was just bare concrete. We walked down, chatting about what else he’d been up to besides trying to get proof on the queen’s dirty deeds. There was a blood prostitution ring smuggling kids in from third world countries and they were trying to catch the perps before any of the blood “donors” got killed.
We walked maybe half a mile before hitting a door. Quil touched another little latch and the door swung open. He hopped down and held his arms out.
He grabbed me around the waist and lifted me out, even though it was only about a foot down. He set me down and pushed the door closed. It was a plain cement wall that blended in near perfectly with the cellar.
This wasn’t like Truck’s. It was a tiny box barely big enough for a grown man to pace. This was a tornado shelter at best. The place you’d go hide for an hour or two at most before you went stir crazy and busted out.
I don’t do tornado shelters. Most people in the modern day don’t.
“I can’t believe you still have a tornado shelter,” I said.
“What do you do when there’s a tornado?” Quil asked.
“Well, the last time the tornado sirens went off, I climbed into the downstairs’ bathroom’s tub with my laptop, the first season of Parks and Recreation, and a giant beer Daddy brought back from Germany. I hunkered down and hoped the tornado didn’t actually hit Nashville while I got good and tipsy.”
He laughed. “What about before you moved there? Where did you go in college?”
“If I was at home, down to the laundry room in the basement, usually with something to share, and we’d do a sorta pot luck. If it was during school?” I grinned. “Tornado party! The sirens would go off and all the students would get shuffled into basements and windowless rooms, nobody bothered teachin’ even if they were still in the classroom, and someone somehow always had beer to pass around.”
Quil pulled down the door and stairs unfolded. I walked up into a perfectly normal two car garage. Quil’s car sat on one side and general garage junk took up the other. Quil pushed the trapdoor down and unlocked the house door, holdin’ it open for me.
The garage led into a mudroom with a washer and dryer, just like in my townhouse.
