by K. R. Willis
I hugged her back, careful not to put too much pressure on her injured shoulder. “You’re probably right. Have a good night, and be careful driving home.”
“I will, thanks.”
The door snicked shut behind her, and I headed for my room. Rya followed behind me, and silently watched as I freshened up. I pulled the ponytail out I’d thrown my hair into while we were brainstorming, letting the long black strands cascade down my back. I brushed the alcohol and pizza we’d had earlier from my teeth, then checked my breath.
Satisfied, I grabbed my keys off the side table and headed out the door, Rya on my heels. Her magic surrounded me as we walked down the hallway to the bank of elevators, no doubt cloaking herself so my neighbors wouldn’t see.
Do you think he knew about George? she asked. I figured she knew where we were going, and that Leo was the he she referred to.
I don’t know, I told her. But I sure as hell hope not. Leo knew I considered George a friend, or at the very least, a friendly acquaintance. I’d asked him more than once if he had word about what happened to him, and he seemed to believe what everyone else did—that George had left town.
I guess we’re about to find out.
∞∞∞
We pulled up in front of Leo’s house and I killed the engine. Even though I’d been here before, given the circumstances, I hadn’t really taken the time to appreciate the exterior of the impressive French-influenced home.
White stucco encased the two stories, and hundred-year-old gray clay tiles adorned the roof. French limestone pillars supported the front portico, and a black wrought-iron balcony draped with yellow peonies sat atop that, flanked by French doors that led into what I assumed was Leo’s bedroom, though I’d never seen it. The house was awe-inspiring, as only befitted a two hundred-year-old vampire.
I spent a few moments admiring it, then opened the door. I had work to do. Before I had a chance to knock on the large mahogany door, it opened, revealing Amina’s weathered face and gray hair. Leo’s housekeeper shoved her hands on her sizable hips and looked me over.
“’Bout time you came to visit. Mr. Trevelyan ain’t quite been himself as of late. Seems out of sorts all the time. You wouldn’t know anything ’bout that, would you?”
I started to open my mouth to tell her I had no idea what she was talking about, even though I could make a pretty good guess, but she stepped forward and wrapped me in an embrace before I had the chance. I decided not to ruin the moment, and returned the hug.
Too soon, she pulled away and asked, “Have you eaten anything? You’re skinny as a mouse. Come, I will feed you.” She ushered me inside and shut the door behind me.
“Actually, I just ate.”
She gave me a look that clearly said she didn’t believe me.
“Honest,” I said, holding my hands up in mock surrender. “Sally and I shared a pizza less than two hours ago. I’m here to see Leo. Is he in?”
A smile replaced the crease in her eyebrows as she beamed at my mention of being here to see Leo. “Of course Mr. Trevelyan is in. He’s in his library. I will announce you.” She winked at me, and I couldn’t help but smile in return. She reminded me of an old lady trying to marry off her children before they became old and undesirable. Which, in Leo’s case, he was old, but would never be undesirable.
The same couldn’t be said for me.
We emerged from the foyer, and spilled out into the open living area. We stopped in front of Leo’s office door, and I waited while Amina stepped inside to let him know I was here. It only took a moment before she slipped back out and said, “He will see you.”
“Thank you,” I said as she smiled and headed for the kitchen. I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm my nerves, then stepped through the door.
Leo sat behind his desk with several pages strewn about before him. He carefully checked something before signing it, then gathered all the pages together in a neat pile. His gaze finally lifted, trailing from my feet, slowly up my body until his eyes locked with mine. I shivered from the intensity of his stare and licked my suddenly dry lips, which brought a wicked smile to his.
I knew you liked him, Rya needled, speaking for the first time since we’d left the house and scaring the crap out of me. She’d resumed her place as my tattoo, and her sudden input brought me back to the present like a bucket of ice cold water.
I wish you’d quit doing that.
She snickered in amusement.
“Keira, so nice to see you again. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Leo leaned back in his leather chair and rested his hands in his lap. “I have the feeling this is not a social call, no matter how much I wish it to be.” His seductive words settled over me and brought another chill to my spine. The man was sexy, even when he wasn’t trying.
I cleared my throat. I had to focus on why I was here. “May I?” I asked, and pointed at the leather chair opposite him. He nodded, so I took my seat. Now, I just had to figure out where to begin. “Sally and I went clubbing earlier tonight at another club. She’s still dealing with Tom’s death, and the Blu Moon brings up too many feelings she isn’t ready to face just yet.”
Leo owned the Blu Moon, so I felt the need to explain myself to him, as though going to another club meant I’d cheated on him in some way. Rya chuffed in the back of my mind. Glad she found my discomfort amusing.
“Ah,” Leo said. “I wondered why I did not see you earlier. How is she?”
My heart pittered at the thought he’d looked for me at the club, and that he asked about Sally now. “She’s managing,” I said. “Her shoulder is mending, though she still doesn’t have full use of it yet, and we’re not sure if she ever will again. As for emotionally...she’s about as good as can be expected under the circumstances.” Sam and I were both keeping a close eye on her to make sure she was okay.
“That is good to hear. Let me know if I can help in any way.”
“I will. Thank you.” It meant a lot that he offered. He tipped his head as if to say, “You’re welcome,” but didn’t say anything, so I continued.
“While we were there, Rya smelled blood. She took off to investigate, and ended up finding George. He’s being forced to fight to the death under the club.”
Leo’s eyes darkened, and his shoulders stiffened. If he knew about George, he was a damn good actor. The tension in my own shoulders eased. I’d really hoped he hadn’t known about George, and as far as I was concerned, his reaction cleared him.
He leaned forward in his chair. “What club did you find him at?” The words were flat. Serious.
“A club called Nite Vale. Do you know it?”
He froze, the only movement a small twitch in his lower jaw. His hazel eyes bled black for a split second before returning to their normal, beautiful color. By normal standards, it wasn’t much, but from what I’d seen of Leo, it was a huge tell. He knew something about the club.
“Tell me,” I said.
He leaned back in his chair and smoothed the front of his crisp, white Oxford shirt before speaking. “Nite Vale is owned by an old acquaintance of mine.” Some emotion crossed Leo’s face, but it disappeared before I could decipher it. “Her name is Izabella Ferini. From what I know of the club, it—like so many others—caters to mortals and supernaturals alike. But it is merely a coverup, hiding the real reason the club is there. Fighting has been a way for our kind to work out minor disputes such as religion and difference of opinion for centuries without killing each other. When you live as long as we do, a minor dispute, if left un-mended, can fester until it turns deadly.”
He looked thoughtful for a moment, as though he knew firsthand. “We needed somewhere to hold these fights so that humans would not interfere. Thus these...fight clubs, if you will...emerged. Izabella’s is one of the best in the United States, catering to the higher-ups of our society.”
It made a weird kind of sense for beings who were nearly immortal to have a system where they could work out their differences without killing each other, w
hich begged the question... “Why then, are they being forced to fight to the death, and being bound in chains?” Just saying the words aloud made my chest tighten, and guilt rear its ugly head. George was there because of me, and I had to find a way to help him.
“That I do not know. It would seem something has changed.” Leo looked away, presumably out at something in the yard through the double doors to my right. After a moment he added, “It would seem Izabella has changed.” Softly spoken, the words spoke of a close connection between them, maybe even romantic once upon a time.
My cheeks suddenly heated, and my pulse quickened. I’d never been a jealous person, not really, but I found myself digging my fingernails into the arms of the chair, and before I could stop myself I said, “You said you and Izabella were old acquaintances. Might I ask how?” I realized how pathetic that sounded and quickly added, “I might be able to use your connection to get into the underground area and speak to George. Make sure he’s all right.” If I could have wiped my forehead without him seeing, I would have. I’d begun to sweat under the stress of my own awkwardness.
Leo turned back to me and offered a weak smile. “Oh, I doubt that would be the case. The last time we saw each other did not go well to say the least. She is still very angry with me.”
My curiosity piqued. “What did you do?”
The smile vanished, and he sat unmoving for several heartbeats, as if debating whether to tell me. Finally, he said, “I killed her.”
Chapter 4
A dozen questions bounced around in my brain as his words sank into my bones, weighing me down into the chair as if someone had poured concrete down my throat. The air was stuck in my lungs and for a moment, it was hard to breathe. Rya had been quiet and relaxed in the back of my mind, but she pushed forward and became alert. Her magic suddenly coursed through my body, lightening some of the heaviness brought on by my shock at his words, and allowed me to form the words, “What do you mean, you killed her?”
Leo pushed from his chair and walked to the French doors. He leaned his shoulder against the glass, crossed his arms, and stared out into the night. I watched and waited silently, afraid to say anything, for fear he might shut down and not tell me. After what felt like a lifetime had ticked by, he began.
“Do you remember the story I told you of how I became a vampire?”
“Yes.” He’d told me the night the werewolves tracked me to his club, before all hell broke loose. He’d fallen in love with a woman who was already married to a nobleman. They were caught, and he was sentenced to spend the rest of his life imprisoned in the Bastille. But the prison was bombarded at the beginning of the French Revolution, and he escaped, then joined the French National Guard. After being fatally wounded one night, a vampire pretending to be a medic turned him.
“Becoming a vampire is one of the hardest things the human body can endure. The virus burns through your body like molten lava, setting every inch of you on fire. It lasts for hours, sometimes days, until you believe you will go mad from it. Then, if you are lucky enough to survive the transition, the hunger sets in. You thirst for blood, and are more animal than human during this time. It is the Sire’s responsibility to look after the vampire he created: to feed him, to keep him in line while he fights through this time, and to teach him how to control the bloodlust.”
He looked at me with haunted eyes. “Unfortunately, Loukas was my Sire. He did none of those things.” He stared at me for a few moments, then turned his gaze back out the window. “He enjoys the torment.”
A shiver raced down my spine. I’d met Loukas twice: once when I’d been on trial for killing Tom and Brian, and again at the military base where Dr. Johnson held me prisoner. Both encounters had been terrifying, and the second encounter nearly cost me my life. I knew he was capable of terrible things, and I hated to think of what he’d done to Leo.
After a moment of silence, Leo said, “In the beginning, he brought mostly street rats for me to feed from, the kind of people who are not missed when they disappear. But he soon became bored, and began bringing businessmen, women, high-society people...it did not matter who they were. His cruelty knew no bounds. Izabella was one of these. Loukas admired her beauty, so after I killed her, he fed her his blood and turned her so he could have a plaything.” He grimaced. “Even though I could not help myself, she has never forgiven me.”
Regret laced his words, and guilt caused his shoulders to sag slightly. From what I’d learned of Leo so far, he was a proud man bound by honor. The weight of what he’d done all those years ago must have been crippling for them to physically show. I stood then, and went to him.
I softly laid my hand on his arm. “It wasn’t your fault,” I told him. “Loukas is an evil, sadistic bastard who deserves to be locked away with the Evil One for eternity.” I’d transported him to the Evil One’s lair and left him there out of desperation when he tried to kill me at the military base, even after he’d learned Dr. Johnson was responsible for the deaths my blood helped cause.
I cringed at that thought. I waged battle with those demons every day. It hadn’t been my fault that Tom, Brian, and several others died in Dr. Johnson’s quest for revenge, but I still felt partly responsible. If not for me, they’d be alive, and Sally wouldn’t be grieving.
Suddenly, I knew where Leo was coming from, and felt a jolt of kinship with him. We both held guilt for things out of our control.
Leo turned toward me, his hazel eyes burning through me with an intensity that left me weak in the knees. He seemed to search the depths of my soul, as though he knew where my thoughts had gone. As though he, too, felt that connection.
The fabric of his shirt touched my chest, and I realized with a start I’d stepped closer to him in my effort to offer comfort. Our bodies were so close now they nearly touched. His eyes flashed black as he wrapped his arm around my waist, and pulled me closer still. My breath hitched, and my pulse pounded in my ears. My eyes dropped to his lips of their own accord, and my body heated as I remembered our one brief kiss. If he tried again, would I pull away?
Part of me hoped he would.
Before either of us had a chance to decide what we were going to do, Amina pushed through the door with a metal tray in hand, covered in cookies and a cup of steaming hot tea. Embarrassed, I jumped back out of Leo’s reach, my heart thudding in my chest. A wicked smile cracked the serious look on Leo’s face, and his eyes glinted mischievously.
“Oh,” Amina said as she came to an abrupt stop. “Am I interrupting? I should have knocked. My apologies, Mr. Trevelyan.”
“It is fine, Amina,” Leo said, never taking his eyes off me. “You did not interrupt anything that cannot be taken up another time.” His words dripped with promise, and I shuddered. His smile broadened, then without another word, he returned to his desk and took a seat.
Amina’s eyes brightened as she glanced between the two of us. She set the tray on the corner of his desk, then quickly excused herself. I sighed, embarrassed. If she hadn’t interrupted, what would have happened? I took the seat across from him once again, and eyed the refreshments.
Rya chuffed. I wish the two of you would just mate and get it over with. All this circling is tiresome.
I nearly choked on the tea I’d picked up from the tray and taken a sip of. Dammit, Rya! What’s wrong with you? I set the cup down and wiped my mouth with a napkin. Rya scoffed again and retreated.
I blew out a breath, and nabbed one of the cookies. It was sugary and buttery when it touched my tongue, and my stomach growled its approval. Leo watched me intently, his eyes tracking my tongue as it licked the sugar from my lips. Nervously, I wiped my mouth again, and cleared my throat.
“So...back to George.” I needed to return to work and quit letting Leo distract me.
“Back to George,” he repeated, a smile playing across his lips.
“How do I get into the underground part of the club, and how do I get George out? I don’t have a pass, and I highly doubt they’re going to let me
walk out of there with him if I do somehow manage to gain access.” I grabbed another cookie off the tray and nibbled it while I waited, hoping Leo would have some answers.
The smile vanished. “I may have a way to procure a pass for you, but I will not be able to go with you. Izabella would not allow me entrance even with a pass.” He leaned back in the leather chair and looked thoughtful. “I know you liked George, but are you sure you wish to do this? If you manage to free him, getting him out of the club will not be easy.”
I didn’t even have to think about the answer to that question. George had always been nice to us, and he’d spoken to me against pack orders when I needed his help. I couldn’t let him die in that place, especially if I was the one responsible for him being there. Too many deaths had been caused because of me. I wasn’t about to add another one if I could stop it.
“Yes,” I said confidently.
Leo nodded. “Very well then, I will make some calls. It may take a few days before I can get it to you.” He raised his hand to silence me when I opened my mouth to argue. “I know you are concerned about George losing a fight between now and then, but that is the best I can do. These passes are not easy to come by, or everyone would have them, and then they would lose their Elite status.”
He had a point, so I kept my argument to myself. “Thank you,” I said instead. He inclined his head, and stood when I did. Blood pounded in my ears when he came around the desk and stood mere inches from me. His spice cake smell filled my senses as he leaned in close, sending a thrill down my spine.
“Be careful,” he said, voice soft. “I managed to placate the Council for now, and Loukas has not returned, but the werewolves are out there, and Izabella is not one to be trifled with.”
I shivered when he reached up and ran his fingers down the side of my face. They were cool to the touch, and felt good against my heated skin.
