by Lisa Sanchez
Interesting. He was keeping something from me. I closed the gap between us and got all up in his grill. “You’re my what?” I pressed.
Pretty Boy snapped his full lips shut and shook his head. His eyes said it all. He’d tell me nothing else.
Overcome with curiosity over his near slip-up, I kept pushing. “You’re what, Xan? You know, you still haven’t answered most of my questions. Why are you helping me? How is it that you can wield magic?”
He waved me off with his hands. “Patience, carino. All in due time. Just be back here at four.”
Patience. I huffed, frustrated, and stared back at him. I was the least patient person on the planet. Telling me to be patient was like telling a starving man at an all-you-can-eat buffet he had to wait thirty minutes before he could dig in. I didn’t like unanswered questions, and Xan had left me with quite a few.
Trusting him went against everything in my nature. He was a vampire and my sworn enemy. Yeah…he’d taken down two of his own kind to protect me. And as much as it pained to admit it, I was thankful. I was also quite positive my efforts to conceal my feelings for him were in vain. He had to know the enormous of effect he had on me both physically and emotionally. I was putty in his supernatural hands, and thank God, he’d never used it against me.
My mind wandered back to my childhood, remembering a beautiful puzzle box I used to play with while visiting my great-grandmother. Mesmerized by its unique beauty and its strange and intricate carvings, I sat and played with it for hours, trying desperately to unlock its mysteries and always failing. Xan held the same allure as the box. He was beautiful and confusing, and held the promise of something more — all the while remaining locked and set apart. Unattainable. What was even more disconcerting was the fact that he awoke something in me I secretly feared would never surface: my desire. I didn’t like being attracted to someone I didn’t understand, someone I knew nothing about.
Unable to tear my eyes from his, a jolt of electricity shot up my arm when he took hold of my hand, placing Chuck gently into my palm.
“Try to work on your aim, carino,” he said with a wide grin, and stepped into the hallway with me, closing the door behind him.
***
With cheeks ablaze, I made my way back down the stairs and through the hallway that led back to the main area of the club, with Xan following close behind.
It took all of five seconds before Jessica accosted me. “There you are! We’ve been worried sick.” She held up one hand. “Hold on a sec.” She turned, lifted herself up onto her toes and waved her arms through the air like a wild woman. “Taylor! I found her!”
I looked past Jessica into the massive crowd, and my stomach dropped. Taylor’s worried face tore at me as she dodged and weaved her way through the cramped dance floor to get to us. I felt a pang of regret for having left them so long without any word as to my whereabouts.
With Taylor by her side, Jessica turned back to me and started in again. “Where the hell have you been? Taylor and I thought you…Oh,” she said in surprise as Xan suddenly appeared behind me.
Taylor gasped, a desperate choking sound, and took a step back clutching her neck. White as a sheet, she looked like she might unload the contents of her stomach right at our feet. With lips trembling, she turned her attention to me. “Martha?”
I was an insensitive ass. Plain and simple. The last interaction she’d had with Xan was in the alleyway behind the club after she’d been attacked. As far as she knew, he was one of the bad guys trying to bleed her dry. I stepped forward, grabbed her hands and forced her to meet my eyes. “It’s okay, Taylor. I promise.” I stepped to the side and held out my arm. “This is Xan. He helped us last week, remember?” She probably didn’t, but that was okay. What was important was that she knew he was on our side, one of the good guys.
My eyes traveled over him for a brief moment before refocusing on Taylor. It felt odd, unnatural, referring to a vampire as one of the good guys. I could only hope I wasn’t making the biggest mistake of my life. My instincts had never led me astray before, and I was banking on them now.
Taylor wasn’t convinced. “But he’s…he’s a…” She stepped forward with wide eyes and mouthed the word “vampire.”
Xan gave a low chuckle, but said nothing, instead focusing his attention on me. A warm, tingling sensation skimmed every inch of my flesh, and I flushed under the weight of his sex-charged stare.
I shook my head, determined to get a grip on my raging libido. “This one’s cool. Really, Taylor. Trust me,” I said, trying my best to reassure her.
She made a small noise reminiscent of a squeak, and crossed herself like she would if she were in church, but kept her trap closed.
Xan brushed past us, and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to whimper at his absence. I’d grown unusually accustomed to his electrifying presence.
He gave a slight nod. “If you’ll excuse me, ladies.” His eyes lingered on me for several seconds, a heady mix of danger and something that looked an awful lot like I’m going to have you naked and writhing beneath me floating behind those golden irises of his. The corner of his mouth hitched up, turning my knees to Jell-O, as he walked to the edge of the dance floor. He turned his head and tossed me a quick, “Later, carino,” over his shoulder. Confused, frustrated, and horny as hell, I watched as he stepped into the thick mass of gyrating bodies, and was swallowed whole by the crowd.
“Oh…my…God.” The sound of Jessica’s voice tore my eyes from the empty space Xan once occupied. I spun around and got an eyeful of Jessica standing open-mouthed, her jaw nearly scraping the floor. Her expression was a mix of shock and incredulity, with a heaping mound of what-the-fuck thrown in for good measure.
Feeling a bit like a germ under a microscope, I raised an eyebrow, uncomfortable with her scrutiny. Had I popped a boob? I looked down. Nope, the twins were still leashed and covered. What was up with her intense stare-down? “What?”
Jess opened her mouth to say something and then slammed it shut. She took a deep breath and started over. “I knew this day would come, but with a vampire? Martha, I have to say, I’m shocked.”
I glanced over to Taylor who stood with her hand over her mouth, apparently stunned into silence. Frustrated, I turned back to Jessica. I hadn’t a clue what she was saying. What day would come? Was she peeved with me for talking to a vampire? I’ll admit I was a bit weirded out by the situation myself, but if I could deal with it, she should be able to.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Jess took a deep breath and sighed. “Do I have to spell everything out for you?” She pointed a finger toward the bar. “Xan…the sexy bartender vamp…the guy who just called you sweetheart…you want to have sexy times with him.”
What the…? My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Sexy times?” What the hell were sexy times? And sweetheart? Is that what he’s been calling me? Since when did vampires refer to humans as sweethearts? Happy Meals on feet, walking blood Popsicles, those were names I was used to. But sweetheart?
“Oh, my God,” she said and slapped her forehead. She sliced her hands through the air in frustration. Apparently, I was a dumbass. “Martha! Sex. The horizontal mambo. The wild monkey dance. You want to ride his disco stick.”
My head snapped back the moment the words disco and stick left her mouth. “What? I do not,” I shouted, doing my best to feign shock and disgust. I did want Xan. I wanted him badly. I just didn’t know what to do about it, and I sure as hell didn’t want my friends to know.
Evidently, heartache and verbal abuse from one roommate wasn’t enough. The cosmos had it in for me, prompting Taylor to throw in her two cents as well. “She’s right, Martha. Don’t even try to deny it. It’s all over your face. You want to get jiggy with him.”
Oh, for the love of…I pegged her with a hard shut-the-fuck-up glare. “No, I do
not.” I scowled at Jess just as she started to open her mouth again. Girlfriend knew better than to mess with me when I was frustrated and zipped her lips. Besides, it was better to put up a strong front than to let them know exactly how deeply Xan affected me.
Cluing in to my obvious displeasure, Taylor threw up her hands in surrender. “Geez, Martha. You don’t have to get all butt-hurt and embarrassed about it. I mean, he’s a hottie, for sure. I’m just surprised. You normally dust vamps; you don’t usually fall for them.”
I’d listened to all the mushy talk I could stand. “Enough, you two,” I shouted. “Can we just leave now? Please?” I wasn’t going to have this conversation with them while we were at the club. In truth, I didn’t want to have it at all. My love life, or lack thereof, was not something I wanted to discuss with anyone. Ever.
Apparently I wasn’t the only one who wanted to bail quickly. Taylor flashed me a look that plainly said “get me the hell out of here,” and made a beeline for the exit. Jessica and I followed a few steps behind as she started in with a very animated rant. Whenever Taylor got really upset, her Australian slang came rushing out at high velocity, tonight being no different.
She spoke with her hands, throwing them this way and that. “And I’ve had enough of this hell hole. Last week I got attacked, and tonight…tonight some asshole asks me if he can give me an Aussie kiss. Blegh!” she groaned. “Stupid no-hoper! He was ugly as sin — all hairy and shit like a bunyip!” Her blistering diatribe went on and on — and on.
She was talking so fast I only made out half of what she said, and understood even less. I tapped Jess on the shoulder and leaned in close. “Do you know what she’s saying?”
She smiled as we followed Taylor out of the club and shook her head. “Nope. Not a word.”
We giggled to ourselves as we listened to our Australian friend go on and on and on.
“ — and somebody should take his pathetic ass out to woop-woop and beat the tar out of him.” She stopped abruptly, turning on her heels to face Jessica and me, an expectant look on her face. She placed her hands on her hips. “You know what I mean?”
Jess and I looked at each other, and then back at her.
“Yep,” we said in unison.
Chapter 6
It was three-thirty a.m. when I reached the entrance of Fire and Ice. The club didn’t close until four, and there were still a few stragglers making their way out of the building and into waiting cabs. I stifled back a yawn and tried not think of how tired I was.
After leaving the club earlier, the girls and I had gone home to our apartment, with everyone ending up in my room. Neither Jessica nor Taylor had wanted to sleep alone. I couldn’t blame them. Hell, after everything that had happened over the past week, I hadn’t wanted to be alone either. I can’t tell you how nice it was to finally have friends to share with. Friends who didn’t think I was a freak. Even after they’d found out I was attracted to a vampire. I didn’t want to think about my new attraction and shook my head trying to clear it. Thank goodness I hadn’t had to play twenty questions with them. I’d never have survived it.
Mentally worn from everything that happened recently, the girls had zonked out not long after we got home, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I should have tried to get some shut-eye myself, but there was too much on my mind. Or should I say, there was one person on my mind, who took up residence in every waking thought I had: Xan.
Determined to stay focused on the task at hand (finding Deanna’s coven), I did my best to push aside my confusing feelings about Xan, locking them away for another time. Of course, this was easier said than done. I took a deep breath to help clear my head and moved for the entrance when a terrible sense of unease grabbed me metaphorically by the balls and squeezed.
A familiar and very unwelcome voice accosted my ears. “Ugh, you have got to be kidding me.”
My head snapped around to see Edie Van Walldenberg glaring at me as she hung out the window of an impressive looking stretch limo. Her nasally voice blared at me with a slur. Miss Snooty Pants had been drinking.
Her blond hair hung over her shoulders. The longer pieces dangled across her chest, covering the copious amount of cleavage being displayed as she leaned forward. “Why is it that I can’t escape you? Everywhere I go, there you are. It’s just…so…irritating.”
Hmph! Nasty freaking Betty. That totally explains the bad vibe. The words bite me kept running through my head, but I decided to keep my trap shut. I didn’t have time to throw down with her.
My eyes narrowed as I saw a large hand snake around her front and pull her back into the vehicle. Who was she with? If I didn’t care for her before, I liked her even less now. Deanna, her friend, had been missing for just a few short days and she was already out boozing it up with Mr. High Roller and his uber-sleek limo. A few new words ran through my head: egomaniacal and bitch. I snorted out a laugh. I was a regular damn thesaurus.
“What?” I heard her ask the owner of the anonymous hand, looking slightly put out. It was obvious the guy, whoever he was, was talking to her, though I couldn’t hear what was being said. “All right…fine!” I heard her snap. Edie then leaned back out of the window and sneered at me, her face flushed and eyes glossy from whatever it was she’d drank. “Later, loser.” She mouthed the words “Eff you” as the limo pulled away from the curb and drove off.
I was happy to see her leave, though I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Remembering that this was Nasty Betty we were talking about, and nothing about her was right, I let go of my worry and made my way into the club.
Walking across the now empty dance floor, I was treated to a beleaguered stare from the bartender who ran back and forth behind the bar, cleaning up glasses at a rapid pace. “Club’s closed. Time for you to go home.” His voice was deep and held a similar Latin accent to Xan’s.
I opened my mouth to speak and was abruptly cut off. “It’s okay, Gabriel. The lady is here to see me.”
My face flushed and a zing of heat rocketed through my veins at the sound of Xan’s voice. The gentle lilt of his accent sent a cool shiver up my spine and made my toes curl. I instinctively turned toward the source of the beautiful sound and became completely undone. Yep, I morphed into a bumbling mute capable of nothing save a few embarrassing grunts and a nod of the head.
Someone shoot me now. Please.
Reaching into his pants pocket, Xan pulled out a small set of keys and tossed them to the Latin bartender. “If you wouldn’t mind locking up tonight, my friend?”
Gabriel gave a nod and then turned his attention to me for a moment, flashing me a look of suspicion laced with a whole lot of what the hell is he doing with you?
“Come,” Xan said, saving me from the bartender’s disapproving glare. He held out his hand for mine.
I wordlessly obeyed, placing my hand in his, and a jolt of electricity shot up my arm. My breath caught, and I fought the urge to burst out into song and dance. But I kept it cool, kept my shit together as we disappeared into the back of the club.
Though it stung a bit, I couldn’t blame the bartender for his incredulous stare. I didn’t understand what I was doing with Xan, either. Aside from our obvious, and well, blatant differences — him being a vampire and me being a human — there was also that fact that he was drop dead gorgeous, and I was, well, not. Guys who looked like him never went for girls who looked like me. I gave a sigh and mentally chastised myself. The fact that I was even entertaining those types of thoughts when there was a newly created vampire dangling midair in the apartment above was simply ludicrous. I needed to get my head out of the clouds and into the game.
Chuck was out of my bag and in my hand by the time we reached the door to his apartment. I gripped it tightly as Xan removed the protection wards that kept what was behind his door safely locked away.
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the weapon
in my hand and treated me to me a look of affirmation. “Very good, carino. Always be prepared for the unexpected.”
I gave him a small grunt. His approval was not something I needed. Although, knowing I had it was oddly satisfying. God, I needed to get my head checked.
I swallowed hard as he opened the door, half expecting a crazed, bloodthirsty vampire to come crashing out and attack me. As Xan willed the lights on, I was relieved to see our captive was still safely confined within her magical bonds. I stepped inside the small apartment, closing the door behind me.
When I’d been in the apartment earlier, I’d been too shocked and angry to pay attention to my surroundings and never really got a good look at Xan’s living space. Though small, his apartment was impressive. Immaculate and masculine, the room was all clean lines done up in shades of gray, black, and white.
I felt his eyes boring into my back, and I spun around to see him staring at me, his lips turned down into a frown. Not this again. A bit flustered, I gave myself a once-over before looking back at him.
“What? Is it my outfit?” I still wore my boots and dress from earlier, though I’d added a jacket due to the cold night air. “I fight in clothes like these all the time. It’ll be fine. Trust me.”
He paced back and forth on the far side of the room, his face a mask of seriousness. “Your clothes are fine, carino. I’m just…concerned…” He trailed off.
“Concerned? Why?” I kicked major ass in the demon department. I was a major asset as far as I was concerned.
He stopped moving and eyed me pointedly. “I’ll do all I can to protect you, but if things get…out of hand, I need to know you can handle yourself. I’m not sure you’re ready for this.”
Oh, no, he didn’t. His words were like a slap in the face. I’d never had someone doubt my power before. True, there were only a handful of people who knew I was overflowing with powerful woo-woo, but still. His reservations with regard to my abilities sent me reeling.
