“Where do you want me to take you?” he asked.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
He nodded.
“You can take me back to my house.”
“I can’t take you there. That’s the first place they’ll look.”
“I’m not going to hide.”
“Come to my place then,” he said. “At least for tonight. In the morning we can figure out what to do.”
“You have a place?”
“Where do you think I live?”
Her eyebrows rose. “I mostly see you hanging out at the marina.”
“You must think I’m a real loser.”
“Not a loser—just homeless.”
“See that building over there?” He pointed to the approaching lights of Seattle. “The tall one, a few buildings over from the Space Needle.”
She squinted out the window. “Isn’t that a hotel?”
“Yes.”
“You live there?”
“At the top.”
“I didn’t know you could own a room there.”
“I don’t own a room. I own the whole building.” For some reason, he wanted her to be impressed.
“Then why are you always at the marina?”
He tried to think of an answer that might make sense.
“Have you ever felt that a piece of your soul was missing?” When she didn’t answer, he continued, “My missing piece is in the ocean.”
“I feel that way about the moon.” She looked up into the dark sky.
Lucien stared at her beautiful profile. “How are you feeling?”
She turned to him, her green eyes almost glowing in the dark. “Much better. I know you probably think I’m weak, but I am getting stronger. I’ve done some impossible things with magic lately, but it still takes a toll on my body.”
“You are not weak. I can feel the power in you, remember?”
“What about you? Are you all right being here with me?”
“Yes.”
“What changed?”
“You need protection.”
“I don’t want you around if that’s your only reason. I can get that from the Deific, from Charlie.”
He didn’t want to tell her of the vow he’d made to himself only moments ago. He rarely made promises, but when he did, he kept them. “Too bad. It’s my duty.”
Eve turned away from him. “I’m not anyone’s duty.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said. “I just want to make sure you’re safe. No one can protect you like I can.”
“And when you think I’m safe, are you going to leave again?”
He didn’t answer. Not because he thought he would leave, but because he didn’t think it was possible to ever be away from her again.
Eve turned away from him and sunk into the seat, her focus on the moon above.
They drove the remainder of the way home in silence. He glanced at her many times, trying to guess what she was thinking. Her expression was calm, but the corners of her mouth were turned down ever so slightly. He wished he could give her more, but he didn’t know how someone like him could ever make her happy. This arrangement had to work for both their sakes.
Once inside the building, they rode up the elevator, standing apart from each other. Eve looked worn out but somehow breathtakingly beautiful at the same time. He tried not to stare.
Eve opened the door to his suite and walked around. “I like your place. It’s simple.”
“I don’t need much.” He removed his phone from his pocket and texted Scott the location to his Hummer.
“Where do you want me to sleep?” she asked.
“The room down the hall.”
“Where are you going to be?”
“Around. Maybe I’ll watch a movie.”
“Huh. Interesting.”
“Why’s that?” he asked.
“I’ve only seen you brood.”
Lucien huffed. “I do a lot of things that don’t involve brooding.”
Eve smiled, but it was a tired one. “I can’t wait to see that other side of you. Can I watch a movie with you?”
“I guess.” Lucien turned on the television and clicked through his movie database. He didn’t have much.
“That one,” she said, dropping into his recliner. “The Mission.”
Lucien stared at her sprawled out on his couch. This was too strange.
“Are you going to start it?” she asked.
He clicked ‘play’ then moved into the kitchen and grabbed the only dining room chair and placed it next to the recliner. Eve stared at him.
“What?” he asked.
“There’s room for you here.” She slid over as far as possible and patted the spot next to her.
“I’m good.”
“I’m not going to take your only nice chair.” She stood up. “Switch me.”
“No. This is fine.”
“Switch me,” she said with more force.
“Are you serious?”
“Very.”
He stood up and moved into the recliner. Eve took one step to the chair, but instead of sitting on it, she picked it up and tossed it into the wall, breaking it into several pieces.
Lucien stared aghast. “That was my only chair!”
“No, it isn’t.” She climbed on top of him and snuggled against his chest while he sat awkwardly.
“Someone has to get you used to physical contact,” she mumbled, her voice barely audible over the introductory music playing from the television.
Lucien tried to focus on the show, to listen and see the moving images in front of him, but he couldn’t concentrate with Eve pressed up against him. He was acutely aware of the bare skin on her arm, rubbing against his forearm every time she shifted her weight. He repressed a shudder when her hand would sometimes drop to his thigh. And when she rested her head on the top of his shoulder and her breath escaped her lips, it ignited his skin with an intense heat that warmed his insides.
He kept his hands on the armrests of the recliner, but when her breathing become steady and she relaxed into a deep sleep, he slowly moved his hands toward her. His left hand gently touched her back, his right brushed her leg.
For the next few hours, Lucien didn’t move, only inhaled everything about her. He was in this state of bliss when he tilted his head toward her cheek and brushed his mouth against her smooth skin. The nerves in his lips tingled.
Lucien’s cell phone rang loud. He withdrew his hands quickly as Eve sat up and looked around. Before jumping off the chair to retrieve his phone from the kitchen, she turned and grinned.
“I’ll get it,” she said.
Lucien glanced at the caller ID when she handed it to him. Another number he didn’t recognize.
“Yes?” he asked.
A male voice spoke urgently. “Is Eve with you?”
“Who is this?”
“Charlie. Eve didn’t show up for work. Is she with you?”
“How did you get this number?”
“Eve gave it to me. She said to call it if I couldn’t ever reach her. And guess what? I can’t reach her, so, I will ask one more time, is Eve with you?”
“I’ll call you back.” Lucien hung up the phone.
Eve looked at him expectantly.
“That was Charlie. You’re late for work.”
She rushed to the window and pulled up the blinds. Sunlight filled the room. “I had no idea! Charlie must be so worried.”
Lucien moved into the kitchen where it wasn’t so bright. “Why did you give him my number?”
“In case of an emergency. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Yes.”
She pretended not to hear. “Can I use your phone?”
He tossed it to her and then went into his bedroom to shower and change.
Her voice carried down to him. “They found me, Charlie.”
Lucien focused his hearing on Charlie’s voice through the cell phone.
“Tell me everything.”
<
br /> “There were four of them,” she said. “I managed to kill two and delay the others, but it took a toll on my body. I had to hide in the airport museum. That’s when I called Lucien.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
Lucien turned on the water, keeping his attention on their conversation.
“It would’ve taken at least an hour for you to get a team together, and I didn’t have that kind of time.”
“And if you hadn’t found Lucien yet? Then what would have happened? You would have called me!”
“You’re right,” she mumbled. “But it’s not like that. It’s not like it made sense to take that risk when I didn’t have to.”
Lucien stepped into the warm water and showered quickly.
“I see,” Charlie said, unmistakable hurt in his voice. “You need to bring Lucien in. It’s time we all had a chat.”
“I agree. But I don’t think I can get Lucien to come there. How about the coffeshop across the street?”
“Is he really that much of a baby that he can’t come meet with the grown ups?”
Lucien crushed the soap in his hands.
“Be nice, Charlie. You don’t know him.”
“Neither do you.”
“That’s not true. Trust me. I couldn’t be in better hands.”
“Uh huh. And what exactly have these hands been doing for you?”
“That’s not what I mean! I’ll see you in one hour.”
Eve said nothing else. Lucien hurried and stepped outside the shower. He was almost finished dressing when Eve walked in. He stood in front of her, bare chested and wearing only jeans.
Eve blushed, but she didn’t look away. “I’m sorry. I thought—”
“It’s fine.” Lucien pulled a t-shirt over his head to keep a shiver from erupting. The way she was looking at him …
“So what’s with Captain America?” he asked.
“You mean Charlie? He’s worried about me is all. We’re supposed to meet him in one hour across the street from the Deific.”
“Why?”
“To decide what to do. I’m not going to hide.”
“Sometimes one has to hide to survive. There will be a time to fight, but you can’t do that until you know who you’re up against.”
“Maybe …”
Thinking of the intended meeting location, Lucien narrowed his eyes.
“What is it?” Eve asked.
“Do you eat breakfast?”
“No, I’m sort of like you. I don’t need to eat that often.”
“You’re not like me.”
She flinched as if he’d offended her.
“You’re much better than me,” he corrected.
The lines in her face softened, and she smiled. “Would you mind taking me to my place before we meet Charlie?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She looked down. “Oh, right. I can get my own ride.”
“That’s not what I meant. I don’t think going to your house is a good idea because they might be watching it. I’m not letting you out of my sight until I know you’re safe.”
Her smile returned; it was brighter than the sun filling his living room. “Can you keep me safe while I grab just a few things? Please?”
He sighed, unable to tell her no. “Let’s go then. We’ll stop by your house—but just for a minute. And by the way,” he said as he opened the door, “you owe me a chair.”
“Just as soon as you fix the hole on my front porch.”
***
A block before Eve’s house, Lucien knew it was empty, but when he stepped through the front door, he had no doubts that vampires had been in it. They left behind their distinct smell. According to Scott, vampires smelled like black licorice. To him, however, they smelled like wet pine needles.
Lucien examined every room in her house, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The cabinets and countertops in her kitchen had already been replaced. The company he’d hired on short notice had done an excellent job.
“The house is empty,” Eve said. “What are you looking for?”
He opened her kitchen cupboards; most of them were bare. “You’ve had visitors.”
Lucien bounded up the stairs, taking three steps at a time.
“Look for anything that doesn’t belong,” he called down to her and then inspected her room thoroughly.
After several minutes, Eve appeared in the doorway to her room. “Nothing’s out of the ordinary.”
Lucien glanced around one more time. A vampire wouldn’t waste his time coming in here without a purpose. His eyes moved up to the last place he hadn’t looked. Eve’s light fixture was trimmed with a circular decorated silver border; in the center was etched ivory glass.
He grabbed a chair and moved it directly beneath the light. Standing upon it, he reached his hand into the glass until his fingers found what he was looking for. He withdrew a small white plastic square. On its side was a flashing green light the size of a pinhead.
“They know we’re here. Grab your things.”
She moved quickly, stuffing a duffel bag with whatever clothes were in her closet.
“What is that?” she asked while throwing a toothbrush into the bag.
“It’s a remote motion sensor.”
After only thirty seconds, he picked up the bag. “Time’s up. Let’s go.”
With Eve following behind, he walked out of the front door and froze.
Passing directly in front of them drove a black Cadillac with tinted windows. The driver’s side window was rolled down, and the same spiked haired vampire Lucien had fought the night before drove behind the wheel. He pointed his long forefinger at Eve and grinned wildly.
Despite the sun, Lucien started after him, but Eve pulled him back. “Not now. Please. We need a plan.”
The Cadillac turned the corner and drove out of view.
Lucien clenched his jaw. He didn’t like how brazen the vampires were being. Someone wanted Eve. Bad.
15
It was 10:21 am. Most of the morning rush had left the coffee shop with only a few customers steadily moving in and out. Eve and Lucien were the only ones who stayed, sitting in a booth in the corner.
Eve was unusually silent. She tore a napkin into several tiny pieces, and then twisted them into long strands, which she laid side by side. Once she had twisted at least three strips, she braided them.
He could watch her for the rest of his life.
The door opened and Charlie entered, looking grim. Lucien glanced away. He was not looking forward to meeting him, and by Charlie’s sour expression he was feeling the same way.
After ordering a coffee, Charlie slid in next to Eve and squeezed her hand. “Hey, Eve. I know you said you were okay on the phone, but are you really? I know how you like to pretend everything’s okay.”
He cast Lucien a sideways glance as if insinuating he knew more about Eve than Lucien did, which was probably true, but the action only made him hate Charlie more.
“I’m fine, really. Charlie, this is Lucien. Lucien, Charlie.”
Charlie turned to him. “Valium Vampire. Nice to finally meet you.”
“Come again?” Lucien leaned forward, arms crossed, body tense.
“Charlie,” Eve reprimanded.
Charlie looked at her innocently. “What?”
“What have you learned?” Eve asked pointedly.
Charlie opened a folder. “Michael just sent this over. Do either of you recognize any of these men or vampires—I can’t tell what they are by the pictures.”
Eve looked them over and shook her head. She handed it to Lucien. Three men stood against a brick building, looking as if they had nowhere to be. They had an unnatural stillness to them that even a photo could capture. They tried to appear human-like, but Lucien could tell by their stances, almost statuesque, that they were vampires. “They are definitely vampires. Who are they?”
“Don’t you recognize any of them?” Charlie asked.
&n
bsp; “No, should I?”
“I just assumed your type all knew each other.”
“Do you know all of your type?” Lucien countered.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Why don’t you go find someone with a Narcissistic Disorder and ask them what it means.”
“What do these vampires have to do with anything?” Eve interrupted, casting them both an angry glare.
Charlie turned his attention to her. “Michael said they were also invited to the vampire meeting. They captured one of them and forced him to tell them who was in charge." A shadow passed over his face and he swallowed hard. "It was the Dark Prince."
Eve gently placed her hand on his forearm. "We’ll get him, I promise."
Lucien looked from Eve to Charlie, at their serious expressions. Clearly there was a history between Charlie and this Dark Prince, but Lucien didn’t want to know anything about it. His only concern was for Eve.
"And what does this Dark Prince want?" Lucien asked.
Charlie stretched his hands from their tight fists. "I guess he’s planning something big. He instructed them to start turning humans as quickly as possible.”
“How long ago was this?”
“About ten days.”
Lucien frowned. “And you just found out?”
“Yes.”
“What have you been doing about it?”
“All of our offices are on full alert. We’ve sent out dozens of teams to track down any vampires who might be turning humans, but it’s difficult to predict where they’re going to strike.”
“Why does the ’Dark Prince’ want more vampires?” Eve asked.
“We’re not sure, but whatever it is, it can’t be good.”
“When’s the meeting?” Eve asked again.
“Michael thinks soon. He says vampires are flocking to Ireland from all over.”
Lucien could care less about a dumb vampire convention. “What does any of this have to do with Eve?”
“Well the meeting is in Ireland,” Charlie said, “and the vampires who attacked us in New York were from Ireland. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”
“But what do they want with Eve?” he demanded, his voice louder than he intended. A couple sitting standing in line turned his direction.
The Devil's Angel (Devil Series Book 2) Page 8
