Immortal Blood

by Magen McMinimy

  Bain pulled his pants on and grabbed his shirt as he exited the cozy little guest room.

  The house was quiet and empty as Bain pulled his shirt on and entered the kitchen. There were no signs Izzy had emerged from her room… so he wasn’t losing his touch. He eyed the coffeemaker with the blue light signaling the auto brew function had engaged.

  Bain went to the fridge, knowing he wouldn’t find anything to fix for breakfast. If Izzy was going to continue to refuse to accompany him to see Rowan, they were going to have to go to the market. He was already hungry at seven-thirty in the morning; he was coming close to his monthly visit with the sisters as well.

  He had to get Izzy to do what he needed from her. He didn’t mind hiding out at her home, but he would rather her let him get back to working on finding Zander and restoring her luck. Bain sighed, grabbed a coffee mug from the cabinet above the maker, and poured a hot, steamy cup of the energizing liquid.

  “Good morning.” Izzy padded into the kitchen, making a b-line to the coffee pot.

  Bain pulled another cup down and poured her a cup. “Good morning.”

  He grinned as he took in her appearance. She was softened from sleep, her long ponytail a bit mussed, and wisps of hair falling around her sweet face with its striking cheekbones. The night’s rest left her eyes hooded, giving them a more almond shape as opposed to the bigger, rounder shape they usually were. Her bare legs had him wanting to run his hands up the smooth, lightly toned muscled and under the thin, soft material of her pajama shorts.

  “It’s too early, Bain. Don’t look at me like that.”

  Bain chuckled. “And you called me cheeky.” He handed her the mug of coffee he’d poured for her. Izzy pulled the half-and-half from the fridge and sat at the table, settling her legs under her.

  “That I did. So, I need to go to the market and get a few things. Garcia’s almost out of food.”

  Bain sat across from her. “And you’re all out of food.”

  Izzy shrugged. “I know, so I’m going to finish this cup, get cleaned up, and we can go. I assume you’ll be coming with me?”

  “You assume correctly.”

  *****

  Izzy loved her little corner market. It was a little expensive, but they had great produce and the butcher had been there for years. He always special cut bacon and had fresh chorizo for her.

  Izzy grabbed a couple of weeks’ worth of Garcia’s food, and then they headed to the butcher counter. She thought Bain looked out of place pushing a grocery cart. She tried to tell herself that was why all the woman who passed them kept staring at him, but she knew better.

  Izzy got some meat from Louie the butcher, Bain got some sliced deli meat, and she grabbed a few staples and headed for the wine.

  “I need to grab some wine for tonight, and then we’ll be done.”

  Bain nodded and followed her. Izzy studied the reds; she wanted something different. Her mom liked her wine dry; she and her sisters all preferred it a little sweeter, so she settled on a nice Merlot and a sweet red for after dinner.

  “Iz?”

  Izzy’s back straightened. She turned from Bain and the cart to see all five-foot-four of her baby sister, Marie, standing behind her, a mischievous glint in her eye and a smile as wide as the state of Texas spanning across her pretty face.

  “Marie, what are you doing here?” Izzy smiled back and hugged her baby sister.

  “I stayed at Marko’s last night. We came to get coffee and scones this morning.”

  Izzy grabbed a plain, brown paper bag and shook it. “Me too, they have an amazing bakery here.”

  “That they do… You going to introduce me to your friend?” Marie asked, not hiding any of the pleasure she was finding in Izzy’s discomfort.

  “Oh… Uh, this is…”

  Bain stuck his hand out to Marie, picking up where Izzy had stumbled. “Bain.”

  Marie took his hand with a strong, yet feminine shake. “Nice to meet you, Bain. I’m Marie.”

  “Likewise, Marie.” Bain flashed a knock-any-woman-over smile.

  Marie dragged her hungry gaze from Bain back to a slightly glaring Izzy. Marie smiled and shrugged at her sister. “Sorry,” she whispered.

  Izzy shook her head.

  “Anyway, is that the wine for tonight? You are still coming, right?” Marie asked.

  “We’ll be there,” Bain butted in, causing Izzy to glare at him.

  “Really? Well, I look forward to tonight then. Bye Iz, and I’ll see you later, Bain.” Marie smiled and sauntered off.

  “I swear to god, Bain, if you’re staring at my sister’s ass, I will hit you.”

  Bain chuckled. “Then walk ahead, so I can stare at yours, Izzy.”

  Izzy shook her head, but so help her, she walked away, giving him a perfect shot of her ass in a well-fitting pair of light blue jeans.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Explain!” The single word flew from Marie’s red-painted lips the second she had Izzy alone.

  Izzy had cringed when her father’s eyes scrutinized Bain, and when he asked Bain to follow him to grab the leaves for the table. Izzy almost insisted on going with them, but Bain shook his head, dropping his head to whisper to her not to worry and that he would behave. Izzy rolled her eyes, and then sent a serious warning through them.

  Izzy chewed her lip, her gaze drifting between Marie and down the hall to her father’s study.

  “Iz, what the heck is going on? It took that guy Zander and me twenty minutes to convince you to go out with him. Then I see you rather early at the market two days later with this new guy. I mean, he is a definite upgrade. The Zander guy was hot, but holy shit, Bain is… whoa.” Marie started to fan herself.

  Marie was young and dramatic, but she wasn’t wrong.

  “Iz, focus, we only have a few seconds. What the heck happened the past two days?”

  “Um…” What was she supposed to say? “It didn’t work out with Zander.”

  Marie scoffed and shook her head. “Yeah, I gathered. Where does Bain come into the story?”

  “I met him the other day”

  Marie was getting frustrated with the simple, no-detail answers.

  “I don’t know what to tell you. We met the other day, we’re getting to know each other, he stayed in my guest room last night, and now we’re here for dinner.” Izzy smiled.

  “Why did you let that man sleep in the guest room? What is wrong with you, Iz?”

  Izzy smiled and shook her head.

  “So Bain, what do you do for a living?” Izzy’s father, Martin, asked as he began to dig into her grandmother’s famous enchiladas.

  Izzy stiffened; they had not gotten their stories straight. She had no idea what line he was going to attempt to feed her father.

  “I work in private security,” Bain told him.

  “For what company?” Martin asked.

  “Dad, please don’t give him the third degree,” Izzy pleaded.

  “Isabelle, it is not the third degree. It’s a simple question. If he intends to date my daughter, he needs to prove to me that he can take care of you.”

  Izzy groaned while Bain flashed a brilliant smile at her. His fangs were thankfully hidden.

  Her father’s gaze fell back upon Bain expectantly.

  “Hawk’s Eye Security,” Bain answered him.

  Izzy’s eyes widened; she’d heard of Hawk’s Eye Security before.

  “You know Lucas?” her father asked.

  “Of course I do, I hired him. My brothers’ and I founded Hawk’s Eye Security.”

  “How old are you, Bain?” Izzy’s mother, Elizabeth, asked. Her mother didn’t look Spanish; she was where Izzy got her lighter coloring. Her mom had golden blonde hair and deep blue eyes, nearly the same color as Izzy’s.

  Bain smiled at her mother, charming her with that brilliant show of teeth. “Thirty-two,” he told her.

  “That’s young to have such an established business. Hawk’s Eye Security has been around for what, about
ten years?” she asked.

  Bain nodded. “Yes ma’am. Though I am the second youngest of the five of us.”

  “There are five of you?” Marie asked, surprised, and then maybe a little embarrassed as Marko studied her. “Sorry,” she muttered to him.

  “I should clarify. We grew up together, but they are not my biological brothers.”

  “Family doesn’t have to be biological; you just have to love them as if they were,” Izzy’s Grandma Isabelle, her namesake, told him with a wink of her wrinkled, crow feet-ridden eye.

  Bain smiled at the monarch of Izzy’s family. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  “So what is it you do there?” her mother asked, carrying on the line of questioning.

  “I’m a jack of all trades, but I stick mostly with security.”

  “Mostly?” her father grunted.

  “So…” Izzy broke in. She knew her father was about to start in on Bain. Focus was important in his opinion and, if you were working to protect people just as he once had, there should have been nothing else on your plate as far as work was concerned. “Where’s Eppie, Samuel, and the kids at?” she asked. She really was curious where her middle sister and her family were. They rarely ever missed Sunday dinner. No matter what was going on, they made time for the family.

  “Bell is sick; Sam said he’d stay so she and Mathew could come, but she felt bad leaving her.”

  “Oh, I hate when that sweet little girl is sick.”

  Bell had been a sick baby; it had gotten better since she entered the terrible twos, which really wasn’t all that terrible. She was a good kid, smart too.

  All the women at the table had new sadder sets to their features. They’d nearly lost Bell and thinking of her sick made them all remember the fear and pain that had come from that near loss.

  Izzy knew her father felt it too; he just didn’t show it. Izzy met Bain’s gaze. He had a softer set to his lips and compassion in his bright eyes that had her melting into them.

  Dinner picked back up, but the need to interrogate Bain had fled the table and the conversation focused on simpler things. They talked about Izzy’s work, the fast approaching holiday, and about Marko and Marie’s next trip for his photography.

  “Are you ok?” Bain asked as he opened the passenger door of Izzy’s Audi so she could slide in.

  “Yeah, you didn’t tell me about Hawk’s Eye Security.”

  “I told you I had strongholds in the Human World. We use Hawk’s Eye Security as a front to keep tabs on Fae activity in the Human World. Now that’s not to say we don’t employ a few men who do provide security,” Bain told her as he started the car and pulled away from her parents’ home.

  “I know. I’ve used them for events in the past.”

  “Really? So our paths could have crossed before?”

  “I suppose, yes.” Izzy was sure she would have remembered seeing Bain. “We probably should have discussed what you were going to tell them.”

  “Probably, but I enjoyed keeping you on your toes.”

  Izzy scoffed. “My lack of coordination kept me on my toes plenty. I’m ready to get home and out of this dress.”

  Bain smirked. He would like to get her out of the dress, too. Although, she did look good hugged in its soft fabric, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

  Izzy’s loss of luck hadn’t given her a break this night. Fortunately, it only raised its ugly head in the form of a spilt glass of red wine on her cream-colored, sweater-style dress. She looked amazing. Her hair was pulled off her shoulders, teasing him with the length of her elegant neck. Her legs were bare to her knees where her soft dress ended, giving him all kind of ideas about running his hand up those slender legs and under the material of her dress.

  Bain shook his head. She was staring at him questioningly. “I don’t know Izzy… I like the dress, but if you need help peeling it off, I’m always willing to help.”

  “I bet you are.”

  Izzy licked her bottom lip and sunk deeper into her seat, crossing her legs as she did. She knew now that her scent became spicy when he was turning her on, and she was sure that spice would reach him soon.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Ughhh.” Izzy dropped into her seat on the couch, her hair wrapped in a towel from her shower. “That was one heck of a day.”

  Bain nodded his head. Yeah, he was sure it had been. He had shadowed Izzy as she met with her clients for her Halloween event. She ran all over the city, finalizing orders, rentals, securing costumes for the staff, and having menus finalized.

  “It was a busy day,” he agreed.

  Bain had been playing chauffeur all week for Izzy. Now that Friday was here, they both needed a break.

  “It usually isn’t this bad. I don’t know if it’s the type of event or the client, but man, I’m so glad the weekend is here.”

  “Me too, so go get dressed up. We’re getting out of here tonight.”

  Izzy arched a brow at him. “Oh really, and where are we going?”

  Bain chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to kidnap you and take you to the Middle World.”

  Izzy studied him with narrowed eyes. Bain just laughed at her. “If I was going to kidnap and force you to the Middle World, I would have done it after playing chauffeur that first day.”

  “Fair enough.” Izzy didn’t really think he would force her anywhere she didn’t want to go. “You still have to tell me where were going, so I know what to wear.”

  Bain’s gaze raked her body before he spoke. “A dress, short and tight will do.”

  Izzy’s brow arched at him.

  “Do not look at me like that. We’re going out and having a good time—dress for a night out.”

  Izzy knew just the dress she would wear.

  Two hours later, they were waiting in line at a local club. The bouncer cocked a finger at them. Bain ushered Izzy forward, his hand resting on the small of her back. Bain nodded at the bouncer as they moved inside. They passed the dance floor and bar, moving towards an empty corner table.

  Izzy slid across the velvet of the booth, the bare skin of the backs of her thighs making contact with the soft, crushed fabric.

  The dress she had chosen for the night was a black mini dress, tight like Bain had requested, and short, with a plunging neckline and shirred tank straps. She fit in perfectly at Club Zion.

  The perky cocktail waitress stared at Bain the entire time when she came to take their order, her gaze barely picked up Izzy’s presence.

  “What’ll be your pleasure?” she purred at Bain.

  Izzy felt her irritation rise. Was this woman blind or simply rude and stupid? She was blatantly flirting with Bain, right in front of her.

  “I’ll take a vodka tonic,” Izzy snapped, raising her voice to get the waitress’ attention. The girl’s eyes flew to Izzy, and a sneer marred her face.

  “Sure, I’ll be right back with that.”

  Bain chuckled. “What was that about?”

  He’d picked up on her irritation as he spoke with the waitress. If he hadn’t known better, he’d say Izzy was bordering on jealous.

  “What, her taking your order and flirting with you while I sat here and waited for her to actually acknowledge me?”

  Bain shook his head.

  “I’ll be right back. Don’t move, okay?”

  Izzy nodded and watched him make his way to the bar. When he turned back around, he held a whiskey in one hand and a vodka tonic in the other. He smiled as he slid back into his seat and handed her the drink he’d brought back.

  “Why’d you go get us drinks? Are you afraid your little chippy is going to take too long?” she asked in a catty tone.

  “No,” Bain said in a deadpan voice. “I just wouldn’t recommend drinking whatever she brings you.”

  “What?” Izzy asked, confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “I think you pissed her off. My guess is she might spit in your drink.”

  “Pssh, whatever. You don’t really think
she would do that… do you?”

  Bain chuckled and lifted a shoulder.

  They received a suspicious look from their perky little waitress as she set their drinks down. Izzy pushed her drink aside while Bain ordered them a few rounds of shots.

  Izzy took the shot Bain slid to her. She shook her head slightly as the burn ran down her throat and settled in her stomach.

  Bain laughed at her as he took his own shot. By her third shot and one vodka tonic, Izzy was feeling the warmth, tingle, and a slight shift in inhabitations.

  “Are you glad we got out of the house?” Bain asked.

  “Hell yes.” Izzy laughed.

  “Good, you deserve to have a little fun”

  Izzy had been having fun. This past week she’d been able to end her work days with him. Dinner and movies or trashy TV, she liked having someone to talk to at the end of the day.

  “Will you tell me more about the Middle World and your home?” she asked.

  Bain arched a brow at her. “Are you considering a trip there with me?”

  Izzy shrugged. “Maybe.”

  He’d stayed away from his home to keep her safe. She was sure he was missing it by now.

  “All right, it’s not so different to what you might expect—”

  “Wait, are you telling me this is not a situation where I need to broaden my horizons?” Izzy quipped.

  Bain gave her a deadpan stare. “Do you want me to continue or not?”

  Izzy smiled sheepishly at him and waved her hand for him to continue. “Sorry, go on.”

  “My brothers and I live in Rowan’s castle. We call it her compound. There is a small village inside the fortress walls. Rowan rules over a huge expanse of land. Most of it is still in its raw form: forest, lakes, meadows, and rivers. There are also many other villages nestled in the lands that are home to many different species of Fae.”

  “How many different species?” Izzy asked.