by Tina Folsom
When he felt Eddie’s hand on his head again, he wondered whether he wanted to pull him back once more, but then it slid to his nape, his warm fingers caressing him. A shiver ran down his spine all the way to his tailbone where the tingling spread and reached his cock.
Fuck! He was no novice. An innocent touch like that shouldn’t have such an erotic effect on him, yet it felt as if Eddie were caressing his cock instead. Involuntarily, he moaned and the breath he released blew against Eddie’s erection, which jerked in his mouth.
“I’m coming, Thomas! I’m coming!” Eddie let out in a breathless moan while he tried to pull his cock from Thomas’s mouth.
But Thomas didn’t allow it. He sucked him harder, holding onto the base of it, so he couldn’t escape.
“You don’t have to . . . ” Eddie started, but his words died as he arched his back and his cock spasmed.
Hot spurts of semen shot into Thomas’s mouth. Like electrical pulses, they came, and Thomas swallowed the liquid just as quickly. With it, his fangs lengthened and pushed past his lips, grazing Eddie’s skin. Without thinking, he let Eddie’s cock pop from his mouth and sank his fangs into his thigh, driving them deep into his flesh.
A startled cry-and-jolt came from Eddie, but then he settled back onto the bed, and his limbs relaxed. Thomas drew on the plump vein and tasted the rich red liquid that filled his mouth. Sex always made him hungry, but this time it was more than that. This time he wanted to intensify Eddie’s pleasure, and his own, with a sensual bite.
Eddie’s blood was tangy with a scent of musk to it. Rich and young. He let the liquid run down his throat and coat it, closing his eyes to savor the feeling. If he could live off Eddie’s blood, he would. Unfortunately, vampire blood provided little nourishment to another vampire, though he knew that Maya only drank Gabriel’s blood. However, since Gabriel was part satyr, his blood had other nourishing qualities that could sustain Maya. Thomas and Eddie would always be forced to drink human blood. It didn’t stop him from enjoying Eddie’s blood now— from savoring every drop.
His entire body was ablaze, every cell of it recharging with strength and hope. His mind calmed and for the first time in almost a century, he could barely sense the dark power within him. As if it was shrinking. While sex had always been a distraction and taken his mind off the evil that lived within him, it had never managed to push it down to such a depth that it was barely noticeable. Was Eddie giving him the strength he needed to defeat the evil within?
Thomas took one last, long drag from the open vein before he retracted his fangs and licked over the tiny puncture wounds to close them.
Then he lifted himself up and laid down on the bed next to Eddie, pulling him into his arms.
Eddie’s eyes opened, looking at him in wonder, and his lips parted, but nothing came from them.
“Thank you,” Thomas whispered. “You have no idea what this means to me.”
Eddie’s hand moved up to Thomas’s nape, pulling him down. Without a word, he pressed his lips on Thomas’s and kissed him—a kiss more passionate than Thomas had ever felt from Eddie before. Had something finally changed between them? Was Eddie accepting him and the feelings that grew between them?
24
Eddie swung himself onto his motorcycle and rolled it out of the garage, closing the garage door behind him before he switched on the engine. Even though the sun had just set, Thomas was still asleep, and he didn’t want to wake him. He didn’t know how to act around him after what had happened less than eight hours earlier.
He hadn’t planned on sleeping in Thomas’s bed, but after Thomas had sucked him with such passion, he’d been unable to lift a single limb to leave. He’d wanted to continue feeling Thomas’s body close to his. And Thomas had accommodated: he’d spooned him the entire time, pressing his front to Eddie’s back, tucking his legs underneath Eddie’s knees, his groin lining up with Eddie’s butt. And he’d liked feeling Thomas’s protective arms around him like a cage. Did that make him the girl?
Eddie pushed the thought aside. No, he was a man. Just because he’d let Thomas hold him like that didn’t make him a girl.
Eddie stopped at the next stoplight and waited for it to turn green, plotting out his route in his head. Nina had sent him an urgent text message to meet him at an address in the Mission, and he was wondering whether something was wrong. Had she and Amaury argued, and was that the reason she didn’t want to meet him at home?
Somewhat concerned about his sister, he continued his drive down the hill. He’d always felt responsible for Nina, even though she was three years older than he. But after the horrible events at their last foster home, he’d felt the need to watch out for her just like she’d watched out for him after they’d lost their parents. They’d stuck it out through thick and thin and finally managed to get away and start a new life.
Eddie found the address easily, even though he couldn’t see the house number on the two-story house. But since Nina was standing in front of it, waving at him as he approached, he knew he was at the right place. He pulled to a stop in front of the garage and turned off the engine, removing his helmet a moment later, and hanging it on the rearview mirror.
“Hey Nina! What’s going on? Are you in trouble?” he asked, dropping the kickstand as he dismounted.
She shook her blond curls. “Why would I be in trouble?”
“Your message made it sound urgent.”
“I’ve got to show you something,” she answered and motioned him to come closer.
He approached, giving her a quick hug before she turned to the entrance door and produced a key from her jeans pocket. She stuck it into the lock and turned it, pushing the door open.
He followed her inside and noticed that the place was empty. Not a single piece of furniture stood in the large, open living area they entered. Realization washed over him. He knew why Nina had brought him here: this place was available for rent.
A pang of guilt slammed into him out of nowhere. Looking at an apartment after what had happened between him and Thomas earlier suddenly felt like a betrayal. It shouldn’t, because he hadn’t made his mentor any promises. Nothing had been said between them, nothing had been discussed about how or whether they would continue their sexual relationship. Still, sneaking around behind Thomas’s back, clandestinely looking for a place to live made him feel like a jerk.
“I don’t know, Nina,” he started, quickly glancing around the room.
“I know it doesn’t look like much right now. They didn’t stage it, but just imagine it with some cool furniture. And it would need some new paint too, but I’m sure you can get a few of the guys to help you with that,” she interrupted.
She sounded like a real estate agent, touting a rat-infested fixer-upper.
“Come, I’ll show you the kitchen.” She grabbed his arms and pulled him to the back of the house.
“The kitchen isn’t really my big concern,” he answered as he followed her. “As you know, I don’t eat; hence I don’t cook.”
She turned her head and rolled her eyes. “It’s important for resale value. Kitchens sell homes,” she claimed.
“Resale?”
“Yes, the place is for sale. I figured you might as well buy a place here, rather than rent.
Rents have really gone up in the city, and if you don’t buy now, you won’t be able to afford anything decent in a few years. Trust me on that!”
Nina stomped into the kitchen. He entered behind her and had to admit that it was large and roomy, despite the fact that it looked dated.
“Original 1960’s tiles, but all that can be changed. Imagine some stainless steel appliances, a granite counter top and some new cabinets. You can even put an island in the middle and there’ll still be enough space to move around comfortably.”
Eddie sighed. “Nina, I’m not really interested in buying. I just wanted . . .” Well, he wasn’t sure anymore what he wanted. Things had somehow changed. But he couldn’t tell his sister any of it. And if he suddenly told her that he
didn’t really want to move right now, she would smell a rat and continue digging until she’d unearthed the truth. It was best if he lied.
“If you’re worried about the money, Amaury said he’d give you a loan, so you won’t have to apply to a bank,” Nina said.
“That’s nice of him, but I really don’t want this. I’m not ready for a house. I just wanted a small flat.” And if he were honest, he’d admit right now that he wasn’t even sure he wanted his own place. Having spent the day in Thomas’s bed had made things complicated and confusing.
“If you don’t like this house, I can look around and find you others. And it doesn’t have to be as big as this either. Maybe just a little cottage like the one Yvette and Haven have?” Her eyes suddenly sparked. “Oh, I bet now that they have the baby, they’ll probably want a larger place.
They only have two bedrooms, and I know the second bedroom isn’t large. Maybe they’ll want to sell their house. I can ask them.”
“No!” That was all he needed: everybody at Scanguards finding out that he was looking for a place to live. It would take all of two seconds to reach Thomas’s ears.
“Why not? Telegraph Hill is an excellent neighborhood.”
Eddie let out an exasperated breath. “Nina, I just told you that I don’t want a house.”
She shrugged, sighing. “Fine. But you know that with a flat you’ll always have neighbors and have to be more careful so that nobody finds out what you are.”
He nodded automatically. “I’m aware of that.”
“Well, I guess your mind is made up. I’ll have Amaury tell the agent it’s not what you’re looking for.” She walked toward the exit.
Relieved, Eddie followed her. “How did you even get the key? Aren’t real estate agents supposed to accompany prospective clients?”
Nina opened the entrance door and stepped through. “You forget that Amaury has a real estate license too. He gets keys from other agents whenever he wants one. Trust me, they’re happy not to do an evening showing when they’d rather be at home with their families.”
Eddie waited on the stairs while Nina locked up and stuffed the key back into her pocket.
“Can you give me a lift?” she asked. “Amaury dropped me off earlier, but he needed to get to the office to take care of a few things.”
“Sure, I’ll drive you home.” He walked to the parked motorcycle and swung himself onto it, raising the kickstand in the process.
“Oh, I’m not going home. Can you drive me over to Portia’s? She and I wanted to go shopping to get a few things for Yvette’s baby.” Nina mounted behind him. “We’re throwing her a shower.”
“A shower?”
“Yes, a baby shower, you know, where all the girls get together and bring gifts for the baby.”
Eddie shook his head. “As long as I don’t have to attend,” he mumbled under his breath.
Then he took the helmet off the handlebar and handed it to her. “You’ve gotta wear this.”
She took it without protest and put it on.
“Ready?” he asked and felt her arms wrap around his waist.
“Let’s go.”
He pulled into the street, watching his speed as he did so. It was one thing riding with another vampire, it was another having a human on the bike. He never took any risks when Nina was with him. While he could easily walk away unscathed from any accident, a fragile human woman like Nina would not necessarily be as lucky. And Amaury would have his hide if anything ever happened to Nina under Eddie’s watch, just as Eddie would never be able to live with himself if one of his actions resulted in Nina being hurt.
“Does this machine not go any faster?” he heard her complain from behind him.
“It does, but there are speed limits in town,” he deflected, knowing that she would only get pissy if he told her he was driving this slowly because of her.
“You’ve never followed speed limits before.”
“I do now,” he grumbled. “So stop complaining or I’m going to make you walk.” He wouldn’t, of course, but there were few other ways of making Nina shut up.
It took less than five minutes to reach Portia and Zane’s house in the Mission. Eddie pulled into the driveway and stopped, dropping his feet to the ground to support the bike while Nina jumped off. She removed the helmet and handed it to him.
“Do you want to come in for a moment?”
He shook his head when he saw the garage door lift. Moments later he saw Portia walk out of the garage, Zane not far behind her.
“Hey!” she greeted them. Her next words were drowned out by the crazy Labrador puppy chasing her and barking at the motorcycle as if it were an intruder he had to defend her against.
“Z!” Zane chastised the dog. “Get a grip!”
The dog turned his head toward his owner and stopped barking for a second, then turned back to the motorcycle and continued just as loudly as before.
“Z!” Portia now reprimanded him and bent down to lift him into her arms. The dog instantly stopped barking.
Zane approached, putting his arm around Portia, then giving the dog a stern look. “One of these days you’ll find yourself locked out of the house, and I won’t let you in anymore!”
Portia chuckled and grinned up at her mate. “You know that those threats don’t work with him, because he knows that you’ll never make them true.”
Zane grunted, then looked at Eddie and Nina. “Hey guys, what’s up?”
“Oh, I just showed Eddie a house. And now Portia and I are going to do some shopping for the baby shower,” Nina answered before Eddie could stop her.
Zane tossed him a surprised look. “You’re moving out of Thomas’s? He never mentioned anything.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not decided yet,” Eddie replied quickly. “Anyway, I’ve gotta run. See you at the shooting range in half an hour?”
Zane nodded. “I’m just getting ready to leave.”
“Shooting range?” Nina asked, staring at Eddie in surprise. “Since when do you like shooting?”
“Eddie’s been taking almost daily lessons in sharpshooting from me. He’s getting pretty decent,” Zane answered.
“Decent?” Eddie repeated. “I’m more than just a decent shot!” Hell, he’d been working his ass off to perfect his target practice.
Portia laughed. “I guess, Eddie, you haven’t quite figured out Zane’s rating scale. ‘Decent’ is a huge compliment coming from Zane.”
Zane rolled his eyes. “Don’t listen to Portia. She’s just trying to make you feel good. You’ve still got stuff to learn.”
Before Eddie could protest again, Nina put her hand on his arm. “How come I’m always the last to find out what you’re up to?”
Eddie shrugged. “Hey, no big deal. It’s just part of my job.” Though his job didn’t require him to be a crack shot. But after Thomas had fought with his maker a few months earlier, and Eddie hadn’t been able to shoot his attacker for fear of hitting Thomas instead, Eddie had promised himself to perfect his shooting skills.
“Anyway, better run. See you!” he said quickly, before his sister asked any more questions, and put on his helmet.
“Thanks for the ride!” Nina called after him as he turned the motorcycle and raced into the street.
Maybe he should have told Nina right there and then that he’d changed his mind about the apartment search. Or at least that he wanted to put it on hold until he could figure out what he wanted. But he wasn’t prepared for the questions his change of heart would have raised. Besides, he really didn’t know what he wanted: stay with Thomas or leave?
25
Thomas set the piece of paper he’d studied for the last minute down on his desk and started typing on his keyboard. The new owner of Al’s shop was a corporation, and only a PO box had been given as an address on the deed. Like hiding behind a PO box could really prevent him from finding the people who had bought out Al. He’d already checked the California Secretary of State’s website, but again only fou
nd a PO box. Now he brought up a trusted website he often used to investigate companies and individuals who had something to hide and went to work.
K Industries was a Delaware corporation, which indicated that whoever had set it up liked the tax-advantaged status of that East Coast state. Again, only a PO box was given as the address of the company, but upon further digging, Thomas found more. The name of an attorney in California appeared on one of the company documents filed with the state of Delaware, though he was unable to find the names of any individuals who owned the company. It appeared that the company was owned by other companies—definitely a ploy to keep the real owners of K
Industries hidden. He followed the trail of the companies which led him to various off-shore tax havens and finally to a dead end.
This only left the attorney who’d filed the papers. Thomas typed the attorney’s name into the Bar Association’s website and hit return.
“Bingo!” he said as the web search returned the attorney’s name with an address in San Francisco. He jotted it down on a piece of paper and slid it into his pocket. At least he had a place to start. The attorney would have files on his clients in his office. Somebody had to have paid him.
Thomas rose from his chair and walked toward the door. He’d check in with Zane to see if his colleague had found anything else, and then head out to see what he could find in the attorney’s office.
As he opened the door and took a step into the hallway, he noticed Eddie standing at the board where the assignments were posted. Two other vampires walked past him. Desire awakened instantly.
“Eddie,” Thomas called out to him.
Eddie’s head immediately whirled in his direction, his eyes wide as if he’d gotten caught.
“Do you have a minute?”
Looking around himself, Eddie approached hesitantly. “I should be getting ready for my patrol.”
“It’ll only be a minute,” Thomas added and motioned to his office.
Eddie dropped his lids as if to avoid looking at him directly, then brushed past him and entered. Thomas squeezed in behind him and closed the door.
