If she and Christian were going to have a real relationship, he needed to know that she could handle the reality of a vampire’s life. She didn’t even have to think about whether she wanted a relationship with him. The answer was hell, yes. She wasn’t ready to marry the guy tomorrow, but she sure as hell wanted more than a few nights of sex. Mind-blowing, knock-your-socks-off sex. But there was more to him than sex. Yes, she’d experienced more orgasms in two nights with Christian than she had in her entire adult life before him. And, yes, he’d done things and made her feel things that no other man had even come close to.
But he was also smart, charming, and compassionate. And let’s not forget that all of that was wrapped up in one incredibly gorgeous package of hunk-a-licious male. She’d have to be crazy not to want more of him, more of what they might have.
So, then, how could she prove to him that she was as tough as he needed her to be? She’d heard the stories of Cynthia Leighton. You couldn’t live around Houston vampires without hearing the rumors of what a badass she was. But Natalie knew her own limitations. She was no pushover, but she wasn’t a badass. She’d fired lots of guns, but never at a person. And she’d never contemplated killing an actual vampire lord the way Leighton had. But that didn’t mean she was weak. There were all kinds of strength in this world, and hers happened to be in her head. She was smart as hell, and knew how to use what she had. So how could she use that fabulous brain of hers to demonstrate her toughness to Christian?
She glanced at the clock, and saw it was nearly noon. Christian and Marc would be trapped downstairs fast asleep until sunset. But that didn’t mean their investigation had to sleep, too. She’d overheard Marc talking to Christian about not being able to access Anthony’s internal network, and had known immediately what they were trying to do. They needed something from Anthony that he wasn’t willing to give up. That was no surprise, since Anthony took paranoia to an entirely new level.
But she knew Anthony’s network better than almost anyone on the estate. She worked as a forensic accountant, but she could just as easily have been a forensic computer analyst instead. Almost all financial data was stored on computers these days, and she couldn’t figure out the where of hidden data if she didn’t first understand the how. She’d chosen the accounting career path simply because she liked numbers, but she still kept up on new developments on the programming side.
She knew that Marc would never succeed in tapping into Anthony’s inner files, because the network where that data lived wasn’t connected to the Internet at all. It was a matter of both security and practicality. There was no need for anyone outside the estate to access that information. Hell, most of the people on the estate couldn’t access that private network. But Natalie could. Her job required that she have access to everything, including the most sensitive data of all. Every financial transaction in or out of Anthony’s accounts as Lord of the South, every transaction regarding the estate for the last twenty years, was at her fingertips. She’d never explored beyond the financial data, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. Or that she couldn’t get to it.
Filled with purpose, Natalie rolled out of bed, groaning only a little when what felt like every muscle in her body protested. Sex with Christian wasn’t for pussies. She choked on her own laughter at the thought, then felt her face flush with heat. She had to get over this reaction to him. If she was going to go back to the estate, she’d need to be at the top of her game. And she sure as hell couldn’t be pulsing on the edge of orgasm all day.
She forced herself to her feet and headed for the bathroom. A cold shower would be a good start.
TWO HOURS LATER, Natalie was sitting at her laptop in Anthony’s estate kitchen. She checked the clock for about the tenth time in ten minutes. She knew Christian wouldn’t be happy that she was here, but he needed to realize that she knew what she was doing. After all, she wasn’t an idiot. Anthony employed human guards during the day, but he’d never really trusted them, and had no close associates among them. They manned the gate and perimeter, but had no duties in the main house.
Plus, she was working in the kitchen, which was all but deserted during the daytime. There was no human food stored or prepared here, since the human staff had their own kitchen in the adjacent building on the other side of the parking lot. The kitchen also had the benefit of a door directly to the back parking lot. And yet it was close enough to give her access to Anthony’s private network.
Additionally, today was Sunday, and even vampires took the weekend off. Which meant there were even fewer people around. On the other hand, the few who were there had been buzzing with rumors of Anthony’s whereabouts. They all knew she worked closely with Anthony, and so seemed to think she knew where he was. They’d shared what they knew in hopes of getting her to share what she knew. Details had varied from person to person, but the one thing they all agreed on was that he was long gone from Houston. The most popular theory was that he’d fled to New Orleans, although some versions had softened it to him “visiting” his former city, rather than cowering there in fear. Natalie wasn’t sure she bought the idea of him fleeing Houston altogether, but she’d filed it all away to tell Christian later.
Even with few interruptions, though, it had taken her longer than expected to accomplish what she’d set out to do today. First, there’d been a delay in getting back to the estate. She’d forgotten that her car wasn’t at Christian’s house, since they’d taken the SUV back home after the confrontation with Anthony. Deciding she wanted her own wheels back, she’d called a cab to pick her up at Christian’s and take her back to her house. From there, she’d driven her car to the estate. And then it had taken a long time to locate Anthony’s personal files on the private server. It wasn’t as if the data was tagged and labeled “Anthony’s Secret Files—Do Not Read.” No, the vampire lord was way sneakier than that, and, again, totally paranoid. Fortunately, her entire job consisted of digging out the secrets of people just like Anthony, people who thought they were the smartest people in the room, and far too clever to get caught.
Unfortunately for them, Natalie was usually much smarter than they were, and had a real talent for following data trails. It was what had made her so much in demand back home, and, unfortunately, what had drawn Anthony’s attention to her in the first place. She knew all the tricks people used to hide information, and had developed her own algorithms to quickly sift through data and identify patterns. But knowing how to do it wasn’t the whole game. It took time, which was something she was quickly running out of.
A nervous glance at the window told her that the sun had maybe an hour left in the sky. She turned her back on the blindingly bright ball of sunlight, determined to get her work done. She didn’t want to risk coming back here tomorrow, even assuming Christian didn’t blow a gasket after today’s adventure. Another thirty minutes would be enough. The sun would be touching the horizon by then, but even vampires needed some time to shower and dress, and she’d be gone before they ventured up from the basement.
When she finally slapped her laptop shut, her stomach was roiling with nerves. If Anthony found out what she’d done . . . Actually, she didn’t know what he’d do. He’d always been careful with her, but that was before Christian, and before he’d made an enemy of Raphael. She’d never seen Anthony as furious as he’d been yesterday at her townhouse, but she’d never forgotten her family’s history with him, either. Never forgotten how he treated people who “disappointed” him. If he discovered she was stealing his files to help Christian, she had no doubt that she’d fall into that “disappointed” category, and all bets would be off. She was glad again that she’d called and warned her family. But the best way to protect them was to be sure Anthony never discovered what she was doing.
She glanced at the window again. Time to get the hell out of Dodge. She stood and slipped the laptop into her bag, just as she heard a door slam down the hall. A moment later, th
e kitchen door opened.
“Hey, Natalie!” Jaclyn’s human assistant, Lisa, greeted her as she walked in and set a medium-sized shipping box on the counter. “I heard you were working here today, but I thought I’d missed you,” she said, as if it was perfectly normal for Natalie to be spending the day working in the kitchen.
“You almost did,” Natalie said, striving for casual. “I’m on my way out.”
“Good. This is for you. It actually came yesterday, but I didn’t see you, what with the big gala and all.” She pushed the brown box across the counter to Natalie.
“Me? Why would someone send me a package to your office?”
“It’s from Cynthia Leighton. She included it with the usual courier stuff. Do you two know each other?”
Natalie shook her head. “I saw her at the gala last night, but I’ve never even spoken to her.”
“Well, she sent you a present. Open it.”
Natalie glanced at the window, where the sun was almost gone. “I don’t know, I’m supposed to meet Christian.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. She had left him a note saying she’d meet him at the dojo.
“Aw, come on, Natalie. Aren’t you curious?” Lisa slid a pair of scissors across the counter to rest next to the box. The woman had come prepared.
“You’re sure it’s not going to explode?” Natalie asked jokingly, trying to ease her own tension as she used the scissors to split the tape over the seam, then pulled the box open. She looked down at the contents and blinked in surprise. “It’s a gun. Why would Leighton send me a gun?”
Lisa moved closer, and peered into the open box. “And ammunition, too,” she said, lifting out one of four smaller boxes. “Fifty rounds in each of these. Something called . . . Hydra-Shok? I’ve never heard of it, but, then, I don’t know that much about guns. How about you?”
Natalie picked up the pistol and pulled it from its holster. “Glock 23, Gen 4,” she said absently. “Forty caliber.”
Lisa gave her a surprised look. “You know guns?”
“My granddaddy owns a gun store. I worked there part-time during high school and college. He and my father made sure I knew what I was doing.”
“Do you have your own guns?”
Natalie shook her head. “Not here. I have a couple that I left home in New Orleans.”
Lisa laughed. “You might be the only person who comes to Texas and leaves her guns behind.”
“I didn’t think I’d need them. Even back home, I used them mostly for target shooting. You know, just in case.”
“Well, you’ve got one now.”
“Yeah, but why?” Natalie rooted around in the packing material until she found a small envelope with a simple note card. The card had the initials “CL” embossed on the top, and was filled with neat handwriting.
“What does it say?”
Natalie read the message, and scowled. “She says every woman should be able to defend herself,” she lied. She wasn’t about to tell Lisa that Leighton had specifically mentioned that the ammo was great against vampires, and that it might come in handy with Christian hanging around. What the fuck was that supposed to mean? Why would Leighton want Christian dead? And why would she ever think Natalie would do the deed?
“She might be right, what with Anthony going nuts the way he did. I think a long vacation is in order,” Lisa was saying, and it took a minute for Natalie to register what she was talking about.
“Sounds like a good idea,” she said, putting everything back into the box and tucking the flap into the end as securely as she could. “Thanks for bringing this down, Lisa, but I’ve got to run.”
“To meet the scrumptious Christian,” Lisa said knowingly.
Natalie couldn’t stop her grin, but she kept moving. The vampires would already be stirring downstairs, and while Anthony might be on the run, not all of his allies were. They’d probably be more than happy to deliver her wrapped in a bow.
And then there was Christian, who wasn’t going to be happy when he got her note. The sooner he saw her in the flesh, the more wind it would take out of his pissed-off sails.
“Could you tell Jaclyn I’m working from home for the next couple of days? She can reach me on my cell, if something comes up.”
“Sure thing,” Lisa agreed. “And say ‘hi’ to Christian for me.”
Natalie responded with the expected chuckle, but didn’t slow down. Her instincts were beginning to itch, and she couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
CHRISTIAN KNEW as soon as he woke that Natalie wasn’t in the house. This didn’t make him happy, but he wasn’t immediately worried. There were all sorts of reasons why she might have left, including a new run for groceries. Now that she’d be staying with him, she’d need to stock up.
He stopped first in the bedroom she was using, the one where he’d made her come multiple times last night, before leaving her limp and asleep. The bed had been made, and her things were still hanging in the closet and scattered on the bathroom counter. The room smelled of her perfume and . . . arousal. Bad girl, mon ange, he thought with a smile. He scanned the room, but saw no note. He headed for the kitchen next, and found what he was looking for, next to the coffeemaker. His smile disappeared.
“Merde! Marc, we’re leaving!” he shouted, then called Natalie’s cell phone. It went straight to voicemail. Muttering every curse in every language he could think of, he disconnected and tried to think reasonably. If she was still at the estate, she probably had her phone off, either to minimize distraction or to avoid a ringing phone calling attention to her presence there. She hadn’t done as he’d asked and stayed away altogether, but she was a very smart woman. Smart enough to take precautions and avoid running into anyone. But if she lingered after sunset, she was at risk. There were enough vampires who’d tied their futures to Anthony’s, that even with him on the run, there would be some who’d grab her just to curry favor with him.
Think, he ordered himself. There must be someone he could call, someone he could trust. The proverbial light bulb went off in his head. Of course. There was only one person in that house that he trusted. He brought up Jaclyn’s number and called her.
“Jaclyn Martel’s office,” a pleasant female voice answered.
Christian was struck by the use of Jaclyn’s last name. He’d known it, but didn’t think he’d ever heard it spoken before. “Christian Duvall, here,” he said snapping back to attention.
“Oh hi, Christian. This is Lisa, Jaclyn’s assistant. She’s not in yet, probably still sleeping off the big party last night. But if you’re looking for Natalie, you just missed her.”
Christian played along. “Damn. She must have her cell off. Did she say where she was heading?”
“It sounded like she was going directly to the dojo to meet you. Maybe she hit traffic or something.”
“That’s probably it. Thanks, Lisa.”
“Do you want Jaclyn to call when she gets in?”
“No, that’s okay. I’ll catch her later.”
He disconnected, then grabbed Natalie’s note, which he’d tossed aside after reading the first two lines. Sure enough, it said she would meet him at the dojo. That didn’t explain why she wasn’t answering her phone, but it did tell him where he could find her.
“What’s up?” Marc asked, pulling his shirt down as he stepped into the doorway.
“Natalie, bless her cute little ass, decided to work at the estate office today.” He handed the note to Marc who read it quickly.
“So we’re heading to the estate?”
“No. According to Jaclyn’s girl, she’s on her way to the dojo already.”
“Should I bring our gear?”
“Sure, why not? A little exercise will keep the violence level down once I find her.”
NATALIE HAD FINISHED her warm-up, and stepped
off the floor to check her cell phone for messages, when the back door opened with its customary metal creak. She looked over, and saw Christian and Marc step inside. They drew attention just by walking down the hall. Not only because they were beautiful, which they were, but because the two of them turned a simple walk into a lethal prowl. And she wasn’t the only one who noticed. Two women were just emerging from the locker room, and their lively conversation turned off like a spigot when they caught sight of the vampires. Marc glanced over and smiled at them, and they stumbled so hard that Natalie winced, expecting them to go down in a pile of hormonal confusion.
Christian wasn’t paying attention to their erstwhile admirers, however. His eyes were locked on her, and she smiled at him, feeling happy and a little stupid for getting so excited that he was there. Was she making too much of what they had? So they’d had sex, and okay, so it had been more than just once, and more than just sex. It had been life-altering, mind-blowing, burn-up-the-sheets sex. But that didn’t mean she should be getting all jittery when he walked into a room. She wasn’t that pathetic, was she?
Christian’s gaze never left her as he stood by the locker room door, and waited for her to come to him. He looked good in his black jeans and crew neck sweater, a gear bag slung over his shoulder. But would it have killed him to walk a few steps down the hall to meet her halfway? It was as if she was the peon, and he was royalty, waiting for her to come to him. And could he at least smile like he was glad to see her?
Christian (Vampires in America: The Vampire Wars Book 10) Page 22
