“Good idea,” I said, following to a different department.
He loaded up his arms with everything he thought I’d look good in, from a few mini dresses to short skirts, shorts, tight jeans and shirts that did little to hide my figure. As he’d put it, the more skin I flashed, the better tips I’d make and I couldn’t argue with that. Nor could I argue with his taste. Everything he picked out was perfect, classy yet sexy, a beautiful combination of the two that wouldn’t have me feeling slutty or like I’d have to sell my body for tips.
“Simple peaks of flesh go a long way, honey,” he’d said when I asked him about that but I knew there was something more to it than that. He cared how I was presented and didn’t want me giving anyone the wrong impression.
Once his arms were full, he guided me to the changing room to try everything on and I had to give it to him. He’d picked out the perfect sizes, down to the shoes, and I wondered if he’d gone rummaging through my clothes.
Before I could step out of the changing room, he’d tossed another twenty or so outfits over the door. “Try those, too.”
“Don’t you think we have enough?” I laughed, thinking about the thirty outfits I’d already tried on. The pieces were interchangeable enough I had at least a hundred possibilities but I did as he said, anyway.
Once done, I stepped out of the changing room. “I think that’s it.”
“For now,” he added, taking an armful of his own clothes into the changing room. Pointing his finger toward his discarded jacket which lay across the bench just outside the changing room, he said. “Watch my purse. I’ll be right out.”
I took a seat on the bench beside his jacket as he tried on his clothes, humming some tune from the early 80s. Of course, he’d make a show of it by tossing clothes back over the door as he changed and I couldn’t help the feeling of warmth the spread over me. For the first time in years, I had someone I could almost call a friend, and it felt damn good. At the same time, I couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous. The club has been around each other so long they’d bonded as brothers, close enough to call each other family and there I was, in the thick of it with only one friend I could count on. Growing up homeless had taught me to be wary of people, so much so I never trusted anyone, even when I knew they had good intentions. I’d kept myself from connecting with anyone who had the potential to hurt me, yet I’d found it so easy being around Jon.
I wondered briefly if I’d be able to say the same about the rest of them but before I could think about it any further, a man stepped up beside me. I looked up into a pair of eyes covered by thick, black sunglasses beneath dark hair he wore slicked back from his face.
“Can I help you?” I asked, almost automatically as he closed the distance between us.
In a hushed voice, he said, “Are you in any trouble? My guys can help you.”
Confusion clouded my head before realization hit. It was unusual to see a woman out in public with a vampire, especially one who did nothing to hide who he was.
With a dismissive wave of my hand, I told him, “I’m fine, thank you.”
I could feel his eyes studying me through the sunglasses, as if looking for any signs of distress but he didn’t leave. Instead, he claimed the seat beside me, scooting up close enough I could feel his arm up against mine. His proximity to me made me uneasy, but I swallowed that feeling down. He hadn’t tried to touch me or do anything else inappropriate and I couldn’t fault the guy for being concerned. Still, I pushed away from him a few inches.
“Look, I know you are being held against your will after hacking into the vampires’ systems. I can help you get away from them. All you have to do is say the word and my operatives will come in here and escort you to safety.”
His words shocked me. I’d only been caught the day before and hadn’t had the time to speak to anyone about my deal with the vampires. I wondered if maybe my old roommates said something about it, but in the short time I’d had to collect my belongings, I hadn’t spoken to them about any of it. As far as I knew, only the vampires, Zed, and myself knew about me hacking into the vampires’ systems and only the vampires knew about the deal.
This time I studied him more fully. He wasn’t handsome but he wasn’t exactly ugly either. He looked to be in his early to mid-forties, with streaks of gray hairs through his beard. He dressed casually in dark khakis and a red polo shirt that stretched over a large chest and an equally large gut. Everything about the man was normal in a way that had me on edge. He was too plain, someone who could move around amongst a crowd of people without being noticed.
“What was your name again?” I asked, offering my hand.
He took my hand in his and flashed me a smile that was all teeth. “Bob.”
Yea right. He didn’t even sound believable, but I shook his hand, anyway. “Well, Bob, I appreciate your offer but I’m fine. Really.”
He seemed to consider my words for a moment before leaning to the side and reaching into the left pocket of his khakis. “If you change your mind, call me.”
I took the card, more out of curiosity than anything. Printed on the front was the name Bob, Director of HU (whatever that meant,) along with a phone number I knew I’d never call. Still, it couldn’t hurt to have an out, just in case.
He gave me another one of those toothy smiles before standing. Before he could walk away, Jon was out of the dressing room, his hands propped on his hips. “And who might this be?”
“No one you need to concern yourself with, vamper,” Bob said before tipping his head toward me and venturing off.
“Well, that was rude,” Jon protested before his eyes landed on the card in my hand. “And what is that?”
I knew I should’ve told him the truth, but I didn’t want him taking the card from me before I was able to do some research on the man. Shoving the card into my pocket, I said, “Nothing. He was just trying to sell me something and gave me his card.”
It was partially true, at least true enough my heartbeat wouldn’t give me away.
“Let’s go pay for these items before another strange man proposes to you, okay? We’re not here to pick up strays, especially hideous ones like him.”
He picked up his jacket and tossed it over one arm. Then, with a snap of his finger, he summoned the cashier to come collect our garments. She rushed over with a cart and loaded the clothes inside, much faster than was necessary but I couldn’t blame her. Not with the way Jon glared daggers at her the moment she stepped forward. He watched her scurry away with the basket and sneered at her back.
“Do you know her?” I asked, concerned.
“At my age, there aren’t many in this town I don’t know.”
Chapter Ten
Smoke
“You will not believe this shit,” Jackson said, stalking into my office and slamming his fists on my desk. The wood cracked beneath his fists, and, in that moment, he was lucky he was my brother. I’d spent almost ten grand on the desk, years ago when it had appraised for twenty. After a recent appraisal, it was worth far more, at least it was before Jackson splintered the wood.
I cringed thinking about how much it would cost me to have the damn thing restored as he ranted on and on about their failure to retrieve the drugs. I’d heard a little about it, but none of the details.
“I’m telling you, they knew we were coming,” he yelled, as if I was blocks away instead of seated directly in front of him. He paced the space between my desk and my chair, his fist smacking against his upper leg. “It makes no sense. We should have easily caught them off-guard. There’s obviously a mole in the club and I bet I can guess who that must be.”
“Actually, I can’t,” I said, my tone much cooler than I’d intended. I knew this was just another thing he wanted to pin on Davina, but with no way of communicating with the outside world, I doubted she’d been able to do so. Not only that, but Jon had made it a point of sticking by her side, making sure she was comfortable and safe. If she’d alerted anyone, Jon would know.
> I leaned back in my chair, folding my hands behind my head. Their failure to retrieve the drugs was a big problem but we had more pressing matters to attend to. Besides, Devon would return in a few days. He’d know what to do.
“Well if it wasn’t her, then who could it be? Everyone in that meeting has been with us for years. We know them. We trust them. Otherwise, we’d never allow them at the table.”
“I don’t know, but I’ll get Jon to look into it.”
“Jon is too preoccupied watching over that human you allowed here. I doubt he’d leave her side anytime soon.”
He was probably right, but with no other options, we had to at least try. I picked up my phone and sent Jon a quick text. He buzzed back almost immediately stating he’d take care of the matter when he could. Satisfied, I placed the phone back on the desk.
“He’ll look into it.”
Jackson stopped pacing long enough to give me an exasperated stare before turning his feet in the direction of the door.
“You better hope he figures it out soon before I have to do something about it,” he said, leaving my office.
I shook my head. Though we weren’t blood brothers, the man seemed to know me well. He knew that threat was enough for me to set things in motion, if only to keep him from doing something stupid.
I leaned back in my seat, again, this time letting my mind go over the past couple days. We’d managed to convince Devon we had everything under control but with Davina here, he wanted to be sure she’d be kept safe and wasn’t sure who he could trust with that task. Sure, Jon was more than capable to do the job but with Jackson on the warpath, there was no telling what he’d do, and doubted Jon would stand in his way.
I could’ve been wrong about that, though. The way Jon had warmed up to her, we might find he’d go against all of us for her, which was fine with me. I didn’t want her hurt. Not only was she an asset, but there was something about her that called to me in a different way - a way that had me wanting to be near her. Her reaction to me in that office wasn’t lost on me. I could feel her attraction to me as she studied me - the way her breath hitched and the way her heart sped up just a bit. I could scent her arousal in the air, sweet and spicy as it touched my nose and I had to admire her lack of control. Most humans learned how to turn off those triggers, knowing we could sense it all, but Davina was different. Either she lacked the knowledge to control it or she just didn’t care. Either way, it was something I knew I’d have fun with.
I picked up my phone again, this time to tell Jon I’d be visiting with the girl before her shift. He shot me back a thumbs up, his way of letting me know he’ll respect it though he wasn’t entirely happy with it. I couldn’t blame him. The girl’s had a hard day of it and she needed her rest, but the selfish asshole within me couldn’t leave her alone.
I stood and shoved the phone in my pocket. The club was only thirty minutes away and with the sun beginning its descent behind the mountains, it was the perfect time for a ride. After collecting my leather jacket from the chair, I shrugged it on and made my way to my office door. I’d almost been free but the phone ringing again had me cringing. Whoever it was, it could wait. At least that’s what i wanted to think, but I knew with everything going on, it was best to answer that call.
I placed the phone to my ear. “What’s up?”
“Smoke, we have a problem.”
It was Hector. I could tell by the gruff sound of his voice, a voice that reminded me of someone who’d smoked three packs of cigarettes a day for the past hundred years. I’d asked him to quit on numerous occasions but it was no use. Being near invisible, he wasn’t worried about cancer or other respiratory issues that came with the habit.
Dammit. With three of us leading the group, you’d think they’d at least try to contact the others sometimes. As it were, everyone depended on me for everything and I was growing sick of it. With a grumble, I tossed my jacket aside walked over to the same chair Davina had sat in that afternoon.
“What’s the problem?”
“Benny hasn’t checked in these past few days. I went by his house earlier and when there was no answer, I broke in. The place was a wreck, as if a tornado has gone through it, just like the others.”
“Did you check…” I began.
“I checked everywhere. He’s nowhere to be found.”
Just great. As if I didn’t have enough on my plate, another vampire was missing. By my count, that made six in the past few weeks.
“Should we send out a search party,” he asked.
I shook my head, though I knew he couldn’t see me. “It’ll be a waste of time, just like with the others. We need to find a way to keep us all safe while we figure out what’s going on. Call all the brothers to the table. I think it’s about time we start being proactive about protecting our members from whatever this is.”
“No problem, brother,” he said before ending the call.
I pressed my fingers to my temple. If I could get headaches, I knew I’d be suffering one at that moment. Everything was falling apart around us, vampires missing, drugs being trafficked into the area, and…dammit Davina. I grabbed my jacket again and made my way to the office door, pausing for a moment, half expecting my phone to ring again. When it didn’t, I left the house, jumped on my bike, and headed toward the club.
When I got there, Jon was standing just outside of Davina’s home, his arms crossed in front of him as he leaned his weight against the wall. His eyes were covered by thick neon sunglasses that matched the tips of his hair, but I could see him staring at me as if wondering what I was doing there.
I tipped my head to him as I passed, before fishing the spare apartment key out of my jacket. Before I could move to unlock the door, Jon pushed himself from that wall. “I’ll be down at the bar setting everything up for tonight,” he said, and he was gone.
I opened the door to find Davina seated on the couch, watching TV with her knees bent to her chest, and her arms holding onto them. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail that didn’t quite reach her shoulders but her position gave me the perfect glimpse of her neck. Thankfully I’d had my fill of blood bags that morning, otherwise it would be hard to me to be around her without being tempted.
She glanced up at me with that same devilish look she’d given me in my office and I couldn’t help the flash of heat that seared me where I stood. Damn the girl was already getting under my skin, like an itch I just couldn’t scratch, and it completely disarmed me.
“Want to grab a seat?” she asked, her delicate voice barely above a whisper. “There’s really nothing to watch on TV but I guess you didn’t come here for that, did you?”
“No,” I said, stepping into the living area and taking a seat beside her.
She picked up the remote control and turned the television off before adjusting her position so she faced me. “How long do I have to stay here?”
Her tone was a lot harsher than I’d expected, given the circumstances. It wasn’t like we were holding her prisoner. She could come and go as she pleased, and it hadn’t exactly been my idea she move into the apartment. Still, in some way, I could see how she might feel she was a prisoner.
“You can come and go as you please. Hell, you can even move out into your own place once you have the money to do so. We’re not holding you hostage. We’re just trying to keep you safe while you help us take down Zed. After that, you never have to come here again.”
She gave me a nod and I wasn’t sure what that meant but it bothered me she wasn’t comfortable here. More than that, it bothered me she might just leave once she’d repaid her debt and never look back. Not that I’d blame her. Still, I’d hoped she’d learn to like it here and want to stick around, even if my reasons for hoping were far from innocent.
“Since I’m working at the bar, would you be taking my tips to pay you back?”
I cocked my brow at that. Did she really believe we’d let her work for free? It wasn’t too much of a stretch considering the amount she’d
taken from us but we weren’t entirely assholes. At least not in that way.
I let out a huff of air before saying, “Whatever you make at the bar is yours. This isn’t about the money. We have more than enough of that.”
“Then, what is it about?” she asked, shoving her feet to the floor and sitting up straight. “If it’s not about money and I’m not a hostage here, why am I here? And don’t tell me you just want my help taking down Zed. You have enough money and resources to do that on your own.”
“You’re right. But, in the interest of being fair, you do owe us. It was either have you pay the money back or come up with something else. We couldn’t just let you walk away scot free, could we?”
She bit her bottom lip and I’ll be damned if I didn’t harden right then. The girl was fire where I’d been around nothing but ice these past few years and I couldn’t help the attraction I felt toward her.
I was tempted to jump into the backseat with her until I heard something I hadn’t expected. The wail of an alarm reached my ears and it only took me a moment to realize where the sound had come from. City Hall. Fuck my life.
Chapter Eleven
Davina
“Our vampire guests want their drinks as strong as you can make them. For the most part, they’ll ask for straight liquor. That should be easy. As for our human guests, you can follow this recipe book and you’ll be okay. Go ahead and get yourself acquainted with everything here. I’ll be here to help anytime you need it.”
Jon slid around the bar with two drinks in his hand, leaving me there to tend the bar alone. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I was mortified. Stepping into the club as a patron had been easy enough. There’d been no expectations and I had a job to do. Focusing on the job at hand had kept me somewhat calm, but this was different. All eyes were on me as I fumbled my way around, pouring a few shots of bourbon for the group of vampires collected at the end of the bar, barking orders as if I were some measly servant.
Captured: A Dark Vampire Motorcycle Club Paranormal Romance (Nightborne Renegades MC Book 1) Page 6
