by Deanna Chase
It didn’t.
David’s growing agitation sent my internal vampire alarm into overdrive. Adrenaline filled my veins, making me shake. “Cool it, David. You’re worse than Link.”
David growled. Actually growled.
And that’s when Link lunged…in full-on wolf form. His gray and white mass filled the space between the seats as he twisted with his enormous jaws bared. David’s pale arm shot out, slamming the wolf into my side. Pain pierced my ribs. I sucked in a sharp breath, struggling to keep control of the wheel.
“Link, no,” I cried, but he let out a furious howl and lunged for the vampire again.
Snap! The seat crumpled backward. David scrambled into the back seat, kicking at Link.
I swerved to a stop, barely missing a large oak tree. “Stop it, both of you!” I threw my door open and jumped out to run to David’s side of the Jeep.
Neither paid any attention to my demands. David’s left hand clutched Link’s neck, pressing the wolf against the opposite door. One wrong move, and David’s arm would be wolf food. Horrified, I ran to the other side of the Jeep and yanked the door open.
“Link, David, stop!” I cried, unable to do anything but watch in horror as the pair tried to kill each other.
Link twisted free of his grip, simultaneously slashing with his razor-sharp claws. Bright red blood seeped from David’s shoulder. He roared, his vampire fangs seeming to elongate, though I wasn’t at all sure that was possible. Link, being a wolf, lunged for the open wound. David countered the move and slammed him against the back window. Link yelped and shrank back before shimmering into puppy form. He fell into a heap, vampire blood dripping from his tiny Shih Tzu paws.
David tore from the Jeep, his image blurring past me. When he finally stopped, he stood half a block away, hidden in shadows.
Heart pounding, I started after him, then stopped and climbed into the car to check on Link. He lifted his head at the sound and whimpered.
“Ah, Link. What were you thinking?” I picked him up, cradling him in my arms. “Poor puppy, you just need time to learn to control your impulses. It isn’t your fault.”
He licked my hand and snuggled closer.
“You can come back now. He’s too weak to shift again,” I called.
David didn’t respond.
“Seriously, it’s safe.” I tucked Link back into the Jeep. Blood dripped from the broken passenger’s seat. How badly had Link wounded him? I used an old sweatshirt to wipe the blood from his paws and cleaned the seat as best I could before looking up.
I spotted David a few feet away. “Are you all right?”
He glared. “You think I’m scared of your dog?”
“Well…”
“You have a lot to learn, Willow. Your wolf can do some damage, but he’ll never survive in a fair fight with a vampire. Learn to control your temper or you’re going to get him killed.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, meeting his steely gaze. “This is my fault? You’re the one who actually growled. You should’ve known it would set him off. Honestly, growling?”
He lowered his voice. “I’m not human anymore. Remember that next time you deliberately piss me off.”
Of course he wasn’t human. The evidence was overwhelming. But what the hell was he talking about? Piss him off? “What?”
“Using my phone to call Eadric. Do you have any idea how dangerous this game is you’re playing? He does not care for you. If you become a liability, he will have you eliminated. And I’ll be powerless to stop it.”
“Allcot’s not going to harm me. He knows I work for the Void and they’re investigating him. If I go missing, there will be hell to pay.” Right? Maude would make sure of it. She was a power-hungry, controlling, evil witch of a faery, but she wouldn’t stand for anyone offing her Influence-making niece. I was too valuable. That much I knew, but did Allcot?
David closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he leveled me with an intense stare. “So naïve. If Eadric wants you dead, it will happen, and the trail will never lead back to him. I know I’ve lost your trust, but on this, please, listen to me.”
Sadness formed a bubble around my heart as I shook my head. “How can I trust anything? A boy died today. One who worked for Cryrique and bought Influence yesterday. I can’t let that go. You know that. If there’s a connection, I have to know about it. The Arcane has to know, and my only lead is your boss. Are you going to help me?”
I held my breath and waited. I’d still go if he said no, but for some reason I really wanted him by my side. Why was that?
He frowned. “I committed to a job. I’ll see it through.”
It wasn’t exactly what I’d hoped to hear. Six months ago, David would have been outraged by the day’s events. He would have been the first one backing me up on my quest for justice. Instead, I was left with a cool, calculating, almost uncaring David.
Still, having him with me when I confronted Allcot was better than going alone. “Fine, but you’re driving. I want to make sure Link doesn’t wake up and attack again.”
***
Eadric lounged on the velvet settee with Pandora draped over his lap. Her mid-thigh-length red silk robe gaped open, showing round, ample cleavage usually only obtained by the copious help of a Wonderbra. Were perfect breasts a perk of turning vampire or had Pandora been blessed in life prior to her death? Maybe she’d been augmented. Were there any doctors who performed vampire breast implantation?
“Agent Rhoswen, how kind of you to join us this evening.” Eadric slid his hand along his companion’s thigh. “Shall we make room for you on the settee?”
Pandora giggled. It sounded ridiculous coming from the flawless-faced goddess.
I cleared my throat. “Uh, no…thank you.”
“How unfortunate for us.” He caught my eye and bent his head, grazing his teeth along the curve of Pandora’s breast. She shivered and pressed closer to him.
Heat crawled up my neck as I tried to focus. The altercation between Link and David had left me frazzled and the seduction scene wasn’t helping. I turned to David for support, but he stood frozen, his gaze locked on the couple in front of him.
Great. “I’m sorry for interrupting, but a situation has, uh, arisen that cannot wait.”
A low chuckle rumbled from Eadric’s throat. “I find myself in the very same predicament.” He cast a glance down Pandora’s robe before flashing a wicked smile.
More heat burned my face, and I fought for composure. Someone had died. I needed answers, not an introduction to vampire sex games. “You told me Lester Daniels didn’t work for you.”
Eadric didn’t look up from his exploration of Pandora’s now-naked upper half. “He doesn’t.”
I focused on the wall behind the couch, trying desperately to avoid watching the scene in front of me. “Was he working for you when he delivered the message to my shop yesterday?”
Eadric groaned. Involuntarily, my gaze locked on the couple, narrowing in on Pandora’s neck where Eadric had bitten her. His tongue darted out, licking a droplet of crimson staining his lips.
Where was the eye bleach? I literally could not tear my gaze from Pandora’s throat. Two bright pink puncture wounds stood out against her pale white skin, the bite marks already healed over. Did humans heal that fast when bitten? I doubted it.
“Would you like to find out?” Eadric asked.
“Huh?”
“What it’s like to be bitten.” His piercing stare burned into me as if I were the only person in the room. “You seem so…interested.”
Had he heard my thoughts? That myth wasn’t true was it? No, I screamed with my mind and waited. When he didn’t react, I shook my head. “My blood wouldn’t be tasty.”
He laughed. “True, but I can’t resist a woman in obvious rapture.”
I took a step back and crossed my arms. That was enough. “Look, Allcot. A man died and I’m here for some answers. Was Daniels working for you when he delivered your invitation?”
I hissed in a sharp breath. “Our relationship isn’t going to work if you lie to me.”
“I didn’t lie. He was already dead by then.”
Silence hung in the air. When I found my voice it came out low and dangerous. “You had him killed. Why?”
“For you.”
“What?” Without thinking, I took two steps forward.
David cut me off. He’d been so quiet I’d almost forgotten about him. “You don’t want to do that,” he whispered to me.
“I think I do.”
“You don’t.” He reached out and pinned my arm next to him. I stifled a cry of pain as the limb went numb.
Allcot abandoned Pandora and stood. His white button-down shirt had lost its buttons and hung loose over his rumpled black slacks.
“Let go,” I said through clenched teeth.
David hesitated and when I sucked in a ragged breath, he released me.
“Don’t ever do that again,” I warned and then turned to Eadric. “Why would you do such a thing?”
For the first time, we had his undivided attention. His gaze shifted back and forth between me and David. “Isn’t that interesting?” he said in an amused tone. Then he met my eyes. “As I said before, you are under my protection. Lester was caught selling Influence to vampires. He was eliminated.”
I gaped. “You can’t just kill people. We have laws. He could’ve been charged. Interrogated.”
Eadric shrugged one shoulder. “This way was less messy. He’s been taken care of. You’re welcome.”
“Wel…welcome?” I fought to regain control of my speech. “You arrogant son of a demon. How could you—”
“That’s enough.” David shifted, facing me as if to shield me from interacting with Eadric. “We came for answers, now you have them. It’s time to go.”
“Your girlfriend seems less than pleased,” Eadric drawled and sat down, pulling Pandora back into his lap. “How can we remedy the situation?”
“Don’t go killing anyone else, you sick—”
“Willow!” David stepped forward, forcing me back toward the door.
Movement blurred, and a moment later Eadric stood just behind David. The vampire’s eyes hardened. He stalked in a slow circle as if tracking his prey. I swallowed the last of the obscenities clogged in my throat.
“Goodnight, Father,” David said, his back still to Eadric. “We’ll leave you to your activities this evening.”
“We are not finished, my son.”
“Eadric, I’m bored of this.” Pandora stood and let her robe drop, every unflawed inch of her bared. “It’s always business all the time. You promised tonight you’d remind me of why I stay faithful to you.”
His unflinching stare finally broke, and he turned his attention to the sex goddess across the room. “Of course. My apologies, my love.” His voice turned low and dangerous. “Davidson, do not bring her here again without an invitation.”
I fumed silently as we wound our way through the blues club. My skin itched and my muscles ached after the constant exposure to vampires for forty-eight hours. Had Maude manipulated the whole situation just to torment me? Not the dead human part. She wouldn’t go that far. Would she? No, but she would partner me with David just for spite.
When we’d almost made it to the Jeep, my wings fluttered, and I rounded on David. I placed my hands on my hips, hovering a full foot taller than him. “What the hell is going on?”
David stepped to the side, reaching for the door.
I cut him off. “We’re not leaving until we have this out. Why the holy hell did you choose to turn vamp, and for the love of all fae, why did you call Allcot your father?”
He flinched and in a low voice said, “Can we discuss this in private?”
“No. You’ll talk now and I will listen.”
He crossed his arms. “This is not the place.”
We stayed locked in a staring match until I finally threw my hands up and fluttered to the driver’s side. “Fine, but before the night is over, you’d better start talking.”
We rode in silence back to the lower Garden District. I parked in front of my house, opened the door for Link, and followed him across the street to Coliseum Square Park. I kept a close eye on him, worried the altercation with David had harmed him in some way. Other than keeping his tail between his legs, the Shih Tzu appeared to be fine. “You’re okay, buddy. After a night’s sleep, you’ll be good as new.”
Link lifted his head, acknowledging my voice, then lifted his leg and watered the nearby tree. He kept his head low and slinked back to the house.
Just like a man to sulk when things don’t go his way.
David waited near the car, no doubt keeping an eye on me in the park. Irritation heated my skin. I hated he was watching me and hated even more to find myself grateful. Link and I spent a lot of time in the park alone, but tonight he wasn’t in any shape to protect me. David was.
I stalked past him. I’d reached the top step of my front porch when something moved. Reflexively my wings spread, and I shot up, banging my head on the overhang.
“Ouch!” I clasped my hands over the knot already forming and tried to focus.
A tan hand with long, thin fingers reached out, clasping my arm. Normally instinct would have sent me flying several yards away, but the familiar, easygoing smile transfixed me. I squeezed my eyes tight, trying to dislodge the illusion. He wasn’t real. Hallucination was a symptom of a concussion, right?
I opened my eyes to forest-green eyes twinkling with laughter.
“It’s about time you showed up. I’ve been waiting for hours,” he said.
I blinked.
“Earth to Willow. Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
“Why? Are you a vampire, too?”
Talisen’s beautiful face pinched in confusion. “Huh? Are you okay? Did you knock your brains out with that gorgeous display of klutziness I just witnessed?”
“Tal? You’re here? Damn, you’re here.” I threw my arms around him, and he rewarded me with a bone-crushing embrace.
“Of course I’m here,” he said, releasing me. “You called. I got on a plane.”
“But you never called me back. I even kept my phone on and with me. See?” I dug in the front pockets of my jeans and frowned when I came up empty. Oh, right. It was still on my desk. “Um, I thought I did anyway.”
“You’ll never change.” He laughed, then sobered and nodded over my shoulder. “Who’s the bodyguard?”
I glanced back at David and made a face. “No one important.”
Chapter 10
Clutching two cups of my special spiced rum, I joined Talisen on my bedroom balcony. “Here.”
He wrapped one of his big hands around a mug and eyed the deep purple bruise on my arm. “What happened?”
The concern lining his face touched me deep in my core. My kick-ass-and-ask-questions-later bravado vanished, and I started to shake.
Talisen gently tugged my hand, pulling me down next to him in the cushioned wicker love seat, his arms encircling me into his safe embrace. “Shh, it’s okay, Wil. Everything will be all right,” he whispered, stroking my hair. “I’m here now and not going anywhere.”
Unable to hold it in any longer, I choked out a sob and sank into his strong arms. God, two crying jags in less than two days. What the hell had I come home to? We stayed huddled together, Talisen murmuring soothing words until my eyes finally dried.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, wiping my face with a tissue. “I didn’t mean to do that. I couldn’t…”
He smiled. “It’s okay. That’s what big brothers are for.”
Since Beau’s death, Talisen had tried to fill the empty hole my twin had left. But no matter how close we got or how much I cared about him, he could never take Beau’s place. He knew it. I knew it. Both of us wanted to believe otherwise.
I mustered a weak smile.
“Thanks.”
A sense of peace started to ease through me as Talisen cupped my cheek. His lips quirked into a lopsided smirk. “Of course, as your brother, I don’t think I should have the sort of thoughts I’ve had about you from time to time.”
I laughed and leaned back. “Way to ruin a touching moment.”
He shrugged and a lock of sun-kissed, light brown hair fell across one eye. “Anything to see that gorgeous smile.”
My heart skipped a half beat, the way it always did when he started flirting, even though I knew he didn’t mean anything by it. Tal behaved the same way around all women. He was an equal-opportunity flirt. The moment was so familiar, so comfortable, I slid off his lap and leaned against his shoulder, curling my fingers in his. “How do you do it?”
“What?”
“Make everyone around you trust you completely. Look.” I pointed to his feet. “You even have Link snowed.”
Talisen glanced at the Shih Tzu and reached down to pick him up with his free hand. Link licked his face once before settling on his lap. “If you recall, I bribed him with copious amounts of raw beef when I was here last spring. As for you and the rest of the females you’re no doubt talking about, it’s obviously my good looks and irresistible charm. Not to mention the magic-infused eilat stone I plant on anyone I want to exert my powers over.”
I started searching my pockets. Talisen was a fae gifted in crystal magic. An eilat stone could hold his power and wield any kind of energy he wanted to infuse it with. When I came up empty, I narrowed my eyes at his amused expression. “What? It’s not like you haven’t done it before.”
He shook his head, his lips twisted once again into a smirk. “When we were twelve.”
“Yeah, well, I haven’t forgotten.” One summer day, I’d followed Beau and Talisen the two blocks to the beach. At first I’d kept my distance, spying on them, convinced they were there to practice water magic, which we were all strictly forbidden to do without supervision. But after watching them throw a baseball for half an hour, I finally emerged and demanded they let me play.
They refused. When I wouldn’t leave them alone, Talisen suggested I cool off in the ocean…naked. An odd, complacent sensation had washed through me, and I’d instantly started unbuttoning my dress. Thank goodness Beau had stepped in, demanding Talisen revise his command. The last thing Beau wanted to see was his sister naked. I still ended up in the fifty-degree ocean, freezing my wings off. And my dress had been ruined.
