by Kiersten Fay
“What does that mean?”
He took a second to refill the glass. She expected this one to disappear the same as the first, but then he handed it to her. Foreboding stole her breath. She sat up and reluctantly accepted the whiskey.
Cortez cleared his throat. “I had to change him.”
“I don’t understand. What do you mean change...” The Whiskey slipped from her grasp, landing with a dull thud on the carpet, the contents arching out before conquering the expensive fibers. Her gut twisted painfully as understanding crushed into her skull from every angle, and she was suddenly gasping for air. Her heart tore open, flayed and shredded with the industrial strength of a hydraulic pulverizer. Her sweet, normal, human brother was no more. Changed forever into something…unnatural. Like me.
Cortez turned anxious, reading her reaction.
New vampires were notoriously volatile and blood thirsty, often mindless with their need for blood. If it was anything like what she went through as a siren—and she had no doubt that it would be a thousand times worse—everyday would be a struggle. He would never be the same.
“He’ll be a freak?” She hadn’t meant to allow her fears to whisper through her lips.
Cortez’s expression went blank, almost cold. “He would have died had I not changed him.”
She dropped her head into her hands. Of course she was grateful, and she tried to convey that through her sobs, each time the sound growing more and more muffled. Cole would live, but the cost was so great. Changed against his will, just like Cortez. Neither had asked for this, but the decision was made and would affect them all forever.
This is all my fault. If only she hadn’t taken Dante’s job. If only she and Cole had left one day earlier! Damnit! They should have left town weeks ago. It had been selfish of her to stay, not wanting to start over again…and then not wanting to leave Cortez. Because of her, Cole had nearly died. Had suffered unimaginably. Now he was going to be a vampire.
When she finally reined in her sorrow enough that she was able to breathe without gasping, the full ramifications of that settled over her.
“He’s part of your clan now.” Her voice came out hollow. “He can never leave here.”
Cortez didn’t respond, which was answer enough.
Her eyes burned, tired and swollen. A headache sparked behind her skull. She glanced at her hands surprised to see red all over them. There was more on her shirt and neck from when she had hugged Cortez.
Blood all over me.
She just stared at her hands.
Cortez, still kneeling in front of her, hooked her chin with his finger to bring her head up. “Jesus, you’re beat. How are you even still awake?”
“I need another shower,” she grumbled, pushing to a stand. Her head spun a little, and her balance wavered.
Cortez scooped her up in his arms, cradling her. “Ryder, leave us.”
Ryder bowed and then slipped out the door.
Dizziness surfed her brain, making her a little loopy. She snorted. “Did he seriously just bow to you?” She laughed then, and even she heard the thread of hysteria. “All hail the king? Is that what my brother has to look forward to now? A life of feeding off the life-force of others and following orders?” At least she had her freedom? Could Cole even be happy here? All other choices stolen from him. Because of me.
“Be as prickly as you want. I’m not taking the bait.”
She wasn’t trying to be prickly. She was just running on whiskey and exhaustion and self-loathing, which was making her lash out.
Cortez carried her into the bathroom and set her down on her feet. He waited a moment, as though making sure she wasn’t about to fall over, then engaged the shower. When the temperature was right, he shrugged out of his shirt.
“What are you doing?” she asked in a deadened tone.
He jerked his belt loose and snapped his pants button open. “Getting in the shower.” His trousers hit the floor.
Then he reached for the hem of her soiled shirt.
The scornful, hate-filled look he’d given her in that meeting room, before all hell had broken loose, popped into her mind. She slapped his hands away. “I’m not getting in there with you.” He’d accused her of sleeping with Dante and then warned her never to return to his club. And now, after everything else that had happened, he wanted to get naked with her?
Her headache flared, momentarily stealing her vision. Equilibrium shot to hell, she reached out for something to steady her, coming in contact with Cortez as he propped her against his hard body, one arm hooked her waist.
“You’re sure as hell not showering alone. You can barely stand up. I won’t have you slipping and cracking your head open. There’s been enough tragedy today.”
Because of me. Fresh tears filled her eyes.
“It’s going to be difficult enough being Cole’s sire without letting his beloved sister bite the dust in a needless accident.”
Cortez was already a master of a large clan. So what exactly would he find difficult about adding another member? Was it because he hadn’t wanted to change Cole? I have no desire to turn any more vampires. Or was he referring to Cole’s connection to her? The traitor that had caused all of this?
Her bottom lip quivered. “I can undress myself.”
Cortez sighed and let go of her, backing away. Once fully undressed, she padded toward the stall. Just as she stepped one foot in, Cortez took her hand, helping her with her balance. She tried not to read anything into it. He was right. She was too overwrought for her own safety. She could easily crack her skull on the tile. Cole was going to need her support in the coming weeks. She couldn’t give him that if she was gone.
Washcloth in hand, Cortez followed her under the spray and proceeded to wash the blood off her hands. To her tired mind, his actions almost seemed tender, and for a minute she let herself revel in it, imagining he still cared for her like he had before.
By the time Cortez finished washing the both of them, she had to fight to keep her eyelids open. He quickly toweled her dry and then lifted her back into his arms. Her eyes did close then, and she was out before he settled her under a warm set of covers. She didn’t register him crawling in beside her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close, or the kiss he placed oh-so-softly on her shoulder.
Chapter 35
A nearby rustling roused her from what felt like the dead. The sensation of being naked underneath soft covers registered next. And though she was snugly bundled, there was a slight chill to her flesh, as though the temperature within her cocoon had recently dropped.
After rubbing her eyes, she blearily glanced around, surprised to find she was in Cortez’s room. In his bed.
Alone.
Well, not quite.
She spotted Cortez across the room, standing in front of a mirror as he knotted a dark tie at his collar. His crisp suit was tailored to his glorious form, sleek and powerful. His hair was styled in its usual deliberately mussed fashion, perfect for running her nails through—a privilege she’d never get to experience again.
He met her gaze in the mirror.
“The VEA is here,” he said in a brusque tone, deftly fashioning the last loop and tightening the knot close to his Adam’s apple.
“Oh,” she said, suddenly feeling awkward. She didn’t know where she stood with him. Did he still want her out of his club, never to return? She barely even remembered their time in the shower. Just that he’d been very clinical about cleaning the blood off the both of them. She should have taken advantage of the moment. Committed every inch of his glorious body to memory. It was very likely the last time she’d be in such close, intimate proximity.
Actually, she was surprised to be in his room. In his bed, no less.
He must have been equally exhausted not to bother setting her up in an unoccupied room somewhere else in the hotel. She had no idea what changing a person into a vampire entailed, but those dark circles under his eyes were an indication. Had he slept at all? She b
arely felt as though she had.
“They’re on their way up to interview you,” he added.
She jerked upright and then clutched the covers to her neck. “To interview me?” Heavy tendrils of her hair spilled over her shoulders. She ran her fingers through it, realizing it was still damp. Outside, the early morning sun had just cleared the horizon.
He tossed a pair of men’s sweatpants and a T-shirt at her. She clumsily caught the bundle against her chest.
“Get dressed. Quickly.”
She considered the outfit. “You want me to look like a slob while you get to look like that?”
“You’ve just been traumatized. No one expects you to be in an evening gown. And I’m the leader of my clan,” he continued. “Right now, I have to look it.”
A knock sounded from the entryway. Here already?
“Get dressed,” he ordered.
She bristled, but crawled her way into the oversized shirt.
Before he disappeared into the living room, he said in a hushed tone, “Do not reveal that your brother and Goldie live. No matter what. Understand?”
“Um, okay. Why?”
“No time to explain. As far as anyone is concerned, they died. Got it?”
She nodded, but her gut twisted. Why would he want to conceal that information? “Who was the second woman? The one who didn’t make it?”
His expression softened. “She was identified as Tiffany Felcot, an employee at—”
“Dante’s Pit,” she finished for him. Poor Tiffany. Why would Dante drag her into this too?
Cortez left to greet whoever was at the door. In the next instant, she heard him curse. “What is he doing here?”
A voice she didn’t recognize answered, “He’s been accused, and is, in turn, accusing you of the crimes committed here.”
The fuck? On her way to the door, she half ran, half hopped as she shoved one foot into the sweats, then the other.
Dante’s cool tone caused an all-stop. “I’ve longed to be invited back to Ever Nights. Pity it’s under such deplorable circumstances.”
He’s here? The shit-bag that had nearly murdered her brother was here. Just feet away. Her palms itched for a weapon.
“You haven’t been invited,” Cortez fired back.
“Where is the female?” The unfamiliar voice demanded.
“Naia,” Cortez called. “Come out here, please.”
“Ah,” Dante said. “Here comes the little spy now.”
Huh? Now she was confused. Was Dante admitting to hiring her?
In a stern tone, Cortez said. “She has been through a trauma.”
She peeked out the door where three vampires stood: Cortez, Dante, and one she didn’t recognize. The VEA agent Cortez spoke of?
He was taller than Cortez by about six inches. His hair was dark, cut short, and framed his hard-chiseled features. Though he wore a suit, she got the impression he would feel more comfortable in fatigues with an M16 in one hand and a Glock in the other.
Wringing her fingers, she stepped closer.
Dante’s eyes flashed. “Yes, this is the one Cortez hired to infiltrate my club.”
“He what now?” Clearly she’d heard wrong. “You’re trying to say Cortez was the one who wanted me to spy? On you? Whatever for?”
“He’s been trying to close me down for years. To run me out of town. I suppose he figured on using you to plant evidence that he could later use as blackmail against me.” He faced Cortez. “But you’ve taken it too far, old man.”
“Dante,” Cortez coldly countered. “How many times have I told you, your scheming and deceit will be your downfall. You are a slave to your hate and anger and selfishness.”
Thinly veiled rage coated Dante’s expression. “You are the selfish one! Perhaps if you hadn’t banished me from the clan in the first place, you wouldn’t have brought us to this low point. You have your own anger and hate to blame.”
Cortez sighed. “I never hated you. I merely saw through you. And it took me far too long to do that.”
Naia’s eyes volleyed between the two as they argued like.... Realization sparked. She gaped at Cortez. “You’re his sire?”
Cortez clenched his fists. “The worst decision I ever made. And the last vampire I ever changed.” His gaze darted to her and back so fast she almost didn’t catch it. Last vampire…till today.
She reminded herself she was supposed to believe her brother was dead. Was supposed to be distraught. Not a difficulty. Not only was she red-eyed from exhaustion, slightly dizzy too, and was probably still in shock from the night’s events, but a life had been lost…because of this bastard.
She openly glared at Dante. “You’re trying to frame your own sire?” Even she knew that was a major no-no in the vampire world. For whatever reason, makers were sacred among their kind—not all vamps had the ability to turn a human.
“What’s this?” the VEA agent replied, a strangely amused curl to one side of his mouth. “Is this karma I see unfolding before my eyes?”
Cortez gritted his teeth. “At least when I absconded, I had the decency and respect to put several states between us, Trent.”
Naia’s brain stutter-stepped. “You can’t be serious. He’s your sire?” This was the ass-hat who changed Cortez against his will? That’s why she sensed subzero temperatures between them.
She recalled wanting to hurt this man on Cortez’s behalf, but judging by the size of him, she’d need a bulldozer and C-4 explosives to do it. The man was a Viking in a suit.
Before he could cover it, she registered Dante’s shocked expression. Was this news to him too? Had something like worry just crossed his features? The VEA agent was his grand-sire.
Perhaps this turn of events was a notch in their favor—
Trent confirmed the association with a grudging nod. “And before Cortez deserted his birth clan, he stole something precious from me. Something priceless and irretrievable.”
Perhaps not.
Dante relaxed, smugness returning to his features.
Great. Two vampires with a grudge against Cortez; one with real power to do something about it.
“Okay, so this is an unhappy family reunion,” said Naia, then faced Trent, her shoulders back. “What can I do to clear Cortez and get this asshole thrown into vampire prison, or jail, or wherever it is you put murdering lying bastards?”
Trent considered her for a moment, a disconcerting curl returning to his lips. “Merely tell me your side of the story.”
Easy enough. She began when Dante offered her the seven grand to try and get a job at Ever Nights. How he suggested all the terrible things Cortez was up to in order to encourage her participation.
Dante shook his head. “I have evidence to the contrary.”
“Oh?” Trent said.
Dante turned to Naia. “Did you forget you came to me last night to confess your crimes and admit what Cortez was up to? You said you couldn’t stand the lies anymore.” He retrieved his phone from his pocket and tapped the screen. Her voice jumped from the tiny speakers. “The money is generous...but it’s just not worth the risk. I’m not cut out for spying on people. And I can’t stand the lies. I don’t want to do it anymore. I can’t. It’s not right. Besides, I don’t believe there’s anything for me to find, anyway.”
“That wasn’t a confession!” she cried. “That was me telling you that I couldn’t continue to spy on Cortez.”
“I’m not sure why you’re backtracking now.” Dante’s expression softened. “If he’s threatened you, you can tell us. We can protect you from him.”
“That’s an oddly short recording,” Cortez observed. “Only a few sentences captured at the exact right moment. I wonder how the rest of that conversation went.”
“He practically threatened me,” Naia declared. “And then tried to bribe me with money, not that it was going to change my mind.”
Dante cleared his throat. “I gave you that money so you could afford to go into hiding with your brother. Alas,
you had come to me too late, as it would seem.” His lips formed an I’m-so-sorry tilt that she wanted to smack right off his face.
“You kidnapped my brother! Had him tortured! Explain that!”
“I think you’re confused,” Dante replied, actually looking as though he pitied her. “I’m sorry for your loss, but I was nowhere near Ever Nights when those poor people were killed.”
Her jaw snapped shut. She looked to Cortez for the assist. His lips were pressed in a hard line. Why wasn’t he saying anything?
She turned back to Dante. “You sent me a picture of my brother beaten and bloody and then warned me to do what you asked.” That terrible moment was locked in a dark cell in her mind, beating the walls with an urgency that wouldn’t cease till she laid eyes on Cole. Until she saw that he was alive and well. That wasn’t going to happen unless Dante was dealt with here and now.
“Did I? From a phone that had been given to your brother by none other than Cortez? Taken and sent from this very location? The device found in the boy’s pants pocket? If that were the case, I’d have had to physically be here at some point. Besides, I have witnesses who will vouch for my whereabouts all night, and all last week if need be.”
Again she looked at Cortez for help. Jaw clenched, he remained silent.
She understood then. It had to have been Marco who’d taken and sent the picture, and the text, and probably did the beating as well. She recalled something Cortez had said to her on his island: I could be held responsible for any crime committed by a member of my clan. Dante was setting Cortez up, and using their own vampiric laws to take him down. For some reason, Marco had done Dante’s dirty work, leaving Dante to establish an alibi. But why?
Dante gave a shrug, as though he were at a loss. “It only makes sense that Cortez discovered you wanted out of his little charade, might have even discovered you’d come to me to confess and grew enraged. He then threatened you and killed your brother. We can only assume he’s holding something else over your head now. Your own life perhaps.” He held out his hand as if she would go to him. “It would be a shame if something terrible were to happen to you.”
