by Jaye Wells
“Sorry, uh, I have been fighting a cold and wouldn’t want you to catch it,” he explained lamely. He feigned a weak cough to add legitimacy to his claim. He ignored the renewed round of snickers from his family.
She nodded slowly and looked down at the priceless rug under their feet.
“I’m sorry your rug is stained. If I am correct, that’s Aubusson. I don’t think tomato juice comes out.”
“Don’t worry, dear, we drink a lot of Bloody Marys. We’re pretty experienced at getting red stains out of things,” Kira said. Sydney wondered how much vodka they all had in their drinks when Kira’s comment made everyone else in the room chuckle.
“Sydney, can I walk you to your car?” Callum asked.
“I’ll do it,” Logan said. Syd looked back and forth between the brothers as if watching a tennis match.
“Logan, since Callum’s leaving anyway, there’s no need for you to bother. Besides, if you’re coming down with something, you should probably stay inside,” she said.
“Don’t worry about Logan,” Callum said with a grin as he took her arm. “He probably just needs to sleep like the dead, and he’ll wake up tomorrow feeling immortal.”
Logan jabbed his elbow into Callum’s ribs. His brother didn’t even flinch at the impact. He simply turned Syd toward the door and led her out. Sydney looked over her shoulder as she walked away and sent a lame wave at Logan. He felt like a thunder cloud ready to burst.
Chapter Eight
Logan tamped down the jealousy that reared when he saw Syd laugh at some joke his brother made as they walked out together. Did she always walk with that seductive sway to her hips?
He didn’t like the idea Syd might find his brother’s legendary charm appealing. As a scientist, he didn’t quite buy the soul mate theory his mother used to explain his inability to read Syd’s mind. But he couldn’t deny the attraction he had felt for her from the moment they met.
He shook his head and turned to Alaric and his mother. They both watched him with knowing expressions.
“What?”
“I may not be able to read your mind, my friend, but the look on your face just told the whole story,” said Alaric.
“Yes, dear, if you want us to believe you have no feelings for the girl, you must try a little harder at pretending you’re unaffected,” said his meddling mother.
“I don’t know what you mean. I was simply thinking about a particularly troublesome equation.”
Alaric laughed. “Yeah, Logan plus Sydney equals what?”
“Shut up,” he said.
“Logan, don’t take your sexual frustration out on your friend,” his mother chastised.
“Please, can we change the subject?” he pleaded.
“All right, when do you want to head out to the bar?” Alaric said, taking mercy on him.
Logan looked at his watch. “It’s only eight o’clock—still early yet. The places we’re going don’t get rolling until near midnight. Let’s try to get some more work done before we head out.”
“Actually, Alaric, why don’t you go on? I need to speak with Logan for a moment,” Kira said.
Alaric shot Logan a sympathetic look before nodding and heading toward the lab.
Logan groaned inwardly. The last thing he needed was another lecture right now.
“Wipe that martyred expression off your face and sit down.”
Logan dutifully sat down in his chair and waited. He knew the less he said the better.
“Son, you’re being an idiot. Anyone with half a brain could see the sparks between you and that girl. I know Brenna hurt you, but it’s time to move on and give yourself a chance at happiness.”
“This isn’t about Brenna,” he said.
“I wasn’t born yesterday, young man. In fact, seven hundred years of living teaches one a thing or two. I know what a man looks like when he’s falling in love. And I know how he acts when he’s fighting it tooth and nail. That girl is perfect for you. And from what I have seen, she is also intelligent and open-minded.”
“Open minded? I’m a vampire. No mortal is that open-minded.”
“I was.”
Logan paused. He had forgotten his mother was once a mortal too. While he and his brother were born vampires, his father made his mother into a vampire after they fell in love.
“So you see, not all mortals react like Brenna. Darling, I know you cared for her, but it’s time you realize she was not your soul mate.”
Logan thought about her words. He’d never let himself think about Brenna over the years. But he had to admit his mother was right. He recalled his last conversation with Brenna.
They’d met secretly in the cloister of the convent she attended for schooling. He had been in love and foolishly decided to tell her the truth. He figured if she loved him, too, they could find a way to make everything work out. He would never forget the fear and disgust he saw in her eyes. She said she could never love a monster and ran.
The next night Logan, upset but not beaten, went to the convent to try and reason with her. The novice nun who opened the gate told him Brenna had fled back to London before dawn. At that moment, he vowed he would never trust his heart with a mortal again.
“You’re right,” he said slowly to his mother. “She never really loved me, or if she did she couldn’t see past her own superstitions. But the point is I loved her, and she rejected me. I can’t risk that happening again. Better to find some nice vampiress who understands me.”
“If the evidence wasn’t already there that you and Sydney should be together, then I’d agree with you. But Logan, when was the last time you came out of that lab and lived a little? Even when you drag yourself away from your test tubes to attend a Brethren event, you keep to yourself. I see the women at those functions throw themselves at you.”
“Maybe I just want to be left alone,” he countered.
“Perhaps you just need to admit being vampire isn’t the real issue here. You’re afraid of getting hurt, period.”
“I have a responsibility,” he said.
“Your responsibility is to yourself. Son, I know you work so hard because you want to live up to your father’s legacy, but he wanted you to be happy on top of everything else. You just need to learn to strike a balance between work and fun,” she said.
Logan sat quietly for a few moments, letting her words sink in. Was she right? Did he hide behind his father’s legacy because he feared getting hurt again?
“Maybe you’re right about the work thing, but we can’t just sweep the whole I-drink-blood-for-food issue under the rug,” he said.
“Yes, that is an issue. But I think if you have a little faith, things can work out.”
“I am a scientist. I don’t deal in faith. I deal in hard evidence. I don’t believe Sydney is my soul mate just because I can’t read her mind. And even if I did believe it, asking a mortal to accept the reality of our lives is difficult. How did you deal with it when father told you?”
Kira laughed. “Honestly, I didn’t deal with it too well at first. I mean we’re talking the late 1200s here. But your father anticipated that and was patient with all of my questions. Of course it helped I was already madly in love with him when he told me.”
“That’s encouraging,” Logan said sarcastically. “But Sydney and I aren’t in love.”
Kira gave him a knowing smile. “Darling, how could either of you know if it’s love or not when you both spend all of your time fighting the attraction?”
Logan didn’t want to admit she had a point. In fact, he didn’t want to talk about Sydney anymore.
“I know you only want me to be happy, but you have to understand Sydney and I both have reasons for not pursuing a relationship. Perhaps after everything settles down we could get to know each other better, but to even consider something right now is madness.”
“One of these days, son, you are going to have to learn that you can’t logic your way through life. Love happens when it happens. You can’t plan for
it or talk your way out of feeling it. But now I have said my piece, and I promise to stay out of it.”
He smiled at her. He couldn’t fault her for her concerns. In fact, Sydney had been right the other night. It was nice to have someone who worried about him.
“Thanks,” he said sincerely. They both stood and hugged.
“And, Logan, one more thing. Sydney didn’t seem too thrilled about the assignment you gave her. She’s also suspicious about our cover story.”
“What do you think she’ll do?” he asked, frustrated that the one mind he wanted to read was closed to him.
“I’m not a fortune teller, darling. Just be warned. She is a clever girl, and I don’t think she’ll accept being kept in the dark about this.”
“I agree she is clever, but I can’t imagine what she’d do that I wouldn’t figure out,” he said.
“Never underestimate a determined woman—mortal or vampire—my dear,” his mother responded with a laugh. She kissed his cheek and then left.
Lord, save me from meddling mothers and strong-minded mortal women.
“Of all the condescending, pig-headed, macho stunts . . .” Sydney fumed as she paced her apartment later than night.
The minute Logan told her the name of the group supposedly responsible for the theft, she knew something was fishy. In fact, the entire discussion at his house had her mind waving red flags. They were all hiding something; she was sure of it. The problem was she had no idea what or why they would hide things from her when they made it clear they wanted her help—everyone but Logan, that was.
Her suspicions were confirmed once she entered the information he gave her in all the major search engines. No Society for the Undermining of Contemporary Science existed on the web. One could argue that maybe they weren’t organized or large enough to have a web site, but the way Logan talked there was bound to be some mention of them somewhere on the Internet. Her conclusion had to be that Logan made up the name.
She also entered the name “Raven Coracino” into the engines. A few matches came up with that one, but they were also dead ends. The main page Syd read seemed like one of those role-playing game sites where the people thought they were vampires. She even searched for groups who protested science and technology. But it hit her that a group against science would not want any involvement with the Internet. Her aggravation at Logan calmed a bit at that point. Maybe he hadn’t made it all up. But the fact remained her task was a big waste of time.
She plopped down on her shabby couch. Why did she even bother? It seemed more and more as if she was banging her head against a wall. Stiggler definitely had plans to fire her. He continued to issue veiled threats every time she called him with a progress report. She knew now that finding the painting wouldn’t save her job. Maybe she should just call Logan and tell him she couldn’t find anything about SUCS or Raven and wish him luck. Then she could concentrate on finding a new job.
But then she remembered Kira’s enthusiasm about her helping out and the passion in her voice when she spoke of the painting and the family’s ancestors. And as frustrating as Logan Murdoch could be, Syd couldn’t force herself to cut all ties and never see him again. She was becoming emotionally invested in the man, but something kept her from running away.
So where did that leave her? Obviously, Logan wouldn’t give her any real tasks to help in the painting search. She knew from their planning session earlier that Alaric and Logan were going to split up and canvas some local bars for any information that might lead them to the group. They were eager to get the matter taken care of and planned to go out tonight.
If she could follow Logan, she could kill two birds with one stone. First, she could do something tangible to help gather information. Second, and most intriguing, perhaps she could observe him undetected to find out why he was being so secretive about the theft.
That decided, she stood up and headed to her bedroom. From her closet she pulled a pair of jeans, a turtleneck, and her trusty cowboy boots. She glanced at herself in the mirror after she changed clothes. Perhaps wearing all black was overkill. But hey, maybe this cloak-and-dagger thing would be fun. After all, how often did a woman get to spy on a gorgeous man with a secret? Besides, she figured she’d blend in when she followed Logan into the bars. She smiled. Eat your heart out, James Bond—Worth, Sydney Worth, is on the case.
“You about ready to head out?” Alaric asked Logan.
After his mother left, Logan threw himself into his work in the lab to escape the lingering doubts raised by their discussion. He glanced at his watch. His concentration had been so complete he hadn’t realized the lateness of the hour.
“Yeah, you go ahead. I’ll clean up here. You want to take the Chalice Club?” Logan asked.
“That leaves The Church. You up for that?”
Logan understood his friend’s concern. While the Raleigh-Durham Chapel Hill area only encompassed a population of about a million mortals, the region had a relatively high vampire population. Four vampire clubs existed. Brethren Sect owned two, and visitors had to prove membership in the sect to enter. The other two—the ones they’d be staking out (pardon the pun) tonight—were frequented by rogue vampires.
Occasionally some college kids interested in the gothic scene would venture into the Chalice Club, which was located near North Carolina State University. They usually made it back home with their lives.
Any unsuspecting mortal who accidentally wandered into The Church rarely made it past the threshold with their lives. Raven might be a rebel, but the vamps who frequented The Church made her look like Mary Poppins. They would not take kindly to a Brethren Sect member entering their turf.
Rogue was a term the Brethren Council used to refer to those vampires who did not adhere to Brethren law. Most of the rogues were actually young, recently turned vampires who thought drinking blood made them gods. Their bloodlust gave them no respect for mortal life.
“Nah, I’ll be fine. I just hope none of the rogues decide to pick a fight tonight. I don’t have time to teach any strutting baby vamps a lesson,” he said.
“As a New Blood myself,” Alaric said, referring to the fact he was a turned vampire and not a born True Blood like Logan, “I take exception to your attitude. Remember when you and Callum found me?”
“Yes, I do. And as I recall I had to put your baby vamp ass in its place as well.”
Alaric laughed. “True. I was lucky though. If you two hadn’t taken pity on me, I would have ended up just like those misfits who frequent The Church.”
“You would have figured everything out eventually. But for the record, I’m glad we found you too. After all, good lab assistants are hard to come by.”
“Bite me,” Alaric said.
“You’re not my type.” Logan laughed. Alaric responded by flipping him the bird.
“You’re definitely not my type for that,” Logan said dryly. “Now get out of here. Check in later, and let me know what you find.”
Logan began cleaning after Alaric left. Unfortunately, the mundane task left time for his mind to wander. Watching Sydney leave with Callum had raised the green beast within him.
He shook his head. Something about that woman gave him the primal urge to grab her and yell, “Mine!”
Because of the protective instincts she raised in him, he couldn’t feel guilty about the joke of an assignment he gave her. He decided it was best to keep her in the dark and out of harm’s way. Besides, he hoped to find the information he needed tonight. Then he could deal with Raven, and things could return to normal. Maybe once this whole fiasco was out of the way, he and Sydney could spend some time together to see if there was a chance. In the meantime, he had work to do.
Syd sat in her dark car and waited. From her vantage point she could see the entrance to Logan’s driveway. Luckily, some well-placed trees provided cover. Earlier she had seen Alaric’s red Jeep drive past. She hoped Logan’s car would soon follow. She supposed she could have snuck up through the woods on his pr
operty to verify he was still at home, but honestly, she wasn’t that comfortable with her spy role yet. Besides, her boots weren’t made for hiking.
A few more minutes passed before the reflection of headlights hit the trees by his driveway. She put her car in gear and waited. When the black Porsche Carrera zoomed out of the driveway and turned onto the main road, she scrambled to follow him, cursing her sensible midsize sedan. At the speed he was going, she’d never catch up. Luckily, the road was straight, so she’d see if he turned off, and she needed to keep her distance anyway—another good spy maneuver.
As they neared the city, Logan slowed, and the added traffic of the more populated area helped camouflage her car. Syd let out a relieved breath. Her knuckles gripped the steering wheel so hard they ached.
His car turned onto Glenwood Avenue, one of the main routes into downtown. Since she knew he was headed to a bar, she didn’t question his direction. Raleigh’s nightlife, such as it was, could be found there. But when he passed the block where most of the bars where located, she started to get nervous. Where is he going? She looked around at the industrial warehouses that lined the road.
She prayed Logan had not been lying earlier about going to a bar. His car made a quick turn and pulled to a stop in front of a seedy-looking warehouse. She backed up and pulled into an alley behind the building. Fighting her dread at being alone in this part of town at night, she got out and started toward the front of the building on foot.
When she got to the corner of the warehouse, she peeked around. Logan was out of his car and headed toward the front door. A very scary-looking man waited there. Shorter than Logan but twice as wide, the hulk stood in front of the door with his arms crossed over his massive chest. The muted beat of music pulsed through the building. Maybe this was a club after all, but its location indicated it wasn’t her kind of place.
Logan stood talking to the bouncer, who seemed to be giving him a hard time about entering. Syd was so intent on what was happening in front of the building that she didn’t hear the footsteps behind her until it was too late. She turned to see who was coming up behind her, and a rough hand reached out and grabbed her arm.
