He stood outside the door for all to see, being chummy with her as they laughed over some shared joke.
Flip propped her chin on her hand and studied me intently. “You look kind of mad, too.”
I shrugged. “I’m not mad.”
Laughter rang down from above, and I stabbed a tomato, afraid to look at the duo the merriment came from. If I did, I was afraid the railing Dana was leaning on might break, which would be unfortunate. Kane would want to know what happened and probably deduce that my emotions had gotten the better of me. And the why of that was baffling. He’d surely make unflattering assumptions, such as me wanting him or something. That assumption was the only thing making me hold my emotions together.
Flip glanced up toward the pair, who were laughing again, and her long sigh drifted over to me.
I couldn’t keep it in anymore. By Flip’s assertion, she was supposed to be my friend, so why should I? “For someone who I was supposedly involved with, he’s getting very chummy with another person who was horrible to me.”
“I wouldn’t exactly say…”
I looked up from my salad, fork clenched in my hand. “Wouldn’t say what?”
She leaned back a bit, staring at my fork. “He’s not exactly flaunting anything.”
“Are you kidding? Look at them.”
She looked back, as if she were missing something and had to reexamine the scene. “Well, he’s just standing there talking to her.”
“He could’ve talked to her inside the office. She was already in there with him for the last twenty-two minutes.” I stabbed another tomato.
“Twenty-two? Not, I don’t know, twenty? Because those two minutes…” She whistled loudly, shaking her head.
“Stop messing with me. You know I’m in a bad mood.” I stared at my salad, hoping the room would remain laughter-free for at least a few minutes.
“So you’re in a bad mood?” She leaned forward, her chin in her hand.
“Of course I am.” How could anyone be in a good mood listening to the hyena cackling above?
“Does this mean you like him or something? Because I got the impression you were done, and I didn’t think it was his doing.”
“Where’d you get a crazy idea like that?”
“This is very hard to keep track of.” Someone bumped into Flip’s chair. She turned, about to let them have it, but then stopped and stared. “Whoa.”
My head jerked up. “What? What are they doing now?”
Flip wasn’t looking up, though. Her attention seemed transfixed by the door, but I wouldn’t look. They’d probably made their way across the room doing who knew what.
“Flip?”
Her attention swung back to me. “Not them.”
“Then what was the whoa?”
“The piece of meat that just walked in the door.” Her attention was back on the entrance, and I followed her stare.
A vampire male was speaking to Jerry by the door. He was about as tall as Jerry and almost as broad. Thick blond hair cut somewhat short. For a vampire, he had a very GQ look, and could’ve modeled for Ralph Lauren.
Jerry turned and scanned the crowd before he stopped and his gaze landed on me. He pointed in my direction, and then the vampire looked at me. He smiled my way, fangs safely tucked in. It looked like he thanked Jerry and then he headed my way.
“Oooh, looks like you’re getting some company today,” Flip said, kicking me under the table.
“Don’t get so excited. He was probably sent over by Frederickson. They’d talked about having representatives or some nonsense.” Total nonsense, actually, because Kane was anything but transparent, and I had too many skeletons to swing my casket lid open.
He stopped beside my table while Flip’s jaw dropped open. The guy was attractive. I could see this in a logical way, but jaw-dropping? His hair was too blond and his look too soft. I glanced upstairs again, to where Kane was walking back into his office.
“Ollie?” he asked.
I turned my attention back to the stranger and nodded.
“I’m Vincent. Frederickson sent me over.” He held out his hand.
“Nice to meet you.” Yep, as expected. I took his hand, trying to not react at the chill of his skin. How did Jerry sleep with vampires all the time? Although it might be nice in the heat of summer if the AC was broken.
He looked at Flip and then down at my half-finished salad. “I don’t want to interrupt, but if you have a moment?”
I’d thought that the representative would introduce himself and then go up to speak to Kane. But maybe this was an opportunity to feel the vampires out. All information was good, especially when you held so little.
“Not interrupting at all. We were just finishing up.” I glanced over at Flip, hoping she’d make an excuse and leave. I gave her a nudge with my toe. She sat there as if she didn’t feel it.
He gestured his head toward the door. “Would you like to get a coffee or something?”
He wanted to get out of the Underground and away from all the eyes on him, and he’d caught me in the exact same mood. “Sure.”
I got up and headed to the door before I’d thought it through. If we left here, we still wouldn’t be alone. Kane would have me tailed, and with my luck, I’d end up with Butch sitting next to me.
“A lot of places are closed right now. Maybe we could grab a coffee at the bar?” I took a step in that direction, relieved when he followed without complaint.
I stepped up to the bar, getting ready to call for a gargoyle when Zee popped up. She placed two steaming mugs in front of us with a wink. Did she spy on all my conversations, or only ones with attractive men?
With Vincent settling onto the stool beside me, I couldn’t exactly pursue the subject. “Thanks,” I said, as if it were normal. She nodded and disappeared, but I had a feeling she was still listening in.
“So, if you haven’t guessed, I’m going to be the liaison between you and Frederickson, if that’s all right?” He smiled as he wrapped his hands around the mug, seeming to appreciate the warmth.
“That’s good with me.” He had a soft manner about him, the kind that led me to believe he’d pull out my chair and hold the door open. I appreciated it more than I normally would, considering my recent experiences. He might be from the enemy camp, but he was actually more pleasant than some who were supposed to be on my team.
“If it’s good with you, I figured we could meet every few days or so? Then I’ll be able to update all parties.”
“That would work.” Was I supposed to tell him about letting the crawlers in tomorrow? He was still from the other camp, and I didn’t know if I wanted them there, watching everything. What if something happened that revealed my current…issues? Maybe I could steer him in Kane or Butch’s direction? “Are you sure you’re supposed to meet with me, though? I’m pretty much out of the loop.”
“No, you. Frederickson said you.” Vincent took a sip from his mug. I thought it was just for show, but the coffee level in his cup went down.
He saw where my eyes had landed. “I enjoy the taste even if I don’t need it.”
I averted my stare quickly. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to be obvious.”
“You weren’t. Newcomers are always watching for it.” He shrugged it off in that easy style he seemed to have. He smiled, fangs still tucked away.
I was starting to see why they’d sent him. He was charming, and if I was interested in dating right now, cold hands or not, he’d be a temptation.
“So, is there anything you—”
“Kane wants to speak to you,” Butch said, seeming to pop up out of nowhere and staring at Vincent. “Now.” He stood a little too close, making it clear he wasn’t walking away without Vincent beside him.
Vincent nodded and stood. He put a card from his pocket on the bar in front of me. “I’ll be in touch soon. Call the number on the card if you need me,” he said, smiling despite the fact Butch was hovering.
I waited until Vincent was halfway acro
ss the room before I whispered, “Zee, are you still there?”
I didn’t hear anything, but my coffee was suddenly topped off. I took it with me, not wanting to tempt fate in case Vincent looped back around with questions I didn’t want to answer.
Chapter Eighteen
I was throwing back a shot at the bar with Zee when Kane walked out of his office.
“You ready?” Zee asked, knowing where we were heading.
“No.” Today was D-Day. It was the day I’d let the crawlers in. There was no way to be ready for this.
She slid another shot toward me. “Little liquid courage isn’t always a bad thing. You got this, girl.”
I threw back the fresh shot. She held out her fist, and I tapped it with my knuckles before turning toward the door where Kane waited.
He was watching as I approached. “You sure you don’t want another one?” he asked, when it was clear he didn’t think I should.
I got it. We were heading into dangerous territory, but not everyone had nerves of steel.
“You’re not the one who has to walk them through,” I said, walking past him and out the door. Butch and Leon were waiting beside a huge black Hummer outside.
“I’m sure Butch has a flask on him if you lose your buzz before we get there.” Kane walked around to the driver’s side, while Butch and Leon got in the back.
I hopped in the front passenger seat, trying to remain calm so I wouldn’t have to ask Butch if he did indeed have a flask on him.
Kane eyeing me out of the corner of his eye didn’t help the nerves. I sat on my hands so I wouldn’t fidget. Butch and Leon were absurdly calm, considering what we were heading to do. All they seemed to care about was Jerry’s latest vampire squeeze and how she’d found out about Jerry’s previous love interest, and how there might have been an overlap both girls now knew of.
I tried to listen to the gossip instead of thinking about what was coming. The possible catfight wasn’t holding my interest though.
Kane glanced over at me. I waited for some sort of backhanded comment about needing more shots.
“You’re going to be fine. You might not remember, but you’ve shadow walked before and handled scarier crawlers.”
He ran down the details of how it was supposed to go. I held his hand because he was some sort of anchor to this world, and then I went in, trying to not go farther than necessary.
None of it sounded remotely familiar, but I knew he was right. I’d done this before. Might’ve done all of it before, even crossing crawlers over.
I really should’ve had at least one more shot.
“No one else should be there.” He glanced over at me again. “I thought it would be better that way.”
I read his meaning clearly. He had the same fear as me. That I might somehow incriminate myself. I nodded, having trouble talking past the golf ball in my throat.
It was just about dusk when we pulled into a cemetery on the outskirts of Boston. Harg was already standing there, surrounded by several other smaller crawlers that I wasn’t sure were visible to Butch and Leon.
I got out of the truck quickly, eager to get this over with. I walked deeper into the cemetery toward Harg, as if I were walking toward my own burial. Kane was close behind, and Leon and Butch trailed a short distance from him. I was surrounded but incredibly alone.
Harg moved toward me, and I made a point of holding my ground, even when he didn’t stop until he was less than two feet away. Maybe he hadn’t been trying to crowd me on purpose. He was a crawler; maybe he didn’t understand personal boundaries. Half the people I’d encountered at coffee shops had the same problem. Why should a crawler know better? Still, I threw him another hard-ass look. Needed to make sure it was very clear that I wasn’t scared of him. Kane being close might’ve helped a little with that.
“How’s this going to go down?” I asked.
“I’ll open, then you step through but stop partway. This will force the opening wider and allow the others to come through,” Harg explained while maintaining his distance. His speech still had that sandpaper roughness, but his English had improved.
“Partway?”
“Leave arm or leg out.”
That didn’t sound that safe. I turned to Kane, and he nodded. Then I realized I’d just relied on him again. I had to start going with my own gut.
“Five,” I said to Harg. “That’s the agreement and that’s all I’m letting through until next month.”
Harg nodded. “Five. They’re waiting.”
Kane stepped close enough that our arms brushed and I could feel the heat from his body. He gripped my hand as he spoke softly to me. “Don’t let go of my hand and it will be fine. If our connection feels like it’s fading, you turn around and walk back out. If you feel me tugging at you, you run out.”
I held up a finger to Harg and tugged Kane over to the side, as if there was a last-minute detail we needed to discuss.
I licked my lips, thinking the worst. What if somehow, when I did this, some crazy flare shot up into the air and declared my guilt? What if that Asher crawler I’d said was dead walked out of the portal?
“Promise you won’t leave me in there, no matter what?” I asked in a whisper for Kane alone. “You can kill me afterward, but I don’t want to go down like that.”
“Never. No matter what.” His words had gravity to them, heavy enough that I could rely on.
Kane squeezed my hand in an I’ve got your back way. And maybe he would. I didn’t know Kane that well, or didn’t remember what I knew, but that was the kind of guy he seemed like. If he said he had you, he did. It was starting to become clear why I’d been attracted to him before—why I was becoming attracted to him now, whether I liked it or not.
Kane and I walked back to Harg.
“I’m ready.”
Harg opened a portal in front of me, the air rippling as if it were a reflection on a pond.
I stepped inside, leaving the hand Kane was holding extended. It was as if I’d taken a step in the same landscape, but all the people had disappeared and a hazy, dim lens had been placed over the full moon, a drab duplication of the same place.
And there they were. The crawlers that were supposed to come through, all lined up and waiting. Some were scaled and others had fur, but all were horrifying in their own way. They looked like what you’d imagine was lurking in the open closet at night, or the creature that would hide beneath your bed. Come to think of it, it made me wonder if when parents told their children that there was nothing to be afraid of, were they right? Because before me now were the very monsters they feared. Maybe those youthful minds saw something the parents couldn’t?
The first stepped forward, walked past me, and disappeared. Then the next, and the next. With each one, I began to wonder again if I were the true monster.
By the time the last of the five was approaching, more had gathered around, scenting out an anomaly happening.
“Can you speed it up?” I asked, smelling trouble.
It didn’t. By the time it snail paced its way through, I knew I had a problem. As soon as the fifth one’s foot cleared, I tried to step out, practically brushing against it as I did. But before I could, a larger crawler who’d been on the outskirt charged toward me.
It shoved into me and was pressing its way through at the same time I was. I gripped Kane’s hand hard, making sure I didn’t lose connection. He must’ve sensed the problem, because I was quickly yanked through. Unfortunately, the other crawler latched on to me, and was pulled out as well.
I fell in a tumble to the ground, Kane’s hands under my arms and pulling me away from the crawler that had half fallen on top of me. By the time I got to my feet, the sixth one was gone.
Kane was beside me, looking for him too. “Fuck.”
The thing was gone before we’d gotten to our feet.
I looked for Harg. I was ready to give him a piece of my mind, figuring he had something to do with this, when I saw we’d gotten company. Harg, wit
h more crawlers at his back, was standing off with Frederickson, Collin slightly behind them. The only one missing was Rudy.
We were about to have a turf war, monsters versus monsters. My instinct was to try and stop it, but then I wondered if that was a good idea. Letting a fight break out might have its uses in eliminating either a few crawlers or a few vampires. The werewolves might be collateral damage, but some things couldn’t be helped.
Kane stepped forward to break it up, Leon and Butch readying to follow his lead.
I grabbed Butch’s arm, even as the sounds of growling reached my ear. “Why are we breaking them up?” I asked.
“They’ll never kill the crawlers, and we might need the vampires at some point,” Butch said, reading my mind.
He walked over to where Kane already was, right in between the warring parties.
“Stop. It was one crawler and he wasn’t with Harg. It was an accident,” Kane said.
I lost track of who was screaming what, but after a few minutes, the voices lowered and Kane left them, with Butch and Leon buffering the groups.
He walked toward me and then tilted his head off to a farther-away spot. The way he stared at me, I was wondering if a scarlet letter had appeared on my chest when he’d pulled me back out. Instead of a whore, I’d been branded a traitor. “What?” I asked, fearing in my gut that I was about to hear something horrible.
“What happened?” he asked, and that was when I realized he didn’t believe anything he’d just told the others.
“The thing charged me.”
“You couldn’t avoid that?”
The doubt in his eyes was as loud as thunder. And I felt the jolt that went with it. “No. I couldn’t.”
He nodded, slowly. Too slowly.
He’d had my back, he protected me still, and yet he clearly thought I was a monster. I heard a cracking sound off to the right and had a feeling I’d just downed a tree.
Kissed by the Dark: Ollie Wit Book 3 Page 12
