She ignored him. "Come up here, honey. Don't be shy. Let's do our favorite duet."
His aura pulsed with a reddish hue as he made his way to her. She smiled and batted her eyes as she handed him the other available microphone.
At such short notice, the only song Isabella could think of for a duet was, I've Got You Babe by Sonny and Cher. Her brother and she had sung the song when they dressed up as Sonny and Cher for Halloween a few years back. Nick had been Cher. God, he was hilarious trying to stand in high-heeled shoes.
Since the bar displayed the words on a monitor, even Night-of-the-living-dead could sing along without difficulty. She decided not to push it and sang Cher's part, wondering if Garran would play along or stand there and give her the stink eye, as her mother would call such a lethal stare, but he surprised her. His deep baritone voice belted out the next few lines with ease. He didn't sound half-bad either.
His gaze met hers as they sang the chorus. His eyes were a beautiful shade of gray when they weren't glowing with a red sheen. He had dark eyelashes compared to his sun-bronzed mane of gold and brown.
Her gaze landed on his lips as they moved in sync with the song. For a beat of the heart, she wondered how his lips would feel beneath hers. Startled at her thoughts, she almost missed the next line.
It made her wonder if vampires oozed some kind of pheromone to make a human want them. Somehow, she doubted Garran would let her kiss him out of curiosity's sake.
As she sang her next line, Garran covered his mike and leaned near to whisper, "I hope ye're payin' attention."
Oh, she was. Just not at the right thing. She tore her gaze away and focused on the crowd as she sang her lines.
"Who wrote this bloody garbage?" he murmured under his breath.
She threw him a disgruntled look. She liked the song. As they finished with the last line, a woman caught her attention. Her shattered aura proved a distraction compared to the healthy colors the other patrons wore.
When the song ended, Garran let her go ahead of him down the stairs from the stage. He may have been playing the gentleman, but she could feel his heated gaze burning a path down her back. He most likely was waiting for just the right moment to blast her for including him on the stage, but before he could lay into her, she whirled on him, fragmenting his retort into a sputtered silence. "I spotted a woman over at the bar. Her aura looks compromised. Not as bad as Johanna's, but enough to make me believe she's been fed upon."
Garran closed his mouth and looked toward the bar. "There are five women. Which one?"
She took a step closer to him, breathing in his heady scent that was all male, or maybe it was just Garran.
"Miss Lucci, which woman?" he repeated with a note of impatience.
It cleared her thoughts quick enough and she took a purposeful step back. "The auburn haired woman, wearing the tight black dress."
"Stay here," Garran warned.
She grabbed his arm to halt him. He stared at her in surprise, and she stared back in challenge. He would not use her talent then dismiss her. "What are you going to do?"
For a half a second, she thought he'd give her the brush-off, but then he answered her. "I'll extract information and find out when she last saw the Soul Taker."
"Doesn't the woman need to go to the hospital or something?" Even before she finished her question, she knew a doctor couldn't help her. The woman's essence—a part of her soul—had been taken by a supernatural creature. There were no pills or antibiotics to magically cure her. Isabella wondered if the woman survived if she would always feel like a part of her was missing.
"I'll make sure she stays away from here and away from the Soul Taker," Garran said.
She didn't question how, but she knew somehow, he didn't make promises without following through with them. She'd bet he was old world, when vows meant his worth and he would never compromise his honor.
She returned to her seat at the table, while Harrison and Garran worked their Otherworldly powers of persuasion to secure the woman's safety.
Another brave soul took the stage, a large man who had too many drinks and was now belting out a Bon Jovi song, one of his early hits from the 80s.
She took another sip of her wine and waited. Halfway through the song, she chanced a look at the bar. Harrison, Garran, and the compromised woman were no longer standing there.
"May I join you?"
At the sound of the deep voice so close, she whirled around with a start. One glance and she knew the man was a preternatural being; his aura had a hypnotizing glow about it that pulsed like a heartbeat.
The guy wasn't as tall as Harrison or Garran, but he proved as impressive as they were. He had thick hair that lay in waves at his shoulders; each luscious strand begged for attention. He wore jeans, a dark blue pullover shirt that he filled out nicely, and his face…
He stared at her with open amusement obviously aware she assessed his attributes with a keen eye.
She closed her mouth before she embarrassed herself by drooling. The gods must have chiseled this man's features with the intent of perfection— smooth strong features without being overbearing. There were no other words to describe him. He was simply beautiful. She met his gaze and stared into pools of deep blue.
"May I buy ye a drink, lassie?" His musical voice sent a shiver of delight up her spine.
It took her a moment to realize he'd spoken. She glanced at her glass. When had she finished her drink? "Uh… yes, please."
A smile curved his full lips. Kissable lips.
"What would ye like?" His ever-sure gaze told her he was aware of the effect he had on her senses and he rather enjoyed it. He waved to one of the waitresses as he took a seat next to her.
"Wine," she managed to spit out.
The colors surrounding him changed and wavered as if he were sending out some sort of magic to camouflage his true nature, and at the same time, there was this magnetic pull, which drew her in. She shook her head, trying to fight against the strange allure.
Once the waitress had their order, this angelic beauty leveled his gaze on her. She forced herself not to flinch. His eyes were still a beautiful shade of blue, but something dark…evil lurked beneath the surface. His true soul. She squelched the panic rioting inside her. This beautiful man, who had just ordered her a drink, was the Soul Taker.
"Do ye come here often?" His Scottish flavored words reminded her of Garran's speech, but Garran didn't try to charm her with his will. This man was making it his mission.
She concentrated on her words, forcing herself to stay lucid. "First time. It's a lively crowd."
"Aye, quite lively."
The way he said lively sent a chill down her spine, this time not in a good way. Was she his intended victim for the night? She glanced around at the couples sitting at the tables. She was the only one who had been sitting by herself. Is this how he selected the woman? Someone alone, or perhaps he chose a woman who didn't have a man doting over her.
His gaze traveled the length of her before they settled on her mouth. She cleared her throat and he met her eyes once more.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" She hadn't meant to blurt that out, but he made her nervous and, let's face it, she hadn't dated much. Though, if he were the Soul Taker, dating wasn't on his mind.
He threw off mixed messages: seductive, fearful, angelic; but there was always evil skimming the edges, lurking just below the surface. Her heart froze when she realized why the mixed signals. He harbored stolen souls and she was picking up on them.
"To the point, I see." His amused chuckle forced her to focus.
She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "You're a good looking guy." Where was she going with this? "It's difficult for me to believe someone hasn't snatched you up." Come on Garran, Harrison, where are you guys? "I do hate it when a jealous lover interrupts, don't you?"
He placed his hand on hers and she tried not to recoil from his touch. "Let me assure ye, no one will interrupt us." He leaned near, a seductive whisper stroked over her wi
th the effect of a soft warm kiss placed near the tender area below her ear.
Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment, and her body warmed to his touch. It would be so easy to… She turned her head. His mouth hovered near hers and she parted her lips to accept his open invitation for more, but she caught a glimpse of his aura spiking, the colors like a warning. No, her mind screamed, and she groaned with just a tad bit of regret as she placed a hand on the Soul Taker's chest and leaned back with a smile. "I don't believe you gave me your name."
He tilted his head slightly as he assessed her with mild amusement. "I am called Alexander."
She held out her hand. "I'm Isabella."
His gaze flickered to her hand with a chuckle. His hand covered hers, but instead of shaking it as she thought he would do, he caressed her hand with a kiss. "Isabella." Her name rolled off his tongue like warm honey. "A beautiful name for a beautiful woman."
"Thank you."
He didn't release her hand. "Would ye like to go somewhere a little more private?"
She knew that look, vampire or not, this guy expected her to put out. She removed her hand from his grip. "Listen, you're cute and all, but I don't operate in fast mode." She pushed back her chair and stood to leave, but his hand snaked out.
His grip was gentle, but firm. "Please, wait."
She frowned at him, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. She didn't have to pretend she was miffed. She was miffed! He didn't even want to wine and dine her before he sucked the soul out of her. She scanned the bar quickly for her back-up team. Where the heck did Harrison and Garran go? She was in way over her head here.
"Please forgive me," Alexander said. "I didn't mean to offend ye, but it is apparent I have. It is so loud in here and I only wished to know ye better."
She sat back down, only because she hoped Garran and Harrison would return and take this guy out. "Apology accepted, but I can't stay long." She put her elbow on the table, leaning her chin on the palm of her hand. "But you could ask me out."
A smile spread across his face. "How about tomorrow? I'll pick ye— "
"I'll meet you," she interrupted. She might as well go with this, but make it on her terms.
"As ye wish."
She reached for a napkin. Sensing what she would need next, he removed a pen from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it to her. Where should she meet him? She couldn't give him her home address or the address to her restaurant. "How about I meet you for dinner at Bailey's? Say eight?" The place was always busy, so she didn't have to worry about being alone with him.
"Bailey's then." Before she realized what he was about to do, he took her hand again and pressed it to his lips. This guy was definitely the touchy feely type. "Until tomorrow," he said and rose from his seat. He sauntered away, his strides strong and sure, a predator in every sense of the word.
Isabella didn't want to waste another second. She wanted out of here before Alexander changed his mind and came after her tonight. Who knew when Garran and Harrison would come back for her. She wanted to escape the Soul Taker's attention, while he was busy making small talk to another woman...potential victim, she corrected. She shivered at the thought, but she wasn't going to wait around to find out.
Isabella slipped outside and practically jogged to her car. The moment she rounded the corner of the building, an inkling of apprehension shot through her. The streetlights were scattered in the parking lot, allowing the shadows to hover like spectators awaiting doom.
Her stomach rolled and the fine hairs on her forearms stood erect. Someone followed her. There were no footsteps echoing behind her. It was only her gut feeling. Had Alexander followed her outside? Could vampires go invisible at will? It was a little late to think of that now and playing the scared victim didn't sit well with her. However, she knew first hand her gun only slowed down a vampire.
Harrison and Garran hinted the iron bullets could kill a vampire if they weren't removed, but that didn't prove to calm her nerves. A vampire could do a lot of damage before he succumbed to a bullet wound.
"Screw this." She bolted for her car, using her key fob to unlock the doors. She skidded to a stop. She grabbed for the door handle, but someone moved behind her. She whirled around and swung her purse at the assailant's head.
"Ouch! Will ye stop, yer foolishness woman?" Garran bellowed, yanking the purse out of her hands. "Where do ye think ye're goin'?"
Her hand flew to her chest in relief. "You nearly scared me to death."
"And well ye should be scared. Are ye bloody stupid? Why are ye out here and no' waitin' for us inside?"
"He's here. The Soul Taker..." The last came out in a hoarse whisper. "He asked me out on a date."
Garran's brows furrowed. "Ye made a date with the devil?"
"Nice choice of words, and yes. You and Harrison weren't around, and I didn't know what else to do when the evil Grim Sith sat down next to me. I thought about just asking him to give me the souls he's taken, but I had a hunch he wouldn't have been forthcoming." She ignored how Garran's eyes narrowed at her and his aura spiked like flares. Nice to know a vampire's aura behaved the same as a human's when pissed off. It would at least give her a warning, not one she planned on heeding. "Besides, if he's dating me, maybe he won't take someone else's soul."
"No, of course no'. Only yers."
She swallowed hard, but she refused to let him scare her. Hell, she was already scared, but there wasn't any need to let it consume her. It wouldn't change the fact that she made a date with the Soul Taker. As for him taking her soul…"Well, isn't that where you and Harrison come in? You're supposed to stop him." She frowned. "By the way, where's Harrison?"
"He's taking the woman from the bar home. Since ye were making yer own plans for doom, what did ye find out about him?"
"He's Scottish, good looking…"
He harrumphed.
But she ignored him and continued to give a vivid detail of what he looked like and what he said to her.
"Does it sound like someone you know?"
"Aye, a long time ago." He leaned forward and opened her car door for her. "Go home, Miss Lucci. I'll head back inside to see if I can have myself a nice chat with Alexander."
She shut the car door again. "I'll go with you." She was feeling braver now that she had a vampire at her side. She'd only taken a few steps, before Garran's hand snaked out to halt her.
"Ye're no' goin' back inside."
"Yes, I am. I would be safer beside you anyway. What if he sneaks out the side door and comes after me while you're inside?"
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. When he opened his eyes again, he pinned his gaze on her, not without annoyance. "Fine. But stay behind me and try not to draw attention to yerself."
Her brows rose slightly at his last remark. He was the one who should worry about drawing attention. She was sure gorgeous warrior type men didn't wander into a bar every night of the week.
Once inside, Isabella looked toward the bar, but Alexander was no longer there. However, she was glad to see the woman he'd been speaking with still sat there, chatting away with another guy at the bar.
"He's gone," Isabella said with disappointment. She scanned the room, but she didn't spot him among the other patron's either.
She glanced at Garran and noticed he searched the crowd too. "He glamoured himself," he said dryly. "He's no longer here." Garran glanced at her then, worry marring his rugged features. "Let's go back to yer place. Harrison is going to meet us there." He didn't wait for her to respond, but took her arm and ushered her out of the bar.
"Sure. Did you bring your car or do you fly or something?"
"Fly?" His eyebrows lifted in confusion.
She waved her hands in imitation of a bird in flight. "You know, fly. Like in, can you go all bat boy?"
He closed his eyes in a deliberate blink. He did have beautiful eyes that had a Highlander slant to them. "I can no' turn into a bat, Miss Lucci."
They had reached her car now. "Too bad," she s
ighed. "I would have liked to seen that."
He harrumphed in a manner that made her wonder if he did so to keep his temper in check or if he liked to let her know how much she annoyed him. "I have a vehicle," he told her. "I'll follow ye."
She watched Garran as he strode to his car, which so happened to be a sleek black Viper Imperial.
"No way," she said under her breath in awe. Never mind that there was a two-year waiting list to get your hands on one of those babies, but how did he come up with the cash? The car was worth more than she made in a year. What was she saying? In two years. She glanced at her reliable vehicle with leather interior. She still had four years of payments before it was legally hers. With a sigh, she opened her car door and slid into the driver's seat.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Garran pulled up and parked behind Isabella. She jumped out of the car and headed over to him with a purpose. "I can't believe this, Dracula." She ran her hand over his vehicle with reverence. "Did you kill the previous owner and steal it?"
Her reference to him being a cold-blooded murderer pried on his nerves. He never eliminated a life unless he was justified in doing so. He definitely would not murder for his own personal gain. There was no need to do so. "I most certainly did no such thing." She seemed not to hear him or didn't care. She was all about the car. Just transportation to him, something fast in case he needed to chase down a culprit, or if he found he'd timed his return back to his house a little too close and the sun was ready to rise and fry his arse, the vehicle would get him to safety quickly.
"I heard it's the fastest car around." Her eyes lit up like the sun, the gold rims of her hazel eyes blazing with excitement.
He shrugged. "Zero to a hundred in ten seconds flat."
She let out a low whistle as she pushed him aside so she could sit down in the driver's seat. "How about letting me take it for a spin?"
"No' on yer life."
She sighed with longing as she gripped the steering wheel. "A girl's gotta try."
He had to admit she gave his vehicle an added appeal. "How do ye know so much about cars?" he had to ask.
Soul Taker Page 14
