by AE Jones
Then why was she pushing him away? She marched into the room quickly, as if to prove a point. Talia always stood up to a dare, and from the look in her eyes, she was going to push back, hard.
“Don’t get used to running the investigation. I let you take lead with Renato because I thought you would get more out of him than I would.”
Jean Luc inclined his head. “And I appreciate your trust in my investigative skills.”
She frowned at him. “First humor and now sarcasm? Maybe Kyle is rubbing off on you.”
He did not respond, knowing no matter what he said, she would attack.
“If Kyle had been here, she would have been right up in Renato’s face.”
“You are probably correct. But Kyle is not vampire. She is not subject to our laws, Talia. If you had confronted him, Renato could file a complaint against you with the council. Do you wish to lose your job?”
She grimaced. “He’s slimy. He might not be the killer, but he’s not innocent. When you told him about Melanie, he acted like she was no more important than a bug.”
“Many of the founding vampires have been alive for so long that they have lost their capacity to feel empathy for those around them. They have no problem twisting the world to their version of the truth.”
“Speaking of twisting the truth, what was with the lie earlier?”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“When Misha asked about your acquaintance, Leonardo, and you said he was a new recruit. I got the impression you weren’t telling the truth. What didn’t you want to say in front of everyone?”
She could sense he was lying? “It is not important.”
“It’s important enough that you lied to Misha about it.”
“Leo would not be listed as working for La Société because he is an enforcer.”
“He told you that?”
“Not directly, since they are not allowed to tell anyone, but that is his job.”
“Jean Luc, he is serious business. Didn’t you tell me that enforcers are the vamp version of the CIA? If La Société has sent an enforcer, then there will be bloodshed. And we’ll be left to clean up the mess. Who is this Leo to you?”
Jean Luc closed his eyes for a moment. Memories bubbled just under the surface. Was he ready to let them out into the light of day? When he opened his eyes again, he looked at Talia. The fight had gone out of her stance, and her face was full of concern.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
He sat on the foot of the bed, and she sat beside him.
“Leo and I met during The Wars. When I was turned and lost Jacqueline and my son, I wanted to kill myself. The vampires who worked for Pierre LeBlanc assigned Leo to watch over the newly turned.”
She stiffened next to him. “Leo worked for them!”
“He had been forcibly turned himself.”
“Then why was he helping them?”
“He was not helping them. Not really. He was trying to keep us alive. He hated LeBlanc and all he stood for, just as I did, but he was not willing to lie down and die. He saved me countless times on the battlefield. Times when I would have simply stood there and allowed myself to be struck down to stop the pain, he protected me.”
Jean Luc’s hands moved restlessly on his legs, and Talia reached for him, grasping one hand.
“One day he stepped in front of a sword meant for me. It would have taken his head off if I had not pushed him out of the way at the last second. He bears the scar on his neck to this day, and I do not know why. Unlike other scars, it never fully healed. Maybe it was because he had been so close to death. But he saved me. And I vowed I would do the same for him. I swore a blood oath to him.”
Talia rubbed her thumb in slow circles over the back of his hand. He stared at their hands, folded together.
“What is a blood oath? You have never mentioned one before.”
“It is not something that happens much anymore. When a vampire swears a blood oath to another, he ties himself to that vampire through blood. He promises to give his life for the other. If someone threatens Leo, I must either fight that person to the death or die in Leo’s stead.”
“Why would you let someone have that much power over you?”
Jean Luc placed his other hand on top of Talia’s trapping it between both of his. “There is nothing to worry about, Talia. This is the first time I have seen Leo in more than one hundred years. And he has told me he will not hold me to it.”
“But you still would do it anyway.”
“Oui.”
Jean Luc gazed into her gold-laced, brown eyes. He wanted to pull her to him and kiss her. Make her realize they were meant for each other. Her eyes widened as if she could read his thoughts. After a second, Jean Luc let her go and she stood.
He stood as well. “I am supposed to rendezvous with Leo tonight. I would like you to meet him.”
“Of course. Where?”
He smiled slightly, attempting to lighten the mood. “Leo wants to watch the fountain show.”
* * *
As usual, a crowd gathered around the hotel. It was almost time for the show to begin. Every half hour, the fountains drew tourists in droves to watch the water dance to music. Talia had been living in Vegas for years, and so many of the shows had become humdrum to her. But there was something magical about the fountains.
She stood next to Jean Luc and studied the crowd. Worn-out parents with cranky toddlers, couples dressed up for an evening out, hardcore gamblers not caring what they looked like as they moved from one hotel to the next.
She turned to Jean Luc. Her heart was still aching from their earlier discussion. He had survived so much in his lifetime, and his strength made her love him all the more. She caught her breath. She did love him. She did want to be with him. And she would tell him as much…as soon as they were alone.
Jean Luc pointed into the crowd at a tall male whose back was to them. “That is Leo.”
They started toward him when Jean Luc’s phone rang. He pulled it out and studied the screen. “It’s Misha.”
“Go ahead and get it. Maybe they have some news. I’ll go introduce myself to Leo.”
Jean Luc nodded and walked in the opposite direction, away from the noisy crowd.
Talia kept Leo in her sights. Tingling formed low and sharp in her spine. She jerked at the intensity of it. He must be a formidable vamp to be throwing off that much power when he wasn’t even close yet. The static charged up her spine and coalesced in her brain, and she held her breath to keep herself from gasping. The music started, the water danced, and the crowd surged toward the show, pushing her closer to Leo.
The heat from him soaked into her. He turned. Her vision narrowed until the noise and the people around her disappeared. No!
She stared into the eyes of the devil himself—the son of a bitch who’d turned her.
Chapter 9
Talia struggled for calm. Terror fought for dominance over rage, making it hard to breathe.
Leo chuckled. “Oh, irony, you are both beautiful and twisted.”
“You bastard,” Talia hissed.
“Watch your language, Talia. There are children present.”
As if in answer to his summons, a toddler bumped into his leg and fell down on his butt, then burst into tears. Leo bent and picked him up. A harried-looking woman stood a couple feet away and pushed her way over to them.
“Michael!”
Leo handed her the toddler, and she thanked him before returning to her husband’s side.
Talia watched the interchange and willed her claws to retract. She could easily imagine herself ripping his throat out. She had the right, but not here, not now. There were too many vulnerabilities here. Too much risk of casualties.
She lowered her voice to a pitch only his vamp ears could hear. “Why are you here, Chris?”
“To stop a killer. It’s an added bonus to see you again.”
“A bonus? Everything about you is a lie. Even your name. Chris, L
eo or whatever you call yourself.”
“I did not lie to you. My full name is Leonardo Christophe Salazar.”
“You turned me against my will and then left me. I had no idea what I had become. No one to teach me what it meant to be a vampire.”
He shrugged. “And yet you survived. From the looks of it, very well, my beautiful girl.”
“Don’t ever call me that again.” Hate sizzled under her skin at his flippant response. “I’m going to kill you.”
He wagged his finger at her as if she were a small child. “Ah, ah, ah, Talia. I would watch what I say.”
“Why the hell should I? I promise you. You. Are. Dead.”
“I don’t think Jean Luc would like to hear you threaten me.”
“Why the hell would he care…?” Her throat closed on the words. Oh God.
He smiled. “I see he has told you about the oath. Would you like to tell me again how you plan to kill me?”
No!
“Now watch what you say, my beautiful girl. He’s coming this way. I wouldn’t want to be forced to invoke the oath.”
Talia took a deep breath and pulled in all of her energy—all the rage and frustration—and locked them away.
Jean Luc walked up and grasped Leo’s forearm in a handshake of old. “I see you have met Talia.”
Leo smiled. “I have, and she is as amazing as you said.”
Jean Luc’s eyes widened at his words, but when he turned to Talia, they narrowed on her face. “Is something wrong?”
“No. Nothing’s wrong.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She didn’t dare look at Chris again. “I…just need to feed. What did Misha have to say?”
“Both Misha and Marty have been busy. It looks more and more like Renato may be guilty. We need to go to the lab. Do you wish to come along, Leo?”
Talia held her breath, waiting.
“I do not want to stray too far away from the contingent. They are acting a little too skittish. Maybe your earlier meeting with Renato has made him nervous.”
Jean Luc shrugged. “Stay close to him then, and let us know if he attempts to leave Vegas.”
Chris bowed slightly. “Of course. It was a pleasure to meet you, Talia.”
She bit the inside of her lip to stop from spewing what she really wanted to say to him. She nodded instead, and he turned and walked away.
Jean Luc stared hard at her for a moment. “We will stop and get you some blood first. You do not look right to me.”
She shrugged. She might never be right again.
Chapter 10
Something was wrong with Talia. Jean Luc observed her closely. Even after feeding, she still seemed off. Her mouth was pinched and her eyes had lost their glorious spark. Had he pushed her too hard? Had he scared her away with the maudlin talk of his past?
They had just arrived at the lab, and Misha, Will, and Marty were clearly bursting to tell them some sort of news.
“Okay, guys what have you got?” Talia sighed.
Marty started. “The oil residue on the paper Jean Luc gave me is the same oil as I found on Melanie Thomas.”
“So it is Renato,” Jean Luc responded.
Talia shook her head. “Or the masseuse. It could be anyone in his contingent. It could be Vamp One or Vamp Two, for all we know.”
Misha’s eyebrow lifted. “Vamp One or Vamp Two? Are we in a paranormal Dr. Seuss now?”
Talia didn’t crack a smile. “They are Renato’s guards.”
Will interjected, “So we have enough evidence to start questioning the entire group. Someone is bound to slip up. We can narrow it down by finding out who was away from the contingent on the night of Melanie’s murder.”
Misha cocked his head. “I have been doing some searching and found something interesting as well. Renato is not the only founding vampire on the move. Three others from Europe and one from China have recently arrived in the United States.”
“Where are they?” Talia asked.
“Spread out in various cities, but the odds against having all these founding vamps here at one time are astronomical.”
“Why would they come here?” Marty asked.
There could be only one reason, but it made Jean Luc’s heart thud. “A tribunal.”
Talia inhaled sharply, and Misha gave a low whistle.
Will looked between them. “Explain to the rest of us what you mean.”
“A tribunal is called when our head vampire’s rule is challenged. Only founding vampires can challenge our ruler.”
“Does this happen a lot?”
“There has not been a challenge in over three hundred years.”
“So they’re going to New York, then?” Marty asked. “Doesn’t your leader live in New York City?”
“Tobias lives in New York, but they won’t challenge him on his home territory. They will use last year’s fiasco with Sebastian and his murder spree as their excuse to challenge him. They will argue that a good leader would have not allowed the murders to occur. Therefore, they will want to interrogate everyone involved. Which means it will take place in Cleveland.”
Misha sighed. “I’ll contact the pilot to see when we can head back. Is there still time for Will to take me to get all-you-can-eat crab legs?”
Talia frowned. “We’re not going anywhere. Renato and his followers are still here, and we have a murderer to catch.”
She stalked out of the room.
Silence reigned until Will spoke. “Damn. She’s pissed about something. Maybe I should go talk to her.”
Jean Luc stepped in front of him. “No. Let me try.” He walked out of the lab and found Talia standing outside, gazing up at the moon.
“Talia, what is wrong?
“Nothing.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m fine, Jean Luc. Just pissed at our species for believing we have the right to destroy someone weaker.”
“I know this must bring back bad memories of your turning.”
She spun around to glower at him. “Why would you say that?”
“Because I am not sure whether you were talking about you or Melanie. Luckily, you survived.”
“Maybe she was the lucky one.”
His fangs elongated, and a growl erupted from his chest. “Never say that again.”
She stumbled back from him. “I need some time by myself, Jean Luc.”
“That is not a good idea.”
“Tough. Now back off.”
He opened his mouth to protest.
“Please, Jean Luc. Just give me some time. You’re right; this case is getting to me.”
He nodded, and she flashed away. He waited a few seconds, and then flashed after her. He would give her some space, but he needed to watch over her. Something was not right.
And it scared him.
* * *
Talia opened her mind, searching for Chris. He was her sire by blood, if nothing else, so she should be able to locate him. She ended up standing in the alley next to The Cosmo hotel. Chris had been there recently, but the tingling sensation was light. It made sense that he would be staying close to the contingent. She would wait for him.
She needed a plan. If she attacked him when Jean Luc was not around, he would never need to know she was the one who had killed Chris. And he would be unable to invoke the oath. But she couldn’t kill him on the strip. Someone else could be hurt in the crossfire. She needed time to think and plan.
Three hours of lurking in an alley, and Talia had reached her limit. She stalked into the hotel toward the door behind the reservation counter. Veronique stood there, a scowl souring her face.
“Have the vamps from Europe checked out?” Talia asked.
“They left hours ago.”
“Going where?”
“I don’t know.”
Talia took a step toward her. “They didn’t have you arrange transport?”
Veronique huffed. “They went to the airport.”
“And di
d you happen to hear where they were going?”
“I don’t make a point of listening in on private conversations.”
Talia glared at her.
“Fine! They were going to Cleveland, of all places.”
Veronique actually shuddered after saying the word. Talia gripped her hands behind her back to keep from slapping the French Barbie doll and turned on her heel. She dialed her phone while she hustled out the hotel doors.
“Hope you got your fill of crab legs, Misha. It’s time to fire up the jet.”
Chapter 11
Jean Luc glanced toward the back of the plane, where Talia sat alone. Her eyes were closed, and she wore earbuds hooked to her phone. Her music blared loud enough for him to hear it, even this far away.
When he had followed her, she had simply gone to The Cosmopolitan and stood outside for hours. If she wanted to shut him out for now, he would cooperate, but he would find out what was bothering her soon.
“Oh, boy.” Will mumbled. “She’s listening to rap. That’s not a good sign.”
“Why?” Jean Luc asked.
“T is normally pretty laid back. But when she does get upset, she listens to music. I can gauge how upset she is by the type of music. Slightly irritated, and she listens to alternative. Mad, and she gravitates to reggae. Majorly pissed, she listens to rap, and if that happens, I make myself scarce.”
Misha chuckled. “You know her well.”
Will shrugged. “She’s my partner. We have each other’s back.”
Jean Luc clenched his fists. “So you are close.”
Will stared at him for a moment before answering. “She’s not just my partner, she’s my friend.”
“Are you sleeping with her?” Misha blurted.
Mon Dieu! Jean Luc just barely stopped himself from groaning.
“Are you sleeping with Jean Luc?” Will countered.
Misha chuckled. “No. He is not my type. Too moody.”
Will smiled then looked straight at Jean Luc before answering. “I am not sleeping with her. We’re friends. Not that she isn’t drop-dead gorgeous, but nothing has ever happened or will happen between us.”
