by AE Jones
“And why is that?” Jean Luc asked before he could stop himself.
“Because she’s in love with someone else and is too stubborn to admit it. Get the picture?”
“Oui.”
“That reminds me of someone else I know,” Misha quipped.
Jean Luc narrowed his eyes at him.
Misha’s responding chuckle erupted into a belly laugh.
* * *
Jean Luc pulled the van out of long-term parking, tires screeching as he turned in the direction of the airport exit.
“Holy crap! Is driving like a maniac part of the vampire handbook?” Will asked.
“Most definitely,” Misha answered.
“T drives the same way.”
Jean Luc looked in the rearview mirror at Talia. He wanted her to chime in to the conversation and put both males in their places. Instead, she sat quietly looking out the window. “Misha, have we heard from Dolly?”
Misha checked his phone. “She emailed me. Renato’s contingent is staying at the Renaissance. Why do you think your friend Leo hasn’t contacted you yet?”
“Good question,” Talia interjected.
Jean Luc pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Misha. “Maybe he did while we were on the plane.”
Misha nodded. “Yep there’s a text here.”
“What does it say?” Talia asked.
“Says he followed group to Cleveland. He’ll contact Jean Luc with more details.”
“So where to first?” Will asked.
“Now that we can trace the oil to Renato, we need to question him and the contingent again,” Jean Luc said.
Misha’s phone rang, and he hit the speaker button. “Hello, little one.”
“You guys back in town yet?” Kyle’s voice was easy to hear.
“Yes, we are in the van heading to the Renaissance to interrogate some vampires.”
“Were you going to call me?”
“I didn’t want to interrupt anything between you and Griffin. You both need some alone time.”
“Griffin’s having to deal with some pack business. I’m free and ready to help. I’ll meet you at the hotel. How’s Jean Luc doing? Has he gotten anywhere with Talia yet?”
Misha punched the speaker button off and put the phone to his ear. “You were on speaker just now.”
The expletive that exploded through the phone was loud enough that even Will in the far back seat laughed.
“We’ll see you in a few minutes, Kyle.”
* * *
“What are we waiting for?” Talia asked, looking around the lobby.
Jean Luc answered, “Kyle should be here any minute. We can then start interviewing contingent members. Dolly emailed Misha the members’ room numbers.
“I have already emailed them to your phones,” Misha added.
They were wasting time. The sooner they figured out who the killer was, the sooner she could deal with Chris. “Besides Renato, we have ten others to interview. We should split up and start questioning the group.”
Jean Luc nodded. “I agree. Misha and Will, you work together and—”
“I’ll take Kyle,” Talia interrupted.
“You’ll take me where?” Kyle asked as she sauntered up to the group.
Will smiled. “Hey, Kyle.”
Talia turned to her. “We’re splitting up to interrogate people. You’re with me. We’ll take the first four names on the list Dolly sent.” She headed for the elevator.
“All righty, then,” Kyle replied and jogged up next to her. “Good to see you again, too.”
Talia hit the elevator button and the doors slid open. “We’re questioning vampires who are suspects in a murder. Let me do the talking.”
Kyle smiled. “You sound like Jean Luc.”
“But unlike Jean Luc, I mean it when I say let me do the talking.”
Kyle’s smile dimmed. “Yes, your Vampiredness, whatever you say. If you’re that worried I’m going to screw things up, then why did you ask to be paired with me?”
Talia didn’t answer. Instead, she focused on the floor numbers clicking past. Two.
After a few seconds, Kyle chuckled. “You didn’t want to be alone with Jean Luc, right? It’s like junior high all over again but with fangs.”
Talia ignored her. Three.
“Sometimes I wish that, instead of changing memories, my power could change attitudes. Now that would be a cool gift to have. People acting pissy around you, and you just zap them and they’re happy. Yep, that would be a cool power.”
Four.
This was the second longest damn elevator ride of her life.
* * *
Forty-five minutes later, they were no closer to finding the killer. She and Kyle had interviewed four vamps who, unless they were very good actors, had no clue what was going on, and they all had an alibi for the night Melanie was attacked.
Talia marched toward the elevator with Kyle on her heels. At the last minute, she veered through the door leading to the stairs. Something was drawing her that way. A tingling so slight it could have been her imagination. Or maybe she simply didn’t want a repeat of the elevator ride up with Kyle.
“Well, that was a bust. Hopefully the guys are having better luck.”
Talia stopped on the stairs. “Quiet.”
Kyle stopped next to her, hands on her hips. “I’ve had it. What the hell is your problem?”
“No, listen.”
A soft moan echoed up the stairwell. Talia looked over the handrail and saw a woman lying on the landing two floors down. The faint scent of blood reached her. Talia flashed down the stairs and stopped next to the woman. She was young, maybe college age, with long blond hair flopped over to cover her face. Her arms and legs were held close to her body in the fetal position.
Talia squatted, and the girl flinched at her closeness, throwing an arm up over her face. Her forearm had several fang marks running along it.
“I won’t hurt you. I’m here to help.”
Kyle ran down the stairs, and when the girl flinched again, Talia held up her hand to stop Kyle from coming any closer. Talia’s heart ached. Who would do this?
“You’re safe now. Let me help you.”
The girl lifted her head, and her hair fell back from her face. She opened her eyes and stared at Talia for a moment. Her expression was blank. Shock. They needed to get her out of here.
“I’m Talia. Can you tell me your name?”
The girl blinked at her, and her eyes lost some of their haziness. “Annie.”
“Okay, Annie. Will you allow me to check you over?”
She nodded, and Talia quickly examined her. She had bites on both arms and her neck.
“Do you think you can stand?”
Annie nodded again, and Talia held out her hand to offer her help up.
The girl grabbed Talia’s hand, and her eyes flashed red. Shit! Annie yanked Talia toward her, Talia lost her balance, and Annie bit her hard in the neck, ripping at her throat. Talia pushed against her chest, but the girl was surprisingly strong.
Kyle yelled and ran to the door leading out of the stairwell. Where the hell was she going?
After a few more harsh pulls, Talia’s vision went fuzzy. The other vamp must have hit her jugular. “Let go, Annie!”
Kyle ran back with something metallic in her hands.
“Let her go!”
White foam sprayed them, and Annie jerked away from Talia’s neck. When Annie lunged for her neck again, Kyle swung the cylinder at the girl. A metallic thunk echoed through the stairwell. Then another thunk.
Talia’s eyelids fluttered and then closed.
Chapter 12
Jean Luc rubbed the back of his neck while he waited in the lobby for the others to arrive. He was no closer to figuring out who the killer was. Renato and his guards were not in the building. According to Renato’s secretary, he was at an appointment he had set up himself, which meant she did not have any details. And based on her irritation, Jean Luc was convinced it
was not a common occurrence. Maybe Renato was meeting with the other founding vampires to prepare for the tribunal.
Misha and Will walked up to him.
“No luck, my friend?” Misha asked.
“No. You?”
“No.” Misha slapped Will on the shoulder. “This reminds me of an episode from Law and Order. The cops couldn’t narrow down the killer because there were so many suspects.”
Jean Luc’s spine tingled. Something wasn’t right. He looked around the lobby to try and pinpoint where the sensation came from.
Misha stopped rambling about his television show and gave Jean Luc a hard look. “What is it, my friend?”
“I do not know. I—”
Pain! He jerked. Mon Dieu, Talia.
Misha grabbed his arm. “Jean Luc!”
“Talia, she—” He pulled out of Misha’s grip and ran toward the back of the hotel.
Where was she? He stopped for a second and concentrated. She was above him. The elevator was too slow. Where was the stairwell?
He stopped himself from flashing in front of the hotel guests, instead ran down the hall and pushed open the door to the stairs.
Kyle’s shout echoed from above. “Let her go!”
He flashed up the empty stairs until he reached the third-floor landing. Kyle sprayed a fire extinguisher at a fledgling vampire who was ravaging Talia’s neck. Before Jean Luc could flash again, Kyle swung the extinguisher hard against the vampire’s head.
Kyle didn’t take a breath before she swung the extinguisher with all her might again, knocking the vampire across the floor.
Jean Luc bared his fangs and stood between the fledgling, Talia, and Kyle.
A door slammed open from below. Within seconds, Will and Misha thundered up the stairs.
“Shit!” Will exclaimed, reaching for Talia.
Jean Luc growled. Non! Mine.
Misha grabbed Will’s arm. “Don’t touch her, Will. Take care of the vamp, and let Jean Luc help her.”
Will’s eyes widened when he glanced at Jean Luc. “Okay.”
While Will and Misha grabbed the fledgling and handcuffed her, Jean Luc started to breathe again. He flashed to Talia, yanked his coat off, and then his shirt, which he used to wipe the blood and foam away from her neck. Blood gushed from the wound, and he clamped his hand over her skin and bent, holding the tear together and licking her throat. Stop the bleeding. Stop the bleeding. Why was it taking so long? The chemicals in his saliva should help seal the wound.
After a few minutes, her neck was partially healed, but she still lay limp in his arms. She had lost a lot of blood. He wanted to see her eyes open and sparking with flecks of gold.
“Jean Luc.”
He would need to feed her soon. Otherwise, it would take days or even weeks for her to heal.
“Jean Luc!”
He looked up at Kyle, and she smiled, even though her eyes were tight with worry.
“Misha is pulling the van around back. We can go down the stairs and out that way.”
He glanced around the landing and realized they were the only ones there. When had Misha and Will taken the fledgling away?
“She’s going to be okay?” Kyle asked.
“Oui.”
Kyle let out a hard breath. “Good.” She pulled her coat off. “Wrap this around her to hide the blood on her clothes. And put your own coat back on. We can’t have you prancing around shirtless. Women will swoon.”
Jean Luc let out his own shaky breath and complied with Kyle’s orders. Then he lifted Talia and walked carefully down the stairs. He tucked Talia’s head against his chest, where it belonged. She would be all right, and they would be together again.
He would see to it.
Chapter 13
Talia couldn’t open her eyes. So tired.
She didn’t know where she was. But she did know she was safe. Jean Luc’s scent surrounded her, as did his words, first English, then French, telling her she would be fine. She ached, needing something. A wrist pressed against her lips, and liquid warmth invaded her mouth. It tasted like citrus and spice, like life and power. She lapped her tongue over the skin, and then began to suckle.
She didn’t know how long she fed, but eventually, the wrist was removed, and the words came back, telling her to rest. She faded again, but not before lips lightly touched her forehead.
She woke to the sound of a heartbeat. No, it was two heartbeats. Hers and…she turned her head to the right. Jean Luc sat in a chair in the corner of the room. When he saw she was watching him, he stood and stepped up to the bed.
“How are you feeling?”
She took a deep breath. “I’m fine.”
His gaze narrowed on her, as if judging the truth of her statement. “Do you remember what happened?”
“Annie attacked me. Is she okay?”
“Doc is with her. We have her sedated. She was very upset when she realized what she had done to you.”
“We’re at the BSR facility?”
“Yes. Why did you risk going near the fledgling? You know how dangerous a newly turned vampire can be.”
“She was hurt, and I didn’t sense that she had just been turned.”
“Right now she is feral. Hopefully once things are explained to her she will get a handle on her hunger.”
Talia should have known better, but her emotions had blinded her. “I thought Annie had been attacked like Melanie. I needed to help her.”
Jean Luc placed his hand on her arm. “It is midafternoon. You have been asleep since this morning. You are healing, but slower than normal since you lost a lot of blood.”
“You’ve been feeding me.”
He nodded, and she frowned. If she couldn’t even defend herself from a fledgling, how would she face Chris?
Jean Luc removed his hand from her arm. “There was no time to ask your permission, Talia. It would have taken weeks for you to rebuild your blood supply without my help.”
“No. I’m not upset about that. Thank you for helping me. What are our next steps?”
“Renato and his guards have gone missing. We must find him before he strikes again.”
Talia shook her head. “Something’s not right about this, Jean Luc. Why would Renato attack her? And in the same hotel where he’s staying? Why would he want to bring trouble knocking at his own door right before he was involved in a tribunal? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Maybe he has gone mad.”
“Or maybe someone is setting him up? Someone in his contingent?” She sat up in the bed. “Or one of the other founding vampires?”
“To what end?” Jean Luc asked.
“If the tribunal is called, how is a new leader chosen?”
“Several founding vampires must allege misconduct on the part of the leader, and if he is removed, then those vampires are vetted as candidates for the new leader.”
“Renato is in the running for this, right? What if one of the other founders wants to make sure he is not chosen? Right now, he doesn’t look like a good choice after what’s been happening.”
“You have a point. But I still need to speak with Renato.”
“So go look for him.”
He hesitated, and she smiled.
“I’m fine, honest. I’ll be good and stay here and rest. But I’m out of this bed tomorrow morning. Do we have a deal?”
“We have a deal. Are you up for visitors while I am gone?”
He didn’t fool her. Visitors meant someone to watch over her, but she wouldn’t fight him on that either. “Yes.”
Jean Luc walked toward the door, and she called out to him, “Don’t go after Renato alone.”
He looked over his shoulder, his lips turning up slightly. “I thought you said it was not him?”
She opened her mouth to argue, and he continued, “Misha would not let me go alone even if I chose to. But he will want to see you before we go, so I will send him in.”
Five minutes later, Misha and Will bustled into the room.
Will grabbed her hand. “You doin’ okay, T?”
“Yes. Thanks.”
Misha grinned. “You scared me, my dear. Don’t do that again.”
“Yes, sir. Has anyone talked to Annie yet?”
“Nope,” Will answered. “She’s sedated. Since she’s having issues with bloodlust, Doc suggested I shouldn’t get too close, since shifter blood is so yummy to you vamps and all.”
Talia rolled her eyes. “That ego of yours is going to get you into trouble one of these days, Will.”
Will motioned to Misha. “Maybe Mr. Stinky Blood here can talk to her.”
“My blood is not stinky!” Misha sputtered. “It’s not palatable to vampires, which I personally think is a good thing. The fledgling is not too happy with either of us, since we cuffed her and brought her here.”
“Well, what about Kyle?”
Will and Misha shook their heads at the same time.
Will spoke up first. “Annie won’t let Kyle near her. I don’t blame her. Kyle let her have it.”
Talia frowned. She couldn’t remember exactly what happened, just snippets of Kyle shouting. “What did she do?”
Misha cut in. “It was brilliant. Shades of the show Alias. Sydney Bristow would be proud. She grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed Annie to shock her into letting you go. Then she walloped her with the canister. Twice.”
Will chuckled. “If Kyle wasn’t dating the leader of the shifters, I would so go after her.”
“I owe her my thanks.” Talia said.
Misha leaned down and kissed her on top of her head. “Kyle will be in to visit in a little bit. Close your eyes for a while and rest.”
“I’m not tired.”
“You know I’ll keep arguing with you until you agree, yes?”
“Stubborn Russian. Fine. I’ll rest if you watch out for Jean Luc.”
Misha’s eyes narrowed on her. “Always.”
Will squeezed her hand before following Misha out of the room.
Talia closed her eyes. She wasn’t tired. She would just close them for a few minutes.
* * *
Talia opened her eyes. Once again, she was not alone in the room. Kyle sat in the chair Jean Luc had vacated.
“How are you feeling?”
“Great.”
