by Mary Abshire
It didn't take us long to get from the car to his condo. The minute he opened the door, I headed straight for the bedroom I was staying in. When I reached the glass window looking over the city, I stopped.
"Fuck!" I banged my fist on the glass.
Steam formed on the window from my breath. A bead of sweat trickled over my right temple and continued down the side of my face. I wiped it away.
Several minutes later, Drake came to stand next to me. I really didn't want him near me, but his cool energy soothed my heated body. I hated that we missed an opportunity to catch Alexander. Yes, I was dead tired, but I functioned well enough. We could have gone inside the club, found Alexander, and brought him out. Sure, it was crowded with people everywhere, but we could have found a way to get him, if only we would've tried.
"I gave you my word, Jessie, alive and in one piece. Remember?" His voice was soft.
"Yeah…I remember." I resented the fact that he might have been right to leave.
Drake stood mute at my side while I calmed. Breathing deeply, I focused on his energy. The invisible touch over my skin appeased me. I let go my fury.
"Can you sense me? Do you…feel my presence?" I asked.
"I can't feel you, but I hear your heart drumming in my ears in a harmonious rhythm. When I am close to you, I feel heat radiating from your body. And I can smell you."
I chuckled. "Smell me?" My God, did I need a bath that badly? I applied deodorant twice after I bathed. Had I sweated that much?
"Not in a bad way."
Great, another obscure response that left me needing more information. "What do I smell like?"
He faced me with tender eyes. "Incense. Soft and floral…" His voice flowed over me, satiny smooth. He closed his eyes and his nostrils flared. "Roses. Delicate roses."
I wasn't sure what to say. Sure, I was glad I smelled like a floral incense. At least it was better than burning flesh or rubber. Sean had told me long ago demons had unique scents, smoky or of a burning nature. Every time I asked what mine was, he’d always replied I smelled like spring. Now I understood him.
Drake opened his eyes and revealed his dilated pupils. "How do you sense me?"
I glided my hands over my arms. "At first, I felt a cool chill sweep through me. I still feel the coolness with a slight tickle on my flesh, like a feather delicately grazing over my skin."
"And you felt a presence near the club?"
"Yes, I don't know if it was him, but I think it was. The feeling was strong. It froze me to the bone. I've never felt that cold before. The intensity of what I feel depends on the soul. Whoever it was there, they had to be pretty evil."
"Interesting." He turned his gaze to the dark night. "When I touched you, what did you feel?"
I inhaled deeply. "Your hand felt cool—soothingly cool."
As he stared out the window, I wondered what he was thinking. If ever there was a time I wanted to read someone else's thoughts, now was that time.
"What did you feel when you touched me?" I asked.
He faced me. "Warmth."
My heart picked up extra beats as I gazed into his dark eyes. They were filled with longing. A deeper heat rose inside me, one accompanied with desire. A warning signal triggered in my head. I looked away from him, fearing one of us might make a disastrous decision.
"I think you should leave now. Please," I said as cordial as a nun.
I gazed at the tiny lights slowly moving down the street while I waited and listened for him to leave. After I heard the door click, I glanced over my shoulder. He was gone.
Dizzy and hot, I sat on the bed. Did I suddenly enter a sauna? I slid my shirt over my head and tossed it to the floor. Not even a minute later, I had my shoes and skirt off, leaving only my underwear and bra left on me. The air felt pleasingly good on my bare skin. Seeking the comfort of sleep, I slid over the covers. The soft bed adjusted slightly as I lay on my side. I wedged my hands between my cheek and the pillow supporting my head, then stared out the window. A heavy weight pressed upon my eyelids, encouraging me to sleep. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the tranquility. My day had gone from bad to nearly catastrophic. And it was just the first day. What would tomorrow bring?
Chapter Seven
I opened my eyes and was immediately blinded from the sun shining in through the window. Grunting, I twisted over onto my other side and pulled the blanket over my shoulders. Wait. Where did the blanket come from?
Surprised, I jerked upright in bed. Sure enough, a fleece blanket covered me. I glanced under the blanket. The same underwear I had fallen asleep in clung to my body. Since the blanket hadn't sprouted legs and crawled on the bed by itself, I had to assume Drake had placed it over me, which meant he'd seen me almost naked. I didn't like the thought of him seeing me so intimately. Why couldn't he have left me alone?
Ire rising within me, I tossed the cover aside and headed for the window. I found the cord at the edge of the curtains and tugged it. The drapes dragged along a rail and the room darkened. I finally was able to stop squinting.
The clock near the bed faced me. It read 3:15 p.m.
"Shit." I'd slept through the entire morning and half the afternoon. I really disliked wasting my days away when I wasn't in Margaritaville.
Curious to learn what I'd missed since last night, I bathed quickly then dressed in a black, Hello Kitty nightshirt with red cotton shorts. The ensemble was one of my favorites and always put a smile on my face.
A moan erupted from the pit of my stomach as I headed for the bedroom door. The loudness of the hunger sound embarrassed me, but I had to laugh. Thank God Dani wasn't around. She would've claimed a voracious animal was nearby.
Hoping I could feed my beast, I headed for the kitchen. Bright light shined into the living room and hit me the minute I turned the corner. The reflection of the sun from the neighboring glass building blinded me, but at least it reduced the need for electricity. I continued on and my stomach rumbled again. It was so loud I thought it would wake the dead. Hand over my abdomen, I passed the dining area, then entered the kitchen.
I stepped onto the tile floor and gaped. The awe-inspiring kitchen had stainless steel appliances, dark wood cabinetry, and a black granite countertop. A phone, a binder, and a local newspaper lay on the counter. I thumbed through the binder and found information for room service, dry cleaning services, the exercise room, hours for the pool, spa and lounge, and…an in-suite chef. Too bad I didn't have anyone with me to enjoy the last amenity.
The menu of food options was quite extensive, but I settled with a chicken club wrap. I called the number for delivery and an eager man with a deep voice, no accent, took my order. He told me the food would arrive within fifteen minutes. Perfect.
While I waited, I glanced at the cover of the newspaper. One of the main articles covered the abduction of the twelve-year-old boy. Curious, I picked up the first section of the paper and left the guts on the counter. I started reading the article and headed back to my room. As I entered the hall, the paper crinkled backward and I spotted Drake sitting on the floor.
"Jesus!" I leapfrogged a couple feet into the air. Don't do that!"
Drake's lips curled on one side. He sat with his back against the wall. Jeans covered his long legs stretched out in front of him. His white button-down hung open, exposing his chest, but it was his bare feet that caught my eye. They were huge!
"What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" I asked, exasperated. I maintained my distance from him while I clutched the paper.
"I don't sleep much." He bent his knees and flattened his bare feet on the floor.
"I recall you saying that, but you didn't define much." I took one step toward him.
He scanned me from shoulders to toes and then settled on Hello Kitty located on my chest. For a second, I wondered if he could see right through my shirt. Heat rose to my cheeks and I crossed my arms.
"I, uh…ordered something to eat," I said, attempting to shake the awkwardness. "It will be h
ere in a few minutes. I hope you don't mind."
"I do not mind." He rubbed his hands together.
The fact Drake was sitting on the floor in the hall seemed unusual to me. I moved closer and stopped a few feet from him. "Is there something on your mind?"
He looked past me and I spun around. Nothing stood out—nothing unusual—just the bright light shining in from the window. Then I realized what the problem was.
I followed the path of the light into the hall. It slanted over the wall and abruptly ended three feet away from where Drake sat.
"Will the sunlight hurt you?" I asked.
"It prevents me from doing certain things."
"Well, hell's bells! Why didn't you say so?" I darted toward the living room.
After setting the paper on the onyx dining room table, I searched the edges of the thick, double-lined, beige curtains for the pull cord. Not finding one, I swiveled my head and spotted an electronic device on the wall near the kitchen. I quickly studied the small panel, which contained four buttons. One button was labeled "close." I pressed it and, within seconds, the thick curtains flooded the room with darkness.
Drake flipped a switch as he rounded the corner. The small lamp between the wall and first sofa illuminated, spilling soft light into the room. I froze near the edge of the dining room table and stared at him with wide eyes. His open shirt graciously exposed his long chest. Farther down, his jeans were unbuttoned and unzipped. A small line of dark hair leading from his belly button on down juiced up my heart, especially as my eyes continued on the path down. Oh. My. Fucking. Lord. He was going commando.
"Is something wrong?" He stepped toward me.
"Uh…" I swallowed hard, blinking fast. "Your fly's undone."
He narrowed his eyes at me. "My what?"
"Your pants. Your jeans," I said briskly, struggling to keep my eyes focused above his waistline. I was burning up. Did the temperature jump twenty degrees in the room?
He looked down. A grin spread across his face. I forced my gaze away from him, but it was too easy to watch from the corner of my eye. The devil in me observed him carefully zip up his jeans.
A knock at the front door brought me back down to earth. "I'll get it." I darted away from him.
A man dressed in black pants and a white shirt greeted me after I opened the door. He held a brown bag in one hand and piece of paper in the other. My stomach growled its appreciation. I grabbed the bag from the man's hand, pivoted, and saw Drake behind me.
"I'll take care of the bill," he said.
I nodded and left him at the door.
I set the bag on the kitchen counter and dug out a bag of chips, a bottle of water, and a large, square container. The smell of chicken made my mouth salivate. Biting down on my lip, I hustled into the dining room and sat down at the table.
Drake stood in the center of the living room facing the television on the wall, remote in hand. On the screen, channels changed quicker than a blink of an eye.
I opened the container in front of me and was stunned by the largeness of the chicken club wrap. "Crap!" I said as I stared at my food.
"Something wrong?" Drake set the remote down on the coffee table. Fox News played on the screen.
"Can you eat?"
Brows pinched toward his nose, Drake stared at me. "Eat?"
"Food?" I picked up half my wrap and held it for display.
The corner of his lips curled while the tension in his face disappeared. "No. I don’t eat food."
I sighed and lowered my gaze to the other half of my wrap. I guess I should have known vampires didn't eat food. How silly of me to have forgotten. On the bright side, I'd have leftovers for later.
Drake walked into the dining room. He pulled out a chair from the table, then sat next to me.
I bit into my overly stuffed wrap. Lettuce and crispy bacon bits crunched in my mouth. The chicken tasted tender and juicy, rousing an "Mmm" out of me. Drake watched me as if he'd never seen someone eat a sandwich. Feeling subconscious, I covered my mouth with my hand while I chewed and swallowed.
"What would happen if you tasted human food?" I asked.
"My body would reject it."
"I know how that feels." I took another bite.
He chuckled and I paused chewing. His response to my comment amused him. I couldn't believe it. In less than two days, I managed to get grins and a chuckle out of him. Vampires actually did have a sense of humor.
Drake saw the paper lying on the table and snatched it up. While he read the cover, I continued eating. He held the paper up high enough to cover his face. As I chomped on my wrap, I read the articles on the back.
"Drake, how do you plan to destroy Alexander?" I sipped on some water after I swallowed the last bite of food.
Drake folded the paper and set it on the table. His eyes shifted from my food to me. "Finished?"
I set my drink on the table, shut the lid over my half un-eaten wrap, and nodded.
"I plan on severing his head," he said with a steadfast composure that nearly frightened me.
My stomach tightened and I was thankful I'd finished eating because my appetite evaporated fast.
"Is there any other way?" I asked, not knowing how one killed a vampire.
"The only quick ways are to sever the head or remove the heart."
"I see." I lowered my eyes.
"What are you thinking?"
I lifted my head and met his gaze. "Is there a certain time when he's vulnerable?"
He half chuckled. "Vulnerable? We have no vulnerabilities."
His arrogance annoyed me. Every creature had some type of vulnerability. Maybe he just didn't want me to know what it was. I crossed my arms, leaned back in my chair, and stared at him.
"If he is distracted, we can use that distraction to our advantage. Seconds count," he said.
"Uh-huh. Is feeding a distraction?"
He gave a lazy blink of his eyes. "Yes."
"Here's what I'm thinking…" I sat up straight and uncrossed my arms. "We find him in one of those clubs, follow him, and stop him before he feeds."
"Alexander can sense when a vampire is near," he said with a hint of opposition.
"Then let me find him and follow him."
"No. I won't do that." He shook his head.
"I think we both know the risk involved. If I follow him, I can either stop him or distract him long enough so you can jump in and hack off his head."
"If he starts to feed and you interrupt him, you could be putting someone's life in danger."
I tilted my head. "I don’t understand. How could I be placing someone else in danger?"
"If he is feeding and you interrupt him, he may rip out the person’s throat."
My internal zeal dropped several levels as I pictured large fangs tearing away from a throat and blood pouring everywhere. Drake was right. I couldn't risk putting another person's life in jeopardy. I fell back against my chair and lowered my gaze while I pondered how to solve this problem. In less than a minute, an idea came to me.
"What if I was the bait?"
"No. Absolutely not." The solid tone of his voice gave me the impression he was steadfast on his answer.
"Do you have any better ideas?"
He left his chair. Tension claimed his body as he stiffly walked around the room. Maybe he didn't like my ideas, but he didn't offer any better ones. Our window of opportunity to catch Alexander was slim, and grew smaller with each night that passed. While I enjoyed the amenities of his luxurious condo and the money he was paying me, I wanted to put an end to the killing and return home as fast as I could.
Drake remained silent as he paced in the living room. I watched and waited while tapping my fingers on the table.
"Can we at least try my way first?" I asked in a soft voice, hoping to appeal to his voice of reason, assuming he had one.
He stopped and directed his attention to me. "I can lead him out from the club."
"How? He knows you're after him, right? What reas
on would he have to go anywhere with you?"
"I will find a way to get him out."
His bullheadedness and reluctance to consider my ideas annoyed me. My body temperature rose slightly. I chewed on my tongue to keep my anger in check and stop myself from cursing.
"Okay, well, we need a plan," I said. He stared at me, but I stood my ground and placed my hands on my hips. "None of this will work if we don't have some kind of plan."
"We can follow him when he leaves a club," Drake said.
"Yeah, sounds easy, but we don't know which one he'll be at. One of us is going to need to go in and check. You can't because you said he'd sense you. So let me go in and, if he's there, let me try and bring him out."
He turned and ambled toward the hall.
"Can't we just try my way and see what happens?" I pleaded in a calm voice. I stepped toward him. "Please?"
He spun around and approached me with the quickness of a jaguar. "If we do this—" He stopped and pierced me with a deadly serious gaze. "If we do this, you do what I say, no questions asked."
I saw no room left for negotiation as I looked deep into his eyes. How could I argue with him anyway? He would get what he wanted, and so would I. And in the end, we would both walk away happy. "Fine."
He took a step back. His gaze drifted down and stopped on my breasts. A slight grin formed on his face. I wasn’t sure if he was smiling because we agreed or because he found my chest appealing. I crossed my arms to cover my girls and his eyes lifted. The answer became clear to me.
"What time will we leave?" I asked.
He headed toward the living room. "Ten o'clock. I doubt he will return to the same club. He rarely does." He picked up the remote and sat down on the sofa. Once again, he flipped through channels.
I glanced at the closed curtain and then at Drake. Ten was hours away. I couldn't sit around and watch television. Realizing I was in downtown Chicago—and I had extra money in my bank account—I knew exactly what I wanted to do.
