The most unlikely was that Kora thought her mother was a descendant, vampirically speaking, of the infamous Rasputin, the mystic to the Romanov family and the vampire who’d turned the eldest daughter in time to save her from the fate of the rest of her family. Or at least that was the story.
If that was the case, did Kora think the locket was somehow a piece of her mother’s history? That it might give her some insight into the woman who’d abandoned her? Or entrance into that particular vampire family group?
Stranger things had happened. In fact, Kora had done stranger things. On more than one occasion.
Bridget came by, tossing a bar towel over her shoulder as she stopped in front of him. “You look lost in thought.”
He nodded. “I wasn’t aware it was that obvious.”
She grinned. “Well, I asked you twice if you want another beer and didn’t get an answer, so I figured I better come over here and check on you.”
“You did? I didn’t hear you.” He sighed. This thing with Kora was bothering him more than he’d realized. “Sorry. I’m good on the beer.”
“No worries. Just making sure you’re okay. That you’re, you know, not going to walk into the sun, or whatever a vampire like you might do.” She winked at him.
He laughed. “No, that’s not going to happen. Promise.” She’d probably winked because she knew the sun wouldn’t have any effect on him anyway. Not unless he took off the little bag that hung around his neck. But most people in town knew he was one of the rare vamps who could daywalk.
“All right. Good to know. Can’t have my place getting a rep for depressing vampires.” Still smiling, she went off to check on the next customer.
He took a pull off the bottle in front of him, realizing too late it had gone warm. That was all the sign he needed that it was time to go. He left some money on the bar and took off, giving Bridget a wave as he went.
As he walked toward his car, his brain continued to work. The exhibit was being packed up, but it wasn’t going to be loaded on the truck until very early in the morning, which left plenty of time for something to happen.
And maybe, if he hadn’t been working security on the exhibit, he wouldn’t have cared. Maybe, too, if Kora hadn’t been involved, he could have left it alone.
But he had and she was and he couldn’t.
He climbed into his Camaro, started it up, and drove out to the library. He slowed as he approached. Security lights were on, but there was no sign of anyone in the building that he could see. No cars in the lot either.
He pulled in and drove all the way around, just to be sure. The library had a loading dock in the back along with a man door, and there was no way to see anyone parked back there unless you made the trip around.
But that part of the lot was empty, too. Not like Kora drove an inconspicuous car either. Her black Ferrari was a gift from her father. A little much, in Greyson’s opinion, but prodigal kids tended to get spoiled like that.
He stopped at the exit to the parking lot. She wouldn’t have been so dumb as to actually drive her car here anyway. Not when there was no reason to. She had a keycard to access the Basement, just like he did.
And the library had an access door.
If Kora wanted, she’d never have to step foot outside to get into the library.
He tapped his fingers on the wheel in frustration. That left him with only one option. He had to find Kora. And he had to keep an eye on her.
At least until the exhibit was loaded and on its way to Florida.
Good thing finding Kora was easy.
He turned toward home. If he was going to Insomnia, he had to look the part. But he also didn’t want Kora to think he was there specifically to keep an eye on her. He needed some cover. Fortunately, he had a pretty good idea where he could get some.
A few hours later, he rolled into the club with Undrea Seely on his arm and two more of her friends around him. Not only was Undrea unnaturally beautiful (being a mermaid had its advantages), but they’d established a while back that they weren’t destined to be anything but friends.
She’d installed an aquarium for him at his place. That was her business. She ran a place called Tanks A Lot that not only set aquariums up for people and businesses, but also maintained them.
After breaking up with Jayne, he’d needed a distraction. Undrea had helped with that and become a friend in the process.
But that was all the chemistry they had. Just friends. It was fine with him. Gave him someone new to hang out with.
Tonight, however, he might be fighting the men off her. Undrea had worn a rose-gold sequin jumpsuit that matched the color of her long hair. She’d highlighted her skin with more gold glitter. Even her chunky platform sandals were gold. She looked like a disco queen—in the best possible way.
Her friends, Mattie Sharpe, a green witch who kept bees and made magical honey, and Caroline Linzer, a feline shifter whose family owned the pet store in town, both looked pretty spectacular, too.
The ladies had shown up in a big way. There wasn’t a chance their group would go unnoticed. Even in a place like Insomnia, where the supernaturals let it all hang out.
But that was pretty much what he wanted. For Kora to see that he was there and that he was occupied.
As soon as they were in the club, he found a server, handed her his credit card, and asked to be seated in the VIP lounge. That would keep them visible, but not too visible thanks to the sheer white curtains that draped the space.
With the women dressed as spectacularly as they were and him in black, he’d be easy to overlook, making it simple to assume he was there even if he wasn’t. Also part of his plan.
When they were settled into a spot, he ordered two bottles of excellent champagne, a fruit tray, and a dessert tray. And he let the server know to refresh whatever ran out until the women told her otherwise.
The women gave him a round of applause, and Undrea lifted her glass to toast him. “This is incredibly nice of you, Greyson. Whatever the reason.”
He shrugged it off with a smile. “I just thought you lovelies needed a night out.”
“No argument there,” Mattie said. “Thank you for including us in this impromptu celebration.”
“Thank you for being available.” He leaned against the leather couch, resting his arms along the back. “I’ve been promising Undrea an evening out since she installed my tank. I figured it would be more fun if she had her girlfriends along.”
“Sure,” Undrea said. “More fun for me.”
He laughed. “Is it a crime to enjoy being surrounded by beautiful women?”
They all grinned and shook their heads.
Caroline smiled shyly. “I’ve never been out with a vampire before.” She suddenly went pink. “I mean, I know we’re not on a date. We’re just out. In a group. But we’re together.” She squeezed her eyes shut suddenly and exhaled loudly. “You know what I mean.”
The other women laughed good-naturedly. Greyson thought she was adorable. Far too young for him to even consider dating. If anything, she was prime little sister material. He gave her a warm smile as she opened her eyes. “I know exactly what you mean, Caroline. But you have nothing to be afraid of, I promise you.”
Her blush subsided. “That’s very kind of you to say. But I’m not afraid.” Her pupils narrowed into vertical slits, and she waved her fingers at him, the tips of which now sported the long, curved claws of her kind. “I’m not exactly defenseless.”
He put a hand to his heart as if taken aback. “You are not. None of you women are, which, I might add, makes you especially enjoyable company.” He raised his glass to them. “To strong women and the men they allow in their presence.”
That got them toasting and laughing and drinking their champagne. It also put him firmly in their good graces, although truthfully, he was certain the drinks and nibbles had already done that.
As their server arrived with the fruit and dessert platters, he excused himself to head toward the main b
ar. He hadn’t seen Kora yet, and he was a little concerned that he’d miscalculated.
If she’d already gone back to the exhibit—
“Greyson.”
He turned at the familiar female voice. “Kora.” He raked his gaze over her outfit. “Don’t you look Goth?” She did a bit, but not fully with that icy-blonde hair. But black leather was black leather.
She would have been beautiful covered in mud.
A smirk greeted him. “Says the man dressed like a Johnny Cash impersonator.”
He glanced down at his clothing. “This jacket is a very dark burgundy velvet, I’ll have you know.” But his pants, shoes, belt, and shirt were black. He frowned at her. He wasn’t about to admit she had a point. Even if she had a point.
Her eyes narrowed. “Isn’t your harem missing you?”
So she’d noticed. “I’m sure they are.”
“I’ll let you get back to them, then. I have actual work to do.”
Impulse took hold of him. “You must have really enjoyed the exhibit. I saw you there again today.”
Something flashed in her eyes, but it was gone too quickly for him to interpret. The falseness of her smile, however, was easy to read. “You know how much I like sparkly things.”
He wasn’t buying that. “Uh-huh. But you know that stuff’s not for sale, right?”
The smirk returned, a little haughtier this time. “I think I hear the sound of vacuous laughter and empty champagne glasses.”
Was that edge to her voice jealousy? He grinned without even trying. “Now, now, Kora. The green tinge to your words is terribly unbecoming. Those women are lovely. You might even try getting to know them. Friends are a wonderful thing to have.”
Her mouth dropped open, then snapped shut as her gaze smoldered with indignation. “You really think a lot of yourself, don’t you, Vampire?”
He shrugged with all the nonchalance he could muster. “I know what I’m capable of, if that’s what you’re asking. But then, I suppose you know that based on Rome alone.”
The smolder burst into flames. “That’s never going to happen again.”
“Good. It’s about time you grew up.”
“Why did you come here tonight? It’s been so peaceful without you around.”
His brows lifted. “To show my friends a good time. Which means I’m spending a lot of money in your father’s establishment. I’m good for business, Kora. Maybe try to remember that.”
That seemed to give her a moment of pause. She considered his words, then schooled her expression, raising her chin slightly. “Well, then. I hope you and your friends have a wonderful evening, Mr. Garrett.”
“I’m sure we will. If we can be left alone to do just that.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t be on the floor much tonight. I have plenty of work in the office to keep me busy.” She sent one last searing gaze in his direction, then took off toward the other side of the club.
He watched her for a moment. Hard not to when she had a body like that. But she was on edge. That much seemed plain to him by the instant reaction she’d had to his presence. She’d shown more than her usual disdain when she’d seen him. And to Greyson, that spoke volumes.
It also confirmed his suspicions. It was interesting, too, that by telling him she had to work in the office, she was already explaining her future absence.
But Greyson knew where to find her. He planned on being there, too.
He went back to the VIP lounge and settled in. His gaze remained on the club floor, but Kora was as good as her word. There was no sign of her.
Half an hour later, it was time to move. He excused himself from the party again, telling the women he had a phone call to make and that he’d be back as soon as he could.
Then he used his vampire speed to slip away unnoticed. By the time he reached the Basement, the thumping bass from the club had faded and his mind was all business.
The business of Kora and the locket. He wasn’t quite sure what he was going to do if she took it, other than confront her and get it back.
The rest would just happen as it happened. He inhaled deeply. Kora’s distinctive scent lingered, but very faintly. If she’d passed this way recently, it would have been stronger.
He sped to the stairs that led up to library. At the door, he slipped his keycard through the reader, then slowly opened the door, every sense alert for Kora’s presence.
The library felt empty. Good. He’d gotten there first.
He kept out of the pools of light spilled by the security spots, hugging the walls as he made his way through the reference section and into the exhibit hall.
Then he stopped. The locket wasn’t in there anymore. Nothing was. It had all been packed up. He changed direction toward the back of the library and the loading dock.
The crates were all there. Neatly stacked, marked with the codes assigned by the exhibition company. He had no way of knowing which one the locket would be in. Did Kora?
It would be interesting if she did. To him, that would imply a much deeper involvement. Could she be pulling some kind of insurance heist with one of the curators? Nothing was impossible. But if that was the case, why not take something more valuable?
Unless the locket was just a ruse.
He sighed. Whatever she was up to, he would do his best to keep her from making this huge mistake. Not for her so much as for Lucien and Hattie. And for Elenora. Having her exhibit robbed would turn her livid.
She’d take her anger out on Greyson first, no questions asked. Once Kora’s involvement was revealed, she’d feel Elenora’s wrath, too. Possibly Lucien, too, if Elenora really went ballistic. There was no telling how much damage Elenora would do if something her name was attached to had this kind of trouble.
He found a dark corner of the bay. The ceiling was open above, just HVAC lines and steel beams. He leaped up, landing on one of the cross sections. Dust puffed up where his feet touched. He walked to the far wall that was in shadow, leaned against it, and settled in to wait.
Waiting was boring, but easy. Passing time was nothing to a vampire who’d already seen more days go by than most monuments. There was a mode vampires shifted into, a kind of half-on, half-off limbo. Not sleep, but not fully awake either.
Like a motion sensor waiting for something to break the plane of stillness.
And so Greyson slipped into that mode, shutting down but not off. Conserving energy until he needed it.
Awaiting the woman who, once again, was going to need him to rescue her.
One thing led to another, and before Kora knew it, hours had passed. Some nights were like that at the club. One small fire after another needing to be put out. But she was getting antsy now. She had to go. Had to get to the library before the armored truck arrived and everything was loaded and gone.
She finished the schedule for next week, hit save on the computer, then headed out to the club floor to pass the word that she needed some time alone in her office. The bar manager was already headed toward her with an obvious problem.
Kora started to shut the man down, then took a breath and hoped it was something that could be dealt with quickly. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s a group of tourists at a high-top in the bar, shifters by the scent of them, and the credit card they gave me won’t—”
“Will, you can handle this.” She smiled, trying to convey her confidence in him. “You don’t need me for a credit card issue.”
“But they’re saying they’re friends of your father’s and—”
“Lots of people say that. Just be polite and handle it. If polite doesn’t cut it, get one of the bouncers to back you up. Now I must have twenty minutes alone in my office, or I am not going to get this payroll done. You do want a check this week, don’t you?”
“Yes.” He looked mildly subdued. “I’ll handle the shifters. I’ll get Bret to go with me if they give me any more grief.”
Bret was a bear shifter and doorman Chet’s younger brother. He’d just m
oved to Nocturne Falls, and Insomnia had hired him immediately. “Great. Let everyone else know I’m not to be disturbed, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She smiled. “Thanks.” Being called ma’am was weird. She was not used to that at all. With a single glance toward the VIP lounge, where Greyson’s party was still thankfully in full swing, she slipped back to her office, out through another door, and down the hall that led to the Basement.
Fifteen minutes. Twenty, tops. She could do this. She had to do this. She sped forward, the Basement passing in a blur until she reached the library steps. She paused there for just a second, absorbing a scent that lingered nearby. Cinnamon. She wrinkled her nose and glanced up. Someone was baking something somewhere, but then, it was a little after four a.m., and that was about the time places like Mummy’s diner and Zombie Donuts started work on their goodies.
Neither of those places was near the library, however. Must be traveling through the air vents.
Whatever. She had work to do. With as much speed and quiet as she could manage, she went up the steps and into the library. She took a moment as she eased the door open, listening hard for any sound that might tip her off to someone else’s presence.
Nothing that she could hear, but that didn’t stop her nerves from pinging like crazy. She forced herself to ignore them. The old Kora would have done this just for the kicks, but now that she’d gone straight and had a purpose, she was nervous.
Go figure.
She closed the door quietly, then made her way to the loading dock. The crates were all there, ready to go. Unfortunately, she had no idea what the locket’s inventory number was.
She did have a place to start looking, though. The prefix 0079. It was what the exhibit company used as the code for Slavic antiquities. She’d learned that much when digging around online. The Romanov locket fell into that category.
She took the gloves out of her jacket pocket and put them on, then got to work. The loading area was dark, lit only by a single security light over the man door.
As much as she would have liked to turn on more lights, she couldn’t risk it. Instead, she had to rely on her vampire eyesight. But things would have moved faster with more light.
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