“Promise me you’ll be careful. And call Mama tonight. She won’t sleep until she knows you’re safe in your hotel.”
“I’ll call her when I get in for the night. I promise.” Sonia turned away from the window. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he gruffly replied. “You’re the only sister I have and it’s my job to take care of you.”
“Love you too,” she cooed.
“Brat,” he retorted. “Be safe.” He hung up and she ended the call, tucking her phone into her purse. She slung the large leather bag over her shoulder, snagged her keycard from the bedside table and shoved it into her back pocket.
The first order of business was to get a cup of coffee and grab a bite to eat. After that, she was heading to the library to do some more research before trying to corner Damek at his club. Since club owners worked late, he most likely wouldn’t be there until late afternoon, or after dark, if he really was a vampire.
She shivered again as she shut her room door and hurried down the hallway. Was Damek a vampire, or was her trip here nothing more than a wild-goose chase? She stepped inside the elevator when it opened and pressed the button for the lobby.
All members of The Keepers knew that vampires were the most dangerous of the paranormal creatures, especially when they were young. Most of them ended up dead, executed by modern-day vampire hunters, and Sonia found it hard to condemn the hunters for all their actions. Many young vampires killed indiscriminately, leaving a trail of dead bodies in their wake, which also made them easier to track.
But not all vampires were killers. And that’s where The Keepers and the vampire hunters differed in their philosophies. The hunters tended to slaughter every vampire they found and even many humans who were pretending to be vampires. They even murdered humans who helped vampires in any way, making them an enemy of The Keepers. They were worse than the creatures they hunted, and Sonia knew if they ever discovered her helping a paranormal creature of any kind they would kill her without hesitation.
If there was an ancient vampire living in this city, one who’d survived without slaying humans for all these years, then he deserved whatever help they could give him.
Of course, it was presumptuous of her even to think he would need or welcome their help. Her father and especially her grandfather would not approve of what she was doing, which was why they didn’t know the real reason for her trip. They believed an ancient vampire would know of their secret society and approach it if help was required. Otherwise, they were to be left alone.
She’d read accounts of several unnamed vampires living across Europe and Asia, as well as one in Alaska. Their identities were carefully guarded, but Sonia had always longed to speak with one of them. They’d seen so much in their long years on this earth, done so much. The information they possessed about the world was enormous. Plus, she simply wanted to meet one, had been obsessed with the idea since she was a child.
The elevator door opened and she stepped out, walked briskly through the lobby and out the front door of the hotel. The air was crisp, but the sun was out, making it the perfect spring day. She turned left, her strides long and determined. Food, research and then it would be time to try to corner the elusive Damek. Her plan solidly in place, Sonia picked up her pace.
Damek stared at the computer screen in front of him, seeing nothing but a blur of numbers. He’d been working nonstop since early this morning and had managed only a meager three-hour nap in his desk chair earlier in the afternoon.
He might be an immortal, but even he needed to recharge, and working all through the day had drained him. He’d felt the sun reach its peak and start its descent hours ago. Without even looking at a clock, Damek knew it was half past five. The bar wouldn’t open for a while yet, but the staff was already in and working hard to get ready for what would be another busy night.
He was also hungry. Again. Usually he had no problem going for a day or more after he fed well, but he’d been on edge lately, needing sustenance more and more often to keep the hunger at bay.
He swiveled around and found a secret lever in the wall with his fingers. He pressed it and the wood panel swung open, revealing a small refrigerator. Damek plucked the last remaining bag of blood from the cooler and dug his teeth straight into the bag. It was cold and lifeless as it rolled down his throat and he wanted to spit it out and go in search of the real thing—thick, hot and pulsing with life. Instead, he forced himself to drain the bag and folded it carefully, sticking it in his jacket pocket for disposal later.
The blood coursed through his veins, reviving him enough to work through the night if need be. It would have to do.
He carefully closed the panel, disguising the refrigerator, even though he wanted to slam the door. Dangerous, volatile emotions were pushing at him. Not good. He needed to remain on an even keel to keep himself and those around him safe.
A knock came on the door. His staff knew better than to interrupt him when he informed them he wanted to be alone, and he knew Bryon had a good reason for disturbing him.
“Come.”
Byron opened the door and stuck his head inside the office. “She’s back, boss. The woman from last night. What do you want me to do?”
Fate. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath even though he didn’t need oxygen to survive. The blood he’d just consumed raced through his veins and anticipation thrummed through his body. She’d come.
“Boss?” He could hear the concern in Byron’s voice and took a moment to steady himself. It seems fate had made her choice.
He pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. “I’ll see her.” He glided out from behind his rather large, antique desk, already anticipating seeing Sonia again.
Byron rubbed a hand over his bald head. “Uh, boss, do you think that’s a good idea.”
Damek smiled at his friend. “Probably not, but I’m going to do it anyway.”
“You’re the boss.”
“Yes, I am,” he said softly as he walked down the short hallway and into the heart of the club.
Sonia surveyed her surroundings with interest, noting how different the place looked when it was almost empty. The music speakers were silent and only the muted sounds of the staff preparing for the night disturbed the quiet. Inhibitions was really quite a large, cavernous room without all the people filling it. Tables and booths were polished to a gleam and the floor was free of any debris. A female employee with a clipboard checked liquor bottles, all the while casting inquisitive glances in Sonia’s direction.
Smoke and mirrors. The club would seem so intimate, so captivating with the music pumping and the myriad lights shining on the patrons, spotlighting them on the dance floor and giving them privacy in the darker corners. The whole thing was an illusion. Right now, the club resembled the warehouse it was, later on it would be alive with people who wanted to party and dance and delve into the dark sides of their fantasies.
She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, suddenly chilled. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what went on here, which was surprising considering some of the places she’d been in her lifetime. A cemetery at midnight didn’t bother her half as much as Inhibitions did. Of course, all the inhabitants of the cemetery she’d visited had been quite dead and she couldn’t say that about the inhabitants of the club.
She was actually quite surprised she’d been allowed inside Inhibitions, which didn’t open for another half hour yet. She checked her watch. Make that twenty-eight minutes. She’d learned that they opened promptly at six, but knew the place wouldn’t really be hopping until much later. This would be her best time to talk to Damek, if he was here.
The rather large, intimidating bouncer who’d escorted her from the premises last night had let her in his evening, telling her to wait while he checked to see if the boss was in. Either Damek was here or he wasn’t. Shouldn’t the bouncer know for sure?
He probably did. The question really was would Damek be in for her or would he send her away again?<
br />
She was determined to meet him one way or another. Sonia chewed on her bottom lip, knowing she was bordering on obsession with her need to meet this guy. She’d done a lot of research today, but could find nothing on the man himself, nothing but a very poor picture that really didn’t show much at all.
It was as if he were a ghost, living in the shadows. That piqued her interest and made her believe she was on the right track. No paranormal creature wanted the general public to be able to find out anything about him.
The research on the event last fall had intrigued her as well. Several men had been murdered and the police had decided it was gang related and the men killed had been mauled by pit bulls. Sonia wondered about that and knew she was going to check out Wicker Park and the surrounding area for any signs of werewolves actually living in the city. That would be rare. They tended to stick to rural, wooded areas where there was less human occupation and more open spaces in which to run.
A stirring in the air made the hair at her nape stand on end. Her gaze was drawn to the dark hallway beyond the bar, the one down which the giant, leather-clad bouncer had disappeared. She swallowed hard as a man appeared.
He was shorter than the bouncer, but he was still tall, about six feet, give or take an inch or so. He was wearing a suit that screamed money and his gait was smooth and fluid as he moved toward her.
The light from the bar shone on him and Sonia felt every bit of blood drain from her face. It couldn’t be. It was impossible.
The man she’d been trying to see, the man she thought might be a vampire was the man from her dream.
Chapter Five
Damek stared at her and she was unable to pull her gaze away. Her bottom lip quivered as she returned his stare. “You,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
He stopped a few feet from her and inclined his head. “You wished to see me, Ms. Agostino.”
She shook her head and he arched a dark brow at her. Sonia wanted to smack him, which shocked her to her core. She’d never been a violent person, never had the urge to hit anyone because of how they made her feel.
Sonia felt as though he’d stripped her naked and seen deep inside her to her darkest fantasies and deepest hopes. Then reality settled in. The sun hadn’t gone down yet. Damek couldn’t be a vampire.
And how had her instincts been so off? They’d started buzzing the first time she’d seen an article on Inhibitions and had eventually led her here to Chicago. She’d been so sure that Damek would end her lifelong search to find a vampire.
Disappointment ate at her, making her stomach ache. She hadn’t realized just how desperately she’d wanted him to be one.
“Sonia?” The way he said her name, with the hint of a European accent, made her heart clench.
He was beside her in a moment, his strong arm around her waist as he led her toward the hallway and whatever lay beyond. She went without protest, even though her research was a bust. There was something about Damek, something dark and compelling, something that made her want to be next to him.
She almost snorted aloud. Of course she wanted to be next to him, the guy had featured prominently in her erotic dream last night. And that was totally impossible. She’d never met him before. There’s no way she’d have forgotten him.
He was even more dynamic in person than in her dream. He was only a few inches taller than her but he seemed much larger. An aura of power surrounded him, making her second guess her earlier assessment. Maybe he wasn’t a vampire, but he was definitely something out of the ordinary, maybe a mage or a shapeshifter of some kind.
A sense of relief hit her. Her instincts weren’t defective. They were still working as well as they always had. She’d simply misread them and allowed her own wants and desires to cloud them. Desires. Not a good word to use after last night. Time to be rational and clinical about Damek. She took a good look, studying him now that her initial shock had faded.
The suit he wore hadn’t come off any rack but had been tailored to fit his lean form to perfection. She knew that because it looked too much like the suits her brother Stefano wore, and he was very particular about his clothes. Damek’s shirt was black silk and he wore a Rolex on his left wrist. Shoulder-length black hair was pulled away from his face and tied neatly at his nape with a leather thong. His features were strong, his skin pale. Masculine strength seemed to leak from his pores, permeating the air around him.
“Where are we going?” she finally thought to ask. Really, she had to get a grip on herself. Dream or no dream, she was here to get answers.
The corners of his mouth turned up in amusement. “My lair.” His low voice made her nipples tighten and an ache began to pulse low in her belly. She dug in her heels to stop herself from going any farther. What in the hell was she doing, going off with a man she didn’t even know? She should stay in the main part of the club where it was better lit and there were more people around.
Damek halted beside her, his arm still around her back and his hand pressed against her side, not pressuring her to continue. “I did not mean to frighten you.” His black eyes grew darker even as shadows seemed to creep across the floor toward them. “My office, Ms. Agostino. I thought you’d prefer to talk there. Alison will bring coffee.”
Now she just felt stupid, and she hated feeling that way. “Of course.” Damek was a businessman, not a killer. Heck, he wasn’t even a vampire. In all the reading and research she’d done, she’d never heard of one able to be up and around before the sun set, even if he was inside.
She swallowed her disappointment once again and pulled away from him, taking the final steps to his office on her own. Really, she was acting like a ninny. Her brothers would laugh their asses off if they could see the way she was acting around Damek, and all because of some stupid dream she’d had. Maybe she’d seen a picture of him somewhere in her research but just didn’t remember it.
That made sense, and she gave herself a mental pat on the back for finding a logical conclusion. She’d been looking for Damek, so he was already on her mind and had wormed his way into her subconscious. It was an aberration. Nothing more.
He reached around her, his bigger body trapping hers against a door. She sucked in her breath as his chest brushed her back. What was he doing?
“Please enter.” His breath tickled her ear and sent heat coursing down her neck all the way to her chest. He pushed the door open and stepped back.
He was simply opening the door for her. She needed to get a grip on her wayward hormones before they got her into trouble. “Thank you.” Her voice was level, but inside she was a bundle of nerves.
Like the rest of the place, his office was wreathed in shadows. A single brass lamp illuminated the top of his desk and the computer that sat there. And what a desk it was—European, probably Austrian and definitely from the eighteen hundreds.
Sonia hurried forward and touched the carving on the front. Her fingers traced a tangle of trees and animals. “It’s breathtaking.” She’d traveled the world with her parents and had only seen such pieces in either museums or castles. It was walnut but inlaid with various other woods. It was too dark to tell for certain what they were, but the result was nothing short of spectacular.
“Thank you.” He indicated a chair in front of the desk, another antique. She set her purse on the floor and sat, letting herself slowly sink back onto the cushion. He went around to the other side and sat in a rather large carved chair, which suited both the desk and the man who owned it.
The floor was hardwood and the walls were dark-oak panel, much like she would expect to find in an old English manor. Wooden file cabinets ranged along one wall and bookshelves on another, not what she’d expected to see in the owner’s office in an upscale nightclub. Metal file cabinets and a desk from some high-end department store, maybe, but nothing this high quality.
“You like antiques?” he prompted.
“Very much. I traveled a lot with my parents when I was growing up.”
“Ah. There i
s nothing like firsthand experience to make you appreciate good craftsmanship.”
Before she could think of what to say, a low knock came on the door. “Come,” Damek called. The woman from behind the bar walked in, balancing a tray with a coffee carafe and two mugs. She set it on the desk. “Thank you, Alison.” The woman nodded and left without speaking, closing the door behind her.
Damek deftly poured two mugs of coffee. There was a small jug with cream and a few packets of sugar beside it. “Help yourself.”
He sat back in his chair and set his mug by his computer. Resting his arms on his chair, he steepled his fingers and watched her as she added two packets of sugar to her coffee and stirred.
She took the time to order her thoughts. Fortunately, she’d come up with a reason to talk to him that had nothing to do with vampires. After all, even if he was one, she couldn’t come right out and ask him. Not at first. And anyway, since the sun wouldn’t be setting for quite some time yet, it was obvious the man wasn’t one.
“What can I do for you, Dr. Agostino? I admit I was surprised to find an academic with degrees in folklore and anthropology looking for me.”
She took a sip of the coffee. It was strong and full-bodied, exactly what she needed to steady herself so she didn’t make a complete idiot of herself. He’d slid back into her more formal title and, though it would be much safer for her to keep things on a businesslike basis, she wanted to hear him call her by her name again. “Please, call me Sonia.”
He inclined his head in acknowledgement but didn’t speak, waiting politely for her to continue. So he wasn’t a talker. That would make her job harder. Most people loved to talk about themselves when they found someone who was willing to listen. But Damek didn’t fall under that category. She’d found over the years that the people who kept their thoughts to themselves were usually the ones who had the most interesting stories to tell.
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