by Мишель Роуэн
“What an ugly necklace,” she said. “But I guess you don’t have much of a choice in accessories these days, do you?”
I touched my gold chain. “Bite me.” I glared at Thierry. “You, too.”
His dark eyebrows went up at that. “Is that an invitation or are you trying to be rude?”
“Let’s try door number two,” I said.
I could tell that amused him. Super. I should charge admission for my afternoon comedy show.
Janie smiled thinly. “Geez, I was just kidding. Somebody’s not as lighthearted about life as they used to be.”
“Somebody’s roots are darker than they used to be.”
She touched her hair. “Take that back.”
I tried to control my inner bitch. It was like my nightwalker was poking around in her cage, growling, and trying to find a way out while I still wore the gold chain.
“You know, Janie, I never would have thought Thierry was your type,” I said. A couple emerged from the restaurant and crossed between us to get into a cab. When they pulled away from the curb, I continued. “I mean, the last time I saw you two together you had him handcuffed and were going to stake him.”
She leaned against his tall, solid form. “No more stakes in our relationship. But the handcuffs are always fun to have around.”
I dug my fingernails deeply into Quinn’s side.
Quinn cringed and cleared his throat. “We should probably get going.”
Janie’s expression softened when they looked at each other and I felt like they shared an unspoken moment. “Wouldn’t want to keep you and your new girlfriend from… whatever it is that Sarah does with her unemployed free time.”
“Tons of sex,” I said. “And maybe a movie later if Quinn’s not too tired. You know, from all the sex.”
“Right. Well, likewise,” she said curtly, hanging tighter to Thierry’s arm.
Well, this was uncomfortable.
“Bye now,” I said, as we brushed past them. Thierry reached out and grabbed my hand in his. His touch made my heart thump wildly.
“It was very nice to see you again, Sarah,” he said. I could have sworn I saw some regret slide behind his silver-colored eyes. Did he know why I was peeved? It must have been written all over my face. Luckily it just would have looked as if I didn’t want to be anywhere near him—a believable reaction to being faced with one’s ex.
Our fingers brushed against each other as he let go of me.
I blinked and nodded, fighting the sudden lump in my throat.
I finally managed to tear my gaze away from his. Thierry briefly eyed Quinn and, despite the fact he was the one to ask the ex-hunter to help out, there wasn’t an ounce of friendliness in the look.
Quinn and I started to walk away down the street.
“That wasn’t a lot of fun,” Quinn said. “And now I even have to turn down the tons-of-
sex suggestion since I’m a one-woman kind of guy.”
“Then it’s good that I was kidding.” I turned back to see Thierry and Janie moving in the opposite direction. Thierry glanced briefly over his shoulder at us, his expression still tight.
I was glad that seeing me with Quinn seemed to still bother him. Call me petty.
Quinn smiled. “Honestly, Sarah, back when I was all fixated on you I didn’t think there would be another woman for me. But Janie slammed head-first into my life at the completely wrong time. I couldn’t have been less interested in starting a new relationship, but it’s like fate intervened to let me know she was the one.”
“Yeah, she seems like a real sweet girl.” Sarcasm at no extra charge.
“She actually is. But she can hide it when she wants to.” He was quiet for a moment.
“Thierry told me the Red Devil’s back and he’s keeping an eye on you as well.”
I sighed. “So many people are watching me I feel like I’m starring in a reality TV show.”
“It won’t be long before everything’s back to normal.”
“Except for my nightwalker curse and the fact that I’ve sired Gideon to become a super vamp.”
“Except for that, yeah.” He actually laughed. “You’re a magnet for trouble. Anybody ever tell you that?”
“It’s a gift.” It was a bit funny, actually. If I turned my head to the side and squinted—and if this was all happening to someone else—I guessed I could see the humor. “So is there an actual plan you and Thierry discussed that I should be aware of or is everyone just planning to run around the city all helter-skelter?”
Quinn pulled me off the main sidewalk and away from the growing crowd so we could speak in virtual privacy. “Gideon has to die. After we’re sure who his assassins are and that everyone is safe.”
I don’t know why that surprised me. “And who’s planning to pull the trigger? You?”
He shook his head. “Thierry’s given that job to the Red Devil, or whoever the guy actually is. He loves you, Sarah. I know I doubted that in the past. Hell, I didn’t think there was actually a living, breathing person behind that miserable prick exterior—” he grinned “—
no offense.”
“We can agree to disagree about each other’s significant other.”
“It’s a deal.”
“Do you think the Red Devil is trustworthy?” I asked. “Don’t you think he’s dangerous? I mean, where’s he been for a hundred years?”
“No idea. But Thierry seems confident in his abilities. That has to count for something, doesn’t it?”
“I guess.”
It seemed fair, actually. Gideon wanted to kill the Red Devil. Now the Red Devil was going to kill Gideon.
Then why did it feel so wrong?
Did I think this story was going to have a happy ending for everyone involved? Not very likely, was it?
I crossed my arms. “So you condone killing Gideon in cold blood?”
Quinn cast a wary glance at our surroundings and pulled me closer to him as if we actually were going out and he couldn’t keep his hands off me. His voice dropped even lower in volume so I had to strain to hear him. “What is this, Sarah?”
“What do you mean?”
“The man is a murderer. You’re not going soft on him, are you? Because that would be a huge mistake.”
“Of course I’m not.”
“Thierry says you’ve seen him a few times at his hotel.”
“Thierry seems a lot chattier with you than he has been with me lately.” I crossed my arms. “But it’s true. What am I supposed to do? Say no? In fact, I’m seeing him again tonight.”
“Why?”
“Maybe he can’t get pizza delivery where he is. I don’t know. Are you going to stop me from going?”
“No.” Any humor left his expression. “But I know it’s in your nature to see the good in people. It’s an asset, but it can also get you in serious trouble. Like now.”
“I saw the good in you, didn’t I?”
“That was different.” His expression was tense. “I don’t know what he’s said to you or how he might act, but he is a vicious killer. Remember that.”
“I can handle Gideon.”
“Gideon thinks vampires are a lesser form of life that needs killing. I don’t give a shit if he’s proclaimed his desire to become one to everyone he knows or if he likes to flash that billion-dollar smile at you. He’s dangerous. And because you’re a vampire he thinks you’re disposable. Don’t ever forget that.”
I flashed back to a cold, dark warehouse. Pictures of my friends and family laid out on a table to show me he knew where everyone lived. His cold, desperate warning in my ear.
“I will kill them all.”
Since that night, I hadn’t seen that particular side of Gideon again. He’d either been amiable and happy to see me when I came to his hotel room or he’d been wracked with pain and suffering.
But I couldn’t forget what he really was. What he could do.
I swallowed. “I won’t forget.”
He leaned forward and kissed me on t
he cheek. “Just be careful. And also be careful if you see the Red Devil again. Not sure I trust him as far as I can throw him, either.”
“Me neither. You don’t have any idea who he really is, do you?”
He shook his head. “All I know is I wouldn’t want to be Gideon right now.”
I chewed my bottom lip. “If Gideon dies, he’ll go to hell. The hellfire will drag him there.”
“Gideon was bound for hell anyhow after everything he’s done in life. Don’t lose any sleep over him, Sarah.”
“I won’t.”
And I wouldn’t. I hated Gideon. He deserved to die.
If that was the case, then why did the idea of leading him to that fate make me feel a bit sick inside?
Quinn was right. I was a softy. Like a wimpy marshmallow.
I wouldn’t think of Gideon as anything more than an unrepentant serial killer. He wasn’t
Quinn, who’d changed his ways, and he wasn’t Thierry, who’d had his own share of darkness to deal with in his long, immortal life.
I had to remember that. There was way too much at risk if I forgot.
Chapter 7
I was as tense and jittery by the time I arrived at Gideon’s hotel room as if I’d been mainlining double espressos all day. Thierry would be upset if he knew I was there again. I also knew he would likely find out due to my potential tattletale tag team of Quinn and the
Red Devil.
But there I was.
I’d deal with the aftermath in due course.
Gideon sat, waiting for me, in the same chair he’d been in last night. His glamour held up well—I still couldn’t see any scars marring that undeniably handsome face of his. The scars were still there, of course, but now they were hidden by magic. He wasn’t dressed for company, however. He wore only the bottoms of loose pajamas, and his toned chest was bare.
On the table next to him I couldn’t help noticing a dagger with a curved blade.
He hadn’t said anything since I’d entered his room. He simply stared at me from where he was seated.
It made me more uncomfortable than I was to start with. Which was saying something.
“Is it nice out?” he asked after a long moment went by.
“Nice?” I repeated. “What do you mean?”
“I noticed it was sunny earlier. I didn’t go outside today.”
Small talk about weather with the deadliest man I’d ever known. Sure. Why not? “It was fine. Not too cold.”
“The sun doesn’t bother you at all as a vampire?”
I shook my head. “Not really. It’s a bit glary, like if you forget your sunglasses and you’re driving into the sun, and prolonged exposure makes me feel like taking a long nap, but it’s not too bad.”
“And when you’re a nightwalker?”
I swallowed. “Then I do my impression of the Wicked Witch of the West and melt into a puddle of death.”
“That doesn’t sound pleasant.”
No, it didn’t. And that’s why I needed the witch’s grimoire he mentioned. Badly. The teenaged wizard didn’t give me the impression he was likely to attempt the eradication again, even if I agreed to give up a half year’s worth of memories. I think he mentioned something about needing a lobotomy if he tried. But how was I supposed to get the grimoire without selling out my current enigmatic bodyguard? Whether he deserved my loyalty was up for debate, but there had to be a way for me to get the grimoire and yet also avoid being an accessory to murder.
Although that particular decision was subject to change without notice. The threat of turning into a death puddle was a strong motivating force.
I took a good look at the leader of the vampire hunters. “I hope you don’t mind me saying, Gideon, but even with the glamour spell, you look like hell.”
He held on to the chair arms so tightly that his muscles flexed. His skin was sickly white and there was a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead. “That’s a very appropriate word to use for the way I’m feeling.”
“Are you in pain right now?”
“Ever since I was touched by the hellfire I’m constantly in varying degrees of pain. Today it’s worse than ever before.”
I couldn’t help but cringe at Gideon’s obvious distress. As Quinn had reminded me earlier, I was basically a vampire-shaped Peep.
Suck it up, marshmallow girl, I told myself. This is the man who threatened to kill everyone you love if you say or do the wrong thing. Never forget that.
I wouldn’t forget.
“I need something from you,” he said through clenched teeth.
“What?”
“Come here.”
My eyes flicked again to the dagger next to him as I tentatively approached. “What’s that for? Whittling stakes? I met a hunter who said that was a hobby of his.”
“I need some of your blood. Now. It can’t wait.”
That surprised me. “But the ritual—”
He drew in a shaky breath and raised his green eyes to meet mine. “The ritual will go on as scheduled. This… this is different. The research I’ve done on your unique blood makes me think it may help to ease my pain. If I can have some of it now—it may help me to think straight. The pain… it’s destroying me. Please, Sarah… help me.”
So what flowed in my veins was a magical elixir that healed all ailments? I’d been looking for a new job. Now I knew what it was. I’d charge people big bucks to suck my blood.
Gideon wanted me to ease his pain. He was relying on me. I could work with that.
“I’ll help you,” I said. “But first I need you to promise that everybody I know will be safe.
No assassins, no spies. I want all of them called off.”
“No.”
My eyes narrowed. “Just no? Not even a negotiation?”
“Ask for something else. Anything else.”
“The grimoire.”
He shook his head. “The grimoire is payment for information leading me to the Red Devil.
Ask me for money, gifts—furs, diamonds, anything. I can give you whatever you want.”
“I don’t want gifts.” I stood firm. “Lose the assassins or give me the grimoire and I’ll help you out.”
His strained expression flinched. “Then what assurance do I have that you’ll go through with the ritual?”
“You’ll have my word.”
He glared at me for a moment. “I can’t do that.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“No, I don’t.”
“That stings, Gideon. Really. I thought we were friends.”
He managed to laugh a little. “Sure you did.”
I crossed my arms. “Okay, I didn’t. But you’ve been trying real hard to convince me you’re a nice guy.”
“Not buying it?”
“I don’t buy anything from the Chase boutique. I don’t like the return policy.”
His lips twitched a little. “You’re the first woman in the world able to resist me.”
“Even when you’re in agony you’re still full of yourself.” I rolled my eyes. “No, I’m able to resist you, Gideon, because I know what you are. And I know what I am. Hunters kill vampires, in case you’ve momentarily forgotten.”
“I haven’t forgotten anything.”
I shook my head. “Why should I help you if you’re not willing to do anything for me in return? Doesn’t sound like a very fair trade-off.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Well, there is that matter of those handy assassins I have only a phone call away. Do you think I won’t follow through with my threats?”
My eyes narrowed. “Oh, believe me, I don’t underestimate you. I know exactly who you are. I’ve done my research.”
“And who am I?”
“You’re a murderer. Why would I ever help somebody like you out of the kindness of my heart? You have to threaten me or you’d never get what you want.”
“You’re absolutely right,” he said quietly.
“I’ve met a lot of hunters in the past th
ree months and I have to say, a lot of them are dumber than a box of hair. But you’re not stupid. I can’t imagine that you’re convinced that vampires as a whole deserve to die. They’re people. They can think, they can cry, make jokes, make love; they have lives and jobs and marriages—and just because they’re a little different you feel justified in killing them. You know what you do is wrong and yet you do it anyhow.”
When he didn’t answer, I paced to the other side of the room and then came back to stand in front of him. “Even with all your women, money, and power, are you that dead inside, Gideon? That must be it. Forget the hellfire. You’re already dead and killing vampires must be the only thing that makes you feel alive.”
Okay, that was a way longer speech than I was planning. I should go into politics, maybe.
But it wasn’t every day that a mere fledgling like yours truly got to face off against the leader of the hunters and say what’s on her mind.
I guess my half a semester of psychology in university had paid off after all. Maybe Gideon was devastatingly handsome and popular with the bimbos at one time; maybe he had a ton of power and hunters across the world looked up to him, and his father, and his grandfather before him. But he was just an empty candy wrapper that happened to look like a man. I felt strangely sorry for him suddenly.
Gideon stared at me, still and silent. The only thing that showed he was still alive was the constant flicker of pain in his eyes.
I waited for a response, afraid that I’d stepped over the line, but pissed off enough that I didn’t really care.
“You’re not the first female vampire I’ve spent time with,” he said. “A while ago I met another one. She was beautiful and strong and deadly. I was going to kill her but she seduced me instead. The sex was great, some of the best I ever had, but I knew she was only doing it to save her own skin. She was an opportunist. Totally self-absorbed. Willing to do anything it took to ensure her own survival. When I woke up the next morning she was gone.”
I licked my very dry lips. “You should write that story up and send it to Letters at
Penthouse. I’m sure they’d love it.”
His gaze remained fixed on me. “For a moment during our tryst I considered her more than a vampire, more than what I’d always thought of as a monster. I thought of her as a woman. If she’d been there when I woke up I don’t think I would have killed her. I felt changed inside. Something was different. But her absence made that sensation easy to forget. Ever since, there’s always been that kernel there in the back of my mind that agrees wholeheartedly with your assessment of me. That I am the monster. Not her. Not you.”