Silver Vein: Beneath the City Sleeps Book 1

by Shannon French

  I did my best not to focus on the scent of his aftershave or the feel of his chest against my back as I walked, for fear that I’d stumble down the steps and make a complete fool of myself.

  “That seems like an understatement,” I quipped.

  The room we entered wasn’t much different from the store itself, still cluttered, still dusty—but a small table was perched in the corner housing an old-fashioned teapot that looked to have seen better days.

  “Are you still have trouble with the hex? Is that why you’re here?” Seamus asked and my eyes all but popped out of my head as he waved a hand at one bookcase against the wall and a book all but tossed itself towards Xavier, hitting him square in the jaw and falling to the ground.

  Xavier gritted his teeth for a second until he sighed and bent down to pick up the thick, leather-bound book.

  “No, that was six months ago, Seamus,” Xavier said, setting the book down on the nearby table and dusting his hands off with a wince. “Do you recall our phone call?”

  I was still busy trying to work out how the book got from one place to another of its own accord when Seamus replied.

  “Phone call? When?”

  “Yesterday evening, Seamus.” Xavier was growing impatient. I could tell by the curtness of his tone and the way he rubbed his hand down over his face in exasperation.

  “Who’s this?” Seamus stilled, as though he’d only just noticed my presence. Hoping he wouldn’t launch a chair or teapot at me, I waved my hand with a nervous smile.

  “Quinn,” I said. “I have no idea why I’m here.”

  Seamus blinked in my direction before stepping forward and grabbing my hand. He shook it furiously as his eyes burned into mine. “You are magnificent. What an aura!”

  My brow furrowed. “Thanks? I think?” I quickly mouthed ‘is that a good thing’ at Xavier as Seamus continued rapidly shaking my hand in his.

  Xavier shrugged as though he were just as confused as I was, although I doubted it very much.

  “What are you?” Seamus asked, turning to look at Xavier when I didn’t answer quickly enough. “What is she?”

  “She’s not why I’m here,” Xavier replied, avoiding the question.

  “Normal? The most normal one in this room at least,” I answered, biting my tongue when I realised I could have very well just offended the mental case in front of me.

  Yet Seamus’s face contorted into an unnaturally wide grin and he let out a guffawing howl of laughter, letting go of my hand and wagging a finger at me. “I like her.”

  “I need some information on the Silver’s, Seamus.” Xavier’s words brought the atmosphere right back down to ground zero instantly. A heaviness settled on my chest as Seamus urged us to join him at the small table. I sat down as he asked, almost falling to the floor when the chair wobbled beneath my weight.

  “I don’t specialise in baby vampires, Xavier. You know that,” Seamus said, clasping his hands together in his lap and nervously rocking his thin form back and forth.

  “No,” Xavier began. “But you do specialise in wayfaring. I need to know if a gate has opened in London recently.”

  “Gates?” I asked with a frown, but he ignored me and waited for Seamus to answer. It seemed I was destined to remain confused about this entire meeting.

  “Not that I know of. And I would know, wouldn’t I, Quinn?” Seamus looked at me, refusing to avert his gaze until I presumably answered him.

  “Yes? No?” I fumbled. “I have no clue why I’m here.”

  “If a gate was opened, I’d be aware of it. Hell, I’d be the first to know, it’s under my feet.” He stomped his boots against the ground, sending clouds of dust up into the air and making me cough. I waved my hand in front of my face to clear it, but nobody paid much attention.

  “The Silver’s have never been interested in causing trouble, not for a long time. They wouldn’t start something of their own accord, we both know that,” Xavier explained so casually it was as if they were having a little chat about the weather. This wasn’t the weather though—this was flying books and weird old men and talks about vampires and gates. I might as well have had a flurry of cartoon birds flying above my head because right now I felt like I’d just had a piano dropped on top of me from the top of a high rise building. If I’d learned anything from watching copious amounts of terrible American medical dramas, there was a good chance I had a brain tumour or mercury poisoning, and this was all just a hallucination.

  “True, but people change.” Seamus shrugged with a light-hearted smile. “Maybe they got bored.”

  Xavier raised his dark brows in surprise. “Bored? That’s your theory? Boredom. They’re about to start a fucking war, Seamus.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you, Xavier. If the Silver’s are looking to start some trouble, they didn’t get their orders from someone below. They either came up with the plan of their own accord or they’re being given orders by someone that was already here.”

  Xavier paused in deep thought, the cogs turning for a lifetime, before he leaned forward and tapped his finger against the table. “Who’s already here?”

  Seamus’s expression changed, his mouth opening and closing silently like a fish out of water. “I can check.”

  “That would be helpful, Seamus. Thank you,” Xavier stated sarcastically as he watched Seamus stand up and walk out of the room.

  I leaned closer to Xavier before whispering, “what’s this guy’s deal? Is he insane? A magician? I don’t get it.”

  Xavier laughed quietly and shook his head. “He’s a warlock. Harmless, really, and if anyone knows what’s going on beneath, it’s him.”

  “Beneath?” I asked, but Xavier had no time to clarify, because Seamus trotted back into the room with a mountain of books in his arms.

  “Take these. It’s a list of all those who’ve entered through the gates in the last ten years. You’ll have to check which one’s left again; I’ve lost track.”

  “You’re fucking kidding me,” Xavier groaned, reluctantly taking the books from Seamus. “Aren’t you supposed to be the watchman?”

  “Ha!” Seamus yelled gleefully. “You try babysitting a valley of demons, then get back to me with just how well the paperwork is going for you.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Once Xavier and his faithful driver had loaded the large bound books into the boot of the car, we set off back towards Xavier’s home. I didn’t get much choice in the matter, and it was only when I tapped Xavier on the shoulder and interrupted his brooding that he seemed to finally remember I was even there.

  “I have no idea what you’re going to do with the mountain of books in the back, but can you drop me at home?” I needed a bath and a bottle of wine in some fuzzy pyjamas, and there was nothing Xavier could say to convince me otherwise.

  His expression stayed blank as he motioned to the driver to get his attention. “Richard, turn around. We’re to take Quinn home for the night.”

  My eyes widened in surprise. I’d already prepared my argument in my head for when Xavier laughed and denied my request. Yet Richard nodded and did a quick U-turn in the middle of the quiet street.

  “Thanks,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief I hoped would go unnoticed.

  “Have Mariella keep the bar closed tonight, tell her it’s best to lie low until we know what the Silver’s game plan is,” he added.

  “Certainly, sir,” Richard replied courteously.

  “You can rest while I get started on the books,” Xavier added as he gazed longingly out the darkened window.

  It took a second for his words to sink in and I was just about to open my mouth to argue when he silenced me. “It’s not safe for you to be alone, I told you that.”

  “You mean to tell me you’re going to just welcome yourself into my home?” The question came out as more of a guffaw, but Xavier didn’t seem to bother much.

  “I’m not leaving you alone, Quintessa. Not until this is resolved. It would be in your best interest
s to accept that sooner rather than later.”

  “So, what? You’re not going to let me out of sight until when?”

  Xavier rolled his eyes and turned his enormous form to face me. His face was inches away from mine as he stretched his arm behind my head, keeping me still. “Until I know you’re not in danger.”

  It was difficult to concentrate when he was this close, his breath fanning my face and his eyes penetrating mine as though they could read every sordid thought running through my mind. And those thoughts were abundant. I clenched my legs together to fight the warmth already pooling between them and drew in a long, hoarse breath. The motion didn’t go unnoticed, and Xavier’s nostrils flared, his gaze refusing to falter.

  “You’re making this very difficult for me,” he whispered, his voice an octave lower than it had been moments ago. I could feel his body tense whilst his fist tightened around my headrest. My chest ached with the effort it took to control my breathing and hold my nerve. All I wanted to do was give in, throw myself at him, and taste every square inch of his body. I was seconds away from lunging forward and ripping his shirt off with my teeth when Richard tapped the brake and brought the car to a sudden standstill.

  “We’re here, sir.”

  Xavier’s eyes finally left mine and he bit down on his lip with elongated canines, hard enough that I was certain he’d draw blood.

  Richard was already out of the car and opening the boot up before I even steadied by hands enough to open the door and climb out. My legs were like jelly, wavering beneath my weight as I cleared my throat and swiped my moist brow with the back of my hand.

  It took just a few minutes for the two of them to grab the books and carry them up the flight of stairs to my flat, and I opened the door and stepped aside to let them in. Embarrassment forced even more of a blush to my cheeks when I realised my entire home was probably the same size as Xavier’s kitchen alone, but he was polite enough not to comment.

  “Will you be requiring anything else from me this evening, Mr. Sallow?” Richard clasped his wrinkled hands in front of himself as he waited in the doorway. Xavier dumped the last of the books on the coffee table before turning to him.

  “No, you can take your leave. Thank you,” he muttered, already removing his suit jacket and sitting down on the small settee as though he’d been here many times before. Richard waved his goodbyes and shut the door just as I recalled what Beth had said back at the office.

  “Xavier… you’ve never been here before,” I stated matter-of-factly.

  He sighed and started flicking through the pages, a pen between his lips. “Correct.”

  “Beth said she came here, and she could smell you.”

  His posture didn’t change, and he didn’t bother to look up from the book in front of him. “Your point?”

  I laughed, a sound laced with a mixture of anxiety and anger. “I think my point is pretty obvious, is it not?”

  Impatiently, Xavier rolled his head back and removed the pen before leaning back on the sofa to study me. His eyes roamed up from my feet to my face, slowly, deliberately—as though his thoughts were just as sordid as my own. Butterflies swarmed my stomach, but I held my nerve as best I could, folding my arms across my midriff and standing my ground.

  “Have you been here? Without me knowing?”

  His mouth lifted into a smirk. “Would that bother you, Quintessa?”

  “Stop calling me that, God. You’re fucking infuriating, you know that?”

  “Why aren’t you frightened of me?” He questioned suddenly, his jaw pulsing as he ground his teeth together.

  I trembled, visibly, unsure how to answer. Stupidly, I was stuck here with a monster I’d already been told not to trust many times and here he was, looking at me like I was his next meal. How was I to know he wasn’t just as bad as the Silver’s? Or worse.

  Xavier shifted in his seat, standing up and stalking towards me, his height towering over me as he backed me up against the wall. It was far too much like my dream, so much so that my breath had quickened, coming out in sharp bursts I couldn’t conceal.

  “Should I be?” I muttered while his body pushed up against mine. We were both still fully clothed, yet the way he was looking at me, I felt as though I were completely naked. There was no hiding from Xavier Sallow. He knew it and I knew it.

  “I don’t think you understand who I am, Quinn,” he soothed, lifting his hand to brush a stray strand of hair from in front of my eyes.

  I gulped, praying he’d leave whilst simultaneously hoping he wouldn’t put even the slightest distance between us. “Tell me, then.”

  “You’re not ready,” he said, dropping his eyes to my throat. I watched as he revealed sharp teeth, his tongue dipping against them as though he were a starved animal stalking his newest prey. A wolf who’d just spotted the fawn.

  “Just how bad can you be if you’re here keeping me safe?” I didn’t have time to regret the sudden burst of confidence as he thrust himself towards me, his mouth capturing mine and his tongue unapologetically parting my lips. My brain was telling me that this was a terrible idea—that I should force him away, put distance between us. Perhaps then I could think clearly.

  Yet my body melted against him and when his arm coiled around my waist and his hand fisted in my hair, I knew there was no escape. Even worse, I didn’t want to escape. My own hands found his shoulders, and I braced myself against him, giving in to his strength. His mouth left mine just long enough to spin me around until my face was pressed against the wall and his chest was flush with my back. With steady hands, he moved my hair across my shoulder and latched his mouth onto my neck, sending prickles across my skin.

  “Xavier,” I groaned shamelessly. His grip only tightened, his exploration growing feverish with desire while he ripped the stupid silk shirt Mariella had given me from my back. Fear made my chest clutch, holding the air hostage in my lungs until they burned.

  Xavier dipped down from my neck and kneeled behind me, his hands tugging at the waistband of the too-tight jeans and leaving me bare in front of him—vulnerable and open to his judgement in a way I’d shied away from for years. He stilled as I buried my face against the wall, afraid of what he would say. I knew exactly what those steel-blue eyes were faced with. I’d looked at them in the mirror every day for as long as I could remember. Knotted pink scar tissue and rough skin, a tangle of burns that I’d kept hidden. No man or woman I’d ever been with had ever seen them. I’d never allowed it up until now. My mouth went dry as I tried to not to let the anxiety take me prisoner.

  I pushed away from the wall, but Xavier stopped me—his hand planted between my shoulder blades, forcing me to remain still. The wait was murderous, as I prepared for what questions he might ask or what comments he would make, but nothing came.

  Instead, his lips trailed from my calf up towards my thigh in determined kisses that seemed far too intimate, far too purposeful. Rough hands followed the trail. His mouth had left, reaching between my thighs. Everything I’d been fearful of hearing drifted away. With expert fingers, he dipped into my folds at a painfully slow pace before circling my swollen clit. If it hadn’t been for him keeping me upright, I’d have collapsed with the shudder of pleasure that rattled my entire body. Xavier didn’t say a word, just continued his glorious assault on the most intimate part of me until I was bucking against him and begging involuntarily for mercy.

  He stood up to his full height, and I groaned in dismay. “Do you want this, Quintessa?” He whispered gruffly in my ear. His fingers left me for just a second, yet it felt like an eternity. I nodded, my face still pressed against the cool wall.

  “Say it,” Xavier demanded.

  I couldn’t trust my voice, couldn’t depend on the words to come out for fear I’d regret them.

  “Say the word and I’ll make sure every demon in this city knows that the only monster that can touch you is me.”

  “And if I don’t?” I moaned as his teeth bit down just hard enough on my jaw to leav
e a mark.

  “Then you’ll never know what it would feel like to bring a King to his knees.”

  My breath hitched in my throat. Words had escaped me. What could I say to that? What could come out of my mouth that would equal his statement?

  “What do you want me to tell you?” I asked between gasps as he slipped his fingers from me and placed them between his lips.

  “Oh, Quintessa. Surely you know the words I want to hear from that delectable mouth of yours,” Xavier teased, grabbing a fistful of my hair and spinning me around to face him. I craned my neck to meet his cold eyes, my chest heaving against his. He kept his fingers in front of his lips, his tongue lapping at what was left of my arousal.

  “I don’t beg, Xavier,” I replied, finally finding my strength. It was short-lived though, especially when he palmed my bare breast, catching the sensitive nipple between his fingers and twisting.

  “We’ll see about that, love.” I felt his lips capture mine roughly, a clash of teeth and tongue. My hands wrapped around the back of his neck as he lifted me, forcing my legs open and trapping them around his waist.

  Even through his trousers, I could feel his erection pressed against my core. It brought a rush of warmth to the pit of my stomach that ached unbearably. My hands grip at the collar of his shirt, demanding his lips remain pressed against mine. Xavier is cold, his mouth and tongue a welcome relief from the burning of my cheeks. I suck his bottom lip into my mouth and bite down, tugging hard until he hisses.

  My eyes flutter open behind my heavy lashes, just long enough to see the growing darkness in his. It’s all consuming, a black hole that threatens to capture me and never let me go. For all the trepidation I felt about allowing Xavier this close to me, I feel at peace.

  Xavier slides his hand down my stomach until his palm is cupping me, the heel massaging slow circles as he dips a finger inside me.

  “You’re soaked, Quintessa,” he whispers, teasingly.

  He has me pinned between him and the wall, unable to move even a fraction in search of release. It’s torturous, but still, he puts enough pressure on my clit with his hand that even as I try to roll my hips into it, it’s impossible.