E.V.I.E.: 13 Slayers, 13 Missions

by Lexi C. Foss

  Silently cursing her skill, I debated what to do. No matter if I revealed myself or not, Alex’s suspicions had been aroused. Perhaps she’d put two and two together and come to the conclusion that it was me; perhaps not. I had little to gain either way. Talking to her held less appeal than admiring her from afar. My feelings were still hard on the surface.

  Alex spoke up. “Brina? If that’s you, get your ass out here. I’m not playing these bullshit games.” Glowering, she mumbled something I didn’t quite catch, but I could have sworn she had mentioned my name. “Seriously, come out. No one has time for this.”

  I sighed. She was right, and I wasn’t thinking. I’d already spent more than enough time drinking life back into my bones. I couldn’t spend even more waiting around for the coast to be clear. And the more I looked at her, the more I pondered if she might be able to help me. Getting her to agree would be a different story entirely.

  I stepped out from the tree line, directly into her view. She looked at me as if she was staring at a ghost. “Well. You’re not Brina.”

  “No.” I crossed my arms. “Sorry.”

  “Taking a page out of her book, though.” Alex looked me up and down. “You know, when I was a kid, I wanted to be popular. These days, I think I’m good.”

  “I’m not here for you,” I retorted automatically. It was a half-truth. By the way she scrutinized me, I could tell she knew something was different. I probably looked more human than she’d ever seen.

  Alex said, “Thank God for that. So can I go home, or would you rather fight some more?” Her eyes flashed. She was mad too. I sensed the anger radiating off of her.

  “The hostilities were your contribution,” I reminded her. “I am not the one who brought in a friend.”

  I had meant it offhandedly, but the comment got more of a rise from her than I expected. She straightened, glared at me defiantly. “Okay, one; I didn’t bring her in. She just showed the hell up because she felt like it, I guess. Two; she is not my friend.” Alex stepped toward me. “Look, Damien. I tried to work with you, and maybe I’d be willing to keep trying despite what happened at the beach. You’re…” She trailed off.

  I raised my eyebrows. “Go on. I would love to hear the end of that sentence.”

  She grimaced. “You’re a prick. And you have a shitty attitude.”

  I laughed. Couldn’t fault her bald honesty. “Thank you.”

  “No.” She advanced. “You don’t get to revel in it when I’m around. I’m not going to walk on eggshells because you’re like vampire royalty or whatever. I don’t care what your problems are. I just need you to fix them.”

  “Why?” The question came out sincerely. No slayer, or human, for that matter, had ever needed anything from me other than my untimely death. It was strange to see that she had invested some measure of her time and energy into thinking about where an association between us could lead.

  She struggled to come up with an answer that pleased her, and after about a minute, she threw her hands up and said, “I don’t know. You’re the first vampire I’ve ever really spoken to like this. Normally we just exchange one-liners until they die. Sorry if that’s an awful thing to say.”

  I smirked. “I trust it’s true.” To my eternal chagrin, the poor lighting in the street did nothing to diminish her beauty. Ever cognizant of seconds draining away, my first instinct was to shut her up with a long, rough kiss right on her sensual mouth. Then I would disappear into the night and let her go home in peace.

  “Tell me what you’re doing here.” She arched an eyebrow. “Since it’s not ‘for me.’”

  “It’s not for you, but it’s none of your business either.”

  She gave me a look so dry I might as well have been placed in direct sunlight. “All right then. I’m going to tell you to have a wonderful night and pretend this didn’t happen so that I won’t be compelled to take action.” She was doing me a gigantic favor, and I was sorely tempted to just let her do it. We could go our separate ways, no entanglements, and keep our paths from continuing to cross.

  But instead of allowing her to pass by, I reached out and grabbed her hand. She flinched without pulling away. Her fingers were warm in mine. In that moment, something fell into place inside me. I looked into this woman’s eyes and realized I could never be whole again without her.

  “Damien…” Her voice was a soft warning. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  “Hard words, coming from the mouth of a traitor,” I responded.

  “For the last goddamn time, Brina was not with me. We’re not a team. And you know what, neither are you and I, so please stop acting like I owed you a single thing. We don’t have to be at odds, but you’re not making a real strong case for friendship.”

  This was my chance. I had her hand in mine, literally tethering her to me. “Prove I’m not your enemy. Grant me a favor.”

  “You’re pushing it.” She smiled slightly. “But for some reason, I’m listening.”

  “I lost the watch.” My grip on her hand tightened. Mute surprise registered in her gorgeous eyes. “Say you’ll help me get it back.”

  17

  Alex

  “Wait.” I shook my head. “Run that by me one more time. You lost the watch?”

  “And I need to get it back.” His words carried a hint of impatience. “Like, now. Tonight, preferably.”

  “What happened?” The reality of what he had just said was still sinking into my brain. I’d spent years of my life chasing relics down all over the Pacific Northwest, and this guy had the balls to go and lose the one he had after refusing to hand it over?

  “It’s not important.” Then he paused, appearing to rethink the wisdom of keeping information to himself while he was trying to get me to work with him. “But I know where it is. And where it’s going.”

  “Okay…” I pressed my lips into a line. “And you want me to help you recover it.”

  “I have to intercept it.” His tone had begun to veer toward exasperation. “Yes or no, Alex. There isn’t much time to think.”

  “I’m guessing this is why you decided to turn up on my street right at nightfall.” The sky continued its gradual shift from sunset pinks and reds to velvet blue, smattered with stars.

  “Yes.” The minute pause before his response, told me he might be lying, but I let it go. After all, it wasn’t every day that a vampire presented me with such a prime bargaining opportunity. I had to strike while the iron was hot and smooth out any wrinkles later.

  “I’ll say yes… conditionally.” Damien rolled his eyes, so to make sure he knew I was serious, I started to walk past him down the road toward my place. He lingered behind for several paces before finally moving to catch up. As he drew level with me, I heard him grumbling under his breath. “Don’t get cranky. I don’t do work for free. Or favors.”

  “Fine.” He spoke coolly. “What are your terms?”

  “We get the relic back.” I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was watching the pavement in front of us, as attentive as he was pretending to be nonchalant. Perfect. I sprung my trap. “And then I get to keep it.”

  “No.” The response was immediate, and very firm. Damien’s jaw set, but he didn’t stop walking, nor did he turn away. We crossed over onto my block.

  “Then I guess you’re out of luck,” I told him. “It’s the only thing that would make my time and effort worthwhile, as far as I’m concerned. And you’re out of your mind if you think you can have me along on some secret espionage mission and expect me to let you take away all the loot.”

  He said nothing. I could sense his thoughts churning, could see the turmoil in his half golden eyes. The return of a counteroffer was almost as surprising as the counteroffer itself. All of a sudden, Damien reached out and took my hand.

  “I cannot let you keep the artifact in good conscience,” he admitted. “But I am willing to compensate you in other ways.” Taking my face in his hands, he leaned down and kissed me hard. A torrent of passion cra
shed through me, nearly lifting me off my toes.

  Out of instinct, I grabbed his forearm. When he released me at last, we stared into each other’s eyes. My heart pounded in my chest, and I wondered if I’d be dead in a second. “I want to ask what the hell you think you’re doing,” I whispered, “but I also don’t care.”

  The second kiss was deep and long, so intense that it made me ache to my bones. He snaked his arm around my waist, pulled my body to his. All of my thoughts were replaced with a new sense of sensual, physical urgency. The way he looked at me was full of burning, torrid desire.

  “Don’t tempt me,” he murmured.

  “It’s a little too late for that.” We stumbled down the rest of the block, up the pathway to my door. His mouth was on mine as I fumbled for my key. Somehow, the door swung open, and we practically fell into the front hall together. His coat came off in a matter of seconds. Every time I surfaced for air, feeling his lips and tongue move to my neck and shoulder, another article of my clothing had disappeared. Hadn’t he said there was no time to spare?

  None of those things seemed to matter in the moment. Damien nearly tore my shirt in the act of pulling it off. “I find you extremely upsetting,” he muttered against my skin. Then my naked breasts were in his hands. “For a lot of reasons.”

  I moaned. He pinched my left nipple gently, placed his tongue against the right one. “The feeling is mutual. You bastard.” Right then, it was all talk. No matter what my brain thought of Damien Leclair, it was my body that had control. I helped him shed his own shirt and sank my fingers into his hair. He pushed me up against the wall.

  “I don’t hear you complaining,” he said. Gripping the backs of my thighs, he lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist. He pressed hungrily against me, with his pelvis first, and then his hand. I braced myself against the wallpaper with my arms around his neck.

  “As long as you keep your teeth away from my jugular, I won’t say a thing.” The next few minutes were a haze of heat and pleasure. I couldn’t say how he got my jeans off so fast, or his, for that matter. He kissed me until I was dizzy and clinging to him to keep from sliding to the floor. His cock stood poised between my thighs. I shuddered when he touched me.

  “Tell me you want it,” Damien growled. He shoved me into the wall, pushing my legs further apart. I gasped. He made me feel exposed, vulnerable. I didn’t want him to stop.

  My fingers dug into his shoulders. “Give it to me,” I demanded. Damien smirked, hitching me up higher toward his waist. Stars exploded behind my eyelids as he slipped inside. “Oh, shit.” It had been a good long while since I’d experienced that kind of bare intensity.

  He never let me down off the wall, not even to put my feet on the floor. The whole time that we moved and strained and moaned together, he held me in place. His muscles rippled with each insistent thrust, and as we wound up toward climax, I began to think again that he might bite me.

  Instead, he kissed me rough, stifling the cry that wanted to leap from my throat. My fists clenched on his back. In the throes of ecstasy, I tore my lips from his and released a carnal groan. He responded, and for a few seconds we were locked together as one, my toes curled in the small of his back, hair all over my face. I gasped for breath. “Oh my God. Oh my God!”

  The comedown was slow and heady. My vision swam. Damien set me on my feet, but I nearly lost my balance right away until he caught me by the waist. As soon as the endorphins finished flooding my system, I realized what we had done and looked up at him, equal parts mortified and amused.

  “Was that real?” I asked.

  He nodded. His clothes were already half on, and he started to toss me mine. “Consider that a security deposit.”

  “Ha.” I was still a little lightheaded, dressing as quickly as I could through the euphoric afterglow. The way he’d made me feel was so good I resented it a little, and I definitely begrudged him the ability to render me helpless with pleasure. And yet, I absolutely wanted more. “It’ll do for now. Where are we going?”

  Damien slipped his feet into his boots and led the way back out the door. He barely paused long enough for me to engage the lock. My head was spinning. How could he switch gears so fast? One moment, he was all literally naked passion. The next, we were back to business. Not that I wanted a mountain of romance from him. It was just the ultimate quickie.

  “First we go home,” he said at last. “If we’re too late, we go to Oak Harbor.”

  I thought I’d misheard him. “Sorry?”

  “Oak Harbor,” he repeated. “To the vault. There may be some light treason.”

  18

  Damien

  Apparently, my explanation that the Leclair family vault was located underneath Whidbey Island Naval Air Base came a little too late for Alex. “That’s a secure military location!” she exclaimed. I could tell by the way her voice rapidly waned that she had stopped dead.

  “Yes.” I kept up my pace. “Which made it ideal to house a vault full of dangerous artifacts.” I glanced back to make sure she was still following before ramping up to full speed. Our little interlude had done wonders to clear my head, but now we had time to make up. The scenery flashed by, trees, grass, and dirt all blurring together. The wind that streamed past my face smelled like a mix of sea brine and oncoming rain.

  “I hate you,” Alex called, over the roar of the wind. She caught up easily, her hair flying in a long magenta banner. “And you owe me extra.”

  “You know, I think I’m, all right with that.” The only thing keeping me from fantasizing about her body even as we tore away from Langley’s town center toward the estate was the dire urgency of the situation. I hoped fervently that we might be able to stop the relic from ever leaving the house.

  But we had spent too much time handling matters of the flesh. The house gate swung open as it came into view, ejecting a small dark truck onto the road. I cursed. “That’s it, right there! We have to stop the truck!” It soon became apparent that wasn’t going to happen right away. Alex and I slowed, watching its taillights disappear around the corner.

  “Please tell me you have a car,” Alex said. “There’s no way we can catch up with it on foot.”

  “Wait for me. Stay out of sight.” Before she could waste time protesting, I strode up to the gate and punched in my direct access code. With the other hand, I took out my phone and dialed Caleb.

  “Hello?” His voice was slightly hushed, as usual.

  “I need you to cause a distraction in about twenty minutes,” I told him, not bothering with preamble. “The relic is in a truck on its way to the base right now. Make sure they don’t let it in.”

  “Thanks for the advance notice,” he said wryly. “I’ll just whip up an ingenious plan from the barracks.”

  I had no time for his whining that night. “You’ll think of something. Or else we’re all screwed.”

  He blew out his breath. “It’s coming from home?”

  “That’s correct.” I crossed the courtyard at a run, heading for one of the garages. Another access code punched in, and the door lifted noiselessly to admit me. My car, hardly used, gleamed in the dim light. It left its parking space so rarely that I crossed my fingers it would even start. “The truck left about five minutes ago. The road into Oak Harbor needs to be barricaded.”

  “Sure. Simple.” Caleb groaned. “All right. You’ll know if it worked when you get here. I gotta go.”

  As I got ready to back the car out, the one in the next space over suddenly purred to life. Its headlights splashed white across the back wall. My stomach dropped. That meant Father was coming. Pulling the shift into reverse, I stepped on the gas.

  The only thing I stopped for was to let the gate open again. Alex came running out of the bushes along the path. She leapt into the vehicle virtually without looking. I didn’t wait for her to put her seatbelt on. The moment she was technically inside the car, we peeled off, tires spitting pebbles behind us.

  “Nice ride.” She pulled her hai
r back into a long, high ponytail. Her light eyes glowed beneath the full moon. “Reminds me of the gangs in Seattle. You could always tell when the vamps were around, because of the cars.” Alex shook her head. “You guys are real vain sons of bitches, you know that? Always worried about status.”

  “That’s why we left,” I replied. The speedometer crept toward eighty as we swept out onto the open road. “And also why we don’t drive these too much anymore.”

  “You’re in hiding.” Alex chuckled. “Or maybe it’s more like exile.”

  “Self-imposed. I’d say it’s been worth it.” The tires hummed on the pavement. As soon as we got onto the highway, I nudged us up toward ninety. Catching up to the truck before it reached the base was vital; even better if we could manage it out of sight of traffic cameras. The last thing we needed was to be caught on film.

  “There, look!” Alex sat straight up in her seat, pointing. “I see it!” Her eyes glowed with excitement. “Tell me the plan. I’ll jump out of this moving car if I have to.”

  I laughed, unable to help myself. “I would rather you didn’t.” What I wanted to do was pass the truck, then swing around and force it to stop so we could rush the driver and take the watch. The biggest problem was that my sleek black Mustang stood little chance against a guy in a truck, if he was brave or crazy.

  When I told all this to Alex, she shrugged her slender shoulders. “Yeah, we could die. That’s what makes it fun, right? And hey, at least we got to fuck once.”

  That woman was something else. I found myself silently marveling at her unapologetic boldness, her ability to wrestle adversity into submission. If she was nervous or scared, I saw no hint of it.

  The truck sat in the middle lane, cruising. I killed the headlights and pressed the gas pedal down. Our approach was fast and smooth, if not completely silent. The truck didn’t seem to notice us until I’d switched lanes and was flying past the cab. The driver turned his head to see who was roaring by.