Eternal Hearts

by Jennifer Turner

  “Fine, I’ll stay away until you talk to him, but I’ll only wait so long.”

  Derek blew out a sigh then beamed a smile. “I can have you put in The Box if it’ll make it easier for you until I can talk to Crypt.”

  A half hearted smile tugged at Drake’s mouth as he thought about The Box, a supernatural dead zone that Crypt had created as a punishment for his most powerful assassins. Once inside, its magics sucked the power from a supernatural creature’s blood and trapped them indefinitely. From what he remembered being told, The Box was never ending darkness. It was like being stuck in a world full of nothing.

  Fortunately for Drake, he’d never had to go there. The one and only time he’d asked to be put there just so he could see what all the fuss was about, when he took a step forward he walked right out of it. “I can’t go in the box, remember?”

  Derek started laughing. “Oh yeah, I remember Crypt’s face when you stepped out of the damn thing. Now that was some funny shit.”

  Drake took a large step forward and stared down at Derek. “Promise me he won’t make me stay away from her for more than a few days.”

  Derek frowned. “You know I can’t promise you that. It’s not my call. But I will promise you that I’ll do everything in my power to talk Crypt into letting you keep her. Now stop wasting time with me in this alley and get back to her.” He took a sip of his beer then pointed his cookie towards the wall of Mutt’s. “Besides, there’s a hot female executive from a rival company in the bar who says she wants to do nasty things to me. And I think I might just let her.”

  Drake rolled his eyes. “One more question then I’ll go.”

  “What’s that?” Derek asked with a mouth full of vanilla wafer.

  “Exactly why did you order protection for Toni?”

  Derek grinned and made a production of swallowing his cookie. “Because I wanted to make sure she was able to start the investigation Christian just put her on. Which reminds me,” he said before he paused to throw his half eaten cookie at Drake, “don’t watch her from afar, either! Christian’s basing her acceptance back into the city on whether or not she can complete the investigation. If you watch her, she’s going to feel like someone’s watching her, and that’ll only hinder her from finding what she needs to find. And you know how much she wants to stay here. She wants it as much as she wants you.”

  Drake narrowed his eyes on Derek. The Viking knew something else but the bastard wasn’t sharing. “What do you know that you’re not telling me, Derek?”

  Derek smiled wide as he skipped backwards down the alley. “The games are afoot, my boy, and this time the Ancients are playing. Which means every pawn’s important. And that’s all I’m gonna say about that.”

  Drake watched as Derek disappeared around the corner. The Ancients were always playing their games, and they always wanted someone dead. That was the reason he had a job in the first place.

  He’d never understood the game of the-one-with-the-most-toys-when-the-world-ends-wins, and to be honest – he didn’t want to. All Drake knew was that if the current game ended up hurting Toni somehow, there were going to be a lot of dead Ancients.

  Chapter 17

  Toni pulled into a space in the parking garage of the Legacy Suites just as Robert stepped out of a luxury sedan parked a few spaces away. After grabbing the investigation folder from under the passenger seat, she climbed out of her car and smiled at him. “Hi, Rob.”

  He returned the gesture. “Good evening, Toni.”

  She tucked the folder under her arm and fell into step beside him. “So how’s your night going?”

  “Fortunately, my night is going quite well at the moment. I just left Christian’s office and am now reassuming my duties at the front desk. I would ask how you are, however, you look pleasantly sad and I don’t wish to pry.”

  She tipped her head towards him. “It’s been a really long night.”

  He pushed up the sleeve of his dark suit jacket and checked his watch. “But it’s barely midnight.”

  She blew out a long sigh. “I know. But I’ve digested so much information in the last few hours that it could probably choke a cow.”

  He chuckled at her. “Such a vivid picture you paint with but a few words. I take it the investigation isn’t going well?”

  “No, ah…actually, I haven’t really started yet.”

  “Well, I should hope not.” His voice took on the stern quality of a grandfather, even though when she raised her eyes to meet his, she realized he didn’t really look like one. He was more like a dapper, older English gentleman. “Have you even studied everything in the folder yet? One must be completely prepared before they take on an investigation of such a magnitude. Werewolves are a subject not to be taken lightly.”

  “I haven’t exactly studied it,” she admitted as she bumped her shoulder into his. “But that’s a really great excuse, Rob.”

  A knowing grin spread across his face. “I’m good for far more than you know, young lady. However, if it’s not the investigation, might I inquire as to what’s bothering you?”

  She rubbed her temples. “Between you and me, it’s just some confusion over Drake.”

  “I take it you learned of his unfortunate profession?”

  She arched a brow. “You know what he does?”

  “Of course I do. Very few things happen in this city that I don’t know about. Considering who I answer to on a nightly basis, would you expect any less?”

  “I guess not.” When Robert opened the door for her, she stepped into the hotel lobby. “You probably know a lot more about this life than I ever will.”

  He laughed as the door swung closed behind him. “You’ll learn more in time. Trust me, when time is all you have, you learn many things you never thought you would. Knowledge truly is power in this life, especially when the years begin to grow heavy. Oh, and speaking of knowledge, I’m supposed to give you this,” he said as he reached into his jacket pocket. He handed her a folded piece of paper. “Much to Christian’s dismay, this was left out of the folder.”

  She took the note then opened it, revealing a name and address. “What’s this for?”

  Robert stared rather intently around the lobby before motioning for her to follow him. He took a moment to relieve the woman behind the counter, and then waited until she’d left the lobby before turning back to Toni. “That’s the name and address of an Ancient sword smith. He’ll be expecting you at his home tomorrow, before midnight. You do know how to wield a sword, yes?”

  She nodded. “Clint taught me how, but why do I need one?”

  An evil grin danced across his face. “Should you come across the werewolves or find yourself in trouble, as there is probable vampire involvement in this issue, Christian would prefer the confrontation stay as quiet as possible.”

  “You mean he doesn’t want me shooting anything?”

  He nodded, his grin giving way to concern. “Also, on a far more serious note, should you be attacked, your guns will likely do no good against either foe. Christian doesn’t mean to send you out unprepared, so please, stop and see Molenyar before you begin any heavy investigating. I don’t wish to see you injured.”

  Toni leaned across the counter and pressed a kiss to Robert’s cheek. “Thanks for caring about me, Rob. It means a lot to me.”

  “Not a problem, my dear.” He pulled away and smiled at her again. “Well, if you will excuse me, I have a hotel to check up on. You’d never believe the amount of mischief that goes on behind the scenes of this establishment.”

  “I bet,” she said as she turned and made her way towards the elevator. “Have fun, Rob.”

  “Thank you, Toni. I do hope your night gets better.”

  When the doors of the elevator slid closed, Toni leaned against the wall and wondered what she’d gotten herself into. Investigations, swords, and assassin lovers weren’t something she’d prepared for. Then again, most of the events that had happened in her life thus far she hadn’t really prepared
for.

  After the elevator delivered her to the nineteenth floor without incident, she hurried down the hallway and unlocked the door to her suite. She flipped the lights on, but was more than a little disappointed to find an empty room waiting for her. Part of her had hoped to find Drake draped across the bed with that adorable lopsided grin plastered across his face.

  She turned and pushed the door closed, but just as she spun back around to face the room, something black flickered in the corner of her eye. She jumped, threw the folder in the air and started screaming as a hulking shadowy figure appeared a few feet away. And it wasn’t until the darkness faded that she realized the large intruder was not only someone she knew rather intimately, but was also laughing at her.

  She glared up at Drake. “What the hell is wrong with you? You scared the crap out of me!”

  He managed to stop laughing, but he apparently couldn’t control the beaming white smile. “Sorry, I forgot you hadn’t seen me do that yet.”

  “You just appear places?” she asked, clutching a hand to her chest. She waved air towards her face with the other. “You just…out of nowhere?”

  He nodded. “I can. I usually only do it when I want to get somewhere quick though.” His eyes slowly slid down her body. “And since I was coming back to you…well, I wasn’t about to walk.”

  She ignored the flutter low in her stomach. “How do you do it?”

  “Well, I can actually do it two ways. I can either travel the shadows, or I can focus on someone I know or a place I’ve been…and then I just kinda show up somewhere close to my target.”

  She bent down and gathered the contents of the folder. “I bet that comes in pretty handy.”

  “What?” he asked.

  She stood up then walked over and dropped the folder on the desk before she spun on her heel to face him again. “Did you suddenly forget what we were talking about?”

  And there was the lopsided grin she’d been waiting for. “Yeah, but only because I was staring at your ass. You wouldn’t be interested in taking that coat off, would you?”

  She tapped a finger against her chin while she considered his question. “I don’t know. It is rather comfortable.”

  He must not have agreed with her, because before she knew what was happening, he snatched her up and dumped her on the bed. She laughed when he dropped down on his side next to her then pulled her so their noses touched.

  “I think you’d be much more comfortable if you were naked,” he said, then nipped at her mouth. “In fact, I know you would be.”

  “You think so, huh?” She pinched his bottom lip between her teeth. “And exactly what will you be wearing?”

  “You?”

  “I think that could be arranged.” She leaned forward to kiss him, but froze when instead of meeting her; he pulled back and rested a hand on her cheek. “What’s wrong?”

  “I need to tell you something.”

  She closed her eyes and prepared for the worst. “What?”

  “I have to leave when you wake up tomorrow. My contract on you is over. Actually, it ended as soon as you left for your meeting with Christian.”

  “Are you coming back?”

  “Yes, I’m coming back. I’m kinda in a little bit of trouble for telling you about the contract, well that, and for touching you. Not that I regret either decision. I’d gladly get in more trouble for you.”

  Toni sat up and glared down at Drake as anger stormed through her. “They won’t do anything to hurt you, will they? Because if they think for one minute I’m just gonna sit back and let them hurt you – they don’t know me at all. I have a temper when it comes to the people I care about, and I’m so not afraid to use it on whoever they are.”

  He let out a loud laugh then pulled her back down next to him. “No, they won’t hurt me. No need to unleash the Warrior beast. I do have another contract though, that’s why I have to leave.” He paused to take a deep breath. “That’s actually something you’ll have to get used to if you stay with me. I still have a job to do, but from what I hear…so do you.”

  She really didn’t want him to leave, but she understood he had to do his job. And honestly, she had more than enough to do herself. “Yeah, Christian gave me a task to do, and I have to finish it before he’ll let me stay in the city.”

  “Well, then me going is probably a good thing anyway. You’ll be able to focus on what you need to get done without me trying to interrupt you. And I’d hate myself if I knew you didn’t do what you needed to because I kept you busy.”

  She wound her fingers into his hair then pressed her lips to his. “You’re awful,” she breathed between kisses, “but you’re also probably right.”

  “So…about that coat.”

  “What about it?”

  “I don’t like it.”

  She smiled at him. “Then do something about it.”

  She waited, almost impatiently, when he finally broke from her mouth and fumbled with the large buttons. But the purely devious smile that curved his lips when he realized she still wore the pants he’d ripped back in the alley was more than worth the wait.

  When Drake growled and tore off her pants the rest of the way, followed by her shirt…Toni knew it was going to be a great night.

  ***

  Clint looked up from his newspaper when he heard the door chimes go off. He grinned as Derek sauntered through the doorway of Grey’s, his hair messed and wild, red lipstick smudged on his neck. “Having a good night, Derek?”

  Derek sighed as he slumped down on the couch. “I was having a good night, until the woman I was with started asking me about my fiscal reports, which haven’t been released yet.”

  Clint snapped the wilting newspaper straight and shook his head. “Why on God’s green earth do you keep pursuing women who work for rival companies?”

  “I don’t know.” Derek’s mouth quirked into a half smile. “I guess I keep hoping that maybe someone with common interests will actually like me for more than my company.”

  Clint arched a brow. He knew Derek’s smile was a ruse. His best friend was lonely, and having a hard time finding a woman who wanted him for more than his impressive bank account. “Did you ever think of looking for a woman who doesn’t care about wealth?”

  Jacob began laughing first, closely followed by Derek, who then grinned rather wide. “It’s really hard to find a woman who doesn’t want my money, Clint.”

  “Not all women want money,” Clint said as he shifted on his cushion to face Derek. “Why don’t you look for one who already has plenty of her own?”

  His nose wrinkled up as though he’d just caught a whiff of something rotten. “Because the ones who have their own fortunes are usually snotty debutants, who either want the social prestige behind my last name…or they just want my penis.”

  Now it was Clint’s turn to laugh, and he did so, loudly. “I’ve known you since we were five, Derek. I’ve seen your penis more times than I care to count, and I gotta say…it’s not that great. I’d rather have the money.”

  “You saw my penis back when we were kids.” He looked up at the ceiling and smiled. “I clearly remember the awed jealousy on your face when you realized you’d never compare.”

  Clint held the newspaper out and stared down at his zipper. “I don’t remember that. However, I do know that mine’s been used in the last century.” He looked back to his friend and smiled. “There’s probably dust and cobwebs on yours.”

  Derek didn’t look the least bit amused. “There aren’t any cobwebs on my dick. Besides, just because I don’t stick it in every woman who walks by, doesn’t mean I don’t use it. I’m selective, where as you…you’re just a man whore.”

  “I am not a whore! Just because I happen to love women, and they love me back – doesn’t make me a whore.” He threw the paper at Derek. “Maybe it’s your dusty penis that scares women away.”

  “Knock it off, children,” Martin yelled from the counter. “Stop talking about genitals in the middle o
f my shop.”

  Clint looked at Derek, and then cast a glance around the room before focusing back on Martin. “But we’re the only ones here.”

  Martin nodded. “And maybe that would change if you stopped talking about your penises.”

  “There’s someone out there who doesn’t want your money, Derek, you just haven’t found her yet,” Jacob chimed in as he flipped a page in the magazine he’d been reading. “However, you still have a few years or so before she turns up in the city.”

  Derek shot Jacob a nasty glare. “Don’t you even start with the divine prophecies over there. That crazy Angel voodoo shit still freaks me out.” He waved a hand towards the door. “Go do God’s work somewhere else.”

  Jacob laughed as he raised his unnaturally blue eyes. “I have the gift of far sight, what can I say? At least now you know you’ll eventually find her.” He stood up, set the magazine on the table, and then straightened his shirt. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a date.”

  Both Clint and Derek’s mouths dropped open. “You have a date?” they asked in unison.

  Jacob only grinned before he walked out the door.

  Derek sank back into the corner of the couch. “He scares the hell out of me, Clint. And I’m too old to be scared like that.”

  “He scares almost everyone,” Clint said as he picked up his coffee. “Well, except Toni. She absolutely adores him. Which reminds me, what happened with Drake?”

  “Drake is…Drake. He’s pissed because he’s in trouble, and even more because he loves her.”

  Clint choked on his coffee. “What do you mean he loves her?”

  “Drake loves her. There’s nothing else to say. It’s really not complicated. Well, it’s love and for some reason love always seems to be complicated, but the fact that he loves her isn’t.”