by M. L. Briers
“Dead, as in…?”
“Doornail.”
“And how is that going to happen if he can’t get in and you’re staying here with me?” I had my logical brain on. Sure, I was kind of freaking out at the thought of a vampire hunting Vance, but he didn’t seem too worried about it, well, maybe he was freaking out- it was hard to tell with Mr Emotional Blank sometimes.
“I have a friend.” Vance offered that news.
“You do?” Mr Billy-No-Friends had a friend. Now that was news.
“I do have a few.” His tone was berating. I chuckled.
“I thought I was your only friend.”
“Not so, but close.”
“And this friend is…?”
“Coming here as we speak. He’ll watch over you while I… take care of business.”
I eyed him for a long moment. Taking care of business. That sounded like a day at the office not a fight to the death, which I presume it was going to be.
And what if he died? No, I didn’t want to think of that.
“Watch over me… he’s a vampire, isn’t he?” I liked the sound of that even less. Vance, yes, sure. I’d known him for what felt like forever, but another vampire? Noooo.
“Now don’t rush to panic. Shamus…”
“Shamus? Sounds like a leprechaun not a vampire…” He gave me that look that said I should shut up now.
“Shamus is about six foot five and built like a barn. I don’t think you’ll be mistaking him for a leprechaun. And I wouldn’t leave you with him if I thought that you would ever be in any danger from him.”
That was reassuring, not. A six foot odd vampire, built like a barn, hmm, yep, what’s to worry about there?
“Shamus has… had a mate…”
“Had?”
“She just- died.” He winced again. I took a moment just to look at him.
“Died, as in…?”
“Killed by the vampire that’s hunting me…”
“Oh, for the love of…” This just got better and better. What the hell?
Vance reached for my hand and wrapped it inside of his. I felt slightly calmer, more so with every second that I glared back at him.
“It’s going to be fine.”
“Do we like the word fine? No, pick another and prove your point with facts.” It was something he used to say to me when I was younger, greener in the business world, and I had waited a lifetime to throw it back in his face. Given the circumstances I didn’t feel in a position to gloat.
“The fact is; I’ve just taken you into my bed and I’ll be damned if I’m going to die now.” Vance offered and I melted inside.
Wow. If that was a line I was totally biting. Fish on the hook.
“Still… as we both well know, shit happens.” I had to look on the down side.
“Then be heartened to know that if anything happens to me everything I have is yours.” That was news to me.
“What? Since when? And why would you…?” That doesn’t make up for the fact that he wouldn’t be around anymore.
No more breakfasts talking business. No more sex, and I liked the sex. No more… him.
“I’m glad you feel that way. I thought you might be more renegade and search for a stake at the news.” He grinned again. Now I wanted to swing for him.
CHAPTER NINE
~
“Funny.” I wasn’t amused.
“Not entirely. I’ve seen your merciless behaviour in business, and this is business.” Vance was teasing me, but I was more interested in the part that meant he might not be around anymore.
“And who made me that way, sensei?”
“It’s just a precaution. Has always been a precaution. Everything has been left to you since the day we met. I told you, you are my soulmate.”
“So, I could have killed you any number of times over the years and walked away with the business. A little heads up would have gone a long way.”
“There’s my little mercenary.” He chuckled. I snorted my contempt for him.
“Tell me about the guy that’s coming for you. Do you get that a lot?” I frowned at the thought.
Is that what life with Vance would be like? Forever looking over our shoulders? And if I turned… hmm, there’s a thought I’d never thought I’d think, would they come for me too?
“Cane is an asshole.” He waved it away.
“That is so not helpful.”
“But that’s all she wrote- but let me answer your other questions. No, that’s not how my life is. No, nobody would come for you because I would forever be in their way.”
“And yet, here we are.” I was being practical. He was being… him.
I can’t believe I was taking this so well… Years of Vance must really have rubbed off on me.
“Naked in bed…” He wiggled those damned eyebrows at me again and a jolt of excitement went through me.
“Is sex the only thing you think about?”
“With you? Pretty much, yes.”
“Well un-think it for a moment and be serious…”
“Serious is boring. We’ve been through the boring stages of our relationship- when you pushed me away, now we’re onto the best parts.” He groaned at the sound of a mobile phone going off. “Hold that thought.”
“Too old to multitask. Got it.” I shot back and caught that look that he gave me as he got off the bed in his normal graceful manner, although naked was a good look on him, and strolled across the room.
He snatched up the phone and I waited.
“Give me a minute or your backside will get fried.” He said into the phone and then snapped it shut. “He’s here.”
“Cane…?” The tray nearly shot off my lap and across the bed. I made a grab for it but my heart almost escaped my mouth at the thought of some vampire coming to kill Vance.
“No. Shamus. Get dressed, he’ll want to meet you.”
He started towards the door and I scowled at the thought. He might want to meet me, but did I want to meet him? Not in a dark alley that was for bloody sure.
I heard Vance chuckle as he disappeared down the hallway and sighed. I had to wonder that if I was a vampire- would he still be able to read my damn thoughts?
~
~
~
Well, I did the best I could with what I had to hand; namely Vance’s clothes. I didn’t look a million dollars, but then I wasn’t going on a blind date. I was meeting another vampire, but this was one a friend of Vance’s.
This was a first. I’d never met anyone that Vance knew, who wasn’t human, and wasn’t to do with business. I felt like a nervous teenager, sweaty palms and everything. The deep rumblings of voices came down the hallway and I followed them.
Well, Vance was right; Shamus was built like a barn, and those steely grey eyes of his were captivating as they locked onto mine the moment I got to the doorway, and then I hesitated.
I must be insane. One vampire was more than enough to deal with but two…?
“I won’t bite.” The twang to his voice gave the game away to his origins long before you needed to hear his name. Irish eyes were smiling, and yet there was pain there too.
“Shamus, Marjorie, Marge, Shamus.”
“Don’t call me that.” It sounded even worse when he said it now.
“She’d be more of a Mari, a beautiful name for a beautiful woman.” Shamus offered.
The man must have sucked on the Blarney Stone at some point in his years. Shamus chuckled, and that deep lyrical sound was as imposing as the man himself.
“Yes, he’s certainly full of it.” Vance bit out and I had to smile. Jealousy was such a wonderful thing.
“Ya having an attack of the little green eyed monster there, fella?” Shamus asked and Vance raised just the eyebrow. “Don’t get me wrong, I can see why you would.”
“It would be counterproductive for me to rip your arm off and beat you to death with it, but…”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. Vance was somewhat riled and I
’d never seen him like this before. It was amusing to say the least.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” Vance offered me that same look.
“Oh man up and own it.” He wasn’t going to kill me. He couldn’t. I was his woman, he’d said so. Ha!
“Accidents happen.” Vance offered back over his shoulder as he turned his attention towards the alcohol. Shamus covered his grin with his hand and looked at me from under those thick eyebrows.
“He’s just messing with ya…”
“I know. Trust me, I’ve had years to deal with Vance’s head games. I’m becoming immune.”
“Years, you say?” Shamus seemed to find that even more amusing. Vance shot him a look and Shamus chuckled some more. A private joke perhaps. “And you could nay seal the deal before now?”
“Prude.” Vance whispered loud enough for me to catch it, and then he offered me a smug look over his shoulder. I snorted my contempt for his lie.
“Wallflower.” I offered back. That amused Shamus some more.
“She’s a little feisty. She’ll make a great vamp…” Vance slapped a drink into his hand and Shamus stopped talking. I watched them. There seemed to be something passing between them but I couldn’t make it out.
Maybe they were busy reading each other’s mind- could vampires do that?
“Yes, we can, and yes, we are. It saves snoopers listening in.” Vance didn’t look at me, but Shamus was still grinning.
“Says the man that can’t not read my thoughts.” I shot back.
“And oh what thoughts they are.” Vance gave me another smug look and I rolled my eyes.
“Can we talk about this guy that’s coming after you?” I demanded. Now that Shamus was here- I might get more of an answer than; he’s an asshole.
“No.” Vance shrugged. Shamus chuckled and I seethed inwardly.
“Fine. Then I’m going home to get some clothes…” I turned on the balls of my feet and there he was; standing in front of me with jet black eyes and a look that said pissed off.
“You will not attempt to leave this house…” Vance at his very worst. Demanding, condescending, male chauvinistic, domineering…
“Yada, yada, yada…” I had too.
“In coming after me, he’ll want to come after you… it’s what he does.” His eyes flicked over my head to where Shamus stood. “He takes away what we love the most, first.”
Ok, now there were a couple of things wrong with that explanation…
“So, he’s coming after me…” I started with that as all good business people would. Vance nodded.
“He will endeavour too, yes.”
“And you- love me?” There it was, the pitch and swing. He’d brought it up and I was running with it to see where it led us.
“Yes.” Vance offered nothing more. He just stared back at me. Mr Blank Expression. Hell, he didn’t even flinch or twitch, and there wasn’t one sign that the man was going to blink anytime soon.
What the hell was I supposed to do with that?
He loved me.
And he spat it out in front of someone I didn’t even know, right after telling me I was on a vampire’s hit list. Mixed emotions swirled within me and not for the first time- thanks to this irritating and frustrating man.
“I need a drink.” I turned back towards the alcohol and strolled over to it. I couldn’t be bothered to go through the whole pouring thing so I snagged Shamus’s glass right out from his hand and tossed the contents down the back of my throat.
Oh the fire burned all the damned way down, but that was a good thing.
“I like her.” Shamus announced and I slapped the empty glass back into the palm of one of his giant hands.
“Then you won’t mind pouring me another, larger one.” I looked him straight in the eye and he nodded.
“I like her a lot.” Shamus chuckled.
Vance came up behind me and I felt his hands on my upper arms. He slowly turned me away from Shamus and started to move me towards the door.
“I need you sober, and you make such a sloppy drunk.” He whispered against my ear. I felt that deep within my womb.
“You might not want to be thinking what you’re thinking in close proximity to Shamus.” He whispered again and I groaned.
“If you people would stop reading my damn mind…” I groaned as he led me out into the hallway and towards the staircase.
“Off you go…” He patted me on the backside and I jumped in place.
“I don’t believe you just did that.” Anyone else and they’d be pulling back a damn stump, but with him, it just felt like another round of erotic fun.
“I’ll do a lot more than that if you try to leave this house.” He whispered again. “Don’t make me, make you a zombie.”
I knew exactly what that meant. Dazzled by him, ready and willing to comply. I’d seen him do it and if he ever did that to me I would so take something silver and pointy to him and use him as a pincushion.
“Now, now, be nice.” Vance slapped my backside again and I started up the stairs with a death glare back over my shoulder at him.
“Asshole.”
CHAPTER TEN
~
VANCE.
I watched her walk up those stairs; hips swaying, a look back at me over her left shoulder, and she couldn’t have called to me anymore than she did. I wanted to race up those stairs, snatch her up, take her to bed, and bury my cock so deep inside of her that she actually meowed.
She’d been making sounds like that since the first damn time I’d taken her as mine and I couldn’t get enough…
I cleared my throat and remembered the task at hand. Shamus wasn’t here to listen to me mate with my woman. We had work to do.
I tore myself away from the need to have her and stalked back into the room I’d just left- and there he was; all smug grins and knowing looks.
“Shut up.” I hated it when he was this chatty without words.
“You have to admit it suits you, being mated.” Shamus chuckled again and I wanted to put my fist into his face. It might have been an improvement.
“Can we just kill this bastard so I can get on with…” I waved a hand over my shoulder.
It felt good to finally have my soulmate, but considering my friend had just lost the love of his life, it kind of felt wrong to say it. Like I was rubbing salt in the wounds.
“I’m happy for you. And Naima would have been too.” Still didn’t seem right. Damn, I wish Naima was here right now.
“He came at you out of the blue?”
“He did. His minions ran me off the damn road in my truck. I pitched down a cliff and when I woke up, nothing. I made it home to find Naima…” He stopped talking then, but I saw every last detail within my mind. It wasn’t pretty. I felt his pain of loss mix with my own.
“We’ll get him. It won’t bring her back…”
“Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord. Fuck that. It’s mine.” Shamus growled and I wholeheartedly agreed with him.
I couldn’t let Cane get anywhere near Marjorie. It just wasn’t going to happen.
“If anything happens to me…” I wanted to make sure.
“I’ll protect her with my life.” Shamus knew what I needed to hear. I nodded.
“I can’t believe nobody has done us a favour and killed that bastard yet.” I half wished they had and half wished to do it myself. I knew that Shamus felt the same way.
The sound of the buzzer from the hallway meant someone was at the front gate. Not usual, but not unheard of. I wasn’t expecting anyone, and I didn’t like coincidences.
I stalked out into the hallway and checked the camera. Craig, Marjorie’s right hand man. What the fuck did he want?
“Not now.” I thought I’d be polite. Craig had no idea what I was and I wasn’t into publicising it. As far as he knew I was both human, and a consultant for the company.
“I need to see Marjorie. There’s been a development with the Chinese…”
“Not now.�
�� I sighed. If I had to damn well march down there and wipe his memory back to a time when he was twelve then I’d do it. He was bugging me.
“They’re all dead.”
That got my attention. Like I said; I don’t like coincidences and this was one too many. Craig showing up here, dead delegates…
“Leave.”
“Come now, Vance, is that anyway to talk to your minion?”
There he was; son of a bitch. Cane. I wanted to reach through the screen and rip his throat out. I heard Shamus coming up behind me.
“Who’s the human?” Shamus had to ask.
“Nobody.” Nobody important- to me, damn it.
“To Marjorie?” Shamus knew me too well.
“Yeah. She likes him. Right hand man, works well together, blah, blah, blah, yada, yada…” In my mind he could be replaced, easily, but Marjorie… That was a different story.
“She’d be pissed?”
“That’s one way to put it.” I sighed inwardly. I knew what I had to do.
“She like him enough for you to die?” Shamus had to ask.
I didn’t have a damn clue. I’d told her I loved her and she hadn’t said a damned word.
Me for Craig? Doubtful, but me trying to save Craig… yeah, that might sway her some.
“Just…” I didn’t need an argument not to go out there. I had one right upstairs in my damn bedroom.
“How about I go?” Shamus offered. I’d thought he would. Vengeance was rife within him, but that made him more likely to get himself killed.
“How about you look after…”
“Thought you’d say that. I should have just knocked you the hell out and gone out there.” Shamus looked more than disappointed.
“Look on the bright side, if he kills me then you’ll get your chance.” I saw him thinking on that one. Mulling it the hell over.
“I’m not entirely sure who to root for now.”
“You’re all heart man.”
“It goes without saying that Cane’s gonna kill that guy anyway.” Shamus was probably right.
“And yet you said it anyway.”