Deane was suddenly pulled back to the conversation. He’d been told the details of that night by Emery and Jax. Being locked behind a basement door had prevented him from helping save Aerilyn and Riley from their vampire abductors.
He leveled his gaze on the blond and the dark-haired man beside him. Recognition jogged his memory. Deane knew the dark-haired man. In fact, he’d pulled him off Julian mere days ago.
“I am Tovin.” The shaggy blond bowed his head once more. “It was my honor to protect you.”
Emery’s face contorted. “What the actual f—”
“Hold on—” Deane stepped forward and pressed his finger into the dark-haired man’s chest. “Ye are the bastard who roughed up Julian.”
“Do not touch me, half-blood, or you will lose your finger.” The man’s lip pulled back in repulsion.
“Piers, silence.” Tovin warned his companion.
Deane glanced around them to make sure they weren’t drawing attention. There was only a man at a pump, swiping his credit card, and a mother and child walking into the convenience store. None of them appeared to notice the confrontation occurring, which was good because Deane was prepared for a fight. He returned his focus to Piers and Tovin. “Why are ye getting into our business? Are ye with the Society?”
“The Society?” Piers wrinkled his nose in disgust. “No.”
Would it make sense if they were vampires? Deane looked over the men closely, noticing pale opalescent designs on Tovin’s neck which disappeared beneath his collar. Tovin must have felt Deane’s eyes on him, for he touched his long hair, drawing it around the edges of his face.
“Are you vampires?” Emery frowned.
Tovin shared a secretive look with Piers and returned his focus to Emery. He seemed to truly regret his answer. “I cannot say.”
“Well, what about you?” Emery turned to Piers, the attractive yet unpleasant man. “You said you’re not with the Society, so what are you?”
Tovin gave him another warning glare. Piers stared at the ground. “I cannot say.”
“I bet we could make them say.” Emery reached across, grabbing hold of the front of Piers’s button-up shirt. “What do you think, Deane? Should we have a little fun with them?”
Piers’s jaw clenched and the tendons in his neck pulled tight. His narrowed eyes turned to meet Tovin’s. The shaggy-haired blond raised his brows. “No, not here…”
Piers closed his eyes and exhaled sharply. A green light shimmered around him in an oval. Emery gasped and let go of him, nearly bumping into Deane as she tipped back. Piers stepped into the light, grabbing hold of Tovin as he went. The two mysterious strangers disappeared into the glowing portal, and no sooner had they entered it than they and the light were gone.
“What the—did you see that too?” Emery blinked at the place they’d been standing a moment earlier.
Deane scanned the lot to see if anyone else had been witness to the men’s disappearance and couldn’t find any eyes fixed in their direction. A vehicle at the far corner of the lot lurched from its parking space and peeled past. Deane pointed at it, tracking it as it went. He recognized Tovin’s profile in the driver’s seat while they sped by. Beside him, Piers was clutching his nose. A dark stream of blood had stained his mouth, chin and shirt.
Emery started running after the vehicle, chasing it to the street where it took off to the highway on-ramp. She slowed down, raised her hands and turned around to look at him. Even from their distance apart, he could see the frustration in her eyes. She shouted, “Get the car!”
There wasn’t any way they’d be able to catch up to people who could disappear into thin air. Plus, the men had turned east on the highway, the opposite direction of Lycos’s compound in the Bay Area. There were too many balls in play to allow themselves to get distracted from his top priority, and that was Riley.
He walked toward the car and waved her to him. She hurried over, still panting, and gestured in the direction they’d gone. “Didn’t you see that? We need to track them down and get some answers. I mean, have you ever seen anything like that before?”
He’d lived a very long life. And never in all his years had he seen anyone disappear like that. He’d witnessed many circus magicians trick the audience into believing they used magic, but there wasn’t a glowing portal. He couldn’t understand it, but he wasn’t going to allow himself to get distracted from the reason they were on the road in the first place.
“Get in.” He pointed at the passenger side and went to return the gas nozzle to the pump.
“What?” Emery sighed loudly and did as she was told, but not without making it clear she wasn’t happy. Deane buckled himself into the driver’s seat and started the car. From the back seat, Verity’s arm stretched into the air, and she sat up. “Are we still in Florida?”
Emery ignored the question and glared at Deane. “Why aren’t we following them?”
Verity rubbed the bags under her eyes and leaned forward between the two front seats. “What are you talking about?”
Emery raised an eyebrow at Verity, then quickly caught her up to speed. Emery threw her hands in the air in frustration. “And he won’t go after them!”
Deane explained simply, “They jumped on I-10 east.”
Maybe he’d made a monumental mistake. He was an enforcer for the Genus Society. What Emery expected him to do was in his job description. Knowing what other forces were at play was important given the current circumstances, since they’d only just discovered there were vampires in the world when they’d thought they’d been alone for millennia.
Fostering Riley had changed everything. He wasn’t the same man he’d been mere weeks ago. The old Deane would have raced off to chase the men. But all he could think about was getting to Riley as soon as possible. To make sure he was safe. He was his only priority. He was even willing to risk his position in Alaric’s lodge and the Society for his foster kid.
Verity put her hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention back to her. “Riley?”
He nodded.
She sat back in her seat and blinked at him. “Let’s go.”
Deane drove away from the gas station and paused before getting onto I-10 westbound. Beside him, Emery folded her arms and mumbled, “I just don’t get it.”
“Ye’re not a parent, that’s why.” Deane gave her an unapologetic smile.
His partner slipped off her shoes and put her feet on the dash. She stared at her painted red toes. “My parents never put me first. You may lose your job, but you’ll win Parent of the Year, hands down. Riley’s lucky to have you.”
“Yes, he is.” Verity smiled at him through the rearview mirror.
Fifteen
By the time they made it to Pensacola, it was dark. Verity was tired from sitting so long in the back seat and felt abnormally exhausted, likely from the head injury she’d received from Opal and the chair leg. Verity hadn’t gotten to feed on rabbit blood recently, so she was feeling a bit run down. The thought had crossed her mind that she would have to find a source of blood once they made it to California, but it wasn’t a major issue. Yet.
Emery looked at the dashboard clock and turned down the radio. “I’m starving.”
“I guess we could grab some grub real quick,” Deane’s melodic voice answered.
“Ugh, can we actually get out of the car and stretch our legs? Maybe have a drink and get a hotel room?” Emery looked pleadingly at Deane. “We can get started first thing—I’ll even take the first shift driving.”
“We’re not yet out of Florida, and we have a long way to go.” Deane shook his head.
Emery turned around in her seat and asked Verity, “What about you? No offense, but you’re looking a bit worn out. How’s your head? Wouldn’t you like to get a good night sleep before laying down tracks tomorrow?”
Deane’s eyes stared at Verity through the rearview mirror as he awaited her response. She took a deep breath. “I’m okay, don’t worry about me.”
Emery�
�s observation was enough for Deane to exit off the freeway. “Yer forehead is still swollen and red. Maybe a good rest tonight would be wise.”
A grin touched Emery’s lips as she stared at her phone’s screen. She started rattling off directions to Deane, and they drove south, closer to Pensacola Bay. It didn’t take long before they found a nice hotel a block from the shore.
Before Deane got out of the car, Emery touched his arm. “Get two rooms and find out if there’s a good bar around here.”
He nodded and left the two of them to go into the hotel office.
“Mind if I share your room?” Verity asked.
Emery turned sideways in her seat. “Sure, if you don’t mind my company.”
Verity didn’t mind the shifter at all. She reminded her in some ways of what she had been like in her youth. She smiled at Emery, who returned a sly look. The shifter glanced toward the hotel office where Deane was standing. “So, you like him, don’t you?”
Verity hadn’t expected the question and paused for a moment. “There aren’t many men like him in the world. Compassionate yet tough, thoughtful but guarded.”
Emery winked at her. “Irish and sexy?”
Verity couldn’t stop the smile from parting her lips. Her attraction for the man had grown, or she’d become more aware of it over the passing days as she’d gotten to know him. She’d had the pleasure of seeing his mostly naked body, though at the time it was shocking discovering he was a shifter. And of course, there was the kiss. But he’d likely thought she was his dead wife at the time. Not a good sign.
“Nothing wrong with appreciating a fine man,” Emery muttered. “I try to do it as often as possible.”
Verity shook her head. “I don’t think he’s over Kristie. I can’t compete with a ghost.”
Emery winced. “That was his wife? Well, at least you know more about his past than I do, and I’ve been his partner for two years.”
“Have you ever had a serious relationship?” Verity crossed her legs and waited in curiosity. “There must be enough shifters around for you to find a man you like.”
The enforcer rubbed the edge of her eye carefully as not to smear her makeup. “I’m not looking for a serious relationship. I could call the matchmaker, but there’d be no point.”
Verity tried to suppress the sudden jealousy that clutched at her heart. She’d always known she could never have a normal relationship. She was a vampire. The only other vampires she’d ever met were family. She’d observed the unorthodox relationship between Dolan and Nissa, but it was something she was unwilling to participate in with Ramsay, there were no other options. Her father had made it very clear that their existence was to remain a secret from humanity—it was the only one of his rules that ever made sense to her. Having a human boyfriend would be impossible. She’d tried to accept she would never experience romantic love.
The driver’s door opened, startling Verity. Deane handed Emery her cardkey. “We can leave the rental here and walk two blocks north for food.”
“And drink?” Emery asked.
“Aye.” Deane closed the door.
It felt good getting out of the car. Verity stretched her arms to move her stiff joints and noticed Deane’s eyes on her. She adjusted her shirt and started walking.
They didn’t go far when the downtown streets took on a particularly Victorian appearance. Emery pointed to a large two-story building that looked like it belonged in the French Quarter of New Orleans. They followed the sound of jazz music into a bar.
Verity scanned the dimly lit, wood-paneled room and felt like she’d been transported back in time. Instead of suits and dresses, T-shirts and casualwear made it clear they were firmly set in the twenty-first century. Despite that, she could imagine herself as a young woman again, going out until the early morning, dancing, drinking and having fun.
Emery walked up to the bar to order a drink. Deane placed his hand at the low of Verity’s back to guide her deeper into the room, a gesture that caught her notice. Two pianos were set up on a stage, and two men were dueling with their instruments.
“Can I order ye something?” he asked as they found an empty table.
Verity sat down on a chair and looked over her shoulder at the wood hewn bar. “A Southside Fizz.”
She watched him find an opening and talk with the bartender. Emery wasn’t far from where Deane was standing, although she hadn’t noticed him. A good-looking man had approached her and started a conversation. Based on the flirty grin on her lips, she was enjoying the attention.
Deane returned before long with her drink and a coffee. Verity took a sip and raised a brow at him. “Not planning on any shut-eye tonight?”
“I wouldn’t want to lose mental clarity, what with us being followed.” He blew at his steaming drink before sipping a careful mouthful.
Verity watched him. “So you’re worried about those men?”
He set his cup on the table and focused on the musicians. “I would say there is reason for concern, aye. They don’t seem too keen on yer kind.”
She scanned the room around her, wondering if they were there now, spying on them.
Deane’s eyes traced over her face. “They aren’t here. Don’t worry, I haven’t let my guard down.”
She smirked. “Oh, I never would have thought that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He raised his brow at her.
Verity tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Just teasing you.”
“Ye like doing that, I’ve noticed.”
She blinked at him, half expecting a frown, but instead, she found a slight grin on his lips. She wondered if he he’d melted his wife’s heart with that smoldering look.
He took another sip of coffee and changed the subject. “Have ye heard from Julian?”
Verity palmed her phone and checked all of the missed calls from her brother. “I thought it would be too hard trying to talk to him about it, so I sent his calls to voicemail. Messaged him, though.”
“I’m guessing he’s not pleased?”
“No.” She shook her head. He’d threatened to follow her out to California, but she’d convinced him he needed to stay in Florida, so the Society wouldn’t get concerned about them both fleeing back to Lycos. It wouldn’t look good. It could break the terms of their agreement, and the last thing they needed was their father along with the entirety of the Genus Society slating them as an enemy. She poked at the sprig of mint in her drink with her straw. “What about Alaric? Has he called?”
Deane swallowed another hot mouthful of coffee. “Not yet, though I expect to hear from him anytime.”
“What will you tell him?” She knew he wasn’t exactly following orders, driving across the country to track down Riley at Lycos’s compound.
He cradled his cup in his hands and thumped his thumb against the table. “Not sure yet.”
They sat in silence, listening to the dueling pianists. Verity tried to enjoy the music, and she might have if she weren’t worrying about something Deane had said. She would have had enough on her mind without also thinking about these mysterious men following them. What if they were on their way back to her home to attack Julian again? Cruz said he’d look after her brother, but the shifters weren’t all-powerful. If they were, Dolan wouldn’t have been able to slip in and grab Riley to begin with. She texted Julian, warning him to keep an eye out.
A waitress brought a plate of food and set it on the table in front of Deane. He looked at Verity as he picked up a fork and knife to cut into his steak. “Do ye mind? I could eat a reverend mother.”
“Of course not. You need food.” She watched him chew and tried to remember a time when cooked meat had been appealing to her. It had been so long, it was a faint, dreamlike memory.
His meal disappeared at a fast rate, and he chased it down with the dregs of his coffee. It had been interesting spending time with the shifters. For most of her life, she’d lived with her family, who either consumed human or animal blood. She
found it curious that shifters and vampires both experienced the same extended lifespan and seemed to procreate in the same manner, yet they were so different in other ways.
“What are ye thinking about?” He pushed his empty plate toward the edge of the table and lifted his brow at her.
She folded her hands in her lap. “Nothing, just how similar and different our kinds are from each other.”
Emery walked up to their table and kneeled between them. She winked at the man she’d been occupied with over the last hour and whispered, “I’m going back to the hotel with Paul. It’s been too long since I’ve been able to blow off some steam.”
“Getting your kettle mended?” Verity asked with a grin. If she were as free-spirited as Emery, she might have found a certain amount of satisfaction from carnal affairs, but it only left Verity feeling lonelier than anything.
Emery waggled her eyebrows at Verity. “If you mean, let that fireman put out my fire with his hose, then yes. If my bandana’s still hanging on the door, don’t come knocking.”
“Be safe.” Deane watched her turn around and nuzzle into the handsome stranger’s muscular arms and shook his head in disapproval.
Verity sipped the last of her drink and set it on the table. “She’s young. Why not?”
“It’s the decisions made in yer youth that can haunt ye forever.” He picked up the receipt and pulled out his wallet.
“When else can you truly live, though?”
Deane placed two twenties on the receipt, appearing distracted. “Ye want anything else, or are ye ready to get back?”
A few chords Verity recognized filled the air, and she closed her eyes for a moment. The sound of his chair scraping back met her ears, and she put her hand on his wrist. Deane stopped to look at her.
“Not yet,” she whispered. “I love this song.”
One of the pianists had gotten up to take a break along with the other musicians, leaving one man at his piano, singing into the mic. His deep, velvety voice might be nothing like Ella Fitzgerald’s, but Verity would take it.
Half-Blood Secrets: A Paranormal Series (Half-Bloods Book 2) Page 20