by Deanna Chase
“Willow,” he whispered.
“Hmm?”
“This is probably not a good idea,” he said as his hands worked their way into my hair.
“You’re thinking too much.” I clamped my teeth over his lower lip and nibbled.
His breath caught short, and a second later he lifted me in his arms, carrying me toward his bedroom door. I gave him a wry smile and buried my head in his neck as he crossed the threshold.
The door slammed as David pressed me against the nearest wall. His lips were on me, sucking and teasing as they moved to nuzzle my neck.
“Careful. You don’t want to get bit,” a soft voice said.
David froze.
I twisted and spotted Allcot. All the anger I’d possessed earlier in the garden came roaring back. “You bastard!” I spat at Eadric, struggling to untangle myself from David’s arms. “Let me down.”
David kept an iron grip, not appearing to be bothered by my attempt. “Did you need something, Father?”
Eadric leaned back against the doorframe and shrugged. “Not at the moment, but your girlfriend appeared to want an audience with me. I can see she found a suitable way to occupy her time.”
“David,” I warned. He loosened his hold, and I slid to my feet. I stepped in front of him, glaring at Eadric. “Using your son to get to me, Allcot? How do you live with yourself?”
“Wil.” David rested his hand on my shoulder.
“Oh, right. You’re not alive.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
A slow smile spread across Allcot’s stony face. “She’s perfect, Davidson.”
Chapter Eighteen
I spun to stare at David, then shuffled to the side until both vampires were in my view. “Perfect for what?” My words came out clipped, my tone dangerous.
David closed his eyes. When he opened them, he glared at Allcot. “Agent Rhoswen is an upstanding member of the Arcane. She deserves to be spoken to with respect.”
The unexpected display of support helped ease a bit of the tension strumming through my muscles. It was the first time David had displayed even a hint of defiance toward his father. Though I had a feeling Eadric spoke to everyone any damned way he pleased. He was that powerful.
Allcot chuckled, rolling up the sleeves of his black silk shirt. Dressed in wool pants and shiny black loafers, he was completely unruffled. No one would’ve guessed he’d just risen from a ménage à trois moments ago. “I doubt after today’s events, the Arcane agrees with your upstanding-member analysis.”
The muscle in David’s neck flexed. “You know what I meant.”
My gaze traveled back and forth from father to son. Allcot, still standing against the frame, kept his cocky, devilish smile in place. Only the clenching of his right fist indicated he was annoyed at David’s reprimand. I had no doubt if any other vampire spoke to Allcot in that tone, they’d be snail food.
David kept his head high, his eyes trained on his father. He wasn’t backing down. If Allcot challenged him, I’d be in the middle of a vampire smackdown. Again.
Allcot straightened and stalked toward David, his electric power making my skin itch. Although David’s broad shoulders and height gave him the advantage, his father’s very essence dripped with danger.
“Hey, now.” I jumped between them, holding my arms out as if I could stop either of them from ripping the other apart. Look what happened last time I got between two snarling vamps. “There’s no need for this. I’m certain we’re all capable of a calm, rational discussion.”
Neither spoke, but Allcot stopped his progression toward us, raising one curious eyebrow. “Your loyalty to Davidson bodes well for your survival.”
“Father,” David warned again.
I did a mental eye roll. The testosterone in the room was enough to complete a sex change. “Can we go in the other room to talk?” I pointed toward the door. “I’m sure we’ll all be more relaxed.” I would be.
Allcot took a step back, bowed slightly, and swept his arm in invitation. “Ladies first.”
Vampire balls. Now I had to walk right past him. Gritting my teeth, I held my head high and strode through the door, praying he couldn’t sense the fear threatening to take over. The first rule of dealing with vamps: Never turn your back on them. Especially this one.
Allcot fell into step right behind me, close enough his cool breath chilled my ear. I shivered and kept walking.
Back in David’s bedroom, I heard the rustle of a wardrobe opening and prayed that meant he was putting a shirt on. As gorgeous as his chiseled chest was, now was not the time for distractions.
I headed straight for one of the armchairs. Settling into the soft, rich leather, I crossed my ankles and eyed Allcot. He lounged back on the couch, his foot propped over his left knee.
David emerged, dressed casually in jeans and a long-sleeved navy thermal shirt. The way he used to dress before he turned vamp. I bit the side of my cheek to keep from commenting. Memory lane was closed. He glanced between us and took the chair next to me.
I gripped the arms of the chair, waiting. “What am I doing here?”
Allcot glanced at David, his lips twitching.
“Did your brain freeze in a prepubescent state when you turned?” I huffed out a frustrated breath. “God, Allcot, you act like a twelve-year-old. Not everyone is totally consumed by sex every second of the day.”
David caught my eye, and I swear he had to hide a smile. Did he think I was being funny?
Eadric leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his cold blue eyes piercing me with his gaze. “I assure you, if I wanted you in my bed, you’d be there… willingly.”
Every muscle in David’s body stiffened.
I gave Allcot a blank stare. “What is it you want from me then, since clearly I’m not begging to join the harem in your bedroom?”
Allcot glanced at David and gave him the tiniest of nods. David unclenched his fists, visibly relaxing. Was that some sort of acknowledgement on Allcot’s part that I wasn’t destined to be one of his groupies? As if I’d ever be part of one of his undead lovefests. No way was I going anywhere near his freak show.
“Well?” I prompted, tired of the power play.
Allcot shifted forward until he was perched on the couch, staring me in the eye. “I have a proposition for you.”
I raised a skeptical eyebrow.
His lips turned up in that cold smile of his. “Considering your current predicament, you’ll probably want to consider our offer.”
Our current predicament, indeed. Phoebe and I were in a quandary. We couldn’t go home or to work. Maude would find us there. Then I’d be a test faery again. I had two options: listen to what Allcot had to say or run. New Orleans was my home, where my store was, and the only place I’d felt comfortable since Beau died.
I didn’t want to run. “I’m listening.”
The smile vanished. “We suspect one of Maude’s spies has infiltrated Cryrique. This is unacceptable. Cryrique is a privately held company with confidential research in many areas, including, but not limited to, vampire medications, creationism, and mind enhancers. Multi-million-dollar investments. You can see why we’d be concerned.”
The medication and creationism wasn’t a surprise. Vampires had long been studying the effect of their powers on humans. From healing to mind control to the turning. Certain vampires were reborn more powerful than others. If Cryrique could determine why, bottling their healing properties could be a big business.
But mind enhancers? Yeah, he was talking about drugs. The vampire community brushed that label aside, instead insisting their research was closer to the edibles I made. But the rumors implied something much more potent.
“Okay. Say Maude does have a spy. I don’t see how I can be useful,” I said.
Allcot brushed invisible lint from his trousers. “I’d like you to be our inside source at the Arcane.”
“What?” I stood, suddenly angry. “Did you miss the part where Phoebe and I are now fugitives? I can�
�t even go home, much less back to work.”
David rose and put a hand on my arm. “Hear him out, Wil.”
I cut my gaze to his hand resting above my elbow. “Let go.”
He hesitated, a flicker of frustration flashing through his eyes, then shoved his hands in his pockets. “Sorry.”
“This is why you’re the perfect person,” Allcot said, mildly.
I scrunched my face up in frustration. “What the hell are you talking about? I’m aligned with you now. Everyone will assume I’m working for you and your corporation.”
Allcot rose, shaking his head. “As it turns out, thanks to your partner, Ms. Kilsen, we have evidence of Maude’s illegal behavior concerning you and her attempt to contract us to do her dirty work. I suspect she’d be most eager to keep that information under wraps.” He swept his hand out, inviting me to sit once more.
I did so, begrudgingly, hating that he towered over me.
“You, my lovely faery, are perfect because your obvious disdain for us shines through, even when you’re trying to hide your emotions. No one will suspect you’re working for me. And you’ll have reason to meet with us since you’ve been assigned to work with Davidson.” He sank back into the soft leather and once again rested a foot over his knee.
I took a moment to consider his words. Working for him was suicide. If the Arcane found out, I’d be locked up for sure. If I pissed off the wrong vamp, I’d be dinner. A no-win situation. “If Phoebe captured the evidence, why should I submit to you? She’s more than capable of a little blackmail.”
“She could try. But are you willing to risk your friend’s life? How far do you think Maude will go to cover her tracks?”
Goddamn him. Maude wouldn’t hesitate to take Phoebe out. She’d make it look like an accident, too. I gritted my teeth. He’d used the trump card. “So in exchange for me working undercover for you, you’ll blackmail Maude to drop whatever bogus charges she’ll bring against me and Phoebe?”
“Yes. That is what I’m offering.”
I shook my head. “Not good enough. You’ll need to sweeten the pot. Working for you goes against everything in my nature. And it’s open-ended.”
Allcot’s lips transformed into something that resembled a satisfied smile. “Name your terms.”
I straightened, setting my shoulders back. “One, you’ll dedicate someone to investigate my brother’s death. And two, no one will ever ask about, study, or use me in testing regarding the effect I had on David. In other words, no one is to know the cause of his new sunwalking ability.”
Allcot stood again. “Done.” With a nod, he strode out.
I gaped. That was too easy. What had I missed? I twisted toward David. “What just happened?”
He smiled. “You negotiated a pretty good deal with the boss.”
“But why did he give in so easily? He has to be dying to try to exploit the sunwalking thing.”
David’s smile vanished. “Yes, I think he is. But I already requested he leave it alone. We don’t know if it’s permanent or if you can even replicate it.” He picked up a pen from the end table, fingering it absently. “We both almost died. Father knows that. He’s not willing to risk any of his people unless we have definite information.”
“Really?” My voice pitched high with disbelief.
“Yes, really. It probably helps that I asked him to drop it. As his only son, I still hold some clout.”
A sick wave of nausea washed over me. No matter what David believed, Allcot stood to make a lot of money if he could create sunwalking in a bottle. Every instinct screamed he’d exploit me, given half a chance. A vision of my body suspended in a vise, being juiced of all its magic, flashed through my mind.
Argh! I shook the image off. No one was going to lock me up again. Never.
Our make-out session aside, I still didn’t entirely trust David. Too many things had happened. I still had too many questions. Ones I should’ve asked before I stuck my tongue down his throat. I stood and paced the room. “Tell me what you were doing with Clea.”
David flinched as if I’d slapped him. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, come on.” I rolled my eyes. “You’d spent time with her before Phoebe tagged her. Why?”
He leaned forward but didn’t try to touch me. “She came to me, asking questions about you, all under the guise of trying to help me mend my broken heart.” He grimaced. “She wanted to know about Influence, who your friends were, what you did in your spare time, what I saw in you. Her behavior was suspicious to say the least. I had to investigate her. Especially considering the abduction threat.”
“You had to take her on a date to investigate her? Make her think you were mated?” I heard the jealousy in my tone and cringed on the inside. Why couldn’t I be cooler?
To David’s credit, he pretended not to notice, but I saw his lips twitch ever so slightly in satisfaction right before he spoke. “I needed to search Clea’s place, so I asked Phoebe for an illusion spell, took her on a date, and then hit her with the charm once I got into her apartment. While I was there, I found traces of Influence, but nothing else. That’s when I tipped off Phoebe. She hunts down vampires that break the law, doesn’t she?”
“Of course.” I ran a hand through my tangled hair. “Wait, you got an illusion spell from Phoebe?” Back at his house, when David said the blood-sharing had been a spell, he’d meant the night they’d had their supposed date. I’d misunderstood, thinking Phoebe had spelled her while I’d been out. That meant Phoebe had known for at least a week about David turning vamp. Damn her. She’d deliberately not told me.
“Yes. Is that a problem?” David’s forehead wrinkled in confusion.
“No.” Not really, except I was once again the last to know. “So where does that leave your investigation? Do you really think someone wants to abduct me?”
“Honestly, I have no idea, but I’m not taking any chances.”
“And what about this spy business Allcot wants me to investigate? Is that tied to the threat too?”
“That, I really don’t know.” David shrugged. “Maybe.”
I plucked at a seam on the armrest of the chair. David’s explanation seemed reasonable enough, but we still had to get something straight. I raised my gaze and stared him straight in the eye. “No more secrets. No more leaving me out of the loop. Got it? This is my life on the line. Ignorance will only get me killed faster.”
He hesitated, but only for a second. Then he gave me a curt nod. “No more secrets.”
“Thank you.” My words hung in the air, and I wondered if either of us could hold up the bargain. Too tired to care about anything else, I asked, “When can I go home?”
“Tomorrow, most likely. Father needs time to put the deal in place.”
I could survive until the next day. An overwhelming yawn took over, making my eyes water. Maybe not. “Fine. Until then, where am I sleeping?”
David walked to the door leading into his private bedroom. “You’ll share with me.”
Um, what? “No… I mean… That’s not a good idea. Don’t you have a guest room around here or something?”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Wil. We’ve been sharing a room at your house for a few days already.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been sleeping in my closet. We weren’t sharing a bed. That’s just… well, inappropriate.”
He laughed. “Not as inappropriate as what happened here right before Father interrupted us.”
I mentally groaned. “That was a momentary lapse in judgment. I’ll find another room. Or sleep in the garden.”
David moved so fast I hardly even saw him twitch a muscle. He appeared right in front of me, his eyes deadly serious. “No. It’s not safe outside. I know you prefer an oak to recharge, but this is vampire territory. If word gets out about the sunwalking, which you know it could if Maude decides to leak it, I won’t be able to protect you. Even on Father’s property, another master could decide to take you for himself.”
“I was outside not even an hour ago and no one batted an eye,” I said stubbornly.
He shook his head. “You’re not hearing me. I left you there because I knew you needed the tree. But with each passing minute, the likelihood of vampires hunting you increases. I’m not willing to compromise your safety because you’re a little uncomfortable.”
I bit my tongue to keep from screaming. This partnership was going to be hell. “I’ll find another room.”
He pursed his lips and shrugged. “You can do that, but you might end up witness to a scene like what you saw in Father’s room. The guests here are very… open.”
“I’ll share with Phoebe. She’ll work a charm or something to keep the sex fiends out.”
Holding his phone out, David tapped a key. The screen lit up, revealing a message from the witch in question. Gone for supplies. Tell Willow not to worry. I’ll be back before sunup. Damn it! Phoebe wasn’t even here.
My palms started to sweat. Where was Link when I needed him? With him along, I was guaranteed at least a small level of protection. He’d keep any sleazy vamps from making a move on me. He’d also likely stay in wolf form for his whole visit, which meant I’d be too nervous to sleep. I sighed. “Fine. I’ll share your room.”
Light brightened in his dark blue eyes. “After you.”
Chapter Nineteen
Place one foot in front of the other. That was all I needed to do. No big deal, right? Except David stood between me and the doorway, and my traitorous hormones were screaming for his attention.
Goddess help me. He was a vampire. This could not happen again.
The feel of his cool lips claiming mine came rushing back the moment he opened the door, inviting me back into his sanctuary. A thin sheen of sweat blossomed on my brow. I clutched my hands together to keep from wiping my face. David could probably already sense my nervousness, but the last thing I wanted to do was call attention to my unfortunate reaction.
“Willow?” A look of concern pinched his face.