The Flash of a Firefly

by Amber Riley

  Tom took her around the waist and tried to pull her away. “Please don’t keep bothering him, sweetie. He pays for most of the bills, and we don’t really know him well enough to trust him with Lyn,” he whispered quietly.

  What? I was honestly shocked. He trusted me around his wife and baby. He had invited me into his home, which I never could have entered otherwise. I had never made him feel uncomfortable about the vampire issue. I had never threatened him. Okay, maybe that once, but I had to make sure he knew how important it was to keep his mouth shut about my world. That was years ago, though; it was all water under the bridge.

  “I’m not asking him to marry her, Tom. I’m asking him to show her around,” she whispered back.

  “Please, Di. I—”

  “I’ll do it,” I stated, surprising them both and myself.

  Diana did a little leap of joy and rushed to the phone. Tom’s jaw hung open as he tried to decide what to say. “Diana, don’t call her.” She started dialing. “Diana!” he yelled.

  What am I doing? I thought. I was having a late midlife crisis. There was no other explanation. I was losing my mind. The word masochist popped into my head. Resisting my natural desire for blood had gotten easier, but there was no reason to tempt the fates.

  “She’ll be safer with me than on her own. Just think of me as her personal vampire bodyguard,” I said, sounding more sure than I was.

  He turned to me with uncertain eyes. “I don’t mean to be rude, but—”

  “I promise not to bite her, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  He paled. “She means a lot to us.”

  “I give you my word that I won’t let anything happen to her.”

  “I don’t think this is such a good idea.”

  “I gave you my word.”

  What happened to the good old days when that meant something?

  “I’m not kidding. If you touch one hair on her head, I’ll kill you.” Red was creeping up his neck and into his face.

  “And if anything happens to one hair on her head, then I’ll hand you the stake.” Not that it would really be the most effective way to do me in, but if it was all the same, I’d rather he not know that.

  “I’m not comfortable with this. I want you to tell Diana that you changed your mind.”

  I leaned in toward him. “Why, Tom, if I didn’t know any better, I would think that you didn’t trust me.”

  “You’d be right to think so,” he mumbled.

  I leaned even closer. “What have I done to make you think I’ll hurt her?”

  He glanced around to make sure his wife was out of earshot. “You’re a vampire. Do you need to do anything? Maybe you’re hungry. What guarantee do I have that you won’t suck her dry?”

  “If I did that, then I’d die,” I said evenly. “I’m sure you’ve done enough research on us to know we can’t completely drain anyone.”

  His eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t mean you can’t take enough that they’ll die afterward.”

  I shrugged. “Would it make you feel better to know that we can’t possibly drink that much in one sitting?”

  His face changed from red to white to red again in a matter of seconds. “Tell her you’ve changed your mind.”

  “Hmm.” I pretended to think. “I don’t think so.”

  Diana came over to us with her hand over the phone. “She doesn’t start her job until Monday, so she’s free until then.”

  “All right.” I smiled at Tom.

  “When’s best for you, dear?” She waited for her niece to answer and then put her hand over the phone again. “She wants to know when is best for you.”

  “I’ve got a couple things to do tonight—” I started.

  “After that then,” she said before I could finish my sentence. I was going to suggest tomorrow or the next night. I wanted to stop by Sid’s and The Amaryllis. When I was done, I was hoping to make it home before Flo got back from feeding. “She says she can meet you at midnight.” Diana smiled expectantly at me. “She’s out near Rockaway Beach.”

  “He said he’s got plans tonight, sweetie.” Tom patted his wife’s hand. “Maybe another day.”

  Tom’s smile of defeat was enough to change my mind. It was eleven thirty now, which in their minds gave me just enough time to get there. I could call Sid and Jessica later to warn them about Francesca. My pride was kicking in and overriding the importance of my situation.

  “That’s fine,” I agreed. “It’s nothing that can’t wait.”

  “Great.” Diana beamed. “I’ll have her wait there for you.”

  “I’d better get going then,” I said with a careful smile.

  “I’ll walk you out.” Tom stormed to the door and held it open. He checked over his shoulder, but Diana was still talking on the phone. “I will kill you,” he wheezed.

  “So you said.” I paused. “But ask yourself this: do you really think you’d be able to?”

  “Don’t fuck with me.” His face was the color of a fire truck. It was so much better than squeezing a stress ball.

  “Oh, I’m not, Tom. Maybe later with your niece though.” I tapped my head. “Just a little something to think about.”

  I was gone before he could say another word. I was being petty and I knew it. I knew perfectly well that I wouldn’t be doing anything with his niece, ever. Humans could never be more than dinner to a vampire, and you’re not supposed to play with your food.

  Somehow I didn’t think Tom would accept that analogy very well. I had a feeling that it would be a long time before he spoke to me again, but it would be even longer before I talked to him.

  I knew I was a proud person. I had to prove myself to Tom, but I also wanted to prove something to myself. Maybe it was because Francesca was in the city, and I was remembering things that I wanted to forget. I needed to prove to myself that I had changed—that that wasn’t who I was anymore.

  I wasn’t using my head. I didn’t even know how to find the girl. She could have been anywhere near the beach. It wasn’t even open at the moment, but that didn’t seem to matter to her. A female figure stood out near the water.

  I stopped far enough away so she didn’t see me and watched her. She looked a lot like the girl in the photo, but her hair was down past her shoulders now. She looked older. No, I thought. Not older, but maybe more mature. The graduation robes hadn’t done her justice.

  She was wearing a black peacoat with a purple hat, and her jeans were tucked into her boots. Her hands were slipped up into her sleeves, and she was drawing in the sand with her foot.

  A chuckle escaped from between my lips. I had promised Tom I wouldn’t let her get killed. I hadn’t said anything about keeping her away from the police, although that could prove to be equally disastrous.

  As I got closer, she turned to face me. She looked a little nervous, so I tried my best to appear unthreatening. It really wasn’t a safe idea for her to be waiting alone for me in the middle of the night. I could have been anyone. I put on my best smile and held my hand out before I was close enough to touch her. “Lyn?” I asked brightly.

  She let out a breath and shook my hand. “You must be Kaden. I’m really sorry about my aunt. She doesn’t know when to stop sometimes.”

  “She’s just looking out for you,” I assured her. There was an awkward silence where we just looked at each other. I really, really hadn’t used my head. “So did you want to go get coffee, or …” I trailed off, leaving it up to her.

  “Can we just walk?” She smiled, a little unsure if that would be all right. “Or is it too cold? You’re not wearing a coat. Your idea was better,” she ended in a blur.

  I felt the corners of my mouth twitch in amusement. I hadn’t seen this level of innocence in a long time. Maybe it was because I lived in a harsh city, or maybe it was because of who I was. Either way, I liked it. It was refreshing.

  “I don’t mind,” I told her. “Let’s walk.”

  She smiled and started down along the waterline.
“So, what is it that you do? If you’re a good customer of my uncle’s, then you must be a trust fund kid or something. His store is extremely overpriced.”

  “I own The Amaryllis. It’s a nightclub in Manhattan.”

  I tried to bite my tongue. I didn’t want to give her too many details about myself. The less she knew, the better it was. I should have made up a fake life to tell her about on the way there.

  Her eyes widened. “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-two.” Plus six centuries, give or take, but I couldn’t say that.

  “Wow, I’m impressed. I wish I could be that successful at such a young age. I’m going to school for nursing. It pays pretty well, but let’s face it: it’s not as glamorous as what you do.”

  She laughed again, and I cringed. It wasn’t that it was annoying. It was quite the opposite, in fact. It was one you would want to listen to all day. And when the breeze blew her scent in my direction, I was completely overwhelmed.

  She kept on talking about college as I struggled to compose myself. She smelled like lavender and vanilla. It filled my senses. The hunger started as a tingle in my fingers and started to creep over the rest of my body.

  Stop it, I screamed at myself. It had been over a hundred years since I had bitten anyone. I would not break my promise over this one tiny person. She wasn’t worth it. I was stronger than that. I took a deep breath of ocean air and let it burn into my nostrils.

  “So, after I finish my degree here, I can go back to Vermont and look after my dad,” she finished.

  “That’s really good of you,” I said stiffly. In this day and age, that was an understatement. A lot of kids would just stick their parents in a nursing home if they weren’t able to look after themselves anymore.

  Her eyes sparkled with life as she turned her head to look at me. “What about your parents?”

  I took another big breath of ocean air, but there was another smell. I slowed down and scanned the beach. “They’re dead,” I said, distracted.

  Not now. Why now? I asked myself. She didn’t have to find me at that very moment. Why did I risk taking Tom’s niece out under the circumstances?

  Her familiar presence was getting closer and closer, and there was someone with her. “Wait here,” I said. I walked out so I could meet them halfway. There would be no hiding Lyn, but I didn’t have to expose her to what was coming. It was agony walking away at a human pace. I wanted to get farther away, but I couldn’t just disappear. The sand tried to swallow my feet with every step. I wasn’t going to be able to put much distance between us.

  Then, a hundred feet away, two figures slowed their pace to match mine. I clenched my jaw and forced my feet to keep moving forward. I hadn’t been looking forward to this day. I knew it would come sooner or later. I just wished that I had listened to my gut instinct in the first place.

  Well, there was no going back now. I was within reach of them, and my blood was boiling under my skin.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I snarled.

  “It’s good to see you too, Kaden.”

  Chapter 4

  “What are you doing here, Francesca?”

  Small lines formed between her perfect brows on her porcelain face. Her hair tumbled down her back, and her jaw set as she forced her full red lips into a big smile. It was a face I hadn’t seen in over two centuries, one I could have gone a thousand lifetimes without seeing again.

  “Would you treat your own sister so coldly after all this time?” she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.

  “You’re no relation to me,” I growled through gritted teeth.

  A flame passed over her eyes as a tanned hand touched her shoulder. Davis stood to her right. He was an average-looking man, or vampire, with tanned skin, short hair, and slightly large ears. He was a much respected member of the family.

  “I see you got your ring back.” He smiled at me. “I was worried I sent the wolf to the wrong shop with it.”

  I rubbed the silver band with my thumb. “You always were resourceful.”

  “I have my ways.” He winked, his hand hovering near Francesca like he was waiting for her to lunge forward. She did seem a little different, a little more temperamental or unstable.

  “I thought you would have stopped working for Phoenix by now,” I stated evenly. He had always been too good for that lifestyle.

  Francesca huffed. “Not all of us are traitors.”

  “I knew you weren’t going anywhere,” I snapped.

  She smiled sarcastically. “We’ve come to take you home.”

  It had been a long time coming. Phoenix never forgets those who betray him, although technically it was the other way around. I was the one with the knife in my back. If he hadn’t lied to me in the first place, then I would probably still be with him now. But he had lied, and it was too big a lie to ignore. It opened up my eyes, and now I was never going to willingly go back.

  Davis pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “I was hoping to be a little gentler in breaking the news to you. Actually, the ring was supposed to be a peacemaker of sorts. I knew you would want it back.”

  “Thank you,” I told him. “I appreciate it, but I’m not returning with you. I’m honestly surprised you thought this would work.”

  “We didn’t.” Francesca smiled sweetly, gloating in her sense of superiority. “That’s why we came prepared.”

  I sighed. I was sure they had, but that didn’t mean I was going anywhere. This was my home turf. It was my playing field. I wasn’t about to go down without a fight. I probably didn’t stand a chance with the two of them, maybe more, against me, but I certainly was going to give them a run for their money.

  “You remember the last time you underestimated me, Francesca. Do you want to go down that road again?” I asked.

  Her jaw dropped, and Davis’s hand glided down the skin of her arm. “You know that we can’t go back empty-handed without being punished. The Marquis has come up with some new techniques.” He shrugged. “I’ve always liked you, Kaden, and I understand why you left, but if it’s you or me, I choose me.”

  I almost felt bad for him. Almost. The last individual any vampire would want to be was alone with was the Marquis. His old methods of torture were enough to make you seriously consider walking out the front door at midday. What else could he possibly have thought of? I shivered at the thought. It was better not to know.

  “If I return, I’ll be facing a firing squad,” I replied. “I know the rules as well as you do.”

  Francesca laughed. “Do you really think the master would send us all the way to New York to get you if he simply wanted you dead? He would have sent the Enforcement Team to kill you ages ago if that was all he wanted.”

  “’Cesca,” Davis called softly, “your attitude is not going to help.”

  “What is this? Good cop, bad cop?” I asked, growing impatient. “This discussion is over. You knew my answer before I gave it.”

  “Do you know what that means?” Francesca shrieked. “What we have to—”

  “’Cesca,” Davis warned again, and she fell silent. “We haven’t had a second-in-command since you left, Kaden. It’s been very worrisome. There was almost a fight within the family during the war.”

  He hadn’t replaced me?

  That was dangerous for everyone. If he died, then everything would be thrown off balance. Major battles would be fought to find out who would become master. Law and order would fly out the window. There were at least two or three perfect candidates he could have stuck in the role. He was out of his mind.

  “Listen closely, turncoat,” Francesca growled. “You’re coming back with us whether you like it or not.”

  I hissed at her. That was it. My blood was boiling. She wasn’t about to waltz into my territory and threaten me. Not after all I had been through. I had earned the right to be where I was. The only thing she had had earned was a first-class ticket to hell.

  Davis stepped between us. The vein in his temple
stood out as he stared at me. He looked serious and a little nervous. I would have been too if I had been sent on a mission with a loose cannon like Francesca.

  “We came to offer you everything on a silver platter,” she went on, spitting her words angrily. “You will return to Spain as if nothing ever happened. You won’t lose status. You’ll have all of your prior benefits. He’s going to forgive everything that you did.”

  I teetered on the fence between explosive anger and a complete loss of sanity. The only thing I wanted on a silver platter was Phoenix’s head. After all the time I spent believing his lies, it was the least I could ask for, but I wasn’t. I had talked myself out of revenge a long time ago, and I was trying to settle on being allowed to start a new life. Apparently that was impossible.

  It was time to step back and take a deep breath. In. Out. In. Out. When gravity slowly settled around me again, it was safe to speak. “You remember why I left, right?”

  Francesca sighed. “I’m bored now.”

  “Get out of my city,” I snarled. “Go back home and tell your master that I have no intention of coming back. Not now, not ever.”

  “Your city?” she asked. “Kaden, this isn’t your city. This is just the place he has allowed you to live out your stupid temper tantrum. If I have to hear one more thing about you and the way things used to be, I might rip my hair out. No one can bear it anymore. Two hundred years of ‘Kaden this’ and ‘Kaden that.’ There isn’t a single member of the family that doesn’t resent you in one way or another. You have what we all want. Stop acting like a spoiled child.”

  “You can tell everyone I’m not that Kaden any longer, and they can stop being jealous. Tell Phoenix to pick someone to replace me and move on.”

  Francesca stepped around Davis and poked me in the chest. It wasn’t hard, but it was enough to get her point across. She was fighting with herself not to rip my heart out on the spot. Well, ditto, I thought.

  Davis pulled her back gently. “We could use a little vacation time, but expect to hear from us again soon. And don’t worry; we will live by the current city rules while we’re here.”