by Tina Folsom
“In love?” she gasped. “But—”
“I admit, at first it was all physical and I couldn’t wait to get into your pants, but things have changed. I mean, I still want to get into your pants, believe me. But surviving a trip to the demon world with you has given me a different perspective. Life is too precious, and I’m not going to waste it any longer chasing after some skirt. I want something real.”
Virginia’s jaw dropped. Wesley wanted more than just sex? She was saved from having to answer by a sudden sound from the elevator. Her gaze whipped toward it, and her pulse kicked up. “Somebody’s coming.”
She reached for her dagger.
The elevator doors opened, and two men rushed out. Two vampires. Both armed with handguns, both tall creatures, one with long dark hair, the other with short hair.
Instinctively, she gripped her dagger tighter, when she felt Wesley’s hand wrap around her wrist. She shot him a look. Was this where he would betray her?
Her heart leapt into her throat and threatened to suffocate her.
“Son of a gun!” the long-haired vampire said and grinned. “It’s really you.”
The other vampire simply marched toward him and pulled Wesley into a bear hug, lifting him off his feet. “Bro, you could’ve called.” He slapped Wesley over the back of his head. “Your sister is beside herself with worry.”
“Good to see you too, Blake.”
The vampire, Blake, dropped him back on his feet. “We got an alert, when you used your access card. Figured we’d better make sure you weren’t being forced by anybody. But looks like you’re good.” He turned his gaze on Virginia. “And this must be one of the Stealth Guardians you were looking for.”
Wes reached for Virginia’s hand and squeezed it. “This is Virginia Robson, one of the nine members of their governing council.”
Both vampires looked at their clasped hands, then stared back at Wesley, an unspoken question on their lips.
Wesley smirked. “And my girlfriend.”
“Only Wesley.” The long-haired vampire with the Southern drawl shook his head. “Pleasure meeting you, Virginia.”
“Virginia, this is John Grant,” he introduced the man who’d spoken. “And this is Blake Bond.”
Blake offered his hand for a shake. “So you fell for this womanizer’s charm, and nobody was there to warn you about him. My apologies.”
She spun her head to Wesley, who was already punching his friend in the arm. “Would you stop that? Virginia has a good opinion of me, and I’d like it to stay that way.”
Blake laughed. “Yeah, good luck with that.” Then he winked at Virginia. “You could have done worse. He’s not all that bad.”
“You’re helping a lot,” Wes said dryly. Then he pulled her closer. “Don’t listen to anything he’s saying. He’s been the bane of my existence ever since I joined Scanguards.”
John cleared his throat. “We should go up. Samson will want to see you.”
Virginia took a deep breath. Now that she’d seen Wesley interact with the two impressive vampires, she was a little less worried. They seemed to share genuine affection and friendship. Cross-species friendship. For the first time since she’d heard about Wesley and his association with Scanguards, hope blossomed in her chest that maybe her own kind could overcome their prejudices when it came to vampires.
28
It felt good to be back.
“So, what’s new?” Wes asked his colleagues. “Anything happen while I was gone?”
John and Blake exchanged a look. Both grinned.
“What? Spit it out already.”
“Roxanne got hitched,” Blake said.
“You’re shitting me! The ice princess?”
Blake chuckled. “It gets better. Her man’s a witch. A pretty powerful one too.”
“What? Roxanne hates witches.”
John and Blake both laughed out loud.
“Well, apparently not,” Blake said.
John added, “Looks like she just didn’t—”
With a glare, Wes stopped John from finishing his sentence. Because he knew exactly what John had wanted to say: didn’t like you.
John cleared his throat. “—didn’t know she liked witches.”
Wes glanced at Virginia, feeling he should explain. After all he’d only moments earlier confessed to Virginia that he was falling in love with her. And now he and his colleagues were going on about another woman. A redhead he’d once had the hots for. Bad form. “She’s a colleague. Scanguards employs both female and male vampires.”
The diversionary tactic seemed to work, because Virginia asked, “How many are there?”
“We employ about—”
Blake’s hand on Wesley’s shoulder stopped him.
“A whole bunch,” Blake said and smiled at Virginia. “I’ll let Samson, our boss, fill you in on whatever you need to know about us.”
“I see.” She nodded tightly.
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened.
Wes ushered Virginia into the hallway and leaned closer as they walked toward Samson’s office. “Don’t take it personal, but they don’t know you the way I know you. They have to learn to trust you first.”
To his surprise, she turned her head and gave him a soft smile. “I know that. But you can’t blame me for trying to get the lay of the land. After all, I’m the one walking into a vampire nest.”
“We don’t call it nest here,” Blake said from behind them.
Virginia looked over her shoulder. “I forgot that your species’ senses are heightened.”
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Blake said. “But it’s hard not to.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Arriving at the door to Samson’s office, Wes knocked briefly.
“Enter.”
“We’ll see you later,” Blake said, and he and John marched into another office.
“Here we go,” Wesley murmured to Virginia and gave her a reassuring look, before opening the door and entering.
Samson wasn’t alone. Amaury was with him, leaning his butt against Samson’s desk.
Samson rose from his chair, then froze in mid-movement, his gaze pinned on Virginia. “They alerted me that you were back. They didn’t mention you brought a… guest.”
Wes felt Virginia stiffen next to him, while her eyes ping-ponged between Samson and Amaury, who was now standing in front of the desk, equally motionless.
“This is Virginia Robson, member of the Council of Nine, the governing body of the Stealth Guardians. I’ve guaranteed her safety.”
Finally Samson moved toward them. “And I’ll honor that guarantee.” He stretched out his hand to Virginia. “Samson Woodford. I’m the owner of Scanguards. Please call me Samson. We’re not very formal here.”
Virginia shook his hand. “Thank you.”
Samson motioned to Amaury, the linebacker-sized vampire who was also his best friend. “Amaury LeSang, my associate.”
“Enchanté,” Amaury said and shook Virginia’s hand. Then he grinned at Wesley. “You made it back. We were putting up bets you know.” Amaury patted him on the shoulder and winked. “I lost that one. You cost me twenty bucks.”
Wes laughed. “You should learn not to bet against a winner.” Then he looked at Samson. “Good to be back.”
Samson put his hand on Wesley’s shoulder and squeezed. “Glad you made it. We were worried.” He motioned to Amaury. “Even those who bet against you.”
“I can’t wait to see everybody,” Wes said. “Where’s Haven?”
“He’s on assignment tonight. By now Blake will have informed him that you’re back. I’m sure he’ll show up as soon as Blake assigns somebody to take over for him.”
Wes looked at Virginia. “Haven is my brother. A vampire.” Then he looked at Samson and Amaury. “I’ve told Virginia a bit about us already, but there’s a lot to get her caught up on. And there’s a lot I need to tell you about their race.”
“Judging by the
fact that you, Virginia, have agreed to come to us,” Samson started, “I assume Wesley has been able to convince your people that an alliance between our two species would be beneficial to all of us.”
“Actually,” Wes said, cringing, “we didn’t get that far.”
Samson and Amaury exchanged a look, then Samson said, “You’ve been gone nearly two weeks. Without a word.”
Wes sighed. “Yeah, about that…” He glanced at Virginia. “It’s complicated. First I was locked up, then I was helping a group of them fight demons. Then Virginia showed up and locked me up again, and I was brought before the council. Then they locked me up again.”
Samson raised his eyebrows.
Wes shrugged. “I was locked up a lot. And then demons attacked and one of the Stealth Guardians’ compounds blew up. And Virginia and I landed in the Underworld and barely escaped with our lives. The council doesn’t know we’re here.”
Samson raised his eyebrows and addressed Virginia. “So, you’re not an official envoy of your people?”
Virginia shook her head. “Not right now. In fact, I’m not authorized to negotiate with you, but I’m here to ask for your help.”
“I think I’d first like to hear the long version of what happened.”
“I figured you’d say that.” Wes took a breath. “Maybe we should sit down for that.”
Samson motioned to the seating area consisting of a large couch and two armchairs with a coffee table in the middle. As they sat, Samson said, “Where are my manners? Would you like something to eat or drink, Virginia?”
“Actually, maybe something to drink.”
“Amaury?”
Amaury walked back to the desk and picked up the phone. “I’ll order a selection from the lounge.”
By the time the drinks arrived, Wesley was already retelling his first encounter with the Stealth Guardians from the Baltimore compound. It took a good two hours for Wes to fill his bosses in on the full details of his adventure. The only thing he left out was how he and Virginia had become lovers. That wasn’t anybody’s business. However, he wasn’t blind: he knew that Samson and Amaury had seen him holding Virginia’s hand upon entering the office. They could draw their own conclusions.
When Wes had finished, Samson leaned back in his chair and nodded slowly. “Demons, huh? We haven’t had any in San Francisco in a long time. I remember encountering some when I first moved here in the early 90s. But they disappeared.”
Virginia, who’d helped Wesley tell his story, reminding him of details he’d almost forgotten, said, “I have a feeling I know why.”
“Yes?” Samson asked eagerly.
“I’m assuming you weren’t the only vampire who moved to San Francisco in the 90s?”
“I brought several of my associates, and we established a subsidiary here. A couple of decades later, we moved HQ from New York to here. So, yes, there were lots of us by then.”
“Then it makes sense. Even demons fear vampires because of their speed and ferocious fighting skills. Plus, they figure that a city swarming with vampires already has plenty of evil and fear to go around. So their work is done.”
Wesley chuckled at that. “Guess the demons are in for a surprise. Thanks to Scanguards, this city is one of the safest in the country.”
Virginia met his gaze, before she swung it back to Samson and Amaury. “Despite our initial issues, I’ve come to trust Wesley. And from his interactions with you and the other vampires I’ve met tonight, I can see that you are the honorable men he promised you would be. That’s why I’m going to take a leap of faith and ask you for help.”
“In defeating the demons?” Samson asked, though it sounded more like a statement.
“I can’t ask you for that much, no. That is a discussion for the council and yourselves. What I’m asking is that you help me find the traitor who sold out our council compound to the demons. Wesley has suggested that you’d be able to detect the demons in a way we can’t. By their scent.”
Samson and Amaury exchanged a look. A silent conversation seemed to pass between them, though even Wesley knew that they couldn’t communicate telepathically. But their bond as lifelong friends made them understand each other without words.
Amaury nodded. “We can put together a task force, fill them in on what they need to know about the demons, and send them out on patrol. It sounds like Baltimore is a bit like demon central, huh?”
“Looks like it,” Virginia said, “though I think we need eyes and ears in every major city where we’ve previously detected demon activity. They’re attracted to places where crime can flourish. They use it to stir up more unrest.”
“That’s not a problem,” Samson said. “We have subsidiaries in lots of cities.”
“As for payment for these services,” Virginia added. “While I’m currently not authorized to compensate you for—”
Samson lifted his hand. “At this point, please accept our services as a helping hand from one friend to another.”
“That’s very generous of you.”
“Thank you, Samson,” Wes added.
“Don’t thank me yet.” Samson looked at Virginia. “If we’re indeed able to help you, I want your word that you’ll get me a sit-down with your council to negotiate an alliance. An understanding that we’ll come to each other’s aid whenever necessary.”
“I promise you that,” Virginia said and reached her hand over the coffee table.
Samson shook it. “Welcome to our world, Virginia.”
Wes put his arms around Virginia and squeezed her.
Samson rose. “Let’s call a meeting, and fill everybody in.”
Amaury stood. “I’ll get Quinn to give me the schedules, and mobilize everybody who’s currently on leave.”
“Do that, and then—”
The door was ripped open. Wesley shot a look toward it, but the vampire entering barreled toward him at vampire speed, lifting him off the couch and into the air as if he were a ragdoll.
“You could have called to let us know you were okay,” Haven grunted. “Do you have any idea how worried we were? No, because you only think of yourself, you idiot! Don’t you ever do that again!”
Wes slapped his brother on the shoulder. “You can put me down now. And I would have called if I hadn’t been locked up half the time I was gone.”
With another grunt, Haven put him back on his feet, then looked past him to the couch. He nodded at Virginia who had shrunk back into a corner of the sofa. “Blake tells me you had time to get yourself a girlfriend. But no time to tell your family that you’re alive. Figures.”
Wes glared at his brother. “Could you be civil for a moment?” He tossed an apologetic look to Virginia, hoping to ease her worry. “Virginia, this big oaf is my brother. Haven. I have to apologize for him. He’s obviously forgotten his manners.”
Haven cleared his throat, then seemed to calm down a bit. “Excuse the outburst, Virginia, but I’m afraid years of saving my brother from himself have taken their toll on my patience.” With a sideways glance at Wesley, he added, “And it would have been nice if he had shown a little consideration for his family and at least sent word that he was alive.”
Virginia jumped up. “That’s entirely my fault, Haven. Wesley begged me constantly to let him call you, but I couldn’t allow it. We had to establish first who he was and that he wasn’t planning to betray our location to anybody. It was a security measure. Please forgive me for causing you and your family such anxiety.”
Wes stared at Virginia. While he’d asked the guardians at the Baltimore compound to let him make a phone call, he’d never repeated the request. And he’d certainly never begged. Virginia had lied. Lied for him so Haven wouldn’t be mad at him. Nobody had ever done that for him. There could be only one reason: Virginia cared about him.
“He begged you to let him make a call?” Haven asked, chin dropping.
“Several times,” Virginia lied. “He said he didn’t want you or your sister Katie to worry.”
<
br /> “Mmm-hmm.”
“He was so upset, he barely ate or slept.”
Haven slanted Wesley a look, then grinned. “She’s good. What did you have to do to get her to cover for you?”
Wes winked at his brother. “It’s my charm.”
Virginia started to protest. “But—”
Haven cut her off with a look. “I almost believed you. But when you said he barely ate…” He shook his head and chuckled. “My brother never loses his appetite for any reason.”
Wes slapped Haven on the shoulder. “It’s good to see you, bro.”
Haven turned fully to Wesley, his back now to Virginia. “I’m glad you’re alive.” Then he winked and dropped his voice. “A redhead, huh?”
Wes grinned from one ear to the other. “Everything I ever wanted.”
“Lucky bastard. I’m proud of you, Wes, really proud.”
Wes met Haven’s gaze, choking up at the heartfelt praise. No words were necessary to convey to his brother what this meant to him.
29
Virginia felt like she’d landed in a different world. With every new vampire she was introduced to, she wondered more and more why her own people had such prejudices against them. They seemed perfectly civilized, though at times a little rambunctious.
Haven had scared her at first when he’d entered Samson’s office, and though she’d been prepared to make herself invisible to escape, she’d quickly recognized that Haven was only reacting out of love and worry for his brother. She could sense the trust between all of them like glue that held them together as one big family. Just like her own race, sworn to defend each other against their common enemy.
While a meeting was hastily organized, Virginia stood next to Wesley in the corner of a large conference room.
“Sorry about my brother earlier.” Wes shrugged. “He practically raised me after our mother was killed by a vampire, and sometimes he still acts like my father. Older brothers can be a pain in the butt sometimes.”
“Your mother was killed by a vampire? Then how can you and your brother work with them? I mean, knowing it was one of their kind?” It was unfathomable to her.