by Deanna Chase
“Someone told me the cheese fries are out of this world.”
His eyebrows lowered, perplexed.
I was leaning over the bar when a blast of wind came up behind me. I jerked my head back and saw Simon holding the Vampire’s wrist. It hovered over my arm as if he meant to touch my hand to gain my attention.
“The lady isn’t interested.” Simon growled, but his tone changed abruptly to non-threatening pleasantries. “Hands off, like a good vamp. Run along now. Plenty of lovely lasses to go around. Or did I mean… asses? Either way.”
The man merely shrugged and gave me a long, teasing smile as Simon released his grip. He found a new victim—a woman sitting alone at a table twirling a long straw in a short glass. For a fraction of a second, Simon gave a hateful look at the Vampire before he turned away.
A tap on the wood made me jump when the bartender set my drink down. “Oh, thank you.” I nodded at him. He winked and went to another customer.
I took a fast sip as Simon leaned in. “I seem to keep coming to your rescue. You should stay away from those blighters—nothing but trouble.”
I reached around and tugged at his collar. “Sure you don’t have a red cape in there?” I asked facetiously.
“Let’s find out, shall we?” His dimple winked and I took a short sip from my glass.
“I’m a big girl, Simon. I can handle myself. I would have put him in his place.” I bumped the corner of a table with my hip as we walked back to our booth, spilling some of the drink on my wrist. Simon concealed a laugh.
“Did you flash over there? Justus said we aren’t supposed to do that,” I said, remembering his warning about public display.
Simon slipped his hands into his jean pockets and gave me a crooked smile. “What happens in Red Door, stays in Red Door. Breed-only club, there are exceptions to the rule.”
My glass slid over to my spot at the table as Remi once again was on his feet, waiting until I was settled. Once he took his seat, his conversation with Justus continued. That man would undoubtedly get some exercise if he had lunch with the ladies’ auxiliary.
Adam was unusually quiet and his eyes roamed around the room, observing some of the patrons. When they stopped just over my shoulder, I turned in my seat to see what caught his eye. A shapely woman with short blond curls stood in front of a tall, lanky man. Her hands were placed directly on his chest beneath his shirt, where I could make out a soft red glow.
“What are they doing?” I whispered to Simon, who took a quick stretch to look.
“Well that’s completely inappropriate. Those are Sensors, they lift your emotions. Eh, they also sense the ones left behind, which makes them particularly good trackers,” he said, facing front again. “Of course their specialty is recall.” He took another disapproving glimpse. “They really should be doing that in private quarters.”
The vodka passed my lips as Justus and Remi were laughing in their own conversation.
“In English?” I insisted.
Simon threaded a finger through his hair to enable him to see me more clearly through those glasses.
“They retain emotions. Ever wished you could relive that one great orgasm? Oh no, don’t give me that shocked look, Silver. They can pull any feeling from you that you experienced and allow you to live it all over again. For the right price, of course. Because they store those feelings, they also sell them to others. But most go to them as sex traders. It can be fairly intense.”
“Ohhh,” I said, my lips making a round O. “Well, guess it cuts down on STDs.”
Adam spit out some of his green swill, shaking his head.
I touched my fingers on the tip of my cold glass and slid the vodka toward him. “Here, need something to wash it down?”
He took the glass and Remi followed me with his eyes. Nothing went past him unnoticed.
“Silver, there is something you want to ask me,” he said. “Please speak.”
All eyes at the table shifted gears and rolled in my direction. I adjusted my skirt apprehensively. “What about the second Mage?”
“What second Mage?” Adam ground through his teeth before Simon cut him off with a raised hand.
Remi’s eyes admired his empty glass before he replied. “I’m afraid the benefactor is where your concern should be. Samil plays an important role; I would be curious to know if the other potentials are like you. But the benefactor, gentlemen, that is who you need to find. He is playing with darkness. Silver, you will never be safe now that he knows what you are. He is powerful and protected.”
“Who is he?” Adam demanded.
I took the drink from him and gulped down a swallow, feeling the burn as I swallowed my nerve.
“There was a guy who came in and stole my light every night. I don’t know his name. I only know what he looks like, maybe what his energy feels like.” I gripped the glass so tightly that I wondered if I had the strength to shatter it. “With Samil, I always knew what to expect. But with him…” I bit my lip as my mind flashed back to the basement during his nightly sessions. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
My fingers pressed into the table, reaching for the keys Simon had been playing with a few inches away. I curled the tips inward and pulled back my hand; as I did the keys jingled and began to slide toward me. When I heard a gasp, my attention diverted.
“What?”
Remi gave a knowing smile while Justus blurted out, “That’s impossible. Silver, we can manipulate energy from living objects, but a Mage cannot move them.”
“Ever? I thought you said everyone has a gift?”
“Not this kind.”
“Try the glass,” Remi suggested.
I raised my hand, focusing on my glass, willing it to move, but nothing happened.
“You see,” Remi confirmed, “she only has the ability with metal. Although I suspect there may be limitations you will need to test.”
“That could come in handy,” Simon muttered.
“He could do it too, you know. The other Mage, after…”
Justus’s hand went over his mouth and the crease in his eyebrow deepened; he had a habit of rubbing his chin whenever he was thinking. “You think he can retain that ability, or will it fade?” His head turned to Remi and his inquisitive voice was low.
“The energy would increase one’s power, but the gifts rarely transfer. The retention, of course, is temporary. However, I wonder—” His voice cut off as he pulled his glass closer. “Gentleman, let’s be aware of our surroundings.”
Justus and Simon gave a nod as they withdrew from the topic. I realized they never used the word Unique and were careful as to how much detail was discussed—prying ears, I suspected.
Remi looked to Simon and leaned in our direction. “A piece of advice I would give you—look to Novis. He is very clever. I always sensed a little rebellion in him.”
Justus let his hand fall on Remi’s shoulder. “You’re a trusted friend.” He gave it a hard squeeze; Remi raised his glass to him and knocked it back before the waitress brought another tray of kryptonite.
We whiled away the rest of the evening in friendly conversation. There was one moment where I fell away into my thoughts, feeling hollowed out. Laughter pealed around me and Simon’s hand suddenly squeezed mine.
I tapped on Simon’s frames. “So, what’s with the mirrored glasses?”
“Vamps. Got to watch out for those ones, love. They’ll steal your secrets.”
“I thought they just controlled your mind.”
“Oh, humans and their movies! They can suggest you to do things—those who are weak-willed will comply while others will if just a small part of them wants to. A weaker mind is more susceptible to suggestion. Vamps can get you to talk; their eyes pull it from you. Not the kind of thing you want, someone invading your mind.”
“They read minds?”
“No, only make you speak your mind, whether you want to or not. Their gaze is like a truth serum.”
“So why didn’t you make t
he rest of us wear glasses?” I made a circular motion with my finger between myself and Adam.
“We didn’t come here for social mingling, did we? Leave it to you to wander off for five minutes and run into a vamp.”
“What would have been the worst that could happen, him getting me to confess my disapproval for his tacky wardrobe that was channeling 1892?”
“I was thinking more 1915, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.” Adam snorted. His face relaxed into one of the sexiest smiles I’d seen. He had classic features that were ruggedly handsome as his hand ran across his forehead. I liked the easygoing side of Adam.
Simon shifted in his seat and dropped his left arm behind me with the other on the table. “Vampires by nature can uncover secrets. All secrets have a price, some which others are willing to pay for. Not a respectable way to earn a living; I much prefer those who guard.” He pinched my chin and softly said, “I don’t think I told you before, but you look very smart this evening.” I smiled and fumbled with a strand of hair.
Adam made a deliberate journey, sliding down the seat until he was directly in front of me; there was a silent showdown for my attention happening right before my eyes. While I knew Simon and Adam respected each other, it was also clear they perceived the other as some kind of a threat. And Simon never turned down a challenge… he was always in it to win it.
“Vampires trade information for money?” Adam asked.
“Humans trade for money. Other Breed, we’re more… creative.”
“So,” I hinted playfully, “you didn’t want him to plunder my secrets?”
Vying for my attention was sliding into dangerous territory. His mirrored gaze was lingering on me. Adam didn’t look too comfortable with where our conversation was headed, but Simon was eating it up.
“Simon, I think he would have been sorely disappointed to have wasted his time with me. I’m afraid I don’t have any good secrets worth giving up.”
Simon’s finger made a slow journey across my shoulder blades as his arm retreated back to his side. I shivered at his familiar touch. “Never underestimate the power of a good plunder.”
He grinned and my body responded with nine million goose bumps standing at full attention.
“Well, what do we have here? If it isn’t Justus De Gradi, in the living flesh,” a voice interrupted.
My eyes rolled up to a hard-looking man somewhere in his forties. He had a silver tooth in the front and an almost albino appearance. Silence chirped around us and I glanced at Justus, who looked like he just saw a ghost. The man slapped Simon on the back with a gravelly smoker’s laugh.
Simon’s tone was leery. “Cedric. Been… well, not long enough.”
The man laughed and Justus rose up from his chair.
“Let’s make room; two of us were just leaving. Adam?” Justus looked over Adam to be sure he wasn’t intoxicated. After the green swill and sip of vodka, Adam had been nursing on a glass of water all night.
“We’ll catch you guys later. Remi, good to meet you.” Adam leaned across the table with an outstretched hand and Remi deliberated a moment before he took it, suppressing a smile. Most Breed did not shake hands—that was a human custom. I didn’t know if Adam was aware or if he even cared.
Justus reached around and took his light jacket from the seat, draping it over my shoulders. “You’ll need this. You really need to dress more appropriately for the weather.” I slipped my arms into the brown sleeves, rolling up the cuffs so I could use my hands. The lining was warm like it had just come out of the dryer. One of these days I was going to ask Justus about that little trick.
Cedric appeared annoyed. “No, no, why don’t they stay? No need to rush off so quickly. I’d especially like to chat with this one, is she new? Well of course she is. You can’t keep the newbies all to yourself, Justus; that just wouldn’t be gentlemanly.”
I looked at Adam in time to see a small, black device being slipped in his pocket by Justus.
“Sit, Cedric. Tell us what prison let you loose this time.” Simon’s mouth curled to one side of his face as he sat back, defeated, looking like a man whose plans were ruined.
“Since when do they allow humans in here?” Cedric complained.
Justus put his arm around Adam, moving us away. “Keep her safe, we’ll return later.”
“She’s always safe with me,” Adam damn near snarled.
Chapter 27
“You’re kidding me.” I was three seconds away from calling a taxi as I stood there staring at a large black motorcycle. “Adam, I can’t ride on one of those things.”
I was on a motorcycle once in my life. Back in high school, an old boyfriend saved up enough money and bought a bike. One night, he asked me to go for a ride with him. All my romantic notions about motorcycles were cast aside when he took perilous turns through the city streets at such high speeds that his intent was merely to scare me to death. I screamed for him to stop, but his silent laugh was drowned out by the motor. We broke up after that. Can’t say the bike was the reason, but it sure didn’t help his case.
“Well, you’re going to… so hop on,” he said, patting the seat.
“You drove all the way across how many states—on that? What about the Rover?”
“Broke down a month ago.”
“Why does that not surprise me? Did it finally spit up a camel?”
Adam proudly placed his hand on the bars. “I like it, it suits me.”
He was right, it really did. Despite my hesitation, I could imagine that Adam looked very mysterious and dashing on that bike.
I ran my finger along the seat. “Jesus, Raze, you sure you know how to ride one of these? Ever had a passenger?” Immortal or not, I was scared shitless. The idea of flipping over and tumbling down fifty feet of concrete sent shivers down my spine.
He handed me the helmet and threw his leg over the seat, mounting the bike.
“Trust me, you’re in capable hands. Once you get this baby between your legs, you’ll wonder why you ever doubted me.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” I mumbled, wrapping my arms reluctantly around him.
“Not that tight.” He chuckled. “I have to be able to steer this thing, woman. Just hold my waist and let me do the rest.”
Something told me he said that to all the girls too.
Adam was right—I was more than fine. Wind in my hair, the freedom I felt as we raced down the dark road, the roar of the motor, and most of all the feel of holding Adam and trusting him with my life.
I did. I trusted Adam with my life, and it wasn’t something I took for granted. There was always an instant bond with us, a playful ease and a comfort like I hadn’t felt with Justus or even Simon.
Twenty minutes later, we were home and I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. I changed into my sleep shorts and tank top, grabbed a bottle of vitamin water and crashed out on my sofa bed. When I woke up four hours later, I shuffled my feet into the living room with a mess of hair in my face.
“Wake up,” I grumbled, tossing a pillow at Adam. He was splayed out on the sofa, still wearing his jacket, one leg on the floor and the other slung over the armrest. Poor bastard, he actually drank the green swill to the bottom, which was probably to blame. That might explain my sudden exhaustion too, even though I only had a sip. He groaned sleepily as I made my way down to the training room.
“What’s up?” Adam asked, drifting down the stairs. He was palming his eye with one hand and fighting a yawn.
“You say you can fight; well I want to see it. Show me what you can do.”
Without a word, Adam pulled out of his jacket and it dropped to the floor. “What do you want to see?”
A loaded question.
“I can demonstrate fight technique with weapons or hand-to-hand.” He eyed the knives on the wall.
“Let’s start with hand-to-hand,” I said, walking to the center of the mat. “Justus hasn’t really let me handle any knives outside of chopping up carrot
s.”
He backed up a step. “Let’s? I’m not fighting you—I said I’ll demonstrate.”
“Yes, you are.” I folded my arms and narrowed my eyes. “You need to respect what I am now, Adam. I’ve been training here for months with the master Bruce Lee himself—plus I have that nifty healing ability. So show me what you got. I promise I’ll go easy on you.”
His tone changed and his arms flew up. “Hold up, Justus fought you?” I could see the anger building and he paced toward me and paused for an answer. “You’re telling me that you two were down here—”
“I won’t use my abilities,” I promised, crossing my heart and using my most innocent voice. “The pinner is the winner.”
Adam stepped to the mat and eyeballed me. “Silver, I can’t do this with you.”
Faster than he could blink, I flashed over to the stairway and blocked it. “You’re not leaving this room until you pin me.”
Adam’s eyes went wide as that was the first time he had ever seen me move like a Mage. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s why he was looking at me the way he was.
His lower jaw punched out, he kicked off his shoes one at a time and threw them by the stairs. The socks were peeled off next and that left him standing barefoot in his jeans and white shirt as he flexed his muscles. Toned muscles that were losing their summer tan, but not their glorious shape. My knees almost buckled. Damn him.
Without warning, Adam reached for my ankle, trying to throw off my balance. My hand went to his shoulder and I flipped myself over his back, kicking him in the ass. He hopped, nearly falling to the ground, but caught himself and turned around.
“Nice move.”
My toes pressed down as I stifled a smirk. Yeah, I was feeling a little badass showing off my moves with Adam. “I’m not without skills,” I bragged.
Without warning, he came at me and nearly locked his grip around my wrist before I twisted around and moved behind him, elbowing him in the back. I was getting pissed because I could tell he was going easy on me.
“Quit pussyfooting around and hit me, Adam. I can take it, I’m a big girl. I want to see how you’ll fight Samil.”