Heart of a Warrior

by Theodora Lane

  Fiona’s phone rang, and they both jumped.

  She looked at the phone as if it would bite, and then picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

  “Fiona? Where have you been?” The irate voice of her boss was on the other end.

  “Mr. Simmons, I was going to call you. I’ve been ill.” Fiona rolled her eyes at her lame lie.

  “Too sick to call in?”

  “Well, the medicine they gave me really knocked me out.” She winked at Nic. “I just woke up an hour ago.”

  “Well, you missed your deadline. If you’re not in the office tomorrow morning, don’t bother showing up.” The phone disconnected. She let out her breath in a puff and looked at the phone in her hand. Simmons had always been a jerk; this should come as no surprise.

  “Is it bad?”

  She hung up the phone and shrugged. “I have to be at work tomorrow morning or else.” She turned back to the screen and brought up another e-mail.

  “What are you going to do?” Nic sounded concerned.

  “Finish these e-mails right now. If I’m still alive tomorrow, go to work. One thing at a time.”

  Nic frowned. “It’s not going to come to that.”

  Fiona shrugged. “They tried to kill me. I’m not letting that go without a fight.”

  He opened his mouth to say something and then closed it. That was good, because she wasn’t going to argue about it.

  After another few hours of picking apart the e-mails, they left as empty-handed as they arrived.

  — • —

  Ivan finished dressing and pulled on his leather jacket. Annie slipped into some jeans and a loose sweater. He’d been putting off telling her he wanted her to stay home because he knew it would lead to a fight, but the time had come.

  “Annie. I don’t think you should go tonight.” Ivan fired the opening shot across her bow.

  “What, are you crazy? Why not?” She looked up from tying the laces of her running shoes.

  He stood in front of her and ran his hand through his short, brown hair. “I don’t trust them, Annie. If anything goes down, anything bad, at least you’d be safe here. Even they don’t know where I am.” He’d made damn sure of that years ago when he’d been awarded the territory.

  “No way! We’re a team, Ivan. Besides, you’ll need someone to watch your back.” He could see the determination in her eyes. The thought of Annie in a fight made his insides hurt. He tried again.

  “No, I don’t need you…” He saw her face fall. “Look. I don’t want you in danger. It was too strange, asking me to be sure to bring you, baby. Something’s up.”

  “I don’t care. I’m coming with.” She stood and raised her chin to him.

  “You’ll be more of a distraction than a help.”

  “I can take care of myself.” Her hands fisted.

  “No, you can’t. Not against these people.” He shook his head.

  “I’m going. If you don’t take me, I’ll call a cab and show up there.”

  He growled in frustration at her determination. She was hardheaded and stubborn, and she wasn’t going to back down. “All right, but I know I’m going to regret it.”

  “You won’t regret it.” She slipped her arms around his waist.

  “On one condition. Promise me, Annie, if anything happens to me, you’ll get out of there pronto and hide out here.” He walked to the desk, opened the drawer, and took out a pad and pen. “Then get lost somewhere else.”

  “Get lost? Why would anything happen to you?”

  “Just in case. I’m writing my bank account number and online banking password for you, baby. If you need money, use it. It should last you quite some time.” He pulled out his wallet and tossed a credit card on the table. “Here’s my ATM card and the four-digit code. Lose the van right away. It can’t be traced to me, but if they spot it, they may be able to track it.”

  He sat down at the computer and started typing. The printer started spitting out paper.

  “This is a list of my properties. They’re spread out all over the country, so pick one and make it your own. Each of them has a lair prepared. The contact person is listed below the address.” He folded the sheets, jammed them into a folder, and left it on the desk.

  “You’re serious. Do you really think they’re going to try to kill you?” Realizing the magnitude of his actions, Annie looked genuinely scared. Good, maybe she’d play it safe and do what he’d told her to do.

  “I’d rather have you set up with an escape plan than have you at a loss. Promise me you won’t hang around tonight if it goes down bad.” He held her arms and looked into her frightened blue eyes.

  “Promise.” She nodded.

  “And no heroics.” She was just brave enough and just foolish enough.

  “Right. Back here and hide out. Then I take the folder and get out of town.” She nodded. “Ivan, if anything…”

  “That’s my girl.” He cut her off and then kissed her. “Let’s go. I want to get there early and check it out.”

  Chapter Six

  Nic scanned through the contact list on his cell phone, found WORK, pressed the button, and listened until a recording machine picked up.

  A perky female voice said, “We’re not here right now. However, your call is important to us. Please leave your name, number, and the time you called, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.”

  Beep.

  “This is Nicodemus. I need to speak to you.” He hung up, leaving none of the requested information.

  “Will they call back?” Fiona curled her feet under her as she sat on the couch in Nic’s living room.

  “Eventually. We wait.” He walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer, twisted the cap, and took a sip.

  Nic killed time cleaning an assortment of weapons while Fiona watched the news.

  Approximately an hour later, the phone rang. Nic put down the sword he was working on to answer it.

  “Nicodemus?”

  “Yeah, it’s Nic.” He recognized the voice. “Thanks for calling back.”

  “What’s up?”

  “The other night, rescue accomplished, but there were two vamps who got away. I want to know if you want me to complete the mission or not.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Right. Well, I need help finding them.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Fine. Call me tomorrow.” Nic closed his phone.

  “Tomorrow?” Fiona’s eyebrows rose.

  “Yeah, this stuff usually takes time.” Nic put away the weapons, and then settled next to Fiona and watched a rerun of Cops.

  — • —

  After a late dinner, they worked out again, with Nic really putting Fiona through her paces. This time, both of them managed to keep their clothes on, but a few times it was touch and go. He would touch, and she would laugh and tell him to go to hell. When they finished, both were aching, bruised, and sweaty.

  “A shower?” Nic wiggled his eyebrows.

  “You. Me. Hot, steamy water? No way is that going to happen.” Fiona shook her head and went down the hall to her room to shower alone.

  As the warm water washed over her body, she rubbed the soap into lather. Moments later, she imagined Nic’s soapy hands on her, skimming over her belly, cupping her breasts, and finally discovering her folds. Her fingers lingered there as she leaned back against the tiles and spread her legs.

  Closing her eyes, she saw Nic’s face, his eyes burning for her, as she stroked her swollen nub. Coming quicker than usual, Fiona had to bite her lip to keep from calling his name. She hoped taking the edge off would be enough to keep her from letting the ache overpower her as she lay next to Nic tonight.

  She was a virgin, but that didn't mean she didn't know how to take care of her sexual needs—without a man.

  Then, she wondered if Nic was doing the same thing in his shower. Pushing the image of Nic—soapy, wet, and definitely hot—from her mind, she concentrated on washing her hair.

  Aft
er she rinsed off, she pulled her nightgown on and dried her hair. Then she went back to his room and climbed into bed. Nic came out of his bathroom a few minutes later wearing boxers, his head still wet, and a towel draped over his broad shoulders.

  God, he looks so good. What was she waiting for? Oh yeah, three little words. No chance in hell that was going to happen. She’d let him get to her, and that was bad. In the end, she’d be the one hurt, and he’d have another notch on his bedpost.

  Nic slipped between the sheets, and they snuggled together. Being in his arms was like nothing she’d ever experienced. The warmth, security, and a feeling of strength had overpowered her. She couldn’t imagine sleeping alone again.

  She had to keep telling herself that Nic wasn’t a forever kind of guy. Sure, he’d said some stuff last night about wanting her, but that was very different from saying he loved her. Lust did not equal love.

  What made her think a man like Nic would fall in love with her? He could have any woman he wanted and probably did. And they'd just met. Did love at first sight really happen?

  How do I feel about him? She’d been asking herself all day. Sure, the sexual attraction was there, there was no denying it. They connected on so many levels as they’d slowly opened up to each other. But was that love or the start of a friendship?

  She’d had crushes on boys back in high school, and in college she’d dated a few guys she really liked, but this didn’t feel the same. This was so much deeper. Soul deep, maybe? Once-in-a-lifetime love?

  Could Nic be her happily ever after?

  •

  “Fiona, are you going to work tomorrow?” Nic didn’t want her to go, to be out of his sight and his grasp any longer than necessary. This was crazy. He’d known her less than forty-eight hours, and suddenly, eight hours seemed too long for her to be gone. It was crazy, wild, and impetuous, totally not like him at all.

  What the hell was he going to do all day without her?

  For the life of him, he couldn’t remember what he’d done just two days ago before she walked into his life.

  “Yes, I have to. I’ll lose my job if I don’t. No job, no money, no house.” Fiona sighed and pulled his arm around her. She entwined her fingers with his.

  “I’ll set the alarm for you. What time?”

  “Six, please.

  He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Sure.”

  She turned to face him as he set the clock. He traced her jaw with his fingertip and then her lips. Leaning over, he kissed her softly and felt the fire banked just below her surface. All he had to do was add kindling and let the flames engulf them. But that would break his promise to her and damage the trust they’d been building. And right now, he wasn’t ready to admit that winning and keeping her trust meant more to him than getting in her panties.

  He pulled away and brushed a strand of her hair from her face.

  Fiona whispered, “Good night, Nic.”

  “Good night, Fiona.”

  “Good night, John boy.”

  “Go to sleep, Cho.” In unison.

  — • —

  Annie crouched behind the dumpster. Ivan stood in a pool of light from the nearby streetlight. The warehouse parking lot was cast in shadows. That wasn’t a problem; vampires could see in the dark. Ivan tensed when the night was cut by a set of headlights, and then another pair of lights behind it.

  Two cars. Shit.

  He took a deep breath to steady himself. He knew what the Elders were capable of. However, killing their own kind in what he’d suspected was a setup? He shook his head, unable to believe they’d go that far. For what purpose?

  Two black Ford Expeditions pulled up about twenty feet away and parked. The passenger door opened and a man, about thirty and dressed in a three-piece black suit, stepped out. His pale skin and dark hair struck an uneasy chord in Ivan.

  Marcos. He’d been with the Elders for ages. Ivan had met him before, but trusting him was another matter.

  “Ivan.” A brief nod.

  “Marcos.” An even briefer nod.

  “Where’s the girl?” Marcos looked around.

  “She’s around.” Ivan met his gaze.

  “Good.”

  “What the hell is going on, Marcos?”

  “It’s kind of hard to explain.” He shrugged and lit a cigarette. Ivan remembered Marcos was one of the few vampires he knew who smoked. Even death couldn’t help him kick the habit.

  “Try. I want to understand.”

  The vampires assessed each other. Marcos took a drag and shrugged.

  “The Board has had some pressure put on us. Seems we’re not keeping up with the times. Diversity, inclusion, and all that discrimination crap. The female vampires organized and hired a consulting firm to do a demographics study. They found males got more than seventy-five percent of the known territories we distribute and control here in North America. Duh. They weren’t very happy with those numbers. Well, you and I know females are never satisfied, eh?”

  “That sounds like a personal problem, Marcos. There’s a pill you can take for that now.”

  Marcos inhaled deeply, and the tip of his cigarette glowed red. “Works for you, does it, old man?”

  “Touché.” Ivan gave him a nod. “You were explaining about the females.” Ivan cocked his head and waited for what he knew was coming.

  “Well, they took the Board of Elders to the High Draconian Court in Krakow. The Board, being the spineless bastards we are, agreed to an out-of-court settlement that required the payment of a large fine for reparations. And we were also ordered to take some affirmative action, so to speak.” He blew out a long stream of smoke. “Of course, without it becoming public knowledge.”

  “By having everyone in my city killed?”

  “Well, it was the quickest way to open up territory.” Marcos sighed. “Only, it didn’t go as planned. Not everyone was eliminated.” He flashed his killer teeth.

  “If the other males knew about this, you’d have a real problem on your hands.” Ivan grinned, showing a set just as deadly.

  “But they won’t. Right now, you and the girl are the only ones who know about it. I’ll deny everything, of course. And you have no way to prove that I or the Board had any connection to the people sent by the Council of Twelve.”

  Marcus was right. With no proof, he didn’t have a leg to stand on.

  The door of the first SUV opened, and a woman stepped out. She was dressed in what Ivan assumed was a designer suit and three-inch, strapless black fuck-me heels. One of the replacements, no doubt.

  “What’s taking so long, Marcos? I’m growing bored. Is it settled?” Her gaze played over Ivan, disappointment that he wasn’t dead evident on her face.

  “Just getting there, Marta.” Marcos jerked his head at the woman. “She’s replacing Draco. See, the problem is we have four territories and four women, but only three open slots.”

  “You mean three dead vampires and six slaves, including mine. That you had murdered. I’m not going to pretend they were friends, but I am going to put up a fight over this. I was deeded this territory. I want to see the order from the Board of Elders taking it from me.”

  “You know that’s not possible.” Marcos took another drag and held it.

  “Because you don’t have the orders, do you? If you did, this would be coming through the Board.” Ivan hoped Annie had been listening, figured out where this was going, and was halfway home by now. Unfortunately, he knew she wouldn’t leave him, even to save her own skin. Foolish girl; he wasn’t worth it.

  “Right.” Marco let the smoke stream from his nostrils. “So, therein lays my difficulty. I have a male, you, and I have a female, Elsa. Unofficially, the Elders say she gets your spot. What am I going to do?” He held out his hands as if asking for help.

  “Well, I guess you’re either going to have to tell her to wait for another open territory, or you’re going to have to kill me and take mine.” Ivan’s gaze flicked over to the vehicles, their windows darken
ed. He wondered how many were inside the car and how long he could hold them off. Long enough for Annie to escape, he hoped.

  “There’s been too much killing, Ivan. It was not a course of action that I was happy with, but it was required. Now I’m going to make a deal with you, old man. You’re going to keep your mouth shut, and you’re going to give me the territory if you want to walk away a very lucky vampire.”

  “Walk away. Just like that? You’ll let me go and take my word I won’t talk?” Ivan didn’t believe him for a second.

  “You’ll have my word.”

  Ivan snorted. “Your word?”

  “Yes. But just in case you need a little extra incentive for you to take my offer…” Marcos motioned to the car.

  Ivan narrowed his eyes. Here came that bad feeling again. His muscles tensed as he prepared to spring out of range.

  They’d have to stake him in the heart or cut off his head, and he was too far away for those to work. Even the strongest vampire couldn’t leap the distance between them. He’d get a good head start and lead them away from Annie. If she didn’t do anything stupid, like try to interfere.

  The door opened and another beautiful female got out. She leaned back into the car and pulled out a young, blonde woman with her hands bound in front of her, and her eyes blindfolded.

  “Who is this?” Ivan stared at her.

  “Amy!” He heard a scream of recognition from behind him. Shit. Ivan ground his teeth.

  Annie tore from her hiding place and ran toward them. Ivan caught her by the waist as she passed and pulled her to him. She hung under his arm, arms and legs in the air, like a sack of potatoes.

  “That’s my sister! Let her go, you bastards!” She kicked and flailed as she tried to get loose, but Ivan’s grip on her was like steel.

  “Annie?” The young woman called, her voice shaking. “Is that you? Annie, what’s going on? We were afraid you were dead!” Unable to see, she turned her head frantically to catch Annie’s voice.

  “Calm down,” Ivan whispered into Annie’s ear.

  “Yes, it’s me! It’s okay, Amy.” Annie stopped struggling as Ivan set her on her feet, but he still held onto her. There was no way he’d let her get near them.