by Deanna Chase
David nodded and took a seat in one of the leather armchairs near the fireplace.
I stood in the doorway. Link snarled, his nose twitching in frantic curiosity. The place must’ve had Allcot’s scent all over it. The skies had already started to darken. Allcot would be here any minute. “My mother?” I prompted.
David didn’t look up. He just pulled out his phone and tapped a message. The phone beeped with an incoming message almost immediately. “She’ll be here in five minutes.”
“Good.” I took a seat on the loveseat and held Link back. Otherwise he might start marking the place. Though on second thought…No. I couldn’t encourage that sort of behavior, even if it would put a thorn in the side of my least-favorite vamp.
We sat in silence, and I racked my brain for where Talisen could’ve hidden his new elixir. I could only think of two places: his apartment or his lab. Besides Phoebe and his boss, he didn’t really know anyone. Did he? Irrational jealousy consumed me as I imagined a few coeds vying for Tal’s attention. What if he’d befriended someone on campus? Would he tell me?
Link jumped off the loveseat and started to pace, his nose pressed to the ground.
Tal could have made a few new friends. Maybe he’d done it on purpose so he had a backup plan to hide his new drug if anything went wrong. No one would question him hanging with a couple of twenty-year-olds. Hell, it was likely he had more than two. Probably a dozen. Tal was an equal-opportunity flirt. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe he’d stopped just because we’d decided to finally be together. A man doesn’t change that much.
I pulled out Tal’s phone and started scrolling through his contacts, immediately ruling out any numbers with a Eureka area code. There were five that were local. My cell number, my shop, Phoebe’s phone, someone named Elissa, and some dude that went by Wolfman. How original.
There was no time like the present. I tried Elissa first.
“Hello! This is Elissa. I’m screening, so if I didn’t pick up, I likely don’t want to talk to you.”
Charming. Since I was using Tal’s phone, it was entirely possible he’d done something to piss her off. Or she wasn’t answering for a million other benign reasons.
Next up, Wolfman. No doubt he was a frat-douche with a name like that. The phone rang ten times before it finally disconnected. Perfect. I tossed the phone down in frustration. My only clues were leading to Nowhereville.
The study door swung open and in walked Allcot. His familiar vamp signature pressed in on me, making it harder to breathe. I craned my neck, searching for my mom. “Where is she?” I asked David.
He frowned, probably at my impatient tone.
“Your mother,” Allcot said, “will be here momentarily.” He crossed the room to a cabinet behind his desk and pulled out a dark green glass bottle. After filling a tumbler with what appeared to be a wine-blood combination, he sat next to David and crossed his ankle over his knee.
“Good evening, Father,” David said.
“Good evening,” Allcot drawled, oozing Southern gentleman.
I held back a snort, rubbing my hands over my arms as if I could wipe his vampire energy off. He was anything but gentle.
“It’s been quite the interesting day, hasn’t it?” He swirled the red liquid, then brought the glass to his lips, sipping slowly.
“Interesting?” I sat up straight. “More like it’s been a nightmare of a day.” Unsatisfied with my vantage point, I stood and glared down at him. “Talisen’s hurt. He’s being held against his will God knows where. Phoebe and I were both attacked. Tal’s attacker demanded his new elixir. Let’s not even talk about what happened yesterday. And you’re sitting here sipping your drink like a lounge lizard. Interesting is not the word I’d use.”
David stood and reached for me, but Allcot put his hand up, stopping him. “Be seated, Davidson.” Allcot turned his unflinching gaze on me. “Do not try my patience, Ms. Rhoswen. Your allies are running short these days.”
I wanted to scream. That domineering tone he used made me want to scratch his eyes out. There was nothing I hated more in this world than having to count on him for help. The sad truth was, he would and could help, but his methods never failed to piss me off. And worse, he’d thrown the truth in my face. I had a select few people I could trust right now.
“Did Talisen hand over his new drug for your bodyguards yesterday?” He’d told me he’d made a deal with Allcot. If he already had some, we wouldn’t need to track down his samples.
Allcot pressed his lips together in a straight line.
What did that mean? Crap! Couldn’t the guy ever give a straight answer?
The master vamp nodded in the direction of my chair. “Take your seat, please.”
Again with the command, but he softened it, making it sound like more of a request than it was. Still, with a fair amount of teeth grinding, I did as I was told. Antagonizing him wasn’t going to get my questions answered. It was just so hard not to. The vamp had a way of crawling under my skin and festering.
“That’s better.” He gave me a self-satisfied smile, and I concentrated on not scowling. “To answer your question, no, I do not have any of your friend’s drug. But even if I did, I would not give it to you.”
With my jaw straining with the effort, I kept my mouth firmly shut. I was afraid if I opened it, I’d burn this bridge for good.
He raised a curious eyebrow. “No comment?”
Damn vampire! He was purposely baiting me. Do not respond. Do not respond. There was a high road here somewhere and I was determined to stay on it.
David cleared his throat. “Father…”
Allcot chuckled. “I forget your affection for her sometimes, my son. Very well, I’ll make this brief.”
I clasped my hands together to keep from strangling him and waited.
He took a slow sip of his drink and watched me. Was he testing what I would do? Whatever. I’d wait until my mom showed up and then I was so out of here.
Finally Allcot put his glass down and leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees. “I wouldn’t give up the elixir. It’s too powerful. So instead of wasting time looking for it, we’re going to utilize the remaining hours to find where your friend is being held. From there, my guys will handle getting him out.”
I snorted. “Just like that? You’ll find where he is and break him out?” To say I was skeptical would be an understatement.
“Just like that.” Allcot got up. “You’ll stay here this evening, and after the fae is rescued, we’ll discuss if it’s safe for you to resume your regular life.” He nodded to David, then started to move toward the door.
“Excuse me?” I shifted to stare at his retreating back. “Did you just order me under your care?”
He paused and turned to face me. “I’d say order is too harsh a word. Think of it as a request.”
“No.” That was a hell no. I had a picture diagram I needed to decipher and an elixir to search for, no matter what Allcot said. I needed a backup plan. I would not leave Talisen to die at the hands of his abductor while the twisted a-hole in front of me played mind games. And if the payment was the elixir, then dammit, they could have it. Guilt coiled tight in my chest at the thought. I didn’t want to, but I would…for Tal. Not that I thought that would be the end of it, but our chances were a hell of a lot better with the elixir than they were without it.
Allcot stiffened. “No?”
“I don’t work for you. You can’t order me to stay. And I won’t.” In fact, I needed to leave soon. Allcot’s presence was making me weak, almost light-headed. I couldn’t tell him that, though. None of the vamps knew how their energy affected me. And they never would if I had anything to say about it.
“What if I don’t give you a choice?” Allcot crossed his arms over his chest.
“Oh, I think you will, Eadric.” A familiar female voice carried in from the open doorway.
“Mom!” I jumped up, whirling from the dizziness, and launched myself at her.
She opened her arms wide and engulfed me in a hug only a mother could give. Her lips brushed over my temple. “I’m so sorry, baby. We’ll get him back, no matter what.”
I sniffled into her shoulder. “You’re damn right we will. I won’t stand for anything else.”
“That’s my girl.” She soothed me as she ran a soft hand over my hair. “Now, if you don’t stay with Eadric, where will you go?”
I let go and stared at her. Well, shit. I didn’t have an answer to that. I shrugged. “Wherever Phoebe goes?”
Mom shook her head. “Isn’t she working undercover right now?”
I nodded. “Yeah. At least, I think so.”
“Then it won’t pay to have you and Link along, will it?”
I bit my lip and eyed Link, who was sniffing around her feet, his tail wagging with sheer joy. She was fae. He’d probably follow her every command just as he did Talisen’s.
“She can come to my house,” David said and got to his feet.
I studied him. “You mean the house in Mid-City?”
“Yes.” He stuffed his hands in the front of his jeans pockets and hunched his shoulders slightly.
He was nervous. Why?
Allcot crossed the room to stand next to David. In a low voice he said, “I’d rather you both stay here.”
Mom, who knew about my vampire allergy, shook her head. “No, I think it’s best if Willow has some space. It’s been a rough day and she needs to regroup before the morning. David’s house will work fine.”
“Mom!” I whispered harshly. I couldn’t stay at David’s by myself overnight. “I’d rather stay with you and Carrie.”
She placed a supportive hand on my shoulder. “That would be nice, dear, but The Red Door’s being heavily watched. It’s been tough enough for me to go in and out unnoticed. You and Link would never make it. Besides, with Carrie, Beau Junior, and all the vampires, there isn’t a lot of breathing room.”
I frowned as I caught her inflection of the word vampires. Right. That place was crawling with them and would only make me weaker. My options for a safe house were woefully limited.
“Go with David,” she said gently. “He’ll keep you safe.”
Her pleading eyes bored into mine and I recognized for the first time how scared she was for me. My objections didn’t seem so important anymore. Mom would never survive if something happened to me. Not after losing Beau. My options were David’s home, Allcot’s, or my own, which was bugged and undoubtedly being watched.
“David’s place it is.” I turned to him. “I hope you have an extra laptop. I’m going to need one.”
Chapter 14
David’s two-story Victorian sat in the middle of three recently cleared lots. His house was smack in the middle of Mid-City, a section of New Orleans that had been hit pretty hard by hurricane Katrina. Shortly after the storm, vampires had taken over the area, buying up multiple lots and building on only one to ensure privacy.
No lights were on and the place had an eerie, deserted feel to it. The one and only time I’d been inside, he’d said he hadn’t been there in over a week. Did he really spend most of his time at Allcot’s mansion? There were a lot of pretty vamps there. An unexpected dart of jealousy sparked in my chest. Dammit, not that again. I tamped down the emotion. This was purely business.
David pulled the car into the carport at the back of the house. “Wait here. I’ll do a sweep to be sure the area is clean.”
I sat back and closed my eyes. “Okay.”
Link stood on my lap, his ears pitched forward, on high alert. “Hear anything, buddy?”
His eyes tracked David’s path, then after a moment he relaxed and settled against me.
“Guess not.” His reaction was good enough for me. Without waiting for David, I pushed the door open and headed for the back door.
David caught up to me on the porch. “What happened to waiting for me in the car?” he asked with an air of irritation.
“I’m not helpless, David,” I snapped. “There’s a reason Link goes everywhere with me.” I waved a hand at my dog, who was sitting peacefully at my feet. “He has very good hearing.”
He glanced at Link, who would be in full-on wolf form if there was anything remotely resembling a threat, and inclined his head in acknowledgment. “Fair enough.”
Once inside, I headed through the kitchen, down the hall, and into his book-lined study. David followed me and paused in the doorway.
I sat at his desk and lifted the cover of his laptop. “Do you mind? I want to do a reverse phone number check on the local numbers in Tal’s phone.”
Walking toward me, he shook his head slowly. “You’ll probably want something a little more powerful than a straight Internet search.”
I quirked an eyebrow.
He smiled and I stiffened. Were those…? Oh crap. His vamp fangs were poking out.
David took a step back. “What’s wrong?”
I clutched the base of my neck, unconsciously covering my exposed skin. “Uh…nothing. I was wondering if you’d eaten recently.”
His brow furrowed, then recognition dawned in his eyes as his tongue ran along the edge of his teeth. “Shit,” he mumbled. “Sorry, it’s been a few days, but nothing I can’t handle.” He clamped his mouth shut and reached over me to grab the laptop. A few keystrokes later, he put it back on the desk. “Try this site.”
The banner read Investigation Services after Dark.
“A supernatural investigation agency?” I tried my best to not stare at his lips and the teeth that were poking out again.
He nodded. “They have access to private information you won’t find doing a simple search. Put in however much information you have and they’ll get back to you within fifteen minutes with what they know. If the information looks promising, upon your request they’ll search deeper.”
“And they’re on Allcot’s payroll?”
David sighed at the accusation in my tone. “Yes. They have a contract with Cryrique.”
I shook my head. “How can I trust them as a source if they’re likely to filter information?” Everyone knew anyone who worked for Cryrique stayed loyal to Cryrique. Whoever ran this investigation service wouldn’t reveal anything that would be considered sensitive information concerning the vamp organization.
“Dammit, Willow!” David snagged the computer, logged on to the investigation website, and started typing. “First of all, Father isn’t involved with your friend’s abduction. There isn’t anything to hide. Second, I’m logging you into my account. Send him whatever you want and I guarantee you’ll get unfiltered results.” He shoved the laptop back in my direction and then stalked toward the door. He paused, glancing back at me. Those tiny fangs were peeking out again and his eyes smoldered with something resembling dark desire.
Everything about him right at the moment unsettled me, and my wings trembled with nervous energy. “What do you want from me?”
“You could try trusting me again.”
He disappeared so fast I didn’t even see him move. I only heard the soft click of the door closing. My heart started to race. I wasn’t sure I could ever give him what he asked for. Yet, here he was, trying to protect me and was giving me the tools to find another man and bring him home safely. I could try to be more grateful. It wasn’t his fault all of this was happening.
Ugh! Why the hell had he chosen to turn vamp? It didn’t make any sense to me. He was still the same person he had been, only now he had a hardness, an edge, he hadn’t had before. The gentle sweetness was no longer on the surface, though it was still there, buried under his marbled persona. And the complete trust I’d had in him was gone. My heart said one thing while my brain screamed run. Run as far and as fast as possible. But to where? The Void? My mother? No. The Void couldn’t be trusted either. And my mother was already under Allcot’s protection. That left Phoebe, and she was already knee-deep in the middle of this nightmare. Where was she right now? Tracking down Tal’s professor? Did she have a lead? She d
idn’t know my phone was dead and I couldn’t call her for fear her phone had been bugged.
She’d find me when she had news. I was sure of it. There was nothing to do but track Tal’s contacts. I fished his phone out and scrolled through his numbers again. After carefully relaying the phone numbers and names, I submitted the information to David’s investigator.
Less than ten minutes later, the laptop pinged with a message.
Elissa Meyers—Graduate Student—twenty-three. The message listed a last known address.
Wolfman—Phone registered to one William O’Conner. Included were his last two known addresses.
I tapped out a message asking for a more in-depth investigation, marking it Urgent—Top Priority.
“Link, let’s go.” I snapped my fingers and went in search of David. The house was decorated with a mix of eighteenth-century antiques and tasteful modern furniture. Despite the warmth of the Southern landscape paintings and the soft lighting, the place seemed cold, empty. More like a museum. There was no real life in the gorgeous house. The emptiness took up residence in my soul and made me shiver.
I searched the entire house for David until the last place left to look was the master bedroom. Knocking on the partially open door, I pushed it open to find him crossing the room, shirtless. “David?”
He paused, his dark blue eyes piercing me with his intense stare. “What are you doing in here?”
My mouth went dry at the sight of his plum-red chest. I forced a swallow. “Your chest is worse. How did that happen?”
He glanced down at himself and scowled. “It’s not worse. I took a scalding shower.” He turned his equally burnt back to me and disappeared into his closet.
My fists clenched into tight balls. He was lying. His hair wasn’t damp. There wasn’t any gleam of water droplets. Not to mention his defensive attitude didn’t make any sense. What in the world was going on?
Something must have gone wrong with the transformation into a daywalker and he didn’t want to tell me. But why?
David reappeared, wearing a long-sleeved Henley shirt, all evidence of his affliction covered.