Desire (Vampire Beloved Book 4)

by R. E. Butler

  “Wow,” Cella said, sitting back in her chair. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You can think about it,” Avery offered. “And if you don’t want to stop working in the food office, we understand.”

  “What? Oh heck no, I totally do,” Cella said in a rush. “I just never pegged you for the food office.” She looked pointedly at Traz.

  He shrugged. “I think you two understand what it means to want to be with your beloved. I’m done with the delivery truck project, so I’m not leaving any loose ends for anyone else to deal with. I also have some ideas about security protocols for the food and employee parking lots that will help make it a lot safer for everyone.”

  “You know that you’ll sometimes have to deal with asshole masters from other covens?” Cyrus asked.

  “Of course,” Traz said. “Avery’s a lot more tactful than I am, so she can be the sweet face of the food management office, and I’ll be the muscle.”

  Avery flexed for show. “I can be the muscle too.”

  Traz grinned at her and then winked. He looked at Cella and Cyrus. “Do you want time to discuss?”

  “No way,” Cella said. “I’m super happy to be done with the food office, just so long as you understand it’s not just the food. It’s all humans who work for the coven. Bartenders, wait staff, and coat check fall under the umbrella of this office, and Mishka’s having me handle the restaurant staff too until we can get someone to be the general manager.”

  “I’m game for whatever,” Avery said. “With my unique power, I’m well suited for working to keep the coven safe and ensuring everyone who’s employed by us is on the up and up.”

  Cella looked at Cyrus. “You can go back to managing the construction company full time, and I can get back to my regular family duties.”

  “I’m all for it,” Cyrus said. “As long as this is what you want, you have my full support.”

  “Then it’s a deal,” Cella said with a broad smile. “As long as Mishka’s okay with it.”

  “We can go talk to him now,” Traz said, rising to his feet.

  Avery stood and took his hand. Cella and Cyrus left first, and Avery looked at Traz.

  “You okay, love?” he asked, his jade gaze searching her face.

  “Really okay. I woke up tonight thinking we’d go our separate ways at work, but now we get to work together. I couldn’t be happier.”

  “Oh? I bet I can make you a whole helluva lot happier.” His eyes darkened and she caught the subtle scent of his arousal.

  “Definitely later.”

  He winked and she bit her bottom lip, thinking it would be a splendid idea to detour to their chamber for a few hours first.

  They walked out and met Cella and Cyrus at Mishka’s office, and in no time Mishka agreed with the new job assignments. Avery went from being a coat checker to the food manager. With her beloved by her side.

  Cella grabbed Cyrus’s hand and pulled him toward the door. “Where are we going?” Cyrus asked.

  “To celebrate handing off the food manager position. Come on!” Cella said.

  Avery chuckled as the two hurried away. She leaned against Traz. “She didn’t throw the office keys at us, but you were right. She was all too happy to get rid of that job.”

  The office door opened and Cella appeared. “Catch!”

  Traz snatched the object she lobbed out of the air. Avery watched Cella hurry away and then looked at Traz’s hand.

  He was holding the keys to the office.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Traz was a big fan of the idea of taking Avery down to their chamber for some celebrating. Before he could subtly move his sweetheart toward the door, Mishka’s desk phone buzzed.

  Mishka pressed the intercom. “Yes, Angie?”

  “Hey, there’s someone here to see Avery.”

  “Who?” Traz asked.

  “She said she’s her sister, Daria.”

  Traz glanced at Avery, whose eyes were wide. “She’s in the office?”

  “No, she’s outside the club. She wants you to come out and see her. She said it’s urgent.”

  “Give us a few minutes,” Mishka said.

  “Will do,” Angie said.

  Mishka looked at Traz, his brows arched, and then at Avery. “I got the impression that your sister is not a fan of vampires. What would make her want to come here?”

  “Nothing good that I can think of,” Avery said. “I can call her cell, see what she wants.”

  Traz nodded. “Do that.”

  She swiped her finger across the screen until she found her sister’s contact information, then pressed the icon to call her. She put it on speaker. It rang three times before her sister answered.

  “You’re coming out to see me, right?” Daria asked.

  “Hello to you too,” Avery said. “Why are you here? You told me that you had no sister.”

  There was a pause, and then she said, “I made a mistake. I rushed to judgment. When I told Jerry that I wanted to reach out to you, he kicked me out of the house. And that’s why I’m here. I was hoping you’d still have the keys to your apartment so I could stay there for a while since you’re not using it.”

  “Hold on a sec,” Avery said. She put the call on mute and leaned back in her chair. “That’s... weird.”

  “Can you get a feel for whether she’s lying or not?” Traz asked.

  “No, I tried. I don’t think I can tell people are lying on the phone, I think I have to be face to face with them. What should I do?” She looked at Traz with a frown.

  Traz was at a loss himself. His mind spun over the possibilities. “It’s not like she asked you to meet her somewhere private. She’s out on the sidewalk in plain view of the patrons waiting to get into the club.”

  “That’s a good point,” Mishka said. “I’m wary of her because of her ties to the church, but if she’s telling the truth and her husband did kick her out, she may have some valuable intel she’d be willing to part with in exchange for a place to stay.”

  “I don’t have my apartment anymore. The trolls packed it up and returned the keys for me.”

  “We could put her up in a local hotel,” Traz offered. “If she doesn’t have any money herself.”

  “I got the impression that Jerry controlled the family finances.” Avery chewed on her bottom lip, her brows drawing down.

  Mishka drummed his fingers on the desk. “Ask her to come into the office so you can speak in private.”

  “If she says no?” Avery asked.

  “What about the restaurant?” Traz asked. “It’s still public but it’s not out in the open.”

  “That could work,” Mishka said.

  “I don’t like any of this, mind you,” Traz said. “But if there’s a chance for reconciliation with your sister, then we’ll help you be safe.”

  “I know you will,” she said. Avery took the call off mute. “I’ll meet you at the front door, Daria. I’ll escort you to our office so we can talk.”

  “I don’t want to come inside.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m scared. Of the blo- the vampires.”

  Traz grimaced. He was certain that Daria had almost referred to them as bloodsuckers, a derogatory term used by the church.

  “There’s nothing to be scared of,” Avery said. “Do you think I’d let anything happen to you? You’re my sister.”

  “I know, but I’m still scared.”

  Avery glanced at Traz, then said, “I can meet you at the restaurant next to the club. It’s more private.”

  “It’s still a vampire place. Why can’t you come out and talk to me? I don’t understand. I thought you cared about me.” Her voice went high and whiny.

  “Don’t try to guilt me, Daria,” Avery scolded. “I’m not the one who belongs to a church who hates my sister.”

  “I’m done with that. The church won’t let me make amends with you. I lost everything when I came here. I don’t understand why you won’t just come out here and tal
k to me. I’m standing on the sidewalk in front of the club, scared out of my mind because I’m all alone.”

  “Hold on,” Avery put the call on mute and groaned as she leaned back in the chair. “What am I supposed to do?”

  “She’s very insistent on you coming outside,” Mishka said. “If she’s telling the truth, then there’s nothing to fear, but I have my doubts.”

  “Me too,” Traz said. “I won’t risk your safety.”

  “Then don’t,” Avery said. “Can’t we go out to see her with a lot of guards?”

  “What if she tries to attack you?” Traz asked.

  Avery tapped her temple. “I’ve got your defensive memories in my head, don’t forget. Also, once I see her and talk to her, I’ll know if she’s lying. If she’s telling the truth, then we can send her to a hotel for a few nights. If she’s lying, then at least I’ll know.”

  “I don’t like this one bit,” Traz said.

  “She might have valuable intel about the church,” Mishka said. “But Avery’s safety comes first. Tell your sister you’ll be out to see her in a few minutes.”

  While Avery talked to her sister, Mishka called for the family to come into his office. When Avery was finished with the call and the family had gathered, Traz explained the situation and they agreed on a security sweep of the area and that Avery could leave the club, but a contingent of guards would surround her.

  Avery texted her sister that she would be out shortly.

  Traz uploaded the security camera footage to his tablet.

  “That’s her,” Avery said. She pointed to a woman who was standing as far away from the club as she could without actually being on the street. She was looking around nervously and texting.

  Traz scrolled back the footage several hours to see when and how she arrived and whether anyone dropped her off.

  Temple hummed as he leaned over and watched the screen. “It looks like she just walked here. Our security cameras go six blocks in every direction. If she knew that, she could’ve parked further away or been dropped off by someone outside of our cameras.”

  “How would she know where the cameras are?” Avery asked.

  “The church pays attention to that kind of thing,” Traz said. “A few years ago we discovered they’d put up their own cameras and were watching the club entrance.”

  Arissa walked into the office carrying a bulletproof vest. “You can wear mine. I will also be right with you.”

  “No,” Brone said, the single word carrying the full weight of his thousand years of being a vampire.

  “I’m going to cast a protection spell around Avery. To do that, I have to be near her,” Arissa pointed out. She looked up at Brone. “Ever since you told me about it, I’ve had a bad feeling about the whole situation. She needs all the protection she can get. Not just for herself, but for Traz too.”

  “I don’t want you to put yourself in harm’s way on my behalf,” Avery said.

  “I also called in my friends,” Arissa said. “They’ll patrol from above.”

  “Friends?” Avery asked.

  “Dragons.”

  “Like the little guy Kelly has?”

  “No, dragon shifters,” Arissa said. “It’s my friend Sang’s birthday, and he was coming here to celebrate anyway, so I asked if he and his father would watch over us from above. And Aram only protects Kelly. He’d be great if Kelly was in danger, but not so much anyone else.”

  “Wow.” Avery shook her head. “It would be nice to have a little dragon protector. So how did you wind up with dragon shifter friends?”

  “It’s a long story,” Arissa said with a smile. “One best saved for another time. Tonight, we’re concentrating on you.”

  “Thank you.”

  Brone, Temple, and Cyrus left the office. Cyrus would use his extra senses as a tiger shifter to sweep the area and ensure it was as safe as possible for Avery. “I’ll meet you at the front door,” Arissa said.

  “I’m by your side no matter what,” Traz said.

  “Like glue. No problem.” Avery tried to smile, but it failed.

  Traz took her hand and led her from Mishka’s office into his own. When the door was shut, he took the bulletproof vest from her trembling hands and put it over her head. His heart clenched as he tightened the straps to secure it to her body.

  “My eyes hurt,” she said, rubbing them. “I think it’s because I want to cry and I can’t.”

  “I understand,” he said. “You don’t have to go out there, you know. I could go talk to her myself, see what she wants. Or you could tell her to take a hike.”

  “I need to do this. If she’s telling the truth, and she really is in trouble, I’d feel terrible if I did nothing. If she’s lying, then at least I know the end of the relationship isn’t my fault, it’s all on her.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “I’m still sorry.”

  She stepped close and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close, deepening the kiss and pouring his emotions into it. He was proud of her strength and courage, and he loved her so deeply.

  And he was scared shitless.

  If something happened to her, he’d never forgive himself.

  “Ack, stop, you’re making it worse,” she said, pushing out of his arms with a chuckle. She scrubbed at her face, her eyes bright. “I can feel your emotions.”

  “Okay, now I really am sorry.”

  She shook her head with a smile. “It’s okay. Now, let’s go find out if my sister is trying to set me up or not.”

  * * *

  At the door to the club, Traz and Avery met up with Arissa, who was looking at her phone. She smiled at them. “I just talked to Brone. Your sister appears to be alone. I’m going to cast a protection spell on you. I’ll be a few feet away with Brone, but if something evil is up with her, you’ll be able to sense it with the spell and it’ll offer a measure of security over the vest.”

  “You don’t need one?” Avery asked.

  “I’m wearing Rage’s jacket,” she said, tugging on the collar of the jacket made of bulletproof material. “Ready?”

  Avery looked at Traz. He could feel her nerves and once more he wanted to tell her this wasn’t worth it, but he refrained.

  “Just remember,” he said.

  She put up her hand. “I’m glue.”

  Chuckling, he kissed her. “Good.”

  He stepped away so Arissa could cast the protection spell. When Avery questioned why Traz couldn’t also be protected, Arissa said, “I can’t do a powerful enough one for more than one person.”

  Avery nodded.

  When Arissa finished casting the spell, Traz could smell herbs and salt, and saw a faint reddish glow surround Avery for a moment that quickly disappeared. “I actually feel a little calmer.”

  “Feeling safe will do that to a person. Now let’s get out there and see what’s up with your sister.”

  * * *

  They left the club. Arissa split and met with Brone, keeping her hand up in the air and following Avery. Traz took Avery’s hand and led her to Daria, who was pacing near a lamppost. He could hear the flap of wings overhead and felt better knowing the dragons were keeping an eye on things from above.

  “Hi, Daria,” Avery said.

  “I thought you were coming alone,” Daria said, giving Traz a narrow look.

  “You can’t think I would. After what you said when I told you that I’d been changed—”

  Daria cut her off. “Are you going to throw that up in my face right now? I’m homeless and I need help.”

  Avery growled softly. Her eyes flashed to bright gold. “You’re lying.”

  “What? No, I’m not!”

  Leaning forward a little, Avery sniffed and then snarled. “Yes, you are. I can sense when someone is telling the truth and you’re not. Tell the truth now or leave.”

  Daria opened her mouth and then shook her head. She lunged for Avery, and that w
as when Traz noticed she was wearing gloves. They were skin tone colored on top, but on the bottom they were metallic. He jerked Avery behind him and then grasped Daria’s wrists, holding her hands up. She screeched.

  “Let me go, bloodsucker!”

  “Silver. Are you serious?” Traz asked with a growl. The church had long believed the old wives’ tale that silver was detrimental to vampires.

  “Daria! You tried to hurt me?” Avery’s voice was incredulous.

  Overhead, a dragon roared and flames shot out from his open jaws. A male scream rent the air, and Traz watched in surprise as a man stood up on the roof, engulfed in flames. He swatted at himself to put out the fire, unaware of the edge of the roof. He tumbled headfirst off the building, landing with a thud on top of someone’s car. The car alarm honked, and the lights flashed.

  A rifle clattered to the street next to him.

  Sniper.

  “Talk,” Traz said, giving Daria a menacing glare.

  “Never.”

  Daria wrenched a hand free and pulled something from her pocket. She threw the object on the ground and a brilliant flash went off, temporarily blinding Traz. He winced in pain and released his hold on her, instinctively grabbing for Avery to shield her.

  His vision returned a few moments later and Daria was gone. Coven guards surrounded Avery and him, and several had been dispatched to try to locate Daria.

  “The club is closed to new patrons for the night,” Brone snarled at the two bouncers. “Get these humans out of here.”

  “You got it,” one of them said.

  Traz looked down at Avery. “You okay, sweetheart?”

  “She thought the silver on her gloves would hurt me, maybe kill me?” Her bottom lip quivered.

  “The church has a lot of untrue beliefs, and that’s one of them.”

  “I knew she hated vampires. But to try to kill me?” Her eyes got bright with emotion, and he hugged her close.

  “It’s okay. We’re safe.”

  “Not out here, you’re not,” Temple said. “Until we know for sure that the sniper was the only one trying to take a shot at Avery, you two need to get your asses back inside the club.”