A Guardian's Salvation

by Stein Willard

  “Is there an elevator somewhere that I don’t know about?” she mumbled with a frown and smiled when Trinity grinned at her. She didn’t look too intimidating when she smiled, Jessica thought. In fact, she looked very young and incredibly relaxed with her twinkling green eyes.

  “I am into extreme sports and work out a lot. These stairs were a piece of cake for me.”

  “It shows.” She looked around pointedly and Trinity followed her gaze.

  “She is not here. Someone fed her gin last night and I left her in bed to sleep it off,” she said and from the look in Trinity’s eyes, Jessica could tell that Trinity knew who the culprit was.

  “That person should be shot,” Jessica said dryly, not meeting the green-eyed stare.

  This time Trinity burst out laughing, drawing several eyes to them and Jessica stared at the woman, dumbfounded by the transformation. If this was how she was with Gabriella then she understood fully why Gabriella was crazy about the woman. No other woman stood a chance.

  Howard came over to where they were, his blue eyes darting between the two of them and Jessica quickly made introductions. Soon after the introductions, Trinity reminded her of their date tonight and excused herself. She couldn’t help following the tall woman with her eyes as she walked away. Damn! She turned to Howard and smiled when she saw the smitten look on his face, as he too followed Trinity with his eyes.

  “Howard …” When she didn’t receive a response, she grabbed his chin and turned his head so he was facing her.

  “What a woman!” He gushed. “Are you going out with her tonight? Like on a date?” Howard asked, his eyes turning back to follow the tall figure of Trinity, as she made her way to the exit leading to the narrow staircase.

  Jessica smiled. There was nothing wrong with Howard’s taste in women; he knew a jewel when he saw one.

  “Yes and no.”

  “Which is it; yes, you’re going on a date with her; or no, you are going to stay in your hotel room tonight, raiding the minibar and watching TV?”

  Howard knew her too well and she wasn’t sure she liked that. She’d never been a creature of habit until after her breakup. Gabriella was the one who brought stability and routine to the relationship, whereas she was the impulsive one. She’d come to realize, too late, that she actually liked the stability their relationship offered her.

  Howard’s exasperated sigh brought her out of her reverie.

  “Yes, I’m going out with her and her girlfriend tonight.”

  Howard looked dejected at the mention of the girlfriend.

  “For a while there I thought you’d finally met someone, again. She’s amazing.”

  “Gabriella seems to think so too, because she’s engaged to her.”

  Howard’s mouth fell open.

  “And you don’t mind going out with them, knowing that you still have feelings for Gabriella?”

  “I had feelings for Gabriella. We are just friends now.”

  “Then why haven’t you been out on a date in the past four years?”

  Jessica took a sip of water.

  “Because, I wasn’t ready to date again … which I am now, by the way.”

  Howard nodded his approval and grabbed her hand.

  “Please, try and find someone like Trinity. Someone sexy and mysterious with a hint of that … that thing that clings to Trinity. It’s very attractive.”

  Jessica couldn’t help seeing two dark brown eyes popping up in her mind.

  “I’ll try my best, Howard. Now, let’s get down there and go find a nice place where we can have lunch. I’m famished.”

  “As long as you’re picking up the tab.”

  Jessica rolled her eyes at that. “It never even crossed my mind that you might want to pay for lunch, Howie.”

  “Good. As long as we’re clear on that.” Howard walked to the exit. “What are you still waiting for? Let’s go!”

  †

  Irmgard Stroller’s face was unreadable as she listened attentively. She reminded Tahlia of John, who was now retired and living his last years out with his children and grandchildren. He was instrumental in the appointment of Irmgard as head of the Consortium’s European branch. In her late forties and with extensive military training, Irmgard climbed the ranks fast. She served as a lieutenant in the GSG-9, before she joined the Consortium as head of a deadly, paramilitary group of human vampire hunters. She was promoted to Head of Security soon afterward, making her an executive member of the agency and was handpicked for the position she held now.

  “It really is a big setback for us. How are we going to monitor her movements without her noticing?” Irmgard said, as she bit into her lower lip. “She is very dangerous.”

  Tahlia turned to Paloma. “Since she is not aware that we know she has gone rogue, we will behave as if nothing is wrong. It will make it easier to monitor her while she is still an active member of our team. Our sources say that she is operating alone at the moment, but is keen to start her own renegade group or join an existing one.” Paloma looked at each and everyone around the table. “She is highly trained and should not be taken on by anyone. Since Jonas has been her mentor for the past three years, the two of us will monitor her and take her out when the time is right.”

  There were nods all around the table at the suggestion.

  “How can we assist?” Irmgard asked.

  “We would like you to keep tracking Mary. We need to capture her and neutralize her army. She has become too elusive and powerful. We need to stop her, fast.”

  Irmgard nodded. “That will be no problem. I’ll send out two scouting units immediately.”

  “Then it is all settled. Meeting adjourned.”

  As soon as they were alone, Paloma felt under the table.

  Paloma stared at Tahlia awaiting her order.

  < Give it a few days. I want the news to circulate for a while, to make it more convincing. What we need to do now is to let these people think their scheme has not been detected. They will eventually lead us to Mary.> Tahlia’s black eyes hardened suddenly and glittered with menace.

  Giving Tahlia a concerned look, Jemima slowly came to her feet. Tahlia recognized the subtle warning from Jemima that her temper was slipping and that Jemima was trying to get her away to an environment where she could cool down. Tahlia took a deep breath and calmly followed her wife out the door, knowing that the others were following on her heels.

  Chapter 6

  The music was ear-deafening and one look at Trinity’s face told Jessica that they weren’t going to stay long. Somber green eyes scanned over the dancing crowd and tracked back to Gabriella. Jessica couldn’t help but laugh at the horrified expression on Trinity’s face. Even Gabriella was struggling to keep her amusement in check at her partner’s reaction.

  A young woman sidled up to Trinity and began rubbing her scantily-clad body provocatively against the tall redhead’s. The green eyes froze in abject horror and Jessica saw Gabriella’s eyes narrowing dangerously.

  The situation needs serious saving. Jessica quickly stepped in and pulled the girl away from Trinity. These places were paparazzi hotspots and the last thing she wanted was to have Gabriella’s face plastered on every tabloid, just because she tried to warn off the woman. Gabriella was too classy for that. She on the other hand was tabloid fodder and knew how to neutralize the paparazzi threat. She saw the relief in Gabriella’s eyes and even Trinity looked suspiciously close to hugging her out of gratitude.

  “Let’s go, I know of a nice place not far from here.”

  She took them to the lesbian bar she’d been at the previous night and was glad when she found that the bar was not as packed as the previous night. On the small, dimly lit stage, a woman was singing a slow, melancholic song in a deep, husky voice. She turned to her companions to see if they approved of the ve
nue. Both Gabriella and Trinity nodded quickly and together they went in search of a table. A waitress came over to take their orders and while they waited for their drinks, they took the time to listen to the music.

  “Why did we not just come here straight away?” Trinity asked and Gabriella smiled at her.

  “Because the guy at reception recommended the club, probably thinking we were some crazy tourists hoping to explore the raunchier side of Cologne.”

  Trinity shook her head, disgust clearly on her face as she turned to Jessica.

  “How did you find this place?”

  “A friend recommended it to me and I was here last night to try it out. It wasn’t too bad.”

  “The atmosphere is nice and the clientele is more … mature … than at the other place,” Gabriella looked around. “I take it you were coming from here when I bumped into you last night?”

  Jessica nodded and looked up, as the waitress placed their drink orders in front of them.

  “Yes.”

  “And?” Gabriella probed her gently. “Did you meet someone interesting?”

  Before she could form a reply, Trinity came to her rescue, darting a sharp look Gabriella’s way.

  “That is private,” she said softly and took Gabriella’s hand in hers. “If she had met someone, she would have volunteered the information, my love.”

  Gabriella pulled a face at Trinity and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before addressing Jessica again.

  “But I want to know,” she said in a whining tone and Jessica smiled faintly at the resigned expression on Trinity’s face. Gabriella was very stubborn and didn’t yield easily.

  “No, probably because I wasn’t looking for someone.”

  Gabriella muttered something in Spanish and took a sip from her wine.

  “How do you expect to meet someone if you keep on telling yourself that you’re not ready to allow anyone in?” She turned her amber gaze on Trinity. “What do you think?”

  Jessica was surprised to find that Trinity’s steady green eyes were resting on her the whole time, while Gabriella was harassing her. “I would firstly like to apologize for Gabriella’s rudeness, but I would personally, also, like to know why you are not interested in meeting someone.”

  Jessica studied the two women over the rim of her glass. Trinity never struck her as the matchmaking type. She seemed to be too … too … practical to fit into that category. She placed the glass down slowly and jumped slightly when a soft hand landed on her shoulder.

  “Nice to see you back here again,” a woman’s voice said behind her and she turned in her chair. It was the girl from last night. What was her name again? Anne? The girl’s blue eyes smiled down into hers. “You weren’t that drunk. It’s me Annika.”

  Hoping she didn’t look as sheepish as she felt, Jessica quickly came to her feet and brushed the girl’s cheek with her lips. When she stood back to introduce her to Gabriella and Trinity, she found them both staring at her with eager anticipation. Now they have gotten the wrong idea. She groaned inwardly. She quickly introduced them and Gabriella gestured to the waitress, who quickly came over.

  “What can we order for you, Annika?” she asked sweetly. Jessica gave Gabriella a pointed look.

  “Thank you very much, but I’m here with a group and I just came over to greet Jessica.” She turned to look at Jessica with her expressive, blue eyes and smiled. “I’ll come and check up on you again later.” She nodded to Gabriella and Trinity and walked away to rejoin her group.

  “What a nice girl,” Gabriella whispered, causing Jessica to roll her eyes at her.

  “We shared a table last night and that’s how we got acquainted. Just for the record, she’s not my type.”

  Gabriella smiled slyly. “How do you know if you haven’t asked her out on a date yet?”

  “That will never happen. I’m leaving for New York in a few days’ time and she’ll be here for a few more years. I don’t want to give her hope.” Even as she said it, Jessica could feel a wave of loneliness wash over her.

  Trinity quickly came to her feet and held her hand out to Gabriella.

  “You are harassing Jessica. Shall we dance?” She didn’t wait for Gabriella to answer, instead she dragged her out of her chair and they made it over to the small, dimly lit dance floor.

  Jessica turned in her chair and watched, as the couple began swaying together to the beat of the music. They looked good together. Trinity was holding Gabriella gently against her body and with every step her tall body brushed lightly against Gabriella’s. She missed that. She missed that feeling of familiarity between partners when their bodies recognized each other’s. She took a long gulp from her drink, draining the glass. She signaled for the waitress to bring her another.

  Tonight was going to be yet another lonely night in a big, cold bed, so she might just as well get drunk. The waitress brought the drink over and Jessica immediately took a sip. She turned her attention back to the dance floor. There was another couple on the dance floor, but they didn’t draw as much attention as Gaby and Trinity did. All eyes rested on the two sexy women who danced closely. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. What a mess she’d made of her life. She looked over to where Annika and her friends sat. Their drinks had just arrived and she winced inwardly at the lethal looking shooters. Annika picked up her glass and threw back the contents, shuddering as she slammed the glass on the table.

  Gutsy girl, Jessica thought and looked more closely at the girl. She was quite pretty with her dark auburn locks and sky blue eyes. Her body was nice too. Tall and slender. Maybe she could try and talk her into accompanying her to her room later tonight. She really liked the girl and maybe that would be what she needed to break the curse. Annika looked up and smiled at her and Jessica grinned back lifting her glass. Yes, maybe she …

  “Would you like to dance?” A husky voice suddenly asked, startling her from behind. Irritated by the interruption into her thoughts … hell, pleasant thoughts for once, Jessica took a deep breath. Fixing her face into a fake mask of politeness, she turned in her chair to tell the woman as gently as she could that she wasn’t interested.

  She never got to utter a word. Instead, her whole body froze in shock. She just stared, as her eyes frantically searched the face before her. She didn’t dare blink lest the vision would disappear and she would lose the chance to engrave the beautiful face into her memory.

  She was as beautiful as that first night they’d met. The chocolate-brown eyes were still the same, except for a slight hardness in them. She unsteadily came to her feet, when she realized that this might not be a vision after all. They stood in silence looking at each other. Please, don’t let this be a hallucination or the side effects of that crippling hangover. Her eyes took in everything, every small detail that was exposed to her eyes. She had forgotten how tall the woman was. Were those small golden flecks in the brown eyes always there? Her eyes slowly moved down the proud curve of the delicate nose to the soft lips. Her stomach flipped, as her eyes caressed the slightly parted lips. Those lips had done the most amazing things to her body and those hands … She reached out and, without thinking, laced her fingers through Rissa’s. It was cool to the touch. Rissa didn’t pull her hand out of her grasp; instead the blonde just looked down at their joined hands and then up into Jessica’s eyes again.

  Jessica’s throat was working hard, as she struggled to keep her emotions, so close to the surface, from spilling over. The brown eyes simply stared back at her with an unreadable expression in them.

  “I thought I would never see you again,” Jessica spoke finally. Her voice sounded rough, unused, even to her own ears. The dark eyes flashed at that. “I went back to look for you, but nobody knew anything about you.”

  “You wanted me to leave.” The tone was even, giving nothing away.

  Jessica shook her head. “I was stupid to let you go.” She swallowed hard, trying to keep the tears at bay. It was true. She was the cause of her own unhappiness. Rissa wasn’t th
e one who wanted to leave. Jessica prayed the blonde still felt the same. “I wasn’t ready to commit to you then.”

  “And you are now?” There was a twinge of bitterness to Rissa’s voice that made Jessica shiver.

  Rissa had definitely changed over the years. She wasn’t the smiling, impulsive woman anymore, the one who made love with childlike abandon in a barn. Jessica looked deeply into the brown eyes, taking in the long eyelashes which threw mini, half-moon shapes on her cheeks. That spontaneous woman was still somewhere in there, behind the pain and anger and she wanted to see her again. Jessica was scared of what she was about to ask Rissa, but she had to. She wasn’t going to take the chance of letting Rissa disappear again. Once was enough.

  “What if I ask you to give me another chance?” she asked softly. This woman was the key to unlocking three years of utter despair. The moment her hand had touched Rissa’s, she’d felt herself caving in, letting go of the rigid control she’d adopted over the years, masking her emotions and hiding them deep inside. A sheen of tears formed in her eyes and she quickly blinked to clear them away. For the first time in such a long time, she felt desire again. She felt alive again just being in the presence of this woman. There was a mesmeric air about Rissa that wasn’t there three years ago and which added to the mystery that was her. “Do you think we could try again?” Please say yes! Please!

  Rissa looked at her, but no answer was forthcoming… yet. Jessica decided that if it took the whole night, she was going to wait for that answer. Rissa’s lips parted as if she was about to speak, but her eyes suddenly shifted, looking at something behind her. Jessica knew instinctively that Gabriella and Trinity had come up behind her. Jessica cursed their lousy timing, but suppressed her frustration.

  Gabriella moved sideways until she could look at both Rissa and Jessica. Gabriella had a bewildered expression on her face, as she looked from Clarissa to Jessica and back at Clarissa. Trinity stood behind Gabriella, as still as a statue. Her eyes, which were fixed intently on Clarissa, held a strange expression.