by AE Jones
“It does not matter what I want. She is taken.”
“Is she mated?”
“No.”
“Then all is not lost.”
Jean Luc wanted to argue, but he let it go. Leo would not understand. Mon Dieu, truth be told, he did not understand himself.
* * *
Jean Luc sat on his hotel balcony, watching the sun rise. After leaving Leo, he had not bothered to go to bed. There was no point to it. His memories were not going to grant him respite. It had been almost four hundred years, but he still vividly remembered that first time waking as a vampire. Sitting up and looking around the field of bodies. Friends and family. Mon Dieu, Jacqueline! And the smell of their blood drenching the ground had called to him. But he fought against the beast that had been unleashed in him that day. He would not commit sacrilege and touch their blood.
He had run from the field and retched unceasingly. He had refused to feed for weeks, until he was so weak he could not hold his head up. He did not deserve to live, not when everyone else was dead, gone. Why had they left him alone? Why was he chosen to survive?
In the end, it had been Leo who saved him.
Jean Luc closed his eyes for a second before opening them again to stare at the strip and the people ambling back to their hotel rooms after a night of gambling. Another new day. He stood and walked back into his room. Talia and Will would be picking him up shortly, so he took a quick shower and dressed.
When he felt the familiar sensation at the back of his neck, he ground his teeth. It was not possible. He yanked open the hotel door.
Misha stood in the hall. “Hello, my friend.”
Jean Luc turned and stalked back into the hotel room. “Why are you here?”
“You didn’t answer my texts.”
“No, I did not.”
“Why?”
“Mon Dieu! Because you were texting me every five minutes!”
“Because you weren’t answering me. So I had to come, since I thought you might need my help.”
“Nicholas sent you?”
“No. I borrowed Boris’s plane.”
“Your father allowed you to bring the jet back here after it just returned to Cleveland?”
“He was hesitant at first, but once I explained what you were doing, he agreed that you would screw things up without my help.”
“I can handle a case on my own.”
Misha smiled innocently. “It’s not the case I’m worried about.”
Jean Luc glowered at him, which only made Misha’s smile broaden.
“I am not scared of you, vampire. You forget I have lived with your prickly disposition for a long time.”
Jean Luc refused to respond, changing the subject instead. “Who did you leave in charge at home? Kyle?”
“No. Kyle is spending time with Griffin.”
“They have made up?” Jean Luc blurted, shocked.
“Kyle refused to let him push her away. Said she was going to knock some sense into him if she had to.”
Jean Luc grinned. “Good for her.”
“I never thought I would say this, but you could learn from Kyle. You and Talia are meant to be together.”
He would not take the bait. “Then who did you leave in charge?”
Misha sighed. “I called Jasper and Colin. It’s pretty uneventful for them in Columbus now that college football season is over. So they drove up to cover for us. I take it from your change of subject that you haven’t talked to Talia yet?”
Jean Luc managed not to growl. “I spoke with Talia. She is not interested in renewing our relationship.”
“She said that?”
“Oui.”
Misha studied him like a specimen under a microscope. “She said she did not want to be with you anymore.”
“She is involved with someone else. She will not tell me who, but I think it is her partner, Will.”
“Is she in love with him?”
Jean Luc’s stomach twisted. “I did not ask her that. What does it matter?”
Misha’s head tilted back, and he looked at the ceiling. “You stupid vampire. It means everything.” He tipped his head forward and glared at Jean Luc. “It’s a good thing I’m here.”
A knock at the door interrupted Jean Luc’s response. He opened the door to Talia and Will. Talia’s eyes widened, and she smiled. A brilliant smile that caused Jean Luc’s heart to stutter.
“Misha!”
She rushed around him, flung herself into Misha’s outstretched arms, and laughed while he swung her around in a circle.
Jean Luc’s chest burned. He would give anything for her to smile at him that way.
Chapter 7
Misha enveloped Talia in a bear hug. Tears stung her eyes, and she concentrated on not letting them escape. After he was done spinning her around, she clung to him a bit longer than necessary. He stepped back and held her at arm’s length.
“I did not think it possible that you could be more gorgeous than you were the last time I saw you, but it’s true. I would say you have the face of an angel, but I’ve met some and they are not as beautiful as you.”
Her face heated and she shrugged out of his grip. “Cut it out, you crazy Russian. The last thing we need right now are pissed-off angels knocking on our door. This is my partner, Will.”
Will held his hands out in front of him, palms out. “No offense, big guy, but there will be no hugging.”
Misha chuckled. “No worries.”
Talia looked between Misha and Jean Luc. “Why are you here?”
Misha shrugged. “I missed all the excitement last week, so when Jean Luc contacted me about the new case, I decided to come.”
She put her hands on her hips, but she couldn’t keep the humor out of her voice. “You don’t think I can handle my own case?”
“Of course! The case was just an excuse to come see you. Kyle told me you have a nice house, and I can’t wait to spend time with you again. I was confused when I found out Jean Luc is staying in this hotel and not with you.”
“Well…” Talia struggled for her next words.
“He stayed at your house last week, did he not?”
“Yes.”
“And we are working on an important case, so it makes sense for us to be close by in the event something happens, yes?”
“Right.”
Misha grinned. “It’s settled, then. We’ll stay with you. It will be like old times. Now, let me fill you in on what I’ve learned about the contingent of vampires over breakfast. I’m famished.”
Talia laughed. “You never change.”
Misha’s ice blue eyes twinkled. “But you love me just the same.”
* * *
Talia smirked at Will’s wide-eyed expression. Misha had just finished another pancake. She’d lost count of how many he had eaten. Even the waitress was suitably impressed. She walked over again and smiled at Misha.
“Would you like some more pancakes?”
Misha wiped his mouth with his napkin and shook his head. “No, that will be it for me, Monica. But they were delicious. Will?”
Will chuckled. “I was full three servings ago, but I would like some more coffee.”
“Coming right up.” Monica hustled away with the empty plates and then topped off Will’s mug. She held it up to both Jean Luc and Talia, who shook their heads. They had both ordered coffee so as not to look too strange. Of course, thanks to Misha’s eating extravaganza, they were not the ones who stood out.
Misha winked at Monica, and she blushed and rushed away.
Talia shook her head. “Can we get down to business, now that your stomach has been taken care of?”
“Of course. Jean Luc’s instinct was correct. My research on our European—” Misha glanced around the room “—guests is that they do work for one of the founding v’s.”
“Renato Henriques,” Jean Luc announced.
“Yes.” Misha’s chest deflated a bit. “How did you know?”
“I ran into a
n old acquaintance.”
“Someone with the contingent?” Talia asked.
“No, he works for La Société. He is following the contingent. Apparently, there have been some incidents in Europe recently. Some attacks.”
Talia sat up straighter. “So we’re on to something with this group. Melanie probably met the killer at the hotel.”
“It could be Renato himself,” Jean Luc replied.
“Have you met this Renato before?”
Jean Luc hesitated for a moment before responding. “We met a long time ago.”
“And what does your friend say?” Talia asked.
“That it is more than likely someone else in the contingent.”
“And who is this friend?” Misha asked.
“Leonardo Salazar.”
Misha frowned. “That name is not on La Société’s employee list.”
“Now you’re pulling my leg,” Will jumped in. “You know the list by heart?”
“I recently reviewed the names, and since I have a photographic memory, they stuck.”
“He is a new member.”
Talia stared at Jean Luc for a second. She didn’t know why, but Jean Luc had just lied to Misha.
Misha continued. “So La Société is jumping into the mix. This case is getting more complicated by the second, my friend.”
Jean Luc’s mouth tightened. “I think we are missing something important. Why is Renato here in the first place? There must be a reason why he left Europe to come here.”
“So let’s go talk to him and find out,” Talia answered.
* * *
Talia stood outside closed double doors. Matching vampire security guards stood like bookends on either side. The team had decided that only Jean Luc and Talia should approach Renato. The founding vampire would not want a shifter or a demon anywhere near him. And from the looks of his guards, they would not be happy either. If they were ever happy.
“We need to speak to Renato Henriques,” Talia stated.
“There is no one by that name here,” the guard on the right replied.
“Then who are you guarding?”
“No one.”
“You are standing at attention outside an empty room? Then you won’t mind if I check it out.”
They stepped in front of her. Vamp Guard One spoke again. “You can’t go in there.”
“Yes, I can.”
Vamp Guard Two growled.
Jean Luc rested his hand on her arm. “Talia, wait. If a founding vampire is indeed in there, the room should be treated like an embassy.”
“Maybe. But since I’ve been told no one is in there, then it doesn’t need to be treated that way.”
The door opened, and petite brunette said something in what sounded like Spanish but was different. Portuguese, maybe? The two vamps backed to either side of the door again. The female beckoned her and Jean Luc into the room. Before Talia stepped through the door, Jean Luc grabbed her arm.
“Please let me interrogate him.”
Warmth surged up her arm from his touch. It was a combination of his power and the sensations he brought to life in her normally dormant body. She nodded, and he let go. Her arm cooled, and her heart crept back into its bunker.
She took a calming breath as they stepped inside the room. The suite was quite ordinary. There was a massage table set up to the side of the couch, and a vampire lay face down with a sheet draped over him.
The female picked up a fresh towel and quickly wiped off the vampire’s back and legs before handing him a robe. He stood, letting the sheet fall.
Talia was not impressed.
He pulled on the robe and tied the sash. The female grabbed the sheet from the floor and hurried out of the room. Talia hadn’t known what to expect, but Renato looked as ordinary as the room around him. He was average height with short brown hair and dark eyes.
Jean Luc inclined his head slightly. “Renato.”
“Jean Luc. It has been a while. I heard you had left Europe over a century ago. I’m surprised you settled here.” He turned to Talia. “And who is this?”
“This is Talia Walker. She is a member of the Bureau of Supernatural Relations.”
“Ah, yes. The American version of La Société.” He turned back to Jean Luc, dismissing Talia. “Is there some sort of problem?”
Jean Luc continued. “We are surprised to find you here. Your contingent registered with us upon arrival, but you were not listed.”
Renato shrugged his shoulders. “An oversight on my secretary’s part. I will discuss it with her. I apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused you.”
Jean Luc inclined his head. “Of course.”
Renato straightened the right cuff and then the left on his robe. “If we have finished, then? I have a busy schedule.”
“Actually, we have additional questions for you,” Jean Luc replied.
“In what regard?”
“A woman was killed two nights ago.”
He shrugged again. “And why would that be my concern?”
“She was drained.”
Renato frowned. “While that is troublesome, I do not know why you would see the need to speak to me about it.”
“We understand there have been several attacks against humans in Europe. In areas where you and your contingent have been traveling.”
Renato’s eyes narrowed. “You have been speaking to someone at La Société?”
“We are speaking of murder. Cooperation is needed.”
“Let us not make a mountain out of a molehill, as Americans like to say. This is a human woman, after all.”
Talia tensed, and Jean Luc glanced at her. She bit her lip and let him continue, even though it was killing her.
“When exposure of our kind is at stake, every precaution should be taken.”
Renato nodded for Jean Luc to continue.
“Is there anyone in your contingent who has been acting strangely? Someone with the beginning signs of bloodlust?”
“No. I have no problems with my people, Jean Luc. You are following the wrong path. Now I must get ready for my next meeting. If you will excuse me?”
Talia stepped forward. “May I ask you one thing?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why are you in Vegas?”
Renato smiled, and Talia’s stomach turned at his sleazy expression. “I have always wanted to see Las Vegas. It is the American pinnacle of excess. This country is an example of true decadence. I decided to try a taste.”
When they exited the room, Talia felt the urge to run home and shower. She grinned at Vamp One and Vamp Two, who scowled back at her. On their way down the hall toward the elevator, they ran into the female vampire masseuse. Jean Luc smiled at her, and she smiled right back, showing a little fang, the ho.
“I will catch up with you in a moment, Talia.”
Talia barely kept her mouth from hanging open before nodding. She walked away toward the elevator, where she hit the down button and watched the numbers on the panel creep up ever so slowly. A feminine chuckle sounded behind her, and she bit the inside of her cheek. Don’t look over your shoulder. Don’t look…damn it. She looked. The female was handing Jean Luc a piece of paper.
Talia took a deep breath to stop the steam from coming out of her ears. She had no right to be upset that Jean Luc was chatting up the pretty masseuse in some sexy language that rolled off his tongue as easily as French did. He was a talented vampire. Focus! She was so not going there.
The elevator dinged, thank God, and she stepped in. Before the doors closed, Jean Luc slipped inside with a smug look on his face.
She looked at the elevator panel as the red numbers counted down. Twelve. She was not going to ask him what the hell was going on. Eleven. It was not her business. Ten. “What was that all about? Did she give you her number?”
His grin widened. “Yes, she did.”
She couldn’t look at him. Her eyes zeroed in on the panel again. Eight…Seven. “And?” She turned and gl
ared at him. “Do you think it’s appropriate to be asking her for a date when we’re trying to figure out who the killer is?”
His eyebrow shot up. “I will not be calling her for a date. She was massaging Renato with some type of oil. My hope is that Marty can extract the oil residue on her hands from this paper. We can then discover if it is a match to the oil found on Melanie.”
“Oh.” Her face heated and she looked back at the panel again. Five.
“Why would you care if I was flirting with the masseuse, Talia?”
Four. “I…I don’t care. Not really. I just wanted to make sure you were being professional. That’s all.”
“You have nothing to worry about.”
She glanced over at him, and if she wasn’t mistaken, he was smirking. Smirking!
She glared at the panel again. Two. This was the longest damn elevator ride of her life.
* * *
Talia and Jean Luc parked in her driveway after dropping Will and Misha off at the lab. They were going to work with Marty for a while and then find something to eat. Again. Talia did not have the energy to watch Misha eat yet another time, so both she and Jean Luc declined. Now they were sitting awkwardly, staring at each other. Or she was sitting awkwardly. Jean Luc seemed calm and composed. His mood had changed for the better since their meeting with Renato. Or was it since she had made an ass out of herself in the elevator?
“Are you truly okay with me staying at your house, Talia?”
“Yes. Misha’s right. I have the extra bedrooms, and since he’s staying, it makes sense that you stay too.”
Jean Luc followed her into the house, and she led him upstairs to the second bedroom. He set his duffle bag on the bed.
She hovered in the doorway.
Jean Luc turned and stared at her with his dark eyes. “Come in, Talia.”
She hesitated.
“I will not bite.” He paused. “Unless you wish me too.”
Chapter 8
“Was that a joke, vampire?” Talia’s eyes flashed gold.
Jean Luc struggled to suppress his smile. She was so beautiful she made him lose his train of thought. But he needed his wits about him to win her back. After her reaction in the elevator earlier, he knew in his vampire heart that not all hope was lost. She still had feelings for him. Still cared about him.