There was nothing voluntary about it, because he aimed the gun at her from beneath his coat.
“Slater’s address. Now.”
“She won’t be there, Justus. He wouldn’t be that stupid.”
Justus rose from his seat and tightened the ropes of muscle in his arms. “Find out every doorstep where he’s ever wiped his feet. I want to know where he sleeps, who his clients are, where he has a drink, and anyone he associates with.”
“Did you call Silver?” Simon unhooked the cables from the television to his laptop.
“I have no time to attend an engagement party,” he replied.
Simon slid his laptop onto his legs and leaned against the leather chair. “Just as well, the sodding bastard. If you want to know where I put my invitation, it’s floating in the toilet. Tarek? Of all the manky bastards,” Simon muttered in a low breath. “Women change their minds more than their knickers. She must be on the rebound and he must be one hell of a sweet talker. Did Logan sleep around? Maybe she’s doing it to piss him off, because that would do it. I don’t know why you won’t talk about it.”
“Wrap it up, Simon. I’m heading out to Slater’s house and I want you to back me up. Collect what you can and move to the next step. I’m paying you for your services—”
“If you ask me for a personal favor, then I’ll do it. Cause that’s what friends do, right? I don’t need a fucking penny in my pocket to prove my loyalty.”
Simon stood up and cracked his neck, tossing a pillow angrily to the sofa and mumbling to himself.
Justus still paid him.
Twenty minutes later, Justus arrived at Slater’s house on the east side of town. It was a small piece-of-shit house with a door that he could easily kick in.
And did.
After tearing apart the living room, he moved to the bedroom and emptied every drawer without a clue of what he would find. Frustration sliced into him like the edge of an axe—a tension that abated when Simon arrived. By then, Justus had lost track of his suit jacket and tie, and the top buttons on his shirt were missing.
Simon meticulously analyzed everything on Slater’s computer while Justus went through his mail and personal journals. Nothing yielded any clues.
“I’ve seen all I need to see,” Simon finally declared. “We’ve been running around for the past three hours and I need to go over some of this data before we lose time. Let me review the footage and look for a match on the fingerprints. I’ll put the word out to a few people I know. You should go home and get some shut-eye.”
“Not good enough!” Justus threw his energy into the television, causing an explosion. Out of breath, he stared at the broken pieces, realizing that his actions were a clear admission of his feelings for the Relic.
“I’m doing the best I can, but if you want to spend the night redecorating in here, then by all means, have a go,” Simon said, waving his arm. “I’ll check if there are any street cams that might have caught something, but on this side of town, I seriously doubt it. For pity’s sake, go home and sleep. You’ll have a better head in the morning. And do me a favor—call Silver.”
“What for?” Justus said in a raspy voice.
“Something isn’t sitting well with me and I can’t put my finger on it. As much as I’d like to yell her bleeding ear off, it’s none of my business who she wants to shag. She’s young and makes mistakes, but I don’t see her shacking up with the man who tried to kill her, even if he was working for Nero. Maybe she’s trying to get close to him to get to Nero, and if so, I don’t like that she isn’t including us in her plans. I’ve taught her so well in chess that I’m no longer able to predict her moves. If you don’t say something to her, I will,” he said, shaking his head and pacing in circles. “Just call her.”
Chapter 22
I pounded on the bedroom door for what seemed like an hour. Tarek never came but my purse and a bag full of clothes did, minus my phone. Not my clothes, as they were a little bit big for my narrow frame. After putting my hair in a ponytail, I slipped out of that ridiculous gown and put on jeans and a sweatshirt.
Suddenly the door clicked open.
Christian eased in with his back to me as he kept his gaze on the guard outside the door who looked entranced. Silver cuffs were locked on his wrists with infused metal that blocked his Vampire abilities. Or at least some of them.
“Christian, are you okay? What are you doing here?” I whispered.
His fangs descended, startling me a moment as he stalked forward and gripped my shoulders.
“Is this all he did?” he asked, holding my chin and staring at my bloody lip.
“I don’t think he liked the tats.”
“Damn right he didn’t.” Christian bit into his wrist and offered me his blood. “The metal binds only some of my gifts, but not the power in my blood. Drink so your face will heal.”
It was awkward to be standing in the middle of a room, sucking on someone’s wrist, but that’s exactly what I did. I couldn’t help but notice the possessive look in his eyes as I ingested his blood.
“I can’t hear a damn thing and my strength is gone.”
“Were you charming the guard?”
“I got a free pass to visit. Tarek seems to like your position as an apprentice. I don’t know what inside information he could possibly want, but if Nero’s involved, then Tarek’s pockets are getting fat. I filled your fiancé’s head with happy thoughts that Novis would cut you from his employment if he found out you broke Mage tradition.”
“What tradition?”
“Moving in together before the bonding ceremony. Now he’s scrambling with what to do.”
I glared as I continued suckling from his wrist. One thing I knew was Mage law, and that wasn’t in any of the books I’d read.
Christian shrugged. “So I fibbed a little. I told him I wanted to see that you were unharmed.” He brushed a loose strand that had fallen from my ponytail. “You can stop now; it’s healed.”
He ran his rough, wet tongue across the bite where my blood mingled with his. When he pursed his lips, his tongue rolled around in his mouth and his expression changed. It was a private look, as if he tasted something familiar, because I knew he was getting nothing from me otherwise. He lifted his black eyes to mine and I blinked. I didn’t like a Vampire watching me, nor did I care for the look of ownership on his face that he couldn’t conceal.
“I really thought this would work,” I said in a defeated voice. The room grew eerily quiet as a memory from the party came back. “What happened with Justus? You didn’t tell me what the emergency was.”
He clasped his hands in front of him and lowered his chin. “Page has been kidnapped and they think it was her partner.”
I stood up and paced. “I feel so useless here.”
It was then I realized I’d no longer be involved in Justus’s life the way I had been before. I was taken out of the game and forced to sit on the sidelines in both personal matters and investigative ones.
“They went to Slater’s house and turned up nothing.”
“Slater?” I touched my lip absently in thought. Christian remained quiet, watching me cross the room as I leaned against the far wall with my eyes on the floor.
“What are you thinking?”
“Page told me Slater only wants to make intelligent babies with her,” I said, rolling my eyes. “But she revealed that she was infertile. Not only that, but Slater knew it. I got the vibe he didn’t really like her otherwise, so I don’t see this as some possessive male thing. Why would he kidnap a woman he doesn’t even like, who can’t give him the one thing he wants?”
“You don’t think it was him?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, I’m just thinking out loud. How much longer are you allowed to stay?”
“Five minutes.” There was a stretch of silence before he spoke again. “But you’re coming with me.”
My heart knotted in my throat. “What?”
“To be sure.” Christian smile
d, and something slipped out between his lips. “I’m pretty handy with pocket picking. When I first came to America, it was a way of life and put bread on the table. You had to be able to do it so effortlessly that it wouldn’t break their stride. I’ve got magic fingers.”
He slid the key in the lock and his cuffs fell on the bed.
“I can’t.”
“You’re refusing to be free?”
“I can’t, Christian. If I leave, he might…”
His Irish accent became so thick I could barely understand him. “He might anyway, ever thought of that? Tarek is stewing over what happened, and with Logan’s fecking paws on your panty line, he’s going to take it out on you. It’s time to come clean, lass. Your friends should be made aware of the danger they’re in. Silence is power, Silver. Don’t give him your silence.”
“We’ll never get out. He’s got Chitahs for guards!”
“Who will not lay a hand on you, and on that you have my word.”
Inching toward him I whispered, “They’re fast, and I can’t outrun them with this necklace on. I can’t fight.”
“Which is why you’ll do exactly as I say,” he replied in a stern voice.
Christian shook out of his trench coat and removed his jacket and tie.
“I want you to shadow behind me and keep your emotions covered up. There are two guards between the front door and us. Once we take out the dolt standing in the hall, that’ll leave us with Curly.”
“Curly?”
A crooked smile graced his expression beneath the scruffy dark beard. “Never watched the Stooges?”
“What about the Vampire who’s been tracking you?”
In a grandiose gesture, Christian swished his coat around my shoulders. I slid my arms through the long sleeves while he rolled up the cuffs. “Tarek sent him out since he thinks I’m contained. No matter what happens, I want you to trust me.”
His fingers worked the buttons through the holes and he stopped on the last one. “That won’t do,” he muttered, staring at my bare feet. “Got a pair of sneakers in the bag?”
I shook my head.
Christian double-layered my feet with socks. “Ready yourself, girl. I’m going to let him in. Stand behind the door so he doesn’t see you.”
I took a deep breath, preparing for a fight without any of my abilities of flashing or regenerative healing. I glanced at Christian, who had rolled up his sleeves like a guy who was ready to kick some ass in a street fight. And with his strength, he could.
“Wait,” I stalled, grabbing his arm as he motioned to knock on the door. Christian gave me a rather charming sideways smile as he shooed me with his hands. His knuckles lightly rapped against the wood twice.
I sucked in a calming breath of air. We didn’t need the Chitah picking up a scent of fear and adrenaline. I casually picked at my thumbnail as the key slid into the lock and metal clicked. It was like a scene out of a horror movie as the doorknob slowly turned. Christian’s hand hovered over the handle, and his black eyes shrank to slivers as he yanked it back.
The door obstructed my view, and I heard a gasp and a hard fist pounding against someone’s face. Christian turned around and dragged the unconscious man to the bed where he cuffed him. The left side of the Chitah’s face was sunken in from crushed bones. Chitahs heal slowly, but it was a gruesome display of a Vampire’s power.
“Come on,” he said.
I followed behind Christian as we moved into the hall. I bumped into him a few times, but I kept quiet as a mouse in my socks. It seemed too easy as we looked down the staircase. Christian cocked his head, listening with his keen Vampire ears.
Knowing I was in a house full of Chitahs, I pressed my face against his back and thought of all my preferred flavors of gum. Grape was tasty, but the flavor never seemed to last. Anything strawberry or raspberry was always a good pick, although once I had tried a foreign brand I bought in an Asian store and while I couldn’t pinpoint the flavor, it was the most delicious gum I’d ever tasted.
I used these thoughts to distract me from putting out any strong emotional scents that would be noticed. Christian was undetectable to them, but he never looked stressed.
We went down the stairs, one careful step at a time. He’d pause and listen on every third step. Once my foot touched the bottom, I looked at the home stretch. Three steps and we’d be out the front door.
Christian positioned me against his hip so that I was between him and the wall. I reached for the door handle and he caught my wrist, holding it like an iron lock. But he wasn’t looking at the door or me. His neck snapped toward the hallway on our left.
From the shadows, someone moved so fast that they were on us in seconds. Christian backed me up against the wall and shielded me with his body. The guard lunged with his teeth bared. Christian swung out his arm, but missed. The Chitah stopped moving long enough for me to see the shine on his bald head.
“Christian, we have to get out of here,” I hissed.
If the Chitah called out to the other guards or Tarek, the game would be over. Christian was an immovable force to be reckoned with.
The Chitah charged twice and made the mistake of reaching out to grab me. Christian caught him by the neck and an audible snap later, the man fell to the floor.
“Will he die?” I whispered.
“He’ll wake up with one hell of a headache. Come on,” he said, rushing me outside.
Christian had the ability to shadow walk in dark places, but the moon was out, and I wouldn’t be able to keep up with him with the chain around my neck. I ran so hard that the frosty air burned my lungs. We crossed the main stretch of property and I grabbed at his white shirt to slow him down.
“Wait, I can’t run like this.” I bent over and coughed, struggling to catch my breath. “Are you sure those were the only guards?” My feet ached from having tromped over acorns and twigs.
“Would you like me to set up a tea party out here so we can talk about it? Let’s not dwell on the details. Run your arse off!”
I balled up my hands and sprinted like an Olympic champion. At first, it was easy with the cold air adding a little zing in my step. But eventually, I got a stitch in my side and slowed down. A blast of wind came up from behind and I shivered, but the wind didn’t make me tremble. I turned around, heart racing.
“What’s wrong?”
I stared into the blackness behind us, in the direction of the house. “Do you hear anything? It feels like we’re being watched.”
Christian’s silhouette was barely visible and he clamped his hand across my mouth to silence my breathing.
“Run!” He shoved me forward and I stumbled in confusion. “As hard as you can, run!”
Panic moved through me like a riptide and I hauled ass, leaving Christian behind. I reached a slope and climbed to the top, looking both ways as I stepped onto the asphalt. On the left, a VW sputtered in my direction, looking like nothing short of the cavalry.
I waved my arms. None of Tarek’s men would be caught dead in a Beetle, so I frantically ran down the road, hoping they didn’t run me over.
“You need a lift?” a young guy asked. He poked his head out of the window and I walked around quickly to his door. He looked like a college kid with brown hair combed down over his forehead and a university T-shirt.
“My car broke down,” I panted, smiling as much as I could. “It’s freezing out here and I need a ride.”
He glanced at my socks so I had to think quickly. “I didn’t think the car would conk out on me. I had a craving for nachos and couldn’t find my shoes. That’s what I get.” I laughed, trying to make it sound like something we’ve all done once or twice late at night.
“Hop in,” he said, rolling up his window.
Jesus. He bought it.
I ran around the car and sank into the bucket seat, staring at his large, round wheel. “Wow, I didn’t think these things ran anymore.” I tried to swallow but my throat was sticky and dry.
“Were you runn
ing?”
“Yeah. I didn’t want to get stuck out here alone, so I just started running. Gump style, ya know?”
He laughed and I relaxed a little, wanting to scream at him to hit the gas. Muscles jumped in my legs and I slid down the seat as he cranked the heater up and started to drive.
“Thanks for stopping. Three other cars tried to run me over,” I lied.
“No biggie,” he replied. “I’m Nate.”
I almost said my name, but caught myself. “Ember.”
“Cool name,” he said, shifting gears.
Nate was probably out on a beer run or something. I kept swallowing and breathing through my nose. My mouth was so dry that I couldn’t summon a drop of spit if I tried. He reached around back and handed me a bottle of cold water. I cracked it open, taking welcoming sips of the nearly frozen water he must have kept in his car for emergencies.
“I’m not sure where you’re going, but I’ve only got a few dollars in the tank.”
“I won’t put you out,” I promised. “Just drop me off wherever you want once we get into town and I’ll be fine. I spent all my money on snacks, so I can’t give you anything for gas unless your toy car runs on Oreos.”
He howled with laughter and did one of those long “ahhhs” at the end, which made me smile. “No, but I do.”
I looked over my shoulder at the dark road behind us and saw nothing but pavement rolling away. My heart sank as I thought about what might have happened to Christian.
Chapter 23
Nate dropped me off in front of an all-night market. I strolled inside and sat down at the blood-pressure machine, wondering if it would explode if I slid my arm in the cuff. Christian didn’t give me a plan if we were separated. The store felt safe because if trackers found me, they might not cause a scene in a human establishment with security cameras.
Gravity (Mageri Series: Book 4) Page 20