by Deanna Chase
There was silence and then the boy said, “My apologies, sir. Vanessa and I, well, she’s my friend and I just needed someone to talk to tonight.”
There was a long pause followed by a snapping of someone’s fingers. Footsteps and then the sound of flesh hitting flesh and a grunt from… Miguel?
“I told you to stay away from her,” the dad said, his tone low and dangerous. “I meant it. Next time Kia will do more than blacken your eye.”
There were grumblings and a few chuckles of laughter as the footsteps faded up toward the house. I lay perfectly still, watching the white tennis shoes of Miguel fade away into the night.
When the floodlight went out and everything was silent again, I crawled out from under the car, still shaking from delayed adrenaline. The street was deserted. I placed my hand over my heart and closed my eyes for just a moment. That had been a close one.
“One more block,” I whispered to myself and turned to the left… right into the chest of the bulkiest man I’d ever laid eyes on.
“Miss Rhoswen,” he said.
Startled, I stepped back and stared up at a man who had a dragon tattoo covering the right side of his face from temple to jawline. Vibrant green tears dripped from the dragon’s anguished eye.
“You didn’t think you’d actually get out of our neighborhood unseen, did you?”
I shook my head. Of course I hadn’t. But I’d hoped.
His lips curled into a knowing smile. Then the smile vanished and he nodded at someone behind me. “Cuff her.”
Chapter 22
“No!” I held up my hands. “No need to cuff me. I’ll cooperate.” It was a bold-faced lie, but I had to try.
Dragon Face narrowed his eyes at me. “I don’t think so.”
The person behind me grabbed my wrists and forced them down behind my back, making it impossible for me to unleash my magic on him. He moved quickly, expertly binding them together in what had to be zip ties.
Dammit. The only saving grace was that my captors weren’t vampires. Or was it? Maybe gangbanger humans were worse. At least I usually knew what vamps wanted from me. A myriad of unspeakable crimes flashed through my mind, followed by the horrible thought that they might actually work for Asher. My mouth went dry with fear. No matter what, I was in deep shit.
“Put her in the back,” Dragon Face ordered and waved, gesturing to a vehicle behind me.
I twisted and my eyes went wide when I saw the young man who’d tied my hands. He was medium built, white skin with multiple dragon tattoos, blond hair, and had piercings up and down both ears. I glanced down and noted the white shoes I’d seen walking away from the Russian’s house. The stargazer was kidnapping me. And I knew him. Jasper Miguel.
He’d applied for a job at The Fated Cupcake a couple of months ago. I’d even interviewed him… and liked him. The only reason he hadn’t been hired was because of a schedule conflict. I’d needed more afternoon hours and he wanted to work the early mornings.
“Jasper?” I said, incredulous. “What are you doing? I thought you were going to school?” Meaning why the hell was he gangbanging when we both knew he had ambitions of being a chef and owning his own restaurant someday. He’d been on his way.
“I was. Couldn’t keep up with tuition.” He cut his gaze away from me as he carefully guided me to a blue SUV. He popped the back hatch and waved. “Get in.”
I glanced at the cargo area and raised an eyebrow at him. “Can’t I sit in a seat like a regular person?”
He turned serious eyes on me. “Sorry, Willow. You aren’t a regular person.”
That made my wings flare in agitation.
“Get in, Ms. Rhoswen, or I’ll order Jasper to do things you won’t like.”
Jasper’s face went even paler than it had been, but instead of saying anything, he just pressed his lips together in a tight line and stared straight ahead.
I glanced between the two, feeling a crap-ton of guilt for not hiring the nice kid when I’d had the chance. Maybe, just maybe, it would’ve kept him from falling in with this crowd. It was unlikely, though. Kids who grew up in the neighborhood always seemed to get sucked back in.
But it could have, a voice whispered in my head. Just one hand up was all it took sometimes.
“Get in, faery,” Jasper barked.
I stiffened and glared at him.
But when his cold blue eyes softened and he sent a panicked look at his boss’s back, I did as I was told and turned to sit in the cargo hold, lifting my knees up to try to crawl in. It wasn’t so easy with my hands bound. I fell sideways and curled into a ball, making sure my body was completely in the SUV.
“I’m sorry,” Jasper whispered and slammed the back shut. A moment later, Dragon Face and Jasper climbed into the front. The door locks clicked and any hope I had of escaping this time vanished.
***
My hip and shoulder ached by the time we stopped in front of a modest house just on the edge of Mid-City. I squinted, wondering if we were entering a vampire lair. It was hard to tell. Usually the vamps preferred larger places with more privacy. Human? One who wanted to be turned? Perhaps. But living near the vamps only meant your chances of being eaten rose about a thousand percent.
“Let’s go,” Dragon Face said.
I uncurled my aching limbs and stood on shaky legs.
“Don’t try anything unless you like pain. Got it?” He leaned down and whispered, “I know what you’re capable of, and if you even think about draining anyone, I’ll have Jasper shoot you in the kneecap.” He let his gaze wander the length of my body. “Or a wing. I hear that’s a bitch to heal.”
I forced myself to not visibly cringe. He was right. My left wing had been injured not too long ago and it still bothered me at times. I had no doubt he meant what he said, though I had trouble believing Jasper would shoot me in cold blood.
Or not.
He was standing near the door, a silver handgun trained right at me.
I nodded at Dragon Face. “Fine. But can you tell me what we’re doing here?”
“Getting paid,” he said.
Jasper reached out and pressed the buzzer in three rapid motions. It didn’t take long for the door to pop open. Thick, honeyed vampire energy rooted me where I stood as a short vampire appearing to be in his early twenties answered the door. He grinned when he saw Jasper, but the smile faded when he spotted Dragon Face. “Fuck,” he said. “What are you doing here?”
“We’re here to see Rox. I’ve got a delivery.” Dragon Face pushed me forward into the light.
I stumbled from the heaviness claiming my limbs. Could this day get any worse?
The vamp’s eyes went wide and then his fangs elongated. Crap. This was going to be ugly. The only upside was his energy was lighter than most. He must’ve been a younger vamp. In this town, that meant he wouldn’t have much power and was probably hungry for it.
“It’s her.” Shorty gaped at me, excitement dancing in his dark eyes. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this day.”
Something told me he wasn’t fanboying over my Kiss Me chocolates.
Jasper glanced at me, confusion lining his face. “What are you talking about?”
The vamp shook his head and opened the door wide. “Bring her in. Rox is going to lose his shit.”
Dragon Face pushed me forward. Jasper still had his gun trained on me, but the hardness in his face had vanished. Now he appeared downright confused.
“What’s going on?” I heard him ask Dragon Face as he fell in step behind me.
“We’re collecting our bounty. Now shut up and let me do the talking.”
Collect a bounty? Holy crap on a cracker. I was being sold to these vampires? Had they put a price on my head? Who were they? So far I hadn’t recognized anyone except Jasper.
The house was a double shotgun that had been converted to one home. Each room was stacked against the other. We walked through the entry and straight into an office and then into a sitting room that spanned the entire
width of the house. Two more vampires were sitting on a sectional, both holding a console game device as they shot at each other on the screen. The female let out a loud groan while the other one threw his controller down and raised his arms in victory. “Take that, you loser. Five-zero. You owe me a lap dance now.”
She cast him a sidelong glance, running her plum-colored fingertip over his jawline. Her lips curled up into a predator’s smile. “Now, in front of our guests?”
Gods. I hated vamps. They were so predictable. Always putting on the sex show for the humans, or in my case, fae.
“Later.” He brushed her off and stood, noticing me for the first time.
“Rhoswen?” he asked Dragon Face.
My captor nodded. “In the flesh.”
Undisguised lust lit the vamp’s eyes as he stalked toward me. He was tall with thick black hair and a slender basketball player build. “She doesn’t look like him,” he said.
That was the second time I’d heard that today. “Look like who?” I asked, a hard edge in my tone.
“Who?” the female said with a sardonic laugh. “Who do you think? Beau, your twin.”
“You knew my brother?” I asked on a gasp.
“Shut up, Grace.”
“You shut up, Rox.” The redhead stood, placing her hands on her slender hips and scowling. “I’m not your fucking whore that you can order around. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t even know about her.”
“Not now,” he said through clenched teeth.
Dragon Face cleared his throat. “If it’s not too much trouble, we’ll just take our payment and be on our way.”
Rox gestured to the vamp who’d opened the door. “Get the package.”
Shorty nodded and disappeared into the back of the house.
“Any sign of Talia and Vince?” Rox asked Dragon Face.
Dammit! Those were the two who’d kidnapped me from the bar. Son of… crappity crap crap crap. I’d torn up my shoulder forcing my way out of the car and for nothing. I was right here with the same vamps I likely would’ve ended up with anyway.
“They’re hiding out across town.” Dragon Face shrugged. “They probably don’t want to explain how two vamps managed to lose the fae or what they were doing in my neighborhood in the first place.”
Rox made a sound in the back of his throat. “We both know why they were there.”
Dragon Face didn’t say anything, leaving me to wonder why.
“Dumb bastard,” the female said. “Those street drugs are eating his brain.”
Dragon Face nodded as Shorty reappeared with a large manila envelope. Rox took it, checked the contents, and then handed it to Dragon Face, who didn’t even look inside. He just thanked them and left with Jasper on his heels.
Shorty, Rox, and Grace stared at me.
I stared back. “Well? Seems you paid a high price to get me here. Now what exactly is it that you want?”
Rox’s dark eyes narrowed as he studied me. Then after a moment he started laughing. “Doesn’t look like him and sure as hell doesn’t act like him.”
I felt my nostrils flare as anger built in my chest at the mention of Beau.
Rox glanced at Shorty and then gestured to me. “Undo her cuffs.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”
The leader scowled. “We’re three vampires. If we can’t stop her from leaving or kicking our asses, we have bigger problems to deal with.”
“It’s not a matter of keeping her here,” Grace said, staring at her fingernails. “It’s about not having to work so hard all the time.” She sat back down on the couch and slumped forward, appearing weary. “Can’t we just live our lives for once without worrying about this BS?”
Rox shook his head. “We’re owed this, Grace,” he said quietly. “It’s the only reason I’d agreed to turn. It’s either this or…”
The look on her face said she already knew what he was going to say and she didn’t like it. In fact, it terrified her.
Rox glared at Shorty. “I said undo her cuffs.”
Shorty jumped and ran into the back again.
“My apologies, Ms. Rhoswen,” Rox said. “I imagine your day hasn’t been exactly pleasant.”
“No,” I said slowly. “Pleasant isn’t the word I’d use.”
Grace sat up and faced me. “Was Vince… I mean, did he hurt you at all?” There was real concern in her voice.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure them out. They’d hired people, paid what looked like a lot of money, to get me here. And now they were concerned as to whether I’d been hurt?
“I can imagine your confusion,” Rox said, his tone apologetic. “If you give us just a little bit of time, we’ll explain everything.”
Shorty arrived with a pair of scissors before I could answer the strange vampire.
“Hold still,” Shorty said as he grabbed one of my hands.
I jerked forward, trying not to cry out from the fire engulfing my fingers.
“Let her go,” Rox demanded.
Shorty released me instantly.
I dipped to my knees, unable to cradle my singed hand.
“What happened?” Rox asked, kneeling in front of me.
I glared at him but said nothing. My affliction wasn’t public knowledge, and if there was any way to keep my secret, I would. “Can you just get him to cut the ties?”
“Of course.” Rox moved to stand behind me with Shorty.
My flight reflex kicked in, making my wings flare slightly.
“Relax,” Rox said. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
“Says the man who just bought me from a gangbanger,” I said angrily.
He didn’t say anything, but when I looked at Grace, she appeared irritated. As if she couldn’t believe she was in the middle of this situation. Everything about these three was odd. They looked like every other group of college-aged roommates who spent their time drinking beer and eating pizza while wasting their days away in front of a computer or game station. But I got the impression they hadn’t exactly had the opportunity to go to college.
The zip ties snapped and suddenly I was free. I clutched my still-burning hand with the other one, placing both in my lap.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Rox said. “The fact is we really don’t want to hurt you or keep you restrained, but we can’t let you leave until you hear us out.”
I frowned, totally confused. “I’m sorry. Are you saying I’m not exactly your prisoner? That once I hear what you have to say, I’m free to go?”
Rox nodded. “Yes.”
I got to my feet, frustration boiling over. “Then why the hell didn’t you just come to my front door? Or to my shop? Or whatever? Jeez!” I cried. “I do talk to vampires, you know!”
Rox stepped back, rubbing his chin. “Yeah. We know. Your relationship with Laveaux has made that all too clear.”
Now I was pissed. “David is just a friend. He’s been protecting me.”
Rox shook his head. “No, Ms. Rhoswen. He hasn’t. Or at least that’s not all he’s been doing.”
I stood stock-still, my attention riveted on the vampire. I’d had my trust issues with David all these months, and he still hadn’t told me everything, like when he’d set me up to get involved with Lady Victoria and the fae shifter. My body went cold. “Tell me everything.”
The vamp tilted his head, studying me for a moment. Then he waved a hand toward the office we’d walked through on our way in. “This way.”
Trying to hide my trepidation, I strode through the door and spun, unwilling to keep my back to the vampires who’d just bought me from a gang member. I wanted to hear what they had to say, but I sure as hell didn’t trust them. I trusted no one outside of Phoebe and Tal these days.
Rox sat at a big mahogany desk and swiveled to look at me.
I raised my eyebrows as if to say Well? Get on with it.
He pressed a button, bringing his computer to life. A few clicks later and the screen was filled with ph
oto after photo of David, Harrison, and the two other guards Tal and I had healed that day. In each one, they were doing mundane things such as sipping coffee at the cafe a few doors down from my shop, walking the same mangy dog, reading a newspaper, and other things people might be doing out on the street in front of my shop. Like the one where Harrison was a road-crew worker, holding up a SLOW sign for traffic. Every single one of them was taken within a two-block radius of my store.
Okay, that was odd. I hadn’t known all four of them had been keeping an eye on me, but I was aware Allcot had assigned me a security detail a while back. I shrugged. “So?”
“This is why we haven’t been able to talk to you. Every time we get close, one of them strikes.” Rox waited until I met his eyes. “It’s fascinating what a surveillance camera can capture.”
The picture changed. Harrison, stabbing one of the young vamps in the gut with a dagger. Blood had already blossomed all over the pale blue shirt. Another click. David again. His foot was crushing Vince’s windpipe, whose eyes were bugging out as Harrison aimed a gun at another vamp’s head.
My stomach turned and I fought to keep from gagging. I shook my head, trying to unsee the images.
Another click. This one was a group photo. Shorty, Rox, Grace, and the two who’d kidnapped me from the bar and three others I didn’t know. Then, right there in the middle, was Beau, my brother. He had a huge smile on his face and had his arm around Rox. All of them were human.
Then the last picture, one set in the redwoods of California, featured Beau and Rox, whose physical appearance had changed dramatically. He was very clearly a vampire, and he was hugging Beau.
Rox clicked one last button, making the screen go blank. Then in a very low voice he said, “Laveaux has been keeping information from you and that’s why he wouldn’t let us meet. Beau was one of my best friends. He was there when I was turned.”
“What?” The word came out in a squeak. Beau had been there? He’d seen vamps turned? How had I never known any of this? The sense of loss I always felt when I thought of my brother hit me hard, followed by betrayal. Beau had told me nothing. And neither had David. Even if Rox was lying about what David knew, he sure as hell hadn’t told me about any of the altercations they’d had outside my shop. My heart hardened as yet another lie by omission crushed any remaining seeds of trust between David and me.