Summit at Sunset (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 3)

by Primo, Jaz

  The room seemed to freeze in time as complete silence prevailed. Nobody moved as Paige used a single motion with her arm to pull Caleb to his feet next to her. Small gasps of surprise and hushed whispers began to fill the room as she quickly inspected him for damage. She was hopeful that he had escaped serious injury.

  “Caleb?”

  “I’m okay,” he dully mumbled, though he rubbed at his chest and ribs where the bikers had kicked him. He knew he would feel like hell the next morning, but he felt fortunate given the scope of the brawl that had erupted.

  Paige reached into her jacket, withdrew a large roll of cash, and slapped it onto the bar before the bartender, who held a small sawed-off shotgun in his hands. Her baleful eyes burned into his, and he quickly lowered it and laid it on the bar counter.

  He swallowed hard as he surveyed the wad of cash before him. She nodded once at him, and he nodded his head in silent understanding. The take before him was likely more than the bar made on even a good weekend and would more than pay for any damages.

  “Come on, kiddo. Time to head home,” she quietly insisted, reaching out to wrap her arm around his waist.

  She gently began herding him in the direction of the exit, careful not to squeeze his side too tightly.

  The room parted like the Red Sea for Moses, and a number of faces shone in complete astonishment as the two passed by. They made it to the exit, which Paige surveyed with her senses to ensure that nobody lay in wait for them just outside.

  She removed her arm from around him and instructed, “Wait outside for me, tiger. Holler if you need me.”

  He slowly shuffled through the open door to the porch beyond. Everyone watched with confusion at Paige’s treatment of the young man, as if not quite sure how to reconcile what they had seen and heard.

  She ominously turned to address the room. “Are we finished here, or is there unsettled business for me to wrap up?”

  After a moment of silence, a young biker across the room piped up, “Are you talking to all of us?”

  “Yeah,” she evenly replied with slightly pulsating irises, standing like a statue as she pored over the faces in the room.

  “Son of a bitch,” whispered a shocked voice out of the silence.

  “Nope, we’re all good here,” insisted the bartender from behind the bar in a tight voice. “Nobody saw nothin’.”

  “Good,” she replied and turned to leave.

  “Hey,” called the bartender.

  Paige froze then pivoted her head to stare back over her shoulder at him. “Yes?”

  “Uh, maybe you could drink somewhere else from now on?”

  One corner of her mouth upturned slightly. “Sure, it’s the least I can do.”

  Then she turned to walk straight out of the bar, hearing audible exhales of relief from behind her as she crossed the threshold.

  What a lovely freakin’ night, she ruminated.

  Caleb looked up expectantly at her as she reached the base of the bar’s porch steps.

  “Let’s mount up, kiddo,” she beckoned, though he was already beside her, matching her stride for stride.

  As they reached the cycle, she mischievously turned to him. “So, what do you think of Supergirl now?”

  “What?”

  “Er, never mind.”

  “Just so you know, the guy who pulled the gun back there was on my ‘dangerous list’ earlier,” he offered while glancing back to the bar.

  She looked at him with approval. “Good boy.”

  He chuckled, but the pain that shot through his ribs caused him to groan. She observed him with concern as she handed him his helmet.

  A number of patrons gathered on the rickety front porch to watch as the two of them put on their helmets and mounted the cycle. The engine roared to life, and Caleb’s arms automatically wrapped around Paige’s waist.

  Moments later, they were back on the main road headed back towards Mableton.

  “I thought you said they were all weekend-wannabes?!” Caleb shouted.

  “Most were!” she shouted before gunning the engine into high gear. She immediately appreciated the firm feeling of his arms tightening around her.

  I’m really proud of Caleb, she mused.

  Then another, darker thought crossed her mind.

  Katrina’s going to kill me, she dreaded.

  As they proceeded home, Caleb reflected on how, despite some setbacks, his latest bar excursion had come out much better than the one that he and Gil had endured. Of course, the fact wasn’t lost on him that having a vampire with him certainly altered the equation. But then, he felt he had handled himself fairly well, given the number of combatants. Certainly, he was much less injured than after his previous bar brawl.

  Kat’s training has really made a difference, he credited, even as the achiness in his chest and ribs increased by the moment.

  Later, they pulled into the estate garage and noticed that Katrina’s car was still gone. After Caleb removed his helmet, he speculatively beheld Paige as she laid her helmet aside.

  “I don’t understand something about what happened tonight,” he said. “They saw your eyes. That essentially ‘outs’ you with a bunch of humans who aren’t supposed to suspect your true nature.”

  She admired his insight, but countered, “Ah, but exactly what nature? I didn’t display any fangs. For all they know I’m a demon, or fairy, or an alien. Hell, most of them are probably trying to forget that we were ever there. A lot of people would rather just pretend they didn’t see what they saw. Who would believe them, anyway? And nobody wants to open themselves up for ridicule. We never even mentioned our names.”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  “I’m just happy that I restrained myself from going ape shit on that group. Aren’t you proud of me?” she asked with an evil grimace.

  His eyes widened. Restrained herself?

  She reached out to run her fingers lightly across his cheek.

  “You did well tonight, kiddo. My little knight launching from the barstool to my rescue.”

  “Yeah, well, just doing my part,” he said proudly.

  She adopted a playful expression. “Of course, I had to haul your ass out of trouble in the end, but it’s still the thought that counts.”

  He rolled his eyes and groaned, “Gee, thanks.”

  “I’m just sayin’,” she added with a wink.

  Soon afterward, each of them cleaned up and sought other diversions. Caleb lay on the couch watching a horror movie on the main living room television while Paige was upstairs in her bedroom to chat on the phone with Alton about their evening’s investigations.

  Everything went along nicely until Katrina returned home later that evening. She politely asked Caleb how the evening went, but her eyes quickly darted to his bruised cheek and knuckles. Her irises flared bright green for a second, and without even consulting him, she grabbed his wrist to inspect his hand closely. To say that she wasn’t pleased was an understatement of epic proportion in his opinion.

  “Are you okay? What happened?” she demanded.

  “Would you believe I fell off the Harley?” he tentatively asked, though her eyes stared right through him as he spoke.

  “Paige!” she barked in a loud, commanding voice, causing him to wince slightly as she held onto his wrist.

  “Aw, crap. Here we go,” Paige mildly cursed as she proceeded downstairs with phone in hand. “Guess who’s home? Gotta run.”

  Caleb quickly removed himself to another part of the house to take some aspirin as soon as Paige began recounting the evening’s events in abbreviated fashion.

  She noted his hasty departure with a scowl and irritably thought, Coward.

  However, she was too proud to admit that she actually envied him.

  * * * *

  A search on the name used on the motorcycle title revealed little of value. Lucy Jones was a fairly common name, it seemed, as there were two humans by that name in the Atlanta area alone. One of them ha
d reported a stolen motorcycle a day before Paige and Caleb encountered the mysterious rider on their nighttime ride. And while it had to be the vampire with the auburn hair that Caleb saw in the backyard with Hakizimana, they had very little else to go on.

  As the week progressed, Caleb healed, and tensions abated between Paige and Katrina. He played diplomat to the best of his abilities and expertly managed to give appreciative attention to each of them.

  He even arranged a game of Trivial Pursuit for the trio. Despite being an accomplished history major, he quickly learned never to play trivia games with long-lived vampires. To say that they wiped the floor with him was an understatement, though both women had been equally amused by the thrashing that they gave him. He did, however, enjoy the numerous topical sidebar conversations that sprung out of a number of game questions, which extended their evening game well past two o’clock the next morning.

  By Friday, he suggested the three of them do something together and recommended attending a production of “Promises, Promises” at the Atlanta Civic Center. Since the story was set in the mid-1960s, Caleb thought that both of the vampires might appreciate something both nostalgic and light-hearted. He was happy when both readily agreed, and plans were set, including taking him to dinner at a fine Italian restaurant downtown.

  That afternoon, both vampires partook in blood for their meal and changed into trendy evening wear. Paige selected black knit slacks, a long-sleeved red satin blouse, and strappy high-heels for the occasion, while Katrina chose a classic black leather skirt and boots with a white knit top and black leather jacket. Caleb looked smart in navy Ralph Lauren slacks and a sport jacket, but he still felt rather plain compared to the women’s fashionable attire.

  When Katrina’s Audi pulled up before the restaurant, they turned the vehicle over to a valet, and Caleb escorted Katrina on his right arm and Paige on his left. He beamed as a number of onlookers stared at them in passing, though he conceded most of the attention was focused on the two women and not him.

  I’m just happy to be part of the scene.

  As was typical, the vampires selected plain Mediterranean salads, while Caleb ordered the signature Cappalinni herb chicken pasta entrée with a Caesar salad. While waiting for their meal, he absently listened to the vampires discuss some mutual acquaintances who had contacted Katrina recently to ask her opinion on topics scheduled for the agenda during the summer European conference.

  He casually panned the room for anyone who might be sitting too close to their table, but then realized that the two women were conversing in soft enough tones that anyone sitting near them wouldn’t likely hear.

  “Hey,” he interjected during a momentary lull in their conversation. “Are we actually going to the conference?”

  One of Katrina’s eyebrows curiously arched. “You had doubts?”

  He shrugged, recognizing that she had said very little on the subject since their strange visitors a couple of days ago.

  “Well, I mean, you said that you were going to consult Alton. But you never said for certain whether we’re going or not.”

  Katrina paused as their server brought Caleb his Caesar salad and offered him shredded parmesan. After the lady departed, she confirmed, “Admittedly, I had considered not attending. But when people press me not to do something it just makes me want to do it even more.”

  Caleb mock-challenged, “Don’t you dare kiss me. I’m warning you.”

  The vampire’s eyes slyly narrowed, and she instantly closed the distance between the two of them to kiss him on the lips. He happily returned one of his own.

  Paige groaned. “Oh, please, get a room, why don’t you?”

  Katrina cast a disparaging look at her friend as Paige reached out for one of the garlic bread sticks from a basket on the table. The spritely vampire crunched on one end of the bread stick, and the two women quietly observed Caleb as he dug into his salad with a vengeance.

  “I’m not convinced that unionizing our kind is the way to go just yet,” Paige suddenly spoke up. “Organization can be handy, but not if it creates hostile factions where there weren’t any before.”

  Katrina scrutinized her friend for a moment and silently conceded that she had entertained similar thoughts recently. It certainly seemed as though Alton was pushing the agenda for the conference with a near fervor, which only made her wonder what angles she hadn’t mulled over yet.

  “It makes me wonder a little bit too,” she admitted in a near whisper.

  When their entrées arrived, they quietly ate and appreciated the Italian music being played by a trio of musicians in a corner of the dining room playing violins and a mandolin. The dining room had only been moderately busy when they had arrived, but now it was nearly full with patrons.

  Caleb contentedly consumed his pasta and cast an appreciative look at Katrina as she watched him eat. As was typical, both women mainly picked at their salads to keep up the appearance of common diners. However, Caleb noticed that each had consumed only part of their meal and a couple of breadsticks.

  After finishing his entrée, he ordered a slice of Italian cream cheesecake and three forks and excused himself from the table.

  “Go ahead and try the dessert, and I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he offered.

  Both women nodded at him, and he made his way to the restrooms on the other side of the restaurant. Upon entering the men’s room, he passed an older gentleman who was exiting. While approaching a urinal, he thought that he heard the door open and glanced to his right.

  The female vampire he had seen with the bow outside the estate the other evening stood with an amused expression on her face as her hazel eyes intently watched him. She was dressed in a simple black evening dress and conservative heels, and her auburn hair was elegantly pulled up with fashionable hair clips.

  “Wrong room. You want the one next door,” Caleb carefully pointed out as he turned to face her. He quickly realized that she stood before the only exit in the room, and he suddenly felt both alone and vulnerable.

  “Do you have a cutesy response for every situation?” she flatly asked.

  He managed a slight sneer.

  “Only the ironic ones, it seems,” he quipped. “So, you’re Lucy Jones, then?” he asked, recalling the night at the biker bar.

  Yeah, as if I’ll forget that night anytime soon.

  The vampire’s countenance darkened. “That’s not my name.”

  Oddly enough, a song by that title by The Ting-Tings went through his mind at that moment. “So, whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to then?”

  She glared at him. “That’s not important right now.”

  His eyebrows rose slightly. “Oh, believe me, you’re one of the most important people that I don’t know at the moment.”

  “You’re somewhat amusing. Now focus. We want to know if your mate is planning to attend the conference or not.”

  Caleb swallowed, having easily recalled Katrina’s earlier comments on the subject, but not certain that it was wise to voice them. While he quickly realized that the vampire would likely be able to tell if he were lying or not, he attempted simple ambiguity.

  “I’m confident that she’s arrived at a decision on that issue,” he replied.

  “And?” she demanded with narrowed eyes.

  “And I think you should ask her,” he suggested. “She’s just outside, but you probably already know that.”

  He immediately wished they had been seated at one of the less desirable tables nearest the restrooms. Normally, that seemed his misfortune, except when he really needed it.

  “No,” she insisted. “Why don’t you tell me what you know instead?”

  He swallowed as he wondered if he could yell out Katrina’s name before the vampire snapped his neck. Somehow, he doubted it.

  * * * *

  Katrina minded her watch as she and Paige made short work of the tasty dessert in front them. She frowned, wondering if her mate were feeling ill. Normally she was quite skilled at re
ading his body language and tone of voice.

  He certainly seemed fine before he left, she considered.

  Paige noted her friend’s subdued manner. “What’s up, Red?” Her eyes darted to the cheesecake as she cut at it with her fork. It was nearly two-thirds gone. “Caleb’s going to freak when he sees what’s left, you know.”

  Katrina’s eyes scrutinized the area around the room with a piercing stare. She noted a man walk into the men’s room, only to depart immediately with a curious expression and a shake of his head. Alarms went off in her head, and she rose from her seat.

  “Something’s wrong,” she darkly muttered.

  Paige’s eyes immediately looked to where she was staring, and she started to rise as well. However, Katrina motioned with her hand to wave her off and ordered, “Watch the exits while I go check on Caleb.”

  “Got it,” Paige replied, but Katrina was already quickly moving past tables and patrons towards the restrooms.

  * * * *

  Caleb appreciated the momentary interruption caused by the fellow attempting to enter the restroom, but his relief turned back to concern as the vampire ordered the man to leave. However, she seemed agitated following that, as if she were feeling hurried or something.

  “Well?” she impatiently insisted as her hazel eyes pierced his.

  He quickly reasoned that the longer he could keep her talking, the better it would be for him.

  “So, the other night after you and your boss left,” he slowly began, “Kat and I chatted about that very topic.”

  “Yes? And?” the woman intently demanded. It was clear she wasn’t happy.

  “Well, I personally like the idea of a European trip. And Kat’s pretty keen on our spending more time abroad,” he continued. “But given that I wasn’t sure if I was teaching this summer or not...”

  The woman’s eyes angrily flashed, and her lips pursed. “I know what you’re doing,” she insisted. “And I should kill you just for trying, but my orders --”

  “Tell your boss to ask Katrina himself,” he muttered. “But remember that she hates being threatened. Or someone threatening me, for that matter.”