by Beth Alvarez
He gave Felicity a sidewise glance. “Does it bother you?”
Her brow furrowed with confusion. “You being Puerto Rican?”
“No.” He almost laughed. “Bein’ . . . the other thing I am.”
She didn’t reply right away and he looked at her, worried. He should have been worried sooner, considering they hadn’t discussed it at all. He’d been caught up in the moment, distracted by fulfillment of the desire that had consumed them both. But she’d packed and gathered her things, climbing into his truck of her own accord. It couldn’t have bothered her that much.
That, or she was still in denial.
“Never mind,” he said before she worked up a response, doing his best to offer a reassuring smile. He needed the reassurance, himself. “Business first, then chatter. Though I think we got a lot to talk about, now.”
“I guess we do.” She studied him for a moment before reaching across the seat.
He met her hand halfway, clasping her fingers in his and holding her tight. He couldn’t help but smile, though he sighed and shook his head, training his eyes on the road. “Look at me. Breakin’ all my rules.”
Felicity gave a nervous laugh, rubbing his hand with her thumb. “How many rules do you have?”
“Two.” He squeezed her fingers, marveling at the soft warmth of her hand. “Rule number one: always work alone. Rule number two: don’t get involved with the locals.”
“Isn’t that difficult?”
“Hasn’t been.” He paused. “Until now.”
“I’d have thought you’d spend a lot of time breaking hearts. Bouncing between cities like you must.” She tried to pull away but he held her fast, lifting her hand to press a kiss to her fingers without looking.
“Bein’ honest with you, Filly, I ain’t been interested in women for a long time.” He still didn’t know why that had changed, but she’d stirred something in him as soon as he laid eyes on her.
“Really?” Felicity blinked in surprise. “I thought seduction went hand in hand with being . . . you know.”
He shrugged. “Easy way to get fed, for some. Didn’t ever sit right with me. My mama—and my grandmama, on my dad’s side—they were real religious. Kept me pretty straight laced, most of my life.”
Snorting a laugh, she turned away. “And see, with most guys I’ve met, they tend to go hog wild as soon as they break away from that.”
“Well, it ain’t so much that. Finding freedom was enough for me. And bein’ a hunter kept me too busy to be fussin’ with women, anyway.” He shrugged, kissing her knuckles again.
Her face fell. “I’d think it would be lonely. I can’t imagine spending all those years alone.”
Kade raised a brow. “How old you think I am?”
A rosy shade tinted her cheeks. She was adorable, on top of being pretty. So innocent, so sweet. Well, maybe not innocent, he thought; she’d been the instigator a few hours before.
“I thought vampires were ancient,” she said.
“Some are, I suppose. Met a couple who had a few hundred years behind them.”
“And you?”
“Forty.”
Felicity stared at him for a long time before clearing her throat, settling back in her seat and pulling her hands into her lap. “That’s a lot younger than I expected.”
Chuckling, he pulled his scarf up over his nose and adjusted his hat just as the sun spilled over the horizon. “Well, in my profession, people don’t tend to live too long.”
They rode in silence for a while, nothing but empty fields and occasional farmhouses to fill the view.
“How did it happen?” Felicity asked after a time. She watched the bland scenery as if it were incredible. Or maybe she just didn’t want to look at him when she asked.
He tried to sound nonchalant. “Ah, nothin’ too remarkable. Came with the job description.”
She cocked her head to the side, surprised. “To be a bounty hunter?”
“To be this type of bounty hunter,” he said. “Bein’ a regular man is too risky. Gotta be able to live through a lot, heal fast, and be immune to disease. The folk I work for . . . well, they’re very particular about control. Don’t matter, though. Until now, I’ve only ever seen benefits.”
“Until now?” Curiosity colored her tone.
Kade smiled ruefully behind his scarf, saying nothing. He hadn’t worked out the logistics of relationships before now; he’d never had a need. There were obvious problems that came from involvement with a normal woman. There would be time to figure it out, but for now, he needed to think less about how much he wanted to hold her hand again and more about the job ahead.
“Quick question for you.” He checked the mirrors as a car went by. Until he could find something else to drive, something that wasn’t connected to him, plain white vehicles made him nervous. “Are there hotels this far out in the country, or are we gonna be lookin’ for a little place like your bed and breakfast?”
“There’s a decent motel a town or two over, I can direct you there. Is everything okay?” Concerned, she reached for his hand again.
He took it gladly, giving her fingers a squeeze. “Yeah, nothin’ big. I’m tired, is all. I mean, I am nocturnal. Mind if we park so I can catch a snooze before sunset?”
Her smile was strained. “Yeah, that’s fine. Maybe I can call my dad when we stop. I didn’t leave him a note or anything.”
Grimacing, Kade shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Filly. He’ll ask where you are.” And she’d tell him, most likely. She didn’t seem like the sort to lie.
Her face fell and he felt creeping guilt weighting his insides.
“It’s not too late for me to take you back,” he said softly, lacing his fingers with hers. “I can do this on my own.”
“No. I need to be part of this.” Steely resolve showed in her face, her shoulders taking a proud set.
Despite his concern, Kade liked that. Her kind of determination was something he didn’t see often. “All right, then. Let’s get to that motel.”
Silence hung heavy between them for a time, broken only by her giving directions. The soft, twanging country melodies on the radio blurred to white noise in his ears. He was tired; he’d fed, but he was still recovering. It would be a few days before he was fully healed. That seemed like an eternity when he was on a hunt, but at least he would recover. Not for the first time, he wondered how many scrapes he would have survived without the decision to change.
“Kade?”
He blinked, looking for the turn he thought he’d missed. There were no side roads. He relaxed. “Hmm?”
“Do you think we really stand a chance of finding this thing? The monster?” A faint line of worry creased her brow, though her face was otherwise serene.
“I wouldn’t take you away from home if I didn’t think we stood a chance. I ain’t used to relyin’ on anyone else, but I think I need you, here. You know the region, and so far, I’m drawin’ blanks. I got your notebook, but we’re gonna have to draw up a plan after I get some shut-eye. I’m too worn out to do much thinkin’ right now.” Flexing his gloved hands on the steering wheel, he nodded toward a yellow sign indicating a side road. “That our turn?”
“Yeah. Left there, then there’ll be a stop sign a few miles up. Turn right at the sign, and the motel is on the other side of town.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, pushing her bag across the floorboard with her toes.
The rest of the trip was quiet, though he held his breath as they passed a state trooper parked at a gas station. He’d sleep, then put in a call for a replacement vehicle. He didn’t think he could take it otherwise.
He parked on the back side of the motel, making sure his scarf was pulled up and his hat was tipped down before getting out, scooping up his bags and rounding the truck to open the door for Felicity.
She didn’t need help, already on the ground with her bag over her shoulder, pushing the door closed. Smiling nervously, she gestured for him to lead the
way.
The office was quiet, the soft-spoken receptionist giving them a key without more than a glance. For some reason, that made Kade more nervous than if she’d scrutinized them. Maybe he should let Felicity call home. If he didn’t, she might become a missing person. The truck, he could abandon.
“We’ll call your daddy before we set out tonight,” Kade said as he led the way to their room. “I’ll let you think of what you want to tell him. But don’t mention me, and try not to tell him where we are.”
She trotted beside him, struggling to keep up with his long strides. “What changed your mind?”
He shrugged. “I think we’ll both feel better if he knows you’re okay.”
Her warm smile scattered some of his worries and he smiled back, relieved.
The motel room was outdated, but clean; better than he’d expected, but he didn’t suppose a country motel saw a lot of use. He flicked on the light and pushed the door shut with his boot.
Felicity put her bag by the wall, inspecting the bed with an expression halfway between amusement and consternation.
One bed, queen sized.
Kade adjusted the blackout curtains until not even a sliver of light showed. Then he kicked off his boots and unwound the scarf from his head, tossing it to the floor and dropping his hat atop it. “Somethin’ wrong?”
She pointed at the bed with her thumb. “Did you do this on purpose?”
He grinned in response, shucking off his coat and starting on the buttons of his shirt. “Well, I did say I needed more time to do what I wanted to you. I am tired, but . . . seems we got a bit, now.”
Her cheeks turned rosy, but she smiled.
* * *
A sound roused her, but it was Kade slipping his shoulder out from underneath her head that made Felicity wake and sit up. She rubbed her eyes as he pulled on his jeans with nothing beneath them, taking something from beside the bed.
“Kade?”
He lifted a finger to his lips before raising his pistol, stalking to the door. Her stomach rolled and she pulled the blankets to her chin, huddling down in the bed to stay out of sight.
Again, someone knocked, harder and more insistent.
He leveled one eye with the peephole on the door, hissing something beneath his breath that she couldn’t make out but assumed was profane.
Kade lowered his gun and opened the door to the rosy twilight.
Felicity didn’t know what she expected, but the tall man that stepped inside wasn’t it.
He was elderly, his worn face clean-shaven, and he wore a fine suit beneath his trench coat. The collar was turned up and a derby hat perched atop his head. Though his eyes were hidden by small, circular dark lenses, she felt the weight of his gaze.
The old man pursed his lips, pushing the door halfway closed. “I see.”
Felicity held the blankets tight to her bare chest, the embarrassment making her ears grow hot. “Kade?”
“I would speak to Mr. Colton alone,” the old man said, removing his glasses and tucking them into the breast pocket of his suit.
Kade shut the door, snapping all the locks closed. “She knows.”
“Very well.” The man’s voice was deep and gravelly, and just listening to it made her throat hurt. He turned away and from the shift in his posture, it was suddenly as if she didn’t exist to him at all. “I shan’t mince words, then. We have a problem, Mr. Colton.”
“Didn’t think there were any other reasons for a Keeper to show up at my door.” Kade folded his arms over his chest, leaning back against the door frame. “What is it?”
“You.” The Keeper, as Kade called him, turned to regard him with the faintest hint of a frown. “You have become a . . . liability.”
Kade did not reply.
Felicity snaked one arm out from under the covers, plucking her clothes off the floor and drawing them beneath the blankets with her. She wiggled her shirt on over her head.
The Keeper went on. “It’s important you realize there are other branches looking into the happenings here now. Not because of the events tied to your quarry, but because your blunders have drawn their attention. Under normal circumstances, you would not receive a warning. But as it happens, you are the best hunter I’ve had in my jurisdiction within the past century, and I must admit I am rather fond of you.”
Felicity bit her tongue. If that was fondness, she didn’t want to know what happened when a Keeper disliked you.
“I’ve done the best I can, given the situation,” Kade said icily, a hard glint in his eyes.
The old man scoffed. “You are two weeks behind schedule for this target, and your work has become increasingly sloppy. Multiple police encounters to clean up, a body to dispose of, a vehicle that is easily traced, and on top of all that, while on my way to speak to you, I received notification that the credit card tied to this identity had been used to check in to a motel.”
Pausing, the Keeper let his eyes drift back to Felicity. “I thought it a mystery that my finest hunter would suddenly slip, but I begin to understand.”
“She’s got nothing to do with it,” Kade snapped. “Somethin’s different about this job. It’s bigger than you thought. There’s somethin’ shady goin’ on, and it’s just gonna take longer to unravel. I ain’t slippin’ yet.”
“Yet,” the man repeated with a sneer. Then he sighed, holding out his hand. “Give me your keys.”
Scowling, Kade fished them out of his pocket and handed them over.
The Keeper sniffed, tucking the keys inside his suit jacket, producing a different set as if from thin air. Then he drew something from beneath his trench coat, presenting it alongside the keys. A bottle, wrapped in a brown paper bag.
Kade took both without a word.
“I have a great deal of work to do, cleaning up the disaster you’ve created. Make no more mistakes, Colton.” The old man took his glasses from his pocket, cleaning them before putting them back on. “One more, and you become the prey.”
“Understood,” Kade murmured. He stepped aside, bowing his head as the Keeper moved past him.
The old man paused at the door, turning up his coat’s collar again. “My apologies for the interruption, madam. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Oh, and . . .” He turned, flashing her a grin that bordered on cruel, exposing his yellowed and distinctly pointed fangs. “Do mind his teeth.”
Felicity’s eyes widened and the Keeper cackled, slipping out and shutting the door.
Kade stood in silence for a long time before he locked the door and pulled the bottle out of the bag. It was dark, sealed with wax and sporting a hand-written ivory label. He scoffed, all but storming to the sink across from the bathroom door, thunking the bottle down on the counter and turning on the tap.
It wasn’t until then, seeing him stand in front of the mirror with no reflection thrown back, that Felicity finally felt the weight of reality.
Hearing it had been one thing. It sounded like a blessing, a miraculous gift that helped the man she’d fallen in love with survive the impossible. He’d told her the truth, been willing to explain himself, asked if his nature disturbed her. It hadn’t, then. It hadn’t felt concrete.
He washed his face, raking fingers through his glossy hair, bracing his hands against the edge of the counter. His shoulders sagged beneath invisible weights, the play of the hotel’s dim lighting over the sculpted muscles in his back and shoulders catching her eye and reminding her he was a man. No matter what was—or wasn’t—in the mirror, he was a man first. Anything else came second, didn’t it?
Gulping back a wave of queasy fear, she clutched the blankets until her knuckles turned white. “What did he mean, a body to dispose of?”
Kade shook his head. “It was him or me, Filly. When your only other choice is dyin’, it don’t feel like much of a choice at all.”
Her hands turned cold and she backed against the headboard of the bed, holding the blankets close.
He looked at the mirror. She looked past him, seeing
her own reflection. He was staring at her, and it gave her chills.
Growling in frustration, he grabbed the bottle from the countertop beside him and cracked the seal. “Don’t look at me.”
She knew what had to be in the bottle and the thought made her sick. She didn’t need any more encouragement, spinning to face the curtained windows, squeezing her eyes closed.
She’d run away with a monster, a shade she didn’t understand, and the longer she looked, the more that vision tried to erase the image of the man she knew. The cool-headed but naughty cowboy, the flirt with the deep dimple in his cheek. She clung to the memories of him smiling, of the thrill that came every time he’d touched her, of the indescribable magnetism she’d felt pulling them together in the weeks since he’d dropped into her life.
She trembled, wishing desperately she could shut her ears against the sound of him drinking. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks and she scrunched her whole face, holding her breath, trying to keep them at bay.
The bed creaked and shifted as he climbed on beside her. His hands, with their rough skin and gentle touch, brushed the teardrops from her face. “Hey.”
She choked on her breath as Kade pulled her into his arms.
“I’m still me, Filly,” he whispered, resting his chin on top of her head. “No matter what, that ain’t gonna change.”
She turned, burying her face in his chest as the first sob ripped free of her throat. His arms tightened around her, protective and comforting, while she mourned the loss of the perfect, normal life they’d almost had together.
FOURTEEN
* * *
“EACH OF US has a Keeper. Thaddeus is mine.”
Felicity tossed her bag into the back of the black SUV, looking over her shoulder. Kade had been mindful of his choice of words since they’d stepped out of the motel room, though she couldn’t see anyone nearby. There were other cars in the lot, but no people. Still, it seemed like a good idea to keep the supernatural elements to themselves, so she reminded herself to be careful how she spoke.