by Dannika Dark
I stripped out of my shirt, and when his eyes drifted down to the red satin bra that held my breasts firmly in place, I gave him a smug grin. I splashed water on my chest. “Anything you say, Vamp.”
His eyes narrowed. “You keep using that word and seem to forget that you’re only half a spark plug.”
“Yep, but I’m not as offended by the word as you are. I’ve been called a lot of things in my life, and Vamp is the least insulting.” I rinsed my hair beneath the running water and then washed the blood off my arms, clavicles, and face. “The past is history. You spend a lot of time getting offended over trivial things,” I said, drying my face with a towel.
“You’re not old enough to appreciate the prejudices we’ve endured as a race.”
I slipped on a tank top and then removed my bra. “No, a crossbreed wouldn’t understand anything about prejudice. Now quit trying to piss me off. It’s not working.”
Christian took a moment to visually acknowledge my hardened nipples pressing against the fabric of my tank top. Then he took a step forward and gazed down at me with those bottomless eyes. “I love the way you smell when you’re wet.”
I blinked up at him in surprise. “You can smell me when I’m turned on?”
His grin widened. “I meant when you’re clean, but that does raise a curious question.”
I’m not going to get flustered and storm out.
I’m not going to get flustered and storm out.
I stroked my hand over his cock, which was still hard. “Yes, it certainly does.” Then I patted his shoulder and walked out of the room.
Since everyone’s schedule was thrown off, I didn’t bother cooking. Blue and Viktor had already prepared something in the kitchen for Claude, who was upstairs healing. According to Gem, Shepherd had dressed some of his wounds and then quietly left the room without a word. Wyatt went back to his office to keep an eye on the black market website.
I decided to pay Claude a quick visit to see how he was doing. His bedroom was located on the second floor in a separate hall from Gem.
Now I could appreciate why.
I stood in the doorway and laughed when I took a gander at the bed on the right-hand wall. Gem was curled up beside Claude, who was giving his best impersonation of a hibernating bear.
“I thought that was a chain saw.”
Gem sat up and gave an elfin smile. “He snores.” When she turned to poke him, he stopped and made a purring sound before rolling onto his side.
“Mind if I come in?”
She gestured toward the chair on the right, which faced the bed. A candle flickered on the bedside table from the draft of her movement.
“Nice place,” I said, admiring his abode.
Everyone’s bedroom reflected their personality. Claude’s private chamber was laid out the same as mine with the fireplace on the left wall and bath in an adjoining room behind the bed. But instead of arched windows opposite the door, he had a massive circular window with a clock design. I’d seen it from the outside of the mansion, never realizing it was his bedroom. Though it was too dark to see, I knew the glass was stained blue with black Roman numerals. The lanterns affixed to every wall weren’t lit, so the only candles burning were one in the entranceway to the bathroom and another on his bedside table. He didn’t have a small bed like mine. Claude was much too tall for one of those.
What surprised me most? I’d expected the room to be lavishly decorated in gold because that seemed fitting of Claude’s regal personality. However, that was not the case.
“So, Claude’s a leather man,” I remarked, looking between the leather headboard and leather bench at the foot of the bed.
Across the room, the window sat within an alcove. Two leather couches faced each other on the opposite walls, a white shag rug between them.
I noticed the fireplace across from the bed had a large, rectangular mirror with a black frame above it. I stepped inside the room and turned around to admire his black armoire beside the door. I imagined him sitting on the leather stool while putting on his shoes and socks. There were only two chairs in the room. One was plush with a wide seat by the fireplace—a great place to doze off with a good book on a winter’s night. I sat down in the other one next to the bedside table. It was small, stiff, and smelled a lot like Claude. There were creases in the arms and a few imperfections.
“How’s he doing?” I asked.
“Better.” Gem’s legs dangled off the bed comically. “Shepherd had some special medicine that’ll help his wounds heal faster. He’ll be back to himself in no time, but he needs rest. Niko’s drained, and Claude refuses to accept any more help from him.”
I glanced at my hand, guilty that I couldn’t have done the same and just healed on my own.
Gem reached up and tied her hair into a messy knot. Her baggy grey sleep shorts and shirt indicated she was foregoing her usual nightly swim.
“Should we light a fire?” I asked, staring at the cold hearth.
“No. Claude gets hot when he sleeps. He usually doesn’t light it unless it’s for ambiance,” she said, dramatically emphasizing the last word.
I watched her picking at the chipped polish on her short nails. “That was really something you did back there with the light show.”
Her brows knitted together for a moment before she looked at her hands. “Oh. That.”
“I know you’re smart and all, but maybe Viktor worries for no reason when putting you on the front line. Seems like you can take care of yourself.”
She rubbed her fingertips together, and a tiny ball the size of a marble formed. It was composed of blue light and quickly dissipated when she smashed it in the palm of her hand with a tight fist. “I only get a few good shots, and there’s always a chance something could go wrong. That’s what Viktor’s afraid of since it requires concentration and control. It depletes my energy. If I use too much, sometimes I can’t flash for a day. Every gift has a drawback.”
“That’s some gift, though. Is it a rare one?”
She fell over on the pillow next to her and curled up in the fetal position. “Some rare gifts are rarer than others. My Creator told me there aren’t many who can do what I do.”
“What do they call it?”
I knew Gem was a Blocker who had the ability to block many Mage gifts, such as those from Mentalists or Charmers, but she hadn’t detailed everything about her powers, and it wasn’t my business. Now that the cat was out of the bag, it didn’t seem rude to ask about it.
“When there isn’t an official name, we give it one. The Mageri recorded my gifts when they measured me, but they didn’t mention a name for it. Wyatt wanted to call me a ball buster. I just call it wielding, so I guess that makes me a Wielder.”
Man, Gem was one lucky girl. Every Mage was different in not only what rare ability they possessed but also how many. Some had just one gift, while others had several. Niko had informed me that some didn’t discover hidden abilities until years later, that the gifts would lie dormant until accidentally revealed.
“I’m just a Stealer,” I said.
“Just a Stealer. No biggie. You’re also a Vampire and a Mage who doesn’t turn into a floppy doll when someone puts a stunner in you. Not to mention you’re immune to Chitah venom. If this is a contest, you win.”
I buried a laugh when Claude let out a sudden snort. “No wonder he’s still single.”
Gem’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Every perfect man has a flaw.”
“Does that mean that every flawed man has something perfect about him?”
“Food for thought.”
I stood up and cleared my throat. “Are you sleeping in here?”
She nodded as if there was no other answer.
“But you’re just partners.”
She swung her legs over the edge and hopped off the bed. “I could use something to drink. Let’s walk.”
After she closed the door and we paced away from the room, Gem folded her arms. She smiled at the sudden heig
ht difference between us. Just four inches, but I could tell she didn’t like looking up at people.
“I should have put on my slippers,” she remarked before turning to face me. “You haven’t formed a special bond with Christian yet? That concerns me.”
“It’s just work.”
“True, but when you work closely with someone—when you put your life in their hands—the relationship becomes like one of my energy balls.”
“Deadly?” I said with a snort.
“Well, once you learn each other’s weaknesses and strengths, yes. But I meant powerful. I like everyone in this house, but Claude gets me. He doesn’t know everything about my past, but we’re there for each other. We trust each other completely. And even though Shepherd is going through some kind of a mid-immortal crisis, Wyatt’s there for him. I just thought that you and Christian were finally getting along. He’s going to be your partner for a long time.”
We continued our pace and turned a corner.
“I love Claude,” she said. “We butted heads a little in the beginning, but we found common ground and forged a friendship. He doesn’t show his real side to everyone, but he’s such a giving man.”
“Sorry, it’s none of my business.”
“But it is. I don’t want you to think because I spend the night in his room that there’s something going on between us. People are a lot like languages. We each speak with a different vocabulary and dialect, and our job is to try to understand one another. I regret that you don’t have that kind of closeness with Christian. It must be hard to feel forced into a partnership you don’t care about.” She gripped my wrist as we walked. “I’m still here. If you can’t talk to Christian about stuff, just come see me.”
“Thanks, Gem. I think Christian and I are getting along a little better. At least we’re not trying to kill each other as often,” I said, thinking about our near-sexual encounter in the bathtub.
Not to mention our blood sharing.
And grinding.
And almost-kissing.
I studied her as we walked. “Aren’t you afraid you might mix up those chummy feelings and accidentally sleep with him?”
She blurted out a laugh and let go of my hand. “I’m not sure what you mean. I’ve never had accidental sex before. And feeling close to someone doesn’t automatically mean I’m going to share bodily fluids with them.”
I scratched the back of my head. “That’s one way to put it. Look, I didn’t mean to offend you or anything. I’m still trying to work on my people skills. I lived alone on the streets for a long time. That’s no excuse, but I lost my filter somewhere along the way.”
She worried her lip, her violet eyes wide and doe-like. “Can I say something?”
“Sure.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but if you’re… you know… lonely, maybe you should fill those needs outside the house. I don’t think that you and Christian will be doing the naughty, but if you’re afraid to get close to him because you might accidentally sleep together, then maybe another man isn’t such a bad idea. He certainly does. With women, I mean.”
“Is that what you do?”
Her cheeks turned bright red. “I’m too busy working to dwell on physical relationships. I’m not suggesting you should sleep around, but sometimes when people have trouble separating their emotions from physical needs, they don’t make the best decisions.”
I looked over my shoulder, uncertain how to respond.
She shrugged. “I just thought you might be dealing with something like that since you assumed I could accidentally sleep with Claude.”
Gem was smarter than I gave her credit for, and sometimes I forgot that despite her youthful appearance, she was over fifty years old. No matter how innocent she came across, Gem had acquired some wisdom in those years.
Nothing awkward about this conversation. Nothing at all.
I steered down the hall that led to Wyatt’s office. “Do you hear that?”
Our leisurely walk turned into a quick jog as we headed toward what sounded like a heated argument brewing.
“You just left me,” Shepherd growled.
We reached the doorway and stood just inside. Shepherd glared down at Wyatt, who was seated in his leather chair with a box of MoonPies on his lap.
“It’s not like it was a conspiracy,” Wyatt retorted. “We had to run—literally—and Viktor said we didn’t have time to find you.”
“Bullshit. Niko knew where I was.”
“I ain’t gonna sit here and argue with you. Viktor’s the one who calls the shots.” Wyatt tossed his phone on the desk behind him. “He’s on his way up. I’ll let him do the explaining. Meanwhile, don’t take out all your hostilities on me. Rollergirl bailed just like everyone else did. Why don’t you yell at her?”
“Don’t encourage him,” Gem said, sauntering into the room barefoot. She sat on his desk and crossed her legs at the ankles. “Shepherd, it didn’t make sense to bring you along. You’re volatile.”
“What is this all about?” Viktor said, weaving around me and approaching Shepherd.
I tried not to laugh. Viktor had on men’s pajamas. Just seeing him in silk pajama bottoms with an open robe showed me a side of him I wasn’t ready to see.
A sexy one. For an older gentleman, he had a nice torso and abs. Viktor looked like he belonged in a men’s catalog with a glass of brandy in one hand and a pipe in the other.
Gem was right…
I might actually stop ogling everyone in the house if I got laid.
Shepherd wiped his hand slowly down his black T-shirt. He locked eyes with Viktor and spoke, his voice calmer. “I know where to find Cristo.”
“How did you—”
“I overheard the call. Just so you know, I could have taken this information and gone by myself to finish it. But Maggie wouldn’t have wanted that. She would have said I’ve got a good thing here, but maybe I’m not so sure how good this thing is.” He folded his arms, pushing out his biceps. “If you can’t trust me enough to include me in a search, then I don’t belong here. I have medical experience. I could have helped Claude and Raven so it wasn’t all on Niko. And what if he’d gotten knocked out or some shit and wasn’t able to heal anyone? I thought we were a team, but you took off without me.”
Silence filled the room. Shepherd was right. You couldn’t punish a man for what he might do. Had Viktor pulled a stunt like that with me, I would have been tempted to quit. On the flip side, I understood Viktor’s reservations, but maybe they should have discussed it beforehand.
I felt Christian come up behind me. How I knew it was him, I couldn’t say.
Viktor clasped his hands behind his back, eyes locked on Shepherd. “You say you know where to find Cristo. Do you want to tell me how it is you came across new information when not even our computer genius could find anything?”
Shepherd squared his shoulders. “I can’t say. Are you with me? I’m leaving tonight. This might be the only opportunity we have.”
“He’s right,” Wyatt said, swiveling in his chair. “Nothing’s come up on the auction. I’ve done some preliminary searches on his name, but we don’t have any leads.”
Shepherd widened his stance. “Are we a team or not?”
Viktor rested his hands on Shepherd’s shoulders, his expression somber. “You have placed more trust in me than I have in you. It shouldn’t be that way. I apologize for excluding you on such an important mission.”
Shepherd averted his gaze. “I know why you did it. I just… I need you to have my back and let me have yours. Deal?”
Viktor searched the walls for a clock. “How much time do we have?”
Shepherd pinched his chin. “We should leave within the hour.”
“I need weapons,” I said.
Shepherd jerked his chin toward the door. “Come with me.”
We walked at a brisk pace down to the first level. Usually we rotated the job of lighting certain candles down the main hallways, but with everythi
ng going on, some of the halls were pitch-black.
“Claude can’t go. Not in his condition,” Shepherd said as he pushed open his bedroom door. He struck a match and lit a bright lantern. “Hold this.”
“Claude’s not going to like us leaving him behind.”
“Yeah, but he’ll understand. He’s injured, and we don’t put an injured man in danger. It puts not only him at risk, but everyone else, including his partner. He’s also dead asleep thanks to pain meds.” Shepherd strode up to his armoire, and when he opened it, my jaw dropped.
“Holy shit.”
He looked over his shoulder at me and essayed a smile. “What do you think armoires were originally used for?”
Shepherd’s cabinet was filled to the brim with weapons. There were mounts on the inside of the doors holding all kinds of daggers and knives. I gaped at the guns, impalement stakes, and even a crossbow. He pulled open the bottom drawers, revealing boxes of bullets and miscellaneous weapons such as throwing stars and concealable spikes.
He stepped aside. “Pick your poison.”
“Do you have something I could strap to my arm beneath a long-sleeved shirt? I want to hide my daggers where I can reach them. The leg harness I have is fine for when I’m wearing dresses, but that’s not often.”
He reached inside and handed me a few. “Try these. The blades are sharpened.”
I gave him the lantern and secured one of the straps on my arm.
“Those are fine if you’re not trying to bulk up,” he said. “But they’re not comfortable. You might think about one of these.” Shepherd held up a larger harness with a sheath. “This one hooks around your shoulders, so you can wear it beneath a button-up or jacket. No one will know.”
I looked at the large blade hanging from it. “That one’s too big for me.”
He nodded. “You like the push daggers and small blades. Nothing wrong with that. They get the job done just fine, especially if they’re stunners.” He handed me three small daggers and two arm straps. “On the house. Next time you run low, I charge a fee. These are some of the best weapons money can buy. Some are mine, others are for the team. So don’t get it in your head to help yourself.”