Blood and Sand

by Elizabeth Hunter

  No doubt she’d have an opinion about him taking off without her. Baojia smiled. “I’ll put it on the schedule.”

  “Hmm,” she sighed. “Going back to sleep. Missed you.”

  Murder. Betrayal. An uncertain future. And despite it all, he was happy.

  “I missed you, too.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Natalie was trying to take her first tai chi lesson seriously. Really. She was. But the feel of Baojia moving her arms and legs into various positions, then standing really close to move her from form to form was more than a little distracting.

  “You should really put on a shirt if you want me to concentrate.”

  He moved in front of her and tilted her chin up as she stood with arms stretched out and legs half-bent. “I don’t have many clothes here, and I’m not going to ruin my nice shirts practicing. Now focus.”

  She muttered, “Kind of hard to do after that thing you did an hour ago.”

  A lift at the corner of his mouth was the only reaction she got.

  They were in Beatrice and Tenzin’s studio again, but this time it was just the two of them in the empty practice room. She focused on moving her limbs slowly. Deliberately. Her breath moved in and out of her body at a steady rate. She’d never been athletic, but she had practiced yoga with her mother her whole childhood. Though she’d stopped after Mallory Ellis’s death, the breathing exercises were like riding a bike.

  ўcedBaojia moved around her, sometimes demonstrating, sometimes correcting. Always very… present. Even when he didn’t say a word, she was intensely aware of him.

  “Soften your arm. Keep it relaxed, but strong.”

  She frowned. “I’m not sure what that means. And this seems so slow. Why are we—?”

  “The purpose of teaching you this self-defense technique is to teach you to respond to an opponent with more physical strength than you. You will not be able to counter with an equal opposing force, so you must learn to yield to it.” He stepped forward, moving one of his arms as if to punch her. She tried not to flinch when he grabbed her arm and moved it to block his. Her balance shifted without thought. “Yield to it, then counter. The best fighters know how to avoid a fight if they can. Never waste energy on an unnecessary struggle. It will leave your resources drained when you might need them later. Avoid the punch.” He moved her arm across his, directing it to the side so that it passed her body, leaving them in an odd embrace. “See? You will do this slowly, then the movements will become very natural. Your balance is excellent. You have a good awareness of how to move in response to me already.”

  She couldn’t hide the smile. “You’ve mentioned that.”

  Natalie felt his chest move in silent laughter. Then his arm reached back and around her waist, pulling her closer. “I’m teaching. Pay attention.”

  She felt the flush rise in her face when her skin pressed against his. “Trust me. I’m paying attention.”

  His energy hummed under her fingers. Touching Baojia was like putting her hand over an electrical wire. His skin contained him, but just barely. It was as if power vibrated under her fingertips. Keeping her close, he moved into another position.

  “Try this—no wait, I’ll demonstrate first.”

  He pulled away and showed her another form, then moved back and helped her position herself correctly. They practiced for another hour like that. Natalie could tell he was a great teacher, but if he wanted her to learn self-defense, she had a feeling there were other, faster, methods.

  “How long does it take to learn this?”

  “The proper practice of tai chi takes years to master. But it is an excellent martial art.” He paused to let her get a drink. The slow practice had been unexpectedly tiring and her muscles already felt it. “You will be able to practice this your whole life.”

  Her whole life? See, it was phrases like that she simply couldn’t brush off. Because her whole life and his were vastly different. Turning away from him, she stared at the fountain in the corner. “What the hell are we doing?”

  She heard him, felt him, come to her side. She was starting to get used to the speed, but other things, like his complete stillness when he was unsure of a situation, still kind of freaked her out. He was still as a statue when she turned back to him.

  “What do you mean? We’re practicing. You’re learning self-defense.”

  She set the water bottle down on the bench and threw a towel around her neck to have something to hold on to. “You’re teaching me something that takes years to master.”

  “Yes.”

  She remained silent, waiting for him to speak. Surprisingly, she didn’t have to wait long.

  “You’re under my aegis, Natalie.” His face was doing that whole closed-off thing it did. She couldn’t read him at all. “That means I am responsible for your safety.”

  “Does it me>ing that an I belong to you in some weird vampire way?” He paused long enough for her to guess the answer. She felt her temper rise. “Dammit, Baojia, I’m not a… possession. I have a life of my own. Whatever we’re doing here doesn’t change that.”

  He stepped closer and she saw the flash in his eyes. “You’re right. What we’re doing doesn’t change that. It changed the minute you walked into Ivan’s bar and became a human on his radar. Don’t think you can avoid this.”

  “I’m not trying to avoid anything!”

  “You’re trying to avoid the reality that you are the one who walked into this, Natalie. I didn’t pull you in. You walked in. And you can’t just walk out without consequences.”

  Her stomach dropped. “Is that a threat?”

  His eyes closed and he shook his head. “As if I would threaten you. As if… Natalie, I am the last person on earth who would ever hurt you. But you have to realize that others will. If I’m not there—”

  “You weren’t here last night.” Her anger spiked. “You took off without me to go tail Rory, and you didn’t even tell me.”

  She saw his fangs fall. “Is that what this is about? You’re pissed off that I went somewhere without you?”

  “This is my story. I should be there if you’re going to—”

  His control snapped. “It’s not a fucking story! It’s a deadly game that someone is playing with consequences you don’t even want to imagine. And you put yourself on the board. I tried—” He grabbed her shoulders. She thought about pushing him away, but didn’t. “I tried to keep you out of it, but I couldn’t. You wouldn’t let me. And now…” His hands softened and he took a calming breath. “You’re more than just an innocent bystander. You’re more than Dez’s friend. You’re…”

  She stood, trembling with anger, but also with fear. Because he looked afraid. And if Baojia was afraid of anything, then it was something to take seriously. “I’m what?”

  His hand left her shoulder and pressed against her chest right over her heart. It pounded at his touch.

  “You’re so vulnerable. A thousand different things can kill you in the space of a heartbeat. I’m trying. I’m trying, but I would sincerely like to lock you in a padded room until I can kill every vampire who looks sideways at you. Maybe then we could have a rational conversation about this. Right now, all I can think of is all the ways you could be killed, and I wouldn’t be fast enough to save you.”

  How could he be so frightening and so sweet, all at the same time? “A padded room?” she said hoarsely. “I’m not that nuts, George.”

  Baojia pulled her into his arms and she let him. He pressed her against his chest and just held her. “You are completely nuts,” he said. “But for some reason, I like it.”

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back. “I’m getting attached to your overly protective, control-freak self, too.” Getting attached? She was half in love with him. It had happened so fast she was still reeling.

  “I’m teaching you this because I need you to be alive, Natalie. Do you understand?”

  She hugged him tighter and sighed. “But it takes years to lear
n.”

  “I have time if you do.”

  “I know.” She blinked back tears, hoping he couldn’t feel them on his skin. “I know you do.”

  They were driving down drl tto the desert in his old Camaro again, but by this time, Natalie found the lack of lit-up switches and dials soothing rather than disturbing. She was starting to see the unexpected benefits of a life without as much technology. Her eyes were more sensitive to changes in light and movement in the dark interior of the car. Her ears weren’t distracted by anything but the hum of the wheels as they sped over the cracked asphalt.

  She still missed her iPhone, though.

  “Hey, when am I getting a phone? You owe me one.”

  He glanced over. “We can go tomorrow and get you one. Will you lose anything from your old one?”

  “I had it synched up with my laptop, so not much. Still not apologizing for taking it, huh?”

  He smiled. “Nope.”

  Typical. He probably didn’t apologize for much. At least when he did, she’d know it was sincere. “I need to call Kristy and let her know where I am. And I don’t even want to think about what she’s going to tell me about work.” She sighed. “I’ll be amazed if they haven’t fired me already.”

  “You told me you had sick days.”

  “Yeah, I’m pretty much to the end of those. And how long is this going to take before I can get back to work?” And, as suspected, he had no response to that. She decided to change the subject. “So, Rory, huh?”

  “His involvement makes sense and it doesn’t. He’s either clueless—a definite possibility—or he’s letting Ivan dump his victims on Ernesto’s property. According to Brigid and Gio, most of the major water vampires on the Atlantic have had challenges to their authority recently. If this is connected to the spread or distribution of Elixir—”

  “Which everyone seems to think is likely.”

  “—then we need to be prepared for Ernesto to be challenged, too. But at the same time, what’s in it for Rory if Ernesto is challenged? He’s got a pretty easy life right now. Well, not as much now that I’m gone, but he still has a lot of status. Ernesto has always been generous with him and Paula. So changing the status quo makes no sense.”

  “One, you’re asking almost as many questions as me now; I’m so proud. And two, sometimes people’s motivations for crime don’t make sense. Sometimes…” Her voice fell. “…they can seem downright crazy. Or there is no purpose. No reason. I’ve seen that, too. You really think these murders are linked to some big conspiracy?”

  “They’re either linked, or it’s a hell of a coincidence. Elixir just happens to show up in Mexico, and Ivan just happens to lose a waitress who’s been taking it, who just happens to show up dead near my sire’s casino? I don’t believe in coincidences like that. Hopefully, we’ll find out more tonight.”

  She had forced him to take her when she heard he was going out to the casino again. It was time for the regular monthly meeting that Rory would have with the manager, and since Baojia wanted to talk to Tulio again, he thought they could investigate Rory’s involvement and speak to Tulio with one trip. Well, originally he had thought to do all that by himself, but she’d shown him the error of his ways and badgered him into taking her, too.

  “…and you’re not going to wander off anywhere without me. No matter what you hear. Or see. Or suspect.”

  “Yes, Commander George.”

  “I like you so much when you’re cooperative, I’m going to ignore the sarcasm.”

  She snickered. “You like the sarcasm.”

  He didn’t say anything foay Ir a few moments, then he finally muttered, “Fine. I like the sarcasm.”

  They arrived at the casino only minutes behind Rory, judging by the still-warm engine of his car. The driver was nowhere in sight. Baojia pulled a beanie onto his head and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”

  Natalie tried not to laugh. He was wearing clothes he’d borrowed from Ben, of all people. The young man was tall for his age and between his wardrobe and Matt’s they had managed to make Baojia look much younger and more casual. He was wearing jeans and a tight grey T-shirt with skulls on it. A brown leather jacket and beanie completed the look of a young man out with his girlfriend for an evening of gambling and fun.

  “You look so much younger without the badass black dress clothes.”

  He tugged her hand and grinned. “I know. You’re such a cradle robber.”

  Natalie threw her head back and laughed. “Thanks, George. It’s a good thing I’m a confident woman.”

  He pulled her back and laid a heart-pounding kiss on her lips as Natalie tried to remain standing. He might have looked different, but his lips didn’t feel any less intense. His desire didn’t feel any different. She let out a soft sigh when he finally pulled away.

  “You have every reason to be confident.”

  “Good to know.”

  His smiled dropped. “Now stay close. I doubt anyone is going to recognize me dressed like this, but I don’t want you out of my sight if we need to run.”

  They walked in, and Natalie was immediately assaulted by the casino smell. The smoke wasn’t as bad as it used to be, but there was still the stale air and pervasive smell of cheap liquor and beer that seemed to seep from every surface of the building.

  She heard him mutter, “I hate this place.”

  “Too loud? You used to run a club.”

  “And I hated it. Loud. Smelly. Too many people in one place.”

  “Grumpy old man.”

  His eyes narrowed on something she couldn’t see. “The grumpiest. I see Rory. And Luis. Poor kid. We’ll have to avoid him—he’ll recognize me.”

  Baojia steered her toward the left, deftly avoiding the crowds as he made his way back toward a staff entrance. From his pocket, he pulled out a thick wallet and opened it. “Top card on the left side. Let’s hope they haven’t changed the codes.”

  She pulled the card from the thick paper envelope that encased it. No doubt, the wallet and envelope were both necessary to protect the magnetic strip from the vampire’s natural electrical current. She quickly slid it into the lock and pulled the door open when the light lit green. Without a backward look, he slipped inside and she followed him, keeping her head up while glancing from the corner of her eye at the cameras which were sure to be following them.

  “You’ve done this before,” he said softly, walking at the same confident pace she was.

  “Breaking and entering? Half the trick is just looking like you’re not trying to hide what you’re doing. I wish I’d been able to get ahold of a waitress’s outfit.”

  He shook his head. “No waitstaff allowed back here. Admin only.” He turned right, gently nudging her to follow him. “Hold on.” He stopped and waited near a water fountain. After a few moments, she saw him push the button and grab a handful of water, snaking it between his fingers in what almost looked like a nervous gesture.

  “What are we—?”

  “We’ll stop here. I can hear them. We’re close enough to the office now.”

  “But I can’t hear them.” She tried to go farther, but he grabbed her.

  “No. You’ll just have to trust my ears.”

  She glanced between his hard eyes and the length of the hallway. Sighing, she gave up. She’d never get past him, and he was probably right. If he could hear, then it would be far safer to remain closer to the exit if they should happen to get caught.

  “Fine, but what are they—”

  “Shh.” He was already listening. Natalie crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, watching him. His face was a picture of concentration, his eyes narrowed, his forehead furrowed. The water continued to slip over and under his fingers before circling his wrist and traveling back to his palm as they stood idly in the hallway while Rory and the manager had their meeting. It was mesmerizing. She hardly noticed when a fine thread of it reached out and touched the end of her finger. Then she felt the sting of a small shock, like a burst of s
tatic electricity.

  “Ow! How did you do that?”

  “Pay attention,” he whispered with a grin.

  “What are they talking about?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing out of the ordinary. They’re almost finished. I doubted the casino manager would be involved in anything shady. He’s human and he really likes his job.”

  “What’s the next step?”

  He tossed the water back in the fountain, then nudged her back down the hall. “Let’s go play the slots.”

  Natalie frowned. “You mean… you really want to gamble?”

  “No, but the nickel slots have a good view of where Rory will exit. And I want to know if he meets with anyone else before he leaves.”

  They left the staff hallway with no questions asked and wandered over to the slot machines until Baojia spotted two stools in the right location. He nodded toward them, but she pulled him back. “They’re occupied.”

  “No, they’re not.” He walked over and laid a hand on the retired couple that looked like slot machines were their second career. Both leaned toward him a second, then abruptly stood to leave, taking their giant cups of coins with them. Natalie just shook her head and went to a change machine nearby.

  “What are you doing?” he asked from the now free machines.

  “Getting nickels. Nickel slots are the luckiest.”

  She waited for the machine to spit out a ticket, then walked over to the machine and sat down.

  “You know the odds on these, right? None of them are actually lucky.”

  “Oh, be quiet and let me dream, George. I’m gonna hit it big on the nickel slots while we surveil the bad guys. I feel lucky tonight.”

  He laughed but let her start to play without any other comment, his eyes already sweeping the room.

  “So, the thing you did with the people sitting here? Kinda creepy.”

  “I avoid using amnis to manipulate humans, but sometimes it is necessary. And most humans aren’t like you; they would rather be oblivious.”

  She pulled the lever on the machine, hoping to make her twenty dollars last longer. “You did that to me?”