Authors: Toni Kelly
Monica and a couple other vampires cornered Savannah. They stood out amongst the Goth-like crowd, their perfect coifs copper or gold beneath the dim lighting. Laughter lit their eyes but they were careful. No wide smiles or heads thrown back too far. Masters in predatory manipulation.
“She’s a looker. Have you considered turning this one? Might have many uses.” His tongue brushed against a fang as he salivated. The sexy gold digger might make an excellent blood slave.
Luke’s dark gaze narrowed as he watched Savannah. “I do not turn my victims. Never have, never will. At least, not if I can help it.”
Lorenzo laughed. “Oh yes, how could I forget? A mortal sin, right? Or is it a venial sin? I can never get them straight. With the many church visits you’ve made lately, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.” He leaned forward. “And in regards to whether you can help it or not, what of the kill? How long has it been? Your body is aching for a release.” He shrugged, lifting a cigarette. “It will drive you mad.” His soft inhalation filled the silence between them.
“I have got it under control,” Luke said.
If Luke wanted to believe a lie, he wouldn’t stop him. At this rate, the younger vampire was his own worst enemy. “I’m sure you do.”
“What is Monica up to?” Luke craned his neck as the blonde slid one crimson red nail down Savannah’s arm and whispered in her ear. His concern over the human left him distracted and vulnerable.
Lorenzo waved a hand. “Calm down. No one is going to steal your meal. Monica is fascinated. You know how she is, a dame with a new bauble to fuss over.”
Luke rubbed a crease between his brows. “I have no reason to calm down. I am not upset, I merely distrust Monica. I would not be forced into the position of choosing choice victims if it were not for this ailment. Savannah, like those before her, is a quick fix. Still, I would rather choose wisely if I must choose.”
“Choose for what? Did you just say what I thought you said?” At times, Luke was too much. Whipping his hair away from his face, Lorenzo took a long drag then coughed out a smoky chuckle. “Only you would see being a vampire as an ailment.”
Luke released an exhalation and sipped his blood-infused vodka. The small amount of blood coated his tongue and lips, painting them deep red.
On the dance floor, Savannah’s perfect mouth parted as she found herself sandwiched between Monica and a brunette wearing a black tube dress. Her muscles tensed minutely as she tried to slide away, and she heaved a sigh when she found no exit. Her gaze flicked upward, seeking Luke. The air hummed with the electricity between them.
“I ask you again. Why did you want to meet?” Luke now trained his attention back on him.
“I need you to find me another property.” Lorenzo said. “And fast.” What had started as a small side drug trade was quickly turning into something profitable. Even more than he’d imagined, especially since he’d introduced exotic bloods into the mix.
“What kind of property?” Luke asked.
“For a club.”
“You recently built your third club.”
“What can I say? They’ve been quite successful.” It wasn’t a complete lie, as his clubs generated money. Still, the profit turned wouldn’t be enough without the drugs and blood.
Luke remained silent, his expression pensive then said, “Anything particular in mind?”
“I want it near Termini.”
The train station. “I have something in Esquilino. Used to be a bar. Interested?”
“I’ll take a look at it.”
“Fine.” Luke rose from his seat.
“Wait.” Lorenzo snaked a hand around his wrist.
With the contact, nothing came to him. Luke had constructed a wall around his thoughts in defense. So that was how he wanted to play. Obviously Luke did not trust him enough to leave himself open.
“Is there something else?”
“There’s been talk,” Lorenzo replied, pushing past the silent insult the other vampire had dealt him. A cloud of smoke wove through the air between them. “Your companion ads are too public, drawing more attention than necessary. The Ancients are becoming suspicious.”
“Bollocks. Why would they bother with something so trivial?”
“I don’t know, but I’m only protecting your best interests. This is what I’ve heard.”
Luke shook his head “Do you truly want to discuss my companion ads?”
Lorenzo pinched his lips together and rubbed a hand over his face. “If you make powerful enemies, you’ll need powerful allies. You can’t go it alone against them and still survive.” In a softer tone he said, “Believe me, I’ve tried. Why do you think I surround myself with so much security?”
“I have no quarrel with the Ancients.”
“Yet.” He would have to work on convincing Luke to create an alliance with him. Otherwise, he would never be free from the accursed, watchful eyes of the Ancients. “Join me. You are powerful but I can teach you so much more. Imagine what a team we’d make. You’re a natural entrepreneur and business now couldn’t be better.”
“I do not do teams. Still, I will take your words under consideration and call you once we can see the property.” Luke threw down a few euro notes and left.
Stubborn fool. His obsession with greed and the desire to end his own immortality would be his undoing. Neither was Lorenzo’s problem. He nodded to two halfling vampires near the entrance, giving them the signal to follow Luke. Savannah drew his curiosity and he needed to understand her pull.
The iridescent blue of her dress glowed like the bottom of a flame amidst the club’s darkness. She leaned beside the bar and put distance between her and the female vamps as Luke crossed the dance floor. Her gaze tracked him as he drew close. “Everything okay?” she asked. The petite human half loved the vampire already. Predictable, and so easily dominated.
Luke placed a hand to her back and guided her to the club exit. “Fine. I apologize for any delay. Let us go. It is late and you are tired.”
Lorenzo yawned as they left. He called over a younger halfling, Giovanni.
Giovanni approached. “Yes, sir?”
“Bring me a woman. Human. Oh, and with green eyes if possible. Dark hair too. I don’t want to be waiting forever.” Yes, green eyes and black hair. Exactly the type of woman a powerful vampire needed.
“Yes, of course.” Giovanni nodded and walked away.
6
After winter comes the summer. After night comes the dawn. After every storm, there comes clear, open skies.
—Samuel Rutherford
“Where are we going?” Savannah shivered as Luke settled a hand on the small of her back, guiding her outside the bar and into night’s humidity. Her heels clicked along cobblestone as they made their way to Luke’s car. Why had he mentioned her being tired? Did the bags under her eyes show? She brushed below one eye with a finger, hoping to remove any runny makeup then pulled her shawl tighter and walked faster to keep pace with him. “Who were you talking to?”
“His name is Lorenzo. Do you want my jacket?”
His touch seemed to set fire to her skin, and she shook her head because she didn’t trust her voice. Why she’d decided to wear a dress with such a low cut back was beyond her. She was fortunate the cut of the dress hid her largest scars.
“He is different, compared with yesterday’s crowd. All of them were.” It seemed strange Luke’s tastes varied so widely within two nights. And yet he didn’t seem to fit in either place. His role playing was impeccable, but something told her there was more to him.
“Yes, his tastes run much more nefarious than the auction crowd’s. Get in,” he said, suddenly brusque as he opened her door.
She jumped at his tone. Why the rush? Stiff in the passenger’s seat, she took a deep breath and waited for Luke to slide in and start the car. Tension hardened the lines of his body, and his midnight gaze darted to the rearview mirror. Something was wrong. “We didn’t have to leave. I mean if you wanted to stay, we could have.” Perhaps things hadn’t gone smoothly with Lorenzo.
He glanced her way. “You are clearly exhausted.”
“I’m fine.” No way was he blaming anything on her. “Did you finish your business?”
“Enough of it.”
Unsure what to say and why he seemed so abrupt, she opened then closed her mouth. Inside Blood Bar, he’d almost been charming. Had she imagined their heated stares at each other across the room?
“You okay?” Despite a concerned tone, he appeared distracted, glanced in his rearview and side mirrors every few seconds.
She nodded, unsure of what he expected.
“Savannah.” He gripped the steering wheel and exhaled loudly. “I would like these next few weeks between us to be relaxed and open.”
“Me too.” She breathed out a pent up breath even as she pushed her hand against the door to keep from swinging with a sharp turn. “But don’t you think you should slow down?”
“Not right now.” He pressed on the accelerator as they sped through Rome’s streets.
This was insane. Was he trying to get them killed? With her heels, she pushed along the floorboard. Her right hand groped for the door’s handle. “But you’re driving like a madman.”
“There are no brakes on your side of the car.” Luke glanced again at the rearview mirror. “If police or laws concern you, it is late. Streets are empty.”
“Doesn’t mean you don’t have to obey traffic laws.”
“Italians interpret laws more loosely than Americans.”
“Judging by your accent, you’re not Italian, you’re a Brit. Besides,” she held onto the sides of her seat as he swerved down a side street, “I was hoping to live past tonight.” They raced out of city scenery and onto an unfamiliar narrow neighborhood street. Why the detour? Luke’s apartment was located within the city center. “This looks like a quiet neighborhood. Where are we going?”
“Taking a detour.” He switched from accelerator to brake to accelerator.
“At three AM?” She took a deep breath and leaned forward, bracing herself against the dashboard. “Can you slow down? I think I’m going to be sick.”
“What did Monica say to you?”
“Monica?” He wanted to talk about Monica now? Before she could protest his driving further, Luke slowed the Audi and carefully took the road’s curves.
Savannah leaned back and brushed her hair from her face with a shaky hand. “She’s, um, different.” She laughed awkwardly, suddenly embarrassed to tell him she found his friends frightening. “You have strange friends.”
“Monica is not a friend.”
“Oh.” Why had Monica told her she knew Luke well then? “Okay, your friend who isn’t a friend told me if things didn’t work with you to give her a call.” Savannah removed a card from her purse.
He raised a brow. “Did you tell her you would?”
She frowned. “No. For one, I’m not interested in women and two, she may be gorgeous, but she’s also creepy. There’s something seriously wrong with her.”
Luke stilled abruptly then threw his head back and laughed. The unexpected reaction took her off guard. “It seems you are quite sure of your opinion.” His lips twisted into a smirk which showcased a lone dimple on his right cheek.
Caught up with the joy on his face, she let several seconds pass before she answered. “I am.” She turned toward the window, trying to focus her thoughts on something other than him. Last thing she needed was a building attraction to her temporary employer. It couldn’t possibly lead anywhere, but she didn’t need the complication. She had to keep her mind on her dreams.
“Bloody hell.”
At his words, her heartbeat, which had recently reached a normal pace, skyrocketed. “What?”
He glanced at the rearview mirror again.
“Why do you keep looking behind us? Is something going on?” She swung forward in her seat as he made a sharp right, heading along a curvy country road. Where the hell were they?
“We have a bit of company. They followed us from Blood Bar.”
“Why?” She turned around in her seat. A black sedan tailed them. This couldn’t be good. “What are you involved in?” He had mentioned taking care of business. Scenes from
The Godfather
spun through her mind. “You’re not mafia, are you?”
“Do not be absurd. I am a Brit, remember? Besides, your eyes were on me all night. Did you see me do anything questionable?”