Deep Deliverance: The Deep Series, Book 3 (6 page)

How long had it taken him to turn his back on his principles?

Sean boarded the plan a few minutes later. He dropped into the seat beside Adin’s. Santos sat across the aisle.

Sean glanced between Adin’s stiff posture and Santos’s expressionless face and said, “I hate when Mommy and Daddy fight.”

“Get used to it.” Adin took a good look out the window. Obsidian sky with stars like pinpoints. At the edges of the runway, where circles of light and shadows pooled over the empty fields, wind rustled the prairie grass like fur on an itchy dog.

“Change is inevitable.” Santos spoke from across the aisle. He wore no expression, but Adin heard the weariness in his words.

“I know,” he conceded.

Long minutes passed. The rest of the passengers boarded the plane in an endless line, resigned to waiting as, one at a time, they shoved their bags into overhead compartments and fell heavily into their seats.

At last the flight attendants secured the cabin. As they taxied to the runway, Adin asked Sean, “What did you do with—” he lowered his voice, “—Bish.”

Sean shrugged as if Adin had been talking about an empty water bottle. “I told him to drink plenty of fluids and enjoy his day.”

“Is that all?” Adin wasn’t sure he believed it. Was it really that easy? Adin felt an indefinable connection, a flush of tenderness and a pang of loss when he thought about the man he’d left behind.

Sean grinned. “I might have given him the idea he’d just been with a beautiful woman.”

“Good.” Adin let his head fall back against his seatback. “That’s good. So…”

“All’s well that ends well.” Sean closed his eyes.

As if it actually ends,
thought Adin.

As if I can trust anything these two have to say.

As if I’ll be able keep myself sane and hold on to who I am…

Who I was…

The jet’s powerful engines roared. The craft nosed up, up, up. Then it plunged them against their seats and swept them into the sky.

Chapter Eight

When they arrived at baggage claim with the rest of the herd from their plane, one of Santos’s young lookalike minions stepped forward to greet them. Santos culled his soldiers from his descendants—often they were just kids who had been born to dead-end poverty with no possibility of making their way out. The kids jumped at the chance for an education and a new life in the States with their mysterious uncle Cristobel—but of course, he didn’t tell them all that awaited them once they were in the inner circle.

Like the Mafia—like any gang—once they were made men, there was no going back.
Blood in, blood out, in the truest sense of the words.

Adin privately thought that barbaric. Santos may have offered them a choice, but many were so poor they really had no choice at all.

Santos was unrepentant.

“How was your trip, Mr. Santos?” Santos’s man asked in heavily accented English.

“Uneventful, thank you. Gabriel, this is Dr. Tredeger, and you know Sean.”

Gabriel nodded his acknowledgment. While they waited for their luggage, Santos asked about traffic, weather, and if Gabriel had secured a room in their hotel for Adin. Santos appeared genuinely kind to the young man as they exchanged a few quiet words in Portuguese and then Santos pointed to a large leather Pullman, sliding down the chute. Gabriel dodged forward and picked it effortlessly off the carousel. Sean and Adin pointed their things out, and he did the same for them.

Gabriel piled their luggage on a cart. They followed him through the crowds toward ground transportation.

Despite feeling stronger than he had in weeks, Adin’s senses were overloaded—he felt like a kid who’d spent too long in an amusement park. Sights and sounds and scents overwhelmed him. Movement caught his eye constantly, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

“Steady there.” Sean’s soft words called him back to the moment.

“It’s a lot to take in all at once,” Adin admitted. “I’ve been in the middle of nowhere for months, and now—”

“You’ll need to decompress at the hotel.”

Focusing on Sean’s lean back, listening for his steady footsteps helped—he’d been drawn to Sean from the first, sensing something old—something kindred—about the odd redheaded vampire with the leprechaun smile.

When Sean wasn’t cracking inappropriate jokes, he had a stillness Adin found peaceful. It was a winter-woodland cool—as solid and soothing as Connemara marble.

“Marble, eh?” Sean teased. “I can be hard as marble too, if you need me to be.”

“Stop it.” Adin’s face grew hot. “I’m shit at shielding.”

“Be patient with yourself. You’ll learn.”

“I know.”
But when?
This was a trial by ordeal. He wanted to feel
safe
. He wanted to
be
safe for others to be around, but he had a monster inside him. A beast, who waited at the edge of his consciousness, ready to protect him if need be. He didn’t trust himself to keep it in check. “I’m fighting the urge—”

“Hang on. You’ll have some peace and quiet at the hotel, if that’s what you need.”

“Will you stay with me?” Adin hated himself in that moment. He’d never needed anyone, and now, when he was supposedly this powerful being—this apex predator—he needed a goddamn babysitter.

“I have friends to visit in town.” Sean followed Adin out the door and into the balmy L.A. night. “But I’ll stay if you need me to.”

“If you’ll wait here, please,” Gabriel addressed Santos. “I’ll bring the car around. I won’t be long.”

“Fine.” Santos watched Gabriel take off before turning back to Adin. “I’ve made arrangements for you to meet some acquaintances of mine this evening. They’d like to—”

“Wait? Tonight?”
Tonight? No. No, no, no
. “We just got here. The funeral’s tomorrow. I’m tired, Santos. Can’t it wait?”

“You can’t be tired.” Santos waved that off. “You just fed two hours ago. It’s customary when you arrive in a new town to make certain—”

“Adin’s new to all this,” Sean reminded Santos. “They’ll understand if it takes him a day or two to get his bearings.”

Santos glanced from Sean to Adin, then back. “Do you plan to coddle him like Donte has? It’s been months since he was turned. Donte should have—”

“Adin hasn’t been around people for months,” said Sean. “He’s certainly not ready for a gathering of Kind.”

“Whoa.” Adin’s jaw ached from keeping it clenched while they discussed him like that. “I’m pretty sure I’ll never be ready for a gathering of—what did you call it? Kind?”

“Kind. That’s what we call ourselves,” Santos explained. “You’re Kind. I’m Kind…”

“That sounds like a cheer.” Adin was tired enough to huff a laugh at that. “You’re kind, I’m kind, we’re all kinds of monsters.”

Adin made a vague pom-pom-waving gesture.

“You need to take what I say seriously,” said Santos.

“Oh, for God’s sake. I’ve been rusticating with Donte for months. I’m overwhelmed by all this noise and traffic. I need some quiet time before the funeral. End of.”

“Best not to forget who’s in charge while you’re under our protection, Adin.” Sean’s demeanor had changed from the happy-go-lucky-leprechaun-vampire to that of an elder who could tear him apart in the blink of an eye. “Santos is right. I’m on your side, but I won’t let you play me like you play Donte.”

An ache began behind Adin’s right eye and he palmed his forehead. “I don’t play Donte.”

“Of course you don’t, sunshine.” Sean laughed at that. “You just tell him you don’t want to eat, you ignore any advice he gives you, and he lets you get away with it because he loves you.”

“Donte
isn’t
my boss. He respects my autonomy.”

“Autonomy is infinitely overrated,” said Santos. “People mostly use it as an excuse to conform.”

“That’s bullshit. Just because I didn’t want to prey on humans—”

“I understand, Adin. Truly,” Santos said with the thickest, honey-coated patience. “You wanted to be the first vegan vampire. I applaud your efforts, but I doubt you’ll have much success.”

Adin pressed his lips together to avoid further argument.

Santos didn’t take the hint. “You value your humanity. You want to humanize your vampire lover. But that’s the last thing either of you need. How do you think he survived for half a millennia? You need to be more like
him
. Not the other way around.”

“Kind,” Sean added gently. “You’ve got to be more like Kind.”

“Never.” Adin gripped his suitcase tighter.

Never
was a great exit line, but unfortunately, he had nowhere to go.

“Never say never.” Santos gave him a benevolent smile. An
I’ll-clean-your-pee-from-the carpet-but-I-
will
-train-you
smile
.

Great…
Santos had called him a vampire
pet
and now he was going to treat him like one for an indeterminate period of time.

Gabriel pulled a sleek black Lincoln with windows tinted a shade too dark to be legal to the curb. While he placed their bags in the trunk, Adin crawled into the backseat. He slid over so Sean could get in beside him. Santos got into the front passenger seat.

Adin stayed silent, thinking about what they’d said as they drove away.

Of course he’d played Donte. They’d started out as adversaries, fighting over possession of Donte’s journal. They’d manipulated each other, played lovers’ games—the catch-me-if-you-can of chemical attraction. When Bran came along, it brought another layer of contention between them. They’d fought over him, over whether Adin wanted to be turned…

But Donte
loved
him. He could feel that love, had always felt it. All Adin had to do was think of Donte to sense him, to feel his lover’s gentle reminder:
I’m here. I’ll always be here…

But Donte was directly responsible for turning him, and the fact of it, the brazen disregard of everything Adin stood for, still gnawed at him.

The truth stood between them like a wall.

And now, the darkest, angriest corner of Adin’s heart hid a wounded human man who couldn’t forgive.

“Anger leads to the dark side,” said Sean.

Adin glared at him. “No one likes a nosy fucker.”

“You think like you do everything else.” Santos turned to face him from the front seat. “You put your whole back into it. I can practically see the steam rising from here. If you want to keep your thoughts private—”

“Learn to shield. I know,” Adin said irritably. “I need to learn a lot of things.”

“Agreed.”

“But I still need at least a day before I meet your—”

“Our,” Sean corrected.

“Fine.
Our
Kind. Can it wait until after the funeral?”

“Gabriel will reschedule.” Santos turned to the driver. “See if they’ll accept us at cocktail hour tomorrow, maybe?”

“Do our kind have a cocktail hour? I shudder with dread.”

“Don’t be a prat,” Sean chided.

Adin ignored the warning. “I’m just wondering who on earth one would find to cater such an event?”

“Don’t worry about nibbles. They always have the very best of snacks.”

They rode the rest of the ride in silence.

At the hotel—the Ritz Carlton, no less—Gabriel carried Adin’s luggage to his suite and gave him his keys. “I hope you’ll be comfortable here, sir.”

“It’s great, thanks.” Adin opened the door to a luxurious sitting room—beige and gray with gold accents.

“And if you should need anything—” Gabriel handed him a card, “—you can contact me at this number.”

“Thank you.” Adin waited awkwardly, fighting the urge to tip him. He was Santos’s man. Surely he didn’t expect a tip? “Have a good evening.”

Gabriel smiled politely. “You too, sir.”

Adin closed the door behind him, shutting Gabriel out, and the world with him.

Alone for the first time since he’d been turned, he had no idea what to do with himself. The hunger that had been his constant companion was appeased for the moment, and he certainly didn’t lack for creature comforts. His room was beautifully decorated, large, and serene. He was on a floor too high for humans to hear any traffic noise, but he could hear the cars below if he listened. The walls were thick, but with his new senses, the ambient sounds formed a backdrop of white noise—low, rumbling male voices, lighter, ringing female tones, and sibilant whispers. Quiet conversations and running water and the hum of ice machines and elevators.

He was alone with his thoughts.

Alone with his monster.

Nearly alone. It was as if he heard Donte’s voice.
I’m here. I’m always here…

He closed his eyes on an answering sigh. “Don’t laugh at me, you bastard. I’m independent, but not asocial.”

His cell phone rang. He read Donte’s cell number without surprise. “Hey.”

“How was your trip?” How he loved Donte’s rich baritone voice. He could listen to Donte read prescription drug warnings.

“Uneventful.” He echoed Santos’s words.

“Where are you staying?”

“The Ritz.”

Laughter. “Of course you are.”

“It was Santos’s man who got me the room.”

“And what does Santos have planned for the evening?”

“I don’t care what he has planned. I’m putting on a fluffy robe and flipping through the television channels.”

“I’m sure Santos thinks otherwise.”

Adin kicked his shoes off and lay down on the bed. “You never told me about Kind.”

“Ah.” The sound escaped Donte with a long breath. Probably, he was smoking his new bestie—his herbal friend. “I don’t exactly fraternize. You’re going to a gathering?”

“Not tonight, if I can help it.”

“They’ll expect you. Especially since you’re unknown to them.”

“I begged off for tonight, but he says we’re going tomorrow, after Harwiche’s
funeral.”

“You must go. If you don’t, you’ll be considered rogue.”

“So what? I’m a roguish guy, don’t you think?”

“Cazzo de—” Donte sighed audibly. “Don’t be stupid about this. As a rogue you’d be subject to human law and under human jurisdiction. You won’t have the protection of the council, or federal agents like Tuan. I don’t have to tell you what a sunny day in a prison recreation yard would do to your complexion.”

“Oh, come on. I’m law-abiding. What would I get arrested for?”

“That’s not the point, Adin, and you know it. There are other things that can happen to a rogue vampire, and some of them—”

“All right,” Adin agreed, just to placate him. “I’ll present myself and get my secret vampire handshake soon. Can we move on now?”

“Be careful when you go. Kind gatherings can be dangerous. Our world is full of secret alliances.”

“No kidding.” Adin let his head fall back onto the pillow. Clouds of downy softness and high-thread-count linen enveloped him.

“And mind that waspish tongue of yours, at least until you know all the players. Santos and Sean will guide you.”

“I’m not a total idiot.” Adin considered Donte’s words. “Why isn’t it killing you that I’m out here in the big bad world all alone?”

“It is killing me.” Donte ground the words out as if they scraped his throat raw, then sighed. “At the same time, I’m feeling very relaxed. I believe I’ll become a marijuana grower. The only problem is none of our neighbors will survive my appetite.”

“God, I hope you’re kidding.”

“I am. Although suddenly I long for a bag of crisps.” A long, protracted sigh. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too. So much. I didn’t think I’d feel so lost so soon. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe—”

“Have you forgotten my perfidy already? Why not fall back on your anger to keep you grounded?”

As if Donte’d thrown a bucket of cold water on him, Adin sat up quickly. “Why would you even remind me of that, when—”

“Why not?” Donte asked. “Have you forgiven me?”

Adin’s fingers tightened on his phone. “No, I haven’t.”

“I’m greatly relieved. I was thinking now that you’re gone, I should have Boaz join me. Maybe I can finally get some actual work done.”

“You bastard.” Adin went to the window and yanked the curtain aside. Everywhere he looked the city was alive with lights and motion. “If you were waiting for my anger to die down before bringing him back, you could have saved yourself some trouble. You should have called him as soon as you admitted the truth.”