All That Bleeds (21 page)

He didn’t need an explanation and wouldn’t waste their time together listening to one. “Good luck with that.” He raised the medallion.

She narrowed her eyes. “What did you mean by strategy?”

His blood quickened at the challenge in her aquamarine gaze. “The prey runs; the predator chases. It’s instinct. If you actually want to get away, are uncertainty and retreat your best strategy?”

“I am not your prey.”

She might object to the terms, but they were clearly engaged in a ritual as old as time. He quirked a brow.

“Don’t patronize me,” she snapped.

He studied her. She was angrier than he’d expected.

“I can change my mind. That doesn’t absolve you of civilized behavior. Human beings are capable of ignoring their instincts. And before you say that ventala are not human, save your breath. You have more control than anyone I know. People shove blades and gun barrels against your skin, and you don’t even react. That completely defies instinct.”

“I never said I wasn’t capable of ignoring my instincts when I want to.”

“Meaning what? That if I tried to run away, you’d
enjoy
hunting me?”

“Well, it’s not my favorite of the proposed scenarios. I liked it better when you were going to have and destroy me. But if you lose your nerve and play hard to get, I’ll pursue you. Genetically, that’s my job.”

“As a man or as a vampire?”

“Pick one.”

“I don’t like being called prey.”

“Noted.”

“Do you understand why I hate it? Real predators kill their prey. I’ve been hunted by men I would characterize as predators. Stalkers who were so driven by their impulses, they would rather have killed me than be denied what they wanted. The intensity of their obsession made them feel entitled to me, whether I wanted them or not.”

He frowned, finally understanding why his word choice had been a miscalculation. Most women he flirted with
wanted him to chase them. Uncovering his predatory nature was part of the thrill. But none of them were muses who’d been the victims of stalkers.

“Do you want me to go?” he asked. He kept his tone even, but his body tensed. This opportunity for them to spend time together might never come again. When it was over, he at least wanted his memories of it. He wasn’t ready to be cast out yet.

“If I wanted you to go, would you?” she asked.

Knowing the right answer, he nodded. She wanted to play with fire, but she wanted reassurance that she wouldn’t be burned.

She stared into his eyes, weighing his sincerity. He doubted it was a thing she could assess, since he didn’t know himself whether he told the truth. Of course, he wouldn’t hurt her, but would he leave if she asked him to? If she really wanted that, he probably would. He thought about how he’d let Tobin go so he could keep his promise to her. She had the kind of influence over him that no one else ever had. He needed to be careful of that. Their interests might not always run parallel.

“I’m sorry,” she said, exhaling, “for implying that I can’t trust you. If you’d wanted to hurt me, you could have already. It’s only that I hear the council’s warnings in my head. I also wonder if I can really trust myself to be a good enough judge of character, given that I’ve made mistakes in the past. That reference to being stalked like prey dredged up memories. None of that is your fault, though, so I’m sorry.”

“You have cause to be suspicious of any man who goes to extraordinary lengths to get near you, especially one who’s half vampire.”

She stepped forward and laid her palm against his cheek. “I don’t want you to go. Although if you stay, I’m still not sure what I’m going to do with you. Maybe you’ll get fed up and leave before I figure it out.”

He shook his head.

“Then again, maybe not,” she said with a small smile. “He conquers who endures.”

Dimitri sat in a wingback chair with a file open on his lap. His black pinstripe power suit and platinum cuff links signaled the seriousness of their meeting. He was clearly on his way to the Dome.

He stood and embraced her briefly before reclaiming his seat. He set the file on the round side table as she sat down, and she noticed that there were savory breakfast turnovers and coffee there as well. The staff catered to him as if he were at home.

“I’m sorry for my part in last night’s unpleasantness,” she said. “Troy and I have had some trouble in the past, but I know that exchange was really uncomfortable for you and Grant to see.”

“I’m not worried about angry words spoken behind closed doors. Sometimes that helps clear the air. I’m concerned about the implications of the accusations that were made. Do you have any evidence, concrete or not, that Troy put you in danger?”

“No, I spoke rashly. I’m sure that those ventala were there for some unrelated reason.”

“They were. According to Theo Tobin, they were looking for him.”

“Oh.” Her hands went to the chair’s arms, but she forced herself to rest them lightly. “Did he say why?”

“They wanted to buy some pictures and information from
him. When he refused, they beat him. He stopped in Handyrock’s on his way back to the Etherlin.”

She nodded.

“Though clearly there are some missing pieces of the story. No one with a battered face and body, who’s being hunted by the perpetrators that assaulted him, stops in for a drink at a club his assailants might search. Why wouldn’t he have simply come home? If he needed a drink, he could’ve gotten one at a club in the Etherlin or from his liquor cabinet, presumably.”

When she didn’t answer, Dimitri added, “Any thoughts?”

She shook her head.

“Grant says Theo called you.”

“How does Grant know that?”

“He reviewed the phone records.”

She pursed her lips. “I was told that allowing my bills to be paid by the community fund did not mean that my calls would be a matter of public record.”

“Grant’s hardly the public. There’s just been a major violent incident. He’s the head of Etherlin Security, and he’s investigating. I’m surprised that the thing you’re worried about is an invasion of your privacy.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry. Grant and I haven’t been as close lately as we once were, and we strongly disagree about me refusing an ES detail when I’m in the Etherlin. Ever since the attack on the Arts & Innovation Ball, when I became aware that an ES bodyguard would hold me against my will if he thought it was the best way to protect me, I’ve been uncomfortable.”

“But ES has neutralized so many threats. You wouldn’t be alive or be able to function the way you do without security. Surely you see that.”

“I do. I’m grateful to them. I just don’t want to feel like I’m under house arrest or under constant surveillance by people who report to the EC rather than me.”

“Do you have something to hide?”

“Does Cerise? Does Ileana? Dorie? They’ve all been offered permanent twenty-four-hour protection, and they’ve all refused live-in bodyguards.” She folded her hands on her
lap. “I do understand the need for security. Especially after last night. As luck would have it, I’ve become friends with a member of a consultant security firm. For now, I’d like to have him provide additional personal security.”

“Who is he? Have you talked to Grant about it?”

“Where is Grant today?”

“He’s in the Sliver, assisting with the investigation there.”

She nodded. “Exactly.” She steepled her fingers. “I’ve known for a while that Grant’s first loyalty is to his ambition. I think he’s going to be a wonderful council member one day. He’s kind and fair, and he cares so much about the community. Unfortunately, I sometimes feel that as he focuses on the big picture, he forgets that I’m not just a muse. I’m also a young woman who wants a voice in all the decisions that affect her immediate surroundings. Mr. Clark was a very qualified ES officer, but he was also uncompromising and often condescending. When it comes to a personal bodyguard, I need to be the one to choose him.”

“Who’s the security consultant?”

“His name is Len Mills. His firm was selected and vetted by ES, so I think he’s a good compromise.”

“It’s natural to want to exert your independence, but by doing this, you’ll appear critical of ES and, by extension, the Etherlin Council. Is that the impression you want to give as we head into the vote?”

“I’m not planning to flaunt my decision. I respect ES, and I’m very grateful to the Etherlin Council. The work you do allows me to do my work without having to concern myself with so many other things. I really value that. I know my mom did, too. As a muse, I want to spend my time studying and working with aspirants. I don’t want to manage a household or choose financial investments. I really am happy to leave that in the council’s hands.

“I just don’t want to feel like I’m being watched and judged every moment. I know we’re in the middle of the competition now, but afterward, I expect to be able to work in peace. I’ll certainly always do my best to represent the Etherlin well, and I won’t take needless chances. You can be sure I’ll never leave the Etherlin without security
again. But as an adult muse, I need a say in decisions that pertain to me.”

“By raising this issue now, you’re putting your life’s work in jeopardy.”

“My work speaks for itself. I’m the most accomplished muse. I’d also make the best leader, since I’m the most open to working with the other women. I won’t try to exclude anyone, thereby squandering valuable talent.” Her implied meaning didn’t need to be stated. Dimitri already knew that any of the others would try to close ranks, leaving her out of any combined muse efforts.

“I know you’re intelligent and savvy about these things, which makes me wonder why you’re courting controversy now.”

He’s going to keep pressing the issue of the timing. If you really want to keep Merrick here in the guise of Len Mills, Dimitri will have to be convinced an outside consultant is necessary.

“I don’t have a choice.” She studied Dimitri’s face, wanting to gauge his reaction to what she would say next. “Someone attempted to abduct me recently, and someone I know may have been involved.”

He looked genuinely shocked. “What?” he sputtered. “Were you hurt? Who—?”

“Grant’s looking into it. I haven’t said anything to anyone else because I don’t want to disrupt the Wreath Muse activities and the EC’s vote. I know ES is supposed to be unbiased, but the individual officers have their favorites, I’m sure. That’s the reason I’d like additional security from outside the Etherlin.”

Dimitri stared at her. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about this immediately.”

“I didn’t want you to worry.”

A clock in the hallway chimed, and he looked up. “You’re leaving in the morning for the retreat center?”

She nodded.

“I’ll make sure we send extra security. I can’t be there myself until tomorrow evening. If you need to reach me, don’t hesitate to call. One other thing.
Is there any possibility Theo Tobin was involved?”

“I don’t know. Why?”

“Because Tobin’s going to be among the photographers.”

Despite being keyed up, Alissa had lunch with Merrick. She noticed that he ate very little and licked his lips numerous times as though they were dry. She remembered reading that repeatedly licking their lips was an early sign of bloodthirst in a ventala. At the moment, it was difficult to get a sense of how he was feeling since he was buried beneath the heavy glamour of the Ovid Medallion. It took some getting used to. She missed his real face.

“You bled quite a bit. Will you need blood? The retreat center’s isolated, and I’m sure you realize there’s no blood-derivative available in the Etherlin.”

He didn’t look worried, but his silence felt evasive. He probably hadn’t anticipated losing blood. How long until he’d need to feed?

“Will the lack of blood supply be an issue?”

The shake of his head was barely perceptible, and her instincts told her he wasn’t being honest.

“The retreat center—tell me about it,” he said.

She eyed him. If he didn’t want to talk about the blood situation, she couldn’t force him, but it made her uneasy.

“The center’s incredible,” she said. The retreat center had been her idea, and it was one of the few projects about which all the muses had been excited. “Ileana Rella, whose area is architecture, helped inspire the most amazing design. You’ll have to see it to appreciate it.

“The drive takes a few hours, but it’s worth it. Normally I’ll have several rooms at my disposal, but on this trip there will be some members of the media photographing the new center and writing articles about it and us. Etherlin Security might want to house you with their security officers.”

When Merrick didn’t answer, she glanced at him. He licked his lips and drank a couple swallows of tomato juice that had been fortified with iron powder.

“That’s okay, I take it?”

“I’ll be in the room that best allows me to protect you.”

“The rooms might already be assigned.”

He shrugged as if that wouldn’t be an obstacle to his rearranging things.

She leaned forward. “There’s more to a disguise than changing your looks, you know.”

He glanced at her as he drank more juice.

“There’s an air about you that’s too much your own. You need to act like we’re friends
and
as if you work for me. People will expect you to behave a certain way.”

He squinted at the light streaming in through the dining room windows, then stood and turned his back to them and slid on dark sunglasses.

She frowned, realizing that despite the human visage, the daylight still hurt his eyes. “I didn’t think this through. There will be times at the center when I’ll have to be outside. There’s so much reflected light off the snow. It’s blindingly bright in some places.”

He drank the rest of the juice while standing, saying nothing in response.

Since he was a consultant, ES would be watching his every move. They were bound to notice his sensitivity to light.

He set the glass down. At her sigh of exasperation, the corners of his mouth quirked up.

“This is not a game, Merrick. If we’re caught—”