Blonde and Blue (5 page)

I gave Shaz a look, warning him not to say anything now that could wait until later. Other than the quiet, knowing fury burning in his jade eyes, he was calm. I moved so that Arys could take my spot on the step. He and Kylarai didn’t bother to exchange pleasantries. It wasn’t required, and they had a somewhat strained acquaintanceship as it was.

“It’ll be easier if I can touch you.” Arys was gentle as he held Kylarai’s damaged hand.

Zoey sat stiffly, her discomfort with Arys plain, but she watched him with curiosity. Ky wiped at the remains of her tears with her free hand. I could feel the tension in Shaz’ stiff posture. I followed his gaze to Kylarai. He wasn’t happy. I loved him for caring as much as he did.

“Shaz, please. Don’t do anything to Julian.” Kylarai pleaded. “He’s not worth it.”

I felt it when Arys pushed healing energy into Ky. She gasped but remained still. Arys’ fingers lightly brushed the surface of her bruised skin. She would be pain-free within minutes. Arys was a master at healing.

“You know what, Ky?” Shaz paced on the neatly cut lawn. “I won’t do anything to him yet, though God only knows why you care. Guys like him deserve a lot more than an ass-kicking. He’s definitely getting at least that much.”

“I just don’t want to think about it now. I need to get some sleep.” Her eyes widened, and she looked at Arys. “What in the hell?”

Arys’ power had a sensual quality.  I hid a smile, knowing she was reacting to him against her will. Kylarai didn’t like the power that Arys and I had. It made her uneasy, but right now, it was for her own good.

“Take it easy for a few hours. You’ll be fine.” Arys released Kylarai’s hand, and she stared at it in wonder.

“Thank you, Arys.”

He rose and came to me. I noted how he “casually” scanned the street, and it gave me a shock. What did he think was out there?

“We need to go. I don’t think anyone followed you, but I don’t want to chance leading the wrong person to Ky’s house. She has nothing to do with this. Better to keep it that way.”

I stared at him in silence, unsure how to respond. He was freaking me out. The darkness suddenly seemed threatening, and I wanted to go home.

Zoey’s slight rasp broke the quiet. “Are you guys in some kind of trouble?”

“Nothing that can’t be dealt with.” Arys sounded confident.

Kylarai met my eyes, and I knew what she was thinking. Just as I had kept my mouth shut about being right about Julian, she did the same. She didn’t trust Arys and knew our bond made me a target for power seekers. I couldn’t hold it against her, but I hoped like hell she wouldn’t get a reason to feel justified in that distrust.

“Call me tomorrow, Ky. Get some rest and try to feel better.” I paused to give her a hug before waving to Zoey as Arys ushered me down the driveway.

I paused when we reached my car, but he wouldn’t give me a chance to speak. “Get in your car. Drive home. We’ll follow you.”

I looked past him to Shaz’ Chevy parked on the street. Shaz lingered nearby, waiting to leave. Swallowing hard, I opened my car door and dropped into the driver’s seat. I’d find out everything in a matter of minutes. The five-minute drive home would be just enough time to work myself into a nice state of panic.

Chapter Four

My hands shook despite the coffee cup I clutched. I took a deep breath, trying to stay rational. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I felt like I’d stumbled into someone else’s life. Surely, this couldn’t be mine.

“This is more than I think I can handle tonight. How long have you known about this?” I stared into the mug of creamy coffee, wishing I could find comfort in it like I used to.

Arys sat across from me, his posture stiff despite his attempt at casual. He wasn’t fooling me. “A few weeks. I didn’t want to say anything to you two until I knew for sure. I should have stayed in Vegas long enough to tie up loose ends.”

“You said that you’d taken care of everything there. Didn’t you leave someone in charge?” I was grasping at straws, and I knew it.

“He’s dead.” Arys ran a hand through his hair and dropped his gaze to the floor. “By getting involved in Harley’s Vegas business, I fucked with his involvement in a blood ring. I was too caught up in everything surrounding his death and the conflict here. I knew about this. I just didn’t think these guys would take it this far.”

Shaz paced around the room, clenching his jaw. He hadn’t said much since we got to my place. “So what it really boils down to is that the power you’re packing can’t protect you from everything. You put Alexa in danger.”

“Harley’s death put Alexa in danger. And you too, pup.” Arys’ gaze followed Shaz’ motions. “Do you understand what I’m really telling you here? Yes, I was the one who went to Vegas and messed with his business, but you two took him out. And, that left a hole in this blood ring. These guys lost a partner and a supplier, not to mention the most powerful vampire in Vegas. They’ll be looking for payback.”

I tensed when I felt Shaz’ wolf rise to the surface. This was a serious situation. We were all in deep shit. Losing it on each other wasn’t going to solve anything though.

“A supplier? How bad is it?” Shaz stopped mere feet from Arys and stared down at the vampire.

“It’s bad.” Arys met Shaz’ eyes evenly. “These guys deal in serious fetish kills. Children, virgins, pregnant women … you name it, they have it. It ain’t pretty.”

My stomach turned as revolting images flooded my thoughts. “God, that’s so friggin’ disgusting.”

“So now what?” Shaz glanced from Arys to me, worry heavy in his gaze. “What exactly do they want?”

I had to admit, some naive part of me had never entertained the idea of the kinds of fetish kills Arys had described. I didn’t want it to exist. I knew I lived in a world of blood and death. But this? This was beyond what I knew. It was vile.

Arys was surprisingly calm. “Retribution, I guess.”

“What does that mean?” I forced the question out, afraid to hear the answer.

“They took my guy apart piece by piece before they killed him. They spent all night doing it. This is a dead serious business, one I’ve managed to stay the hell away from. Until now.” The troubled shadows in Arys’ midnight blue eyes were chilling. “They’ll want Harley’s killers to take his place in their circle. Or, they might just want an excuse to stir up shit in our city. It’s hard to say really.”

“Piece by piece?” I sputtered around a sip of coffee.

“With Harley missing and his Vegas businesses shut down, I can imagine it had a big impact on them. It’s anyone’s guess what they’ll do.”

Shaz resumed his slow pacing. I wanted to tell him to sit down already because it was driving me crazy, but it seemed to be keeping him from jumping all over Arys. He was angry though. I could feel it rolling off him.

“So all this power you and Alexa have, enough that she killed Harley … none of this means anything to them? It doesn’t protect you or make you a threat to these people?” Shaz’ tone was accusing, and his clenched fists shook. “If not, then what the fuck is it good for? It has just  put all of us in danger.”

Arys made a frustrated noise that sounded a little too close to a growl for my liking. “Look, wolf,” he snapped. “Nobody has power like what I share with Alexa, but power comes in many forms. There are others that possess enough to make them a serious force to be reckoned with, and there are a lot of them. The vampires that benefit from a blood ring like this are nothing like the bottom feeders you see at The Wicked Kiss. This is a whole different kind of vampire, my friend, and they are not fucking around.”

“Oh  yeah?” Shaz snarled with a viciousness that had me up off my chair. “Where do you fit in, Arys? What kind of vampire are you?”

 “Ok guys, that’s enough.” I didn’t give Arys a chance to snap back at Shaz. Arys had done some horrific things to his victims in the past. That wasn’t the point right now. “Let’s try to keep our heads here. This is obviously stressful enough without taking shots at each other.”

They both continued to glare darkly at one another though they remained silent. Shaz sat down in the chair I’d just vacated, a major relief. He was quiet when he spoke next.

“So what do we do then? Wait around for these bastards to show their faces?”

“I wish I could tell you.” Arys didn’t look at him when he replied. “I don’t know what they intend to do. All I know is that if they want something, they’ll come for it.”

I had to resist the urge to take up pacing where Shaz left off. I felt restless and trapped. “So, this is like the vampire mob or something? I don’t want any part of it.”

Arys actually chuckled at that, and I frowned. “Oh, Alexa. Sometimes I forget how new to this world you still are. These creatures are killers and nothing less. They want the pain and the agony of their victim more than they want the actual death. Dragging out every moment until that final breath, for days even, that’s what they enjoy. They are not vampires consuming blood to survive. They are true killers that make death an art form.”

“Ok,” I murmured more to myself than to either of them. “No reassurance there.”

“What is it that makes you so different?” Shaz’ question rang with challenge. “You’re a killer, Arys.”

I tensed, fearing what Arys might say to that. He was a killer, there was no disputing that. But, I’d killed too without reason and would have done so again if Kale hadn’t stopped me. Could Shaz judge Arys as a killer without including me in that?

Arys rose and headed for the short flight of stairs that led up to the main level from the sunken living room. He paused at the bottom and looked thoughtfully at Shaz. “Even I know that you’re not truly that narrow-minded, pup. You were right there by Alexa’s side when she killed Harley. You tore his throat out, did you not? Like it or not, we’re in this together. Better get used to it.”

I followed Arys to the front door, exhaustion setting in. Sunrise couldn’t come fast enough. All I wanted to do was drop into bed. So much for that bath I’d planned.

“This will all blow over. Right?” I could hear the uncertainty in my voice, and it made me cringe.

Arys drew me into his embrace, hugging me close. He deeply inhaled my scent, and I snuggled in closer.

“Of course,” he whispered. “We’ll deal with it. In the meantime, stay alert. Make sure you’re not followed, and try not to be out alone too often until this is settled. Shaz, too.”

His kiss was loving and tender. I melted when he slipped his tongue into my mouth. I would have had much more appreciation for it if we hadn’t just been discussing fetish kills for vampires.

The pre-dawn sky was beginning to show signs of the coming sunrise. Reluctantly, Arys pulled away and opened the door. I watched him disappear into what remained of the night. I was coming to realize that there was no such thing as a normal life. Not for me. At least, not anymore.

Chapter Five

I didn’t expect to see Kale’s car in the parking lot when I got to the office. Good. I had a few things to say to him after I was through speaking with Veryl. It had been a while since the bossman had wanted to see me. Our relationship was strained. I had little to say to him these days.

I’m not sure what made me do it, but I cloaked my presence before exiting the car. Neither of them would be able to detect me. Another advantage of being other than human was how easy it was to slip inside unheard. The front door made the slightest squeak, causing me to swear beneath my breath.

Pausing in the entryway, I listened to the sounds of the office. My sensitive ears picked up the low tones of two male voices. The sound of the clock ticking in the kitchen was especially loud as I concentrated. Whatever Veryl and Kale were discussing, it was heated.

I really hadn’t intended to eavesdrop when I snuck inside. I was simply curious, and lately, I’d been incredibly suspicious. I was in the dark on too many of the things going on around here. That had to stop.

I slowly made my way down the hall. Veryl’s door was at the very end. It was closed. Their voices carried, and I was surprised to hear the absolute venom in Kale’s tone. It was a far cry from his usual calm, cool and collected. Interesting.

“She’s never going to do it, you know. You need to tell her what’s really going on around here. And when you do, shit is going to hit the fan.”

There was silence, and I held my breath, waiting for Veryl’s response. I had a sick feeling in my stomach that the “her” in their conversation was me. We worked with a few other women. It could be any of them, right? Yeah, not likely.