Blood and Sand (17 page)

“Uh huh.”

“And so is B.”

“They both are now.”

Natalie let her head fall to the table and the tears come to her eyes. “I give up. Logic has no place in this world anymore. I’m falling down the rabbit hole. Taking the blue pill. Or the red one. Whatever.”

Dez started rubbing small circles on her back. “You’ll get used to it. I remember being pretty freaked out when Beatrice first told me. Want some wine?”

Wine sounded… like a pretty good idea, actually. “How many bottles do you have?”

As it turned out, just one bottle and Natalie was feeling significantly better.

“Wait, wait, wait…” She and Dez were sitting in the guest room on the second floor in their pajamas. Matt had already put the baby to bed and made a couple of phone calls before he gave Dez a kiss and retired for the night. “So, Beatrice De Novo is a
water
vampire now—”

“Uh huh.”

“And she’s married to a
fire
vampire?”

“He’s kind of a badass.”

“Fire and water.” Natalie wiggled her eyebrows. “
Steamy
.”

Dez burst into laughter. “And you’re a little drunk.”

“Not nearly enough, trust me.” She c s me oflosed her eyes and the pleasant buzz made her sigh. Wine made everything better. “He’s a really good kisser.”

“That’s what I hear,” Dez said, pouring another glass. “Oh, wait. You’re not talking about Gio, are you?”

“Who’s Gio?” She frowned. “Oh, right. Fire dude. No, not him.”

“Baojia?”

She sighed and fell back into the pile of pillows. “Yes. I hate that he’s so sexy.”

“Why not just enjoy it? A good kisser, huh?”

“Very good. Very… thorough. I mean, when he kisses you, you feel
kissed
.”

“That makes…” Dez laughed. “…complete sense.”

“Hush. It does to me.” Her head was spinning now, but she wasn’t sure if it was from the wine or the memory of a very skilled mouth. With fangs.

“He has fangs. Am I going to cut my lips every time I kiss him? I’m not sure that’s a good idea…”

Dez ignored her. “I saw him sparring with Beatrice once. No shirt. The view was very nice.”

“Uh huh.” She nodded. Maybe she needed to stop; it was getting a bit swirly up there. “That’s right, B always did the martial arts, didn’t she? I wonder if I should take some.”

“Probably. It’s good self-defense. And you might be able to convince someone to give you some one-on-one lessons.” Dez grinned.

“Don’t encourage me. You know this can’t be healthy.” She groaned and sat up again. “I should drink some water and go to bed. It’s been a very long few days.”

“You should.” Dez stood up and collected the glasses while Natalie pulled back the covers and slipped into bed. “Sleep as long as you can. Trust me, with this bunch, sometimes sleep is hard to come by.”

“Thanks for everything, Dez.”

“No problem. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

“Yeah?” She shook her head. “Probably not. Because… he’s still going to be a vampire, and I’m still going to be a human.”

Dez walked to the door and opened it. “Hey, Nat?”

“Hmm?”

“I have no idea how he feels. He doesn’t seem like the kind to wear his heart on his sleeve or anything. But… don’t rule anything out, okay?”

Natalie had to fight back the urge to cry. Stupid wine. “He’s not like us.”

“No, he’s definitely not.” Dez’s eyes suddenly took on a depth that the friendly blond woman rarely revealed. “But I’ve seen some pretty amazing things the past few years. And I know we’re more alike than we’re different.”

More alike than different?
Maybe
.

Natalie nodded. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

When she dreamed that night, she was sitting in the sunlight next to him, and he was laughing.
 

“You’re ridiculous,” he said.

“You love it.”

The smile made the corners of his eyes crease and his teeth flashed in the sun. “I do.”

He leaned forward, brushing her mouth with his. Her arms opened to welcome him and he embraced her. His skin was warm from the hot summer sun. Brown and smooth under her fingers. He kissed her again and again, teasing her lips apart as he played with a lock of hair at her temple. They were on the beach; she could hear water in t sar
“Probahe background and the sand was warm under her legs.
 

He pulled away, put his hand on her shoulder and shook her. “We have to go.”

She frowned. He wasn’t laughing. He looked deadly serious, and he said it again.

“We have to go.”

Natalie blinked awake. The moon was still visible from the corner of her eye and the room was dark. Baojia was standing over her, a hand on her shoulder, shaking her awake.

“Natalie, we have to go now.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Baojia was still feeling a sense of unease as he drove away from the Kirbys’ comfortable, secure home. Matt was almost as paranoid as he was about safety, and the human had just become a father. The house had the best security money could buy, complete with surveillance, motion and heat sensors, and an armed guard that Mrs. Kirby probably didn’t know about. It was obvious Matt took no chances with his family. There were only a few places more secure in the city of Los Angeles, and those had systems Baojia had designed himself.

No, it wasn’t Natalie’s safety that had him uneasy. It was the distance in her eyes. It set his teeth on edge. Her silence in the car had annoyed him. Her eagerness to leave his presence at her friend’s house had annoyed him. And the fact that he was so irritated about her mood annoyed him.

“I’m brooding more than the Italian,” he muttered, steering the car toward Long Beach. He hadn’t called or announced his presence in LA. He knew from talking with Rory the night before everything fell apart in Mexico that Ernesto was staying in the house in Long Beach. When Baojia showed up, he’d just have to talk to him. He saw the guard’s eyes widen when his car pulled up.

“Good evening, sir. Is Mr. Al—”

“Open the gate, Jim. He’s not expecting me, but I need to talk to him.”

He stared the human guard down. It only lasted a few minutes. Sad. That was far too easy. The man would have to be replaced. As he parked the car and walked into the house, he noticed all sorts of areas that needed improving.

“Outside perimeter is weak,” he said quietly. “Not enough lighting or guards.”

He brushed past the humans at the door. “Too many humans; not enough vampires.” What the hell was Rory doing?

Baojia knew the minute the real security caught him. Thank God someone was actually working. He was halfway to the library before a real impediment emerged.

“Baojia.” His second-in-command, Nicholas, held up a hand. “Please wait.”

“Ridiculous.” Baojia snorted. “If I was trying to break in and harm him—”

“You’re preaching to the choir on that one,” his former assistant murmured. “But you know there’s not much I can do.”

“I’m glad
you’re
here, at least. Let him know it’s me and I have to talk to him.”

“You know he won’t be pleased.”

“Of course I do. Which should tell you how serious this is.”

Nick nodded for two younger vampires to come stand on either side of him. “I’ll go announce you.”

“Fine.”

“Please don’t kill the boys if I take too long. They’re new, and I’m still training them.”

He rolled his eyes. “Just go, Nick.”

The younger vampire disappeared toward the library and Nick’s two foot soldiers stared at him in silent awe. At one point, he leaned toward the library, just to see them jump. He was still wearing the twin blades he had taken to Mexico. Nick had forgotten to check him for weapons, which was foolish. He’d have to speak to him about that. A few minutes later, he heard steps coming down the hall and a familiar energy reached out.

“Paula.”

“
Hermanito
.” She made a quick motion and the two guards departed. “What are you doing here?”

“I have to see him. Is he in the library?”

“What happened at the casino last night? Jared called me in a panic. There was a young woman killed?”

“That’s what I need to speak with him about.”

She looked flustered, which didn’t seem right. “Well, why didn’t you call Rory? If you’d gone through him—”

“Paula, I need to speak to my sire.” His words became clipped. “Is he in the library? I’ll deal with his temper.”

Nick’s voice broke in. “Baojia?”

“Yes?”

“He’s waiting.”

Baojia frowned as Paula stepped away from him. She did not follow him, but turned and walked in the direction of her office. He smothered the fleeting hope he’d felt for a moment when he’d seen her face. He hadn’t been face-to-face with his sire in almost three years. Baojia had hoped for months the invitation would come. Had hoped he would be forgiven and welcomed back. But he knew whatever eventual homecoming happened, his father would not forgive this impertinence. Baojia had been sent away; it was up to Ernesto to set the terms of his return. By appearing like this, he might never be welcomed back as an honored son.

He took a calming breath. His sire’s reputation and safety were more important than Baojia’s own position. He walked toward his fate with resolve.

When Nick opened the door, Baojia saw him. The rush of affection was natural, the blood in his veins recognized the immortal who had given him life. But layered upon that were years of devotion and respect. “Father?”

Ernesto did not look up from his seat behind his desk.

“Father, I ask your forgiv—”

“Why do you come to my home when you have not been called?”

The sting was immediate and ripping. He swallowed the hard lump in his throat. “I must tell you—”

“There was a human murdered and her body dumped near the Salton City casino. Your brother has already informed me. What did you do with the body? The human authorities should have been contacted. This is not a concern of mine.”

“But it is.”

“I am told it is not.”

Baojia frowned. “Who has told you this?”

His father finally looked up. “What have you done with it, Baojia? Why are you going against protocol? The human police should have been called.”

“There is something very wrong here. I did not take her body, Father. Tulio did, along with the others.”

He heard his sire start to grumble. “That meddling hermit. I should kick him out of my territory.”

“I would not advise that.”

“And what would you advise?” His voice rose. “Going down to Ensenada after foolish women? Attacking a rival organization’s guards? Confiding in a
newspaper reporter
?”

It was worse than {as e ru he’d anticipated. “If you would let me explain—”

“Explain what?” Ernesto’s anger was legendary, as loud as his child’s was silent. His voice echoed through the house, and Baojia could hear the guards scurry to the door.

“There are humans being murdered in the desert by vampires,” Baojia said, keeping his voice even and calm. “Bodies have been dropped on your land like some dog pissing on a tree, marking his territory. Whoever is doing this is threatening you, your reputation, and everyone under your aegis. Father, you have to listen—”

“Do not call me your father as you stand before me, insulting me with your presence!”

Baojia could not breathe. The pain radiated from his chest as Ernesto rose to his feet.

Ernesto continued on. “Do you think I am incapable of seeing what is before me? Do you think I need you to tell me what is and isn’t a threat?”

He forced himself to speak. “Someone in the cartel—it might only be Ivan, but it could be more—is testing you.”

“Stop trying to justify yourself and leave my presence. Maybe someday I will forgive this disrespect.”

“There is something very wrong with the bodies of these girls.” He looked at the floor, swallowed back the lump in his throat, and kept talking. “Packs are feeding from them—”

“Get out.”

“—and their blood is tainted by something that makes it—”

“I will have your own men remove you, if I must.”

“You must listen to me!” Baojia roared, raising his voice to his sire for the first time in over 120 years. He raised his eyes and met Ernesto’s shocked stare. Slowly, the shock fell away to be replaced by a cold expression.

“You will bring this reporter—the woman from Mexico—to me. Leave her here and return to San Diego.”

His own temper, so long buried, roused itself. “I will not.”

Ernesto stared at him, his eyes narrowing as he bared his fangs. “You will do this, or I will have it done.”

Baojia let his lips curl back, his own fangs long in his mouth. “No, you will not.”

Slowly, his sire’s face fell, shock returning as he stared at his child. “Baojia?”