Christian (Vampires in America: The Vampire Wars Book 10) (22 page)

She
was
tired. But it was a sated sort of exhaustion, the kind that made her want to stretch with contentment. It was also the sort that made her want to curl up next to Christian, and sleep it off
together
. And then she wanted to wake up in his arms, and do it all over again. But that wasn’t going to happen. She wondered when he’d trust her enough to sleep with her. It made her a little sad that he still didn’t.

She felt her eyes closing in spite of her thoughts, felt the soft brush of his lips on her forehead, and then he was pulling the covers back and lifting her beneath them.

The last thing she remembered was the sound of his deep voice. “Sleep,
mon amour
.”

CHRISTIAN WAITED until he was sure Natalie was deep in her dreams, then climbed out of the bed, and headed for the basement and his secure sleeping vault. He hated leaving her, hated knowing that she would wake up alone, as would he. But he wasn’t sure she was ready for the reality of a vampire lover, or that
he
was ready to drag her into the hazards of his life. She was already in danger because of him, and it would only get worse once he became Lord of the South.

ANTHONY STARED out the window at the Houston skyline, seething with so much anger that his fangs were pressed against his lips and blood dripped from his palms where his nails had pierced the skin. Fucking Christian Duvall. Why couldn’t he have stayed where he belonged? Or better yet, why hadn’t Hubert killed him the moment he made it clear that he was no longer playing the European’s game? That had been the moment of Duvall’s greatest vulnerability, the perfect moment to strike. But had Hubert recognized it? Had he seized that moment and rid them all of the danger that was Christian Duvall? No, that idiot European had been too busy turning peasants into mindless soldiers. If you could call those things soldiers. They had not an ounce of independent will, and were a bit too fervent in their worship of Hubert, even for
his
taste.

It was too late for that now. No point in moaning over the past. The fact was that Duvall was still alive and ruining all of Anthony’s carefully laid plans. Because of Duvall, he was forced to hide away in this condo, while waiting on Hubert to make his move. But far more egregious was the way that French bastard had moved in and stolen Natalie right from under his thumb. He’d had her there for nearly two years, while he plotted and planned for their future together. And maybe he’d been foolish not to have made his move sooner. She was, after all, a young woman. And like all women, she wanted a man to love and protect her, to provide a home that she could turn into a gracious reflection of their lives. And he’d planned to give that to her, he still would. But he hadn’t wanted to begin their lives together under Raphael’s thumb. She was to be part of his
new
life, a life where he was in full command of his destiny, of
their
destiny together.

He knew for a fact that she hadn’t taken a lover the whole time she’d been in Houston. And she’d never fallen for the easy seduction of his vampires, despite her many opportunities. She’d been waiting for him, but perhaps he’d made her wait too long.

He slammed a hand down onto the thick arm of his chair. He couldn’t believe she’d fallen for Duvall, of all people. He was a player, anyone could see that. It was all a game to him, one woman after the next. And now
his
Natalie had become the fucker’s next target. Assuming he hadn’t already bedded her. But Anthony couldn’t believe that. He
knew
his woman. She was meant for
him
. She would see that, once he got her away from Duvall. But he’d have to move fast, before it was too late.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t be the one to rescue her, because Raphael was making a big fucking deal about Jaclyn’s bodyguard. Or lover, or whatever he was to her. Who cared? He’d needed a few moments alone with Natalie, and the vamp was in the way. So he’d blanked a bit of the vamp’s memories. It wasn’t anything the great Raphael hadn’t done a thousand times. If Natalie hadn’t noticed the change and innocently pointed it out, no one would have been wiser. In retrospect, he should have told Natalie what he’d done, and asked her not to mention it. But again, that was the past.

If he was going to get what he deserved, what he’d been working toward since he’d taken over the South, he needed to look forward, to the next move in his plan.

He’d already spoken to his allies, and Duvall would soon be nothing but a memory. But first, he had to get his Natalie to safety. He couldn’t risk something happening to her by accident, just because she’d been taken in by that Frenchman. Which brought him full circle. He had to get her away from Duvall, and for that, he’d require help.

The doorbell rang, sounding loud in the nearly empty condominium. No one but his closest children knew about this place, and he’d taken only a handful of those with him when he’d decided a tactical retreat from the estate was necessary. He wasn’t in
hiding
, though he knew some would call it that. But that was because they didn’t know his strategy, they didn’t have his
vision
. He wasn’t hiding, he was avoiding unnecessary risk, while biding his time.

One of his guards stepped into the doorway behind him. “Marcel Weiss, my lord,” he said.

Anthony didn’t look back, but simply raised a hand, indicating the guard should let Weiss in.

A moment later, Weiss’s cynical voice said, “Rather a cliché’, isn’t it, old man? Lurking in the dark and staring through the big picture window? All you need is rain and a bat signal, and you’re set.”

Anthony’s lip curled. He didn’t like Weiss. Under other circumstances, he’d have happily killed him, just for being an asshole. For the time being, however, their goals dovetailed neatly. Weiss wanted to rule the South—which meant getting rid of Duvall. And Anthony wanted Natalie back.

“No priceless scotch to share?” Weiss persisted, as he plopped himself into the chair next to Anthony’s.

“You got my message,” Anthony said, not bothering to reply to the foolish comments.

“Obviously. I’m here. The question remains, however,
why
am I here? Your message was rather short on specifics.”

“We share an enemy.”

He caught the curious tilt of Weiss’s head in his peripheral vision.

“Duvall,” Weiss said. He might be an asshole, but he was a smart asshole.

“Duvall,” Anthony confirmed. “I can’t do any hunting right now, for obvious reasons.”

“Is Raphael still in town? I thought he’d left already.”

“He did leave, but Jaclyn is still around, and Raphael left additional guards with her. Not to mention Duvall, who, I understand, has been given
permission
by Raphael to kill me himself.” He snorted dismissively. “Duvall has an inflated opinion of himself. I still rule the South. He’s only one, while I am many.”

“And yet, you’re giving it all up,” Weiss reminded him. “Before we talk any kind of joint venture, I’d like to know why.”

“My reasons are my own. Suffice it to say I miss New Orleans. I only came here because of Katrina and the destruction it caused. The properties I lost were worth millions. But that wasn’t what drove me away. It was the voices of my children who died in their sleep, drowning, while I could do nothing to help them.” Anthony shook himself out of the memory. He hadn’t meant to reveal so much. “I want to go home now. But I want it on my terms. Whatever vampire rules the South behind me can make that possible. And I can make
you
that vampire.”

“Why me?”

“Why not? You obviously hate Duvall, and I think we both know he’s your strongest opponent. I had hoped one of my own would succeed, but Noriega failed, and Scoville has turned coward and bowed out. That leaves you or Barranza, and
he
seems to have disappeared. No one will even admit to knowing his whereabouts, unless you . . .”

Weiss laughed. “I didn’t off the Mexican. So, I’m your
only
option, is that it?”

Anthony pretended to think about it. “I guess you’re right,” he said, as if it had never occurred to him.

“So what’s the plan?”

“Duvall has my woman. I want her back. I have people in place to tell me if he goes out tomorrow night, and where he’ll be. I’ll pass that intel on to you, and you grab my Natalie
.
Gently. I don’t want her injured.”

Weiss scowled. “The woman’s easy. But what about Duvall? Why can’t I just kill him, and take her at the same time?”

“You believe you can defeat him?”

“With the right tools, yeah. I’ll need guns.”

“This is Texas,” Anthony said dismissively. “That’s not a problem.”

“It is when you don’t have an ID.”

“Also not a problem. Leave a list with my guard, and one of my staff will handle it. Tell him where you want them delivered, and when.” Anthony sent a telepathic message to his guard. The vampire appeared a moment later, and lingered in the doorway waiting.

Weiss laughed and stood up. “That’s it, huh? Still no scotch, I guess. I’ll expect a call from you tomorrow, old man. And I want those weapons. I’m not going up against him unprepared.”

“You’ll have what you need. But, remember, Weiss. Natalie Gaudet is your target, your
only
target. Duvall is a bonus, but only once my woman is secure.”

Weiss grunted his agreement, then followed the guard from the room.

Anthony listened to Weiss’s departing footsteps, nearly lost beneath the heavy tread of his guard’s boots. And then he resumed his contemplation of the Houston skyline. He hadn’t planned on Weiss killing Duvall, had thought the vamp would be too cowardly to go against him. He didn’t
need
him to kill Duvall. There were plans in place that would cover that quite nicely. But if Weiss wanted to try, Anthony was more than happy to give him that chance. As long as he got Natalie to safety first.

He exhaled on a long breath, feeling hopeful for the first time since Raphael had painted a target on his back. By this time tomorrow, Natalie would be his again, and if he was very lucky, Duvall would be dead.

Chapter Nine

NATALIE WOKE ALONE . . . again, which bothered her more than it should have. It wasn’t as if she and Christian were going to do morning cuddles, or sex before breakfast, or even lunch. What troubled her was the subject Christian had raised the first night she’d spent in his house . . . trust. It was obvious to her that he didn’t trust her to be around him during the day when he was at his most vulnerable. Actually, daylight might be the only time a vampire as powerful as Christian was
truly
vulnerable.

She told herself she should be glad that she didn’t have to deal with seeing whatever state a vampire entered into when the sun was in the sky. Was it like human sleep? Did he breathe? Did his heart beat? She frowned. Well, of course those things must happen. He’d been human once, which meant he still had the same circulatory system, still needed oxygen and especially blood. So how was a vampire’s sleep different?

An unwanted thought intruded, suggesting that Christian’s decision to sleep alone might not be a matter of trust at all. Maybe he was uncertain how she’d react, and was sparing her delicate sensibilities. If that was it, then he needed a dose of reality. Admittedly, she hadn’t lived a hard life, but that didn’t mean she needed to be coddled. One of the main reasons she’d accepted the move to Houston was because it broke her out of the protective cocoon her father and brothers had woven around her.

If she and Christian were going to have a real relationship, he needed to know that she could handle the reality of a vampire’s life. She didn’t even have to think about whether she wanted a relationship with him. The answer was hell, yes. She wasn’t ready to marry the guy tomorrow, but she sure as hell wanted more than a few nights of sex. Mind-blowing, knock-your-socks-off sex. But there was more to him than sex. Yes, she’d experienced more orgasms in two nights with Christian than she had in her entire adult life before him. And, yes, he’d done things and made her
feel
things that no other man had even come close to.

But he was also smart, charming, and compassionate. And let’s not forget that all of that was wrapped up in one incredibly gorgeous package of hunk-a-licious male. She’d have to be crazy not to want more of him, more of what they might have.

So, then, how could she prove to him that she was as tough as he needed her to be? She’d heard the stories of Cynthia Leighton. You couldn’t live around Houston vampires without hearing the rumors of what a badass she was. But Natalie knew her own limitations. She was no pushover, but she wasn’t a badass. She’d fired lots of guns, but never at a person. And she’d never contemplated killing an actual vampire lord the way Leighton had. But that didn’t mean she was weak. There were all kinds of strength in this world, and hers happened to be in her head. She was smart as hell, and knew how to use what she had. So how could she use that fabulous brain of hers to demonstrate her toughness to Christian?

She glanced at the clock, and saw it was nearly noon. Christian and Marc would be trapped downstairs fast asleep until sunset. But that didn’t mean their investigation had to sleep, too. She’d overheard Marc talking to Christian about not being able to access Anthony’s internal network, and had known immediately what they were trying to do. They needed something from Anthony that he wasn’t willing to give up. That was no surprise, since Anthony took paranoia to an entirely new level.

But she knew Anthony’s network better than almost anyone on the estate. She worked as a forensic accountant, but she could just as easily have been a forensic computer analyst instead. Almost all financial data was stored on computers these days, and she couldn’t figure out the
where
of hidden data if she didn’t first understand the
how
. She’d chosen the accounting career path simply because she liked numbers, but she still kept up on new developments on the programming side.

She knew that Marc would never succeed in tapping into Anthony’s inner files, because the network where that data lived wasn’t connected to the Internet at all. It was a matter of both security and practicality. There was no need for anyone outside the estate to access that information. Hell, most of the people
on
the estate couldn’t access that private network. But
Natalie
could. Her job required that she have access to everything, including the most sensitive data of all. Every financial transaction in or out of Anthony’s accounts as Lord of the South, every transaction regarding the estate for the last twenty years, was at her fingertips. She’d never explored beyond the financial data, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. Or that she couldn’t get to it.

Filled with purpose, Natalie rolled out of bed, groaning only a little when what felt like every muscle in her body protested. Sex with Christian wasn’t for pussies. She choked on her own laughter at the thought, then felt her face flush with heat. She had to get over this reaction to him. If she was going to go back to the estate, she’d need to be at the top of her game. And she sure as hell couldn’t be pulsing on the edge of orgasm all day.

She forced herself to her feet and headed for the bathroom. A cold shower would be a good start.

TWO HOURS LATER, Natalie was sitting at her laptop in Anthony’s estate kitchen. She checked the clock for about the tenth time in ten minutes. She knew Christian wouldn’t be happy that she was here, but he needed to realize that she knew what she was doing. After all, she wasn’t an idiot. Anthony employed human guards during the day, but he’d never really trusted them, and had no close associates among them. They manned the gate and perimeter, but had no duties in the main house.

Plus, she was working in the kitchen, which was all but deserted during the daytime. There was no human food stored or prepared here, since the human staff had their own kitchen in the adjacent building on the other side of the parking lot. The kitchen also had the benefit of a door directly to the back parking lot. And yet it was close enough to give her access to Anthony’s private network.

Additionally, today was Sunday, and even vampires took the weekend off. Which meant there were even fewer people around. On the other hand, the few who were there had been buzzing with rumors of Anthony’s whereabouts. They all knew she worked closely with Anthony, and so seemed to think she knew where he was. They’d shared what they knew in hopes of getting her to share what
she
knew. Details had varied from person to person, but the one thing they all agreed on was that he was long gone from Houston. The most popular theory was that he’d fled to New Orleans, although some versions had softened it to him “visiting” his former city, rather than cowering there in fear. Natalie wasn’t sure she bought the idea of him fleeing Houston altogether, but she’d filed it all away to tell Christian later.

Even with few interruptions, though, it had taken her longer than expected to accomplish what she’d set out to do today. First, there’d been a delay in getting back to the estate. She’d forgotten that her car wasn’t at Christian’s house, since they’d taken the SUV back home after the confrontation with Anthony. Deciding she wanted her own wheels back, she’d called a cab to pick her up at Christian’s and take her back to her house. From there, she’d driven her car to the estate. And then it had taken a long time to locate Anthony’s personal files on the private server. It wasn’t as if the data was tagged and labeled “Anthony’s Secret Files—Do Not Read.” No, the vampire lord was way sneakier than that, and, again, totally paranoid. Fortunately, her entire job consisted of digging out the secrets of people just like Anthony, people who thought they were the smartest people in the room, and far too clever to get caught.

Unfortunately for them,
Natalie
was usually much smarter than they were, and had a real talent for following data trails. It was what had made her so much in demand back home, and, unfortunately, what had drawn Anthony’s attention to her in the first place. She knew all the tricks people used to hide information, and had developed her own algorithms to quickly sift through data and identify patterns. But knowing how to do it wasn’t the whole game. It took time, which was something she was quickly running out of.

A nervous glance at the window told her that the sun had maybe an hour left in the sky. She turned her back on the blindingly bright ball of sunlight, determined to get her work done. She didn’t want to risk coming back here tomorrow, even assuming Christian didn’t blow a gasket after today’s adventure. Another thirty minutes would be enough. The sun would be touching the horizon by then, but even vampires needed some time to shower and dress, and she’d be gone before they ventured up from the basement.

When she finally slapped her laptop shut, her stomach was roiling with nerves. If Anthony found out what she’d done . . . Actually, she didn’t know what he’d do. He’d always been careful with her, but that was before Christian, and before he’d made an enemy of Raphael. She’d never seen Anthony as furious as he’d been yesterday at her townhouse, but she’d never forgotten her family’s history with him, either. Never forgotten how he treated people who “disappointed” him. If he discovered she was stealing his files to help Christian, she had no doubt that she’d fall into that “disappointed” category, and all bets would be off. She was glad again that she’d called and warned her family. But the best way to protect them was to be sure Anthony never discovered what she was doing.

She glanced at the window again. Time to get the hell out of Dodge. She stood and slipped the laptop into her bag, just as she heard a door slam down the hall. A moment later, the kitchen door opened.

“Hey, Natalie!” Jaclyn’s human assistant, Lisa, greeted her as she walked in and set a medium-sized shipping box on the counter. “I heard you were working here today, but I thought I’d missed you,” she said, as if it was perfectly normal for Natalie to be spending the day working in the kitchen.

“You almost did,” Natalie said, striving for casual. “I’m on my way out.”

“Good. This is for you. It actually came yesterday, but I didn’t see you, what with the big gala and all.” She pushed the brown box across the counter to Natalie.

“Me? Why would someone send me a package to your office?”

“It’s from Cynthia Leighton. She included it with the usual courier stuff. Do you two know each other?”

Natalie shook her head. “I saw her at the gala last night, but I’ve never even spoken to her.”

“Well, she sent you a present. Open it.”

Natalie glanced at the window, where the sun was almost gone. “I don’t know, I’m supposed to meet Christian.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. She
had
left him a note saying she’d meet him at the dojo.

“Aw, come on, Natalie. Aren’t you curious?” Lisa slid a pair of scissors across the counter to rest next to the box. The woman had come prepared.

“You’re sure it’s not going to explode?” Natalie asked jokingly, trying to ease her own tension as she used the scissors to split the tape over the seam, then pulled the box open. She looked down at the contents and blinked in surprise. “It’s a gun. Why would Leighton send me a gun?”

Lisa moved closer, and peered into the open box. “And ammunition, too,” she said, lifting out one of four smaller boxes. “Fifty rounds in each of these. Something called . . . Hydra-Shok? I’ve never heard of it, but, then, I don’t know that much about guns. How about you?”

Natalie picked up the pistol and pulled it from its holster. “Glock 23, Gen 4,” she said absently. “Forty caliber.”

Lisa gave her a surprised look. “You know guns?”

“My granddaddy owns a gun store. I worked there part-time during high school and college. He and my father made sure I knew what I was doing.”

“Do you have your own guns?”

Natalie shook her head. “Not here. I have a couple that I left home in New Orleans.”

Lisa laughed. “You might be the only person who comes to Texas and leaves her guns
behind
.”

“I didn’t think I’d need them. Even back home, I used them mostly for target shooting. You know, just in case.”

“Well, you’ve got one now.”

“Yeah, but why?” Natalie rooted around in the packing material until she found a small envelope with a simple note card. The card had the initials “CL” embossed on the top, and was filled with neat handwriting.

“What does it say?”

Natalie read the message, and scowled. “She says every woman should be able to defend herself,” she lied. She wasn’t about to tell Lisa that Leighton had specifically mentioned that the ammo was great against vampires, and that it might come in handy with Christian hanging around. What the fuck was that supposed to mean? Why would Leighton want Christian dead? And why would she ever think Natalie would do the deed?

“She might be right, what with Anthony going nuts the way he did. I think a long vacation is in order,” Lisa was saying, and it took a minute for Natalie to register what she was talking about.

“Sounds like a good idea,” she said, putting everything back into the box and tucking the flap into the end as securely as she could. “Thanks for bringing this down, Lisa, but I’ve got to run.”

“To meet the scrumptious Christian,” Lisa said knowingly.

Natalie couldn’t stop her grin, but she kept moving. The vampires would already be stirring downstairs, and while Anthony might be on the run, not all of his allies were. They’d probably be more than happy to deliver her wrapped in a bow.

And then there was Christian, who wasn’t going to be happy when he got her note. The sooner he saw her in the flesh, the more wind it would take out of his pissed-off sails.

“Could you tell Jaclyn I’m working from home for the next couple of days? She can reach me on my cell, if something comes up.”

“Sure thing,” Lisa agreed. “And say ‘hi’ to Christian for me.”

Natalie responded with the expected chuckle, but didn’t slow down. Her instincts were beginning to itch, and she couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

CHRISTIAN KNEW as soon as he woke that Natalie wasn’t in the house. This didn’t make him happy, but he wasn’t immediately worried. There were all sorts of reasons why she might have left, including a new run for groceries. Now that she’d be staying with him, she’d need to stock up.