Christian (Vampires in America: The Vampire Wars Book 10) (23 page)

He stopped first in the bedroom she was using, the one where he’d made her come multiple times last night, before leaving her limp and asleep. The bed had been made, and her things were still hanging in the closet and scattered on the bathroom counter. The room smelled of her perfume and . . . arousal.
Bad girl,
mon ange, he thought with a smile. He scanned the room, but saw no note. He headed for the kitchen next, and found what he was looking for, next to the coffeemaker. His smile disappeared.

“Merde!
Marc, we’re leaving!” he shouted, then called Natalie’s cell phone. It went straight to voicemail. Muttering every curse in every language he could think of, he disconnected and tried to think reasonably. If she was still at the estate, she probably had her phone off, either to minimize distraction or to avoid a ringing phone calling attention to her presence there. She hadn’t done as he’d asked and stayed away altogether, but she was a very smart woman. Smart enough to take precautions and avoid running into anyone. But if she lingered after sunset, she was at risk. There were enough vampires who’d tied their futures to Anthony’s, that even with him on the run, there would be some who’d grab her just to curry favor with him.

Think,
he ordered himself. There must be someone he could call, someone he could trust. The proverbial light bulb went off in his head. Of course. There was only one person in that house that he trusted. He brought up Jaclyn’s number and called her.

“Jaclyn Martel’s office,” a pleasant female voice answered.

Christian was struck by the use of Jaclyn’s last name. He’d known it, but didn’t think he’d ever heard it spoken before. “Christian Duvall, here,” he said snapping back to attention.

“Oh hi, Christian. This is Lisa, Jaclyn’s assistant. She’s not in yet, probably still sleeping off the big party last night. But if you’re looking for Natalie, you just missed her.”

Christian played along. “Damn. She must have her cell off. Did she say where she was heading?”

“It sounded like she was going directly to the dojo to meet you. Maybe she hit traffic or something.”

“That’s probably it. Thanks, Lisa.”

“Do you want Jaclyn to call when she gets in?”

“No, that’s okay. I’ll catch her later.”

He disconnected, then grabbed Natalie’s note, which he’d tossed aside after reading the first two lines. Sure enough, it said she would meet him at the dojo. That didn’t explain why she wasn’t answering her phone, but it did tell him where he could find her.

“What’s up?” Marc asked, pulling his shirt down as he stepped into the doorway.

“Natalie, bless her cute little ass, decided to work at the estate office today.” He handed the note to Marc who read it quickly.

“So we’re heading to the estate?”

“No. According to Jaclyn’s girl, she’s on her way to the dojo already.”

“Should I bring our gear?”

“Sure, why not? A little exercise will keep the violence level down once I find her.”

NATALIE HAD FINISHED her warm-up, and stepped off the floor to check her cell phone for messages, when the back door opened with its customary metal creak. She looked over, and saw Christian and Marc step inside. They drew attention just by walking down the hall. Not only because they were beautiful, which they were, but because the two of them turned a simple walk into a lethal prowl. And she wasn’t the only one who noticed. Two women were just emerging from the locker room, and their lively conversation turned off like a spigot when they caught sight of the vampires. Marc glanced over and smiled at them, and they stumbled so hard that Natalie winced, expecting them to go down in a pile of hormonal confusion.

Christian wasn’t paying attention to their erstwhile admirers, however. His eyes were locked on her, and she smiled at him, feeling happy and a little stupid for getting so excited that he was there. Was she making too much of what they had? So they’d had sex, and okay, so it had been more than just once, and more than just sex. It had been life-altering, mind-blowing, burn-up-the-sheets sex. But that didn’t mean she should be getting all jittery when he walked into a room. She wasn’t that pathetic, was she?

Christian’s gaze never left her as he stood by the locker room door, and waited for her to come to him. He looked good in his black jeans and crew neck sweater, a gear bag slung over his shoulder. But would it have killed him to walk a few steps down the hall to meet her halfway? It was as if she was the peon, and he was royalty, waiting for her to come to him. And could he at least
smile
like he was glad to see her?

She opened her mouth to tell him all of this, but as soon as she was within reach, he took her hand and pulled her toward the back door. “Talk to Alon,” he told Marc, and then hustled her out into the parking lot behind the dojo.

“Talk to Alon about what?” she asked, having to hurry to keep up with his long strides. “And hello to you, too.
Rude
.”

Christian glanced down at her, and she realized he wasn’t being rude. He was angry.

Natalie felt her own temper rising up to meet his, but told herself to stay cool. She’d expected this. And maybe he wasn’t angry at
her
. There were all sorts of things going on, lots of plans and conspiracies afoot. Maybe his anger had nothing to do with—

“Why’d you go there?” he demanded, as soon as they were outside.

So much for the idea that he wasn’t angry at
her
. The temper she’d banked while trying to be
reasonable
, flared hotter than ever. She shook her hand loose from his. “I had stuff to do. Didn’t you get my note?”

“What good is a fucking note if I’m dead to the world while you’re skipping right into the heart of the enemy?”

“Dramatic much? I was hardly
skipping
, because I’m not an idiot. And I left before sunset.” Although some of the fight went out of her, because she believed that he really had been worried. And, given recent events, he probably had a reason to be. But that didn’t change the fact that he was being a bully. “I don’t owe you an accounting of my time,” she said defiantly.

Christian moved closer, taking outrageous advantage of his greater size and strength to loom over her. Natalie backed up until she hit the brick wall next to the door. This was apparently exactly what he wanted, because he leaned down to put his face right in front of hers.

“Did it occur to you that I might have been worried?” he asked. He sounded so sincere, his deep voice filled with real concern, that Natalie felt guilty.

For all of two seconds. Then she remembered that vampires were masters of manipulation. And there was something just a little bit sly sparkling in his eyes.

“I left a
note,”
she reminded him. “And I had my cell phone with me. You could have called.” She squawked in surprise when he grabbed her cell phone from her hand, and held it up to her face.

“Your ringer is turned off,” he said, glaring down at her.

Uh oh. Busted. “I turned it off so no one would hear it ring,” she said stubbornly. “I was being stealthy.”

Christian’s luscious mouth twitched slightly. Natalie was pretty sure he almost smiled.

“I’m sorry,” she said placing her hands on his chest and leaning in. “But if you’ll just listen—”

“Promise you won’t do it again,” he demanded, doing an excellent imitation of the brick wall at her back.

Her eyes narrowed in irritation. “I’m trying to—”

“Promise.”

Natalie had never wanted to be a vampire, but right at this moment, she really wished she could growl like one. “Fine,” she said, willing to be the adult. “I won’t . . .” She frowned. “Wait. What am I promising?”

“Not to go waltzing into the lion’s den with no idea of the danger—”

Fuck that. “First I’m skipping, and now I’m waltzing? I’m not a child, Christian. I’m a
reasonably
intelligent adult, and I know how to protect myself. I know that estate inside and out, and it was
daylight.
I was trying to help you, damn it.”

That shut him up. But not for long. “Help me do what?” he asked, scowling down at her.

“I have access to Anthony’s private files. I knew I could—”

“Jesus, Natalie. Are you
trying
to get yourself killed?”

“It’s my
job
,” she insisted. “I know what I’m doing, and I’m a damn sight better at it than you are!”

“You’re an accountant, for fuck’s sake.”

“I’m a
forensic
accountant, you ass. What do you think I do all day? I work on computers, identifying patterns, establishing trails, and following them to the truth. I dig out information that other people hide! And I don’t need your permission to do a favor for a friend!”

Christian’s expression changed abruptly, becoming darker, his eyes gleaming slightly in the mostly unlit alley. “Is that what I am?” he asked in a rough whisper, closing her in with his body, one arm braced on the wall next to her head. “Am I your
friend
,
chére?”

Her body reacted instantly, his voice and overwhelming presence bringing back the weight of him on top of her, the delicious stroke of his cock between her thighs. She shivered at the memory, and saw the knowledge in his eyes. He knew what she was thinking, knew what he was doing to her. But even knowing that, she couldn’t help her reaction.

“No,” she said, then gulped nervously. “I mean, yes, but—”

“But what, sweet Natalie?”

“I don’t know. Stop looming over me!”

He chuckled softly, and she sucked in a breath to yell at him some more, but then he was kissing her, his tongue stroking her lips into opening for him, and then probing further until she could feel the hard points of his fangs pushing against her upper lip. His arm swept around her waist, tugging her against him, and Natalie rose onto her toes. She knew he was seducing her, knew she should resist. But she didn’t want to. She’d missed him, damn it. Ever since sunset, she’d been waiting for his call, wanting to hear his voice, to see him again. Hoping he felt the same way, that he wanted her again, too.

They kissed until they were both breathless, until their bodies were hot and aroused, his cock hard against her belly, her pussy trembling and wet. She stared up at him, her heart racing.

“I didn’t mean to worry you,” she whispered, brushing his hair off his forehead.

“I know,” he said, his fingers were tender against her cheek. “And I do trust you. You’re familiar with the estate, and smart enough to know how far to push it. But I still worry.”

She nodded. “And I was right about what to look for. It was worth it.”

His mouth tightened, and she knew he was on the verge of disagreeing, and starting the argument all over again. So she changed the subject. “What did you mean when you told Marc to talk to Alon? Talk to him about what?”

His scowl took on a different note. “Is there something between you and Alon?”

Natalie had to fight not to laugh. He was jealous. The idea made her happy, even if there was no cause for it. “I told you. Alon’s my best friend in Houston.”

“You two never dated?”

“Once, when we first met. But we didn’t click that way. So, what’s up?”

He eyed her thoughtfully, as if wondering how much to tell her. And Natalie stared right back at him, challenging him to tell the truth. He shrugged.

“Alon is curious,” he said. Which told her exactly nothing.

“Curious about what?”

Christian gave her a patient look, as if she was being dense. “About becoming a vampire,” he explained slowly. “He’s a strong man, and a natural warrior, at the height of his power.”

Natalie was stricken. “But wouldn’t he have to die first?”

He doubled down on the look that said she was being dense. “Am I dead, Natalie?” he asked, cupping her ass and grinding his still stiff cock against her.

She blinked in confusion, trying to think past the sexual hunger that always seemed to swamp her around him. “No, of course not,” she insisted. “But I always thought—”

“What? That we haunted hospitals and battlefields looking for potential vampires? Helpless victims to bring over to become our minions?”

Natalie opened her mouth to protest, but he continued.

“Actually, you wouldn’t be far wrong. Many of us were turned under exactly those conditions as recently as a hundred years ago. But not anymore. Not with vampires more out in the world than ever before. We have people coming to
us
now,
asking
to be turned.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “Some see our evolution as an opportunity, a chance to live forever. Always young, always strong. Of course, there are others who think it’s the work of the devil.” He smirked, his feelings on that subject obvious. “The truth is, however, that only a relative few of us are strong enough to bring someone over, and we tend to be selective in whom we choose. After all, immortality
for
them is immortality
with
them. And even then, not everyone survives the process. Nor can you choose what the transition will do to a particular individual. A corporate tyrant today could find himself the lowest vampire minion tomorrow, with no measurable power of his own. And then every vampire is beholden to his Sire, no matter who he was before, or how much money he has.”

“What about Alon?” she asked.

“No matter what vampiric powers he ends up with, he will always be a warrior, and an asset to his Sire. But it’s still not a decision to be made lightly.”

“Will you tell me what you decide?”

“No. That is for Alon to share.”

Natalie pursed her lips unhappily, but he only grinned and kissed away her unhappiness. “Come on, Marc wants a workout.”

NATALIE SAT ON the floor, legs crossed in front of her, her back against the wall. Christian and Marc had just emerged from the locker room in identical black gisGIs, with plain black rank belts. They crossed the room on bare feet and exchanged a few words with Alon, who made a sweeping motion with his hand, giving them the floor. There was only one class scheduled, an advanced judo class taught by Alon. But, like everyone else in the dojo, the five men and one woman saw what was happening, and faded back against the wall to the watch the show. It was rare that Alon surrendered the mats to anyone, so the class members knew something was up.