Damek's Redemption: Legacy, Book 6 (10 page)

She picked up her glass, took a sip of wine and pointed an accusing finger at him. “Tell me about last night. What did you see when you were following me?”

“A man started after you from an alleyway. I detained him and…spoke with him.” Better to say that than to admit he’d brutally dug into the other man’s brain, picking and prodding until he’d found what he’d needed. She would fear him if she had any grasp of his true power.

“And he admitted he was a vampire hunter?” Sonia snorted and set her glass back down on the table. “I don’t think so. I know of the Vampire Hunter Society and those guys are rabid. You have to torture them in order to get them to admit anything. You must be mistaken.”

There was no mistaking her relief, and he wished he didn’t have to be the one to bring the worry back to her face, but there was no choice. “He was a vampire hunter. Of that there is no doubt.”

“You didn’t torture him, did you?”

Damek smiled in spite of himself. It was a small one, but a smile nonetheless. “What a suspicious mind you have.”

“I don’t think so.” She wagged a finger at him and he was enthralled in spite of the seriousness of the situation. No one ever questioned him. Everyone jumped to do his bidding whenever he asked. The power surrounding him was such that none wanted to anger him. That is, everyone except Sonia. She blithely plowed forward with her inquisition, giving no thought to her precarious position with him, especially since she’d already admitted she thought he was something more than he seemed.

She obviously needed a keeper, someone to protect her.

“Why does your family let you travel by yourself and ask such dangerous questions?” Anger began to flare as he imagined Sonia jetting around the world, seeking the unknown. It chilled him to the bone to imagine what could have happened to her if she’d come across a paranormal creature that did not take kindly to her questions.

“Now you sound like my father and older brothers. They’re constantly hounding me to stay home where they can keep an eye on me.”

“Intelligent men.” Someone needed to take care of her. He admired her lack of fear even as it unsettled him.

“Hah. If I’d listened to them I never would have come to Chicago.”

And that would have been a crime. He couldn’t imagine not having met Sonia, especially now that he was coming to know her better. Yes, she reminded him of a woman from his past, but it was a superficial resemblance at best. There was no confusing the two of them. Elizabetta was long dead, and he’d never spent time with her the way he had with Sonia. Sonia was…unique.

“Why did you seek me out?” he asked. “What did you truly want to know?” He had to know the real reason and he didn’t want to trespass into her mind to find the answers. He wanted her to give them to him freely and without coercion.

She rubbed her finger over a nick in the wood table. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

He reached out and placed his hand over hers, trapping her fingers beneath his. “No, I won’t.”

She gave a rueful laugh. “I thought you might be a vampire. Which is totally ridiculous,” she hastened to add. “I mean, you were at the club working this afternoon and you went out this evening just before dark. So you obviously can’t be a vampire. Right?”

Damek was stunned. It had been hundreds of years since anyone had asked him that question. He’d been very careful to keep a low profile and to protect his identity. His fingers tightened around hers until she winced.

“Why would you even think such a thing?” He had to know who had sent her, how she had found him. He felt betrayed by her, which was ridiculous since they’d only just met. He had no claim on her loyalties.

“Here you go, one BLT with no fries.” Neema set a plate on the table in front of Sonia and paused when she sensed the tension surrounding them. “Is everything okay?” She took a step back as she asked.

“Leave us,” Damek ordered.

Neema turned and fled, leaving him and Sonia alone in the dark corner of the club.

Chapter Seven

Sonia didn’t dare move, barely dared to breathe. Damek hadn’t liked what she’d said. Not one little bit. Power pulsed from him like a heartbeat, expanding and filling the club slowly. She now knew what a deer felt like when it was cornered by a predator. No, scrap that. Make it a bunny. Yeah, a fuzzy little bunny facing the big bad wolf.

“If you’re not a vampire, are you a werewolf or some kind of other shifter, or maybe a mage?” If she was in trouble with him she might as well go all the way. The voice of common sense yelled at her to shut up and quit while she was ahead, while he still might let her walk away.

Her ace in the hole was the fact she was a member of The Keepers. If he was indeed a paranormal creature, as she suspected, there was a chance he might have heard of the group and know she meant him no harm.

“What do you know of such things?” Damek’s voice was low, seductive and compelling, winding its way into her mind, making her want to tell him everything. Only years of training allowed her to shove back at his attempt at mind control.

Damek pulled back as though she’d struck him physically instead of on the psychic level. “Well, well, the kitten has claws. Maybe the vampire hunters sent you in as bait to flush out a vampire. If so, they wasted their time and yours.”

Stark fear made all the blood drain from her face and she swallowed the lump in her throat. Even through the dark lenses of his glasses, Sonia could see a red glare emanating from his eyes. She hadn’t even questioned why he hadn’t removed his glasses when they’d stepped inside. She was beginning to think she was totally screwed.

“What seems to be the problem?” Isaiah Striker suddenly loomed over their table, large and intimidating, and Sonia had never been so glad to see another person in all her life. Maybe she could use the distraction to her advantage.

“Nothing. I need to go to the ladies’ room.” She pulled her hand away from Damek’s and jumped up from her chair. Now that she was standing, she realized she had no idea where to go. Isaiah pointed to a door in the corner and she grabbed her purse and ran.

She was practically hyperventilating by the time she pushed open the bathroom door and slammed it behind her. There was a lock and she turned it before glancing around to see if there was anyone else in the ladies’ room. She was alone and she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The lock was more for privacy than anything, and she didn’t think for one minute it would stop Damek if he decided he wanted to get inside.

Her phone. She had to talk to her mother. Sonia tossed her purse on the counter and dug through the contents, searching for her phone. Her hands were shaking when she found it and she was glad her family was on speed dial. She hit the button for her mother and wasn’t surprised when it was answered on the first ring. Her mother always knew when something wasn’t right with one of her children.

“What’s wrong?” Sonia almost cried with relief when she heard her mother’s familiar voice. “Sonia?”

“Mama.” Sonia wished her mother were here, wished she could let her mother take her in her arms and soothe away her worries like she’d done when Sonia was a child. But this mess couldn’t be smoothed away with only a hug. “I think I might be in big trouble.” She was so cold her teeth were practically chattering.

“I knew it. Where are you?”

“Right now I’m at a club called Haven. I’m with a man named Damek who owns a nightclub called Inhibitions.” She hated to admit she was in over her head, but it was too late to wish she’d handled things differently. She glanced at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and quickly looked away. She was so pale she resembled a ghost.

“Oh, baby, what have you done?”

“I’m not sure. He’s different. I thought he might be a vampire, but he was working in his club late this afternoon and went outside briefly before dark.”

“Hold on.”

Sonia glanced at the door while she waited for her mother to speak to whoever else was in the room. She heard her grandfather’s voice in the background. “Is Papou there with you?” She fell back into the traditional Greek name for grandfather, knowing how much it pleased him. She called her grandmother Yaiyai for the same reason.

“Your grandfather says that the very ancient are not so much at the mercy of the sun as the young ones are, but they are also the most dangerous creatures on earth.”

“Why am I only hearing this now? Why did no one ever tell me this?” Really, it was too much to take in.

Her mother sighed. “You know we did not want to encourage your unhealthy interest in vampires. But that does not matter. You need to leave where you are. Do not go back to your hotel. He probably already knows where you are staying.”

Sonia swallowed hard. “He did mention following me home last night. He also mentioned I was being followed by a vampire hunter.”

Her mother swore both in Romanian and Greek, a sign of just how dire Sonia’s situation was. “You do not want to ever have them interested in you, baby. Vampire hunters kill without discrimination. They are the worst of the worst.”

Sonia already knew that much herself. Her stomach roiled and she thought she might throw up. She was grateful she hadn’t eaten any of her meal or it would probably be on its way back up.

“Okay. I’m going to try to slip out and head to another hotel.”

“Your father and brothers are on their way. They will drive. It is quicker than waiting for a plane. Call when you get settled in so they know where to find you.”

“I will.” Sonia clicked off her phone, her only link to safety and she held on to it, reluctant to let go. She had to get out of here.

The door rattled as someone pulled on the handle and she knew time was of the essence. Hopefully, Isaiah was still at their table and would distract Damek enough for her to slip out of the club and grab a cab.

“You can do this.” She tucked her phone in the pocket of her blazer for easier access, slung her purse over her shoulder and then reached for the lock on the door.

The lock started turning on its own before she reached it. Sonia halted where she was and felt the bottom dropped out of her stomach. Crap. She was in big trouble. Her gaze darted frantically around the room. There was no window to climb out of and nowhere to hide but the bathroom stalls, and she wasn’t going to demean herself by even trying. There were plenty of people in the club. He wouldn’t do anything with all these witnesses. At least she prayed he wouldn’t.

The door pushed open.

Damek shoved the door inward, needing to see Sonia for himself, even though he knew she was still inside the bathroom and hadn’t fled the premises. Although from the look on her face she would have gone out the window if there’d been one in the room.

Her skin was as pale as newly fallen snow and he would wager it was just as cool to the touch. Fear had her heartbeat skittering at a fast pace and a bead of sweat rolled down her temple. She nibbled on her bottom lip and her eyes widened with fear.

Good, she should be afraid. It was not wise to accuse a man of being a vampire, especially if he was one. His earlier assessment had been right on target—the woman needed a keeper.

But first he had to find out exactly why she’d sought him out and how much she knew. He slowly removed his dark glasses and tucked them into the inside pocket of his Armani jacket. He smiled fully for the first time, offering her a glimpse of his lethal fangs.

She swallowed hard and took a step back.

“I’m curious.” He advanced a step and the door closed quietly behind him. “What did you expect to happen if you discovered I was a vampire?” Did she have orders to contact someone about him?

He hissed as a thought occurred to him. “Were you working with that vampire hunter who was following you? Did you already call them?” If she had, he would have quite a mess to clear up.

Her hand jerked toward her blazer pocket before she could stop herself. He stalked forward, his usually fluid movements replaced by tight, jerky motions as he struggled to contain his rage. If he released it, he could potentially destroy Haven and all the people inside it.

“Who have you called?” He reached into her pocket and grabbed her phone. She captured his hand and fought him for the phone. She lost.

“Give me that. It’s not yours.”

Her audacity astounded him. “You’re in no position to object.”

“Yes, I am.” She glared at him and made a grab for the phone. He read the move before she made it and jerked the phone out of her reach. “If you’ve survived for any length of time, and I think you have, then you know you don’t want to draw attention to yourself.”

“And who have you told, sweet Sonia?”

Sonia’s blood froze in her veins. This was not happening. The entertaining flirt from earlier tonight, the man she had shared such a warm moment with in the limo, had disappeared and in his place was the most frightening creature she’d ever encountered. The power she sensed swirling around him made her realize how ill prepared she was for the reality of discovering a true ancient vampire.

She was almost lightheaded at the realization that she was in the presence of a vampire. A very pissed-off one, but a vampire nonetheless. All her life she’d been searching and hoping for this moment. Now that it had happened, a part of her wished she could go back in time and undo every action that had led her to Chicago.