Deep Desire: The Deep Series, Book 1 (8 page)

“What?” Edward asked.

“I got an e-mail from an acquaintance last night, a friend who lives in Paris and does work similar to mine. She said something unpleasant was coming my way. She told me to warn Edward off the fifteenth century for a while. From what she indicated, I gathered she was talking about
Notturno
.”

“What?” asked Edward incredulously. “You didn’t tell me that.”

“You were asleep when the e-mail came in.” Tuan patted Edward’s hand, stroking over the fingers gently. “She said two parties in particular want it badly enough to kill for it, and only one of them will walk away.”

“That’s insane,” said Edward.

“Not for
Notturno
,” Adin told him. “The journal is unique.”

“It’s a book,” said Tuan dismissively. Edward and Adin both gasped, but he ignored them. “The word is someone in Italy was illegally prevented from bidding on the manuscript at the last minute, and he’s contestant number one. That’s why you were able to purchase
Notturno
. He’d have outbid you by a mile but for a technical glitch.”

Donte.
Adin recalled his anger at that.

“Contestant number two isn’t so easy to figure out. There’s an old grudge involved. He may want it for personal reasons, or he may be trying to prevent the Italian from obtaining it. It’s possible either one of them stole
Notturno
from you. It’s also possible whoever relieved you of the manuscript wants to encourage a bidding war between them. I’m sorry. It’s all hearsay and speculation right now.”

“How do we get it back?”

“You don’t.” Tuan shook his head. “You won’t. That’s asking for all kinds of trouble. You never heard me say this, but file your claim, Adin.”

Adin leaned over the table, absently rubbing his tired eyes. “I can’t do that. I have photographs of the pages that I made while I was at my sister’s lab. I read some of it. I can’t simply sit by and watch it fall into obscurity again.”

“What do you care? If you have the photographs, just read it. Then it won’t be obscure,” said Tuan.

“It’s a huge find. But without the manuscript, there’s no proof it ever existed. I don’t want to give up this early in the game.” Adin looked to Edward, who nodded his understanding.

“I think you’re making a mistake,” said Tuan. “This isn’t a game. I think you’d be better off to let—”

“How can we help?” Edward took Tuan’s hand and squeezed it gently.

“Edward, I don’t think—”

Edward put his hand up to stop him. “People who steal art can do only one thing with it, Tuan. They have to hide it from the world forever or sell it to someone else who will.”

“That cannot happen to
Notturno
,” Adin said. “I’m begging you, Tuan. This is more than just my career. The man who wrote that book is as real to me as you are. If the book disappears, he’s gone forever, and along with him, the man he loved. For a lot of different reasons, that’s not acceptable to me.”

Tuan pursed his lips unhappily. Gave a nod. “I’ll see what I can do. Check your e-mail at intervals today, Adin. And take Edward shopping; he’s bored.”

Edward grinned. “We were supposed to have the day off, but
somebody
had to work at the last minute.” He stood as Tuan got up to leave. “Big kiss. You owe me a whole day in bed, Tuan, and I’m collecting interest.”

“See you,” Tuan said as he gathered his briefcase. “Be prepared for disappointment, Adin. And watch your back. Some of these people might not know the manuscript’s been stolen.”

“Okay.” Adin was just glad to have some kind of ally. “But really, Tuan, I’m in this. I’m want it back.”

Tuan nodded. After he left, Adin returned to his coffee. Edward stirred his around idly. “Why
this
manuscript?”

Adin shrugged. “I’ve only roughly translated about five of the entries, but I fell more than half in love with the author.”

“Oh, Adin.” Edward sighed.

“I know.” Adin looked away. “It’s stupid, isn’t it? Like falling in love with a portrait from another century. Have you heard me talk about love, ever? Even once?” He watched as a mother and daughter sat down together, laden with shopping bags.

“That has actually happened to me. I’ve been obsessed by artists. Have you ever seen
Portrait of an Artist
by van Musscher? I loved that when I was growing up. I also loved his painting
The Sinfonia
. I used to gaze at pictures of it for hours hoping it would come to life.”

“I’m not having a hard time imagining that.” Adin smiled.

“When you read that book, don’t you do the same thing?”

Adin lowered his lashes. “I do.”

“Then it’s settled.” Edward dropped cash on the table for their food. “We’re going to Chinatown. I know just what you need.”

“Ah. I don’t know.”

“Trust me. You need this. How did you get here?” He took Adin’s hand and pulled him from the restaurant.

Outside, Adin caught sight of Boaz leaning against the driver’s-side door of the limo. “I have a driver with impeccable timing.”

“Dr. Tredeger, sir. You said you would call me.” Boaz sounded disappointed in him.

“My apologies, Boaz,” said Adin. “Our departure was somewhat abrupt. Edward, this is Boaz.”

“Cool.” Edward folded his long body the limousine. “Oh, gray leather, and me without Tuan, damn it. Adin, would you mind awfully holding my phone camera on me while I lie on this and—”

“Yes. I would.”

“You’re no fun,” Edward whined. “Tuan was supposed to stay home today. We were going to lie in bed and tell each other secrets. Instead, I’m shopping with you and he’s working and c’mon. You can’t do this one little thing for me?”

Edward was relentless.

Boaz raised his eyebrows and the privacy shield. In the end Adin recorded a video of Edward jerking off to a Mendelssohn piece. The evidence was sent as a file to Tuan’s iPhone, and by the time they got to Chinatown the two of them were laughing like children.

“Gods, this is awesome,” said Adin as they relaxed under the hands of dueling masseuses. “This was an excellent choice.”

“Wasn’t it?” Edward purred. “When we’ve been polished to a high shine, I’m going to take you to an import store where they have special little resin erotic statues of men doing the nasty in absolutely mind-boggling ways.”

“My mind is not easily boggled, Edward.” The masseuse cranked an elbow down on a particularly vulnerable spot above his shoulder blade. Adin groaned.

“Wait and see. We’re hunting for
treasure
.” Pain and pleasure mingled in the word. Adin gave himself over to lassitude until they emerged from the spa two hours later, buffed, shiny and boneless.

There was nothing to be done while Tuan checked into the theft of the manuscript with his dubious resources, anyway. After a brief walk, they entered a small incense-scented store. Resigned, Adin stopped worrying and leaned over a brightly lit glass case, looking at the tiny figurines there.

“I was right, wasn’t I?” Edward asked from the other side, looking through the case at him. “You’re boggled?”

“I wouldn’t say boggled, exactly,” said Adin, checking out a particularly interesting piece in which two tiny Chinese characters with queues held a third, suspended over a wide piece of fabric, while he was being entered from behind by a fourth. “Kind of puts a new spin on rock your world,” murmured Adin, biting his lip.

“Aren’t they fun?” asked Edward. “When Tuan turned thirty, I put them all over his cake.” He smiled. “I think they’re cute. What I would really like to see is somebody who could make them like wind-up toys. How fun would that be?”

Adin rose from his exploration of the case and indicated to the shop owner that he wanted to buy. “I’d like to see this one wound up. I’m trying to get the visual…”

Edward’s eyebrows disappeared behind the fringe of his hair. “It’s probably best if you don’t.”

Adin grinned. “Says the man who jacked off in my limo.”

The sales clerk wrapped their purchases carefully, giving each of them a small silk bag, and bowed them out. It was about three in the afternoon when they left the store, and Adin suggested they find somewhere to eat. They were walking down Sutter, discussing the merits of one type of Chinese food over another, when Adin felt the blood in his veins surge like the tide. As it thrummed in his ears Adin stopped walking to listen.

“What is it?” Edward asked him.

Adin looked around carefully. “I don’t know.”

He’d experienced this sensation before and associated it with Donte, but this felt different somehow. He saw nothing, even when he turned again. “It’s probably nothing.”

“You look pale. Are you feeling all right?” Concern narrowed Edward’s eyes.

“I’m fine. Maybe I’m just not used to—” Adin heard a voice speaking Spanish in a low, menacing tone. Words he barely recognized hissed throughout his body, just under his skin. He looked across the street and saw a man standing in the shadows of the alley between two shops, where a delivery truck sat waiting for men to offload crates of vegetables. He was tall, with light skin and ebony-colored hair, worn long, past his shoulders. He had on supple dark dress trousers and a gray sweater, over which he wore a black leather trench coat.

The man stood motionless gazing at Adin, his hands tucked casually in his pockets. Not Donte, but
like
Donte. The shock registered, and he barely had time to put a hand out to the wall beside him before his knees buckled and he fell to the ground.

Dimly, he was aware of Edward shouting his name, and then there was nothing.

Adin regained consciousness in the limousine, which was parked illegally on Sutter, under the watchful eyes of both Boaz and Edward. He felt like an idiot.

“You and you and you were there,” he quoted. “And I only knew I wanted to go home…”

“Shut
up
,” said Edward, testily. “It’s not funny. You scared the hell out of me.” He got out his phone and dialed a number, presumably Tuan’s, and got out of the limo to talk privately.

“Dr. Tredeger?” asked Boaz. “You okay, sir?” He spoke quietly, concern etched on his face.

“Fine,” said Adin brusquely. “I’m fine. I guess I’m going to have to see about my blood sugar. That’s twice I’ve felt faint in the last week.”

He straightened his sweater, which must have bunched around him when they’d loaded him in the limo. He sat up carefully, exploring how he felt. He remembered the buzzing sensation he’d had when he’d seen the man in the trench coat.

Adin’s heart froze. There were more of
them
.

He slumped back against the seat. Boaz handed him a water bottle and he nodded his thanks. Somehow, in the brief period of time he’d known Donte, known
of
Donte, it never occurred to him that there might be more.

Adin accepted, albeit unwillingly, a world in which vampires could exist; indeed, he accepted that Donte did exist. Adin had offered himself to Donte, knowing full well that if he did it, he would be slamming the door on the world he’d known his entire life. But he’d never thought this far ahead. There were others, not just Donte. There were whole legions, maybe, of things out there that he’d never believed in that he had to make room for now, in his imagination, surely, and maybe in his life.

“Boss?” asked a worried Boaz. “You’re sweating. Do you think we should go to the hospital?”

“No!” Adin said, louder than he meant to. “No. Just…take me home, okay? Back to the hotel. Then take Edward wherever he needs to go.”

“I’m not just going to leave you—”

“I probably have a touch of the flu, nothing more serious. I promise. Please, just do as I ask. I have a lot to think about. Bring me takeout when you return to the hotel, okay?”

“All right.” Boaz watched him speculatively until Edward climbed back into the car. Boaz looked as if he wanted to say something but in the end, he remained silent.

“Feeling better?” Edward looked Adin over closely. “You need to rest.”

“I know.” Adin patted the seat next to him. “I only just came back from Frankfurt a few days ago. I really haven’t been taking care of myself. I’m sure I’m just run-down.” He sighed. “Boaz is going to drop me off and then take you wherever you’d like to go. If you’re feeling motherly, maybe you can help him choose something to bring me for dinner. Would that be all right?”

“Now that, I can do.” Edward nodded at Boaz, who was backing out of the limo door. When Boaz closed the door behind him, Edward said plaintively, “I want a Boaz. He’s so cool! Do you think he would drive me if I asked him? I’d love to have a driver.”

Adin smiled. “I’ll bet he’d be delighted. He’s very efficient.”

“And he didn’t even get mad when I—” Edward bit his lip on a snigger. “You know.”

“I’ll bet you’re not exactly the first,” Adin remarked as the car pulled away from the curb.

Edward suppressed a smile. He got serious a minute later, gazing at Adin with naked anxiety. “Something’s different about you. You’d tell me if—” He didn’t finish. He didn’t have to.

“I’m healthy,” stated Adin. “I promise. I’m fine. I’ve had a shock with this manuscript, and then with the theft… My heart feels broken.”

“Oh, Adin,” Edward murmured sympathetically. “I know.
I know.
But don’t bother telling that to Tuan. It’s like trying to teach a rock to sing.”

“I believe that.” Adin took Edward’s outstretched hand in his. “I’m glad I’m here with you.”

Edward smiled his wide, white smile and chattered all the way back to the hotel. Adin tuned him out. There was so much he had to find out.

More of them.

There were
more
. And while Adin could cope with a world that had Donte in it, he was wholly unprepared to deal with vampires as a large and lethal group of undead people who actually existed. Suddenly he wanted Donte with such longing it took his breath away.

Was it some new trick? Donte had used fear against him before, he’d made Adin feel as though he were the only safe haven in a world gone crazy. It was part of his magic—his glamour. But Donte was not there, and in his heart, Adin knew it.