Edge of Night (37 page)

Then she had to break it off with him, once and for all. No letting her passion for him get the better of her, no excuses. Done.

Luca got out of the car and came around to open her door. “Time to jump in the shark tank, Nemo.”

A low chuckle was the best she could manage, nerves twisting her insides into knots. These people were going to hate her. She was a too-tall, frumpy Normal chef who was the next best thing to a wolf. Her luck really was
that
bad.

The front door was thrown open by a little girl in a frilly green dress. The kid was adorable, big brown eyes, shiny black curls…a porcelain doll come to life. She scowled at Luca. “You’re late.”

“My humblest apologies,
Principessa
.” He swept a deep, courtly bow. “Does this mean we’ll be thrown in the dungeon with nothing but bread and water?”

She clapped a hand over her mouth and giggled. “You’re silly. Nonna made us wait until you got here to eat. Giovani has been complaining for
twenty whole minutes
.”

“That’s terrible.” Luca wagged his head sadly, then turned to Erin. “My cousin Rosa’s daughter, Allie.
Principessa
, this is my friend, Erin.”

The girl stared at her for a very long moment. “Hi.”

After spinning on her toes, she darted down a long wood-paneled hallway. The house had the hushed atmosphere of a mausoleum, and a shiver skittered down Erin’s spine. If one of his vamp relatives jumped out of a coffin, she wouldn’t have been surprised. Then she heard a burst of laughter from the end of the hall, and Luca drew her toward that doorway.

All conversation stopped the second they stepped over the threshold. Fifteen gazes pinned Erin in place like a bug under a microscope, very few of the expressions welcoming. Ice had more warmth than this group. The biggest chill emanated from the vampire who looked the most like Luca. His father, Salvatore, she guessed. If looks could kill, this man would have skewered her alive. She lifted her chin and refused to be cowed.

“Ah look. Cousin Luca brought dessert,” purred a slender male who’d draped himself across the arm of a couch. The corners of his eyes burned red, and his fangs extended as if he intended to do a little taste testing before dinner.

“She carries a knife with her, and she has my blessing to use it on you if you step out of line.” Luca’s gaze moved over the crowd, his face set in cold, harsh lines.

“As if she could—”

His laugh was humorless. “She got me. Do you think you’re faster than I am?”

The skinny vampire swallowed and said nothing. Erin hoped the confrontation ended at that, but she wished more than ever that she could have stayed at home with Balthasar and watched TV.

“Someone get him a dose of elixir,” Luca spoke to the room at large. “Also, a lesson in manners wouldn’t be out of line.”

“I agree. Giovani, your mother would be ashamed.” A petite woman decked out in cashmere and pearls stepped forward, her hands extended. “Welcome to my home. I’m Carmela Cavalli, Luca’s aunt.” She gestured to a man who looked more intrigued than hostile. “My husband, Vito. He says he met you at your cousin Jack’s wedding.”

Erin blinked and looked at him again. He seemed vaguely amused, though he didn’t smile. “Um, yes. I believe he officiated the ceremony. It was kind of him to do so on such short notice.”

Luca bent to kiss the female vampire’s cheek. “
Zia
Carmela. This is Erin Bates. She’s a chef, so you can talk cooking for hours and she’ll never get bored.”

“Lovely. It’s good to see you, dear.” She patted his jaw. Turning to Erin, she smiled. “It’s delightful to meet you. We’re having traditional Tuscan cuisine. I hope you’ll enjoy it.”

“
Ribollita
soup?” Erin returned with a hopeful lilt to her voice. At least there was one friendly person in the room, and there was food. Food was always good. She surreptitiously swiped her clammy palms on her skirt.

Carmela hooked her arm through Erin’s and leaned in conspiratorially. “One of my specialties.”

“Wonderful.” Erin tried for a grin. “I haven’t had in years.”

They all made it into the dining room without incident, and Erin breathed a sigh of relief when conversation became sporadic as they dug in to the first course. Carmela, Vito and Luca drew her in on several topics, and they seemed nice, which was downright refreshing after the chilly reception. The dinner wasn’t what she’d call comfortable, but it wasn’t bad either. A few people gave her sidelong glances, but most of them ignored her in favor of chatting and teasing other relatives.

Allie the princess was the sole exception. She didn’t glance at or ignore Erin. She stared non-stop throughout the entire meal. Finally, Erin smiled at the girl and asked, “Do I have food on my face?”

The kid shook her head. “Are you really a werewolf?”

“No, I’m a Normal.” She took a sip of red wine. “My aunt and uncle and cousin are all wolves though.”

The girl’s lower lip jutted. “We don’t
like
werewolves.”

All movement, all discussion stopped as the entire Cavalli clan watched the exchange. A woman sitting beside the girl—presumably her mother—hissed, “
Allie
, that was rude.”

Erin focused on Allie. “Really? Why don’t you like werewolves?”

Her little brow scrunched. “Because they’re animals.”

“Huh.” Erin arched her eyebrows in mock surprise. “My family isn’t. Have you ever met a werewolf?”

“Nuh-uh. But Giovani said you shouldn’t be dating Luca because you’re a wolf.”

“I’m dating Luca because I like him. I don’t care what kind of magic he has or doesn’t have.” She gave bony-assed Giovani a pointed look. “Anyone who bases datability solely on species is being a narrow-minded racist jerk.”

“Amen,” said a blond man sitting on her right. He grabbed a wine bottle and topped off her glass. “Been telling Gio that for years.”

Luca grinned, lifted her hand and brushed his lips over her knuckles. “And I’m dating Erin because I like her. She’s as wise as she is beautiful, and that’s no small feat.”

“Are you gonna get
married?
” Allie’s eyes widened with excitement and she bounced in her seat.

Her mother mouthed
I’m sorry
to Erin and Luca before turning a quelling glance on her child. “That is enough questions for one meal,
bambina
. If you’re done with your dinner, you can go play outside.”

The blond man leaned around her to look at Luca. “Good pick.”

“I’m glad you think so.” He twined his fingers with Erin’s. “If you have a moment after dinner, I need your help with something.”

“That sounds ominous.” The other man’s smile was too sharp to be nice, and there was some silent communication going on that Erin didn’t catch. Maybe it was telepathy, but she noticed the blond man had slight points to his ears. An elf among the vampires? He wouldn’t be able to send telepathic thoughts, and she’d thought vampires didn’t mix with
any
other Magickal race. How very interesting.

Luca and Erin managed to corner his cousin’s husband in the library after dinner. The fact that Stella had married an elf was a scandal the family tried to cover up, but the two were a good match. Even his father had admitted it. That Nick had been trying to avoid them was patently obvious, but Luca knew the man’s scent, so there was no way he’d escape him for long.

“Nick.”

The blond winced, putting down the book he’d been reading. “The answer is no.”

Erin closed the door to the library, her gaze flicking back and forth between the two men. “Was there a question?”

Luca leaned against the chair across from the elf. “Nick is the psychometrist I was telling you about.”

He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. “No, Luca.
No.
”

“I can’t force you to use your powers,” Luca replied lightly. “But Erin’s being stalked. She’s in danger and I need your help.”

“Fuck.” Nick’s head fell back against his chair. He closed his eyes as if he was in pain.

“You know I wouldn’t come to you unless it was important.” Luca pressed whatever advantage he could get. That Erin had made a favorable impression on the elf at dinner was a very good sign. Nick hated his psychometry—had been forced to use it as a child when the local cops had discovered just how gifted the elf was. Traumatized didn’t even begin to describe him. Still, Luca would twist anyone’s arm he had to if it meant keeping Erin safe. Maybe putting the elf in this position made him a heartless bastard, but he’d been called worse.

Nick sighed. “I know. Please tell me you don’t want me to read a severed hand again.”

“Again?” Erin echoed.

Luca waved dismissively. “It was a bizarre case, and the
only
other time I’ve come to him.”

“Yeah, well.” Nick cocked an eyebrow. “Other people in law enforcement try to convince me to help. I’m not interested.”

Luca dipped one shoulder in a shrug. “I’ve never give your name out to any of them, or even mentioned I know someone with psychometric abilities.”

“Thanks for that,” the elf returned dryly.

“You’re welcome.” Luca motioned to the door. “I have the item I need read in my trunk. I wanted to handle it as little as possible, even in a sealed bag.”

Heaving a sigh, Nick pushed to his feet. “Not exactly normal police procedure. You’re not going to drag me down to your headquarters this time?”

“I took a leave of absence.” Luca met the other man’s gaze. “Stalking cases are often a gray area, where strict police procedure can’t do much other than recommend a restraining order. And that’s after you know who’s doing the stalking. Without a direct threat or attack, there’s no law against being a creepy asshole.”

Leading the way out to his car, Luca glanced back occasionally to make sure that Erin and Nick followed. Luca smiled when Erin caught up and slipped her hand into his. It felt good there. It felt better that she’d reached for him instead of the other way around. Not for the first time, he wondered what would become of them when her stalker was caught. It was a question he couldn’t answer yet, but the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to keep her near. Indefinitely. Whether that was feasible was a different problem.

He took out his keys and popped open the truck. Gingerly, he lifted the bag containing the rose. “No dead body parts, just a dead plant.”

Nick scoffed. “Yeah, but the person who held it might be worse than the one who enjoyed hacking off limbs.”

“Wow, that sounds like a barrel of laughs.” Erin’s face scrunched in disgust. “I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to get involved in that.”

The elf shot her a grateful smile, and Luca could tell she’d notched a little higher in Nick’s estimation. Whatever it took to get him to read the rose.

“It was a bizarre case,” Luca repeated. “With Nick’s help, we caught the guy.”

“You’re welcome.” The elf took a deep breath. “Unseal the bag so I can reach in.”

Using just the tips of his fingers, Luca complied. Nick took the withered stem and the card and drew them out, carefully not to let his skin brush Luca’s. The elf closed his eyes, and Luca felt a wave of magic emanating outward from the other man. Erin shivered beside him, and he watched her rub at the goose bumps on her arms.

Nick choked, his body twitching. He turned a deep purplish red, a vein throbbing in his forehead. Spittle erupted from his lips, trailing down his chin. For all intents and purposes, the man looked like he was having a seizure while standing.

Concern flashed across Erin’s face. “Wha—”

Clamping a hand over her mouth, Luca shook his head. He sent a thought to her.
“Don’t interrupt. He’ll tell us what he can when he’s done with the reading
.
”

Questions crowded in her gaze, but she remained silent.

“Yes, this is normal for him
.
”
Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he eased his palm away from her mouth.

The rose snapped in Nick’s hand, the dead petals scattering on the driveway. His eyes opened and he pushed the card and what was left of the flower back into the bag. Swiping his sleeve over his chin, his breathed easier and his color returned to its usual pale shade. “Many people touched the rose in its lifetime. I focused on the first time she touched it.” He nodded to Erin. “A female wolf had her hands on it—blonde, short.”

“My cousin, Holly,” Erin said promptly.

“Then you again. Then it passed through many hands. Male and female. Normal and Magickal. This was…deliberate, I think. Probably to prevent anyone from being able to sense who really had it. It would have muddied up a wolf’s tracking nose.”

“Will it muddy a psychometrist’s touch?” Luca asked.

“Yes and no.” The elf’s smile was grim. “They used gloves, which can also mess with both scientific and magical detection. A male vampire had it last. Red hair.”

“My bodyguard.” Erin’s hands grasped her opposite elbows, hugging herself. “We saw him touch it with gloves. We need whoever had it directly before him.”

“Another male vampire. Brown hair, blue eyed. Also gloved.” Nick swallowed. “Thankfully nothing too disturbing happened with the flower, but the card? The small tear at the top wasn’t from the trip to the trashcan, but because he almost shredded it. There was hate in that touch, rage. Jealousy. It was like a spike being driven into my temple.”