Fangs And Fame (14 page)

Aurora

“
I LOVE OUR BUS, but I’m really looking forward to a hotel room tonight,” I told Trey as he held the door open for me to step inside the hotel lobby. We hadn’t taken five steps inside when I felt a familiar presence reach out to me. Startled, I quickly scanned my surroundings, feeling Trey’s grip on my hand tighten in response. I spotted him across the lobby, standing near the concierge’s desk, pretending to read a newspaper – as if a giant could look at all inconspicuous.

Tytus
, I thought, addressing him silently.

Aurora
, he replied in the same manner without lifting his eyes to look at me.

I stopped walking and averted my gaze from him, but only because Chase, Jonas, and O
’Shea had just slipped into the lobby behind us. Neon was already at the desk checking in for all of us.

“
Time for some room service,” O’Shea announced, squeezing the back of Trey’s neck as he passed by.

Trey nodded at him, playing along, but he was just as relieved as I was when Neon handed the guys their keys
, and they crammed into the nearest elevator and disappeared behind its doors. Trey accepted our key from Neon, as well, and watched as the manager dialed a call on his phone and stepped back outside to talk.

What are you doing here?
I demanded, risking another glance at Tytus now that the coast was clear.

I came to make amends,
he replied. I don’t know which surprised me more, the sincerity in his statement, or the fact that he knew what the word ‘amends’ meant.
Is there someplace you and I can talk?

I glanced around, meeting Trey
’s inquiring eyes.

This man helped me the night you were hurt,
Trey added.
Maybe we should hear him out.

Tytus had helped? This was news to me. Trey was going to have to explain that one, but since we couldn
’t continue our silent conversation in the lobby much longer without drawing attention to ourselves, I had to make a call.

Fine, I conceded. But not here.... We passed a park on the way here, about two blocks down. We
’ll meet you there at midnight.

Tytus didn
’t challenge my inclusion of Trey in our meeting and gave a small nod of his head, his eyes still on his paper.

“
Let’s go,” I said aloud to Trey. We made our way to the elevator and Trey punched in the button for our floor. “What do you mean he helped?” I asked as soon as the elevator doors had slid closed. “I may have been staked that night, but I haven’t forgotten how he restrained you during the fight.”

“
Believe me,” Trey said. “I haven’t forgotten either.”

“
Then what is it?”

Trey sighed and said,
“He let me go ... after Malena sent you flying through the banister. I don’t know.... It was like it had all been fun and games until she actually hurt you. I was trying to get you out of there when he found me and told me to call Mark.” The elevator doors dinged open just then, and I tried to process this new information while Trey and I wandered down the hall in search of our room. Trey unlocked it with the key Neon had given him, and we stepped inside. “Do you think he knows where Malena ran off to?” he wondered out loud.

“
No idea,” I said. “But I guess we’re going to find out.”

After checking that the coast was clear, Trey and I made our way out of the hotel just before midnight. It was a nice night for the season, but I couldn’t see much of the moon and stars for all the smog in the air. With a small pang I realized just how much I missed the clear skies back home. Tytus was sitting on a park bench beneath a round decorative flower garden in the center of the park when we found him. The plants had seen better days earlier in the season, doing nothing to detract from the giant vampire, who stood out like a sore thumb beside them, even at this hour. He got to his feet as we approached.

“
All right,” I said curtly. “We’re here.”

Tytus met my gaze and held it, and I was surprised to find that his features were void of the usual cockiness I
’d come to know. “First of all, about that night at Club Sanguine,” he began slowly. “It was never supposed to go down like that.” He sighed and I bit my tongue, waiting for him to continue. “Malena recognized your face in the crowd during the VMA’s, and she began looking into everything you did. It was stupid of me to listen to her, but Malena had me convinced that we could help you get over your obsession with him.” Tytus nodded toward Trey and then looked back up at me. “She said that you didn’t appreciate your place among us, and when you went ahead with changing him, we should make an example of you. Damir took the evidence I collected for Malena and went straight to the Synod with it. You were never supposed to actually get hurt. Malena used me to push her own agenda. I see that now. I’m sorry. “

The part of me that was still angry about that night didn
’t want to hear what he was saying, but even I couldn’t deny the regret behind his eyes. “Let’s say I believe you,” I stated. “Are you going to tell me what you’re really doing here, or do you honestly expect us to believe you tracked us half way across the country just to apologize?”

Tytus looked down at his feet in silence.
“I don’t know where Malena is,” he said matter-of-factly. “I suspect she doesn’t stay anywhere long. She may have used me, but I spent a lot of time doing her bidding and I’ve learned a thing or two.”

“
Why are you telling us this?” Trey asked, apparently just as impatient for answers as I was.

“
Look, I’m not the smartest vampire around, but I’m not completely without skills. If I know anything about you two at all, it’s that trouble seems to follow you wherever you go ... including the show tonight.” Tytus looked at Trey, who met his gaze evenly before I heard his heartbeat quicken ever so slightly.

“
What’s he talking about?” I asked Trey. “Did something happen during the show tonight?”

“
No,” Trey said. “Not exactly.”

“
Maybe not this time,” Tytus said cryptically.

“
Tytus, don’t make me drag it out of that giant skull of yours.” I took a step toward him, but it was Trey who spoke next.

“
There were some vamps in the crowd tonight,” Trey said reluctantly. That news alone wasn’t totally alarming, but there was obviously more to the story.

“
How many?” I demanded.

“
A few,” he answered.

“
Seven,” Tytus corrected. And there was that cocky edge that had been missing from his voice earlier.

“
Seven?” Trey’s shoulders sank at the number. “How can we be sure you’re not with them?” he asked.

“
Look, I was just as surprised to see them as you were,” Tytus said. “I spent the day trying to figure out how to approach you two. I was sitting in the parking lot of the arena tonight when a limo full of vampires passed by me. I didn’t follow them, for obvious reasons, but I watched them go inside. Let’s just say I have a feeling they weren’t there for the music.”

I opened my mouth to speak but wasn
’t sure what to say.

“
I saw two vamps at the last show, too,” Trey admitted, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. “And in the hotel this morning.”

I turned to face him in disbelief.
“When were you going to tell me about this?”

“
I was trying to figure out what they want from us first, or at least who sent them.”

“
And tonight?” I asked. “Were you going to keep that from me, too?”

Tytus cut in before Trey could respond.
“You two can have your little lover’s quarrel later,” he insisted. “Right now you have a band of vampires to worry about.”

“
What’s it to you?” I asked, turning on him. All of the pent up rage I had been fighting back was about to come flooding out. “You just show up here, out of the blue, and expect me to believe that you’re telling us all of this out of the goodness of your heart?”

“
I can’t go back,” Tytus said simply. “After Malena....” He shook his head and then looked at Trey and I in turn. “Word got around that you went to Stanislav for help. Is it true that he really gave you his blood?”

He took my silence as confirmation and continued.
“You guys are kind of a big deal, and not just in the ‘We’re famous’ kind of way that humans go for. The fact that Stanislav Vidic was willing to bleed himself to save you isn’t something vampires are going to forget about any time soon. And me, well, I was just part of the reason you needed saving to begin with. I’m not sure I’ll ever fit in there again.”

“
I’m still not sure what this has to do with us,” I said evenly.

“
Like I said before, I’m not completely without skills, and it seems to me like you’re in a bit of a mess. I didn’t know what I was going to say to you before today, but I guess now I’m here to offer my services.”

“
I’m perfectly capable of tracking,” I retorted.

“
I know that,” Tytus said. “But you have a band of vampires who are showing a little too much interest in you both. It sounds to me like you could use all the help you can get.”

“
He might be right,” Trey said. The casual nature of his tone and the hard set of his jaw surprised me. I raised an eyebrow at him.

“
Do I even want to know why you’re going along with this?” I asked. Trey turned to face me and I saw something like guilt and regret behind his eyes. “What? What is it?” I asked him, reaching up to touch his arm.

“
I should have said something sooner,” he began. “I just didn’t-” He sighed. “I wasn’t sure what it meant.”

“
Tell me,” I pleaded, stepping closer to him.

“
Do you remember when Stanislav sent us that blood-laced wine during the album launch party?” he asked. I nodded, recalling the five bottles of Vidic Vineyard’s finest. “The note he sent along with the package wasn’t entirely friendly,” he continued. “Mark warned me that it could be dangerous, owing a vampire in Stanislav’s position a favor, but it didn’t matter at the time. Let’s just say the threat was implied.”

I fought to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach at the revelation.
“What does he want?” I asked.

Trey shook his head.
“No idea. Apparently he’s not ready to tell us yet, but it’s hard to believe that seven vampires would show up at the arena tonight and he’s not behind it somehow.”

“
You said you saw two of them before?” Tytus asked Trey.

Trey nodded.
“Why?”

“
They obviously didn’t get the reaction they wanted out of you the first time around. That’s probably why they came out in full force tonight. To get noticed.”

“
It worked,” I said, suddenly feeling the need to reach out with my powers to the park area surrounding us. I didn’t sense another vampire nearby, but it was painfully obvious that I’d become complacent while being on the road with Trey. That was about to change.

Aurora

THE ABSENCE OF TIRES humming against the pavement was a little disorienting when I opened my eyes in the morning. I glanced around for a second before recognizing the hotel room Trey and I had checked into last night. Apparently I was getting used to life on the road, after all. I rolled over to find Trey lying next to me, still as death. I smiled at the bittersweet memory of waking up next to him in his human days. Back then, I’d have picked up on the sound of his breathing before opening my eyes, and watched in fascination as his chest would rise and fall with each involuntary breath. His hair still stood on end, that hadn’t changed. I reached up and tried to smooth it down with my fingers, giving up after the first failed attempt. I propped myself up on one elbow and studied what was left of the airbrush tattoo I’d sprayed on for him yesterday. His vampire metabolism had caused his body to absorb all but the slightest traces of it. I bent down, leaving a soft kiss on his chest. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before his piercing blue eyes opened and found my own.

“
Hey beautiful,” he said. He moved his arm, inviting me to slide closer. I obliged by resting my head on his shoulder. “Sleep well?”

“
Not bad,” I answered. I felt more rested than I had expected to after our bizarre encounter with Tytus last night. The sun creeping through the slits in the curtain let me know that Trey wasn’t in my head, at least not literally, but that didn’t stop him from guessing my train of thought.

“
I really am sorry for not telling you about Stanislav’s note,” he said, a convincing amount of regret in his tone. “I know we have to stick together in this.”

“
You’re forgiven, grasshopper,” I said, knowing he’d hear my smile. “But, do you really think you can convince the guys that you need a bodyguard?” I asked.

“
After that little episode with my vampire stalker at the meet and greet the other day, they might not be opposed to the idea of letting someone else handle the crazies,” he said. “Especially if I can get Neon on board.”

He had a good point. Tytus had spent the night in a room in this same hotel. Before parting last night, the three of us had agreed that he should stay close, but out of sight, until Trey could talk Jonas, Chase and O
’Shea into letting him hire some muscle.

Trey had a radio interview with the guys that he had to call in for, so he threw on some clothes and wandered down to Chase
’s room to get that underway. I took a shower, enjoying the space. Our bus was luxurious, but a shower on a bus just can’t compare to one in a nice hotel. I took my time getting dressed and ready for the day and even put in a phone call to Antonio to confirm Tytus’s story. I was just getting off the phone with him when Trey returned.

“
How was the radio thingy?”

“
It went fine,” he said, grinning at my word choice. “I dispelled a few rumors.”

“
Do I even want to know?”

“
Mostly wedding stuff,” Trey said. “Apparently you can’t have an impromptu wedding without people wondering why. Imagine that.”

“
They think I’m pregnant,” I offered.

“
It won’t last,” he assured me. “Or they’ll have to start photoshopping a baby bump for you if they want to continue with it.” He grinned and eyeballed my middle section like the idea amused him. I smiled and rolled my eyes. “Besides,” he added. “Some teen starlet is bound to get a D.U.I. any day now and draw the attention away from us. Who was that on the phone?”

“
Antonio,” I said as put my phone in my pocket. “I wanted to see how he felt about Tytus’s story. It seems that he’s telling us the truth, as least as far as anyone can tell. Antonio said he’s had it pretty rough ever since Malena took off.”

“
That’s good, I guess,” Trey said. “I called an unofficial band meeting in the restaurant downstairs so we should probably head down. I thought we could do breakfast while I try to talk the guys into this whole Tytus thing. They’re usually more receptive on a full stomach.”

“
Sounds like a plan,” I replied.

A short while later we were all seated around a big table in the hotel’s restaurant while Trey did his best to try and ease the guys into the idea of having someone like Tytus around. It was still early in the morning, especially in rock star world, and add to that the fact that the boys all acted like they were starving anytime food was around, and there was a definite lack of focus as Trey spoke.

“
Let me get this straight,” O’Shea said in between bites of crispy bacon. “You want us to hire security guards?”

“
Just one,” Trey clarified. “I found the perfect guy.”

“
I don’t know,” Chase added, flexing his bicep. “I’m fairly confident I double as security.” He grinned and I couldn’t help but smile at him.

“
You haven’t met this guy,” Trey continued.

“
Has anyone else started their Lego project yet?” Jonas asked, completely out of the blue.

“
Come on, man,” Trey said, sighing. “I’m trying to have a serious conversation here.”

“
Right,” Jonas said. “Sorry. Look, I get that things have been super crazy for you two lately, and you never know when your stalker might pop back in to try and whisk you away again,” he added, grinning at Trey.

Trey played it up by holding his hands out in a show of
‘See, I told you,’ which I barely managed to keep a straight face about.

“
And you’re on board with this?” O’Shea asked Neon, who was digging into a stack of pancakes.

“
Sure,” Neon said. “You can never be too careful these days. What would it hurt?”

“
He’s a Florida boy, so he’ll fit right in,” Trey added. “Aurora’s known him for years, right honey?” he asked, looking to me for confirmation.

“
Yeah,” I said. When I couldn’t think of anything helpful to add, I stuffed a bite of muffin in my mouth and started nodding as I chewed.

“
I guess I’m cool with it,” O’Shea said with a shrug. “When do we get to meet him?”

“
Actually, he should be here any second,” Trey answered. Tytus, who was near enough to hear Trey’s cue, came through the door thirty seconds later, glancing around to find our table.

“
I hope I’m not late,” he said as he looked around at everyone.

“
Just in time,” Trey said, getting to his feet to shake Tytus’s hand. “Guys, meet Tytus,” he said. Then we both enjoyed the shock on all of their faces as they took in Tytus’s size. “Tytus,” Trey said, gesturing with his hand. “This is O’Shea, Jonas, and Chase.”

“
Good to meet you,” Tytus said, nodding at each of them. He really was pulling off this professional polite thing somehow. I wouldn’t have thought it possible before now.

“
And this is Neon, our band manager,” Trey finished.

Neon wiped his mouth with his napkin and got to his feet, approaching Tytus with a cool nonchalance only Neon can pull off.
“Welcome onboard,” Neon said, offering his hand to the giant vampire to shake. The rest of the guys made a fairly quick recovery from their various states of shock and followed suit.

“
Trey really wasn’t kidding when he said you could get the job done,” O’Shea added as he shook Tytus’s hand.

“
I’ve worked as a bouncer at a club, and although this will be my first private security gig, I’m confident I won’t disappoint you.”

“
I don’t imagine you will,” O’Shea said. “Am I right?” he elbowed Chase, who had crossed his arms in an effort to add bulk to his biceps.

“
Yeah,” Chase muttered. “I’m sure you’ll manage.” I look like a shrimp next to this guy, Chase thought. Fantastic.

It took me a second to realize that I shouldn
’t have heard what Chase was thinking. It was daytime, and it was early, at that. I tried to wrap my head around the fact that I was hearing thoughts again when I shouldn’t be as Tytus joined us for the rest of breakfast. The giant vampire made a pretty compelling performance of scarfing down a big omelet in a skillet. He was better at playing human than I might have guessed, too. That would be one less thing to worry about. When we finished breakfast, the guys headed for their bus and Trey and I hung back to talk to Tytus in private.

“
It seems you’re in,” Trey told Tytus.

Tytus tried not to look surprised.
“You won’t regret this,” he said, glancing at me.

“
I would hope you’re not stupid enough to make me,” I responded dryly.

“
You’ll have to bunk on the crew bus,” Trey added. “They’re expecting you now. Do your best to act official.”

“
Not a problem, boss,” Tytus said.

“
Oh, and crew members are off limits,” Trey said. Tytus grinned and Trey added, “And I mean that in every possible way it could be taken.”

Tytus gave a thumbs-up and said,
“See you at the venue tonight.”

“
This is going to take some getting used to,” I told Trey once we were on our bus.

“
Yeah,” was all he said.

“
Tytus really won’t do anything stupid,” I assured him, sensing his trepidation. “He can’t afford to, and if we know anything about him, it’s that he’s insanely loyal. We’re on the receiving end of that now.”

“
You’re right,” he agreed. “Just seems weird. The number of fanged people in our posse is rapidly growing.”

“
Did you just say posse?” I said, biting back a laugh.

He grinned and shrugged.
“Maybe.”

“
Yeah. Okay, Kanye.”

“
Did you just make a pop culture reference?” Trey said, laughing.

Then I laughed for real.
“Maybe.”