Gravity (6 page)

scruffy beard. The closer he got, the more I noticed his smug look. His messy hair was an indistinct

color of faded brown, and the stinging wind had reddened his cheeks as if he’d been slapped.

Slater looked like one of those guys going on an expedition to the Arctic Circle. He squeezed his

gloved hands and it made a gritty sound.

Justus stopped short and held out his arm, forcing us to stand behind him.

“Page, my car’s up the road. Get your bag and we’ll go,” Slater said, blowing out a thick plume

of frosty breath.

“I told you everything was under control,” she said loudly. Defiantly.

Slater shook his head and took a few steps before Justus did the same, the snow crunching

beneath his boots.

“You’re trespassing, Relic. I want you off my property.”

Slater sized up Justus top to bottom. Without looking away, he shouted, “Do what I say, Page.

Go get your bag and we’re leaving.”

“I don’t think you heard me,” Justus growled.

“I heard you, Mage, but I don’t give a fuck who you are. Got it? This is Relic business and I’ll

take it from here. We have clients waiting and work to be done, and thanks to you, we’re days

behind.”

Page walked around Justus and hugged her arms. “Slater, I can’t leave my car here. I’ve been

able to keep up with most of my appointments through conference calls. I’ll be heading home

tomorrow.”

“Are we gonna fucking do this here?”

“You don’t own me.” She emphasized every word. “Don’t you dare just show up out of the blue

and start ordering me around.”

Page walked closer to make her words private, but we heard everything. I glanced down and

saw the snow melting around my Ghuardian’s boots.

“Are you seriously telling me, Page, that you want to be trapped in the middle of

absofuckingnowhere? You should appreciate that I came all this way for you.” Slater sighed with

resolve. “Leave your bag here; I’ll pick it up later.”

Slater grabbed her elbow and she snapped it out of his grasp.

What happened next was too fast to track. In the blink of an eye, Justus knocked Slater to the

ground, pinning him with his forearm.

“Do that again and I’ll cut off your hand and mount it on my wall,” Justus said in a placid voice.

“Let him up, Mr. De Gradi. He’s right; I need to catch up with my appointments before we fall

behind and upset our clients.”

Justus twisted his neck around, creating lines in the back where the skin folded and stretched.

Page shivered. “I’ve got obligations. I’ll pick up my car and bag tomorrow. Please, just get off

him.”

“Kind of a bite in the ass having a woman order you around, isn’t it, Mage?” Slater provoked.

Justus pressed Slater’s neck hard enough to make him gasp before rising to his feet. Little did

Slater know that in that very spot, Justus had cut a man’s throat.

Page left with Slater, and I got the impression that her clients were the least of her problems.

She was in an abusive relationship with her partner, even if it was just verbal or manipulative.

Justus spent an hour sitting at the dining table, staring at the half-eaten food before he finally

retired downstairs.

Hours later, I passed him in the training room, pounding the sin out of a punching bag.

Chapter 4

Tall men love tiny cars . Levi was no exception. It’s one of those great mysteries in life, like

where your missing sock went and why men in uniforms are always so damn sexy.

Girls’ night out had been derailed. Novis called and requested a group meeting at the Red

Door; Christian had returned with news. It was our favorite club and they’d recently added on a

dance room. Novis made arrangements that would allow Knox entry, given the owner had thrown

him out the last time for starting a fight. We all met up at Logan’s condo to share rides, and Justus

headed out separately in his Aston Martin.

Levi grinned from the driver’s seat of his little red car as I stood on the curb. Novis claimed the

front and I peered into the back where Logan and Christian sat beside each other. I was two

seconds from taking the bus when Logan tugged me onto his lap. Novis had to pull his seat all the

way up to the front to accommodate for Logan’s long legs. Meanwhile, Christian looked like a

panini sandwich with Levi’s seat shoved all the way back.

This kind of outing required club gear—tall boots, a bomber jacket, and a sassy black skirt that

fell just above my knees. Levi blasted the heater so high I unzipped my coat, leaned against

Logan, and scooted down on his lap.

Big mistake.

Logan never wore aftershave, and yet he always smelled amazing. I drew in a deep breath and

suddenly his mouth nipped and sucked on my earlobe. Despite Muse thumping on the speakers,

the loud conversation about a badass movie that Levi had watched with Finn, and the sound of

Christian’s noisy candy wrapper twisting between his fingers, I could hear Logan purring.

Not only that, I could feel it against my back.

The car made quick turns that had me sliding all over his lap. At one point, his right hand

settled on my upper thigh and each hard stop caused his index finger to press between my legs.

Accidentally, I’m sure.

My heart pounded eagerly and heat flushed over my body. His mouth moved around my ear

until he found the soft spot on my neck that weakened me. I arched my back and he grew

uncomfortably hard beneath me. Logan scented my arousal and his entire body responded.

Levi flashed an irritated look over his shoulder. He had Logan’s blond hair, except darker and

very short. Sometimes Levi reminded me of a cop.

“Put a cap on that, Lo; you’re burning my nose.”

Logan lifted his left hand and gave Levi the finger.

The car pulled into the parking lot and when we got out and headed toward the club, Christian

distanced himself from me.

Logan wrapped his arm around my back and lifted me onto the curb without breaking his

stride. Moments like that made my heart flutter.

We walked past the line of humans hoping in vain to get inside. They didn’t have a clue it was

a Breed-only bar.

Novis led the way and the crowd parted. His status as a Councilman was clearly known among

all—either that or he was a regular who liked to get his boogie on.

Levi suddenly halted and spun on his heel, causing me to crash into him. He gripped my

shoulders and stared at Logan. “Fuck, my ex is here.”

“Why is that a problem?” Logan asked quizzically.

“Because dollars to donuts he’s going to confront me and start some shit in here.” Levi’s

expression tightened. “I’ll be…” He glanced around. “Shit, I’ll just be somewhere. I’ll come hang

when he’s gone.”

“Wait,” I said, gripping his brown jacket. “Which one is he? I want to see the idiot who let go of

a good thing.”

He leaned in and kissed my cheek, glaring up at Logan. “If this jackass doesn’t mate with you,

I will,” he said with a wink.

I laughed softly and watched him disappear into the crowd.

We passed several Shifters, Vampires, and other Breeds who looked at our motley crew with

skeptical eyes. Maybe the intimate way that Logan held me close offended them. I didn’t care.

The new dance room was dim and attractive with dark walls and ample seating around the

floor. Novis folded his jacket over the back of a chair across from Sunny, who was preoccupied

making out with Knox at the round table.

I cleared my throat and dropped my purse on the table. Knox glanced up, wearing a proud grin

and half of Sunny’s lipstick. A few empty beer bottles were in front of him while Sunny worked on a

bottle of orange soda.

“How’s it hanging?” Knox greeted the men.

Typical Knox.

They exchanged a few words and I settled in the chair beside Sunny while Logan called over a

waitress and ordered a round.

“When did you get here?” I yelled over the music.

She leaned in close and I could smell her new perfume. Logan preferred my natural smell, so I

rarely wore any. “We got here over an hour ago. What took you so long?”

“Don’t ask. Where’s Page?”

Her strawberry-colored lips curved up into a wicked smile.

“What did you do?” I leaned in with a punishing stare.

“Nothing,” she said in an innocent voice riddled with guilt. “That’s a woman who needs to cut

loose once in a while.”

“Why am I having flashbacks of my twenty-third birthday?”

Sunny guffawed and everyone looked at her. “Girl talk,” she said, shooing them with a flick of

her wrist.

I scooted closer. “I still have to see her professionally, so I hope that you’ve been nice to her.”

She snorted and plucked a cherry from a small dish, rolling it around on her tongue. “Jack

Daniels was real nice to Dr. Page.”

I sighed as she turned around and planted a kiss on Knox, his fingers threading through her

wavy blond hair. When they finished, he had the cherry between his teeth.

Logan abruptly got up and stalked to a nearby table. He lifted a short glass from a woman’s

hand and dumped it on the floor. My mouth hung open at his impulsive behavior. After whispering

something in her ear, he returned to his chair. The blonde stood up, angrily brushed the ends of

her black dress, and slapped the man in the face.

“What was that about?” I asked, tugging on the sleeve of his shirt.

Logan angrily drank a swig of beer and put his arm over the back of my chair. “ That was a

Sensor. He swirled his finger in her drink and spiked it.”

“How do you know?”

“I see it all the time,” he said, scanning the crowd. “People shouldn’t use their abilities to take

advantage of others.”

“How very noble of you, Mr. Cross.” Not being sarcastic either, but I didn’t have to explain

myself because he could scent that kind of thing.

A sexy song rolled through the club and Logan slid his eyes over to mine. A little tension built

up before Christian moved in and took a seat.

Novis suddenly announced, “Justus is here.”

“Feck me,” Christian exclaimed in his Irish lilt, twisting around in his chair.

Justus walked through the door and heads turned. What I immediately noticed was the bow

tie. Not the large goofy-looking ones I’d seen on weathermen, but vintage. Only Justus could work

a bow tie and make it the sexiest fashion statement imaginable.

Christian snorted. “I haven’t seen him wear that tie in a hundred years or so. He thought he

was the cat’s meow when he went prowling about town in that thing. Jaysus, that dolt really kept

it all these years.”

“So what if he wants to look good?” I said in his defense.

“He only wears that when he means business. Down to business,” Christian said, twirling his

finger at me in a small circle. “Lady business.”

“I get it.”

Everyone rose from the table except for Sunny and Knox. As I moved around my chair, a

woman on the dance floor snagged my attention. Her arms waved in the air and the lights

switched to azure blue. She was captivating, dancing with a man who moved like a lion closing in

for the kill.

“Oh. My. God.” I spoke to Sunny but never took my eyes off the dancing woman. “What have

you done to Page?”

Novis turned a curious eye and watched her sway to the music. He concealed a grin and said,

“Gentlemen and lady, shall we? I’d like to have my dinner in private quarters. There’s too much

noise and smoke for me to enjoy a good meal.”

***

The walls in our private room were impenetrable, blocking out all the noise in the club. Almost

all Breed clubs had private rooms that were soundproof from a Vampire’s ears. Christian tested it

before we went in. It wasn’t uncommon to use the rooms for a private party or a meal, so few

people gave a second thought when someone made a reservation. Asymmetrical chairs the color of

the Atlantic Ocean curved around like a horseshoe. Trays of hors d’oeuvres covered the black table

sitting low to the ground. If not for the sconces illuminating the black walls, the room would have

been depressingly dark.

We chose to sit at a round wooden table with leather-seated barstools. There weren’t enough

stools for Christian to join us, so he paced about the room and gave us a rundown of his trip.

Sunny and Knox remained outside as they were not part of these private matters.

“So that’s all Grady told you?” I sighed with disappointment.

Christian peeled off his leather gloves and stuffed them in his coat pockets before plopping

down in a blue chair in the seating area. He had used his Vampire charm to extract information

from the man who had taken my mother, years ago, to the fertility lab where I was made.

“Not quite.” Christian ruffled his disheveled brown hair. His smile looked more like an invisible

hook was tugging at the corner of his mouth. He still hadn’t grown fond of shaving and always

sported a scruff that wanted to be a beard when it grew up. “Your Grady knew nothing of the