Steal the Night (65 page)

“I didn’t believe you,” he said.

The baby squirmed, already trying to get out of his swaddling.

I had told Zack about seeing Lee in Heaven. He’d hugged me and told me how nice that was. Now he had to believe. I put a hand on his shoulder.

“Zoey, this is my brother,” he said, emotion choking his voice. “He smells like Lee. How is that possible?”

“Heaven works in mysterious ways,” I replied, letting the baby grab my finger. He was already so strong.

Zack sniffled before laughing and running a gentle hand over the baby’s head. He leaned over and kissed him. “Well hello, Lee. Hello again, my brother. You had it rough before, but it’s going to be different this time. You won’t ever feel alone. I’m going to be your Uncle Zack, and I promise to help you with all the crazy stuff you and your brother will come up with.” He passed the baby to me. “And that’s your mom. You couldn’t ask for better than her, Lee.” Zack gave me a quick hug. “I’ll see you in the morning, Zoey. Trent wants to go over the new protocols we’ll use with the kids.”

“Night, Zack,” I said, sitting down in the rocker. I rocked gently and heard Rhys making sweet little baby sounds in his crib. I thought about everything that had happened since that day in the arena.

Daniel was the formally acknowledged King of all Vampire. He had spent months forming the new Council and while the politics still gave him a horrible headache, his chief advisor actually enjoyed all the intrigue. Dev was a master politician and since the war, he’d been enjoying the acceptance of those in Daniel’s circle. He’d reconciled with his brother, who was a frequent visitor, along with his mother.

Sarah and Felix moved back to Dallas and Felix was finishing his degree in counseling. They had moved into our building with their daughter, Mia. Sarah’s hair was a sunny yellow and it matched her perpetual mood now.

Marcus was the elected representative of Vampire. He held the seat and was discovering he enjoyed the political side of a true government. I still caught him looking wistful at times. I could only hope he would find that woman who could make him complete.

Neil and Chad moved in together one floor down from us. Since he’d pushed the beast down to save my life, Neil had reported no further incidents, but I was nervous. He didn’t want to investigate further, preferring to enjoy his new, settled life with his lover and I hesitated to disturb his peace. I worried that we would have to deal with it eventually. These problems didn’t just disappear.

The door opened and Danny and Dev walked in.

“There you are,” Daniel said with a dimpled smile.

Dev went over and picked up his sleeping son and settled into the rocking chair beside me. Daniel sank into his and the three of us rocked, passing the babies between us. We sat like that, peacefully watching the light grow in the sky.

As for me, I learned a lot over the last few years. I learned to really accept the love that is given to me. I have learned to accept myself for who I am. I’ve realized that I have many names and many titles.

I am the Queen of All Vampire and in Fae society they call me Your Grace, but those fancy things don’t hold a candle to my favorite titles. I am my father’s daughter. I am Daniel and Dev’s wife. I am Lee and Rhys’s mom.

Because I am all of these things, I am the one thing I never thought I could be—happy.

* * * *

Zoey, Daniel, Dev and the whole crew will return in a series featuring a brand new heroine with ties to them they can’t imagine. Join me for Hunter: A Thieves Series starting in January of 2015.

Author’s Note

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Ripper

Hunter: A Thieves Novel, Book 1

By Lexi Blake

Coming January 20, 2015

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Kelsey Atwood is a private detective with a problem. She came from a family of hunters, growing up on the wrong side of the supernatural world. Tracking down bail jumpers and deadbeat dads may not make her a lot of friends, but it’s a lot safer than the life she turned her back on. She was hoping to escape from the nightmares of her past, but her latest case has brought them right back to her door.

A young woman has gone missing, and she didn’t go willingly. When Kelsey discovers that the girl is actually a shifter, she knows she should drop the case and walk away. But this shifter was a sweet kid, and she’s in serious trouble. More females are missing and the evidence points to a legendary killer. Bodies are piling up, and her case is becoming center stage for a conflict that could shatter the fragile peace between wolves and vampires.

As the hunt intensifies, she finds herself trapped between two men—Gray, a magnetic half-demon lawman, and the ancient vampire Marcus Vorenus. Both men call to her, but when a shocking secret about Kelsey’s family is revealed, it could ruin them all. To stop the killer, she will have to embrace the truth about who—and what—she truly is.

* * * *

“They make a beautiful family,” a voice said from the doorway. He was backlit from the blue light coming from the club and I only saw his silhouette.

I turned quickly, hoping he wouldn’t catch me crying. I wiped away the obnoxious evidence of my self-pity. “Yes, they’re lovely.”

One minute he was behind me and the next he was right in front of me. His hand cupped my jaw, his thumb gently rubbing across my cheek, sweeping away the tear caught there. I should have backed away, but I was too surprised to move. Vampires are fast.

“Did Devinshea make you cry?” the vampire asked with a melodic accent. Italian, I realized as I recognized the man from last night. “He can be rude though not usually with a woman. Should I talk to him?”

“Marcus Vorenus.” It came out as a breathy revelation.

In the dim light of the office, I saw a smile break over the vampire’s face. It tugged his lips up and caused his dark eyes to crinkle appealingly. It took him from a gorgeous work of art to something far more dangerous. He was just a handsome, approachable man when he smiled.

“You’re the girl from the club.” He sounded like he was happy to have found me again.

“I am.” I had to wonder if I would be crying if I’d followed through on my initial instinct and taken Marcus up on his invitation that night. I probably wouldn’t be standing here crying over Grayson Sloane.

He stepped back and dropped his hand. He seemed a bit wary now. “You came to look for me?”

“No.” I wished a little I could lie to him. “I’m a private investigator. I’m here on a…murder case. Mr. Quinn just kind of became my new client. He said I needed an escort so I suppose he picked you. And I wasn’t stalking you or anything. I was staking the place out and you just happened to be there.”

He looked amused as he leaned back against the desk. “An investigator? Very interesting. You must be a good investigator since you already know my name. Why don’t you tell me yours?”

“Kelsey Atwood.” I wondered if someone was laughing at me. I’d just gotten dumped by one guy out of my league. Now I was standing alone in a room with another too beautiful man, and I was determined not to make an idiot of myself over this one.

“Kelsey. An interesting name for an interesting girl,” the vampire said. “It used to be a surname. Old English, I believe.”

“I have no idea. I think my mom just liked the sound of it. Are you really two thousand years old?” He looked like he was maybe thirty-five.

His head moved ever so slightly, an aristocratic gesture in the negative. “Not quite. If you include the twenty-two years I walked the plane as a human, I have one thousand nine hundred and seventy-four years.”

I stared at him, thinking about what that meant.

“Tell me, Kelsey.” His mouth turned down as he stared back at me. “Give me the first thought you had when I told you just how old I am.”

He seemed really interested, so I gave him my honest answer. “I thought that was a lot of time for regrets.”

He was in my space again. “Almost all humans have a different reaction. They say how much I must have seen and how amazing it must be to never have to die.”

“I guess it says something about me.” I wished I’d given him a less than honest answer, but it was me and I didn’t see a reason to hide it. “I think about what you must have lost along the way. I don’t think I’d want to be immortal.”

He didn’t touch me. I knew all I had to do was ask and he would. “Do you belong to the demon, little Kelsey?”

“No,” I said quietly. “He doesn’t want me now.”

“But you want him.”

All I had to do was say no and I knew the vampire would offer himself to me. We had a strange connection, Marcus Vorenus and I, and if I hadn’t met Gray when I did I would have been all over him. But I had met Gray and even though he’d walked out on me, it seemed too soon to consider anyone else. “Yes,” I said and I heard the longing in my own voice.

“He is a fool.” The vampire backed up. His face was once again pleasant, but without the emotion that previously lit it. This was Marcus as he wanted the world to see him—cool and regal, distant. “But then aren’t we all? I thought, for a moment, that Devinshea was doing me a favor. I thought, perhaps, I was reading too much into our situation. I see he’s still playing a game with me.”

The vampire sounded bitter, and I hated the fact that I’d made him feel that way. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying…”

“It isn’t your fault, dear girl. You must be careful around the fertility god. He always knows what he is doing when he puts two people in an intimate situation. He knew I would be attracted to you. He knew you’re precisely the type of female to catch my attention. He also knew you’re involved with another man. It’s his way of telling me it is time to go home, that there is nothing here for me.”

A wave of disappointment rolled over me. I’d been looking forward to his company, but I didn’t want to hurt him further. He seemed sad enough as it was, as though the world had turned on him. I didn’t want to add to his troubles. “I’ll ask Mr. Quinn for another escort. I’m sorry to have taken up your time. I’ll just wait here for him. I’m sure he’ll be back.”

I sat down again in the chair where I’d talked to Quinn and tried to hold myself with as much dignity as I could muster. I prayed the next vampire he sent me was obnoxious and unattractive.

Marcus kneeled at my side. “I’m sorry, Kelsey. I shouldn’t have tried to drag you into my troubles with Devinshea and Daniel. My only excuse is that I’ve been thinking of you ever since I saw you last night. I’m a bit tired of wanting women I cannot have.”

Now I was the slightly bitter one. “Well, Vorenus, then stick by my side. I can assure you after you spend a little time with me, you’ll change your mind. They all do after I pull a gun on them or yell too much. And this,” I gestured to the dress and shoes, “ain’t me. This is someone else’s magic. I’m a jeans and T-shirts kind of girl, and I don’t do relationships well, obviously. I drink too much, cuss too much, and can be very unpleasant to be around. I think you’ll discover your heart is perfectly safe around me if you give me the chance to annoy you.”

Marcus’s eyes closed and a rueful smile took over his lips. “He knows me so well.” He sighed and opened his eyes, holding out his hand for me. “Let us forget this portion of the evening and begin again. I am Marcus Vorenus, your escort. Consider me your knight and your guide. So, tell me, Kelsey, how may aid you? I am entirely at your service.”

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A View to a Thrill

Masters and Mercenaries, Book 7

By Lexi Blake

Coming August 19, 2014

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A Spy without a Country

Simon Weston grew up royal in a place where aristocracy still mattered. Serving Queen and country meant everything to him, until MI6 marked him as damaged goods and he left his home in disgrace. Ian Taggart showed him a better way to serve his fellow man and introduced him to Sanctum, a place to pursue his passion for Dominance and submission. Topping beautiful subs was a lovely distraction until he met Chelsea, and becoming her Master turned into Simon’s most important mission.

A Woman without Hope

Chelsea Dennis grew up a pawn to the Russian mob. Her father’s violent lessons taught her that monsters lurked inside every man and they should never be trusted. Hiding in the shadows, she became something that even the monsters would fear—an information broker who exposed their dirty secrets and toppled their empires. Everything changed when Simon Weston crossed her path. Valiant and faithful, he was everything she needed—and a risk she couldn’t afford to take.

A Force too Strong to Resist

When dark forces from her past threaten her newfound family at Sanctum, Chelsea must turn to Simon, the one man she can trust with her darkest secrets. Their only chance to survive lies in a mystery even Chelsea has been unable to solve. As they race to uncover the truth and stay one step ahead of the assassins on their heels, they will discover a love too powerful to deny. But to stop a killer, Simon just might have to sacrifice himself…

* * * *

Chelsea looked at the bed that dominated the room. The only bed. Somehow she’d managed to find the shitty motel that didn’t have two queens. No. It was way worse. It was a single queen and there was no couch. And she was pretty sure the floor was covered in disease. “I think I should sleep somewhere else. We need to find another room.”

Blue eyes stared a hole through her. Somehow his eyes managed to be cold and hot given his mood. The color shifted, lighter, icier when he was angry. As warm as the Caribbean when he was happy.