Stealing Time (12 page)

“Welcome to my gallery, Evie.”

“Thank you. It’s beautiful,” I said with sincerity, trying to focus on anything besides the thudding of human hearts and the scent of prey so close at hand.

Ira beamed. “You’re very kind.”

My mouth twitched, but I managed to keep a straight face as I thought,
Good thing you can’t read my mind, lamb chop.

Lilith said, “Ira has the proposed designs drawn up and ready for you to see, James.” She gestured toward the reception desk. “And there’s someone I want you to meet.”

The blonde turned toward us. The curve of her cheek, her gaze rising to mine…

I knew her
.

“Evie?”

“Hi, Kate.”

James looked down at me questioningly. In a subaudible voice, he asked, “You know her?”

At the same volume, I answered, “Kate Garrison, my college roommate.”

“What…?” he asked and I shook my head minutely, as puzzled as he.

Ira and Lilith drifted over to the reception desk and began going through paperwork.

In this short span, Kate accelerated across the gallery and—to my horror—hugged me. I heard James’s sharp inhalation and his hand tightened in warning on mine. Instantly, her intoxicating scent filled my senses—the heat of her body pressed against me, her warm breath on my cheek, her throat a mere inch from my teeth, the liquid thrumming of blood tantalizingly close beneath the fragile skin. I had only to tilt my head and part my lips. My fangs clicked into place and my stomach twisted with longing.

Trying desperately to remember control, to keep my jaws clamped shut, my muscles locked, I held my breath and fought the bloodlust, waiting for the interminable hug to end. All the while, James whispered urgently to me, his voice too quiet for Kate’s ears, “Steady, Evie, you can do this.”

With a hurt expression, she pulled back and I realized in my effort to not kill her, I had stood, rigid, with my arms at my sides.

“Kate, I’m so surprised to see you!” I covered my mouth with my hand, feigning shock while frantically willing my fangs to retract. On the third try, they did and I let my hand drop. “You look great.”

Kate was about five foot seven and had short, honey-colored hair and cornflower blue eyes. She was slim but with feminine curves that men never failed to notice. Her skin was golden and I remembered that she’d always tanned easily, a detail that used to make my own skin’s stubborn paleness that much more noticeable. I could see from her fashionable business suit that she still dressed well.

I remembered my manners. “James, this is Kate, my roommate from college.”

Her eyes widened. “James Wesley?”

“It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance.” His old-fashioned manners firmly in place, James was more focused than he intended and staggered her into immobility. I choked back a laugh.

“Give the girl a break,” I murmured and he toned it down, abashed. When Kate was capable of it, she turned her astonished gaze to me and her eyebrows climbed to her hairline.

“Goodness,” she whispered.

To cover the awkward moment, I asked, “What are you doing here? Have you moved to the city?”

She cleared her throat and ran a hand through her short curls. “Yes, I lived in San Francisco for a while but moved here about a year ago to work for the mayor. I do his public relations.”

“Sellout,” I retorted.

She threw back her head and howled with laughter. “You bet I am. I starved enough in college.”

“Aw, mac-and-cheese is a major food group,” I said, laughing.

“For you maybe, but I prefer filet and lobster myself. Probably why you were always so slim, you never ate enough.”

James stifled a grin and Kate looked at him in amusement. “She still doesn’t eat enough, huh?”

“Not exactly,” he said and chuckled as I rolled my eyes at him.

Lilith came over. “James, I see you’ve met Kate Garrison.”

“Yes, although she and Evie already knew each other.”

A suspicion began to form. I asked, “Kate, what are you doing at the gallery?”

“We’re launching a new public relations campaign for the city. It’ll focus on New York’s hidden gems—people whose work the public knows but whose names and faces remain a mystery. Sort of an unveiling and an endorsement, all in one. The goal is to draw more tourists here.”

“Gems?”

“Best-selling authors, playwrights, Broadway producers, and master artists like James.” She paused, waiting for us to share her enthusiasm.

James turned on Lilith. “This is why you wanted me at the gallery today.”

“I simply thought that it might change your mind if you heard it from someone else…” she began.

“Lilith.” It was just one word, but the anger packed into it stopped her cold. She gazed into his eyes and her pale cheeks went white. My pulse quickened in response to her alarm and it took an effort to keep my fangs from extending. I hadn’t known human fear aroused the hunting reflex.

Kate said quickly, “Approaching you was my idea. I asked a friend at the Metropolitan for advice on New York artists, and he gave me your name and showed me a catalogue of your work. I called Lilith just this morning…”

“It is out of the question. She should have saved you the trip.”

Kate smiled. “I don’t mind. It still turned out well since I got to see Evie.”

I forced my lips to curve at her words, but my focus was on James, the awareness of his churning anger affecting me in a wild, primitive way. It was strangely exciting and my pulse sped up. My instincts were readying for battle and a visceral need to fight by his side filled my senses and tightened my muscles. It took a conscious effort to remain erect and keep my expression pleasant, when everything in me wanted to slip into a crouch, spring,
bite.

“Lilith, you may email to me a copy of Ira’s designs. I will look at them and let you know the changes I want made.” James turned to Kate. “My apologies if I seem abrupt. My agent should have explained that I value my privacy above all else. Now if you’ll excuse us, it was a pleasure to meet you.”

I wrestled the battle-urge under control and gave Kate a little wave, just managing to keep my fingers from curling into claws. “Well…it was good to see you. Take care.” My goodbye was unavoidably inadequate.

James waved in Ira’s direction and held the heavy front door for me. Slipping on our sunglasses, we walked down the stairs. I asked, “Why do I have the urge to annihilate somebody?”

He looked at me in surprise. “You do?”

“Yeah. As soon as you got angry and Lilith freaked out, I started looking around for someone to pound.”

He was about to answer when Kate called out, “Evie, James, wait! Where are you two headed? I’d love to catch up with you.” She flew down the steps to us.

There was hope in her eyes but I could also feel James’s intensity, even as he smiled at her. Both of them were waiting for my response, but for entirely different reasons.

I made a quick decision. “I’m sorry, but we’re supposed to be somewhere…”

“Just a quick cup of coffee? There’s a shop next door. We don’t even have to walk far.”

I wavered, reluctant to hurt her feelings. Seeing my indecision, Kate grinned and went over to open the coffee shop’s door. “Come on, you two!”

“Give us a minute,” I sighed. James squeezed my hand.

“Okay.”

We watched until she’d gone inside—through the window, we saw her select a table and get settled.

“Evie,” James began, a warning in his voice, “do you think this is wise? Keeping company with humans is very dangerous…for them and for us.”

I was about to answer when my instincts shrieked a warning. We both went rigid on the same breath and turned to face a black-haired vampire coming down the sidewalk.

The guy looked amused as he registered our wariness of him. “Peace and well met,” he said.

James put himself in front of me before responding. “Well met and peace.”

I noticed that neither male bowed to the other and wondered at it. While I could normally sense another vampire’s power, this guy’s control was equal to James’s and I wondered what it meant about the possibility of violence. My gaze flicked quickly to check on Kate through the window, talking to a tattooed Goth waiter. Despite the tension, the guy’s T-shirt made me smile—beneath the image of vampire teeth, it read “Love bites and sucks.”

“My name is Jack,” the newcomer said in a soft southern drawl. Too late, I returned my gaze to him. Having noted my interest in Kate, he cocked an eyebrow at me.

James told him his name and introduced me as “my Evelyn.” Although I understood the distinction’s importance, part of me bristled at the caveman possessiveness—even as another part found it strangely charming.

God, please don’t let me turn into June Cleaver.

“Ma’am,” Jack said politely before turning back to James. “I just got in town and was about to begin my hunt when I caught your scent.”

I kept my gaze fixed on the black-haired male, my expression neutral.

“We’ll wish you a good evening and not keep you any longer,” James said, putting his arm around me and moving away.

“If I may ask,” Jack called before we’d gone more than a few steps, “do you have any claim on the blond woman?” He tilted his head toward Kate. “She looks very appealing, but I don’t want to cause a dispute.”

My eyes flashed and a growl rumbled in my chest as James tightened his arm around my waist. “The human is ours,” he said in a level voice, but I could feel his tension where our bodies met.

“Pity.” The male made a moue of disappointment. “I don’t suppose you would consider sharing?”

“She is under our protection,” James said, allowing a little of his power to slip its leash. I smiled savagely as Jack stiffened.

“As you say,” he tipped his head formally. His posture relaxed and he grinned. “I imagine New York isn’t lacking for lovely blondes. Good evening, James, Evelyn.” He nodded pleasantly and set off down the sidewalk, no doubt aware that we watched until he turned the corner and disappeared from view.

James got me moving in the opposite direction. “It is all right, Evie, no harm has been done.”

“Not to Kate, but what about Jack’s upcoming meal?” I ground my teeth, knowing that—somewhere in New York City—a blonde was living her last moments.

“This is, perhaps, our most difficult struggle,” James said. “Knowing that someone will die and being unable to do anything about it.”

“But why can’t we?” I railed.

Giving me a gentle look, he asked, “How far would we take it? Would we track down every vampire whose feeding habits differ from ours? Would we force them to our way of thinking? And, failing that, would we kill them? All of them?”

“When you put it like that…”

“Yes.” He sighed. “And yet…”

“And yet,” I agreed.

“The closest I have come to resolution is to help ensure that our laws are not broken. And to step in when the opportunity presents itself, as was the case with Kate. But that doesn’t mean the decision rests easy.”

We walked a distance in silence as I wrestled with impossible options. Finally, I had to let it go—there was nothing to be gained by pursuing this topic. “Kate is going to be furious that we stood her up. Hurt too.”

“Jack accepted our claim, but his curiosity might get the better of him if he observed us keeping company with a human. It is safer for Kate this way.”

I nodded. It wasn’t like I could renew our friendship anyway, not when every instinct in me longed to kill her.

We walked quietly for a few blocks. The streets and sidewalks began to fill with early commuters on their way home and, as more humans crowded around us, my throat burned hotter.

Out of the blue, James asked, “Do you have any interest in returning to writing?”

“What made you think of that?”

“Kate, college…”

“Ahh. So are you trying to distract me? Or just collecting more details?”

“You’re doing very well on your own.” He grinned. “And yes, more detail is definitely called for. But I’m also genuinely interested. You have a true talent and it would be a shame not to use it.”

“Thank you.” I considered his words as an elderly man walking a tiny dog came around a curve in the path, heading our direction. The little, bug-eyed animal was wearing an absurd pink sweater. “Every reporter thinks that they have a book in them somewhere.”

As we drew abreast of the old man and his dog, the wind shifted and our scent blew across the little thing. It yelped and bolted, its leash sliding through the owner’s loose grip.

“Petey, what’s gotten into you? Come back here!” the old man cried, hurrying his shambling steps in pursuit.

I turned to go help, but James’s hand on my arm stopped me.

“It is our presence that terrified the animal. Humans can be fooled, but animals know that we are predators,” he said quietly. “The best thing we can do is walk away.”

Seeing the shadows in his eyes, I said, “It really bothers you.”

“It resurrects unpleasant memories.” His voice was tight. “At the time of my change, automobiles had not yet been invented and the city was filled with horses. It was…difficult simply walking down the sidewalk. I changed my habits, took different routes. But despite my precautions, there was an accident one day. Several people were injured—the driver, critically—and a carriage horse had to be put down. That night, I left New York and returned only after its streets were filled with horses that stayed neatly under automobile hoods. There are a few carriage horses still, for the tourists, but I avoid the streets they use.”

I squeezed his arm in sympathy and he gave me a half-hearted smile.

Clearing his throat, he returned to the earlier topic. “If it pleases you to write, you should do it. There are ways to protect your privacy.”

“The ‘reclusive James Wesley, master artist.’” I glanced at him sidelong. “Lilith seems pretty eager to hurl you into the spotlight.”

He swore. “It’s becoming a problem.”

“What is it about publicity that bothers you?” His earlier anger was so unlike him.

“It’s not just publicity, although I have no interest in it. But attention of that sort creates far too many complications.”

At my confused expression, he explained, “If a photographer used a flash attachment, think what my eyes would do. And there’s the photographic record. Over a relatively short span of time, at least by our standards, it would become apparent that I do not change. For those who know what to look for—like the Church’s slayers—it would be clear what I am.”

My eyes widened. “As in Buffy the vampire slayer?”

He laughed. “If she were crossed with a zealous mercenary who believes his mission to kill vampires is an edict direct from God, and he’s armed with the latest weaponry, modified to kill our kind—yes.”

I swallowed hard. “Are there a lot of these self-righteous psycho-mercs out there?”