The Fabled (20 page)

I stepped forward and everyone went crazy.
That’s the only way I know to explain it. They were clapping and
screaming and jumping up and down. Crazy. Roman handed me the mic
as he gave me a quick kiss. When he turned to walk away he gave me
a pat on the rump. I turned and narrowed my eyes as his retreating
backside. Two can play at that game. Just not now. Now I have a
room full of people watching me intently. Not to mention the ones
outside that I couldn’t see.

“Uh, thanks for coming. I hope not to
disappoint.”

Again with the craziness. I motioned for the
other band members to save me and they quickly got into
position.

We played through our first set and everyone
seemed to enjoy themselves. When we took our break midway through
the night Roman was waiting for me. I rushed into his arms as
though I couldn’t wait. As he engulfed me in a hug I reached down
and pinched his ass none too lightly. Roman released me and when I
looked up at him adoringly he had a smirk on his face.

“Lover, always with the foreplay.”

“What can I say? Sometimes I’m
uncontrollable.”

His eyes were smoldering. “I can attest to
that.”

“Roman, aren’t you going to introduce us to
your new plaything?”

I raised a brow and he shot me a warning
look. He turned with a smile to the two women and man standing
behind him.

“Sunshine, I would like you to meet a few of
the local business owners. This is Marie Deluca, she owns a local
floral shop, Emily Bowers, she owns an apothecary, and David
Michaels, and he owns the grocery store down the street. Everyone
this is Sunny Dubois.”

WTF? Why is he introducing me to these
people? What is this, bridge night?

“Um, nice to meet you all.”

Marie, who was a buxom blonde and obviously
Vamp, turned her nose up at me while Emily, a shifter if I had to
guess, practically clung to her skirt tails. David, definitely elf
and judging by his magic he was of the dark variety, was eying me
curiously. In the end it was he who broke the ice.

“The pleasure is all mine, Sunny,” he said as
he reached forward to shake my hand.

I stuck mine out but he seemed to realize
what that meant and pulled his back before I could make contact. I
smiled at him. At least he thought about shaking my hand. That
either made him friendly or stupid. Not sure which yet. Marie
looked down her nose at me and sniffed.

“The Thief. Roman could do better.”

“You mean you? I’m fairly certain he’s been
there done that and from what I heard, he found you lacking.”

I’ve never even heard of this chick before
but if she wants to talk trash she just found her opponent.

“Now, now love. No need for bad mouthing,”
Roman chided me.

I looked at him wide eyed. That bitch started
it and he’s telling me not to talk smack? If he doesn’t watch it,
I’ll be doing more than talking.

“Well, I think I’ll talk with the fellas for
a minute before we start back. If you’ll excuse me.” I gave Roman a
peck on the cheek and walked away as fast as I could.

The guys liked to hang out in the employee
lounge during break and I seldom join them but if it’ll get me away
from Miss Clairol back there then I’m their new best friend. As I
reached the door to the lounge a hand shot forward and opened it
for me. I looked over to find the Vamp Charles and Roman had been
talking to earlier. He opened the door for me and I stepped
through. I expected him to have a seat or fix a cup of coffee or do
something else that a normal person does in a break room but he
just went to a corner and stood there. Huh? Why would he be
guarding the break room? Of course I knew it wasn’t the break room
itself rather the certain girlfriend of the boss that was now in
the break room. I decided to ignore him.

“Hey guys.”

“Well look who’s slumming. What, tired of all
your adoring fans already?” Dan said.

“It’s hard to be a rockstar,” Keith said with
a sigh.

“Ha, ha. Is it comedy hour and no one told
me?”

“We’re full of good humor as long as you’re
not going to go loco on us,” Curt, the bass guitarist added.

“Baby, I was born loco. It’s just that some
people bring out my evil side.”

“Remind me not to get on that list,” Dan
said.

“What’s with the beef in the corner?” Keith
asked.

I glanced at my new guard. “I guess that’s
courtesy of my new bf.”

“Whoa. You’re hittin’ it with the big guy? No
wonder you’re so popular around here,” Dan said.

“Yep, you figured it out. Everyone’s here
because Roman paid them to come and make me feel like I was a good
singer.”

Dan nodded. “Makes sense to me.”

I rolled my eyes.

“So how long has this been going on with you
and the boss? Not that it’s really any of my business. I just
wonder because last night you were all angel of vengeance with a
sword to his throat. That was completely badass by the way,” Keith
said.

“Why thank you, Keith. It was all for my
fans.”

“You’re telling me you faked it? No way am I
buying that.”

I just winked at him. “Let’s just say that we
kissed and made up.”

“Okay, that’s all the info I need.”

“Wait a minute. You can go into more detail
if you’d like. I wouldn’t even mind a demonstration myself,” Dan
threw in.

“You will not talk to the Thief in such a
manner.”

I turned to look at beefcakes in the corner.
So he does talk after all.

“You don’t tell my friends how to talk to
me.”

“I am ordered to not allow anyone to hit on
you.”

“He’s my friend and he was only joking. And
if he wasn’t joking I’m quite capable of telling him off
myself.”

He shrugged. “Just doing my job, Thief.”

“It’s Sunny to you.”

He shrugged again but said no more. That was
kind of childish to refuse to allow him to call me a nickname that
I didn’t even choose but ignorance makes me childish.

We talked a few more minutes until our break
was over and our friend in the corner didn’t say anything else.
Roman was waiting for me before I went on stage. He bent and kissed
my neck then whispered in my ear.

“I thought you were here to find a killer. I
introduce you to the top players in the Fort Worth underworld and
you snarl at one before leaving us.”

My eyes had to have been as big as quarters.
They led the area’s illegal activity?! No wonder Miss Clairol was
such a rancid bitch.

“Uh, sorry Romy. I’ll try to be better next
time.”

He pulled back then clucked my chin. “See
that you do. I’ll be waiting for you after the show.”

I winked at him and started onstage. He tried
to swat me again but I managed to dodge. When I looked back he had
a smirk on his face.

After the show I was led straight to VIP and
I couldn’t believe it took five guards to hold back the party goers
so I could make it there. Roman was standing next to a booth
waiting for me and Miss Clairol and David Whatever-his-name-was
were already sitting in the opposite seat. I pretended to be happy
to be there, kissed Roman on the cheek and slid on in. There was a
server nearby and I tipped my head to him. He was like a heat
seeking missile headed straight for our booth.

“Whiskey please, the Scottish kind.”

“Double that,” Roman added.

He nodded then glanced at the other’s full
drinks before rushing off to fill our orders. Roman slid closer and
began playing with my hair in his hand while breathing it in.

“So, you’re the local crime lords. Guess I
should show you more respect. Or less. Depends on how you look at
it. David, you’re the grocery store owner. Let me see if I can
guess. Drugs? No, that seems to cliché. Human trafficking? Nah.” I
took another look at him. He was slender to the point of being
scrawny and he had a hawk nose with sunken eyes. He didn’t look
like a typical crimelord. No, my guess he had a bunch of goons
handle his light weight. He probably relies on his brains. I
snapped my fingers. “Bookie. That’s got to be it. You run the bets
in the back of your store? Or maybe a warehouse?”

His eyes narrowed and I took that to be a
yes. I could feel Roman tense beside me but I wasn’t worried. He
wanted me to meet these peeps and he knows how unsocial I am so he
should have expected an awkward conversation. I turned to the
blonde.

“Now for you, Miss Clairol. Roman said you
run a florist shop. Hm. Now that will take some thought. What would
a two-bit slut run out of her flower shop?” And then the light bulb
lit up. “What else would a ho sell but booty? Ding, ding, ding.
I’ll take call girls for three hundred, Alex.” If looks could kill
I would once again be a puddle of goo on the floor but I wasn’t
done yet. “Wow. All that in under thirty seconds. Damn I’m
good.”

The server brought our drinks and I took a
sip.

“Do you think you could go for a little
discretion?” Mr. Bookie said.

“Why? No one listens to me anyway. Unless I’m
on stage. Any other time I might as well be speaking
Hungarian.”

“Still. I wouldn’t want the wrong person to
hear.”

“Oh, you mean like someone from the council?
Maybe one of their agents?” I looked at them meaningfully. There
was no sense in pretending they didn’t know exactly who I was and
what I did for a living. “I can assure you the council doesn’t give
a rat’s ass about a bookie and a prostitute. They have much bigger
fish to fry. Unless you’re the one’s killing Vamps and leaving a
trail of dead bodies between here and Dallas?”

They both looked at me as innocently as
possible.

“No. I didn’t think so. Then you’re in the
clear. Except for you Miss Clairol. You might want to have
something done about those roots. They’re righteously bad. So, do
either of you know anything about any Vampere being stolen? Or have
any possible leads for me?”

Miss Clairol was envisioning my death again
but David shook his head.

“Again, didn’t think so.” I downed my drink
and turned to Roman. “I’ve had a long night, Romy. I think I’ll
head home and make up for some of the sleep you kept me from last
night. You being such an insatiable lover and all.”

Miss Clairol smirked. “You expect us to
believe you satisfy him without even allowing him to feed?” She
looked directly at Roman. “Don’t worry, lover. I’ll take care of
you after she’s gone.”

Oh no she didn’t! I reached across the table
before the words were fully out of her mouth, grabbed her hand and
began pulling her magic into me. She tried to pull away but I used
Werewolf magic to hold onto her hand.

“How will you do that when you’re dead? I
mean. I’m sure an experienced girl like you knows how to give her
blood as well as take it but I don’t think even a woman of your
skills can do that from her death bed.”

“Sunshine. I told you not to kill anyone in
the club,” Roman said reasonably.

I turned to look at him as I continued to
slowly draw from the bitch. “But Romy, she’s a bitch. Just this
once. Please.”

He looked at me with a smile but shook his
head. I released her hand and she immediately pulled it back.
Leaning toward Roman I kissed him deeply and allowed some of the
magic I had taken in to be released. Vamps typically absorb energy
through the blood of those they feed from and I usually can’t
release the magic I absorb but with us being intimate like this he
was able to take some of my excess. I wouldn’t be able to give him
enough energy this way to equal a full feed but it would be enough
to prove to the others that I was indeed feeding him without
actually having him bite me.

After a moment I ended the kiss and looked at
Roman. He was invigorated both by the kiss itself and the magic he
got from it. I turned back to the bitch.

“If you are smart, you will never proposition
him again. He is mine. Do you understand?”

She was looking a little green around the
gills but managed a nod. I looked back to Roman.

“Good. Now as I was saying, I’m going home
for the evening. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Allow me to walk you to your car.”

He slid out of the booth and held out his
hand. I took it and he walked me behind the stage and out to my
car.

“Is there any news as far as Tristan?” I
asked before I got in.

He shook his head. “No, but there is a soiree
I must attend in two days’ time. I will expect you to accompany
me.”

“How can I watch the club if I’m at some
soiree
?” I said soiree like it left a bad taste in my
mouth.

“How can you play the part of my lover when
you don’t accompany me? Besides, it is to be held at Augustus’
home. You may learn more about the Vampere who are being taken or
who might want to harm them?”

“I don’t think I’m going to learn jack about
this case there. You’re just trying to convince me to go.”

“Alright. Allow me to put it this way. You
will accompany me because you have given your word to do anything I
ask in exchange for Tristan’s life. I will have a dress delivered
to your home tomorrow.”

I opened my mouth to retort but it was no
use. He had pulled out the “you’ll do anything for your son’s life”
card. Great. Two social engagements in one week. What the hell did
I do to deserve this?

“
Catching the skinny on pops”

The next day I went to see Lucian. I knew
there was no point in telling him about Tristan becoming Vampere,
because he surely knew by now, but I wanted to see if he could shed
some light on what this meant for him. I won’t buy that bullshit
about Tristan belonging to Roman unless I get a second opinion.
And, probably not even then.

“Come in daughter. I’m both relieved and
saddened by Tristan’s predicament.”

My father gave me a hug before moving aside
so I could enter the house. Brennan was standing in the entryway
leading into the sitting room and she was practically bouncing on
her toes.