Gem’s heart rocketed in her chest when she saw Kira rounding a corner in the back hall with a tray of food. She barely recognized Kira with her hair messily pinned up, and instead of a dress, she had on baggy grey sweats and a large brown sweater. Where in the world were her shoes? It looked like her sweats were layered over a pair of black jeans, which were long at the ankles. Kira occasionally got a smudge of dirt here and there while working, but her face and hands were smeared with soot.
Alone in a house of invaders, Kira was trying to protect herself as much as one could by appearing dirty and unkempt.
Gem put her finger over her lips.
Kira quietly set down the tray and padded toward the Vampire. She lifted his legs, and Gem took his arms. They struggled to carry the heavy man into a nearby room, and once inside, they placed him on the floor. Kira pulled a dusty blanket off a bed and draped it over the body.
When they reentered the hall, Hunter had his nose pressed against the blue window to see what was making all the noise. Gem took his hand and led them into Viktor’s secret library. They had to hurry; only five minutes of the fireworks show remained.
After shutting the soundproof door, she ushered everyone to the secret passageway, which looked like a bookshelf from inside the room. Gem went first so her dress would light up the staircase and reveal there was no railing. She looked back and gestured for Kira to close the door behind them.
Hunter crept up beside Gem and wedged himself between her and the wall. When he looked up at her with fearful eyes, she took his hand. Gem projected calmness, but he might have also sensed her apprehension. They weren’t out of the woods yet. She had no idea what was happening in the garage.
Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Gem pinned the boy to her side so he wouldn’t be tempted to touch Viktor’s artifacts. As a Sensor child, that might be a traumatic experience if any of these objects held a violent past or he touched one that was infused with magic.
Before entering the tunnel, she bent over and leveled her gaze on him. Gem covered his mouth and looked up to Kira. If the fireworks stopped early, the Vampires would hear everything. Neither of them were big talkers, but it would only take one mistake to undo everything.
They moved swiftly, and finally she could see a light at the end of the tunnel.
CHAPTER16
Christian and Niko waited in Claude’s Porsche at the end of Lenore’s street. Staging an attack at Lenore’s mansion before or during Viktor’s rescue mission might tip off Sparrow if one of his men called. Viktor always thought these things through.
Christian fondly recalled the night before with Raven. Not just the heat between them but the moments that followed. The part he liked best—intimacy. Neither of them was demonstrative in public, but when alone, she made him feel worthy of love. She made him feel like a king. After she dozed off in his arms, he found himself humming an old Irish tune while stroking her hair. When he caught himself doing that, he stopped and just listened to the sound of her heart. It might be the last night he could—a luxury he’d taken for granted.
He gazed out the car window at a brown squirrel racing across the lawn. It stopped to dig on the greatest scavenger hunt, searching for nuts it buried in the fall. Yet nothing could distract Christian. He couldn’t get Raven’s offer out of his head. Did she truly believe he would leave her because of sex? That she’d have to pull in a third person to satisfy him? She had always been open-minded—never casting judgment on his kinks and eccentricities. She knew and accepted his flaws as he did hers. Few people saw her softer side, and he felt privileged that she showed it to him. Christian liked sex, and maybe he would have considered the offer in another life—before he met her. Or maybe not. Raven had no idea how deep his devotion to her ran.
No idea.
Bedding another woman, especially in Raven’s presence, was incomprehensible. Voyeurism titillated him, but infidelity wasn’t even in the same ballpark. Raven couldn’t disrobe, and he knew she carried guilt about what that would mean. But fecking hell, he just wanted this woman in his life. To feel her against him, to share blood, to have a connection with someone who understood him on a level no one else did. What ifshediscovered a way to have sex with other men afflicted with her condition? A lot of handsome men were at Lenore’s party. Who was to say she wouldn’t be the one to leave him for someone who could fully satisfy her in bed?
He rubbed his eyes.Jaysus wept. Ghost sex.
“You’re especially quiet this morning,” Niko said from the passenger seat.
“I was trying to remember an old recipe for Irish stew.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“I think we’ll have to play this one by ear.”
“Yes, I agree. It’s difficult to plan when you don’t know what’s waiting.” Niko’s window fogged up from the heat coming off him. “He’ll have at least two in the house, but I don’t think we’ll have a large group. Sparrow wouldn’t want to sacrifice more men than necessary if he knows someone is targeting them. I suspect he sent one skilled fighter to thwart a surprise attack. If I were that man, I would hide so I could take my attackers by surprise.”
“Aye. You say they were playing chess?”
“That’s how we found them.”
“They’re not experienced guards. You would think a man building an army would have a better selection process.” Christian searched the car for candy but only found mint gum. He reluctantly chewed on the stick before folding the wrapper and putting it back inside the pack. “They’ll know straight away that we’re not from the party because of our outfits. I say we give these eejits a show.”
“Intercourse on the parlor floor?”
Christian gave him a sideways glance. “I was thinking more along the lines of distraction. I’ll keep everyone on the main floor occupied while you go up the stairs. Or perhaps we should do it the other way around because of your impairment.”
“I think it’s time we play another game of darts so we can discuss my… impairment.”
“Point taken. But I don’t see how you’ll get in through the back door.”
Niko tapped the pommel of his sword. “When I came here with Raven, I unlocked three windows. I’m also familiar with the layout of the house. All you need to do is create a diversion so I can search the rooms and go upstairs. My blade will handle the rest.”
