I push my name out past broken teeth and bloodied lips, and he grips my hand even harder.
Grant. Hold on. Let me—
And he does something, something impossible, because one minute the car door is there and then I hear a terrible screech of metal and it’s gone, tossed behind him into the field like it weighs nothing at all. I breathe faster, chest rising and falling, and the pain is building, panic rising so thick and fast it might choke me.
He comes back, and I know at least not to flinch away, though I’m not sure I want to. He places a gentle hand on my chest and I like the weight of it even as more of my strength slips away.
Dark eyes open again. When did he close them? Did I close mine? I’m tired now. I want to sleep. If I sleep, this might all be better when I wake.
I can’t fix this.Despair chokes off his words, but his touch on me is nothing but gentle.I can do something else. Let me help you. Let me
Chapter Nine
Grant
Idon’tknowwhatthefuck is going on with Vlad, but I’m not sure I hate it.
Did I really see desire in his eyes earlier? I mean,hechose the outfit I’m wearing, so he should think it’s hot, but still—
I can ask later. After tonight, after we’re not both so worked up about everything that might or might not happen.
The bouncer clearly clocks me as I approach the front of the queue, and I hide my satisfied grin. I have to hope he won’t do the same with Vlad, of course, but the bouncer is human, so he shouldn’t have any way of seeing through Vlad’s glamour.
I slip inside and keep to myself for a few moments as I survey the space. First, I check out the room I dismissed last night. It’s a little later this time, so busier, people dancing close together. Ooh, I want to do that. Not tonight, obviously. Some other time. Maybe I can ask Quinn, or even Paxton, though Quinn might invite members of his pack, and I think that would be fun.
I shake my head. Focus. I cross into the room Jakob was in last night and notice a few things straight away. One is the bartender—the same vampire as yesterday—who fixes me with a glare. I smile back.
The other is Jakob and his bodyguard, both of whom perk up as soon as I step over the threshold. The bodyguard looks pissed off. Jakob eyes me hungrily, though his intent gaze has nothing on Vlad earlier tonight.
I fight the urge to shake my head again. Imagining things. I’m just imagining it. Vlad doesn’t feel any differently for me today than he did yesterday, and he wasn’t interested in me like that yesterday, either.
I saunter over to the bar, putting a deliberate sway in my hips, and feel eyes on me all the way. I was more than a little concerned about this outfit, considering how much of my skin it covers, but Vlad was right again.
And speaking of… He slips into the room and takes up quiet vigil in a dark corner. His true nature is still hidden by his glamour, which I realise has more magic weaved in, designed to keep anyone from remembering that he was here yesterday, too.
Nice. I need to learn how to do that. In the meantime, I flag down the bartender and order a drink.
The bodyguard is at my shoulder after my first sip. “Boss wants to see you.”
I turn to him with an arched eyebrow. “Phrasing it like that got you nowhere last night.” I glance past him and at Jakob, who is watching me, unabashed. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
He growls and stomps away. I grin into my drink, examining the others at the bar. I can pick the vampires out of the group easily, of course. Only one more of them, not including the bartender. There are no shifters in here, or at least not that I’ve seen yet.
The bodyguard slinks back a few seconds later. “Boss would like you to consider sitting with him while you enjoy your drink. If you’d like.”
I blink up at him, then look over at Jakob. Too easy. Too eager. But I can’t look a gift horse in the mouth; I just need to remember to be careful.
“You should’ve led with that,” I admonish, and the bodyguard grumbles, but he doesn’t say anything I can truly pick up. Doesn’t matter. I don’t need to fear him. My power gives me the outline of his, a sketch of a vampire with enough death magic to power his skills to manipulate, but not enough to make him a real threat.
Does Jakob know that, too? Probably.
I take another sip of my drink before following the bodyguard across the room. I don’t bother asking for his name. Don’t need to try to ingratiate myself with him when I’m already trying to rile Jakob up a little.
The vampire in question leans back in the booth as we get close. His smirk is self-satisfied and I don’t offer my own smirk in response. He thinks he has the upper hand? Good. Let him.
“And here I thought you might give me the runaround again,” he says as I set my glass on the table. The only other thing on it is a decanter full of what I assume is spiked blood. My mouthdoesn’t even water at the sight of it, and I’m glad that Vlad made me feed earlier. Not that I was hungry, truly, but now there’s no chance of it.
“Doesn’t hurt to be polite,” I reply with a shrug. “I don’t like being bossed about.”
