The car pulled to a stop in front of a decent apartment building, one with a door guard, electronic keypads, and security cameras. Nicolo opened the door and helped Camden get out, taking his hand and helping him keep his balance on the icy sidewalk in front of the building.
“I had a wonderful time,” Camden murmured, looking up at him with a sweet smile and hopeful eyes.
Nicolo shut the car door and stepped closer to Camden, close enough to lean down and press a kiss to soft lips. Camden purred, popping up onto his toes, pushing into the kiss, hands gripping the front of Nicolo’s coat, and Nicolo reached out and gripped Camden’s hips through his coat, deepening the kiss.
Camden kissed like a dream, soft and giving, and Nicolo growled a bit, fighting the instinct to lift Camden in his arms and ravish him on the spot. He tasted of wine and man, and that made Nicolo burn hotter. He wanted Camden, but he wanted more than a hookup, so he eased back on the intensity andCamden dropped back on the flat of his feet. He met Camden’s eyes and they both smiled.
There was a faint crunch of snow just behind him, and a whiff of mortal and stress-sweat, and Nicolo whirled, Camden at his back. He brought a hand up and caught the metal baton as it came down in an arcing blow aimed right for his head.
Camden shouted in alarm, and Nicolo heard the driver’s door open as Gary got out of the car. Nicolo hissed, fangs barred, as his assailant struggled to free the baton from Nicolo’s grip to no avail. He wrenched it away and spun it in his grip until he had the handle, and he promptly went on the offensive, keeping Camden behind him. He struck his attacker on the knee, forcing the mortal to buckle with a scream, and he swiftly followed that with a sharp blow to the side of the man’s head, knocking him unconscious. He dropped like a sack of potatoes to the snow-covered ground.
The baton was shorter and more unwieldy than a saber, but it worked well in a pinch.
“Nicolo!”
Camden’s shout had him turning around, senses expanding in a rush. Gary was grappling with a dark-clad person in the street, but it was the two people rushing Camden that had Nicolo snarling in rage and blurring in front of his date.
One of the attackers was supernatural—Nicolo found himself facing off against a fae of unknown species. The exhaust from the towncar running nearby was blocking his sense of smell, which explained how they were able to get this close without Nicolo noticing them.
This one had a proper sword, a simple one of modern design, clean lines and hardened steel, freshly forged and sharp, the double edges gleaming in the streetlights. Nicolo missed his saber, but he would manage with the steel baton.
A thump of energy came from behind Nicolo and he smelled the overwhelming earthy tang of magic behind him, and the street was illuminated in a deep, emerald green as Camden raised a shield around himself, blocking off the other attacker’s attempts to reach him.
A thrust came for his head, and Nicolo parried it with ease, steel screaming as the baton met blade. Nicolo pushed away his opponent’s blade and stepped inside his guard. He brought the baton up and smacked his attacker across the throat, shoulder-checking him as he stepped forward, his momentum making the gagging assailant stumble backward several feet.
He went to follow, to press his advantage, but Gary was in trouble. Camden was safe under his shield, hands up and glowing, prepared to cast but obviously not accustomed to combat. Nicolo’s fae opponent turned tail and ran into the shadows, abandoning his brethren.
Nicolo blurred to Gary andthwappedhis attacker on the head, hard enough to stagger the person but not kill him, and then grabbed the assailant by the shoulder as he let go of Gary then and threw him several yards down the street. The man tumbled in the slush and ice and slid to a stop with a groan.
“Camden!” Nicolo called, blurring back to him. His attacker was smashing a hard fist into Camden’s shield, and Nicolo finally smelled a hint of vampire from this one. Given enough time, he might be able to break through Camden’s shields with brute force.
He tossed aside the baton and grabbed the last attacker by scruff of the neck, hurling him away. The other vampire growled, twisting in the air, and landed on his feet beside the unconscious assailant. Nicolo snarled, baring his teeth, fangs and claws out and ready to tear this interloper asunder. He did not recognize the vampire by face or scent—he was not Bloodclan.
Gary was calling 911. Camden was safe under his shield, and Nicolo was ready to kill. The other vampire took in the situation with alacrity and grabbed his unconscious buddy, blurring off into the night.
Nicolo spun, but the man he threw into the road was gone as well, having taken the chance to escape. Their assailants were gone. Only the baton and the disturbed surface of the snow showed any proof of what happened.
Gary ran up to him, phone to his ear. He was a bit ruffled from the altercation but was unharmed. “Sir, are you well?”
“I’m fine. Camden?” Nicolo went to Camden, stopping at the edge of the emerald shield raised in a half-sphere around the earth mage. Breathing heavily, Camden’s eyes were wide, his hands shaking.
“I’m—I’m okay,” Camden stuttered out, obviously shaken. “What the hell?”
“Tesoro, they’re gone. You’re safe.”
“Okay, yeah.” Camden lowered his hands, looking around nervously. “You sure?”
Now that he was paying attention, he sensed they were alone again. Their attackers were long gone. Part of him wanted to track them down and get answers, finish the fight, but he didn’t want to leave Camden. “Very sure, but you can stay shielded if that’ll make you feel better.”
“Police are on their way,” Gary told him, still on the phone with emergency services.
Camden suddenly dropped his shield, and Nicolo stepped forward, arms open. Camden rushed into his embrace, clutching tight, shaking. Nicolo held him firmly, careful not to crush his sweet mage. Camden tucked his head under Nicolo’s chin and held on for dear life.
Camden
Hours later,after a decent stretch of sleep and a good meal, his next shift started with minimal fanfare, though a worried fae did make an appearance.
“And you’re sure you’re fine? Do you need a few days off?” Achilles asked him again for what felt like the millionth time.
