Another bout of quiet stretches between us.
And then, “We’re going to a meeting, a dinner,” Lucian says. “To see what the Rogues’ agenda is.”
Maybe that was his plan all along, but my curiosity surpasses my anger. At least for now. “Rogues?”
“A group of young vampires who want to live with humans. Not feed from them.”
“Not drink from humans?” I ask. “What do they eat?”
“Animal blood.”
I scoff in disgust. “Vegan vampires.”
A smile flickers across his face. “You could say that.”
“Are these Rogues a threat?”
“Not yet,” he says. “But Santiago claims they are making moves to challenge me, take VMR out. That’s why he visited. To warn me.”
“Santiago.”
“Yes.” He sighs. “I know from experience that I can never take him at his word, so I’m meeting with Raleigh to find out the truth for myself.”
“I guess you two share that trait,” I mutter. “Brothers in blood and brothers in omission.”
“He’s not my brother,” Lucian growls.
“Right.” I look back out the window. “You brought me out tonight for, what? To distract me from what that bitch did? Or is it because you don’t trust me to be alone?”
Even now, with how devastated I am over Kayla’s death and how furious I am with Lucian for lying to me, my body ishyperaware of his closeness. The pounding of his heart. It’s confusing. And uncomfortable to think about because it opens such deep pools of complexity in myself.
“I’ve included you in this meeting,” he says, “because you can read people better than I can. This is where your skills as a journalist are important. You’re smart, Elliot, and I need smart. Smart, intuitive, and able to read situations. That’s what I need here.”
So it’s a test. He’s trying to see if I can react reasonably in a high stress environment and not emotionally.
The car stops, and he holds out a hand. “Ready?”
I ignore that hand and reach for the door, not waiting for the driver to open it, and I get out, Lucian right behind me. His hand slides around my waist, holding me there.
“Yes,” I answer. “Ready.”
It’s clear to me this Raleigh guy has an agenda. He either isn’t a fan of Lucian or he’s not a fan of older vampires, and I’d put it as somewhere in the middle, a little of both for varying reasons.
But he’s handsome, though rougher than Lucian. Dressed in a leather jacket and jeans, he’s covered in tattoos and piercings, with green-tipped hair peaked in a mohawk on top of his head. His finger pads are calloused as he takes my hand and kisses it, which earns a slight hiss from Lucian.
They both rule their domains. But from the grungy underground room we’re in with leather-clad biker-chic vampires, it’s clear Raleigh’s domain is the opposite of Lucian’s polished, tightly ruled one. Between us is a single hanging lightbulb that flickers every few seconds.
With Lucian’s expensive suit and my flashy dress, we’re extremelyoverdressed.
“I didn’t get the memo about the dress code,” Raleigh says with a tense laugh. “And I didn’t bring a date.”
The vampires around the room snicker.
I’m restless. But for once I can think straight, even with Lucian next to me. I think it’s because Raleigh is a vampire, so there’s no craze to drink his blood.
As he pulls on his jacket that is decked out in silver chains, he says, “She is a beauty, old man. And she smells brand spanking new. Did you change her?”
Lucian doesn’t answer, but from the rigidness of his stance, I can tell he’s not amused.
