“We’re not going there. I don’t care what the man is promising.”
“Duh,” I said smartly. You glanced at me, shocked for a moment. “What?”
“Nothing.” Your frown deepened.
“Assuming this guy isn’t trying to kill me or even kidnap me, why don’t we try to set up a meeting?” You considered it, then nodded reluctantly. You grabbed a bar napkin and wrote down a time and place. I then turned back to Mason. Similar to before, his face lit up when I laid eyes on him, as if he’d been on autopilot until then.
“Tell your man I’ll meet him here.” I pressed the napkin against Mason’s chest where I felt his heart racing. The throbbing artery in his throat caught my attention, and I hissed involuntarily. Mason swallowed and stilled as though bracing for an attack. I drew my teeth back into my mouth and stepped away. He’d practically offered me his throat. Like Carter and that priest and everyone I’d lured into our bedroom at the Bambi Hotel. This power of mine was too dangerous.
“Are you sure you won’t come with me?” Mason asked as if compelled to say it. “There’s a bar and a very comfortable bed.”
“Some other time,” I said, a little shaken. “Besides, I’d have to bring this guy with me.” I nudged you in the ribs. “And I don’t need to tell you how moody he can get.”
“Let’s go,” you said stiffly with your hand at the base of my spine.
And then you were herding me in the direction of the kitchen. We left the casino through a loading dock, walked three or four blocks from the building, then hailed a cab to take us on an extended tour of the outskirts of the city. Worried we’d been tailed, you had the driver drop us off at a back entrance to the Bellagio, then seduced him into forgetting he’d seen us. A trip that would have taken us fifteen minutes to walk ended up taking an hour by car.
In our suite, you searched every room, then insisted on keeping watch throughout the night with your weapons strapped and ready. I tried to stay awake and keep you company, but I was exhausted.
My last thought as I drifted off to sleep was who would protect my protector?
20
HENRI
The next evening, we faced a conundrum in meeting your pursuer. To bring you with me meant inviting certain danger. To leave you behind rendered you vulnerable to attack in my absence. To avoid this meeting altogether would only prolong the chase, and clearly our adversary would not be easily dissuaded. I could spirit you away to my islands, but I’d be plagued by the knowledge that someone was hunting you still, and demons were far more difficult to evade than humans. With my penance to Azrael as of yet unfulfilled, it was only a matter of time before I would have to report to duty.
I decided, in the end, that you would accompany me. We’d stake out the location, and if the threat seemed valid, we’d abandon this endeavor altogether. I’d made a habit of refueling my aircraft upon landing, and I knew the shortest route to the airfield. I also had a helicopter stashed in an associate’s compound if it came to that. My survival these past two decades depended on always having multiple escape plans.
But I’d only ever had to worry about myself in the past.
We were parked at a 24-hour drugstore, which sat diagonally across the street from the Hash Hut, the same diner that had become a staple during our stay at the Bambi Hotel. The diner’s windows spanned the entire front of the building, which would offer a clear visual of the perpetrator before we entered. Thanks to our enhanced vision, we didn’t need binoculars to see the interior, and the bone-dry weather meant there was no precipitation to obscure our view.
I also knew the exact layout of the building, including the bathroom window, large enough for you to maneuver through, as well as the back exit through the kitchen. I explained these advantages to you in the event we’d need to make a hasty exit.
“Are you nervous?” I asked, trying to gauge your mood.
“No,” you lied and then, “Well, maybe a little.”
Maybe a littlewas far better than I was faring. My hands trembled with adrenaline, and I kept checking my wristwatch for the time, trying not to fixate on the seconds hand as it shuddered its way around the dial.
“Remember what I told you,” I said. “Even if we get separated.” We’d gone over getaway scenarios along with where we’d rendezvous later. I’d also alerted my safehouse that you might go there seeking sanctuary, with or without me.
Seconds before our appointed time, a car swerved into the parking lot. It was a mid-‘80’s Trans-Am with a firebird emblazoned on its hood. The flashy car told me this was not someone trying to keep a low profile, and yet, your stalker had gone to great lengths to remain anonymous.
A man in a leather jacket climbed out of the driver’s side with an easy, loose-limbed gait, and without even glancing around to see who might be watching him, entered into the restaurant and strode directly to my specified booth. Who would schedule a meeting with two bloodthirsty half-demons and not have the good sense to scope out their surroundings? Or bring back-up?
“Is that him?” you asked with a nervous twinge to your voice.
“I believe so.”
The man tucked his sunglasses into his shirt collar, which was another red flag. Who wore sunglasses at night, besides movie stars and criminals? I willed the man to glance toward the window. Finally, he did. And immediately spotted me in the dark across the length of two parking lots. The man smiled. Then he waved. And though I’d not seen him in almost twenty years, I recognized him instantly.
Lucian.
“Henri, who is it?” you asked, staring at me with wide-eyed curiosity.
I closed my eyes and did a quick cost-benefit analysis of deceiving you. How many lies might I have to spin in order to prevent this meeting from taking place? Whether Lena had sent Lucian as her ambassador or not, he’d not give up until he’d been granted an audience with you. And I certainly didn’t want him engaging you without me present.
