Before Zack finished running the math on whether he could grab the makeshift stake from the vampire and shove it into Anton’s back, Anton released Vincent and walked away from him. He plucked a handkerchief from his billowy sleeve and handed it to Zack as he continued past. “You have blood on your hand, deary.”
The bouncers carried off the vampire body, and Anton trailed after them.
Zack had managed to take the handkerchief with his clean hand. He hurried over to Vincent, who had clamped his handover the fresh wound. Blood dripped down his chest. Zack offered him the handkerchief.
“That won’t do it,” Nathaniel said. He was looking behind the bar, opening cabinets. A snappy comeback flew to Zack’s lips, but he quashed it as Nathaniel held out a clean rag.
“Thank you, master,” Vincent managed.
“Suppose I am the bartender tonight. Hold on a second. I’ll get what you boys need.”
“Left-hand fridge usually has it made up, master,” Vincent said.
“I’m not giving you that drugged shit,” Nathaniel said in a low volume. With the general chatter of the other vampires, Zack wondered if anyone else had heard him. “Won’t take me long.”
With professional flair, Nathaniel made eleven vodka cranberries. For the twelfth one, he poured the cranberry juice first, then added the barest touch of vodka on top.
That way, it smells like it’s alcoholic, especially to a vampire, but it’s not really. Zack motioned at the glass and then to Vincent.
“That’s right,” Nathaniel said with a ghost of a grin. “Can you carry the lot?”
“Yes, master,” Zack said. Though it was kind of an impressive number of drinks to have on one tray, even if it was big enough.
“All right, get going.”
Zack nodded. Quickly, he wiped the small amount of blood on his hand off with the handkerchief. When he realized he had nowhere to stash the damn thing, he frowned. Nathaniel offered to take it, so he passed it off. Then he took the tray of drinks and carefully followed Vincent.
CHAPTER 29
Watching from across the room was utter agony. Ensuring that no emotion flickered across his face made Roger wish for a stiff drink. Or three dozen. Hearing the slam across the room initially drew Roger’s attention, but he quickly lost track of the action as he spotted Anton emerging from another area of the club.
As unnerving as he was, Anton did have style and grace. Another slam happened at the bar, but Roger kept his gaze trained on the ancient vampire. Though he was technically younger than Seamus, Anton had the ethereal quality rare to the older ones. Nell cultivated an air of it, but Anton seemed to manifest an entire atmosphere around him.
As Anton approached the bar, every patron in the club seemed to quiet. Though he never raised his voice, Roger could hear him perfectly. The shock of seeing him had thrown Roger’s sense of spatial awareness. Only when he spoke did Roger realize he was talking toZack.
Takashi clamped a hand on Roger’s leg. The tight, subtle movement prevented Roger from standing, which he’d been about to do. He’d begun moving on instinct. Because Seamus was dangerous, but Anton was lethally unpredictable.
Case in point: Anton handed Zack a stake and clearly expected him to use it.
Which Zack did without hesitation.
“Quite the killer you have there,” Seamus said smoothly as the vampire’s body was dragged away. “However did you tame him?”
The playboy’s jest, the way Roger used to handle such a question, dried in his throat. Anton was drifting after the bouncers carrying the body, but once Roger accidentally made eye contact, he sauntered toward them.The devil’s not dead. What happened to you, Dmitri?
Memories flickered past. The Gladwell Manor, bodies strewn about the rooms, but the horror had been what Anton had done behind closed doors. The heavy presence of dreadful magic and the smell worse than death itself. Anton’s cheerful laugh that always came when blood was spilled in gruesome ways. In the early decades of his immortality, Roger had done his best to impress his sire and his lover. Seamus and Anton had seemed too big for words. Ancient and powerful.
And monsters. Roger hadn’t had any choice but to be like them. His hunger and their demands left him no choice.
But in Taliville, he’d had a choice. With Zack and Takashi, he wasn’t the stupid playboy or the soldier or the unreliable friend. Kit and Carver didn’t treat him like an unknowable vampire master. He was becoming someone new.
Someone he liked far better.
Someone who didn’t stand a chance in hell of surviving Seamus and Anton if he couldn’t hide his fear and disgust and pretend nothing had changed.
“My usual way,” Roger murmured as he finally tore his gaze away from Anton. “Pretty words and long kisses.”
“Hello, love.” Anton looped his arms around Seamus from behind and nuzzled his cheek. “I am nearly ready.”
