Page 82 of Warrior Unraveled

“I like it.”

The gate lifted, and Wes took her hand again and led her inside. Behind them the gate lowered. Virginia looked around. It was indeed a garage, well-lit and clean.

Wes pointed to the other end of the large space. “The elevators are back there.”

As they walked toward them, Virginia instinctively held Wesley closer. He stopped and turned to her, gripping her biceps. “Are you okay, babe?”

She could feel her heart pounding. And why shouldn’t it pound? She was about to enter a vampire nest. “Are you sure they’ll listen to you?”

“They will. Besides, I meant what I said: I won’t leave your side. I’ll protect you from anybody who wants to harm you.”

“Why? You’ve been friends with them longer than you’ve known me.”

At that, he chuckled. “Virginia, do I really need to spell it out for you?”

“Spell what out?”

He took her face into both hands. “I’m falling in love with you.”

“In love?” she gasped. “But—”

“I admit, at first it was all physical and I couldn’t wait to get into your pants, but things have changed. I mean, I still want to get into your pants, believe me. But surviving a trip to the demon world with you has given me a different perspective. Life is too precious, and I’m not going to waste it any longer chasing after some skirt. I want something real.”

Virginia’s jaw dropped. Wesley wanted more than just sex? She was saved from having to answer by a sudden sound from the elevator. Her gaze whipped toward it, and her pulse kicked up. “Somebody’s coming.”

She reached for her dagger.

The elevator doors opened, and two men rushed out. Two vampires. Both armed with handguns, both tall creatures, one with long dark hair, the other with short hair.

Instinctively, she gripped her dagger tighter, when she felt Wesley’s hand wrap around her wrist. She shot him a look. Was this where he would betray her?

Her heart leapt into her throat and threatened to suffocate her.

“Son of a gun!” the long-haired vampire said and grinned. “It’s really you.”

The other vampire simply marched toward him and pulled Wesley into a bear hug, lifting him off his feet. “Bro, you could’ve called.” He slapped Wesley over the back of his head. “Your sister is beside herself with worry.”

“Good to see you too, Blake.”

The vampire, Blake, dropped him back on his feet. “We got an alert, when you used your access card. Figured we’d better make sure you weren’t being forced by anybody. But looks like you’re good.” He turned his gaze on Virginia. “And this must be one of the Stealth Guardians you were looking for.”

Wes reached for Virginia’s hand and squeezed it. “This is Virginia Robson, one of the nine members of their governing council.”

Both vampires looked at their clasped hands, then stared back at Wesley, an unspoken question on their lips.

Wesley smirked. “And my girlfriend.”

“Only Wesley.” The long-haired vampire with the Southern drawl shook his head. “Pleasure meeting you, Virginia.”

“Virginia, this is John Grant,” he introduced the man who’d spoken. “And this is Blake Bond.”

Blake offered his hand for a shake. “So you fell for this womanizer’s charm, and nobody was there to warn you about him. My apologies.”

She spun her head to Wesley, who was already punching his friend in the arm. “Would you stop that? Virginia has a good opinion of me, and I’d like it to stay that way.”

Blake laughed. “Yeah, good luck with that.” Then he winked at Virginia. “You could have done worse. He’s not all that bad.”

“You’re helping a lot,” Wes said dryly. Then he pulled her closer. “Don’t listen to anything he’s saying. He’s been the bane of my existence ever since I joined Scanguards.”

John cleared his throat. “We should go up. Samson will want to see you.”

Virginia took a deep breath. Now that she’d seen Wesley interact with the two impressive vampires, she was a little less worried. They seemed to share genuine affection and friendship. Cross-species friendship. For the first time since she’d heard about Wesley and his association with Scanguards, hope blossomed in her chest that maybe her own kind could overcome their prejudices when it came to vampires.