Amaury's Hellion (19 page)

No, she had to be the strong woman who had a purpose in life.

A vibrating sound from her stack of clothes brought her back into the present. Her cell phone. She pulled it out of her jacket pocket. A reminder blinked.

Damn! The text message she’d gotten just before Amaury had barged into her apartment—she’d completely forgotten about it. Maybe it wasn’t too late yet to make it to the Mezzanine to find that guy. At least she had to try. She wasn’t exactly dressed for the club, but her place was practically on the way. She could slip into something more appropriate and be on her way minutes later.

Nina snatched her jeans from the chair and put them on without her underwear.

Three hours was plenty of time to get to the club, try to find the suspect and get some information out of him. If she was fast, she could even make it back without Amaury ever knowing that she was even gone. She’d leave the window to the fire escape open and get back into the apartment that way.

And if her investigation found something that pointed to Amaury after all, well, then she would do what was necessary. She only hoped he wasn’t involved in Eddie’s murder, and that her reason for coming back to his place would be to finally have sex with him, and not to kill him instead.

***

Amaury went nose to nose with Gabriel. He’d had the foresight to use some mouthwash and quickly wipe Nina’s delectable taste off his face before leaving his apartment. Not that it would be enough to eliminate her scent on him completely. But with some luck, Gabriel would be too preoccupied to notice.

“I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“I realize that you’re his oldest friend, but not even Samson will cut you any slack if you don’t do what’s expected of you.”

If push came to shove, Samson would be on his side, Amaury knew it instinctively. They had been through more together than Gabriel could even imagine. Friendship meant something to them.

“Piss off.” He was his own master and didn’t need anybody to tell him where his loyalties lay.

“Stop it!” the determined female voice cut through the tension.

And there he’d thought Yvette would love to see a physical fight between the two.

“Dial down the testosterone and let’s get to work.”

Or maybe she didn’t want Gabriel hurt? He cut her a quick glance, but her face was impermeable. If she had any feelings for Gabriel, Amaury couldn’t pick up on them.

“After you.” Amaury waved his hand to the door of the private office where the interrogations would take place. His head was hurting again, other people’s emotions bombarding him as if the short reprieve from earlier hadn’t even happened. And he still hadn’t had sex. Seventy-two hours and counting. This was not good.

He should have just taken what Nina had offered him, her legs spread for him, her pussy wet and quivering. But no, when had he suddenly developed scruples? He’d never cared much before if a woman felt discomfort or even pain because he was too big for her or riding her too hard. And for sure, he would have ridden Nina hard, because when it came to her, he had no control over his body.

“Let’s do this. I haven’t got all night.” Gabriel’s voice cut through the fog in Amaury’s head. Neither did he. After all, he had a woman waiting for him in bed. A most enticing one at that.

For almost two hours they interrogated employee after employee without any real results. Neither he nor Gabriel found anything that would have turned any of them into a suspect. Gabriel instructed for the last guy of the night to be brought in and let out a deep sigh.

“Ready for the last one?”

Amaury raised his head to meet Gabriel’s gaze. “Sure. Bring ‘em on.” He knew he was all bravado, but he wouldn’t admit to Gabriel how drained he was. It wasn’t good to show weakness, especially not to a fellow vampire. Not only had he not had sex in far too many hours, he hadn’t fed since Thomas had untied him from his bed.

He was running on empty and getting decidedly grouchy. Before he went back to Nina, he would have to go on a quick hunt to feed. He didn’t like the idea. The fact that Mrs. Reid was in the hospital because of him still gnawed at him. What if he was careless again and killed somebody?

“And who have we here?” Gabriel addressed the employee who Yvette led into the room. As the man sat opposite of Gabriel and Amaury, Yvette took her observation seat next to the door.

“Paul Holland.”

Amaury instantly sensed fear in the man. He gave Gabriel the prearranged sign of lifting the water glass to his lips to alert him.

Alternatively Amaury and Gabriel went through questions about his job and his relationship with the two dead bodyguards, giving each other time to use their powers while the other asked the question.

“So you only knew them casually?” Gabriel asked.

“Yes, occasionally we’d go out for a beer with a whole gang of our colleagues, the usual.”

Amaury sensed Paul’s fear growing. But it didn’t seem to be directed at him or Gabriel. The man was afraid of somebody else.

“Where would you guys normally go?” It was Amaury’s turn to ask a question to give Gabriel occasion to delve into his memory bank.

“Just some sportsbar.”

Gabriel’s sign that he had everything he needed was subtle, but Amaury picked it up.

“Thanks, Paul. I don’t think we have any more questions.”

Paul rose and left the room.

“He’s afraid of somebody, and it’s not us. What did you get?”

“Not much. It’s almost as if somebody is running interference, like static on a cell phone.”

“You think a vampire is controlling him?” Amaury asked.

Gabriel nodded. “I’ll have Zane tail him. He’s right outside.” He dialed a number on his cell phone. “Zane, we’ve got a suspect. He’s leaving the office now. Follow him and keep me posted. If you need support, call Quinn.” He flipped the phone shut.

“I’ll call it a night.” Amaury got up and made for the door, nodding at Yvette who stood.

“Amaury.”

He turned back to face Gabriel.

“I trust you’ve taken care of the girl?”

Shit. He’d better suppress his memories so Gabriel couldn’t figure out that he’d taken care of Nina, but not in the way Gabriel had demanded. “It’s all done.”

Quickly, he spun back to the door and left, feeling Yvette’s disbelief following him. She knew he was lying. He couldn’t get out of the building fast enough. The moment he stepped out into the cool night air, his cell phone vibrated. Damn, that had better not be Gabriel demanding he’d come back!

With relief he recognized Drake’s number and answered the call. “Doc, what’s up?”

“I have an answer to your question.” The shrink’s voice was quiet.

Amaury’s chest tightened. Finally, an answer as to how he could beat the curse. “Tell me.”

“Not over the phone. I don’t want to be overheard. Meet me on the steps of Grace Cathedral in fifteen minutes.”

“I’ll be there.” The answer had better be good.

Amaury hailed a cab to take him up the hill. His hands felt clammy as anxiety spread in his body. Had the witch come up with some kind of brew he’d have to take, and that’s why Drake wanted to see him in person? Why did fifteen minutes suddenly feel like an eternity?

Would this be the night on which his ordeal ended? Hope rose in his chest. To always feel the kind of peace he only felt in those brief moments after sex—could it truly be within reach?

Amaury paid the driver and sauntered out of the taxi as it came to a stop outside the cathedral. The imposing building threw dark shadows over its neighbors, but he found the darkness comforting rather than intimidating. After more than four hundred years of living in the dark, it had become a trusted companion.

He was not alone. Without a doubt he could sense Drake standing off in the shadows.

“I like coming here. It’s a peaceful place.”

Amaury nodded and turned to him. “Yes, I know what you mean.”

Drake’s lanky figure separated from the wall behind him and approached. “Sorry I made you meet me here and not at my office. But I can’t be overheard talking to you about a witch, otherwise—”

Amaury grunted his understanding. “Let’s walk.”

Their footsteps echoed off the buildings as they fell in step.

“What have you got for me, Drake?”

There was a hesitation, a tensing in the doctor’s body. So the news was bad. He should have guessed. No wonder Drake wanted to talk to him in person.

“Go ahead, doc, give me the bad news already.”

“It’s not all bad, Amaury. It just doesn’t make a hell lot of sense at first.”

“Nothing really makes sense anyway.”

“Well, then you’ll appreciate this tidbit. The witch I spoke to, and believe me when I say that she’s entirely trustworthy and as knowledgeable as they come—she looked into your dilemma and did some research. She found a way of how you can reverse the curse. When she told me I immediately questioned her about it, but she insisted it was the only way. She was quite cryptic about it too.”

Amaury stopped and turned to the doctor. “Don’t beat about the bush.”

“Fine. I just wanted you to be prepared for it. There is a solution hidden in it.” The man was stalling, and Amaury felt the tight cords of his patience snap.

“Doc!”

“Okay. She said that if you fall in love the curse will be reversed and if the object of your love—”

“That’s ludicrous, and you know it.”

This wasn’t a solution to his problem. It couldn’t be, because he was incapable of love. It was part of his curse never to feel love in his own heart again. So how on earth could he ever fall in love?

“Listen, that’s not all of it, there are more pieces to it.”

“You can stop right here. I can’t even fulfill the first condition.”

“Wait, Amaury. I know there’s a solution hidden in here somewhere. Please listen. That witch said, the object of your affection, her love will be unknown.”

“Unknown? What the hell is that supposed to mean? What exactly did she say?”

“ ‘He must fall in love with a forgiving heart,’ ” Drake recited, “ ‘his control ineffective, her love unknown.’ ”

Amaury let the words sink in, but they didn’t resonate. There was no solution in them.

“Drake, I think you wasted your favor.”

Drake shook his head. “No, there’s something there. I just haven’t figured it out. Yes, there are two parts to your curse. One, that you sense everybody else’s emotions, and two, that you can’t feel love.”

“Have you ever heard of a circular reference? It’s a mathematical problem. That’s what this is. I can’t solve the problem, when solving one part depends on using the other unknown part.”

The doctor gave him a confused look. Mathematics were obviously not his strength. “Huh?”

 “Forget it, Drake. The woman has no idea what she’s talking about.”

The hope he’d experienced minutes earlier had drained from his body. He was still in the same old boat, drifting in an ocean without any paddles. And the paddle he’d just seen appear on the horizon turned out to be just another mirage. It was better not to dwell on it.

“Listen, I’ll do some more thinking on this.” Drake seemed eager to help him.

“Why? It’s a waste of time.”

“As a doctor, I have a responsibility to my patients.”

That was new. Was everybody suddenly developing a conscience? So far Drake had taken his money whether he thought his sessions helped him or not. Amaury shrugged his shoulders. Well, it wasn’t his problem if the good doctor suddenly had scruples about all the money he’d made off him without producing any tangible results.

“It’s your time, not mine.”

“I’ll be in touch.” Drake turned at the next corner and disappeared amidst the shadows of the night.

Amaury tried to push back the disappointment he felt spreading in his chest. He should have never gotten his hopes up. He would just have to continue like he’d done the last centuries and use sex to ease his pain.

But he still didn’t understand why he couldn’t sense Nina’s emotions. It made no sense, particularly since he hadn’t even technically had sex with her, something he planned to remedy tonight. However, in her presence the pain in his head seemed to ease, even without sex. And that was just the medicine he needed right now.

His cell phone vibrated again. What was going on tonight? He looked at the number, but didn’t recognize it. A New York number, but it wasn’t Gabriel’s, thank God.

“Yes?”

“Amaury, it’s Quinn. Listen, I can’t talk long.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve been helping Zane shadow this employee, Paul something, and we’re at the Mezzanine nightclub. Zane’s been mumbling something about your girlfriend being here cozying up to some guy. Thought you should know.”

“What?” Amaury felt his heartbeat increase and his blood pressure spike. “Where is she?”

“Gotta go.” The line went dead.

Nina? At a nightclub, when she’d promised to wait for him in bed? What the hell! Could nothing go according to plan tonight?

Seventeen

Nina took another sip from her beer before she looked back at the guy who’d been making advances at her for the last few minutes. From the bar she had a good view of the goings on in the nightclub. So far, she’d spotted several men who would fit the description Benny had given her, but none seemed to show any recognition when she looked at them.

And if Benny’s information was correct, then the man she was looking for knew who she was and would show some sign of recognition. That was what she was counting on. It would be the only way she’d recognize him. That, and if he attacked her. Luckily, the club was busy and an attack would not go unnoticed.

In the meantime she had to fend off the man sitting next to her. It wasn’t that he wasn’t good looking, but she wasn’t in the mood to flirt, nor did she want to waste her time when she was on the lookout for that despicable son of a bitch involved in Eddie’s death.

“Looks like whoever you’re waiting for stood you up.” The man on the barstool next to her gave her a knowing grin.

“What makes you think I’m waiting for someone?” Maybe she should move to a different location in the club to get away from the thick-headed guy who couldn’t take a hint.