Haven (36 page)

Stella stepped to the side and swept out her arm, highlighting my escape route. I glowered at her and stalked away, scanning my surroundings.

We were indeed on Moraga Avenue, between Ninth and Tenth avenues, though closer to Tenth. Residential, quiet, almost suburban except no two houses were alike. I shifted onto Tenth and descended the hill toward Golden Gate Park and the restaurants and shops on Irving Street. I’d call Faith for a ride when I achieved more distance between the vampires and me. Or maybe I’d hop on a bus or hail a cab. I could use some alone time. So sick of talking. Talking resulted in too much drama.

Hmph.

A chill breeze whipped up the hill and thick fog hovered over the park, racing
inland, spurred on by the push of the wind. I pulled my sweater coat closed, cinched the belt, and covered my head with the hood. Cold, windy, foggy. Not surprising for the Sunset.

Stop musing about the weather. Figure out your next move.

Should I go to the clinic, visit my friends? Check on Tony at my house? Maybe I should visit Lorenzo and Dom. Or retreat to Adrian’s place and deal with club business. But it’s Sunday.
Sanguine Sunday
. The vampires probably
expected me at the club tonight, so, of course, that was the last place I’d go.

What about Alexander?

I halted. My anger deflated, power diminishing to a low hum, eyes shifting to brown. I took stock of my surroundings. No activity to my left or right, no pedestrians, no one coming in or out of houses, no cars passing through the intersection. Nobody around but me. I’d made it one long block without any interference, but that left Alexander alone with the she-devil. And Tessa intended to punish him for our little escapade at the club.

I can’t abandon him like this.

No matter what she said, it wasn’t his fault. The blood sharing and the rest of it was one hundred percent consensual.
She can’t blame him.
I have to go back.

“Yes you do,” Jonas agreed.

I let out a pitiful girlie shriek and whirled.

My jaw dropped. Jonas stood behind me, cross and impatient, as per usual, but that’s not what made me gape. Nope. It was his uber hip, all-black ensemble. On his head, a black fedora. A fitted chesterfield coat with a velvet collar covered his body to the knees. Under the coat, a button-down shirt with diamond studs, and perfect-fit, black slacks. Dress shoes, leather gloves and a walking cane with a round diamond top completed the outfit.

I wanted to be cranky, but he looked so amazing the last of my anger fizzled right out. I touched his sleeve. “Italian wool?”

“Of course.”

My fingers trailed down to his hand holding the cane. “Cane sword?”

“Of course.”

I laughed. “You are so predictable.”

“As are you.”

“Yeah, I guess.” We stared at each other in amiable silence. “Now what?”

“What do you think?”

I walked up the hill at a fast clip. “It wasn’t his fault, you know.”

Jonas followed, matching my stride.
“He is minion.”

“Your point?”

“He. Is. Minion.”

“And you. Are. Cryptic. So let me be clear. It wasn’t his fault.”

We stopped at the corner, three houses away from Alexander’s place. The Mercedes still parked in the driveway.

“I’m not going to let Tessa hurt him over me.” I crossed my arms and pouted at the empty car.

“You cannot stop her.”

My frown deepened. “Oh yeah?”

Jonas cocked a brow, gazing at me with shining, predatory black eyes. I lifted my face to the foggy sky. We were wasting time. I couldn’t win this exchange and Tessa might be hurting Alexander right now.

“True.”

My worry spiked. “Has she already?”

Jonas let out an impatient snort. “Come.” He glided toward Alexander’s house.

I hurried after him. Time to face the wrath of Tessa.

Seventeen

Alexander occupied the top floor of his vampires-only building. His space was beautiful. Wide-planked bamboo flooring throughout, galley kitchen with granite countertops, glass fronted cabinets and stainless steel appliances, spacious living room with low-slung leather couches in front of an inset fireplace, and a baby grand piano in the
dining
room. A hip, modern heaven.

Stella had opened the door for us then whooshed to the piano. Jonas sped over to the far wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. Were it not such a foggy day, Alexander’s view of the park and beyond would be spectacular.

Thomas sat on one of the couches with his laptop. “Come, Carina, you cannot hover in the entryway all day.”

“Where are they?” Unease tightened my chest. No sign of Tessa and Alexander.

“Come.” He turned his attention to the flat screen television above the fireplace then glanced at his laptop and typed.

My hands fisted. “Where—?”

“Sit, child.” Jonas blurred, reappearing on a burgundy chaise lounge between the couches and the piano. “There.” He pointed at Thomas’s couch.

I shook my head and made a slow three-sixty, scanning for signs of Alexander. And Tessa. There was a bathroom and a small office behind me, both vacant. Thomas and Jonas in the living room, Stella at the piano, empty kitchen. My gaze wandered to the stairs near the fireplace. They must be upstairs.

“True.” Thomas’s eyes flicked from TV to computer screen.

I rolled mine. The mental eavesdropping annoyed me. “No such thing as privacy in your world is there?”

“Not for you, my dear, and especially not today.”

“Oh, like now is any different than any other day?” I slipped off my coat. My sneakers and socks followed. Didn’t want to dirty Alexander’s pristine flooring with my street shoes. The floor was warm under my feet.

“Radiant floor heat,” Thomas explained.

“Duh, and would you please stay out of my mind?” I headed for the stairs. A few steps away, I ran into a large tree trunk. With legs. I flopped onto the nearest couch, moving my gaze up, and up, and up some more until I found a face, a tan, Roman god-like face with piercing gray eyes.

It was one of the gigantic bodyguards. Appearing out of nowhere. Barring my way to the stairs. How had he—? Oh, right, the invisible man trick. Forgot about that. But why hide?

“Are you guys testing me again?”

“Of course.”

“Apparently
I still can’t see or sense invisible vampires.”

“Apparently
.
”

I climbed to my feet. “Hello again. What’s your name?”

He dropped to one knee and bowed his head, same position as the previous night at Haven. “
Mi chiamo Primo, Principessa
.”

“
Primo
?” I echoed.

“
Si
.”

“
Perche?
Why?”
Primo
meant first. First one of what?

“First born. Of four,” Thomas supplied.

“You mean your four goons—sorry. I mean, your four exceptionally large bodyguards are brothers?”

“Yes.”

“How did four brothers all become vampires? Did you kill them or adopt them or what? Are the other three named
Secondo, Terzo, e Quarto
?” I’d die laughing if they were named second, third, and fourth.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Thomas countered.

“What?”

Thomas gazed at me with his hypnotic green eyes and tilted his chin upward.

Right, Alexander. And Tessa. “Oh
now
you want to tell me where they are and what’s going on here?”

“In time,
cara mia
,” Thomas replied. “First, we must feed your hunger.”

“I’m not—” My stomach growled. “Oh.”

It had been a while since the frittata at Adrian’s and I couldn’t afford weakness right now. Not when surrounded by tricky vampires. Not when Alexander might need my help.

Locate and protect
, my inner vampire growled.

“Yes, please, Primo, I’d love a drink. I’ll have what Stella is having.” She still sat on the piano bench, glass of blood in hand. She took a sip. I licked my lips, thirsty.

While Primo vanished to fill my order, a pang of doubt struck. Last night Jonas said I was a barely-in-control newbie vampire. Would drinking blood push me over the edge? Was that a good or a bad thing in this situation?

Primo reappeared with a tray and placed three wine glasses on the coffee table by the vampires. But I was in no mood to join them. I needed to chug and run.

I cleared my throat. “Primo would you please bring me—”

“That will be all, Primo,” Thomas interrupted. He closed his laptop, set it aside. “Work time is over.”

The living room shimmered out of existence.

I jumped on my bed and watched Uncle Tommy
.
He was stretched out on the couch by the fireplace working on his computer. He frowned a lot when he worked. I didn’t like that. I hopped off the bed and scampered over. He didn’t notice, so I yanked on his pant leg.

“Work time is over,” I stated in my little girl voice.

He raised a brow. “Are you sure, little one?”

I nodded, face serious. “It’s not work time. Work time is over.”

He closed his laptop and set it aside. “Then what time is it?”

My face broke into a smile and I jumped on him. “Cuddle time!”

His arms encircled me, held me close as I burrowed into him.

He kissed the top of my head. “A very good time, indeed.”

“Carina, can you hear me?” Fingers snapped near my ear and the memory disappeared.

I sat on the couch with Thomas. “How did I get here?” My head spun, my throat tight with emotion from that tender, long past, greeting card moment.

He handed me a glass. “Drink.”

I downed it all, the blood grounding me. “Did you see that intense flashback?” I stared at my empty glass. “Were you there, too?”

“Yes, little one.” Thomas plucked the glass from my hand, placing it on the coffee table. I kept staring at it anyway, even when he held my hand, even when he ordered, “Look at me.”

I shook my head.

“I will not bite. Promise,” he teased.

I laughed and my tension eased. “Yeah, right, Mr. Bitey. So.”

“So.” He squeezed my hand.

“What’s up with the visceral flashbacks I’ve had since you guys fixed my head?”

“You are vampire.”

“Part vampire,” I corrected.

He gave me a look. “As you’ve experienced, all senses are heightened. And we remember everything rather vividly.”

“Everything?”

“Yes. But this particular flashback was my doing. I was recalling that moment.”

“And you felt the need to share?”

He nodded. I frowned. “Was this another test?”

“Of course.” His green eyes sparkled with amusement. He was playing with me, but why right now?

A sense of foreboding skittered up my spine. I jumped to my feet. “You’re stalling. What’s Tessa doing?” I was sick of their tests, sick of them pushing me to see how hard I would fall. Enough already.

“We are hoping you will not fall at all, my darling,” Tessa called from above, responding to my thoughts. She appeared at the top of the stairs by a steel-framed, black glass railing spanning the entire length of Alexander’s room and blocking my view of it. My pulse sped up at the satisfied expression on her face, stomach twisting in a knot. If she had hurt him...

Mine.

I gunned for the staircase. The rough, knobby surface of each metal step dug into the soles of my feet. Tessa blocked my way at the top.

“Where is he?” I demanded. It was too quiet behind her. No indication Alexander was even here. “What have you done?”

“What had to be done.”

“Move.” I clenched the rail to
stop myself from shoving her.

“In a moment, my darling.” Her tone was pleasant, as if we enjoyed a lovely
chat over a soothing cup of tea. “But first, open yourself, my darling. You are bound together now. Reach out and find him. You have the means. Use it.”

“Screw your tests.” My power flared, swirling around me like a hot wind. “Let me see him, Tessa.” My voice was raw, angry.
He’s mine.
How dare she keep me from him?

“Seek him with your power. You can feel it, can you not? Use it.”

Yes, find him.
But, “Dammit, Tessa, I don’t know how!” My body shook with anger.

“Please, dearest. Try.”

I thought I was stubborn.

I took a deep, calming breath. Path of least resistance. “Fine.”

I closed my eyes, picturing my power as a golden river of energy. I expanded it, like the tentacles of a golden octopus and sent them out in search of Alexander. I knew his power, the taste of it, the feel of it inside me. I could do this. I could find him. After all, he was mine.

“Where are you, my Key?” I whispered, feeling awkward, silly, and worried. “Come to me, Alexander.”

Blackness swallowed me like a coffin, cold, dark and claustrophobic. My brain wanted to panic, but this was a vision, an illusion, and if I opened my eyes, I’d find myself safe and sound on the steps in Alexander’s well-lit house. I calmed, instinct telling me I was on the right path to finding what was mine.

“Alexander?”

The darkness split open as if someone pulled back a curtain and he was there, curled up at my feet, naked, his back a mess of welts and cuts and blood, his beautiful skin decimated. A lump formed in my throat. I ached to touch him but there wasn’t a single spot of untouched skin.

This can’t be real. Wake him up.
Yes, must wake him up. Because this had to be a nightmare.
Not
.
Real
. I swallowed. Cleared my throat. “Alexander? Can you hear me?”