Into the Light (The Admiral's Elite Book 2) (20 page)

Regardless of the warning that the police
would
be called, sirens sounded within seconds of things getting physical. Apparently they’d read this one right from the beginning and had planned ahead. An ambulance showed up as well, in anticipation of blood. Someone inside was wise.

Once the men had been cleared off the gawkers dispersed, leaving Black’s soldiers alone with T at the door. Only minor abrasions marred his dark skin so he remained on guard, waiting for his compatriot before going back in. Snowman was sitting in the ambulance arguing that he didn’t need stitches; a butterfly bandage would be fine. They compromised with a liquid stitch the medic wasn’t happy to apply before leaving.

“You could have a concussion,” he argued.

Snowman waved him off, not sharing his concern for his own welfare.

Taking the opportunity, Michael stepped off the curb and headed straight for the big man. Becca and Ryan let him go alone. One was less threatening than three. Catching the movement, he turned and scowled, warning Michael he wasn’t in a mood for bystander gossip.

Michael was undeterred. Lifting his chin, he approached with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders pulled up toward his ears, feigning a chill. It would be believable in this weather. Covered as he was in jeans and a wool coat, even with the collar flipped up, it wouldn’t have been enough to keep a human warm in the wind that occasionally gusted and swirled random flakes around them.

“Hey Buddy, you gotta go to the main entrance around the corner,” T informed him brusquely, pointing with a thumb. Giant pipes flexed as he crossed his arms over his barrel chest, bringing his goose bumps into sight. Several snowflakes landed on his dark head, sitting for a few seconds before turning into water and running down his temples.

As soon as Michael was close enough, he dropped his shoulders and looked the significantly taller man in the eye. Becca and Ryan maintained their distance to keep the other onlookers from suspecting anything unusual was happening.

“Really? Man, it’s freezing out here. You sure you can’t let me in?” Michael said loud enough for anyone within human earshot to pick up. Then, dropping his voice, he didn’t waste a syllable. “Why were those men kicked out?”

The change in T’s countenance was immediate. Face slackening, his gaze softened like he was watching something far away. “They walked in and started picking fights with other customers. One was pushy with a girl.” The distracted tone of his voice was better suited to telling a boring tale to a stranger on the subway. It was entirely dispassionate.

“Have they been here before?”

“They’re regulars. Usually here once a week at least.”

“Do they usually get into trouble like this?”

“No, not these guys.”

“Have there been other abnormally violent customers?”

The big head bobbed twice, jerky. “Yeah, for the past few weeks for sure. Not as much before that, but it’s been wild since fall.” Both large shoulders rolled forward then back. “It’s a college town. Weird shit happens.”

No need to answer, Michael shrugged and turned on his heel. The charade of begging entrance was no longer necessary and anyone still watching would assume he had been denied or changed his mind. Glancing both ways, ever the cautious human behavior model, he rejoined his party on the other curb. “Anyone care for a drink?” He knew they’d heard.

Ryan unzipped his jacket and took a step into the street. He
did not
look before crossing. Why should he? He would hear a car coming from a mile away. “Thought you’d never ask.”

Waiting to follow his lead, Becca waited for a cue. Sometimes they played the couple and sometimes she had to be “single” to be approachable. When his hand slid into hers, she felt her own tension ease from where it had clamped down on her neck. Now if only she could get rid of the sensation that she had little static shocks snapping at her skin every few seconds, life would be grand. His touch wasn’t helping that at all. Going one farther, Michael leaned in to kiss the side of her mouth.

“Is that how we’re playing this tonight?” She looked askance as he stepped away again.

His eyes were kind. “No, just felt like doing that. You look tired, are you sure you’re alright?” A thin line formed between his brows. “Are you having any other symptoms?”

The reminder of the blood complication and her witchiness brought a hint of darkness to her features. He was holding onto her because he thought he needed to, not because he wanted to. Pretending to stumble stepping off the curb, she removed her hand from his and put it in her pocket. When he gave her a curious look, she added lamely, “It’s cold.”

The only answer he gave her was a furrowed brow and tight lips.

Becca blew out a big cloud of steam and walked through it, feeling Michael’s untouchable nearness as an ache she couldn’t ignore.

At the correct entrance, there was a normal sized fellow in a black shirt with the name of the club on it standing just inside. This wasn’t New York, velvet ropes weren’t necessary given the thin stream of people seeking entrance on a weeknight. And given the friendly nod they received from the man at the door, their less than club-worthy attire wasn’t that unusual for this particular location either. A young woman in a short black dress took their coats once they were inside.

They fanned out automatically. Ryan sauntered casually up to the bar. With his easy, friendly nature he was the best at chatting up the bartender and crowd up there while Michael blended into the surprisingly thick throng on the dance floor. Hearing the conversations and watching dozens of interactions was his specialty. Shifting lights from above flashed and danced for a strobe effect that made the dancers appear disjointed as they moved.

Becca followed Michael’s progress with her eyes, blinking from the sharp changes in light. Yet again, she wished for her sensitivity to fade. It seemed like, if anything, it was getting worse since she’d been in Wisconsin. Being here, surrounded by people, bright flashing lights and loud dance music wasn’t helping either. Leaning against the outer wall, out of traffic but able to watch the entire club unobtrusively, she gulped the hot, stale air. Her lungs burned and her stomach cramped. She felt like she could burst out of her skin at any second; the itching and tingling had grown to full-blown jerks and jolts. For a second the image of one of those sci-fi movies where the people peel off their skin and out steps a demon popped into her head.

The image froze her in place and, in the next heartbeat, she saw the fire demon again. Walking toward her through the club, the dark hall lit up, framed in fire. The demon was clothed in the flesh of the human it had long ago consumed. Staggering further in, she hid herself behind a large potted plant and leaned heavily against the red painted wall. So transported was her mind, Becca swore she felt heat radiating from the painted surface. Flinching away from it, she swayed on her feet, gagging as her breath caught in her throat and tasted of smoke.

“Miss, are you okay?”

The strobe lights threw their wild flashing play of color onto the walls and floor around her, disorienting Becca completely. Closing her eyes, she rubbed them with the palms of her hands.

A hand touched her shoulder. “You don’t look so good.” His voice was closer, he leaned in. “Do you have someone here with you? Someone you’d like me to find? Have you taken something?”

She pictured Michael’s face when he heard she was still having nightmares, only now they’d progressed to daymares. It wasn’t just the modesty she feigned around the estate that had kept him out of her bed for more than a few hours at a time these last couple of months. Except when they’d been on the road and saying no would have entailed being obvious and requesting a separate room, she’d limited their sleep exposure out of shame. All of them faced horrors on each mission. They all got over them. She didn’t want to admit she was the weak one who couldn’t.

Chapter 21

Michael moved among the gyrating humans, taking care to sidestep several pairs and even clusters whose movement was more sex than dancing. This was not the kind of place he would take his Becca when he finally got the chance to dance with her. He wanted to feel her body against him, though if they performed some of these maneuvers he worried his desire for her would be too much. The idea of having sex with her in front of an audience was not an erotic fantasy of his. He liked sex as much as the next guy; he’d even had it in some daringly public places, but he wouldn’t want anyone seeing his Becca at her most intimate. The fast, hammering music had most all of the humans sweating and dancing hard, making the minefield of flesh tough to navigate which was good, it forced his thoughts off of Becca and sex and back to his mission. The scent of pheromones choked him, the chance of distraction would have been more than a younger vampire could handle. As it was, his skin tingled and his discipline was tested as an attractive blonde woman’s denim clad ass slammed into his thigh and commenced using it as a grinding post.

Twisting to see who she’d run aground on, her delicate features slack from alcohol, curved into a loose grin as she took in the sight of him. “Hey sexy,” she yelled over the music as she spun the rest of her body around, her hands rubbing tantalizingly up her sides. The hem of her snug, glitter-laced tee rode higher on her flat stomach and the bottom curve of a breast peeked out. “Dance with me.”

“I’m looking for someone.” He started to wave her off when the brunette next to her turned to see what had drawn her friend’s interest. The hunger in her eyes and change in her scent left no doubt as to her intentions. The next step she took brought her leg to his, her next brought its companion to sandwich his knee between her tanned thighs. Tight black spandex rode high enough to give someone at the right angle a hell of a show as she straddled his leg.

Not to be outdone, the first woman used the beat to push herself up against his side, her fingers spreading to cover his shoulder blades and pull her front against his hip. “I’m someone.” She leaned in close and flicked her tongue up his throat. He could feel her nails scraping down his back while her erect nipples poked into his chest. It was impossible not to be affected as the two women proceeded to grind and stroke him. Every nerve ending was awake, including those more sensitive than others. Willing his body to quiet, Michael was only half successful. The blonde smiled when she felt his response.

“Are you ladies here alone?” He leaned his head between theirs so they could hear, taking pause at the lack of booze or chemicals he smelled coming from their pores. He’d been sure their willingness was due to some drug. Michael knew he was physically attractive by human standards, though not typically orgy inducing.

“We’re here together.” The brunette stroked her friend’s shoulder, letting her fingers trail down her front and circle the taught peak showing through. There was no bra to interfere and her long fingers gave it a twist to show him. “But we’re willing to make room for one more.”

The blonde caught her breath and arched her back. Making a little sound in her throat, she aimed a warm, heavy-lidded smile at her friend and leaned over. Their lips met and the lights flashed, offering several tongue-filled glimpses into the depth of their friendship. Breaking it off somewhat reluctantly, the blonde smiled seductively. “Don’t worry, we share.”

His human side was committed completely to Becca. Michael’s vampire inside him, however, was less concerned with the repercussions of a one-night stand. It wanted what these girls offered. It growled and gnashed its teeth in frustration when he refused to loose it. Giving them a broad grin, he winked. “Sorry ladies, you’re too fast for me.” And took a step back, removing his thigh from the blonde’s leg lock while shifting his shoulders sideways to slip from her friend’s hands.

Both sets of glazed eyes hardened. Nails dug in and both were firmly back where they had positioned themselves originally. “We can slow down, sexy.” The blonde plastered herself to his chest and crept up to his ear to assure him. “If you’re nervous we can be very, very gentle.” Sliding her knees apart, she allowed her body to drop and she bit her lip as she rubbed her crotch on his thigh, her hand stroking across her chest. Lowering her face, she tipped her eyes up and blinked, slow and doe eyed at him.

It would have been enough to test any man. Michael could feel his physical desire and nature both wrestling with his resolve. The brunette’s hand dipped into his pants, her fingers stroking down his ass to scrape up the sensitive space between his cheeks. Instinctively, he inhaled and bit down on his fangs to keep them in. Twisting at the waist while grabbing their wrists and spinning them both, he managed to remove them again.