Steal the Day (Thieves #2)(80)

“I don’t like this, Dev.” I went with emotion because I couldn’t argue with his logic. I wasn’t used to using logic and Dev in the same sentence.

Dev rolled his eyes. “You think I like the fact that I have spent the last few days of my life delving into vampire politics when I promised myself I was leaving that life behind? Do you think I liked watching you walk away with him last night after promising I would behave myself? I don’t like to behave, Zoey. I want to take you on the strip and spend f*ckloads of cash and drink and get stupid. I want to bring you back here and just blow your mind. But we can’t do that anymore even if you wanted to because I have learned something over the last few days. Daniel is right. His cause is more than just. It’s imperative. It might have been fine before to just laugh with you and f*ck you and send you on your way later. I can’t do that anymore. If they get their way, you get hurt. Everything we love comes under their mercy if they succeed.”

The door to the elevator opened, and I nodded because I understood but I didn’t have to like it. Dev groaned, pulling me out of the elevator. He moved us out of sight of the lobby.

“Zoey, don’t make me feel like I’m failing you when I’m trying so damn hard to avoid that,” he pleaded, holding my face in his hands.

I softened immediately. “I’m sorry. It’s just been a long night, and I was looking forward to being with you.”

He leaned down and kissed me, a gentle touch of his lips against mine. “I know, sweetheart. I love you. It will be better when we get home. We have much more freedom there. People are used to seeing us together. As long as we include Daniel in some of our public outings, we can protect his reputation. Just hang on a few more days.”

I didn’t have much choice. Hopefully we would all still be alive in a few days. I forced myself out of that mode of thinking.

“Who is the Scotch for?” I asked because Dev was a vodka boy. It was one of the reasons I loved him.

He shook his head as he led me down the hallway. It was quiet on this floor. “The Scotch is for me. Well, not really for me, but I have to drink it. If I have to drink it, I think you should, too. Daniel is ready for us, and I thought we could prepare for the evening together.”

I grinned, totally letting go of my previous sorrow. Tonight was the night both Daniel and Dev had been dreading since we decided on this course of action. Our explanation for bringing Dev along was that he shared a bed with Daniel and me. You don’t share a bed with a vampire without baring his mark. Companions might get away with it, but Dev couldn’t. Tonight, Dev got to feed Daniel.

I, for one, was looking forward to some very awkward fun. It had already been agreed that I had to be there to bring some much needed femininity to what Daniel called a horrible “sausage fest”.

Dev slid his card into the door that led to our suite. He held it open for me, and there was Danny, nervously pacing the floor. I couldn’t help giggling. “Are you nervous about your date?”

“Zoey!” both men said in a perfect symmetry that should have scared me, but I was still laughing.

“Look.” I pointed at Dev. “Dev got all dressed up and everything.”

Daniel groaned and shook his head. Dev popped the top off the Scotch bottle and took a long swig. He passed the bottle to me, and I obediently took a shot.

“She’s never going to let us live this down.” Daniel frowned.

“I could leave the two of you alone,” I offered as Dev took a swig that lasted a really long time. “I could find Neil, and we could just use our imaginations.”

“Neil already offered to tape the whole thing.” Dev shuddered. “This stuff tastes like shit.”

Daniel grabbed the bottle, studying it. “I disagree. You got a twelve-year, right?”

“Yes, I got pubescent Scotch, just like you ordered. I’m sure it’s just as confused about its sexuality as the rest of us are going to be after this,” Dev replied, loosening his tie. “Where are we going to do this?”

“The big bed,” I said. Dev and Daniel looked at me like I was insane. “It’s the only one that will fit all three of us.”

It could fit an army regiment. I figured it would work for us. It shouldn’t take too long, but we would all be comfy on the big bed.

Dev laid his tie aside. “We don’t need to bring a bed into this.”

“I don’t want you to fall on the floor. When I feed Danny, I tend to sit in his lap so he can hold me when I would normally fall to the floor because my muscles stop working. I don’t think you’ll fit on his lap.” Though I was amused at the picture in my brain.

Dev stopped drinking long enough to snort. “My muscles won’t stop working.”

“I’m not pulling him in, Z,” Daniel said, sounding shocked that I thought he would.

I was so glad I was here because they obviously needed someone to keep them on the right path. “Oh, yes you are. It hurts otherwise. It really f*cking hurts, Danny. You will pull him in. He’s not into pain.”

Dev was a baby when it came to pain. He complained bitterly when he got so much as a stubbed toe.

“He can’t pull me in.” Dev laid his suit jacket over a chair, and his hands went to work on the buttons of his shirt. “It doesn’t work on me, sweetheart. Do you really think I’ve never been bitten before? I told you, Zoey, I’ve slept with just about everything with breasts on this plane.”