Blonde & Blue (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #4)(32)

“I guess Zoey can pay for that.” Ky’s voice was laced with bitterness. “But thank you, Kale. It was nice of you to help.”

“I owe you one,” I added, flashing him a look that I hoped portrayed my gratitude.

“I’ll put it on your tab.” With a wink, he nudged me playfully. “Now give me the keys to my baby. I trust you took good care of her.”

I had to laugh because I knew him too well. “I’d bet a thousand dollars you examined every inch of her before you even came in here.”

“You’ll never know for certain.”

I passed him the keys quickly, trying to avoid having our hands touch. It didn’t work. His fingers grazed mine, and I gasped as his power called to me. His slightest touch had awakened my hunger for him. Sitting there with Kylarai made it hard to deny how right she’d been when she’d told me that I was as power-hungry as any vampire.

I jerked my hand back and busied myself by checking the missed calls on my phone. One from Veryl. No big deal. He could wait. When I looked up again, Kylarai was watching us intently.

Kale stood up, looking flustered. “I’m going to take off. I have something to take care of before sunrise.” Kale turned to Kylarai, forcing a smile though he had to feel the tension. “Goodnight, Kylarai. I hope the rest of your night is better.”

I was relieved when he bailed out of the club incredibly fast. Before my nerves could settle, Kylarai fixed me with a pensive look and tapped her nails on the table top.

“So, what’s going on with you and Kale?”

My heart plummeted like a stone to my stomach. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”

She didn’t believe me. “You’re all twitchy around him. Like you used to get with Arys before you could admit you were attracted to him. I’m not a vampire, and even I can sense the energy running high between you two. Are you sleeping with him?”

“No!” That was a little too forceful. “No. I’m not. He’s my friend. We work together.”

Her gaze dropped to the table, and she pursed her lips. “But, you want him. Don’t you?”

My mouth went dry, and I struggled to swallow. I didn’t know how to answer that without telling a lie. I wouldn’t sit there and lie to my best friend. I was many things, some of them pretty awful, but a liar was not one of them.

“Sometimes,” I heard myself say. “But it’s complicated, Ky. It’s bigger than physical attraction. It’s deeper than that.”

“Power stuff, right?” She looked skeptical.

“Yeah. Something like that.” I couldn’t make her understand something I had yet to understand.

“It’s ok, Alexa. I’m not mad. I just wanted to know. It’s not like he and I were a serious item anyway. You’re part of his world. I’m not. And honestly, I’m glad for that.” She gave the interior of the club a once over before grimacing. “Really glad.”

Chapter Ten

I was so lost in myself that it was hard to feel anything but numb. Fear had given way to readiness. I just wanted to get this over with.

My knuckles were white as I gripped the steering wheel. The car wasn’t even moving. Arys watched me from the passenger seat, and I could almost hear him wondering how precarious my control was. I needed to remain calm and do whatever it took to keep Lena safe.

After a lengthy argument, Jez and Kale had decided that he would stake out Lena’s apartment, and she would join Shaz, Arys and me. Shaz sat in the back with her, the two of them silently watching anyone and everyone who went in or out of the restaurant and lounge that marked the address we were given.

“Ready?” I asked, receiving silent head nods in response. The clock on the dash read five minutes until midnight. Taking a deep breath, I shoved my door open and prepared to face the scum that could threaten someone as innocent and sweet as Lena.

The breeze caught my hair, tossing it in my face. I was dressed for a fight, in jeans and a tank top. I didn’t have any weapons other than my own personal arsenal. I felt naked without a little something extra, like a good sturdy stake for a security blanket.

My senses were blazing, running on high alert. I could feel them inside: two vampires. I had a feeling there were more than that. I thought of Kale, alone at Lena’s. I worried that we’d left him outnumbered.

At such a late hour, the restaurant was near empty. The real party was happening in the attached lounge. Occupying one large table at the far end of the restaurant were our two vampires. Neither of them were what I’d been expecting.

They sat together facing us, on one side of the table, a man and woman. He was middle-aged in appearance but felt like he’d been a vampire for a very long time. Long, straight dark hair and dark eyes, he was formally dressed. He regarded us with a cool, calculating expression that filled me with ice-cold trepidation.

The woman at his side was tall and thin, a model’s body. Her auburn hair was piled on her head and pinned with several gold clips. Her brown eyes fell upon me like I was the main course at a feast. Her off-kilter gaze reminded me of the vacant stare of a serial killer, the look of one truly unstable.

She merely gave me a passing look, though; Arys held her attention. The way she looked him over before licking her lips told me enough. I didn’t get the feeling this was their first meeting.

“Arys Knight … how long has it been? I remember like it was yesterday.” She turned a smug smile on the rest of us, but her gaze was locked on Arys.