“Whoa, lass,” Rhine says, and moves to block me at the door. “Noah made me swear that I’d watch o’er ya whilst he sleeps.” He shakes his head. “You ain’t goin’ nowhere wi’out me.”
I see the determination in Rhine’s eyes. I also know that I can render him paralyzed if I want to. But maybe it’s not a bad idea to have a backup? Might prevent me from what I’m not too sure I can’t restrain myself from doing.
Killing the fucker from my dream.
Just thinking it makes me boil inside with fury.
“How long’s Noah been out?” I ask. I’m standing in front of Rhine now.
“About an hour and a half,” he answers.
His eyes search mine curiously. I know he’s trying to figure me out. Wondering if I’m going to throw some crazy hoodoo whammy on him. It’s damn tempting, but I don’t. Instead, I give him a nod. “Come on. I can use the backup. Just you and me, though. No Ness boys this time.”
Rhine studies me hard for a second or two, then opens the door. “Aye, the two o’ us, then.” He heads out into the hallway. My eyes drift across, to Noah’s closed door. My hand is reaching for the knob now, and I open and step into his room.
Noah’s crashed on the bed, under the covers like some regular ole human, bare from the waist up. One arm is resting across his abdomen. His chest doesn’t rise and fall with breath; I still can’t grasp that sometimes. I stare at his face, so peaceful and still. Long lashes brush his flawless skin. Sun-bleached dreads hang loose around his shoulders.
He’s not waking anytime soon. Unlike what most humans believe, vampires don’t hunt all night and sleep all day. The ones I know only have a few hours of rest every few days or so. Sometimes daily, depending. Noah hasn’t rested in . . . I can’t remember when. A long time. He may sleep for hours now.
And what I have to do can’t wait.
He’ll be so pissed.
He’ll get over it.
I back out of Noah’s room and quietly close the door. In the hallway, Rhine waits. Wordlessly, we start up the corridor and hit the steps at the same time. Downstairs, the flat-screen is on. Three Ness boys sit on the sofa and chair. I pause when I see the movie they’re watching. E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial. Memories from my youth, before I turned into a wild child, crash over me. My mom sitting on the sofa in our little apartment, watching it with me.
“Great picture,” Rhine says beside me. “One o’ my favorites.”
I look at him and grin. “Cintus Suprimus.”
“Zero Charisma.” He gives me a crooked smile.
I’m impressed that Rhine, who is at least eight years younger than me, can quote one of my favorite random quotes from a favorite movie. “Let’s go.”
When we get outside, the sky is still light, with fading lavender and gray hues. I start toward the drive.
“I got a better idea,” Rhine says, and inclines his head toward the row of motorcycles parked on the side of the Crachan. “Since it’s just the two o’ us.”
“All right,” I agree, and start toward the bikes.
What is it about me and guys and bikes?
Rhine swaggers up to a black Harley, straddles the seat, and turns the key. He starts the engine and it rumbles to life. With his legs, he pushes it backward and stops where I’m standing. “Get on,” he instructs. He pulls on a helmet and pushes a pair of shades on and hands me a helmet off one of the other bikes.
I strap it on, straddle the seat behind him, find the foot pegs, and slide my arms around his waist.
He turns his head. “Where to?”
“City center,” I say without hesitation. “We’ll park and walk from there.”
“You got it,” Rhine says, and clicks the gears. He takes off down the drive and turns the bike toward Inverness’s city center.
My mind races as Rhine weaves through traffic. The sun, previously hidden by the looming Scottish winter skies, cracks through now, just a golden orange thread between shades of purple and gray. The wind hits my face, and it’s brisk and biting, and I inhale deeply. Rhine’s body is hard and warm. I can hear the thumping of his young, healthy heart. Humanity. Something I sorely miss. I squeeze tighter, and his head tilts slightly toward me in response. I hope I’m not sending the wrong signals to him. I just feel a sense of vulnerability overcome me that I want squashed out. I don’t want to feel it. I want to do what I have to do, fix what needs fixing, and be the hell done with all of this. I want to sit back and watch E.T., eat some pizza, and not worry about the safety of others. I want Eli beside me. I want him out of whatever hell he’s in.
Jesus, I miss him.
My heart aches, like someone is physically squeezing the life out of it.
Rhine pulls his bike along the curb and stops it. I dismount and take off my helmet. He stays straddled and tugs his helmet off and hooks it on the handlebars.
“You okay?” he asks. He takes his shades off. The late afternoon is fast turning into an early Scottish winter’s eve. Dark at four thirty. That’s such bullshit. “Aye?”
I glance around, taking in my surroundings. We’re on a side street, close to High Street. There are pedestrians moving about. Mostly locals. I’ve learned to tell them apart now. Tourists are more, I don’t know . . . colorful. And the expression of the locals is different. Friendly, but unimpressed. If that makes any sense. “I will be.” Looking at him now, I sigh. “Believe it or not, I’m actually glad you came with me. Sometimes I really need a warm-blooded, human hug.”
That sounds stupid as hell. But I had to say it.
Rhine grins. “Oy, what do ya know? I’m warm-blooded and human.” He winks. “Hug me anytime ya get the urge, lass.”
I shake my head and fight a grin. I feel like I’ve got two Noahs now. I give in and smile, then glance up the street. Then I study Rhine. He has to know what’s going on. It wouldn’t be fair to keep it from him. I sigh. “What we’re walking into here is a nightmare, Rhine. This vampire? I’ve dealt with him before. He was the first one to poison me with his Strigoi venom, back in Savannah. He didn’t want me dead, though. He wanted to keep me. Make me become his mate. And I’m pretty damn sure now he’s behind everything here. Carrine, Eli—it’s him. Valerian Arcos. He’s powerful as all holy hell. Just so you know.”
Rhine’s eyes shine with understanding. “Aye, I’ll keep all that in mind. But I willna leave ya, lass.”
With a nod and a deep breath, I focus. Everything around me goes silent, and blurry. I hear and see no one. I’m singling out one in specific. Like flipping through the channels on satellite, my mind spins and spins.
Then I’ve got him.
The hairs on my neck stiffen, and I stare down High Street. Past the double arches of McDonald’s, a sidewalk café. The shade of the building falls over the sidewalk tables, but he’s there. I sense him.
And he senses me, too.
He knows I’ve come.
I’m sure he knew it all along. He’s controlling everything. Every goddamn thing.
“This way,” I say to Rhine, and I start up the street. Past several storefronts, past McDonald’s, past the tartan shop, I walk steadily toward the outdoor café. The only sound I hear is my boots making contact with the sidewalk. I vaguely see Rhine, slightly behind and beside me. I know he’s not going anywhere. It would’ve been useless to try and get him to stay behind. Knowing him, he would’ve chanced waking a sleeping vampire, just to make sure I wasn’t stepping into danger.
I may still be.
But I don’t think so.
At the café, our eyes meet. I know he’s watched me, from the moment I turned into view. Seeing him here, now, is slightly shocking. Infuriating. Disgusting. My hands clench at my sides into fists. Fury boils inside me.
I walk directly to the table, and before I realize it, Rhine is pulling the seat out for me. I sit down. He stands behind me, his hand on my shoulder. A few other tables are occupied by humans. All of them sipping tea and coffee, having a bite to eat, chatting. Wrapping up their day. None of them have any suspicion that a coldhearted murderer is in their midst.
I’m looking at the one sitting at the table, facing me.
A smile touches his mouth. His chocolate brown eyes soften as they stare directly into mine. His dark hair is pulled back into a perfect ponytail. His features are flawless.
He’s a monster inside all of that beauty.
“Riley,” he says seductively. He draws a deep, exaggerated breath, as if air could move through those lifeless lungs. He spares Rhine a brief glance before lowering his gaze back to me. “I didn’t expect you to bring along a chaperone.”
Rhine’s grip tightens on my shoulder. It comforts me.
I steady my gaze directly into that of Valerian Arcos. “Does your father know you’re here?” I ask. “Or your brother?”
An easy smile falls on Valerian’s full lips. “Of course not. Why would I tell them such?” His gaze drops to my breasts, then back up. “And have them ruin our time together?”
Fury seethes within me, and I briefly focus on one mind. Vic, your brother is here in Inverness. I can’t talk right now, but you need to know. And warn your father. I may very well kill the fucker. “We’ll have no time together,” I say calmly. “What do you want here, Valerian? You’re breaking serious codes, you know.”
“Codes my father and ridiculous little brother vowed to uphold,” he acknowledged. “Not me. Besides,” he says, his voice lowering, “I’ve come for a much different reason than you think.”
I cock my head and study him. “I’m not a helpless human you can push around,” I remind him. “So you’d better tell me what it is you want—”
“I could have fucked you in your sleep, love,” Valerian corrects, interrupts. His voice is low, almost crooning. And it’s all matter-of-fact. “You enjoyed every touch, every swipe of my tongue. You liked it. And you were powerless to fight me.” He smiles. “But you know that, don’t you?”
