Night's Honor

SEVENTEEN

Silence fell.

Then Xavier said, “I take it you would not have brought this up if you weren’t sure. Do you know what you will do now?”

“Not yet. I think it might be best if I didn’t return to the estate with you and Tess. Is there any way I could get you to take me into the city, after sunset? That is, if you’re done with your business here.”

“I can give you a ride. Where would you like to go?”

“I thought I would stay at a nice hotel, maybe the Four Seasons, and consider my options. All I’ve done is save money over the last three years—I might as well enjoy a little of it for a few days. I can always send for my things later.” Someone paced, probably Diego. “This isn’t personal, Xavier. I want you to know that. None of it is.”

“I understand.”

Not staying to hear any more, she slipped down the hallway to her bedroom again to ease her door closed. Her mind and emotions in upheaval, she paced around the confines of the bedroom. She wasn’t like Xavier, and her body couldn’t contain her restlessness without launching into motion.

Even though the bedroom was as tastefully decorated as the rest of the apartment, the lack of windows was beginning to get to her. She wanted fresh air and a walk by the ocean. Quiet though the apartment was, there was no peace in this place.

What she’d heard didn’t necessarily change anything, except that it did. She thought back over what she had said to Xavier earlier and laughed under her breath. It felt bitter and humorless.

A quiet rap sounded on her door. She said, “I’m busy.”

The door opened, and Xavier walked in.

He wore all black again, classic, simple slacks and a tailored shirt that emphasized the strong, elegant bone structure of his hands and face. He had tied his hair back neatly, and there was no trace anywhere of the wild, sensual creature who had made such emotional love to her. He looked as he so often did, composed and self-contained.

The sight of him made her a little crazy, when everything inside of her was in chaos.

She snapped, “I said I was busy.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I heard you perfectly well. I also heard you pacing just now, and I heard you earlier, when you walked down the hall and paused outside the living room.” He eyed her narrowly. “You overheard Diego and I talking, and now, for some reason, you are upset. Why?”

“Just because we had sex—once—doesn’t mean it’s okay for you to ignore my boundaries,” she told him furiously.

“My apologies. Of course, you are correct.” He said it so smoothly, too easily, his face a refined mask, as he leaned back against the closed door.

For the first time she hated his blasted composure, and she glared at him. “You’re trapping me in here on purpose. Don’t try to say you aren’t, so you can stop being so damned polite.”

He adjusted the cuff of one of his sleeves. “Politeness is the backbone of civilization. Besides, what else would you have me do? Until I know what you’re thinking, I have no way to respond.” Glancing up from the small task, he speared her with a sharp gaze. “Let me guess: you’ve figured out what I do, from what Diego and I were saying. Haven’t you?”

She threw out one hand in an uncontrolled gesture. After everything that had happened, she felt like she had come full circle, back to the same place she had been the night of the Vampyre’s Ball. Nothing he did seemed out of place or unconsidered, and everything she did felt overdone, out of balance.

“It was rather hard to miss,” she said. “Unlike all the many clues I’ve seen over the last six weeks.”

“And this upsets you.” He cocked his head, studying her as if she were an alien.

Where was his warmth, the passion and emotional openness from earlier this morning? Had it all been an act?

She turned away from him, wrapped her arms around her middle and hunched her shoulders. “Yes. No. I don’t know.”

His hands came down on her shoulders, and she jumped. He said in her ear, “Well, that is definitely a comprehensive range of reaction, I must admit.”

Her body reacted again to the sound of his voice, so close. She felt as if he had just passed a hand down her naked back, and she shivered.

His hands tightened. He said even more softly, “Will you not tell me what is going through your mind right now? I truly don’t have any clue.”

He sounded so patient and gentle, this centuries-old Vampyre who was once a priest.

Who played the piano, loved to waltz, read philosophy and quoted love poetry.

And ran a spy ring.

She closed her eyes. I’m nobody, she thought. I’m not even out of my twenties. I’ve never been anywhere interesting or done anything useful. I’m just a foster brat who got too greedy and cocky, and barely managed to make it out of a tricky situation alive.

“I’m trying to run away,” she whispered. “Inside my head.”

“You promised you wouldn’t. And I told you what would happen if you did.” He ran his lips lightly over the delicate shell of her ear, and she shivered. “I would come after you.”

What if she kept her eyes closed and let herself fall back, and trusted that he would catch her?

Tentatively, she leaned back into him.

His arms came around her, and he pulled her against his chest, holding her tightly. “Don’t stop talking,” he said, very low. “Show me where you are so I can find you.”

“I feel stupid,” she confessed. “I saw the clues, but I didn’t put any of them together.”

“Why would you? Why would any normal person put all of that together?” He kissed her temple. “Does it matter that much to you what I do?”

“Honestly, no, it doesn’t,” she told him.

He laughed a little, a quiet exhalation of breath. “Now I am completely in the dark again.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t say that right. Of course it matters what you do. In fact, I’m fascinated. But when I heard you talking and put it all together, the thing that shook me was—we made love. I made love to you.”

“I remember it all too well.” He laid his head on her shoulder as he cradled her. “I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind.”

She gripped his forearm. “In the moment, I truly felt like I knew what I was doing, and I wasn’t just being impetuous, but you know what? I was being impetuous, and I don’t really know you. That’s what I realized when I listened to you and Diego. And you were right, when you brought this up earlier—I’ve barely gotten over the fact that you’re a Vampyre. We’ve been acquainted for six weeks, and we’ve spent one night together, and . . .” The growing lump in her throat forced her into silence.

“Tess,” he whispered. He rubbed his face in her tousled hair. “I know it’s early days, and we have so much more to learn about each other. But it’s still okay to fall in love with me. I would be so honored if you did, and I would keep all of your emotions safe. I will never betray your trust. I swear it.”

She let her head fall against his shoulder, turned her face toward him and he bent her back and kissed her, and the thing of it was, she believed him.

She really believed him.

She said against his mouth, “It’s hard to let go and stay in one place.”

“I’ve never once seen you run when you’re afraid, and I’ve seen you very afraid.” His lips pulled into a smile. He kissed the tip of her nose. “You have such courage. It’s one of the things I admire most about you.”

Twisting around to face him fully, she slipped an arm around his neck and returned his kiss. Heat built between them, fast and urgent. She clenched her fists in the back of his shirt, so hungry again for him she shook all over.

Somehow, despite everything he’d been through and everything he did, he carried a light inside of himself that made her ravenous. When she wasn’t with him, the world felt darker and colder. It was impossible to imagine she could ever get enough of him, and that scared her more than anything.

He slanted his mouth over hers, his lips hardened and demanding. Shuddering, she kissed him back with everything she had. He slid one long-fingered hand into her hair, at the back of her head, holding her in place while he cupped and massaged her breast through the soft, thin material of the robe.

After several moments, he pulled back with obvious reluctance. “Much as I would love to take you back to bed and pick up where we left off, I promised to drive Diego into the city.”

With an immense effort, she tried to chain the crazy woman inside of her that urged her to ignore all common sense and tear off all his clothes. She pulled back enough to search his gaze. “Are you upset over him leaving?”

“I’m disappointed, but I’m not surprised.” He shook his head. “Life at the estate is a very small, specific world.”

“I love it there,” she said quietly.

His face lit with a smile. “I do too, but I also recognize that the lifestyle isn’t for everyone. As much as Melisande moans about the rat race in Los Angeles, she could never leave it.” His smile faded. “And I simply don’t have anything else to offer him. I offered to talk to Julian about finding Diego a position at Evenfall, but he’s determined to make a complete change.”

Straightening her spine, she made herself let go of his shirt. “Do you want me to stay here while you take him?”

“Hell, no,” he said forcefully. He rubbed his face and continued with more moderation. “I’m not leaving you alone in Evenfall, especially not when Justine is around.”

Her expression turned dry. “Well, I would have kept the apartment locked.”

“I don’t care. Locks aren’t good enough. You’re not staying.” He looked over his hand at her. “Come with me while I take Diego into town. We can stay at my town house for a day or two, and you can meet the rest of my attendants.”

Hesitating, she thought it over. As much as she did love the estate, she had spent all of her time there in fear of Malphas finding her. The thought of spending some time in the city did have appeal.

San Francisco might have its dangers, especially for someone who was penniless and on the run, but this time around, a visit should be quite different. Maybe she could even shop for some new clothes that would fit her properly.

Also, she might not know exactly where she and Xavier were headed, but if it turned out they were together for any length of time, it would be good to get acquainted with his people in the city.

“I’d like that,” she told him.

His expression lightened. “I’m glad. We have a couple of hours until sundown.” He added softly, “All I can think of is what I would like to do to you while we wait, but I’m afraid I have other things I need to attend to before we can leave.”

Her gaze fell to the opening of his shirt, and she gave him a slow smile. “Can’t they wait?”

While it wasn’t making love, his intake of breath was immensely satisfying. He growled, “I would love nothing more than to put them off, but I have to see if Gavin can edit the recording of Julian and Melisande on my phone.” He paused, and when he continued, he sounded very serious. “And I found out a few hours ago one of my operatives has gone missing.”

Her playfulness vanished. “Oh God, I’m sorry. You must be worried.”

“I am.”

She wasn’t sure she should ask—she didn’t know what any of the boundaries were, in this new, unknown place they had come to—but she went ahead anyway. “Is it . . . anybody I know?”

His expression darkened. “I’m afraid so. It’s Marc.”

Shock rippled through her. She hadn’t expected him to answer her so readily, or that she would actually know the person involved. “But he just left.”

“I know.” He moved suddenly, a sharp, quick movement he stilled almost at once, but it was another telling slip and indicated the strength of his worry.

A powerful urge gripped her. She wanted to help him so badly, she ached with it, but there was nothing she could do.

Except for one thing. She could support him.

She stepped away from him. “Go. Do what you need to do.”

Still, he lingered, and the tender expression in his eyes as he looked at her was worth everything she had gone through over the last two months. “What about you?”

“I might nap. I’m definitely going to take a proper shower, and eat the snack Diego left for me.” She smiled. “And I’ll miss you.”

He took one of her hands, lifted and turned it, and pressed his lips to the inside of her wrist.

What a difference six weeks made. The first time he had made such a gesture, she had been frozen with fear. Now, warmth suffused her.

“Until later,” he said against her skin.

Touching his temple, she stroked his hair.

He straightened, and after another final, hard kiss, he left.

Without the intensity of his presence, the room felt cold and empty, and her feet were freezing. Slipping on her shoes, she explored quickly. Xavier had already left, and the rest of the apartment was silent and empty. The door to Diego’s room was closed.

She stared at it thoughtfully, tempted to knock and ask how he was doing, but although they had shared a few conversations, they weren’t close, and she wasn’t a confidant of his.

In the end, she respected the silent message in that closed door, ate all the food on the plate by the nightstand, collected her toiletries and clean clothes, and went to take a shower.

Antiquated though Evenfall might be, at least the water was hot.

The farther away Xavier got from Tess, the darker his mood grew. As he strode down the hallways, he checked his messages. The only news he’d received was from Raoul, from a few hours ago:

M missed check in. Instructions?

And his brief reply: Wait. Let me know if you hear from him.

Marc was the best of his new recruits. Not only was he smart and capable, but he was also steady-natured and had proven himself to be reliable. Xavier had given Justine to him as his assignment, with strict instructions to maintain a low profile, protect his identity, use extreme caution and avoid direct engagement.

But as more time passed and still no word came, the probability that something had happened to Marc grew greater. By the time Xavier reached the IT section of Evenfall, which was located in a concrete reinforced area off the underground garage, he was scowling.

Earlier he had notified Gavin he would be stopping by, and the younger Vampyre was waiting for him. Gavin was just under two hundred years old, but he had been turned when he was barely out of his teens. With a snub nose, red hair and freckles that had never faded, he had been nicknamed “Opie” by his coworkers.

Xavier handed his cell phone over, and Gavin got to work.

“So, I heard you brought a new attendant with you,” Gavin said. “A female one. It’s her, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.” Xavier leaned back against a table as he watched Gavin extract the recording.

“Are you going to bring her down here, so I can meet her?”

His expression turned wry. Gavin hadn’t even met Tess yet, but he appeared to have developed a crush on her. “I’m afraid we don’t have time this trip. But I will be sure to bring her next time.”

“What’s she like?” Gavin’s tone was elaborately nonchalant.

Defiant. Devious.

Delicious.

He didn’t say any of those adjectives aloud. Instead, as his silence grew too long and Gavin lifted up his head to look at him curiously, he finally settled on “Unforgettable.”

The other Vampyre’s eyebrows lifted. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were falling for her.”

He leaned against a nearby table. “Why do you think you know better?”

“Xavier, for as long as I’ve known you, I think you’ve had a total of maybe three relationships, and those were all shallow and ended after just a few months.” The younger Vampyre gave him a sidelong, curious glance. “Son of a bitch. You are falling for her, aren’t you?”

He didn’t have to reply, but he did anyway. “I am.”

Gavin’s eyes went wide. Then he grinned. “Good for you.”

After transferring the recording to his desktop, they listened to it together. “Trim everything off but their agreement,” Xavier told him. “Then get the clean copy to Julian as soon as possible.”

“You got it.”

While he had finished what he had come to do, he hesitated and turned his attention to the wall of TV monitors, watched by two Vampyres across the room. They studied footage from security cameras placed at strategic intervals all over Evenfall.

He said, “Do me a favor and run a search for Justine over the last twenty-four hours.”

“You got it,” Gavin said. He walked over to another computer system, sat down, and his fingers flew nimbly over the keyboard. “Can you tell me what we’re looking for?”

Watching, Xavier crossed his arms and shook his head. “I don’t know. At the very least, I just want proof that she is actually still here. I haven’t seen her since I’ve arrived. I’ve only heard Julian mention her.”

“Well, that should be easy enough to confirm.”

Fifteen minutes later, Xavier watched irrefutable evidence. Justine had been present in Evenfall for at least a day. He studied snippets of footage of her in various public spots. Twice, the recordings showed her in conversation with Julian, their expressions cold and body language angry. The footage didn’t supply any sound, but he wasn’t interested at the moment in overhearing conversations.

Frustration spiked, and he rubbed his face. While she was clearly here, that didn’t mean Marc was in any less danger. She had any number of employees who weren’t here with her.

“Is that what you needed?” Gavin asked.

Sighing, he said, “Sure. Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Night had fallen while they had worked. Xavier could feel it, the cool, welcome darkness pulling a veil over the land. He said good-bye to Gavin, pocketed his phone and headed back to his rooms.

There, he found Tess stretched out on his bed, reading a paperback. He could sense Diego in the other part of the apartment, but for the moment he focused all his attention on Tess.

She had showered and dressed in clean jeans and a dark red, long-sleeved shirt. The color suited her as much as the dark blue of the ball gown did, and he smiled with pleasure to see her.

Noticing him in the doorway, she gave him a self-conscious smile. “I hope you don’t mind me coming in here. I figured if you could invade my bedroom—twice—I could invade yours.”

For a brief moment, he forgot his concerns and laughed. “You have an open invitation. You can invade my bedroom anytime you like.” He braced one knee on the edge of the mattress and leaned over to give her a deep, slow kiss.

Afterward, he pulled back. She searched his face. “Any news about Marc?”

He shook his head. “The sun has set, and we need to leave. I know this isn’t what we had planned, but I’ll have to drop you off at my town house and leave you for a while. I need to find out where he is.”

Pushing off the bed, she slipped her shoes on and stood. “Of course.”

He went to Diego’s room, rapped on the door and opened it. Diego had been reading too, and he set aside his e-reader when Xavier appeared.

“Time to go?” Diego asked.

“Yes.”

For a moment, as Xavier looked at him, he considered offering Diego the chance to look into what had happened to Marc. The impulse passed quickly. Not only was it something that Xavier needed to investigate personally, but it was also clear from the younger man’s closed expression that Diego had already emotionally disconnected.

He’d already said it. He was done, and there was no going back.

Back in Xavier’s bedroom, it was the work of a few moments to gather up his things and pack them in his overnight bag. When he had finished, they left.

As they walked through the halls of Evenfall, he held his hand out to Tess, no longer caring how they broke the news to Diego. He planned on talking to Raoul and the others soon enough. Besides, he simply wanted to touch her.

Hesitating only for a moment, she laced her fingers through his. When Diego’s gaze fell onto their linked hands, his eyes widened briefly, but then indifference returned and he looked away.

This time, Xavier escorted Tess to the front passenger seat and he drove, while Diego rode in the back.

They made the drive across the Golden Gate Bridge mostly in silence. The night was clear and unusually warm, a choppy wind blowing off the waters of the bay.

Pinching her full lower lip and appearing deep in thought, Tess stared out her window, while Diego checked his phone and spoke up just once. “You know, you don’t have to take me all the way to the hotel. You can drop me off somewhere convenient, and I can call a taxi.”

The Four Seasons Hotel lay south of Chinatown, and southeast of Nob Hill, where Xavier’s town house was located. Xavier said quietly, “The Four Seasons is not that far away, Diego. It’s no trouble at all.”

Looking uncomfortable, the younger man frowned but fell silent.

Traffic was heavy on the main highway. As Presidio Parkway turned into Lombard Street, a heavy garbage truck pulled behind them.

Checking his rearview mirror, Xavier surveyed the truck. It didn’t look out of the ordinary, and several garbage companies employed Nightkind creatures and operated at night. Dismissing it as a minimal threat, he still took standard precautions and turned down a side street.

The truck followed.

Now, that got his attention.

He stepped on the gas pedal, and the SUV leaped forward just as, at the next intersection, another garbage truck turned onto the street and swerved directly across their path.

Diego swore.

San Francisco had some of the most expensive real estate in the world, and while some areas of the city didn’t have alleys, this street did.

Checking to make sure Tess was wearing her seat belt, Xavier yanked hard on the steering wheel. Tires shrieking, the SUV plunged into the alley.

Up ahead, a third garbage truck pulled across the alleyway. He stomped on the brakes.

The passenger side of the garbage truck faced them. The door opened, and someone inside tossed out a round object, roughly shaped like a bowling ball. It bounced down the alley toward them.

It was Marc’s severed head.