Stakes & Stilettos ib-4 Read online

  "How?" he asked simply.

  I touched the chain. "It was delivered this afternoon. The Red Devil sent it to me personally."

  His frown deepened. "He sent it to you? How did he know where to find you?"

  "Exactly what I was wondering, but then I realized that it doesn't matter. He obviously found it at the pawn shop and bought it to give to me because he knew I needed it."

  "And it works?"

  "Come here."

  After a moment, he approached me cautiously. I took his hand in mine and pressed it against my chest so he could feel the beating of my heart.

  "Works like a charm." I slid my fingers over the metal.

  He didn't move his hand, but leveled his gaze with my own. "That it does."

  "Not the prettiest necklace I've ever owned, but definitely my new favorite. I can go outside in the sunshine. Also, you really don't realize how much a beating heart makes you feel normal until it stops."

  "And your uncontrollable desire for blood?"

  "Back to a humming white noise in the background of my life." I smiled at him. "And I can kiss you without going all Mistress of the Dark. As proven a minute ago."

  He touched his mouth where my lipstick had made its second appearance of the evening.

  "This is all very good, Sarah."

  "I thought you'd think so." My smile widened before beginning to waver a bit. "You're saying that, but you don't sound all that convinced."

  He placed my sweater next to me on the desk and then clasped his hands together. "I do have concerns."

  "Concerns," I repeated. "Like, for example?"

  "Such as the fact that while it is a good thing that the chain works as a dampener to the curse, the curse still does exist. The chain is not a cure, only a treatment."

  "That's true. But—"

  "And also if you happen to lose the chain or it is stolen from you, then there are no other options. It is as if you are painting yourself into a corner by relying on unreliable magic of this sort, and we mustn't be lulled into a false sense of security and stop searching for a true solution."

  The air began to go out of my happy balloon with an annoyingly squeaky sound.

  "Yeah, I guess. But—"

  "And then there is the very important matter of this Red Devil. Who is he? What is his motivation for assisting you in this matter? Where did he come from? What does he want?"

  "That's a lot of questions."

  "To which we have no answers." His expression softened a little, and he moved closer to me. "Sarah, I know you are overjoyed that you now have the necklace again and that it works. But we can't let our defenses down. Now more than ever we are vulnerable. Most hunters are out of town, but it doesn't mean we should trust anyone who waltzes into our lives so easily."

  I frowned. "Are you saying that I'm too trusting? Even after everything that has happened to me?"

  He nodded. "It is a wonderful trait to have, this trust for your fellow man. But as you've seen in the past, there are very few who are actually worthy of this trust. Others have their own agendas, their own desires to be met, and sometimes lies and deceit are tools of that trade."

  I reached up to touch his face. "I know you've been hurt a lot in your life. Well, I don't really know that for sure, since you aren't exactly all that open with the amusing anecdotes, but I'm assuming a lot of bad stuff has happened to you well above and beyond what I already know. Why can't I accept the Red Devil's gift for what it is? A gift from somebody who cares if I live or die?"

  His jaw tensed. "Because he is not the Red Devil."

  "How do you know that?"

  "You said it yourself, he is human, not vampire."

  I shrugged. "Maybe I was wrong."

  "I don't think that you were. He's an impostor attempting to worm his way into your good graces. And perhaps not today or tomorrow, or even a week from now, but one day he will expect a favor from you in return for giving you the gold chain."

  "Then I'll do it."

  He laughed at that but it was cold. "Just like that."

  "Sure. He did me a favor. Why wouldn't I do one for him?"

  He let out a long sigh. "He is not the Red Devil."

  "How do you know that?" I asked again.

  "Because…" His expression tightened. "Because I… I knew the true Red Devil. A very long time ago."

  I stared at him. "Okay, I think we have a bit of a communication problem, because when I first asked you about this very subject you said that he was an urban legend. Now you were a close personal friend of his? Which is it?"

  "His identity has been a closely guarded secret. I keep that secret as well."

  "After all this time?"

  "Yes. And the true Red Devil has not made an appearance for a hundred years."

  "And why is that?" I asked.

  "There are many reasons."

  "Such as?"

  He sighed. "Such as the fact that the world has changed. That one man cannot make a difference alone. There is too much darkness in the world. The Red Devil grew weary of fighting against this darkness and not seeing an improvement."

  "Was he killed?"

  Thierry hesitated. "No. He is still very much alive."

  I shook my head. "So he's been standing around for a hundred years watching all the bad things happening and he hasn't raised a finger to do anything about it?"

  "Certain events transpired in his life that made that choice inevitable. Some of his choices only led to more pain and torture for those of his kind."

  "Excuses," I said, and shook my head.

  His eyebrows raised. "Pardon me?"

  "This guy, whoever he is, sounds like he wasn't right for the job in the first place. I don't know much about the Red Devil, but I do know one thing. Other vampires looked up to him like a symbol of hope. As long as he existed they had something to believe in other than worrying about hunters being around the next corner."

  "It is not like that at all."

  "He sounds like a self-involved jerk to me. And the difference with the guy who's impersonating him? He's actually doing something. He's trying to make a difference. Just the mere glimpse of him around town has got everybody all excited. That has to count for something."

  Thierry glowered at me. He was actually glowering.

  I blinked at him. "What?"

  "He is dangerous and he must be exposed."

  "Well, I think you should e-mail your old buddy and tell him to get back on the job and maybe other people won't have to take over for him." I shook my head. "I mean, seriously.

  Especially with Gideon Chase dead and buried, this is the perfect time for vampires to rally themselves and start fighting back against the hunters in big numbers."

  "Gideon's death will mean nothing to the hunters in the weeks to come. Another leader will be chosen and things will return to how they have always been."

  "I disagree."

  "This isn't surprising to me. Perhaps one day when years have passed and you have the luxury of looking back on history, you will see as I do. That people or their circumstances rarely change."

  "That is such a defeatist point of view."

  He gave me a smile. "I am pleased to see that your optimism has returned at its full strength."

  I slid off from the edge of the desk and gave him a hug. "I don't want to fight with you.

  Not tonight."

  "Neither do I. I only wish for you to be safe, Sarah. I worry that your optimism and trust lead you to danger."

  I leaned back. "You have to stop worrying so much. It causes wrinkles."

  His smile widened slightly. "Can we speak of other things?"

  I nodded. "Sure."

  "I didn't mention how beautiful you look this evening." His gaze moved down the length of me.

  "Oh, yeah?" I smiled back at him.

  "And I'm very pleased that you are feeling better about your circumstances."

  "Way better. Any trips to Alaska are officially on hold."

  "Is this ne
w?" He ran a finger down the strap of my bra.

  I nodded. "I bought it during my post-apartment-explosion shopping spree. Do you like it?"

  "Very much." He raised a dark eyebrow. "And suddenly thoughts of your mysterious Red

  Devil benefactor seem rather inconsequential to me."

  "I thought they might."

  And as his lips met mine I found that I, too, forgot all about the Red… um… whatever his name was. I sank into the kiss, wrapping my arms around Thierry and holding on tight as he picked me up and carried me over to the sofa, where the kiss became deeper and more urgent. Urgent enough that I suddenly wondered if he'd happened to lock the door so nobody would walk in on us. My now regularly beating heart sped up as he ran his hands down my body.

  How could somebody so opposite to me in nearly every way make me want him so much?

  What was it about him that I fell in love with? He was like a strange recipe that had absolutely everything thrown into the mix. Things that didn't seem to go together at all or seem palatable. But mix it up, throw it into the oven, and an hour later out came the most delicious dish I'd ever tasted.

  Yeah, that was Thierry.

  Not to everyone's taste, but definitely on the menu for me. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a midnight snack.

  I had once doubted his feelings for me, and even now I did at times. He was hard to read with that stony exterior of his. But I knew he loved me, even though he didn't exactly shout it from the rooftops. He proved it to me with his actions, his deeds, the unspoken things. And he murmured it to me when we made love.

  He loved me. And I loved him. And nothing was going to come between us.

  Did I want to bite anybody? Nope.

  Was I feeling okay? Hell, yeah.

  "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," a cool, female voice purred.

  Thierry and I both turned toward the door to look. Veronique stood there, tapping her foot, with her arms crossed in front of her. She had an eyebrow raised.

  Damn. Another couple of minutes and this would have been mortifying instead of just a really awkward and embarrassing situation as I made out with her husband on the sofa in his office.

  And damned if she didn't look amused by the whole thing.

  Reassessment.

  Did I feel like biting anyone?

  Yes please.

  Chapter 18

  "Perhaps I should give you a little privacy?" Veronique asked, although she didn't make any move to leave the room. She wore a low-cut black dress with a high slit at the side. I was almost certain it was Gucci. Her raven-colored hair was long and sleek and fell effortlessly around her perfect face.

  Thierry pushed up from the sofa and grabbed my sweater, which he handed to me with a definite look of apology in his still-dark gaze. I turned away and slid the sweater on as quickly as I could.

  "Veronique," he said evenly. "I didn't expect you."

  "No, I imagine not."

  "You have come all the way from Paris to see me?" he asked.

  "Yes, and I'm sure you know why."

  "I would imagine it has something to do with the papers I sent you."

  "That's right. An annulment?" She shook her head and smiled. "Really, Thierry. I expect much better from you after all of these years."

  "Oh? What do you mean?"

  She smiled in my direction. "Sarah, so lovely to see you again, my dear."

  "You, too," I said, and it sounded more like a squeak.

  Dammit. Why did I feel so wrong? Their marriage was over. I had nothing to feel guilty about. I mean, it's not exactly like our relationship was a secret. Everybody knew Thierry and I were together. Veronique herself condoned the whole thing—encouraged it even.

  She was fine with it!

  Still, I was currently so embarrassed I wanted to crawl under the sofa.

  She returned her attention to Thierry. "I thought we had an understanding. Our lives could be led separately. You can take part in your… dalliances…"

  I frowned at that. Dalliances?

  "But to take things to the next level by seeking an annulment of our marriage?" She shook her head. "Honestly. I don't feel that such a step is necessary."

  "With all due respect, Veronique," Thierry said, "I feel differently."

  She nodded. "I see. And was this your decision or something you were talked into?"

  "I am rarely talked into anything."

  "This is very true. But you are a man. Your head can be turned by that which is new and shiny. History suggests that all men will wander, but they eventually will return to where they belong. I am simply suggesting that you look at this situation from my point of view."

  "And what point of view is that, Veronique?"

  "How would you feel if some young man came into my life and I decided to leave everything to be with him exclusively? If it were I who requested this annulment?"

  Thierry stared at her for a moment and his lips curled to the side. "I would be fine with it."

  She frowned. "Perhaps that was a bad example."

  Thierry turned to me. "I think it would be best if you allow Veronique and me to discuss this matter alone."

  That sounded like the best news I'd heard all day. Well, other than the fact that my nightwalker days were history. Leaving the room and letting Thierry and his wife hash out the annulment issue ran a very close second.

  "No," Veronique said. "This concerns Sarah as well. After all, had you not met her, this wouldn't be an issue at all, would it?"

  "No, you're right," Thierry said. "It wouldn't be an issue, because if I hadn't met Sarah I would be dead right now."

  "Ah yes, she did interrupt your little plan to end your long life, didn't she?"

  "That she did."

  She seemed to be avoiding a laugh. "And this has given you such a new outlook on life that you wish to end our arrangement to, what? Marry her instead?"

  He glanced at me and then back to her. "My plans are currently not up for discussion."

  She sighed. "Such double talk. Truly, Thierry, had you not begun life as a mere peasant, I'm quite sure you would have become a lawyer."

  His face showed a bit of strain. "Are you refusing to sign the papers?"

  She waited so long to answer that I wondered for a moment if she'd even heard the question. "I haven't yet decided. I thought I would return to Toronto to find out your true feelings on the matter. I believe I understand all too well now."

  "You should sign them," he said.

  "Perhaps. Perhaps not." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then she smiled again, a seemingly effortless expression. "I will be staying at the the Windsor Arms. If you need me, please don't hesitate to let me know. I may stay for a couple of weeks, now that

  I'm here. Good night."

  She turned and left the office. Thierry made a move to follow her, but I grabbed his arm to find that it was tensely corded muscle.

  "It's okay," I said. "Let her go."

  "She is the second most frustrating woman I've ever known," he said.

  I frowned. "Who's the first?"

  He met my gaze and a small smile showed through his tense expression. "You are."

  "Frustrating, huh?"

  "Extremely." He took my face between his hands and kissed me lightly. "I must speak with her."

  "No, let me," I said.

  "You?"

  "Believe it or not, she likes me. At least, she used to. If I can talk to her face to face and explain everything, maybe she'll listen."

  "You are more than welcome to try."

  "Wish me luck."

  "Of course ." He kissed me again, and then he pulled back and his expression was guarded. "If she doesn't choose to sign, will it make a great difference to you?"

  I touched his face and looked up into his silvery eyes. "Absolutely. It will be so over between us."

  He frowned.

  "I'm kidding," I said. "My parents will not be happy that I'm with a married man, but I can deal with whatever life throws
at me. It's been one of those weeks that has made me reassess what's important in my life."

  He squeezed my hand and then brought it to his lips. "I as well."

  Then he let go of me with a smile, and I left the office to, I hoped, talk to Veronique and get this whole unfortunate situation sorted out.

  Fortunately, she hadn't left the club yet. She stood near the bar speaking to Barry. Amy weeded her way past the crowded tables to come to my side. The music was currently

  Nina Simone singing "Feeling Good." I hoped that was a good omen.

  "That woman scares the crap out of me," she said, nodding in Veronique's direction.

  "She's not that bad," I told her.

  She raised her eyebrows. "I'm surprised you would say that given who she is. I wouldn't want to meet any of Barry's ex-wives."

  I turned to her. "Barry has ex-wives? Why didn't I know this?"

  She nodded. "He's been married five times before. The man is a love magnet but he's all mine now."

  "Right. And he still doesn't know about your crush on Thierry?"

  "I thought we weren't going to talk about that anymore."

  "Sorry."

  "I mean, it's not exactly my fault that the man is a total dreamboat."

  "Dreamboat?" I repeated. "Do people still say that?"

  She crossed her arms and studied me from my black stilettos to my slightly poofier than normal hair. "You seem a lot better that you were. Are you, like, cured or something now?"

  I told her about my little windfall. She was very happy for me, and some of the guilt and fear finally left her expression. I pulled the edge of my sweater down so she could see the necklace in place.

  She shook her head. "Wow, I'm so happy for you, but that is seriously fugly."

  I patted it gently. "I love it."

  "Hey, guess what I heard?"

  I kept an eye on Veronique. Whatever she was telling Barry caused him to glare in my direction every few seconds. Great. I guess it was obvious who was his favorite contestant in this fanged version of the Dating Game.

  "It's about Gideon Chase," Amy continued. "You know he was killed slaying a freaking demon in Las Vegas, right? Can you believe it? That's why the El Diablo Casino burned to the ground."