Awakening the Fire
Ari poured herself a cup of coffee from the wine and coffee tray brought in as soon as they arrived. Sinking onto the couch, she watched Andreas work as she waited for the hot liquid to cool.
Showing no awareness of her scrutiny, Andreas’s athletic body relaxed into the desk chair, his long legs stretched out before him, fine features intent on his work. He occasionally gave brief attention to his glass of Chianti. Ari wondered if he knew what an appealing picture he made. But she wasn’t just enjoying the view; she was forming and discarding arguments to convince him she didn’t want or need his protection.
As if hearing this inner dialogue, he lifted his gaze. “You can sleep in this room, if you like. That sofa is quite comfortable. I will introduce you to the night staff, and of course, I will be on the premises until dawn. You won’t be disturbed.”
Ari parted her lips to protest, but he stopped her with a sharp look. “Staying alone is not an option.”
“Is that an order?”
He looked at her in silence.
“And you expect that to work?”
Andreas let out a long breath and laid his papers aside. He swiveled the chair toward her. “I hoped you would see the necessity for this precaution. The wolves will eliminate anyone in their way.” He leaned forward, forearms on thighs, his eyes serious. “You would be the logical next target, and your team can’t afford to lose its leader.”
She released a sigh of her own. Why she was arguing with him? She knew her apartment wasn’t safe. The longer she stayed there, the more she invited an attack and the more she endangered the other tenants. But damn, she resented Andreas telling her what to do. Of course, giving in gracefully, especially when she was wrong, could be a good thing. Yeah, right. It wasn’t likely to become a habit with her. Maybe just this once, but no way would she return to the compound, hauled home like some willful adolescent. She could imagine Lilith’s peals of laughter.
* * *
Later that night, as she lay curled on the sofa, patrol completed, her own pillow retrieved from her apartment and fluffed under her head, Ari’s thoughts returned to the unproductive search for the wolves. How did they continue to elude her search? Who was the insider helping them? And most important of all, what were they planning next?
She woke when something brushed her arm. Terrified the wolves had found her, she grabbed for the dagger under her pillow. Strong hands caught her wrists. Before she panicked, a familiar energy registered.
“Arianna.”
She relaxed, willing her pounding pulse to slow. Good thing he had quick reflexes. Andreas released her.
“I apologize,” he said, so close she breathed in the scent of his cologne. “I didn’t intend to frighten you. It is almost dawn. The SUV is at the curb. We have searched outside and nothing seems amiss. It is safe, if you depart soon.” He moved away, switching on the desk lamp.
“OK.” She sat up, trying to shake the remaining fuzz out of her head, and blinked at the sudden light. This was not the ideal way to waken. Adrenaline and a sleep-drugged brain don’t mix well.
“Here.” He handed her a cup of coffee. “This should help.”
Ari half curled under the warm blanket. She must have been sleeping hard. She sipped at the dark liquid. Hmm. His special blend. Yummy. She lifted her drowsy lashes to peek at Andreas. He looked good in black slacks and, surprise, a silver shirt. She never doubted the brand. The shirt hugged his chest and shoulders in all the right places. He looked rather yummy himself.
Whoa, scratch that thought. Vampire, she reminded herself. She sat up straighter and took another sip. “I’m fine now,” she said. Whether the reassurance was meant for him or her, Ari wasn’t sure.
Andreas smiled, his eyes glinted as if he’d read her mind, and he slipped out the door.
Chapter Thirty-One
Despite the abrupt beginning, the rest of the day on Sunday was quiet. Even the warehouse district shut down for the Sabbath, and the surveillance cameras only showed an occasional dog sniffing around, watering the dried weeds near the building. A couple of squirrels scampered across the roof and set off the sensors mid-afternoon. That caused a momentary stir until Mike pinpointed the culprits on camera seven.
Shortly after five o’clock, Carmella strolled into the room with two well-armed male vamps. Normally Ari might have been surprised to see the vamps this early, but Riverdale had switched to standard time, the regular ‘fall back.’ It got dark earlier. What did surprise her was Carmella’s presence instead of Andreas’s.
“You can all go do whatever you do now,” Carmella said. “They,” she indicated the two male vamps, “will take over for the night, and you have to clear this room. I understand you’re staying in the compound, but keep out of their way.”
Carmella had such a charming way about her. For a moment Ari thought Lilith was going to say something, then she shrugged. Good decision. Irritating old vamps was not a wise idea. Carmella didn’t hang around for long, and the other two vampire guards kept to themselves in the surveillance room.
That left the team in possession of the TV and the kitchen. Mike poked around in the refrigerator, and Russell recruited players for a poker game. Prince Daron and his court came through the hidden door about 6:15. As usual, they had little to say and headed straight toward The Blue Room, where the prince often conducted court business. Andreas still didn’t appear.
Another hour passed. Ari rubbed the back of her neck, her tension growing with Andreas’s continued absence. He finally strode through the door, his stride brisk, all business. He nodded to Ari before disappearing into The Blue Room. He wasn’t gone long. When he returned, he stopped in the doorway. “Ready?”
He hustled her down the hall and opened the tunnel that led to Club Dintero.
“Has something happened? First you’re late, now the tunnel?” When he didn’t answer, she peered inside. “Are there spiders?”
That brought a faint smile to his face. “I will go first.”
Ari followed, keeping away from the walls. “Why so late?”
“Business,” was his terse reply.
“Ours or yours?”
He ignored that, turned on a large Maglite, and started down the tunnel. Ari hurried to catch him. For the first two or three minutes, the passage was a simple wood-framed hallway, wide enough to accommodate two people walking abreast. As they angled downward, the floor turned to dirt, and rock replaced the wood walls. On occasion Andreas ducked to avoid overhead rocky protrusions. The air was stale, stuffy, and the number of spider webs Andreas swept down with the Maglite spoke of the tunnel’s long disuse. Ari watched for the web spinners, hoping to avoid any close encounters. The floor tilted upward again, the air freshened, and they arrived at the trap door in Andreas’s office. The entire trip had taken no more than ten minutes.
“Now that’s over, will you tell me what’s going on?” Ari said as she brushed dust from her clothes. “It’s obvious something’s wrong.”
“As soon as I return,” he promised. “Just a few minutes.”
Ari protested, but it was too late. Andreas had already disappeared.
With time on her hands, she cleaned up in the nearby bathroom, chose a fresh blouse from the bag she’d brought from her apartment, and even ran a comb through her hair. She checked her watch. Six minutes had passed. Now what?
Too restless to sit and wait, Ari wandered the room, absently letting her fingers trail over the surprisingly modern paintings composed in an array of jewel-tone colours. Her mind tossed around possible reasons for Andreas’s mood. Some club problem? No. He would have said so. Some vampire issue unrelated to recent events? Maybe. But no, that couldn’t be it. He said he’d tell her. And in spite of how much he’d recently shared, Andreas wasn’t about to divulge vampire business unless he had to. So it must be connected to Sebastian or the wolves. Had he found the spy? Had someone else been killed? Why all the mystery?
* * *
She’d about run out of speculations when Andreas returned. He’d changed into a black sports jacket, and he was smiling. She didn’t know how to interpret that.
“I would wager you are starved,” he said. “A table awaits us.”
“Us? You’re joining me?” He didn’t do that often. In fact, the only time they’d spent more than a few minutes together in the dining room was the night of Victor’s interview. How long ago that seemed.
“If you do not object to my company.” He held out an arm.
Ari flashed him a smile and walked by, ignoring the arm. She wasn’t particularly fashion conscious, but she drew the line at a man in Armani escorting her in stonewashed jeans. He chuckled and followed her into the dining room. They were given a cozy corner table. As soon as they were seated, drinks appeared. Cabernet for her, Chianti for him. She sipped her drink and watched him. Andreas was pensive tonight.
Ari wondered if it was the mysterious business that was bothering him. Hopefully he would tell her in time. She glanced around the room. Business was good; the club was packed. There was a new maitre’d at the door. “Where’s Victor?”
An emotion flickered across Andreas’s face that she couldn’t identify.
“An overnight buying trip to Chicago.”
“So who’s the host?”
Now Andreas smiled. “I am not surprised you failed to recognize him. The last time you saw Marcus was the night of his rescue.”
“Marcus!” She turned to look again. “He’s recovered completely. It’s amazing! What a difference. You must be a fabulous doctor.”
Andreas’s smile broadened. “He has little memory of what happened to him. Probably a blessing. It has made his recovery easier than Gordon’s. Marcus will make a fine head maitre d’ when the time comes.”
Ari look at the younger vampire again. With his dark good looks, Marcus would be quite a hit with the ladies. He greeted guests with a quiet formality that would someday match the elegance of the man seated across from her. Ari’s lips curved in a smile. It was easy to identify Marcus’s chosen role model.