Chapter 23
Kaleb left his room, feeling more content than he probably had a right to, and headed for the dimly lit living area. He had Suzi to thank for his sudden high spirits. Could he possibly live his eternity with the love of just one woman? His twin and his first mate came to mind as he padded barefoot over to the bar, scratching his nape. Truth be told, Rosalee and Kane’s volatile relationship had discolored his idea of claiming a mate early on. In the beginning they had seemed a good match, until Rosalee had started acting out and making poor decisions on her own, without consulting Kane or the MC. It was as if she had been determined to destroy her relationship with Kane. In the end they had spent more and more time apart, until both their worlds came crashing down due to her foolish actions, resulting in their son’s death.
Now, regardless of his feelings toward the detective, his twin had never seemed happier. And for that alone, he had Cara to thank, even if there were times she got under his skin. His brother’s happiness trumped his prejudices.
A corner, floor lamp had been left burning, illuminating the front room of the clubhouse. Walking over to the bar area, he flipped on the switch and flooded the room with even more light. Kaleb grabbed the box of leftover pastries from the back counter, placed them on the center bar and started a pot of coffee. The aroma filled the air. After freshening up, he thought his piccolo diavolo might be hungry. The caffeine would aid in keeping her awake as he was far from finished. That thought brought out a smile.
His Levis’ hung low on his hips, but he hadn’t bothered with a shirt. He had only donned the jeans in case Cara ventured out of his twin and her room. Opening the cardboard box, Kaleb took one of the yeast glazed donuts and took a bite. He seldom abided human food because it held no nutritional value, so he rarely felt the need to bother with it. The pastry melted over his tongue and the sweet goodness filled his mouth. He supposed there were times like this he missed partaking in normal foods.
The sound of a Harley drew his attention. He placed the half-eaten pastry back into the box and licked his fingers as he waited for Grayson to walk through the door. He had recognized the sound of the VP’s motorcycle engine. What he hadn’t heard was the sound of other tires. Grayson rarely came home alone. A quick glance at the clock told Kaleb that it was barely past two in the morning. The engine cut short and brief seconds later the front door opened. Grayson stormed into the clubhouse, a deep scowl lining his face. Something or someone had seriously pissed off the VP.
Just as Kaleb was about to ask him what the hell had him so bugged, he detected the scent of a woman. Grayson wasn’t alone as Kaleb had originally thought. The same redhead Suzi had rescued from Grayson earlier in the week, followed him through the opened door. Poor woman’s makeup ran down her cheeks, making her appear as if someone had kicked … worse yet, killed her puppy. His VP didn’t bother with an introduction. Instead he continued straight to his quarters without an explanation and slammed the door, rattling the windows.
Suzi exited the bathroom, her gaze swinging in the direction of Grayson’s room. But before she could question Kaleb, her dark eyes landed on the distressed redhead.
“Tamera?” she asked.
The woman took in a shuddering breath and did her best to offer Suzi a faint smile.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart? What’s Gypsy done?”
Tears slipped down her face. Her lower lip trembled. “It’s not Gypsy, Suzi. I fucked up.”
Suzi grasped her cheeks and forced her friend to look down on her. “Tell me.”
“It was an accident,” Tamera said on a sob.
“What, sweetie?”
The redhead swiped the back of her hand beneath her nose, wiping away the wetness. “I was on X.”
“What? Why the hell would you do that?”
“I don’t know. I experimented with it a time or two. I liked how it made me feel.” She wobbled a bit on her feet. “I think I had too much to drink too.”
“This isn’t just about the X, is it?” Suzi gripped her upper arms to help steady her. “Want to tell me about it?”
“I accidentally cut Grayson.”
“It’s okay. He’ll heal.”
“I wish it were that simple. I was so turned on by him I didn’t think about my actions … that is until Grayson pulled my head back.”
Suzi’s gaze widened and her breath hitched. “What did you do?”
“I grabbed his arm and drank some of his blood.”
“What?” Kaleb nearly roared, not caring if he woke the entire neighborhood. “Grayson Gabor, get your sorry ass out here. Now!”
Kane’s door swung open. His twin entered into the fray, pulling on a pair of his jeans as Cara followed behind, wearing one of Kane’s over-large black T-shirts where it fell about her knees.
“What the hell is going on?” Kane asked as Grayson exited his room and came back into the living area, refusing to look at the redhead, clearly irate.
“You want to introduce us to your mate, Gypsy?” Kaleb asked, one of his brows arching upward. “Jesus! You really are a fuck up!”
Grayson bared his fangs. “She”—he pointed a finger at Tamera—“is not my mate.”
“Are you denying that she ingested some of your blood?”
“No!” He ran a hand through his hair, knocking his sunglasses to the floor. He didn’t bother picking them up. “I broke a glass, and when I went to pick up the broken pieces, little miss drunk and high stumbled with a piece in her hand and laid my arm wide open. Before I could stop her, she latched on like a frickin’ vampire.”
“You know you can’t take a mate without first taking it to a vote.” Kaleb choked back the humor of his own idiotic statement. Obviously, Grayson wasn’t at fault, nor did he have time to take it to a vote. “She’s your responsibility, VP. And as such, you’ll see her through her change.”
“She is not my responsibility, Hawk.”
The look on his face could only be explained as pained. Sure Grayson’s eyes shot daggers when he took in the redhead, now standing just behind Suzi, as if her five-foot-two inch frame could protect her from the furious vampire. Grayson’s anger shouldn’t be taken lightly and could definitely be thought of as lethal, Kaleb had seen the vampire at his worst. But never had he seen the man raise a hand to a woman. On the contrary, Grayson seemed to adore all women … no matter the shape or size. And in return, they seemed to love him as well.
Kaleb might’ve laughed if the situation wasn’t so fucked up. “She drank your blood, Gypsy. I’m sorry, but that marks her as your mate.”
Grayson growled, his fangs fully extending in his rage. “There has to be something that can be done. I didn’t ask for this.”
“I’m sorry,” Tamera said, gaining all their attention. She ran a shaken hand beneath one eye, swiping at the tears. “I really wasn’t thinking. This is all my fault.”
“You wear a fucking donor necklace.” Grayson turned his fury back on her. “You know drinking from a vampire is not allowed. You set me up, you fucki—”
“Gypsy!” Cara spoke up. “The woman is clearly upset by what’s happened. There is no need for name calling.”
“Stay out of this, bitch.”
Kane strode over to Grayson and shoved the angry vampire against the bar. “First, you will fucking apologize to my mate, or I’ll take you out back now and kick your sorry ass. Then, you’ll apologize to Tamera.”
“I’ll apologize to Cara, because I was out of line … but il mio dolce rossa … never!” Grayson glanced at Kane’s mate who now stood beside Tamera. “I’m sorry, Cara. I meant you no disrespect.”
His eyes damn near blazed as they lit on Tamera. “But you … you would do best to stay out of my fucking way.”
“Female vampires are only allowed as mates,” Kaleb warned.
“Then let her hang with Rosalee, who has found herself recently unmated,” he growled.
“Gypsy,” Kane said, still standing close enough to restrain Grayson if need be, “clearly this was a huge mistake and I’m sure Tamera hadn’t thought her actions through. It is what it is. Maybe in time, you’ll even come to accept her.”
“Never.”
“If you take this to Mircea, he’ll not rule in your favor. Someone needs to be responsible for this woman. Rules are put in place to protect women from being abused by our kind.”
“As I recall, you broke rules, Viper.”
“I had no choice and I paid the price for it.”
“And I’m not given a choice either.”
“Jesus, Gypsy,” Suzi spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention. “It’s not like you saddled yourself with an ogre, for crying out loud. Why not suck it up? We’ll try to find a way out of this for both of you.”
“Suzi,” Kaleb all but laughed at her reason, “piccolo diavolo, there is no way out. Why do you think Gypsy is so pissed? By drinking his blood, Tamera has become Gypsy’s mate, willingly or not. She will become one of us.”
“Then she’ll be club responsibility,” Grayson said. “She can stay here in my quarters, and I’ll sleep on the sofa or find a new place to live. But don’t expect me to be or act as a mate to her.”
With that, Grayson stormed from the room, slamming the door to his quarters again. Suzi placed an arm around Tamera, who looked back at Kaleb. He could tell the redhead regretted her grave error. Unfortunately, there would be no turning back and the damage had been done. He doubted Grayson would be there for her, which meant he’d need Cara to help the poor woman through. The sound of a feather hitting the floor could’ve been heard in the room. Not a single vampire spoke up after Grayson’s parting. Poor Tamera appeared on the verge of a breakdown. Being a male, Kaleb had no idea how to help the poor woman. Women were better at handling these type of situations.
“Suzi, make sure Tamera has several days of clothes,” Kaleb said. “She won’t be going anywhere for a few days. The change won’t be a walk in the park. I’m sure Cara can attest to that, though she had her mate to help her through. You two will have to do it. It doesn’t look like we’ll get any help from Gypsy on this.”
Grayson’s growl in response, indicating his acute hearing picked up on Kaleb’s directives, echoed through the clubhouse. Kaleb reached down and picked up the VP’s sunglasses and laid them on the bar next to the forgotten box of donuts. Damn, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for his VP. This certainly wasn’t of Grayson’s doing … and yet as Kane had said, “It is what it is.” Kaleb scratched his nape and grimaced as he looked at Tamera being comforted by the women. Poor fucking Grayson.
* * *
Kaleb reveled in the cool spring drizzle washing over him, dampening his chaps as he headed down Highway 126 for the Blood ‘n’ Rave. Kane and Grayson followed closely behind, taking the curves at nearly ninety-miles-per-hour. Nothing like the open road to clear one’s mind. Sitka spruces and Douglas-firs lined the road, the rich evergreen scenting the air. He had been only too happy to have a reason to venture outside the clubhouse. There were far too many women in attendance for his liking. He’d bet, if asked, his two MC brothers felt much in the same way. How could six months’ time change everything? First Cara had Kane breaking rules and compromising Kane’s position as club pres, then Suzi came crashing back into his life and turning it upside down, and now … Tamera.
Damn, he felt bad for Grayson.
He’d take Kane or his own troubles over his VP’s any day. If there was ever a list of unsuitable vampire mates, Grayson topped the chart. He hadn’t done anything to deserve the circumstances of the night before, but fate could sometimes be a bitch. He didn’t blame the vampire for not wanting to be in the same room with the redhead. Given the same fucked up happenstance, he’d probably want to take her pretty little head. Mircea had listened to his twin once. Maybe Kane, being the eldest of Vlad’s kin, could appeal to the primordial again. If there were ever a reason for a mating to be annulled, this one surely took the cake.
Unfortunately, other than his brother’s annulment to Rosalee, Kaleb had never heard of it in all his years. Once a mate was taken, you pledged your life to that female, helped her through her change, and stayed by her side for all eternity. The exact reason Kaleb had never wanted to enter the ridiculous union. Now, he wasn’t sure he could live that forever and a day without Suzi in it.
Kane gassed his engine, coming alongside Kaleb and signaled for him to pull over, breaking into his reflections. Kaleb left off his throttle and pulled his chopper to the side of the road, his tires crunching over the small pebbles and pine needles. Placing his booted feet down, he cut short the Ironhead, looking back at Kane as he unsnapped his helmet.
“What’s up, bro?” Kaleb asked.
Kane nodded toward the right side of the road, up the hill and into the dense foliage of the Siuslaw National Forest. “There’s a primordial in the area. I can smell the bastard.”
Kaleb’s nostrils flared. “Fuck. You think it’s Rosalee?”
“It might very well be,” Kane said. “Damn weather is keeping me from getting a clear scent. But I’m suspecting whoever it is has been following us on foot. I detected the scent miles back.”
“What do you want to do?” Grayson chimed in. “I am in the mood to kick some primordial ass. Just say the word, P.”
“Stay put, Gypsy. We have another reason for being on the road today,” Kaleb said. “You think we need to worry about a trap, Viper?”
“It’s a definite possibility. We need to keep aware. You want to take the rest of the trek on foot?”
“I’m willing to ride out front,” Grayson volunteered.
“No fucking way, Gypsy. We aren’t on a suicide mission. I agree with Viper. We only have about five miles left, let’s take it on foot. There’s a rest stop just around the bend. We can park our bikes there and hoof it the rest of the way, stay to the forest and off the main road.”
“If she’s here, she’ll follow us.” Grayson voiced Kaleb’s exact thoughts. “Better to be on foot, I guess, than worry about another steel cable stretched across the road.”
“She won’t have the guts to face the three of us at once. That’s why she’s using cowardly tactics.” Kane started his engine, then pointed down the road.
They followed him down the highway about a half mile to a stone alcove where they parked their bikes, just out of the line of sight from anyone happening to travel along the same path. Kaleb hung his skull cap on the handle grip, pocketed his keys, then looked at his brothers.
“I’m no longer catching the scent of a primordial, but in this weather that doesn’t mean much,” Kaleb said.
“She’s still out there.” A muscle in Kane’s cheek ticked. “I can feel it in my bones. She knows we’re aware she’s here. Let’s take the opposite side of the road. If we head straight up that hill and then take a right, we should be in Florence in about five minutes time.”
Grayson was the first to cross the road and head into the foliage. He wasted no time as he took off on a dead run. Kaleb and Kane followed Grayson into the thick of trees, jumping effortlessly over downed logs and ducking low hanging branches. Forest critters scurried out of their way, giving them a wide berth as the trees became but a blur. Grayson’s long legs kept him easily ahead of Kaleb and Kane. The vampire ran like a gazelle, easily running and leaping over the rough terrain, while Kane and Kaleb’s larger build made the trek a bit more treacherous. Grayson may have been shorter than their six-foot-four frame, but his more lean body allowed him the faster speed.
The first to clear the woods, Grayson took the steep hike down the path and into the back parking lot of the Blood ‘n’ Rave. Draven’s bike sat near the back door, telling the trio that he had already arrived. The rest of the parking lot sat empty, as the club was hours away from opening its doors. They’d have plenty of time to talk to the barkeep without interruptions. Kane had wanted to bring along Cara, since she would play a major part of the scheme, but Suzi needed her more at the moment. Tamera’s change had started and Suzi had no idea how to help the woman through the excruciating pain. Of course, in the end, there really wasn’t much that could be done, but offer comfort. At least Cara knew what Tamera was going through firsthand. Kaleb couldn’t help but think that by the time the three of them returned, Suzi might ruminate long and hard about wanting to mate with him and going through the pain herself. Even childbirth couldn’t compare to the agony.
Kaleb and Kane came to stand beside Grayson.
“What the hell took you boys so long,” Grayson asked, a cocksure smile on his face.
“No problem with your ego, Gypsy,” Kane said as he walked past the shorter vampire, the twins having a good two inches on him, and headed for the back of the club. “Let’s get this over with. I still have a meeting with Red later today.”
Kaleb glanced at his twin. “He won’t be happy.”
“No, he won’t. But club voted to stop the gun runs.”
“Not our problem. He’s the one with a mole.”
Kane turned and looked at Kaleb. “We have yet to prove that, so Red won’t see it that way.”
Truth be told, Red would likely be livid. Kane would be the best person to diffuse the situation and smooth things over. After they found the son of a bitch helping Rosalee, then maybe they could revisit the Sons relationship with the rival club.
“You get with Red and Bird, tell them the gun deal is off. Later we can revisit the issue of running guns again.”
“Fuck that,” Grayson said. “I’ll go with Kane. I’d love to visit with Bird.”
“What is it between you two, Gypsy? You have a hard-on for that biker?” Kaleb asked.
“Something about him doesn’t sit well with me. I’d just as soon rip his throat out than sit down and have a chat with him.”
“I’ll go alone.” Kane shot down Grayson’s offer. “You two can take care of the women.”
“Jesus, Viper … suddenly I regret that decision allowing you to tell Red. You stay with the women.”
Kane laughed. “Not on your life, Hawk.”
Grayson grumbled beneath his breath and headed for the back of the nightclub, telling Kaleb his thoughts on the matter of babysitting the women. He had a strong feeling Grayson would use every excuse not to be at the clubhouse. Moments later, Kaleb rapped his knuckles on the steel backdoor. Within minutes Draven opened it and motioned them into the club. The three followed the barkeep through the backroom and into the bar area.
“Whiskey?” Draven took down four highball glasses from the shelf above the bar. “On the rocks?”
“Straight up,” Kaleb said.
Draven poured two fingers into all four glasses, then slid one across the bar to each vampire. All four of them quickly downed the tumblers’ contents and Draven refilled them.
“So, what’s up with the impromptu meeting today?” Draven asked.
“Gypsy told us you’re officially out of the drug selling business,” Kaleb said.
Draven nodded. “As of last night.”
“Good. We need you to keep it that way. Heat is coming down from not only the locals but the feds. Word is, they want your supplier.” Kaleb twirled the amber liquid around in his glass. “We don’t need the Blood ‘n’ Rave getting caught up in the mess. We’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“Detectives Hernandez and Brahnam were pretty clear on wanting my supplier’s name—”
“And you’re going to give it,” Kaleb finished for him.
“That would be a death wish and you know it, Hawk,” Draven said, the anger evident in his tone. “It’s not just the Devils I have to worry about. Those fuckers get their drugs from the cartel.”
“Which is why we’re involved,” Kane spoke up. “That same cartel is responsible for the death of my son. It’s payback time. And you’re going to help us.”
“And why should I do that, Viper?”
“Because if you don’t, I’ll give Cara full license to come after you. The Blood ‘n’ Rave will be shut down and you’ll go to jail. Don’t think we can’t find a new haunt. Our donors go where we go, you ass.”
“You going to give me around-the-clock muscle?”
“If we have to.”
Draven nodded again, no doubt weighing what little options he had. Finally, after taking another shot of whiskey, he said, “Tell me what I have to do.”