Page 22 of Death Wish

“I don’t know about this, Cole,” I whispered to him. “There has to be somewhere else we can take her to.”

He threw me a sideways glare. “I wouldn’t bring her here if I didn’t think this was the safest place she could be right now. Vamps can put up a good fight, and they’re extremely hard to kill.”

As much as his attitude irritated me, he had a good point. Vamps were pretty much immortal, since killing them was limited to beheading, complete blood loss, and fire, but even with those facts, my stomach still clenched with uncertainty. Even if Kay was a Medium, she was still mostly human. I couldn’t help but feel like we were throwing her to the lions and expecting them to keep her safe from the bears.

A shadow passed along a wall of tall glass windows on the second floor. The slight tint in the glass made it hard to see any faces, but it was obvious someone was not only watching everything happening on the floor below but was very interested in the three of us as well.

I didn’t like this one bit.

Moving closer to Cole, who was eyeing the bar with a hungry look, I said, “I think we’re being watched.”

Cole followed my gaze to the windows. The shadowy figure had disappeared.

“It’s probably Andre,” he said. “He should be down in a minute.”

Andre, huh? I guessed that was who we’d come to see.

“Who are you talking to?” a smooth male voice whispered near my right ear, making me jump.

When I whipped around, I gaped at the beautiful man standing so close to me that we would have brushed against each other if I were alive. His pungent cologne filled my nose enough to burn and make my eyes water. Appearing to be in his mid-thirties, he had long blond-brown hair, elegant, pointed features, and an old-world air about him with a face that could rival royalty. Those dark eyes of his, though, passed right through me. He couldn’t see me either.

His closeness was unnerving. It was almost as if he could sense me here.

I was just being paranoid now. Too many weird things happening lately.

“Andre, there you are.” Cole’s body tensed, and his grip tightened on his backpack’s straps, all indications that these two weren’t exactly the closest of friends.

Great. And I was about to leave Kay with this man.

Andre straightened, his gaze traveling over Kay, who was trembling, and then to Cole.

“I hope you’re not here for business,” he said, a tinge of a French accent creeping into his voice. At that moment, I had a pretty good guess what family he was from. DeMonte. They controlled most of Northern Europe from what I was told. If I were a betting woman, that was where I’d put my money.

“No, not business exactly. Even with all your enemies, none have called me to take you out.” Cole grinned. “Yet.”

“Surprising…” This time, the vamp turned toward me, and his brow furrowed slightly.

“Cole,” I muttered between barely open lips, “why do I feel like he can see me, too?”

He gave his head a short shake, just noticeable enough for me to know to keep my mouth shut.

“I’m here to collect the favor you owe me,” Cole said to pull Andre’s attention away.

“Ah, that.” Andre crossed his arms, his expression turning bored. “Yes, well, I am in your debt. So what would you like from me?”

“I need you to protect this woman here. Her name is Kay.”

“Protect her?” Andre asked, suddenly interested. “From?”

Cole’s gaze hardened. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

“I think I should know what it is that could come crashing through my door at any minute. It seems more like common courtesy than nosiness.”

“It’s always nosiness with you, Andre.”

For the first time since we’d come, Andre laughed. “This is true.”

“It’s Xaver,” Cole said after a tense moment. “He possessed an amateur sorcerer and came after the girl.”

---