Page 33 of Black Curtain

Nick contemplated telling Kiko there was no way in hell he was doing that. He also contemplated just leaving, taking off through the back door like he’d originally planned. He was still considering those and other options when Dalejem spoke. Nick’s mate either read something behind Kiko’s words, or saw something in Nick’s face.

Either way, he shocked Nick by nodding, his voice blunt.

“Yes,” he said. “I agree. You should take it to Dex, Nick.”

Nick stared.

Dalejem had been like a bulldog about keeping Nick away from Dex.

He’d been positively adamant that Nick not go anywhere near him.

Nick tried to convince his mate heshouldgo up there, talk things over with him, and Jem absolutely flipped out. Nick might have gone anyway, but he hadn’t wanted to upset Jem more. He felt strangely guilty for nearly dying and scaring the shit out of the seer.

Anyway, he knew how strong Jem was with the psychic stuff. Nick figured Jem must have seen things in Dex’s mind that told him it was a bad idea.

Nick tried to honor that. He decided to trust his mate.

It frustrated him, though.

“Come on,” Kiko said, motioning with an arm. “I’ll go with you.”

Nick felt his throat close.

He couldn’t say no to her, though.

He absolutely couldn’t refuse her in this, or in anything.

Maybe ever again.

The thought brought tears to his eyes.

His eyes left her face.

He looked to Jem, who was looking at Kiko with affection in his eyes. Remembering the two of them slept together––quite a few times, now that Nick thought about it, andloudly,not to mention making out in front of Nick at least once, borderline graphically––Nick felt a different kind of irrationality rise up in him.

For a few seconds, it nearly overwhelmed him.

Jem seemed to feel something.

Or see something in his face, maybe.

“Come here,” the seer said. His voice was rough. “Right now, Nick.”

Nick scowled for real.

After going back and forth for another few seconds, he crossed the tile floor, that harder glare now aimed at his boyfriend. He didn’t bother to hide his vampire gait, or move slower for either of their benefit. He walked like a vampire, directly up to Jem. Still, he remained aware of Kiko in his periphery, aware of her eyes on him.

When he moved like that, he felt her tense.

When he got closer, he felt a ripple of fear off Kiko’s light.

His vampire senses picked it up as a quickening of her heartbeat, a tautness in her breath. He heard her pulse rise. Her body temperature rose, likely from adrenaline.

He glanced at her in spite of himself.

He stood a lot nearer to her now.

He didn’t try to measure the distance between them, but his vampire senses calculated it anyway. He knew that was hunting instinct, at least in part, and had to fight the impulse to run away from her a second time.

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