Page 11 of Seduction in Blood
Sabrina pinched his arm. "Stop that. I've had my eyes on those boys all evening. Don't go scaring them away." Her smile could light up the darkest of rooms, and Devon couldn't help but laugh.
"I'm glad to know some things truly don't change."
"Decker should be in soon. He still owns the place."
"I should have known better."
"I'd say. Can I get you a drink while you wait? Your usual? If it's still your usual." She pushed back a lock of his hair, her fingers lingering on his cheek. "I liked you better with your buzz cut. It showed off those marvelous cheekbones."
He ignored the comment but grabbed her hand, rubbing her palm before letting go. "The usual will be fine." He didn't drink tequila anymore, but she didn't need to know that. And he admitted he was in the mood for something…different.
"It really is good to see you." She poured his drink, turning quiet. When she placed the drink in front of him, she leaned in. "Listen. Decker isn't the same as you remember him. Oh, he can still be his grumpy old self, but…" Sabrina glanced around and put a hand over his, "he can't let go of the past."
It shouldn't have shocked him. Something that horrific was hard to shake. "Some things never go away. You know that."
Her gaze darkened for a split second, and she wiped the bar down before continuing, her voice low. "It's been getting worse. He holes himself up in that office for hours at a time. And it's not because he's doing books. He has someone who does that for him now."
When Devon didn't respond, too busy staring into his drink, Sabrina gave up. "Anyway, I thought you should know."
She turned to attend to another customer before Devon responded. "It's why I'm here."
She stopped for a second before nodding and hurrying off.
Devon sat back and surveyed the crowd. He didn't sense any humans, only young shifters and vampires. Too young to have been customers while Devon had worked here. There were two older creatures, but when his gaze brushed over them, he didn't recognize them.
He nursed his second drink and, not for the first time, considered the package that had been delivered that evening. He'd been shocked and a bit outraged when Remus brought a woman to pay off a debt. He'd honestly assumed she was a new pack member or The Wolf's lover. Sometimes, Devon couldn't get an accurate read on the newly created shifters. Not until after they'd shifted a few times. And it wasn't unusual for shifters to keep humans as their sex partners.
She hadn't appeared happy in Remus's presence, which was why he'd assumed her a new shifter. Some weren't brought over willingly. And while Remus had his dark fantasies, he usually didn't go for such young ones. The woman's milky skin gave her the appearance of a vampire, but that's where the comparison ended. He'd sensed the anger and fear before he smelled it seeping from her pores. Yet, her face hadn't shown anything other than boredom. It fascinated him until he'd shoved it away, assuming Remus owned her.
It wasn't the first time Devon had taken a human as payment for a debt, though it had been decades. While it was a permissible trade in their world, Devon found it distasteful. He chuckled to himself. Sabrina had been right—he had changed. His first instinct had been to turn down the offered payment until he discovered she was a thief. Devon hadn't lied to Remus. He did have two thieves on retainer, but they lacked the right skills. His interest piqued, and never having heard of Pandora, he'd sent a message to his first-tier guards to see what they knew about her. Devon had received more replies than he anticipated, but everyone agreed on two elements: highly skilled and a mystery. Meaning no one knew who Pandora was.
After all this time, Devon had found a way to not only pay back Decker but solve his own problems. But could one human redirect the course of his life?
When Devon pushed his drink away, he noticed the original crowd, who'd moved to the cage fights, had been replaced with a new group of customers. He was turning back to his ruminations when he spotted him.
Decker had his head down and didn't spot Devon at the bar. Sabrina was right. Decker looked horrible. His physical appearance hadn't changed in all this time, but Devon sensed the pain and defeat in the tired eyes and sagging shoulders. If the man had walked into any other shifter club, he'd be an easy target. But in his own club, the man had enough bodyguards to drop his defenses. Still foolish.
Devon laid money on the bar and followed Decker toward the office. It wasn't until Decker started to open his door that he spun around. His eyes widened, a smile almost touching his lips when his bushy brows formed a line over his hardened gaze. "Do I need a bodyguard for this unexpected visit?" He glanced past Devon's shoulder. "I don't see any of your people."
Devon gave Decker a thoughtful look, curious why the man would think he'd come to hurt him. Perhaps he should have stayed in touch before now, but he pushed the guilty thought aside. This was important, and he'd waited far too long for this moment. He gave Decker an eerie smile.
"I think we may have a way in."
And without another word, Decker straightened, his eyes brightening, and he gave Devon a large, wolfie grin. He ushered Devon in before slamming the door shut behind them, neither of them spotting the lone vampire lurking in the shadows.
ChapterSeven
The windowof my room stretched across two walls meeting at a corner, providing an enhanced view of the property. The scenery was breathtaking—a grassy, treed landscape overlooking the ocean. Yet, I couldn't take my gaze away from where I'd spotted the mystery person with the lantern the night before—two gravestones near a large sycamore tree.
Nothing mysterious after all. It wasn't unusual for older estates to have a family plot. I'd seen a similar one on a job last year. Had it been Trelane paying respects? With vampiric night vision, he wouldn't need a lantern. Why would any vampire? That was the interesting part.
I tore my gaze from the window and leaned against the wall, jonesing for coffee, and hearing the grumbling of my stomach, needing breakfast as well. I'd woken before daybreak and watched dawn chase away the shadows as the house woke, creaking in an oddly comforting way. As large as it was, the house I grew up in never made noise, probably because it wasn't nearly as old as this place and didn't have enough stories to tell.
There had been soft murmurs in the hall at one point, just past seven, but they'd drifted away. I thought to check my door to see if it was locked but wasn't ready to greet the day. Or meet the vampire. Anna had laid out a nightgown, which I'd left at the bottom of the bed, preferring to sleep in my tank top and undies, but I figured it didn't hurt to have something close in case of a midnight visitor. I had no idea if vampires slept and had to admit, most of my knowledge about them was half-truths and scarier fabrications.
Anna also supplied a pair of black pants, a tailored shirt, and a sweater. It took me fifteen minutes to decide whether to wear what was left for me or put my old clothes back on. But my clothes stank, and I was still feeling petulant about being kidnapped. I didn't want the reminder that I was to blame for striking that deal six months ago, knowing damn well I wouldn't be able to pay the debt back in time. And who makes deals with loan sharks with connections to magical creatures? An idiot—that's me.
The house was warmer than I expected, so I dressed in the slacks and shirt but left the sweater on a chair, curious if the garment meant I might be allowed outside. Trelane did say I could walk freely around the house, but he might have meant just the interior.
