Page 44 of Visions in Blood
“I’m fine.Thank you for asking.”Not a tremor to be heard.Maybe I should have been an actress.Something told me not to cower in front of this man, but I also knew I shouldn’t poke a feral animal.
He lifted my chin with his finger and glared into my eyes.I swatted his hand away the same time Simone grabbed his wrist.
“You know better than to touch a Blood Ward.”Simone’s fangs had fully dropped, and there was murderous intent in her flashing amber eyes.I was captivated by the array of colors in a vamp’s glowing eyes, though now probably wasn’t the best time for reflection on the topic.
“Is there a problem here, Simone?”A muscle-bound man appeared out of nowhere and positioned himself between Simone and Lorenzo.
Simone simply stared at Lorenzo, still holding onto the wrist he was trying to extricate.I was aware that everyone was staring, but the only thing running through my mind was that Simone was stronger than him.It was possible he simply didn’t want to escalate the confrontation, but for an instant, I could have sworn I’d caught a flash of fear.Could it be that he was the weaker of the two?
Simone released his wrist, and Lorenzo stepped back.
“My mistake.”He cleared his throat and turned to the man, who must be security.“A mere misunderstanding.”
“Then perhaps we should let the women return to their meal.There’s been enough disruption.”The man wasn’t cowed by Lorenzo, and I was grateful tea houses were neutral territory.
“Quite right.”Lorenzo bowed his head to Simone, ignored me, and strolled out as if nothing had happened.
“My apologies, Simone.”The security man received a nod from Simone then hurried to ensure Lorenzo left without any further trouble.
Simone sat back as another course was delivered, and the other vamps went back to their meals.When the server left, she carved off a slice of what looked like brie.“You must try this with the rosemary cracker and just a touch of the apricot jam.It’s divine.”
I leaned in and lowered my voice.“So, we’re going to forget that just happened.”
“No.But now isn’t the time.I’ll speak to Devon about this.Lorenzo grows bold with his plans.”
“Which are?”
“He wants control over the Council to put stricter rules in place and remove the shifters from it.He wants the old ways restored.”
Devon had told me as much, and it explained why Lorenzo wanted to keep Devon’s censure in place.He would be a formidable opponent in the battle for control.A tingle shivered through me as I considered the House Wars.Normally I wouldn’t care, but what happened to humans when vamps went to war?
We were walking to the car when I suddenly remembered where I’d recognized the large man sneaking out of the tea house.Gruber’s tea party.
Once we’d driven a couple blocks from the tea house, I turned in my seat to face Simone.
“When Lorenzo’s vamps were leaving, did you notice the one on the other side of the room?”
“Of course.”
How silly of me to ask.“I’m not a hundred percent positive, but I think I’ve seen him before.”
She gave me a side-glance.“You’ve been to a tea party and a ball.You could have seen someone like him at either of them.”
“Exactly.I saw someone who looked like his double at Gruber’s tea party.”
“As I said.”
Sometimes I just wanted to shake that exactness out of her.She really needed to learn to loosen up.I sucked in a deep breath and tried again.“As you well know, I took it upon myself at that party to steal something that discredited Devon’s reputation with the Council.”
I took a double take when Simone snorted.Maybe she could loosen up.“I’d overheard Gruber talking about a file they didn’t want Devon to know about.The man Gruber was talking to was the one sneaking out of the tea house tonight.”
I braced—feet smashing into the floorboard as if I had both of them on the brakes, and my hands pushed against the dashboard so my head wouldn’t slam into it as the car curved and screeched to a stop in a strip mall parking lot.
“What the hell?”
Simone turned to me, her hands gripping my wrists so tight, tears erupted.“Are you positive?”
“Ow!”I had no doubt my howl could be heard all the way back to the tea house.While she didn’t release her hold, the pain receded as her fingers loosened.“No.I’m not positive.”I shook my head and focused on that evening.“He didn’t want Devon to see him, so they must know each other, but I never saw the man’s face.”
