Blood and Guitars (24 page)

Trey had warned me about this part in the
limo on the way over. He’d offered to take me backstage with him
while he presented so I wouldn’t have to sit out in the audience
alone (like I could actually feel alone in a crowd this big) but
I’d insisted I wanted to stay in the crowd so I could watch
him.

British Guy was more annoying than usual as
he went on and on about the band that had just finished performing
their latest hit. I was growing impatient when he finally said the
words I was waiting for.

“Please welcome back Catalyst!”

I clapped along with the crowd as Trey,
Jonas, O’Shea and Chase walked across the stage, looking very much
like rock stars. They approached the glass podium and paused,
smiling and waving to some fans in the front row while the cheering
died down.

More clapping. O’Shea blew a kiss to a girl I
couldn’t see and then stepped closer to the microphone. “This next
group of artists come on the scene and demand our attention.”

Trey stepped up to the microphone and added,
“The nominees for Best Breakthrough Video are….”

A video on the big screen took over at that
point, going through the short list of artists who had been
nominated and showing a clip of their videos.

Chase fumbled to unfold the envelope and
Jonas, reading it over his shoulder, leaned into the microphone and
announced the winner. Another band I didn’t recognize. The crowd
went wild and the cameras found the unsuspecting young guys in the
audience and followed them as they made their way up on the stage.
Trey and the guys greeted and congratulated the band and then stood
back to allow them some space for their acceptance speech.

The rest of the awards went on without too
many hitches. A young blond pop singer did trip while performing,
and the rappers in front of us had to be escorted away when they
got a little overzealous about the winner of Album of the Year. But
all in all, there was less scandal than I had expected.

Trey didn’t waste time when the award show
ended. He took my hand and led me through the crowds and back to
the limo. Once everyone was inside, Chase gave the driver the name
of a club and we were on the road again. The energy inside the limo
was so exuberant, so powerful, that it was easy to try and forget
that I had to leave Trey and the others in just a short time. Trey
sat at my side, his arm around me. He was laughing with the guys he
called his brothers and celebrating the fact that they hadn’t left
the show empty-handed.

“The best part is that we got a chance to
remind people that we’re still here,” O’Shea was saying. “I always
wonder if people will forget us when we disappear to make a
record.”

“I don’t think that’s really a problem,” I
observed, recalling all the adoring fans I’d seen tonight.

Trey smiled at my remark and turned to look
at me. “I hope you’re having a good time tonight,” he said,
dropping his voice in a way that made our conversation private.

“It wasn’t quite as good as the last red
carpet event I went to, but it doesn’t top my list of worst nights
ever.”

He laughed softly and then his face grew
serious. “I’m glad you’re here.” He took my chin in his hand
gently, leaning forward to brush his lips against mine. I kissed
him back, missing him already. Although I had grown accustomed to
the whirlwind of Trey’s emotions when we kissed, there were some
new sentiments tonight that I hadn’t discerned before. Along with
the usual feelings of joy, nervousness, and excitement, I also
experienced feelings of companionship and peace; all through Trey’s
eyes.

He was truly happy to be with me. And not
just happy, but the happiest he could remember being in a long
time. As we kissed, I willed him to see that I felt the same way.
My teeth began to tingle and I was about to pull back but then I
felt it, a sudden burst of confidence in Trey’s whirlwind, and I
knew he understood.

The club was hopping that night. Even from
the VIP area where Trey and I sat with the rest of the guys and
Krystal, I was aware of everything happening out on the dance
floor. The DJ was good, and I felt at ease by Trey’s side, even
though this club was full of humans, unlike the club I frequented.
Trey and I spent a couple of songs out on the dance floor and he
pleasantly surprised me by having great rhythm. I supposed that was
probably a requirement for a musician.

“I’m not exactly a dancer,” he admitted,
bending over to talk in my ear.

“You’re not completely hopeless,” I teased.
He’d impressed me, especially since I knew that dancing at the club
wasn’t something he did regularly.

A group of girls were watching us from a
corner. If I hadn’t known better, I might have believed they were
attempting to shoot bolts of lightening from their eyes at me.

“Just ignore them,” Trey said when he saw me
watching them. He didn’t seem at all phased by the fact that they
were watching his every move. I could practically smell the
jealously fuming off of them. Real attractive.

“It doesn’t bother me,” I assured him. And it
didn’t. I was more surprised by the fact that it didn’t bother him.
Vampires are naturally a little reclusive, so the idea of being
watched so closely everywhere I went was unnerving.

After one more dance we made our way back up
to the VIP lounge to join the guys again. Chase and Krystal were
kissing on the other side of the room, and Jonas was making
extremely loud and exaggerated kissing noises in their direction,
which made me laugh.

I sipped a bottle of water, secretly wishing
it was a more satisfying deep red liquid. O’Shea was talking to a
girl he’d met downstairs. His watch glinted in the light overhead
and even from across the room I saw that it read 11:10.

It was time.

I took a deep breath and cast one longing
glance at Trey. He was laughing next to me with Jonas, adding a few
sound effects of his own. I reminded myself that I’d been lucky to
steal a few carefree hours with him tonight. It had been
invigorating for my soul and that would have to be enough for
now.

I jumped like something had startled me and
reached into my handbag to retrieve my phone. Trey glanced up at me
and I waved my phone a little to explain my behavior. He smiled and
turned his attention back to O’Shea as I stood up and walked a few
feet away to take my fake phone call. I turned my back to him and
pretended to talk to someone for a moment before I put my phone
back in my purse. Trey’s hand was on my shoulder before I could
turn around again.

“Is everything okay?” he asked when he saw my
expression.

“Not really,” I said, sounding convincingly
put-out.

“What’s going on?”

I sighed and raised my hands in frustration.
“That was Kacie,” I lied. “Apparently someone broke into The Waking
Moon.”

Shock registered on Trey’s face. “Is she
okay?” he asked. The genuine concern in his eyes just made the lie
that much more painful to tell.

“She wasn’t there. She just went by to check
on things for me and found the front window smashed out.”

“Did they take anything?”

“Just some money from the desk in the back.
Apparently the thieves weren’t connoisseurs of art.” I smiled,
really not wanting him to worry. “I should probably get back,
though. The police want to talk to me for the report.”

Trey reacted instantly, just like I’d known
he would. “We’ll get the limo to drop us off at the hotel and I’ll
drive you back.”

I smiled at him, shaking my head. “There’s no
way I’m going to let you do that,” I said.

He looked at me, incredulous. “What do you
mean? Of course I’m taking you.”

“I’ll get a cab,” I insisted.

“Forget it,” he said, and then he turned like
he was going to inform the rest of the guys of the situation.

“Trey, don’t.” I put a hand on his arm to
stop him. “Listen,” I said when he hesitated and turned to face me
again. “You guys have been working nonstop,” I explained. “I’m not
going to be responsible for ruining your first night off,
especially when you have a victory to celebrate.”

He chewed on his lip, considering me, but
when he opened his mouth again it was in protest. “It’s not a big
deal,” he insisted. “They’ll understand.”

“You guys need this,” I said, gesturing at
the room and the way Jonas and O’Shea were laughing. Even Chase had
joined in now, apparently having come up for air. “It’s good for
band moral.”

“But-”

“I’ll be fine,” I added. “I insist. Besides,
I’ve been hogging you lately. You could probably use some male
bonding or whatever.” Trey gestured with a bit of an eye roll in
Krystal’s direction. “Mostly male bonding,” I offered, shrugging
one shoulder.

He sighed and his eyes studied mine for a
moment before he said, “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this, but
I’ve sort of learned that arguing with you gets me nowhere.”

“Smart man,” I said with a grin. Then I said
goodbye to everyone.

“I’ll walk you out and make sure you get a
cab,” he said, and I knew better than to push my luck. I nodded at
him and he took my hand, leading me back down through the waves of
people dancing. The fresh air felt great after being around so many
warm bodies all night long. Trey hailed a cab and it pulled over to
the curb, waiting.

Trey went to the passenger side front window
and rapped his knuckles on it until the cabbie rolled it down. He
handed a wad of cash over to the driver and said, “Will this cover
the fare to Clearwater?”

The driver took the bills, flipping through
them quickly. He nodded, looking a little surprised.

Trey straightened and took my shoulders in
his hands.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I said.

“For my own peace of mind,” he stated. “Are
you sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

I shook my head, giving him what I hoped was
a reassuring smile. I definitely didn’t want him coming along. Not
tonight. Not where I was headed.

“I’ll be fine. It’s only a few hours.”

He sighed again, obviously unhappy with the
arrangement. I tilted my chin up and he bent forward, kissing me.
The feelings that rushed through our bond caught me off guard and I
pulled back a little too quickly, cutting the kiss even shorter
than usual.

“Have fun,” I said, trying to recover.

He furrowed his brow at me, watching as I
opened the back door of the cab.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he added quickly
before I closed it. I turned to smile at him one more time and then
the tinted window separated us. Trey stood with his hands in his
pockets while my cab pulled away. I took a deep breath and sighed,
glad to have that part of the evening over. I’d known it wouldn’t
be easy to convince Trey to let me leave alone tonight. What I
hadn’t expected was the almost paralyzing trepidation I’d felt in
his kiss.

“Take me to the Four Seasons,” I said.

“But your boyfriend-”

“We’re still going to Clearwater,” I added.
“I just have a stop to make first.”

The cab driver shrugged indifferently and
signaled to make a right turn. I shifted in my seat, trying to
ignore the sense of foreboding Trey’s kiss had left behind.

“I’ll be about an hour,” I said to the driver
as the cab pulled to a stop in front of the Four Seasons. “I assume
that wad of cash is enough to cover that as well.”

The driver frowned at me through the rearview
mirror, but when he met my steady gaze he caved.

“One hour,” he said resolutely.

I stepped out of the cab and made my way into
the hotel lobby, reaching out for Mark with my mind as I went. I
sensed him before I saw him waiting for me. He was leaning against
the wall and smiled when he saw me. He was dressed in a tuxedo,
bow-tie and all.

“You clean up nice,” I said to him.

“So do you.” He smiled but didn’t speak
aloud, knowing I’d hear him anyway.

I smiled at him and took his arm when he
straightened and offered it to me. Just then a familiar laugh
echoed off the stone floors behind me and I turned to see Malena
and Tytus strolling across the lobby. They paused when they reached
us.

“Aurora.” Tytus grinned possessively at me. I
fought the childish urge not to make a gagging noise at him. I gave
him a cool smile instead.

“You smell like you spent the evening
surrounded by hoards of humans,” Malena said, turning up her nose
at Mark and I. “What have you been doing?”

“Some of us work for a living.” I met her
gaze, unfaltering. Thankfully, Mark always smelled like humans
because he spent so much time with them at the hospital. No doubt
Malena could smell humans on me as well tonight, but she didn’t
press the issue, probably because she was anxious to get upstairs
to the festivities. While Mark and I waited for the next elevator,
I made him laugh by projecting an image of Malena’s dress getting
caught in the elevator doors into his mind.

“She’s right you know,” Mark said to me when
the elevator opened again and we stepped inside. “You do smell like
humans tonight.”

“I told you, I met with some clients today,”
I said, sticking to the story I’d given him to explain my coming to
Miami so early in the day.

“How’d it go?” he asked.

“Great,” I said, trying to decide how much
was safe to say to him. At some point I’d need a way to explain all
the time I was spending away from The Waking Moon. “I just met with
the band that’s commissioning me to do some work for their album
jacket,” I said.

“Anybody I’d know?” Mark was even less
informed about today’s music scene than I was, preferring classical
tunes over top forty.

“I doubt it,” I said nonchalantly, wanting to
change the subject. “How was work last night?”