Blood Lily (Lilith Adams Vampire Series Book 1) (5 page)

She was surprised by the light hints of defensive anger. Her mouth opened to say something but she couldn’t think of what to say and settled for a nod. After grabbing her case and slipping on her heels, she followed him into the antiquated elevator. The ride
was just as terrifying on the way down, but the silent sense of hostility made it even worse. She still had no idea what to say when the cab pulled up. She had no idea why he was even upset. Chance must have felt the uneasy tension from her. He let out a soft sigh and looked at her over the cab. “Lily. Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m…I’m just not used to having people in my place.”

She forced a smile and shrugged.
“A territorial thing. I get it.” Just like her bedroom sanctuary. She slipped into the cab before he could say anything else. The ride to her apartment was quiet, but not truly uncomfortable. The night was starting to seem completely surreal. Her mind kept going right back to that horrible moment when Gregor lied to her. He was hiding something and he never hid things. She’d run errands for him before, granted not as exciting as this one, but he’d never sent anyone with her before, much less his very own body guard. The sinking feeling that something was wrong just kept growing in the pit of her stomach.

They were in and out of
her place in a matter of minutes. She managed to keep Chance out of her bedroom while she packed. He settled for browsing her book collection and hollering out questions about them every few minutes. Somehow she thought that was more about keeping contact to know she was okay than actually wanting to know about the specifics of ballistics or entomology.

Cha
rlie waved to her over the blue curly hair of one of the elderly tenets. She walked up to the desk, apologized to the old woman and turned to Charley. Lilith didn’t know her neighbors. Her busiest times were at night and most of the building consisted of tenants that turned in after Jeopardy. Once in a while she’d get invitations to building parties or birthdays, but Charlie was the only one in the building she knew on sight. She didn’t want to get to know her neighbors, she just wanted peace and solitude when she was at home.

“I’m heading out of town for a few days. Could you be my hero and have
them hold my mail till I get back?”

“Of course, my dear.
I’ll let Gary know first thing in the morning.” His smile made his entire face crinkle into deep lines. “Have a…” His eyes traveled to something behind her and there was a sudden hopeful sort of light in his eyes “…wonderful time, Miss.”

Her eyes followed Charlie
’s to Chance, casually leaning against the door, staring out into the night, waiting for their ride. Lilith couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, no. Not that sort of trip. It’s business.”

Charlie
just winked at her.

T
he sleek, black town car was waiting out front for them, just idling at the curb. Chance grabbed her bags and her aluminum kit and headed to the trunk as the driver popped out and jogged around to open the door for her. Everything about the driver was plain and completely and utterly forgettable. Odd how many drivers seemed to be that way in New York City. Maybe it was some sort of job requirement that the driver couldn’t even come close to ever upstaging the clientele, and of course no one wanted to be driven around by Quasimodo either. That would still draw far too much attention from the client, even if it wasn’t in a positive way.

“We should be at the airport in about 45-50 minutes, Miss.” Even his voice was plain and ordinary. Lilith slid into the bl
ack leather seat and he closed the door behind her before jogging back to his driver’s seat. Seconds later, Chance dropped into the seat next to her and closed his door.

The
town car pulled away from the curb and into the surprisingly light traffic of the early morning. Another couple hours and it would be rush hour traffic from hell. Even light traffic in New York followed only one rule. If it was bigger than you, get the hell over. Traffic lights, road signs, cops, none of it mattered. Only the golden rule kept you alive. That was the main reason she didn’t bother buying a car. Not only was it pointless, but she’d wind up killing the first asshole that dented her car. By her observations, that would happen in the first 24 hours so she left the driving to the veteran cab drivers.

“So…” Chance turned to her and all the tension and defensive posturing from earlier was long gone. He sat there with his usual casual attitude. “Since we have some private time, would you like to brief me?” A sly smile curled his lips that made her grin and roll her eyes.

“Pervert.” She muttered. She took a moment to collect her thoughts, remembering Gregor’s significantly heavy look. “Gregor’s brother, Duncan, is missing. Spencer and Miriah are kinda freaked about it, so we’re going down to check things out.”

Chance looked suspicious and doubtful. “You need a bodyguard to chase down an old vamp that probably just shacked up somewhere for the night?
Seriously, I’m a bodyguard, I’m not brain-dead.” He looked vaguely insulted as he sat back in the seat.

Lilith crossed her arms and frowned at him. “He’s family, Chance. Gregor doesn’t have much family left. There’s no sign of him at his place in Knoxville or his winter home. I think Gregor is just sending you with me as a precaution. He’s kinda nervous about things these days.”

“Sorry. I guess that came out kind of wrong. I didn’t mean to imply…”

“I know.” Lilith interrupted him. H
is cheeks were actually a little pink with embarrassment. It almost looked cute on him. She warred with herself about just what she should and shouldn’t tell him. “I’m just worried about the whole thing. It’s not like Duncan, it’s weird for Spencer to be so completely freaked out, and Gregor is seriously worried, more than he should be I think. I agree it has me concerned that he decided to send you with me…Has Gregor ever sent you on an errand or perhaps sent you to guard someone else?”

Chance stopped to think it over.
“No, nothing beyond little in-town errands. Nothing that took very long. He’s never sent me on guard duty before, that’s for sure.”

“Why you?”
She wasn’t really asking him, more like talking out loud. She suddenly realized that she’d said it out loud and Chance was looking a little bristled by the apparently rude question. She forced a smile at him. “Not that I don’t enjoy your company.”

Chance leapt at the chance to leave the serious talk behind and return to the casual banter.
“Aww. You going to get all emotional and tell me how much you’ve missed me lately? Maybe even shed a couple tears? I haven’t had a woman shed tears over me in quite some time. It’d be kinda nice.” His hazel eyes glinted with his confident humor, but somehow it felt like a facade.

“Well that sounds like a new fetish that I never wanted to know about.” Chance’s laugh wrapped around her like a rich warm blanket, which of course made her smile at first and then feel that edge of discomfort. “You are such an ass.”

He bumped his shoulder against hers, almost shaking her out of her brooding. “Oh come on, Lily. You wouldn’t have me any another way.” He winked and Lilith just settled for flipping him off.

They arrived at the airport an hour later and thanks to their tickets, rushed through most of security, until it came to the biohazard cooler. The security officer was a squat Middle Eastern man in his late fifties that looked more like a terrorist than she ever could. He looked over her license and the paperwork Gregor provided, with careful scrutiny. After opening the cooler and looking over the half dozen medical labeled bags of blood and a package of red gel-caps, his pinched face looked a little queasy and his bulbous nose scrunched. “What’s it for?” He grunted with a definite accent.

“It’s right there on the paperwork.
Research materials being transferred to a lab in Knoxville.” Lilith pointed impatiently at the document in his hand. He turned his pot-marked face up at her and the disgusted look didn’t leave his face. “The pills.” He barked it with the kind of vehemence reserved for people that always looked down their nose at him.

“An experimental treatment for
Thalassemia. I can’t really go into any more detail. Companies and their bureaucratic secrecy.” She huffed and crossed her arms, hoping she’d spark some kind of mutual hatred for executives that would help her get through this faster. The bait paid off. The thick little man’s face brightened and he closed the cooler, handing her back the paperwork.

“
The damn need for secrecy is what makes my job harder. Not your fault. Everything looks ok.” Lilith flashed him an enigmatic smile that brought a ragged, toothy smile out of the old man. Chance feigned a cough behind her and nudged her forward as she grabbed the cooler.

“Thank you, Officer. Enjoy the rest of your day.” Lilith flashed an apologetic smile as Chance herded her forward
.

Once they ran to their gate and were walking up the retractable hall to the plane, Chance leaned over her shoulder and whispered “
I called Spencer and left him a voicemail with the flight info while you were busy with the undercover terrorist. Speaking of which, I never knew you were such a charmer, Lily. Probably made that guard’s year, ya know?”

Chance
bumped her shoulder with a chuckle and she playfully nudged her elbow at his stomach before flashing a glare over her shoulder. “It’s really like traveling with a 16 year old. Why does Gregor keep you around again?”

“Because of my infinite charm, my rugged good looks and crazy skills.”
He bumped her shoulder with his arm again and she just shook her head.

“I am
not
going to ask why Gregor would keep you around because of your good looks. That just says volumes about you and my father that I really never, ever want to know about.”

“Wow. Really didn’t see that backfire coming. I must be losing my touch.”

“Assuming you had it to begin with, of course.” The sugar sweet smile she flashed over her shoulder earned her a playful scowl that made it all worth it.

Chapter 3

“S
o, Spencer will probably meet us down near the baggage claim.” Chance was braving the bustle of the airplane aisle, pulling down their bags from the overhead bins while people pushed and nudged their way past him. It was quite a feat for the bustling passengers considering he was basically a six foot three wall in the aisle. Lilith sat calmly in her seat waiting for the tide of people to pass. As Chance strained to grab the last bag, his faded black T-shirt pulled up just enough to show the very edge of a tattoo just below his navel. “What’s the tattoo?” She asked casually from her seat.

Chance tossed the bag on top of the others and looked down at her startled. He quickly tugged at his shirt and looked around tight-lipped.
“Nothing. Does the line of people ever end?” Another passenger elbowed past him, making him lurch forward over the seats. His growl was almost feral as his hand gripped the armrest so tight his fingers turned white. “You’d think first class would get off first. This is goddamn ridiculous.” His usually smooth voice was rough and gravely.

“Just sit, Chance.
Wait for them to go by. Is it testosterone poisoning that makes you take the path of most resistance?”

He stood straight up in the middle of the aisle. A middle-aged woman with a
clueless look bounced right off his back like she tried to run through a brick wall. Chance grabbed the bags and flashed a dangerous grin. “After you,
Cherie
.” The faint Cajun accent was thicker than usual. Apparently anger brought it out.

Lilith just shook her head, grabbed her last bag and gracefully slipped out of the seats. She stood right in front of Chance and in her heels she was
only a few inches shorter. She stared at him for a second. “Do you always have to prove a point?” She turned sharply and made her way down the aisle and off the plane.

It had to be a guy thing. Every observation had to become a challenge. They always had to make things more difficult
instead of just letting things go. Chance caught up with her at the gate. If this was his usual behavior it was going to be a very long trip.

“Well thanks for waiting, especially after I held back the masses for you.” There was a quaver in his voice that certain
ly was not because he was out of shape. Lilith kept on walking, steering them toward the baggage claim. After several minutes of silence, Chance tried again. “No glib little comment?”  When she didn’t answer, he jogged in front of her and stopped.

When she made a move to the right, he mirrored it. She glared daggers up at him. She moved to the left and he mirrored her again.
“Enough macho crap. If you want to be a stubborn ass, fine, but don’t expect me to be all happy fluffy about it. None of us like planes, especially getting off them. You just deal with it. Hell, you almost knocked that lady on her ass.”

Chance dropped the bags and held up his hands in surrender. “I officially apologize for being a stubborn ass and suc
cumbing to my testosterone based alter ego. Truce?”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine let’s just go. Spencer is probably waiting.”

He didn’t move out of her way, though the playful abandon left his face and his tone deepened. “Seriously, Lily. I apologize. You’re right. I should have just taken a seat. Those planes are so damn small and confining though. It just makes me itch to get out. I don’t do well in enclosed spaces.”

Lilith smiled softly up at him and patted his slightly stubbled cheek.
“Aww. Poor guy. Just keep it in check. We don’t need undue attention. Speaking of which, we really should get to baggage claim. We look like a bickering married couple or something.” 

“You should be so lucky.” His
sudden grin was simply contagious. It wasn’t his usual playful façade, it was a genuine smile that made his cheeks dimple slightly.

“I’ll remember to take a number.”

“Where in the hell is he?” They’d waited by the baggage claim doors for nearly an hour with no sign of Spencer
and Chance was getting restless. “Try his cell again.”

“I just tried three minutes ago. It’s going straight to voicemail.”  She didn’t see the point of trying again. “It’s either off or the battery is dead. Either way, he’s obviously not going to answer.”

“Well we have the address to the winter house from Gregor. Maybe we should just rent a car.”

“You’re probably right. We can’t sit here all
day. Plus, we may need a car anyway. I really don’t want to depend on Spencer to run us around, especially if I have to take samples in to the lab in Knoxville."  The fall air was warmer here, with sweet floral scents on the wind. It was a beautiful clear morning with the sun climbing up the pale blue sky as they made their way down to a small rental car lot. Chance piled their bags on the ground and jogged into the office to get a car.

Lilith scanned over the
bland mixture of economic cars. They all looked the same, just sensible boxes with wheels. Why did people bother buying them? I suppose for the same reason that people bought identical houses and identical clothes. The overwhelming urge to fit in, blend with the crowd. She understood that concept in a way. Her whole life was about blending in, but somehow she found a way to still be herself.

In mid-thought a chill crept up her spine. She turned around in a quick circle studying the parking lot. He
r breath caught as she thought she saw a shadow pass between two cars. She crouched down next to her suitcase and opened the front zipper. After a couple seconds of blind rummaging, she pulled out her bottle of pepper spray and shoved it in her pocket. With her heart thudding in her chest, she crept toward the back of the lot.

Lilith reached the third row of cars and whipped behind them
. There was nothing there. She let out a painfully relieved sigh and sagged against the side of a white sedan. She kept her ears trained for any sounds, but the lot was empty, just sunshine glinting off windshields. This whole situation just had her on edge. She had to stop psyching herself out. Some badass vampire she was, jumping at shadows with the threat of pepper spray. Bad guys should quiver in fear.

She drew in a long comforting breath and pulled the band out of her hair, letting the red curls fall to her shoulders. She shook out her hair and rubbed her temples.
Finally, Lilith pulled herself away from the car and strolled back over to the bags. Her heart eventually began to slow down. She softly chuckled at herself, shaking like a scared kitten.

A sharp chirp from her pocket made her jump all over again. Lilith squeezed her eyes closed, took in a breath and fished her phone out of her pocket. She didn’t even look at the caller ID before hitting the call button.
“Yeah?”

“Well that is no way to answer your phone. What if it was Bill calling?” Gloria’s sweet, Spanish flecked voice just made her smile.

“Gloria, Bill was a nightmare. Seriously, I thought you had a higher opinion of me. He looked like the kinda guy that lingers at 18 and under clubs.”

Gloria’s bright chuckle made her feel a million times better. Hopefully she’d have this mess all cleared up and make it back home for Sunday coffee. “Sweetheart, I’m running out of people to fix you up with.”

“Well, that’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” Lilith’s voice was light and playful.

“Aww.
Don’t crush an old woman’s dreams. So, how’s Florida? Phillipe said you had a last minute convention?”

“Yeah.
These damn re-certifications. Florida is Florida. Humid, crowded and smells like rotten fish."

Lilith
looked up to see Chance jog out of the office, jingling keys and grinning. The loose jeans hung low on his hips and the faded black T-shirt clung to him as he moved. The sun accented the specks of auburn in his short tousled hair. She could see why the ladies liked him so much. The thought occurred to her that she’d never seen him in the sunlight. 13 years and she’d only seen him in artificial light and moonlight. It just seemed like an odd thing to see for the first time.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she completely missed what Gloria said. “I have to go, Gloria. The hotel shuttle just arrived.”

“Alright. I’ll expect a full report of your social activities when you get back,
Bonita
.”

Chance
stopped in front of her with a smile so genuine that it warmed her down to her toes and flashed a quizzical look at her phone.

“Of course.
You always get first picks of my social life, even if it is on life support.” She nodded at Chance and flashed a nervous smile.

“Well liven it up so I can live vicariously through you. Be safe and call me later.”

Lilith tucked her phone back in her pocket and busied herself with picking up a few bags. “Sorry. Gloria was checking in to find out if I found Mr. Right on the flight.”

Chance passed on the obvious opening for a dig and simply bowed in a grand gesture.
“Well, in the meantime, your chariot awaits.”

Silently she cursed that he still had that
warming kind of effect on her. She’d had a bit of a crush on him growing up, but they’d always just been friendly acquaintances. Flirty banter perhaps, but it seemed he thought of her only as Gregor’s daughter. He never asked questions or really showed any interest in her as a person in all that time. It was all just charming, anonymous small talk.

His enigmatic smile began to falter and he
looked her over. “You look a little pale. Are you okay?” As he finished that question, he began scanning the lot with cold, calculating eyes.

Lilith waved off his concern and laug
hed. “I’m fine. I’m fine. I thought I saw something but there was nothing there and then my phone rang and scared the crap out of me. I’m just tired and on edge. Let’s get on the road and get this over with.”

Chance’s eyes lingered on her
, not quite believing her, but he let it go. They made their way to a tiny blue Toyota Yaris. “Could you have gotten something a little smaller?”

“Hey don’t knock it. It’s a Toyota. Plus
, it’s great on gas.”

She arched an eyebrow and looked at him skeptically over the low hood. “It’s a clown car.”

“Like there are a lot of other options here.
“ He shrugged and folded himself into the front seat. She slipped into the passenger seat and busted out laughing. Her own knees were touching the dash, but poor Chance looked like he was folded in half. His tousled hair actually brushed the roof and his face was pinched in pain.

“Oh yeah.
This is gonna be a fun drive. Speaking of which, do you need me to drive?” She bit back another laugh as he glared over at her. “Hey don’t knock it.” She grinned sarcastically.

“Shove it, Princess.” Chance pulled the seat back as far as possible, still not anywhere near enough to be comfortable and put the car in drive. “Why don’t you just put the address into the GPS and be useful
for a change.”

Lilith flipped him off and grabbed the Garmin, punching in the address
from the envelope. Seconds later the robotic voice was leading them south, out of the crowded streets of Knoxville and into the middle of nowhere.

They traded work stories for the first half of the trip. Chance had his awkward, over-confident meat-head students at the dojo. Lilith had her “stupidest criminal ever” award winners.

Chance seemed to really enjoy the story about the “little person” that died with two punctures to the neck. Of course her liaison with the police, Philippe Alvarez, called her in thinking it might be a vampire attack. It turned out to be some, World of Warcraft obsessed, geek who was best friends with the guy. Apparently they both read somewhere that if they drew blood directly from the jugular of a dwarf and added it to an energy drink it would improve their chances with the ladies. The geek missed the vein on the first attempt, hit it on the second, but then couldn’t get the bleeding to stop. Where the hell do people get these ideas? Chance nearly choked he was laughing so hard.

When they ran out of stories,
Chance turned on the radio and tuned in to some classic rock station while she took in the surroundings. She stared out the windows at tiny strip malls, aging gas stations and rolling hills. The leaves on all the trees were golds, browns and reds, a cornucopia of colors dotted with large flat expanses of cow fields and corn crops. There were little mom and pop stores fading on the side of the road, little vegetable stands with hand painted signs and crumbling barns. These were all the signatures of fall in the south.

It was a whole other planet from Manhattan, but she could see why Duncan liked to come out
here. It was quiet and quaint. The sheer number of trees was staggering. The sides of the interstate, including the median, were lined with them. Not the simple, ornate, straight lines of trees that graced the medians up north, but wild groves, that a New Yorker would call a forest, spanned the distance between the north and south lanes. Duncan had always been a fan of simple pleasures. The one time she remembered her uncle visiting New York, he’d called it the “concrete jungle”. His tone hadn’t rung with the shiny wide-eyed enthusiasm that most visitors had when they used that description. For Duncan, it was definitely a drawback.