Fire Within (16 page)

Andreas was safely tucked away in his hidey-hole for the day. Ari needed time to deal with her client, check in with Ryan, and have a sit down talk with Claris. No way she was going to pursue this thinly disguised friendship with Andreas without warning her best friend. Ari owed her that. Maybe Claris could still bring her to her senses.

* * *

As Ari entered the touristy shop section of Olde Town, she thought about how she was going to explain what was happening with Andreas. She could hardly explain it to herself. One minute she was afraid his magic would overpower her, and the next he was kissing her neck, and she wasn’t thinking at all. Even if the power of the legend was at work here, Ari knew it went beyond a Goddess-blessed union. Their magics liked each other.

As Ari crossed the street toward Basil & Sage, she considered Claris’s reaction. Hadn’t she warned Ari against seeing him from the first night they met? And after the split, she’d held Ari’s hand without once saying I told you so. She wouldn’t be thrilled.

Ari had timed her arrival just right. Claris was hanging the “Out to Lunch” sign.

“Hey! Come for lunch?” Claris locked the front door and ushered Ari into the rear kitchen area. “Lentil soup and turkey on wheat. I have plenty.”

Ari never mentioned it around Claris, but her preferred food groups included junk food interspersed with the occasional big salad to sooth her conscience. Claris was a health nut. But the soup smelled good, and Ari realized she was hungry. “Yum, I think so. Count me in.”

“Worked up quite an appetite myself,” Claris said. “Busy, busy morning. They’ve been streaming in the door today.”

Claris’s herb and holistic medicine shop, which occupied the front half of the building, was a big attraction for both tourists and practitioners in the artsy, crafty part of Riverdale’s Olde Town district. The area, renovated to reflect its 1800s glory, spanned the banks of the Oak River and ended at the foot of the Otherworld nightlife district that wound up the hill to the upper cliffs overlooking the Mississippi River. Claris had been there four years now and had built a solid clientele. The back portion of the building and the second floor had been remodeled into a cozy residence. They were currently standing in her ground floor kitchen with its attached greenhouse on the back.

Claris dished up the soup, while Ari pulled the sandwich fixings from the fridge. They chatted about the shop and the recent flood of customers, until they were well into the meal. Finally, they both fell silent.

Ari set down her uneaten sandwich. “There’s something we need to talk about.”

“Sounds serious.” Claris frowned at her friend’s expression. “Are you all right? Is someone sick?”

“No, nothing like that. I’m fine.”

“Then this has to be about Andreas.”

Ari met Claris’s hazel-eyed gaze. “Why would you say that?”

“Because I’m your best friend.” Claris gave her a good-natured frown. “And I’m not stupid or blind. You told me you were working with him again, so what’s happened now?”

“Someone tried to kill him yesterday. Shot at him. They missed, but for a while I thought he was dead.” Ari stopped, remembering those awful moments, unable to put that emptiness into words. She stared helplessly at her friend, watching the emotions chase across Claris’s face, from startled to suddenly filled with understanding.

“My God,” Claris breathed. “You finally realized you’re in love with him.”

Ari’s laugh was shaky. “I don’t think love’s the right word. But, there’s something.”

“And you thought this would take me by surprise? Could have told you. I
did
tell you a year ago. You never listened.” Claris got up and went to the fridge for a couple of diet cokes. “So what about the legend, the dreams, the bond? You’ve been pretty freaked out about those. What happened to all that?”

Ari shrugged. “I forget all that stuff when I’m with him. And when I’m alone, well, I still worry about it, but it helped when I found out he was worried too. He doesn’t like having me inside his head, either. And, well, Sebastian tried to bespell me and failed. After talking it over, I don’t think Andreas will try, but if he does… Oh, hell, Clare, maybe I’m kidding myself because I want it to be true.”

“Maybe not. You’ve always had good instincts. Hon, I wish you two had never met, but it’s way too late for that. You should tell him how you feel.”

Ari stared at her open-mouthed. “I can’t believe you said that. You told me not to see him again.”

“And we know how well that worked. You stayed away from him for all the wrong reasons. The she-wolf’s death…he killed her to protect you.”

Yeah, that was one explanation, Ari thought. Or maybe he’d wanted his own revenge. She might never know. Maybe it no longer mattered. If Claris wanted to make Andreas an unsung hero, that was fine with Ari.

Claris leaned over and hugged her friend. “You haven’t been happy. Maybe Andreas can change that. The night Yana died, he was the only one able to help you. That’s when I began to wonder if I’d misjudged him. Maybe we both need to give him a chance.”

Ari’s throat was tight, and all she could do was nod. She didn’t remember much from the night her mentor was murdered, except the overwhelming grief and the safety she’d found in Andreas’s arms. Ari returned her friend’s hug. Claris sometimes understood her better than she understood herself. Or at least, before Ari owned up to things. But that’s what a best friend was about.

“So, is there more to tell?” Claris asked. “Where do you go with this?”

“Well, no, yes. I kind of lost it when I thought Andreas was dead. Made an ass of myself by shouting at Marcus. Poor guy. It’s embarrassing to think about now. My feelings were kind of hung out there. So Andreas and I talked. He said he’d missed me.”

“And?” Claris smiled. “What did you say?”

“‘Me, too.’ Or something equally stupid. Then, I suggested we stay friends.”

“Friends? Bet that went over big.” Claris cut off a laugh.

“Um, not exactly, but somehow he maneuvered that suggestion into something else. He’s very good at getting his way. So, now, I guess we’re dating.” Ari stopped and shook her head in disbelief. “At least I can go back to the club again and listen to him sing. We’re meeting there tonight. Oh yeah, before he left last night he convinced me to go to a concert this weekend. I’m not sure how this all happened.”

Claris laughed, clearly entertained by her friend’s confusion. “Well, duh. He talked you into exactly what you wanted.”

“I guess. So why am I so edgy about it?”

“Isn’t that part of the attraction?” Claris asked, with a knowing grin. “You’re drawn to the mysterious bad boys. While I prefer them steady and reliable.”

Hence Claris’s attraction to Brando—and Ryan. Ari grinned. She should have known Claris would find a way to accept it, whatever Ari did. In this case, they’d arrived at the same place. Not that there had been a lot of thought process on Ari’s end. More hormones, maybe. Or family history. Or magic.

Or even fate.

* * *

Club Dintero at mid-afternoon appeared deserted. The vampire staff was asleep and the club wouldn’t open for another three hours. Sporting a smirk on her face, Lilith let Ari in the front door. Ari ignored the look and headed for Andreas’s office.

“Hey, Russell.”

The wiry werelion jumped to his feet and gave her a brief, awkward hug. “Good to see you,” he muttered.

It was like old home week. Ari wished the rest of the team were there—big Mike and cute, flirtatious Benny, but someone had to watch the Prince’s back. She was glad to have the werelion husband-wife team. “You’re looking good,” she said. “Life must be treating you all right.”

“Can’t complain,” Russell responded. “Had a cushy time these last months, compared to the days you were around.”

Ari smiled. “Surely you’re not blaming me for that mess. I didn’t start it.”

“No, but together, we finished it,” he stated with satisfaction.

“For a while. These vampire feuds never seem to end. But let me explain the current problem.” Ari perched on the edge of the desk. “I can’t identify the enemy for you. We’ve had two vamp murders. One male victim, one female. Two separate incidents. Possible, but not proven, shootings. The forensics are inconclusive on the weapon. But there’s no doubt a handgun was used yesterday afternoon. Andreas saw it.”

She sketched out the details of the investigation so far, even mentioning the weird vibes at the second murder scene. “Recently I’d been thinking we were completely off track, looking for the wrong weapon, the wrong kind of killer. Until yesterday.” She let out an exasperated breath. “Andreas clearly saw a handgun.”

“You think it’s the same person?” Russell asked.

“What are the odds it’s not?”

“Small. But it’s not impossible.”

“No, not impossible.” She sighed. “That makes it more difficult to predict what will happen next. The pattern we had breaks with the attack on Andreas. That’s why you need to watch his back every moment. The shooter could be anyone.”

“You got us on this now,” Lilith said, patting the pistol in her right holster. “No one gets near him without us checking them first.”

“I’m counting on it.”

Russell scratched his chin. “How’d these other vampires get shot? Why didn’t they avoid the bullets, like Andreas did?”

“Maybe he’s that much quicker,” Lilith suggested. “He
is
a master level vampire.”

“Granted,” Ari said. “But we can’t assume that was the difference. Something’s hinky here.”

“So, what do you suggest we do?” Lilith asked.

“Protect his ass,” Russell said.

“Oh, yeah.” Lilith polished her nails against her shirt. “It’s a cute one, too. Can I do that part?”

“No,” Russell and Ari chorused.

Ari grinned. “No handling of the merchandise, Lilith. You and your hubby can start by securing the building and training the club staff. Most of them are vampires. Plenty of skills but no training in security.”

“You sure they can be trusted?” Russell asked. “Doesn’t sound like they did much yesterday.”

Ari nodded, glad he’d asked, showed he was thinking. “In their defense, it happened fast. They’re untrained and weren’t expecting trouble. The only staff I know personally are Marcus, Gordon, Lorenzo, and Reno. Marcus is solid. You can count on him. And Gordon owes his life to Andreas. The other two are just kids. They idolize their boss, but I can’t predict their usefulness in a fight. The rest of the staff are unknowns. Lilith, why don’t you talk or flirt with them, take your pick, and make an assessment. Pull Andreas’s employee files. Russell, you’re in charge of setting up equipment. You can do the training together as soon as you’re ready.”

“Sure. We can handle that,” Russell said, while Lilith nodded. “A little martial arts, basic info on firearms, building security. Shouldn’t be hard.”

“I’ll be around to help in any way I can,” Ari said. “But I can’t do this alone. Or be here all the time. I have two murders to solve.”

“Understood. The club is our responsibility,” Russell said.

“Good, and that includes watching the street. We don’t need a repeat of yesterday. Maybe we can pin Andreas down to a definite arrival time.”

Awareness hit Ari, bringing her to her feet.

“Is this a council of war?” an amused voice asked.

She whipped around to find Andreas standing in a wall opening, the bookcase offset at an angle. Damn, he needed to stop these sneak appearances, but she knew her racing pulse wasn’t just due to surprise. The black shirt and tight black jeans from his favorite designer emphasized his dark attraction.

“No need for moats or barricades in the street,” he said, his eyes brimming with humor. “As you can see, I have arrived safely.”

“A second hidden entrance?” Ari had known about the closet trap door that led to Prince Daron’s compound. It had been secured since an enemy used it last year. “You never mentioned this one.”

“Not until now. I hope the knowledge can remain among the four of us and Marcus, of course. This entrance is private.”

“No problem. But, jeez, Andreas. How many more rabbit holes do you have?”

“You now know all my secrets.” He gave her an innocent smile, spreading his hands.

“Yeah, like I believe that.” Not bloody likely. He had more secrets than the CIA. Ari was uncomfortable that he’d revealed the hidden entrance even under these circumstances. The passageway must lead to his day quarters. Due to their vulnerability while sleeping, vampires were justifiably paranoid about the location of their resting spots. Ari wasn’t sure she’d earned this much trust.

She checked her watch. Yep, as she suspected, it was only 3:15. She knew that master level vampires could beat the dark, but this was amazing. “Aren’t you up early?”

He shrugged it off. “I wanted to speak with Russell and Lilith before they left.”

Before she could point out that didn’t explain how he’d done it, Russell interrupted. “I’m not sure we should. Leave, I mean. Maybe we should bunk here. At least until the staff is trained. Particularly, if that bookcase leads where I think it does.”

Andreas sighed. “The other end is secure, but suit yourselves. I have arranged for the storage area next door to be set up as a security office. A work crew should arrive by dusk. Perhaps you would like to supervise the changes.”

“That’s great! Then I’ll know what we have. I assume there’ll be computers and electronic gadgets?”

Andreas smiled indulgently. “Ask for anything I forgot, within reason.”

They continued to discuss security details until everyone was satisfied he or she understood their role. When they finished, Lilith left to pick up some things from home, Russell disappeared into the soon-to-be security office, and Andreas and Ari wandered into the main dining room. Club staff scurried, prepping for opening: tables were set, chairs straightened, and a three-person band with guitar, bass guitar, and drum rehearsed on stage.

“Do you have plans for this evening?” Andreas asked.

“Only patrol. I can put it off until around ten. Are you interested in hearing the band?”