Cherry Stem (20 page)

I grabbed the pan from her hand and smacked her thigh with it. It was not a playful smack; if I’d gone for her head, she might have gotten her wish to die at my hand. “You shouldn’t be here. He’s coming for you.”

“I thought you didn’t care.” Now that sounded mocking.

“She obviously does.” Alex sounded pissed off. “Fuck if I know why. So why don’t you tell her why you’re still here so we can figure out what to do next?”

Sheena let out an indignant sniff. “Well, I couldn’t book a flight out without using my credit card, and my limo can be easily traced.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she returned my glare. I noticed for the first time that she was in silk pajamas and high-heeled slippers. The woman had no intention of leaving town.

“You could have taken a bus.”

She looked more horrified at that prospect than at having her throat torn out by either me or Willoughby. “A
bus
? I wouldn’t be caught dead in one of those. Nope, I decided to stay put.”

Uh-huh.

Alex’s hand closed around my bicep just as I felt the handle of the pan bend inside my fist. I let it drop. It clanged and I winced. “Sheena, you’re in danger. Don’t you get that, you idiot?” I was no longer in control of my voice. A human could easily hear me from the next house over—a vampire from anywhere within a five-block radius.

She planted her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. “I thought you wanted me dead, so why do you care? I don’t want to run, and he won’t scare me into doing what he wants any longer. I’m not going anywhere. Let him come.”

I had no answer to that. I think I growled. She took a half step back, and Alex turned to face me. The extra space she’d given me wasn’t a bad thing; I had some thinking to do. I really had considered killing Sheena myself just hours earlier, but the version of her that stood in front of me at that moment was the version I’d known and loved. She was the woman who didn’t give up, who fought for what was hers, whom I’d considered a friend. I wanted to keep that woman safe despite what she’d done. Once we’d dealt with Willoughby and I knew the exact fate of the girls she’d handed to him, I’d see what I’d do with her. In the meantime, we had to forget our plan about cornering my maker at her place. I couldn’t deal with him—let alone another vampire—if I had to protect two humans at the same time. My priority became taking Sheena to safety.

Where might that safety be, though?

The answer made me grin so wide I knew my fangs showed. “Alex, grab her.”

Before Sheena could protest or even blink, Alex had her in a hold she couldn’t escape. Before
he
realized what was happening, I had my arms around them both and was rushing us out the door.

“Cherry, what the hell are you doing?” Alex asked through gritted teeth.

I gave him a quick smile and kicked at the ground. “I’m taking us up, up, and away.”

Chapter Thirteen

According to some vampire lore, turning into a vampire means losing one’s soul. That is not the case in reality. We actually keep our souls and remain the same people we were prior to our turning. What changes is our perception of limits.

You see, humans know their life will come to an end, and no matter their religion, the majority go through life keeping in the back of their minds the thought that they will one day be judged. Vampires consider ourselves immortal; to us, judgment day is so remote that it loses its significance. What’s more, we all at some point realize remorse is something that inevitably goes away with time. If we’re not careful, our consciences begin to loosen after the first few centuries, allowing for ever-increasing transgressions. Eventually we act like the soulless monsters we’re believed to be, not because we are inherently evil and soulless, but because we reach a point where we have no fear of consequences.

Or that’s what Constantine had told me in one of our first meetings.

I was betting he’d reconsider when I told him I’d be leaving Sheena with him for safekeeping until Alex and I had taken care of Willoughby. I was definitely feeling pretty evil
and
soulless as I was about to ring his doorbell.

Knowing Constantine’s eclectic tastes and need for quiet, I was confident Sheena, with her flashiness and incessant chattering when she was excited about something, would get on his nerves in no time. There was no doubt in my mind she’d be excited about spending a few days with a drop-dead gorgeous vampire who meant her no harm.

I could almost cackle.

Alex had taken his second flight a bit better than the first one. No physical reaction this time, but his eyes were glazed over as he stood on Sheena’s other side and waited for the door to open. I reached around and squeezed his hand. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine. I may barf on your ex, but that’ll make up for most of my night.” His thin smile took away from his joke.

As soon as we’d landed, I’d explained to him and Sheena that nobody would think to look for her at Constantine’s, since he was sleeping with one of the council members. Sadly neither of them was very convinced of his loyalty to me. I knew he hadn’t been, wasn’t, nor would ever be loyal as a boyfriend, but I was also one hundred percent certain he wouldn’t betray me when it came to something so important. He’d been there for me from the beginning, taught me, supported me. Even after we broke up, he wouldn’t stop checking in, making sure I was doing okay—when he wasn’t trying to get me to give him another chance.

Most of all, though, he’d been the one who’d held me day after day while I wept over losing everything and everyone I’d loved. He’d helped me keep my humanity and not give in to the temptation of the easy way. For that alone, I trusted him.

The door was finally answered, and Wesley appeared, his attire crisply ironed, in direct contrast to his wrinkled face. He gave us a little bow. “Ladies. Sir. May I help you?”

“Hi!” I expected him to at least wince at the informality of my greeting, since he hadn’t at what Sheena and I were wearing, but his lips only quirked upward, so I went on. “Is Constantine around?”

“I’m afraid not, Ms. Stem.” At least this time he remembered me. “If you wish, I can relay a message, however.”

There went my evil plan down the drain. I couldn’t tell him what I wanted; Constantine would be warned and, therefore, have enough time to find a good excuse not to take Sheena in by the time I finally got in touch with him.

Alex jumped in at exactly the right moment. “This is Ms. Herring, who’s wanted by some
very
bad people.” He pushed Sheena a bit forward. She batted her eyelashes, and I had to try hard not to giggle.

“Yes. Very bad,” I said. “We were hoping Constantine could take her in for a few days, until we take care of them?” It was my turn to bat my eyelashes.

Wesley chuckled. “You can tone the charm down, both of you.” I could tell my companions were as shocked as I was by his temporary slip in decorum. If he winked, I might faint. His face straightened again. “I will make sure Ms. Herring is made comfortable with us while you go about your business.” Gently taking Sheena’s hand, he ushered her inside. “Aren’t you freezing in those clothes?”

It hadn’t even occurred to me to feel bad that I’d made her fly in nothing but her pj’s. Hey, I owed her for the frying pan to the head bit.

“We must find you something warmer to wear,” Wesley said to her before turning to me. “I will tell Master Constantine to contact you as soon as he returns. And if those very bad men you mentioned are of your ”—he glanced briefly from me to Alex—“
special circumstances
, rest assured they cannot enter this property without my permission. The deeds to the house are in my name.”

I muttered, “Thank you,” and Alex and I were left staring at the door closing in our faces.

Alex wouldn’t even hear of flying again, so we used my cell to call a cab that drove us back to the Dark Sun to pick up his car. His color was back and so was his usual good mood, so we even stopped at a place he knew that was open all night and he really did buy the eggs to make me the promised dessert.

By the time we parked in front of his mother’s house, I had on a face-splitting grin, which only got wider when my phone rang—out of the silent mode by then—and I saw Constantine was finally calling me. I didn’t answer in the most polite way possible. “I know she’s annoying, but you have to keep her safe for a while. Just for a few days.”

“Hello to you too, Cherry. How was your night?”

If he cared, he could have asked me that when I’d called him earlier, but he hadn’t, had he? He’d been too busy with what’s her name. “Went from fine to crappy to fine again, thank you. Did you hear back from the council?”

He let out a tortured sigh. “Not exactly. Can we meet?”

“What? Now you have time for me?” Oh shut up. I resent the implication that I’m petty.

“I always have time for you, Cherry. Some things are just beyond my control.”

Right
. Like whom he fucked and how he talked to me when he was with her.

“I’m deeply sorry if I offended you.” His apology was belied by his now irate tone. He hated apologizing, but I wouldn’t listen to anything else he had to say unless he did so. “Please believe that I had my reasons. I called you as soon as I became available.”

“I bet you did. What’s up?” My legs were crossed in a very unladylike manner, with my right ankle resting atop my left knee, and I was tapping my foot against the dashboard. Alex clasped a hand over its top and held it immobile.

“Now see who’s impatient,” Constantine said. “I called you first, if you recall. You didn’t pick up. I haven’t been home in forty-eight hours because of you, and when I finally get here, I find an insufferable woman waiting for me. She’s been my guest for a little over an hour, and she’s already emptied half my liquor cabinet, Cherry. You owe me, and you’ll repay me by waiting. Tonight I’ll come to where your human lives. After sunset all right with you?”

I glanced at Alex, who wasn’t looking at me but had made no move to get out of the car, either. “You’re
not
showing up here!”

Constantine was unperturbed. “Will you tell me where he lives, or will I have to find out by myself?”

Even if my brain was still jumbled where things between Alex and me were concerned, and even if I ended up going with the leaving-him-for-his-own-good scenario after all, I didn’t want Constantine to know more about him than he absolutely needed to. “Will you shut up and listen to me? I’ll meet you if I have to, but somewhere else. I can come by your place.” I doubted Alex would appreciate the alternative I was offering my ex, but the first option was worse.

“I guess that means I’ll have to follow my nose,” Constantine said. “Be warned that this will probably make me testy when I finally meet him, so you two lovebirds better keep displays of affection to a minimum.”

He hung up before I could protest.

I doubted he could really find us by himself; his sense of smell was enhanced, all right, but he couldn’t go roaming the city, nose in the air. He could always ask Rowland where he’d dropped me off the other night after the council meeting, however, and I didn’t want to have to test that “testy” thing, no pun intended. If his meeting Alex was unavoidable, I wanted things to go down as smoothly as possible.

Beside me, Alex said, “I’m guessing he didn’t shut up and listen, huh?”

Texting Constantine with the address and making it explicit I thought he was a giant ass, I said, “He didn’t. He’ll be by at sunset.” Phone stuffed in cleavage once more, I opened the passenger door.

I was out of the car when I noticed Alex hadn’t moved from his seat. I walked to the driver’s side and threw his door open. “Come on, there’s plenty of time until then,” I said, thinking none of the badness could touch us for a little while longer. “Let’s make it count.” I needed to be lost in him once again, needed to feel his touch, to connect with him one more time before whatever it was the next day might bring.

“He’ll be by? Here? How does he know where
here
is?”

There was no use in lying. “I let him know where we’re staying.” Before the red flush I could see creeping up Alex’s face had time to translate into yelling, I added, “Not that I think it was necessary. He smelled you on me last time we met. If he’s half as possessive as he used to be, he’s already followed your scent here.”

“Possessive? Are you his?” His face betrayed nothing; if it weren’t for his heartbeat rising, I’d think he was making idle chitchat.

I should have been honest and owned up to how I felt about Alex. I should have told him there was no reason for him to be jealous of my past. I didn’t tell him that, however. It was bad enough that I knew. Saying it aloud would make my choice even harder. Instead I threw back my head and laughed.

It wasn’t nice of me.

I can totally admit that I loved every minute of his jealousy, just as I loved every minute of Constantine’s chasing me. Yes, that moment I was absolutely convinced Constantine’s interest in me had nothing to do with actual feelings. He cared about me but wasn’t in love with me. He only wanted me because he’d lost me and he wasn’t used to losing. That didn’t make the passion of his pursuit any less flattering, however. It was simple mathematics: one Cherry plus two gorgeous men equaled one giggly Cherry with a heavily petted ego.

Alex naturally didn’t see the situation in the same positive light. He grabbed what little fabric was covering my breasts, pulled me down, and crushed his lips to mine for a kiss much more possessive than Constantine’s attitude could have ever been.

I didn’t stop laughing immediately. Not until his hand found its way between my legs and got rid first of the stake and then of my panties.

By the time our lips parted, I had finally made my choice. Not about whom I wanted to be with; there had been no doubt there. I’d decided what I was willing to sacrifice for him. Now it was all up to fate.

Chapter Fourteen

The front seat was cramped, but I am nothing if not flexible, so I did my best to pass one of my legs over Alex’s thighs until I could make myself comfortable in his lap. Ignoring the steering wheel digging into my back was difficult but not impossible. My efforts had just panned out and I was more than enjoying myself when he whispered, “Call him back and tell him not to come.”