Christian (Vampires in America: The Vampire Wars Book 10) (24 page)

Alon himself came over and sat next to Natalie, close enough that his shoulder was touching hers, close enough that it drew Christian’s attention. He caught her gaze, his own shifting downward to the point where their shoulders met, and then back up again to meet her eyes, with one eyebrow raised in question. Natalie would have laughed, but there wasn’t any humor in Christian’s expression. They were barely a couple, and already he was going all super possessive on her. She’d heard that about vampires, especially the powerful ones. They were instinctively territorial, and that instinct didn’t end with control over real estate. It extended to everything and, especially, every
one
in their lives.

She returned Christian’s stare, opening her eyes wide, and giving him a silent “What?”

He grinned finally, which elicited a gasp from the lone woman in the judo class, and from one of the men, too. Christian simply returned his attention to Marc. They exchanged a couple of words, then bowed briefly to Alon, as the dojo master, and more deeply to each other. Natalie held her breath when they started to move, circling slowly, hands and feet in constant motion. She didn’t know what to expect from this encounter. She’d seen Christian fight Noriega, had seen him kill with impunity. But this was completely different. It was a purely physical match, no vampire magic involved. And Marc wasn’t his enemy. Still, vampires were so much stronger than humans. Could they pull their punches to avoid damaging each other? And would they bother to appear human since they had an audience?

Christian said something in French, too low for her to pick up. And in the blink of an eye, the fight was on. Everyone in the dojo was leaning forward, focusing hard, trying to follow the blur of hands and feet that was the two vampires fighting. They were using Krav Maga; she knew that much. But she’d never seen anything like this. The flow from one attack to the next was seamless, their every move graceful and deadly. And, no, they weren’t bothering to pull their punches. The sound of fists and feet hitting flesh was so loud that Natalie could almost feel the impact, so loud that it reverberated over the floor and off the walls. The two vampires shook off blows that would have snapped human bones, bounced up from throws that would have left a human writhing and crippled on the floor.

They were beautiful in their brutality. Two wild and powerful creatures engaged in a fight for survival. And having the time of their lives. Both were grinning like crazy people, moving back and forth across the mat, deftly shifting direction whenever they came too close to the observers, demonstrating a situational awareness that was amazingly acute, given the speed and violence of their encounter.

“Whoa,” Alon whispered, next to her. “That is
kick
ass.”

“Gorgeous,” she murmured.

“Which one?” he asked, his amusement obvious.

“Both of them,” she said quickly.

“Yeah, but you’ve got your eye on Blondie. You in love at last, Nat?”

Natalie shot him an annoyed glance. “Of course not. I barely know him.”

“That’s how it starts, babe,” he said, tossing a friendly arm around her shoulders. “And it’s overdue. You’ve been hiding behind that computer for too long.”

“Ssshh,” she hissed. “Pay attention.”

He chuckled softly, but she could feel his arm tightening around her as he strained to follow the action. He was barely blinking for fear of missing something.

With no warning that Natalie could discern, the action abruptly stopped. The two vampires each took a step back and bowed formally, but then grins split their faces and they embraced, pounding each other on the back. Alon jumped to his feet, and raced over to join them. The men and woman from the night class shuffled closer, but didn’t intrude, though whether it was out of respect
for
, or fear
of
, the combatants, Natalie didn’t know. Maybe a little of both, because she sure as hell was intimidated by the demonstration she’d just witnessed.

Intimidated, yeah, and maybe just a little turned on. Maybe even more than a little.

“Natalie,” Alon called. She jumped to her feet, and crossed the dojo floor, joining the three of them just off the mat. Alon put an arm around her, tugging her into their group, and she saw Christian’s jaw tighten as he focused on that touch.

Only his eyes moved as he met her gaze in a silent question. She was either his, or she wasn’t. But if she was, she didn’t belong in Alon’s embrace.

Natalie wanted to protest. Alon was her friend, and the embrace meant nothing else. But this was one of those fragile turning points in a relationship, where it could go either way. An unexpected bolt of desire shivered over her skin, and she knew which way she wanted it to go. Christian couldn’t have missed her reaction, but his expression never changed. The next move was hers.

Patting Alon’s hand where it rested on her shoulder, she ducked out from under his arm and crossed to Christian’s side. He stretched out a hand and pulled her in tightly, his arm circling her waist, his hand resting possessively on her hip. Natalie looked up and blushed at the amusement in Alon’s eyes. But then Christian touched his lips to her temple, and everything inside her relaxed, as if her body had known all along where she belonged. It was only her brain that had needed to catch up.

“I was telling Christian that he and Marc are welcome anytime,” Alon was saying. “Maybe he can convince you to take up the discipline.”

Christian glanced down at her. “You’re not in the class?”

She shook her head. “It’s a little beyond me.”

“We’re starting a beginner’s class in two weeks,” Alon informed her with a wicked smile. He’d been after her to take up the Israeli discipline ever since they’d met.

“I’ll think about it,” she said, although she didn’t mean it. Especially not after seeing what it looked like when practiced by vampires.

Alon’s grin turned knowing a moment before his assistant called to him from across the room, holding up the phone. “I’ll be right back.”

Meanwhile, Marc, who had slipped away to the locker room while Christian spoke with Alon, emerged wearing a T-shirt with his giGI pants, and carrying two duffel bags. He stopped long enough to exchange a few words with the lone female in the advanced judo class, then walked over, dug out a T-shirt from one of the duffels, and held it out to Christian. The two of them exchanged an intent look that made Natalie suspect they were communicating silently. Christian’s next words confirmed it.

“We’re going home,” he informed Marc. He slipped out of his giGI jacket and quickly pulled the offered T-shirt over his head, but not before giving Natalie, and everyone else, a view of his deliciously muscled shoulders and perfect abs. She smiled smugly, knowing she’d be up close and personal with that body before the night was over.

Christian was bent over, shoving his jacket into the duffel, but he caught her smile when he straightened, and grinned back, as if he was thinking the same thing. He draped a heavy arm over her shoulders. “Are you ready?” he asked, his tone making it clear that he was talking about a lot more than just driving home.

She tried to ignore the way her entire body had tightened in response to his innuendo. “I have to change first,” she said, indicating the giGI she was still wearing. She ducked out from under his arm, and started for the locker room, but he pulled her back for a quick kiss.

“Make it fast,” he told her. “I’m not happy having you out in the open like this.”

She patted his cheek. “You worry too much. I’ll be twenty feet away in a closed room.”

Christian gave her a look that promised payback for the cheek pat, and she was smiling as she pushed through the swinging door.

CHRISTIAN WAITED until the door closed behind Natalie, then gave Marc a questioning look. “You talked to Alon?”

“I did. And he’s done his homework,” Marc told him. “I think he might know more about vamp stuff than I do at this point.”

“Does he have family?”

“On a kibbutz in Israel. Parents and two brothers, some toddler nieces and a nephew. His only sister was killed during a bombing in Jerusalem.”

Christian frowned. Family could be a problem, especially if they were religious. “What do they think about this?”

“He says they’re fine with it. They’re socialist for the most part, and not particularly religious.”

“He talked to them about it specifically?”

Marc nodded. “Apparently, he’s been considering this ever since he met Natalie. He knew about vampires before that, but she was the first person he’d come across with any personal knowledge. Frankly, I’m surprised meeting her would make him
more
interested rather than less. I don’t think your woman was all that fond of vampires before meeting
you
.”

Christian shrugged. “I’m a charming guy.”

Marc scoffed loudly.

“Show some respect, asshole. I’m your Sire.”

“Right,” Marc said, his expression shifting to one of mocking attention. “Don’t want to give the newbie the wrong impression.”

“Where did I go wrong?” Christian muttered. “Okay, I’ll ask Alon to come by the house later. We’ll talk, and I’ll make a final decision. In the meantime—”

“I’m back! And look! All in one piece, too!” Natalie bounced out of the locker room, with a huge smile.

Marc nearly choked to death trying not to laugh, while Christian could only scowl. Obviously, it wasn’t only with Marc that he’d gone wrong.

“Let’s go,” he growled, indicating the door to the back parking lot.

“My car’s there, too,” Natalie said, jiggling the keys in her hand.

“Leave it, we’ll—”

“I’m not leaving my car again,” she said stubbornly, planting her feet.

Christ, was he a powerful vampire or not? Shouldn’t
somebody
be cowed by him?
“Fine,” he snapped, and turned to Marc with a jerk of his head. “You drive her car. Natalie and I will take the SUV. Natalie, give him your keys.”

“I don’t like the idea of—” Marc started to protest, but, wonder of wonders, he caught the impatient look Christian was sending him and changed his mind. “Go north down the alley,” he said, pointing. “You lead, I’ll follow.”

Alon came up to say good-bye. He shook Marc’s hand, then reached out to hug Natalie, pulling her away from Christian and into his arms. It took every ounce of control Christian possessed not to tear the man’s arms off, but he told himself that Alon didn’t know what he was doing, that the human and Natalie were friends, nothing more. That didn’t stop the low growl of warning that rumbled up from his chest.

Natalie shivered a little at the sound, but she quickly kissed Alon’s cheek and broke away from his embrace. “I probably won’t see you tomorrow,” she told him, “but—”

“I think Alon should come home with us,” Christian interrupted, shifting his attention to the Israeli. “If you’re available, that is. We have things to discuss.”

“Sure thing,” he said firmly. “I’m finished for the night, and my assistant can close up.”

Christian hadn’t told Natalie, but he’d already decided to turn Alon, if that’s what the man truly wanted. He was going to need soldiers, loyal soldiers, when he became Lord of the South, and the best way to ensure that was to make an army of his own. He couldn’t do it all in a day, or even a year, but Alon was a good beginning, and he’d make a great security chief. Natalie had said he was former Israeli military, but Christian knew there was much more to it than that. He’d known, even before talking to Alon, that he’d been Special Forces, and almost certainly one of the covert branches. There was a coiled readiness to such men, a constant awareness of everything around them, even when they were pretending not to pay attention.

But first, Christian had to be certain that the human knew what he was asking for, that he understood deep in his gut that there could be no return from this decision, other than death.

When Alon rejoined them, Christian took Natalie’s hand, and walked out to the parking lot, with Alon leading the way. Unlocking the SUV with the remote, he opened the front passenger door and nudged Natalie in that direction, while Alon reached for the back door. Either Marc would bring Alon back to the dojo later tonight, or, if it got to be too late, he could always borrow Natalie’s car and drive himself. The thought struck him that at least that way, Natalie might remain safely at home during the day tomorrow.

She turned as she climbed up and settled on the passenger seat. “I never told you what I discovered today in Anthony’s files.” She started to say more, but he’d already stopped listening, one hand held up in warning.

Instinct had him turning toward the mouth of the alley a moment before the surrounding walls pulsed to the sound of a powerful engine ramping up. Christian shoved Natalie flat onto the front seat as gunfire erupted from behind them, shattering the SUV’s rear windows, and punching through metal. Marc had already started Natalie’s small car, and he now zoomed forward, slamming it into position next to the SUV, before shoving the door open and racing to Christian’s side. The smaller vehicle provided some additional cover from the hail of bullets, but it was too late for Alon. The warrior had followed his instincts, turning to face their attackers, protecting his friends with the only weapon he had—himself. He’d been hit badly, his body dancing wildly under the hail of gunfire.

Natalie screamed Alon’s name, and tried to crawl out of the vehicle, but Christian slammed the door, keeping her inside. He started forward, intent on catching the assailants before they could escape, but Natalie didn’t stay where he’d put her. She jumped out of the vehicle and went to her knees next to Alon, leaving them both completely unprotected.

“Marc!” Christian roared, and caught the weapon his lieutenant threw at him from the back seat of the SUV. He preferred to fight as a vampire, but as a wise man once said, you don’t bring a vampire mind trick to a gunfight. At least, not until you’ve gotten rid of all the fucking guns.

He and Marc took up position in the angle between the two vehicles, hoping to draw fire away from Natalie and the injured Alon where he lay on the other side next to the building. One of their attackers fell, and the others were suddenly more intent on maintaining cover than on shooting anyone. Christian lowered his gun, letting Marc keep their enemies busy, while he took stock of the situation. Their assailants were both human and vampire, and their white SUV—an irony he would appreciate later—appeared to be heavily reinforced. The man on the ground—injured but not yet dead—was vampire, while the remaining two gunmen were one of each. They were braced behind what were obviously bullet-resistant doors, and seemed mostly concerned with keeping their heads down. At the same time, Christian could detect a fourth, definitely vampire, presence sitting in the back seat of the vehicle.