Irresistible Magic (15 page)

“Phoebe’s car? How will we leave?”

His head snapped up as he slipped the phone back into his pocket. “You won’t.” He strode toward his door. “Wait here. I have to inform Father.”

“No!” I jumped up and grabbed his arm.

He sucked in a gasp of pain.

Right. His sunburn. “Sorry.” I loosened my grip but didn’t let go. Something still didn’t sit right about his sunburn. Since he was a vamp, it shouldn’t hurt that much. But we had a bigger problem right then. “What will he do?”

“Father?”

“Yes, Allcot. What can he do? And what is this going to cost me?”

David’s brow furrowed. “You’re connected to this family now, Wil. When are you going to accept that? You’re Beau’s aunt. Father isn’t going to let anything happen to your nephew’s family.”

Yeah. Somehow I didn’t believe that was the answer.

“And as far as what he’ll do, I don’t know. But if I were him, I’d find out as much information from you and Phoebe as possible and then put a team out there to track that vamp. Find out what he wants. He can also put a team on researching the people in those photos you took.”

“I’m going with you,” I said.

“Fine. I’m sure Father will want to speak to you.”

I followed David out of the room. We passed Phoebe, who had her head buried in the laptop as she typed furiously. “Phoebs?”

She waved a hand, indicating she didn’t want to be interrupted.

“We’re going to see Allcot,” I said.

The typing stopped but she didn’t look up. Then she nodded and her fingers started to fly again. “I’ll be here.”

As David swept me into the hallway, my phone started playing “Glad You Came” by The Wanted.
Talisen.
I yanked my phone out of my back pocket, but before I could answer it, David plucked it out of my hand and turned the phone off.

“Hey!” I reached for it.

“Your phone calls are likely being tracked or tapped. You can’t use this phone.” He tossed it to the floor and smashed it with his heavy boot.

I stopped mid-step and gaped. “What the…? Jesus, David. You didn’t need to do that. What’s wrong with you?”

He glanced at me, his face unreadable. “I’ll get you a new one.”

Red-hot anger started to simmer beneath my skin. How dare he? “You could’ve asked me to not answer it.”

Something in my tone must’ve tipped him off that I wasn’t just irritated, but upset as well, because he turned to me and in a soft voice said, “Hey, I’m sorry. I’m only trying to protect you. If it’s being tracked, it’s a danger. I didn’t think you liked the phone that much. I mean, you never charge it.” His lips quirked up in a small smile. “I’ll send someone to get you another right now.”

“It’s not that, you idiot.” An angry tear I couldn’t hold back fell unchecked down my cheek. “I had pictures on that phone that weren’t backed up on a cloud or computer.” Mostly pictures of him before he turned vamp, but I’d walk over cut glass before I’d tell him that.

“Oh. Son of a bitch,” he said under his breath. “I’m sorry. Did you have pictures of Beau on there?”

“No,” I said quietly. “These were more recent.”

“I’ll have one of our techs try to recover them.” He bent to retrieve the scattered pieces.

I said nothing, just watched him straighten and pocket the dead phone.

Silence stretched between us, becoming uncomfortable. I cleared my throat. “Can we go see Allcot now?”

“Of course.” He took off down the stairs and led me to the back door.

“Wait. Isn’t he here?”

David shook his head. “No. He’s at Cryrique.”

***

David inserted a key into what appeared to be a service elevator and a button lit up. I glanced around the parking garage, feeling more than a little vulnerable. David was with me, but Link and Phoebe were back at his house. All I had was my life magic. I could alter plants and change vamps into daywalkers. Not much to work with on the defense front. Hell, I’d even left my stun gun in Phoebe’s car. It hadn’t seemed like a good idea to bring it into Allcot’s home.

The light went out on the button and the elevator doors opened. David placed a hand on the small of my back and guided me in.

Everything about the situation screamed that I should run. If Allcot wanted to, he could lock me up in this building and I’d never be heard from again. No one knew where we were. Not even Phoebe.

The doors closed and seemed to suck all the air out of the tiny space. I concentrated on breathing, but my heart sped up and it wasn’t long before I was almost hyperventilating.

“Willow?” David put his strong arm around me. “What is it? What’s happening?”

“Claustrophobia,” I forced out, though I’d never had that problem before. No, I was having a panic attack.

David pulled me into his arms and pressed my head to his chest. “Close your eyes,” he soothed. “We’ll be there in a second.”

I did as he asked and tried to convince myself he was just a friend helping me get through a crisis. But deep down I knew it was a lie. David loved me. And even though I didn’t want to admit it to even myself, I still had lingering feelings for him.

The elevator came to an abrupt stop, followed by a ding. The doors swept open and I launched myself out of David’s arms. I clutched the hallway wall, working to get my breathing under control. David stood a few feet from me, waiting.

“Better?” he asked when my chest stopped heaving.

“Yeah.” Though I certainly wasn’t fine. The place was eerie. No one graced the sterile corridor, despite what appeared to be a long line of offices. There wasn’t any office noise. No phones ringing. No footsteps. No voices. The place was a tomb. “Where is everyone?”

“This is Father’s private floor.” He headed to the end of the corridor to a nondescript white door and knocked. The door opened on its own, exactly like the door to Allcot’s private office at The Red Door. Nicola, Allcot’s sister-in-law, had likely spelled them. She was his resident witch, though not nearly as powerful as Phoebe.

We entered the sleek, deserted office. The brushed aluminum fixtures cast soft light over the gleaming black desk and silver, fabric-covered chairs. The desk was cleared, not one thing out of place, as if he hadn’t even been in yet that day. I turned my attention to David. “He’s not here.”

“He is. We just need to wait.” David sat in one of the plush chairs.

I eyed the phone. With a glance back at David, I strode over and picked it up. “Do I need to dial nine or anything for an outside line?”

I suppose I was mostly asking to see if he was going to give me a hard time. He only shook his head. I punched in six of Tal’s numbers and paused, almost daring David to stop me. He didn’t. I punched the last number and waited.

He answered on the third ring, almost out of breath. “Hello?”

“Tal, thank goodness.”

“Willow!” His voice turned frantic, laced with fear. “Where are you?”

“I…” Should I say? What if his phone was tapped? I couldn’t know. “I’m safe.”

He let out a sigh of relief. “Good, I’ve been—” A clatter sounded over the line, followed by a grunt.

“Tal?”

“Get up.” A harsh male voice filtered through the line.

“Talisen!” I cried, my heart trying to pound right out of my chest.

“Worthless fae.” Another grunt, followed by a moan. “Who did you tell?”

“No one.” I heard Tal say from far away. The tiny bit of relief at hearing his voice did nothing to calm the frantic haze of panic filling my senses. “Put Talisen on the phone!”

The person on the other end ignored my demand and yelled at Talisen instead. “Don’t lie to me. Someone knows.” Footsteps clattered on a hard floor, followed by the harsh reality of some sort of contact and the unmistakable sound of bones cracking.

The blood drained from my head and I went dizzy. “Tal,” I whispered, clutching the phone.

“Who is this?” the stranger barked into the phone.

My throat closed. David pried the phone from my hand, holding me up with one arm. “This is Davidson Laveaux. Who is this?”

I pressed my ear close to David’s, determined to be kept in the loop.

“None of your fucking business. I’ve got the fae now. If you want to see him alive again, find the energy-booster drug he’s been working on. You have until tomorrow morning.”

I heard the line go dead and lost the ability to stay standing. “No!” I cried into David’s chest. “This can’t happen. Not Tal. Not now.”

A sharp pain hit me right in the chest and I was certain my heart was breaking in half. I couldn’t lose Tal, my best friend, Beau’s best friend, the man I loved. I held on to David, unaware of him except for his solid mass giving me something to cling to.
Not Tal!
I silently chanted over and over.

“Willow?” David’s voice brought me back to myself and my mind raced. I had to do something. Where would he keep his new elixir? The university? That was the obvious guess. And where would I take it if I did find it? I’d worry about that later. Yanking myself out of David’s arms, I headed for the door.

“Ms. Rhoswen.” Allcot’s smooth, Southern gentleman drawl sounded behind me. I instantly tensed as his sticky vampire energy wrapped around me and vaguely noted I should have felt him earlier. “I think you’d better have a seat.”

I turned around, my hands balled at my sides. “I’m going to find Talisen. He’s hurt.”

The teenage look-alike leveled me with his uncaring gaze. “I can’t let you do that.”

“Oh? Watch me.” In two steps I had my hand on the doorknob, but David came out of nowhere and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling be back into the room. “Let me go!” I struggled, kicking and clawing, determined to make my way to Talisen, wherever he was. Nothing would stop me from getting to him. Not even David.

David just held on, his unbreakable embrace never once giving me an opening.

“Goddammit, David! This is more important than whatever your father has to say. Put me down!”

“I can’t. Talisen wouldn’t want you running into a situation unprepared and without backup. You know that. Calm down and we’ll make a plan.”

I stopped struggling as his words sank in. He’d said we. He’d help me find Tal.

“All right?” he asked.

“Yeah.” I sucked in a breath. “Okay.”

“Davidson, if you’re done manhandling her, maybe you both would like to take a seat.”

Gently, David lowered me to my feet. He clasped my hand in his and led me to the chairs directly in front of Allcot’s desk. The Plexiglas surface gleamed under the office lights. There was nothing about this room that said Allcot, except that it was clearly expensive.

“Father. Willow and Phoebe learned something of importance today that you need to know.” David inclined his head in Allcot’s direction.

Learned something of importance.
I snorted out a frustrated laugh, on the brink of losing my mind. Daywalking vamp, Link electrocuted, Phoebe and me almost killed, and now something terrible had happened to Tal and these two assholes wanted to sit here and make polite conversation.

I turned and found Allcot’s dark gray eyes focused on me. “Harrison says he lost track of you today.”

He was asking why I’d taken off. I scowled. “I hardly think that’s the most pressing matter at the moment.”

Allcot gave me a hard, cold stare and when I didn’t react, he nodded to David. “Why did you bring her here if she doesn’t want to cooperate with us? I’ve pledged my protection and she’s done nothing but throw it away.”

I clutched the armrest of the chair, ready to bolt. Was he seriously chastising me now? We didn’t have time for this.

“Father,” David warned.

And that one word made my head snap up. I’d never heard him challenge his father before. No one ever challenged Allcot.

The master vampire stood and walked around the desk to stare at us. He cast David a curious glance before turning his attention once more to me.

“It seems you have something to tell me.” He leaned back against the desk and crossed his ankles.

I had a bit of déjà vu from the first time I’d met him. This was his way of seeming inviting to get one to talk to him. My preference was to march out of his office and slam the door in his face, but Tal and I were both in serious trouble here. I needed him. “Phoebe and I were attacked by a daywalker.”

Allcot straightened and snapped his attention to David. “Another daywalker?”

David nodded. “They came straight to me after the incident.”

“A daywalker,” he said to himself.

I stood, impatient. “Phoebe is researching what she can. The problem is we can’t go home or anywhere else. I’m too recognizable. The vamp wanted to kill us, and I’m certain he won’t stop until he finds us.” I forced myself to keep my voice strong and steady. “If I’m not mistaken, he won’t stand for anyone knowing he exists.”

He rubbed his smooth chin. “You’re asking for my protection?”

“No.” I stood taller. “I’m asking for David’s.”

David met my imploring gaze. “You don’t have to ask.”