Stakeout (Aurora Sky (7 page)

The Bronco was in the same spot it had been
idling the night before.

“Just great.”

I backed up to Michelle and Trudy’s closet
and began pushing through the hangers. What I needed was a
disguise.

What I needed were normal clothes.

My roommates weren’t as petite as me, but
they were skinny and wore tight clothing. I pulled a white
turtleneck off a hanger.

I took the turtleneck to the bathroom and set
it on the counter while I yanked at the strings on my corset. While
I was at it, I tugged off the tulle skirt and unfastened the sheath
around my waist. After nabbing a pair of blue jeans from my room, I
pulled the turtleneck over my head and stared into the mirror.

I gathered all my hair over one shoulder.

Not the sexiest girl on the block, but I
wasn’t anything to sneeze at, either. I had flawless skin for one
thing and not an ounce of body fat. There were girls who’d kill to
be a size zero. I turned sideways and scrutinized my profile in the
mirror.

I pulled the turtleneck off before tossing it
into the clothes pile beside by my bed.

Gavin whistled as I walked up to his lunch table the
next day. “Looking good, Noel.”

Luckily I didn’t have the type of skin that
flushed easily. “Thanks,” I said. “Just something I had lying
around.”

Henry leaned over the table, grinning all the
while. “I think you look beautiful no matter what you wear.”

Henry may have used the word “beautiful,” but
Gavin’s “good” still had more impact.

“Did you receive Marcus’s invitation?” Henry
asked, never breaking eye contact.

Gavin snorted and looked upward before
turning his focus to the table.

I looked in Gavin’s direction. “The candy was
a nice touch.”

Gavin smiled. “So, you’re going?”

“Yeah. You?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

Henry looked between the two of us. “You seem
happy here at West, Noel.”

“It’s not bad,” I answered. “But I miss my
friends. I did talk them into making an appearance at Marcus’s this
Friday.”

Henry clapped his hands and rubbed them
together. “Excellent. We’ll have to show them what they’ve been
missing, won’t we Gavin?”

I don’t know what kind of expression Gavin
had on his face because I wasn’t looking at either vampire. My
stomach had bottomed out at Henry’s comment. Gavin had sucked blood
from Whitney and Hope before—no big deal. Except it made me want to
un-invite them both the moment school finished.

I tried to paste a bored expression over my
face. Usually bluffing came naturally to me. At that moment, I felt
like stabbing something, and I just had to hope it didn’t show.

“Do you think Aurora will ever brave the
palace again?” Henry asked.

Getting kidnapped and tortured did put a
damper on things.

“You haven’t seen the last of Aurora,” I
said. “She’s tough.”

“But not as tough as you, Black Bear,” Gavin
said with a wink.

The thump, thump, thumping in my chest
started anew. I wanted like crazy to invite Gavin back to my
apartment
right now
. Henry’s sly gaze
snapped me out of it.

“Well, we ought to head to our lockers, don’t
you think, Gavin?”

Gavin glanced at the wall clock before
saying, “Yeah, sure.” He smiled at me. “Too bad we don’t have any
classes together.”

“Sucks,” I said.

Henry scooted back. “See you tomorrow.” I
didn’t have any classes with him, either.

“Don’t study too hard,” I said.

Henry’s lips lifted as though he might laugh.
He patted my shoulder. “Take it easy.”

As I watched Gavin walk away, I decided I
didn’t care if he hadn’t been assigned to me—I was assigning him to
myself. My personal life wasn’t any of the agents’ business. Odds
were the men I’d meet would be vampires since that’s who I was
required to spend my time with. Well, every job deserved perks.

4

Whitney and Hope showed up at my apartment early
Friday evening. We ordered pizza and drank hard lemonade that I’d
purchased with my fake ID. Standard issue perk.

It was great to have my girls with me, but as
we pulled up to the palace, I suddenly wished I was going in
alone.

What if Gavin did ask one of them to
accompany him upstairs?

My jaw clenched. I relaxed into a smile as we
entered the palace. The lighting inside was dim, cozy,
romantic—perfect for making out.

I hadn’t come armed tonight. No knives or
mace. Tonight, I was after something else entirely.

I’d worn one of my favorite black sleeveless
dresses. It had ruffles around the trim of the straps and bodice,
which added a visual boost around my chest. A purple plaid pattern
filled in the front from just below the bust line, ending at my
thighs in a layer of black lace. I’d gone without stockings.
Tonight I was all smooth, white skin beneath the hem of my dress.
My arm warmers were laced up to my elbows, and I’d pulled up half
my hair and clipped in a few purple hair extensions to match the
plaid.

I watched the floor as we entered, making
sure I didn’t trip in my black pumps on the stone entryway. Marcus
had imported the stones straight from Jerusalem.

“Toto, we aren’t in Kansas anymore,” Whitney
said.

Hope sniggered. “I’d nearly forgotten the
Land of Oz.”

“Bram Stoker’s Oz,” I said with a smirk.

Whitney and Hope chortled. In that moment, I
was truly happy to have them by my side. We’d always played off of
each other well. That was something I missed at West—gal pals. No
amount of male cuteness could replace the bonds of friendship.

Over Hope’s shoulder, Marcus smiled from the
living room, taking languid steps toward us. His movements were as
smooth as the silk shirt draped over his body. I doubted the man
owned a single pair of blue jeans or a T-shirt.

“My three dark mice, together again,” Marcus
said, taking us all in at once.

“Hello, Marcus,” Whitney said. “We’ve missed
you.”

Marcus angled himself until the silk of his
shirt was nearly rubbing against Whitney’s arm. “I hear I have
competition on the east side.”

Whitney glanced at me quickly.

Marcus moved in closer. “What do they have
that I don’t?”

“Spice,” I answered before Whitney could
respond.

She glared at me.

Marcus’s eyebrows shot up. He shook his head.
“So the mice have gotten a taste of poison?”

Whitney and Hope looked at the ground.

“I prefer simple pleasures, myself,” Marcus
said. “Fine wine and art; champagne and appetizers; beautiful
people and a room with a view.”

I smirked. “
Simple
pleasures?”

Marcus winked. “Perhaps some of the fine
gentleman here this evening can help remind your friends what it’s
like to enjoy the simple pleasures. I expect Henry and Gavin
anytime. Until then, please, help yourselves to a cocktail. As you
know, I specialize in liquids. I’m sure you’ll find something to
satisfy.” Marcus bowed slightly.

“Thanks a lot, Noel,” Whitney said, smacking
me on the shoulder once Marcus turned away.

“He thinks we’re total druggies,” Hope
said.

I shrugged. “You are druggies. Maybe you
should rethink smoking something that could make you eat someone’s
face off.”

Hope’s lip curled back.

“Don’t give me that look,” I said. “I told
you that shit was fucked up. What happened to alcohol and vampires?
We used to have fun.”

“Right, the simple pleasures,” Whitney said
rolling her eyes.

“Here’s the thing,” Hope said. “A vampire
gets off on biting us. Our blood is like a drug when it enters
their system, right? But what about us?”

Whitney placed a hand on her hip. “Yeah, what
about us? Bullshit is what I say. We get bit and provide the rush.
Where’s our rush?”

I looked from Whitney to Hope, unsure how to
respond. “The biting and sucking is the rush,” I said. It was for
me, anyway. Something thrilling came over me every time a vampire
sucked blood from my vein. I wasn’t looking for a mind altering
experience. I guess that was where my friends and I differed. I got
off on the sexual nature of the exchange. Maybe that wasn’t their
thing.

“Tonight you agreed to come out with me, so
we’re doing things my way,” I said. “And that begins with a
cocktail.”

“Fine,” Whitney said. “Have it your way...
tonight.” She smiled at the last part, arms relaxing. My girls
didn’t hold grudges. The drug thing sucked, but they were my
friends come hell or high water.

We walked into the kitchen where a young man
in a dress shirt and pants greeted us from behind a counter. Rows
of liquor bottles, lime wedges, salt, and sugar bowls were set
before him.

“You three look thirsty,” Marcus’s makeshift
bartender said. “You name it, I’ll make it.”