Deceived (Burned Book 2) Read online

  "I should head back." I tugged on his hand, reluctantly leading us back to my Jag. I couldn't force myself to let go.

  Our walk was silent. The occasional brush of our arms sent tingles shooting though me. My heart pounded, not just because of my growing feelings. We needed to get back. This was too risky.

  He leaned close, his lips brushing my ear. His warm breath trembled against the sensitive shell. My lungs refused to work; my breath was held suspended with desire.

  "I want to take you home with me."

  An ache built, my breath exploded from me. "You can't say things like that."

  "I know. Friends." He backed off, still grasping my hand. "I just—" He ran the fingers of his free hand through his hair. Black strands poked out all over the place. "I want to be honest with you."

  My heart stopped, then kicked back at a furious pace.

  "I want you to know without a shred of doubt where I stand. I have a feeling too many people leave you adrift. I don't want there to be any confusion about how I feel. I said I'd be your friend and I will, but you deserve to always hear the truth."

  Tears pooled in my eyes. If only he knew how much that meant. Honesty. A gift rarely given. I turned my head, not wanting him to see how much his words affected me.

  This was going to be more difficult than I thought. I swallowed thickly, gathering my walls back around me. Building them brick by brick.

  Red and blue flashing lights bounced off the buildings ahead of us. Half a dozen police cars blocked the street. We'd have to walk past them to get to my car. We weren't in the greatest section of town. Scenes like this were commonplace in a crowded metropolis like Tampa.

  I peered into the alley as we walked by. Uniformed officers were scattered all over the place. Bright yellow crime scene tape stretched along the alley entrance, a defining line that twisted in the cool night breeze. A stark white sheet spread over a lump on the concrete.

  I gasped but my steps never faltered, preservation kicking in. It wasn't the body hidden under the sheet that had my heart pounding. I'd seen my share of dead things in my tenure with Alejandro.

  What stole my breath and had icy tendrils of fear wrapping around my throat was a familiar figure standing next to the body. One that was deep in conversation with a couple of scowling detectives.

  "Isn't that—"

  "Don't say anything," I warned. We walked away in silence as we hurried to put distance between ourselves and the scene.

  The suspicion that had plagued me for months returned full force.

  The familiar figure was Kyra.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The clink of our silverware was loud in the pressing silence that passed between us. The noise from the other diners was a constant murmur in the background. Patrick had set us in a more private booth than usual at Alejandro's request.

  Something was off tonight, but I just couldn't put my finger on what. My shoulders were tense with stress, my body rigid and formal. Normally on cue with Alejandro's changing moods, I couldn't get a handle on what to expect tonight.

  "You're spending more time with Kyra," he said. His clipped tone was sharp with disapproval.

  It wasn't a question but I felt I had to fill the air with something. It was already heavy with the words I held back. "Yes."

  "Don't pick up any of her bad manners." His brows drew close to his eyes, irritation flaring. "She shows a defined lack of respect, and a horrible propensity toward questioning me."

  She wasn't going to last long with habits like that. Even if seeing her behind that police tape was explainable, she'd dig herself a grave one shovel at a time.

  "Is that what's bothering you this evening?" I chewed on my lip.

  His attention shifted sharply and zeroed in on me. Softening within seconds, he released a heavy sigh. "Is it that obvious?"

  I didn't dignify that with a response, staring at him instead.

  "I'm a terrible companion this evening." He shoved his plate away. The food that remained had been picked at and shoved around, hardly a bite eaten. Vampires could eat and drink just like humans, but it wasn't necessity for living. It helped them to blend in, a camouflage. Some, like Alejandro, still enjoyed a fine meal, while others found the rote human chore tedious.

  "Why don't we escape upstairs for the remainder of the evening?" Smooth fingers brushed over mine. Their coolness was familiar, but no longer comforting.

  I ached for warmth, for a gentleness that wasn't hiding a core of twisted secrets.

  Alejandro wasn't the only one out of sorts this evening.

  Words caught in my throat. I jerked my head in a nod and sipped tepid water to clear it.

  Alejandro's powerful attention shifted to Patrick, allowing me a moment to breathe, to gather my racing thoughts. I almost reconsidered. Almost. But I caught his steely gaze narrowed in frustration. It wasn't a good time to turn him down, not that I ever had before.

  He needed me, although he'd probably never admit it. The words I longed to hear would never pass the barrier of his lips.

  Zak would never have a problem admitting his feelings. The unwelcomed comparison popped into my head without my permission. I struggled to shove away the intrusive thoughts.

  I loved Alejandro and he loved me as much as a man like him was able to. That was enough. Wasn't it?

  The unaccustomed feelings did not sit well with me, churning the little food I'd managed to force down from our uncomfortable meal. I struggled to shake off the feeling as we rode the elevator to my floor. The entire way was shrouded in tension.

  The swoosh of the elevator doors as they opened was loud in the oppressive silence.

  "I do not plan to stay all night."

  Relief washed over me at his declaration, something I hadn't expected to feel.

  "That's fine." I shrugged. His piercing eyes followed the slight movement of my shoulders with a frown. "I have some paperwork to finish." And some thinking to do.

  My agreement placated him; his smile widened as he loosened his tie and tossed it over the chair in my bedroom.

  What was wrong with me tonight? I always wanted Alejandro to stay. I never pushed him, but the feeling of disappointment when he left early wasn't unfamiliar. My thoughts were fixated on Kyra and what I should do with the information that ate at my conscience. I didn't even care where he spent the rest of the night, as long as I had the space to think.

  After he'd left, I tossed on a pair of yoga pants and dragged the hidden pint of Ben and Jerry's Half Baked from the back of my freezer. Mentally committing myself to an extra hour in the gym this week, I stabbed my spoon in the frozen blobs of sweetness while I curled up on a balcony chair. Licking the frozen clumps of cookie dough off the utensil, I fought to find some order to the storm in my head … and my heart.

  The lights from the million-dollar yachts bobbed on the glassy surface, twinkling in a code that I wished was an actual message. What if it were that easy? If the answers were dangling in front of me like low-hanging fruit, ripe and ready to be plucked? My shoulders sank. There was no message. There was no right or wrong answer. The only choice was to pick the answer that would cause the least amount of problems for those I loved. As always, it boiled down to determining which was the lesser of the evils.

  What had I actually seen? Maybe there was some logical explanation for everything. A simple innocent answer.

  I snorted, smothering it quickly even though there was no one to hear. Things were never that simple and nothing involving Kyra was ever innocent. She breathed complications and trouble.

  I replayed the moment in my mind, frame by frame, picking it apart. It was obvious she was at a crime scene. What was she doing there? While a PI at a crime scene wasn't unheard of, her cases ran closer to cheating spouses and tracking down missing persons, not dead bodies. Or did it? She'd never said as much. But then again if she was working with the cops she wouldn't mention that flat out, would she?

  The wind jostled the waves in my hair as I licked another
gooey spoonful.

  I'd never once caught her in a lie. Not a single dancing rune had appeared during any of our conversations. Conversations that leaned more toward uncomfortably blunt than shrouded in mystery. Nevertheless, here I was with questions that needed answers and a ticking clock stealing my sleep.

  If I put off telling Alejandro any longer, I'd end up being culpable. Stalling was dangerous enough. By not revealing what I'd seen immediately, I was dipping my toe into troubled waters. But if I didn't say anything and he discovered my silence… I wouldn't be worrying about much of anything ever again. My ass would end up on the line, and I didn't work this hard to give up an inch for her.

  But Daniel. Daniel was a complication. A big one. One that I didn't want to risk.

  The fan blades sliced through the air as I propped my feet on the railing, my thoughts tumbling through my mind. Each revolution of the blades clicked, almost as if they were talking to me. Asking me where my loyalties lie. To choose.

  Daniel or Alejandro. Because that's what it came down to.

  If there was really something there, something not-so-innocent, I was signing both of their death warrants. Daniel had spoken for Kyra, brought her into the House. He was effectively responsible for any betrayal she brought with her.

  While I'd provided information through the years that had gotten a lot of people killed, the guilt didn't consume me. It was there, but everyone knew better than to deceive the leader of one of the most powerful Houses in the nation. They played a huge part in their own demise.

  But Daniel was led there by love. His stupid heart.

  Was it really just an innocent coincidence? A cold dread hit me. Or was this bitch setting us up? My heart seized at the thought of something happening to Alejandro because I held my tongue.

  Choose. Choose. Choose. Choose. The fan whispered to me over the din of the city.

  Chapter Fourteen

  "I didn't sign up to kill anyone!" The fury in Kyra's heated words had my head whipping around.

  I'd been minding my own business, waiting in Alejandro's office when he and Kyra returned from their trip to Orlando. They'd gone to take care of a property, one Alejandro was going to demolish and rebuild as a luxury resort. There were complications. The permits were constantly being tied up with various lawsuits as some of the residents fought to stay.

  I didn't want to know about the details, nor what take care of meant. In most cases it was better not to. I already had too many secrets floating around in my head, things that kept me tossing and turning in my bed at night, stealing my sleep. I didn't need—nor want—to add to them.

  "You signed up, as you so graciously said, to do whatever I asked," Alejandro snarled in response.

  I set the magazine down, torn. Curiosity ate at me, warred with my instinct for self-preservation. After what I had seen in the alley, I was almost obsessed. I wanted to know everything about Kyra.

  "You knew." Kyra flung the accusation.

  "Yes. I did."

  "And you let all of those people burn to death."

  My hand flew to my mouth to stifle the gasp that wanted to escape. I felt sick.

  "They were supposed to be out of the building. I'd requested that they all leave. They knew the building was being demolished." His explanation was weak and he knew it.

  "But not that night!"

  "No, but I requested that they already be out. It is not my fault that they refused to listen."

  "How?"

  "How what?"

  "How did you request that they be out by that time?"

  "I sent a letter."

  Kyra scoffed. "You sent a letter? A fucking letter? You thought that would work?"

  "I gave them a deadline."

  "But no one checked to make sure it was empty beforehand."

  "No."

  My heart beat loud in my ears.

  "You never asked if it had been checked. Not once." He threw the accusation at her, making her culpable.

  "I trusted you." It was painful to hear the crack in her voice. That was her mistake—trusting Alejandro. He was only out for himself.

  "You didn't care. You wanted to burn it down." His voice dropped low. The hairs on my neck stood up. "You liked the power. The feeling of such control."

  She drew in a gasp. Dread filled me as I wanted—but didn't want—to know what was going on. I could hear them, but wasn't able to see anything without revealing that I was listening in so blatantly. They were so wrapped up in their argument they hadn't noticed I was stretched out on the couch, the high back blocking my presence from view.

  "You were glorious." Alejandro's silky voice swelled with pride, with awe. "All that power at your fingertips, with you steady at the helm. Superb." His voice dipped lower. "Wait and see what you are truly capable of when you've mastered your powers."

  "But those people…" Her voice shook. "They were innocent. They didn't deserve to die like that."

  Alejandro laughed. The laughter turned to a boisterous guffaw that made the hairs rise on the back of my neck. "Innocent?" His voice rose, mocking her. "Do you really believe anyone is really innocent? Anyone in this world?" He chuckled cruelly. I could imagine the smirk on his face, the twisted smile and cruel glint in his eyes. "Innocence is gone. It fell away when the industrial revolution took hold. It is an archaic notion. Life is all about the tooth and claw. Survival of the fittest."

  "You don't really believe that."

  "I do. Six hundred years, Kyra. I've watched humans destroy themselves. Six centuries. That's a long time to witness the downward spiral of a species I used to belong to. That I used to have faith in." He spat the words. "That faith is gone. The human species is on its way out. Soon it will only exist in pens, as livestock for those higher on the food chain. That is the future. Vampires are the future, the apex predator." My ears strained to hear his words as his voice almost dropped to a whisper, low and seductive. "You can be the future."

  "I don't know if I want any part of that future."

  "Ah, but do you really think you'll have a choice?"

  The silence was heavy. My heart ached.

  "You sick bastard," she spat.

  "I have no say in it. I'm merely a puppet of the Old Ones, doing their bidding. They've seen the same decline. It's inevitable. Humans are the cause of their own destruction. Now we might help it along a little since they are so intent on making this world uninhabitable to every living creature on it. That's the only reason we've been forced to take action."

  "You are crazy."

  "Am I?"

  "Yes!" She threw the word at him. It bounced off harmlessly. "You used me." Her voice was thick with hurt.

  "Are you really surprised? This isn't a one-way exchange my dear child. I've given you your deepest desire: control over the power that controlled you. Given you the possibility of a life without fear. Did you think it was free?"

  "I joined the House. I give you tribute."

  "Yes, there is that. And the tribute is greatly appreciated." He clucked his tongue, mocking her. "But you did join the House and part of that is obeying the rules. Obeying me. Doing what I ask of you. Doing your job. And this was your job."

  The distant hum of an air conditioner was the only sound. The seconds ticked by. My breaths felt deafening in the silence.

  "I need some time to think."

  "Of course." I imagined his dismissal. The smooth planes of his back as he turned to stare at the bay far below. It was a gesture I was familiar with.

  "I'll give you a call," Kyra ground out, her footsteps loud. Weighted.

  "You will." He paused, giving her just enough time to cross the room halfway. "And Kyra," his voice dipped in warning, "don't forget that you swore fidelity to me and to the House."

  "Yes."

  "And the penalty for the betrayal of that oath is death."

  "How could I possibly forget?" she sneered.

  "Daniel invited you, spoke up for you."

  Her gasp was sharp and clear.

/>   She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she rushed by where I was still hidden and never noticed my presence. My breaths tore from my lungs as I struggled to compose myself. I caught myself gnawing on a nail and yanked it from my clenched teeth.

  "Don't eavesdrop, my dear. It's unbecoming," Alejandro called out. I should have known he was aware of my presence the entire time. Kyra had been a ball of emotion, shaken and scattered. Chaotic. Alejandro was stone, calm and deliberate. Of course, he knew I was there. He probably heard my heartbeat the moment he entered the room.

  I swallowed thickly, my legs unstable as I rose from the couch. My voice was trapped in my throat.

  I wanted to forget everything I'd heard. Every word. I wanted to crawl under my comfy sheets in my cozy air conditioned condo and pretend it was all a dream. A nightmare.

  Instead, I took deliberate steps toward the man whose rich warm eyes hid the darkness that slithered beneath. Each movement held a confidence I didn't feel.

  "I'm sorry you had to hear that." It didn't escape my notice that he wasn't really apologizing for anything except the fact I'd overheard everything. "Why don't we have a nice quiet dinner in your place? I'll have Patrick send something up." He slipped his arm into mine. The strength under his skin was evident in the bunched muscles that flexed under my hand.

  He wasn't really asking. I silently walked beside him to the elevator. The sharp notes of the piped music grated on my nerves, but, thankfully, it was a short ride. I pressed my lips together tightly to hold back my irritation.

  "Do you want me to order you anything?" I asked as I walked through my door, tossing my keys onto the kitchen bar.

  The door slammed. Startled at the sudden sound, I dropped my phone onto the tile, my heart in my throat. Alejandro's unusual display of temper had my mind spinning. He looked calm, normal on the surface. He hid is irritation very well.

  Was it just Kyra? Was he more upset about my overhearing his and Kyra's conversation than he let on? Did he know about Zak?