Текст книги "Chains of Darkness"

Автор книги: Caris Roane

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

CHAPTER 9

Claire tucked herself against Lucian, grateful all over again for his sheer size, which comforted her when nothing else could. Maybe it was a false sensation, but his powerful, muscular frame made her feel safe. Right now she was nerved up like crazy.

Salazar had said yes.

The fashion show was moving forward. On some level she’d hoped the whole thing would fall apart—that her auburn hair wouldn’t have been enough to tempt the two crime buddies out of their fortified compound. Guess she was wrong. But then again, she no doubt underestimated the typical trafficker’s desire for new product.

After the photo shoot, Eve had talked her through the show. Essentially, she’d don three different outfits, saving the worst for last, and she’d walk down about thirty feet of runway to sexy blues music. In between, Rumy’s carefully selected wait staff would ply Arsen and Salazar with some of her finest whiskey. Eve was pretty sure they’d have one powerful security contingent with them.

But this wouldn’t be her only audience. She’d have to conceal Rumy’s entire team behind one of the largest disguises she had yet to create. Would she even be able to pull it off? She honestly didn’t know, although siphoning Lucian’s Ancestral power helped.

Still, it was her scantily clad body that a whole bunch of vampire-warrior-types would be looking at for three full jaunts down a black tile runway. What flashed through her mind was that her previous wardrobe had been made up of fairly conservative clothes. Her job as a social worker had never required a pair of black lace gloves adorned with feathers and chains.

Or vampires flying her through solid stone walls.

Once at The Ruby Cave, Lucian flew her off to the side of the theater. Lily had expected to see rows of seats; instead there were just a few tables and chairs arranged in clusters here and there. The rest of the angled floor was apparently designed for a standing-only audience. She wondered if this was typical of sex shows, or if it was just Eve’s preference.

The ceiling looked like it was made of black onyx, but the walls were the real jewels. Crushed red crystals had been pressed into a resin on both the side and back walls. Ruby Cave proved the best description possible for the space.

Eve had already started calling out orders to more of her staff. Used to her commands as well as to obeying, the stagehands drifted into altered flight, flying left to right, up through the rock or down, never once bumping into one another. They hauled set pieces of every size and shape imaginable, letting Eve make a series of judgments about how she wanted the stage set.

The runway emerged with floor-to-ceiling pillars of red and purple crystals and sequined swags in similar colors that draped from one side of the stage to the other.

After a few minutes, Lucian stepped away from her, moved into the theater seating area, and got on his iPhone. The chains vibrated, sending a distinct hard-edged sensation that Claire knew meant he was finalizing his plans with Rumy.

She drew the lapels of the robe closer together, trying hard not to think about what she had on beneath the terry or the performance she would soon give.

An hour or so later, Eve emerged from behind the theater drapes, glanced around the stage, then at Claire. She gave her the thumbs-up.

Claire’s heart leapfrogged, which brought Lucian whipping in her direction. He held his phone away from his ear staring at Eve. “And?”

Eve waved her hand in Claire’s direction. “Time to start getting ready. They’ll be here in half an hour.”

Claire’s heart sank low in her chest as new anxiety rose. Could she pull this off? She’d be walking in five-inch heels and putting herself on display for men she loathed for their crimes. She climbed the three side stairs feeling like she was heading to her execution.

“Hey,” Eve said, taking her hand and squeezing. “You’ll do just fine. Remember that they’ll be looking at your body, and I’ll be on stage as well.”

“You will?”

“Yes, in the background, in shiny black leather, so that if anything goes wrong, I’ll catch you. Now let’s get them, Claire. Let’s make them pay.”

These were the exact right words because they bolstered Claire’s courage and reminded her what was at stake.

And all she had to do was model some sexy clothes.

Lucian’s voice pierced her mind. Rumy’s coming with twenty of his best guards. We’re going to line them up along the back wall away from the double doors. As soon as you’re ready, you can create the disguise.

Got it.

She held her shoulders back as she followed Eve into the dressing room. Her courage didn’t waver until she saw the first outfit she’d be wearing for Arsen and Salazar.

Lucian had called it right: bits of leather and a few rubber bands.

* * *

Lucian gritted his teeth. He’d been feeling the chains vibrate every other minute as Claire’s anxiety mounted. He knew that she was getting a look at the next three outfits and he could only imagine what Eve had planned for her.

But he tried not to think about that right now.

He released a stream of air, forcing himself to calm down.

The part of him that liked a good fight had already started gearing up, the familiar adrenaline that coated his veins when he faced the enemy.

Arsen and Salazar had a smart organization with some of the toughest vampires around. They rarely visited The Erotic Passage, for the simple reason that they preferred their dark world of pain and slavery, of dominance and death, lots of death. By comparison, The Erotic Passage must have looked like a trip to the mall.

A moment later Rumy called to alert him that Salazar and Arsen, along with a detail of two dozen of their best, had left the compound and would arrive in the next few minutes.

“Get your men over here.”

“They’re already on their way.”

He let Eve and Claire know the ETA and asked that Claire come to the stage to create her disguise.

When Rumy’s team started arriving, he had them line up at the back of the theater to the left of the double doors. Without Claire’s disguising ability, the plan wouldn’t work, not even a little, since the theater had no place for Rumy’s detail to hide.

Rumy chose to stay out of the fray. He wasn’t a warrior, and he didn’t want to inadvertently alert either Arsen or Salazar that anything else was going on besides a simple fashion show followed by a would-be auction. He’d also provided wait staff to serve drinks, two vampires who also belonged to his security detail, but who were short like him and knew how to carry off a servant’s attitude. When the fighting started, these men would join in.

When Claire arrived on stage, she looked ill at ease in the tall stilettos, though he wasn’t surprised. He was, however, thankful that she still wore the robe.

Time to set up the disguise.

Okay. Then she smiled. Let’s get this party started.

He smiled in return, his chest swelling as he watched her straighten her spine. He felt her nerves, which only made him all the more proud of her for doing what he knew to be way outside her comfort zone.

Lucian turned and explained the situation to Rumy’s men: From this point forward the security detail was to remain at attention and in place. Only when Lucian gave the signal could the men move. Claire heard his directives at the same time. Though she’d be able to see all of the men, Salazar and Arsen, as well as their guards, would have no idea what awaited them.

Rumy didn’t allow guns of any kind in The Erotic Passage, and Salazar’s men would have to go through an initial security check. But all that meant was that the weapons of choice would be a variety of switchblades, daggers, and battle chains.

He watched Claire close her eyes. His double-chain sang at his neck, and the next moment a violet wave flowed in his direction. He stood in front of the ranks, at a central point, then glanced left and right, watching as the disguise covered them all. He could see through what looked like a wave of violet streamers. The men glanced at one another, brows raised, then resumed their positions. Rumy had trained them well.

* * *

Claire stood behind a screen and peeled herself out of her robe. Her fingers shook. She tried to calm herself down, but it was a struggle. How could she do this?

The music was already blaring and a video set up showed the theater to everyone backstage. She saw the wait staff, just a couple of men in what looked like leather pants, white collars with black bow ties, and bare chests. Chippendales came to mind.

Eve helped a lot, though. She just kept laughing at Claire’s nerves and said, “Hey, if you’re shaking out there, they’ll love it. They like their women scared to death—death of course being the goddamn operative word. Bastards.”

The first costume was made up of a few straps of sequined hot-pink reinforced spandex that ended up conforming to her body like a glove. Naturally the one-piece had a thong, and a strange one-inch hot-pink ruffle at her waist that just reached to the top of her ass-crack. It covered nothing, but then again, that was the point.

In front, another tiny ruffle ran in a slight curve at her abdomen. At least that part of her was covered, though not by much. The cut was French-high so that the straps ran across her pelvic bones, then split at the waist to rise to a strap across her back in support of a bra-like structure in front.

There wasn’t very much fabric in front, just enough to cover her nipples.

When she stepped out from behind the screen, Eve clapped her hands. “Beautiful. I think we’re ready. Now just try to relax.” She left the room, taking the last of her people with her.

But she couldn’t. She shook from head to foot.

Then suddenly Lucian was right there. “I could feel you trembling like a leaf.”

Claire had never been so glad to see him. He was exactly what she needed right now. “Look at this.” She held out her hands, her fingers shaking.

She gestured down at the costume, but she’d forgotten the other side of the coin—how Lucian would feel seeing her dressed this way.

He seemed to freeze, his gaze taking the same long journey as when he’d first seen her at the photo shoot. He shook his head side-to-side repeatedly. She felt the war within him start: desire, refusal, desire, anger, desire, need-to-punch-something.

She plastered herself against his chest. I need your courage, Lucian. I’m trying here, but I’m scared to death and what Eve takes for granted, what is so easy for her, is like lava on my skin.

Slowly, his arms went around her, enfolding her as his desire-rage combo slid away. She felt him shift his focus to her. I can’t imagine how hard this is for you.

It feels impossible. I’m not quitting. It just feels bigger than me right now.

I know what you mean, but you can do this. His chest rose as he took in a deep breath. We’ll both get through this. When we have those bastards, it will be worth it. You’ll see.

Okay. I’ll toughen up here, but thank you for coming to me. I just needed to take a moment.

I know. It’s okay.

When she’d recovered, she spoke against his chest. “Listen. I want you to just leave. Don’t look at me, okay?”

“Okay, but I have one problem here.”

“What’s that?”

Lucian frowned slightly. “I won’t be able to see the men at the back of the room. Can you guide me back in?”

“I’ll do better than that.” She walked him out to the stage and rolled back just the central portion of the disguise. He flew quickly. The moment he took his place and nodded to her, she sealed up the disguise.

Eve waved her off stage, a panicky look on her face. “They’re coming.”

“Oh, God.”

Eve led her to the side stage and whispered, “You have great presence, Claire, even if you don’t know it. You have a natural confidence that I admire like hell. Focus on that for the next half hour.” She slid her hand through a slit in the stage draperies. “Oh, and the boys have arrived. Arsen’s wearing a yellow silk suit. He looks like Tweety Bird, you know, from the cartoons?”

Claire smiled. “Well, that helps a lot.” When Eve waved her forward, Claire moved closer so that she could see these vile traffickers. Eve was right. Arsen wore yellow head-to-toe. He was also blond, which made his whole ensemble a bit of overkill.

Salazar had thick wavy black hair to his shoulders. He had a menacing look enhanced by the large contingent of oversized, bulked-up vampires that ranged behind the two men in a protective arc.

Once the men were settled, drinks in hand, Eve would lead the way and introduce her, then begin the fashion show by enumerating the lines and unique qualities of each costume.

Claire wondered briefly what supermodels thought about just before they walked down a runway. Probably admonitions not to trip and break an ankle.

“Showtime,” Eve whispered.

Lucian, here goes nothing.

You’ll be great.

Thanks.

Eve moved onto the stage first, a real Amazon in her own pair of stilettos so that she stood close to seven feet tall. Her stride was about a mile long. And talk about presence.

She stopped center stage, but cracked her whip with tremendous precision, hitting neither the pillars on each side of her nor the sheer swags overhead.

Eve made her introduction, welcoming Claire simply as “the auburn beauty.”

Claire took a deep breath and focused on what Eve had said about her natural confidence. Still, she trembled, blinked, and tried to remember exactly how to put one foot in front of the other.

Eve waved her forward, bending her knees and slinking backward, dragging her whip with her.

Then Eve’s voice was suddenly in her head. You’re doing fine.

Talk me through it. Tell me exactly what to do.

Eve told her how many steps to take, when to pivot, where to put her hands, when to dip her knees or slink a little as she moved.

As Claire headed down the runway, she kept following Eve’s directions but couldn’t bring herself to look Arsen or Salazar in the eye.

When she reached the end of the runway, Eve told her to make a very slow turn to be sure both men got an eyeful.

Claire, you’re doing incredibly well and the guards are so focused on you that they won’t feel this train when it hits. Head back toward me, not too fast. Time for costume two.

The next outfit, all black and white crystals, with a choke collar and platforms seven inches tall, became a different kind of trauma. But Eve stuck close, using her whip for effect until Claire got to the top of runway once more.

Good news, Claire. The men have each had three drinks and some of their excitement has given way to that glazed look, more lascivious than alert. We’re almost there.

Claire took her time, giving the whiskey a chance to do its work.

The last outfit, however, freaked her out all over again. “There’s nothing to cover even an inch of my breasts.”

“Yeah, I debated about this one, but the side panels will push everything together.”

Claire stared at her. “And that makes things better, how?”

Eve shrugged. “Not one of their guards will be looking anywhere but at your assets.”

She focused her attention on Lucian. The vampire needed to be warned. Eve says you’re set to attack as soon as I appear on stage in this third costume, is that right?

Yes. His voice sounded edged-up.

I’m ready but listen, don’t look in my direction. Got it?

Why?

Eve saved the worst for last, and by “the worst” I mean there’s not much there and what is there is pushing things around. Lucian, just don’t look. I’ll get off stage as fast as I can. You have to stay focused. How’s the disguise holding up?

Like a cloak I’ve always worn.

Perfect. Now let’s get us some bad guys.

The music changed, and Eve beckoned for her.

Claire trembled as much from the fact that she was all but naked as from the knowledge that an attack was about to follow. She focused on the latter, on how important it was to keep the attention of the bad guys focused on her and to sustain the disguise.

Eve’s commands flowed once more through her mind. Claire began to move, slinking and turning, knees bent, back arched, down the runway.

She hoped to hell somebody did something soon because she was ready to bolt as Arsen leaned forward in his seat and shouted, “I need some of that and I need it now.”

As the two vampires started to levitate from their seats, she met Lucian’s gaze. If you’re going to do something, do it now.

* * *

Lucian’s rage flowed hot toward Arsen and Salazar as each levitated toward Claire. His blood boiled and a red hue covered his vision.

Drop the disguise, Claire.

The next moment the wavy violet lines disappeared. Rumy’s team went straight into action as each man shifted to levitated flight and let out a war cry. The guards turned, startled, and a flash of blades ran up and down the line.

Lucian flew faster than he ever had before, landing in front of Arsen, whom he gripped around the neck, then flung off the stage. From his peripheral vision he watched Claire hurry from the stage, Eve with her.

But Salazar, the bigger of the two, had more fight in him. He lowered his arms and shoulders, bending his knees, a knife in his hands.

Lucian drew his own blade from his battle leathers. He circled, watching Salazar’s dark eyes as he turned his blade in his hand. Salazar lunged. Lucian shifted away from the strike, but Salazar’s momentum brought him close. Lucian struck down hard on Salazar’s arm. He heard the snap of bone. Salazar shouted in pain then began to shift to altered flight.

But Lucian caught him midair, preventing his escape, and with his Ancestral power kicking into high gear he threw Salazar against the red-crystal wall to the right of the stage. Dislodged crystals flew everywhere.

The entire theater was alive with battling vampires, but Lucian needed to make sure that he had control of both men. He glanced to his left and saw that Arsen was out cold; one of Rumy’s men stood guard over him, nodding to Lucian.

Turning, Lucian saw that Salazar was rising up quickly. Lucian body-slammed him back into the wall. Salazar’s head connected and a cracking sound ensued. He slid the rest of the way to the floor and fell inert.

Lucian reached down and felt for his pulse. Good. The bastard still lived.

At the same moment he sensed an attack coming from behind him. He went with his instinct and dove out of the way, which sent a bodyguard’s dagger hard into the stone wall of the cave.

Lucian, on the floor, flung his dagger before the vampire had even turned in his direction. He halted mid-flight, dropping to the tile floor, both hands on the hilt of the blade. Lucian took out his thinnest chain, got behind the man, and decapitated him. Blood spurted everywhere.

Killing like this was damn messy work.

He turned and saw that Rumy’s men fought hard. Time to get to work. He whisked one of his long battle chains from his leathers and started the weapon spinning. Using levitated flight, he maneuvered swiftly, up and down then sideways.

One of Salazar’s men had just killed one of Rumy’s.

Lucian gave the whirring chain a jerk of his arm, a flick of his wrist, and the chain wrapped around the vampire’s throat. He tugged swiftly, pulling the man backward. The man struggled trying to get the chain from around his throat.

Lucian drew close and drove his blade deep. He left the chains where they were, felt movement behind him, turned and met a ramped-up vampire. He blocked the arm that held one blade, then blocked a second blade in his opponent’s other hand.

Lucian threw himself in a quick slide against the vampire’s feet, knocking him off-balance and onto the floor. He slammed an elbow into one arm and grabbed the blade; before the man, could bring his other arm close, Lucian slashed deep across his wrist. The vampire screamed.

Lucian continued on in this way, helping Rumy’s men to finally gain control of the remaining security force. Within fifteen minutes, the theater fell silent.

Turning around toward the stage, he saw that Rumy had brought in a second team and that both Salazar and Arsen were bound in preternaturally charged chains. Those two weren’t going anywhere.

Lucian headed toward the dominant Salazar.

Leaning against the red-crystal-encrusted wall, Salazar said, “I’d heard you’d somehow escaped Daniel’s grasp. But I never imagined you’d fight so dirty given what a Boy Scout you are.”

Lucian sneered. “You don’t know me at all, Salazar. I’ve been after you for years and now I have you. Your business is done.”

Salazar frowned and his lips formed a tight line, but he looked away.

Rumy called out orders, and his security team stuck close to both him and the traffickers. Shortly after, a medical team arrived to care for the wounded and the dead, followed by a serious cleanup and repair crew. The theater would be restored completely within the next few hours. Rumy had one hell of an organization. He could run a small country.

Approaching Lucian, he suggested they move their party to his interrogation room.

“Good idea,” Lucian replied, but his gaze raked the stage where Claire had given her show and distracted the men enough to put Arsen and Salazar in their current predicament. “But I can’t go without Claire.”

“That’s right. Your proximity issue.”

Absently, he touched the chains.

Hey, you there? He sent the words softly, not wanting to scare her. But even as he spoke telepathically, he felt a tremor run through him. Battling did that to a vampire, increased his blood-needs. He even felt the familiar sensation of more blood-madness on the way.

Yes. Is everything okay?

He gave her a quick rundown, adding that Rumy wanted to take Arsen and Salazar to his interrogation room.

I’ve got my robe on, but my clothes are back at the photo shoot.

His mind wanted to slide all the way there, but he protected himself and pulled his thoughts back, focusing on what was important right now. Her robe would have to do.

Come to me so that I can fly you with the men.

Okay.

She appeared a few seconds later at the top of the runway. Rumy’s team had charge of Salazar and Arsen.

Rumy ordered his men to take their captives to the interrogation room, then took off. As a group, the vampires shifted to altered flight and disappeared.

Lucian flew to Claire, then held out his arm to her. With a deep sigh and her eyes filling with tears, she stepped onto his booted foot. She slid her arm around his neck and buried her face against his throat. I can’t tell you how glad I am that the runway show is over.

Me, too. Understatement. But you did really well and your shields held, which gave us the advantage we needed. He drew in a deep breath. You ready to find out what these bastards know about the extinction weapon?

She smiled. Hell, yeah.

He chuckled softly, then flew her down and down.

He arrived with her at Rumy’s interrogation room, a black granite space large enough to house a couple of tanks. Lucian felt the location, deep in the cavern system, which made sense given the downward trajectory.

Rumy had Arsen and Salazar seated in chairs, each spattered with blood.

He didn’t want her here, though, not for this, not with the stubborn expressions on the men’s faces. Listen, they’re not going to give up their information easily. Maybe you should wait in the adjoining room for a while, just until they’re ready to talk.

Claire glanced around. Maybe I should.

Lucian took her through a doorway into a smaller office. She sank into one of the chairs, looking relieved.

When he returned, one of Rumy’s men drew his fist back to punch Arsen, but Lucian called out, “Please. Allow me.”

Part of him wanted to beat both these men to a bloody pulp for all that they had done and what they represented in his world. The vampires now gathered around clearly felt the same way.

But he had something far more important to accomplish, and now that he had Ancestral power his approach was completely different.

“You got a new idea, boss?”

Lucian glanced at Rumy and nodded. He ignored Salazar since the man was the stronger of the two and went straight for Arsen’s head. He put his hand over his skull and let the power flow.

Arsen blinked then started to scream.

Lucian sent the words straight into Arsen’s mind. Tell me what I need to know and the pain stops.

Lucian knew exactly what that pain felt like. Daniel had hurt him in a similar way.

About ten seconds later Arsen cried out, “I’ll tell everything.” Tears streamed down his cheeks.

Salazar tried to argue with him, but Arsen lifted his bound hands and said, “Just how the hell do you think we’ll ever get out of this? We’ll be lucky to be alive in the next ten minutes.”

Salazar’s eyes glazed over and his chin sank. “Tell them. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

Arsen met Lucian’s hard stare. “I suppose you want to know about the extinction weapon.”

“First, I want to know one thing. Assuming you have information on where to locate this weapon, why would you turn even one scrap of a clue over to Daniel Briggs?”

“For thirty million.”

Lucian shook his head. “You fucking bastard. No, let me rephrase that: You fucking idiot. If Daniel gets hold of that weapon, what do you think will happen to you? Do you think he wouldn’t be able to find you, or your clubs, or whatever disguises you can create or buy? Do you not understand that ever since Daniel took over the Council of Ancestrals he’s become the most powerful vampire on the planet? So what exactly do you think he intends to do with an extinction weapon?”

Arsen stared up at him for a long moment. Even Salazar murmured, “Shit.”

Lucian shook his head. “So you’re both telling me that until this moment, it never occurred to you that Daniel might use this weapon against you? You never thought it possible that Daniel would show up at your compound one day, hold the weapon to your head, then politely ask for his money back, oh, and maybe the keys to your organization?”

He tossed up both hands, shaking his head. “How the hell did the pair of you build an empire together? No, don’t answer that. Just tell me where the fuck I can find the weapon before I kill you both right now for your sheer stupidity.”

Arsen spoke quickly. “We went on the hunt ourselves, tortured any number of our sources, and hit on a promising clue.”

“A clue.”

“Look, rumors have been around for decades about these weapons. Scientists who developed them worried about their potential. Some of them were hidden or left clues to their locations. We tracked one of these rumors all the way to what turned out to be a layering of disguises neither of us could penetrate. Either the weapon is behind those disguises or there’s a clue to its whereabouts.”

“And where is this exactly?”

“In Siberia at the River of Lights Resort, on the gondola ride. You have to take the tour, then use altered flight at a certain point. First, though, you have to recognize the disguise or see beyond it or something, and neither of us could. We were just putting out feelers to see if there was an Ancestral around with disguise-penetrating abilities when Eve sent us her invitation.”

He then coughed up two specific details: a ninety-degree bend in the underground river, and a pillar of stone shaped like a serpent.

“How did you come by this information?”

Arsen shrugged, then spoke oh-so-casually. “We tortured a bunch of different vampires. Each knew something. And we had it confirmed when we went on that ride.”

Lucian glanced at Rumy. “I’ll want to get over there, the sooner the better.”

“I’ll arrange for tickets, boss.”

“Aren’t they booked months in advance?”

Rumy just lifted a brow and made the call. Two minutes later he said, “Thanks.” He ended the call, then tapped his phone again. He told one of his team to look for an email from Siberia. “Okay, good. Just print them out and bring them here. Now.” He returned his phone to the pocket of his tailored slacks. “Stay tight. I’ll have something for you in a few secs.”

He rocked on his heels, his brows pinched, an unusual expression for Rumy.

A moment later one of his security team arrived, passing straight through the wall, and handed him a sheet of paper.

Rumy offered it to Lucian. “You have two entrance passes for the River of Lights at midnight, and you’re welcome.”

Lucian stared at the piece of paper. “How the hell did you do this?”

Rumy just smiled. “You still have no idea how well connected I am.”

“You mean how much dirt you have on everyone.”

“Well, that, too.”

Without warning, a tremor hit Lucian hard. This time his stomach cramped. “Shit.” He looked around, wishing Claire was close.

You need me?

The chains had done their talking so there was no point pretending. I do.

Is it okay to come in there now?

It’s fine. We’ve got what we need and the boys are in good shape.

Claire opened the door. At the sight of her, Lucian’s heart warmed up something fierce. How had she become so important to him in such a ridiculously short time?

Salazar whistled softly. “Just look at that red hair.”

Lucian glared. Salazar lifted his chain-bound hands. “Sorry. Apologies.”

Lucian turned to Rumy. “You’ll take it from here?”

“I’ve got a call in to Gabriel. I’ve decided to let him handle these two. He’ll know what needs to be done.”

“I couldn’t agree more. I’ll be in touch after Siberia.”

Rumy nodded.

Lucian crossed the room to Claire, unwilling to let her get too close to the captives.

He immediately drew her into his arms, then held her tight for a long moment. Thank you for all you did.

You’re welcome. She rubbed his back. So what happened with Tweety Bird and his companion?

Lucian relayed what they’d discovered, adding that he now had tickets for the midnight ride.

It all sounds so strange. Your world actually has something called a light show in Siberia?

He stroked her cheek. Yeah, I’ve never been there. A little too vanilla for my tastes.

Sounds like it. But it also sounds like the best lead we’ve had.

Couldn’t agree more. He glanced around. But it looks like we’ve got a couple of hours to kill. What would you like to do? Want to head back to the suite?

I could really use a shower, but I left my clothes at the photo shoot. Okay if we head back there first?

Absolutely.

When he drew back, Lucian held out his arm and Claire stepped up on his foot, holding her robe together with one hand. She wrapped her free arm around his neck. Just as he slid his arm around her waist then slipped into altered flight, she kissed him.