Addict (20 page)

“Ain’t happening, Kels.” Liv sat down on the bed. She giggled as she peeked under the covers. Like I said, the supernatural world doesn’t have the hang-ups about nudity the human world has. “And look, you’re all naked again. Seriously, this is a habit with you.”

I groaned. “I was wearing underwear last night, Liv. It wasn’t like I was running around the city nude. Wait, oh shit, is this already a story that’s going around?”

The supernatural world
was
big on gossip, however.

I didn’t like the amusement on Liv’s face. “Well, let’s just say that there’s a reason people fight over the security jobs in this building. It’s a cushy job where they take turns monitoring the numerous security cameras that cover almost all of the public places in the building.”

It took a moment to grasp what she was saying. I laid back and curled into a fetal position, carefully avoiding the already melted gift Lee had left behind. “Oh, god, I made a sex tape.”

Liv giggled viciously. “I can’t believe he stopped the elevator and fucked you. It was hot, Kelsey. I have to admit I’ve always thought Marcus was kind of scary, but I see the appeal now.”

“Tell me this isn’t happening.” Visions of my ass on the Internet flooded my brain. I would be a weird meme somewhere, a cautionary tale to all other Hunters.

“It’s all right, Kels,” Liv assured me. “I only got a copy because Scott is drinking buddies with the security guy, who got his ass kicked by your uncle when he realized what he’d done. Zack has spent the majority of the morning erasing everything and threatening to kill anyone who forwards it. He’s making Quinn do a system search to make sure all the copies are gone. That’s how I got stuck with kid-sitting duty. Quinn’s running around making sure your dignity is maintained, and the queen is nursing a sick friend. So, I get the kids. I tried to explain that I teach high school, but they didn’t listen. They were too busy talking about candy and how cool you are.”

“I’m never leaving this room again.” I could totally live right there. It was a nice room, and I never had to face anyone again.

“If it makes you feel any better, Quinn didn’t see the problem. He said he and the queen have been caught doing it on tape all over the building.”

Yep, this never happened back in Italy. I sat up because it was obvious I wasn’t going back to sleep. “Tell me something, Liv.”

She knew exactly what I was going to ask. That’s what happens when you’re friends with someone for a long time. “Your butt looked great.”

I sighed. I would have to be happy with that. I put aside all the fun stuff because Liv and I needed to talk. It wasn’t something I was looking forward to. I hadn’t been successful the night before, and Scott was in more trouble than I could have imagined. “I talked to him last night.”

Liv’s face fell. She braced herself. “He wouldn’t come home, would he?”

I reached for her hand. “I don’t think he has a choice, Liv. He’s in deep. Whatever is going on in that club, it’s bad. I think he’s hooked on the same drug Alan was on.”

Big fat tears sprang from her eyes. “Alan died last night. Henri Jacobs wants you in his lab in an hour. That’s why I woke you up.”

“Shit,” I cursed. “Liv, I’m so sorry. Just because Alan…”

She held out her hand to stop me. “I know. I know. Kelsey, you tried. Promise me that if you can save him, you will.”

“I promise,” I said solemnly.

Liv got up and walked to the window. I could see it was still snowing, big flakes turning the world into an icy wonderland. “I don’t love him anymore, you know.”

I wasn’t sure about that, but I kept my mouth shut. She needed to talk.

“I haven’t loved him for a long time. I know he’s a shit, but he wasn’t always like that. He was…so sweet when we first met. He got comfortable and decided he didn’t need to woo me anymore. I let it happen. I was comfortable, too. I hate dating. When he asked me to marry him, I said yes.” Liv laughed hollowly. “He didn’t actually ask me, you know. He said we should probably do it, and then when I would try to set a date, he’d come up with excuses. I haven’t tried to pin him down in eighteen months. I knew it wouldn’t work. I know I shouldn’t have watched that tape of you and Marcus.”

“It’s fine, Liv.” I meant it. I’m honest with myself, at least. If someone had sent me a tape with Marcus fucking, I would have watched it.

She turned back and brushed away her tears. “I should have respected your privacy, but I sat there and watched it and realized I want that for me, Kelsey. I want someone who can’t wait to have me. I want someone who needs me the way Marcus needs you. He’s passionate about you. I was so envious of you.”

“Liv,” I started.

She shook her head. “I don’t love Scott anymore, but I can’t leave him to fate. Let me help you, Kelsey. I need this so I can move on.”

“Of course,” I said immediately. “You can come with me to see what Henri found out.”

Liv nodded and gave me a watery smile. “I’ll be good, I promise. I remember how to play Watson. Now, you better grab a shower. I’ll go make another round of breakfast. I’m sure the kids ate everything. They’re like locust. Marcus gave them a big bag of candy and they inhaled it.”

I got up and started to make my way to the bathroom. “Where did Marcus go? Is he helping Zack erase the tape?”

“No, he told me he had a morning appointment to make,” Liv explained. “He also told me to keep you out of trouble.”

“He’s meeting with Sloane.” Sneaky bastard had left me sleeping because he knew damn well I wanted to mediate.

“Okay,” Liv said, her eyes wide. “I’d love to be a fly on that wall.”

I shook my head and went off to take a long shower.

* * * *

Kim Jacobs waved us into her apartment. She was a beautiful brunette who always dressed like she’d stepped off a runway in Milan. I found her intimidating because I couldn’t put together an outfit to save my life. Lucia put pants and the proper tops close to each other in my closet so I couldn’t screw up. In the past, I would have simply picked out whichever black T-shirt smelled like it was the cleanest and called it a day. Today I was fairly presentable in straight-legged jeans, a cashmere sweater, and fashionable boots that I could kick a little ass in.

“The mad professor’s in his lab,” Kim cracked as she pointed the way through the apartments. This particular unit was two apartments connected through a short hallway. There was a living area for Henri and Kim attached to the small hospital the complex maintained. “Hugo’s in there, too. They’ve been chatting all morning about how fabulous you are. It’s like you’re a rock star.”

“More like a…” Liv began.

I knew where that was going and elbowed her. Liv managed to shut her mouth.

“I’ll try not to sing,” I promised Henri Jacobs’ companion.

“Kelsey.” Henri walked out of his lab dressed in his customary slacks and dress shirt, but minus the coat and tie. He’d exchanged them for a heavy apron and surgical gloves. He was far more animated than I’d ever seen him. His face was lit up with what I would have called glee. “You’re just in time. I was about to begin my autopsy.”

I was so glad that I didn’t have Lee with me. It had been a close thing. Mia’s mom, Sarah, had shown up to take the kids to her apartment with the promise of movies and hot chocolate. Lee had tried to explain that he had work to do. Before I could set him straight, the blonde girl had given him a pointed stare. Needless to say, Lee was watching movies and I wasn’t having to argue about taking a nine-year-old to an autopsy. It was good to know there was one person in the world who could control Lee Donovan-Quinn. While Lee would have wanted to join me, I had no such problem with Liv.

“Um, Kels. Maybe I should sit this one out.” She turned a rather sick shade of green.

“Why don’t you sit with Mrs. Jacobs?” I offered. “Did you talk to Alan at all last night?”

The companion nodded sadly. “I stayed with him for a few hours. I’ve been with Henri long enough to have picked up some nursing skills. He was pretty out of it, but I’ll tell you what I remember.”

“Excellent.” Henri practically shooed them off in his excitement. Dude really liked autopsies. “Come, come, we are waiting on you.”

I gave Liv a wave and followed the vampire through the short corridor that led to the hospital.

“We?” I asked curiously. Marcus was out and Sharpe wasn’t an academic, so he should be safely in a dead stupor by now.

“I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our team,” Henri said as we passed through stainless steel swinging doors. The smell of formaldehyde assaulted my senses.

“Wow, that’s a ridiculously strong odor,” I complained as I entered the small room that was currently serving as a morgue. I couldn’t miss the dead body on the table. Hugo was asleep at the desk, his head laid across his arms. He muttered some very British things in his sleep.

Academics are different. On almost every level, they prove a bit strange in the vampire world. There are different classes of vampires, but mostly this describes the vampire in terms of strength and power. The majority of the vampire ranks can be placed in a category called the warrior class. In the warrior class, there are subclasses with the power to call wolves or some other wereanimal. There are warriors who can fly and some who can shift their shapes. There are other classes. Just a few months before, I’d met a magician. He could form illusions so real you would swear you can touch and taste and smell them. I had, up to this point, avoided the class known as the primals. These were vampires whose DNA got screwed up and when they turned, they regressed into something ancient and terrifying.

For the most part, all of these classes follow certain rules. During the day they’re in a dead stupor, unable to walk, move, or communicate. It’s when they’re vulnerable. If you were in the room with one, you would swear you were viewing a corpse. Not so with the academic. For some reason the academic needed no such rest. When they slept, it was in a normal human fashion. Marcus often woke up looking for his share of the blankets because I was a cover hog. For Hugo Wells, it meant talking in his sleep and snoring lightly.

“Ignore him,” Henri said with obvious affection for his friend. “He’s always required his beauty sleep. Me, I can go for days when focused on a problem.”

That was when I noticed the new guy. He was tall and lanky, with dark-blond hair that reached to his shoulders. His back was to us, his head moving to some music only he could hear. Henri slapped him upside the head, and the man turned around.

“Hey,” he complained, pulling out his earbuds. He had a phone in his hand. I could hear the music from across the room. It sounded a lot like complaint rock. You know the type. It’s a lot of whiny boys talking about how girls don’t love them. It made me want to claw my ears off.

“Casey, you must pay attention,” Henri said with a frown. “We have a guest.”

Casey turned to me, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was looking at a brand spanking new vampire. That dude had likely turned in the last year or so. I would have pegged his age at around twenty, but unlike Donovan, who exuded power, this one was full of the raw idiocy of youth. He also dressed like an emo disciple. He had on a black and purple striped hoodie and jeans that really needed to be pulled up. I appreciated the Converse, but everything else about him was way too Hot Topic for me.

“Now we’re talking, Henri.” Casey turned on the charm, which for him included what I think was supposed to be a seductive smile. “Hello. It’s so nice to get a girl in here. It’s a complete sausage fest, if you know what I mean.”

“I don’t,” I replied flatly.

The baby vamp eased up to me, and I caught the edge of his persuasion. It wasn’t the first time some idiot vamp had hit on me. Acceptable females were few and far between in our world. “I’ll explain it all to you, sweetheart.”

Henri rolled his eyes. “You’ll have to excuse Casey, dear. He only turned last year. I’m afraid his vampire life has not been what he expected.”

Casey frowned. “It kind of sucks, forgive the pun. I got killed in a professional accident.”

“You were skateboarding,” Henri corrected.

“It was going to be a profession. I was getting good. I should have worn a helmet…and maybe watched for oncoming eighteen-wheelers. So anyway, I wake up and there’s this big, scary dude standing over me.”

“We tend to refer to him as Your Highness,” Henri pointed out.

Casey ignored him. “He tells me I’m a vampire and…that’s like totally awesome because I thought I was dead and shit. I’m thinking, yeah, vampire. They get all the chicks, and they are so hot in Hollywood right now. They have to drink blood and at first, that’s like whoa, yuck, but then…wow. Awesome stuff. Only then I find out I’m some sort of egghead vampire.”

“I prefer the term academic.” Henri turned to me with an all-suffering expression on his face. “He required a patron. Marcus, Hugo, and I drew straws.”

I knew who’d drawn the short one. I patted his back sympathetically. “Sorry. It’s for the best. Marcus would have killed him by now.”

Henri shrugged as he pulled out a tray covered in sharp instruments. “Casey is excellent with technology. He can fix almost anything, and I don’t even understand half of what he can do with a computer. He’s actually valuable when he’s not talking. I try to tell myself that I most likely made my own patron want to throw himself on a stake in the beginning.”

“So who’s the chick?” Casey waggled his slightly bushy eyebrows at me invitingly. His persuasion purred across my skin. It tried to tease and tantalize. I was used to Marcus’s power, and this boy moved me not an inch. “Please say she’s for me.”

Henri moved into position over the draped body on the autopsy table. “She’s Marcus’s mistress. Feel free to hit on her. I’m sure Marcus will be amused.”

Casey went completely white. “Shit. Look, Henri, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. We don’t have to tell him, right? He’s busy and stuff.” Casey turned back to me and now his persuasion was a little stronger. It was good to know his survival instinct was stronger than his libido. He didn’t want me to talk to Marcus. “I didn’t really hit on you. I mean, I hit on everyone. It’s not a big deal.”