Good, the Bad, and the Vampire (2 page)

“Yeah, right,” Maya said with a roll of her big blue eyes. “Are you gonna tell me what's happening between you and Dakota or not?”

“There is nothing happening.” Trixie placed both hands on Maya's shoulders. “Other than the fact that he's freaking annoying me. Now move it.”

“Mmm-hmm. I knew it.” Maya's eyes narrowed and a smile curved her pink lips. “You like him,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper. She poked Trixie in the chest. “Ha! I knew it. You're so full of it.”

“Shut up.” Trixie slapped a hand over her sister's mouth, but Maya shoved it aside. “Not so loud.”

“Sorry,” she said in a barely audible voice. “But you two have been flirting forever! Why don't you just sleep with the guy and get it out of your system? I mean, seriously, everyone knows you two have the hots for each other. Why not just go for it? I mean, let's be honest, it's not like you're shy. You've gotten it on with a bunch of human guys, so why not give a vamp like him a chance?” She arched one eyebrow. “You have to admit, he's a hottie.”

That was an understatement. Dakota was a tall, gorgeous vampire with a naughty twinkle in his eye and a jacked body, but all Trixie said was, “
Not
gonna happen. It's too complicated.”

“Why?”

“Because I can glamour a human, okay? I can't sleep with
him
once or twice and move on. He's a vampire, and you know we can't glamour another vamp. The human dudes never remember me or what happened. There's simply pleasure for everyone. No muss, no fuss, and nobody gets hurt. That is the
only
kind of sex I'm interested in.”

“I think you're shortchanging yourself…and him.” Maya tucked her long blond hair behind her ear before fiddling with the ends of the platinum strands. “Maybe he only wants to have fun too. Aren't you being kind of presumptuous to think he'd automatically want a relationship?”

“Maya, Dakota is a sentry, okay? The guy isn't going anywhere. He will be patrolling this city for at least the next fifty years, and since I have no intention of leaving, there is no point in risking an awkward situation for a few nights of hot sex.”

And Trixie had
no doubt
it would be hot.

“Whatever,” Maya said flippantly. “But I still think you're full of it.”

Before Trixie could respond, her sister spun around and opened the door to the apartment.

“Let's get the party started.” Maya clapped her hands excitedly. “Game on!”

Dakota captured Trixie's gaze the moment she stepped into the room and her stomach fluttered. Damn it all. He winked and that cocky grin slid across his face.

“Oh, it's on,” Trixie murmured. “It's on like Donkey Kong.”

And she sure as hell wasn't talking about the party.

It had been decades since Dakota had attended a birthday party—and never for a vampire-human hybrid toddler. The entire event only confirmed his feelings about New York City.

This place was crazy.

Give him the wild plains and wide-open spaces of Texas any day of the week. Before he'd been stationed here a couple of years ago, everyone he met raved to him about the Big Apple. Dakota hadn't felt at home since he'd arrived, and the vampire-human toddler didn't exactly put him at ease.

Vampires having a baby? Now
that
was some crazy shit—but crazy or not, that didn't make it any less real. These city slickers weren't exactly run-of-the-mill vampires.

Emily, the tiny guest of honor, sat at the head of the shiny black dining table in a white high chair. She clapped with glee as Maya brought out the small pink-and-white birthday cake. There was a roomful of people, but Emily was the only one there who could actually eat the cake.

Maya placed it on the table in front of the child as the rest of the coven members broke into a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday.” Even Shane Quesada, Dakota's fellow sentry and one of the most badass soldiers Dakota had ever met, was singing along. He stood behind his bloodmate, Maya, with something that looked like a smile on his face. The guy rarely smiled, and when he caught Dakota's eye, his grin faltered briefly before he again stared adoringly at the curly-haired toddler.

Dakota studied the scene intently but stayed out of the way, leaning against the living room wall. They had all welcomed him. Hell, they were friendly enough. But he still wasn't one of them. Not really.

He'd watched most of his human family grow old and die. That had been difficult enough. But when Dakota lost his maker early on, he had learned the true meaning of grief. It wasn't something he ever wanted to experience again.

He liked to keep moving and, in that respect, being a sentry was a perfect fit. That, and there was nothing he loved quite as much as a good fight, the smell of blood in the air, and the freedom to put down the bad guys.

Yup. It was the perfect job for him.

Although hanging around this city-slicker coven of vampires could confuse a man. The more time he spent with them, the more he wanted to be a part of their family. They were a
really weird
family but a family all the same. Dakota stilled as Olivia hugged her little girl, and when she kissed Emily's rosy round cheek, a deep empty ache welled in his chest.

Damn it all.

The sudden and surprising swell of emotion swamped him, and he quickly pulled another cinnamon lollipop out of the pocket of his long leather sentry coat. Dakota rolled the stick between his fingers before unwrapping it and popping it into his mouth. The spicy sweet taste of the candy was a little like blood, but that's not why he liked it. Sucking on that damn lollipop was the one remnant he held on to from his previous life.

It let him recall how it felt to be human.

The czars sat on either side of their daughter, and Olivia's secretary, Suzie, was snapping pictures of the festivities with her phone. Damien, a hulking brute of a vampire, hovered behind Suzie like he usually did and waved at Emily as he sang along.

Most little ones would be frightened by a guy like Damien, but not Emily. She beamed at him with pure adoration. Besides, Dakota thought with a wry grin, the dude was wearing one of those pointy party hats and looked about as harmful as a teddy bear.

Dakota would be damned if he was going to put on a pink party hat. A cowboy hat, that he'd wear, but a pointy paper cone with sparkly ballerinas on it was not going on his head. No, sir.

“Dakota? Catch.” Olivia's sharp green-eyed gaze latched on to his as she tossed him one of the dreaded paper hats. “You must have missed yours when you came in.”

“Nope, I didn't miss it. I know that as czar of this district, you're my boss and all, but I'm gonna have to decline this particular request.” Dakota caught it with one hand. He tilted his head in deference to the czar and winked at Emily, who rewarded him with a giggle. “Hats just aren't my style,” he drawled. “Unless of course, we're talking about a Stetson.”

“My mistake, but don't sweat it. It's not an order, and besides we're all off duty right now.” Olivia laughed as Maya swept in and adjusted the bib around the little one's neck. “Maybe for her birthday party next year, I'll get a special cowboy birthday hat just for you.”

“Thank you, ma'am.” Dakota dipped his head and pulled the lollipop out of his mouth. “That would be real nice.”

With a loud shriek, Emily smashed both of her pudgy little hands into the cake before giggling and eating the confection off her fingers. The entire group burst out laughing and Suzie snapped away, capturing more photos.

Everyone was having a grand old time.

Well, almost everyone.

Dakota's steady gaze shifted to the left and landed on the only individual in the room who wasn't exuding the same goofy happiness as the rest. He'd sensed her uneasiness out in the hallway before he even rounded the corner.

Aside from being the only woman who'd caught his eye in over fifty years, she was the one member of the coven that Dakota couldn't figure out. That nagged at him. He was good at getting a bead on people—human, vamp, or otherwise—but not this one. Over the past couple of years, the pink-haired spitfire of a woman had become a riddle he wanted to solve.

Trixie La Roux sat on the arm of the overstuffed brown leather chair with an expression that Dakota couldn't read. Her hair, which changed color as frequently as the wind blew, was currently streaked with variations on pink and black, and slicked back in a short stubby ponytail. Dressed in her usual ensemble of ripped-up jeans, black combat boots, and a well-worn graphic T-shirt, she looked every bit the crazy punk rock wild woman most people thought she was.

When Dakota first met Trixie, he'd expected her to be crude and rude, but no matter how hard she tried to put out that image, she was neither. Under all of that heavy black eye makeup and pink hair was a woman doing her best to hide. Her edgy appearance and saucy language were a cover, a way to hide in plain sight.

But hide from what? Or whom?

And that was what kept drawing Dakota in.

Perched on the arm of the chair, Trixie slowly swung her boot-clad feet, her pale brown eyes focused on Emily. Dakota noted an unmistakable air of sadness hidden behind a small smile. Why was she so damn melancholy? She loved Emily and the rest of the coven, so why was she acting more like she was at a funeral instead of a birthday party?

Trixie adjusted her position, her palms resting on either side of her thighs, but she froze when she caught him staring at her.

“What?” She cracked her knuckles as she did whenever she got nervous. She brushed at her shirt and pants. “Did Emily fling frosting on me or something?”

“No, ma'am. Just admiring a pretty lady, that's all.” Dakota's grin grew as her cheeks pinkened. “Nothin' wrong with that.”

“Right,” she scoffed. “I'm no lady.”

“I beg to differ,” he said with a wink. “A tough one…but definitely a lady.”

Clearing her throat, she hopped off the chair and moved closer to her maker, as though seeking protection. Sticking her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, she nodded toward the table.

“Hey, Olivia. Why don't you have Emily open some of her presents?”

Dakota pushed himself away from the wall and moved in closer, giving him a clearer view of Trixie. As they pulled one present after another over to the birthday girl, Trixie's body language reeked of anxiety that grew more visible by the second.

She folded her arms over her chest and nibbled on her thumb while Olivia and Doug helped their daughter open the pile of gifts. Trixie's smile was strained and not the open, genuine smile he'd witnessed over the past couple of years. He'd been studying her closely and had grown to know her smiles—and this was her fake one. The smile that hid her sadness.

Not so tough after all and definitely not so simple.

“I left a gift for Miss Emily too. It's right there on the table.” Dakota tossed the lollipop stick in the small wastebasket in the corner. “It's the one in the brown box. Just a little somethin'.”

“Thanks, man,” Doug said without taking his eyes off his daughter. “You didn't have to do that, but it's appreciated.”

“Let's see what our resident cowboy gave you.” Olivia dragged the box over. “It's not pair of chaps or something, is it?”

“No, ma'am.” Dakota shook his head and let out a beleaguered sigh. “No chaps. She doesn't have a horse and gettin' her chaps now would be plain old silly. This isn't as swell as a real horse, but I hope she'll take a shine to it.”

“Swell?” Trixie said with a snort. “Dude, no one says ‘swell' anymore.”

“I do.” He clasped his hands in front of him.

“Of course you do.” She rolled her eyes and muttered, “You probably say ‘neat-o' too.”

“Yes, ma'am.” He winked at Trixie and suppressed a grin when she looked away. “Swell. Neat-o. All those words are great, and if you ask me, y'all should use 'em more often.”

“As if.” Trixie rolled her eyes. “I'll keep that in mind, cowboy, but if you don't update your verbiage, it won't take long for humans to figure out that something's up with you. I mean, what if Shane walked around talking like they did back in the olden days?”

“He kinda does,” Dakota said with a wry smile in Shane's direction. “No offense, Quesada.”

“None taken.” Shane shrugged as Maya snuggled into his embrace. “I'm well aware of my outdated vernacular.”

“Dude? You're totally not helping.” Trixie made a face of derision. “Okay, cowboy, let's put it this way. For the decade impaired, when you talk like
that
, it makes you sound like a
real square
, man.”

“Hell no.” Dakota's face fell and he straightened his back. “I ain't no square, missy, and you can bet your fine-lookin' bottom on that.”

Trixie flinched and an unreadable expression flickered over her features. Olivia intervened before she could respond.

“Are you two finished?” Olivia asked, looking back and forth between them with a thinly disguised smile. “I'd like to open Dakota's gift for Emily, but without the
banter
.”

“By all means.” Dakota made a sweeping gesture with one hand as Emily, now seated in her mother's lap, tugged at the box. “Like I was sayin', it's just a little something.”

When Olivia opened the simple brown box and pulled the present from within, a squeal of delight erupted from Emily. Her small pudgy hands immediately curled around the coffee-colored wooden horse but her reaction wasn't the one that got to him. Amid the
oohs
and
ahhs
over his hand-carved creation, Trixie remained silent. Her brown-eyed gaze was fixed on Emily and her newfound prize. As the little girl hugged her present, the expression on Trixie's face went from playful to sad in a split second.

“This is beautiful, Dakota,” Olivia said, admiring the handcrafted figure. “Did you make this?”

“I sure did,” he said, turning his attention back to Olivia. Pride filled him along with a touch of humility. “My daddy taught me how to carve wood and, well, as y'all can imagine, I've had some years to perfect it. She's too little for a real horse, so this one will have to do for now.”

“Thank you.” Olivia let out soft laugh as Emily pulled at the ribbon on the table. “But I mostly thank you for not getting her a real horse.”

“We both do,” Doug chimed in.

“Happy to do it.” Dakota nodded and slipped his hands in the pockets of his coat. “If she takes a shine to it, I'm happy to make her more. Hell, I could whittle the girl her own herd of wild horses, if you think she'd like it. Every little girl should have a horse of her own.”

Before Olivia could respond, Trixie headed for the door.

“I'm kinda beat, so I'll see you guys later.” She curled her hand around the apartment door and tugged it open. Her gaze met his briefly just before she slipped outside. “See you at The Coven after sundown.”

The Coven was their nightclub, where Trixie and Maya tended bar every night.

“Hey,” Maya called to her sister, flying to the door in a blur. “Why are you leaving? It's Sunday, the one night the club is closed. You can't tell me you're going to sleep. Why don't you and I have a good old sisters' night? Shane is going out on patrol with Dakota, and we could hang out and watch old movies.”

“No, thanks.” Trixie shook her head. She hugged Maya quickly before waving to the others. “I'm out. I'll see you after sundown to open the club for Monday.”

“Where do you suppose she's runnin' off to?” Dakota murmured. “She's been doin' that a lot lately. Y'all notice that?”

“Trixie's private life is her own,” Olivia said with a sidelong glance in Dakota's direction. “If you want to know where she's going, then you'll have to ask her.”

“I dare you,” Doug said with a snort of laughter.

“I second that.” Shane raised his hand before gathering Maya in his arms.

“You're supposed to say I double-dog dare you,” Maya said, giggling.

“What does a dog have to do with it?” Shane asked.

“Oh man, y'all are crazy.” Dakota sighed heavily and pointed at Shane as he headed toward the door. “And
you
make me sound hip.”

“You should go after her.”

Suzie's soft hesitant voice cut through the teasing laughter in the room with more force than the shy young vampire surely intended. In the almost two years Dakota had been here, he'd probably only heard her speak twice, and that was in response to direct questions. Suzie shuffled her feet nervously and tucked a long strand of pale blond hair behind her ear.