Gravity (12 page)

“Simon’s a good peeker,” I said with a smile. “I bet he can pick the locks.”

“We can’t risk tripping any alarms they may have. It must be unlocked from the inside.”

“And how do you propose to do that?”

He nudged his head sideways and gave me a look, prompting me to think about it.

“Oh… you think I could move the locks inside? I’m not sure; it’s not something I’ve had much

practice doing.” It wasn’t so much the metal that I could move, but I had the ability to manipulate

residual energy left from a Mage who had recently touched the object. “I’ve never tried moving

something from the other side of a door—I don’t know if it will work.”

“Think… or know? Why don’t you go home and practice? You’d be surprised what you can do

when you put your mind to it. It’s time you learn to focus that talent you have and put it to good

use. No one can train you on your telekinesis; you must learn how to develop it on your own.”

“What if they catch us?”

“Simon knows their routine. You’ll have four hours to conduct a search and get out. I’d prefer if

you finished up quickly so that no residual energy is left behind. If the third man is a Sensor, he’ll

be able to pick up any emotions left behind. Be sure to keep that in check—no fights, and don’t

touch the equipment. I doubt the third man is a Chitah based on the descriptions, so we won’t

have to worry about anyone tracking your scent. Keep it clean, in and out. If you can’t find

anything useful in an hour, then leave.”

I smeared my fry across the plate, picking up pepper flakes. “I’ll give it a try, but that whole

hour could be wasted with me trying to get the lock open. I might trip the alarm.”

“The most self-damaging words in the English language are: try, might, and if. These are words

of uncertainty. Will you fail? That is possible. But continue doubting your abilities and you’ll never

succeed.”

“How do you know they don’t have security cameras?”

“Simon checked it out.”

“Micro cams?”

“Like I said, he checked it out. So did Logan.”

“Seems Logan has been up to a lot of things without telling me.”

His pale blue eyes brightened. “Likewise, I’m sure.”

Novis had a point, except Logan didn’t work for him and I did. Then again, Logan was a good

negotiator and might have received payment for his services.

“Have you warmed up to your name, Silver?”

I shrugged indifferently.

“It took time to get used to mine,” he admitted. “A name is only something you’re called, it’s

not who you are. Many of us retain our human names, such as Justus and Simon. If Justus had

been renamed Peter, would it change the man he is?” Novis tapped his long finger on his plate. “I

think I’m going to pick a new location next time. Do you like Chinese cuisine?”

Chapter 9

My winter wonderland was turning into a slushy nightmare. The novelty of fresh powder was

replaced by the reality of wet pants, dirty shoes, frozen cheeks, and slipping and falling on my ass.

Novis left the diner with his driver and I trudged out to my car, thinking about putting a blanket

and a few survival items in the trunk, just in case. Which struck me as funny, being an immortal.

I texted Justus that I was on my way home and offered some tips on how to starve a fever and

all that. The last thing that poor woman needed was a man shoveling a steak down her throat.

A cold blast of air snuck up from behind and caused me to shiver as I approached the car door.

The key wouldn’t go in the lock at first, so I jiggled it. That’s when I heard footsteps approaching

from behind. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

“I’m not hungry, Christian.”

“Well, I’m famished. I could really use a… bite.”

My heart didn’t just skip a beat; it froze and forgot how to work again. My blood pressure

plummeted and I nearly fainted. The gravelly voice, the way his words cut like razors at the end of

each sentence, and the deep intake of breath were the distinctive sounds of a person that I knew

all too well.

Tarek had just walked back into my life.

My eyes skipped around the empty lot, searching for Christian. He said he’d only intervene if

there were an imminent threat. Tarek had plunged three venomous fangs into my neck not long

ago, almost ending my life.

That felt pretty imminent.

“Tarek.” I greeted him, turning on my heel. The snow flattened beneath my boots and I tucked

my arms around my body protectively.

A tan coat with a fur collar replaced the sinister look of the black wardrobe he’d once sported. I

suppose that his new position entitled him to finer threads. He still had the short black Mohawk,

except now more hair grew from the sides of his head as if he might be growing it all out. Most

Chitahs had light features, but Tarek’s hair was dark, and it made his golden eyes ominous. His

brows furrowed and his lip curled. “Out for a bite, little Mage?”

The joke was getting old.

He laughed and I charged up my light, knowing I’d never outrun a Chitah.

“What do you want?”

He widened his stance. “Now that’s a question I’m hearing more and more these days,” he

said, dusting off his jacket with his leather gloves. I couldn’t help but notice his tall, heavy boots.

“Sorry, sweetie, but I learn from my mistakes.” Tarek tapped his heel on the ground. “These

boots are specially lined, so I don’t think you’ll be having any luck if you intend on cutting my heel

again.”

He lifted a silver case from his pocket and pulled the lid back, putting a hand-rolled cigarette in

his mouth before snapping the case shut. With an etched lighter, he lit the end and watched me

with steady eyes as the paper crackled. After a consuming drag, Tarek tucked the lighter in his

pocket and chuckled privately. Smoking didn’t seem like a smart habit for a Chitah who relied on

sense of smell.

I once asked Logan why he chewed on mint. He explained that he’d discovered that mint

cleanses the palate and sharpens the emotional flavors on his tongue.

A white cloud of smoke hovered between us.

I cursed myself for looking away, unable to hold his menacing gaze. It made me feel inferior

and Chitahs fed off those emotions. “I have no business with you, Tarek. What’s done is done

between us. Nero is wasting his time if he’s still looking for me.”

Tarek sucked in another drag and the end of the cigarette pulsed orange. With a flick of his

wrist, he dropped it in the dirty snow and aggressively stomped on it until the poor little thing was

squashed from existence.

“Maybe my business with you doesn’t involve Nero. I’m sure you’ve heard the splendid news

about my promotion.” He pinched his gloves over his tongue, picking off a stray tobacco leaf as he

raked me over with his eyes. “A man in my position can have whatever he wants.”

“You can’t have everything.”

“Can’t I?” He cornered me between my car and a brick wall outside the diner and I looked

around the dark parking lot. He brushed a wave of hair away from my face with a sweep of his

hand. “What does Cross see in you?” he asked himself. “Why would he lie for you?”

My heart raced as he drew uncomfortably closer.

“Leave us alone, Tarek. If you don’t have business with Nero, then you don’t have business

with us.”

A smile parted his lips. “Your distaste for me is a turn-on, you know that?”

“I don’t know why you have the audacity to despise Logan so much. Just because your kindred

spirit didn’t choose you? ” I was really stirring the pot now. “He loved her, and you should be

ashamed of your crime. Katrina’s death almost ruined him, but he’s managed to move on, despite

what you did to her. Logan didn’t steal her from you, Tarek. You threw her away.”

Faster than a heartbeat, his hand clamped around my throat. My chin rose, feeling the hard

push of his fingers against my jawbone. He slowly relaxed his grip and smoothed his gloved hand

down my neck. I grabbed his wrist and threw a burst of energy into him.

Tarek grimaced and then shook his head as if I’d only slapped him. I didn’t put half as much

energy in him as I normally would have because I didn’t know the repercussions of attacking a

Lord.

“When Cross knows what it is to lose, I’ll sleep at night—however that loss comes. Your

Vampire friend is distracted at the moment and can’t hear our conversation, so this is just between

me, you, and the fucking wall.” His finger pressed against each object he pointed out. “I will cut

out your heart and everyone you love. You will see their deaths before you see your own.”

I couldn’t seem to draw in enough air. “What do you want?

His lips hooked into a grin. “You.” Tarek brushed his hand across my cheek and pinched my

chin. “You can either choose to watch your entire life ripped apart or you can choose me.”

“If I say no?”

“I’ll start with gutting that cat of yours and spilling his insides on your doorstep. Oh yes, I know

you have a mangy pet because I can smell it on you,” he said with a wrinkled nose. “Then I’ll hunt

down the Cross brothers and kill each one of them, starting with the youngest. Logan will witness

their deaths before it’s his turn. It’ll be slow, painful, and you’ll watch every horrifying second of it.

But he won’t be allowed to take his last breath until you take yours; I wouldn’t want him to miss

that for the world.”

A frosty breeze tangled a few strands of my hair and I felt more frozen than a glacier.

“Choose me and your friends will be safe. I won’t touch a single hair on their heads. That

means you’ll be mine. No one will have any right to challenge me if you choose me.”

“Logan will challenge you, Tarek. He’s already claimed me as his kindred. That means—”

“Nothing. There is no kindred outside of our kind. He lies to you, and you’re a fool to believe

him. If you accept my claim, no male can legally challenge me because of my title. I’ll be sure the

mating ceremony is quick, as I wouldn’t want to have to kill your boyfriend if he tries to attack me.

Our mating won’t be legal in many ways, but I’m a Lord, and I’ve got a few ideas on that

obstacle.”

“Wait a minute… stop.” I held my hand up defensively. “You want me to be your wife? And if I

don’t, you’ll… Why are you doing this?” Tears welled in my eyes.

“Because I can?” He shrugged and a tiny snowflake landed on top of his head. “Cross is my

sworn enemy and that means something. I will not relent until I taste my revenge. Tell no one of

this or I will remove your choice. I will take that away from you and all will die. I am Lord of my

Pride, Mage. Consider that. I can make it happen with a snap of my fingers and you won’t be able

to bargain your way out. I have far too much protection and you have no evidence. Tell one living

soul and I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure that everyone you love is put into the ground,

either by my hand or that of my men. And I’ll find out; I have eyes and ears everywhere.”

My head swam. Tarek would hold to his word. If just one life were lost because of me, the

blood would be on my hands.

He scraped his boot along the concrete, rubbing a hand over his mouth. “My terms are

conditional; you can never tell Logan the truth. He must believe that he’s not worthy enough, that

he didn’t meet your standards as a suitable mate. If I suspect for one minute that you’ve told him

about this—and I will scent it on him—then I’ll follow through with the original plan. You will cradle

his neck as he takes his last breath, and he will know that the blood of his brothers is on your

hands. They’ll all die, Mage. Everyone you love. No mercy.”

I hadn’t even noticed that my right hand was raised, as if I might revoke his threat with five

splayed fingers. He held my wrist, lowered my arm, and leaned in so close that his sour breath

touched my cheek.

“Tell Cross you’re attracted to something that he doesn’t have: power and position. I’ll be

generous and give you time to think about your answer. The next time we meet, be ready to give

it, or I’ll make it for you. Choose to be my mate. I have other conditions that you will follow

through with—no exceptions. Or we’ll start with your human friend, Sunny.”

Then, just as suddenly as he appeared, Tarek stalked off.

He saw me as nothing more than a means to an end, a trophy of his battle with Logan. Even if

I broke it off with Logan, Tarek would fulfill his promise.

Now that he was protected by guards and in a position of influence and authority, Tarek had

absolute power.

***

The gritty sound of heavy footsteps running in my direction came up from behind. A shadow of

a man, his coat flared in the wind against the white contrast of snow. Damn, I had to get it

together.

“Hey, Christian. My car wouldn’t start, so I’m just giving it a minute.”

He quirked his brow and glanced at my locked door. “Another Vampire gave me chase. You all

right?”

“I’m fine. It’s just this stupid car. I should have listened to Justus and got the BMW,” I said in a