Summit at Sunset (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 3) (34 page)

She only hoped that she could keep him alive long enough for wisdom to set in.

He tried not to feel offended by her critical observations. “Alton seemed quite pleased with the results this evening,” he tentatively ventured.

“But your methods are reckless, occasionally bordering on foolhardy,” she snapped. “You’re going to get yourself killed, Caleb.”

He winced slightly over her biting admonition while simultaneously struggling to contain his irritation at being scolded almost like a child.

She caught herself before she continued her rant, and instead made a conscious effort to settle her temper as they walked.

Heaven help me, I sound like some horrible, angry bitch
, she shamefully realized.

“Look,” she patiently attempted, “this is hard for me. The stakes are escalating, along with the danger, and I don’t want to lose you.”

“I don’t want to lose you either,” he blurted, not fully realizing the intensity of his feelings, or their implied double meaning, until that moment. Given Katrina’s lengthy obligations to committee sessions, it already felt as if he had been practically alone on the trip as it was.

She halted in midstride while encircling his waist with her arm and turned to stare into his gentle, pale-blue eyes. For as much as he was a capable young man by human standards, he appeared somewhat vulnerable to her.

“You’re not going to lose me, my love,” she calmly reassured him.

He offered a wan smile, and she bent down to kiss him warmly on the lips. Appreciative for her intimate attentions, he gratefully returned her kiss.

“Honestly, none of this is easy for me, either, and I’m trying my best to adapt to situations as events unfold. I want to prove to you that I can actually
handle
adversity. I know that you worry about me, and I’d like to promise you that I’ll stay out of trouble, but I just can’t make any guarantees,” he earnestly offered.

She couldn’t help but admire how determined and sincere he sounded. A previous, fanciful thought from earlier that morning gravitated to the forefront of her mind.

“Really? I think I can help with that,” she resolutely remarked. “I’m half-tempted to handcuff you to the bed. Perhaps that will keep you out of trouble.”

“What?” he countered with a wide-eyed expression.

“Just during the day, my love,” she equivocated as she ushered their renewed walk back towards the hotel.

“Um, I think not!” he heatedly challenged while half-heartedly attempting to pull free from her grasp.

She slyly chuckled.

My sense of humor’s still intact too, it seems.

*    *    *    *

Chapter 9: Dark Places

By the following morning, Caleb’s demeanor had improved, and he was feeling more content. His arm had almost fully healed, thanks to liberal use of Katrina’s saliva. Of course, the fact that she had not actually handcuffed him to the bed before she departed for the day’s conference session was also encouraging.

He shaved and dressed with a hopeful feeling as he contemplated what plan Dori would have for their investigation of the mountain shack just outside of town. Then a pang of guilt followed as he recalled Katrina’s concerns from the prior evening. She wouldn’t be happy if she knew what he and Dori were planning.

He wondered if he shouldn’t simply abandon further investigations both for his own welfare and for his mate’s peace of mind.

A knock at his suite’s door interrupted his thoughts, and he pulled a t-shirt over his head on the way to answer it.

Dori’s really early today
, he estimated.

As he opened his door, he was surprised to see Paige, once more relegated to her security outfit.

“Morning, Mister Trouble,” she greeted.

She playfully dangled a pair of chrome handcuffs in her left hand at eye level before him.

“Katrina said to drop by,” she slyly added.

“No way!” he challenged, immediately swinging the door closed against her.

At the last second, her hand slapped the door and effortlessly pushed against his full weight to sweep it open again. She slipped into the room, laughing as she closed the door behind her.

“Whoa, tiger,” she offered with a giggle. “Red said that I’d enjoy your reaction, and boy, you sure didn’t disappoint,” she added, sliding the pair of cuffs into her back pants pocket.

His heartbeat raced while slowly stepping backwards and watching her with a wide-eyed expression.

“I thought –”

“Yeah, I figured as much. Red told me about her little threat.”

Her eyes narrowed in a predatory fashion.

“Don’t worry, kiddo,” she assured him in a sultry voice, “If I ever do handcuff you to a bed, I won’t be leaving you alone.”

“Oh really?”

“I’m just sayin’.”

“Well, since you put it that way,” he suggestively countered with a smirk and deliberately reached out to take her by the hand.

I can tease, too.

She felt a momentary charge tingle across her skin as he grasped her hand, and her eyes darted to his. She was surprised how pleasing the thought of sex with him was to her, but was equally unnerved by her silent admission. Her gaze took in how well his t-shirt fit his muscular chest and how his blue jeans hugged his lean waist. Then she caught herself and quickly rotated her hand to grab his wrist.

“Enough kidding around, you perv. Let’s get you some breakfast. Nice healing job on your arm, by the way.”

She pulled him towards the suite door, thankful that she had not succumbed to a fleeting desire that she would later regret.

“Sure,” he agreed while eyeing her suspiciously.

Despite his sense of fidelity to Katrina, he couldn’t help feeling aroused by the fleeting idea of having sex with her. He considered her to be a powerfully attractive woman for whom he cared deeply. And his experience in the vault with her had only increased that sense of affection.

The two proceeded to the main dining room, platonically discussing a host of decidedly safer topics.

*    *    *    *

Katrina sat at the head of the conference table to the right of Alton while appreciating the reactions from a number of vampires around the table as both Hakizimana and Mara secured their respective seats at the opposite end of the room.

The yellow-eyed vampire had quite a reputation among his peers, almost like an ancient celebrity in his own right merely from his longevity. Certainly, he was the eldest vampire in the room, which was saying something with Alton being over eight hundred years old.

While not overly enthusiastic herself, Katrina particularly enjoyed the reactions of both Baldar Dubravko and Dominic Ambrogio over the newest participants. Both vampires seemed beside themselves and were lulled into silent contemplation versus their usual instigation of arguments among attendees.

Wonders never cease
, she mused.

“At the risk of seeming obstructive,” Hakizimana politely inquired, “Would it be possible to briefly enumerate the topics at hand?”

“Certainly,” Alton neatly replied.

He proceeded not only to describe the active topics, but briefly recounted the other topics that had been argued into stalemates or had been tabled for later discussion.

Hakizimana briefly commented on the merits of some topics, while diplomatically conceding the difficulties of others. Most surprising to Katrina was how a number of the previously tabled topics garnered renewed life with the seemingly unbiased promptings of the ancient vampire.

Within an hour, a number of formerly reserved or silent attendees were openly discussing the merits of some of the previous agenda topics. It was perhaps the first time since the conference started that free-flowing dialogue was occurring.

“Point of order,” Dubravko abruptly spoke up. “Shouldn’t someone other than the chair recommend that previously tabled topics be revisited for discussion?”

One of Alton’s brows imperiously arched, and he swept the faces in the room for someone to speak up.

Katrina sat up in her chair, meeting Dubravko’s golden-fleck eyes directly.

“I motion that previously tabled topics be reopened for discussion at the discretion of any participants,” she offered. “Who will second?”

Silence reigned for only a few seconds. Then no less than three vampires spoke up simultaneously in support. The final vote resulted in the vast majority of attendees favoring the motion. Dubravko, Ambrogio, and three others were among the only dissenters.

In and of itself, it was a momentous victory for the tone of the conference. Dubravko silently fumed across the table from Katrina, but she merely reflected quiet satisfaction.

Civil dialogue seamlessly resumed as if no interruption had occurred.

*    *    *    *

During breakfast, Paige absently watched Caleb eat while sipping from a Styrofoam cup of warm blood. She was determined not to let her appetite get the better of her in the future, obligations or not. Staring at the young man before her, she couldn’t help thinking about his two-fold accomplishment from the previous evening.

First, he had been able to bring a powerful and elusive vampire to participate in the conference. And second, he had lived through the risky endeavor.

Glancing up from his plate of food, he noticed her staring at him.

“What?” he asked.

“You surprised me last night, kiddo,” she conceded. “Quite a lot, actually.”

“I’m full of surprises sometimes.”

She giggled. “More like full of crap sometimes.”

He cast her a dirty look as he speared a sausage link and bit off one end.

“Actually,” she earnestly whispered, “I’m impressed and proud. I just wish that you wouldn’t –”

“Take so many chances?”

“Yeah,” she grimly agreed as tightness formed in her throat.

His clumsiness is glaring at times
.
I’d rather he not turn up dead anytime soon.

He was touched to see the depth of caring and concern reflected in her bright blue eyes.

“You and Katrina both,” he quietly noted.

She sipped from her cup, trying to refocus her thoughts on something more constructive. In turn, he concentrated on finishing his pancakes. The remainder of their time together passed relatively quickly and quietly. Yet, there was a sense of contentment between the two of them in just sharing the table together.

Following breakfast, Paige disappeared to pursue a host of requirements placed upon her by the major, leaving Caleb to his own diversions. He strolled through the merchants’ area at one end of the conference facility, absently perusing. Following a call to Dori’s suite but getting no answer, he left voicemail about where she could find him.

He had grown somewhat bored, having seen the same shops on a number of occasions since being sequestered to conference property.

An hour into his wandering, Dori showed up next to him as he perused a rack of paperback books.

“Where’s your cell phone?” she insisted, emphasizing her annoyance by prodding her fingertip against his shoulder blade.

He reached down to his hip and realized that he hadn’t had time to pick it up when Paige had abruptly showed up at his suite.

“Oh, yeah. I must have left without it this morning.”

“Yeah, well, you won’t need it until later this afternoon anyway,” she said. “Let’s go outside and enjoy some sunshine.”

They walked outdoors to the park bench on which they had sat together just days prior. Caleb noted the location was ideal to chat privately, allowing them easily to notice anyone who might approach. They sat quietly, appreciating the scenic surroundings for a short time before either spoke.

“I’ve figured out how we can sneak out,” Dori finally offered.

“Yeah? How?”

“There’s a linens truck that stops outside the loading zone at the rear of the building every day. The cameras are set up to observe the loading area, but the back of the truck obstructs the full view enough that we might be able to hop in unnoticed,” she explained.

“What about guards?”

“Yes, there’s always one on duty there, so we’ll need a diversion,” she agreed.

That seemed to be the sticking point, until something struck him.

“What if we could get someone else to help us?”

“You have somebody in mind who can keep it to themselves?” Dori asked.

“Maybe. How about Aiden?”

She observed him for a moment.

“Perhaps. But it’s better if we don’t tell him where we’re going, just in case one of the vampires questions him.”

He considered her qualification and realized that “one of the vampires” included Alton, Kat, and Paige. Excluding them wasn’t something that he was proud of, but he also realized that they wouldn’t support their venture, either. Still, he was convinced that what they were planning to do was imperative.

Besides, maybe we’ll get lucky like I did last night.

“I’ll talk to Aiden,” he resolved.

They agreed to visit again after he met with Aiden. It was another half-hour before he was able to acquire Aiden’s cell phone number and arrange to meet him somewhere private. In the end, they agreed upon the Frisbee golf course. Fortunately, Frisbee was something Caleb was well acquainted with.

The two enjoyed a couple of rounds against each other before Caleb felt comfortable bringing up the subject at hand. Finally, after neatly tossing his disc into the goal, he subtly broached the topic.

“Great,” Aiden chided. “Now you want
me
to get labeled a troublemaker, too. You’re a real pill, Taylor.”

Caleb shrugged. “Hey, I just thought you’d care enough about Talise to help us make sure there was nothing to our suspicions, that’s all.”

Aiden’s green eyes narrowed, and he glared at Caleb. “Whaddaya mean by that?”

“Nothing, maybe,” Caleb casually replied. “Only that sometimes I get it right, that’s all. And I’m all for making sure that nothing threatens Katrina. Or Paige.”

Aiden scowled. “I see what you’re doing. You’re trying to play on my fears. Well listen, try playing to my intelligence instead. Why don’t you tell me where you think some threat might be coming from, and I’ll determine if it seems reasonable or not.”

Caleb admired the man’s logic and moxie. However, he didn’t feel comfortable spilling all the details, just as Dori had warned him.

“Dori uncovered some new information that leads us to believe that Baldar Dubravko has an agenda focused on the failure of this conference. That’s another reason why the newest additions to the group, who, I might add, formerly weren’t interested in being here, found my argument compelling enough to attend.”

Aiden tossed his Frisbee, missed the goal entirely, and cursed. Then he turned to stare silently at Caleb at length before nodding.

“Okay, but when you’re done playing spy, I want to know the full details. So, what is it exactly you want me to do?”

Caleb was visibly pleased. “Agreed.”

The afternoon was waning by the time Caleb was able to locate Dori. He had no sooner made it back to the main lobby when he noticed vampires milling around. A number of human companions were among the crowd. Frowning, he looked around for someone who he felt comfortable asking for details.

Seemingly out of nowhere Katrina appeared on the far side of the lobby, staring at him with an amused expression. He tentatively smiled back at her. She crooked her finger in the same telltale manner as the night before and wriggled it at him in a beckoning fashion.

She didn’t seem upset or worried to him. Quite the contrary, she looked like a hunter who had just bagged its prize prey. Caleb swallowed, and his smile faded somewhat. Her emerald eyes were penetrating as he strode slowly across the lobby towards her. For that reason, he wasn’t entirely sure that he wanted to know why she wore such an expression.

“Surprise, my love,” she slyly offered and bent down slightly to kiss him on the lips.’

At least, something is destined to be a surprise
, she silently affirmed.

“It sure is,” he agreed. “The conference let out early today, I presume?”

“Given that it was the first positive meeting since we started, we thought it would be a good idea not to be greedy,” she wryly explained. “Besides, it gives those attendees with partners an opportunity to spend quality time with them. Like us, for example. We won’t reconvene until tomorrow morning.”

“Oh,” he replied.

It figures
.
Just when Dori and I finally have a plan of action, now I get to spend time with Katrina.

She took note of his distracted mannerism. “How does dinner sound?” she queried.

I wonder what’s on his mind?

He took notice of the main dining room and saw a short line of people waiting to be seated.