The Coming Storm (6 page)

Seattle dipped his head respectfully, speaking for us as the oldest. “Thank you, Director Fabian. And thank you for granting us an audience along with temporary safety in your mist. While we had planned to go directly to Parliament with what we found, when we discovered we were being pursued, we thought it best to inform our allies of what we learned while throwing them off our trail.”

“Oh you do have your father’s gift for spinning things in a pretty light,” the vampire drawled, clucking his tongue. “You needed help. If you wanted to let us in the loop, you could have picked up the phone.”

“No, because your phones are tapped,” I blurted out. Seriously? I needed to get my brain-to-mouth neurons checked. Did I not have
any
ability to keep my mouth shut?

“Be mute once we’re in the coven,” Boston reminded me, barely breathing it in my ear. I nodded that I heard him, but well, apparently I was just an idiot.

The man’s piercing stare fell on me, and I swear they flashed interest but I wasn’t really sure in what capacity. Probably at what I knew. “Explain that immediately.”

“Director, with all due respect, my brother doesn’t know how the game is played,” Seattle interrupted as he waved me quiet. “You’d never let your people speak in a court where they didn’t know the rules.”

“No, no I wouldn’t.” He nodded but his eyes still never left me, instead raking over my body. “No games then, because I feel this one is at the center of it. The deal was to let you in the coven and get the humans off your trail for this information. We have done as such. I want him to tell me the information because he will be truthful. After that you leave or you and I will strike another accord. I will not pressure him.”

“My understanding was the deal was for the night or until our tail was gone,” I hedged, glancing at Seattle.

“The humans have departed and circled back,” a man next to the director informed me. Damn, he was handsome too. Not in the smack you upside the head way their leader was but still in the top five best looking men I’d ever laid eyes on. “We’ve kept our end unless our gracious leader decides on more.”

“Fine, but no tricks,” Seattle warned before giving me a nod to go ahead. He was playing nice which I guessed meant he wanted more than to turn around and leave again. And then it hit me. The Expedition was shot to hell. Yes, we should drive cross country in that and wave a
gigantic
red flag to pay attention to us.

Crap. We still needed the vampires’ help desperately.

I licked my suddenly dry lips and swallowed loudly before telling Director Fabian what I knew. His eyes never left mine nor swayed in their intensity while others cursed or muttered to themselves. It was very uncomfortable to tell someone such big news like that, and I started to feel like a bug under a microscope.

“That’s all I know until I get a chance to decrypt more of what’s on the drive,” I finished. Then I looked at Boston and then Seattle as if to ask
how bad did I screw up?
They both gave me approving nods so for once I’d controlled my mouth.

And they say miracles don’t happen anymore.

“How long would it take you to decrypt the information?” the director asked me curiously. In truth, I had downloaded it decrypted, but re-encrypted it for security measures in case someone tried to take it from me.

“Depends how my laptop is after our adventure,” I answered as I rubbed my hands over my stomach, trying to keep from hugging myself. His gaze was making me even more uncomfortable, and as he watched the movements of my hands, it didn’t help. “No longer than a few hours if it’s okay. If it’s not, Milwaukee could help me to do it about that same time.” It would take moments if my laptop was fine because all I needed was my program, if not, then we’d have to do it as if it wasn’t my security but still that was a conservative estimate.

He nodded and ran his tongue over his fang before turning to Seattle. “New deal. You stay the night with our full hospitality, we will give you new transportation, computer, and whatever else was damaged in your fleeing the authorities. Along with escorts out of the state tomorrow morning to keep you covered with mist.”

“For?” Seattle’s shoulders went tense as if bracing for impact.

“If we are truly facing the end of our way of life, then blood will become scarce soon,” he hedged as he focused on me. “And a night with a young shifter would sustain someone of my age for a long time.”

“Just drink blood from him?” Seattle asked with a soft growl.

“No.” I felt lust shoot through me as his meaning sank in. Holy shit! He’d make that kind of deal just to drink and have sex with me? Wow. Talk about a compliment.

“Not fucking happening. We’re not whoring out our baby brother for—”

“Yes,” I said, interrupting them. The argument kept right on going though. I cleared my throat and yelled it this time. “Yes!”

“No, Chicago,” Boston snarled. “You don’t know what you’re agreeing to.”

“Sex and he bites me.” Now, I wasn’t so sure. I glanced at the director hesitantly. “Are you into anything I won’t like? I mean, knives, chains, icky potty play, or hurting me? You won’t drain me, right? I’ll walk away at the end of the sex?”

“What he means is it won’t be just once. I will take you all night, and with how quickly you regenerate, even your blood, I could drink pint after pint from you if I give you ten minutes rest in between. But no, nothing else. I am not into anything untoward besides a little slap and tickle and more passion than you’ve ever experience.”

That won’t be hard
. I rolled my eyes mentally. I’d only been with two men, and it hadn’t really been life altering experiences. With five older brothers, any man interested normally got chased off before even kissing me.

“Then yes, you can have me tonight,” I whispered. I pulled out the thumb drive and handed it to Milwaukee. “You know what to do, brother.”

“Don’t do this, Chicago. You don’t have to do this. We’ll find another way,” he begged me.

“You were willing to die to keep me from being that Alpha’s bitch forever.” I gave him a smile to let him see I was really okay. “I can offer my throat for a vampire who wants to bed me all night. Seriously, it’s all good.”

“We have a deal then. Your brother will spend the night with my three lieutenants and I.”

“What?” I gasped, spinning back to face him. “You said
you
.”

“I never share my bed with someone new without my lieutenants there to make sure they’re not an assassin.” He gave me an evil smile then. “You didn’t know that was standard for a director? Oh well, you’ll enjoy it.”

“You said no games,” Seattle snarled.

“And we said
we’d
make the deal. He made it,” Director Fabian shot back. I racked my brain while they were arguing, thinking about what was said. I was a computer geek. Logic was my domain. I could do this. I leaned against the pillar by me for support when I felt like my legs were going to give out, the stone under my fingers was as unbending as the men arguing around me.

They would seriously shout each other to death and what would that solve? Sure, it would progress to blows eventually. Of that I had no doubt. All because of crafty bargains. Deals they had warned me had to be carefully worded—

“Fine, they can watch only,” I blurted out. “You
specifically
said you would take me all night and you would drink from me. That you agreed to
my
terms. My terms were you would not do certain things, have sex with me, and drink from me.
You
. You never said
us
or
we
. That’s a bait and switch. If you require them in the room, that’s a security thing, and I concede that, but for them to join in, that’s a different deal.”

“Chicago, don’t,” Boston begged me, his face going pale. “You won the argument. Don’t open the deal again, baby bro. You won’t win twice.”

“Then help me broker a better one instead of saying no this isn’t happening,” I snapped.

“Fine,” Boston and Director Fabian ground out together. I heard the man who spoke earlier taking a harsh breath, and I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, carefully not reacting when I saw his pants tenting and lust in his eyes. Was he that excited that I’d opened the discussion back to including them?

This night seriously was going from
crazy
to
this can’t be happening
to
no
fucking
way
!

“What do you want in addition?” His tone was even but I could see the storm in his eyes.

The funny thing was I didn’t have a clue. I ended up exclaiming the first thing that popped in my head when thinking about running from the government. “Cash!” Then I turned about twelve shades of red and groaned. “Oh gods, I am a whore. We have aliases and accounts in them but we should probably be using cash just in case. Just trade us cash for—”

“Breathe, Chicago,” Seattle said gently as he was suddenly in front of me. “You don’t have to do this, okay? We’ll be just fine if we walk out those doors right now.”

I nodded and took a few breaths before letting him, and only him, see in my eyes that I kind of wanted to. I mean, the coven leader was hot and
four
of them with me? Wasn’t that every gay man’s fantasy? When would I ever get another chance like this? And we did need help. Astonishment flashed in his eyes before he hid it.

He pressed his mouth to my ear so I alone would hear him. “They want to know what’s on that thumb drive and they want you badly, baby bro. You are
not
the pauper here begging for handouts. You hold the cards. Just remember once you’re alone with them you will be at their mercy so don’t go too far because they will not forget that later and take the fun out of the fantasy for you.”

“Thank you,” I breathed, feeling better now that I understood the game. He kissed my cheek and stepped out of the way again. I took a deep breath and focused on Director Fabian again before pointing to the guy on his right. “For adding him, whatever weapons Seattle and Boston deem we need and they know how to use. I leave that up to them but we shouldn’t do this unarmed.”

“Done,” he immediately agreed.

Then I picked the first guy on his left, the one who had looked at me with lust. It took me a second to realize he was mouthing something discretely.
A later save
. What could that—oh!

“For adding him, a later save. You guys can travel by mist. If we get tied up again, we call on a burner you buy, and you send us help. As director of a coven and loyal ruler under the Paranormal Parliament it would be your duty anyways to come to our aid when our mission is to get them information they need.” When he growled, I held up my hand. “But of course you would have offered that as such a noble and fair leader as my father said and that should be rewarded.”

“Rightly so as your own sacrifice in the undertaking you have involved yourself in,” he hedged, eyeing me as if realizing there was more to me than he expected. “I shall grant you two saves
if
possible. Meaning if we are not under attack ourselves. I swear that on my honor and your brother can attest that I keep my word.”

“I can and know you would rather die than break it,” Seattle said solemnly. Good to know it was so important to them then.

I looked at the last guy like he’d have the answers and kind of drew a blank.

“Medical supplies and cash in exchange for our check,” Orlando coughed.

“Subtle,” I snickered as everyone else looked ready to burst out laughing as well. “Anyone else have a vote too?” I glanced around at my brothers.

“No, that’s more than enough. You made a good deal,” Seattle said proudly but nervously.

“Okay, then those are my terms.” I swallowed loudly again and met Director Fabian’s eyes. “Along with the previous ones. Nothing untoward, gross, and I walk away afterwards.”

His eyes flashed with power as he let me see his fangs fully and how big they were. “Done.”

And just like that I made a deal with the devil… And the devil had bite.

4

“Get naked,” Director Fabian ordered when I was alone in his rooms with him and his three lieutenants. At least I’d learned their names. That was always good before sleeping with someone. Eric and Max were the two I hadn’t spoken to yet, and Aurelo was the one who had helped me. When I’d asked the main man his name he’d answered me, “Director Fabian”.

Okay then.

I hurriedly shucked my clothes before I lost my nerve and took a couple of calming breaths before facing him. His eyes gazed over me appraisingly as he strutted towards me like a predator closing in on his prey. Then he started to circle me, and I squashed the need to cover up as I realized the others were staring as well… All while fully clothed.

Letting out a startled yelp when there was a loud crack, I instinctively reached back and rubbed my tender ass from where his hand landed.

“You’re really the hacker who got all this information?” he asked in a disbelieving voice.

“Yes,” I squeaked as he moved back around front of me. “Why?”