Vampire Thirst (9 page)

What?
Sam’s blood ran cold. She snapped her head around.

Hikuro was at the far end of the bar, watching them like a hawk. Damn it!

She turned back around and returned Phillip’s smile with one of her own. “He’s not my boyfriend. Don’t worry about him.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Phillip replied, caressing her fingers. “Let’s go back to my hotel room, love, and…discuss Zoricah’s offer, away from prying ears.”

Sam wasn’t ready for that kind of situation. She’d been in the field fighting alongside Zoricah and Yara for decades, but Yara was usually the one they sent to engage in those sorts of tricky situations. Sam was the geeky one who did the research and hacked into high security sites.

She tilted her chin down and tried to channel Yara as much as she could. She had to buy herself some time. “That’s a fantastic idea,” she said, pouting her lips ala Marilyn Monroe. “It’s a pity I don’t have much time. Why don’t you tell me what you know about the razbians’ operations in London and then we’ll set up another time to…you know…discuss your reward.”

“You mean Yerik’s experiments and his new weapon?”

Crap, he was on to her.

Sam tried to free her hands, but Phillip held them in place, then lifted them up to his lips and slowly licked the joints between her fingers. Sam’s stomach churned in revulsion. “I can see your reputation is not unfounded, Phillip…but a girl has her obligations.”

“Nonsense, love, I’m sure I can convince you that your only obligation is to your…self.” He then took her middle finger into his mouth and sucked it deeply.

Sam swallowed dry.

“Let go of her.”

Sam’s head snapped upwards at the dark command. Hikuro stood right beside her, murder in his eyes.
No, no, no!
 

“Hikuro!” Sam barked at him, but Hikuro didn’t even bother to look at her.

 “Let. Her. Go. Now.”

 “I believe your girl wants to try other fish in the sea, my friend,” Phillip replied with a deceivingly laid-back voice, but his blue eyes were intent on Hikuro, almost daring him to do something about it.

Sam yanked her hand free and stood up, blocking Hikuro’s path. “Hikuro, leave now.”

He didn’t flinch. His eyes pierced Phillip’s. Great, that was all Sam needed, two alpha males fighting for the “dick of the year” title. But then Phillip made what would probably be the biggest mistake of his life – he pulled Sam by the arm toward him. Sam lost her balance and fell down onto his lap. Before she could find her ground, his lips crashed on hers.

What the fuck?

She struggled against him, but he locked her in a tight embrace. Not for long. Suddenly, the room swung by as she was flung out of Phillip’s arms. She tumbled backwards and crashed against tables and chairs. When she looked up, Hikuro had Phillip’s head pinned down on the table. The draco tried to set himself free by elbowing Hikuro’s jaw, but Hikuro was faster. Within seconds, the fight was over. Vampire two, draco nil.

“Fuck, not again,” Phillip snarled in pain. His posh British accent was nowhere to be found.

“What do you mean, ‘not again’? What have you been up to, draco?” Hikuro snarled and gave a little tug on the locked arm.

Phillip let out a girly squeak. “Don’t you wanna know why your girlfriend is the key to all those abductions?”

A dark chill ran up Sam’s spine. “What did you say?”

“Fucking liar. Stay away from her.” Hikuro growled and twisted the draco’s arm further.

Phillip cried out in pain.

Some patrons at the bar started gathering and mumbling protests, the wise ones kept to themselves.

“Oi! Take it ou’side, mate!” the barman shouted.

Hikuro just glared at him. His cat-like eyes were a furious red.

The barman decided to follow his own advice and walked out the door.

What in Hiad had taken over Hikuro? Sam had never seen him so out of control before.
This
Hikuro made her almost miss the cold, calculating, stone-faced one. Almost.

Phillip’s breathing became ragged and sweat broke on his forehead. His beautiful blue eyes were wide and red.

Sam tugged on Hikuro’s shoulder and tried to pull him off the draco. “Hikuro, let him go, now!”

Phillip let out a chuckle and dug his own grave. “What is it, Hikuro? You can’t keep your girlfriend’s leash on, so you decided to let out on her lovers?”

“What did you say?” Hikuro said in the draco’s ears.

“Now, Sammy love,” Phillip continued, ignoring Hikuro’s warning. “After he rolls over and leaves you still wanting, you come to me for the real thing, OK?”

Sam averted her eyes just in time. The popping sound of bones snapping in half echoed across the bar. Phillip let out a painful howl.

Damn it!
Now there was no way Phillip would tell her what she needed to know. Zoricah’s voice came into her mind. “When you find yourself at a crossroads, the best solution is the one you can’t see. The wise warrior removes himself from the situation and examines it from afar.”

Sam turned around and walked off.

Chapter 13

It was still raining outside – obviously, this was London – and Sam had left Yara’s trench coat on the chair, but she was
so
not going back to get it. She took a deep breath and walked toward the nearest tube station, which was quite far.

May the Soartas strike all men in the world!

Her only chance to redeem herself, to amend her fuck-ups, to find out where Yerik’s operations were, was now ruined, and why? Because of stupid, chauvinistic, control-freak male egos.

Footsteps on wet pavement behind her brought Sam back from her bitchin’ reverie. Years of self-defense training kicked in. She slowed down and located from which side her attacker was coming at her –
left
– and waited
.
Just before he reached her, she twisted her body, blocking her attacker’s raised arm and, using the heel of her hand, she hit him straight up the nose.

“Ouch, Sam!” Hikuro shouted, cupping his bleeding nose with both hands.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Sam asked, not knowing what to make of having successfully struck a vampire ninja. Yay?

“I came looking for you.”

“Oh yeah? Then that served you well.” She spun on her heels and walked off.

“Sam, wait.”

She kept on walking. Heels stomping on concrete.

“Damn it, woman, I said wait!” Hikuro shouted and grabbed Sam’s elbow.

She spun around and slapped his hand hard. “Do you want me to break your nose again?” She was furious! How dare he ruin her assignment? How dare he show up like that after what happened last night? He had no grounds for being here, no business following her around.

Hikuro raised his hands in surrender. “Let’s talk.”

“Oh, you want to talk now?” she replied sarcastically. “No problem, Hikuro, we can talk now that
you
are ready; now that your big ego isn’t blocking your brain activity, now that you're not busy breaking the arm of the only good lead we’ve had in freaking weeks!” Sam knew she was close to hysterical, but she didn’t care. She was simply, absolutely, utterly raging. “How in Hiad did you find me anyway?”

He shoved his hands into his back pockets and looked away.

“Oh, you didn’t dare…” Sam opened her bag and looked inside. It didn’t take long for her to find the small black device signaling her position. She saw red. “You put a tracker on me?”

“You left me no choice after you refused to let me give you proper backup…”

She paced back and forth like a caged lion. Her rage reached a new level. “I can’t believe this! What happened to ‘we must learn how to trust each other, whether we like it or not’, Hikuro? Is that how you show your trust? By putting a fucking tracker on me?”

“I do trust you,” he replied through clenched teeth. “I just don’t trust Phillip. He is a notorious womanizer, a snake that double crossed you once already.”

“I had the situation under control.”

“Oh please.” It was Hikuro’s turn to lose his cool. “He was all over you, Sam! He was licking your fingers, for Hiad's sake!”

“And why is that so bad, Hikuro? You said it yourself, I love playing games, don’t I? So, maybe that’s exactly what I wanted him to do. Have you thought about that?”

Hikuro lowered his chin and snarled. Sharp fangs emerged, but Sam didn’t get fazed. He could pull the “vampire in rage” act all he wanted, she would not be intimidated.

“
I
arranged this meeting, Hikuro, I needed the information, and I was going to do
anything
to get it. As a matter of fact, I’m going back there right now and offer my help in tending to Phillip’s wounds. Maybe he’s feeling lonely and vulnerable.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Try and stop me.”

“Sam, don’t you take another step.”

“Bite me!”

“Sam, I’m warning you. Do not tempt me!”

“Why? Why, Hikuro?”

Strong hands grabbed her by the arms and pulled her close. His lips were inches from hers. His dark eyes flashed red.

“Because you are mine,” he snarled, then crushed his mouth against hers.

Chapter 14

Hikuro’s kiss was demanding, furious, heated. And totally turned Sam’s legs to jelly. She knew she should
pull away, but it felt too good. One hand wrapped around her waist while the other took her hair into his fist at the back of her neck, compelling her to submit, to give him what he claimed.

Oh, mighty Soartas.

There was no way of denying it anymore. She wanted him, she needed to feel him, but her energies weren’t going to let her have this moment. Just like last night, she felt the familiar stir deep inside her, her limbs quivered with her powers going wild.

She planted both hands on his amazingly taunt chest and tried to pull away.

"No, not this time." Hikuro's command came out more like a growl. "We're settling whatever there is between us once and for all."

His iron-grip held her in place. Sam felt the air tighten around them and closed her eyes in a feeble attempt to stop the dizziness that would follow the freefall. Yep, teleportation could be very handy, but it was not her thing.

"You can open your eyes now," Hikuro whispered after a few seconds.

She complied and his penetrating dark gaze met hers. So intense, so serious. But this time around, the judgment gave way to something else – longing? Butterflies danced in her stomach. By Apa Dobrý, she felt like a virgin on her first night. But would she be able to go through with it without hurting him? He would never understand – being the bad-ass vampire he was.

She slid out of his embrace. He let her, just. He had transported them to a large room with beige walls framed by wooden sills. A large futon was spread out on the tatami floor. Sliding doors with frosted, paper-like glass, opened out to a covered balcony, which had a low table with two cushions. It was dark outside, but the stunning backdrop of city lights at the base of a gigantic mountain was fairly visible. Mount Fuji. They were in Japan.

"Where are we?" Sam asked.

"My home."

His home?
This was like Batman taking Catwoman to the Batcave!

"I come here every time I need some time out," Hikuro explained and pushed a couple of buttons on the wall. Soft amber light brightened the room.

"Come in," Hikuro commanded.

The door slid open and a tiny Japanese woman, dressed in a beautiful white and red kimono, bowed before them. Sam frowned. She hadn’t heard her knocking.

Hikuro said something in Japanese, then bowed. The woman bowed even lower, then left, not once raising her eyes to him.
Oh, that's right. The old Japanese social hierarchy.
Sam's jaw tensed. She had been fighting alongside her other female, independent friends for decades. She simply couldn’t fathom why some societies still supported gender inequality.

"Don't be fooled by her demeanor,” Hikuro said. “Mrs. Sato has been working for my family for over four hundred years. She can crush us both with a flick of her wrists."

Oh.

"So, she's older than you?"

He nodded. “And she runs my businesses here in Japan. I’d be lost without her.”

OK, maybe she could cut him some slack then.

“Come, let's sit while she brings us tea."

Vampires drink tea?

"Yes, we can drink other liquids when diluted in blood," Hikuro replied to her unspoken question.

Shit, could he read her mind?

"Relax, Sam," he said, his lips curving into a small smile. "I didn’t enter your mind, but your face is like a TV screen."

Oh.

Sam walked to the edge of the enclosed balcony. A cool chill touched her face. The air in Japan was colder than in London, and definitely drier, but it was certainly cleaner. She took a deep breath and admired the view. She could understand why he came here to relax.

A soft knock called her attention. Ha! This time around, she heard it.

Mrs. Sato glided in and crossed the room as if she had no legs. She then crouched gracefully on her heels and placed two small tea pots and two cups on the low table – one set for Hikuro, one for Sam. Hikuro sat cross-legged on one of the cushions. Mrs. Sato poured the contents of the pot on the left and, with her head low, raised the cup with both hands. Hikuro bowed and took what she offered, also with both hands.

Sam was fascinated by their exchange. She had never been to Japan but had heard of their infinite list of rituals and social etiquette. They were much more interesting live than on Wikipedia.

Mrs. Sato repeated the routine but chose the pot on the right this time around. Brown liquid flowed into the small ceramic cup. She then bowed low and offered the goblet to Sam, again with both hands.
Oh, right. My turn now
. Sam sat down across from Hikuro and tried to mimic his movements as much as she could. "How do I say thank you?"

"Arigatou gozaimasu."

Huh?

Sam's attempt to speak her first words in Japanese was pitiable, but she must have said something right because Mrs. Sato bowed low and left.

Hikuro took a sip of his drink and she copied him. It tasted delicious, but it did nothing to calm her nerves. She couldn't get her head around their conundrum. Hikuro was stunning, powerful, from a very influential vampire family. He could have anyone in the world – vamps, fae, dracos, you name it. But for some reason Batman had brought
her
to the Batcave.