Over the Edge

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Alinar Publishing www.alinarpublishing.com Copyright ©2007 by Kallysten First published in 2007, 2007 NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

Over The Edge Kallysten

Copyright © 2007 Kallysten All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. The right of Kallysten to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First Published 2007 First Edition All characters in this publication are purely fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Edited by Mary S.

Cover by Margaret C. ISBN (PDF only): 1-906023-32-8 978-1-906023-32-4

Chapter 1 Morning had come, but Lisa's dreams clung to her, trapping her in a memory made of skin and silk, hands and caresses, mouths and kisses, moans and bites and hardness sliding inside her faster and faster until she was crying out softly in her sleep. The past relinquished its hold on her slowly. The sounds faded first, then the scent of sex, the taste of come and blood, and finally, the feel of hands and cocks on her and in her. The faces of her lovers, however, remained with her even as she opened her eyes. She stared up at the ceiling for a few moments, wondering why, when she had spent her night with two gorgeous men, her mind had decided to bring her back so much further back in time to a night she had shared with Leo and their Sire. It had to be the return of Leo that had triggered the memory, she decided; it meant nothing more. It couldn't mean anything more, and it certainly didn't mean that she missed her Sire. It was disappointing, however, to wake up alone after having gone to bed with Brett and Leo. The former had been her lover for almost a year, but she had shared her nights with Leo for decades until they had separated fifteen years earlier. The only proofs that she had not imagined the entire thing were their lingering scents around her and the last notes of pleasure still drumming inside her like an echo. Her last thought before she had fallen asleep had been to hope her morning would be at least as interesting as her night, if not more. Instead, she was alone in a cold bed. Clearly, she would have to teach her men some manners. She could hear their voices behind the door. Soft voices. They weren't shouting; that had to be a good sign. Curious about what they were talking about, she stood, stretching her arms high above her head as she did. She had half a mind to walk out of the bedroom naked and tease them with what they were missing, what they could have had if they had stayed in bed with her. She changed her mind at the last second when she saw Leo's shirt on the floor by the door and slipped it on, fastening only a couple of buttons. She was a couple inches shorter than Leo, and the shirt's hem danced against her upper thighs and ass, keeping her decent when she stepped out of the bedroom. They turned to her at once. Sitting on the facing sofas in the middle of the living room, they both held a mug. If she was to judge by the scent, they were sharing coffee. After the previous night, she would have expected them to share something more intimate, and to do so wearing a lot less clothes, although at least they were both bare-chested. Then again, she was the one who had led them to the same bed despite Leo's wariness and Brett's jealousy. With the return of morning, they might need more prompting to get closer again. "I guess it was too much to hope that one of you would remember how much I hate waking up alone." At her grumble, they exchanged a look, although she couldn't tell if it held more embarrassment, regret, or guilt. She needed to shake sleep off completely if she was going to be able to read them, and for that she would need something stronger than coffee. Thankfully, there was always a generous supply of blood in the fridge. She hunted every night in the club she had helped Brett design, choosing willing prey in the crowd of dancers, but she could just as well dine in rather than hunt when she wanted.

Turning her back on them, she entered the open floor kitchen. The marble counter felt cold and smooth beneath her fingertips when she rested a hand on it and opened the fridge. At the sight of the stacked blood packages, the hunger inside her roared. With Leo's surprise arrival the previous night, she had barely had any blood, and she was famished. She pulled a plastic bag out and used scissors to cut a corner, emptying it into a large cup, careful not to spill a drop. While the microwave buzzed lightly and warmed the blood, she rinsed off both the scissors and bag, hanging the first back on their hook by the microwave and disposing of the second in the special container for medical waste beneath the sink. All of it was so habitual, she didn't need to think about what she was doing, and was free instead to think of the two men in the other room. All she had had in mind, when bringing Leo up to the apartment above the club where she lived with Brett, had been to spend a night with them. It had been a tribute to times long past where Leo was concerned, and an offering to Brett of something she knew he wanted, without daring to take it for himself. But as time had passed, as memories of her happier years with Leo had resurfaced, as she had seen Brett's jealousy dissolve into lust and need, she had begun wondering. One night might become two, or a week. A month. More, maybe. It would all depend on what happened when she returned to the living room. The microwave pinged and she almost jumped, startled. Those daydreams were more intriguing than she had expected. She took a sip from her mug before stepping out of the kitchen. The taste held the comfort of familiarity, which was just what she needed with the uncertainty ahead. No noise had come from the living room while she was in the kitchen, and when she walked out she found Brett and Leo exactly where she had left them. Her first instinct was to curl down next to one of them to sip on her blood, but that would mean choosing, and she wasn't sure that would be a good idea at this point. She also wasn't sure which of them she would have chosen. Taking slow steps toward them, she kept her attention on her full mug to make sure the blood wouldn't slosh over the edges. Even so, she could feel two sets of eyes on her, the awareness like a prickling sensation at the base of her skull. Brett's eyes were green, light, always full of life. Leo's were darker, but deeper. They held more secrets, though Lisa had pierced them all, or so she had once thought. At that moment however, both men were looking at her with the same intensity, the same fire. It was enough to make her just a little lightheaded. Or that might have been the hunger. "So what have you boys been talking about?” she asked once she sat down, her legs folded beneath her. The armchair she chose was perfectly centered between the two men. It was Brett who answered, which surprised Lisa a little. Leo had always been quick to assert himself and had done so easily the previous night, yet she had the feeling that he had waited for Brett to take the lead. "We've been talking shop, mostly. Did you know Leo is a bartender?" She raised an interested eyebrow. “I did not. But I told you, it's been a long time since Leo and I last saw each other." Brett nodded as he leaned forward to place his empty mug on the coffee table. There was something in his gaze, almost a question, that she wasn't quite sure how to interpret.

"Turns out, Leo was the vamp who never showed up for that interview yesterday,” he continued, his tone very carefully neutral. “The vamp I told you I would have hired if he had just come by. So I offered him the job." The hesitation was there, too small, Lisa thought, for anyone but her to notice it. It was barely a breath taken too deeply, then a huff of air coming out too fast. She observed him carefully as she took a slow drink from her mug. With his forearms resting on his legs as he leaned forward and his fingers linked together, he appeared calm, as calm as the day he had signed the deed for the building that had been the first step toward creating On The Edge. He was sure of himself, sure he was making the right decision. But he wasn't sure what she would think. A quick glance toward Leo was enough to reveal that he was wondering the exact same thing. "I'm glad.” She gave Brett a small smile, then a matching one to Leo. “I've been saying for weeks that we needed a vamp behind the bar." Leo's first words were full of teasing and fondness. “And you always get what you want, don't you?" "Of course I do.” Her matter-of-fact tone drew twin chuckles from the men. What she added next, with an almost lazy slide of her right hand along her leg, made them swallow hard. “Not that I've ever had complaints." She let a few seconds pass, just enough to drink a little more and to let her eyes wander over one man, then the other. Brett's loose sleeping pants and Leo's tighter slacks revealed the same renewed interest, but it was too soon to go back to playing. Business first. "Do you have a place to live?” she asked Leo, turning her attention to him but remaining very aware of the way Brett's body shifted. "I arrived in town late yesterday, so I haven't really found one yet. I just dropped my things off in our old lair before coming to the club, but I'm not sure I want to live there." Lisa inclined her head to show she understood. She herself had lived in that lair alone for years, after she and Leo had gone their separate ways, to prove to herself that the shadows of her Sire and long-time lover weren't hanging over her. The passing years had not made the memories any softer. "It'd make sense if you found something close to the club,” she mused aloud, very careful not to look at Brett. “You wouldn't have to travel too much by daylight when you start early or finish late." The apartment wasn't hers. She had repeated often enough to Brett that she considered herself his guest and nothing more. She wouldn't extend an invitation to Leo to live with them. But she could hint at the possibility, and see how Brett played that tune. She didn't want to push him into something he wasn't ready for, and there was certainly a large step between sharing a bed with two vampires for one night and sharing his life with them. Brett's amused look made it clear that he knew what game she was playing. “That's actually the reason for the two lofts across the hall, if you recall. I'll go down to the office to get the key. If you don't mind living so close to us, that is." The last was directed at Leo, who shook his head with a quiet laugh. “No objections, no. It sounds like a fine arrangement, actually."

Lisa could easily see what he meant by that. Just a few hours after coming back to Haventown, he had found a job, a place to live in, and two lovers. It would have been better, she supposed, if Brett had invited him to live with them, but the loft near them was already a big step. She wondered what Brett thought or felt, but his face, when he stood and came to brush his lips against her temple, was impenetrable. She caught his hand before he moved away and let the heat of her need warm her voice. "Want to take a shower before you go work?" He squeezed her hand, an acknowledgment that he, too, remembered the last shower they had shared. "I already took one. Why don't you ask Leo to join you?" She blinked, a little surprised, and let go of his hand to allow him to walk away. She'd never have expected him to push her toward Leo, not like this. Maybe he was more comfortable with the idea of sharing a lover with her than she had believed. Time would tell. Pushing the questions away for the moment, she raised an eyebrow toward Leo. "Want to scrub my back?" He was laughing quietly when he stood and extended his hand to help her up. **** Through the bedroom door he had only half closed, Brett heard footsteps across the living room. What he did not hear, however hard he listened, was the bathroom door close. Had they left it open for him? He dismissed the idea with a shake of his head, and returned to pulling clothes out of his dresser and closet. He dressed up mechanically, his mind wandering out of the room and into the bathroom instead, so that when he glanced at himself in the mirror hung inside the closet door—the only mirror in the entire building—he could only frown. Dark blue pants and light green shirt weren't a very attractive combination. He pulled off the shirt and grabbed another one, blue this time. His thoughts, however, did not remain focused long enough for him to pick out a tie that wouldn't clash, and he couldn't help turning toward the door and looking out. All he could see was part of the open floor living area, but beyond that he could picture the door that hadn't been closed, and what was happening beyond it. He could hear the water running, and, sometimes, quiet sounds that could have been moans—or his imagination. From the very beginning of their relationship, Lisa had made it clear to him that the word ‘monogamous’ wasn't part of her vocabulary or lifestyle, and despite his growing feelings for her, he had accepted it rather easily. Even when she took longer to return on some nights, he knew whose bed she would be in, come morning. He knew that others were only prey; he was different. She had said so herself. She said it every time she refused to feed from him. Maybe it had also been easy for him to accept her games because deep down, he had always been curious to see her with another man—or another woman, she wasn't too particular about her prey. He had never had the occasion until now, because, at his request, she always took the others elsewhere rather than to the bed he shared with her. But now ... now she was just a few steps away, with another man, and the open door couldn't be anything other than an invitation. The previous night, Brett probably would have been seething with jealousy and overcome with the fear that Leo might take Lisa away from him. Both jealousy and fear had melted away as quickly as his self-control did every time he was in front of Lisa. All it had taken was a few words of reassurance—as

much of a promise as Lisa had ever offered him—and the feel of Leo's skin against his, his fangs sinking in Brett's flesh. Just the memory of it had Brett's cock beginning to fill and tug at his perfectly tailored pants. Unable to resist any longer, he abandoned his useless search for a tie and walked over to the bathroom. With each step, he could hear them more clearly over the sound of the cascading water. Lisa was the most vocal, moaning softly every few seconds, but Leo wasn't silent either. His quiet grunts were harsh and regular, perfectly in time with the wet, regular, slapping sound of flesh against flesh. The rhythm faltered, just for a second, when Brett stepped onto the cold tiles of the bathroom, but it picked up in speed again after that. The lightly frosted glass of the shower door both shielded the two vampires and revealed their tantalizing bodies. Brett now had a visual to accompany the noises they made, and he had to lean back against the wall by the door, his knees threatening to buckle in. They were breathtaking, and watching them was every bit as erotic as Brett had imagined it would be, if not more. Leo was carrying Lisa, her legs wrapped around his waist. Her back rested against the tiled wall behind her, and Brett could see her use that support and the grip of her hands on Leo's shoulders to raise herself up, then down again, accompanying his steady thrusting. Brett's cock was throbbing now, and without thinking about what he was doing, without caring that they had to know he was there, he freed it from the confines of his pants and underwear. He sighed at the first touch of the steamy air on his flesh, then again when he wrapped his fist around his cock and squeezed tightly, on the edge of delicious pain. He remained still for a few seconds, simply watching and letting their rhythm slide beneath his skin and into his bones. When he couldn't bear it anymore, he allowed his grip to loosen, just enough for his hand to slide up to the tip of his cock. Running his palm over the precome that had pooled there, he spread it when he slid down, making the motion easier and the friction that much more delicious. As though they had been waiting for him to join them, Leo and Lisa suddenly increased the pace of their dance. With a mind of its own, Brett's hand accelerated along with them. It was too much, too fast, the sensations like fire licking along his skin, delicious and excruciating all at once. He longed for a lighter touch, softer fingers than his own—cooler, too, fingers that could tease him to the brink of madness before offering him a release as sweet as Lisa's lips. But her fingers were gripping Leo's shoulder now. And her lips were on Leo's as well. Brett wasn't sure whom he envied most, whose place he wanted to take. The show came to an abrupt end with twin cries of pleasure. Brett struggled not to blink so he could keep watching the silhouettes behind the glass. They had fallen silent, and their movements had almost come to a standstill. Almost, but not quite. With each of Brett's harsh breaths, they moved, minute slides against each other that, once again, Brett's hand mimicked on his cock. He was painfully close to bliss, and painfully far from it as well. The shower door slid open with a whisper under Lisa's hand, and the silhouettes disappeared, giving way instead to the beautiful bodies of the still entwined lovers surrounded by steam. They were both looking toward Brett, and both sporting the same look of completion, of hunger. "Don't even move a muscle." Lisa's voice was soft, strong, trembling on the last word. Brett froze instantly, unable to deny her

request. He bit softly on his bottom lip to stop himself from making a sound as Leo pulled away from Lisa and she lowered her legs, as graceful as a ballerina. He saw her waver, for just an instant, but her footing was steady when she climbed out of the shower. With water droplets sliding lazily over her body, she approached Brett with slow, sure steps, a dangerous cat stalking her prey. Behind her, the water stopped cascading over the tiles, but Brett couldn't manage to take his eyes off her to see what Leo was doing. She advanced close enough that her entire body was just an inch away from his. All Brett had to do was breathe a little more deeply, and his chest would expand to meet hers, her still distended nipples would brush against the silky material of his shirt, and ... and she had asked him not to move. Her left hand pulled Brett's hand away from his cock. Her right replaced it. "Did you like the show?” She leaned in just a little more, so that her words were a caress against his lips. Her hand tightened on his cock, and she smiled. “No, don't tell me. I know you did. You could have joined in, you know." She didn't give him a chance to answer, closing in to press her mouth to his. Her tongue slid over his lips before pushing past them. At the same instant, her hand started moving: long, tight pulls that had his cock throbbing again after only seconds. He stroked her tongue at the same languid pace as her caresses. A quiet groan rose in his throat as pleasure returned, still beyond his grasp. He closed his eyes to try to coax it closer, but it remained unattainable. He felt Lisa move against him and press against his side just before her hand let go of him. He opened his eyes again and started protesting, but the protest died on his lips, swallowed by Lisa's suddenly fiercer kiss, when another mouth covered the head of his cock. Whatever had been keeping his orgasm out of his reach suddenly broke, but now the long awaited release felt like it had arrived too soon. Leo's mouth had barely been wrapped around his cock for a second, it seemed, and already it was retreating, suckling gently. Brett wished it had stayed a little longer. But then that clever, sinful mouth was trailing up his body, the touch even more of a torment because Brett could only feel it through the material of his shirt. Finally, Leo reached the crook of Brett's neck and the two puckered scars there. "You should join us, next time,” Leo murmured. He racked his teeth against the healing bite, not hard enough to reopen it, but sensually enough that Brett trembled. Lisa's lips pulled away, and Brett didn't have the power or even the presence of mind to try to catch them back. He saw her tilt her head as she looked at him, saw her smile. "Don't worry,” she answered Leo. “Next time, he will." Brett couldn't manage to push words past his tight throat, but as he let them pull him back to bed, his clothes peeled away from him before they reached it, he could only privately agree. Watching was lovely, but playing had its merits too. If this was what he would miss when leaving them, it would certainly make going down to the club to work a much more complicated affair.

Chapter 2

It was long past noon when Leo followed Brett down to the club. He observed him walking down the steps with a purposeful, determined stride that echoed down the narrow staircase and couldn't help but notice that this man was much different from the one he had just watched prepare his lunch of stir fry vegetables and chicken, as comfortable in his kitchen as a cook might have been. Different also from the man who looked at Lisa with enough devotion in his eyes to fill the sky. Even his scent was shifting, an edge of confidence building with each step down, and Leo was impatient to get to know more closely the businessman he had only glimpsed in the loft. After their impromptu time in the bathroom, they had all fallen into bed for some heavy petting that hadn't turned into anything more when Brett had fallen asleep between Leo and Lisa. Leo had watched her card her fingers through his hair, the gesture almost tender, and listened as she explained with amused fondness that Brett was overworking himself at the club and that a few more hours of sleep would do him good. "Why don't you step behind the bar and mix me something?" They had reached the ground level. Brett opened the door that would lead them to the club, and Leo chided himself for being surprised at the semi dark space that greeted them. It was of course much too early for the club to be open, and the only light came from emergency exit signs glowing softly around the spacious room. "No alcohol,” Brett continued, “it's a bit too early for that. Juice, soda, fruit. Can you do anything with that?" "If my employment depends on it, I should be able to,” Leo said distractedly, a dozen combinations jumping to the front of his mind. “Any preferences?" "Just surprise me." The hint of laughter in his voice when he said that hinted at surprises more naughty than a simple drink, but he was already walking away when Leo looked at him. He threw a glance and a grin back over his shoulder. “I'll get the loft key in my office. I'll be right back." There was quite enough light for Leo to find his way to the bar in the center of the room. He easily avoided the tables spread out over the floor. The chairs weren't around them like they had been the previous night, but rather perched upside down on the tables. It looked and smelled as though the cleaning personnel had already readied the club for the next night. The lights flickered on as Leo reached the bar island. Designed as a square of counters on a platform just a step higher than the ground, it was lined with high stools on all four sides. Leo had to walk around two sides to find the opening and then remove a couple of stools from the counter to swing the chest-high door open and step behind the bar. It was larger than it seemed, the carefully organized space beneath the counter adding to the impression, and he took a few moments to carefully inspect what he had to work with. One side of the bar was made of shelves upon shelves of glasses of all shapes and sizes, waiting to be filled with the most innocent of drinks—or something much stronger. At each end, large clear plastic buckets seemed ready to hold ice. In the center of the next side, a recessed sink was at perfect height for a quick wash, with trays on each side to welcome the glasses. Beneath that, three beer kegs and three soda ones were lined up and ready, a stainless hose coiled on top of each. The next side held rows of

alcohol and syrup bottles, the most common ones being on a row of hanging shelves that lined the entire bar, a foot over Leo's head and within easy reach. The last side of the square held a small fridge filled with ice and fruit juice bottles, fruits in baskets next to it, and a work area with knives and mixers. Leo had worked in a few bars in the past years, and in none had such a small space been so thoroughly furnished. He could hear Brett's steps behind him, echoing in the silent space, and he put himself to work. He chose a short, wide glass. Stepping to the workspace, he sliced an orange, used it to wet the rim of the glass, and set it upside down in a bowl of sugar. The sugar left a nice edge on the glass that Leo was careful not to damage when he poured in some crushed ice from the fridge. Grabbing a mixer, he poured in grenadine syrup, orange juice and pineapple juice, then closed the cap and shook the mixer with one hand so he could grab the glass and walk over to where Brett was sitting on a high stool. He placed the glass down on a coaster, then opened the mixer with a flourish and poured. "Nice color,” Brett commented as he picked up the glass and took a sip. “Nice taste, too." Leo turned back to the workspace to clean up, putting everything back in its place. When he glanced back, Brett was licking the sugar along the rim. "Does that mean I get the job?" "You got the job simply by showing up and knowing your way around the bar.” The glass made a dull sound when Brett set it down on the coaster. “Lisa had been telling me for weeks to find a vamp to put behind the bar. I've asked for a blood bar license, and she thinks only a vampire can serve blood correctly." There was a hint of skepticism in his words, and Leo had to chuckle as he walked back to him and topped off his drink, emptying the mixer. "She's right, and I'm not just saying that to keep the job." Once again picking up his glass, Brett gave a small shrug. “Oh, I believe you. It's not like I know much about blood myself." He punctuated those last words with a wry smile, and Leo answered it in kind. The businessman facet seemed to have retreated at the mention of Lisa, leaving Brett more open, and more approachable. Leo leaned against the counter, his arms folded in front of him, and considered his new boss—his new lover—for a little while before daring to ask: "How did you meet Lisa?" He had heard her side of the story the previous night, but he was curious to hear how Brett would describe the encounter. "By chance, I suppose.” He took another sip of his drink, and his tongue sneaked out to catch a grain of sugar on his upper lip. “She came to the bar I was managing at the time, and one of the patrons freaked out when he realized she was a vamp. I had to come out and calm things down. Kicked the guy out, offered Lisa a drink." He stopped there, and Leo watched as a small smile came to life on Brett's lips. It was a happy smile, the kind that only fond memories inspired. It made Leo want to share that happiness at its deepest level.

"Only one drink?” he insisted, needing to hear more. "That first night, yes, just one. But she came back the next night, and this time she got me one. We started talking.” The smile widened a little. “We talked a lot. And then we did more than talk." He finished his drink in one long swallow, tilting his head back as he did and baring his throat. Leo followed that elegant curve with his eyes. He wanted to brush his fingers along it too, and uncover the small, puckered marks at the crook of Brett's neck. If they had been upstairs, he would have, without second thought or hesitation. But down here, in this much more public scene where Brett was his new boss, he had a feeling that discretion might be better, even if they were alone. "It was definitely my lucky day when I met her,” Brett started again, a little more softly now. His gaze stayed on the empty glass in front of him on the counter, and he picked up the sugar grains there with his finger. “I'd never have envisioned a club like this without her, and she's the reason it's so successful. She not only thought of everything, she also financed most of it. Sometimes I wonder why she didn't do it herself before she met me." Leo laughed quietly at that, drawing Brett's eyes back to him. “Can you imagine her here right now, giving a new bartender directions? Or in an hour, filling out whatever paperwork you need to actually hire me? Or in five hours, smoothing out a problem between two customers?" Brett chuckled. “That's what the security personnel is for. But you've got a point. She enjoys being a customer too much to play the owner's part. So now you know how she and I got together. What about you? Did you know her before you were turned?" Moving away from the counter, Leo straightened, stretching a little, and looked up at the bottles above him. He wouldn't have minded helping himself, but he still didn't know Brett enough to dare. "No, I didn't know her then.” He would have preferred to stop there, but Brett's questioning gaze when Leo looked back at him asked for more. “When I woke up after being turned, she was there. Our Sire had asked her to find me food." Brett's smile wavered before disappearing completely. “Food?” he repeated. Picking up the empty glass and mixer on the counter, Leo turned to the recessed sink and ran the water. He had said too much, he realized that, but stopping now wouldn't help him or Lisa. “A prey." The water warmed up both the glass and Leo's fingers. Bubbles rose in the air, light, lighter than the silence suddenly weighing between the two men. "You two killed humans,” Brett said at last. With a sharp movement of his wrist, Leo turned off the faucet and set the glass on a tray to dry. The mixer on the other hand he carefully dried off with a clean towel hanging by the faucet and returned it to its proper place. When he couldn't delay anymore turning back toward Brett, he did so with the knowledge that he probably didn't look or sound as repentant as Brett would want him to be. “We didn't have much of a choice. Our Sire prided himself on never having fed from willing prey." The light twitch in Brett's cheek was not encouraging, and neither was his carefully blank tone. “That was your Sire. Couldn'tyou have abstained from killing?"

Leo tried not to let his amusement pierce through. For Brett this was a serious matter, he understood that, but he knew just as well that trying to explain this to a human was like asking someone who had never hungered for blood to imagine that first burst of warmth and flavor when the fangs retracted. "Obviously you don't know what it's like to be a fledgling. Your Sire is everything to you. You want to please him, and make him proud.” Hearing his own words, he realized that he was wrong and corrected himself. “No, you don't want to. Youneed to, just as much as you need blood." "But you and Lisa are here now,” Brett jumped in, only to stop when Leo shook his head. "After a few months or a few years, you start getting over it. Lisa did first, probably because she's such a strong-headed woman." He had hoped to distract Brett with his weak joke, but it didn't work. "So, she only killed humans when she was forced, then?" There was hope in Brett's voice. It made Leo wonder what exactly Lisa had told him about her past. It also made him wonder how upset she would be that he had shared things that were hers to divulge. At this point, it was probably better to say everything. "She started seducing her prey rather than trapping it, and more and more often they'd leave on their own two feet when she was done. It amused our Sire at first, and then it started annoying him. He tried to order her to kill. When that didn't work, he tried to beat her into submission. Then he thralled her." Leo's voice lowered lightly and he had to stop for a moment, the memories flooding back to him. For months, it had been like a game between Sire and Childe, with the lives of a few dozens humans at stake and Leo as an uncomfortable witness. The thrall had worked best of everything else their Sire had tried, but Lisa had been enraged when he had let his control slip enough that she had come out of her trance. "She'd always go back to doing what she wanted,” he finished his tale. “She argued with him for hours at a time that it made no sense to risk our lives by killing when we could get all the blood we needed simply by following a few rules. After a while, what she was saying started making sense for me too. That's when he left us. We had no reason to kill after that." There were still questions in Brett's eyes; Leo couldn't wait to hear whether they would still be about Lisa, about what she had done or not over the course of more years than Brett had been alive, or if now they would be about his own history with hunting. However, just as Brett was about to say something, a man approached the bar and Brett's attention turned to him. Tall and dressed all in black, he had the name of the club embroidered over his heart, announcing him as security. "Afternoon, boss. Just came in to go over these shifts we talked about yesterday, and I found a couple of men at the door.” He glanced at Leo with a hint of suspicion before ignoring him again. “Police." At once, Leo could see the tension on Brett's face. He didn't know much about On The Edge yet, but he could easily guess that, in a place where vampires and humans interacted closely, the police wanting to talk to the owner couldn't be a good sign. "Please let them in, John. I'll be right there."

The security guard retreated with a nod. Brett's features were still worried when he looked back at Leo, but he managed to smile when he handed him a single key on a metal ring. "Go have a look at the place, see what you think." Leo watched him go. There was a tightness to the way he walked that hadn't been there before, and Leo wished he had known if he or the police had caused it. He had only entered On The Edge less than a day earlier, but he could see himself enjoying a longer stay with Lisa and Brett. He hoped he hadn't ruined it all already. Clutching the key in his fist, he returned upstairs.

Chapter 3 Brett was halfway to the service door when John let the two policemen in. He stopped and watched them come closer, wondering what had brought them here. He could come up with a few possible explanations, and none of them was good, for him personally or for the club. It had all been going too well, he supposed. Something had to come down. He had a feeling that John was thinking the same thing. The chief of security and personnel had been the first employee Brett had hired for On The Edge. John had worked for him before at his first bar, and Brett had known right away he wanted him on board for this new adventure. He was now walking very rigidly a step in front of the cops, his jaw was set in a hard line that meant he was worried. When the three oft hem reached Brett, he stood to the side, arms crossed over his chest. The badges the two policemen had on their chests were the only indication that they were cops. They each wore a dark suit, complete with a tie, and Brett unconsciously laid a hand over his own tie, smoothing it down. Lisa had picked it for him. "Brett Andrews,” he introduced himself, offering his hand to the men. “I'm the owner and manager of On The Edge." The closest policeman took his hand and shook it. He was tall and heavyset. Once, he might have been athletic. The firmness of his handshake hinted at it, but his skin felt damp, and Brett had to fight himself not to wipe his palm on his pants. "Detective Carson. This is detective Ritter." Ritter inclined his head. “We're investigating a murder." Brett gave the detectives’ badges a second look. Sure enough, they were both engraved with the insignia of the police vampire department. He tensed. That department's only purpose was to solve killings attributed to vampires. "I'm sad to hear,” he said grimly. “Anything I can help you with?" Since the opening of the club, he had done everything to advertise it as a safe place for humans and vampires to come together, while Lisa had gone around the vampire community to proffer both warnings and invitations. The security was in the hands of two vampires and three humans, including one who had some training as a Special Enforcer. They kept a tight eye on the customers from the time the club opened to the closing hour, and there had been no incident since opening. Without saying a word, Ritter produced a picture from inside his jacket. It was Carson who answered.

The Polaroid reflected the overhead light for an instant, shining brightly. "The girl—her name was Paula Widworth—was found this morning, a block away from here. Drained. Have you ever seen her?" Brett took the picture and made himself look at the dead woman. Brown-haired and pale, she could have looked as though she had been sleeping if not for the bloody wound on her throat. She couldn't have been more than twenty-five. He was sure he had never seen her before, and he said as much. He held out the picture toward John, who took it and shook his head lightly as he handed it back to Ritter. "Many young men and women come here every night,” John said, a note of pride in his voice, “and they go home safely. Me and my team make sure they do." With a nod, Brett agreed. “Do you have any indication that she came to the club? There are other bars and clubs in the area." The men exchanged a quick glance, and there was some kind of “I told you so” in that wordless exchange. Brett wondered which of them was most convinced that they would find their killer amongst the club's patrons. "Of course,” Carson said with a cold smile. “But the closest blood bar, as I'm sure you know, is almost three blocks away." Although he didn't respond, Brett understood a little better what was going on. They had no reason to think the death was related to On The Edge other than that the poor girl's body had been found close by. "We would like to see your security tapes." Brett grimaced. He would have wanted nothing more than to show such tapes to the police. Instead, he knew that what he would tell them would only make them more suspicious. "They're not installed yet. We're having problems with the wiring. By code, we can't have exposed wires, but the whole club is reinforced concrete and—" "Save it, Mr. Andrews. We don't want to hear it. What we do want is a list of who was working last night." John stepped forward, bristling like a cat doused in water. "You think one of us—" "Well, some of them are vampires, aren't they?” Carson cut in, raising an eyebrow, “We're just doing our job. Right now all we want is to ask them if they saw the girl." "And they will cooperate,” Brett said before John could argue again. “If there is a link to On The Edge, we want the killer caught. And if there isn't one, we want the club cleared of any suspicions." "Of course.” Ritter's grin was sharp as broken glass. “This is all routine, you understand. Nothing personal." "Of course,” Brett repeated, though he found it hard to believe.

A few days after the opening of the club, he had received a visit from several concerned policemen, and they had made it clear what they thought of On The Edge. According to them, a place where humans and vampires openly mingled couldn't possibly be good for anyone. They had predicted that it was only a matter of time before murders were linked to the club, and promised to have him shut down when it happened. Brett was actually a little surprised it had taken them this long to come investigate the club. "John, would you mind giving these gentlemen a list of the employees?" "Sure thing, boss." John strode to his office. Ritter followed him after a nod to his partner. "Since we're alone, Mr. Andrews ... Mind telling me where you were last night, between ten and three?" Carson's question took Brett aback. He wasn't a vampire, so he couldn't possibly be a suspect. He answered nonetheless, frowning slightly. "In my apartment." At once, Carson's eyes flickered toward the door that led to the loft. Brett wondered how he knew where Brett lived. "Alone?" The word could have been casual, but combined with that sharp look, it was anything but. Brett was beginning to see where this was going. He couldn't believe he hadn't understood faster. "I had company." "Your ... lady friend?" "Yes. My lady friend. I see you've done your research." Carson smiled. “Not really research. I just happen to read the gossip page in Haventown Times. She's a very pretty vampire." It was a struggle for Brett to keep his face smooth and not clench his fists. “She is a very prettywoman ." The correction didn't escape Carson, and his smile tightened until it was almost mocking. "I didn't mean any offense by that. I work in the vampire squad, Mr. Andrews. It doesn't mean I have anything against vamps. It just means I don't much like vampires killing people. What they do when they don't kill isn't my business." It was somewhat hard to believe, but if the man wanted to pretend, Brett could play the game. "Not your business unless it's in the people column, you mean?" Carson laughed. “To every man his vice."

The words could have referred to Carson's habit of reading badly written and ill-informed gossip columns that always made Lisa roll her eyes, but somehow Brett was sure the targets were Lisa and him. If she was his vice, what did that mean about the two of them? The sound of footsteps announced the return of John and Ritter. Brett forced himself to turn toward them, his eyes glancing at the papers in Ritter's hand. "Anything else, detectives?” he asked, his voice colder than it had been earlier. The two detectives conferred with a few silent looks. “Not for now. Maybe once we've talked to your people." With quiet goodbyes, they left. John accompanied them back to the service door and locked it behind them before returning to Brett, an eyebrow raised as though he were expecting orders. Brett let out a deep breath and tried to rein in his frustration. Everything was possible and the victim may have met her killer at On The Edge, but after hearing Carson's remarks, Brett had a feeling that what had brought the detectives here was more disapproval of the mere existence of the club rather than actual evidence. He shook his head to clear his mind and focused back on John. “I know I don't need to ask you to keep your eyes open." John snorted. “Glad you're not insulting me." Relaxing a little, Brett managed a tight smile. “I wouldn't dream of it. If you or the others see anything unusual tonight, anything even remotely strange, I want to be the second to hear about it." A blink was John's only sign of surprise. He didn't ask, but it was clear that he was wondering what Brett meant by that, and waiting to hear it. That was one thing Brett liked about the man; he knew when to ask questions, and when to simply wait for the answers to come to him. "You call the police first. I won't give them any excuse to close us." That seemed to satisfy John, and for the first time since the police's arrival the tension withdrew from his face. “Good call, boss." "Happy you approve. I'll tell the staff before we open tonight. Remind me if I forget.” Brett started in the direction of the office, but stopped after only a couple of steps and turned back to John. “Have you heard from Tech Systems since their last call?" John's grimace was answer enough. “No. And I think my cousin's been avoiding me. I'm sorry I ever recommended him to you." "Not your fault. I'll light a fire beneath his feet, see if it helps. We need those cameras up and running." They walked to the office together. The door, near the one that led upstairs, opened on a space that made up for its lack of windows by being very spacious. The first desk in the front room was John's. A glass partition in the back could open and make Brett's desk part of the entire room, or, with the flick of a button, Venetian blinds could seal it off completely from the main space. Lisa was particularly fond of those blinds and of the privacy they offered.

Stepping behind his desk, Brett picked up the phone and dialed the number scribbled on a sticky note in the center of his desk. He wished now he had made this call the day before. He counted six rings before someone finally picked up. "Hello. This is Brett Andrews from—" "On The Edge,” an unctuous voice interrupted him. “How are you, Mr. Andrews?" Glancing up, Brett discovered John leaning against the glass and listening in; he pushed the conference button on the phone and set the receiver back on its cradle. "Right now, I'd be much better if I had video cameras installed around my establishment. You know, those same cameras you promised me would be here last week." Panic replaced eagerness in the voice that now filled the room. “Yes, of course. Our special shipment hasn't been delivered yet, but I expect it within a couple of days." Brett couldn't help but roll his eyes. “You said the same thing ten days ago. When I gave you that advance, I was led to believe you were one of the best in town. I am seriously doubting that right now." "It'll be installed by Saturday, Mr. Andrews. No later, I can promise you that." A look at John to see what he thought of his cousin's promise revealed nothing. Brett decided that a small threat could only help to get his message across. "And I can promise you I'll be your worst P.R. nightmare if you don't deliver. The town's paper has been waiting to interview me for weeks. I'm sure they'd love to hear how your company puts my customers at risk." Brett hung up without a goodbye. "Do you really think that?” John asked at once. “Do you think the club would be safer with cameras filming everything?" "No.” Brett held his gaze until John nodded. “I think you and the other guards are enough, and I think the vamps who come here are clever enough to realize it's not in their interest to kill my customers. But if the police go public with their suspicions and we can't explain why we don't have even the most basic electronic security system, the press will burn us at the stake." All he could hope for now was that nothing happened before Saturday. **** The key clicked softly in the lock. Leo rested his hand on the handle, but did not push the door open quite yet, savoring the moment instead. "You don't need an invitation, you know." Her back to the wall, Lisa was watching him with amusement sparkling in her eyes. "Just trying to remember when I last called a place home,” he tried to explain.

Her amusement faded to something much softer. “Think you will here?" Leo had no answer to give her, not yet. A day earlier, all he had wanted to find in Haventown was a job. He had that now, but he had also been offered much more. Maybe it was too much, too fast. Maybe it was simply what he needed. He opened the door and entered, flicking the lights on as he did. The same rich ochre color that made Brett and Lisa's loft feel so warm greeted him. The layout was similar but on a smaller scale. The living room held only a sofa, the same model that he had found so uncomfortable in the other apartment; that would definitely need to be replaced. There was no television, and the waist-high bookshelf held no books. It would have bothered him more if he intended to spend a lot of time alone. As it was, he didn't think he would need a lot of distraction. "Do you like it?" He flashed Lisa a grin. “Of course I like it. It's mine." He moved on into the kitchenette. There were only a couple of cupboards and a breakfast bar with two stools. The countertop next to the sink was just large enough for a small microwave. He opened the fridge, a little disappointed to find it completely empty. "I'll get you a few bags from my stash,” Lisa said behind him. “And I'll tell you where you can buy your own, if you plan on bagging it." Turning just in time to see her walk out of the apartment, he thought about it for a moment. He had fed from bagged blood before, but he much preferred to take blood from a human. He didn't know a vampire who would choose bagged blood if given a choice between that and a willing donor. Lisa returned as he stepped out of the kitchenette, and he nodded to her before walking into the bedroom. It had no door; instead, it opened on the living room with a large, arched doorway. The bed behind it was simple, a double-sized mattress on a dark wooden frame that matched the two dressers. "There are sheets in the drawer. Want help making the bed?" He accepted Lisa's offer, and they were soon each on one side of the bed, pulling at the navy blue, heavy cotton sheets to make them lie smooth and tight on the mattress. When he glanced up, Lisa was looking at him thoughtfully. "So, when did you discover you had a talent for bartending?" He let out a quiet laugh. “I'm not sure if it was when I got tired of playing bodyguard to a spoiled brat who thought she could act or when I was fired from being a bouncer because I accepted a patron's offer to take her blood." "They had no right to fire you because of that." Her reaction—her outrage—surprised Leo. He had not believed she would be so naïve as to think the laws that were supposed to protect vampires from discrimination could not be broken. Then again, she had told him she had remained in Haventown for all these years. The city was friendlier to vampires than most.

"Right or not, they fired me. I also had a stint as a stripper for a while." Her eyes lit up at that, but the teasing he expected didn't come. "I got into bartending at the strip club, a bit by accident. I never was gifted as you are at creating opportunities." She smiled, shaking her head as she sat on the edge of the bed, her body turned toward him. “I'm not gifted. I made a few good investments, and that gave me enough money to help out Brett when I met him. I was lucky, that's all." There was a softness to her voice when she talked about Brett that intrigued Leo. He had heard it the previous night but thought he was imagining it then. After all, it had been years since he had heard her voice. But the more he listened, the more he heard that strange tone. He kicked out his shoes and lay down on his side on the bed to look at her. "That's funny. Brett said he was lucky when he met you." She didn't reply to that, but lay down too, mirroring his position but staying far enough away that they didn't touch. "You've never bitten him,” Leo remarked. She shrugged, the movement odd in her position. “He's my lover, not my food." "You never had a problem with feeding on your lovers before. Or sleeping with your food." She shifted her body, sliding toward Leo until there was just a hand between them, if not less. She then whispered in a tone of great confidence: “I must be getting old." They laughed together at that. It was good to feel as close to her as he once had. He threw an arm over her waist, drawing her just a little closer still, and his laughter died in his throat. "You know, I had hoped, deep down, that you'd still be here when I returned. I hoped, but I never imagined you really would be." Her lips were soft; their kiss, even softer. It lasted for no more than a second, but it was enough. Lisa caressed his cheek with the tips of her fingers when she drew back. Even after so many years, the touch felt familiar and comforting. “I'm glad you came back."

Chapter 4 The afternoon passed quickly for Brett; it always did when he worked. With the club still being so new, the list of things he had to do never seemed to shrink, regardless of how many hours he spent working every day. In the past few hours, he had drafted the contracts for Leo and the other new bartender, and figured out what shifts he would have them do. He had also called suppliers, placed orders, paid bills, had a conference call with his advertisement agency about running a new series of ads in the paper, and called the town hall office that granted blood bar licenses. That last call had been a waste of time since the

woman in charge of his application was on vacation, but her secretary had promised she'd call back upon her return ten days later. At the very least, that meant the license wouldn't be processed for a week and half, and Brett wasn't too happy about that. Since the opening of On The Edge, Lisa had suggested that he offer blood at the bar to the vampire customers, and he agreed with her that it would be a great advantage. The process was becoming ridiculously lengthy, though. The club opened at seven during the week, and six thirty on weekends, but all employees who had an opening shift were supposed to be on the premises twenty minutes before the opening. He had asked John to gather them all in the sitting area as they arrived so he could talk to them before the club opened, and John had just given him the word that they were all there. All save for one, and a quick phone call to the apartment upstairs took care of that. By the time Brett walked out of his office to join his employees, Lisa emerged from the stairwell, followed by Leo. Brett took her hand and kissed her knuckles as they came to where the employees were waiting. The staff consisted of five security guards, two bartenders with whom Leo would work, a DJ, three waitresses, and one waiter. They had all been on board since the opening of On The Edge, and they had become a tight-knit group as time had passed. Usually, they were rather rambunctious, and Brett needed to call them to order before starting a meeting. Today however, they fell silent as soon as he approached the tables they had brought together. "Hello, everybody. I'm going to take a wild guess and bet you were all visited by the police today. Am I right?" The murmur that came up sounded affirmative. There was only one surprised “Police?” by his side, and Brett gave Lisa an apologetic glance for not having talked to her about it before. She and Leo went to sit with the others. "Just to bring everyone up to date,” Brett continued, “a woman was found drained nearby this morning, and the police think her death is linked to the club. Any of you tell the cops you saw her here?" No one answered, and Brett wanted to sigh in relief. "Anyway, whether she was here or not, they think one of our customers is to blame. I don't need to tell you they'd love an excuse to shut down the club, so please, by all means, cooperate with them if they ask you anything else, and let them and John know if you notice anything strange. Anything at all." "So you think the killer really is a customer?" He had expected the question, but not that Lisa would be the one asking it. He looked straight at her as he answered, putting all his confidence into his words. "I don't know. But I'm pretty sure there'll be cops here tonight, and probably Special Enforcers as well. We don't want any misunderstandings, and we don't want to give them any reason to think they're right if they're not. The sooner they catch their killer, whether it's here or not, the better for all of us." He waited a few seconds to see how they all reacted to the announcement. There were a couple of nods, some quiet exchanges, but no one seemed to have any questions. "That was the first announcement,” Brett started again, drawing their attentions back to him. “The second is a bit more pleasant. I hired two bartenders today. One for weekends. Her name's Joana, and she'll be there Friday and Saturday nights to help at the main bar. The second is here tonight.” At Brett's

gesture, Leo stood and turned to face everyone. "Hi, all. I'm Leo." The staff called back greetings, and Leo sat again, leaving Brett to finish the introduction. "Leo's a vamp, and he'll be working at the main bar during the week." A hand shot up, and Brett acknowledged it with a nod and a grin. "Yes, Wallace, that means the dance floor bar is all yours. I hope you brought your earplugs; and, no, you can't change your mind again in a week." There were a few chuckles. Wallace had been asking to do more shifts at the small bar on the lower level for weeks. Brett had a private bet that his enthusiasm would fade along with his hearing, but that was Wallace's choice. "That's it, people. The house opens in—” He gave a quick glance to his watch. “—seven minutes. Let's get ready, and have a great night." Everybody stood in a clatter of chairs and tables being pushed back into place. Brett noticed that a few people were introducing themselves to Leo, including Daniel, the bartender who would be sharing the first floor bar with him. They walked together to the bar; Leo seemed at ease already as he helped Daniel remove the stools from the counter and set them up. "Why didn't you tell me about the cops?" Turning his eyes back to Lisa, Brett slipped an arm around her waist. "I didn't hear about it until this afternoon, and then—" "And then you lost track of time while you were working,” she finished for him, half teasing and half exasperated. “You work too much." He kissed her cheek. “Yes, mother. I know. I'll try to do better." She glared at him, but ruined the effect by breaking into a smile. "Good to hear. You're going to start now and have a glass of wine, and then you'll dance with me." Brett wanted to refuse the wine; he hadn't had anything to eat since lunchtime, and his tolerance to alcohol wasn't so good with an empty stomach. Already, however, Lisa was pulling him toward the bar, and he let her. A small glass wouldn't be too bad. They sat down together on high stools at the bar, and for the first time Brett noticed Lisa's dress. It was one of his favorites. Baby blue, it fell down to her knees and covered her cleavage up to her neck, where a metal circle gathered the fabric and served as necklace as well. It looked rather conservative, until one noticed the openings that ran up to her thighs on each side of the dress, or the entirely bare back. Brett's mouth was dry suddenly, and he needed that drink after all. Lisa ordered for the both of them, requesting not the most expensive bottle, but the one she liked best.

Leo served them, already all charm and professionalism in his role as bartender. "Serve yourself as well, if you want,” Brett offered. Behind Leo, Daniel threw them a curious glance, but turned away when Brett raised an eyebrow at him. He picked up his glass and waited for Leo to finish pouring a glass for himself. "A toast. To old friends, and new ones." Lisa and Leo repeated his words, and their three glasses met with a small chime. Brett only took a small sip before observing his companions. He wondered how long their precarious arrangement would work. There was a lot he didn't know about Leo and, as he had been reminded of it when talking to him, about Lisa as well. What he knew, however, was that it would be worth it to make their relationship work, and he intended to do his best to make it last. **** Usually, Lisa came down to dance later in the evening, when the dance floor was crowded and the music so loud that it was hard to exchange more than a couple of words with anyone. This time, though, she and Brett were amongst the first dancers, with only a dozen or so customers around them. The DJ was playing his usual mix of music, alternating pop songs that were at the top of the charts and music pieces from local bands. The sound, however, wasn't anywhere as high as it would be later on in the evening, and the beat was slower, as though waiting for more dancers to arrive to pick up in speed and volume. Lisa preferred faster rhythms as a rule, but with Brett's arms around her, this suited her just fine. She could let herself relax against him in a way she didn't dare with her prey, and the change was soothing. With her face right against his, his scent was all around her. The lust was there, as always, a spicy note that lingered over everything else, complimented by the point of pressure against her hip. She didn't think she'd ever tire of the effect she had on him. Behind the lust however lurked something that she couldn't recognize for a long time, probably because it rarely permeated Brett's scent. She wasn't used to seeing him wary, but she could guess what was troubling him. "What's on your mind?” she asked him. She was sure that Leo would feature in his answer somehow, but his reply still surprised her. "Why did you and Leo break up?" She resisted the impulse to draw back to see his expression, and tried to put some humor in her voice when she answered. “It was so long ago, I don't remember." Brett turned his face and laid a kiss on her earlobe before breathing one word. “Liar." She smiled; she hadn't expected him to believe her, but the kiss that had accompanied that simple word told her that he wasn't upset by her reluctance to answer. She returned the kiss to the crook of his neck, easily finding Leo's healing bite so that she could feel him shiver against her. "Since we're talking about Leo,” she murmured, “tell me what you thought of last night." His body tensed against hers, but she kept dancing as though she hadn't noticed. Eventually, Brett relaxed again and answered her question. "It was ... interesting."

She laughed and pulled back so she could see him. In the flickering lights of the club, his features were harder to read, but his voice had revealed his nervousness. “Interesting?” she repeated. “That's all?" "Maybe ... maybe more than that." His hesitation was just adorable. He was such a confident man usually; this aspect of his personality intrigued Lisa. She slid a hand up his arm and to his face, tracing his jaw with a finger. She could feel the light prickling of his facial hair beneath her fingertip. "Was it interesting enough that I should ask him to come by after he ends his shift?" He leaned into her touch like a kitten demanding to be petted. "If he wants to." She chuckled. She always forgot how young Brett was and how naïve, sometimes. “Oh, he'll want to." "I'm sure. He wouldn't pass an invitation to be with you again." She raised an eyebrow, both at what he was saying and at the renewed wariness in his voice and scent. He explained what he meant on a tone that strived for humor, and failed. “If you vamps didn't insist you can't love, he'd have fooled me." The strange notion left her puzzled and blinking. “Leo doesn't love me, he loves company." Brett didn't look convinced. "From the night he was turned,” she insisted, “he always hated being alone. He never slept as well as when he was between two bodies. Believe me, if he comes to our bed, it'll be as much to fuck you as it'll be to fuck me." Even with the shy side of himself he had already showed, she was surprised to see color rise into his cheeks at her bluntness. "You're blushing,” she teased. “It's kind of cute. Especially from the man who was peeping on us this morning. You weren't blushing then." The hardness against her hip pressed in a little more, and the lust in his scent seemed to double suddenly. She had a feeling that he had enjoyed the show even more than she had first believed. Or was he excited at the memory of how the show had ended? "Are you ready for more?” she asked, her words going from teasing to enticing. She expected more blushing, even a little stammering, maybe. She got neither. "Ready for more work?” He pressed his lips to her cheek and dropped his hands from her waist. “I guess I don't have much of a choice. I have a ton of paperwork to finish." She watched him climb the staircase until he had disappeared, then started dancing on her own, knowing

that she wouldn't remain alone very long. Brett must have been more hesitant than she realized, more afraid, maybe, about going any further with Leo. They had only played so far: a little frottage, some naughty touching, kissing, biting, and Leo's mouth on Brett's cock. Maybe she ought to leave them to themselves for a while before she joined them later that night and give them a chance to get better acquainted. If she were lucky, she'd even get to watch them a little when she got upstairs. Brett wasn't the only one who liked a good show. **** Ever since Leo had served Brett and Lisa and toasted with them, the other bartender, Daniel, had been keeping a curious eye on him. It could have been the simple wariness of having to share his workspace with a newcomer, but Leo thought it was more than that. There was more than enough work for the two of them, and no reason for Daniel to feel protective of his territory. The explanation came as Leo watched Lisa come up from the dance floor, a man on her arm. He seemed young, maybe no older than twenty, and he was attractive, but Leo spared him no more than a glance. It was Lisa he was interested in. He hadn't seen her hunt in years, and it was striking to him just how much more confident she had become. She had always been a born seductress, but she used to let the prey come to her and let them believe they were seducing her rather than the opposite. What he was witnessing now, as Lisa guided the young man to a private booth in the back of the room or as she rested a hand on his on the table, was just the opposite. She was leading the dance, and doing so beautifully. "You realize that's the boss’ girl, right?" Abruptly jolted out of his thoughts, Leo glanced at Daniel, frowning. “What?" A customer was waiting at the bar, and Leo turned to her with a smile, listening to what she wanted, then grabbing a glass and ice. "The woman you were staring at?” Daniel insisted, lowering his voice so the customers around them wouldn't hear. “Lisa? She's Mr. Andrews’ girlfriend." There was something in Daniel's voice when he said Lisa's name that made Leo instinctively look at his neck. Sure enough, there was a healed bite mark there; Leo would have bet his new job that it was Lisa's. "I know she is.” He turned to grab syrup and juice, and he could feel Daniel's eyes following his every movement as he mixed the drink, clearly expecting more. “We're ... friends. Have been friends for a long time." "Friends, huh?” Daniel chuckled and clapped Leo on the back. “That's not what your eyes say when you're looking at her, but she's not my girl, so I guess it's not my business." The expectant note on which he ended clearly said that he wouldn't have minded making it his business and hearing about how long exactly Leo had known Lisa, but all Leo offered him was an amused smile and a shake of his head. Until Lisa or Brett showed him otherwise, he would assume that what happened upstairs was to be kept under wraps. Without another word to Daniel, he finished pouring the drink and placed it in front of the customer. The woman's hand brushed against his when she took her drink, too slowly for it to be an accident. "Are you new?” she asked him with a sweet smile.

"I am, indeed. Does that mean you're not?" She took a sip from her drink before answering. “I'm here most nights. My name's Karen." "Leo." He chatted with her for a little while, then her friends arrived and she left for the dance floor with a last smile and wink at Leo. He smiled back before turning to his other customers, but even so, he always kept an eye on the booth at the end of the room. Lisa had been in there with her prey for a long time. He wondered what Brett thought of this; he had to know, certainly. They must have made an arrangement, rules maybe. He'd have to figure out how he fit in with all that, and what rules applied to him. He laughed to himself, shaking his head when Daniel looked at him askance. He'd never have believed, if someone had told him, that one day he would be looking forward to having rules to follow and live by.

Chapter 5 Going back to work after dancing with Lisa had been a mistake, Brett admitted to himself after a couple of hours. He should have gone upstairs for dinner, or even taken his laptop and worked in the apartment. At least, upstairs, he would have had some quiet. In the office, the music was toned down but still too loud to ignore. The beat pulsed in Brett's veins, and every few moments the image of Lisa dancing formed in his mind, enticing and harder to resist with each passing minute. When he wasn't thinking of her, it was worse. It was Leo who would then occupy his mind, and the images here were much more imprecise, leaving Brett increasingly nervous. He had always been equally attracted by women and men, but until the previous night, he had never acted on his attraction to men in any way. He wanted this ‘something more’ that Lisa had dangled in front of him, but at the same time it made him more nervous than he had ever been as a fumbling teenager when kissing a girl for the first time. Caught between his arousal and nervousness, he eventually gave up trying to reconcile his bank statement and expense account. As it was, he would no doubt have to check all his work again when his mind was clearer. Unplugging his computer, he didn't bother with the case and simply carried it. He made sure to lock the office door when he walked out and hesitated just as he was turning to the nearby door that led to the apartment. He could wait a few more minutes before getting dinner. He looked around the room as he went over to the bar. He didn't see Lisa. There were a lot of customers on the first floor, more than usually came during the week. He would need to see the final numbers in the morning, but he had a feeling this would be a very good night. He couldn't find an empty stool at the bar, but he leaned against the counter and caught Leo's attention. "How's everything?" "Fine! I haven't had so much fun in a long time." Brett couldn't help grinning at Leo's obvious delight. He was practically beaming, and his whole body exuded energy and excitement. "Glad to hear. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." A customer called Leo—by name, Brett noticed—and he looked at her, making a small sign to show he

had heard her before turning back to Brett. "I never got around to asking you what time my shift ends." "The club closes at three during the week. You get a half hour break. You can take it any time you want, just talk to Daniel so there's always someone at the bar. Fridays and Saturdays, we close at five, but you still end at three. We have another bartender here from one to five. You have a night off per week, again talk to Daniel to figure out when works best." Leo nodded. “Sounds good. Can I leave the club during my break?” At Brett's questioning expression, he explained himself. “I need to go get my clothes from the apartment where I dropped them last night." Brett wanted to kick himself. He hadn't even thought about that since offering one of his shirts for Leo to wear earlier that day. "No problem. Is it far? I can give you a ride if you want." "Thanks, but I'll be fine. The apartment if just minutes from here." That made Brett frown. “I thought you'd just arrived in town? You found that apartment pretty fast." "That's where I used to live with Lisa, way back." The same customer called out for Leo again. She sounded impatient now. "Back to work,” Brett said, pushing away from the counter. “We'll see you later." Leo's wink said that he understood the implicit promise in those words, and he went to serve the customer who had called him. Brett watched him for a few more seconds. He seemed just as comfortable now—with the ambient noise, customers lining the bar, another bartender to share the space with, and waitresses calling on him every so often—as he had been that afternoon, when it had only been him and Brett. If Brett had had any doubts about hiring him, they disappeared in that moment. With his stomach grumbling its displeasure, Brett finally went up to the apartment. A quick cold-cut sandwich and apple later, his hunger was satisfied and he was slipping into a hot shower. Immediately, his mind filled with memories of Lisa and him, in this same shower the previous evening, mingling with memories of that morning, when he had watched her and Leo. Before he knew it, his cock was full, straining toward his belly and demanding his attention. He fisted it loosely and pumped his hand up and down a few times, squeezing a little harder at the tip. He stopped mid-stroke when he realized just how silly he was. Two beautifully sensual people would come to him before the night was over. What was he doing, jerking off alone in his shower? He quickly finished washing and stepped out of the shower, slipping on the heavy terrycloth robe hanging over the radiator. Lisa's was hung right next to it, and the brief thought came to him that it might be nice to have one for Leo as well. He would buy one in a few days, maybe, when things settled down and when Brett knew whether Leo spent more time with him and Lisa or in the apartment across the hall. When he came out of the bathroom, he hesitated. On his right, the bedroom seemed very inviting, while on his left, the laptop he had left in the living room was reminding him of the work he needed to finish. He'd work better after getting some rest, he decided, and went to lie down on the bed.

The few minutes of rest he had planned to get, however, turned into full-blown sleep, and he was only awakened hours later by knocking on the door. Disorientated, he stood and glanced at the alarm clock, and was surprised to discover it was a quarter before three. Still half asleep, he went to open the door, tightening the belt of his robe and yawning widely. In his foggy mind, the knocking had one simple explanation: Lisa must have forgotten her key. When he opened the door, however, Leo was standing on the threshold. Brett remained where he was, his thoughts still too murky to realize he was blocking the way in. Leo's smile slowly faded until he looked almost hesitant. "Sorry I woke you up. I took my break at the end of my shift and ... Lisa had told me to come up. She said she'd join us later." Brett's heart jumped in his chest, and in just a second he was fully awake, adrenaline pumping through him and his mouth so dry that he had trouble saying anything. "Or I can just go to my own apartment,” Leo said after a few seconds of painful silence. The best way Brett knew to answer that was to open the door more widely and step to the side, letting Leo walk in. It was somehow easier to talk when his eyes weren't on Brett anymore. "Did you ... have dinner?" Leo walked over to the living room as though going to sit on the sofa, but seemed to change his mind and leaned against the back of it instead, looking back at Brett. "I didn't, but Lisa gave me some blood packages when I moved in across the hall. I guess it was my ‘welcome to the neighborhood’ gift." Without thinking, Brett went into the kitchen. He wasn't avoiding Leo, not at all. He was just getting a glass of water. His mouth was very dry, suddenly. He took a sip, and raised his voice so it would carry to the living room. "I'm surprised no customer offered to give you blood." "I wasn't sure what the manager would think of that. I'm supposed to be working, after all." The answer came from closer than Brett expected it, and he jumped, spilling some water over his hand. When he looked back, Leo was just by the entrance of the kitchen. Brett wanted to laugh, but his throat felt even dryer now, and all he managed was a weak chuckle. “Good point. I guess as long as you wait until your shift is over, the manager wouldn't have problems with it. Or maybe the manager will offer you a snack himself." **** Before sitting on the sofa, Leo toed off his shoes. He folded a leg beneath him, trying to get comfortable. Next to him, Brett was sitting very stiffly, so much so that Leo couldn't help but wonder if he truly wanted this. One whiff of his scent was enough to reassure him, however. Lust was only second to nervousness, but fear was just a thread, so faint that Leo ignored it. "Give me your wrist,” he asked, holding out his hand.

Immediately, Brett placed his hand in Leo's, palm up. Leo used his free hand to push the robe sleeve up, revealing Brett's forearm. When his fingers brushed against the pulse point, he could feel the staccato there, as clearly as he could hear it in Brett's heartbeat, but he had a feeling that asking him to calm down would only make things worse. He started to pull Brett's wrist toward his mouth. Brett let him until their eyes met, then blinked and froze. "Wait." The certainty that Brett had changed his mind rolled over Leo, but disappointment didn't have time to follow. "I already have scars on my neck,” Brett continued, his voice trembling a little, although Leo didn't think it was from fear. “You can reopen these, rather than making new scars." It made sense, and Leo should have thought about it himself. He wanted to apologize, but instead he said, “I won't take much." The tension thickened around Leo, and everything seemed to slow down as he pivoted and threw a leg over Brett's legs. He was a little taller than Brett, and it would probably have been more comfortable for them both if Brett had straddled his thighs instead of the opposite. Next time, maybe, when Brett wasn't so nervous anymore, they would do it that way. The light tilt of Brett's head served as a signal, and Leo bent down to lay his mouth over the crook of his neck where he had bitten the previous night. He kissed the healing scars, feeling the wild fluttering against his lips, and pressed his hips forward. His hardening cock met Brett's. The quiet moan that escaped Brett made him pull back and press in again, the friction too small to be anything more than teasing. He bit down as slowly as he could make himself, his fangs easily breaking the healing tissue to reopen the bite wounds. Brett's hands closed over his forearms, not to push him away, but to pull him closer, it seemed. When Leo took his first slow, almost lazy pull on his blood, Brett bucked up against him, their cocks pressing together again. Leo would have wanted nothing more than to pull harder, draw more blood faster, but he had to remind himself not to. He had taken blood from Brett too recently to dare take more than a mouthful now. Pulling away was difficult, but it was worth it. As soon as Leo drew back, Brett grabbed his face between both his hands and kissed him. Before Leo could retract his fangs, Brett's tongue was there, curling against one fang, then the other, pushing inside Leo's mouth and pulling back, the same way he was pushing up to grind their cocks together. They slid sideways onto the couch, Leo twisting their bodies as they fell so that he ended up on top of Brett. They groped and kissed, rubbing again each other until they were both panting. Brett's robe had come undone. His skin was like fire beneath Leo's fingers, his cock throbbing in his hand, and all Leo could think about was getting more contact, feeling Brett, flesh to flesh, from head to toe. It just wasn't going to happen here. "You know,” Leo said as he pulled away just enough to speak, “last night I thought this sofa was uncomfortable. It doesn't get any better when you try to do more than sit on it." Beneath him, Brett's chest shook with soundless laughter. His nervousness from earlier seemed to have melted away.

"Well, there happens to be a nice bed just a few feet away." Taking the hint, Leo disentangled himself from Brett and stood. The picture he made, lying there, disheveled, breathing heavily, with his open robe framing his body, fanned the flames of need and want coursing through Leo's veins. Brett took Leo's proffered hand and stood as well, wavering slightly as he did so. His eyes were half-lidded and burning with desire when he looked at Leo, but the nervousness from earlier was suddenly back in full strength. Leo took the lead and stalked to the bedroom, shedding his shirt, shoes and socks on the way. "You've ever done this before?” he threw over his shoulder. Brett's voice was right behind him. “I thought I had this morning. And last night, for that matter." "Last night was a start, but are you ready for more?" Hands on his pants’ buttons, he turned to Brett and watched him step closer to him until they were both standing at the foot of the bed. "Lisa asked me the same thing earlier,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “And I couldn't even think about it." Completely still now, Leo tried to calm his raging thoughts. “We don't need to do anything more if you don't—" The words died in his throat when Brett shrugged out of the robe. He put a hand on his cock. At first Leo thought it was to hide it, but he watched, captivated, as Brett's hand slid up and down, in turn revealing and hiding his growing hard-on. "I didn't say I didn't want to do this. I wantthis ." He punctuated his last word by letting go of his cock and pressing the palm of his hand against the front of Leo's pants. The abrupt absence of pressure when Brett pulled away could have made Leo scream in need. He continued to watch, wide-eyed, his mouth suddenly very dry, as Brett climbed onto the bed. Finally, he tired of watching. He couldn't finish undressing fast enough to join Brett. They started right where they had stopped on the sofa, except that now they were skin to skin, warm against cool, and Leo wanted to purr at just how good it felt, and at the thought that it was only the beginning. "Can I..." The words were a caress on Leo's lips, followed by the barest touch of Brett's tongue when he moistened his own lips. "Anything."

Leo leaned on his forearm to take his weight off Brett and waited, wondering what it was that Brett thought he needed to ask permission for, now that they were naked in the same bed, cock to cock. Nothing could have prepared him for the hand that traveled from his ass and up his back, over his shoulder, slow fingers dancing up his neck to finally end at his jaw. He cut down his movements to a minimum—he couldn't just stop sliding his cock against Brett's, that was beyond him at that moment—and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of the ghosting touch. The caress followed his jaw down to his chin then back up, drifting to his cheek. The questing fingers hesitated when they reached the tip of his nose, then slid down to his lips, one single digit tracing his mouth. Leo couldn't help but flick his tongue against that finger, and there was another hesitation as it lingered at the seam of Leo's lips, before finally gently pushing in. Leo wrapped his tongue around it, smiling a little at the thought of doing the same thing to Brett's cock. Apparently, Brett shared his fantasy, since Brett suddenly took a deeper breath and bucked up, pressing their cocks harder together. The finger retreated and returned to its exploration of Leo's face, now mapping out the edge of his nose, delicately brushing against his lowered eyelashes before following the curve of one eyebrow, then the other. The fingers slid back, threading into Leo's hair and cupping his skull, pulling him forward to meet Brett's kiss again. With some surprise, Leo realized he was trembling with need. He couldn't remember the last time a lover had taken the time to touch him like this, to learn his features and the contours of his face. It felt more erotic than he could have thought possible. "Want you,” he murmured, nipping at Brett's bottom lip. “Now." The tremor that his words elicited was answer enough. Brett protested with an indistinct groan when Leo raised himself to his knees, severing the contact between them, but Leo appeased him with a shushing whisper. The tube of lubricant was in the nightstand drawer, right where Leo had found it the previous night. He didn't have the presence of mind to wonder who had returned it there, Brett or Lisa. He flicked the cap open with his thumb and squeezed a small amount of lube onto his fingers. Brett practically arched off the bed when Leo enveloped his cock, twisting his hand as he ran it up and down to spread the lube and make the motion that much easier. It was difficult to choose where to look. Brett had closed his eyes and was biting down on his bottom lip. His fists closed on the bunched up sheets as tightly as Leo's hand on his cock. Slowly and teasingly, he drew up one of his knees until his foot was flat on the bed, exposing new places for Leo's fingers to explore: heavy balls that he fondled, one after the other, before sliding to the sensitive skin hiding behind them. Brett became very still suddenly, clearly enjoying Leo's touch, but also just as obviously waiting for what came next with some trepidation. He never noticed that Leo's other hand had been anything but idle, lubing and preparing, although not the way Brett expected. The look of shock on Brett's face when, in one fluid movement, Leo straddled him and positioned himself above his slippery cock was almost as erotic as the simple feel of him when Leo bore down. He paused right there, with just the head of Brett's cock in him, and waited. It wasn't easy for him; he wanted nothing more than to finally, finally sink down and take Brett inside, just as deeply as when he had bit down and taken his blood. Poised and shaking, he waited for Brett's eyes to focus on him again. When they did, when Brett looked at him with that mix of surprise, and awe, andnow , Leo thrust down. The single slow, smooth stroke let him feel every inch of flesh stretching his body and emptied his mind of everything that wasn't Brett. Everything that wasn'tthem . He began raising and lowering himself onto Brett's cock, slow enough at first to make Brett twitch beneath him and raise up to meet him. Encouraged by that reaction, Leo began accelerating his tempo.

Judging by Brett's heartbeat, by the overwhelming scent of raw desire coming from him, by his dilated pupils, he wouldn't last long. Leo didn't mind; it was only the first of many times, and Brett would learn— Brettwas learning. It was his turn to surprise Leo, with a shaky and yet firm hand on his cock, pumping to the same pace as Leo's hips. Meanwhile, his left hand explored Leo's abs and chest, scratching and pinching flat nipples that tightened the same way his balls did, drawing up, until the pressure and heat both inside and outside, Brett's cock and his hand, became too much. One last time, he thrust himself down. His orgasm crashed over him, fast and blinding. All he could see was Brett looking wide-eyed at his come-stained fingers, the same fingers he brought to his lips for a tentative lick. Even spent, Leo couldn't help but buck again, and again, and one more time, and pull Brett into bliss along with him before he collapsed onto his chest. Brett wheezed out, laughing, and they rolled together onto their sides. "Sorry ‘bout that,” Leo breathed. Brett chuckled a little more. “Please. Feel free to repeat any of that any time you want." His eyes were sparkling with pleasure still, but also sheer enjoyment. He leaned forward to kiss Leo, ending with a quick nip at his lips. Leo tried to deepen the kiss, but Brett was slipping away and out of bed already—although, Leo noted with a hint of pride, his steps didn't seem too steady. He lay down on his side, looking down toward the door and listening. Quiet steps. Water sounds. The flick of the living-room light, and darkness. More slow steps, hesitating at the foot of the bed, then coming in by Leo's back. He smiled, and waited for Brett's arm to drape over him. **** The night was quiet around Lisa, quiet as the city only became in the small hours of morning. Night owls were tucked in at this time, and early risers weren't awake yet, leaving the streets of Haventown silent and deserted save for a few people like her making their way home at the end of a long night. Her second prey for the night had invited her home when the club had closed its doors, and she had accepted the offer to give Leo and Brett more time. She and her new prey had been at a table when Leo had left the club half an hour before closing, and they had still been talking when he had returned, ten minutes later, and gone up to the apartment above the club. If she had joined them then, Lisa was sure her two lovers would have turned their attention to her—not unpleasant in the least, but she wanted them to get more comfortable with each other. To her prey's initial dismay, all she had done when they had reached his apartment was take blood from him. She had purposefully bitten down on a small vein and taken small pulls on his blood for a long time, stopping every now and then to talk to him and give him directions. Pleasure always made blood sweeter, and she always enjoyed a nice show. She had left him still shaking and moaning incoherently, a blissful expression on his features, and while she had taken her fill of blood, a different kind of hunger was now pulling her back to Brett's apartment. She had given him and Leo plenty of time to play and rest. She hoped they were ready for her. Caught in her anticipation of what was to come, she didn't pay attention to the prickling at the base of her skull that always warned her she was being watched, and the voice calling out from behind her took her by surprise. "Looking for one Childe, and here I find the other. What a coincidence."

She froze mid-step, all thoughts knocked out of her. She knew that voice and the dry irony coloring it, and she would have been happy never to have heard them again. Slowly, she turned on her heel to face Nicholas and made a conscious effort to relax her body. All her muscles were tense, as though waiting for a blow, and he knew her well enough to notice. She didn't want to appear on the defensive; Nicholas would interpret that as a sign of weakness, and try to exploit it as much as possible. "Hello, Nicholas,” she said as calmly as she could manage. He came closer to her, his steps echoing in the narrow street. It had been decades since she had last seen him, since he had left one night and never returned, but he was exactly as she remembered him, down to the black clothes and oversized coat he wore. She remembered an old lesson, when she had been only a few nights old—"Black is our color. It makes it easier to hide. Easier to scare humans, too. Deep down, they are as afraid of black as they are of the night, and their blood tastes much better with fear coursing through it."—a lesson she had rejected, along with just about everything Nicholas had ever tried to teach her. The dress she wore now, of a blue as light as she remembered the sky being at midday, was only one proof of how far from him she had drifted. "Come on, Beth. Won't you call me Sire? I still am, you know." Lisa bit her tongue to stop herself from correcting him about her name. He didn't need to know she had changed it. He didn't need to know anything about her, really, and the sooner this encounter ended, the happier she would be. Despite herself, she glanced behind her. The club was no more than two blocks away. She wished the night hadn't seemed so nice; she would have taken a cab then, rather than deciding to walk home. "You're not thinking about leaving me so soon, are you, Childe?” Nicholas was just in front of her now, and he caressed her cheek with his knuckles. “We have much to talk about. Have you given up on your silly idea that you need not kill?" Lisa battled with herself at his touch. If she stepped away from it, he would think she was afraid of him. If she stayed where she was, he would believe she welcomed his caress. In the end, she shifted her body but kept her ground. Immediately, she could see his gray eyes narrow and darken, a sure sign he was displeased. "As insolent as ever,” he said. “You never learn, do you?" She raised her chin. If he already thought her insolent, there was no reason to play at being meek. “Isn't that why you gave up on me,Sire ?" If he heard the old resentment and anger she injected into the word, he didn't show it. “Ah, but I never gave up on you. You'll never stop being mine. Don't you know that, Childe? Don't you see that, in the end, you'll come back to me, just like Leo did? Sooner or later, you too will be the vampire you were supposed to be." Lisa blinked rapidly twice, surprise rendering her speechless. Leo had gone back to Nicholas? Leo was killing? She couldn't believe it. He would have told her if he had. "Of course he did,” Nicholas pushed, correctly interpreting her wide-eyed shock. “And without your interference, he's been a much better Childe to me. A much better vampire. Much happier, too, now that he isn't denying what he is anymore."

Finally shaking off her surprise, Lisa snorted at the oft-heard argument and didn't bother to try to refute it. She wasn't denying she was a vampire when she refused to kill. Blood made her a vampire, not death. "And he's so happy,” she said derisively, “that he returned to me the instant we met again." A flash of anger crossed Nicholas’ features, twisting his grin into a snarl. “You're lying!" "You know I'm not. Didn't you say you were looking for him? Well, you can stop because he's here to stay." The urge to say more and gloat nagged at her, but she managed to stop herself before she could reveal too much. Nicholas was very good at using scraps of information to his advantage. He was now looking at her with an intense, dark expression that drew Lisa in. She should have known better than to look straight at him. She was finding it harder to think suddenly. "You and Leo,” he said slowly, in voice soft but forceful, “you are mine. Running off to play childish games does not change that. You'll always come back to me in the end." "I won't,” Lisa tried to argue, but her words sounded hollow even to her. "Won't you? You're here now. Be still." The murmur was barely more than a puff of air on Lisa's cheek. When had he moved so close again? Hands on her waist guided her backward until there was a wall against her back, solid and supporting her, yet doing little to help the sensation of vertigo slowly creeping up on her. She tried to fight it back, and that helped, just a little. Her dress left her back bare, and she clung to the sensation of brick or cement scraping her flesh, trying to regain her bearings. Her thoughts cleared enough that she realized that Nicholas was undoing the clasp of the necklace holding the front of her dress up, a couple seconds before he bared her breasts. She tried to bring her hands up and cover herself, but they remained pressed against the wall, however hard she tried to move. She had always hated being put under thrall—and hated it even more that she had never managed to break through it even when, like now, the thrall was light enough that she realized what was happening. "Always my Childe, Beth. And don't you forget it." The pain of the bite exploded through Lisa, radiating from the side of her breast until she could feel nothing else. She closed her eyes tight and didn't have to wait long before Nicholas’ mouth lifted from her skin, then bit again, just far enough from the first bite that the pain redoubled while feeling entirely new. Her mind was clear enough now to remember countless of other double bites she had witnessed or experienced from Nicholas. Still, she continued to be trapped in her own body, unable to push her Sire back. Would she have done it, though, if she had been able to? As much as she felt alienated from him, something deep inside her, as deep as the instinct to bite and feed, continued to claim she owed him respect, and, if nothing else, blood. "So sweet,” he rumbled as his mouth trailed upward, following her throat and finally pressing against her lips for a brief kiss, wet with her blood. “As sweet as your prey." She licked her own lips and opened her eyes. Nicholas was grinning, as though amused by a private joke. "Go, then,” he said, mocking. “And tell Leo I want a proper goodbye. If he's really leaving me, that is."

She watched him go, hearing his steps in her mind long after he had disappeared past the corner of a street. It took her a few more moments after that to gather the top of her dress with shaky hands and fasten it around her neck again. She forced herself not to look around as she did. She was alone, and the feel of eyes upon her was no more than a figment of her imagination. Still, she hurried back to the club, faster than she had walked earlier, all thoughts about how nice the night was vanishing from her mind. **** For a couple of hours, Leo dozed off, not completely asleep as he waited for Lisa to come back. At last, the soft click of a key unlocking the front door woke him up completely. He didn't move a muscle—Brett's chest was tight against his back, his breathing regular against Leo's neck, and he would probably have awakened if Leo had moved—but he listened to her moving around the apartment. The bathroom first, and the muffled sound of water for a few minutes. Then slow, barefoot steps to the bedroom. She paused on the threshold, then came forward and slipped into bed, her back to Leo's front. He threw his arm over her waist and drew her closer. Water still clung to her skin, and she felt warm, although not nearly as warm as Brett. The water of her shower had to have been scalding. "Where were you?” he murmured as low as he could manage, happy when Brett didn't stir or appear to wake up. "Out." The word was so cutting that Leo thought she wouldn't say anything more, but after a few seconds, she drew in a deep breath and added: "You didn't tell me he was in town." Something twisted inside of Leo, the feeling as unpleasant as the disappointment in Lisa's voice. He had known she would find out, eventually, but he had tried not to think about what would happen then. "You didn't ask,” he replied, conscious of the weakness of his argument. She didn't even acknowledge he had spoken. “You've been with him all this time?" Leo resigned himself to the inevitable. She would keep asking questions until she was satisfied, and trying to deflect them would not help him. "Not all of it,” he sighed. “A few years." She tensed against him, her body so rigid suddenly that Leo wanted to draw back his arm because his touch was so clearly unwanted. He forced himself to remain still, however, Brett's warmth at his back reminding him that it was more than Lisa he would lose if his answers were found lacking. After a moment, she turned so that she was facing him. The only source of light in the room was the glow of the alarm clock on the nightstand, but it was sufficient for Leo to see the gleam in her eyes. He had rarely seen her so determined. "I won't let you ruin what I have here. I won't let you, either of you, destroy my life." Had he been in her place, Leo would have been as protective of what she had—the club, as much prey and blood as she could want, Brett. It was easy to see why she was so upset. He only wished he could

reassure her. "Hurting you is the last thing I want,” he murmured, and tried to put as much strength into his words as he could summon. “If I have to play nice to be here, I can play nice. Iwant to play nice." He could feel her gaze on him, heavy, piercing, evaluating every last bit of him and passing judgment. He tried to remain as still as he could even though the intensity of her eyes made him want to squirm. He had done too many things she disapproved of. Could she believe that he didn't intend to continue on that path, not as long as he was with her and Brett? She must have, at least, given him the benefit of the doubt, because when she spoke next, it was to ask about their Sire. "What about him? What doeshe want?" His first instinct was to say he had no idea, but that wasn't really true. Nicholas’ plans, in any town he visited, were always the same; to enjoy himself, and feed on the most succulent prey. She knew that, though, just as well as Leo did. "Returning to Haventown was my idea. He humored me by coming along.” He breathed in deeply, hesitating for a second before he asked, more quietly: “What did he tell you?" She snorted, and her voice took on a bitter tint. “You mean, other than I am a disgrace to the name of vampire?" Without thinking, Leo reached out to cup her face in his hand, gently stroking his thumb across her cheek. "I'm so sorry." Too many times, he had heard their Sire gripe at Lisa, mock her, taunt her, hurl insults that were meant to enrage her, and have her demon step to the forefront. Nicholas had never understood that she wasn't battling her demon, when she refused to kill. She was fully at peace with herself and with what she believed was the right thing to do. It had taken a long time for Leo to understand that, and when he finally had, it had been like discovering a brand new woman. She covered his hand with hers, touching him for the first time since she had slipped into the bed. "It's all right.” He could hear the smile in her words, even if it didn't cross her lips. “I haven't cared about what he said for a long time. You know that." "I do. I wish I were as strong as you are." That was one thing that hadn't changed in the entire time Leo had known her, whether she called herself Beth or Lisa. He had always wished he could be just a little more like her. "You are. You're here, now, and not with him." Leo wanted to laugh suddenly. It didn't take much strength of will to want to be snug and warm between Brett and Lisa. But then she explained what she meant, and the laughter died in his throat.

"You have to tell him you're not staying with him anymore. I told him tonight, but he wants to hear it from you." In truth, Leo wasn't surprised. Part of him had known he would need to confront his Sire and announce his decision to him. He simply hadn't wanted to think about it until now. "I guess he would. I'll go see him tomorrow night, get it over with." Seconds passed in silence, until she asked, her voice so expressionless that he knew she was keeping a tight control on herself: “Want me to come with you?' It couldn't have been easy for her to offer, and Leo was even more thankful for it. "Thanks. It'll be easier if you're there." It was Lisa's turn to cup his face and stroke it soothingly. “Everything will be fine, you'll see."

Chapter 6 The bedroom window faced north, ensuring that no direct sunlight could fall through it. Even so, when moving in Lisa had covered it with heavy drapes that she and Brett never pulled back; the view behind them was too bland to bother. With just a faint frame of light surrounding them, the drapes seemed black rather than dark green. If she had turned around, Lisa could have known what time it was exactly, but judging by that familiar frame, she imagined it was between eight and nine in the morning. Much too early for her to wake up, but now that she had drifted out of not so pleasant dreams, she knew she wouldn't fall asleep again for a while. Leo had left the bed and the apartment not an hour after she had returned. She figured their talk had rattled him as much as it had her. As soon as he had slipped away, Brett had closed the gap his absence had left, curling against Lisa. She doubted he had even awakened, his body searching by instinct for the contact it was missing. She could understand the feeling. Lightly, gently, she ran her fingers along his side and back, feeling his warmth against her fingertips. He shivered, burrowing closer to her even as he mumbled. "What time ‘s it?" "Early. You don't need to get up quite yet." He made a token sound of protest that Lisa ignored, her fingers playing back down his back. His own hand started running up and down her side, halfway between petting and caressing. "Did you have fun with Leo?” she murmured against his forehead. At the mention of Leo, she could feel his cock hardening against her leg, answering her far better than any words could have. She laughed soundlessly. "I'm glad. I knew you two would hit it off." He raised his head and mock-glared at her, his efforts doing nothing more than pulling another chuckle

out of her. He couldn't hold the pretense and broke into a wide grin. "Always get your way, don't you, lovely?" He bent down to cover her mouth with his, gently pushing at her shoulder until she lay on her back. From her lips, he traveled over her jaw and down her neck, pressing light kisses and nibbling softly. "Not always,” she mumbled, “but often enough." She kept her fingers threaded in his hair as he continued to caress her with his mouth. The touch was so gentle, so loving, it both warmed her and made her want to feel more of him. She opened her legs for him, and he fell between them, warm and snug, his cock hard against her thigh. His lips were skimming her breast now, and she could feel her nipples tightening in anticipation. She resisted the urge to guide his mouth where she wanted it, letting him follow his own pace, but she couldn't help protesting when he stopped abruptly. "What..." She raised her head up to look at him, and understood at once what had stopped him. His eyes and fingers were hovering over the fresh double bite mark that scarred her left breast. He looked at her, questioning her with his eyes. Her hand shaking a little, she reached toward his neck and brushed her fingers against the mark there. "We match now." She knew he was going to believe Leo had bit her since she was implying as much, and she felt bad about misleading him. It was better than lying to him, however, and she hadn't done that since realizing he was more than another game to her. Telling him the entire truth in this case was not an option; it would lead to too many questions about her Sire, and demand answers she didn't have—or couldn't admit to. Brett would never understand why she couldn't say no to Nicholas. "Hold me?" The words passed her lips before she could stop them. She bit the inside of her cheek almost hard enough to bleed to keep herself from showing more of the weakness meeting Nicholas after all these years had uncovered. It was too much to hope that Brett wouldn't have noticed, and she could hear his worry and puzzlement in his gentle question. "Lisa? What's wrong?" She pushed against his body until he rolled onto his side, following his movement so that she remained against him, then slid down the bed until she could tuck her head beneath his chin. "Nothing. I just feel ... cold. Just hold me." Thankfully, he accepted her answer without trying to prod any more. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as he rolled onto his back, pulling her with him. She could feel his chest rising with each breath beneath her cheek, and the rhythm was both soothing and comforting. She closed her eyes tight so she wouldn't cry. She hadn't cried in decades; she refused to start now. Everything would be fine, just like she had told Leo. She would go with him and make sure that Nicholas didn't cause any trouble, and

everything would be just fine. It had to be. **** Even with his arms around Lisa and her light body resting against him, Brett did not go back to sleep. There was too much agitating his mind for him to find peace. There was what he had done and said, what he had been told and had heard. Too much, all at once, to process. If he had known when inviting Leo inside his apartment that so much would happen in just a day ... he would have changed nothing; he was honest enough with himself to realize that. Loud banging on the front door startled him out of his thoughts. "What's going on?” Lisa mumbled, her words slurred with sleep. Brett gently rolled her off him and pulled the sheet over her. "I'll take care of it,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Sleep." He picked up his robe from the floor on his way out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Three steps took him to the front door. He slipped the robe on and tied the sash at his waist before opening. He wanted to groan when he discovered the two detectives from the previous day on his doorstep. "Gentlemen,” he said warily. “I'd say it's a pleasure to see you again but I'd be lying. I have a feeling you didn't drop in for a nice chat." As the previous day, Carson was the first to talk, Ritter remaining just a step back. "Another body was found, a man this time. We have a Special Enforcer who saw him inside your club." Brett muttered a curse that had Carson raise an amused eyebrow at him. "I asked John to call you first if there was anything suspicious. Anything at all." Ritter nodded. “We talked to him, first thing this morning. He's the one who let us in. He tried to contact you for us, but your phone was apparently out of service." Raking his fingers through his hair, Brett turned toward the living room. He had disconnected the phone the previous evening, thinking he didn't want to be disturbed while he worked, but he had never gotten around to working, or to turning the phone back on. "Mr. Andrews? Is your lady friend here? We need to talk to her." Brett slowly turned back toward them. He didn't like the small smile on Carson's face. There was only one reason why they would want to talk to Lisa, and that was if they considered her a suspect. He couldn't, not for one second, imagine that she had killed anyone, but he didn't think either that the police would question her without a reason. "Why do you want to see her?" "Just doing our job, sir.” Ritter wasn't smiling in the least. “Would you get her?"

"Please wait here." He went to the bedroom and drew the door closed behind him. Lisa groaned when he turned on the lights and pulled a pillow over her head. In other circumstances, it would have made Brett smile. As things were, he felt almost guilty when he sat down on the edge of the bed and rested a hand over her leg. "Lisa. You need to get dressed. The police want to talk to you." Immediately, she pushed the pillow off her face and sat up, leaning back on her elbows. The sheet slid off her torso, leaving it bare. She didn't seem to notice. Brett, on the other hand, had to force himself to look away; they didn't have time for that now. "Talk to me about what?" The awkwardness of the answer forced Brett to stand and walk over to the dresser so he wouldn't have to meet her eyes. "There was another murder." Seconds passed in silence. Brett dared a glance back after slipping on an undershirt, and regretted it when he saw the dark look Lisa was giving him. He was sure she was upset with the situation, not him, but that didn't make being the bearer of bad news any easier. "And they think I did it? Why would I...” She shook her head and made a low noise that sounded like a growl. “Let's get this over with." In the time it took Brett to simply slip sweat pants on, Lisa dressed into underwear, leather pants and a shirt, so that next to his frumpy look, she seemed to have spent an hour primping. Even her hair appeared fine, even though she had done nothing more than run her fingers through it. Without waiting for Brett, she stepped out of the bedroom, a barefoot general marching into battle. When he joined her, she was facing the two detectives, arms crossed and standing at her full height. Had she been a cat, she would have been bristling. Ritter had pulled out a picture and was showing it to Lisa, who made no gesture to take it. "Do you know this man?" Despite her body language, Lisa sounded calm when she answered, more cool and composed than Brett would have thought her capable of at that moment. “I danced with him last night." Behind Ritter, Carson made a note in a small notebook, not looking up to ask: “Anything more?" From where he stood on the side, Brett could see her look up from the picture and at the badges pinned on the two men's chests. He wondered if her answer would have been different if she had discovered they were regular cops rather than from the vampire department. "We talked for a while. He let me feed from him. And before you ask, he was alive when I left him." "Can anyone confirm that? Did anyone see you two part ways?"

For the first time, Lisa hesitated. “I don't know—wait, Leo might have, he was looking at us." More scribbling was followed by more questions, which Lisa took in stride. "Who is Leo?" "The new bartender." "Where can we find him?" "Across the hall." The two detectives exchanged a look at that. Brett came forward to stand at Lisa's shoulder, expecting them to ask more about Leo. Instead, they seemed to backtrack. "What about night before last, Miss Shetfield? Where were you?" When he glanced at her, Brett could see a muscle twitching in Lisa's cheek, and he decided to answer before her temper got the best of her. “She was here when I came up from work; she went to dance and I followed her. We came back upstairs and didn't leave again. Lisa wasn't out of my sight for more than five minutes." As short and unquestionable as he tried to keep his explanation, Brett felt as though each of his words was being weighed and recorded for later scrutiny. "Anyone to corroborate that?” Ritter asked after a few seconds. "Leo." The investigators shared a look that Brett didn't like one bit.

Chapter 7 The music was pounding in Leo's veins, slow and sensual, so loud it obliterated everything else—everything except the hammering of Brett's heart. Leo could not only hear it, but also feel it, a light tattoo against his back where Brett's chest was pressed. He tightened his arm around Lisa, pulling her closer to him. The music and Brett's heart were accelerating, and he wanted to dance faster to go along with them, wanted to— Leo opened his eyes. He was alone rather than with Lisa and Brett, in his bed rather than on the dance floor of the club, but the beating sound continued until he finally understood someone was at his door and knocking with some unnecessary enthusiasm. "Comin',” he called out, the word ending on a wide yawn. Part of him was hoping it might be Brett or Lisa behind the door, but as he approached, he could hear voices now that the knocking had stopped. Stopping down in his tracks, he returned to the bedroom and picked up his pants from the floor. Pants were the extent of his effort at covering himself, however, and he opened the door bare-chested.

Immediately, two men shoved police badges in his face. The badges included the cross that was part of the town's vampire department insignia, a cross small enough that, had he been fully awake, Leo wouldn't have blinked at it twice. But with sleep weighing on his brain still, the cross and the burn it could inflict if it touched him startled him enough that he took an involuntary step back. The men took the opportunity to walk in, and before Leo quite knew what had happened, they were moving about the small loft, looking at everything—even though there wasn't much to look at, seeing how Leo hadn't yet unpacked his travel bag. "What is going on here?” he asked, dumbfounded. The answer came from behind him, where Brett was standing on the threshold. It had all been so fast, Leo hadn't noticed him until now, but he certainly was glad to see him there. "What's going on is that these gentlemen are going to stop right there because they don't have a warrant or the beginning of probable cause, and they wouldn't want to be sued for entering your residence without your consent and performing an illegal search." The detectives stilled instantly and turned back together toward Leo and Brett. "My apologies,” the shortest and oldest of the two men said with a smile. “I thought you stepped aside to let us in. I'm detective Ritter; this is detective Carson." Leo's foggy mind had cleared enough by now that he could realize the smile was as fake as the excuse. He didn't say anything about either, and simply asked, “Anything I can help you with, detectives?" The tallest man—Carson—pulled out a small notebook and pen. “We could start with your full name." It was useless to try to dodge the question. "Leo Balkins." The information was dutifully recorded. "Where were you the night before last?" Leo looked at Brett, wondering how much detail he should give. All Brett did was give him an encouraging nod, which didn't help Leo at all. It was much too early for this. "I came for an interview, but I arrived too late. I saw my friend Lisa on dance floor and spent the rest of the night catching up with her. And getting to know Brett." He had tried to make his words as innocuous as possible, but he had a feeling that the detectives knew exactly what he meant—or it might have his own hyper-awareness of what he had done with Brett not that long ago. "What about last night?" Ritter's question echoed Leo's thoughts, reinforcing them and sending a rush of wariness through him. "I was at the bar until two thirty,” he said, trying to keep his voice level.

"And after that?" Another look at Brett brought forth another nod. This time, the detectives wouldn't need to wonder or guess. Even if Leo kept his answer to the minimum, he would be saying too much to keep their relationship under wraps. "I was with Brett." Eyebrows went up. There was even a shared look between the detectives, and the barest hint of a smile pulling at Carson's lips when he asked, “Until when?" He thought about it. He hadn't actually looked at the time. Usually, knowing if it was day or night was more than enough. “About ... six this morning." "What about Miss Shetfield?" It had been so long since Leo had heard Lisa's last name that he needed a few moments before he understood what they meant. Or it might have been that he was so tired still. He had left the apartment not very long after his talk with Lisa. She hadn't asked him to, but he had been too restless to fall asleep and had preferred to leave rather than letting her see just how affected he had been by their conversation. Even after getting into his bed, he hadn't fallen asleep for a long time. "Mr. Balkins? Answer the question please. Did you see Miss Shetfield at the bar?" Leo blinked and came back to the present. “Yes.” They seemed to be waiting for more, so he gave it to them, hoping the entire time that he wasn't getting Lisa into trouble. “She was with a man for a while. She told me to go see Brett after my shift, and she went back to the dance floor." "Did you see the man leave?" Leo frowned. “You mean, leave the bar?" Carson nodded impatiently. "I wasn't looking for him. I saw him walk out of the booth at the same time as Lisa did, but I don't know what he did after that." As soon as the last word came out, Leo regretted not having lied. From the corner of his eye, he could see Brett, and the look of disappointment on his face was as clear as it suddenly was in his scent. "When did you see her again?" A second was all Leo needed to make up his mind. If he told them she had been back at almost six in the morning, it was giving her three hours unaccounted for after the closing of the club. If she had already given them a time, he could always blame the discrepancy on his distraction at the time. "She joined us around ... three thirty. Yes, I think it was a little after three thirty." Leo counted in his head. He had reached seven before the detectives finished conferring silently, and the challenge to his assertion that he had expected did not come.

"Thank you. We will be back if we have more questions." They walked to the door together, and Ritter started down the stairs while Carson stopped by Brett for a second. "Please tell Miss Shetfield not to go anywhere." The relief that had come with their acceptance of the time he had given them disappeared in a flash, and Leo could only wonder if he had helped at all. Still, he never wondered for an instant whether she had done what they suspected her of. And in truth, he didn't care if she had. **** Once the detectives had left, Brett returned to his apartment to reassure Lisa. She welcomed him with a grim face and open arms. "They're gone,” Brett said as he returned her hug. “But they don't want you to go anywhere." She tensed in his arms and pulled away. “They still think I did it?" "I'm sure it's all just routine,” Brett said, but he didn't believe his own words. Behind them, Leo walked in through the open door and hid a yawn behind his hand. Brett half turned toward him and found that his eyes were lingering over the taut abs and that thin trail of dark hair disappearing past the low-riding waist of his pants. "Let me try that again since I didn't get an answer the first time around.” Leo yawned once more. “What's going on?" When Brett looked up, he could see by Leo's small smile that Leo had caught him staring. He had to clear his throat before explaining what the police had been doing there. "There was another death. This time it was Lisa's prey from last night. That's why they wanted to know what time she came back." The smile vanished, replaced by a slight frown as Leo glanced toward Lisa. From the corner of his eye, Brett could see her tilt her head. He looked at her, wondering what was passing between them in that silent exchange. She seemed about to say something, but Leo didn't leave her time to do so as his eyes returned to Brett. "I've got to say, I didn't think you'd be OK with the cops knowing about us." Brett and shrugged. “They'd have figured it out eventually, and then they'd have wanted to know why we lied. Plus, it's not like I made my relationship with Lisa a secret. This isn't any different." Leo's brow furrowed, as though he didn't understand something, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he looked at Lisa, and she answered his unvoiced question with a tight smile. "Yes, he means it." This reassurance seemed to trouble Leo even more, although Brett couldn't fathom why. He watched Leo run a hand through his hair, creating more of a mess than there had been before, and wondered what

that wary look meant exactly. In the end, Leo shook his head, and looked away as he yawned yet again. "It's much too early for any of this. I'm going back to bed." He sounded as though he hoped someone would invite him to stay, but Brett didn't plan to go back to bed, and Lisa's reply was only to tell him they would see him later. His disappointment was obvious, but he nonetheless left with a smile toward both Lisa and Brett, leaving the latter to feel a little guilty. He would make it up to Leo later, he told himself. Right now, he was too much on edge to think of anything that wasn't the club. His address book was down in the office, but a quick search on his laptop gave him the number of the video surveillance store. The answering machine picked up when Brett dialed the number, and he left a message, putting all the ice and anger he could summon into his voice. "This is Brett Andrews, again. I want some sort of video installed before tonight. I don't care that it's not the full system, I wantsomething by tonight or I'll find another contractor to do it. And sue you for breach of contract. Try explaining to a judge why you didn't put up the cameras that might have helped save two people." When he disconnected the call and turned to place the phone back on its cradle, Lisa was right there, so close that he almost bumped into her. She was grinning, and her eyes had a small fire to them that Brett knew quite well. "I like it when you get aggressive like that. You look sexy." She slithered against him, resting her hands on his chest in a familiar gesture. Brett smiled. "It's our club. We've worked too hard to make it work, I'm not going to let some idiotic vamp ruin everything." She laughed, then kissed him, her lips as light as her laughter, and Brett breathed a little more easily. If she wasn't worried, things would turn out all right.

Chapter 8 It wasn't too difficult for Lisa to convince Brett to come back to bed once he had stopped ranting about the contractor not having installed the cameras yet. The dark circles beneath his eyes made it clear that he hadn't slept enough. They laid down fully clothed in each other's arms, their gentle petting and touching designed more to comfort than arouse. She fell asleep, warm and at peace, the anger roused by the police dissolved into the certitude that everything would be fine. She woke up to more touching, this time bolder as the sneaky hand slid inside her blouse and bra to find her nipple. Groaning her displeasure at being awakened, she batted Leo's hand away, not needing to look to know who was in bed next to her. Her mind drifted back to when she had seen him last, earlier that morning, and her eyes opened abruptly. Mere inches away from her on the pillow, Leo blinked beneath her hard stare. "What did you tell the police?" Instantly, Leo's body language shifted, losing its relaxed pose for a more rigid one. Nevertheless, his

voice remained cool when he answered. "That you were here by three thirty." She had known he had to have said something of the sort, but she still couldn't help sighing. “Why did you lie?" Leo snorted. “Because saying you were back at sunrise probably wouldn't have impressed the cops." Sighing again, Lisa rolled onto her back. A dozen of people might have seen her leave the club a little when it had closed at three. "I didn't kill that man,” she said after long seconds, but her voice wavered. She had just remembered something her Sire had said, about her blood being every bit as sweet as her prey's. She had still been too caught in his thrall at the time to pay it much attention, but it could only mean one thing. "I know you didn't. Can you prove it?" She glanced back at Leo and rolled her eyes at him. “How can I prove I didn't do something?" "Exactly.” His tone sounded much too calm, much too reasonable. “So if anyone asks, you were home by three thirty." Old bitterness Lisa had thought forgotten and gone slowly awakened, and her voice hardened. “I won't lie to Brett." "He already believes you didn't kill that guy, so what does it matter? Better for him if he doesn't know." Leo's words were enough to bring the ancient resentment back to the surface, so violently that she had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from screaming in frustration. She couldn't be this close to Leo. Rolling out of bed, she stood and stalked out of the room. She followed her instincts to the kitchen—to the blood. Unfortunately, Leo followed. "What's wrong?" She wished she could ignore him, and she tried to do just that for a while, focusing on the blood package she had pulled out of the fridge, the mug in her hand, and the microwave settings. But Leo repeated his question, shattering her self-control. She turned fast enough that he took a step back, startled. "You haven't changed a bit,” she spat. “It's been what? Fifteen years? Almost twenty? And you still don't get it. When I'm in a relationship with someone, I need to be able to trust them. I need them to trust me. If Brett can't trust me, if I can't trust him, then what I have with him is no different than what I do down there with my prey." Leo shook his head, arms crossed in front of him in a defensive posture. “How do you even know it's different in the first place?" The anger disappeared just as quickly as it had surfaced. She smiled sadly. As much as Leo's blindness infuriated her, she also pitied him for having to ask such a basic thing. "This, right there ... That's the reason I left you. If it doesn't make any sense to you, I can't teach you. I

couldn't back then, and I still can't now." The look of loss on his face was more than she could stand. She turned back to the microwave and waited for her blood to be ready. When it was, she took the mug with her into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. She hoped Leo wasn't silly enough to try to follow. **** On the glass wall behind the man sitting across Brett, directly above his head, the clock was slowly ticking, marking seconds and minutes that could have been put to much better use than this discussion. Bit by bit, Brett was losing his temper and trying not to show it. "The police are already on the case,” he repeated, swallowing the sigh that wanted to come out. “And so are other Special Enforcers, from what I've been told." The Special Enforcer did not look bothered in the slightest. He had arrived just after four thirty, demanding to meet Brett even when John had offered to talk to him. Brett had agreed to meet him, thinking that the interview would be as quick as the one with the police, but it was almost five, and his patience was running thin. "Did another S.E. ask you for a list of your employees?" "No, but the police did." "The police have a lot to do, Mr. Andrews. This town lives up to its name where vampires are concerned, and you are part of that, of course, both in your personal and professional lives. But you do realize, I hope, that not everyone who encounters a vampire comes out of the experience unscathed. Not everyone is as lucky as you are." With each word, Brett's annoyance only grew. He knew the risks associated with vampires, he wasn't stupid. He did all he could to make the club safe for his customers. Hutson had no right to be so condescending, no right to hint with his tone if not his words that Brett was an idiot for trusting a vampire with his life. Before he could tell him what he thought, however, someone knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for a response. Leo stepped in, then stopped when he noticed that Brett wasn't alone. "Sorry, I thought ... should I come back later?" "No. We're done here. Special Enforcers are welcome to patrol my club, Hutson. They have always been. And my employees will answer any question you have, but they will answer here. There is no reason for you to bother them at home when they have already answered the police." He stood, and Hutson followed suit. "If that's your decision..." "It is. John will show you out. Good day." "I'll be back later, Mr. Andrews." The words sounded almost like a threat, but Brett dismissed them as easily as he dismissed Hutson from his thoughts. He closed the door behind him and with the press of a button closed the blinds as well,

giving himself and Leo some privacy. Instead of sitting at his desk again, he leaned against its edge and after hesitating for a bit crossed his arms. He didn't know whether to laugh or be mortified at just how much being with Leo could make him feel like an awkward teenager again. The only thing that consoled him was that, for once, Leo seemed to be just as flustered as Brett felt, and he watched, with puzzled amusement, as Leo pulled a pack of cigarettes from his shirt's front pocket and lit one. Leo closed his eyes as he took his first deep breath on the cigarette, and the look of his face, for a brief moment, was such relief and bliss that Brett couldn't help but shake his head in wonder. Opening his eyes, Leo caught the end of the movement and misunderstood it. "Sorry, I should have asked ... Do you want me to put it out?” he asked, holding out the cigarette. Although Brett had never smoked, he kept an ashtray on his desk for visitors who did. He grabbed it and handed it to Leo. "I don't mind. I just didn't know you smoked. I didn't even know vamps could be addicted to nicotine." "It's more of a comfort thing." The practiced way Leo tapped the ashes off with a single tap of his finger before bringing the cigarette back to his lips belied that claim, and Brett couldn't help but smile. "It is,” Leo insisted. “I'll stop in a few days, and not think about it for months or years." That last statement, and the wistfulness of it, piqued Brett's curiosity. “So what will be different in a few days?" "I'll have gotten used to ... all this." He made a vague gesture with his hand, the cigarette stuck between two fingers as though he had forgotten it was there. Brett followed the trail of light smoke, wondering what ‘all this’ was exactly. There were too many possibilities, but the feeling was one he wouldn't have expected from Leo. "You're nervous,” he blurted out. “About what? The job? Us?" Leo grimaced. “Add the police, and you'll have an extensive list." "The police?” The admission gave Brett pause. “You didn't kill those people, did you?" "No, I didn't." Leo had answered so quickly, and with such force that Brett didn't doubt his words for a second. But then Leo added, “But I lied to the police." Brett's eyebrows rose in surprise. This was yet another thing he wouldn't have thought Leo would confess. Leo must have taken the raised eyebrows as an invitation to explain himself. He did so with a sigh, his eyes on the cigarette as he absently tapped it on the ashtray. "When they asked what time Lisa came back last night, I lied. I know she didn't do it, but they'd have

bothered her with more questions and wasted their time, and I just thought it'd be faster. Easier." Pushing away from the edge of the desk, Brett walked behind it. He reclined in his chair. The leather cushions yielded pleasantly under him. The chair was the one indulgence he had granted himself in the otherwise plain office. "I knew you gave them the wrong time." Leo's mouth opened, then closed again. He frowned at Brett, clearly taken aback. “You did? You mean, you woke up when she came back?" "I did, and I realized you were lying as soon as you told them she was home by three thirty. I just didn't realize you'd put so much in jeopardy just to make your life easier." The harshness in his words surprised even Brett. He hadn't realized he was so angry. Leo seemed to have caught on to that fact. He pulled on his cigarette, the gesture holding a sharp edge of nervousness. "I apologize." There was something in the way he said the word that hinted that Leo had rarely used it in the past, and wasn't even sure he ought to use it now. Brett's anger slowly turned into curiosity. "You think that's enough?” he asked, wondering more how Leo would answer than if he would apologize more. "I don't know.” The sigh that followed was one of frustration. “If I knew anything about any of this, I guess I wouldn't have lied in the first place. I'm trying to learn this trust thing, but it's not easy." Brett had a feeling that he was missing something in that tirade. It was almost as though Leo had been continuing a conversation, but he had not started it with Brett. Brett would have remembered it if he had. He decided not to push, at least not now. "Does that mean you won't lie again?" Leo's expression became cautious. “I can't promise that. But I can promise I'll try." Reaching for the water bottle on his desk, Brett took a mouthful, his eyes never leaving Leo. He replaced the cap absently, then finally nodded. "All right." Once again, Leo seemed surprised—and this time, also, relieved. “All right? That's it?” He ground out what remained of his cigarette in the ashtray, then leaned over to place it on the desk. Brett stifled a smile. “What else did you expect?" "I don't know. You firing me. Or kicking me out." Not batting an eye, Brett stood and moved around the desk again. He thrust his hand toward Leo, who took it warily. “It's a deal,” Brett said as they shook hands, and he wasn't joking. “If you ever lie to me, I'll do both."

He didn't want to do either, not after the previous night, but lying to the cops was just stupid. If someone else claimed they had seen Lisa outside after three thirty, the detectives would be back, and they wouldn't be so pleasant. Still sitting, Leo tried to smile. The end result was a strange cross between a smirk and a grimace. “I'll try to remember that,” he said. “Try to learn." Brett nodded. Then, without warning, he stepped forward and threw a leg over Leo's thighs. It felt a little awkward, at first, to sit down on his lap like this after he had all but threatened him, but Brett shoved the uneasiness away and pressed forward, resting his hands on Leo's shoulders. He kissed him hard, putting his anger, disappointment and fear in the kiss. Leo yielded to him, pliant and almost passive, the complete opposite of his attitude the previous night. Finding no resistance, Brett's feelings eroded. They changed into hope even as his kiss softened, and he invited Leo's tongue to play along rather than be dominated. When Brett drew back, his cock was hard and aching—and so was Leo's, right against his. Leo's eyes were shining, and there was no grimace left in his smile, only pure pleasure. "I think I'm not the only one who's learning."

Chapter 9 The day trickled by for Lisa more slowly than it should have. She was tired, and falling asleep again shouldn't have been too hard. Every time she tried to lie down, however, too many thoughts bustled through her mind for her to rest. Leo had left after she closed her bedroom door on him, without trying to reason with her. For that, she was thankful. Her anger had faded with the passing hours, and she would accompany him to talk to their Sire as she had promised. That didn't mean she was ready to forget. With a simple lie, he had put everything in her life into jeopardy; the fact that he had been trying to help didn't change that. When Brett came up, she knew what she had to do. It would be temporary, a night, maybe two, just to make an impression on Leo, show him she was truly angry about his lie; to see, also, if he stayed. "Lisa?” he called her from the living room. “Can you come? I want to show you something." She found him at the kitchen counter, the laptop open in front of him. She stood next to him, her shoulder brushing against his, and looked at what he was doing. On the laptop screen, in full colors and as fluidly as though she had been watching the television, she could see customers entering On The Edge, most of them in small groups or couples, a few on their own. "It's just one camera for now,” Brett explained, “covering the entrance. But by Saturday, we'll have all the coverage we planned for." "That's great. Then maybe the cops won't come wake us up at indecent hours." "If we're even luckier,” he said with a trace of dry irony, “there won't be anymore killings close enough to make us suspects." Part of her wanted to believe it would happen just like that, but she wasn't too hopeful.

Facing her, he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “You're going down?" "In a few minutes, yes.” She laid her hands on his chest, feeling his heart beat right against her palm. “If you don't mind...” It felt weird to ask him this when only two nights earlier she had asked just about the opposite. “I'd like us to be alone tonight." If Brett was surprised, he didn't show it. He rested his hands on her waist, his thumbs sneaking beneath her top to rest against her skin. “Anything you want,” he replied. “Always." She wouldn't have thought it would be that easy. And indeed, she barely had enough time to think that it was too simple before he asked, “Does it have anything to do with Leo lying to the police about you being home at three-thirty rather than six?" When she looked at him in surprise, he gave her a lopsided smile and continued. "I was awake when you two were talking. Or mostly awake. Enough to get a look at the time." The words sank in slowly. Lisa kept her eyes on Brett's as she let the consequences of his words unfold in her mind. He had known that Leo lied to the cops, and he had let him. He might believe she had something to do with the murder. That might be why he had kept quiet about this false alibi. Still, that wasn't what troubled her most. Brett had always respected her reluctance to talk about her past, never insisting when she made it clear some topics were off limits. Her Sire had definitely been in that category, and she wasn't sure how she felt about Brett having heard ... how much had he heard, exactly? "So you heard us talk about our Sire,” she said slowly. On her hip, Brett's thumb was drawing small circles. She both wanted him to stop, because it was distracting her, and to continue, because it felt nice. "Heard yes. Understood, not so much." She could hear in his voice, see in his questioning eyes, that he would have liked to ask about what he heard, but he didn't say anything, and she just smiled, apologizing for everything she wouldn't explain. "You're not missing much. Boring family business." Too late, she noticed she had used the word family. It took her aback for a second. She hadn't thought about Nicholas in that way for a long time. With his eyes on her, Brett couldn't have missed the play of emotions on her face even if she had had the presence of mind to hide them. The thumb on her hip stopped, no doubt in concern. "Is everything OK?" She forced another smile to her lips. “It will be. It's just not so pleasant memories coming back to the surface." The concern deepened, and Brett's cheek twitched in that way that meant he wanted to say something but was forcing himself to remain silent. She would have felt uncomfortable if he had pressed the issue, and was glad to see he knew her well enough not to do so.

"Just us, tonight, then,” he said, voice soft and low. A few seconds passed before he added. “He came and apologized to me about lying to the cops, if that makes any difference." Lisa was surprised enough that she froze and looked at Brett, almost expecting him to say he was joking, even when she knew it wasn't in his character. She hadn't said anything new to Leo, nothing she hadn't told him repeatedly in the past without ever making much of an impact on him, and she never would have believed that what she had told him earlier would have changed anything. Not only that, but he had gone and apologized to Brett, not her. Maybe, and the notion was even strange to consider, it meant that Leo had found in Brett someone or something she could never be for him. Coming to him, she kissed his cheek. "Did you know you're a very special man?" She could see he didn't quite know what to make of her remark, but didn't try to explain herself. She just smiled, trailing the back of her fingers over his cheek. "Will you be down later?” she asked him. "Probably not.” He sounded almost apologetic. “I need some time off. And if I'm down there, I'll be looking at everyone and wondering which of the vamps did it." She snorted and rolled her eyes at him. He wasn't fooling her. “I know you'll be looking at that video feed. Don't even try to pretend you won't." He raised his hands, palms turned toward her, and grinned. “Guilty as charged. Wake me when you come back?" She kissed his lips, fast and soft. “Of course." **** The instant Lisa entered the club, Leo noticed her. He had been waiting for her to pass that door ever since he watched Brett disappear through it, a few minutes earlier. He continued working, filling glasses and taking payments and tips, hyperaware that she was coming toward him. Her leather-clad hips swaying as she walked in her high heels, she approached the bar and found room between two patrons to lean against the counter. Leo finished serving his customer and excused himself to get closer to Lisa. Her face was smooth, with no trace of anger. He supposed that was a good thing. "Do you finish at five tonight?" "No, three, like during the week. But I can take my break at two thirty and finish then." Her nails clicked on the counter. Leo wasn't sure if it was a sign of impatience or nervousness. "Do that. We'll go then and get it over with.” She paused, clearly hesitating, and considered Leo for a few moments. “You're sure this is what you want?" Leo didn't have to think about it. “Yes. I do want this." He waited for her to ask more questions—he had a feeling she wasn't done—but she glanced at the

woman seated on her right: one of Leo's customers, who was eavesdropping without trying to hide it. She gave a small snort and looked back at Leo, nodding. "Come find me when you're done,” was all she said before walking away. Leo watched her go to the staircase that led to the dancing floor. She seemed calm, and he doubted anyone who didn't know her as well as he did would have noticed, but there was something in the way she walked, in the rigid set of her head that gave it away; she was anxious. It wasn't too difficult to guess why, especially since Leo felt the same way. Just as she was about to disappear down the stairwell, Leo noticed someone a few feet behind her. The man's face seemed vaguely familiar, and after a few seconds he remembered where he had seen him before. It was the Special Enforcer who had been talking to Brett that afternoon. Leo felt uneasy about him being so close to Lisa. It might have been a coincidence, but somehow he doubted it. Someone behind him called his name, and he turned back to the customers at the counter. Lisa knew how to take care of herself; she didn't need to be warned about the possibility of a S.E. watching her. It wasn't as though she was going to do anything illegal anyway. As he got back into his rhythm, serving, chatting, flirting with customers without meaning anything by it, Leo wondered if Brett was going to come down, either for a drink or to join Lisa on the dance floor. Every now and then, he glanced toward the door that hid the staircase to the apartments, a little hopeful to see it open. Time passed, however, and more customers came in until the club was packed, and Brett did not make an appearance. Despite the crowd, Leo noticed Lisa when she came back up, holding a prey's hand in hers. Even from afar, Leo could see the woman's cheeks were flushed, though he would have needed to be closer to take in her scent and know if it was from excitement, fear, or embarrassment. Most humans thought of being bitten by a vampire as a sexual experience, and they were right on that point; if a vampire chose to do so, he or she could make the bite more pleasurable than painful. It was a pity so many humans associated shame with sex, though. Continuing to serve his customers, Leo kept an eye on Lisa. She had guided her prey to a booth at the back of the room, like she had the previous night. Leo could see glimpses of them, every now and then. He could also see, not very far from them, the same Special Enforcer focusing his entire attention on Lisa, probably waiting for a sign that she was making unwanted advances on the woman at her side so that he could intervene. There was nothing unwanted in that situation, however. If there had been, the two women would not have stayed in that booth for more than two hours after Lisa fed, chatting over drinks and laughing like old friends. When they finally slipped out of the booth around midnight, Lisa kissed the woman's cheek, making her blush again, and they separated. Lisa made her way back toward the dance floor, while the woman started toward the exit. The Special Enforcer, Leo noticed, followed Lisa. "You're staring at her again." Daniel's quiet, teasing words jostled Leo back to what he was doing, and he realized with some surprise that there was now a woman serving drinks next to Daniel. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed her come in. In between customers, he introduced himself to her. Joana had been hired the same day he had, but she certainly looked just as much at ease behind the counter as he was. Even with three bartenders now behind the bar, customers still had to wait in line. Leo could see why Brett had needed to hire two

bartenders in the past few days. When the end of his shift came, he felt a little guilty of abandoning Joana and Daniel to the sometimes impatient customers, but there were things he needed to do, even if he didn't look forward to them. He went down the staircase and stopped on one of the lower bridges to watch Lisa. She wasn't dancing with anyone in particular; instead, there were a handful of men and women around her, dancing with her and together. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves, and Leo was thinking about joining them when Lisa raised her head toward him. She stopped dancing almost at once, to the dismay of some of her companions. They tried to stop her when she started toward the staircase, but with a few smiles and a few words, she appeased them and came up to Leo. They climbed the staircase together, shoulder to shoulder, and when they were high enough that the music wasn't drowning out every sound in the club, Lisa asked, “Are you ready?" Leo felt like chucking, but couldn't manage to. “Not particularly. But I don't think I have much of a choice." A hand on his arm stopped him. He looked at her, surprised to discover concern in her features. "Leo—" "I don't mean I'm having second thoughts,” he explained. “I just wish I didn't have to talk to him." They started walking again. "You didn't seem to have a problem talking to Brett,” she said after a few seconds, startling Leo. "He told you?" "Yes, he told me." Leo thought about that as they finally reached the first floor. He wouldn't have expected Brett to tell Lisa about his apology, although he didn't mind that he had. "Aren't you going to ask me if I'm still upset?" He glanced at Lisa, frowning. “You think that's why I told him?" "I don't know.” She truly sounded as if she were puzzled, and not merely trying to make Leo talk. “Why did you?" He snorted. She had claimed earlier that day that he didn't understand her, but the opposite was true as well. "Because I had to, didn't I?" The answer seemed to puzzle her even more, but she didn't question him any further. He was rather thankful for that. He wasn't sure how he could have explained something that was still so strange to him. **** On the computer screen, the images of Lisa and Leo were small but recognizable. She paused just on the

threshold and turned her face up toward the camera; it seemed she knew exactly where it was before even looking. Brett smiled when she brought two fingers to her lips, kissed them, then blew the kiss toward the camera. Leo had observed her actions, and he looked up at the camera as well and winked. Brett's smiled widened a little more. They disappeared outside the club, Leo's hand on Lisa's shoulder. Brett wondered where they were going, of course, or why Lisa was going out with Leo when she had said earlier she didn't want him to join them that night. To his own surprise, however, he wasn't jealous. He was exhausted, and had no desire to go out so late. In a way, he was even glad they had each other. At least he didn't have to be afraid they wouldn't be back by morning. They would both return—he was sure of it—together. A shadow passed in front of the camera, and Brett lost his smile. Pausing the video feed, he moved the image back, frame by frame, until the face of the darkly dressed man became visible. It was the face of the Special Enforcer who had come to him earlier that day: Hutson. An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Having the camera didn't seem like such a great idea anymore. He trusted Lisa and Leo—he wanted to trust them—but he could think of a dozen ways the video could be used against them, and not one that might help them in any way. The decision wasn't too hard to make. He went down to the office, and with a few keystrokes deleted what had been recorded so far, resetting the recording to write over the erased files. John came into the office just as he was finishing. Brett glanced up at him. He should have known his return would be noticed. "No offense, John, but next time you suggest your family for a job here, I'll run the other way." He had put enough humor in his voice that John didn't tense up. Instead, he sighed. “Something wrong, boss?" Brett gestured at the computer, and the drive the technician had added that afternoon after installing the camera. “The damn thing froze. I had to reset the entire system, and it looks like all the files were erased. It's not going to help us much if everything gets deleted every time there's a glitch." The lie had come out more easily than Brett would have expected. Judging by John's crestfallen face, it was a convincing one. "Want me to call my cousin and yell at him?" Brett stood and moved around the desk. "No need. He'll be here tomorrow. I'll tell him what I think of his skills." "Sorry about that, boss." "Not your fault. Anything to report?" John shook his head. “Everything's clear." "Good. Let's hope it stays that way." Saying his goodbyes, he returned upstairs and lay down in bed. For a long time, he remained there, eyes

open and staring up at the ceiling, and wondered if it had been silly to erase the files, or if he had made the right decision. He would know by morning, he supposed.

Chapter 10 The wind was blowing through the streets, as light as the sparse raindrops that did so little to cool down the night. Leo glanced toward Lisa at his side. She hadn't said a word since they had left the club, but her scent gave away the increasing wariness that she hid behind her silence. Leo was beginning to regret taking her up on her offer to accompany him. She clearly was as uneasy as he felt at the prospect of confronting Nicholas. "Listen,” he said quietly as they were about to reach what had been, so long ago, their lair. “You don't have to come in. There's no reason for the both of us to face his anger." She stopped next to him but kept her eyes on the building ahead of them. He followed her gaze. Light filtered through the fourth floor windows, and a silhouette stood there, looking out, no doubt waiting for Leo. "Too late,” she replied. “He's seen me. If I don't come with you, he'll think I'm afraid. I won't give him that satisfaction." Shewas afraid, Leo realized, and Nicholas would see it as easily as he did. He was trying to figure out how to point that out without insulting her when she started walking again. "Whatever happens,” she said when he caught up with her, “whatever he says or does ... it's not your fault, OK? I'm here because I choose to be. I'm not an idiot, and I know what he's capable of. We'll just ... go along with it. And we don't have to see him ever again after tonight." They had reached the building door, and Leo almost put an end to it, right there and then. Nicholas and his demands could go to hell. He had done enough to make their lives more complicated and— Lisa pushed the door open and took his hand, linking her fingers with his. The gesture was so unexpected that he let her guide him inside and up the steps. And when she seemed to falter on the second landing, he squeezed his fingers around hers, letting her know that he understood. He wasn't stupid, either. He knew just as well as she did that anger, in Nicholas, manifested itself in one of two ways. If his temper got the best of him, he resorted to violence, and there was nothing to do but endure it. Even at the height of her disobedience, Lisa had never raised her hand on Nicholas in return, and Leo couldn't even make himself think of striking his Sire. If the anger built slowly, however, if Nicholas kept it and himself under check until fire burned in his eyes while ice covered his words, it could be worse. In that state of mind, all Nicholas could think of was to assert his control over what he considered his—his Childer—in any way that he could. Make them crawl at his feet, make them plead with words he put in their mouths, make them kill or fuck whomever he ordered: he had done it all, to the both of them. He was their Sire. When at last they reached the fourth floor, the door to the lair was open, inviting them in. Leo pulled Lisa's hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her fingers before letting go. He preceded her inside, knowing she would follow and more grateful than he could express to have her at his back. He had been glad, the previous night, when he had come to grab his things, not to find Nicholas in the

lair. Now he wished Nicholas had been there; Leo wouldn't have had to come back, then. At the other end of the apartment, Nicholas was still standing in front of the bedroom window, visible through the open door. He remained with his back toward them until they entered the bedroom, and then turned to face them, his lips pursed in a strange smile. "Ah, there they are,” he said just a little too loudly. “My wayward Childer have returned to me. Or have they?" "I came to say goodbye, Sire,” Leo said as respectfully as he could manage, hoping it would help. "Goodbye?” Nicholas repeated with feigned surprise as he took slow steps toward them. “You'd abandon your Sire?" You abandoned us first, Leo wanted to reply, old rancor he had thought long forgotten leaping to the front of his thoughts, but he managed to keep it quiet. "You don't need me,” he said instead. Nicholas continued to approach until he was only a step only in front of Leo, but his eyes remained on Lisa behind him. “And you need Beth?” he asked, his voice very low. "I...” Leo didn't know how to reply. Needing her was part of it, yes, but there was much more to his decision, more than he wanted to tell Nicholas. There was also the quick smile and easily conquered trust of a human, the desire to settle down somewhere rather than move from town to town week after week, the ever growing disgust and sense of waste at taking lives when he didn't have to. Brett and Lisa had offered him the alternate path he had longed for without even knowing what they were doing. "Show me,” Nicholas demanded, his eyes intense as they met Leo's. For a moment, Leo thought Nicholas would try to put him under thrall, and he steeled himself against the onslaught. Nothing came, however, and he finally asked, a little wary, “Show you what?" "Show me how much you need her. Kiss her for me." With some difficulty, Leo stifled a sigh as he turned toward Lisa, though he couldn't have said whether he was sighing in relief or something else. Surely, Nicholas could have demanded much worse from Leo, but at the same time he was showing himself so predictable, choosing to prove his power over them in this way. Lisa gave him a tight smile when he looked questioningly at her, and she mouthed, “It's OK.” Grateful for her assent, he brushed his mouth against hers, a caress more than a kiss. "I said kiss her,” Nicholas growled at their sides. “Now, Childe. Don't play." Before he had finished talking, Lisa pressed in and crushed their mouths together. Leo closed his eyes and parted his lips to invite her tongue to play, but a punishing hand on his forearm wrenched him away. Confused, he stared at Nicholas, who was now looming over Lisa, holding her face in his hand so she would look up at him "I toldhim to kissyou ,” he thundered. “Now be still. This isn't your show; it's Leo's. Understood?"

Her answer was a pained whisper. “Yes." Nicholas let go of her and turned back toward Leo. “I'm asking for the last time,” he said darkly. “I will become much less pleasant if you don't listen.Kiss her ." There was the barest hint of thrall in his voice, not enough to affect Leo but enough that, when he saw Lisa's blank eyes staring back at him, he knew right away that she would be as still as Nicholas had ordered her to be. He felt guilty even before he touched her for kissing her when she was under thrall, but he would feel much worse if Nicholas hurt her because Leo wouldn't do what he said. This time, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against him. Her lips parted when he laid his mouth on hers; he gave a small lick to her bottom lip before slipping his tongue into her mouth to caress her tongue. After a few moments, she made a small, almost purring noise at the back of her throat. "That's better,” Nicholas commented in a much more pleasant tone. “Continue kissing her and take off her shirt. Slowly, now. Take your time." Leo slid a hand from her back to her front and started undoing the buttons of her shirt, starting from the bottom and slowly going upward. She didn't react to his actions, and an icy feeling seeped into Leo. Without thinking, he stroked his tongue where her right fang hid until it descended and scratched his tongue. She suckled at the blood lazily. He only wished he could have offered her more as both thanks for being there and apology for not having protected her from this. The shirt slipped easily over her shoulders, followed, at Nicholas’ prompt, by her bra. "Suck on her tits,” Nicholas demanded. “Nice and slow." Opening his eyes, Leo broke the kiss. For a moment, he thought he could see a glimmer of something in Lisa's eyes, but he shook the hope away and looked down. The twin bite marks on her breast did not surprise him much, and he laved them with his tongue before fastening his mouth on her right nipple. Memories resurfaced as he gently suckled, bent in an awkward position in front of her. Nicholas had done this before, sometimes thralling one of them, sometimes both, and sometimes trusting them to obey without thrall. Next he would demand that Leo finish undressing her and lap at her nether lips until she came. Then it would be Leo's turn to undress, and either fuck her mouth or cunt. Nicholas would join only then, taking one then the other, marking them both with cock and fangs. His Childer, he would call them, and demand that they call him Sire in return. He had never seemed to understand that he didn't need to remind them; they knew. Even when they defied him, they had always known. "Enough,” Nicholas grunted. “Is she wet?" Standing straight, Leo looked at him with some surprise. He hadn't expected Nicholas to diverge from the old script. "I ... think so. She smells—" Still standing next to them, Nicholas was stroking the length of his cock through his tented pants. Leo suddenly became painfully aware of his own cock, throbbing inside his pants despite the situation. "I didn't ask what you think or what she smells like. I asked if she was wet. Check. But don't undress

her any further." Lisa's leather pants were tight, but Leo managed to slip a hand past the waist and down to her crotch inside silk panties. He pulled back fingers that were slick with her wetness and showed them to Nicholas. "Take your cock out. I want to see you jerk off." Leo unbuttoned his pants, turning toward Nicholas as he did, but Nicholas shook his head. "Look at her while you do it." Once again, Leo thought he saw a hint of awareness when he met Lisa's eyes, but it was gone as soon as he noticed it. He closed his fist around his cock and tried to summon the memory of the smile Lisa had given him when confiding—it felt like an eternity ago—that she wanted him in her bed along with her new human lover. They would be back with Brett soon, he promised her blank eyes. It would soon be over. Caught in the urgency of his growing need, he barely noticed Nicholas sliding behind him, so close that his chest was against Leo's back and his cock pressed to his ass. "You need her,” Nicholas murmured against the crook of his neck. “But I want you to remember something. When you're in her arms, when you're fucking her so hard it hurts ... Remember that I am your Sire. I made you. The both of you. And every time you come, it's because I. Allow. It." With his last word, he bit down on Leo's neck, and molten lava ran through Leo's veins. Then he bit him again; this time Leo came, all thoughts leaving his mind save for one idea to which he clung with all his might. He had made the right decision, and he wouldn't regret it. **** The door softly clicked shut behind Lisa. She rested her back against it for a moment, taking in deep breaths she didn't need. On the other side of the hall, she could hear Leo's door close as well. She had expected him to ask to come in with her, or at least hint at it, but he had given her a quiet “good night” in front of the door, a peck to the cheek, and he had gone to his own apartment. He hadn't said a word to her since asking her if she was all right after they had left Nicholas, but all the way back to the club, he had clung to her hand, his touch telling her exactly how he felt. She had told him he had nothing to feel guilty for; she wasn't sure he had heard her. Slow steps took her to the bathroom. Usually, long, hot showers could soothe away any concerns she had. This one didn't help, leaving her instead shivering and cold even when she turned up the temperature. It was all in her mind, she knew it. Vampires didn't really feel the cold. Sensory memories from her human life, however, felt more than real and never failed to resurface when her mind was a jumbled mass of confusion, as it was now. Coming across her Sire the previous night had been unexpected, and she had fallen under his thrall before she knew it was happening. This time, she had gone to him of her own will, ready—or so she had thought—to confront him without falling under his power. Yet again, though, he had slipped into her mind. She had always hated feeling weak. Feeling helpless after years of believing no one could yield power over her anymore had shaken her more than she thought possible. Even the fact that she had come so close to shaking off his hold on her wasn't comforting in the least, because ultimately she hadn't managed to break the thrall, as hard as she had tried. Droplets of water still covered her body when she lay down next to Brett. Resting her hand on his soft

cock was enough to awaken it, and him. She covered his mouth with hers when he opened his eyes and kissed him as though it were the first time all over again: small, gentle kisses, almost chaste, an invitation to more. His hands skimmed her body as she continued to stroke him, chasing away the water and warming her. He rested his hand on her thigh and guided it up, over his own, opening her to him. Right away, his fingers were against her folds, parting them gently, gathering moisture to rub against her clit. Any other night, she would have enjoyed letting him take the lead. This time, though, she needed to go at her own pace. She closed the small distance between them and guided his cock inside her. She could feel him shake against her as she did, his breath uneven against her cheek. She waited a few seconds, just enjoying the feel of him, then started moving against him, her movements slow but fluid. He joined her rhythm, complementing it in the best possible way but without ever trying to change it. It felt like a dance to Lisa, with the music inside rather than around her, and with Brett in her arms and body rather than just any prey. A dance, yes, whose rhythm both lifted her spirit and grounded her back into her body and life. And so they danced, slow steps, tender touches, until the music faded with twin sighs of completion. Brett slipped out of her then, but he kept her close. His arms were tight around her, tight enough that if she had had any fear of confinement left in her, she would have become uneasy. She had shed those fears long ago, however, after years of slow, deliberate steps the same way she had worked on all those weaknesses that, as a human, she had tolerated. She had not asked to become a vampire, but she had realized early on that the demon inside her had given her a strength and confidence she had lacked before. Taking advantage of that new strength to become the woman she had always wanted to be had been her way to reclaim her Siring and make it about her, rather than something centered on the needs and wants of her Sire. After what had happened earlier that night, though, that was a little difficult to remember. "Lisa? You sleeping?" The murmur slid over her as a caress. She made a small negative noise in her throat. "There's something I need to tell you.” Brett's voice remained quiet, but strength slipped into his words, making them vibrant. “I know vampires don't love. But I'm not a vamp, and I love you. I don't expect you to say anything to that. I just want you to know that I'd do anything for you. Anything." Lisa did not reply, her surprise rendering her speechless. She wasn't surprised by Brett's declaration of love. She had guessed long ago what her companion felt for her. It was in every one of his touches; in every one of his looks, whether they clothed her in tenderness or undressed her hungrily; in every one of his words, when they talked of the club or chitchatted. She wasn't surprised either by his promise to do anything for her. This was the kind of man he was, dedicated and strong. What did surprise her was herself, and her own reaction—or lack thereof. She should have bolted out of the bed, or maybe responded with a joke and laugh. She should not have felt touched, or grateful, but she did. She shouldn't have felt the need to tighten her hold on him, or to lay her lips on his collarbone in a soft kiss. Yet she did both. **** When morning came, Brett slipped out of Lisa's embrace and their bed as slowly and carefully as he could. She made a quiet sound of protest but didn't wake. With a hand, Brett pulled the blanket at the foot of the bed up over Lisa's shoulders, and watched her burrow into them. He felt a little guilty leaving her, but he managed to walk away, pausing just long enough to put on sweatpants and pick up the small tube from the bedside table.

The wooden floor felt cool beneath his flexing toes, the concrete in the outside hallway, rough. Leo hadn't locked his door, and it opened and closed without a sound under Brett's hand. He flicked on the light, dimming it to its lowest setting. A few more steps took him to the bedroom. This time, he grabbed the sheet at the base of the bed and pulled it toward him, revealing Leo's body. He wasn't too surprised to discover Leo slept in the nude. Before climbing into the bed, he took off his sweatpants. The mattress yielded lightly beneath him, but Leo didn't stir. Without waiting any further, Brett grabbed Leo's cock and started stroking it. It grew firmer in his hand, and his own cock hardened along with it. At last, Leo awakened, and arched into Brett's touch. "Good morning,” Brett said, unable not to grin as he did so. Leo continued to arch up beneath the light strokes, but he groaned. “It's way too early for this,” he mumbled. With a snort, Brett leaned down and, holding Leo's cock with his fisted hand at the base, he ran a tentative tongue against the tip. "Are you sure?” he asked, looking up toward Leo's face again. “I can stop if it's really too early." His hand rising to find Brett's arm, Leo protested almost vehemently. “Mouth. Want mouth back." "In a minute, maybe.” He kept his hand tight as he pumped Leo's cock, spreading the beads of precome on his down strokes. “Where did you and Lisa go last night?" At the question, Leo went completely rigid, and his grip fell to Brett's hand as though he wanted to stop him. Brett gave him a hard look, and the challenging hand moved back. "Come on now,” Brett insisted, starting to stroke up and down again. “Where did you go?" "Why ... why aren't you asking Lisa?" "Because she's asleep." "So was I." "But you're not anymore.” He punctuated his words with a tight squeeze that pulled a moan from Leo's lips. “Did you go see him?" The blink and light frown that accompanied the breathless “Who?” convinced Brett that Leo wasn't simply trying to gain time, so he answered calmly, his hand running up and down Leo's cock. "Your Sire." "How—?" Another squeeze cut off that line of thought. When Brett resumed his stroking, Leo replied without questioning any further. “Yes." That wasn't a surprise. After what he had heard the previous night, Brett expected as much. He paused,

however, before asking his next question, anxious despite his determination to remain calm. “Did he hurt Lisa? Or you?" "Nothing we can't heal." Alarmed, Brett stopped stroking, earning himself a filthy glare that he completely ignored. "Nothing you can't heal? What does that mean?" He looked over Leo's body, and easily found what he was looking for. There were two bite marks at the crook of his neck, in the same pattern as the ones on Lisa's breast. He reached to touch them almost gingerly, but Leo stopped him by grabbing his hand and pulling him upward until they were chest to chest and cock to cock. Leo's mouth on his prevented him from asking any more questions or protesting, and after a few seconds of their tongues battling, of their cocks rubbing together, talking was the last thing he wanted to do. After only moments, Leo pulled away abruptly. Brett understood why when Leo gently pushed him off his chest and to the side. Lisa was standing at the entrance of the bedroom, a blanket wrapped around her. She looked tired. "Can I join you?" Without hesitating for an instant, Brett raised his arm, inviting her in. Next to him, Leo reacted the same way. Only when she approached did Brett wonder. She wasn't usually one to ask permission before taking what she wanted. She climbed into the bed, leaving the blanket at its foot. Even as his eyes trailed over her body, more questions rose to the forefront of Brett's thoughts. He wasn't sure why she had asked before joining them, but he also wasn't sure why she hadn't wanted Leo in their bed the previous evening, why she had gone out with him, why she was reaching out toward him now. Too many questions, and all of them disappeared when Lisa's fingers closed around his, even as she leaned in to kiss Leo. Brett watched them kiss, and couldn't help but think that something more was going on there other than desire. They were both too careful, too tender, for the kiss not to have a meaning he wasn't privy to. He was curious, of course, but not jealous, not when Lisa was still clinging to his hand, including him in what was happening. He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, then had to let go as Leo rolled Lisa onto her back between them and slipped between her legs. For a few seconds, all Brett could do was watch, the same way he had watched them before, aroused beyond words by how beautiful they were. In the faint light coming from the front room, their bodies were draped in shadows as they moved together with slow, fluid thrusts on Leo's part and equally slow motions in counterpoint from Lisa. They seemed to share one body, even one mind, as they turned their faces toward Brett in the same instant, never breaking their rhythm. Unable to remain on the outside any longer, Brett leaned in to kiss first Lisa, then Leo, then Lisa again, soft kisses that joined their slow pace rather than disrupted it. Just as gently, he let his hand play over them, sliding smoothly from one to the other until he didn't know whose skin he was caressing any more, or whose lips were against his own, whose tongue was slipping in his mouth, whose hand was grasping his cock. He broke away and moaned as the hand played up and down his shaft. For a second, he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Leo's gaze was as clear an invitation as Brett had ever been given.

His hands trembling in expectation, Brett pulled away and stood. He picked up his sweatpants from the floor and fumbled to retrieve the small tube from the pocket. Flicking the top open while climbing back onto the bed was much more difficult than it should have been, but once he had poured some of the cool lube onto his fingers, his burning thoughts calmed down enough for him to prepare Leo. He wanted to take his time and make sure he was stretching him enough. But at the same time, he couldn't wait to slip his cock past those tight, grasping muscles, couldn't wait to join in his two lovers even as they slowed down their dance to wait for him. "That's enough." Leo's breathless words were all Brett needed. He poured a little more lube into his palm and hissed when he fisted his cock, coating it from the head to the root. Biting his bottom lip and wishing—praying—that it wouldn't end as soon as it started, he aligned his cock to the opening of Leo's ass and pushed in as slowly as he could manage. The slick tightness around his cock was exquisite. The three of them remained still for a few more seconds. Then Leo moved. He thrust forward, pulling away from Brett's cock and pushing into Lisa's cunt. When he pulled back, Brett's cock slid further into Leo's body again. Leo moved alone once more, then Brett accompanied his movements, using the grip of his hands on Leo's hips to amplify their rhythm. Little by little, as they learned this new dance together, their pace strengthened, pulling moans from the three of them. Lisa's light fingers covered Brett's own, intertwining with them when Leo leaned down to kiss her. As Leo arched up again, Brett kissed the middle of his back. The sensations overwhelming Brett were becoming too much. He wouldn't last much longer, not like this, but he didn't want to be the first to come. He wanted to feel— Lisa's cry was unexpected, a note of joy ending in a moan. Leo bucked wildly between her and Brett, his body shaking as orgasm overtook him. Thrusting into his body a few more times, Brett let go of his control and joined them as he unconsciously tightened his fingers on Lisa's. They collapsed together, and for a moment the only sound in the bedroom was that of heavy breathing, the only movement the trembling of satiated bodies. As they pulled apart only to lie down together, Brett reached over Leo to rest a hand on Lisa's hip. She did the same and laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing briefly. Between them, Leo let out a rumbling sound that sounded, of all things, like the low purr of a great cat. Brett was smiling when he closed his eyes, and he let his thoughts wander. They brought him back to what he had told Lisa earlier, about his willingness to do anything for her. At that moment, he couldn't think of anything he wouldn't have done for Leo as well.

Chapter 11 Warmth and softness were the sum of Leo's world. Behind him, Brett's chest was molded to his back, his semi-hard cock nestled against his ass, his arm thrown over his waist. Everywhere they touched, all Leo could feel was warmth, and he had half a mind to curl up so that Brett's slightly smaller frame could encompass him entirely, cocoon him in warmth and life. He couldn't move, though, not with Lisa pressed to his front, her chest to his, her head tucked in beneath his chin, her arm over his waist, just above Brett's. Her skin was silk against him. There was no

place in the world he would rather be. As he drifted between sleep and wakefulness, his mind took him decades back. He had once spent his nights like this one, safe and comfortable between two lovers who were his entire world: Lisa and Nicholas. But the feeling of completion had never been as absolute as it was now, maybe because Nicholas had always needed to reinforce his control over them. Something told him that Brett would never take from him—from them—for the simple pleasure of proving he could. A more recent memory resurfaced, and he relived somewhat fitfully the events of the previous night. He had been between his Sire and Lisa yet again, but in a much different way. His only comfort was that Nicholas hadn't touched her. He hoped that her coming to his bed to join him and Brett meant she forgave him for drawing her into that mess. Shaking the memories away by burrowing a little more against Brett and drawing Lisa a little tighter to his chest, Leo tried to find a deeper sleep again. Just as he was drifting off, however, he could hear voices coming from the stairwell outside his door. He opened his eyes and listened intently. The footsteps came up to the landing, and then there was knocking. Loud, insistent knocking, soon accompanied by calls of Brett's name. The police. They were in front of Brett's apartment. With a groan, he gently pushed away both his lovers so he could sit up. They answered with the same mumbled protests. "Come on,” Leo sighed. “You've got to wake up. They'll be here next. We'd better get dressed." He rolled over Lisa to get out of bed, pulling more protests from her. "What? Who?" "The police.” He picked up his pants from the floor and pulled them on. “Can't you hear them?" Lisa sat up, leaning back on her elbows, and in the semi-darkness he could see her frown as she listened. She reached out toward Brett and shook his arm gently until he stirred. "The police are here. Let's get up." Leo handed her his robe when she stood. On the other side of the bed, Brett was cursing under his breath and putting on the sweatpants he had picked up from the floor. None of them voiced aloud what they probably all thought: if the police were here, there had to have been another murder. They were all decent by the time the knocking switched from the door across the hall to the loft's. Leo looked at Lisa and Brett, silently asking them if they were ready, and went to open it. They were the same policemen as before, although Leo had forgotten their names. He stood squarely in the way this time rather that letting them in. "Good morning, gentlemen.” He couldn't stifle a yawn. “How can I help you?" "We're looking for Mr. Andrews. Do you know...?" Leo heard footsteps behind him. Without turning, he could tell that both Brett and Lisa had appeared from the bedroom. He only needed to see the slight widening of the policemen's eyes to know that

"Another death?” Brett asked, foregoing greetings. Leo stood out of the way so that Brett could see the two men, but he didn't open the door any further, since he had no intention of inviting them in. "A Special Enforcer,” the same man continued. “His name was Hutson. We hear you met him yesterday?" Turning sideways, Leo watched Brett run a hand through his hair. The gesture made him appear nervous. “I ... Yes. He wanted a list of my employees." Judging by his nod, the man already knew that. Leo wondered briefly who had told him, then figured it had to have been John. He had to have let them in, as well. Leo was beginning to think that it hadn't been as good an idea as he had first thought to have the chief of security living just across the street. The second man leaned against the doorway. When he talked, he addressed Brett, although his eyes remained on Lisa. Leo didn't like the way he leered at her in the slightest. "We saw you put a camera up finally." "We did, but there were problems last night. The system crashed. I lost everything that was recorded before three." The man's eyes shifted toward Brett, narrowing slightly. “How convenient." "Are you doubting my word?" "Well, your word is all we have about a lot of things. Why do I have a feeling that if we ask you where your pet vamps were last night, you'll say with you." Leo's grip on the side of the door tightened. He was no one's pet, and no one would talk about him or Lisa like this in front of him. He wasn't the only one who was offended, however. In just a second, Brett was at his side, facing the two men with all his height. His scent revealed that he was much angrier than he looked. "If that is how you talk about my companions, I'm done cooperating. If you want anything else from me, you'll have to get a warrant. I'll show you back out." He pushed out of the apartment, forcing the policemen away, and waited for them to start down the staircase. He threw a tight smile at Leo before walking down after them. When Leo looked back at Lisa, her expression was as somber as he himself felt. **** With each step Brett took back up the staircase, his anger dissipated a little more, so that when he reached the landing he only felt extremely weary. The lack of sleep was part of it, certainly, but the knowledge that someone else had found death after visiting his club was wreaking havoc on his mind. He still refused to believe Lisa or Leo had anything to do with any of these deaths, but at the same time he was glad he had deleted the video. It would have been much too incriminating if the police had seen it. The door to Leo's loft was closed, he noticed at once, while his apartment's was open. He didn't pause to wonder if he had missed a significant discussion between his two lovers and simply entered his home.

He found Lisa in the kitchen. She had put a pot of coffee on to brew, and was sipping on a mug of blood. He squeezed her shoulder as he walked by her and turned to the fridge. She was silent as he started cooking an omelet for his breakfast, but he could feel her gaze on him, following him around the kitchen. He wondered how long it would take her to say what was on her mind. As it turned out, not very long. "The video seemed to work fine last night." Brett didn't reply. She hadn't asked a question. With a flick of his wrist, he turned off the gas beneath the pan and pushed his omelet onto a plate waiting on the counter. He carried the plate over to the bar counter, sitting at Lisa's side. One elbow resting on the tiled surface, she supported her chin in her palm and looked at him through piercing eyes as he started eating. "When did you decide it'd be better if it didn't work?" Considering her bluntness, Brett didn't even try to deny the implied accusation. “When I saw the S.E. follow you and Leo out." She blinked slowly. “The S.E. who was killed?" "Yes." "The S.E. you hired to check on me, then." Surprise stopped Brett mid-movement, the fork halfway between the plate and his mouth. He lowered it slowly back to the plate. “No. I didn't hire anyone." The way she scrutinized him made it clear that she was trying to decide whether to believe him or not. She must have decided she could, because she didn't pursue that topic, going back instead to the video. “Why did you erase the video? Because you thought it would be proof against me or Leo?" She raised an eyebrow, and for the first time Brett hesitated. He had tried not to think about it until now, but even as he had been erasing the files, it had been in the back of his mind. He trusted Lisa, and to a lesser degree, Leo, but there was more to all of this than the two of them. "I erased them because of something Leo said.” At her expectant look, he continued. “He said ... He said your Sire used to be able to make you kill, even when you didn't want to." Her eyes widened. “So you thought—" "Lisa, I don'tthink anything,” he interrupted her. He couldn't bear to let her think he saw her as a murderer. “I don't know anything. No, that's not true. I know that the cops think you might have done it. And I won't give anyone an excuse to stake you." She seemed almost mystified, and for a long moment looked at Brett as though seeing him for the first time. Eventually, she shook her head and rose. "Silly man.” She kissed his cheek. “I need to get some sleep." She left the kitchen. Brett watched her go. He wished he knew what was going on in her mind, and what she thought of what he had done. When she had disappeared in the bedroom, he picked at his food,

finding it cold and unappetizing. He had just realized she hadn't said that she didn't do it. Somehow, he preferred that to the possibility of her lying to him.

Chapter 12 No one had asked him not to, so Leo supposed he could have smoked in his loft. Brett hadn't minded him smoking in his office, after all. Still, he found himself going out an hour and half or so before the club was to open its doors. Thankfully, the orientation of the street was such that the late afternoon shadows protected the front of the building. The entrance to the club was locked at this hour, of course, but the service door wasn't. He walked out and sat on the front step before pulling out his cigarettes. It was a sunny day, and just a few feet in front of him sunlight pooled onto the road, making the entire street so bright he had to squint. His instincts were telling him to get away, and a few years or decades back, he would have obeyed them right away. He wasn't a fledgling anymore, though, and he could control himself. With each slow inhalation of nicotine, he was pulled back into the past; with each release, the present took hold of him again. Years of hunting with his Sire were taking a new light when he looked at them through the filter of Brett's eyes. Years of doing his best not to think about whose life he was taking were suddenly brought back to him, his prey too numerous to remember faces or names, but these same numbers made them too hard to ignore. He had lived years without killing when he had been with Lisa, so he couldn't even hide behind the excuse that he didn't know any better, like he had when he had been a fledgling. His one excuse, weak as it was, resided in his Sire. Nicholas had welcomed him back, after he and Lisa had separated. He hadn't asked questions or demanded apologies, but he had also made it clear that he wouldn't tolerate any more nonsense about sparing humans. Leo had needed so much to have someone by his side that he had shoved his hesitations in the farthest corner of his mind. These same hesitations returned today with the bitter tang of remorse clinging to them. He hadn't even known vampires could feel remorse. "It looks a bit too sunny out here for you." Blinking out of his memories, Leo looked up. He hadn't noticed the door opening behind him. Brett was there, leaning against the doorjamb, a look of mild worry on his face. "There's enough shade. I'll be fine." He ground what remained of his cigarette on the sidewalk and stood so he wouldn't have to crane his neck to see Brett. “How did you know I was out here?" Brett pointed upward, to a slim camera tucked in the corner above the door. "My contractor finally came and installed cameras all over." It was a bit late, Leo thought. Too late for the three people who had died already. But maybe it would be enough to save others. He wasn't sure whether Nicholas had come to the club to hunt, or if he had picked up his prey in the street. He wasn't even sure it had been Nicholas, actually, but he couldn't believe it was all just a coincidence: the killing starting the same night they had arrived in Haventown, the second victim being Lisa's prey, and the third a man who had been following her and Leo. He was startled once again from his thoughts when Brett asked, echoing his thoughts: “Are you going to

go back to your Sire?" "No. Last night was goodbye." On the doorjamb, Brett's fingers were tapping a nervous rhythm. He looked as though he were playing a fast jazz piece on a piano. "And he let you go that easily?" The skepticism in his tone amused Leo, because he had felt the same disbelief when Nicholas had finally let him and Lisa go. "There's not much he can do about it, short of staking us." Right away, Leo knew he shouldn't have said that. A note of fear spiked in Brett's scent, sharp and sour, and his fingers abruptly stopped playing on the wood, producing a note that Leo imagined discordant. "Would he?” Brett asked, the words coming out too fast. “Would he kill you or Lisa?" "No.” Leo tried to put as much strength and conviction in that simple word as he could, even though he really wasn't so sure. “That would be too much like admitting his failure. As long as we're around, he can still try to bring us back into the fold." The fear abated, and the fingers resumed their game, more slowly now, almost hesitantly. “Like he brought you back after Lisa left you." It wasn't so simple, but it wasn't wrong either, so it wasn't a lie to agree. "Something like that." Seconds passed, and Leo could see that Brett wasn't done. There was more he wanted to say or ask; his face and his entire posture said so. Leo waited for him to finally say it, even if he could guess what the question would be. "Would you go back to him?" This time, Leo didn't have to fake the certainty of his answer. Whatever happened between Lisa, Brett, and himself, he couldn't go back to Nicholas. He could only lie to himself up to a point, and he had crossed this point when he decided to stop killing for his meals. "Never." **** By the time Brett came up to the apartment, Lisa was already dressed for the night, tight pants and a sheer shirt over a lacy camisole. She had spent her day walking about the apartment, too agitated to settle down with a book or watch the television. She had made good use of what Brett called his exercise room. The second bedroom was filled with gym equipment that was slowly gathering dust as Brett had little time to ever use it. But, in the end, nothing but time would heal her restlessness. She realized as much. As soon as he walked in, carrying the laptop under his arm, she asked him to go out with her. He looked

at her with a slightly puzzled expression. "Out? You mean, down to the club?" He walked further into the apartment, rolling his shoulders as though he were tired, and placed the computer on the coffee table as he sat down on the sofa. Lisa perched herself on the sofa's arm next to him. "No, out. Go for a walk. Or a movie. Did you eat yet? We could go to a restaurant. Or check out the competition. See how much better than everything else On The Edge is." He looked up at her as the computer started. He still looked tired, but his eyes were sparkling, as was his smile. "Sure. Let me just grab a new shirt and freshen up a bit.” He pointed at the computer. “Want to see what the new video system looks like?" He quickly showed her how to navigate through the cameras and left her there. She moved from the sofa arm and sat down in front of the laptop, pressing the key that shifted from one camera to the next. She had a feeling that she would never dance alone, now. Brett had always loved to watch her, and he had the perfect toy to allow him to do so without even coming down to the club. It might be a fun game to see if there was anything she could do to entice him to join her to the dance floor. The thought made her grin to herself. While she was circling a second time through the cameras, trying to figure out where they were and how she would need to present herself to give Brett the best possible view, something caught her attention and stopped her instantly. The screen now showed the bar, and Lisa had a clear view of Leo behind it. He was serving a man that Lisa would have recognized anywhere. She wouldn't have expected to see him here, however, not after they had said their goodbyes to him the previous night. She also wouldn't have expected that Leo would have a conversation with him, as he seemed to be doing. What was he thinking? Behind her, she could hear Brett's steps. She closed the laptop hurriedly before he could see what she was looking at. "Is something wrong?" She turned to face him, and when a flash of surprise crossed his face, she realized she was scowling. A bit late, she smoothed her features and gave Brett an apologetic smile. "No, nothing. Let's go." She wished there had been another way to walk out of the building. The last thing she wanted was for Nicholas to notice Brett in any way. As it was, all she could do when they walked down the staircase into the club was make sure to stay between the bar and Brett. She couldn't help but glance back toward the bar just before they left. Leo was now attending to other customers, while their Sire was disappearing down the staircase that led to the dance floor. For a moment, she thought of warning Brett or the security that this customer needed to be closely monitored. They would ask how she knew, however, and that wasn't something she was willing to explain. They would wonder why she had said nothing if she thought she knew who had killed those people. She wasn't even sure he was to blame, but the coincidence was too great for her to believe it. She only hoped another body wouldn't be found in the morning—or that if

one was, the club's videos wouldn't show the victim talking to Leo along with their Sire. **** A few yards in front of Leo, Nicholas’ arm was wrapped around a young woman's waist. He was leaning toward her as they walked, whispering nonsense to her, and every now and then her laugh rose in the silent street, echoing along the brick walls. He hadn't thralled her, but Leo knew that it wouldn't be long now before he did. It wouldn't be long before the girl realized that the cute vampire she had agreed to accompany home wasn't really as harmless as he had seemed to be. Nicholas whispered yet again in her ear, and this time whatever he said gave the girl pause. She stopped walking and looked back toward Leo, eyes wide and her cheeks brighter suddenly under the pale light descending from streetlights. Not for the first time, Leo noticed how much she looked like Lisa, from the shape of her face and body to the color of her hair and eyes. He had no doubt that it was why Nicholas had chosen her. "If you don't come with us,” he had told Leo when coming back to the bar with his conquest at his arm, “I will have a new Childe before the night dies." Leo had had no choice but to accompany them. He couldn't turn his Sire in or cause him harm; his body just froze if he even thought about it. He could only hope that when the time came, he would be able to do the right thing. **** Brett had been both surprised and pleased by Lisa's invitation to go out. He could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times they had gone out together as a normal couple. The restaurant was lovely, and the art gallery they stumbled upon afterwards was filled with beautiful paintings from young local artists. One in particular had struck Brett, the wheat field and small white house so vibrant that they had reminded him of summers spent on the countryside at his grandparents’ farm. He had mentioned it to Lisa, even wondered aloud about acquiring the painting, but she had barely reacted. Her mind had been elsewhere all evening, and even now, as they made their way back to the club, she seemed lost in her thoughts. Brett didn't know what to say anymore to bring her back to him. He had tried everything—or almost. He could see the lights of the club down the street when he finally found the question that would get him more than a one-word answer. He should have thought of it earlier. "Should we check on Leo?” he asked, looking toward Lisa so he could see her reaction. “See if he wants to join us later?" She almost missed a step. “Why not leave it up to him? He might want some time alone." Brett couldn't help but chuckle briefly. “I'm sure he'd want to join us. But if you don't want him to..." An edge of worry had crept into his voice. It wasn't the prospect of having only one lover in his bed that was upsetting him; rather, it was the idea that they had dangled something in front of Leo that they might not give him after all. After what Brett had seen on his face, heard in his voice that afternoon, he would hate to be so cruel. "I'm fine with Leo joining us.” Lisa smiled, as though acknowledging his worry. “But I'll admit I'm having doubts. You've been a good influence on him; he seems to be changing in a good way. I just don't know if it'll be enough."

Brett mulled over her words as they finally reached the club. She had known Leo far longer than he had, obviously, so he couldn't dismiss her words. He wished he had known why she was having doubts, though. He wasn't sure either why she thought he was a good influence on Leo. As soon as they entered the club and despite what she had said about leaving the choice to him, Lisa turned her eyes to the bar. Brett followed her gaze. There were two figures moving behind the counter and serving the many customers, but neither was Leo. At this hour, he should have been there still, unless he was on his break. He couldn't imagine that Daniel would let him take his break with so many customers around. Slipping back into the manager role, he walked over to the bar and caught Daniel's attention. "Where's Leo?" Daniel snorted. “You tell me, boss. He left almost an hour ago. And he spent his time chatting with a guy and his girlfriend before that. He left with them, as far as I can tell." A step behind Brett, Lisa swore quietly, surprising him enough that he turned to look at her. She seemed angry, but not as surprised as Brett felt. Her attitude that evening suddenly took on a different meaning. "You know what's going on, don't you?" She started to walk away. At first, Brett thought she was trying to avoid his question, but when he caught up with her she answered without prompting. “I saw our Sire here earlier. He was talking to Leo." She didn't finish her thought and say that they had probably left together, but clearly the idea was in her mind. Brett couldn't help a feeling of intense betrayal sweep over him. Hadn't Leo said, just hours earlier, that he wouldn't go back to his Sire? "He wouldn't go back to him,” he said, more to convince himself than because he was sure of it. She shook her head. “You can't know that. I had a very close relationship with him for a decade, and in the end the pull of our Sire was stronger. You can't expect him to forget everything he is for you. Not after two days." Brett stared at her, still confused about Leo but now also unsure what he was hearing in Lisa's voice. "You know, it almost sounds like you're happy he left. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were jealous." She laughed, but rather than the joyous sound like bells Brett was used to, her laughter was harsh, cutting. "Jealous? When I'm the one who threw you two into the same bed? You'd never have crossed that road and slept with a guy if not for me." Brett had never seen her like this, angry and almost spiteful. "No, I wouldn't have,” he said very quietly. “You know why?"

Her gaze hardened. “Because you were scared." "No.” It was true that he had been always been nervous about having an encounter with a man, but after he had met Lisa, it hadn't mattered anymore. “Because I had you. Because I love you. Because I would have been content if it had been you and me, for the rest of my life." The blank look replacing the anger of Lisa's face didn't stop Brett. "But you brought Leo in. I don't know why you're mad at him, but it doesn't matter. I know you care about him. I do too. And if he lied to us—if he lied tome , I want him to say it to my face. Or else how can I know your Sire didn't force him to go with him? For a few seconds, Brett thought that he had convinced her. The emotions crossing her face made it clear that she was troubled. But in the end, her tone remained cutting, although now tinged with bitterness. "Don't expect too much from Leo, or he'll break your heart. He has done it before." If Brett hadn't had this sense of urgency tugging at him, he might have tried to question her, or change her mind. The uneasy feeling settling in him, however, demanded that he do something now. He needed to know if Leo had gone of his own accord. He couldn't help hoping he hadn't. "Where are they?” he asked. Lisa shrugged. “How should I know?" "You were with your Sire last night,” Brett insisted. “Where?" "Don't be silly.” The anger was completely gone now, and what had replaced it very much resembled fear. “If you went there, he'd kill you." "Where, Lisa?" "I'm not sending you to my Sire's lair to get yourself killed." "Lisa—" "No. If Leo went back to him, there's nothing you or I can do about it." She turned her back on him and walked away. The staircase door swung shut behind her, and Brett watched it for a few seconds, hoping despite himself that she would come back. She didn't. Anxiety filled his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. Haventown was a large city, going out without a clue where to start would be useless. Except ... Relief flooded him, as quickly as anxiety had a moment earlier. He had clues. Leo had said he had dropped his things in the apartment he had once shared with Lisa when he had arrived in town, an apartment that was within walking distance. Brett had once been to Lisa's place, before they had moved in together. It had to be the place. He exited the club and started running.

Chapter 13 "Take her life, Childe." Leo hesitated. Beneath him, the girl moaned. Mouth on her breast, fingers stroking her clit and rhythmically sliding inside her, he had been pleasuring her for his Sire's pleasure, hyperaware at all times of Nicholas’ presence. Seated against the headboard of the bed, his shirt open to reveal his chest, his cock straining out of his unbuttoned pants, Nicholas had been directing every one of Leo's movements, as he had been directing the girl's. "I said kill her, Leo. Now." Leo pressed a last kiss to the distended nipple trembling against his lips. The scent of the girl's orgasm was thick around him, and her blood would be spiked with it, too. So sweet, so flavorful ... A drop of it, and he would come, surely, even though his Sire had ordered him not to. Pulling away was difficult and it took him long seconds, but he finally managed to. He could feel Nicholas’ disapproving glare right away, but he was careful not to look directly at him as he sat up. "She would have given you her blood if you had only asked,” Leo murmured, keeping his eyes on the girl. She was still breathing very fast, worn out by pleasure. Leo picked up a corner of the sheet and wiped the wetness from her thighs and, gently, from between her legs. She shivered and let out another quiet moan. "I don't care about gifts,” Nicholas said gruffly. “Not unless they're the ones I grant. I told you to bite her." Slowly, his entire attention on Nicholas even if he still wasn't looking at him, Leo stood from the bed. When there was no reaction from his Sire, he was even more daring, and helped the girl to stand as well, holding her hands and guiding her gently. Only when they were by the foot of the bed, where her clothes were piled up, did he dare look at Nicholas. The look on his face was one of surprise, surprise that he wasn't being obeyed certainly. "You know, it had to happen some day,” Leo said with a slightly bitter smile. “Every time you put me under thrall, I fought to break free. It was only a matter of time before I succeeded." Understanding replaced the surprise. Leo looked away to help the girl into her underwear. "Why now, though?” Nicholas pondered aloud. “You've killed many humans for me. Why not this one?" Pausing, Leo looked at the girl. Her eyes were still blank from the thrall, her cheeks still flushed by pleasure. He could see in her many other humans that could have lived, if he had just been stronger. He wasn't sure how he would make amends, wasn't sure he even could, but he would try. "Maybe,” he murmured, more for himself than Nicholas, “I didn't have a good enough reason to break free before." "And now you do? I hadn't realized Beth had such a strong hold on you."

Leo shook his head, but caught himself before he could speak and reveal too much. In his mind, the images of Lisa and Brett were like a beacon drawing him toward what was the right thing to do. One of them might not have been enough to help him resist the pull of his Sire, but both of them, together, were the escape he had needed for years. He finished dressing the girl, whispering reassuring words to her as he did. She was still under thrall, but the more he talked to her, the faster she would come back to her senses. Behind her, Nicholas held silent for a long time, but Leo could see him grow more and more tense even as the heavy scent of anger wafted from him. "So you're really taking away our dinner?” he said at last. Leo tried to choose his words carefully. The last thing he wanted was to antagonize Nicholas enough that he would attack him, but he refused to let him believe that he could change Leo's mind, now or later. "I am. This town isn't for you. You should leave, Sire, before something bad happens to you." "Is that a threat, Childe?” The blade of danger in Nicholas’ voice wasn't cutting yet, but it was present, and that alone was a warning to leave now. "No, it's just the truth. The police are looking for the person who killed those three people. They'll get a lead, eventually. Goodbye, Nicholas." The last thing he heard, as he was leaving, was Nicholas’ laughter. It chilled him to the bone, and promised nothing good would come from this last act of rebellion, but it was too late for Leo to backpedal. When Nicholas had showed up at the club, Leo had had no intention of accompanying him home and he had made that clear to Nicholas. But when he had come up with his prey, the threat against her life had been too difficult to ignore. It would have been simpler if Leo could have warned the security, or even the cops that weren't even hiding their presence, but the thought of putting his Sire into danger was still beyond him. Playing along had been the only way he could think of to save her, but even that would have failed in the end if Leo hadn't found the strength to do on his own what he had seen Lisa do so often. The woman clung to him as they walked down the staircase. Leo tried to support as much of her weight as he could while letting her walk on her own, talking to her quietly to try to pull her out of her thrall. "Where do you live, sweetheart?" He wasn't the one holding her in thrall, but she still answered as though he had been, mumbling an address just two streets over. "Not far at all. How about I walk you home? Would you like that?" "I'm ... not sure." "Think about it, think hard. Would you like me to walk you home?" Whether she wanted him to or not was not an issue for him. They had reached the street, and he would walk her home regardless of her answer. What mattered, however, was that she made up her mind. The thrall was designed to suppress all opinions, all wants and needs that were not suggested by the vampire

in control. Now that they were away from Nicholas, the fastest way to break his hold on her was to force her to assert herself. Leo didn't intend to leave her until she was fully herself again. "I'm still waiting for an answer. It's Laura, isn't it?" He had used the wrong name on purpose: another trick to help her break the thrall. He mentally counted up to six before she reacted. "Lauren. My name ... is Lauren." "Sorry, Lauren. My mistake. Have you thought about it yet?" Rather than continuing to hold on to her waist, he let go and took her elbow. She stumbled once, but she didn't fall. "What ... what was the question again?" Leo smiled to himself. “Do you want me to take you home?" She stopped walking as they reached a dorm building and gently pulled her elbow free of his grip. When he looked at her, she was frowning as though trying to remember something. "Whether I want you to or not, I am home,” she said slowly. Her eyes were scrutinizing Leo, and finally lit up with recognition. “You're the bartender, aren't you? From the club?" Leo responded cautiously, unsure of how much she would remember. “I am." She brought a hand to touch her neck then looked at her fingers. She seemed surprised not to find them covered with blood. Her eyes widened when she looked up at Leo again, and a note of fear crept in her voice. "What ... what did that man do to us?" "It's called thrall, Lauren. But we shook the thrall off, and you're fine now." The fear turned into awe. “You saved me." Leo shook his head, giving her a self-deprecating smile. “All I did was walk you home. Good night, now. Be safe." He waited until she had stepped inside her building before he walked back to the club. The small streets and back alleys he remembered from more than a decade earlier hadn't changed, and in minutes he was stepping inside On The Edge again. He didn't even think of going back to the bar. He needed to tell Brett and Lisa about what had happened. He had no doubt now that Nicholas was responsible for the deaths around the club in the past few days. At the very least, they needed to ban him from entering On The Edge and hunting there; Leo couldn't tell the police that his Sire was the one they were looking for, but he could close his eyes if someone else tipped them off. Hand poised over the doorknob, he hesitated. He had noticed the look Lisa had thrown at him when she had gone out with Brett. Anger and disappointment had been shining bright in her eyes, and he wasn't sure she would believe anything he said. Brett would, though. He had to. Leo knocked. The door

opened almost right away. Nothing could have prepared him for the immediate scent of fear jumping toward him, or the look of worry on Lisa's face. He couldn't remember ever having seen her so upset, or heard that note of near panic in her voice. "Where is Brett?" The question left Leo puzzled and speechless for a couple of seconds. “Brett? I thought he was with you." He could only watch as she turned away and disappeared in the bedroom. Only seconds later, she reappeared, now wearing jeans and a too large shirt that had to be Brett's rather than the robe she had worn when she had opened the door. She picked up shoes by the door, giving Leo a heated glance. "He knows you were with Nicholas. I didn't believe he would really try to find you two." His eyes remained on her fingers as she laced up the ankle boots, but he wasn't really seeing what she was doing; instead, he was trying to understand her fear. "Find us? How would he? He'll just walk around and—" "I took him to the lair once." She didn't need to add anything. In the past few days, Leo had gotten to know Brett enough to realize that he would add it up, and go straight to Nicholas. And Nicholas hadn't fed tonight; Leo had seen to that. "Why didn't you stop him?" She pulled so hard on the laces of her boots that one of them broke. She looked at the part she held, frowning in incomprehension, before shaking herself off. She pulled at what remained of the lace and tied it the best she could before standing. "Because I was too angry to believe he was foolish enough to go,” she spat. “Because I'm losing him to you and you to our Sire and I can't. I just can't. I've spent too much time alone, I can't, not anymore." Her voice broke on the last words, and she heaved in a dry sob. Leo opened his arms to her, and she stepped into them, burying her face against his shoulder as he held her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, wishing he had known what to say to reassure her, but unwilling to give her, or himself, false hope. "How long ago did he leave?” he asked when she had stopped shaking. "I don't know. Ten minutes, maybe." Without adding another word, they descended the stairs together, hand in hand. They didn't start running until they were in the street. Leo tried not to imagine what they might find when they reached the lair. He couldn't bear it. **** The street was quiet, lined with what, at the beginning of the previous century, had been thriving factories. Thirty years earlier, a developer had converted them all into luxury lofts, helping to bring new life to the

center of Haventown. Three decades had seen the high society citizens slowly leave, replaced by less affluent ones and a few vampires. Children ran through the street during the day, but at night, few people ventured out. It was one thing to know your neighbor was a vampire, and something else altogether to walk by him at nighttime. Brett had last been there a few weeks after he had first met Lisa. He had never actually been into her apartment, but he had come to her door to pick her up once. It had been the evening when she had shown him the building that had in time become On The Edge. He found the building easily; its façade of red brick and white trim was distinctive enough. Once inside however, his memory failed him. Had it been on the third or fourth floor? He climbed to stairs and tried to remember the last time he had done so, excited rather than anxious, curious about what it was Lisa wanted to show him rather than afraid of what he would find. When he reached the third floor, he already knew the apartment wasn't there, and the crying of an infant, followed by a faint lullaby behind the apartment door, only reinforced his impression. He rushed up the last flight of stairs and did not hesitate before walking to the door and banging on it with his closed fist. The other fist, hanging at his side, held a stake tightly. "Leo?” he shouted. “Leo, are you there?" There was no answer, but the door handle turned, just enough for the door to open an inch, no more. Brett could hear steps behind the door. He waited a few more seconds, and when the door didn't move anymore, when the steps had stopped, he pushed the door open. "Hello?” he called into the dark space. “Leo?" He could hear steps again, coming from the room past the foyer. He advanced, wishing the light filtering from that second room wasn't so faint. His palms were slick with sweat, and he tried to secure his grip on the stake a little more as he moved on. "Leo?” he called yet again when he entered a bedroom. The large bed was unmade, and the light came from a lamp on the night table. "Leo was here,” a calm voice said, just behind him, “but he left. Went back to Beth. Or at least that's what I thought. Do you know you smell like him? Like both of them, actually." Brett jumped away from the man—the vampire—at his back, and he turned to look at him. His heart was beating wildly from the shock of being so close to someone he knew didn't hesitate to kill humans. The stake seemed like a poor defense suddenly, especially given Brett's lack of familiarity with the weapon. "Don't come any closer,” he said, as strongly as he could manage. The vampire tilted his head to one side and chuckled. Even in the poor light, Brett could see his eyes sparkle with amusement. "You're the one who entered my lair. With a stake, no less." Two steps took him within arm's reach; all Brett could see was his eyes. He couldn't have said what color they were: blue maybe, or perhaps gray. Deep, so deep—

"What is your name?" The word came out before he had even understood the question. “Brett." "Brett,” the vampire repeated, the word like a caress. “Brett who came looking for Leo, and who carries both his scent and Beth's. Interesting." Locked in the other man's gaze as he was, Brett didn't notice Nicholas’ rising hand until it was pulling at his collar, exposing the bite mark on his neck. "More and more interesting. Maybe he didn't go back to Beth, after all. Maybe my own Childe went against my explicit orders to go back to you. Is that it?" It was so hard to think... Brett wasn't sure he could have answered that question at a normal time. At that moment, with his mind feeling as though it were wrapped in cotton, he couldn't manage to form a thought, let alone express it. "I ... don't know." The finger that had touched his neck now followed his lips, too rough to be a caress, the nail digging in just on the edge of pain, but Brett couldn't even think of wanting to move away. "Maybe both,” the vampire mused, his eyebrow rising a little in surprise. “Did you seduce both my Childer, human? Answer me." Throat dry and heart still beating too fast, Brett had some trouble answering, but he couldn'tnot have answered. "They seduced me." The vampire snorted. “They're very good at that. Take off your shirt." Brett did as he was asked without thinking for a second. The stake was hindering him, so he let it fall, barely aware of the clatter on the wooden floor. The buttons parted easily beneath his fingers, and his shirt joined the stake. Fingers ghosted over him, touching his arms, his chest, his back, his neck again. "Only Leo, then. Beth doesn't bite you?" "No.” It was easier to answer without those eyes looking through him, but Brett's mind still felt as foggy. "She slept with you without biting you?" "Yes." The eyes were back, pinning Brett in place, deeper than ever, it seemed. Some part of Brett was sure that if he leaned a little too close, he might fall into a well as endless as it was dark. "How interesting, indeed.” Even the voice was dark now, the fire of danger casting no shadow, the threats cold as the deepest waters. “You must be very special to her. Special enough that she would come back to me for you. And if she did, Leo might just join her, and you. What do you think?"

Brett didn't think much at all. He could see flashes in his mind of Lisa and Leo's faces when Nicholas talked about them. It was far beyond him to wish they were there. "I don't understand,” he finally replied. "I didn't expect you to. How could you? You're only human. But that's all right. You'll understand when you wake up. Now, be quiet." The fingers returned to Brett's arm and back, more forceful this time. They pulled him forward until there was cool flesh against his heart. The bite was a jolt of pain, bright and blinding through the darkness. The vampire took a few slow pulls on Brett's blood, then bit again, almost but not quite in the same place. Brett's head was becoming light, and he closed his eyes. The pain dimmed. The world faded into nothingness.

Chapter 14 The three flights of stairs had never seemed so long to Lisa; Brett's scent had never seemed so clear. At the very least, he had been here, and if she knew him at all, he still was. If she knew her Sire, it wouldn't be for long. She didn't bother with knocking and flung the door open. It was dark inside, the only light coming from the night table lamp at the other end of the loft, but Lisa could see all too clearly what was happening. Even if she hadn't, the scent of Brett's blood would have made it obvious. She shouted before she even knew she was speaking. "Stop!" To her surprise, Nicholas did stop and raised his head from Brett's neck. He didn't let go of him, but at least he wasn't taking any more blood. How much had he taken already? Brett's heart was beating steadily, but it seemed too slow to Lisa. "What happened to ‘we'll never see each other again', Childe?” Nicholas asked. He truly seemed puzzled, and maybe a little amused too. “I thought you had told me goodbye?" Lisa had to fight so her voice would remain steady. “Please, don't kill him." The amusement definitely took over, and Nicholas even chuckled. The sound was like shards of ice cutting at Lisa's heart. "Why not?" He looked down at Brett, whose face was pressed against his shoulder. Keeping an arm around Brett's waist to hold him up, he tilted his head back, and brushed away the locks that obscured his eyes. "He's good-looking,” he said, looking back up. “He'd make a fine Childe, since both of mine are abandoning me." His gaze flickered between Lisa and Leo next to her. All his amusement had faded, replaced by a cold anger. That was when he was most dangerous. Leo knew this as well as Lisa did, and he started

advancing in a vaguely threatening way. Nicholas’ voice rose instantly, taking the accents of thrall that were so difficult for a Childe to ignore, especially when combined with the piercing eyes now steadily looking into Lisa. "Stop him, Beth." Without thinking twice, Lisa did just that, stepping forward and thrusting her arm across Leo's chest to stop him. From the corner of her eye, she could see him turn to look at her and could imagine the incredulity in his face. She never looked away from her Sire, however. "What the hell are you doing?” Leo asked. Nicholas answered before she could. “She's doing what I say, like a good Childe. You might have learned to resist thrall, but she hasn't. Have you, dear?" Not trusting herself to speak, Lisa shook her head. Nicholas’ eyes almost seemed to be glowing now, the fire within them burning her mind and holding her captive. "I'll make you an offer. If you stake our rebellious child here, I won't just kill your pet human. I'll make him one of us, and we can start over. Start a new clan, the three of us. And as long as you return the favor, I won't look too closely to see if your prey are still alive when you're done with them." For a few seconds, the silence was almost complete, broken only by Brett's heartbeat. It had slowed down again. They didn't have much time to end all of this. Lisa could see that, but she didn't think Leo did. He snorted, as though Nicholas’ offer was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. He should have known better. He had heard their Sire make much more outrageous offers before, and Nicholas always meant them. "She won't do it,” Leo said, challenging. Nicholas laughed, the sound like ripples of ice. “Of course she will. Unlike you, she's a good Childe, and she does what her Sire tells her. Don't you, Beth darling?" A little voice inside her wanted to tell him that she hadn't gone by ‘Beth’ for more than a decade, but the thrall silenced the voice, silenced everything inside her that was demanding that she protect Brett and fight the orders of a Sire she hadn't respected in longer than she could remember. She picked up a stake from the floor and turned to face Leo. **** Leo couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't believe Lisa would kill him, or that she would let Brett die. At the same time, he knew too well how vulnerable she was to thrall of their Sire. Unlike him, she hadn't felt it for years, hadn't fought it for so long that she had no chance to shake it off now. "Lisa ... please..." His whisper didn't stop her, and she continued stepping sideways, waiting for her opening, but Leo saw it: her eyes didn't have that vacant expression that thrall brought forth. Instead, they were gleaming, almost pleading. Relief flooded him as she advanced toward him. She wasn't under thrall, not anymore, so this was all pretend. She wouldn't really try to kill him. Or so he thought, until she threw a punch at him that caught

him in the stomach. By pure reflex, he struck back. He barely touched her, but she doubled over as though he had made full impact. He started to understand her game—or at least, he thought he understood—and when she attacked next, he struck again, this time sending her toward their Sire. She stumbled at his feet and let go of the stake she held. It rolled to the side, out of her reach. Nicholas cursed and pushed Brett onto the bed behind him then went to pick up the stake. "Clumsy, Beth. I'll do it myself. You can make it up to me later." Both Nicholas and Lisa's hands closed on the stake at the same time. Nicholas looked up at Lisa, and from where Leo stood he thought he could see surprise in Nicholas’ eyes when Lisa kicked at his foot. Nicholas lost his balance, and she helped by pushing at his chest. He grabbed her hand as he fell down and pulled her with him. They fell down together. They both still held on to the stake as they struggled on the ground. Leo wanted to intervene, but he was afraid to hurt Lisa. Not only that, but he couldn't imagine being in her place and being ready to stake their Sire. His body refused to move when he even thought of the possibility. All he could do was watch, and not even hope for one or the other to take over. Even watching became too much when Lisa got the upper hand and straddled Nicholas, pinning his hands to his sides. Holding the stake with both hands, she pressed it above his heart. Leo closed his eyes. "You can't do that,” Nicholas said. “You can't kill your own Sire." There was such confidence in his tone that, if Leo had been in Lisa's place, he couldn't have done anything but agree. She didn't falter, though. Leo opened his eyes again and saw that her hand remained steady, holding the stake over Nicholas’ heart. She shook her head, dismissing his words. "When you left us, you said we weren't your Childer anymore,” she said, her voice as quiet as it was determined. “I've spent thirty years thinking I had no clan. No Sire. You're nothing to me." "Beth—" "You don't even know my name." She pressed down, and he turned to ashes beneath her. Leo felt something snap inside him, like a tightrope that had suddenly lost all tension. He waited for the whiplash, but it didn't come. All that was left was a huge void in the middle of his being, a void he could never have imagined before experiencing it. He had lived apart from his Sire and missed him, but he had never felt as though a part of him had disappeared. He needed contact. He needed his family. He went to Lisa. She was still kneeling on the floor, now over ashes rather than the body of their Sire. He knew, the same way he knew already that the void would fade but never disappear completely, that she felt it to, whatever she might have told Nicholas about not being his Childe anymore. She started when he rested a trembling hand on her shoulder. "Are you OK?" He wanted to say more, but his voice broke down and he fell quiet. Lisa stood. For a moment, she seemed to waver. Her shoulders were hunched, making her appear smaller, more fragile. The urge to envelop her in his arms overwhelmed Leo, and he took a step forward. In a flash however, the moment was gone. She stood straighter, and turned her eyes away from the ashes in front of her.

"I'm fine,” she said, her voice becoming firmer with every word. “But Brett's heart is going way too slow." For the first time since the beginning of the fight, Leo became aware of the regular but too faint, too slow beat filling the room. He followed Lisa's eyes. Brett was still lying on the bed where Nicholas had let him fall. His eyes were wide open and blinking up at the ceiling. If not for the hand he was pressing to his neck, there would have been a lot more blood on the blanket beneath him. Without taking the time to think, he hurried to Brett and picked him up. "Brett? Can you hear me?" The only answer was a muffled groan. "Lisa? The keys, by the door. The car is across the street. Get it close to the door, we'll be there in a minute." She didn't give any hint that she had heard other than following his directions. By the time he reached the street level with Brett, she had parked the car and opened the passenger door. "I'll get in the back with him,” she said. “You drive." He would have rather sit in the back, but already Lisa was slipping in the back seat and opening her arms. There was no time to argue. For the first few minutes, they drove in silence. The hospital was on the edge of town. Leo's attention was divided, one part focused on his driving, the other on the still regular beating of Brett's heart. When they came, Lisa's tears shattered both the silence and his mind. Unable to bear looking at her, he kept his eyes on the road but flung his right arm back. Immediately, she grabbed his hand and clung to it. It took her long seconds to calm down, long seconds that wrecked Leo's nerves and brought the void back to the forefront of his thoughts. When at last she spoke, her words rose no louder than a murmur. "I killed my Sire." Leo tightened his hold on her hand. “No. You killed a murderer.” The word tasted foul. He had never thought of applying it to Nicholas, or himself, or any other vampire, but at that moment, that was what she needed to hear. “You killed the man who threatened to take everything from you for the second time." Lisa didn't answer. When they arrived at the hospital, she was still clutching Leo's hand.

Chapter 15 "I'm bored!" Brett's disgruntled cry died without an echo, swallowed by the four walls of his bedroom. He was tired of looking at them, tired of being confined to his bed, tired of doing nothing. It had been two days since Nicholas had bitten him, a day and half since the hospital had released him, and while he had slept for

most of that time, he couldn't stand it any longer. "Anyone ever told you act like a spoiled brat sometimes?" When Leo entered the bedroom, his smile belied his chiding words. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to Brett with his back to the headboard, setting the tray he was carrying on his own lap. "I thought you were reading." Brett snorted and threw a resentful glare at the book he had placed on the bedside table. “It's the dullest book I've ever read. I can't read through a page without falling asleep again.” He turned his gaze to Leo, and became suspicious of his amused grin. “That's probably why you chose it." "That would have been very mean of me. And it would be just as mean for me to bring all this and eat it in front of you, I suppose." He picked up the fork on the tray and speared a bit of omelet with it, bringing it to his mouth and eating it with exaggerated relish. The smell was suddenly tickling Brett's nose, warm and peppery. It looked just a little overcooked, but the bits of green and red pepper showed that Leo had tried to cook one of Brett's favorite dishes. "It looks good." He shifted on the bed so he could look at the tray more closely. Next to the omelet plate, a small bowl held an apple cut into quarters. There were also a slice of toasted bread and cheese and a small glass wine. Clearly, Leo had done his research thoroughly. "Itis good. Want a taste?" Leo held out the fork, a piece of omelet at the end, as though expecting Brett to lean in and accept the food. Instead, Brett rolled his eyes and took the fork from him. Despite what his companions seemed to think, he was not a child who needed to be pampered back to health. He had played along so far, but enough was enough. Leo picked up the tray and settled it carefully on Brett's lap. “I figured you were tired of soup and juice." The first bite practically melted on Brett's tongue. He sighed in contentment. "Tired is an understatement,” he said when he had swallowed. “I was beginning to think I'd become an invalid." "Maybe if you hadn't been overworking yourself before all this happened the doctor wouldn't have confined you to your bed." Brett snorted before taking a sip of wine. He recognized it as the finest bottle they sold at the bar. “You mean, maybe Lisa wouldn't have confined me to it. She doesn't know about this feast, does she?" Leo's unabashed grin told the truth before he did. “I threw away the soup when she went down to hunt." "My hero.” Brett took a few more bites. “Itis very good. I didn't know you cooked."

"I didn't know, either." They laughed together. Brett continued eating, marveling at just how comfortable he felt, how easy the whole situation was, when he had only known Leo for a week. Silent now, he cleared the tray to the last crumb, feeling Leo's eyes on him the entire time. When he was finished, Leo took the tray back to the kitchen, coming back right away with Brett's laptop. "Dinner and a show?” Leo suggested, and when Brett raised a puzzled eyebrow at him, he set the open laptop in front of him. On the screen, the security feed was playing, the timestamp in the corner showing it was a recorded video. The figure almost in the center of it immediately caught Brett's attention. "She's beautiful." Leo sat down next to him again, close enough that he could see the screen. “Of course she is." Right there, so close Brett could have touched her and yet so far away, Lisa danced. Arms up and head thrown back, she looked like she was enjoying herself immensely. It was easy to imagine she was dancing for him, for them. She was wearing the red leather dress Brett had bought her to celebrate the opening of On The Edge. She had worn it the first time she had gone down to dance, and Brett had danced with her for a while before watching her for hours, hard and aching for her the entire time. The leather hugged her body and made her curves even more luscious, if that were possible. Brett couldn't take his eyes off her, and he knew that the four or five men dancing around her, following her lead like moths fluttering around a flame, were all as desperate to touch her as he was. "Beautiful,” he repeated quietly. “And ours." He expected Leo to agree with him again. Instead, Leo pulled back slightly. With some difficulty, Brett looked away from the screen at Leo, who seemed to have lost his smile and good mood. "Something wrong?” he asked, puzzled. Leo grimaced, even shrugged, and Brett thought he wouldn't answer, but he finally did, keeping his eyes on the computer screen rather than looking at Brett. "I'm not sure she still wants me around. She hasn't said anything, but she's been distant since that night, and I think when you're better I'll—" "Nonsense.” Brett would have laughed if it hadn't been so obvious that Leo's fears were real, and not just an excuse he had found to leave. “She's been spooked by what happened, that's all. It has nothing to do with you. In fact, we talked about you moving in here. Her idea, but we both agree it'd be nice. If you want to, of—" The only answer Brett received was a forceful kiss, complete with clashing teeth and a demanding tongue, that stole his breath and made him incapable of coherent thought beyond the realization that Leo had just agreed to live with him and Lisa. When Leo pulled back, his eyes shone with a joy that warmed Brett and made him laugh with happiness.

"Why don't you go tell her and share a dance with her for me, and when you two come back, we can celebrate." "No need." The quiet, husky voice startled Brett, and Leo as well, judging by his involuntary jerk. They turned their heads toward the door together. Lisa stood there, leaning against the doorjamb, watching them with eyes that sparkled just as much as Leo's. "We can celebrate now,” she said as she came up to them. She climbed onto the bed and crawled up until she was kneeling between them. She leaned in to kiss Brett first, and he barely noticed Leo taking the laptop away. He did notice, however, the hand that curled on his hip, holding him against Leo's side, and the smaller one that rested on his thigh, the touch both innocent and searing. Too quickly, Lisa ended the kiss and turned to Leo. Brett wove his fingers in her hair as he watched them kiss. They were each beautiful in their own right; together, they were breathtaking. He kissed her cheek, then Leo's, and they both turned their heads toward him, offering him to join in. He didn't know how long all of this would last, but he refused to worry about it. From the first day he had met Lisa, there had never been a promise for ever after for them. He had been lucky then; he was even luckier now to have them in his bed, in his life and in his heart. He would enjoy every second they gave him, and hope that he could make them as happy as they made him for as long as they allowed him to. If his luck continued to run high, it would be for a long, long time. The End

Other stories in this series by Kallysten, available at www.alinarpublishing.com On The Edge Brett Andrews thought he had it all. His new club, On The Edge, catering to vampires and humans, is a success, and the beautiful vampire Lisa is everything he could have dreamed of. When an old lover of hers, Leo, shows up at the club, Brett's immediate fear is that he will lose Lisa. But if he just stops thinking long enough to follow Lisa's lead, he might gain a lover instead of losing one. Kallysten's website:original.kallysten.net/

Visit www.alinarpublishing.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.