Blood and Sand (43 page)

“She wants to meet with both of us,” Baojia said again, wheeling her toward the downstairs living room in Giovanni and Beatrice’s house. They had been staying there, at Giovanni and Beatrice’s insistence, since she’d left the hospital. Caspar and Isadora—the whole household, in fact—had spent most of her recovery fussing over her and hovering. She loved it. She kind of hated it, too. “Katya didn’t say why she wanted to meet us together, but I’m assuming it’s to be polite. For a human, you have quite a high profile in our world now. You’re friends with Beatrice De Novo and Carwyn ap Bryn. Tenzin saved your life. According to rumors, I left my sire’s aegis so that we could be together. I’m sure she’s curious.”

“She’s a really, really powerful vampire who rules Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.” She swatted at his hand in annoyance. “I’m an “I’unemployed writer. What on earth are we going to talk about?”

“I don’t know. But you are also my mate and she has been in talks with Carwyn and Brigid about something for weeks now. Something to do with both of us, I suspect. So just be pleasant and try not to interrogate her if you get curious.”

“I wouldn’t interrogate her!”

He laughed. “Yes, you would.”

“Questioning is not interrogating.”

“So you say, my love.”

“Don’t…” She held up a finger. He’d been doing that—calling her “my love” and something in Chinese she didn’t understand, which probably meant “my perpetual headache” or something equally endearing. It didn’t matter. When he said it in that low, sexy voice she melted every time. “Don’t call me ‘my love’ just so you can—What are you doing?”

He had stopped a few feet down the hall from the living room, before kneeling in front of her and framing her face with his hands. “I’m proposing to you.”

Despite her annoyance, she blushed. “W…what? Here?”

“Yes.” He reached in his pocket.

Her voice squeaked. “Now?”
 

“Whatever happens in that room,” he said, pulling out a ring from his pocket, “I do not want anyone to question my commitment to you. You are not just a human under my aegis. Vampire or not, I consider you my mate. And I am asking you to be my wife. Officially.”

They’d talked about it. Natalie had even assumed it, but seeing him down on one knee, ring in hand, made her fall in love with him all over again. This startling creature, this inhuman marvel, wanted her to spend the rest of her life with him. And more. She knew he wanted more, but he was patient. As different as they were, they were perfect together.

“Yes,” she said simply. “Of course yes. I would be honored to be your wife.”

She knew she’d said the right thing when his face lit with a joy she’d never seen from him, spilling out of his eyes, his smile. He lit up from within as he slid a simple solitaire over her finger. Not a diamond, a light blue stone. Blue, like the water he commanded.

“It’s the color of your eyes,” he said quietly. “Is it—”

“It’s perfect,” she said. “I love it.” She pulled his collar and kissed him, claiming his mouth, claiming everything he was for her own. Her body hummed in awareness of his. Weeks recuperating had led to one very frustrated Natalie. She didn’t want to go to a meeting; she wanted him alone. Her body missed his, and she was not very good at being patient.

“Natalie,” he growled, pulling away with regret. “Soon.”

“Soon.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wishing they could escape as she gathered her nerves and said, “Okay, let’s go meet the new vampire.”

He stood and started pushing her chair again. “You’ll be fine. Just be polite. Respectful. Don’t interrogate.”
 

“I told you—” She broke off when Brigid pushed the door open, obviously hearing them in the hall. When Natalie entered, she was surprised by how young the powerful Katya looked. The vampire looked as if she’d been turned when she was around eighteen. She was small, blond, and lovely, with warm brown eyes and angelic features. Despite her seeming innocence, Natalie could spot the keen intelligence behind her gaze.

“Natalie, Baojia,” she said, rising to her feet. She was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a sweater nd a swethat seemed at odds with the formal room, but somehow, she still commanded it. “May I be the first to offer my congratulations?”

“Oh, right.” Natalie realized Katya had heard everything from down the hall and tried to remember if she’d said anything adoringly stupid. “Thanks.”

“Thank you, Katya,” Baojia said more formally. “It is very nice to see you. I hope your visit to Los Angeles has been productive.”

Her eyes sparkled with interest. “Very. So many interesting things have been happening lately. I almost feel as if I’ve missed out on the fun.”

Baojia wheeled Natalie over next to an armchair and everyone sat at once. Carwyn and Brigid were on the sofa, facing the fireplace. Katya sat casually across from Baojia and Natalie.
 

“Baojia, I want to offer you a job,” she said directly. “I think you have been underutilized, and I have a particular position I think you’d be perfect for.”

After a few shocked seconds, he spoke. “May I ask what it is?”

Katya looked to Carwyn, who had been silent up till then.

“The girls…,” he said. “The ones affected by the Elixir—we’ve been debating what to do with them. There are eleven still alive. They can’t go home and risk poisoning another human or a vampire, but we don’t want to kill them, obviously.”

“Obviously,” Natalie muttered.

“I have called in a favor,” Katya said with a smile. “Several, actually. Lucien Thrax has agreed to come to a facility I own in Northern California, only an hour from San Francisco. He has agreed to work with my pharmaceutical company to discover more about this Elixir. If we can discover a cure, it would be beneficial for everyone.”

“And profitable,” Natalie said quietly.

Katya smiled at her. “Of course. Profitable as well.” She returned her attention to Baojia. “The girls will live there. We are building a comfortable house right now. A home where they can live and be looked after. They will be prisoners, of a sort. That is unavoidable. But their time is limited, and we will offer as much protection and treatment as we can. We have decided this is best for them.”

The superior tone put Natalie’s instincts on edge. “Who has decided?”

“I have,” Carwyn said. “And Brigid. This was our idea, Nat. We’ve seen what humans go through with this illness. Unless we find a cure, it’s a slow and painful death.”

Brigid said, “My closest human friend died of Elixir poisoning.” Her strange eyes met Natalie’s. “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. And we don’t know who might come after these girls. Whoever Ivan was working with—whoever is making this drug—would kill them without a thought.”

“If you take my offer, I don’t believe it will come to that,” Katya said. “Lucien is brilliant, but he is a man of science. And these girls will be targets. They’re loose ends that need to be protected.” She looked at Baojia. “That is what I want you to do. I want to hire you to run the security for this facility and everyone—human or vampire—who works there.”

Natalie looked at Baojia, then at Katya, then back to Baojia. He wanted to say yes, she could tell. But he didn’t want to answer without asking her. She could tell
by the way his grip on her hand tightened.

“Yes,” she said quietly, looking at him. “It’s too important to let anyone else handle it. Yes.”

He turned toward her and murmured, “I said I would follow you. You don’t have to—”

“There is a job waiting for Natalie as well,” Katya said. “If she’d like to work for the
Chronicle
. I have been assured they would be very flexible about her schedule and most happy to have her on staff or as a contributor.”

Natalie turned toward Katya, lifting her chin. “Are you offering this just so he’ll come work for you?”

The vampire cocked her pretty blond head. “Yes. But you’ll only keep the job if you’re good.” Then she smiled at Carwyn. “I like her.”

Natalie let out a burst of sharp laughter, trying to come up with an objection. She still had questions—plenty of them—but as far as plans went, it seemed like a good one. She looked at Baojia, recognizing the gleam of anticipation in his eyes. She thought about the girls who were sick and would only grow sicker without help. No one would protect them like he could.

“I’ll take it.” She nodded. “We’ll go.”

Baojia squeezed her hand, but she could see he was pleased. “Only if you’re sure.”

“George,” she said, throwing her arm around his shoulders as he groaned, “I’m sure of you. Everything else, we’ll figure out along the way.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

“This isn’t a good idea, Boss.”

Baojia considered the young man’s words from the back of the black Cadillac that his new employer had bought for him. The streets of Ensenada flew past; Luis still drove too fast.

“You worry too much,” he said as the driver pulled up to the side door of the club. He slapped Luis on the back before he slid out. “Stay with the car. I won’t be long.”

Luis only sighed and said, “Okay. But this is still—”

The slam of the car door shut him up. Baojia raised an eyebrow. The sedan had excellent soundproofing. He’d have to remember that. He walked to the doors of the club where the vampire guard eyed him cautiously.

“Is he expecting you?” the stocky man asked.

“No.”

The guard gave a nod, spoke to a human standing at his shoulder, then smiled at Baojia patiently. A few moments later, the human came back and nodded, and the guard waved him in.

“Welcome to Bar El Ruso.”

“Thank you.”

The flashing lights still annoyed him, and he was glad he hadn’t needed to spend time in their presence for over six months. The house he and Natalie lived in north of San Francisco faced the ocean and was set on top of sweeping cliffs with a secluded beach below. It had enough light for her and dark for him. Plus, it connected underground to the facility where he spent most of his nights. The infected girls had been brought from the desert four months earlier—much to Tulio’s relief—and most seemed comfortable so far. Security renovations on the facility were well under way, and Natalie was healing as quickly as she could. Though pain was still an issue, it was less and less every night.

Baojia climbed the stairs to the VIP lounge, nodding at the vampire guarding the entrance. He spotted Ivan holding court in his corner sofa as soon as he entered. The vampire watched him with a curious smile as he strolled over.

“My friend,” Ivan said graciously, though he didn’t stand. “What a pleasant surprise. What brings you to my city? Please, have a seat.”

He sat across from the wily earth vampire, as casually as he could when he was surrounded by six of Ivan’s guards. No sign of Carlos, of course. Carlos’s dust was scattered in the desert, along with Ivan’s old customers. “I’m only here for the night. I came to pay my respects to an old acquaintance.”

“Oh?”

He watched Ivan carefully for his reaction. “It is a beautiful monument, Ivan. Constantina would have been honored.”

A slight tic above his right eye was the only indication that the words had surprised Ivan. “I’m sure she would have,” he said. “And how is your woman?”

“She is well. Thank you for asking.”

“I heard she was in a rather bad accident.” Ivan leaned back, spreading his arms across the back of the sofa. “So unfortunately fragile, aren’t they? I trust the human doctors were able to repair her.”

Baojia smiled. “It was very bad, but she has recovered.”

Silence fell between the two immortals; even the guards surrounding them seemed to sense that they were intruding.

“I hear you are working for Katya now.” Ivan leaned forward, reaching for a red cocktail in a martini glass.
 

“I am.” It was the only reason Ivan was still living. If Baojia had not been connected to an organization, the vampire would be dead already.
 

“How very fortunate,” Ivan said with a smile. “For both of us.”

“I suppose that’s a matter of perspective,” he said under his breath so Ivan’s guards couldn’t hear.

Ivan only laughed. Despite everything he had done, the immortal was still clever. He knew, just as Baojia did, that both of them represented powerful organizations. An open attack on either would have grave consequences, so Ivan and Baojia could parlay in relative peace.

“Some in Mexico City were surprised by your move, but not me.”

Baojia folded his hands in his lap. “No?”

Ivan took a sip and smiled. “Some might say you have behaved… very out of character over the last year. I am not one of them.”

“You know me so well.”

The other vampire smirked. “I know you better than you might think. We’re not so unalike, you know.”

“I can think of a few important differences.”

“I’m sure you think you can.” Then a glint of anger entered Ivan’s eyes. “I’d be curious how far you would go if something of yours was threatened. Hypothetically.”

“I believe…” Baojia leaned forward. “There might be no limit to what I would do.
Hypothetically
.”