Halflings (28 page)

His chuckle interrupted her. “Yeah, that was my reaction when I first saw her.”

“This is a concept bike,” she stammered. “I saw it in a magazine. It’s …” she took a tentative step toward the gleaming mass of metal.

“Amazing? I agree. 990ccs. Made of carbon fiber.”

“I read that. It’s really light,” Nikki said.

“Three hundred forty-five pounds. I bought her from a doctor in Sarasota, Florida, who changed his mind three times before we struck a deal. He didn’t want to part with her, but I can be very persuasive.” He pressed a warm hand to the small of Nikki’s back. “Go on. She’s prettier up close.”

His words rang true. She was.

They paused a respectable distance from the cycle while Nikki’s eyes trailed every inch. A Ducati concept bike in
her
garage. Her hands were sweating.

“She’s perfectly balanced.” Damon threw a leg over the bike. With both feet planted on either side, he raised the bike from the kickstand with one hand on the handlebars. “See?” He tilted the machine so it touched his inner thigh on one side, then the other. “Makes it easier to control at high speeds.”

“High speeds?” she repeated.

He winked. “Let’s just say I’ve had the privilege of seeing what she can do when put to the test.”

“It doesn’t scare you? I mean, it’s not like you have an angel as your copilot or anything.” She couldn’t resist.

A flicker of recognition seemed to glint in his eyes, but he blinked it away quickly. “Nikki, you learn to trust your instincts if you’re going to ride fast. You may not be able to
see
what’s up ahead, but that doesn’t mean you can’t
feel
it.”

She understood all too well, especially now that she’d met Halflings. But Damon Vessler seemed desperate to deliver more information than what his words could carry.

Nikki cleared her throat. “People die that way.” She bent on her haunches to inspect the paint — and to get out of the trajectory of his gaze. It seemed he was always watching her, inspecting her every move, hanging on her every word.

“Not smart people. Your biggest ally is knowing your boundaries, or your lack thereof.”

Then it hit her. He talked like a Halfling.
Could that be why you make me feel so uneasy from a distance yet so calm once I’m near you?
“Everyone doesn’t have the same boundaries.” She trailed a finger along the front tire.

“True,” he agreed. “And often people go their entire lives without testing their ability and pushing themselves to the limit. But not people like us, Nikki. We thrive by living on the edge.”

From her squatted position, she tipped her head back to examine his expression. He didn’t look like a Halfling, unless they suddenly came with dark eyes, dark hair, and deeply tanned skin.

“You don’t have much of a poker face, Nikki.”

She blushed.
And why does he act like he knows me? It’s irritating.

“If you have questions about me, just ask.” His face held no expression. He’d trained himself that way, she was sure.

She bit her lip.
Just ask
. Okay, simple enough. She opened her mouth, but the words caught.
What am I thinking?
“I do have some questions. First, why haven’t I met you until recently if you’re such a good friend of my parents? Second, why did you keep coming here? And third, why are you leaving a hundred-thousand-dollar motorcycle in my garage?”
There.

“You have, in fact, met me. Years ago. I stop in a couple times a year to say hello to your parents, but it’s usually during the day when you’re at school. Sometimes we meet up at an auction or antique weapons show. In fact, I was with them just a few weeks ago. Around the time school started.”

The memory of the lab fire raced into her mind. She had heard his voice …

Vessler slid a hand to her shoulder. “I’m sorry about Bo. I know it must have been hard for you to lose him.”

Confusion changed her focus. “You know about my dog? He died three weeks ago. Why would my parents bring it up to you?”

“I bought Bo for you.”

She stood from her squatted position.
“What?”
Time to panic; this was beyond weird.

“It was about eight years ago. I’d visited with your mom and dad most of the morning, and they kept talking about how badly you wanted a puppy. So I said, let’s go shopping.” He dropped the kickstand and stepped off the bike. “I had a friend who raised Labrador Retrievers. One call and boom. You got Bo.”

She frowned, searching her memory. “My parents never told me that. I always thought they bought him at a pet store.”

“Well, parents don’t tell their kids everything. Here,” he said, gesturing to the bike. “Your turn. Sit on her.”

She blinked. “Really?”

He shrugged. “You know you’re going to after I leave, so might as well start now.”

Heat rose to her cheeks, but her smile chased it away.

Charming. That’s all she could think of to describe Damon Vessler. She’d discovered that he was a genius who’d graduated college at fifteen with a master’s degree in Biology, owned several companies, some kind of mine, and was filthy, stinkin’ rich. And somehow, after they returned from the garage, his plans had changed.

Vessler seemed to have a way of gently pushing the conversation until he obtained his desired effect. In the middle
of coffee, which Mom had insisted on serving, he’d winked at Nikki, and within minutes her dad was no longer Vessler’s ride to the airport.

Yep. That’s right. She should call Mace and let him know, but the desire to do so escaped her. Still licking her wounds after the Golden Girls’ backyard display, she wasn’t in the mood to have Mace tailing her or pressing for information about her new friend. And though Vessler sent off warning bells throughout her system, she couldn’t fathom why. He’d been nothing but nice. Her mom and dad seemed fine with him now. Of course, there was that conversation she’d overheard, but she must have heard wrong. Or maybe she’d read too much into it.

No, she wasn’t going to call Mace and tell him, that much she’d decided. However, the idea of her angel seeing her with Damon sent an evil thrill down her spine, one guilt quickly swallowed.

“Everything okay, Nikki?” Damon asked.

“Huh?” she said, and realized her forehead was starting to ache from the deep frown.

“You look troubled.” She realized they were once again in the garage. She watched as he secured the bike, pulled the key from the ignition, and used his sleeve to shine a spot on the gas tank. But when he pivoted and his eyes blazed to Nikki, she gained his entire focus. “You’re far too young and beautiful to get wrinkles. Now, tell me what’s troubling you and how I can fix it.”

“Fix it?” She laughed. “No way that I can see.”

He propped his hands on his hips, gold bracelet blinking. “Everything can be fixed with either time or money.”

“Is that what life has taught you?” she said.

“Yes. Unfortunately, time refuses to slow down for me no matter how badly I desire it.”

“Why would you want time to slow down? You’re about …” Her eyes traced his youthful hair, his trendy clothes. “Twenty-five, right?”

A chuckle jostled his head. “Yeah, uh … pretty close. Now, what’s the answer? Time or money?”

“My problem can’t be fixed with either,” she said.

“Ah, boy trouble.”

She exhaled while they crossed the garage. “I like this guy. And he likes me. But this … new girl shows up, and she’s all perfect and gorgeous. He promptly forgets about me, which is actually good because we’re a terrible match.”

Damon paused at the doorway. “I can’t imagine anyone in their right mind forgetting about you, Nikki.”

Uncomfortable with his words, she clasped her hands together.

“Your answer is simple,” he said. “Fight fire with fire.”

She frowned. Damon was full of advice, much of it contrary to what she believed. But could he be right?

He held a hand in the air, palm up. “You’re already a beautiful girl and you don’t even try. Why not hit the salon for a new hairstyle, go shopping for some sexy clothes, don a little makeup. You’d be a knockout.”

She scrunched her face. “It’s just not
me
.”

“And is the current
me
getting what she wants?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “Take me, for instance. I was a skinny, gawky, glasses-wearing geek when I started college at age thirteen. But I looked around and decided I wanted to blend in as much as an adolescent can at college. Know what I did?”

She shook her head.

“I befriended the football team. You may not know this, but some jocks aren’t the sharpest tools in the drawer. I tutored
them through physics and English literature, and they taught me how to work out. I studied their mannerisms, lifestyles, interactions.”

She pointed at him. “And you made the football team the following year?”

He laughed. “At a staggering hundred and twenty pounds? Hardly. Remember, know your boundaries.”

“You don’t look like a jock. You look more like a rock star.”

“You can be whoever you want, Nikki. That was then, this is now. The beauty of being a human is free will.”

The beauty of being a human is free will? Why would he say it that way?
As cautious as he seemed with his words — choosing each one with care — why would a statement like that surface? Unless, of course, the idea of both human and nonhuman beings roaming the earth was so commonplace to him he wouldn’t think to guard his words.

When she didn’t answer, Damon continued, “You can change your destiny to suit your own needs.”

She had to admit, it sounded good. But something wrenched in her gut at this new way of viewing life. It
felt
wrong. Too egocentric, too self-serving. Wasn’t there a name for people like that?

Nikki cleared her head. Damon was trying to help her. How could she find fault in that? Still, a tiny voice inside begged caution, not unlike the voice that warned her about Raven. She was getting good at ignoring its plea.

His face slid into a grin. “I know what will cheer you up.” He crossed the garage to the Ducati, studied it a moment, and tossed her the keys.

As she caught them overhead, surprise siphoned the blood from her face.

Damon laughed. “Don’t look so scared. Your dad told me you’re an expert rider.”

“But.” Her eyes flew to the keys. “But, this is a hundred-
thousand
-dollar motorcycle.”

“No.” His smile faded. “This is my possession. It serves me, Nikki. Not the other way around. I didn’t purchase this bike to worship it. I appreciate it, but it’s nothing more than a piece of equipment designed to bring me joy. And right now, it would bring me a lot of joy to see you ride.”

She clutched the keys hard enough it hurt her fingers. Would she argue? No.

Hands on his hips, he seemed to enjoy her lack of composure. “You have an extra helmet?”

Her head bobbed of its own accord. She snagged the helmet from the counter, where tools and old weapons littered the space. “So, we’ll go for a quick ride before I take you to the airport?” she asked, fearing and anticipating the answer.

“No, we’ll ride the Ducati to the airport, then you can bring her home.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that,” she mumbled. She placed her leg over the bike with painfully slow motions, then exhaled. “Okay.” Her hands shook as she lowered them to the handlebars.

His smile turned up a notch as he stepped to the front of the bike, straddled the front tire, and placed his hands near hers. “You’ll never make it out of the garage like that. Didn’t your sensei teach you how to control your emotions?”

She nodded. “Sensei Coble says to draw on the well of calm within.”

His black gaze flashed to her still-quaking hands. “Looks like you need more practice. Close your eyes, Nikki,” he ordered.

She swallowed past the lump and obeyed.

“Now take a deep breath,” he whispered. “Tune in to your breathing. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Slowly, slowly. Yes, that’s it.”

It disturbed her how comfortable she felt in the presence of this man she barely knew. He was like hot and cold converging and creating a perfect temperature, and she wondered about his motives. Her eyes flew open to gauge him.

He dropped his hands, a lazy grin of smug delight animating his face. “See? You’re calm now.”

Outwardly, yes. But warning bells jolted her gut once more. There was something unsettling about his voice, about the satisfaction that drifted from his lips like drops of honey drawing her to an infested hive. She pushed the burdensome chains of propriety aside and focused on the present.
I’m about to ride a Ducati concept bike!