Kissing with Fangs

Chapter 4

Ruxandra had to keep her distance while following Anthony. She had always wished they could communicate telepathically, but now she was glad they could not. One stray thought could tip him off. As her maker, he could easily recognize her scent, so tracking his haunts and habits had proved tricky.

She knew he spent a lot of evenings in Chinatown and suspected his lair was someplace in that area. Maybe he was getting animal blood from the local restaurants, but he was almost always there before dawn when she had to run back to her own dark hiding place for her death sleep.

Luckily she had found an unoccupied building in the Beacon Flats area with a basement entrance. Prying open the door was easy. Sealing it against light and curious passersby had proven a bit more challenging, but she was a clever girl and had remembered a great new invention called duct tape. It worked like a charm.

She worried about Anthony protecting himself without her help. He had taught her to take no chances, but lately he seemed to be taking more and more risks with his own safety. Like now. Why was he in Cambridge?

She’d had to occupy the subway a few cars behind his and was surprised when he got off in Central Square. Why here? Everyone knew there was nothing worth seeing between MIT and Harvard Square.

She quickly checked the wind direction and was glad to find it blowing his scent toward her and not the other way around. She hung back and wrapped her scarf around her hair, which was so blond it shown like a beacon under the streetlights.

Suddenly he was crossing the street and rounding the nearest corner. She had to jog between cars after the lights changed, but she caught sight of him again as soon as she rounded the same corner. Whew. Tracking him all this way just to lose him in—Ruxandra halted when he stopped a few feet from a moving van.

What the… Another blond was facing away from him, but he came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. He must have whispered something funny in her ear, because she giggled. Then the slut turned around.

Claudia!

Ruxandra began to seethe. All those years ago, she’d accused the klutzy waitress of being his whore and they’d both had the nerve to deny it—but it was true! They’d probably been making a fool of her all this time.

Anthony had claimed he needed to spend a few minutes each evening in his office with Claudia so she could fill him in on the business of the day.

Ruxandra needed all of her self-control to keep from rushing at the bitch and tearing her head off. Anthony had frequently accused her of jumping to conclusions and so, as painful as it was to watch, she had to wait until there was absolutely no doubt about his betrayal.

He’s kissing her. And she’s kissing him back!

Ruxandra couldn’t take any more. She flew at the unsuspecting couple. Anthony must have sensed her a millisecond before she reached them, because she fell on her ass as he blocked her with his arm and pushed Claudia toward the nearby stairs.

“Get inside, Claudia!” he yelled.

“Yeah, run. He doesn’t need you. He needs me!” Ruxandra sprang to her feet, ready to grab her slower rival, but before she could get to Claudia, she was on her ass again and one hundred eighty pounds of vampire was sitting on her chest.

“Ow! Anthony, you’re hurting me.”

He paid no attention to her. Instead he called to Claudia, “I’ll hold her until you get inside. Don’t open the door for anyone.”

Ruxandra heard footsteps scuffle up the concrete stairs. Then a heavy door opened and shut. When it was just the two of them on the sidewalk, he focused his angry gaze on her. “What the hell is the matter with you?” The intensity she saw in his eyes was almost too much to bear and she turned away.

He grasped her jaw and roughly turned her to face him, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he glanced up, and a moment later, she heard an unfamiliar voice yelling, “Hey. Get off of her.”

Thank goodness for the stupidity of humans.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Anthony called out.

“Yeah, right.”

When she craned her neck, she caught sight of the guy pulling a cell phone from his pocket.

Ruxandra saw her chance to make Anthony admit their relationship as she saw it. “He’s my husband. Don’t call the police. We’ll work it out.”

Anthony growled.

The guy hit some buttons on his phone, ignoring them. A moment later he was saying, “Yeah, there’s some kind of domestic dispute on Essex Street. Looks like the woman is getting the worst of it.”

Shit. Now both she and Anthony had to disappear fast, and he wouldn’t let her follow him again.

Well, that backfired.

She’d just have to wait until the woman was alone. He couldn’t protect her every minute, and now Ruxandra knew where her rival lived. Or not. The moving van… Was it for Claudia? Was she moving in with him?

Ruxandra saw red.

Claudia wondered why Anthony was taking so long to get rid of Ruxandra and come back with the news that the coast was clear. Either the coast wasn’t clear, or… No. I refuse to believe that. He’d never go back to her.

Pacing, she pondered her situation. She had the moving van for twenty-four hours. After picking it up at noon and loading the lighter boxes into it herself, she’d waited for Anthony to help with the furniture. He didn’t get there until eight and it was about nine thirty now.

Well, if I have to spend the night here, at least I still have a mattress to sleep on. Damn. I was looking forward to getting out of this hellhole and moving into the beautiful, brand-new apartment over the tea shop.

Claudia had never come right out and directly asked Anthony why he insisted on never being disturbed during the day. She respected his privacy, and so far it hadn’t been a problem. But what if he never came back tonight? Would some kind stranger help her load her furniture in the morning?

She almost snorted out loud. Even friends were scarce when it came to moving.

She was just about to give up and unpack a book when a knock sounded on the door.

Thank goodness.

She sprinted to the door and looked through the peephole. “Kurt?” What the hell is he doing here? She left the chain fastened and opened the door only the few inches the chain would allow.

“Where’s Anthony?”

“He’s been delayed. He asked me to help you move. Tory is here with me.”

Tory Montana peeked around the doorjamb. “Heard you could use an ex-linebacker to move some heavy furniture.”

Claudia sagged with a mixture of relief and concern. “I don’t suppose it matters that he told me not to open my door to anyone.”

Tory grinned. “We’re not just anyone, sweetheart. We’re the cavalry.”

That’s for sure. These two were her favorite regulars from the bar. She’d never pictured missing their daily presence in her life until the building went up in flames.

She slid open the lock, opened the door wide, and walked into two bear hugs.

“So, is Anthony coming back?”

“He said it was safer for you if he didn’t.”

She glanced from one to the other. “Do you know about Ruxandra’s hissy fit? How she reacts whenever she thinks we…I mean, that Anthony and I…but we never have!”

Kurt chuckled and laid a hand on her shoulder. “I was there the day the bar opened, the first time she threatened you. She’d act the same way toward any beautiful woman Anthony looked at for two seconds.”

“She called me a whore!”

“She’s just projecting the worst of herself onto you.”

“You mean, she…”

“I shouldn’t have said anything. Just ignore me.” Kurt sported his silly grin. “You know how full of shit I can be.”

“Don’t worry,” Tory said. “We won’t let anything happen to you. And Anthony can take care of himself.”

“Where is he now?”

The guys looked at each other.

“Tell me.”

Kurt cleared his throat. “I think he’s trying to convince Ruxandra to leave town.”

That sounded like an exercise in futility. How many times had he asked her to leave now? Twenty? Thirty?

Claudia’s shoulders slumped.

Tory rubbed her back. “I know. She’s been a pain in the ass for years, but I think he’s come up with some inventive new threats that might work.”

Claudia didn’t know how she felt about that. She certainly wanted Ruxandra out of the way, but did she want Anthony threatening anyone? And would he be able to follow through?

As if Kurt could read her mind, he said, “Don’t think about it. Please. Anthony knows how stressful this has been for you, and he’ll take care of it. He wants you to be able to relax and live your life.”

“It doesn’t seem like too much to ask,” she muttered.

Tory put an arm around her shoulder. “Grab your keys. This furniture isn’t going to move itself.”

Anthony hated the idea of spending any more time than absolutely necessary with Ruxandra, but he had to protect Claudia. He lured his irksome ex to the Harvard Square area, in the opposite direction from where Claudia, Kurt, and Tory needed to go.

They shared a patch of grass on someone’s front lawn. The fragrant foliage wasn’t enough to overcome the irritation of being forced to give Ruxandra his undivided attention. Or it would have been undivided, if he could get Claudia out of his mind.

Why he’d begun a relationship with the beautiful human he’d lusted after for five years was anyone’s guess. But he refused to call it a mistake. He and Claudia had put their happiness on hold for far too long.

The few months they’d spent together since their first kisses were the happiest he’d had in a long time. Under the guise of planning the new business, he’d given Ruxandra the slip and met Claudia in various places around the city. It hadn’t been easy, but he’d become fairly good at it. Unfortunately, he’d gotten cocky too. Now Claudia was in danger, and it was all his fault.

“I’ve told you over and over again…you don’t love me. You’re obsessed. It’s as if you want me just because you can’t have me.”

“That’s ridiculous. I want you because I love you. And you need me.”

“You don’t know what love is. If you loved me, you’d want me to be happy.”

“I can make you happy. I can hunt for you. I can defend you. I can keep up with you sexually. Do you think a mere mortal can do all that? If only you’d give me a chance…”

“I did give you a chance—many chances—and we drove each other crazy. Face it. We’re just not good together.”

“That was before. I’ve grown since then.”

“Yeah, right. You’ve grown into a bigger pain in my ass than ever.”

Over the last century, he had tried reasoning with the volatile vampiress, threatening her, and putting thousands of miles between the two of them.

Inevitably, he got sick of failing to banish her from his life and would work around her. As it turned out, that was his mistake. She knew she could wear him down and wouldn’t stop until he let her hang around.

Eventually, the attention she demanded would drive him to distraction again. If he didn’t come up with some kind of permanent solution to Ruxandra’s interference, it would go on for eternity.

“Ruxandra, you’re driving me into the sunshine.”

“Is that the vampire’s equivalent of ‘You’re driving me to drink’?”

“Essentially, yes.”

“But that makes no sense. If you want to drink, we should be together. We can drink from each other or share our thralls.”

Logic was wasted on her. She had her own, and as much as he hated to admit it, in some ways she made sense. It would be more convenient to be with another vampire. No need to hide what he was. Hunting with a lookout was infinitely easier. Or they’d have twice the chances of finding a willing thrall.

Unfortunately, logic was also wasted on his heart. Claudia was the only woman he felt right with. He totally trusted her, relaxed with her, enjoyed her company. And it didn’t stop with companionship. The sexual attraction was overpowering. Claudia was the only woman in decades that his traitorous body had demanded he take to bed. It was all he could do to keep his pants on until he could figure out what to do about Ruxandra.

His own resources weren’t enough, but how could he take out a restraining order on a vampire without putting innocent law-enforcement officers in mortal danger? Perhaps Sadie could use her psychic insight to help him think of a solution.

“Are you listening to me?” Ruxandra shouted.

“Huh? No. I can’t hear you when you yell. Besides, I’ve heard it all before, Ruxandra. We have nothing else to say to each other. I think it’s time to call it a night.”

She lunged at him and pinned him to the ground. “We’ll ‘call it a night’ when I say it’s a night.”

Anthony simply sighed. If he wanted to, he could toss her into the bushes easily. But he’d done that before—and she’d clung to his retreating back before. They’d done it all before.

And he was thoroughly sick of it. He was almost ready to lie there and fry when the sun came up, but she’d fry too. He didn’t think she was willing to kill them both, but who knew?

“What are you going to do? Anchor the two of us here until dawn?”

“If that’s what it takes for you to see the light.”

Seeing the light. Anthony snapped out of his despair. Didn’t Sadie or Kurt or somebody mention a vampire who could walk in daylight?

He’d heard the story months ago. The humans at his bar had discovered the existence of paranormals, and before all hell could break loose, Kurt had frozen the room. Because this happened early in the afternoon, Anthony was in his death sleep. Nick knew of another vampire he could call. A vampire able to arrive before the sun went down and compel everyone at the bar to forget what they’d heard.

If only he could discover that vampire’s secret. He could be with Claudia during the day, and Ruxandra would be powerless to stop them.

Then he remembered he’d have to protect both of them during the night, and his pleasant fantasy went poof. Damn. There has to be a way to end this without bloodshed.

Four hours later, the guys had moved all of Claudia’s furniture into her new apartment over the tea shop and were getting ready to leave.

“Oh. I almost forgot something,” Kurt said. He pulled what looked like a chess piece out of his pocket.

“What’s that?”

“It’s called the little warrior. It’s a charm for protection. Call it a housewarming gift.”

Claudia accepted the piece and turned it over in her hand. It was a little larger and more elaborate than a chess piece. The warrior looked like a Viking wearing armor, a helmet with horns, and a fierce expression. He was even holding a sword.

“Uh…thanks.”

“What are you going to name him?” Kurt asked.

Claudia was about to smirk when she noticed that Kurt looked perfectly serious. He was rarely serious, so she stopped and considered the question. Maybe he was superstitious, but that was no reason to make fun of his gift. “How about Alexander, for Alexander the Great? He looks like he needs an impressive name.”

Kurt nodded his approval. He spoke directly to the statue. “Alexander, this is Claudia. She is a good friend and a woman of great integrity. She deserves a safe haven in which to live. You are now honor bound to protect her and her home.”

Claudia didn’t know what to make of this. Should she laugh? Something told her not to. Maybe changing the subject would be best. “Uh… Can you both stop in tomorrow for a free lunch? I want to thank you for your help tonight, and it’ll give me a chance to prep for the grand opening the next day.”

Tory grinned. “I’d never turn down a free lunch.”

“Neither would I,” Kurt said. “But are you sure you want to do that with only one day to unpack and settle in before the madness starts?”

“Absolutely.” She hugged them both and said good night. As soon as her door was locked, she leaned against it and sighed. Glancing across the living room, she spotted Kurt’s extra key to the building on the side table.

Oh, shoot. She could wait to give it to him the next day, but he was right here. She grabbed it and opened her door ready to trot downstairs. Then she looked at the warrior in her hand. When she heard their voices, something made her stop and listen.

“I know. I’m worried about her too.”

“At least we got her out of Cambridge. I’m almost sure that’s where the facility is. With so many of us over there trying to find it, she’d be bound to wonder sooner or later.”

Facility? What facility? Were they talking about me? Ruxandra? Could this night get any stranger?

Just then the outer door opened and shut, cutting off their conversation.

What was going on? Did it have something to do with Ruxandra finding her? She figured Anthony’s jealous ex had simply followed him there.

And what kind of facility could they be looking for? Had Ruxandra opened a secret gym or something? She was always in great shape and was certainly strong as hell, which she demonstrated anytime she heaved a chair at somebody’s head.

I should ask. I wasn’t really eavesdropping. It was more like accidentally hearing, and it sounded like they were protecting me from something they didn’t want me to know about. But perhaps she needed to.

Claudia set the warrior on the half wall beside the door, then charged down the stairs and flew out onto the sidewalk. “Kurt! You forgot your keys.”

The two guys turned around. Kurt strolled back to her and held out his hand. “Sorry about that.”

Claudia pulled the keys away and held them firmly in her fist. “What were you two talking about just then?”

Kurt glanced over his shoulder at Tory and asked absently, “Uh, just when?”

“When you were leaving. I heard you say something about a facility in Cambridge.”

Tory’s eyes widened and he quickly joined them. “It was nothing. Nothing to do with you, anyway.”

Claudia narrowed her eyes and tried her stare-down technique. It usually worked with employees. “Are you sure about that?”

The next thing she knew, she was in her apartment wondering, “What was I just about to do? There was something…” She searched her brain, but nothing came to mind. Scratching her head, she shuffled off to her new bedroom to unpack.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I had to be sure Ruxandra didn’t follow me—again.”

Claudia stepped aside and let Anthony into her new apartment. “Mmm-hmm. So, did you come up with any more threats? Maybe something effective this time?”

She wasn’t yelling, but that wasn’t Claudia’s way. Her hand on her hip and lack of a smile showed her annoyance. She only broke out the sarcasm when she was really ticked off.

“I don’t blame you for being upset. This should have been a monumental evening for the two of us. Instead, I left and had to send a couple of friends to pick up the pieces.”

She stalked away and threw her hands in the air. “When is this going to end? Do I have to keep looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life?”

He wished he could say an unequivocal “no,” but he could not. “I’m sorry, Claudia. I know this can’t be easy for you—”

“Do you? Do you have any idea how not easy this is? Sometimes the urge to drink comes out of nowhere and seems unrelated to anything going on. Then I think about the stress I’m under and wonder why I haven’t relapsed before this.” She sat down hard on her couch.

“Did you pick up a drink tonight?”

“No. But I could have.”

“I imagine you could at any time.”

She stared at him. At first her expression was hard. Then she let out a deep breath and sagged against the cushions. “You’re right. I called my sponsor and she calmed me down.”

“Good.” He sat next to her and rested his hand on her knee. “I don’t know much about it, but I think that’s what a sponsor is for. Right?”

“Not just that, but yes. Talking to her helped.”

He tried to joke. “Maybe I should talk to her.”

“You?”

She obviously didn’t get it.

“I’m kidding. But I do wish I had someone like that at times.”

“You should have me.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he’d heard her clearly.

He squeezed her knee and then wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t worry about me. I just want you to be safe. I have plenty of friends who will give me an objective opinion—even if I don’t ask for it.”

She smiled. “I imagine Kurt and Tory are good for that.”

“They certainly are. In fact, I plan to talk with them just as soon as I tuck you into bed.”

She glanced up at him coquettishly. “You’re going to tuck me in?”

He realized his mistake too late. If he went into her bedroom, there was a good chance he’d forget about coming out, and he’d asked his friends to meet him in half an hour. “I, uh… Maybe I should wait on that.”

She snorted. “Good. Because I was going to say, ‘Not tonight, honey. I have a backache.’”

Whew.

“Thanks for getting Claudia settled in, guys,” Anthony said. “I’m afraid I have another favor to ask of you. Maybe just some advice or ideas.”

Kurt settled against Anthony’s couch. “Shoot.”

“I’m sorry to take any time away from your searching for the lab, but I need to keep Ruxandra from finding Claudia. Her life is in danger. Ruxandra obviously knows she was moving, but I’d rather she didn’t know Claudia lives right over the tea shop.”

“Why don’t you just mesmerize her?” Tory asked. “Make her think Claudia moved to Timbuktu.”

Anthony dropped his head in his hands. “If I could trick her into letting me mesmerize her, I’d just erase all suspicion of me and Claudia as a couple. I had her convinced it was all business between us until…”

“Until you were swapping spit on the sidewalk,” Tory said.

Anthony rolled his eyes.

Kurt scratched his chin. “I’m thinking…”

Anthony had hoped his wizard friend would come up with a magical solution, but he didn’t want to come right out and ask. The man had powers Anthony didn’t understand. Only Kurt knew what could be done and what the consequences might be.

“I can do a spell to make Claudia invisible, but that might become a problem if a customer wants to see the manager.” Kurt smirked.

Anthony and Tory groaned.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t joke.”

No. You shouldn’t. I’m desperate here.

“Maybe I could…”

Anthony leaned forward.

“Nah. That wouldn’t work,” Kurt muttered. “I’d need her cooperation for that.”

“Ruxandra’s cooperation? That’s unlikely.”

“I know.” Kurt held up one finger. “On the other hand, I’ve never bound a vampire before, and I’m not entirely sure I can since she’s dead and all, which is kind of the ultimate binding.” He shook his head, as if another idea was out the window.

Kurt’s thinking out loud was driving Anthony crazy, but if that’s how Kurt’s thought process worked, he’d have to let him do it.

“I’ve got the solution. I just have to spell it out. Get it? Spell?”

“You’re killing me, Kurt.”

“Relax. I think I can do something. I might be able to make Claudia invisible to Ruxandra only. I just hope Ruxandra’s not too bright and won’t question a teapot floating in midair.”

“Unfortunately, Ruxandra’s very bright and questions everything.”

“Shoot. Just the way I like ’em,” Kurt mumbled.

Anthony raised his eyebrows. “Hold on. Are you saying you might be interested in her?”

Kurt squirmed. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I can’t figure out why you two drifted apart. I wish I had a gorgeous woman as devoted to me as she is to you. Women can be so damn fickle.”

“Is this about the Dear John letter you received during your deployment?”

“Two deployments. Two Dear John letters.”

“Ouch. That’s rough. You can have Ruxandra if you can transfer her affections from me to you. Is there some magic spell that can do that?”

Kurt laughed. “I’d really be messing with the universe if I magically made her love me instead of you. That’s major manipulation.”

“But she doesn’t love me. Not really. She’s obsessed with me and mistakes it for love.”

“All the more reason not to shift her feelings from you to me. I don’t want a stalker any more than you do.”

Tory elbowed his friend. “What if you do it the old-fashioned way? Steal her affections? Bring her flowers and shit.”

Kurt and Anthony stared at each other. Eventually they both burst out laughing.

“What the hell. It’s worth a try.”

Anthony’s jaw dropped. Apparently, they were laughing for different reasons. “Seriously? You’d do that for me?”

“Hell, I’m doing it for me. I’d love to have a fling with a feisty blond bombshell.”

“And you’re not afraid she’ll devour you?”

“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. There’s nothing the universe likes more than a good protection spell.”

“Then you can do a protection spell for Claudia. Right?”

“I gave her a talisman.”

“But a talisman can be lost or stolen. Is there a way to surround her with magical protection wherever she goes?”

Kurt nodded.

“Why didn’t you suggest that right away?”

“She has to agree. And at first I didn’t think it would be enough. Ruxandra would still get between you two. But maybe that coupled with me as a distraction…”

“Try it. Please. If it’ll keep Claudia safe, I’ll find a way to make her agree to it without telling her too much. And if you’re willing to take on Ruxandra…” Anthony put all the hope he could find into his voice.

Kurt grinned. “Challenge accepted.”