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  Brie turned away from him, going back to the mirror as he continued to stare at her, his eyes burning hot into her back. She took a deep, steadying breath when he finally stalked away from her and left the room.

  As soon as the door clicked shut, she sagged against the dresser, staring at her reflection as if it might tell her what to do. Her shoulders trembled as she remembered her earlier excitement, and she found herself hoping that her feeling of something about to happen wasn’t just an overactive imagination. She didn’t know how much longer she could exist like this, before she lost her mind.

  * * * *

  The plan was simple. A few minor distractions, a spilled drink and a hasty escape all perpetuated in full view of the partygoers. It was risky, it was daring. And, if it went the way it was supposed to, Brie and Eve would be reunited by this time tomorrow evening.

  A simple plan with so many things that could go wrong. Eve’s mind was happily supplying all of them as she and Ash ventured into the club.

  “Relax,” he told her, tightening the arm around her waist. “Everything will be fine.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “You’ll see. You want a drink?”

  “Absolutely.” Ash chuckled and led her over to the bar, ordering a white wine for her and an imported beer for him. When he went to reach for his wallet, the bartender waved him off.

  “Open bar,” he said, setting their drinks down on the counter.

  “Thanks.”

  “Open bar, huh? How generous of him,” Eve said, her voice thick with sarcasm as she took her drink. “Brie’s not out here yet.” She glanced around the club, sipping her wine, ignoring the small stab of panic that shot through her. What if Sebastian didn’t let Brie out to mingle with the guests at all? Granted, that would defeat the purpose of a birthday party, but nothing would surprise Eve at this point.

  “Don’t worry. She might just be in the ladies room or something. Wouldn’t make sense to have a party and the person the party was for not be here, would it?”

  “Well, no. But who knows how Sebastian thinks. If she’s not here, it screws up the plan.”

  “Eve, don’t worry. This will all go according to plan.” Ash raised a hand to rub a knuckle over her cheek.

  “How can you be so calm? I have a colony of butterflies in my stomach and you look like you just stepped off the cover of GQ.” She looked at him over the rim of her glass and decided that her assessment was dead on. The darkness of his suit complimented the gold highlights in his hair and the lightness of his eyes, while moving perfectly over his lean frame. He’d chosen a dark blue shirt, as opposed to a white one, and a thin, black tie. His hair shined richly in the chandelier light and the front stubbornly fell across his forehead, despite the obvious fact that he had wet it to keep it in place.

  If she had to choose one word to describe how he looked, it would be delicious.

  “I’ve been doing this sort of thing a long time. And you don’t look nervous. You look beautiful.” Ash looked appreciatively over the slim, strapless, green silk dress, which clung to her curves, and smiled at the pretty blush that tinged her skin. He’d had the fortune of seeing her dressed up twice, and could definitely say he’d enjoyed the experience. Especially since she seemed to have a liking for short skirts and high heels.

  “Thanks.” Her voice was thick and she had to clear her throat to move the lump. Suddenly, the memory of the night before rose up. Ash reached for her, sliding a hand over her silk covered hip. The feel of his hand made her shiver and the rest of the room, the plan, Brie … all of it faded away as she looked up into his desire darkened eyes.

  “Eve…”

  She would never find out what he might have said, since a ringing broke through the haze of lust surrounding them. They looked in the direction of the noise. Sebastian stood behind a long table on the stage, tapping a fork against the side of a water goblet. After a few seconds, he offered the crowd an amiable smile.

  “I would like to start off this evening by thanking everyone for coming. It is a very special occasion that we are celebrating tonight. Brianne has long been the jewel of this club, supplying us with hours of enjoyment with her beautiful voice. So, it seemed only fair, in light of this being her birthday that we show her how much she has come to mean to us. Myself especially. Without further ado, I present to you, Brianne.”

  Eve’s heart thudded in her throat as the curtain to the back of the club opened up and Brie stepped through, looking breathtaking in a dress of shimmering amethyst. A simple amethyst pendant hung around her throat, suspended from a cord of black velvet. She smiled brightly at the guests, her eyes scanning the crowd. When her gaze landed on Eve, her smile became more genuine, and a sculpted brow arched when she saw Ash standing so close.

  Ash had never had the pleasure of being checked out by a date’s sister. He could almost feel the protective vibes coming off the woman, even from so many feet away. He supposed she approved, because she gave a slight nod, and turned towards Sebastian.

  Brie slipped her hand into Sebastian’s and stepped up onto the stage, waiving a hand to the crowd to get them to settle down. “Thank you so much for coming. And, Sebastian, thank you so much for having this party for me.”

  “As long as it pleases you.” Sebastian brought her hand to his lips, and Eve could have sworn that she saw Brie flinch ever so slightly.

  “Please, eat, drink. Have a wonderful time,” Brie said, before sitting in the chair that Sebastian pulled out for her.

  Within seconds, the club was filled with the lively sounds of talking and soft music. People moved together on the dance floor, stealing occasional glances at the stunning couple on the stage holding court like a king and queen.

  “Would you care to dance?”

  Eve tore her gaze away from her sister to face the man standing next to her. Her heart stuttered in her chest at the way Ash’s eyes seemed to see right through her. She nodded, not realizing she had until he took the glass from her hands and placed it on the tray of a passing waiter. He took her hand, curling his fingers around hers, and led her down to the dance floor.

  As soon as his arms slid around her, she knew it was very dangerous to be dancing with him. Their closeness made it too easy to notice things. The way the clear blue of his eyes caught and held the warmth of the chandeliers. The way his left cheek dimpled when he smiled. The glint of gold in his sable hair. The soft, inviting fullness of his mouth. The way the muscle moved under her hands as he led her expertly around the dance floor. And, most intoxicating of all, the way he smelled.

  If Eve lived to be a thousand, she was sure she’d never smell anything more seductive. Soap, some spicy aftershave and an innate earthiness that seemed to be all his own combined together in a unique scent that made her dizzy. She had the distinct feeling that before this little adventure was over she would be in serious jeopardy of losing herself to him.

  Ash was sure he’d never encountered anything quite like Eve. He reveled in the way the skin of her bare back felt under his hands. Her perfume, ten times more potent to him with his vampire sense, wrapped around him in a tight blanket of warmth. She had twisted her short mass of hair up into a sleek knot at the base of her neck, and he wanted nothing more than to run his hands through it and dislodge the pins until the shimmering locks hung freely around her face. The pulse in her throat called to him, but not to bite. He wanted to taste the flesh above it, tease it until his name was barely a breath on her lips.

  He knew that he was in deep trouble. No woman had ever captivated him so fully in so short a space of time. Even his sire hadn’t filled him with a longing this deep and she had been his world for several decades. Time seemed to stand still as they moved, their gazes locked together, dual expressions of arousal and fear swirling in them.

  Eve couldn’t have said what it was that made her stop dancing. Or why she was suddenly nervous. But she did and she was. There was something in his eyes, something that she couldn’t quite define tha
t caused her drop her gaze from his. Confusion flashed over his sharp features as she stepped away, her hands sliding over her skirt to wipe away the dampness.

  “Eve?” Ash took a step forward.

  “It’s almost time,” she barely whispered.

  “There’s no need to be afraid.”

  That was a double entendre if she had ever heard one and she offered him a weak smile. “I’m not so sure of that,” she replied, making her own double meaning clear.

  He raised his hand to brush his knuckles across her cheek, heartened that she didn’t jerk away. “Let’s go get you another drink, shall we?”

  She smiled again, grateful that he was willing to let the subject drop.

  “After you,” he said.

  She turned away and preceded him up to the bar, calling herself an idiot with each step. She had never been afraid of a man in her life, or afraid of the feelings he might induce in her. In fact, she welcomed them, knowing that life was too short to live in fear of tomorrow. But something inside was making her want to tread carefully with Ash. Something that told her with very little effort, he could rip her heart to pieces.

  Shaking it off and filing it away for later, Eve ordered her drink. Then, with a last quick glance at Ash, went to the head table while he went to the restroom.

  Showtime.

  * * * *

  The backstage area was dark and deserted, save for the pair of guards making their rounds and the guard placed at the back door. At five of ten, the two security guards passed the door guard and muttered a hello, before continuing on.

  “I’m stepping outside for a smoke.” The lone guard, Paul, called to them, before pushing the door behind him open.

  The other two grunted in response, which was more than Paul had expected. Hired only for the night, the others didn’t care to get to know him, and his being an off-duty cop certainly didn’t help matters. He knew there were … underhanded dealings going on at the club. Everybody in town did. But hell if he cared. He had a wife and two grown boys in college. Money was a rare commodity in his house and he had to make it anyway he could.

  With a disgusted sigh, Paul looked down on the ground to find something to prop the door open with so he didn’t have to bang on it to be let back inside. He grunted in satisfaction when he saw a large rock and leaned over to get it. The dull shuffling of feet sounded behind him followed by a sharp explosion of pain in his head. Stars burst behind his eyes before everything went black.

  Mark pulled the guard aside and caught the door before it clicked shut, sliding inside and blending easily into the dark interior. He moved slowly, looking out for the other guards and trying to ignore the foul taste that lingered in his mouth from the potion he had just downed. He made a mental note to remind Flora that the supposedly orange flavor of the thick liquid resembled something closer to old sweat socks.

  He moved soundlessly along the shadows, his eyes keeping a sharp look out. When he heard footsteps approaching, he ducked behind a curtain.

  “Roberts, Jenkins. Everything clear back here?” a man’s voice echoed through the deserted area, telling Mark that they were a good ten feet from him.

  “Edward, yeah. The guy at the back door went out for a smoke. But, other than that, nothing’s going on back here.”

  “Good. Go make a loop of the front, then head back here.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Oh, and remind me to tell Sebastian he’d better get an exterminator. I smell rats.”

  A thin smile touched Mark’s mouth that Flora’s potion had worked. It almost made up for how bad the shit tasted going down. He waited while the footsteps faded away and silence once more settled around him. Then he peered out from behind the curtain to double-check that he was indeed alone, before moving out of his hiding spot and following the map of the building he had memorized to Brie’s dressing room. A quick jiggle of the knob told him it was unlocked, and he slipped quietly inside.

  He whistled at the finery around him, wondering once more if Eve wasn’t mistaken about her little sister being here against her will. Spying a large armoire, he went to it and pushed it out from the wall. Once the space was big enough, he hid behind it, leaning against the wall and settling in to wait. A glance at his watch told him he didn’t have long. Once Brie came into the room, all he would have to do is wait for the fire alarm to go off, then attack.

  His blood sped up as he anticipated the moments to come and he fed off of it. There was no bigger high than a fight, and even though this wasn’t technically a fight, it was still dangerous and that suited him just fine.

  All thoughts slipped away as Mark focused on the next few minutes of his life, impatience starting to gnaw at him as the seconds ticked by.

  His entire body stiffened when he heard the doorknob turn. He dared a peek out from behind his hiding spot. His breath hitched and his heart sped up when Brie walked through the door, her slender frame illuminated by the lone lamp that had been left burning. When she turned to face him, the large, wet spot down the front of her dress told Mark that Eve had done her part. Now all he had to do was wait for Ash.

  Mark’s eyes were riveted to her as she glided across the room, and he barely registered that she was heading his way in time not to get caught. Quickly, he ducked back behind the armoire, listening as she opened it and rooted through the clothes inside. Her photo had done her no justice. She was exquisite, her face the type that started wars. Scowling at his suddenly poetic thoughts, he peered around the armoire when he heard her move away from it. He almost wished that he hadn’t. Almost.

  Flawless ivory skin met his gaze and his body hardened with the realization that she had dropped her dress where she stood in front of the mirror. Sheer black stockings hugged legs that seemed miles long, the tops edged in lace. A thong the same shade as her stockings stood out against the paleness of her buttocks, the perfect globes practically begging for him to touch. Slowly, his gaze traveled up the smooth expanse of her back, his fingers itching to slide into the thick mass of auburn hair that cascaded over it. His mouth went as dry as dust when his gaze fell on the mirror and he suddenly found his jeans extremely uncomfortable. She wasn’t wearing a bra and her breasts swayed slightly as she swabbed a towel against the damp skin of her abdomen. He didn’t know whether he had died and gone to heaven or hell, but he knew that there was no way that a creature this beautiful should exist on earth.

  He barely suppressed his groan of disappointment when she slid a simple black dress over her body, hiding it from his view. Once she was covered, he regained some of his senses and berated himself for ogling someone he wasn’t entirely sure was innocent.

  Mark glanced down at his watch once more and saw that it was almost time. With great care, he maneuvered out from behind the heavy piece of furniture and stealthily crossed the floor. He reached into his pocket and extracted a small vial and handkerchief, quickly undoing the stopper and drizzling the contents onto the cloth. Almost as soon as he was done, the fire alarm blared. Brianne jumped, her head swiveling around towards the door. Mark froze as their gazes met, and they stared at each other for a long second.

  Then she recovered.

  A scream exploded from her, the sound drowned out by the fire alarm. She bolted, but he was too quick for her. Before she had gotten more than a couple of steps, Mark seized her arm and whipped her against his body, holding her against him as he shoved the handkerchief over her nose. She struggled briefly, succumbing quickly to the chloroform and going limp in his arms.

  He swung her up into his arms with ease and headed over to the window, placing her on the floor to open it.

  “Come on, boy, we ain’t got all night.” Cyrus’ gruff voice floated in to him.

  “Here,” Mark said, picking her back up and sliding her out the window with as much care as possible.

  “Got her. Now get out here.”

  Mark didn’t have to be told twice. He jumped out the window and took off at a run after Cyrus, just as the dressing room d
oor swung open.

  The last thing he heard, before climbing into the car and tearing off into the night, was a voice that could in no way be human screaming Brie’s name over and over.

  Chapter Seven

  Eve glanced nervously around the street, her gaze bouncing off the guests and firemen milling around. Her heart thudded in her chest while her fingers clutched tightly onto Ash’s. Acrid smoke coated the air, burning her lungs, and she felt a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead from their flight from the building. Their part of the plan was finished: Ash having caused the fire that had them outside waiting to answer the police’s questions and Eve having spilled the drink that had Brie going into the back to change. Now all they had to do was wait, in plain sight of the other guests and Sebastian, and hope that Mark and Cyrus were able to get Brie out.

  Eve glanced over at Ash and wondered, not for the first time, how he could look so calm. She was sure that Sebastian would take one look at her face and know she was responsible for all this. She desperately hoped that she could play it off as shock from the fire, but didn’t hold any high hopes.

  When the fire had broken out, chaos ensued as was expected. Ash had grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the throng of people trying to get outside the lone set of double exit doors. Her earlier thoughts about the fire martial closing the place had thrust themselves to the forefront of her mind when she’d found herself pressed tightly against so many others. The only reason she’d been able to stay on her feet was Ash, who seemed to be an immovable wall as he held on to her. Sebastian’s voice had lifted over the din as he tried to calm people down and get them out in an orderly fashion. Eve had figured that he was less concerned with their safety and more concerned with his business license.

  Finally, they had broken through the crowd and found themselves outside just as the fire engines rounded the corner, their sirens cutting through the night and drawing the curious to the club. Most of the crowd was still here, but a few had moved down the street, Eve guessed heading for their cars. She had a feeling that Sebastian would have a problem getting people to come to his next party after this, or the club in general.