Conor fled into the night, felt it wrap around him like a warm, black cocoon. He loved the darkness, but why wouldn’t he? It was a part of him now. The breeze whispered her secrets, the nearby scent of prey called to him. He didn’t dare drink from Bryn, but there was prey by the thousands in the city. Saintcrow had warned him of dire consequences if he took a life, but his thirst wasn’t out of control.
He stalked the streets, searching for a lone female and when he couldn’t find one, he ducked into a cheap saloon. The scents of perspiration, alcohol, and salsa assailed his nostrils, but the scent of blood was stronger than all of them. He found a woman sitting alone at the end of the bar. She was middle-aged. She might have been pretty once, but drink and nicotine had ravagedher face. There was nothing wrong with her figure, though. The sweater she wore revealed a healthy bit of cleavage.
Conor took the empty stool beside her and signaled for the bartender. A quick inhalation told him what she was drinking and he ordered another for her and a glass of wine for himself. He had never cared much for wine until it became the only liquid he could hold down besides blood. He had tried consuming a few other things and learned the hard way that his father was right. Mortal food and drink would only make him sick. And they did.
The woman smiled at him when the bartender placed a fresh martini in front of her.
Lifting the glass, she said, “Here’s to you, handsome.”
Conor lifted his own glass. “And to you, Doris.”
“Do we know each other?” she asked, frowning.
“No, but we’re going to.”
Her frown deepened and then she shrugged and sipped her drink.
When his glass was empty, Conor set it on the bar, then reached for her hand. “Let’s go for a walk.”
“A walk?” She hiccoughed. “Will you buy me another drink when we get back?”
“Sure.”
With a lop-sided smile, she slid off the bar stool and followed him outside.
He smelled her fear when he led her into the dark alley that ran alongside the saloon. Before she could scream, he spoke to her mind, assuring her that all was well. She relaxed immediately, her eyelids fluttering down when he ran his tongue along the length of her neck.
He didn’t take much, just enough to ease his hunger. A flick of his tongue sealed the wounds in her throat. Reaching into his pants’ pocket, he pulled out a twenty. “You won’t remember meor this night,” he said, as he stuffed the bill into her generous cleavage.
Releasing her from his thrall, he disappeared into the night.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Bryn sighed as she set her cell phone aside. Three days had passed since Conor had taken her out. She had expected him to call before now. They’d had a good time together. He’d asked if he could call her. Why hadn’t he? After all, he’d come all the way from Wyoming to be with her. Maybe she was worrying for nothing. Maybe something had come up and he’d had to hurry back to Morgan Creek. Still, he could have found a few minutes to make a phone call, or send a text.
She sighed again. Maybe she’d been mistaken. Maybe the attraction she’d felt only went one way. Too bad, because he was the nicest, handsomest man she had ever dated. He seemed to come from a good family. He had a steady job. Of course, their living in different states would have presented a problem if their relationship had lasted. One of them would have had to move. It wasn’t practical for either of them to fly back and forth, and it certainly wasn’t cheap. And she really didn’t want to get caught up in a long distance relationship. They rarely lasted once the excitement and the newness wore off. At least that’s what she’d heard.
She looked up as her boss, Milford Cummings, stepped into her office. He was a distinguished-looking man, with a shock of gray hair and sharp brown eyes.
“I’ll be out of town for the next three days,” he said. “Are we up to date on Bradley and Bradley?”
Bryn nodded. “All the papers have been signed. They just have to be filed and I’ll do that first thing in the morning.”
“Excellent, Bryn. I’ll see you some time on Friday. If I can close this deal with Higgins, it will mean a lot of money for the firm,” he said, with a wink. “And a nice raise for you. Call me if anything comes up.”
“Yessir. Have a safe trip.”
With a nod, Milford left her office.
A raise, Bryn thought, and smiled. If the raise was high enough, she’d be able to move into a larger apartment.
~ * ~
The only thing Conor hated about being a vampire was the dark sleep. One minute he was awake and aware, the next he was trapped in oblivion. Dead to the world. At least it seemed that way. Even though Saintcrow had assured him that if need be, his instinct for self-preservation would kick in and he would rouse fully in time to protect himself from danger. Saintcrow had also assured him that he would be able to endure the sun’s light in a month or so. He hoped like hell the old man was right.
As usual, his first waking thought was for Bryn. He had purposefully stayed away from her, afraid he might lose control and drink from her. Doing so would surely put an end to any relationship they might have. True, he could mesmerize her and make her forget anything she was better off not knowing, but that seemed wrong. And he didn’t want to start their relationship living a lie.
Muttering an oath, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. He had transported himself back to Morgan Creek after sending Doris on her way. He didn’t feel safe staying in a hotel. Even knowing he could put wards around the room to keep interlopers out, he wasn’t yet that confident of his power. Saintcrow had assured him that he was already more powerful than your ordinary fledgling and that he would continue to grow stronger with the passage of time. Conor grunted softly. If he lived for a thousand years, he would never be as strong or as powerful as Saintcrow. And then he smiled. In a way, Saintcrow was really his father now.
