Longing for You, стр. 12
“And so, ladies and gentlemen, what I hope to create here is asafe place for women to explore bespoke tailoring and all it has to offer.Thank you.”
The crowd broke into applause, and Amelia smiled with relief.Byron caught her eye and mouthed, I love you.
Then a voice she didn’t recognize said, “I understand you arelooking for information, Principe.”
Byron looked to her side and saw a small man with round wireglasses and a suit and hat that had seen better days.
“I might be. Who are you, sir?” Byron asked.
He bowed his head and said, “Enoch Ratner at your service,Principe.”
Byron spotted Alexis making her way over, to get rid of her newfriend no doubt, but she waved her back.
“You have information for me, Mr. Ratner?”
“At a price. Of course I would normally give you anything I hadfree of charge, Principe, but times are hard.”
Byron took her wallet out and extracted a large sum of notes butheld on to them. “Tell me, then.”
“There’s a witch, runs a bookshop with her granddaughter. It’scalled The Portal.”
“And why do you think this witch will be able to help?” Byronasked.
“Magda always knows what’s going on in our community,” Enoch said.
Byron handed him the notes. “This better not be a wild goosechase.”
“It won’t be, Principe. I promise.”
* * *
One of the models, a really good-looking butch named Will, waschatting up Katie in the corner of the room. She liked her, but the situationwas getting uncomfortable. Every time she looked up, she saw Alexis scowling ather.
Then Daisy caught her eye. She was bracing herself against a chairand rubbing her temple.
“You’ll have to excuse me, Will. I think my friend isn’t feelingtoo well.” She walked over and said, “Daisy, are you okay?”
Daisy put on a smile. “Oh yeah, fine. It’s just been a lot of workgetting this all ready for today. My head is a bit sore.”
“As long as you’re okay. You’ve done a great job here.”
“Thanks. Amelia has appointed me manager—did she tell you?”
“No—congratulations, Daisy. That’s great news.” Katie gave her akiss on the cheek.
“Thanks. It’s going down well with the guests, isn’t it? Are thereparanormals here?”
“Oh, a few I’d guess, but none that will cause any harm,” Katie said.
Daisy shook her head. “The things I could tell the world. It’scrazy hard to keep secrets.”
“I know, but it’s to protect Amelia,” Katie said.
Katie knew that Daisy wished she could tell the subscribers of hersuccessful YouTube channel everything she had learned, but because of Ameliaand her other new friends, she couldn’t tell anyone. The outing of theparanormal world would put them in danger.
Daisy took a drink and pulled at the high collar of her jumper.“Hey, do you want to go out to The Sanctuary after this? I need to let off somesteam.”
“I’d love to,” Katie said.
Daisy pointed to Alexis who was patrolling the room. “Super grumpyvamp is still gazing at you longingly.”
“She dislikes everything about me, Daisy.”
“I don’t know. Hate and love are very close.”
Katie thought back to the moment they shared in the blood room,while Alexis was feeding and she had a vampire feeding on her. The air waselectric, and sex and need permeated the air, but then Alexis had run again.Like she always did.
“I don’t care what she is or she isn’t. I’m just sick of herscowling. Let’s go out and have some fun. Oh, let’s ask Sera too.”
* * *
The line of black Debrek cars pulled up in front of the house.Alexis got out and opened up the door for Byron, while Wilder, Amelia’s guard,did the same for her. Byron waited for Amelia and took her hand.
“We’re in for the night, Duca,” Byron said.
“Yes, Principe.”
Alexis waited while Sera and Katie got out of the car behind. Shewanted to make sure everyone was in the house safely before she gave everyonetheir orders. As Sera passed her, she heard Katie say, “Are you sure you won’tcome out with us to The Sanctuary? I’m meeting Daisy there in an hour. Plentyof time to get ready.”
“I’d love to. You know me—I never want to miss a party—but I’mflying out to New York at four a.m. It’s my friend’s art exhibition tomorrownight. The only way Byron’s letting me out of the country since our littlefight with the Dreds is if I take the Debrek plane and I stay with our cousinAngelo. Everything’s been set, so if I miss my flight time, I’m in trouble.”
“Oh, well, another time,” Katie said as they walked up the steps.
Alexis was frozen on the spot. Katie was going out to TheSanctuary with Daisy. Two humans alone in a club full of paranormals, withthings the way they were? She felt utter fear grip her heart.
“Duca?”
Alexis realized someone was trying to get her attention. It wasBhal, who was standing with Wilder.
“Sorry, Bhal. Could you give the orders? I need to speak toKatie.”
“Aye, no problem.”
Alexis ran up the stairs and into the entrance hallway. Katie wassaying goodnight to Sera, and then Sera walked upstairs to her room.
Alexis’s fear was turning into anger. How could Katie be soreckless, going to a paranormal club alone after everything they’d been throughrecently?
“Katie?” Alexis said sternly.
Katie turned around and sighed when she saw it was Alexis. “Yes?”
“Can I talk to you?”
“You are, aren’t you?” Katie said sarcastically.
Alexis looked around and saw the entrance hall was filling up withthe guards.
“A private word.”
“If you insist.”
Alexis led them into the drawing room and shut the door.
Katie said, “What have I done wrong this time?”
“I heard you were planning to go out to The Sanctuary,” Alexissaid.
“Listening in to my conversation, were you? Yes, I am. I’m gettingready and meeting Daisy there in an hour.”
Alexis wasn’t going to sugar-coat her response. Katie just had tobe told it wasn’t safe. “There is no way I’m letting you go to The Sanctuary.There’s been case after case in the last few months of vampires attacking atwill. Most likely the Dred vampires causing trouble in our home city.”
Katie