Page 26 of A Token of Blood and Betrayal (Kennedy Rain #4)

I made a trip back to the Catalan. I wanted to check on Deagan again, yes, but I was also procrastinating.

Just before my cell phone died completely, Carrie had texted.

Today was the day I’d promised to visit, and her message contained a threat.

If I no-showed on her this time, she swore she’d become a card-carrying member of my “resort.”

That was entirely Blake’s fault. He’d told her The Rain was secluded and special because it was a sex retreat for VIPs. I’d wanted to strangle him for that explanation.

I climbed the stairs to Deagan’s floor, still trying to decide if I could risk dropping by the apartment.

I missed my college life, how routine the days had been, how normal, and how my biggest stress was studying for tests and passing final exams. I missed hanging out with Carrie and the guys on the breezeway, all those times John and Alex had swiveled their TV around so we could watch a game through their window.

I’d taken advantage of those pockets of time.

I hadn’t enjoyed them enough. That was the thing about everyday moments.

You only noticed how special they were when you lost them.

I want them back.

The thought was selfish. I’d withdrawn from that life to protect them.

I was hoping the paranormal world might forget my college days.

That it might not realize my friends could be used against me.

Maybe it would when they graduated and moved away.

Until then, I had an earth elemental watching out for them, and Jared kept tabs on them as well. They were as safe as I could make them.

I reached Deagan’s door, pushed it open, and walked in.

Only to screech to an abrupt stop. I’d expected Deagan to be passed out asleep still, not sitting up in his bed.

He must have just woken because his wide-eyed gaze darted to the left, then to the right, then to the ceiling before landing on me.

Hopefully that look on his face was confusion, not madness.

“Good morning,” I said carefully, testing his temperament.

He cocked his head, then looked down at himself and frowned.

I frowned too. Yesterday he’d been wearing a dingy white shirt.

That was gone now. His wide, bare shoulders topped a broadly muscled chest that was dusted with dark hair.

It surprised me, not only because he’d been extremely gaunt and crazed when Arcuro sicced him on me last week, but also because I’d never considered Deagan to be…

attractive. He always covered his physique with frilly shirts and jackets that resembled those from the Renaissance era.

Brow still wrinkled, Deagan lifted the blanket that covered his lower body and peered underneath. I guess he was satisfied with what he saw because he dipped his head in a nod, then met my gaze again. “I believe there may be gaps in my memory, Ms. Rain.”

At his mention of my name, I relaxed and took another step into the room. “Are you okay?”

“Okay?” His lips pressed together, and he seemed to focus inward, self-assessing.

Right. Dumb question. “I—”

A throat-clearing cough caused me to turn.

Melissa stood just outside the doorway, brows lowered into a disapproving scowl.

I rolled my eyes. “He’s fine.”

She crossed her arms. “How do you know?”

“For one, I’m capable of forming coherent sentences.”

Both Melissa and I looked at Deagan. His almost shoulder-length hair was just as disheveled as the bedsheets and…

I frowned. “Where are your clothes?”

“A very intriguing question,” Deagan said.

Melissa leaned a shoulder against the doorframe. “He pissed the bed last night. It stank. I threw away what he was wearing along with the bedding.”

Deagan’s jaw dropped. His eyes widened. “Clothing can be washed.”

“It was in tatters,” I said. “Jared sent you something to wear. It should be hanging on the bathroom door.”

“Bathroom door.” He looked to his left. His face brightened, and without hesitation, he flung his blankets off and stood.

And wobbled.

Melissa and I rushed forward, grabbing one arm each to keep him on his feet.

Annoyance flickered in his eyes. “Gravity can be so cumbersome.”

I fastened my eyes on his face. “Take it slow. You’ve been out of it for a while.”

“How long?” he asked.

“Around two weeks,” Melissa replied before I could. She had not fastened her eyes on his face.

I smacked her arm.

“What?” She looked up, saw my pointed expression, and smirked. “Vampires don’t have your human prudishness.”

“It’s called respect.”

“Prudish,” Deagan and Melissa said simultaneously.

We helped him to the bathroom, tentatively let him go when he stepped onto the laminate floor. He placed one hand on the doorframe for balance, then felt along the wall.

Something clicked softly. Deagan frowned. Another soft click. His mouth flattened. A third click.

The light switch.

“The power’s out,” I said casually, hoping he wouldn’t ask why.

“Why?” he asked.

“Rumor is someone forgot to pay the bill,” Melissa answered.

He stared at me. “Truly?”

“I’m taking care of it,” I said. “Can you dress on your own?”

“Of course.” He released the doorframe and turned to face the mirror. “Oh. Dreadful.” He ran his fingers through his hair, or tried to at least. The tangles and knots didn’t allow it. “I must shower. And urinate.”

He turned toward us, closed the door, then immediately cracked it open again. “Lest I miss in the dark.”

“Right.” I stepped back. When he started peeing, I took another step back.

Melissa had the decency to retreat too. “Well, it doesn’t look like he’s insane still. I think you’re in the clear. He won’t sink his human teeth into you today.”

“Yeah, that’s only something you make vampires do.” The words slipped out.

“Ouch,” she said. “Low blow.”

“It was a joke.” Sort of. I was still extremely annoyed she had “panicked” and pretended to be a human victim of a vampire bite. But, really, that was in the past. I needed to let it go.

Deagan continued to pee.

“I guess I deserve it,” Melissa said. “That’s one reason I haven’t left The Rain. I don’t know what else Crusco might force me to do when he finds me.”

That would worry me too. She was an extremely young vampire, and Crusco was both Aged and her creator. He had virtually unbreakable influence over her actions.

Geez. It sounded like Deagan was pouring water bottles into the toilet, one after the other.

“Now that Jared’s replaced Arcuro, he has more resources,” I said. “His people will find Crusco soon. If Christian doesn’t first.”

“Christian is going to get himself killed,” she muttered.

“He loves you. And he—”

The toilet finally flushed.

“I am feeling much better now,” Deagan said. “Where can I find soap?”

I hadn’t thought about that. “Guests typically bring their own.”

He made a noncommittal sound. “Toothbrush?”

“They bring that too,” I said.

He peeked his head out of the crack in the door. “What kind of hotel doesn’t offer complimentary toothbrushes and soap?”

“This one,” I said. “For now. I can go back to the residence to get some. Unless Melissa…”

Melissa backed toward the hallway door. “My shampoo is expensive. And I don’t share toothbrushes.”

“Not even once? For an Aged and influential vampire?” Outside the Null, she’d trip over herself to cater to Deagan’s needs.

“Nope.” Grinning, she gave me an enthusiastic wave and then left.

Deagan sighed. “Water and a washcloth will do for now.”

I wanted to sigh as well. The Rain was perpetually stuck in nineteenth-century hospitality.

I blamed it on the very old, grumpy men and women guests who weren’t big fans of change.

Even when my parents eventually gave in to my demands for an internet connection, they’d basically had to create a presentation with a bulleted list of reasons why it would benefit both The Rain and the paranorms. Even then, Arcuro and Lehr had only reluctantly provided the extra funds.

Once I climbed out of the financial mess they left me, I’d renovate, repair, and spruce up the hotel. I’d drag it into this century, make it what it was meant to be—a haven for paranorms, not a medieval museum.

The shower squeaked on. “Where is his magnificence?”

Even with the water running, I heard the worry in Deagan’s voice.

“He’s fine,” I said. “He’s at the compound.”

Deagan’s head suddenly peeked out the narrow opening between the door and the wall. “He cannot be fine if he’s there!”

I raised my hands in a calm-down motion. “He’s—”

“He would not have traded himself for me.”

That was true. “Arcuro’s dead.”

“Arcuro is not…” Deagan’s brow furrowed.

“He’s dead,” I assured him.

Still frowning, his head disappeared back into the bathroom. A few seconds later, he asked, “How?”

Jared wanted to keep my involvement in Arcuro’s death a secret. If he wanted Deagan to know I’d killed the asshole, he could tell him when they spoke again. “It’s unclear.”

The rings on the shower curtain scraped along the metal rod. “It is nearly impossible to kill one’s master, let alone one’s creator. Jared could— Good God!”

I tensed.

“It’s freezing!”

Oh. Right. Cringing in sympathy, I said, “The water heaters are electric.”

“Argh!” He said that, the actual word argh.

“I recommend a sponge bath?” I really should have thought about the cold water.

“I’m already a block of ice.” He cursed, then apparently decided to endure the shower. A minute later, the water shut off and the curtain scraped along the rod again. Now that it was quieter, I could hear him muttering about the hotel’s lack of amenities.

I sighed. “The power will be back on soon.”

He grunted, and the bathroom door moved slightly, probably him removing his clothes from the hook. “As I was saying, Jared couldn’t have…”

His head appeared in the door crack again, his dark hair still sopping wet. “Drawers?”

“What?”

“Drawers. I don’t see them.”

I looked to the dresser on my left. It had six drawers.

“Underwear,” Deagan said, exasperated. “Did Jared send any with my clothes?”

Old vampire. Ancient language. Got it. “Not unless it’s on the hanger. Stop dripping on my tile.”

“Linoleum,” he corrected.

I waved a hand. “Semantics.”

He ducked back inside the bathroom. “Jared would have killed Arcuro in the past if it were possible.”

“It was chaotic,” I said. True if misleading.

“You were at the compound?”

“Briefly.” I needed to shift the focus away from me. “Are you almost dressed?”

“It is well-nigh,” he said.

“Huh?”

“Who is the compound’s master now?”

“Jared. My cell phone is basically dead,” I said. “You can use the office landline to call him if you feel like walking that far.”

“The compound belongs to his liege-ness? I’m surprised others didn’t swoop in to claim it.”

“Satine tried.”

Deagan shoved open the door. He’d pulled on pants and was halfway finished buttoning up a white shirt, but his fingers appeared to be frozen. “Satine?”

He didn’t know about Satine. It seemed like I’d first met and pissed her off ages ago. In reality, it had been just under two weeks. He’d already been a prisoner. “It’s a longish story. Jared can catch you up.”

“Satine was here?”

“Not here at The Rain. She showed up at the compound—”

“And did not take it over? Or kill Jared?” Deagan was beginning to sound panicked.

“I said she tried—”

“We must go.” Deagan strode out of the bathroom, took my arm, and pulled me toward the doorway.

“What? Go where?”

“I will give directions.”

“Deagan.” I pulled my arm free. It was either easy because he was weak or because he’d decided against dragging me through my own hotel. “I don’t think you’re thinking rationally yet.”

“I assure you, Ms. Rain, I am. Now please come with me. This is a life-and-death matter.” His long strides took him to the stairs.

“Go where?” This time, the question was a demand.

He paused on the first step. Looked over his shoulder. “Did I not mention the life-and-death matter?”

“Did I not mention the sun is up?”

His head cocked. “You didn’t actually, but the window told your tale. Come along now. You’ll understand—”

His knee buckled. He fell sideways and down, rolling over a hip once, twice.

“Deagan!” I hurried after him.

“Ouch.” His butt was perched on the second-to-last step, his feet on the floor, elbows resting on knees as if he’d just casually decided to sit.

I crouched in front of him. His eyes weren’t focusing well, but that was the only sign he might be injured.

“Jared’s going to kill me if I let you kill yourself,” I said.

Deagan snorted, then winced. “All will be well when we exit the Null.”

“Except the going poof in the sun part.”

He pushed to his feet, wobbled only a bit. “Blankets.”

“Blankets?” I asked.

“Yes, Ms. Rain.” He headed out the door.

And I suddenly realized what he meant. “No. No way. I’m not smuggling you out in my trunk again.”

“It worked beautifully last time.”

I caught up with him. “We were stopped by a cop last time.”

“A onetime issue, I’m sure. All will be fine.”

“I know what fine really means.”

He laughed.

He was serious about this. Why? The last time he left the Null during daylight was because he’d been here during the week of the full moon.

The Lehr-sanctioned werewolves found him snooping around, and they were not happy about it.

They were ready to shove him out of the Null.

I’d barely been able to get him out of there alive.

“You’ll explain everything?” I asked when we reached the lobby’s back door.

“Of course I will.” He headed toward the employee hallway.

I chewed on my bottom lip. Was I going to do this?

Leave the Null again? Canyon was unlikely to approach me with another paranorm around.

Deagan might not be at one hundred percent yet, but he counted as protection.

I could help him with whatever his emergency was.

He could escort me to the bank and electric company.

From the trunk, but that was a technicality.

“Ms. Rain,” Deagan said, drawing me out of my thoughts. His eyes were clear and sincere. “Trust me.”

“The last time I saw you conscious, you tried to kill me.” Would have if Jared hadn’t shown.

Deagan grimaced. “I was that gone?”

I nodded.

“My apologies. I do not wish you harm. You are the best thing that has happened to the paranormal world. It is in our best interest that you live a long and prosperous life.”

My mouth pinched into a smile. “That proves it. You’re still out of your mind. Blankets?”

“Blankets,” he replied.