Page 30 of The Mermaid’s Bubble Lounge (Sam Quinn #8)

THIRTY

Passing Notes

I left my hair long, put on some eyeliner, mascara, and lip tint, and then went to my own closet. “So, we’re thinking a cocktail dress, is that it?” I called over.

He stepped into the doorway of my closet, already wearing a crisp white dress shirt and charcoal slacks. “You can wear whatever you’d like. I don’t know that The Bubble Lounge has a specific dress code.”

I nervously pulled the silk robe belt tight. “I know, but I want to look appropriate. I don’t want to embarrass you in front of your friends.”

Chuckling, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me. “You could never embarrass me, and friends may be overstating the relationship.” He pulled back. “I’d forgotten. Does Thi still want me dead? Do we know what that was about?”

“I forgot too,” I told him. “I fell asleep last night. Once I get dressed, we can try to visit her thoughts together, and you can tell me what she’s thinking or what she saw.”

He checked his watch and nodded. “We should have time.” Scanning my clothes, he said, “Personally, I’m still voting for leather pants. If I can’t have those, though, I’d say a little black dress or trousers and a turtleneck, whichever you feel more comfortable in.”

“Okay.” I pushed him out. “You finish getting dressed and I’ll figure it out.

” Once he was gone, I went to the far end, where the cocktail dresses were hanging.

I pulled down a black dress made of a thin, whisper-soft wool.

It was form-fitting on top, though it flared a bit at the hip.

Shoulderless, it had a narrow halter tie around the neck.

I couldn’t reach the zipper in the back, but that was okay because I wasn’t sure I could leave the house like this. Yes, my scars were gone now, but I still felt them. I wondered if they’d always be there in my mind.

I was so lost in thought, I hadn’t realized that Clive was back until he was zipping me up. He rested his hands on my exposed shoulders and watched me struggle. “It’s chilly out. You might be more comfortable with a jacket or a cardigan.”

I turned in his arms and rested my head on his chest. Once the tightness in my throat loosened, I said, “Good call.” I had a black cashmere cardigan with brushed silver buttons. I slipped it on and then put on a pair of closed-toe strappy stilettos. I turned to Clive. “Okay?”

“Perfect, though I think you could use some color in your accessories.” He went to the jewelry drawers and pulled out a stunning collar of interlocking platinum swirls with emeralds and blue diamonds nestled in the swoops and dips. I stared and then blinked a few times.

“Where did that come from?” I glanced up at him. “Tell me those aren’t real. What if I lose it?”

“I have faith in you.” He lifted it over my head and secured it in back. It fit perfectly and hid the straps of the dress, so it looked as though the dress itself had an emerald and diamond collar.

“And these.” He handed me emerald earrings and a wide bracelet that matched the necklace. All of which, of course, matched my blue diamond wedding ring.

“I’m going to need armed guards to follow me around.” My hands shook holding the treasure.

“You don’t need guards. You have me.” He attached the bracelet around my wrist and waited for me to put on the earrings.

At least they had screw backs, which made them feel more secure. Short of someone ripping them out of my ear—

“Stop. Darling, you yourself could fight off any ne’er-do-wells. If you require backup, though, I imagine eight vampires would be enough.”

“Okay. I’m being stupid.” I looked in the mirror. “Are we sure this isn’t too much?”

“We’re sure.” He took my hand and led me back into the bedroom. “Let’s take a look into Thi’s head and see why she wants one of us dead, shall we?”

Clive took off his suit coat and we sat on the sofa. I closed my eyes, still holding his hand in both of mine, and I sought out the little green blips that meant vampire. Other than the three near me, the rest were clustered together in the nocturne.

Linking with Clive was second nature now. When we’ve tried this before, Godfrey couldn’t hear you, but we don’t know if Thi has any special gifts, so I don’t want you to say anything once we get started, okay?

Of course.

When you’re in her mind with me, squeeze my hand, so I know you’re hearing and seeing what I am.

I will.

Here we go.

Sorting through the nocturne vamps, I found Russell, Godfrey, and Audrey right away. I had to mentally touch on each of the others to find the one I was looking for. I’d visited Thi and her assistant yesterday, which helped me recognize their mental signatures today.

I wrapped the coil of my magic around Clive and pulled him into my candy-coated brain. Did that description sound stupid? Yes, but it’s how I visualized it, and it worked for me, so back off.

Once I had Thi’s blip located, I let my consciousness spread out, engulfing her blip, and then quietly seeped in. I was much better at this than when I first tried to do it last year. I used to stab my way in, but the older, more powerful vamps felt the intrusion. Now? Not so much.

I heard her voice but had no idea what she was saying to the assistant I had listened to last night.

Clive squeezed my hand. Okay, good. I let him listen for a bit and then pushed an image of myself from last night into her mind.

The tone of the conversation changed. Clive held my hand firmly throughout.

Eventually, he tapped my hand twice and I pulled us out.

When I opened my eyes and turned to him, Clive was already watching me.

“You’re truly remarkable.” He kissed me and I lost my train of thought.

He finally pulled back and said, “At first, it was nothing. A conversation very like our own—what are you wearing? When you pushed your image at them—and you are far more beautiful than you think you are—the conversation changed. Thi asked if Mai noticed anything special or dangerous about you after Thi had gone into the library. Mai said that after Godfrey had deposited them in the lower level, she’d come back up looking for you.

She knew you were in the study and that you were getting your hair done, but she didn’t hear anything being said. ”

“Did she mention that text I saw in her memories?”

“Of sorts,” he replied. “Mai said she didn’t understand why Chaaya had texted that you weren’t what you seemed to be.”

“Anything else?”

He shook his head. “That doesn’t mean there wasn’t more to the text, but they didn’t mention it.”

“I could try to find the memory again,” I volunteered.

He checked his watch. “We don’t have time. When you go into memories, you’re often in there for hours. But there is one more thing I’d like you to do, if you’re feeling up to it.”

“What’s that?”

“I want to go into Joao’s thoughts like you did Thi’s. There’s something off there. It could be nothing, but I want to make sure that he, too, didn’t get a message from someone in Budapest. I can’t put my finger on it, but I’d feel better if we knew if he was plotting against us.”

“I don’t like spying on people if I don’t have to. It feels creepy. If you think he’s a threat, though, I can do it.”

He pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it. “Thank you, darling. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think it was important.”

I went through the process again, pulling Clive along with me. Joao wasn’t talking with anyone. He was texting someone, though. Clive squeezed my hand, so he was on the job. I zoned out while Joao continued to text in what I assumed was Portuguese and then finished getting dressed.

When it seemed like he wasn’t doing much, I pushed an image of myself into his brain. He slammed the closet door closed and then started texting again. When Joao finally left his room and started down the nocturne stairs, Clive tapped my hand and I pulled us out.

He stood, pulling me up with him. “We should get started too. I want to arrive first. I contacted Nerissa to let her know we were coming. I’d like to go inside and see if you feel anything in the corner of the room Meri was talking about.”

I brushed my hands down my dress, hoping I didn’t wrinkle it. “But what was Joao thinking?”

“I’ll explain in the car.”

I strapped on my axe and grabbed a small black handbag.

When we started down the stairs, Fergus came running toward us from the den.

Clive gave him a full-body scratch and then picked up a note on the counter.

He barely glanced at it before stuffing it in his pocket.

He turned to me with a bright smile. “Ready, darling?’

I held out my hand. “Nice try. Hand it over.”

He so did not want to. It was written all over his face. “It’s nothing. Shall we give Fergus a treat before we go? I believe Vlad already fed him dinner.”

I left my hand out and waited.

Finally, he took the crumpled paper out of his pocket and handed it to me.

In Vlad’s perfect penmanship, I read,

I’m finding it too noisy to read here. Let me know when you two are done and I’ll come back.

P.S. Fergus has been given his dinner. Have you fallen on hard times? Is there a reason the poor dog gets dry kibble?

I felt my cheeks flame, remembering my telling Clive about my hot farm boy fantasy and then what happened afterward, remembering what we had done the day before and then finding Vlad down here.

The things we’d said to one another, the sounds—dear God, the sounds…

I needed a hole I could drop into and stay in until old age and dementia helped me forget this moment.

Clive grabbed it from my hand again and shoved it back in his pocket as he pulled me into a hug. “I’m sorry, love. The man is a menace. Perhaps we should start leaving notes around the Viper’s Nest when he visits Stheno.”

I pulled back and stared at him. “Vlad and Stheno? That already happened?”

He nodded. “But do you see me trying to embarrass him?”

“That’s actually kind of a scary combination,” I whispered.

Clive shrugged. “It’s none of my business.

I wish he felt the same about our love life.

” He kissed my temple and held me tightly against him.

“I can ban him from the house, if you’d like.

We gave him a perfectly acceptable apartment to stay in.

Just because he can walk around during the day doesn’t mean he has to walk over here. ”

I patted his chest. “It’s okay.” I shook my head, like I did in my other form when I was trying to shake off unease. “I’m sure it was intended as a joke.” I pushed away and checked my bag for my phone.

“Let it go,” I told him, petting Fergus’ head, as he was leaning heavily into me.

“It’s no big deal.” I got a stick of chicken jerky for my pup and then checked the back door.

Why? I don’t know. No one could break in that way, but it kept me busy and moved me farther away from that note and the knowledge that someone—nope.

Not going there. I needed to suck it up and brazen this out.

It was just a joke. I knew that. After everything I’d been through, though, intimacy was hard for me.

Someone else listening made me feel like I’d been displayed naked on a billboard in Times Square.

Whatever. I couldn’t think about it now.

Later, after everyone had gone home, I could curl up in bed and deal with the humiliation. Right now, we had vamp shit to do.

“Oh. You were in a hurry,” I said, straightening my dress again and brushing off Fergus’ hair. “Sorry.” I went to the elevator and pushed the button.

Clive was beside me, taking my hand. I knew he’d feel me trembling, but he didn’t say a word.

“Be a good boy,” I called over my shoulder. “We’ll be back in a few hours.” As the elevator door slid shut, I saw Fergus climbing up on the couch and I smiled. I needed to keep my mind on my pup and not the men waiting in the garage.

The elevator door opened and Clive squeezed my hand, leading me toward the men standing by the car.

“Cadmael, can you sit in back tonight?” Clive asked. He walked me to the front passenger seat, opened the door, and then closed it for me once I was in my seat.

In the rearview mirror, I saw Clive toss the crumpled note to Vlad as he circled around the back of the car. All three vamps got in at the same time.

“Sam, I—” Vlad began.

“No,” Clive said, shutting him up.

The drive to the wharf was silent. Clive kept one of his hands wrapped around mine the whole way there.

When we pulled into the parking lot, there was a valet waiting to take our car. Clive rolled down the window. The attendant was fae. He looked in and recognized us.

“I’ll take it back myself,” Clive said. The valet nodded, getting out of Clive’s way.

He circled around the nightclub and parked beside a shiny black limo. One of the nocturne’s vampires sat behind the wheel and nodded to Clive when our car came to a stop. “The others are here.”