Page 15 of Exes, Hexes, and Strategy
Pale complexions were typical with Turned vampires seeing as they couldn’t go out in the sun, but the man who was currently smirking at him was definitely not a vampire. Silver eyes ringed by thick black lashes that almost gave the man the appearance of wearing eyeliner peered at Rafe, but it was the messy, choppily-cut, jet-black locks that gave Rafe a clue as to who he might be dealing with.
“You’re an angel,” Rafe said quietly, not sure if that was information that should be shared.
“Last I checked.” The guy confirmed with a lopsided grin. “And you’re a Born.”
Realizing he was staring, Rafe shook himself. “Rafe DeMarco,” he said, extending his hand.
The angel took it in a strong grip. “Cam.”
Leaning forward and lowering his voice, Rafe asked, “Why is an angel here?”
“For food. I’m hungry,” was said around a large bite of sandwich.
Rafe just barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I meant, at a Hunter training facility.”
The man chewed and swallowed, that lopsided grin making another appearance as Cam leaned forward as well, those unusual silver eyes glinting with mischief. “They offered me a job where I get to kick vampire ass. I’m your hand-to-hand combat instructor.”
Chapter Nine
Rafe was exhausted. The angel, Cam, had taken great pleasure in dropping his students on their asses over and over again as he taught them fighting moves. He’d opened the class by introducing himself – though he didn’t mention that he was an angel – before he said, “If any of you decide to get it into your heads to compare dicks in this class, let me assure you, mine’s the biggest.”
The comment had elicited some chuckles. One woman, a Turned vampire who looked to Rafe like she might have some military training, piped up to say, “Dicks are weak, one hit and they’re down. It’s a vagina that can take a beating.”
The angel’s eyebrow had popped up before that lopsided grin of his had made an appearance. “Ooh. I like you.” He’d then clapped his hands together, rubbed them in anticipation, and took a fighting stance before he said, “All right, you lot, show me what you’ve got. Come at me.”
They had, and every one of them had been put on the floor in a matter of moments. To say that the class had been intense would be an understatement. While the angel hadn’t even broken a sweat, the trainees were all groaning, some of them limping by the time it had ended. Rafe was pretty sure his bruises had bruises. Luckily for him, he healed fast.
All he wanted right now was a hot shower before he fell into bed for some much-needed sleep. What he hadn’t anticipated, was Nina waiting in the hallway outside the classroom.
She looked freshly showered, her braided hair still damp, and she smelled deliciously of warm skin and soap. He wanted to approach, get a deeper inhale of that intoxicating scent, but she was doing a good job of avoiding eye contact with him as others exited the room, so he stood against the opposite wall, biding his time, waiting.
It was only once the crowd thinned that he noticed her odd behavior. Her head kept nodding pointedly to the left, and her eyes were wide, her eyeballs flicking to the left as well before she strode off.
Okay. Assuming she wanted him to follow, he eagerly set off, any thoughts of sleep forgotten.
“Are we being stealthy?” he asked with amusement once he came abreast of her.
“Sneaky,” she corrected, maintaining her current pace and a discreet distance between their bodies. “We’re being sneaky.”
“Ah. Care to share the reason why?”
Rafe held his breath. This was it. He could feel it deep in his bones. Finally, he was going to learn the true reason behind why Nina had left him.
She shook her head. “Not here.”
He glanced around the empty hallway, wanting to ask why not here, but he held his tongue. Nina obviously had a plan, with a particular destination in mind, and he could wait. He’d wait an eternity for her if that’s what she required.
He spotted Mel a few moments later as they turned a corner, and the woman was frantically waving her hand, urging them to hurry as she held open a door for what turned out to be a janitorial closet. Brooms, mops and buckets, metal shelves of paper products, and cleaning supplies surrounded them as Mel closed the door behind them.
Nina collapsed back against one of the shelves with a blown-out breath of relief. “I don’t think anyone saw us,” she told him, her eyes finally meeting his. “And when Mel and I checked earlier, we didn’t see any cameras in the hallways.”
Realizing that this was the first private moment they’d had in what felt like an eternity, Rafe had to fist his hands to keep from grabbing her, pulling her into his arms, and devouring her with his kisses. God, how he’d missed her, longed for her in her absence. She’d left a hole in his life that no one but Nina could fill.
And suddenly, shewasin his arms, the scent of her surrounding him, and his body shuddered with gratitude. He hadn’t reached for her, rather, she’d launched herself at him, her face buried against his shoulder as she held him tight. “I’m so sorry,” she gasped. “I wanted to explain, to tell you, at least a hundred times but I couldn’t risk it.”
“It’s okay,” he said soothingly against her hair as he rocked with her. “It’s okay. I’ve missed you so much, Nina.”
“Oh, God, I’ve missed you so much too,” she replied thickly, tears in her voice, tears he couldn’t see, but ones he could feel dampening his T-shirt.
