Page 50 of Brimstone Bound
I opened the door warily. He gazed at me with glittering dark eyes. ‘D’Artagnan,’ he said. ‘I saw you in the club as you were leaving. I wanted to check on you and make sure you were alright.’
I heard Jeremy behind me as Lukas’s eyes clocked him. His expression closed off. ‘You’re not alone.’
‘No, Lord Horvath. I’m not.’
There was a faint tightening around Lukas’s mouth.
Jeremy cleared his throat. ‘I’m her boyfriend,’ he said loudly.
‘I see.’ Lukas spoke coolly. ‘It’s nice to put a face to the name. D’Artagnan here has told me about you.’
I glanced at Jeremy. The fact that Lukas had called me by my nickname was a mark in my favour.
Jeremy relaxed visibly and smiled at me. ‘All good things, I hope.’ He paused. ‘Did I hear that properly? Are you Lord Horvath?’
I jumped in before Lukas could answer. ‘He is. He knows I’m working undercover. He asked Supe Squad to get involved because we’re investigating matters which the vampires can’t deal with themselves.’ I knew it was a lie that would irritate Lukas, but I couldn’t resist it. ‘You can’t tell anyone you’ve seen him with me, Jeremy.’
‘My lips are sealed.’ He looked at Lukas. ‘Undercover or not, this is a strange time to come calling.’
‘Well,’ Lukas answered smoothly, ‘Iama vampire. Night time is when I do my best work.’
I coughed. ‘Indeed. You’d better go home, Jeremy. Get some rest. I’ll call you as soon as I can. I just need to sort out a replacement phone first.’
He stood next to me. ‘Yes, you should do that. You didn’t tell me what happened to your own phone.’
‘I lost it.’ I raised my shoulders in a self-deprecating shrug. ‘What can I say? I should take more care.’
‘Well,’ Jeremy said, with a teasing twinkle, ‘I hope you reported its loss to the police.’
I managed a laugh. ‘Not yet, but I will. Thanks for dropping by. I’ll see you at home.’
He nodded and dropped his head for another kiss. Jeremy wasn’t usually prone to public displays of affection, and I suspected that Lukas’s brooding darkness was the catalyst. At least this time he was more gentle.
I kissed him back and gave him a little nudge. ‘I’ll be home by this time next week. Come hell or high water.’
A shadow of sadness crossed his eyes. ‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Bye, love.’ He strolled out, whistling a desperately melancholy tune.
Lukas and I watched him go. At the end of the street, Jeremy raised his hand and a black cab pulled up. He got in without looking back. A moment later, he was gone.
Lukas looked at me. ‘Interesting,’ he murmured. ‘I wouldn’t have put the two of you together.’
I ignored that and glared at him. ‘Why didn’t you tell me who you really were?’
‘I didn’t lie, D’Artagnan. You didn’t ask.’
‘Don’t play the fool, Lukas, it doesn’t suit you. You knew I had no clue about your identity. Do I call you Lukas? Or should I call you “Lord” and curtsey?’
He made a face. ‘Lukas is my real name,’ he said, surprising me.
‘Really?’ My voice was flat. ‘Aren’t you afraid that I’ll use it against you?’
‘I’m too powerful for my name to be used against me.’ He wasn’t boasting, he was simply stating a fact.
He sighed and put his hands in his pockets. ‘Besides, there are very few supes who have the power to dominate through their voice, even with the use of a given name. You’re right. I could have told you who I am, but it would have altered how you acted around me. Bear in mind that while you were wondering whether you could trust me or not, I was wondering the same thing about you.’
I frowned. He’d used the past tense. ‘And now?’
‘I’ve seen into your heart,’ he said quietly. ‘I no longer have any fears on that score.’
