N. Walters - Damek's Redemption

Isaiah’s eyes narrowed on her and she realized whatever good will he’d had toward her had just vanished. She truly was in enemy territory. There was only one thing she could do.

“I’m a member of The Keepers,” she blurted.

When they both looked at her as though she was speaking in tongues, Sonia knew if she couldn’t talk her way out of this situation, she was as good as dead.

“I don’t know who in the hell The Keepers are but this discussion needs to move to a more private location.” Isaiah opened the door and pointed. “Now.”

Damek was beside her before she could so much as blink and wrapped his fingers around her wrist like a manacle. “Don’t make a scene or you’ll regret it.” He bent down, picked up her phone and tucked it into his jacket pocket.

Regret sliced through her like a knife. She’d been stupid to think there could ever be anything more than business between her and Damek. But how she’d secretly hoped for more. Damek had tapped into the sensual side of her nature without even really trying. Her erotic dream was evidence of that. She was drawn to him in a way she’d never been to any man. Of course, he wasn’t exactly human.

She’d liked the mysterious club owner, the charming companion and the man she sensed lurked beneath the persona he’d carefully built. He’d seemed…lonely. That was the word that came to mind over and over and she’d longed to be the woman who eased his loneliness.

Yeah, like that would happen. Once again she’d followed her heart instead of her head and it had gotten her into deep trouble.

She might be drawn to the man she thought he was, but she knew nothing about the vampire he truly was.

Damek tugged on her arm and she reluctantly followed him out of the bathroom. It was a shock to see that the rest of the world was still as normal as ever. Patrons danced and ate, but there were a lot less of them than there had been. Neema cast her a sympathetic glance as they passed but made no move to interfere. She glanced toward the door but the bouncer was looking at Isaiah and whatever signal he’d gotten from the other man had him turning his attention back to the club. She was so screwed.

She stumbled along behind Damek with the crowd parting easily for them. Of course, she’d get out of the way too if she saw Damek and Isaiah coming toward her. No, that wasn’t quite true. She’d be more likely to approach them and ask questions, which was why she was in such hot water.

“In here.” Isaiah stood back and let Damek pull her into an office. Meredith was already sitting on the edge of a large desk, which dominated the space. Meredith glanced at Damek’s hand where it was wrapped around Sonia’s arm, but offered no comment.

Damek shoved her into a chair and casually took the one next to her. Sonia wasn’t fooled in the least by his show of nonchalance. The tension in the room was palpable and the walls seemed to move in and out, undulating with each passing heartbeat. The air was alive with static electricity and the fine hairs at her nape stood on end. Beneath her sweater, goose bumps raced down her arms even though she was sweating.

Oh yeah, there was a lot of power, a lot of anger in this room. The curious thing was she didn’t think all of it was coming from Damek.

She turned her attention back to Isaiah as he assumed the chair behind the desk and stretched out his long legs beneath it. The muscular build, the animal grace, the way he assessed her and subtly sniffed the air all made sense. No wonder she’d recognized him. He reminded her somewhat of her beloved papou.

“You’re a werewolf, aren’t you? I’m not sure if you’re full-blooded or half, but I know you are one.”

Isaiah put his hands behind his head, showing off his massive biceps. “I’m trying to figure out if you’re really as naïve as you seem or if you’re the most conniving bitch I’ve ever met.”

Sonia winced. “I didn’t mean it to be disrespectful or to worry you. I’m no threat to you or your pack.” And many of them would be living and working here because wolves were pack animals. Not many lived in cities, but it wasn’t totally unheard of.

“Well, that’s where we might have a difference of opinion.”

Beside her, Damek stirred and pure menace rolled over them all in waves. “Don’t threaten her, wolf.”

“Why not? You brought her into my club, my home, without knowing what kind of threat she was.”

“Enough.” Meredith’s voice was low but filled with command. “How do you know such things?”

Sonia set her purse down on the floor beside her and rubbed her sweaty palms over her jean-clad thighs. Her sweater was clinging to her back and she knew they could all smell her fear, but there was nothing she could do about it.

“I’m a member of The Keepers,” she began.

“You said that before,” Damek pointed out. “What does that mean? Is it another faction of the paranormal bounty hunters?”

“God, no.” She shivered at the thought of being associated with those butchers.

Meredith suddenly picked the phone up off the desk and dialed a number. “Hi, it’s Meredith. Where are you?” She paused and nodded. “Good. I need you in the office as soon as you get here.” She ended the call. “Craig will be here in about two minutes. He was already on his way over. Apparently, Hank called and let him know you were here and with a woman, no less.”

There was obvious affection in Meredith’s voice for this Craig person. Sonia only hoped he knew more about The Keepers than the rest of them did.

“You never answered my earlier question,” Damek pointed out.

“Which one?” she countered.

“Why did you think I was a vampire?”

Sonia studied his familiar face with its classic features and dark eyes. “I didn’t know for certain. It was a hunch more than anything.” When he gave a small growl of displeasure, she held up her hand to silence him and was surprised when he actually subsided. “Honestly. I stumbled over some articles on Inhibitions when I was researching the death of several men in and around Wicker Park last fall. Something about the findings was off. They said some of the men were shot and others looked as though a large dog had mauled them. Since pit bulls are a favorite breed with drug dealers, the police called it a drug killing and left it at that.”

“But you didn’t.” As he studied her, Damek’s gaze seemed to penetrate her very soul.

She swallowed hard and shook her head. “No, I didn’t. It had all the classic signs of a paranormal bounty hunter/werewolf attack. Of course, it could have been a drug killing too. So I kept researching and stumbled on to Inhibitions quite by accident. There was a grainy picture of you in one of the articles. I know most people believe that vampires can’t be photographed or seen in mirrors—”

Damek cut her off before she could continue. “But you know better.” He swore under his breath. “Some idiot snuck a camera into the club and that damn picture was out before I knew it existed.”

Sonia shivered, not wanting to know what had happened to the photographer. “I became obsessed with finding out more about you. Everyone I spoke with about the club seemed to feel it had some kind of hold on them while they were there, making them lose all inhibitions.”

“You, better than anyone, know what mass hysteria can do to a crowd,” Damek pointed out. “As a folklorist, you know all about such things. Look at the Salem witch trials, where everyone condemned those poor people with no hard evidence. It’s the same principle at play at my club. One or two people push the boundaries and before long so does everyone else.”

She nodded. “I know, but I had to see it for myself. To see you for myself.” Sonia looked away from Damek’s penetrating eyes, not wanting him to see how badly she’d wanted to find him, not for research, but for herself.