Sylvia Day - A Touch of Crimson

“God.” She exhaled in a rush. “I’m sick over Adrian. He’s lost too many of his friends lately and he’s not getting a chance to grieve properly with everything falling apart at once.”

“Mortals don’t mate so quickly.”

She shot him an arch glance. “Not sure where that came from, but I have to disagree. Haven’t you ever heard of a one-night stand? Some mortals mate within minutes of meeting each other.”

“Not mate as in fuck,” he corrected drily. “Mate as in take a bullet.”

“I’d take a bullet for you. And while you’re very hot, I don’t want to mate with you.”

“You’re nuts, you know that?”

She shrugged. “And you’re my friend. So what does that make you?”

He stared at her profile for a long time, then finally turned his head to look out the passenger window.

As they climbed the hill toward Angels’ Point, Lindsay’s cell phone rang. She pulled it out of the cup holder where she’d dropped it and answered, fumbling to hit the SPEAKER button. “Dad. How the heck are ya?”

“Missing you. How are you?”

“I’m hanging in there. Hiring staff for the grand opening and trying to stay out of trouble.”

“How’s Adrian?”

Recalling the weariness she’d heard in Adrian’s voice, she sighed and said, “He’s having a rough time.”

“But you’re still sticking with him. That’s hopeful. It must be serious between you two.”

Glancing at Elijah, Lindsay spoke the truth because she knew both men had her best interests at heart. “Actually, I kinda put on the brakes.”

“Why?” Unlike Adrian, Eddie Gibson revealed every emotion in his voice. The undertone of disappointment was unmistakable.

“We’re… incompatible.”

“Did he say that?” Now he sounded pissed.

“No,” she said hastily. “He wants to go for it. I just see the trouble ahead, and it’s best to cool things off now, before we’re invested.”

“You’re already invested, baby,” he argued. “Or you wouldn’t be worried about trouble ahead.”

Her lips pursed. “Hmm…”

“You’ve been keeping guys at arm’s length your whole life. I was happy about that when you were younger, and later on I figured if your dates were worth anything, it wouldn’t be so easy to cut them off. But shutting Adrian out isn’t easy, is it?”

“Dad, can you please not psychoanalyze me? Or at least save it until you’ve tried dating again.”

“That’s why I called. I’m taking someone out to dinner tonight.”

Lindsay’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. For a moment, she couldn’t decide what she was feeling. It wasn’t all good. She was surprised and scared, dismayed and hurt, happy and excited.

“Lindsay?”

“Yeah, Dad.” Her voice was too husky. She cleared her throat. “Who’s the lucky lady?”

“A new customer who came in today. She asked me out after I changed her oil.”

“I like her already. She’s obviously smart and has great taste in men.”

He laughed. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Totally,” she fibbed. “I’d be mad if you didn’t go. You better have a good time, too. And wear the shirt and slacks I got you for your birthday.”

“Okay, okay. Got it: Go. Have fun. And don’t dress like a bum. But you have to do something for me, too-give Adrian a shot. A real one.”

She groaned. “You don’t understand.”

“Listen,” her dad said in his no-nonsense voice. “Adrian Mitchell is a big boy. He can take care of himself. If he doesn’t see a problem, don’t make one. You deserve to be happy, Linds, and no relationship is risk-free. I’m dipping my toes in the dating waters again. But you-you’ve never jumped in at all. I think it’s time you took the plunge.”

“I love you, Daddy, but the metaphors are killing me.”

“Ha! I love you, too, baby. Be good.”

“I’ll want a rundown tomorrow,” she warned.

“As if I kiss and tell. Talk to you later.”

Hitting the END button, she looked at Elijah, who met her gaze. Her dad was finally putting himself out there. She thought she’d be happy about that. She was-mostly. But there was a part of her-an admittedly childish part of her-that felt as if her dad was leaving her mom behind. Which was something Lindsay still couldn’t do.

“You’re close to your sire,” Elijah noted.

“We’re all the other one has, if that makes sense.”

Nodding, he said, “Explains why Adrian has lycans guarding him.”

Her foot lifted from the gas pedal. “ What? Why?”

“Adrian assigned lycans to watch your father. I didn’t know why. Now I do. He’s doing it for you, because your sire is important to you.”

“When did he set that up?”

“In Vegas.”

Lindsay pushed harder on the gas, thinking it would be better not to be behind the wheel at the moment. “Why would my dad need guards?”

“Anyone important to Adrian is at risk of being used against him.”

Getting to her dad would get to her, which would get to Adrian. “If something ever happened-”

“Don’t worry.” Elijah offered a reassuring smile. “Adrian asked me to pick the team, and I suggested the best of the pack. They’ll keep him safe.”

She might have kissed him, if she hadn’t been driving. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You should thank Adrian, too.”

“Yes,” she said softly, her heart softening further. Adrian’s fall wasn’t the immediate concern; it was her own fall that was imminent. “I should. I will. Shit, everything’s a mess.”

“Yep.”

Which reminded her why they were driving to the Point to begin with. “Do you know what happened to your friend? Why he was missing?”

“He was ambushed and left for dead. It took him a couple days to make it to the highway, where he was found.”

“Jesus,” she breathed. “Was it vamps?”

Elijah gave a curt nod and gestured for her to turn left up ahead.

“Fuckers. I want to kill them all.” Even as Lindsay said the words, the depth of hatred in them surprised her. Her life had changed so much in the last couple of weeks. Vampires were now hurting her friends, and they were responsible for making it impossible for her to have Adrian. She couldn’t think of one good reason for them to exist. They were like fleas or mosquitoes-disgusting, worthless, bloodsucking parasites that were better off extinct.

She pulled up to the wrought-iron gate and gatehouse that protected the Point. The guard took one look at Elijah and let them in. It was midafternoon. The sun was still high in the sky, affording her the opportunity to check out all she’d missed the first time she’d driven through the elegant gate. The wolves stayed on the other side of a rise in the road, keeping themselves hidden from public view. When she crested the top, she saw them dotting the native landscape. So many of them. So majestic and imminently dangerous.

Pulling around the circular driveway, she parked. She tried to expel some of her tension with a swift, audible exhalation.

Elijah was out of the car in a controlled yet powerful rush of movement, opening her door before she had released her seatbelt. He waited until she climbed out, then pointed to a large hangarlike building set atop a hill about a half mile away. “I’ll be there. You can come up when you’re done grabbing your things, or wait for me here. If I’ll be more than an hour, I’ll send word.”

Lindsay caught his arm before he turned away.

He stared down at her hand, which she pulled back quickly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to put my scent on you. I just-I’m sorry about your friend, Elijah.”

His gaze lifted to hers and his features softened. “I know you are. Thank you.”