“Baojia. It was a surprise to see you this night. What brings you to Ensenada?” Ivan’s eyes had latched on to Natalie, who was leaning into Baojia’s side, being suitably silent.
“It’s rather embarrassing, to be honest. I hope Luis filled you in.”
“Your human said you were here for a girl?” Ivan’ Kl?tros unnatural grin widened, and Baojia felt Natalie stiffen. He sent a creep of amnis over her. Just enough to relax her so she didn’t look surprised. “How times have changed. I don’t recall you being fond of human women.”
“I’m not, but there’s not much to do in San Diego.” Baojia glanced around the club. “I’m sure you understand. Where’s Constantina?”
The name of his longtime mistress seemed to trip Ivan up for only a second before he said, “Some ridiculous illness. Not sure.” He shrugged. “You know how they complain.”
Ivan’s mistress was one of the most formidable women Baojia had ever met. A human fiercely loyal to her immortal lover, she possessed keen intelligence and sensual beauty in equal measure. She was integral to Ivan’s businesses. If Constantina wasn’t at Bar El Ruso, something was definitely up.
“Hmmm.” Baojia tried to look bored. “Well, as I said, I offer my apologies for the unexpected visit.”
The vampire motioned Baojia to a seat. He relaxed infinitesimally as he sat down and pulled Natalie onto his knee.
“The things we do to alleviate boredom, eh?” Ivan said with a nasty glint in his eye. “She’s pretty. Very… American-looking.”
“I’m fond of her. She’s kept me more entertained than most.”
Natalie tensed as the two men continued on as if she wasn’t there. Baojia absently played with a piece of her hair, hoping she would relax on her own and play along.
“I’m very curious what you wanted to meet about, but first, can I offer you a drink?” Ivan leaned over to a girl at his side, brushing her hair to the side as he licked her pulse, then bit. Luckily, Ivan was too busy to notice Natalie’s reaction. The woman went stiff in his arms, a protest about to burst from her lips. Baojia sent more amnis over her. She was going to want to kill him. She wouldn’t, of course. But she’d want to. He grabbed the back of her neck possessively and pulled her down to nuzzle her neck.
“No reaction,” he took the opportunity to murmur, then placed a gentle kiss on her neck as the girl across from Ivan moaned. Natalie was trembling. Not anger, he finally realized. She was scared to death. He looked over at Luis, who was standing in a corner, also looking terrified. “Luis.” He caught his assistant’s eye and motioned him over. He waited for Ivan to finish drinking, which he did, licking the last of the girl’s blood from his lips, his fangs bared as the human slumped at his side. “Ivan, I wonder if I might send my humans to wait in the car so we can speak more openly.”
“Of course. Tio will see them out.”
A large brute of a vampire sped to Luis’s side while Baojia rose. He slid an arm around Natalie’s waist for a moment, squeezing her hand and sending another wave of calm over her. “Take a nap, darling. You’ve had a long night.”
Natalie only blinked and nodded, but he could see the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. “I’ll wait in the car,” she whispered.
“Luis will see to you if you need anything.”
His assistant held out an arm and Baojia put Natalie’s in his, reluctant to let her out of his sight, even if it meant getting her farther away from Ivan. Just then, Ivan’s man stepped a little too close to Natalie, and she cringed as the strange vampire bared his teeth and took a threatening sniff.
Baojia’s tightly leashed control, strained by the tension permeating the club, snapped as Luis was forced to pull Natalie behind him. He reached for one of the short swords. A slight rip at the edge of his pocket was the only warnin Ke o nug Tio received before he was pinned to the wall by Baojia’s blade through his neck. The vampire scrambled, pulling at the sword that was lodged an inch from his spine, as Ivan laughed and Baojia darted in front of him, tugging Natalie along. He danced on the edge of violence, sorely tempted to end the life of the presumptuous brute.
“See that?” He flipped the hair away from her neck, baring the bite marks he’d made the first night he met her. Natalie couldn’t stop the whimper that left her throat when Baojia pulled his blade from Tio’s neck and wiped off the blood on the vampire’s shoulder, baring his teeth in his face. “Do you know who I am? You do not sniff what is mine. Do you understand?”
“Learn some manners, Tio!” Ivan was still laughing. “Carlos, see to the humans.”
“Yes, Boss.” An older vampire Baojia recognized stepped out of the shadows and motioned Luis and Natalie to the stairs.
“Carlos is far more controlled. Your humans will be safe with him.”
“Thank you.” He took a deep breath, ignoring the wild adrenaline scenting the air. “Luis, take the girl to the car. I’m sure I’ll only be a few more moments.”
“Of course.” He held out his arm for Natalie again. “Shall we?”
Before she took it, Baojia caught her eye. Her terrified gaze only said one thing.
Monster.
CHAPTER SIX
The black Mercedes was parked close enough to the club to be safe from vandals, but far enough away that it wouldn’t be caught by traffic in case its occupants needed a quick getaway. The man named Luis kept his hand on her arm the whole way there, guiding Natalie as she stumbled in a horrified daze.