Eternal Seduction (Darkness Within #1)

The next time she had to go to Chicago, her ass would be pulling up to the little white house guarded by rottweilers in a shiny metal box (as Odin liked to call them) stamped with Ford or Buick.

“Welcome to your new apartment.”

Logan opened her eyes to see Trinity’s smiling face, standing in the middle of a living room very reminiscent of the one in Kerestyan’s penthouse only much smaller. It had the same couch, same television, and even the same style tables with bright green plants setting atop them.

“It’s only a two bedroom, one of which I had turned into an office for you, but I think all the furnishings suit you. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive. Just functional, comfortable and meant to be used. What do you think?”

Logan walked over to the couch and sank into the supple leather. “I think…” She swept her gaze over the room, realizing for the first time since she was fifteen, she had a place to call her own. Not a boarded up warehouse. Not an abandoned building crawling with rats and insects. Not even a beautifully dark castle filled with Ancient relics, some of which talked and others that didn’t. But a place where a thirty year old woman could start over, could leave her past behind and find her own future. “It’s almost perfect.”

Trinity flashed a mischievous smile. “I’m sorry. If it wasn’t for the fact he has to attend Court in an hour and a half, I would’ve draped Kerestyan’s naked ass across the couch for you myself. However, something told me if I dropped you on him before Court, the Lord of New York would miss his own meeting.”

Logan chuckled at that. At least they were on the same page, although she would’ve been more than happy just to sit down and talk with Kerestyan for a little while. “When do I get to see him?”

“You’ll get to see him at Court, but you’ll get to talk to him afterwards. Remember the directions I gave you from here to the estate in Midtown?”

She chuckled. “You mean the same estate that someone cleverly named, the Estate?”

“Yeah, that one, you little smartass. Anyway, Lawrence should be stopping by,” she cast a glance to a large, wrought iron clock hanging on the wall, “in about fifteen minutes. You’ll have about an hour to chat and get to know each other, and then he’ll take you to Kerestyan’s Court.”

Logan nodded, even though mild disappointment settled in her stomach. Lawrence was one of Trinity’s oldest Servios, and from what she’d been told, the guy she’d be working with to maintain Trinity’s businesses in the city. However, he wasn’t the man she wanted to spend the next hour talking to.

She reluctantly forced a smile across her face and tried to banish Kerestyan from her mind, at least for a little while. “Is there anything else I need to know?”

“Alfred stocked your kitchen and bathrooms, which you have two of. The keys to your apartment, an envelope containing all your legal documents plus five grand in cash, and your new cell phone with mine, Alfred and Lawrence’s numbers preprogrammed, are out on the kitchen counter.” She motioned over her shoulder to the hallway behind her with a puzzled look on her face. “And I guess Vouclade also sent some thirty different toothbrushes for you and a bunch of toothpaste?” She shook her head. “I don’t know what that’s all about, but I assume it’s some kind of inside joke between the two of you.”

Logan tipped her head back against the cool leather and laughed. Only Vouclade would be so evil. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“Well, I’ll leave that between you two. I guess the only thing left is to let you know you need to meet up with Lawrence at Fetish tomorrow night, no later than 9:00 PM. He’ll get you acquainted with the staff, and then start teaching you the ropes of managing one of New York City’s most popular nightclubs.” There was no small amount of conceit in her voice.

“I’ll be there. Is he picking me up here?”

She flashed that grin again. “No. I told him you’d meet him at the club. I have this odd feeling you won’t be sleeping in your own bed tonight.”

Logan shivered as a tingle of anticipation worked through her. “Not if I’m lucky.”

Trinity blinked and kept her eyes closed for a moment. “On that note, I think I’ll go let Kerestyan, your luv-aire, know you’re back in town. I’ll stop in at the club tomorrow night and check on you. Good luck at Court.” She brandished a pointed index finger. “Pay close attention to what Kerestyan has to say to his residents, and more than anything, watch how the Fledglings react to him and each other. I think you’ll learn pretty quickly why someone like Vouclade has such a rough time with the youth. I’m also willing to bet you’ll be just as appalled.”

Logan refused to take that bet because she was fairly sure Trinity was right. She stood up and smiled at her favorite Dominatrix. “I’ll see you tomorrow night. And thank you for everything, Trinity. I wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for you and I want you to know I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

“You’re welcome,” she said as a breeze cut through the room. “You’ve been everything I expected…and more.”

Logan stared at the empty space where Trinity had been and smiled. In less than two hours she’d be standing in front of the man who’d chosen “life” for her before she’d made the decision herself.

What would she say? What would he say?

Nervousness crawled up her spine. It’d taken almost a week to realize she cared for him, but what if something had changed for him during that time? What if she saw him again and the goblin in her belly disapproved?

Stop. He’s good, I can tell. She chuckled out loud. Great. Her beast was quoting lines from Disney movies. How messed up was that?

She’d have taken more time to consider the irony, but a loud knock brought her thoughts to a screeching halt.

Logan walked across the room to her front door. No doubt, Lawrence stood outside, and all she could do was hope they had something in common. Otherwise, life as a Servio would be rough. She’d rather be on the street than attached to someone she didn’t get along with.

She inhaled the deepest breath possible and pulled open the door, revealing a man with long blonde hair, who stood only a few inches shorter than her. Dressed in a white button down shirt and khaki slacks, his light brown eyes and hard features seemed vaguely familiar, but it wasn’t until he beamed a bright white smile that realization struck.

His two top teeth were chipped at the bottom.

Logan blew out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Larry? Holy shit! You look so…clean.” And he did, he looked nothing like the man who’d sold her heroin for the last three years. And had it not been for his teeth, she’d have never believed they were the same person.

Larry let out a laugh in a voice much deeper than she’d ever heard him use. “I could say the same about you.” He motioned past her. “May I come in?”

“Yeah, of course.” She stepped back and gave him room to pass. “Wow. This is crazy. Your hair isn’t brown and greasy.” She slowly shook her head. “Why didn’t Trinity just say Larry?”

He turned around. “Probably because you wouldn’t have believed it was me when you looked through the peephole.” When she smiled, so did he. “You didn’t even look, did you?”

“Nope.” She stared at the white metal door and wrinkled her nose before she pushed it closed. “I’m not exactly used to having a door yet.” She offered him a seat on the couch, and then sat down in the dark grey chair across from him. “What’s up?”

“Not much. I came to take the newest Nelek Servio to her first Court. And I must say,” he looked her up and down from beneath a single raised brow, an appraisal that didn’t make her skin crawl nearly as bad this time, “the newest is looking pretty good.”

She smoothed the bottom of her black sweater over the waist of her jeans. “Thanks. I don’t feel too bad either.”

“I heard. Congratulations on getting clean.”

“Thanks.” She relaxed back into the chair and shook her head again. “Why the hell do you stand on the corner down in Brooklyn and sell drugs?”

He tipped his blond head back and laughed. “Because believe it or not, I hear everything when I work down there as Larry. I know who’s doing what, with who and why. Most of the Fledglings and Servios in the city haven’t put Larry and Lawrence together yet, which only works to my advantage. I’m respected by day as Lawrence, but I’m informed when I’m a dope dealer named Larry by night. Besides, being down there doesn’t bother me. Not everyone I sell to is a bad person; they’re just addicted to some chemical that helps them get through their day. It’s not my place to judge them.”

Logan tilted her head. “Is that what you thought about me?”

“I never really considered you a hardcore addict. Most of the people I served, I saw at least once a day. You came on Wednesday and Sunday like clockwork. If anything, I’d say you were dedicated, not addicted.”