Free Stakeout (Aurora Sky by Nikki Jefford Page B

show you how
tasty leftovers can be.” She shot Fane and
me a silky smile.
    Gavin shot up after her, not sparing either
of us a glance.
    “I think I’m going to be sick,” I whispered
as Valerie sashayed her way up the stairs, Gavin following eagerly
at her heels.
    I hadn’t realized I’d spoken aloud until I
heard Fane’s voice inside my ear. “It’s his loss. She tastes like
rotten fish.” I hadn’t seen Fane move next to me. My senses had
gone numb the moment I saw Gavin with Valerie.
    “Rotten fish,” I repeated with a frown. So
Valerie’s blood did taste off. That or Fane was still putting on
his macho show. I hoped so. Maybe my taste had turned Gavin off.
But he’d sucked my blood before. Please tell me I did not taste
like rotten fish!
    Henry walked in a second later and missed the
whole Valerie and Gavin barf show. He took mindful steps as he
glided over with a full martini glass, sipping from it only when
he’d stopped beside Fane and me .
    Henry finished swallowing and looked directly
at Fane. “So Aurora was followed
    here... again. Not the best track record,
Francesco.”
    Fane smirked. “You mean that boy from
earlier? Mike? The only danger he poses is to himself.”
    “He’s still a threat.” Henry took another sip
of his martini.
    “What do you propose, Henry? We slash him and
stash him at the dump?” Fane chuckled softly.
    Suddenly I wasn’t breathing. Fane better be
joking. They both better be joking. I looked at Henry.
    He didn’t look amused, but he didn’t shoot
down the idea, either.
    “Perhaps if you made it clear that you and
Aurora are together guys from the outside wouldn’t try swooping in
on her.”
    Fane’s jaw clenched when he forced a
smile.
    “Don’t look at me like that,” Henry said.
“I’m only pointing out the obvious. She’s trouble.”
    “Yeah, she’s trouble all right.” Fane
grumbled under his breath. “But that’s none of your business.” He
started for the entryway.
    “Where are you going?” Henry asked.
    “Home,” Fane replied. He locked eyes with me.
“To drink tea.” Fane smirked when he saw Henry’s look of confusion.
Then he turned and headed for the front door.
    Henry shot me a bemused smile. “Want a
sip?”
    His martini glass was over half full thanks
to the dainty sips he’d taken.
    I downed it in five seconds. After coughing
softly to clear my searing throat, I handed the empty glass back to
Henry. “I suppose there’s more where that came from.”
    Henry leaned in. “Or we could take this
upstairs.”
    “Why not?” I answered with all the numbness I
felt inside.
    Henry leaned forward, inches from my eyes.
“You’re something special, Noel. So brave and beautiful.”
    I didn’t have it in me to smile.
    I’m not special. I’m not beautiful.
    And brave? I simply didn’t give a shit if I
lived or died. I didn’t give a shit what happened to me. Maybe
that’s why I said what I did next.
    “Has anyone ever told you, you talk too
much?”
    Henry’s face darkened right before he let out
a bark of laughter. He gave me an appreciative nod. “You’re the
first.”
    “Let’s get me a refill first. Unless you want
to drink alone?”
    Henry smiled. “You can have as much as you
want.”
    And more. So much more, but it turned out to
be too much.
     

     
    When I first woke up, I didn’t know where I was
until several shades of orange came into focus. This was no sunrise
staring me in the face. I blinked four times, remembering that I’d
darted in front of Henry in the hallway earlier that morning and
led him into the unoccupied October room. At least Valerie hadn’t
taken that away from me. But it was just a room. I didn’t give a
shit about a room.
    My neck ached where Henry had bit me.
    I turned my head on the pillow, relieved to
find myself alone in bed. Not exactly a shocker. I was good enough
to bite, but not to bed.
    Henry had, however, taken my shoes off and
pulled the covers over me.
    The hardwood floor was