Tangled Threads Read online

  Roughly two hundred people were gathered around the pool already, while dozens more giant waiters moved through the crowd bearing trays of food and neon-colored drinks topped with tiny umbrellas and skewers of fresh lemons, limes, oranges, and pineapples. Despite the fact that this was officially a press conference, Dekes was still offering refreshments. Why, how very considerate of him. Or perhaps boozy journalists just led to more flattering coverage.

  I grabbed a glass of gin mixed with grapefruit juice from one of the waiters and strolled around the pool, looking for my friends and enemy for the afternoon.

  Owen, Finn, and Bria stood in a ring of people, sipping champagne. As usual, my foster brother was in the middle of the group, regaling the onlookers with one bawdy, boisterous story after another. Bria slouched next to him, looking a little bored, while Owen stood next to her, scanning the crowd just like I was.

  Our eyes met, violet on gray. Heat shimmered in Owen’s gaze, along with concern. Despite my breezy assurances to Callie that I could handle Dekes, Owen and I both knew how dangerous the vampire was. You didn’t amass as big a fortune and survive in the underworld as long as Dekes had without having a few aces up your sleeve. As always, my lover’s worry touched me, as did his willingness to let me do what needed to be done. Donovan had never looked at me the way Owen did, and he certainly would never understand me like Owen did. After our confrontation in Callie’s office, I knew that more than ever.

  I winked at Owen, telling him that I was ready for whatever might come up, and moved on.

  Besides the pool, the other thing that caught my eye was a scale model of what the casino would look like when it was built, complete with trees, sand, and even real water in the pseudo swimming pools and fake ocean. The far side of the miniature landscape started with the Blue Sands hotel and showed how the original structure would stretch out and eventually meld into the new casino, just about where the Sea Breeze stood. Shots of the proposed interiors stood on easels behind the model, showing just how lavish the new, improved resort would be.

  Callie had been right—her restaurant was in the middle of the main gaming hall, which meant that Dekes couldn’t build his casino without her land. That knowledge only made me more determined to get the vampire to back off—or else.

  Finally, I spotted the man of the hour himself—Randall Dekes. The vampire was just as handsome in real life as he was in the headshot Finn had shown me. His sable brown hair and matching mustache gleamed in the sunlight, his skin just a shade lighter, while laugh lines crept out from the corners of his pale green eyes. His trim body was further set off by a smoke gray suit, and a large palm- tree-shaped diamond glimmered in the middle of his matching silk tie. He was easily one of the most striking men here. I wasn’t the only one who thought so, judging from the longing looks that the other women and even a few men shot his way.

  But what the photo hadn’t quite captured was the constant crackle of magic that emanated off Dekes. I stood there, sipped my fruity gin, and tried to puzzle out what kind of power it was. Even when they weren’t actively using their power, many elementals constantly gave off waves of magic, like heat radiating from the sun even when it was behind the clouds. Since I was an elemental too, I could sense that excess energy. Most of the sensations followed a pattern. Magic from a Fire elemental would feel hot, like sparks or fiery needles stabbing at my skin, while power from an Ice elemental would be cold, like snowflakes swirling through the sky. An Air elemental’s power might feel thick and stuffy like fog creeping over the landscape, while a Stone elemental’s magic could seem as hard as a concrete shell covering his or her body.

  The sensation rolling off the vampire slid across my skin like water, but I couldn’t quite figure out which specific elemental area Dekes was gifted in—Air, Fire, Ice, or Stone. Somehow, the magic trickling off him felt like all of those things at once. Hot and cold, soft and hard.

  I frowned. Everyone knew that Dekes was a vampire, but Finn hadn’t been able to determine whether he had any elemental magic as well. The vampire might have the power flowing through his veins as an elemental himself or he might simply be absorbing it from the blood of his victims. Either way, what worried me was how strong the sensation was. Unless I was seriously mistaken, Dekes had just as much elemental juice as Mab had had, which meant that I had to be even more careful with him than I’d originally planned to be.

  As I watched the vampire, a tall, slender woman stepped out of the crowd and headed toward Dekes. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, then looped her arm through his. I recognized her from another photo that had been in Finn’s file. Vanessa Suarez, the vampire’s wife. Finn hadn’t spent as much time looking into her background, but he’d learned that she came from a prominent Fire elemental family in Charleston, South Carolina. Her father had gotten involved in one of Dekes’s real estate deals, and she’d married the vampire about a year ago. Finn didn’t know whether the marriage was a love match, a political alliance, or something else, but it didn’t much matter. If she got in my way, then I’d deal with her the same way that I would her husband—in a brutal, bloody, permanent fashion.

  Vanessa was as beautiful as Dekes was handsome, with cinnamon-colored skin and ink black hair and eyes. She was a bit overdressed for a press conference, but her black evening gown hugged her body in all the right places, and a wide choker embedded with diamonds and pearls gleamed around her slender neck. For some reason, the necklace reminded me of one of the collars that Sophia wore. Matching cuffs that were just as wide adorned Vanessa’s wrists.

  I eyed the jewelry. Even with all the other, more subtle and understated jewels being worn by the various men and women, I could still hear the gemstones’ whispers. But instead of proudly murmuring of their own beauty like the others were, Vanessa’s diamonds and pearls wailed with high-pitched, angry, hurt notes—almost like they were screaming. Interesting—and more than a little disturbing.

  But what really intrigued me was that I didn’t feel any sort of magic emanating from Vanessa. No flickers, no flares, no fiery waves. From Finn’s file, I knew she was a Fire elemental, purportedly a very strong one. Perhaps her power was self-contained, like mine. As long as I didn’t actively use my Ice and Stone magic, other elementals couldn’t sense my power, something that had gotten me out of more than one jam.

  Vanessa whispered something in Dekes’s ear. The vampire nodded, and the two of them headed over to the wooden podium and microphone that had been erected beside the casino model. Dekes stepped behind the podium, while Vanessa remained off to one side.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Dekes said into the microphone. “We’re ready to get started.”

  It took a few moments for the crowd to quiet down. I slipped into the ranks of the other reporters and pulled out my digital recorder, pen, and notepad, pretending to be just another journalist here to cover the press conference.

  “Thank you all for coming,” Dekes said, giving the crowd a winning smile. “As you know, I asked you here today to formally announce construction on my new casino, the biggest project that this island has ever seen . . .”

  The next hour dragged by. Eventually, after a series of speeches by Dekes, the mayor, and all the other muckety-mucks talking about how wonderful the new casino would be, the press conference wound down. Dekes stepped away from the podium, with Vanessa still by his side. He took questions from the various reporters and did a few TV interviews before shaking hands with all the businesspeople in attendance.

  I kept an eye on the couple and drifted in and out of groups of people for about half an hour, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Finally, Dekes’s latest round of fawning well-wishers left, and I sidled up to him before anyone else could get their hooks into him.

  “Mr. Dekes,” I said, giving him a dazzling smile and holding out my hand. “Carmen Cole. Congratulations on your new casino development.”

  “Why, thank you,” Dekes said. “I’m most honored by your presence.”

  His voice
was low and smoky, with a throaty, seductive rasp, and it matched his sleek, dark good looks perfectly. The vamp took my hand in his and lifted it to his lips for a chaste kiss. His thumb stroked the inside of my wrist, right where my pulse was, even though his wife was standing beside him. I’d thought that Dekes’s green gaze might trail down to my breasts, but he kept his eyes on mine. Still, despite his polite smile, I could see the sharp, sudden hunger in his face.

  Perhaps this would be easier than I’d thought. I’d be happy to offer Dekes the chance for a quick, clandestine fuck if it meant that I could get him alone. The bastard would still be trying to get his dick out of his pants while I had one of my knives pressed against his throat.

  “Tell me,” Dekes said. “What do you like best about my new casino?”

  “Well, there are many things to admire about the construction, but my favorite is the way it will so elegantly blend in with the existing Blue Sands hotel. It looks like you’re going to make good use of the surrounding landscape. And of course, the overall structure of the casino itself. It’s going to have beautiful architectural lines.”

  Landscaping and architecture weren’t exactly my areas of expertise, but I’d taken enough classes in enough subjects at Ashland Community College that I could bullshit about almost anything and make it sound somewhat plausible and intelligent.

  My answer must have pleased Dekes because his smile widened, showing me a hint of the fangs in his mouth. I decided to press my advantage. The sooner I got Dekes alone, the sooner I could tell the vampire what was what—and figure out if I needed to put him down for good.

  “Actually, I was wondering if I might have a few moments of your time,” I said. “So I can conduct a private interview one-on-one and let my readers discover the real man behind the curtain, so to speak.”

  Vanessa stiffened at my words, but Dekes didn’t notice. Or if he did, he just didn’t care.

  “Of course,” the vampire murmured. “There are a few folks that I need to say hello to first, but I’d be happy to give you a private interview. Why don’t you meet me by the door in, say, fifteen minutes? We can go inside and get out of the heat for a while.”

  I smiled. “It’s a date.”

  Dekes returned my smile with an even wider one of his own. “Indeed. Now, please excuse me. In the meantime, I’m sure that my lovely wife will be more than happy to talk to you about the interior of the casino, since she’s the decorator for the project. Vanessa, please keep this lovely lady entertained for a few minutes while I see to our other guests.”

  Vanessa pinched her lips together into something that was supposed to resemble a smile. “Of course. It will be my pleasure. It always is.”

  Dekes pressed a kiss to his wife’s cheek before moving off into the crowd. The two of us stood there and watched him move from group to group, shaking one hand after another.

  “He’s certainly charming,” I murmured. “Much more charming than I expected him to be.”

  Vanessa stared at me, her black eyes cold in her face. “Do yourself a favor. Stay away from my husband.”

  “Or what?” I asked, immediately rising to the rancor in her voice. “You’ll get your giant guards to throw me out? I doubt that your husband will let that happen, since he’s so eager to . . . talk to me.”

  Anger and disgust tightened her beautiful features. “You have no clue what you’re getting yourself into if you go off with my husband for a private chat. Don’t say that I didn’t warn you.”

  She turned on her stiletto and stalked off. I watched her weave in and out of the crowd, barely stopping to acknowledge the people who tried to talk to her. Her reaction wasn’t unexpected. I’d played the part of the saucy seductress more than once to get close to a target, and more than once, I’d been confronted by angry wives and girlfriends who wanted me to stay away from their men. Or else.

  Still, I’d seen something lurking in the depths of Vanessa’s gaze, burning there along with the faintest flicker of her Fire magic—fear. Not for herself, her relationship to Dekes, or whatever threat that I might pose to her.

  No, unless I was mistaken, Vanessa’s fear had been for me—and I had no idea why.

  14

  I shook off my concerns about Vanessa and wandered back over to the model of the casino. A few minutes later, Owen sidled up beside me. He stood with his back to the model, staring out into the crowd. I leaned over, pretending to peer at some detail in the miniature landscape and scribbling nonsense notes on the pad that I’d pulled out of my bag.

  “I take it that you set up your meeting with Dekes?” Owen asked, raising his champagne glass to his lips to mask the fact that he was talking to me.

  “I’m meeting him in a few minutes,” I murmured. “After that, I imagine that he’ll take me to his office or somewhere else private so that we can have a little chat.”

  “Be careful,” Owen whispered. “I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.”

  “What is it with you and the looks this weekend?” I teased, trying to make a joke.

  I could see only the side of his face, but the hard set of his mouth told me he didn’t think it was funny at all.

  I sighed. “Okay, so tell me. How was Dekes looking at me?”

  Owen frowned. “Like you were on the dinner menu, and he was the only one who knew it.”

  His words echoed what I’d felt when I’d looked into Vanessa’s eyes a few minutes ago. I didn’t have precognition, and I couldn’t see the future, not like my Air elemental friend Jo-Jo Deveraux, but something wasn’t right. Oh, the stones of the mansion whispered to me of all the violent things Dekes had done here over the years, but there was more to it than that. I just couldn’t put my finger on exactly what that mysterious it might be.

  For a moment, I thought about calling the whole thing off. Just walking away, leaving the mansion, and pretending I’d never heard of Randall Dekes. It would definitely be the safer option, at least until I could gather some more intel on the vampire and his magic, whatever it might be. Fletcher had always told me to trust my instincts, and mine were warning me away from Dekes like red lights flashing at a train crossing. Get on the tracks to try and beat the train, and you were going to get splattered.

  But I couldn’t cut and run. Not when Callie was counting on me to get Dekes to leave her alone, even if she wouldn’t admit it to herself—or Donovan. I couldn’t abandon Bria’s friend any more than I could any of the other people who’d asked me for help over the last few months. Warren and Violet Fox, Roslyn Phillips, Vinnie and Natasha Volga.

  Like it or not, I’d changed, and I wasn’t the cold-blooded assassin I used to be. Bit by bit, piece by piece, my heart had slowly thawed, until now I was just as determined to help people as I was to kill them—even if one almost always seemed to follow the other these days.

  Dekes finished his latest round of handshaking and started scanning the lawn, no doubt looking for me. The vampire’s eyes settled on me, and he smiled, showing me the white glint of his fangs once more. Dekes raised his eyebrows and pointed to the house, indicating that he was ready for our meeting. I held up my index finger, telling him I’d be there in a minute, just as soon as I finished looking over the casino model and writing down a few more notes.

  “All right,” I murmured to Owen, tucking my pad back into my bag. “I’m going in. Keep an eye out. If something goes wrong, you, Finn, and Bria get out of here. I’ll find a way to slip out, make it back to the beach house, and meet up with you.”

  “I don’t want to leave you alone here, Gin,” Owen murmured.

  “I know,” I said in a soft voice. “I know that you want to come with me and protect me more than anything else. And that’s why I love you. But I’ve got work to do. That’s the other thing I love about you—you let me do what needs to be done to help other people.”

  Owen’s broad shoulders tightened with tension, but after a moment, he let out a small sigh and nodded his head. I brought my hand down, brushing my fingers again
st Owen’s. He reached out and caught my hand in his for a second before letting go.

  “Be careful,” he whispered.

  I smiled, even though he couldn’t see it with his back turned to me. “Always.”

  I left Owen’s side and strolled over to Dekes. The vampire held out his arm to me, and I looped my hand over the crook of his elbow. Once again, I felt that crackle of elemental power in the air around him. I half expected to get a jolt when I touched him, just like I had a few months ago when I’d taken on Elektra LaFleur, an assassin who’d had electrical elemental magic. But my fingers settled against his arm, and all I felt was the rich, expensive fabric of Dekes’s suit.

  Still, the feel of his magic—whatever the hell it was—brushed against my skin and clung there like a spider’s sticky web. It wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling, not exactly, not like Mab’s Fire power had always been with its hot, sharp, pricking sensation, but it was enough to make me even more cautious around the vampire.

  “Are you ready for our interview?” Dekes said.

  “Of course. Thank you for making time for me.”

  The vampire smiled, showing me a little more of the two fangs in his mouth and the hunger burning in his eyes. “Anything for a beautiful woman.”

  Dekes led me inside, then up two staircases to the third floor of the mansion. To my surprise and frustration, two giant guards separated themselves from the crowd outside and trailed after us. I’d hoped to shove Dekes into the first dark, secluded corner that we came to and tell him what was what, but that wasn’t going to happen with his two goons a mere three steps behind us and even more guards roaming through the hallways. I could take out the giants easily enough, but add Dekes and his mysterious elemental magic to the mix, and the situation could quickly spin out of my control. So I decided to wait and see how this farce played out. Sooner or later, Dekes would have to send his men away—unless he liked to fuck in front of an audience. Maybe he did. Stranger things had happened to me as the Spider. If it came to that, well, I’d think of something. I always did.