Christian (Vampires in America: The Vampire Wars Book 10) by D.B. Reynolds Page A

her to her feet along with him, as everyone around them started cheering. Resting a hand on Lana’s hip, he pulled her close, then leaned down and whispered in her ear. “You know I love you, right?”
    She tsk ed loudly, and elbowed him in the side. “Of course I know that.”
    It was Vincent’s turn to laugh as he met Camille’s eyes over the crowd, and winked. She grinned back at him, and shook her head. Bastard , she mouthed at him.
    “MAYBE IF WE GET married here, your dad won’t come,” Vincent muttered two hours later. The party was over, the congratulations rung, and the sun was looming.
    “Vincent,” she chided, slapping his arm. “Of course, he’ll be here. I’m his only child.”
    “And you’re marrying a vampire.”
    “He likes you.”
    “He’s afraid of me. And for good reason. If he hurts you—”
    “He won’t hurt me. When should we do this? And can we invite Cyn? Will Raphael let her come?”
    Vincent snorted. “Right, like Raphael dictates where Cyn goes.”
    “You know what I mean. Vampire politics. You’re a lord, he’s a lord . . . it’s all very twisted.”
    “Haven’t you heard? We’re all buds now.”
    “Uh huh. What was that phone call you got earlier?”
    Vincent watched as she stepped out of the red dress, leaving her in nothing but a matching bra and a pair of barely-there silk panties. And those shoes.
    “Vincent?”
    His attention snapped back to her face. “Sexy,” he commented. “Come here, wife.”
    She made another tsk ing sound. “Not yet,” she said, coming into his arms. “Tell me about the phone call.”
    “Not sexy,” he grumbled. “It was Raphael. There’s a new player on the board for the South, and it sounds like he’s throwing a wrench into Anthony’s plans for the succession.”
    “I thought it was kind of a winner-takes-all thing.”
    “It is, but it’s beginning to look like Anthony had a winner in mind, and it isn’t the new guy.”
    “Does it matter to us?”
    Vincent shrugged. “Not really. According to Raphael, this new player—Christian Duvall’s his name—is pretty damn powerful, and he wants to join the alliance, so . . .”
    “But you’re worried about something.”
    “I’d like it a lot better if the South was settled once and for all. We’ve got problems of our own, and I don’t need their shit bleeding into mine.”
    “Lovely imagery.”
    Vincent slapped her firm ass. “You asked.”
    “Uh huh. You have too many clothes on.” Pushing his jacket off his shoulders, she started working on the buttons of his shirt.
    “About the wedding,” he said, sliding his hands around her hips and cupping the round globes of her ass beneath the silk of her panties. “As soon as possible.”
    Lana gave him a quizzical look.
    “Anything you want works for me, as long as it’s here in Mexico City, and we get married sooner, not later. A month is too long.”
    She grew very still, staring up at him. “Vincent, is there something you’re not telling me?”
    “It’s war, Lana. Things happen. And I want you to be mine.”
    She met his eyes for a long time, searching. “Okay,” she said finally. “One month. I need you, a dress, and my dad. Maybe a few friends. And my mom if she wants to come. One month.”
    “It’s a date.”

Chapter Five
    Houston, Texas
    NATALIE CHECKED her posture, straightening her back where she sat near the wall, watching the Krav Maga class on the other side of the dojo. It was an advanced class, which meant she had trouble following all of their moves, despite her familiarity with the discipline. Krav Maga wasn’t beautiful; it wasn’t meant to be. It was functional and deadly, and it got the job done. Natalie had picked up the basic moves from Alon Riese, her best friend and the instructor for the current class, but despite his encouragement, she’d never pursued it further.
    Joining a dojo had been at the top of her list after she moved to Houston, but judo was her discipline. Her