Immortals And Melodies (Blood And Guitars #2) by Heather Jensen Page A

might make me some irresistible offer to be with him instead. His fears weren’t completely without merit. Damir had tried to blackmail me into being with him before. He’d even gone so far as to show up at Wes’s funeral and offer to keep Trey and all of his friends safe, if I’d leave Trey for him. He appealed to the part of me that wondered if Trey would have been better off if we’d never met. I wasn’t convinced I was worth all the danger.
    “Promise me,” Trey said again with bated breath.
    “I promise. You and I have come too far to let someone like Damir stand between us. Besides, I’m not entirely convinced that he’s not involved in all this somehow.”
    Trey nodded and pulled me in, kissing the top of my head. “Okay,” he said resolutely. I took his good hand in mine and we made our way up Antonio’s walk. Antonio had the courtesy to let us knock before he answered the door, though I knew he was aware that we’d been out in the yard for some time.
    “It’s good to see you in one piece,” Antonio said to Trey, eyeing his sling as we stepped inside.
    “It’s good to be in one piece,” Trey said.
    “I shouldn’t be gone long,” I said to them both.  
    “Remember my child,” Antonio added. “You’ve done nothing more than protect someone you care about. There’s no fault in that.”
    I nodded, wishing I could believe Damir and the Emissary would be so reasonable. As I turned to go, Trey caught my arm and spun me around to face him. His lips came crashing down on mine, and I kissed him back through my surprise. Emotions came flooding through the connection the kiss brought and I felt his uncertainty, his desperation. When he pulled back, he stared at me intensely.
    “What was that for?” My voice was just above a whisper.
    “You know what,” was all he said. And I did. “I love you,” he added.
    “I love you, too.”

    The drive to Damir’s house wasn’t a long one, but it seemed to take an eternity. I could still feel Trey’s lips on mine, still taste the salty-sweetness of his kiss. I wished there was something more I could do to reassure him that he was the most important thing in my life, but I knew that nothing short of me walking back through Antonio’s door to him in the next hour would make him feel any better about the situation.
    Damir’s front door was answered by a member of the Emissary who led me down into the basement where the other members were lounging on lavish sofas and sipping Vidic Vineyards blood-laced wine from tall glasses. Officer Dunn was also there. He rose to his feet and nodded at me, and I returned the gesture. As for Damir, he barely reacted when I walked into the room. Apparently, I wasn’t worth more than a mere raising of his eyebrow. He sat behind a large wooden desk that was set up in the corner. Honestly, he acted like he was bored with the whole proceedings, and I’d only just arrived. I don’t know why, but I’d expected more from the Emissary. From Damir. A little formality, perhaps? It was just another way in which Damir was a big disappointment.
    I planted my feet firmly and crossed my arms, facing him. He wanted informality? I could give him that. “You wanted to see me.” It was more of a statement than a question.
    Damir took his time slowly sipping from his glass before he set it down on the desk. He spoke slowly without turning to look at me. “What I want is not to baby-sit vampires who make foolish childish mistakes.”
    Unlike my meeting with the Synod when I’d felt the need to bite my tongue, I decided to give Damir a piece of my mind. “Since when did vampires killing vampires become a childish act?”
    This got his attention. He spun in his chair to face me completely and leaned forward. “So you admit to killing another of our kind last night?”
    “I’ve never denied it.” He glared at me for a long moment. Was that satisfaction I saw in his glowing eyes? Officer Dunn took a step forward, clearing his