CHAPTER ONE
New Atlanta--1905
Kane Dupree bounded up the back stairs of the
Southern Star Hotel, taking them two and three at a time. The boss
hadn’t even given him time to clean off the dust from the road
before calling him here. Irritation ate at him. He wanted to find
Calista, not drink and catch up with the others.
As he ran up the seven flights of stairs, he
heard the steam-powered lift rising behind the wall next to him. He
easily overtook it and shook his head. Modern convenience had a
long way to go. Perhaps it was better for some to ride to the top
floors than to climb the numerous steps—the sick or old or infirm.
It was the able-bodied that confounded him. No amount of persuasion
would force him into that tiny metal box. It went against his
animal nature.
He reached the top of the stairwell on the
sixth floor and walked into the hall, careful to scan the
passageway for guests, before entering the maid’s closet on the far
end. Inside, he counted seven panels over on the back wall and
pushed his palm flat against a pear-shaped knot in the wood. The
section of wall slid away, revealing another set of stairs. Taking
a deep breath, he walked through, pausing only long enough to flip
the lever that closed the opening behind him before starting
up.
At the top he lifted another lever to open
the wall and entered the library. The door swung shut behind him on
its own. This was new. He raised an eyebrow at the man sitting in
an armchair behind the huge mahogany desk.
“Pressure plates under the floor.” Phineas
grinned.
Kane glanced around, a little nervous and
cautious before he entered the room. Phineas’ new toys were
sometimes dangerous and unpredictable.
An amused chuckle rose from one of the dark
corners and Kane’s eyes narrowed. Alec. They were wary
allies. The vampire rubbed him the wrong way and usually did it on
purpose. Kane stalked forward, right to the window where he was
silhouetted by the late afternoon glare. He was rewarded by Alec’s
huff and bit back a grin. The vampire wouldn’t combust in the
sunlight, but he’d blister like hell so he avoided it. He’d
probably come to the hotel through the passages under the city.
Kane turned his back to the window and faced
the room with his feet braced apart and arms crossed over his
chest. He was not in the mood for business. After his last mission,
he’d hoped for a little rest and relaxation and he knew just whose
thighs he wanted to it between. They belonged to one feisty bounty
hunter who refused to settle down. To be fair, she didn’t exactly
know what he was. Or, more specifically, all that he was. Secrets
and lies. Would he ever be free of them?
“Can we get on with it?” drawled the
werepanther sitting in the corner. Kane and Nico were definitely on
the same page.
“Of course.” Phineas rose and crossed the
room to draw the curtains closed.
Alec came out of the shadows when he did.
“You take all the fun out of tormenting the
vampire, Phin,” Kane complained.
Phineas snorted a laugh, but when he spoke
his tone was dead serious. “This time I’m pretty sure y’all might
act like adults. Trust me. You want to hear what he has to
say.”
Kane arched an eyebrow and walked to the
fancy sofa. He sat and waited for Alec to begin. This should be
good. Not as good as Calista, but it was all he had to work with at
the moment. Last he heard the other man was busy in the Old City
infiltrating one of the rebel groups. The South refused to accept
the war was over and some of the rebel forces still plotted and
fought almost thirty-five years after the cease-fire.
“I got into General Tobias’ camp.”
Kane felt his eyebrows arching into his
hairline and Alec laughed, the sound rueful and mocking.
“Don’t get excited or anything. I’m just
another foot soldier.”
“I have a hard time believing that,” Kane
answered. The vampire wasn’t really a friend, but he wasn’t an
enemy either. They worked well
New Atlanta--1905
Kane Dupree bounded up the back stairs of the
Southern Star Hotel, taking them two and three at a time. The boss
hadn’t even given him time to clean off the dust from the road
before calling him here. Irritation ate at him. He wanted to find
Calista, not drink and catch up with the others.
As he ran up the seven flights of stairs, he
heard the steam-powered lift rising behind the wall next to him. He
easily overtook it and shook his head. Modern convenience had a
long way to go. Perhaps it was better for some to ride to the top
floors than to climb the numerous steps—the sick or old or infirm.
It was the able-bodied that confounded him. No amount of persuasion
would force him into that tiny metal box. It went against his
animal nature.
He reached the top of the stairwell on the
sixth floor and walked into the hall, careful to scan the
passageway for guests, before entering the maid’s closet on the far
end. Inside, he counted seven panels over on the back wall and
pushed his palm flat against a pear-shaped knot in the wood. The
section of wall slid away, revealing another set of stairs. Taking
a deep breath, he walked through, pausing only long enough to flip
the lever that closed the opening behind him before starting
up.
At the top he lifted another lever to open
the wall and entered the library. The door swung shut behind him on
its own. This was new. He raised an eyebrow at the man sitting in
an armchair behind the huge mahogany desk.
“Pressure plates under the floor.” Phineas
grinned.
Kane glanced around, a little nervous and
cautious before he entered the room. Phineas’ new toys were
sometimes dangerous and unpredictable.
An amused chuckle rose from one of the dark
corners and Kane’s eyes narrowed. Alec. They were wary
allies. The vampire rubbed him the wrong way and usually did it on
purpose. Kane stalked forward, right to the window where he was
silhouetted by the late afternoon glare. He was rewarded by Alec’s
huff and bit back a grin. The vampire wouldn’t combust in the
sunlight, but he’d blister like hell so he avoided it. He’d
probably come to the hotel through the passages under the city.
Kane turned his back to the window and faced
the room with his feet braced apart and arms crossed over his
chest. He was not in the mood for business. After his last mission,
he’d hoped for a little rest and relaxation and he knew just whose
thighs he wanted to it between. They belonged to one feisty bounty
hunter who refused to settle down. To be fair, she didn’t exactly
know what he was. Or, more specifically, all that he was. Secrets
and lies. Would he ever be free of them?
“Can we get on with it?” drawled the
werepanther sitting in the corner. Kane and Nico were definitely on
the same page.
“Of course.” Phineas rose and crossed the
room to draw the curtains closed.
Alec came out of the shadows when he did.
“You take all the fun out of tormenting the
vampire, Phin,” Kane complained.
Phineas snorted a laugh, but when he spoke
his tone was dead serious. “This time I’m pretty sure y’all might
act like adults. Trust me. You want to hear what he has to
say.”
Kane arched an eyebrow and walked to the
fancy sofa. He sat and waited for Alec to begin. This should be
good. Not as good as Calista, but it was all he had to work with at
the moment. Last he heard the other man was busy in the Old City
infiltrating one of the rebel groups. The South refused to accept
the war was over and some of the rebel forces still plotted and
fought almost thirty-five years after the cease-fire.
“I got into General Tobias’ camp.”
Kane felt his eyebrows arching into his
hairline and Alec laughed, the sound rueful and mocking.
“Don’t get excited or anything. I’m just
another foot soldier.”
“I have a hard time believing that,” Kane
answered. The vampire wasn’t really a friend, but he wasn’t an
enemy either. They worked well
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