The Seven: Four tales of passion, danger and love by Ciana Stone Page A

stepped off the elevator and waited for Sheila to open the door to the suite. It was quite a lavish place. Sales must be good for her publisher to spring for a place like this. That relieved her a little but also made her feel a bit uncomfortable. She was profiting from something she shouldn't be. Should she?
    Well you were abducted against your will. It's not like you chose to be drugged and hijacked to some ranch in Bumfuck, Texas.
    Since when was her inner voice anything other than the voice of conscience? That worried Layla. Was fame affecting her more than she realized?
    She didn't have time to ponder the question. Augustus entered the suite and she hurried to him. "Let's go put our things in the bedroom, okay?"
    His expression clearly spelled that he was puzzled at her behavior but he nodded and preceded her as she spoke over her shoulder to Sheila. "You don't mind, do you? It'll only take a minute. Thanks!"
    Once inside the bedroom she closed the door.
    "What's wrong?"
    "Shhh!" She didn't want to take a chance on Sheila hearing. "They think me being gone was some publicity stunt – that I just took off, presumably with you."
    "Why would anyone think that?"
    "I don't know they just do. And apparently it worked because I sold millions of books and the media is all gaga over where I've been and who I've been with. Anyway, the point it, we don't have to tell them the truth."
    "I don't lie."
    That kind of stuck a pin in her balloon. "But—but, why not just let them believe what they want?"
    "It's not true."
    Layla blew out her breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. Boy oh boy, her Grannie was probably not just rolling over in her grave but stomping mad right now at the idea that Layla wanted to perpetuate a lie.
    It wasn't that she wanted to lie. She just didn't see the benefit in telling anyone what had happened. She looked up at Augustus. "So you want people to know you kidnapped me?"
    "I didn't say that. I simply said I don't lie."
    "Yeah, so if someone asks?"
    "I will tell the truth."
    "And that could get you arrested."
    "Not unless you press charges."
    Damn it all, did he have to have an answer to everything? "Fine, but….but what kind of image will that give to the media about The Seven? I mean if someone digs around will they find out that you're a Vampire?"
    She could see from the narrowing of his eyes that the question had struck a nerve. All of his kind was trying to appear as non-threatening as possible for the sake of integrating into mainstream society. Something like this just might paint them in a bad light.
    "I do not want to lie."
    "And you don't have to."
    "Oh?"
    "No. We just say … okay, give me a second."
    She took longer than a second but finally an idea occurred to her. "Okay, what we say is that when I left the signing, instead of going to the hotel, I went to the airport and took a private flight to Texas and have been staying with you ever since."
    "A clever way of skirting the truth."
    "But not telling a lie because that's what happened, right?"
    He chuckled. "In a manner of speaking."
    "Okay, so we go with it?"
    "And when you're asked how we met?"
    That one stumped her. "I … damn. Okay, we just don't tell them. We say we're private and don't care to share the details of our relationship."
    "Which is?"
    "Huh?"
    "Our relationship."
    Now that one did more than stump her. It killed all the fire in her engine. "I… I guess you need to answer that one."
    He extended his hand and when she took it, pulled her to her feet. "I'm not in this alone, Layla."
    "I know but −but I don't know where you think we are and…"
    "And?"
    "And I don't want to make a jackass out of myself before I know where you stand."
    What he did next shocked her into speechlessness. He dropped down on one knee, keeping hold of her hand and looking up at her.
    She gawked at him for several seconds before she found her tongue. "What are you doing?"
    "Layla, honey, you've got me on my knees."
    "I … I don't know what that