Eternal Hearts (8 page)

“Wow.” His blue eyes widened as he inhaled a deep breath. “When you Warriors swing…you really go for the fences don’t you? And then that fence, and that one, then the one over there, then you run back to where you started and do it all over again.” He shook his head. “Truthfully, I don’t know how you do it, because I’m getting tired just watching you.”

Toni gave in to the light tugging sensation at the corners of her mouth when Drake started laughing again. Deep and damningly contagious, the rich sound rolled over her in a soothing wave, making the air feel just a little bit warmer, a little less empty.

“I have an idea.” He rubbed his hands together then blew a breath between them. “How ‘bout
you
pick a mood and stick with it for five minutes,
I’ll
worry about what I’m getting myself into, and
we’ll
head to the hotel where they have this great invention called heat.”

She studied him for a minute, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, the way each breath that slipped past his lips became a burst of steam as it mingled with the cold air, and how his tongue darted out every so often to moisten those lips.

Everything about him was human…

And from what she could tell, he didn’t even try. He didn’t stop to concentrate every few minutes. Didn’t appear to give as much as a second thought to the human functions he maintained. He imitated life with perfection, down to the very last detail, as though he’d never lost it.

She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek as jealousy tingled through her again. He was right. She seriously needed to get her emotions under control. She’d already bitten the poor guy once because she’d let the beast get the better of her, the least she could do was pick one fence to swing at. Besides, how much damage could she do to him in less than 24 hours?

You know exactly what you could do.
Focusing back on Drake, Toni ignored her conscience and plastered a smile on her face. “I like your idea. Do you need a ride or do you have a car around here somewhere?”

He inclined his head towards the parking lot.
“That yours?”

She looked over at her ‘79 Trans-Am. “Yeah, she’s my baby.”

“You sound pretty proud.”

“My oldest brother built her.” She smiled, even though the memory stung. “He used to let me help. Not that I really did anything other than hand him tools, and half the time they weren’t even the right ones.”

“He
give
it to you for your birthday or something?”

She shook her head. “Nope, he left before she was finished. I was ten. Then my dad died a couple months later. So I asked my mom for books about cars, which she was totally against because she said girls don’t work on cars.” She drew a breath and tried one more time to fight her tears. “But I talked her into it eventually, and then I finished what my brother started. I figure if I ever find him…if he’s still alive, I’ll give her back. Kinda like a coming home present.”

“You don’t know where he is?”

“Nope.
We never heard from him after he left…but I’m glad he got out when he did.” She spun around and headed for her car. Staring straight ahead, she pushed the memories firing in her mind as far back as possible then pulled her keys out of her pocket and jingled them over her shoulder. “Do you want a ride or not?”

“Uh, something tells me I’m not gonna fit in there.”

When she reached her car, Toni opened the door and looked inside before she cast a glance back to Drake, who still stood on the sidewalk. He was probably right, especially since he was a good foot, if not more, taller than her and easily twice as wide.

“You could try.” She sucked in a breath through her teeth as she recalculated the visual measurements. “I could take the T-top off on the passenger side. It might work.”

“No, no.” He raised his hands. “I have absolutely no desire to find out what it feels like to be a sardine. Why don’t I just meet you there?”

“Do you not have a car?” When he only stared at her, she tipped her head to the side. “The hotel’s at least twenty blocks away. There’s no reason for you to walk all the way there in the cold. We can make it work.”

“I don’t need a car.” He cracked a devious smile as his eyes flicked between her and the dark alley across the street. “In fact, I bet I beat you there. And I’m willing to put money on it.”

She couldn’t hold back the laugh bubbling up inside her. The man was dreaming. “What are you gonna do? Run? It’s not even fair.” She smacked the roof of her car. “I know exactly how much horsepower this baby puts out. You don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of beating me.”

“Oh, what’s this all around me?” He made a production of blinking as he turned from left to right. “Why, it’s snow! And it’s everywhere!” He reached into his pocket then waved what looked to be a fifty dollar bill at her. “Care to put your money where your mouth is, Warrior? That’s right. I just issued you a challenge.” He clucked his tongue at her. “What would Brick and Baller say if they knew you chickened out?”

“I’m not chickening out.” She leaned in and started her car then stood back up and smiled at him. “I just don’t wanna see your heart break or your ego burst when you lose to a girl.”

When he shuffled his feet then made a break for the alley, Toni jumped into her car and took a brief moment to situate herself. After closing the door and strapping on her seatbelt, she cranked the wheel and slammed her foot down on the gas. She easily steered out of a spin as the tires connected with the snow slicked street, then smiled and aimed for Lord Locke’s hotel.

There was no way Drake could beat her.

But as she sped past the alley he’d disappeared into, she swore she heard him yell, “I don’t lose!”

She gripped the wheel tighter as she whipped around a corner.

Neither did she, at least not when it came to racing.

Chapter 4

Natasha Stryker watched as three large wolves trotted down the alley towards her. To this day, she still didn’t understand how they managed to duck animal control and stay out of human sight. A pack of wolves stalking the streets of a bustling city like Chicago wasn’t exactly something most people considered normal.

She cursed as she pulled her cell phone from her coat pocket and checked the time. The sun would be up in a matter of hours and she still had other plans to set in motion. Not only did this meeting need to end quickly, but it had to end in her favor.

She shivered as the wolves neared and the cracking and popping of their joints bounced off the brick walls on either side of her. She grimaced as their bodies distended upon assuming their human forms. Few scenes caused her stomach to churn, but that happened to be one of them.

She smiled when the wolves finished their transformations, pleasantly surprised to find all three were fully clothed. If her lore was correct, only the powerful could change from wolf to human with their clothing perfectly intact.

Without uttering a single word, the tallest of the group stepped forward, immediately flanked by the others. The man in front stood only two inches taller than her, putting him at exactly six feet six inches. Sleek and streamlined, his muscular build radiated the power of a consummate predator. His short brown hair was messy and unkempt. His eyes, much as she’d anticipated – the steely gray of a wolf.

Dressed in a simple gray t-shirt left un-tucked, worn blue jeans and a pair of black hiking boots, he wasn’t what she’d consider handsome, but he definitely had a rugged appeal.

The men flanking him were obviously twins. Both stood roughly six feet tall, with similar builds but noticeably wider than the man in front. They too had the same gray eyes, yet their youthful faces were framed by long, untamed black hair.

Donning black long sleeved t-shirts, worn black jeans and black shit-kicker style boots, they also possessed the same primal appeal of their leader, but were much more attractive.

She allowed a grin of approval to form on her lips. The twins were most definitely a sandwich she could enjoy being the meat of.

The man in front stepped closer. “Are you Stryker?” His voice was rough, raspy.

“I am. And you are?”

“Thomas.” He nodded to the twin on his left. “That’s Death.” He inclined his head towards the other. “That’s
Rattle
.”

She arched a brow at the glaring twins.
“Oh, how charming.”

Thomas shifted between his feet, his irritation more than evident. “Why did you ask for this meeting?”

Stryker tipped her head from side to side, calculating how quickly she could bait them. “I wanted to strike a deal with you. We both have, shall we say, a common interest?”

“What?”

“Well, I’m sure we’d both like to see Lord Christian Locke meet his end. Yes? Maybe suffer a
fall
from grace?” Her stress on the word was solely for her own amusement.

His eyes narrowed. “You have my attention.”

She wasted no time. “I can tell you where and when to strike at him. He’ll be all alone, and I can plainly see,” she said as she purposefully let her gaze wander over their clothes, “you’re more than powerful enough to finally rid me of him. And when you do, I’ll take his place as the Lord of Chicago, and the city will be mine.”

He straightened. “Why would we trade one Bloodsucker for another?”

“Because I’ll give you free passage into the northern woods again. You can establish homes there, and I’ll allow you to pick off any Chicago vampires who have outlived their usefulness.”

Victory tingled through Stryker as silent rage built in the werewolf’s eyes. She almost had him. She drew a deep breath and blew out a sigh. “That’s far more than Locke ever gave you, isn’t it? Wasn’t it his order that drove you out of the northern woods two years ago? If I remember correctly, didn’t his Enforcement Team kill some of your women and children before you fled?”

A low growl rumbled in his chest. “His Enforcement was destroyed, too.”

She offered a curt nod. “They were, but they were quickly replaced.” She stared deep into his eyes. “Thomas, let’s be honest with each other. Locke has given you nothing but heartache and defeat. But I, well…I’ve come through on every promise so far. I can give you what you crave most as well as a place to call home again. How do you lose in that?”

The yearning for revenge glowed behind his feral eyes.

Biting back the smile threatening to cross her lips, Stryker went in for the kill. “Do we have a deal?”

Thomas turned to the twins, who looked at each other for a long moment before they finally nodded. With their seeming approval, he turned back to her. “Yes.”

She pulled a folded piece of paper from the pocket of her red vinyl cat suit and held it out for him. “This is where and when to strike, along with my phone number. Call me when it’s done.” When he reached for the note, she pulled it back a bit. “Would you do me the courtesy of a small favor though?”

His eyes narrowed again. “What?”

She couldn’t hold back her smile any longer. “When Christian begs you for mercy, send him my regards.”

With nothing more than a quick nod, Thomas snatched the paper from her hand and turned away.

Stryker followed suit as the snapping of muscle and bone filled the air again, but when she cast a glance over her shoulder to see if they’d finished shifting forms, all three were gone.

She pulled a cigarette from her pocket, paused for a moment to light it, and then sauntered towards the street. Admiring the shadow her lean body cast on the ground, she smiled. Caught by the icy winter wind, her black satin trench coat whipped about, sending darkness crawling over the walls of the alley.