"I cannot," she said.
"Cannot what?" I asked.
"You like his cruelty. I do not. Please do not order me to stay."
"No one will force you to do anything you don't want to do. I and Jean-Claude have both promised you that."
"I believe you, but... May I go?"
I sighed. "Yes, but we're not ha**ng s*x with Asher."
"You are within your rights to have sex with him if you wish." She was already backing toward the door. One hand was holding her other arm tight enough that her fingers were mottled. It meant she was afraid. She was afraid of men, of sex with men, of vampires, and most especially afraid of male vampires. I was lying in the arms of one vampire with another nearly na**d by the bed, and they were both decidedly male; as far as Jade was concerned I was about to do something terrifying.
"We're not having sex," I said.
"But he will try and seduce you, and that is..." She backed into Domino, and gave a soft yelp. She startled away from him as he reached to steady her. He dropped his hand to his side. Domino knew better than to push things when she got spooked. It was one of the reasons she could be in bed with him and me when we made love. She'd also allowed Nathaniel that amount of trust. Both of them treated it with all the gentleness they had.
"Walk her back to her room," I said.
"No, he's supposed to guard you from... Asher," she said.
"It's okay," Domino said, "I'll get you back to your room, and come right back here."
Jade didn't want him to touch her either, but when she was this shaken she needed someone by her side that she trusted at least a little to keep the panic from growing. She trusted Domino more than any other man. Claudia had no patience with her, and Kelly didn't need to be around Asher tonight, and just like that we were out of female guards to watch over her.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Domino said. "Don't get hurt. I really don't want to fight Nicky for real."
"We'll be good," I said.
He grinned as he closed the door behind them, and said, just as the door closed, "I know you're good, Anita; just don't hurt each other."
"Domino," I said, but he closed the door to the sound of his soft laughter.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
THE ROOM WAS very quiet after they left. I don't know what I would have said into that silence, because my phone rang. Did I dive for it a little too eagerly? Maybe, but it was with my pile of weapons beside the bed. That meant that I had to crawl over the acres of black bedspread to grab it. Asher bent down and handed it to me, so that I had to take it from him as I hit the screen and said, "Blake here, talk to me."
"Marshal Blake?" It was the new Marshal, Arlen Brice.
"Yeah, Marshal Blake here, sorry, Brice. What's up?"
"They found bomb-making materials in one of the closets at the house we raided with SWAT."
I was quiet for a second, trying to process it. "Why would they have that? What the hell do vampires need with bombs?"
Asher and Jean-Claude went very still on either side of me. I couldn't explain it, but I knew the stillness was more of a startle reaction than any expression they could have given me. I should not have said the word bomb out loud. It was a damn ongoing police investigation, but it had startled me.
"One of the vampires that died at the warehouse was a retired demolitions expert," Brice said.
"Military?" I asked.
"No, civilian, construction, but that just means he knows how to bring down a whole building."
"Not comforting," I said.
"Zerbrowski said that the vamps at the warehouse were talking trash about you and Jean-Claude, so I figured you'd want to know about the bomb stuff."
"Just stuff, not actual devices?"
"No, but the bomb techs are treating this real serious. They seem convinced that some bombs were actually made, which means they may be out there in the city somewhere."
"These guys wanted to be seen as sympathetic in the media. Blowing shit up doesn't gain sympathy from anyone."
"True, but it doesn't stop people from doing it," Brice said.
I wanted to argue, but couldn't, so I let that part go. "Any hint on size of device? What we might want the security details to be looking at?"
"This isn't my area. I can read the preliminary report, but not sure I'm the one you want interpreting it. Talk to" - and he was quiet, as I listened to him riffling papers and clicking keys - "Alvarez, Mark Alvarez, is the lead guy."
"Let me get a pen, and then give me his number."
Jean-Claude got the small notebook and pen that stayed on the bedside table now. There was one by every bed in every room that was "mine."
"You can call Alvarez, but not until you've been informed officially. I mean, I want to help, but don't get us both fired, and you can't tell your boyfriend and his people about what we found."
"Why, because I'm not supposed to know?" I asked.
"They're worried that Jean-Claude could have some of these nuts inside his organization, so if we tell him then we'll be tipping our hand."
"And if someone gets blown up before we share?"
"They actually wouldn't let Zerbrowski leave the big meeting, because they said he'd tell you, and you'd tell the vampires."
"Jesus, Brice, so why are you telling me?"
"They don't think I owe you anything, so they don't think I'll tell you."
"You could get in trouble for this," I said.
"You ready for Alvarez's number?" Brice asked.
"Yeah, shoot."
He gave me Alvarez's contact info. "Got it," I said.
"I just wanted you to have a heads-up as soon as possible."
"I really appreciate that, Brice."
"Hey, as someone who's still looking for true love outside the normal box, I want to support anyone who's found it. I'm not sure if it's prejudice, or if all they're thinking about is the case, but I'm listening to some upper brass make up shitty reasons to justify their actions. Makes me think I'm not coming out anytime soon."
"The new vampire laws make them treat them better, more like people, but new laws don't change how people feel. Thanks again, Brice."
"Not a problem, just don't call Alvarez for a couple of hours. I looked up some of your bodyguards; they've got backgrounds in demolition, military."
"Do my fellow cops have files on my people?"
"Some, but I've been federal longer than you have. I called in a few favors, told them I just wanted to know what I was up against if things went bad. They totally bought it, Blake. I get the idea that certain people are betting when you and your people go off the reservation, not if."
"Sleep with a few vampires and shapeshifters, and people get all weird about it," I said.
"Yep," he said, "gotta go." He hung up.
I hit the button, if button is the right word for brushing your thumb across a screen. If I hadn't had years of practice with vampires, and these vamps in particular, I might have thought that they weren't interested in what had just happened, were bored even, but I knew that the stillness, and the pleasant faces, meant they were very interested.
I glanced at Asher, since he was in front of me, but it was Jean-Claude to whom I turned and gave major eye contact. "You heard?"
"Yes," he said simply.
"You know I don't normally share information about ongoing investigations."
"You are very careful about it," he said, and that amazing face was still pleasant, still neutral.
"I have to be if I'm going to be a cop."
"I understand that, ma petite." Again, that careful voice.
"I can make both of you promise, word of honor, and all that shit, to tell no one, and I know you'll do it."
"Word of honor, and all that shit," he repeated, but there was a faint edge of his French accent, and that, more than anything else, let me know how upset he was; the accent came out only when he wished it to, or when he was very emotional.
I looked up at Asher, who was still standing by the bed. "You, too, blondie."
"I will do what you and Jean-Claude wish me to do. I have caused enough problems with my childish behavior."
"I wish you meant that," I said.
He looked down, giving me the full weight of those pale blue eyes, through that lace of golden hair. "I mean every word I say."