He could hardly argue with that. Hell, there were times when she creeped him out.
"Still..."
"I insist."
Dante gave a sudden chuckle and held his hands up in warning. "Don't bother arguing with her, old friend, I assure you that you are only wasting your breath."
Viper offered a smile. "I thank you."
"We owe you," Abby said simply, reaching out to grab her mate's hand. "We owe you both."
Shay absently rubbed her shoulder as they crawled their way through the south side of Chicago, moving down Maxwell Street to neighborhoods that were considerably different from the elegant estates they had left behind.
Damn the witch, she silently cursed as her shoulder gave another flare of heat.
You can use it as a compass.
Easy for Natasha to say. It wasn't her shoulder burning like someone was poking it with a hot stick.
"Turn here " she commanded, her hands gripping her knees as Viper slowed the black Jag to a mere crawl.
"Do you sense something?" he demanded.
"My shoulder certainly does." Peering out the window Shay studied the passing shops. It was a depressing combination of abandoned buildings, liquor stores, and p**n o shops that made Shay long for a shower. And plenty of soap. Wincing at the smoldering pain of her brand Shay suddenly stiffened in surprise. "Stop."
Pulling to a stop before the crumbling brick building Viper turned to regard her in surprise. "Here?"
"Yes."
"You're certain?"
Climbing out of the sleek car Shay wrapped her arms around her waist and waited for Viper to join her on the dark street.
"I know this place. We used to live just around the corner."
"It looks like an old store."
Shay struggled to sort through her vague memories. It had been so many years ago. And the neighborhood had changed so much. Still, she was certain she was not mistaken.
"Yes, a bookstore. My father used to bring me here." She grimaced as she gave a shiver. "Damn, my shoulder is burning."
"I suppose we should go look around." Turning Viper took her hands and lifted them to his lips. "Shay ..."
"What?"
"Promise me you won't do anything stupid."
She jerked her hands from his grasp. Why the ... ass. As if she were the one who had stayed and tried to fight the Lu with nothing more than a sword. Or stomped and snorted because a ridiculous car had a few dings.
Stupid, indeed.
"Excuse me?"
He grimaced at her cold tone. "Maybe I could have phrased that a little better."
"You think?"
"What I mean to say is that I don't want you taking any risks. The devil only knows what might be waiting for us."
"Do you sense something?"
He glanced toward the darkened shop. "No, and that's what is bothering me."
Shay heaved a sigh. He had a point. Whatever was hunting her was still out mere somewhere. Waiting. Biding its time. She would almost prefer another attack to this sense of brooding unease.
"Me too," she softly agreed.
He gently pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to the top of her head. Down the dark street the muffled sounds of a brisk drug trade and the shrill calls of hookers could be heard, but Shay barely noticed them. She was in the arms of a vampire. Gangs, muggers, or ra**sts were not a problem.
"We can return to Dante's," he murmured against her ear. "We don't have to go in there."
For a moment she allowed herself to lean against his strength. Saints above, but it would be wonderful to simply hide behind Viper and pretend that he could keep her safe. It had been so damn long since she had been able to depend upon anyone but herself.
Then firmly she was pulling away.
No. She was no weakling to have to cling to another.
Jeez. The day she became so spineless she would toss herself from the nearest bridge.
"Yes we do." Her chin tilted. "At some point we have to go in. It might as well be now."
He studied her for a long beat, as if he could sense her pulling back behind her shields of protection.
At last he offered a wry smile and moved toward the store. Ripping apart the iron grating he pushed open the bolted door with obvious ease.
Show off.
"After you."
"Boy, having a vampire around can be handy," Shay murmured as she swept past him.
Without warning his hand shot out to grasp her arm. He bent close to her ear.
"Pet, if only you would allow me, I could take handy to a whole new level."
Her stomach clenched and she hastily dodged into the darkened shop with far more haste than grace. Okay. Don't tease dangerous vampires in the future.
Halting in the center of the uneven floorboards she glanced around with a wrinkle of her nose. The interior was narrow with several shelves still loaded with crumbling books and collection of strange objects that were impossible to recognize beneath the layers of dust and spider webs.
Toward the far wall there was a long counter with a handful of stools, and behind it another shelf with ceramic pots that looked oddly sinister in the shadowed light.
Or maybe it was just the fact she had learned to distrust those tiny pots, she acknowledged with a tiny shiver. Being at the mercy of witches could do that to a girl.
"It looks like it's been abandoned for years."
Viper stopped at her side. "Yes."
She gave a faint shake of her head. "Why would the mark lead me here?"
"I'm not certain." A frown touched his brow. "Perhaps we should look around. There might be something here to assist us."
Shay swallowed a sigh. She had no desire to poke around the dingy shop. Not only was it filthy, but it made an odd chill prickle over her skin. There were memories here. Memories of her father when he was still alive. Memories she didn't want stirred among the mold and decay of this place. Unfortunately, Viper was right. The pain in her shoulder had led her directly here. There must be something.
Now if she just knew what that vague something was.
Moving toward the shelves she skimmed her fingers over the forlorn books. Nothing there but the usual children's classics and a few philosophers. Not a curse book among them. She shifted to the lumps of odd shapes that consumed the nearby shelves. Her hand reached for something that looked to be a crystal ball only to step back with a muffled scream.
As fast as a strike of lightning Viper was at her side, his hands grasping her shoulders in concern.
"What is it? What happened?"
She swallowed hard as she battled back a shudder of disgust. "A spider."