Chapter Fourteen

The two-night, sold out shows in San Francisco went well. The crowds for both shows were excited and really into it, but Jon had felt the other vampire’s presence strongly, not only at the venue, but at the hotel as well. Jon realized the other vampire was stalking him and just wished he would go ahead and make his move already.

The American leg of the tour was almost over. They were supposed to do another two-night gig in Los Angeles and then a final show in Las Vegas, then have a month off before the European leg began. The morning after the final show in San Francisco, Jon received a phone call from the LA promoter. There had been a malfunction with the sprinkler system at the venue. So, unless the guys wanted to perform standing knee deep in water, the shows were going to have to be cancelled and rescheduled. Jon told the promoter he understood and to reschedule with the record label. He didn’t like cancelling a show and disappointing the fans, but there wasn’t anything else that could be done. Jon informed the other band members and the pilot that they would be flying on to Vegas.

Something told him that it wasn’t just a malfunction with the sprinkler system. His gut told him someone had sabotaged the thing, and he was pretty sure he knew who. The other vamp wanted Jon in Vegas. Never one to back down from a challenge, Jon was ready to meet the predator and get this over with.

When the jet landed in Vegas, Jon was the first to step off the plane. That familiar warning passed through him. "Bring it on, Asshole," he said softly, menacingly, right before his band mates and Mac joined him on the tarmac.

Once they were checked in at the hotel, Jon quietly left his suite wearing a baseball cap and his sunglasses for what little bit of anonymity they offered. In the lobby, he was hit with the warning again. Good. Let the vampire follow him, he wanted to get on with it. Jon left the hotel without his bodyguard. The guy was really just for show anyway, to keep fans at bay. As a vampire, it wasn’t like Jon actually needed the guy for protection. Besides, this was personal.
Unfortunately, the other vampire didn’t see Jon. He had felt the same warning, but had been getting on the elevator when Jon was stepping out of the other one. Jon left the hotel unaware that the other vamp wasn’t following, and just assumed he was staying far enough away to avoid the warning being received.


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Upstairs, in her suite, Mac was getting settled into the new place. Jon had left the door open between their suites. She heard the knock on the door to his room and wasn’t going to answer, but she heard Richie call out.

Opening the door, she told the guitarist, "Hey Rich, Jon’s not here."

"Oh, went out for a meal, did he?" Richie asked.

"Probably, but he didn’t say where he was goin’," she answered. "Come on in. I’m sure he won’t be gone long."

Richie walked in, intending to wait for his friend. "Yeah, here lately, feeding hasn’t taken as long as it used to," he told her, smiling.

Mac didn’t miss the insinuation in Richie’s statement. She realized he meant that before she had come into the picture, sex and feeding went hand in hand, but that now, all Jon wanted from the women he fed from was a blood donation. She motioned toward the sofa. "Go ahead and have a seat," she offered, "I was just unpacking a few things."

Before Richie could sit down, there was another knock on the door. He looked at Mac. "Expecting someone?"

"Nope," she answered.

"I’ll get it," Richie told her, even as he started for the door.

When Richie opened the door, he was surprised to see a stranger standing there. The man was a few inches shorter than Richie, with dark hair. But the fact that caught Richie’s attention right before the man pushed him back several feet was that his eyes were the same pale blue as Jon’s.

The vampire stepped calmly into the room and slammed the door. Seeing the door to Mac’s suite standing open, he used his mind and slammed it as well.

Mac eyed the stranger warily, briefly she thought about her charmed dime laying on the dresser in her suite. "Jon’s not here," she told the other vampire, as Richie stood glaring at him.

"I know that," the vamp replied cooly, "but I’m sure he’ll be comin’ back soon. He’s not goin’ ta leave his life mate for long."

Mac gasped in surprise. She hadn’t realized this vampire knew who she was. "Who are you?" she asked.

"The name’s Caleb," he answered, with a slight Texas drawl. "I’ve got a few things to discuss with Giovanni."

Richie spoke up then, "Actually, Jon won’t be back for a while. That’s why I’m here, to keep an eye on Mac. Why don’t you come back later and I’ll be sure to tell Jon that you stopped by." Richie started toward the door, but didn’t quite make it. Something picked him up and flung him across the room, barely missing Mac when he hit the floor.

Mac screamed, "Richie," and ran to the guitarist.

Richie sat up glaring at the vampire. "I’m okay," he told Mac as she knelt beside him.

"Let me guess," she replied softly, "you don’t have your nickle."

"No, it must be in my other pants," Richie answered sarcastically.

"My dime’s on my dresser," she told him, "I was sure we were out of danger when we left Portland."

Richie was still glaring at the intruder. He raised his voice slightly, "It won’t do any good to whisper, Mac. He’s a vamp. He can hear us anyway."

"Oh, so Giovanni’s told you his little secret," Caleb acknowledged Richie’s statement.

"Yeah, it’s kind of hard to miss those fangs, and the idle threats to rip my throat out and suck me dry," Richie told him, dryly. "Although, I’m sure they won’t be idle threats when he gets his hands on you."

"We’ll see," Caleb said softly. "This isn’t exactly where I wanted this to all go down," he said, almost as if he was talking to himself.

"Really?" Richie answered him, "Well, then why don’t you just tell me where you want Jon to meet you, and be on your way?"

"What? And just trust that he’ll show up?" Caleb asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Jon’s no coward," Richie defended his friend, as he rose to his feet. "What’s all this about?"

"That’s none of your concern," Caleb answered angrily.

The vampire leveled his gaze on Mac. Briefly, she felt the sensation of butterfly wings brushing against her brain, but she only glared at Caleb. "Come to me," he said softly, as if trying to mesmerize her.

Mac raised her chin in the air defiantly. "It wouldn’t work for Jon, and it won’t work for you," she told him arrogantly. "You can’t control me anymore than he could. So, go fuck yourself."

"Brute force it is then," Caleb said, sounding resigned.

The vampire raised one hand, even with his shoulder, and Mac felt herself being pulled toward him. Richie glared at the vampire, and with angry strides stepped between him and Mac. He crossed the remaining distance in long strides. "Stop it," Richie demanded angrily.

"What are you going ta do ta stop me, mortal?"

Richie drew back his right arm, and let his fist fly. He struck the shorter vampire squarely on the jaw. Caleb’s head barely turned. Richie only had a second to stare at him in surprise; he had put all of his strength behind that punch. Had that been a mortal man, Richie’s punch should’ve landed him on his ass.

Richie’s surprise vanished when the vampire used his mind to send Richie flying across the room again. This time Richie hit the wall. Hard. He slid unceremoniously to the floor in a heap.

Mac’s cry of alarm was silenced, when Caleb ordered softly, "You will come with me, willingly and quietly, or I will kill him."

"Mac, NO," Richie demanded when she nodded in agreement with the vampire’s order. The guitarist tried in vain to get up from the floor, but the vampire was using his powers to keep him firmly seated against the wall. When the vampire and Mac reached the door, Richie ordered loudly, "Come back here, Fucker! If you leave with her, Jon’ll stake you."

"Only if I don’t get ‘im first," Caleb said menacingly, as he opened the door.

"Don’t you want me to tell Jon where you’ll be?" Richie asked, before the vampire could leave with Mac.

"Just tell Giovanni, that I said," the vampire paused meaningfully, "Toby."

"Toby? What the fuck does that mean?" Richie demanded.

"He’ll know," was his only answer, as the door closed with a soft click behind Caleb and Mac.

Several minutes went by before Richie could finally get up from the floor. Knowing he wouldn’t find them, he ran to the door anyway. No luck. The vampire was long gone, taking Mac with him. Jon was going to be pissed!