Honor Calls Read Free

sensing the want in him that could make him risky. Somehow that wasn’t enough to deter her from fulfilling his challenge. She would make him believe.
    When he holstered his weapon, she brushed past him, trying to ignore her response. She wasn’t usually the suit-and-tie type, not to mention that he was older than the other men who’d been in her life.
    Of course, that was because dead or gone was her typical type. Not old. Especially since old was something she would never become.
    Ignoring her contradictory emotions, she put a sexy roll in her walk as she moved toward the Blood Bank. A quick glance over her shoulder told her that he was totally buying into her challenge. A thrill of anticipation shot through her.
    She smiled, pleased that he seemed intrigued, and headed straight to the bouncer. The big man glared at her until she allowed a hint of her gleaming gaze to emerge. He hesitated, maybe sensing the difference in her power, but then she repeated the action and added a bit of fang.
    The bouncer relented and, with a broad sweep of his arm, lifted the red velvet rope for her and the FBI agent. As they slipped beneath the boundary, the bouncer emitted a low growl, as if to warn her that the two of them were not fully welcome.
    She ignored him and plowed forward, the FBI agent close to her back. After they entered and moved out of hearing of the bouncer, he leaned forward and asked, “Bouncer is a vampire?”
    His tone was laced with disbelief, but she nodded as she navigated through the crowd with him nearly plastered to her back. The bar was full tonight, packed with dozens of human Goth and wannabe vampire types as well as the real deal. Colored spotlights skittered unevenly over the crowd. On the small stage at the far end of the club, glaring light illuminated a band playing loudly and aggressively, half singing half screaming indeterminate lyrics. The strong thumping bass and heavy drumbeats pulsed across the club and incited those on the dance floor to thrash and jump in rhythm.
    The lights and noise bothered her senses. She hurried to the back of the club where it was quieter and dimmer, creating a feeling of false intimacy. The area was crowded, but in the farthest corner was an empty table for two.
    She sat down with her back to the wall, not wanting any surprises. Unexpectedly, he plopped down right beside her rather than across from her.
    When she arched a brow in question, he shrugged and said, “Don’t want to have to watch my back either.”
    Understandable and yet provoking.
    His physical presence was difficult to ignore, and his dark brown eyes seemed fathomless in the dim light.
    She hoped he would not prove as fascinating as he appeared.
    “So you expect me to believe the bouncer was a vampire and that there are other ones here as well?” he said, examining the interior of the club.
    There were definitely vampires present. She sensed the push of their undead force, but before she got into proving it, she wanted him to buy her a drink. She was low on cash and most men disappeared once they discovered the truth around them.
    The truth about her.
    Raising her hand, she signaled a waitress.
    When the young woman arrived, Michaela said, “Cuervo shooter.”
    Slipping a glance at her companion, she realized he was checking out the waitress, in a vamp way, not that she expected him to pick up on the signs so quickly. She shook her head.
    He understood and ordered a shooter as well.
    The waitress hesitated and Michaela explained, “You’re new. You’ve got to pay up front.”
    He snorted in disgust, but quickly dug into his pocket, peeled off a twenty from a moderate wad of cash and tossed the bill on the scarred black Formica table. The waitress immediately scooped up the money and walked away to place their orders.
    “Must get nice clientele in here,” he said as he tucked his money into his pocket. The motion pulled his suit jacket back, exposing the butt of his gun. At an adjacent table, one