Honor Calls Read Free Page A

of the patrons noticed the weapon and quickly scurried away.
    Jesus wondered why the man felt compelled to run. In his line of business, it was an obvious sign of guilt, but in here….
    For all the patrons’ Goth rebelliousness, they were quite uniform in their manner of dress, lots of black, from the leather and jeans to their hair.
    “You said you’d make me truly believe,” he reminded his companion just as the waitress came to the table with their drinks.
    The waitress placed the lime, saltshaker and shots of Cuervo on the table. His companion bit into the lime, skipped the salt and then downed the tequila in one gulp before ordering another.
    “Thirsty?” he asked as he paid in advance once again.
    “Once guys see how things are, most of my dates don’t last beyond the first drink.” She fidgeted with the empty shot glass.
    “Didn’t realize that buying you a drink made this a date,” he said, perplexed by her, by the self-assurance on the surface that seemed to hide a well of vulnerability.
    “Not your usual type, I suspect,” she said and fully faced him.
    Not his type?
    He wondered about that as he sipped his shot of tequila and studied her. Her dark, nearly black hair fell in choppy layers against her roundish face. Cerulean-blue eyes bore an exotic slant and hinted at extreme intelligence, while pale, creamy skin appeared to be as soft as satin sheets.
    The black leather jacket she wore fit tight against her body, accentuating both her slimness and slightness of stature, but the tank top beneath the jacket exposed the lushness of her curves.
    He imagined exploring those curves. Raising that lean, strong body against his and slipping within.
    His type, he thought, fighting back his body’s response. Now that they were up close, he guessed her to be at least a decade younger than his thirty-eight years.
    “Don’t have a type and I’m not the kind to drink and run,” he said, taking another sip of the Cuervo to quell the desire awakening within him.
    She laughed, the tone of her merriment rich and uninhibited. It had been a long time since he had allowed himself that kind of freedom, but she clearly was not one to hold back.
    That only intrigued him more, especially when she challenged him with, “You may be the kind to run after you see what goes on in here.”
    Elegantly raising her hand, she gestured to the far corners of the club, close to where they sat. He could barely make out the shadows of people engaged in various activities.
    Leaning close to him, she said in a hushed tone, “Look carefully if you dare.”
    Her warm breath against the base of his neck was sweet. He imagined the kiss of that breath elsewhere and decided it warranted the risk.
    “I dare.”

Chapter 4
    He followed the surprisingly long line of her index finger, which pointed to a doorway guarded by a muscular bouncer. He was another very pale man who exuded a power that Jesus could feel even across the distance separating them.
    Yet one more vampire? he wondered before turning his attention to the door.
    In the distant corners, so dark they were almost devoid of light, he finally recognized the activity going on.
    Sexual, he thought as he watched one woman writhing against someone, her legs wrapped around a waist. Heat raced through him as he imagined his companion riding him like that, but he quickly tamped down the thought.
    Beside that couple was another in an intimate embrace. The woman straddled a man’s thigh, grinding against it, clearly seeking satisfaction. Her companion had one hand tangled in her long blond tresses. Before Jesus’ eyes the man pulled the woman’s head back, exposing the long line of her neck. There was a familiar weirdly bright blue-green gleam in the man’s gaze and a flash of white fang before the man buried his face against the woman’s throat.
    Jesus imagined he could hear her sharp gasp of surprise. He saw the jerk of her body, confirming that he wasn’t imagining the attack. When