Blood Leverage (Bloodstone Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  When I heard her reason, I was glad I’d stayed awake. Diane had spent her afternoon compiling the written record on all previous banishment hearings. “As the ‘accused’, you’re entitled to this information. I thought we could take a moment to review it. Off the record, you understand.”

  I not only understood, I was grateful.

  Four hours later, Diane was rubbing her temples and I felt dead on my feet. Still, I thought we might be becoming friends.

  After I staggered home, I turned the light on in mom’s room and left her door open enough to avoid using my own lights. Even my eyeballs were tired. Groaning as I shrugged into my nightgown, I sank onto the bed, grateful the day was over.

  Unfortunately, the moment I shifted my weight, the blankets slid beneath me and I fell to the floor, scraping my hands and knees against the woven floor mats. I felt a wet trickle on my shin, but an unexpected movement prevented me from further investigation.

  In my pain filled daze, I stared at the twitching mass of blankets on my bed. When they began actively moving I seized the nearest blunt object and smashed it into the closest protruding lump.

  “What the fuck, Rory?” The muffled bedding struck out and thudded to the floor like a well-padded rock. Surprising myself, I nimbly jumped out of the way. The only visible part of my assailant was a pale foot that had escaped and was kicking furiously.

  “Damn it, turn the bloody lights on!” The lone foot continued to thrash and the lump of blankets squirmed and swore as I slapped the switch and then burst out laughing.

  The writhing blanket mass had spawned another foot, protruding at an awkward angle. Then a hand worked free, its tanned wrist sporting a leather bracelet I knew well.

  “Dominic?” I dropped my dictionary and darted forward, dodging the flailing feet and attempting to unfurl the covered lump most likely to be his head. His kicking slowed me down, but being able to see gave me the advantage.

  Another tug yanked the blanket loose and my agitated friend came into view. Really into view. The blanket tumbled to his waist and I realized he’d been napping in the buff, or close to it.

  “Nicky, why are you here?” More importantly, why was he in my bed?

  He looked decidedly grumpy. “Your mom left me her keys for emergencies and I came in to wait. Where the hell were you anyway? I finally decided you weren’t coming home. The sofa is buried in books and using your mom’s bed was too weird.”

  I didn’t argue. I wouldn’t have slept in Gigi’s bed either.

  The blanket dipped another inch as Nicky worked his other arm free and I noted the absence of his favored boxers. He’d draped his shirt and jeans over my desk chair, but there were no boxers in sight. I stifled a giggle, wondering if Nicky routinely went commando and only wore underwear on bloodletting days.

  Then my brain switched tracks. “Nicky, why are you here? Are Mom and Gigi okay?”

  His annoyed expression softened. “I’m sure they’re fine. I heard about the damn petition and thought you might appreciate a distraction. You up for a little excitement?”

  My mind flashed back to our conversation last week. “I wasn’t seriously suggesting you throw a party. Besides, inviting me would severely limit the guests who’d show up.”

  It took him a moment to answer. He was attempting to crawl back onto my bed while keeping all vital bits and pieces covered. Safely back on my bed—his bare ass was in my bed!—he shot me a smug look.

  “I’m not talking about a party. You have no classes for several days and I wondered if you’d like to ditch all this bullshit and come scavenging with me.”

  My mom would have vetoed the idea in a second… but she wasn’t here.

  “This might be the longest I’ve ever seen you quiet,” Nicky observed, pleased.

  I could barely form an answer. “But what about my hearing? There’s so much I need to prepare. I mean, we’re talking about my right to stay here.”

  Nicky’s expression turned surprisingly serious. “I don’t think for a damn minute that the petition will pass. I’ve already heard a few people say it’s a waste of everyone’s time. Once the initial burst of gossip dies down, more and more people will see how stupid the whole thing is. It’s just an old man being a bitter asshole. By the time your hearing comes around, Robert will have no momentum left.”

  I looked at him suspiciously, wondering if he was just saying what I wanted to hear, and he changed tactics. “Besides, I know you. Even if you’re not hunched over a book, it’s not like your brain will stop working on the problem.”

  For someone wanting to be convinced, it was enough. I burst out laughing and launched myself at him. “Yes, yes, wow, of course, yes!” I was all but bouncing, my bloody knees forgotten. “What should I pack? How long will we be gone? Will I need…? Oh crap.” My mental sprint hit a stumbling block.

  “What do I tell everyone?” I sank back on my heels. “I don’t want to cause more gossip, and there’s no way people won’t notice my absence, not after the petition.”

  Nicky’s smug smile never faltered. “No worries. The square you left earlier—tomorrow’s their market day?”

  “Yeah, that’s right.”

  His dimple flashed. “Then here’s the plan. First thing in the morning—a few hours from now,” he amended, “you’ll tell Barb you’re returning to 7891 to take a tutoring job until classes start again. That’ll give us four or five days.”

  It was a clever idea. Barb’s love of gossip would ensure my absence raised no red flags, and everyone would assume I wanted a few days away from everything—which of course, I did.

  “You’re a genius. We can leave first thing in the morning.” I leaned over and planted a quick, smacking kiss on Nicky’s mouth out of excitement.

  The kiss he gave me in return lasted a great deal longer.

  Nicky had kissed me before, but always with less privacy and a lot more clothes, which made a difference. He wriggled until he was sitting up—sitting up naked, my subconscious gleefully reminded me—and the blankets fell again, baring him to the waist.

  I was pressed too tightly against him to admire the view but my hands had no such restrictions and I realized the phrase ‘seeing is believing’ was bullshit. I had no trouble believing what my hands were saying. In fact, their message was so inspiring, I felt wide awake. All over awake.

  Nicky’s hands were on their own mission and my body cheered him on, though between my nightgown and the bedding no one was having much success. I’d never kissed a man while sitting on his lap and it was a new area of discovery altogether. Despite the blankets, my hands made faster progress and he froze when I reached ground zero.

  Though his mouth rested centimeters below my ear, I barely heard him. “Rory, you don’t want—you can’t. We can’t. I mean, if nothing else—our blood.” Gently, he pushed me back to face him. Though I couldn’t prevent him from moving my shoulders, I didn’t let him move my hand. That hand was staying exactly where it was.

  Somewhere in my mind I realized this might not be the wisest decision I’d ever made. Though Nicky was undoubtedly gorgeous, I’d never taken his flirting seriously. On the other hand, my romantic opportunities were practically non-existent. And the last twenty-four hours had been so completely lousy…

  “Aren’t there… There are…” My brain wouldn’t cooperate.

  Apparently Nicky’s wouldn’t either. I still hadn’t moved my hand and his expression was sort of breathless and stupid.

  With all my reading I knew there were areas of compromise when it came to virginity, and my body was anxious to reach a compromise with Dominic tonight. After all, no one else could know why I needed to compromise—and the same stood true for him.

  Looking at it that way, my decision seemed almost sensible. After all, surely two friends could take a little comfort in one another? It was hard to imagine a more well-earned distraction than the one presently in my bed.

  “Aren’t there loopholes in the matter we’re discussing?” I finall
y asked, keeping my expression innocent. Nicky’s eyebrows flew to his hairline and I fought off a triumphant smirk, keeping my hand and gaze steady as I waited.

  “Well, uh… Yes, of course there are things. I mean, without going. . . Er, without doing. Um, everything.” I’d never seen Dominic flustered and enjoyed it immensely.

  I nipped at his earlobe and whispered, “Make an offer and we’ll negotiate. Hopefully something… satisfactory to everyone?” I tensed my grip lightly on the word ‘satisfactory’ and took enormous pleasure in feeling him tense beneath me.

  “A-a-and, and this is what you want?” His expression mixed shock and hope in a way that made my lips curve in a wholly female smile. I’d reduced him to stammering.

  “This is what I want tonight.” I nipped his lower lip as if in punctuation. “But whatever happens, we stay friends, okay? You have to promise or this stops right now.”

  For once, Nicky’s smile verged on shy. “Consider it promised.”

  Though Nicky was as pink as his tan permitted, I felt little embarrassment and our ‘negotiations’ concluded in record time. He even made a few suggestions that surprised me. (Clearly I needed to read more books.) And in the end, I was the one who tugged my nightgown over my head and tossed it aside before reaching over to turn off the lights.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  DESPITE a nearly sleepless night, I awoke with energy to spare.

  Inches away, Nicky’s lips were parted as he lay sleeping. He didn’t snore, but his breathing had a decidedly more masculine quality than anything I’d ever heard from mother or Amy.

  I felt my face heat as the memories of last night flooded back and I stifled a nervous giggle as I slid out of bed as silently as possible. My every move triggered unwelcome noise—the hangers in my armoire jangling, the clanking of Nicky’s belt buckle as I brushed against it on my chair—but Nicky remained inert.

  Viewing a sleeping man was a new experience and I took a moment to appreciate it. It startled me to see how his beard had grown since last night and I wondered if maybe I’d overestimated Nicky’s vanity regarding his stubble. He didn’t move and I noted with annoyance that his lashes were long and several shades darker than the hair on his head. Ugh. As a redhead, I endured frequent eyelash envy, my own being rather unimpressive.

  After I’d looked my fill, I slipped downstairs and prepared to put our plan into action. As discussed, I went to the bakery to start the gossip and was pleased to find Diane there too. Not only was she one of the few people with a legitimate reason to seek me out, she’d be the first person told if anyone grew concerned about my absence.

  Even better, Barb had a fresh batch of sticky buns and I bought half a dozen—my sausage debacle only a dim memory. I was happily biting in when I heard my name.

  “Rory! Hey, Rory, wait up!” Amy darted over, her hair falling around her shoulders and her face alight with happiness. “Oh wow, sticky buns?” She turned the full impact of her eyes on me and I surrendered a bun. I know when I’m outgunned.

  Despite the loss of a bun, I was happy to see her. I was dying to talk about last night, but that conversation required privacy. Instead I asked quietly, “Did you make your list?”

  Swallowing her first nibble of bun, she bobbed her head. “Yes, I have it right here.” She was so proud it took her a minute to realize I wanted it.

  “Geez, it would help if I gave it to you, huh?” She fished through her pockets, eventually retrieving a scrap of paper filled with miniscule writing.

  I took it with interest and read aloud. “A golf umbrella, a plastic measuring tape, a turkey roaster?” I looked up curiously. “What’s a turkey roaster and why do you want one? Never mind,” I interrupted my question. “A turkey roaster, more zippers, and… What’s this last word?” An inch of paper only goes so far. Even Amy had to squint.

  “New scissors!”

  I tucked the paper in my pocket. “Okay, now tell me what a turkey roaster is.”

  She held her hands apart. “It’s an oval shaped pot with handles and a lid. It’s used to roast turkeys in an oven.”

  “You’re cooking?” Amy’s idea of cuisine was frying an egg instead of boiling it.

  She laughed and shook her head, giving a theatrical shudder. “Please. I want it to dye yarn. It’s big enough to fit several skeins, small enough to carry and able to withstand the high temperatures needed to set the colors.”

  Though I wanted to tell Amy about everything that had happened last night, I needed to get home. Nicky had insisted we leave early. As a compromise, I took her by the arm and began towing her back with me. Confused but amiable, she fell into step. I lowered my voice conspiratorially. “Dominic is taking me scavenging. I’ll be hunting for your stuff but you can’t tell—”

  “HOLY SHIT!” Her mouth fell open and I pinched the underside of her arm as half the courtyard stared. Normally Amy would’ve caught on, but she was too excited. Instead she squealed, drawing even more attention, and I congratulated myself for not sharing my news about Nicky. The entire square would’ve heard in seconds.

  Gripping her shoulders, I stared into her eyes the best I could. It was a challenge. They’d all but rolled back with excitement.

  “Was it a bee?” I demanded. “A wasp? Did it get your arm?”

  Still reeling, she made an effort. “Um… Sure?” She wasn’t remotely convincing, but it was better than nothing.

  “C’mon, we’ll go back to my place for some baking soda and cider vinegar.” She let herself be tugged like a pup on a leash, the curious crowd parting to let us through.

  Nicky was in my kitchen, having helped himself to my leftover sausage sandwiches—better him than me. He looked at me cautiously before greeting Amy, no doubt wondering how much I’d blabbed.

  It pleased me to see he’d already showered. Regardless of last night’s activities, he looked as innocuous as he ever did, with no trace of last night’s escapades evident. He’d even shaved, which I found inexplicably disappointing.

  Forcing myself to focus, I set two sticky buns on his napkin. “It’s okay,” I reassured him. “I told her the plan. I figured someone should know where I am, though she did get a little rambunctious.” I shot Amy an exasperated look.

  She looked at us with a sheepish grin. “Sorry about that, but it’s exciting! I promise I won’t say a word. I’ll even wear one of your plastic bandages so no one doubts the bee thing.” She scampered to the bathroom.

  Nicky cocked his head. “Bee thing?”

  I laughed. “Just run with it. Is everything ready to go?”

  He washed down a bite before answering. “I think so. I have your bag and my things are locked in the truck.” He wrapped his remaining bun in a napkin and held it up for approval. “If I can borrow this, we’ll head out now.”

  I shook my head. “If you don’t mind, I’ll take the tunnels and meet you at 7891’s bakery.”

  “The tunnels? It’s broad daylight,” Nicky objected.

  My cheeks burned as I shrugged. “If we leave together, people might realize we spent the night together. No matter what they speculate about us I’d rather not give anyone ammunition for the petition.”

  Nicky nodded. “I can’t imagine it would make anyone vote against you, but people would talk. We’ll do it your way.” He gave me a barely-there kiss that tasted of syrup before hefting our boxes and leaving.

  Seconds later, Amy came out smiling, admiring her colorful bandage. “Nicky left already? I’d walk you out, but I need to get back to mom. Can’t wait to hear everything! I love you and be careful! And have FUN!”

  She blew me a kiss and scampered away before I could share anything else.

  Sulking, I locked up and walked to Robert’s, gritting my teeth in anticipation. Fortunately, a small sign on his door read that he’d stepped out, sparing me the confrontation. Pleased at my small stroke of luck—and let’s face it, I was due—I slipped down into the tunnels.

  After several minutes of walking, I regretted declining
the ride. Though Nicky’s efforts had temporarily made me forget last night’s skinned knees, they were twinging with every step by the time I reached the 7891 exit.

  The lengthy walk to the bakery only made it worse, and when I arrived Nicky was nowhere to be seen. I was getting irritated when he emerged from inside the bakery, holding a grease-smudged sack. Not wanting to attract attention, I followed as he crossed the courtyard.

  He’d parked his truck around the corner and I assessed it warily. It looked bigger than I remembered. Oblivious to my nerves, Nicky dangled his keys between his thumb and forefinger. “In the spirit of adventure, would you care to drive?”

  I gaped in disbelief. “You know I’ve never driven a motor vehicle, right?”

  He nodded and said dryly, “In case you didn’t know, everyone who learns to drive starts out never having driven before.” He offered the keys again, twitching them so they jingled. “Want to give it a try?”

  I wanted to snatch them away before Nicky came to his senses, but my ‘responsible adult’ voice suggested an alternative. “Maybe I should watch you first.”

  He returned the keys to his pocket. “Okay, we’ll switch later.” The decision made, he boosted me into the passenger seat before climbing into his own. I watched him use the rear tire as a step and vowed to master the maneuver before our return.

  As soon as Nicky shut his door, he reached over and strapped me in before fastening his own buckle, explaining, “Seatbelt. In case something hits the car.”

  I tugged at the strap, which dug into my shoulder. “Is that likely?”

  “The odds are low,” he answered distractedly as he started the truck, “but deer are everywhere.”

  I pondered the odds before turning my attention back to the truck. Experimentally, I pressed a button and beamed when the window glass lowered itself with a pleasing ‘purrrrrrrrip’. Then I slid a glance at Nicky, like a child caught sneaking sweets. “Sorry, I should have asked first.”

  “No worries. Touch anything you like.”

  Once I’d exhausted the buttons I began opening the compartments tucked throughout the truck. Most were empty but the one in front of my lap held a thick notebook.