He smiled warmly at her, and Macey felt another different sort of sizzling tingle in her belly. She tore her eyes away, her cheeks warming. Sebastian Vioget exuded sensuality, heat, and danger. Yet, even though a look from him caused warmth to shimmy up her spine, she still felt a chill over the back of her neck. As if a constant breeze settled there.
She looked down at the whiskey, pretending to consider taking a sip. In reality, Macey was trying to organize and control her racing mind. A vampire hunter? Me?
Father as well? Her insides turned cold at the memory of his stony heart. How could a man send his daughter away after she lost her mother? To place after place, home after home. . . and never ever see her again?
Vampire hunter or not, Max Denton was not a person she wanted to emulate. Or respect. Or even remember.
My father. . . a vampire hunter. Impossible.
But perhaps not as impossible as she would have believed only yesterday. Before she'd seen a vampire.
Since vampires do exist, there must be those who hunt them. The police are surely incapable of doing so.
But me? Impossible. Crazy.
Macey set the glass down. Her heart thudded harder as she stood. "I'm going to leave now. " It occurred to her that perhaps they wouldn't allow her to leave, these two dangerous-silkily dangerous-men. Her palms were damp and she could hardly breathe, fearing what would happen.
She suspected facing Al Capone or Bugs Moran would be a cakewalk compared to a showdown with the two in this room. Her heart filled her throat and she great-great-granddaughter of Victoriat - thought she might choke, but she walked steadily toward the exit.
"Macey. "
She was at the door. Hand on the knob, she turned, not expecting to see that Sebastian and Chas had remained in their seats. Neither made a move to stop her.
But as her gaze was caught by Sebastian's, she felt a funny tug in the center of her belly. And had the impression he'd changed somehow. His eyes were. . . warm. Hot. Glowing?
"Now, now, Vioget. . . let's play fair. " Chas moved suddenly, his arm jerking in front of Sebastian's eyes. Macey blinked and the tug inside eased.
Then all at once, realization jolted her. Her knees wobbled. She clutched the knob as they buckled a little, then caught herself before her legs gave way. "You-you're a vampire. "
"And a Venator. " He wore an odd expression-a little chagrined, a little wary.
"But. . . how can you be both?"
"That is a damned good question," Chas said brightly. "How can you be both, the lady asks?"
"Get out," Sebastian growled. "Now. " His eyes burned-literally-red and glowing, just like those of the man who attacked Macey last night. Her pulse jerked when she noticed fang tips pressing into his lower lip.
"Very well. If that's what you wish. " Chas set his glass down and it clinked gently against the whiskey bottle. "Good luck convincing a Venator to help a vampire. "
"Wait. " Macey held up her hand. To her relief, it wasn't even trembling. Maybe she was made from sterner stuff than she realized. "I'm leaving. I'm going to think about this. And I'll let you know. . . in a few days. "
"Of course, cherie. But do you truly wish to place yourself in danger overnight? Now that the undead know who you are and where you live, you're no longer safe. Particularly since you've already slain one of them-the clock has begun to tick. All has been set in motion. " Sebastian rose, but the glow in his gaze faded, and he looked at her with mortal eyes. "Whether you wish to accept it or not, whether you believe it or not, you are Macey Gardella. Daughter of Max Denton, great-great-granddaughter of Victoria. You are the heir to Il Gardella-The Gardella-line, and destined to change the world in this era. The undead know this. They've been waiting for you. And Count Alvisi will do whatever he must to destroy you. "
"Now you're scaring the girl, Vioget. "
Chas's voice wasn't particularly kind, but Macey couldn't disagree. She had no feeling in her legs, and her insides were a jungle of nerves. "But I don't have to accept the Calling. You said I didn't have to accept it. " She looked at him, over the back of her neck slyuncertain whether she'd find help with him or not. "What if I don't?"
"If you don't. . . well, first, you'll live in utter ignorance of this very conversation, of this very place and even our identities," Chas said, speaking before Sebastian could.
His lackadaisical attitude had evaporated. Gone was the insolent, testy man who'd drunk half a bottle of whiskey in forty minutes. Now his words were sober, matching his expression. "And the undead will continue to do what they have always done. What they must do to survive: take from mortals, feed on them, rape and maul them. For that is what they've been created to do: to take. Without reservation.
"If unchecked, they'll grow in large numbers, as the likes of Capone and Torri have done-but these are immortal beings, not gun-toting mortals. Someday soon, instead of being run by gangsters, Chicago will be controlled by vampires. Particularly if they convince Capone and the others to join them. And there is nothing-not one thing-redeemable about one who is undead. They cannot be saved, they cannot be corrected. A vampire is unadulterated evil. They must take in order to live. That is the core of their existence. Rape and violation. "
Macey couldn't breathe. Not so much because of Chas's speech, but because of the expression settling on Sebastian's face. Tormented, dark, burning with fury.
"Ah. But there is one exception," Chas added casually. He hadn't looked at Sebastian, but surely he felt the antipathy rolling off him. "And that is our host here-the fine proprietor of The Silver Chalice. He has a chance for redemption. And he needs you to help him. "
Grady had no intention of allowing Macey Denton out of his sight-particularly with the gangster she'd somehow attracted. He knew how to take care of himself, but more importantly, he knew how to read a man. That bastard made his skin crawl and his instincts go very sharp.