Dark Debt (Chicagoland Vampires #11)(42)
Author: Chloe Neill

Ethan tilted his head. “What setting? We’ve essentially ruled out disavowal.”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’ll have to think about that. But if we do something big, I promise you he’ll show up and cause trouble.”

“And force our hand.”

I nodded fiercely. “Exactly that. We’ll write the story,” I said. “And he’ll write the end.”

*   *   *

He let me shower, get dressed in my traditional black Cadogan suit. I paired my suit with a tank that matched the blue-gray of my eyes. Ethan had paired a perfectly fitted jacket and trousers with a white button-down, the top button open and revealing his glinting Cadogan medal. We’d both donned our professional best, a good thing since we were due at Navarre House—and the twilight drama had already made us late.

“You don’t have to go,” Ethan said as I checked the blade of my katana, slid it home again.

“Not after what you’ve been through. I’ve already sent Malik over to get started on the books—and I sent Juliet with him as a precaution. He’ll be better with the numbers than either of us.”

As much as I appreciated having an excuse to avoid bookending a visit from Balthasar with a visit to Morgan, locking myself in the House wasn’t going to do either of us any good. For one, I couldn’t just chill out there. I’d be pacing the halls, worrying about Ethan because Balthasar was out there. And avoiding Morgan would only make me feel more cowardly.

“Thank you, but I should go. I’ll feel better if I have something to do. Something else to think about.” Someone else’s drama to focus on.

“I called Luc,” Ethan said. “I didn’t give Luc all the details about the attack, but told him enough so that he’ll be prepared. Guards were posted at the condo all night; he didn’t return.”

“He’ll have to find somewhere to bed down and stay out of the sun,” I pointed out.

Ethan nodded. “Luc’s going to contact the rental company, see what he can find out. Or have Kelley do it.” He paused. “I don’t want you alone. Not when he could get to you.”

“Okay.”

He clearly expected a fight, looked shocked and suspicious that I wasn’t arguing.

“I don’t have any desire to be alone with him. But I can’t ask Jonah right now.”

“Then I’ll be with you.”

“You have a House to manage. And a vampire congress to build. You’re a fanged founding father. You don’t have time to babysit me.”

His eyes flashed hot. “You’re my future wife and the mother of my future child. I will well protect you against any threat, living, dead, or undead, just as I promised in my oath to this House.”

The reminder of marriage and children set an entirely different set of nerves on edge. Gabriel Keene, the leader of Jeff’s Pack, had prophesied a vampire child was in our future. And since no vampire child had ever been carried to term, that was a Very Big Deal for vampires, and for Ethan.

“I don’t want to play into his hand,” I said. “Or give him an opportunity to get to you because you’re sticking too closely to me.”

“Do I seem like the type of man who forces others to take my hits, handle my battles for me?”

“Of course not. But things are what they are.”

“Things are what they are,” he agreed. “But Balthasar will not stand between us.” Silence fell. “We could be married.”

My heart galloped. “What?”

“Like Catcher and Mallory. We could be married. Now. Quickly. For the practicality.”

My heart sank at the phrase. “For the practicality.”

Oblivious to my tone, Ethan nodded. “He is an old vampire with old values, however fresh his memories. As it stands, he’ll see you as a Consort.” He frowned, as if choosing his words carefully. “You declined the position quickly enough that we didn’t discuss it, but it is—was—not entirely dishonorable. A Consort has power, prestige, the ear of his or her Master. She can choose those with whom she consorts; the power is hers. If he believes you stand as Consort now, he may believe you can be swayed.”

“Even while I sleep,” I suggested, and Ethan nodded.

“Giving you my name, securing our relationship, would give you security. Safety. Day or night.”

I knew Ethan had planned to propose; he’d made that clear enough. That proposal would have been for love, for companionship, for me. But tonight, he looked so earnest. So practical. And that was too much a reminder of Mallory’s situation.

I appreciated the sentiment, and his obvious concern for my welfare. But his offering a marriage of convenience wasn’t my ideal proposal. I’d been imagining him on his knees in a tux with a book of Byron’s poetry and a ring box, reciting the first stanza of “She Walks in Beauty” while his green eyes glinted in the moonlight.

It might have been fantasy, but it was my fantasy, and I preferred it to cold practicalities.

I shook my head, glanced up at Ethan. “As flattered as I am that you’d offer me your name to protect me, I don’t want our lifetime together to start like this.”

A corner of his mouth lifted. “At least you appear to acknowledge we will have a lifetime together.”

“One step at a time,” I said in a warning tone.

“All right, Sentinel. I’m not going anywhere. Nor, I believe, are you. And if you need a proposal with candlelight and poetry, probably one of the Romantics, so be it.”

When my eyes widened at the reference, he smiled.

“I told you that I pay attention, Merit. I always have.”

Chapter Thirteen

SUIVRE L’ARGENT

We’d reached a personal accord, but Ethan was still silent as Brody drove us north to Gold Coast and Navarre House, where another round of drama awaited us.

The silence wasn’t all because of me, or Balthasar. Ethan had left a cadre of unhappy supplicants in the Cadogan lobby, men and women whose problems he once again wouldn’t have time to address because we had other vampires to protect. Most of those waiting had accepted his apologies with grim resignation. A few had grumbled under their breath about his obligations, how he’d forgotten the vampires who got him where he was. (Since he hadn’t been elected, and he didn’t actually know these non-Cadogan vampires, I questioned the logic.) One had made a move toward him, tried to step toe-to-toe and blame Ethan for making things worse, for bringing new CPD attention to vampires, and causing them to constantly harass him.