But Gregori had seen what the depraved human mind could do. He had seen the work of the society time and time again. Women butchered and murdered, innocents, children. He laced his fingers through Savannah’s, finding a measure of peace and solace in her closeness. The wind blew the dark, ugly memories into the night.
Savannah’s fingers tightened around his. “Did you know what it was?”
“No, but it was real, chérie. I was in your head. You did not imagine it.” They walked along, the silence comfortable between them.
A block from his hotel, Gary cleared his throat. “I thought you said going back to my room might be dangerous.”
“Life is dangerous, Gary,” Gregori said softly. “You are Rambo, remember?”
Savannah’s laughter rang out, rivaling the jazz quartet playing on the corner. Heads turned to listen to her, men to watch her, stealing away the attention of the audience gathered in a loose semi-circle around the quartet. She moved in the human world, completely comfortable in it, a part of it. Gregori had walked unseen, and that was how he preferred it. She was dragging him into her world. He could hardly believe he was walking down a crowded street with a mortal with half the block staring openly at them.
“I didn’t know you knew who Rambo was,” Savannah said, trying not to giggle. She couldn’t imagine Gregori in a theater watching a Rambo movie.
“You saw a Rambo flick?” Gary was incredulous.
Gregori made a sound somewhere between contempt and derision. “I read Gary’s memories on the subject. Interesting. Silly, but interesting.” He glanced at Gary. “This is your hero?”
Gary’s grin was as mischievous as Savannah’s. “Until I met you, Gregori.”
Gregori growled, a low rumble of menace. His two companions just laughed disrespectfully, not in the least intimidated.
“I’ll bet he’s a secret Rambo fan,” Savannah whispered confidentially.
Gary nodded. “He probably sneaks into movie theaters for every old showing.”
Savannah was really laughing now, the soft notes dancing in the air, contagious, infectious, beckoning all within hearing to join in.
Gregori shook his head, pretending to ignore the two of them and their shenanigans. But he couldn’t help himself; he felt his heart lighten even as he scanned the hotel from the courtyard and knew they would soon be in another confrontation with dark, compulsion-driven members of the society. He stopped them abruptly, drawing them into the shadows of the building. “Someone is in your room waiting, Gary.”
“You don’t even know which is my room,” Gary protested. “There’s a lot of people staying here. Let’s not make a mistake.”
“I do not make mistakes,” Gregori said softly, his black-velvet voice very much in evidence. “Would you care to go up alone?”
That was unnecessary, lifemate, Savannah reprimanded. And beneath you. You like this mortal, and it bothers you that he may be in danger.
Perhaps it is your easy way with him that bothers me, he suggested silkily. His hand wrapped a length of braid around his fist and gave a tug.
You’d like me to think that, but I am in your head, reading your growing affection for this man.
Gregori didn’t want to admit she was right. Savannah was bringing him so far into her world, she was making him feel things uncomfortable for him. Mikhail had had a friendship with a human. Gregori had known he felt great affection for the man, yet Gregori had never understood it. Respected it, perhaps, but he did not understand it. Savannah had genuinely cared for Peter. Gregori didn’t dwell on that issue too much, but again, he found it hard to comprehend. Yet now, with Gary, in spite of himself,
Gregori actually admired the mortal and didn’t want anything to happen to him.
“Tell me what you want me to do,” Gary said almost eagerly. He was sick of bullies pushing him around.
“You are going to walk in by yourself and fish for as much information as you can get before they try to kill you,” Gregori answered.
“Try. I hope that’s the operative word,” Gary said nervously. “Try to kill me.”
“You will not have to worry about yourself,” Gregori informed him, his voice utterly confident. “But it is necessary that the police do not come looking for you. That means no dead bodies in your room.”