Eternal Night

(I) Chapter 20: The Lion & the Wolf

Frankie lingered in the dark of her bedroom, back pressed against the door as she fought the tickled grin tugging the corner of her lips.

That man.

That presumptuous, infuriating, audacious... clever man.

Vlad Leinhart had somehow managed to work his way beneath her skin and he knew it.

He knew it, knew that she was attracted to him, knew that some part of her secretly liked him, and while his arrogance remained genuinely irritating, she couldn't deny her own twisted amusement when it came to the situation. Despite the warnings he no doubt had received regarding her, his insistence at being flirtatious when no one was looking made it plain that he didn't care. The danger was of no interest to him and the attraction was in no way one-sided.

It was reckless, what he was doing – tempting her, coaxing her closer to that line drawn in the sand between them. It was a dangerous game to play. Feelings could get involved, control could be lost, and she wasn't sure her brother would ever forgive her if something happened to Leinhart – especially at her hands.

She'd have to be careful, but evidently the man wanted to play and it had been too long since Frankie had last indulged in her more mischievous sensibilities. He had proven himself a worthy enough opponent, and another battle for dominance had the potential of being vastly entertaining – especially after his actions of just a few hours ago with the art history book. She still had to get even with him for that.

Resolved, Frankie emerged a few minutes later, dressed for war – and in more ways than one – nearly every inch of skin covered in black, but the outfit was skin-tight, practically painted on. The way Leinhart's eyes raked over her the moment she reentered the room was a reward of its own.

She found the rest of the party finishing up with their final preparations, Danny and Lyra discussing weaponry as her brother concluded his conversation with Carmen on the phone. From the sound of it, they'd keep Anna-Sophie locked in the panic room beneath the new HQ until the coast was clear, and if their cover was blown, the tunnels beneath the city were always an option. It was a solid plan; she'd be well protected either way.

"You ready to go?" Lyra asked her friend, tossing her a series of sheathed blades, which were quickly strapped to her person. Once the twin pair of Damascus steel daggers were fastened in place on the outside of her thighs, Frankie nodded and then looked to her brother, requesting an update.

"Carmen will be ready for us. I'll be texting her as soon as we have Anna-Sophie, so if we're not there in the allotted time, she'll send in the cavalry."

"Good. I'm driving," and she quickly snatched the set of keys off the counter before Rémy could grab them.

"I'll take my bike," Lyra added, the two women already heading towards the exit.

"Hey! Why do you get to drive?"

"Because I know the south-side better than you. You, Danny, and Leinhart can fight over shotgun," and she stole a quick glance at Vlad. His attention had been fixed on the outline of her ass. It made the corner of her lips twitch.

Her brother looked like he was about to argue, but he relented and lightly smacked her arm as he passed through the front door.

"Just promise not to kill us, okay?"

"My dear brother, I would never let any harm come to you, or that vehicle. He's my kitten... and it's been a while since I've given him a proper ride," she replied, sending Vlad a suggestive look once Danny and Lyra had exited. "Nobody makes him purr like I do." Dracula chuckled at the double entendre and her sudden change in mood. "Are you coming, Mr. Leinhart?"