JAVIER Read online

  JAVIER

  BY

  MIRANDA JAMESON

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Once again, many thanks to my son and daughter for their continued support and love.

  To the regular Friday morning gang; life is more fun with you. The cards are in a safe place...

  To the Dream Team...fellow Dreamies, you make the difficult times bearable and the fun times completely hilarious.

  And finally...

  To my sister Mandy for believing in me. You are still going to have to wait to find out what happens next though...no spoilers.

  Any copyrights held on images or any other names mentioned in this book are the property of their respective owners.

  CHAPTER 1

  Sunset at last. With barely a whisper the automatic shutter system engaged and uncovered the expansive windows of the penthouse apartment with its panoramic views. Javier gazed down from one of London’s most exclusive Docklands developments at the Thames spread out far below him. He glanced at his watch; half past seven, exactly three minutes later than the last time he had checked his watch. He had arrived here an hour ago, materializing straight into Rafe’s new apartment from the Island and since then he had paced backwards and forwards restlessly as the knot of tension inside him tightened further and further. He needed to move, he needed action.

  It had been many years since he had last visited this city. It was strange the way things changed over time, he thought. Rafe had paid over three million pounds for this apartment in its exclusive enclave yet, when he had last been in this area, bombs had been raining down on it from Nazi planes and it had been a place of relative squalor and crime. He and Gabriel had hunted down and killed two renegade Vampires who were using the chaos of the Blitz to murder Humans and take their blood; an act prohibited by the Ancient Laws. Their behaviour had threatened to expose the Vampires’ hidden world as London’s hard pressed civilian police had been horrified and baffled by the crimes. That had been over seven decades ago; he and Charlotte had already been life consorts for thirty years.

  Charlotte; he saw her in his head as clearly as though she was standing in front of him with her thick chestnut hair, hazel eyes and wide infectious smile. He had fallen in love with her clear English accent, acerbic humour and intelligent, bookish ways. He had always teased her, calling her his “English blue-stocking” and she, in turn, had called him her “beautiful, exotic Spaniard”. They had been bonded through blood and had belonged to each other. He recalled her joy at giving birth to their daughter Beatriz, how pleased she had been that their little Bee had his golden brown eyes.

  Two years later she was dead. Blown to pieces by a terrorist bomb in a Cairo restaurant. Human terrorists. He, Javier of Seville, had done what the Human authorities had been unable to do. He had found the perpetrators and he had killed them. After that he had simply fallen apart. Nothing had eased the agony in his heart or in his body. Strangely it had been the reclusive Dowager Countess Reine, mother of his commander LaSalle who had helped him start to live again. She knew only too well how it felt to lose your bonded life consort. He had now been alone for eight years.

  And then, in the middle of one of the biggest celebrations ever to take place in the secret parallel world inhabited by the Vampires and their former enemies, the Empaths, he had seen her. He had seen Charlotte. He had been drinking whisky with Gabriel and Max and the glass had simply dropped out of his fingers. She had turned and run and he had given chase, dimly aware of Gabriel and Max following right behind him. Then she had jumped onto a boat and turned and stared straight at him before shifting out in a vortex of black energy. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Gabriel had seen her too he wouldn’t have believed his own eyes.

  It had taken the combined Intelligence networks of both the Vampires and the Empaths over two weeks to track her down. Surveillance photos showed her in London, she was a regular in an exclusive and expensive West End nightclub. The kind of place where you needed a platinum credit card or a very famous face to get in.

  That reminded him; he couldn’t go to a place like that in the jeans and T-shirt he was wearing. Heading into one of the bedrooms Javier flipped through the clothes that the staff back at the Island had, with typical efficiency, delivered to the apartment the day before. He really didn’t care what he wore as long as he could move quickly if he needed to and his gun didn’t show; in the end he chose a black Armani suit and pushed his SIG Sauer into the waistband at the back. Lacing up a pair of black combat boots he tucked a knife down the side of one of them; that would do. Finally he slipped the black credit card and driving license LaSalle’s team had supplied him with into his jacket.

  He would leave shortly. Once again he stood before the vast expanse of windows and stared into the night. He knew it couldn’t be Charlotte; of course he knew that. There had been nothing left in that restaurant after the massive explosion, nothing of Charlotte or the thirty people who had died with her. What if…no, there was no what if. He knew that if she had lived nothing on earth would have kept Charlotte away from him, their daughter and her family; nothing. What if she had been suffering from amnesia all these years? He had asked Gabriel and Max that question in desperation seeing them shake their heads sadly, firmly.

  No, whoever that woman was, however much she seemed to look like Charlotte, she could not be Charlotte. Something very strange was going on and he intended to get to the bottom of it. So why did that little voice in his head, that thin strand of hope and longing still keep up the refrain; what if? Swearing violently Javier headed over to Rafe’s extensive collection of single malts. Reaching for a bottle he stopped; better not, he had drunk rather too much in the last couple of weeks and he wanted to keep a clear and cool head tonight.

  His sword lay on the coffee table where he had placed it on arrival. Clearing a space in the huge room he picked it up. He had commissioned it to be made to his exacting specifications and it felt like an extension of his own body. Shutting his eyes he moved slowly and gracefully through a long sequence of movements until, half an hour later he placed the sword carefully back on the table; his mind and body calm at last. Then he pocketed Rafe’s car keys, stepped into the private elevator and hit the button for the basement garage.

  Ten minutes later he was driving the sleek black Porsche through the maze of London’s streets. Javier smiled in the darkness; trust Rafe to choose a sexy French woman’s voice for his Satnav. Of course, he could have saved himself the trouble of driving and simply shifted to the co-ordinates and materialized close to the night club; it was the way he and his kind normally travelled. It was hugely convenient he reflected as he waited for yet another set of red lights to change to green, how on earth did Londoners put up with this every day? Still, the car was beautiful and arriving in it conspicuously would help get him into the club.

  He swung expertly into a parking slot close to the entrance and gunned the accelerator briefly before shutting the engine down, getting out and strolling confidently towards the door. The place shouted wealth and discretion. He was a regular at a club much like this one in Monaco, a place where extremely rich people went to spend their money and be seen by other extremely rich people.

  He was addressed by a uniformed doorman;

  “Good evening Sir, might I see your invitation?” his smile was polite and expectant.

  Ah, thought Javier, it was that sort of place. If he didn’t provide an invitation, he wouldn’t be let in and, if he insisted, he would suddenly find himself facing a couple of very large and muscular bouncers. A situation best avoided when he was trying to blend in. With lightning speed he reached out and touched the doorman on his forehead;

  “That will not be necessary, I am a regular, I may go in.” he murmured, implanting the suggestion;


  “Oh, welcome back Sir, do go straight in. Enjoy your evening.” The doorman smiled happily at him. Really, thought Javier, sometimes it was so easy it was almost boring.

  He headed into the luxurious interior. There was dim mood lighting everywhere but that was not a problem for him. He could see as clearly in the darkness as, he supposed, Humans could see in daylight. Standing at the top of a shallow flight of steps he scanned the huge space carefully. Well, if she was a regular, she hadn’t arrived yet. A band was playing jazz to an appreciative audience; this was not the kind of club that catered to the very young.

  Javier wandered over to the bar casually, exchanging smiles along the way with a small group of women who were quite obviously checking him out. Pulling up a stool he ordered;

  “Laphroaig please, no ice.” He handed the bartender his credit card with a smile.

  “We have the eighteen year old, Mr Alejandro.” She had noted the very exclusive card.

  “Perfect. Make it a double.”

  Javier thanked her as she served his whisky then passed her two twenty pound notes as he showed her the photograph he had brought with him;

  “Have you seen this woman here before?”

  The girl serving him hesitated, in places like this staff who couldn’t keep their mouths shut about the customers soon found themselves fired. Javier ramped up the charm and smiled straight into her eyes;

  “Please, a simple yes or no is enough.” He leaned closer and saw her blush as she discreetly palmed the notes.

  “Yes, she looks like someone who’s been coming here three or four times a week for the last fortnight.”

  “Does she come here alone or with someone?”

  “Oh, alone. She arrives alone, has a few drinks, listens to the band and leaves alone. I’ve wondered whether she’s waiting for someone. She’s not here to pick someone up like some of them are…” the girl tailed off and looked uncomfortable.

  Javier smiled his thanks. Interesting, so she had only started coming here after her dramatic appearance in their Arctic Circle encampment. She was obviously the bait and he was the fish; the question was, who was the fisherman and why?

  “We haven’t seen you here before.” a voice purred in his ear.

  Javier turned, he had been joined by two of the women from the small group, they sat themselves strategically, one on either side of him. He smiled and introduced himself;

  “Javier Alejandro, just passing through on business.” They were both very attractive, one a redhead and her friend, a blonde. Briefly he wondered why women always hunted in packs.

  “Please, allow me to get you a drink.” He ordered champagne

  “Are you Spanish? What a lovely accent. I’m Julia and that’s Kate.”

  The game had begun, thought Javier as the conversation sparkled. He sipped his drink slowly, enjoying the smoky taste of the whisky. Normally he would launch himself wholeheartedly into this little flirtation. He liked women and they seemed to like him. When he had come out of the black void a couple of years after Charlotte’s death he had thrown himself into this scene. There had been numerous liaisons with lovely, interesting women but they had all unwittingly had one flaw they simply couldn’t help. They were not Charlotte.

  As he flirted and laughed easily with the two women his eyes constantly checked the entrance. The club was full and the music had changed. Javier tuned his acutely sensitive hearing into the many conversations taking place round the room. Nothing of note stood out except that he realized the group of three tall men who stood chatting up the three pretty girls in the far corner were Vampires. Not surprising really, there were many of them and night clubs were only one of the places they frequented. The modern twenty-four hour society had really opened things up for his kind and more and more of them worked night shifts in big cities all over the world.

  He wondered how these Humans would react if they knew; they would probably trot out the usual tiresome stories. Then they would clutch their fragile necks in fear of having all their blood sucked out of them. Human blood; it was abhorrent to Vampires and forbidden by law. Javier sighed to himself; no doubt the revelation that Vampires took blood only from each other would be disappointingly ordinary. Yes, the Humans preferred the Count Dracula version; virgins, sex, fangs, coffins and exsanguination were so much more thrilling.

  The woman Julia stroked his hand suggestively and Javier leaned attentively towards her. All of a sudden he experienced a strange prickling sensation that sharpened and heightened all his senses. Instinctively he knew he was being watched, observed. The fine hairs seemed to stand up along his arms and he was preternaturally aware of everything around him. Excusing himself he started circulating the room casually, covertly scanning the crowd, body poised for action.

  Then his heart started drumming painfully as he caught a glimpse of her. She had obviously slipped in through a different entrance and stood as though part of a group of friends as she anxiously searched the area near the bar. She had lost sight of him. How long had she been there watching? Slowly he wove his way through the room until he was standing a few feet behind her; now he was the watcher, the hunter.

  Charlotte, he thought as a wave of longing swept through him so sharp, so desperate, he could barely breathe. He checked himself, this was not Charlotte; for a start the woman was taller and the whole set of her body was different. No, this was a deliberate and cruel trick and he was going to put an end to it. He was close enough to the woman now to tune in to the rapid nervous tattoo of her heartbeat as she took a step forward, her head moving from side to side as she searched for him around the club. Reaching out he gripped her arm tightly as he pulled her back against him and murmured close to her ear;

  “Don’t make a fuss. We are going to leave calmly and quietly, understand?”

  The woman gasped in shock then nodded. Javier wound his arm round her and steered her towards the exit, bending his head down towards her;

  “I am sure you realize that I am armed. Smile nicely querida, you and I are going to have a little chat.”

  He smiled at the two women at the bar as they watched him leave, their expressions disappointed. Some other lucky woman had hooked the tall, utterly gorgeous Spaniard.

  CHAPTER 2

  A group of men and women stood laughing easily together and Cassia positioned herself close to them as though part of their circle. She had entered the club using the side door she had found when she had checked out the building a couple of weeks ago. It had been locked but that wasn’t a problem for an expert lock picker like her. She really hoped her mark would turn up tonight; weeks had passed since she had pulled that little stunt on Treaty signing day. God, she had been lucky and it was a good thing she was so fast because those guys had very nearly caught her. Still, she had ensured he had seen her as she had been instructed. She was very careful to do everything as instructed; it wasn’t just her life that depended on her obedience.

  Her shoulders were tense and her head itched under the thick chestnut wig; it was an expensive one, pure hair. These people were going to a lot of trouble. She was just about to head for the bar and order herself a drink when she froze; there he was at last, the one from the Arctic Circle encampment, the one they called Javier of Seville. Melting into the background she watched him; the surveillance photo she had been given did him no justice at all. He was probably the most handsome man she had ever seen.

  She knew he was tall like all male Vampires; she had registered that when he had leapt up and started to chase her. Now, as he lounged against the bar laughing and flirting with those two women she noticed the easy fluid grace with which he moved his powerful body. He leaned forward to listen to something the red head was saying and as the light reflected on his slightly long and untidy golden brown hair she found herself wondering what colour his eyes were. Angrily she rebuked herself; this would not do. She just had to carry out her instructions, lure him out of here and then she would be free and so would Flavia.

  She was sudde
nly jostled as, with loud cheers and laughter, the group she had attached herself to started hugging and congratulating one of the couples. Oh, lucky for some, thought Cassia sourly, they had just got engaged. Steadying herself she turned her attention back to the bar; damn, where had he gone? One minute he had been leaning back drinking and now he had disappeared. She searched anxiously round the room hoping he hadn’t left, that she wouldn’t have to spend yet another night waiting in the club wearing this damned wig.

  She gasped with shock as her arm was grasped in a vice like grip and she felt herself pulled back against a hard muscular body. A quiet voice speaking with a soft Spanish accent told her not to make a fuss; that they were leaving. How had she not heard him? How had he known? He had appeared to be completely relaxed and engrossed in his conversation with the two women. Tucking an arm around her he pulled her close into his side as though they were lovers; she felt his breath warm against her cheek as he leaned his head close to hers and whispered a few words in her ear.

  As she was guided firmly towards the exit she knew full well that he was armed. He had pulled his gun and, under cover of the dim lights and their tight embrace it was digging extremely painfully into her ribs. Looking up she saw him smile at the two women at the bar. Well, he was certainly a cool customer.

  Cassia had no choice but to go where he steered her; as soon as they were clear of the door she would act. Her main objective was to get him to follow her and she had been told that he would. They passed the doorman and he must have felt her body tense because he dug the gun even harder into her as he bid the man a polite goodnight and continued that casual saunter down the road till they came to the mouth of the alley that ran alongside the club. Then everything changed.

  His grip on her arm tightened as she was propelled into the dark alley then slammed back against the wall, the gun pressed hard against her temple;