I chuckled but made a note to work on my poker face. “Nothing yet. I can be honest with you though, right? Harley won’t be around much longer. Not if I can help it. He’s a pile of dust and bone. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
A moment of silence ensued while Kale looked at me as if trying to decide if I was joking or just stupid. It was then that I noticed the subtle vibration of his aura. It burned with power that wasn’t his, but mine. Days had passed since he’d taken my blood, but my power still smoldered within him. Now that was intriguing.
“And, you’re telling me to be careful?” Kale scoffed. “You really need to start taking your own advice. Things have been weird at the Kiss lately, weirder than usual. There have been incidents. A lot of blood games and dead girls.”
“Yeah, yeah. Courtesy of the Arys and Harley reunion, I’m sure.” I rolled my eyes and laughed it off. I didn’t want to give him the opportunity to say or do anything to change my mind. I was hell bent on seeing this through.
I pulled open the door of the car and started the engine. Kale stepped closer, forcing me to drop down into the driver’s seat. I looked up at him, refusing to feel intimidated because of our last encounter. Intimidation was pleasantly absent. However, temptation rarely was these days.
Leaning in close, Kale’s voice dropped. “I fully believe that you can handle Harley, but what the hell do you plan to do in the aftermath? He may have allies that will come after you, and the bar, what about that? And Arys…”
“I can handle Arys,” I replied much too quickly. It gave away my inner doubt. Arys may very well hate me after I killed his sire. That wasn’t going to stop me. “As for the bar, I have a bank account filled with Raoul’s money. Money that’s really not much good to me. I’m sure I can use it to pull the right strings and get the ownership of that place transferred.”
An idea struck me then, and Kale’s eyes narrowed when a slow, sure smile spread across my face. “Actually Kale, that is something you may be able to help me with. I’ll need someone to take over legal ownership. Who better than you?”
“Oh, you bad little wolf. You have been doing some thinking, haven’t you?”
“I have,” I said with a nod. I met his eyes steadily, wanting him to read how very serious I was. “You know the Kiss better than anyone. You can run it, and I can work behind the scenes, restore a sense of order there. A place like that in our possession could be beneficial in many ways. Think about it?”
Kale paused, a typically dramatic vampire move that made me want to roll my eyes at him.
“If you can pull off killing Harley and keep Arys from losing his mind over it, I will do whatever you ask.” He gave me a pointed look, one that told me I was facing a bigger challenge than I wanted to admit.
“Don’t doubt me, Kale. You know that just makes me more determined.”
“Not doubting, just saying.” With a sexy smile that flashed fangs and a wink, he sauntered away. “Have a safe night, Alexa.”
* * * *
After what seemed like hours of listening to Harley go on about how the root of my power was all in my mind, I grew openly bored. Leaning on the small table in his room, I rested my chin in my hand and gazed at the ceiling. “Am I boring you, Alexa?” He snapped suddenly. “Do forgive me for the lack of excitement. What were you expecting? A field trip?”
I started to resist a smirk, then thought better of it and let it spread over my face.
“Something like that. I guess I don’t make a very good student.”
“Then why are you wasting my time?”
“Oh, give me a break. You’re getting what you want out of this so humor me.” I gave my long hair a toss and fixed him with an icy stare. I couldn’t shake that image of him and Arys, and I choked on my hatred. “You keep pounding this mind over matter shit into my head. I get it. It’s all about envisioning what I want to do with the power. But, how about some actual hands on action? A demonstration, if you will.”
Harley crossed his arms over his chest and met my eyes with a gaze so chilling mine must have looked pitiful in comparison. Damn vampires.
“A demonstration? Like what? You must have something specific in mind.”
I sighed and leaned back in my chair. Since making up my mind earlier about Harley’s imminent demise, I felt much calmer around him. I’d never been this relaxed inside The Wicked Kiss. I was self-conscious though, hoping I didn’t give anything away with my words or actions.
“What about the big things? Like healing? Or manipulating the form of a person or object?”
He continued to stare at me. With his arms crossed over his expensive black suit, he looked like a secret service agent from TV. All he needed was a gun and dark sunglasses.
I shrugged but offered nothing more. If he couldn’t show me those things, I was done here.
In a blur of motion, he was suddenly beside me, gripping my arm in his cold hands.
It startled me, which had clearly been his intent. He gestured to my exposed forearm.
“Cut yourself. A nice deep one. You have claws.”