Chapter 98
Jamie offered his arm, and Kit took it, putting her serious face on, and they stepped out of the shadows, rounding the corner and entering the establishment. The scent of cigar smoke and stale booze hit Jamie in the face. He was used to choking it back, though he’d never been fond of either smell and preferred not to enter places of this sort when he could help it.
Teresa was playing a loud, upbeat song, though Jamie didn’t recognize it, and the tinny sound of the piano filled his ears, mingling with the voices of at least a few dozen men and half as many women as glasses clinked and chair screeched across the wooden floor. He caught Kit’s eyes, and they began to survey the room.
It wasn’t difficult to see Fritzy. She was wearing a large hat with plenty of loud feathers. In Jamie’s mind, she resembled a deranged peacock in purples, blues, and greens, but she already had a few men at her side, and Jamie wondered if any of them had come in with her. If she’d already turned a beau or two, their job would become that much harder. She was known for creating a companion or two along the way.
“Well?” Kit asked, “should we get on with it?”
“What are you planning to do?” Jamie asked quietly as they walked to the side of the room, though still near the door, in case Fritzy could sense them the way that they could feel her. “Carson said to be discreet.” Jamie looked around and saw several senators and congressmen, even a supreme court justice. No good could come of alerting them, even if Teresa could easily alter their memories.
“Befriend her,” Kit shrugged. “See if I can get her to go to the back of the saloon with me, I suppose.”
The plan seemed like something they might try, but before Kit started in that direction, Jamie noticed something. “She’s on to us, I believe,” he whispered.
“What do you mean?” Kit’s voice sounded alarmed.
“Look at the way she keeps turning her head toward Wes. It’s like she knows what he is.”
Kit watched for a moment in silence. “Then why hasn’t she fled?”
“I’m not sure.” It didn’t make a lot of sense. While some Vampires were able to feel or smell Hunters, the way that most Hunters and Guardians could feel them out, most were not. There was nothing about Wes’s appearance that should make Fritzy assume he was anything but a typical man enjoying the company of a somewhat pretty woman in Lee. But, nevertheless, the dashing blond had caught Fritzy’s attention. “What if…” Jamie began but stopped himself as Fritzy took a few steps in Wes’s direction but drew up short.
“What if what?”
Clearing his throat, Jamie said, “I have an idea. Wait here?”
Though she had an eyebrow arched, Kit nodded, and Jamie took off at an acceptable to humans rate toward the table where Wes and Lee were sitting. “Beg pardon,” he said, as they both looked up, surprised to see him. “Would you mind coming with me for a moment?” he asked Lee.
Her forehead crinkled. “Can’t you see that I’m busy right now?” she asked.
“Yes, I can.” Jamie had his back to Fritzy. “But I believe there is another lady who wouldn’t mind getting to know your date a little better.”
Wes glanced past Jamie at Fritzy, who was standing even closer now than she had been when he’d first sauntered over. Wes gave a nod of understanding. “Go on, then, dear. I’ll see you shortly.”
Lee still didn’t seem to get whatever the men were on to, but she stood and took the arm Jamie had offered. He didn’t go right back to Kit, though. Instead, he walked further back into the rear of the club, and sure enough, he spotted another exit there. If Wes could attract Fritzy’s undivided attention, this would likely be the direction she would attempt to lure him. Kit would have the front door covered, and while Jamie hated leaving her unprotected, he caught Teresa’s eyes, and she nodded at him. She was on the same page.
By the time Jamie had Lee in the back in an inconspicuous position Fritzy was already approaching Wes. He wished he could eavesdrop on the conversation, but they were just too far out of range. Someday, he hoped someone would invent something like a portable telegraph they could all wear around.
By Wes’s face, Jamie could tell he was playing along, Fritzy didn’t even bother to sit in the chair the handsome blond offered. Rather, she squeezed his shoulder, rubbing up against him a bit, and while Jamie could see his eyebrows raise from this vantage point, he didn’t show his hesitance to the vampire. Wes was out of his seat, his hand gently stroking her arm as he leaned in and whispered something to her, and Fritzy smiled devilishly at him. They headed for the back door.
As they strolled by, Fritzy gave Lee a look that could only say, “Take that,” and giggled in a way that must’ve made Lee’s blood boil as she gritted her teeth and took a step forward.
“Not really your man,” Jamie whispered in the woman’s ear, pulling back on her.
“Just pretending,” Lee assured him, but Jamie could tell that wasn’t the case. She really was jealous. He watched the pair vanish out the back door and turned around to face the front, hoping Kit would join them and follow Wes and the Vampire out the back door.
She was nowhere to be found.
“Where’d Kit go?” Jamie asked.
“I don’t know,” Lee replied, “but we need to go, just in case Wes needs us.”
Jamie signaled at Teresa, who’s lithe fingers continued to fall across the correct keys even as she turned her head and saw that Kit was gone. The piano music came to an abrupt halt as she hurried out the front door.
Knowing they needed to stay with Wes, Jamie let Lee rush him out the back. Hopefully, Kit had gone back out to report to Carson. He knew she wouldn’t likely be too upset that she was no longer lead. It would be easier to get Fritzy this way, after all, since she was naturally attracted to Wes.
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