The Catalyst: (Book One) Read online

  It went through her like a shock and she pulled back from him. The two of them stared at each other, both breathing harder than usual. Addar’s eyes had lightened to silver and he could not seem to stop staring at her mouth. Robin licked her lips. He tasted the way he smelled, like something exotic and dark. She mentally shook herself.

  Robin cleared her throat. “This can’t happen. Ever.”

  He stared at her.

  She made a show of standing and brushing off her pants where his hands had been. She hoped he did not see the way she shivered at the loss of contact.

  “We have a working relationship. It works.” She nodded, mostly to herself. “We should keep it that way.”

  Addar had yet to make a sound.

  Robin took a deep breath and it only hitched a little. “Please put the table back how it was.”

  She needed to leave. To get out of the apartment for a while. Dinner. She walked out of the kitchen and down the hall without the weakness returning. By the time she slid into her jacket, she was no longer shaking from fatigue.

  “Where are you going?”

  Robin froze with her hand on the door knob. “To dinner.”

  “You usually eat here.”

  She nodded without looking at him. “I need a moment.”

  “Alone,” he clarified.

  “Yes.”

  When he did not say anything else, she opened the door and stepped into the hall. She stood there for a few seconds, listening to the silence on the other side of the door. As she started to turn away, she heard a soft thud. Like something hitting the door. She turned and walked away.

  The weather had taken a turn since she had arrived home and the night had brought in a light rain. Combined with the cool wind, it sent a full body shiver down her spine as she waited for Benny to flag down a taxi. As a bright yellow cab parked at the curb, the doors to the front of the building opened. Robin glanced that way, a small part of her hoping Addar had ignored her request for solitude, and sighed.

  Marty gave her a bright smile and came over to stand just a little too close to her.

  “Nice night, huh?”

  “Aside from the rain,” she said blandly.

  He nodded. “Where are you headed in such bad weather?”

  She spared from answering him by Benny, gesturing for her to come from beneath the awning and into the backseat of the taxi. She started to give Marty a disingenuous apology, when she realized he was moving toward the taxi.

  “You don’t mind if we share, do you?”

  Yes. She did.

  He slid into the backseat without waiting for her answer, leaving her with no choice but to follow. Benny gave her an unreadable look and wished her a pleasant evening. He closed the door and the taxi began to move. Marty gave directions to a nearby pub. From what she had heard, it was dark and smoky and the opposite of her usual scene. She opened her mouth to tell Marty as much, but he was already chatting with the driver.

  Robin frowned, but settled into the seat to wait for a lag in the conversation. It never came. The taxi pulled up to the curb and Marty climbed out. The second his door closed, Robin turned her attention to the driver.

  “That’ll be ten,” he said.

  “Oh, I’m not staying here.”

  Her door opened and Marty reached in. He lifted her purse from her lap and tossed a twenty to the driver.

  “Ready?” he said, as she stared at him.

  She looked from his cheerful face to the seedy-looking establishment behind him. She could be rude, simply snatch her purse from his hands and go elsewhere, or she could maintain their peaceful relations by letting him buy her a drink. In the end, it was the driver who decided for her.

  “Are you staying or going, lady?”

  Robin stepped out onto the curb and let Marty close the taxi door. A shiver ran down her spine.

  “Coming?” Marty asked.

  He held open the door of the pub and smoke leaked out into the cool night air. She frowned, but walked through the doorway. Inside, the place was decently sized and crowded. A bar filled the left wall and booths filled the right. The space in between was a collection of small tables and sturdy wooden chairs. At the back, beneath hanging lights, were two busy pool tables.

  The loud voices of dozens of people talking over each other was interspersed with music from the jukebox and the crack of billiard balls slamming together. Marty walked past her to a booth about halfway down the wall. He sat facing the door and gestured for her to sit across from him. She sat, her back straight. He slid her purse across the table to her.

  “Can I get you a drink?”

  Robin forced a smile. “No, thank you.”

  “Just one? Come on. We’ve been neighbors for almost a year. Let me buy you a drink.”

  She considered his beseeching face for a second, before she sighed. “Wine. Red.”

  He immediately stood and hurried to the bar.

  Robin sank back into the seat, as a wave of fatigue hit her. Her vision swam, the laughing faces at the pool tables blurring into a cacophony of colors and sound. She slowly turned her head to look toward the bar. More people had drifted into the pub since she sat down, piling around the bar two and three people deep. Marty was lost in the mayhem.

  …

  He sat in the shadows at the end of the bar furthest from the door. From his position he could see the side of Robin’s face. Her head slowly drooped until her chin hit her chest. She should be at home, where it was safe. He forced his gaze away from her slumped figure to find the man at the bar. Marty, he was called.

  Addar watched him wait with the others at the bar. When a young woman bumped into him, the two of them began to chat. It was impossible to hear the words over the din, but the woman leaned in to whisper something in Marty’s ear. The man gave her a wolfish smile. A moment later, the woman was typing on Marty’s phone as Marty leaned in to look down her shirt. Addar looked away in disgust.

  Like a magnet, his gaze was drawn back to Robin. She had slumped down further on the bench and was fiddling with the strap on her purse. Several strands of hair had fallen from her braid to tickle the side of her neck. The tendril that lay at the nape of her neck was particularly distracting. Movement from the corner of his eye, drew his gaze back to Marty.

  The human made it to the bar and was placing his order. Addar watched him casually reach into his pocket and tuck something into the palm of his hand, hidden behind his thumb. When the bartender arrived with the drinks, a tall glass of pale beer and half a glass of red wine, Marty reached for them. If Addar had not been watching him so closely, he would have missed the swipe of Marty’s hand over the wine glass and the disturbance of the liquid within.

  Addar’s eyes narrowed. He watched the man grab both glasses and squeeze through the crowd at the bar to return to the table with Robin. She looked up when Marty set the glass in front of her. Addar clenched his jaw when he noticed her hand was shaking, as she gripped the glass and raised it to her lips. She took a few small sips and gave the human male a weak smile.

  Marty’s mouth began to move, as he casually sipped at his own drink. Addar noticed the man’s gaze was not on Robin. Instead, his eyes roamed the other humans in the pub. His gaze paused to peruse every female that was standing at the bar. Addar bared his teeth. As he watched, Robin took a few more sips, draining half of the glass.

  The human continued to speak and only glance at Robin occasionally. She raised a hand to her forehead and rubbed her temples, slowly sinking further down on the bench. Marty watched her finish the glass of wine. When Robin fully slumped in the booth, she had the human’s undivided attention. The disturbance in the wine, the sleight of hand. The human had slipped something into Robin’s drink.

  Hidden in the shadows, Addar watched him with growing hatred. Marty reached across the table to take Robin’s limp hand from where it was still wrapped around the stem of the wine glass. Her head raised, but it quickly fell against the back of her seat. Marty slowly stroked up
and down Robin’s forearm. She did not move to stop him.

  Addar watched the human rise from his side of the booth and come to Robin’s side. With a few tugs, he roused Robin enough to get her on her feet. Addar slipped off the stool and wove his way between the humans at the bar. In his mind, he could already see Marty dead. It would be slow.

  By the time he reached the door, the man had managed to get Robin out the door unimpeded. He stood on the curb, undoubtedly waiting for a taxi. Addar walked up behind him, ignoring the other humans hovering around the entrance to the pub and walking the sidewalk. He stood silently behind Marty, his eyes piercing the back of the man’s head. He would suffer for every moment he had ever thought of Robin. For every second his hands touched her. It was all Addar could do to let the human hold Robin’s nearly unconscious form until the taxi pulled up to the curb.

  Marty opened the door and managed to get Robin into the seat, before he caught sight of Addar. His eyes widened, before he regained control of himself.

  “Hey, man. What are you doing here?”

  Addar smiled. “The same as you, I have no doubt.”

  Marty’s unease seemed to fade slightly. “Oh, yeah?”

  He followed Addar’s gaze to Robin and smirked. “She’s had a little too much, if you know what I mean.”

  “I see.”

  “I figured I would just drop her off at her apartment.”

  “Did you?” Addar slowly moved his gaze from Robin’s limp body to Marty’s smile. “That was very nice of you.”

  “Just doing my part as a good neighbor, you know?”

  He sat in the backseat and rearranged Robin’s body to make room for himself. When he reached for the door, Addar grabbed it.

  “Mind if I ride back with you?”

  Marty’s gaze shifted away from him. “I kinda had plans, you know?”

  Addar bared his teeth in a mockery of a smile. “Oh? What kind of plans?”

  The human looked uncomfortable now. Maybe, he heard something in his tone. It did not matter. He would not live much longer anyway. Addar gestured for him to scoot over and ground his teeth as the man climbed over Robin, trailing his hand over her chest in the process. Addar ground his teeth and slammed the car door closed.

  The taxi driver seemed to sense the hostility rolling off Addar, but Marty had no such intuition. He made small talk, allowing his gaze to roam over Robin’s body.

  “You said you’re friends with Robin, right?”

  Addar raised an eyebrow at him.

  “How good of friends? I mean…” he trailed off and licked his lips. “Are we talking benefits?”

  “No.”

  “She friend zone you?”

  He had never heard the phrase, but from Marty’s disgusted tone it was apparently undesirable.

  “I suppose.”

  Marty’s sneer turned into a secretive smile. “So, you want to move out of the friend zone? I mean…you know.” He gestured to Robin.

  She chose that moment to let out a low moan. Her nose scrunched up in a way that, at any other time, Addar would call adorable. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked. Her mouth opened a few times, but she could not seem to get out more than a few wordless noises, before she collapsed again.

  The taxi parked at the front of Robin’s building and Marty tossed two twenties over the seat at the driver. He started to open his door and paused to look at Addar.

  “So? You in?”

  Addar nodded, forcing a lascivious smile.

  “Good. Come around and help me get her out of the car. If Benny asks, tell him she’s had too much to drink.”

  “Hasn’t she?” Addar tested, as he came around to the other side of the car.

  Marty just looked at him and smirked.

  Every time the human’s hand touched Robin somewhere inappropriate, Addar added a minute to the time he would torture him before he let him die. Marty handled the explaining to Benny. Addar noticed a flash of disgust in the doorman’s eyes when they passed. This was clearly not the first time Marty had taken an unconscious woman up to his apartment. But it would be the last.

  “Hold her a second,” the human told him when they were outside his apartment.

  Addar watched him fumble with his keys, eventually getting the door open. Marty walked into the apartment and turned to face the door. A look of pure greed took over his face as he looked at Robin.

  “Been wanting to do this since I moved in. Cold bi—”

  Addar wrapped his hand around the man’s throat and squeezed. He walked him backwards into the apartment, kicking the door closed behind him, and gently letting Robin slide to the floor beside the sofa. He spared her a quick glance to be sure she was not going to wake, before he dragged the gasping human to the room at the end of the hall.

  Five hours later, he exited the bedroom and quietly pulled the door closed behind him. Addar crept down the hallway to see Robin still in the same position she had been in when he left. He knelt beside her and scooped her into his arms. She would wake in her own apartment. With some creative storytelling, the doorman would believe Marty was simply helping him bring Robin into the building. They had then gone to their separate floors.

  Sadly, Marty had died later. It would look like a heart attack. Addar could not help the smirk that curved his lips as he stood and glanced down the hall toward the man’s bedroom. Convenient that the bedroom was on the outside wall. No one to hear the muffled screaming. Addar rested Robin’s head against his shoulder and carried her from the apartment. She made a soft sound in her throat and rubbed her cheek against his shirt.

  He was glad he was wearing one of the cashmere sweaters she had purchased for him. Something soft for her delicate skin. He stepped into the elevator, punching the button with his elbow and kneeling to grab the apartment keys from her purse before the doors slid open. Not that there was anyone to see him carrying Robin down the hallway.

  Addar resettled her in his arms and stepped off the elevator with the keys gripped in his hand. He got the two of them into her apartment and the door closed and locked behind them, before she woke again. She blinked at him in confusion.

  “You’re carrying me.”

  He gave her a small smile.

  “Nothing gets past you.”

  She frowned. “Why?”

  “You’re tired.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  He raised an eyebrow when she simply accepted his response and closed her eyes. Interesting. Addar carried her down the hallway to her bedroom and looked around the room. He had only been in her bedroom once, and it was for just a moment. Part of him wanted to look around, but the feel of Robin in his arms brought him back to the task at hand. He lay her on the bed and tugged down the blankets on the opposite side.

  Addar studied her clothing. He raised her back from the soft pillows to remove her jacket and paused. Her clothes did not look comfortable. It took him a moment to realize he was staring at the rise and fall of her chest. He jerked back from her and turned away. Shoes, then. He would remove her shoes and leave the rest. With that thought firmly in mind, he quickly divested her of her high heels and maneuvered her under the blankets.

  Robin sighed softly in her sleep and curled into a ball, pulling a pillow toward her. She was peaceful in her sleep. All of her distance reduced until she was as vulnerable as a child. The thought reminded him of Marty’s actions and he balled his hands into fists. Never again. If he had to feed Ilan his own power to spare her, he would. She would never have been compromised if she had not been drained of energy first.

  Addar watched her for another few minutes, simply taking in the soft sound of her breath and the scent of her that permeated the room. After a moment, he turned away and left. He walked down the hallway and took a seat in the chair behind the desk. Some part of him had started thinking of the spot as his. Once he was settled, he closed his eyes and reached for the presence in the back of his mind.

  Ilan responded immediately. Already, he felt stronger. From
feeding on Robin and her team, no doubt. Addar carefully hid his loathing as he made his offer. Ilan latching onto him like a leech. He fed him a portion of the energy he had pulled from Marty, but kept the rest. If Ilan was going to mature as fast as he had calculated, he would need his strength.

  After the feeding, Ilan faded to the back of his mind. Addar opened his eyes to stare at the dark TV screen, not truly seeing the room. He blocked off Ilan’s presence from the rest of his mind and scowled. He would have to kill him. The consequences if he did not would be far reaching and catastrophic. Robin would not understand. She may hold no regard for him, but he cared for her. He could not let Ilan have her.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Robin opened her eyes and immediately groaned, throwing her arm over her face. At the same moment the pain hit her, her body rebelled. She barely made it to the bathroom before she threw up everything in her stomach. Her memories were fuzzy, but she thought it was probably lunch from the day before. Rinsing the sour taste out of her mouth at the sink, she chanced a look in the mirror. And realized she was still wearing her clothes.

  She looked down at herself. Her shoes and jacket were gone, but she was still wearing everything else. Including her pantyhose. She frowned in confusion and wandered out of the bathroom to look around. Nothing was out of place, but she could not remember walking into her room the night before. Or even coming home from the pub. Marty had not put her to bed. Something told her if he had, she would not have been alone.

  The thought made her frown. She was missing something. Padding over to the door barefoot, she peeked out into the hall. The light in the living room was on, as well as the kitchen. Addar was obviously awake, as usual. She crept down the hallway and peeked around the corner into the kitchen. Addar’s back was to her, as he removed something from the oven.

  “Sleep well?” he murmured, as he turned.

  Robin started to demand answers, when she saw the soft way he was looking at her. She looked away.

  “Fine,” she said. “Thank you.”