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his shoulder and tapped at some pedals in front of his microphone with his boot. The crowd roared as the spotlight came back up on him. Satisfied with his adjustments, he began to make the guitar sing again. This time he didn’t take his eyes off of mine.
    When the show ended, the band came together in the middle of the stage, joined hands and bowed to the crowd. As the curtain closed, Tristan peeled himself from under the guitar and handed it over to the guitar tech without even looking to make sure the guy had a grip on the instrument. As he approached me, he reached out for my hand and didn’t say a word. Next thing I knew we were headed for the elevator.
    Keisha watched us go, her mouth open.
    “Don’t you have anything you have to do after the show? You can just leave like that?”
    He eyed me sideways, a lopsided smiled spreading over his face as the doors opened and we stepped in. “I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out by now. I don’t do anything I don’t want to.”
    The doors closed in front of us and we made our way skyward. My stomach stayed on the bottom floor. Oh my God. Knowing Tristan, somehow this elevator would go straight through the roof. I could barely breathe.
    I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. “What about Keisha?” I could practically hear her freaking out from here.
    “She can wait.”
    The next thing I knew we were in his apartment. I knew it from TV, the huge living area, the plush red chairs, the huge floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the city. Still, actually being here was a different thing all together. God, I hoped we weren’t being filmed. That wasn’t constant, was it?
    Tristan spun me towards him. His hands were so cold. Why hadn’t I noticed that before? I could hardly breathe.
    “What are you doing here, Callie?”
    My heart sank to my knees. This wasn’t the greeting I hoped for. It was more of an inquisition. “I’m on vacation.”
    “Why here? You’re not old enough to have fun yet.” He jerked his head toward the window. “Out there, anyway.”
    “I have a fake ID.” I protested. But I knew that wasn’t what he meant. “And I wanted to see you.”
    “You shouldn’t have come here.” His face darkened.
    “You don’t want me here?” I felt tears welling up in my eyes. No, I couldn’t cry. Not now.
    “Oh, I do,” a slow grin spread over his face, but it had an edge. “But you shouldn’t be here.” His slid his tongue over his teeth as he waited for my answer to his original question, settling on one very sharp tooth, playing with it, daring me to notice.
    I winced, like I had been stung. I hated those stupid fangs. Why didn’t he take them out after the show?
    I didn’t have time to process it before he was suddenly on top of me. His hands closed on my arms, and he pinned me against the window with my feet dangling in midair, unable to even struggle. Icy cold radiated from his body like I was standing near an iceberg. He paused, fangs like icicles inches from my face, but no breath, not even freezing cold breath caressed my face.
    I couldn’t even open my mouth to scream. All the things I wanted to ask him, all the things I wanted to say, they didn’t matter now.
    It was true. God, it was all true.
    Whatever he was, he certainly wasn’t human. My eyes were wide and frozen, staring into his, unblinking. I wanted to lose myself in their dark depths, swirling with danger and desire.
    “Didn’t you know what I was when you came here?” he finally broke the silence; loosening his hold on me just enough that I slid down the window. He cocked his head thoughtfully, still grinning, and stroked my neck with one cool finger.
    He enjoyed this.
    I wanted to tell him to get the hell away from me, but I couldn’t. He made my heart race and sent a shiver down my spine. Even in his monster form.

Chapter Seven
    “Oh my God, Callie, what’s wrong?” Keisha rushed to hold me when I came back down to The Sin City Vampire Club. I found