But he'd remained hidden, distracted by her behavior. She'd stopped pacing and stared up at the balcony on the front of Ren's apartment building.
He followed her gaze, trying to see what held her so rapt, but the balcony appeared empty to him. Nothing there out of the ordinary. Nothing at all.
Then, to his further confusion, she waved. The gesture was oddly tentative, as if someone waved to her first, and she wasn't quite sure whether she should respond in kind.
But then, Erika came out to join her, and when they all looked back to the balcony, it appeared that they were watching Erika's strange cat. Maksim wasn't a cat person to begin with—although he liked them better than dogs. Needy little creatures, dogs were. But to wave at a cat? But then, that cat was weird, he had to admit. More than once he could have sworn that same cat had shown up at his place—well, his sister's place.
And like just now, he would have bet money that cat hadn't been on that balcony moments before?
Something wasn't right. And given Jo's behavior last night, with the whatever in the hallway, he wondered if he should be questioning the woman's mental state.
Maybe that's why he couldn't read her mind. She was just too crazy.
But he immediately dismissed that idea. Maksim had met insane—hell, his last tryst had been with Vittorio and Ren's mother and she'd been certifiable. No—that made Orabella sound just normally nuts—the woman had been batshit crazy.
Jo wasn't. Something was going on with her. And whatever it was, he'd like it to explain her hot/cold behavior with him, too, but he wasn't sure about that.
And because of his confusion, he'd resorted to being a stalker. But he didn't have much time to think about the depths to which he'd fallen—which again for a person whose home base was Hell was really saying something—because Jo was on the move.
Maksim waited a little before following the twosome. He couldn't get too close, because Erika might sense him. Lampirs weren't quite as attune to other preternaturals as the regular bloodsucking vampires. Unless they were older, which made him glad that neither Vittorio or Ren were with the women. They'd sense him, he was sure.
But as it was, he only had to stay about a block behind. Not that it mattered; he had a good idea where they were headed.
Sure enough, the two friends headed directly to the bar where The Impalers were playing.
Maksim waited outside, watching them as they wove their way through the crowd. It was still early, so the bar wasn't terribly crowded. The band played on a stage at the far end of the room. Jo and Erika went up to the stage, waving to the others. Vittorio did a hair toss, clearly for Erika's benefit.
Ah, the vanity of vampires. Right up there with demons, to be sure.
Jo greeted everyone, too, but she didn't look like a woman out for a wild Friday night. Instead, she seemed tense and tired and he wanted to just go up to her and suggest they go back to her place. His place. He didn't care, he just wanted to be with her.
And that didn't please him. Not when he was getting the brush-off. But he didn't leave. He came into the bar, staying near the front, finding a bar stool and ordering a whiskey on the rocks.
Jo and Erika stayed up on the dance floor, near the stage for a couple songs, swaying more than really dancing. Then Jo gestured toward the upstairs, and Erika nodded. Both women waved at the band again, then headed to a staircase that was almost unnoticeable if a person wasn't really looking.
Maksim picked up his drink and trailed along behind. He didn't even bother to be surreptitious as he passed the stage. Vittorio nodded at him from his spot playing bass. Ren waved as he belted out the lyrics to a Journey song. That man loved his Journey covers.
Even the other guys in the band, Drake, Wyatt, and Elton, their new drummer, acknowledged Maksim, used to seeing him when he bartended. Maggie was the only member to address him with anything less than affability. And even her reaction wasn't rude exactly, but more one of circumspection.
Her eyes narrowed and she gave him only a slight nod. Then she looked at the stairs as if she wanted to give Jo a heads-up that he was there.
He entered the doorway and climbed the steps. She'd know soon enough.
Jo sat on the bar stool, telling herself this was good, calming. Being with Erika, the music pulsing down below them, the warm glossy wood of the upper bar.
Nothing would happen here. Of course, her visions happened right in front of Erika. So Jo couldn't say what would and wouldn't happen. But she hoped, prayed, she could just have an uneventful night.
"This is good," she said to Erika as if saying something affirming aloud would make her feel even more definite about the whole plan.
"Yeah, it's nice up here, isn't it? Not so loud or crowded."
Jo did like that. Sometimes that kind of massive sensory overload was as lonely and overwhelming as being by oneself. It still forced a person to be stuck inside their own head, unable to really talk or hear, and she didn't want that. She also didn't feel like dancing. Fatigue weighed heavily on her.
Then she saw him, and all thoughts of exhaustion and stress left her. Well, the stress was replaced by a different kind of nervous tension. And all hopes of an uneventful evening were gone.
Maksim didn't notice them at the other end of the bar as he took a seat and held up his glass to the bartender, indicating he wanted another.
Jo stared at him, eating up the sight of him as if she hadn't just seen him this morning. All of him.
That particular thought didn't help her already aware body. It was amazing. The man could walk into a room, and she wanted him.
"Maksim is here," Erika said, the announcement striking Jo as rather funny. The classic after-the-fact sort of comment.
But all she said was, "Oh yeah?" She pretended to follow Erika's glance to locate him. Then she took a sip of her club soda and lime.
"Aren't you going to go say hello?"
"No."
"But you want to."
Jo frowned. "How do you know that?"
Erika shifted on her bar stool. "Well I just assumed you would want to. Since he works with you."
"Not anymore." Jo took another sip of her drink, trying to remain casual and not stir any suspicion in her already too perceptive friend.
"Really?"
Jo nodded, even though she wasn't totally sure about that fact. She was assuming after her blatant cold shoulder this morning, he'd want very little to do with her. If the slammed door and not showing up to volunteer were any indication, he definitely wanted nothing to do with her.
Yet he was here. Not that he had an idea that she was. Just a coincidence, obviously.
"Oh, listen," Erika said. "This is my favorite song." A look of longing came over her face.
Jo smiled, knowing where Erika wanted to be. "Go down and watch him if you want. I'm fine here."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely." She wasn't fine, but she didn't want to let her friend on to that anymore than necessary.
"Come with me."
Jo shook her head, a little more adamantly than she needed. She did not want to walk past Maksim. She wanted to stay right here. Invisible.
"Go on. I'm enjoying listening from up here. Plus I need to sit for awhile."
A flash of concern darkened her friend's eyes to stormy gray. But then she nodded. "Okay. I'll be back in a bit."
"Have fun. Don't worry about me."
Erika rose, and for a second Jo doubted her agreement to let her go. She was going to pass Maksim, too, and then he might know she was there as well.
But he didn't notice Erika, because he was interacting with the bartender, a young thing with pert breasts and her midriff bared.
So what, Jo told herself. She was the one who'd put the distance between them this morning. Who cares what or who he did?