Authors: Lina Gardiner
She closed her eyes. Regent was right, but she was afraid. Was she losing control of her small piece of humanity and slowly killing her brother in the process?
By the time Sampson arrived, took blood samples and checked Jess over, she felt normal again. At least as normal as a vampire can feel. Sampson took her blood back to the lab, promising both of them he'd do his best to find out what was going on.
With her strength and energy renewed she slipped to her bedroom and dressed in her fighting leathers. She searched everywhere for her dagger but couldn't find it. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. Had someone taken it before she'd passed out in the alley? She shuddered. She didn't even want to consider why someone would do that.
"Where are you going, Jess?” Regent looked up from his desk as she tried to slip by.
"Out,” she said.
"At least call Britt and ask him to go with you, dear. Just for tonight. Please. I know you're feeling better, but it was only a few hours ago that you were incapacitated."
She entered the office and sauntered over to her baby brother. Reaching out, she patted his sagging shoulder. His flesh lay thinly across his bones. Gone were the taut muscles of his youth. His gray-blue eyes had faded while hers remained bright and blue. He stared at her, weariness embedded in his carriage.
She sighed. “Okay. I'll pick up Britt at his apartment."
"Thanks, Love. That's all I ask."
She kissed his forehead. “Get some sleep. You look tired."
"Be careful. And don't forget to take Britt to go with you.” He smiled at her with a loving twinkle in his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah."
She stepped through the window of Regent's office, somersaulted off the roof and landed in the shadows where she wouldn't be seen by anyone passing by. It felt good to have her strength back.
And it felt even better to move quickly through the city. This was a life she'd grown used to. This method of travel, her enhanced senses and sight, were part of her. A tingle rocketed up her spine when she stopped on the rooftop of the building adjacent to Britt's. From here she looked into his apartment through his patio door. He was eating a TV dinner.
She sucked in a breath and stepped back instinctively when he turned and looked at the spot where she stood. Almost as if he knew she was there.
Jess dropped soundlessly onto the tiny balcony and pulled the patio door open just wide enough for her to slip through.
"Come in. I'm glad to see you're feeling better,” Britt said, smiling at her. Bringing out the big guns. That smile always distracted her. And the fact that he didn't seem surprised to see her didn't go unnoticed either.
"You know how it is, I'm resilient. Especially when I'm ticked off,” she said, stepping into his apartment.
Dressed in snug fitting blue jeans and a cream colored T-shirt, he looked dark and sexy tonight, and maybe a little tired. It would be a bonus to feel his warm flesh against hers, his lips on hers. If only things could be different.
"How'd training go earlier?"
"Okay, we've got a few worthy fighters in this group.” His intelligent eyes took in every nuance of her. Even though his gaze was assessing and not in the least sexual, she looked away.
"Working tonight?” he asked in a voice that hinted he suspected what she was up to. He stretched his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck.
Fighting vampires had taken its toll on his human physiology, yet he never complained. Of course, he had no idea what those simple stretches could do to her. Thoughts about being able to work those kinks out for him threatened to break her resolve.
Being a kick-ass vampire hunter gave her no tools against the feelings this tough cop engendered in her without even trying.
"I'm going back to the club. See if I can figure out what Vaslov's up to.” She pursed her lips and tried to focus on her job. Something she'd never had to work at before. “And maybe find out what caused my episode earlier."
Upon closer inspection, Britt's shoulders were knotted and tight. Had she ever known a man who embodied tough the way he did? He had a few more scars since their recent battle with a vicious drug lord vampire named Prometheus, but that just made him sexier.
The urge to trace the new scar across his chin before trailing her fingers to his lips surfaced. She quickly stepped back. She didn't even remember getting that close!
"You going alone?” he asked, his voice husky.
She put her hands on her hips and pushed her own shoulders back, reaffirming her willpower against his potent sexuality. It was working too, until his gaze slowly devoured her while he patiently waited for her response.
In self-preservation mode, she moved farther away from him. “No. That is, not if you'll agree to come with me. I know it's your time off, but...” She exhaled—time for the truth. “Regent made me promise to take you with me."
She felt like an idiot telling him that. Big bad vampire needs backup to appease her baby brother.
"I know.” Britt's sexy grin made her knees go weak. “Regent called me. I wanted to give you the option to do what you wanted, not what Regent expected."
"No wonder you knew I was on the roof."
"Yeah, I timed you. Knew you'd be here in around ten."
She shook her head and ignored the warm feeling wending its way through her. “That's what you're wearing, then?"
He looked down at his attire. “Yeah, we're off-duty, so I thought I'd better wear my civvies."
"Probably right.” If only those close fitting jeans and T-shirt didn't drive her to distraction. Her gaze swept over him with admiration. Seconds after she'd ogled him her heart started thudding twice as fast, and her skin began to flush with a kind of warmth that wasn't usually possible for her. She'd made a mistake.
At least until then, he'd been keeping his distance. Now, with an expression as dark and dangerous to her as any vampire, he moved in and molded himself against her. One hand grasped her hip and pulled her closer. The other hand on the small of her back completed the full body press in an attempt to keep her from escaping—as if he could stop her if she didn't want to be here.
Then the heat of his breath fanned her hair while he slid his hands up her arms, skimming her breasts, then her shoulders before he reached her chin and tipped her head up.
"Kiss me,” he said.
"I can't.” She shuddered. She wanted to look away but was mesmerized by his mouth, his eyes.
He didn't care. His mouth came down on hers, scorched her with a sensual, bone melting kiss that went on and on. Taking pleasure as well as giving it, he groaned against her.
"Did I mention how much I'm enjoying
your
outfit tonight?” he said.
She didn't speak, instead she reveled in the way his hands explored her body with a reverence that both intimidated and excited her at the same time.
When his mouth sought hers again, she melted into his feverish kisses, returning them with her own intense desire.
If only he didn't make her feel like the only woman who could set him on fire. Worthy of his every touch, his every wanton need.
Their bodies strained against each other.
Suddenly, Britt pushed Jess backwards until her shoulders connected with the wall. He raised both hands and pressed them against the wall on either side of her head and he looked into her eyes. Blue irises burning for her, his mouth open just slightly. His breathing rough and suggestive of what he'd like to do next.
That half-inch of space left between them made her crazy with the need to experience his warmth, his male intensity. She wanted him against her and he knew it.
For one sweet second, she closed her eyes and felt his heat and his raw power. She wanted him desperately, would give almost anything to experience everything he was capable of giving her. But in that same instant the old fears intruded.
She loved him. Dear God, let her have the strength to prove it to him by stopping this madness before it was too late and Britt had to pay with his life.
She swallowed. “Britt.” Her tone said it all.
His body stiffened, and he stepped away. He'd given her a choice and she'd damned well taken it. His expression pained her more than anything she'd experienced in the last five decades. His features turned to stone and his eyes became dark and remote. She couldn't read him, but that was the way he wanted it. He'd read the tone in her voice and knew exactly what she was going to say. She'd hurt him—again.
"I'll go along with your wishes for now, Jess.” His voice held just a hint of anguish. “But my willpower isn't as good as yours. The next time, I might not stop, so decide before then if you care enough about me to show me how you feel in every way."
"Britt, I..."
One finger lightly touched her full lower lip. “Don't say anything we both might regret. At least not until you've thought it through. As much as I need you, I can't stay with you forever with this unconsummated need burning between us. I'm just not that strong."
Oh God. Her heart felt like it would break. He deserved better. “Britt, please understand,"
"I'll try, but that doesn't mean I'll be able to keep my hands off you."
Then he switched from hunk of the month to the tough cop she admired. She had hurt him again and she hated herself for it. Bad enough wondering how her brother's life would have been all these years without her curse tainting everything he tried to do. But now she was on the verge of doing the same thing to another good man. Was she really that selfish?
As if able to read the heaviness of her thoughts and the burden of her soul, Britt said, “Let's take the stairs this time.” They both looked at the balcony that had become a revolving door for vampires lately.
"Like you have a choice.” She turned her head so he wouldn't see her grin. She silently thanked him for alleviating the tension between them before pushing past him and taking the lead.
The Dragon's Lair Club was in darkness. “The alley's over there,” Jess said. “Let's break in through the rear door."
"Lead on. I've got your flank.” She heard the humor in Britt's voice.
"Watching my flank is completely unprofessional, Brittain."
"I know, but what can a Lieutenant do?"
She shot him a withering look, and he reined in his humor and at least pretended to be repentant.
Moving along the alley she ignored the handsome, tough-guy inches behind her by putting all of her energy into concentrating on her surroundings.
Grabbing the handle of the door she yanked it open. “You coming?"
"Still right behind you,” he whispered way too close to her ear, making her shiver.
They slid along the corridor inside the dark building. Britt followed closely behind Jess since she could see clearly for both of them.
"There must be an alarm system, somewhere,” Britt said.
She pressed her hand against his chest to stop him. “There is. Infrared beams start right in front of me."
"Good thing your vampire vision can see infrared."
She glanced at the wall to her right, then left and spotted the alarm. “Not a problem. We'll have this baby out of commission in no time."
He locked his hands together to give her a foot up.
She didn't need it, but she accepted the boost anyway. She had the alarm deactivated within seconds.
"Vaslov's office is this way, but let's check these rooms first.” They opened the first door.
"Ahhh, a secondary backup to the alarm system. Smarter than I thought.” She bent down and looked at the screens monitoring every room in the club. Every room except Vaslov's office.
"Look. There's a view of the alley. I didn't notice the camera out there."
"That means we'd better find the tape of us breaking in just now."
"Maybe we'll be able to see who was in the alley with me earlier."
Britt cursed himself for not being with her that night. Next time he wouldn't take no for an answer, superior officer or not. They'd passed that barrier when she slept in his bed. He rewound the current tape. “No good, the last tape was changed at midnight.” He scanned the office. “There's a locked cabinet over here, looks like the type that stores disks.” He pulled hard. The drawer rattled but wouldn't budge.
Jess reached over and, with the flick of her wrist, the drawer popped open. She wasn't showing off, so he ignored the hit to his ego.
It didn't take long to find the tape since they were filed by date and time. He shoved the tape into a machine in the corner and fast forwarded it according to the time code at the bottom. When he got close to ten p.m. they began watching in real time.
Jess pointed at the screen. “There I am, just stepping out the back door."
When she moved in to look over Britt's shoulder, he clenched his teeth until they felt glued together and forced himself to concentrate on the screen. Did she have any idea how her nearness affected him?
"Okay, yeah,” she said pointing at the screen. “See, I'm looking around. That's when I heard something,” Jess said.
Britt saw Jess grab onto the Dumpster. There was no one else in the alley with her. They both watched until she literally dropped to the ground, out cold. And completely alone.
Britt replayed the tape and stared hard at every corner, every section of the alley. The camera was a wide angle and covered the entire alley. If there was someone there with Jess, why couldn't they see him?
"Jess, where was this guy standing?” He turned to see unadulterated terror on her face. She didn't speak.
"Was he over here?” He pointed to a spot that was a little more difficult to focus on because it was shadowed.
She made a strangled sound. “No. He was standing right there.” A perfectly lit location. In fact, Britt could make out the brand name of a candy bar wrapper on the ground.
"We must've missed him.” He rewound the tape and watched it again. No one stood in the alley with Jess when she passed out.
The weight of that thought hit hard. “You're sure you saw someone in the alley with you."
"Yes! He spoke to me and I answered him."