Full Moon Rising (11 page)

And it always made me wonder how the hell he'd survived the military's strict rules for ten years. It wasn't a place that appreciated individualism, and I just couldn't imagine Liander bowing to conformity. I'd asked him about it many times, but he'd merely shrugged and changed the subject. As far as I was aware, not even Rhoan knew the exact details about his years in the military.

Which was all very mysterious. And if he continued to be a prominent feature in my brother's life, I'd start digging. Not just because I was nosy--though I was--but because Rhoan was my twin and my pack. If there was something in Liander's background that could end up hurting Rhoan, I wanted to know about it.

"What can I do for you, Riley?"

"Have you seen Rhoan lately?"

He frowned. "Why? Is something wrong?"

I hesitated, mainly because I knew Liander actually loved my brother--even if my brother didn't feel the same way. Liander deserved the truth--or at least some semblance of it. But with Misha sitting beside me, I had to go with the same story. "I just need to get hold of him. You got any idea where he might be?"

"I thought he was on a mission."

"Davern told me he was investigating Evensong Air."

Liander grimaced. "That lush. He wouldn't know one end of a dog from the other these days."

I grinned. "Meaning?"

"Meaning Rhoan was investigating the owner, Quinn O'Conor, not Evensong Air itself."

My stomach sank. Just as well I'd listened to my instincts rather than my hormones. "I was under the impression the two of them were friends."

"They are, which was why Rhoan was so pissed at having to go undercover and investigate."

At least Quinn hadn't lied about that part of it. "Any idea what he was investigating?"

Liander shook his head. "You know he never gives away stuff like that."

I sighed and leaned back. "Then you haven't any idea where he might have gone?"

"I know he was checking out the street directory before he left."

I raised an eyebrow. "Don't suppose you know what address?"

"No. But I was sitting beside him and know the page number was sixty-nine."

I grinned. "No wonder you remembered it. Bit of wishful thinking there, huh?"

Amusement touched the corners of his silvery eyes. "In the end, there was nothing wishful about it."

"Lucky you."

"Indeed."

"There's a street directory at my place," Misha said. "If you want to check out what's on that page number."

I leaned over and kissed his cheek again. "Thank you."

He smiled into my eyes. "I can think of better ways to thank me."

The slow burn of passion ignited again. It wasn't the fierceness I'd felt earlier, but it was certainly a warning that this moon phase would be a bad one. And for the first time, I wondered if Talon and Misha were going to be enough to keep me satisfied.

I said good-bye to Liander and let Misha escort me downstairs to reclaim my bag and coat. Once outside the club, he pressed me back against the wall and kissed me. It was a slow, sweet possession that was so very different from the fierceness that Talon offered but just as arousing in its own way. Which was why I liked being with them both. In the two, I had my ideal man.

"I'll go get my car," he said, after a while.

"I'll wait."

He grinned, and walked off whistling. Five minutes later, we were roaring into the city at warp speed in his shiny red Ferrari--which he lovingly called his "bound to get a shag" wagon. Though why a werewolf, armed with an aura that could sweep all objections aside with little effort, needed a "shag wagon" was beyond any sort of reasoning.

Misha lived in the penthouse suite of a tower apartment building he'd recently purchased. It stood next to the Casino and the South Bank entertainment complex, and from what he'd recently said, the rent was making him huge gobs of money. His apartment, like him, was silver, but the coldness of it was offset by the brilliant views offered by the floor-to-ceiling windows and the splashes of vibrant colors tucked into odd corners. I never went too near the windows. Though I loved the view, I had a weird fear of heights that kicked in around twenty stories high. Fifteen was close enough to twenty to be cautious.

I dumped my bag and coat on the nearest chair and looked around. "Where's the street directory?"

"In the kitchen."

I raised my eyebrows as I headed that way. "Strange place to keep a street directory."

He gave me a grin as he walked around the bench and grabbed a couple of mugs from the cupboard. "Not when you have a business meeting to attend and are studying where the hell it is over breakfast."

I opened the directory and flicked to page sixty-nine. It didn't provide any immediate revelations.

"Do you know if there's anything of interest around here?" I slid the book across the bench toward him.

"The Moneisha Research Center is there." He indicated a spot surrounded by green.

I frowned. "Why does that name ring a bell?"

A smile tugged his lips. "It's only been in the news for the last week."

It wasn't that. I'd seen that name somewhere else, somewhere recently, but I'd be damned if I could remember where. I waved a hand. "You know I never read the headlines."

"Ah well, you've missed out on some interesting times." He pressed the button on the espresso machine, filling both mugs, then slid one across to me and sat down opposite. "Moneisha is apparently involved in gene research."

"So? Half the labs around the world are involved in gene research."

"Yeah, but Moneisha has
apparently
succeeded where others have failed."

I frowned. "Succeeded in what?"

"Pinpointing the cluster of genes that make a vampire a vampire. Word is they want to try and splice vampire DNA into the eggs of other races."

I stared at him. "You're kidding?"

He shook his head. "Hence the protests outside the labs for the last week and Moneisha's being in the news more than they would want."

"But . . . ?" Words failed me. I just shook my head and sipped at my coffee.

"Why would anyone want to do something like that?" he finished for me. "Imagine the supersoldier you could build if you could have all of a vamp's abilities and none of the restrictions, such as bloodlust and the inability to move around in daylight."

"I don't think I
want
to imagine something like that." It was simply too scary a thought. Vampires were bad enough--but soldiers with all of a vampire's skills and none of the restrictions? I shuddered. "Is the government behind Moneisha?"

"No. It's privately owned."

"Who by?"

He shrugged. "Last I heard it was owned by some company by the name of Konane."

Another name that sounded familiar. "And they are?"

"A research company. I can try and find out a bit more about it if you'd like."

"I would like."

I pulled the directory toward me and studied it for a few minutes. I had no idea if Moneisha was connected in any way to Rhoan, or if he was even headed that way. But there was nothing else on this map that seemed in any way a likely target, so I could only try. If I kept following his footsteps, sooner or later I was going to find some real information.

I checked the transport situation, noting there was a railway station within walking distance of the Moneisha labs, then closed the directory and pushed it toward Misha. "Thanks for that."

His smile touched his silver eyes as he reached across the table and took my hand in his. His fingers were warm against mine, his skin so pale. He caressed my wrist with his thumb, shooting slivers of desire up my arm. "How are you intending to get out to Moneisha?"

"Train. Why?"

"Would you like to borrow one of my cars?"

I raised my eyebrows. Misha was a collector of not only high-priced shag wagons, but vintage automobiles. At last count, he had about fifty antiques and five newer "classics" stored in the special parking lot underneath this tower. "You'd trust me to drive one of your cars?"

I couldn't help the surprise in my voice, and his smile grew. "Only one of the ones that I don't mind getting bashed up. I've seen you drive, remember."

"I know. Hence my surprise."

"There is an ulterior motive, of course."

His voice had dropped several octaves and slid through my system as smoothly as warmed chocolate. Talon might be excitement and raw power, but Misha was certainly passion. "And what might that be?"

"You have to return the car and the keys, and therefore might spend tonight with me rather than Talon."

I leaned across the table and kissed him. "A car would be far handier than public transport, so I just might be forced to accept that proposition." The hunger glittering in his eyes echoed through me, stirring the moon heat to life. "But why not get a down payment right now?"

"Why not indeed," he agreed, and pressed his hand against the back of my neck, holding me still as his mouth claimed mine.

As places to make love went, a kitchen bench wasn't that bad an alternative.

I
checked the map for the umpteenth time, wanting to be sure I was headed in the right direction. On foot, I could find my way anywhere. Shove me behind the wheel of a car and I could get lost in a traffic circle.

Up ahead, the lights changed from green to red. The cell phone chose that moment to ring and I slipped the earpiece in as I stopped the car.

"Riley here."

"How are you feeling, little wolf?"

Talon's husky tones lost none of their impact electronically, and a warm shiver slipped down my spine. He didn't even have to touch me to turn me on.

"I've been with Misha, and I'm feeling fine."

Talon paused. Maybe he didn't like the thought that I could still need another after the pounding he'd given me.

"He can't do to you what I do to you."

His words held an edge that made me frown. Was Talon getting jealous? Surely not. "No. And sometimes that's a good thing."

The lights changed. I put on the turn signal and moved over to the side of the road. Given my driving record, talking to Talon while trying to steer the car probably wasn't a good idea.

His laugh skittered across my skin and made me hunger, yet there was also that rawness in it that stirred uneasiness through me. Sex with Talon was great, but if he was beginning to think there could be anything else between us, he needed his head examined. As a part-time lover he was fantastic, but I was
damn
sure I couldn't cope with him full-time. And not just sexually. Arrogance, and a complete belief in one's own superiority, was okay in the bedroom, but it would probably drive me crazy elsewhere.

"Can I see you again soon?" he said.

"I'm with Misha tonight."

"Then come now."

There was no hiding the annoyance in his voice this time, and I frowned. "Why do you suddenly have a problem with me being with Misha?" In the two years we'd been together, I'd had up to four other partners. It had only been recently that I'd settled on Misha and him.

"I don't. Well, I do when I want you and he has you, but it's not a jealousy thing, if that's what you mean." He paused. "How about I add a sweetener? I have that information you wanted."

"You ran a search on Evensong?"

"And the owner. Found a couple of interesting tidbits. You can come over to my place and collect them."

My heart accelerated. He'd never asked me to his place before--never told me much about himself at all, in fact, and curiosity stirred.

"When and where?"

He chuckled. "What are you doing right now?"

"Driving out to the Moneisha labs."

"You haven't got a car."

"Misha lent me one of his."

"No way. He's seen you drive and he adores his cars."

I grinned. "It's a Mercedes and he has several of them. He says he can afford to lose one."

Talon snorted. "I hope it's some bright color, so the other drivers can see you coming."

"It's red."

"Red
is
the color of danger."

"I'm not
that
bad."

"Oh yes, you are. I hope you're not driving while you're talking to me."

"I can multitask."

"Yeah, right. What street are you on now?"

I peered up at the nearby street sign. "On Burwood, near Oaklands Avenue. Why?"

"Because I'm going to send out an all-points warning to my people to get the hell out of the area."

"Bastard."

He chuckled. "Why are you going to Moneisha?"

"I'm probably chasing a wild goose, but that's where Rhoan might have been heading."

"Why would he be going there?"

"He's a guardian, so who knows? I'm just going to walk around the perimeter and see if I can feel anything."