Soul Taker (12 page)

"Go, Sanya. Be a good lassie."

She stood and leaned down showing off her
cleavage as she kissed the side of his cheek. "I'm always good,
baby." She turned and walked away, swaying her full hips.

"Man, the woman is lethal," Harrison blew out
his breath. He glanced at Garran. "You're going to give her human
blood? Isn't that playing with fire?"

"I can get my hands on synthetic blood. It
smells like human blood, taste like it too, except for the
aftertaste. Gives me heartburn."

Harrison shifted his gaze to where Sanya
sidled up to the bar to flirt with a werejaguar. "Do you trust what
she told us?"

"She puts on a good show, Harrison, but she's
afraid of the
Soul Taker
. The vampire septs are as different
as each of the were clans are, but we do have one thing in common.
Vampires don't like to be threatened. Sanya may no' like me, but
she knows I'll keep my word. She'll work with us."

Chapter Twenty

Isabella had planned to head back to Boston
in the morning, but she decided to stick around for another day. No
one had showed up at the hotel demanding entry and Johanna awoke in
good spirits. She did look better. Even her aura flickered
brighter. Isabella wondered if it was due to Harrison's attention
last night. She beamed every time she mentioned his name.

Once Johanna picked up the keys to the flower
shop, they headed over to the place. Johanna slipped the key into
the lock and opened the door. They walked into the spacious room
where flowers and plants of all kinds would soon fill every nook
and cranny. Johanna twirled around the room and giggled. "I can't
believe the place is mine. As soon as my lease is up in Boston,
I'll have to find something closer to here."

Isabella knew she would probably move. It
made sense since her new shop would require long hours until she
drummed up business and could afford help. "I'll miss you."

"I'm not moving to Mars."

"I know, but it won't be the same. Who's
going to try my new dishes for the restaurant's menu?"

Johanna chuckled. "Well Harrison probably
wouldn't mind. He's there almost as much as I am." Johanna flushed
red and wouldn't quite meet Isabella's gaze. "He's kind of cute.
You know, in that dangerous kind of way."

"Dangerous?" Isabella lifted her brows.

"You know what I mean. He has that bad boy
image going. Don't get me wrong. It works for him. It's part of his
charm."

"You've sure checked him out, haven't
you?"

Johanna chuckled nervously. "He's hard to
miss."

"If you're interested in him—"

"I have a boyfriend, remember," she said
sharply.

Isabella again sensed something wrong.
Johanna's aura shifted. What was going on with her and that elusive
boyfriend? Johanna raved about him, but he never came around so she
could meet him. Who was he? What did he look like? "What's your
boyfriend's name again? I keep forgetting."

"Would you look at that?" Johanna ran her
hand over the marble countertop where the cash register sat.
"There's a scratch there. I didn't notice it the other day. I'll
have to mention it to the realtor."

Isabella's brow furrowed with concern.
Johanna did it again. She avoided revealing her boyfriend's name
and her aura spiked again. Fine, the boyfriend was obviously off
limits, but…"Harrison has eyes for you," she pushed. Call it a
sixth sense, but she feared the current boyfriend wasn't good for
her. "I don't know why you can't see that."

"What do you mean?" Johanna's cheeks flamed
crimson. They always did when she was embarrassed or nervous.
Isabella had a hunch it was a little of both. "No, he doesn't,
Izzie. He said things last night, but I'm sure he was just being
nice."

Isabella lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "If
you say so, but if you like him you should tell him."

"Tell him I like him? I don't think so. I
have no intentions of being shot down. Why would I risk it all for
a maybe?"

Isabella wanted to assure her it wouldn't be
for a maybe. She had a hunch Harrison liked women in general, but
he didn't look at them the way he gazed upon Johanna. His eyes lit
up when she walked into the restaurant. And last night… He was like
a knight, rescuing his fair maiden. What man scooped a girl into
his arms and carried her to safety? Surely, not one who didn't
care.

"You shouldn't be here."

Isabella and Johanna's gazes riveted to the
door where a woman stood in the archway. She was short, overweight,
and obviously not pleased they were in the shop.

"My friend signed the papers this week,"
Isabella explained. "The shop is hers now. We aren't
trespassing."

"This shop is Milly Preston's dream. She
wouldn't just give it up."

Isabella glanced at Johanna who chewed
nervously on her lower lip. She didn't want her friend's day
ruined. Isabella spoke up again, "I guess Milly didn't want to run
the flower shop."

The woman choked on a laugh. "This was her
life." She waved her hand around the room. "She put every last cent
she had into this place to renovate it. The blue paint and the
flower print border are new." She pointed to the walls. "She had
hardwood flooring put in. Why would she turn around and sell the
place, and without a word to me?"

"And you are?" Isabella asked.

"Georgia. I'm Milly's sister."

Isabella didn't know what to say, but it
wasn't Johanna's fault Milly took off without a word. "I'm sure
once you find Milly, she'll explain everything."

Georgia shook her head, her eyes filling with
tears. "Something terrible has happened to her, but no one will
listen to me. Milly met someone. Some guy and he convinced her to
run off with him. He must have drugged her… He did something to
her."

"I'm sure she's all right." Isabella hoped it
was true.

Georgia wiped away her tears. "I didn't mean
to come down on you. I know it's not your fault, but if you knew my
sister you would realize she wouldn't do this." Her gaze leveled on
Johanna. "You need to be careful. I thought I saw him lurking
around the shop the other day."

"Who?" Johanna asked nervously.

"The man who stole my sister from us,"
Georgia snapped.

"Georgia, there you are." Another woman
walked in. She looked a lot like Georgia only taller and thinner
and with long hair. "Hello, I'm Celia. I hope my sister hasn't
bothered you."

"No, it's okay," Johanna said. "She was
worried about her sister, Milly."

Celia nodded. "She was my sister, too. She
owned this place... Well, before…" She sighed.

"Georgia told us." Isabella couldn't help but
think the sisters were holding something back.

"Well, we wish you luck." Celia put her arm
around Georgia. "Come now, we have to leave them alone. You know
the doctors said you shouldn't come back here. You only torture
yourself."

Georgia shrugged out of Celia's arms and
leveled her gaze on Johanna. "Don't stay here by yourself. Never,
do you hear me?"

"That's enough, Georgia." Celia dragged her
out of the shop and down the walk.

"Okay, that was odd." Isabella glanced at
Johanna.

"Tell me about it." She wouldn't meet her
gaze, making Isabella suspicious.

"Did you know the other shop owner
disappeared?"

"She didn't disappear, Izzie," Johanna said.
"Georgia's had some kind of… breakdown."

"What do you mean?"

Johanna met her gaze then. "Milly was found
dead, Georgia found her."

"Dead?"

"She died of complications… a heart problem,
I believe. Died right here, in the shop. That's why I got such a
great deal." She ran a hand over her face. "Can we not talk about
Milly? It's a sad story, but we didn't even know her. This should
be the happiest day of my life. I bought myself a flower shop!"

"You're right." Isabella forced a smile. "I'm
sorry. Give me the grand tour and tell me what you have planned for
the place."

Isabella listened to Johanna babble on about
the shop, but she couldn't help but worry. The owner died of heart
problems like Marcy, like the other women Harrison mentioned. The
coincidence was too creepy to ignore.

"Izzie, are you even paying attention to me?"
Johanna stood with her hands on her hips.

She nodded. "You're going to set up a display
for the holidays with homemade cards for the customers to purchase
when they pick up their bouquets," she said and Johanna seemed
satisfied and continued to chat away about her dreams for the shop.
Isabella's mind kept wandering as she thought about Milly and the
way she died.

As soon as Isabella arrived home, she would
run the shop owner's untimely demise by Harrison. He was looking
for a serial killer. What if the killer he mentioned murdered
Milly, too?

Chapter Twenty-One

Johanna and Isabella stayed in Salem longer
than they had expected. After a quick dinner, they ended up rolling
into Boston about nine-thirty.

Johanna waved to Isabella from her apartment
door. Isabella worried too much, but she meant well. They'd been
friends since the fourth grade. Isabella had been beautiful even
then. She had always wondered why Isabella had chosen her over
anyone else on the playground. When she finally asked, Isabella
told her,
"It's because I like the colors surrounding
you."

Johanna smiled and shook her head, wondering
why she thought of that moment now. "You're a good friend, Isabella
Lucci." She would miss her. She wasn't going far, but with opening
a new shop and juggling her relationship with her boyfriend, she
wouldn't have time to do anything else. Sure, there was the phone,
but it wasn't the same as Thursday nights at
A Taste of
Home
.

If she'd care to admit it, she would miss
running into Harrison Connell, too. "He's too good looking. He'd
never want you, not really." She'd seen the type of women he liked
and she fell short in every aspect.

Her boyfriend liked her, though. He was
beautiful. He made her feel pretty, but when she was with him she
lost track of time. It would be a good thing, if it didn't feel
like she'd forgotten what they did. It was as if she blacked out,
but if that were true wouldn't he say something to her? Maybe
Isabella was right. Maybe she needed to see a doctor.

She'd been doing odd things—like the time she
woke up in the flower shop amidst rose petals. Then another day she
woke up in her car to the sound of classical music, and she hated
classical music. Her driver's seat was all the way down in a supine
position as if she decided to sleep in her car instead of her bed.
And now there was the graveyard. She didn't want to admit it to
Isabella and Harrison, but the incident had scared her.

She probably needed to see someone, a
psychiatrist most likely, not a physician.

A chill spread through her, making her
shiver. She couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension. She wished
her boyfriend were here. He'd make everything better. He always
did.

Johanna headed for the stairs, but a knock at
her door halted her steps. "Coming." She sighed in frustration. She
was tired and hot and wanted to jump in the shower. She had a hunch
it was her neighbor Mrs. Teague. She asked her to pick up the mail
while she was away. She appreciated it, but she wasn't up to
entertaining. Mrs. Teague would want to know how everything went in
Salem.

Johanna threw open the door intent on telling
her she wasn't feeling well. She wouldn't exactly be lying.
"Listen, I—" Her face lit up at the sight of him. "You're back. I
thought you had business until the end of the week."

"I didn't want to be away from ye for so
long," her boyfriend told her. Johanna usually loved the sound of
his voice, but tonight it sounded different, on edge. "Are ye going
to ask me in, Johanna?" She realized he'd never been to her place.
They always met at the flower shop.

"Johanna, luv?" He drew her attention.

"Hmm… Yes, of course. Come in, come in." She
moved to the side, expecting him to move around her, but instead he
took her into his embrace as if starving for affection.

His lips feathered down her neck. For a
moment fear, sliced through her, but then he kissed the tender
flesh at her collar bone, sending a spiral of emotions through
her—passion, erotic pleasure, but always her mind tried to rebel
against them as if someone whispered in her ear that what she felt
was only an illusion. The sensation played with her mind and left
her weak and disoriented.

"I want ye." He nibbled her earlobe.

"I should take a shower. I…" She lost her
train of thought as his mouth caressed, siphoning her willpower,
turning her legs to jelly. "Maybe later." Her response came out in
a breathless whisper.

He chuckled. "Say it. Say ye want me." He
nibbled at her neck, sending a pulsating response down to the pit
of her stomach.

"Please," she gasped.

"If ye want more, Johanna, ye must ask."

"Please… Please,
Alexander
, do
whatever you want, but don't stop what you are doing to me
now."

"Don't worry, sweet one. I don't plan
to."

He swept her up in his arms. She felt like
she was floating. She glanced down shaking her head. She
was
floating.

She looked up at him and for a moment, she
thought his eyes flickered red. The hairs on the back of her neck
prickled and a voice in her head warned her to run. "Put… put me
down. I…"

Alexander sensed he was losing control.
Something warned her to be afraid. He smelled the prayer on her,
the holy incantation. Someone had prayed over her recently.

He had thought with all of Johanna's
insecurities she'd be a loner. He found out she had too many
friends who cared about her. He would have to take desperate
measures. He cursed, angry that he couldn't take his time devouring
this sweet morsel. He could have had her for weeks, taking a little
at a time, but now…