by Raven Stone
I could see the pain and sadness in his eyes, just like I could see it in hers. And what had torn them apart – what was keeping them apart – was the truth about vampires.
Dakota had been there for me, had helped me, when he shouldn’t have.
I rose to my feet and dropped my shield.
Jennifer screamed.
Chapter 12
Degarr – Chicago
I’d been a vampire for centuries. I wasn’t like Leo, with his blue sclera that could easily be explained away as custom contacts. No, I had lights and stars in my eyes. Shining stars that moved, growing bigger and smaller and back again, as you watched.
I knew, because I’d had humans tell me so. Vampires too, their mouths falling open, their eyes entranced.
To vampires, seeing another vampire without their shielding was at once fascinating, seductive, and warming. It was seeing yourself in another, and marveling at their power if they had more than you.
To humans, it could be seductive or terrorizing, but their first response was always primal. When a vampire of my age dropped their shielding, every human knew, every human felt, that a predator was before them. Seeing a vampire like that was too much to deny, as the primitive part of the brain started shrieking with alarm.
A lot of people screamed, like Jennifer had. A lot of them ran too. Jennifer couldn’t, because Dakota had wrapped his arms around her and was holding her still.
“Shh, I’ve got you,” he said softly. “And Degarr won’t hurt you.”
She struggled in his arms, her fear giving away to something else.
Despair.
“No,” she cried, “they can’t be real. They can’t. Because –”
“Because?” he prompted.
“Because that means I lost you for nothing.” A tear fell down her cheek. “Worse than nothing. I lost you because I refused to listen to you, to believe in you.” Her voice broke, and he turned her in his arms.
“You believe me now, don’t you?” His knuckles grazed her cheek.
“Of course,” she said softly. “But why couldn’t you have done this years ago?”
“I didn’t know him years ago,” he replied. “I thought all vampires were monsters. It took me a long time to realize otherwise.” He shot me an apologetic look.
I gave him a small nod, letting him know I wasn’t offended. I’d thought something similar myself, a long time ago.
“Great. This is so touching. Again. Can I please go now?” Leo said, and rattled his handcuffs.
I shot him a look and he paled.
“Yes, sir,” he said, lowering his head, even though I’d said nothing.
I caught Dr. Miller’s eyes. “We should get him back to the lab. Is there a cot or something he can sleep on during the day?”
“We have a couple of beds there for emergencies. He can stay there,” she replied.
“I’m not staying there,” Leo protested.
I gripped his shoulder. “Yes, you are. You’ll also do everything Dr. Miller asks of you, and you will be nice to her, understood?”
He gaped at me, and I remembered that my shield was still lowered.
He was entranced by my eyes.
“Okay,” he said softly. “Sir. Whatever you want.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Jamie said.
I held back a laugh and raised my shields again. Leo, Stacy, and Jennifer all breathed separate sighs of relief.
“Stacy, can you take these handcuffs off? Then we’ll get out of your hair.”
Stacy hurried over and removed them.
“Thank you. Thank you for everything.” She shot a pointed look to where her sister was nestled in Dakota’s arms.
“Dakota’s been a good friend to me. I’m glad I could help,” I replied.
The man in question gave me a small nod of his own. Then I grabbed Leo by the arm and brought him to his feet.
“Lead the way, Dr. Miller. I’ll take care of shit-for-brains here.”
She gave a small laugh, and led the way up the stairs.
“Degarr,” Dakota called out. “Call me tomorrow night. I know some people we can ask about this.” He gestured towards Leo.
“Are they connected with the Brotherhood?” I asked.
“You don’t have to worry about them anymore,” he replied, “but no, the people I’m thinking of aren’t associated with them.”
“Alright then,” I said, then went up the stairs, taking Leo with me.
Chapter 13
Nadia – Chicago
I fell into an exhausted sleep on top of my bed at ten am. My only excuse was that I’d been awake for over twenty-four hours, and my Pulse had blinked out.
One moment it had been there, and the next it had been gone. Just gone.
It blinked on a bit more, then stuttered out just before the sun came up. That either meant that Degarr was gone entirely, or he’d gone to bed somewhere my Pulse couldn’t find him.
That shouldn’t happen.
I stubbornly pushed the thought aside and continued searching, but eventually I had to give in to reality. My Pulse had stopped working and I was dead on my feet. So I went home and crawled into bed.
When I opened my eyes again, it was night outside, and the Pulse was back. It was strong; throbbing deep inside of me. My lady parts commiserated. Frankly, the thought of Degarr made all of me throb and pulse.
Degarr.
This time I would find him. I would find him, and fuck him, and get over this crazy obsession. Then my life could go back to normal.
I got out of bed, showered, and fixed my hair and makeup in record time. I shimmied into a pair of body-hugging black jeans, a red top, and a pair of black flats.
The end result was that I looked nothing like the young, desperate woman Degarr had met. I was in my element. All of my exhaustion had been swept away by the sleep. My long, dark hair was shining, and my brown eyes sparkled with excitement. My lips were plump and red, and there was a slight flush to my cheeks.
This was me at my hottest.
Really, what man – or vampire – could turn me down?
I smiled and walked out the door.
An hour into my search and I was cursing with frustration. I was sure the sparkle and excitement were gone from my eyes, but I didn’t care.
Degarr wasn’t downtown. I was sure of that. But who visited Chicago and didn’t go downtown? It was a jewel, for Chrissakes.
I swore again, and started circling wider. For a moment I considered parking somewhere and calling my contacts, but I brushed that thought aside. I didn’t want to find him using the pedestrian way, the old school way.
I wanted to find him my way, dammit.
My grip tightened on the wheel. I came to a stop at a red light, rolled down the window, and put my elbow on the door. A warm breeze hit my arm, flowed into the car, and every part of me tingled. And pulsed.
Thank fuck.
I pulled over and parked the car immediately. I walked up and down, following that breeze, following the pulsing and tugging in my middle. Then someone walked out of a bar just ahead of me, sending something wafting towards me. The Pulse hit me so hard that I almost went to my knees right there on the sidewalk. I stumbled, then drew a deep breath, my heart pounding as I walked into the bar.
The place was light and airy. The bar took two thirds of the wall to my right, while booths lined the opposite wall. The middle of the room was occupied by tables and chairs.
I fruitlessly scanned the place once, and then someone moved, clearing a path in front of me. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
Degarr sat at a table smack in the middle of the room with two other men. His chair was pushed back a bit from the table, one hand resting on his thigh and the other wrapped around a beer bottle.
I’d told myself for months that he couldn’t possibly be as handsome as I remembered.
God, I’d been lying.
Degarr was handsome in a rugged, utterly masculine way; from his broad chest, to his lar
ge, strong hands, to those muscled thighs. He was raw, and powerful, and everything good girls should run away from.
Thank God I wasn’t a good girl.
Just looking at him made me shake, and made lower parts of me clench.
I was going to have him. He was going to be mine.
I stalked across the floor towards him, determined to fuck this obsession out of me and be done with it.
I reached his table, grabbed a hold of his chair, and straddled him.
Then I raised his face to mine and shoved my tongue down his throat.
Chapter 14
Nadia – Chicago
“Dakota, what kind of bar is this?” One of the men asked.
“A regular one?” The third man responded, but he sounded unsure.
Degarr ended the kiss, his hand clenched in my hair, pulling me back from him. A small noise escaped me.
“It’s not the bar. We know each other,” Degarr said.
“That’s a relief,” the first man said dryly.
Degarr’s grey eyes caught mine. “All trace of you ended at the airport.”
Warmth filled my belly.
“You looked for me, baby?” I asked, tracing his jaw with my fingertips.
“Yes, until it became clear you didn’t want to be found. Then I stopped.” His eyes trailed over my body before returning to my face. “How did you find me?”
“Hmm. Not easily, unfortunately,” I admitted. I put a hand on that firm chest of his and whispered into his ear. “Did you want me to chase you?”
His grip tightened in my hair, pulling me back and staring into my eyes. I didn’t think he was doing it to turn me on, but oh my God, that’s the effect it had on me. I found myself staring back into his eyes and licking my lips.
“How did you find me?” He repeated.
I swallowed, the heat burning me up as he got stern with me.
“I have contacts at the airport, the rental companies, the hotels. You were mine the instant you landed.” I trailed my eyes up his neck, to his eyes, silently urging him to accept the lie.
His lips curved upward and a light appeared in his eyes. “I don’t travel under my real name. Just like you don’t.”
Dammit.
“Why don’t you try again, lovely?” The third man – Dakota – asked. “Maybe the truth this time?”
“The truth?” I repeated. I sat back, leaning against the table, staring at Degarr.
This man was smart. Dangerous.
And he seemed to see right through my ever-shifting personality, calling me out every time. I couldn’t tell him the truth. But maybe I could get close to it?
“I can’t tell you the truth. My methods are proprietary. A closely guarded secret.” I shifted on his lap. “It’s how I make my living. I find things, and I find people.”
“And who did you find me for?” Degarr asked softly. “That little group back in Brazil?”
I blinked at him, suddenly sitting up straight. “No! You saved me, Degarr. I’m not handing you over to them.”
“Who then?” He demanded, his eyes suddenly hard and cold. “Who’s paying you to find me?”
“No one,” I said softly. “Fuck, baby, you telling me no other woman has ever chased you down? I find that hard to believe.” I reached for his chest again, and he caught my wrist before I could touch him.
“You’re not here to try and kill me then?”
I threw back my head and laughed. “Because that worked so well last time?”
I heard a low growl come out of the man who had been the first to speak, but I kept my attention on the man under me.
“You said I wasn’t a killer, and you were right. Why do you think differently now?”
“Because you found me,” he replied. “That means you had a reason.”
I laughed again.
“I do have a reason,” I admitted, “all I want is exactly what you promised me.”
His eyebrows knotted. “What was that?”
“Round two. Remember?”
He gave me a startled look, then heat poured into his eyes.
“We were interrupted. That wasn’t my fault.” His fingers traced my jawline, and there he was, with me again.
“I know it wasn’t. But I still want what’s mine.” I leaned in and whispered into his ear. “Make me scream again. Sink those fangs into me while I ride your dick and you make me come over and over again.”
His hands moved to my waist, and I felt him harden beneath me. Grey eyes stared into mine.
“That was graphic,” the second man said.
Frowning, I turned my head. I hadn’t even really looked at him as I’d walked up to the table. He had wavy red hair and eyes so golden they could only be custom contacts. The look suited him, though, the eyes working perfectly with the hints of yellow and gold in his hair.
He was good-looking, but his brand of handsome was different than Degarr’s. He seemed more of the athletic type, thanks to his narrower build, or the boy-next-door, thanks to the easy air about him.
“How did you hear that?” I asked.
“Whispering doesn’t work around him.” Degarr gently grabbed my chin and forced my gaze back to him. “I believe you, but I have to work right now. Give me your number and we’ll meet up later.”
“No fucking way. You’re not disappearing on me again,” I said.
He shot me that smile again, the one that should be illegal.
“Alright, love,” he said in a sexy tone that sent a shiver of heat down me. “You can stay.” He grabbed a nearby chair and deposited me into it. “But you’ve got to let me work, and anything you witness stays confidential, understood?”
“I understand,” I said softly, wondering what sort of work this man had to do.
“Good.” He gestured to the man sitting across from us. “This is my friend, Dakota, and,” he gestured to the ginger, “this is my son, Jamie. What can we call you?”
He was doing it again; being smart. He wasn’t asking for my real name. He wasn’t demanding it. A lot of men would have at this point. Instead, he was simply asking what I wanted him to call me.
I liked him, for so many reasons. I decided to give him a gift.
“I have many names, just like you,” I said, and he smiled. “So I’ll give you one I like. Nadia.”
It wasn’t my real name, but it was second best. Only a few people in the world knew it, including, unfortunately, that asshole Oleg. But I wasn’t going to let him tarnish a name that I liked.
“You can call me Nadia,” I finished.
Chapter 15
Nadia – Chicago
“Our contact’s here,” Dakota said, glancing at the crowded bar.
Degarr pulled over another chair and nodded at Dakota. The other man made a come-hither gesture with his fingertips.
A man walked up to the table. A man that, unfortunately, I knew. His eyes scanned everyone at the table, before resting on me.
“Bellamie,” he said.
“Jeremy,” I replied. Degarr shot me a glance, which I ignored.
Jeremy scraped the other chair along the floor before sitting down, causing everyone – especially the ginger – to wince.
“I didn’t know you would be here,” he said.
“Me either,” I replied. “This isn’t my thing. This is his.” I glanced pointedly at Degarr. “I’m just along for the ride.”
The ginger laughed.
Jeremy’s eyes flicked to the other men, before coming back to me. “But you’ll put in a good word for me, right? If I give you – him,” he corrected himself, “good information, you’ll tell Larson?”
I let out a sigh and sat back in my chair, considering it.
“If your information genuinely helps him, then I’ll tell Larson that you were helpful,” I said finally.
Jeremy beamed at me. “Great. Thanks.” His gaze shifted to Degarr. “How can I help? What do you want to know?”
Degarr’s gaze was still on me, those grey eyes taking me
in without giving his thoughts away. After a long moment, he turned his attention to Jeremy.
“One of my acquaintances was poisoned at a party. We want to know who threw the party, and who provided the poison.”
“Can’t you just ask your acquaintance?” Jeremy asked.
Degarr sighed. “It was in a warehouse two nights ago, near Coverton Street. That’s all he knows, other than a blonde slipped him a pill.”
“Oh, that’s easy. Everybody’s talking about it. It was apparently amazeballs. Surprised I didn’t go myself,” Jeremy said. “I can probably find the blonde for you.”
“What are the chances she knows who hired her?” Dakota asked.
Emotions flickered across Jeremy’s face. It was clear he wanted to do well. He wanted to sell them something – anything – but he also needed to do a good job, so that I would tell Larson.
He blew out a breath. “Truthfully, she might not have been hired. And if she was, she probably won’t know who hired her. She probably only got a text, or maybe an email. But, on the small chance she did actually speak with someone, then maybe she could put you in touch with them?”
He sounded hopeful, but it was clear to me that he didn’t know the girls who worked these parties.
I did.
My fingers itched, and I slipped my hand under the table.
“Since the likelihood is low, we’ll keep that option in our back pocket for now. How did you hear about this party?” Degarr asked.
“Word of mouth. Friend of a friend kind of thing.”
Degarr tapped his fingers on the table.
“Did anyone else get sick?” Jeremy asked. “Or was it just your friend?”
“Good question,” Degarr replied. “Can you find out the answer?”
Jeremy’s spine straightened. “I can.”
“Good. Get back to me when you have the answer,” Degarr said.
“Can do.” Jeremy beamed, and stood up. “And hey, once you get that other information you need, you should hire Bellamie to find the assholes who did this to your friend. She’s the best.”
