by Cynthia Eden
Hell, no, he hadn’t been.
“I just—just needed to tell her…” Jimmy licked his fat lips and then smoothed a hand over his sweaty brow. “I did see Melanie hanging with someone af-after work one night.” He spoke quickly, the words spilling over each other. “I remember ‘cause…I thought she was finally loosening up a bit…hanging out with customers…”
Jane pushed Aidan back. “You know the customer’s name?”
Jimmy shook his head. “He was a…pay in cash only guy, if you know what I mean.”
“I know,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Tell me more about him.”
“Big.” Jimmy cast a glance up at Aidan. “About his size, but blond. Kinda pale.”
When he didn’t say more, Jane shook her head in frustration. “Anything else?”
Jimmy just shrugged. “He was an average white guy, okay? Good lookin’, I guess. Melanie seemed to like him.” He scratched his chin. “You know, I think she might have left with him the night she…” His voice trailed away.
Jane squeezed her eyes shut. “The night she died?”
“Uh, yeah.” Jimmy’s fingers were shaking a bit.
“Can you talk to a sketch artist?” Jane prompted when her eyes opened again, after she’d done with what looked like some kind of fast counting/cooling down technique. “Get me a better idea of who the hell this guy is?”
Jimmy rubbed his sweaty forehead once more. “I can do better. I-I think I got him on video.” He turned and headed toward the back of the club.
Jane strode after him, and since Jane was following him, so did Aidan. They passed at least five stripper poles and two golden cages on their way to the back. Then the hallway snaked to the right, and Aidan saw that the area was filled with small, private dance rooms. Jimmy led them past those rooms and into a little office.
In that closet-sized office, two computer screens sat on the desk. Jimmy keyed up the computer. “I had the feed runnin’ when she left…” Jimmy muttered.
“You recorded your guests?” Jane demanded. “Jimmy, that shit is illegal!”
He curled his body over the keyboard. “You want the video or not?”
“Yes, I want it! Give me the damn video!”
His fingers tapped over the keyboard. “And, for the record, copper, I wasn’t videoing the rooms…this was right outside my place. A freakin’ public alley. People shouldn’t fool around out there if they don’t want others seeing them…”
The video popped up on the screen.
Melanie was there, waiting, pacing. Alone.
And then…
A man closed in. He was tall with blond hair that swept back from his face. When she saw him, Melanie raced into his arms. She also immediately offered her neck to him.
Aidan saw the flash of the guy’s teeth.
Same fucking vampire from the alley. Same jerk who tried to end me. Thane Durant. I knew it…
And the guy’s description…shit, Aidan hadn’t wanted to scare Jane unnecessarily, but when she’d been telling him about the vampire asshole who’d killed her family…that guy’s description had sure matched up with the bastard in the alley who sent his little army after me. But there could be plenty of blond vamps out there. There could be—
“Freeze it, right there,” Jane ordered, her voice shook a bit and she’d paled as she stared at the screen.
Jimmy’s fingers tapped on the keyboard once more. “Weird freak is biting her.”
Yes, he was. But Aidan’s gaze left that video feed and slid toward Jane. Her pupils had turned to pinpricks as she stared at the image.
Fuck me. She recognizes him. Thane is the vamp who killed her family. He’s been after Jane…all this time? He marked her.
Aidan couldn’t wait to tear that sonofabitch apart. It took all of his self-control to stop his claws from bursting out right then.
“I’m confiscating that video,” Jane said. Her gaze was still on the man. Her breathing was coming too fast. Aidan could smell her fear. Hate that scent.
Aidan knew, without a doubt, that he was looking at the vamp who’d wrecked Jane’s life so long ago. But Jane wasn’t falling apart. Wasn’t freaking out. She’d wrapped herself in steely control as she stood there, her chin up, her face cold.
She is one hell of a woman. His respect for her notched up even higher.
“I’ll take the video footage,” Jane continued, “and you will be getting a visit from my buddies at the PD. No underage girls, Jimmy. None had better be found here.”
Jimmy’s sweating just got worse as he saved the footage onto a flash drive for her. Then Jane’s fingers curled around the drive. Aidan could tell that she wanted to say more, but Jane clamped her lips closed. She stormed out of the bar and Aidan quickly followed her. The place was dead quiet right then.
Just like a tomb.
When they left the club, Jane turned to the right and hurried toward the alley they’d seen in the grainy video. The alley was empty then, just the faint scent of old garbage lingering in the air.
“She knew what he was,” Jane said, her breath exhaling in a hard rush. “You saw her—she offered her throat to him.”
Yes, she had.
Jane paced in the alley, looking for clues that just weren’t there. The ground was wet—not surprising really, since the city washed the streets every day. Any clues were long gone.
“Why the hell would she do that?” Jane stopped and her hand automatically went to her right side. A habit that he now understood. “Why run to a man who could kill you as easily as he embraces you?”
Aidan had to glance away. “Maybe she thought she loved him.”
“She loved a vampire? You said they were monsters.”
“That doesn’t mean that someone can’t love a monster.” He looked down at his own hands. His claws were gone. Not gone, just beneath the surface. His beast was always beneath the surface, waiting for a chance to come out and attack. “Especially if he did a good job of hiding his darkness on the inside.” And I know all about that.
“The vamp who attacked her—the vamp who sure seems like he was Melanie’s lover—you know him.”
Aidan stiffened. I know him. And you do, too, don’t you, sweetheart? He wanted her to tell him, to confide in him…
I want Jane to trust me.
“I saw your face when you looked at the video.” She tapped her foot on the cement. “Spill it, Aidan. If we’re partners on this, you share with me.”
He advanced toward her. “Partners?” He tasted the word. And wished he were tasting her again. Nothing had ever tasted so sweet. “Is that what we are?”
She squared her shoulders. “You tell me.”
Ah, she was a tricky one. His hand lifted and he brushed back the hair that had fallen over her cheek. “I thought we were lovers.”
Her pupils expanded, making her eyes go even darker. “We had sex. Once.”
“But you came for me more than just once, sweetheart.”
Her hand flew up and pressed frantically over his mouth. “You did not just say that to me!”
Her reaction—her flush, her frantic movements—she was just so cute that laughter rumbled from him.
Jane dropped her hand. “You don’t say things like that,” she muttered, “not in public.”
He laughed harder. “We’re in an alley.”
“Aidan…”A warning edge entered her voice.
So he choked back the laughter. “We’re in a dirty alley, not a public place.” His head tilted as he studied her. “And who says one time with you is enough for me? You asked what we were, so I’m saying…we’re lovers.” You’re mine, Mary Jane. “I rather thought you enjoyed being with me.” He had the delicious bite marks and scratches on his body to prove it.
Her gaze flew to the mouth of the alley. “You’re talking about this now? Here? You have shitty timing, wolf.”
His lips twitched. “I have been told that.” Paris had always said he had shit for timing and tact. Alphas weren’t really
known for tact, though. More for brute strength and animal cunning. Paris was the guy with the tact. He could charm his way out of any situation.
That charm saved our asses when we were kids. Aidan had wanted to fight and claw, but Paris had always used his head.
Still did.
That’s why I know I can count on him. Paris would bring him the information that he needed, Aidan was sure of it.
But for now… “Don’t you want to be my lover?”
She threw up her hands and spun away from him. “Okay, we are not talking about this now.” She paced to the right and peered up at the side of the building. “I can see the video camera. I’m guessing some of Jimmy’s clients liked to bring the dancers back this way after the, um, show was over. A piece of crap like Jimmy probably used the videos for blackmail, especially if the creep has underage girls working for him.” She pulled out her phone and, a few seconds later, he heard her start talking to someone else. By the sound of things, the guy on the other end of the line had to be another cop. A few more terse words were exchanged, and Aidan realized Jane was definitely keeping her word. Cops were going to be swarming at Jimmy’s place soon.
Good.
She shoved the phone into her pocket. Jane glanced toward him once more. “Okay, that’s done. So spill it.”
His brows climbed.
“I need a name. Tell me who the vampire is. Tell me what you know about him.”
Fine. He could do that. “When I knew him before, he went by the name of Thane Durant. Rumors are the guy is very old, so I figure he probably adopts a new name every twenty years or so.” That was the usual game that vampires played. “And he’s one vicious sonofabitch.”
“I figured that.” But there was a deeper knowledge in her voice.
“Thane Durant killed Garrison’s parents. He and his newly turned vamps attacked them. Had a gorge fest. See, vamps like werewolf blood because it gives them a power boost. They killed Garrison’s parents, tortured them for hours until there was no blood left.”
Her flush had faded. She wasn’t even blinking as she stared at him.
Shit, this is too much like—
“That’s what they did to my parents,” Jane said, her voice hoarse. “They didn’t kill them outright. They…I heard noises. Laughter. My parents were begging…” Her gaze fell to the cement. “Then they brought them in to me. And I-I was the one who started begging. Asking them to let my parents go. They didn’t.” She swallowed and the faint click was painful to hear. “They killed them in front of me.”
In an instant, he moved toward her and wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her close. He’d wanted her to confide all in him, but now Aidan wished that he could take her pain away. Nothing would make him happier than easing her sorrow—
Or giving her some much deserved vengeance.
“How did Garrison survive?” Jane asked as she held herself still in his embrace. He wished she’d hug him back.
“I got there. Vamps scented me, and they hauled ass.” And he’d walked into a bloodbath. “Garrison can be a dick, I get it. But once upon a time, he was a scared kid, crying over his parents’ broken bodies.” So when he wanted to kick Garrison’s ass—and after the fool had shot at Jane, that ass kicking had been foremost in his mind—Aidan would have a flash of the wolf as that young kid.
Even werewolf alphas could feel empathy. Actually, they could feel a fucking lot. He pulled Jane closer. “How did you get away?”
“It was him.”
She was breaking his heart. And when the fuck had he gotten a heart?
“There are some faces that you never forget, and I haven’t forgot his.” Her body trembled against his. “When I saw the video, I-I knew. I just couldn’t say, not in front of Jimmy. Freaking Jimmy.” She shook her head in disgust.
“Jane…”
“His jaw, his nose…his eyes…they’re all the same. The vampire in that video—Thane—he was the vampire who killed my parents. He hasn’t aged a day,” she murmured. “As soon as I saw that video, I felt the punch right to my gut. He was the one who did this to me. All of this time, it’s been him.”
“How did you get away?” Aidan asked again as he bit back his rage. He hated to think of her being scared, alone, hurt. It won’t happen again. I won’t let you face him alone ever again.
She pulled free of his arms. “I told you, he stopped burning me. Took a break. When he went upstairs, I got out. H-he’d left me in the basement, and I crawled out the window.”
Her voice had hitched the faintest bit.
Werewolves couldn’t smell lies, despite what some rumors said.
But he recognized hers. And he wondered just what she was holding back from him. But he’d already pushed enough, and the last thing he wanted was to cause her more pain. “Partners,” he said.
Her head nodded jerkily. “We can be. I actually think we’d make a pretty good team.”
If she stopped lying to him. If he stopped lying to her.
“You have paranormal connections that we can use. I have human sources.” Her chin notched up. “We know the vamp we’re after, we can shake this town apart and find him while he’s weak. We can stop anyone else from getting hurt and give justice to Melanie Wagner.”
“And to your family.”
She blinked fast and Aidan knew Jane was trying to stop her tears from falling. When would she get it? She could let go with him. She could cry or scream or fight…he would take all of her.
Always.
“We can do this,” Jane said determinedly. “I know we can.”
If he was her partner, then it would only be expected that he’d stay close to her. He nodded. “I know our next stop.”
Her eyes widened. A tear slid down her cheek but she quickly brushed it away with the back of her hand. “That was, ah, really easy. I expected more of a fight.”
When they were talking about her life? About giving her justice? No fight from him. He caught her hand. Kissed her knuckles. He liked to do that, with her. She wouldn’t realize that it was a claiming thing, of course, a werewolf thing. Whenever she met someone new—a new paranormal, anyway—she’d probably offer her hand. It was what polite society dictated. A handshake. But when any paranormals took her hand, they’d catch his scent and know to back the hell off.
She had his protection. She had him.
“Sweetheart,” he told her softly, “I’ll be your partner. I’ll be your lover. I’ll be anything you want.”
“My executioner?”
Ice slid straight into his heart. “It will never come to that.” I won’t let it. He’d already decided not to make the same mistakes that other alpha wolves had made in the past.
The same mistake his father had made.
Jane will never be turned.
“Because I won’t die violently.” She nodded and pulled her hand from his. “Right. I’d actually prefer to die when I’m ninety-eight, sitting in my rocking chair as I fall softly to sleep.”
His chest hurt. “Jane…”
But she gave a brisk shake of her head and squared her shoulders. “What’s the next stop? Who do we see?”
He glanced up at the sun. They couldn’t afford to waste more daylight. “You familiar with the voodoo shops in town?”
She laughed. “Who isn’t?”
“The shop we need is just a short walk away.” And at this time of day, it should be closed down for business. The perfect time to pay a little visit to a shop that dealt in secrets. He turned and she immediately fell into step with him.
“And…why are we going to the voodoo shop?”
“Because the fire that ate up your apartment last night wasn’t natural. It shouldn’t have burned so fast and so hot.”
“Okay.” She sounded a little breathless. “Not natural. That’s because it was supernatural?”
“A special fire blend I’ve seen before. Only normally it’s used on vampires. They shouldn’t have access to it, not unless someone sold me out.” A serious
ly bad mistake.
“And that someone would be?”
“Annette Benoit, the best damn voodoo practitioner I’ve ever met.” He paused. He liked Annette. Respected her. But if she’d sold that fire to Thane…
That’s the wrong damn team to play on. Aidan yanked out his phone and called Hell’s Gate. Graham answered on the third ring. “Get a team to Annette’s,” Aidan ordered.
A stark pause. “Is she…okay?”
Once upon a time, Graham and Annette had been close. Very close. “She may have betrayed us.” May have…I know she did. “Can you handle guard duty on her or do I need to call in someone else?” A blunt question.
“I’ve got it.” Graham’s response was flat. “You know pack always comes first for me.”
“Then get to the shop. I need you.”
His footsteps thudded as Aidan and Jane headed down the street.
***
Jimmy Cross raced around his office, sweat soaking his clothes and his stomach knotting painfully. He had his phone to his ear as he snapped, “You said this would never happen! That no cops would come banging on my door.” With his left hand, he spun the dial on his safe. “You were so wrong. Detective Hart just walked out, and the bitch is sending in a whole team of cops! They are going to shut me down!” He grabbed the money inside the safe and started tossing it into his duffel bag.
“What did you tell her?”
“Not that I’d been letting you feed on my girls. Shit, man, why’d you have to take an interest in Melanie? You changed her! Of course that crap is gonna bring the cops around. Cops and werewolves.” But he’d played it cool. Mostly. He hadn’t let on that he knew just what Aidan Locke truly was.
I’m lucky I didn’t piss myself. Freaking alpha…right there. When Aidan had grabbed him, Jimmy had nearly lost it.
“What did you tell her?”
“I didn’t give her your name!” I just showed her your face. “I’m cutting out of this town. By the time the cops get here, I’ll be long gone.” He was really sick of vampires. “You forget me, and I’ll forget you.” He’d sure made a good pile of cash with the guy, though. And all he’d had to do was look the other way while some girls vanished. It wasn’t as if anyone had cared about those girls anyway. They’d wanted to make money with their bodies. They had.
