Seduced by the Night

by Robin T. Popp

  She climbed inside the car and then took the card from him, gazing at it skeptically. “I really don’t think this will be necessary. I’m sure Mr. Yarbro is around here somewhere.”

  “I’m sure he is, but is he dead or alive?”

  When she started to protest, he held up his hand. “Look, I’m not going to argue about this. Do I have your promise that you’ll leave?” He gave her a stern look.

  “Okay, okay. I promise.”

  He started to shut the door but she stopped him. “That was you I saw the other day, wasn’t it? In the alley?”

  It seemed to her that a gleam lit his eyes, but he neither admitted nor denied it. All he said was, “Lock the door.” Then he slammed it shut, ending any further conversation.

  For a long second, he stared at her and she held his gaze, expecting him to tell her something more. Then he tapped on the window and she belatedly realized what he was waiting for.

  As soon as she locked the door, he raised his hand, fingers spread wide. “Five minutes,” he mouthed, then turned and walked off between the parked cars until Bethany lost sight of him. She was alone—again.

  Only this time was different. This time she wasn’t standing out in the open, midway between her car and the elevator. Before he left, Dirk had seen that she was safely tucked away, with a means of escape. It was more than her own bodyguard had done and that realization irritated her. Then Dirk’s words echoed in her head, Is he dead or alive? And she immediately felt guilty.

  Dirk crossed to the far side of the garage, moving silently and staying hidden from sight. There had been two vampires lurking in the stairwell when Bethany and her bodyguard had stepped out of the elevator. The one had made enough noise to catch the bodyguard’s attention and then led him on a merry chase, no doubt with the intent of leaving Bethany alone—an easy target for the remaining vampire. Neither had counted on Dirk being there.

  He’d entered the stairwell, drawn his sword, and dispatched the vampire lurking there before it could attack, but in doing so, he’d made noise and Bethany had heard him. It was good that she was wary, he told himself, but seeing the frightened look in her eyes as she’d stared into the stairwell, he’d felt compelled to go to her. To reassure her, he’d argued to himself, not wanting to pursue the thought that there might have been another motive.

  She had seemed so lost and vulnerable standing there, he’d had to fight the urge to pull her into his arms and comfort her, but the harder feat had been to leave her. She was safer in the car than standing in the middle of the garage and Dirk was pretty sure that he’d removed the most immediate threat to her, but the bodyguard’s continued absence bothered him.

  As if his thoughts had summoned him, Dirk heard the sound of running footsteps long before he caught sight of the missing man. Ducking behind a parked car, Dirk watched him come into view, appearing unharmed, and Dirk briefly wondered what happened to the vampire he’d been chasing. Finding that creature, however, was a secondary concern. The first priority was to see that the bodyguard returned to Bethany and the two left, unharmed.

  Between his SEAL training and enhanced changeling abilities, it took little effort for Dirk to trail the bodyguard back to Bethany without the other man knowing he was there. He watched the man climb into the car and remained hidden until the two drove out of the garage. As soon as he was sure they were safely gone, he returned to the unfinished business in the stairwell. It was a good thing no one else had come this way. Finding a decapitated body would have been quite a shock for most people.

  The corpse was where he had left it on the top landing—a body with a head lying nearby. Dirk stared at it, wishing that the vampires would just vanish in a burst of exploding dust like in the movies. It would make cleanup so much easier. Now he had to haul the damn thing to his Expedition and hope he didn’t run into anyone.

  Stepping back into the garage, he looked around and spotted a large trash canister. Hauling it into the stairwell, he bent over to pick up the body, feeling the duster pull tight over the sword at his back. He was grateful once again for his increased strength because this vampire had been almost as tall as he was and would have been difficult to pick up otherwise.

  He stuffed the body into the trash bin and then pulled the edges of the plastic liner together to hide the body. Then, leaving it there, he raced down the steps to the lower level where his SUV was parked and drove it up, coming to a stop beside the stairwell. From there, it was a simple matter of loading the body into the back of his vehicle. At least vampires didn’t bleed a lot.

  He left the garage and drove to Bethany’s apartment. He parked along an empty stretch of street and then walked the short distance to the spot he’d been using lately to stand sentry. It gave him a clear view of the street in both directions, the front entrance to her apartment building, and the front and side windows of her corner apartment on the third floor.

  She was home now and the lights were on. He saw the shadow of a figure pass in front of the curtained windows and knew from the stance and height that it was the bodyguard. A second later, another shadow appeared in the corner window. This one was smaller and he knew it had to be Bethany. He wondered if she was in her bedroom and as she disappeared from view, his mind conjured an image of her getting ready for bed. A small growl rumbled low in his throat when he thought of the bodyguard there with her and he had to remind himself that it was none of his business.

  A second later, the lights in both rooms went out, but Dirk continued to stand there. He wouldn’t leave until the first rays of sunlight shone over the horizon. Only when he knew the vampires were fast asleep would he leave his post.

  A flutter of movement at the corner window caught his attention and as he watched, the curtain pulled to one side and Bethany’s face appeared. With his improved night vision, Dirk had no trouble making out her troubled expression or the way her light blue camisole hugged her upper body.

  He saw her eyes peruse the street below as if she was searching for something and it finally occurred to him that she was looking for him. He knew she couldn’t see him standing in the unlit entryway where he stood and it would be smarter to leave it that way, but he stepped forward anyway, into the glow of the streetlamp.

  The moment she spotted him, her eyes lit up and a small smile touched her lips. Or maybe that was his imagination. He raised his hand in acknowledgment and couldn’t stop the warm feeling that filled him when he saw her hand lift in a small wave. Then the curtain closed and she was gone, but the warm feeling stayed with him the rest of the night.

  Bethany woke late the next morning feeling more rested than she had in several days. It took her a moment to realize why. It was because, for the first time since this ordeal started, she felt truly safe. She knew nothing about Dirk Adams and on the surface his dark looks and mysterious habits of lurking in the shadows should have scared her. Instead, he made her feel safe.

  She decided not to try to figure out why that was and climbed out of bed. She was having lunch with Miles to go over the announcement of their engagement for the paper. She was also secretly hoping to worm more information from him on who had commissioned the project she was working on.

  There were several aspects of the plant extract that bothered her. For instance, the way human cells absorbed it so readily suggested it could be addictive. It also created an unnatural increase in molecular activity, which might give anyone taking it a sense of being stronger or faster than normal. She’d even discovered a by-product resulting from a reaction with some of the body’s natural enzymes that was similar to dopamine. In moderation, it might leave the user with a pleasant buzz, but if taken in excess, it might result in psychotic episodes.

  To Bethany, the extract had all the earmarks of a designer drug. The question in her mind, which never would have been a question in the first place if Miles would just be honest with her, was whether this drug was really slated for medical, FDA-approved distribution as Miles led her to believe—or for illegal street di
stribution.

  She would not be a party to something illegal. Even if she succeeded in creating the perfect synthetic duplicate, she’d destroy it before she let it be used for illicit purposes.

  Lunch proved to be as uneventful as it was frustrating. All Miles would talk about was their upcoming wedding and how to word the announcement for the paper. Regardless of how many times she tried to steer the conversation to work, he brought them right back again. They finally parted company with Bethany no more knowledgeable about their client than she had been before.

  Going directly to the lab, Bethany tried to push lunch from her mind and for the next two hours focused on her work. She was heavily immersed in thought when one of the techs from the second floor popped in to visit, carrying a shoebox-sized package wrapped in brown paper.

  “This is for you, Bethany. Delivery guy dropped it off downstairs and since I was coming up anyway, I said I’d bring it to you.”

  “Thanks, Laura, I appreciate it.” Baffled, she put down her instruments and then carefully peeled off the rubber gloves she wore. “Here, I’ll take it.” She waited until the young woman left and then glanced at the bodyguard. He seemed uninterested in it and Dirk’s assessment of him flashed through her mind, quickly forgotten when she saw the name on the return address. It said, simply, Adams.

  A thrill of excitement raced through her and she took the package into her office where she would have some privacy.

  Ripping off the brown paper, she saw that it really was an old shoe box. Curious, she lifted the lid. Inside was a small hairspray-sized canister with an easy spray nozzle. She lifted it out and turned it over, but there was no writing or label on the can. Beneath it, though, she found a folded note.

  Bethany laid the canister aside and read.

  Bethany—This canister contains a mixture of Mace and pepper spray. Do me a favor and keep it with you at all times—especially at night. Dirk.

  Bethany wasn’t sure how she felt about Dirk’s gift, but she placed the canister in her purse. It never hurt to be cautious, she thought, returning to her work.

  Several hours later, she and Mr. Yarbro left the lab. They arrived at her apartment building and though she looked for him, Bethany couldn’t see Dirk anywhere. Feeling irrationally let down, she silently scoffed at herself. A man like Dirk had more important things to do than watch over her all the time.

  And yet, she couldn’t dismiss the feeling that she was being watched.

  After taking the elevator to the third floor, Bethany stood patiently in the hallway while Mr. Yarbro checked out her apartment. Still thinking about Dirk, a grunt from inside drew her attention and she was instantly alert.

  “Mr. Yarbro? Are you all right?” She imagined the big muscular man running into the small corner table or plant stand next to the window. When no quick response came, a chill ran down her spine. Digging in her purse, she pulled out the canister of Mace, grateful that she had kept it, and held it in front of her as she moved slowly through her front door.

  The sight that met her was straight out of a nightmare. Mr. Yarbro lay on the floor, a man bent over him with his mouth pressed to the bodyguard’s neck.

  Blood seeped from the seam of the man’s lips against the bodyguard’s neck and dripped onto the carpet. When the man tilted his head up, she found herself staring into a pair of red glowing eyes.

  Transfixed with terror, she nearly missed the movement off to the side.

  This time, she didn’t hesitate to act. Pulling the trigger on the canister, she turned to her right and sprayed the Mace blindly in the direction of the second man before racing from her apartment.

  Heart pounding, she stabbed the elevator button several times, praying for the doors to open. She looked back down the hall and saw the man stumbling after her, his hand over his eyes. About to bolt for the stairs, the elevator doors opened and she jumped in, slamming her hand against the button to shut them again.

  Seemingly in slow motion, the man charged forward, his image framed by the closing doors. They were almost shut when his arm shot through the opening. Screaming, Bethany stumbled against the back wall of the elevator, barely escaping his reaching fingers. She raised the can of Mace and fired a steady stream. The man fell back and the doors slid closed.

  Unable to remain still, heart racing, Bethany shifted from one foot to the other while the elevator descended, the lights over the door flashing on and off as they counted down the floors. As soon as she reached the bottom, the doors opened and she raced out, not stopping until she reached the street. Then, she hesitated. Feeling at a loss for what to do, she glanced at the darkened entryway on the opposite side, praying Dirk would be there as he’d been the night before.

  He wasn’t.

  The tenuous grip she’d had on the reins of her fear slipped and pure, unadulterated panic filled her. She spun around, searching the night, afraid that whatever manner of monster it was that had just killed her bodyguard and chased after her might also be lurking out here, waiting to spring on her and rip out her throat.

  Just then, the front door of her apartment building burst open and a man ran out. Bethany immediately backed away, never taking her eyes off him. She was about to bolt when she heard him call her name.

  “Dirk . . . Mr. Adams? Is that you?” Her heart pounded in her chest as the figure slowly moved toward her. Uncertainty gripped her and she stood, frozen in place, straining to make out his features, but he kept his face tilted down and the light shining behind him cast his features into shadow.

  “Dirk?” she asked again. “Is that you?”

  Now, only a few feet away, he finally looked up. Her heart plunged to her toes at the sight of the unfamiliar face with eyes that glowed with an unnatural red light. Just like the eyes of the man upstairs had glowed. Suddenly every horror movie she’d ever seen flashed through her mind. Clutching the Mace, she raised her arm to spray him, but before her finger could pull the trigger, he closed the last few feet of distance and grabbed her wrists, tearing the canister from her hand and tossing it to the ground.

  “No . . . no . . . please.” She barely had the breath to force the words past her trembling lips. Never in her life had she been so terrified.

  “I hear your heart racing. Are you frightened, little rabbit?” He spoke in an almost conversational tone, despite the manic gleam in his red eyes. When his lips curled back farther, she saw the sharp fangs in his mouth. “The blood, pulsing through your veins, calls to me. I can’t help but wonder what it will taste like.”

  Instinctively, she tried to pull away, but he held her easily. When he stepped closer, her paralysis broke and

  she tried to break free. He only laughed at her as he drove her backward until she was pinned against the opposite building, with no means of escape. She was going to die—and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She stared in horror as he bared his fangs and lowered his head toward her neck.

  She screamed.

  Chapter 4

  Held in his viselike grip, Bethany fought for her life, expecting at any moment to feel the sharp stab of pain when he bit her. Suddenly her attacker jerked ramrod-stiff and a strange expression came over his face. He looked down, and following the direction of his gaze, Bethany saw the glistening tip of a sword sticking out of his chest. As her mind struggled to make sense of it, his grip on her relaxed and he crumpled to the ground at her feet.

  She stared at him in stunned surprise for several seconds, and when she dared to look up, Dirk stood there, sword in hand and a cold, feral expression on his face.

  With a sob of relief, she threw herself into his arms. He embraced her, pulling her close. “Please tell me that you’re all right,” he said softly, his chest rumbling against her cheek.

  “I couldn’t find you . . .” A shudder ran through her.

  “It’s okay, Beth.”

  “You weren’t in the doorway.”

  “I’m here now. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  She almost sobbe
d with relief, because she knew that he would protect her, unlike . . . “Oh, God! Mr. Yarbro—there’s another one upstairs.”

  Dirk jerked his sword from the body and, taking her hand in his, started for the building. “Come on.”

  She pulled back and shook her head. “I can’t go up there.” She felt her lips tremble as she pleaded with him to go without her.

  “Beth, I can’t leave you out here alone. You have to come with me.” He stared deep into her eyes, willing her to trust him. “I won’t let them hurt you.”

  Slowly, she nodded.

  They went inside and as they rode the elevator to the third floor, Dirk kept an eye on Beth. Several times, he saw her gaze drift to the bloodied blade of his sword and then to him. She wasn’t stupid. Even now, as terrified as she was, he knew her mind was putting together all the pieces. He prayed she waited to ask questions until later, when he had time to answer them.

  The elevator slowed to a stop and when the doors opened, he tensed for an attack, but none came. From where he stood, the hall loomed long and empty before him.

  Pressing the button that would hold the elevator there until released, he stepped out. He suspected that the vampires were gone, but it paid to be cautious.

  Bethany’s apartment was at the far end and when they reached it, they found the door standing ajar. Dirk paused to listen for any sounds from within. Then, hearing nothing, he pushed the door open farther and peered through the crack to make sure no one hid behind it.

  Moving into the foyer, he paused at the entrance to the living room. There, lying in the middle of the floor, was the bodyguard.

  It was obvious the man was dead, and even from several feet away, Dirk could see the two holes in the side of his neck. Behind him, he heard Beth’s gasp, so he steered her past the scene, needing to check the rest of the apartment.