It was early morning, hours before the sun would rise. He hurried down the park path toward the rendezvous site, fear and exhilaration filling him. What he was about to do was the most dangerous thing he’d ever done and while it was not without risks, he felt the payoff would be worth it.
He reached the curve in the paved walk and stopped to let a lone jogger pass. He shook his head, musing at the effort so many people put into trying to stay young. When the jogger disappeared, Miles left the path and continued his trek across the grass, past the trees, and down a small ravine to a little used area. Here he stopped and looked around. There was no one about.
He remained there almost twenty minutes before he heard a noise come from out of the darkness.
He whirled around and saw several figures approach. “There you are. I’ve been waiting.”
“I had other things to attend to,” Kent Patterson said, not bothering to hurry his pace. His fangs were visible when he smiled and his eyes glowed eerily in the moonlight. Miles swallowed forcefully. He mustn’t show fear, he told himself.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the vial, holding it out to the vampire. “Here it is—as promised.”
Patterson stepped forward, cocking an eyebrow. “Really? It’s done—a perfect duplicate?”
Miles didn’t even blink. “Yes.”
Patterson took it and held it up. “This is different from the others you brought me?”
Again, Miles nodded.
Patterson turned to the vampires with him. “Bring me someone. I want to test it.”
This was an unexpected twist that Miles wasn’t prepared for, but there was nothing he could do about it. He waited, not saying a word. One thing he’d learned in business was not to fill the silence with nervous chatter—that’s when mistakes were made.
They didn’t have to wait long before the vampires returned, blood dripping from their mouths and carrying a middle-aged man between them. He wore blue running shorts and a white Nike T-shirt and Miles recognized the jogger he’d seen earlier. Miles couldn’t tell if he was unconscious or dead until they dropped his lifeless body at Patterson’s feet.
Patterson reached into his pocket and pulled out an empty syringe, which he filled with the synthetic mixture. Then he leaned over and injected it into the dead man’s heart. “We won’t know for a few nights if this works or not.” Patterson looked at Miles. “Do you have the formula?”
It was now or never, Miles realized. “Yes, and I’ll give it to you after I collect my payment.”
Patterson gave him a skeptical look. “You expect me to pay you now? Before we know if the formula works?”
“The way I see it,” Miles explained, “I delivered the best possible synthetic. Whether it works or not isn’t my fault.”
Patterson studied him for several minutes and then shrugged. “Makes no difference to me whether I pay you now or later.”
A rush of exhilaration went through Miles in anticipation. This was the moment he’d been waiting for. He stared at Patterson expectantly until a blur of movement distracted him. By the time he realized that Patterson had moved, white-hot pain shot through his neck. A single coherent thought wormed its way past his shocked senses—he was dying.
Chapter 19
Bethany came awake slowly. She was warm, comfortable, and the last thing she wanted to do was get out of bed. She felt too good where she was. Like a cat, she stretched, and then froze when she felt a warm, muscled body behind her.
Opening her eyes, she recognized the inside of Dirk’s room and the events of the night before came rushing back. Heat suffused her face at the memory of how she had practically come crawling to him with her nightmares and fears.
She should slip out of the bed before he woke, she realized. It was the right thing to do and yet she hesitated. It felt too wonderful to be in his arms again, for however long it might last. She closed her eyes and fell back asleep.
She awoke some time later to the feel of a hand lightly stroking the underside of her breast while lips teased the back of her neck.
“Good morning,” Dirk whispered. “Or rather, good evening.”
She smiled and squirmed when he hit a particularly sensitive spot. “Good evening.” She let herself enjoy his touch as it both teased and aroused her. It made her think of the last time they had been together and she immediately sobered. “Dirk, thank you for letting me stay with you last night.” His hand stopped moving and she hurried on, needing to get everything out before it was too late. “I was really afraid and couldn’t sleep and you always make me feel safe, and . . . thank you.”
“It’s okay, Bethany. I’m glad you came to me.”
She nodded and took a deep breath. This was the hard part, she thought. “It’s just that I didn’t want you to think I came down here to seduce you. I didn’t want you to think I was using you again.” He’d grown still and she felt mortified, humiliated. “I should go,” she muttered, trying to move away from him.
He was forceful, but gentle, when he rolled her onto her back. His expression was serious when he looked down at her. His hand brushed the hair from her forehead and then the back of his fingers caressed her cheek. “How did things get so messed up?”
She traced the line of his furrowed brows with her fingertip, wanting to wipe away his worries. He captured her hand with his and brought it to his mouth where he kissed her fingertips.
“I’m sorry I doubted you. If there was some way I could make it up to you, I would—I just don’t know how.” His voice was gruff with emotion.
“Then let me show you.” Gently, she pulled his head down and kissed him, tenderly, not wanting to assume too much. His response, however, was filled with hunger and passion, releasing her own pent-up desires until they raged out of control.
He held her to him with one arm beneath her while his other hand grazed a path from her hip to her waist and then up farther, moving beneath the fabric of her shirt. His hand molded her breast and she nearly came unglued. When he broke away long enough to pull her shirt over her head, she lifted her arms to accommodate him, gasping aloud when he wrapped the material around her arms so they were bound together.
Then his mouth was at the fleshy mound of her breast, the tips of his fangs teasing the skin. The tempo of his breathing grew faster and she knew he was fighting the temptation to bite her. The thought of his doing so should have frightened her, but it had the opposite effect and she arched into him.
“Yes,” she whispered.
His fangs pierced her skin and she rode the thin line that separates pleasure and pain until the sucking motion of his mouth as he drank from her sent her crashing over the edge, into waves of ecstasy.
When he finally raised his head, his eyes shone like brilliant neon lights. She felt a small burn as he ripped her panties from her body and positioned himself between her legs. Already wet with desire, her body welcomed him eagerly and she wrapped her legs tightly around his hips as he made love to her.
Fighting against the shirt binding her arms until she rid herself of it, she clutched at his shoulders, holding on for the wild and furious ride. When her climax came again, she let the explosion take her. Moments later, Dirk went rigid above her and his primitive cry of release was music to her ears.
Much later, Bethany went downstairs alone. The truth of her situation—engaged to Miles one day and sleeping with Dirk the next—was too strange. Even she had a hard time believing it. To expect everyone else to accept it was perhaps asking too much, so she and Dirk decided to wait before revealing to the others the exact nature of their relationship.
Walking into the kitchen, she was greeted by the aromatic smells of dinner cooking.
“Hello,” Julia said as she closed the oven door and placed the mitt on the counter. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I did. How about you?” Bethany thought she looked tired. “I hope you didn’t stay awake too long.”
Julia smiled sympathetically. “No more so than you, I
would imagine.” She waved to the table. “Sit down. I’ll bring you a cup of coffee.”
“It smells wonderful in here,” a smiling Admiral Winslow said as he walked in to join them. “Bethany. Julia.” Bethany thought the admiral’s face lit up when he turned to the older woman.
“Good evening, Charles,” Julia greeted him, her own smile seeming a little brighter now. “Sit down with Bethany. I’ll bring you a cup of coffee.” She brought the filled cups over to the table, handing one to Bethany and the other to the admiral, then sat down with her own.
Lanie and Mac wandered into the kitchen then, smiling at each other at a shared joke. “Hello, everyone,” Lanie said as she motioned Julia to remain seated while she got their coffee. Taking their cups to the table, she sat beside Mac.
“That was some adventure we had last night, wasn’t it?” Mac asked. Bethany studied his face, thinking he looked particularly vibrant and alive. She was at a loss to explain it.
Then Dirk walked into the kitchen, greeting everyone with a smile, though his gaze lingered on Bethany.
“Coffee?” Julia asked him.
“No, thanks. I’m good.” He smiled and took the last seat.
“Fighting vampires must agree with you and Mac,” Julia observed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen either of you look so healthy and alive.”
Mac and Lanie exchanged a quick look and then their surprised gazes flew to Dirk and Bethany, who couldn’t understand why until she remembered what Dirk had told her about the effect on changelings of blood freely given—and the circumstances under which Mac usually took blood from Lanie. Then her cheeks burned with embarrassment and she couldn’t bring herself to look at any of them.
Julia continued on, oblivious to the quick looks being exchanged around her. “Do you have to go into the lab tonight, Bethany? I’ve cooked a big meal for us. After sleeping through most of the day, I thought we needed it.”
“No, not tonight. In fact, not for a while. I actually finished the project last night.”
“That’s great,” Julia said.
The timer on the oven went off and Julia jumped up from the table. She opened the oven door and the aroma of roast beef and vegetables filled the room, making Bethany’s mouth water.
“Can I help with anything,” she offered, wanting to do something that would provide some small escape from everyone’s knowing look.
Julia smiled. “Why don’t you set the table while I finish. Then we can eat.”
Bethany stood and went to the far cabinet to get the plates. They were heavy and she moved carefully, not wanting to drop one. She’d only taken one down when two familiar arms reached around her into the cabinet. Turning her head, she looked up into Dirk’s face.
“Let me help.” His warm, reassuring smile as he took down the remaining plates left her feeling that everything would be okay.
Soon enough, the table was set and the food was ready. Bethany, who was dreading the meal, was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be very enjoyable. The admiral told them more tales about the Original Four and their early exploits in vampire hunting. Then Mac, Dirk, and the admiral shared stories about some of their adventures in the SEALs. Dinner passed quickly and soon she, Dirk, Mac, and Lanie were being dismissed so Julia could do the dishes. She insisted on doing them herself, only allowing the admiral to stay and help her.
The others walked into the living room.
“Are you going out to patrol?” Lanie asked Mac.
He smiled down at her. “Not tonight. I think it would be better if we stayed closer to home. We only need to run out and check the bodies from last night, to make sure they all turned to stone.”
“Great, then Bethany and I will find something on TV to watch.”
“Come on, Dirk. We’ve been given our orders.”
Dirk, who’d been standing next to Bethany as they listened to the exchange between Mac and Lanie, reached out and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll be right back.”
“Be careful,” she said, a little breathless as she watched them go.
“Don’t worry,” Lanie said beside her. “They’ll be all right. Let’s go see what’s on.”
They went into the small television room where Lanie turned on the TV. She slowly scrolled through the onscreen guide while Bethany sat beside her.
“There’s only one way a changeling gets the look that Mac and Dirk had tonight,” Lanie said casually, never taking her eyes from the TV.
Bethany knew where she was headed. “I’m not cheating on Miles.” She was glad to be able to tell someone. “I broke up with him the night of the awards ceremony.”
Lanie looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry to pry. It’s just that Dirk means a lot to me. He’s like a brother and I’d hate to see him get hurt, and anyone can tell from the way he is around you that he cares about you a great deal.” Then, maybe because she realized how serious and threatening she sounded, she hurried to add, “I couldn’t be happier to see the two of you together.”
“Thanks,” Bethany said. “Do you think the others know?”
“Well, Mac knows how Dirk feels, but I don’t think he knows about you and Miles. Let’s hope Dirk has a chance to explain before they get into a fight.”
That got Bethany’s attention. “Do you really think they’d hurt one another?”
Lanie smiled. “Don’t worry.”
Fifteen minutes later, the door opened and Mac and Dirk walked in. Bethany could tell from the looks on their faces that Dirk had broken the news to Mac. Both men had dirt spots on their clothes and she noticed a sprig of grass in Dirk’s hair, leaving her to wonder if Dirk hadn’t talked quite fast enough.
The couch was small, but the four of them fit nicely. Mirroring Mac and Lanie, Dirk sat with Bethany pulled close to his side, his arm wrapped securely about her. That was how the admiral found them an hour later.
“Excuse me.” He gave them a disapproving look. “Bethany, you have a phone call in the kitchen. Dirk, perhaps I could have a word?”
Dirk helped Bethany to her feet and held her hand as they left the study. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before letting her go. She felt like she should stick around and help explain things to the admiral, but one glance at Dirk’s face and she knew he didn’t want, or need, her there.
Hurrying to the kitchen, she found where the admiral had set the cordless phone on the table and picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Bethany?”
The voice on the other end sounded familiar but it took her a second to recognize Miles’s secretary. “Suzanne? Is that you? Is something wrong?”
“I’m sorry to bother you. I tried your cell phone, but it wasn’t on. Mr. Van Horne said you were staying with friends. I found this number in his personal file.”
“No, it’s fine that you called. Is something wrong?”
“Well,” she hesitated, sounding unsure. “Is he with you by any chance?”
“Who? Miles? No, I haven’t seen him since yesterday.”
“Oh, dear. I hope nothing has happened to him. He never came in today and I haven’t heard from him.”
The news was surprising. “Maybe he left a message on my cell phone—let me check.” She was already rushing through the house and was breathless by the time she ran up the stairs to her room. She turned on her cell phone, but there were no messages. “I’m sorry, Suzanne. He hasn’t called me.”
“It’s not like him to not check in,” the secretary continued, clearly upset.
“I guess you’ve already tried his apartment?”
“Yes. I talked to the building manager and he assured me that Mr. Van Horne was not at home.”
Bethany didn’t know what to tell her. It wasn’t like Miles to simply disappear without leaving word with someone, but usually that someone had been Bethany. Now that they were no longer engaged, there was certainly no reason for him to inform her of his plans.
“Did you call his family?”
“I
tried, but they’re still in Europe.”
“Maybe we should call the police,” Bethany finally suggested.
“I already tried, but there’s no reason to suspect foul play. Until there is, there’s nothing they can, or will, do.”
“I guess we don’t have much of a choice. We’ll just have to wait and hope he shows up.”
“I don’t like it,” Suzanne complained. “It’s not like him.”
“I know. I’m not happy about it either, but I don’t know what to tell you.”
Suzanne promised to stay in touch and then hung up. Bethany returned to the TV room. Dirk had obviously finished his conversation with the admiral and was waiting for her.
“Problems?” he asked as she sat next to him.
Deciding that Miles was already a tender subject with him, she thought it best not to say anything. “No, just someone at the lab double-checking something. Everything’s fine.” She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “How about here? Everything okay?”
His expression darkened very slightly. “Nothing you need to worry about.”
She didn’t like the sound of that, but decided not to press. Instead, she turned her attention to the show on TV.
It was nearly dawn when the four of them finally called it a night and retired. Dirk and Bethany went back to his room where he spent a good part of the early dawn making love to her.
They finally fell asleep and woke up much later to the sound of someone pounding on the door. Bethany groaned, wanting to hide beneath the covers. She felt like a teenager caught in her boyfriend’s bed by her dad.
“Dirk, wake up,” the admiral barked through the door.
“I’m awake,” Dirk growled back. “Hell, the whole house is awake. What’s the matter?”
“Phone call.”
Bethany saw Dirk rub his face. “Take a message. I’m sleeping.”
“It’s not for you.”
Bethany did groan then.
Seduced by the Night Page 21
