Jake backed up fast and hard, hard enough to ram the woman’s hands upward, and spun around before she had a chance to recover. He aimed his gun at her and all he could think was damn.
Eyes the color of lilacs stared him down from within a tanned face complete with dark, arched eyebrows, a pert little nose and lush, juicy pink lips. Long, black hair flowed around her face, framing the exquisite masterpiece. It was hard to tell where her hair ended and her clothes began. Everything she wore was black. Black leather jacket, black top, black jeans and boots.
And she was pointing her black gun directly at him.
Jake saw a blur of motion to his right and knew Chrissy was trying to flee the scene. He snagged her wrist without looking and tried to pull her behind his body, but was met with resistance. The gun-toting woman had a grip on her too.
“Let her go,” Jake said, low and threatening, trying to tamp down the urge to reach out and grab his opponent. The woman had threatened him, was still pointing a gun at him, and all he could think about was how well her body filled those tight black clothes—and how badly he wanted to run his hands over those curves.
“You let her go.”
“I saw her first,” he countered.
They stood there in the alley behind the club, pointing their guns at each other with a scared fourteen-year-old child between them, each tugging at a wrist as though they were playing tug-of-war with her body.
“Don’t make me have to hurt you, Porter.”
Alarm bells rang out. “How the hell do you know my name?”
The mystery woman smiled, no teeth showing. The smile did things to his lower body that made no sense given the current situation he was in. He generally didn’t find himself so horny when looking down the barrel of a gun.
“I make it a habit to know those in my field,” the raven-haired beauty said, never letting the Browning 9mm in her hand waver.
“You’re a hunter?”
“Yes.”
“What’s your specialty?”
“Demons and psychotic humans.” She let go of Chrissy’s hand. “Let the girl go, Porter. I sought you out for a reason, and she doesn’t need to be involved.”
“Put the gun away.”
“I asked you to do the same thing, and look how obedient you were.”
“I don’t take orders.”
“Neither do I.”
They stared each other down until Chrissy broke the silence, her voice quivering. “Look, dude, I’ve learned my lesson. Just let me go. I’d rather not be a witness when you two decide to blow each other away.”
Jake realized how stupid they looked, like a scene out of a bad gangster movie, and took a chance. He lowered his gun, hoping the hot hunter-chick would do the same. He waited until she did before he took his eyes off her to look at Chrissy.
“What are you going to do if I let you go, Chrissy?”
“I’m going home. My psycho-parents are far better than this. I mean, they’re nuts, but you’re a total lunatic . . . No offense,” she added, apparently realizing she’d just insulted the “total lunatic” in question.
“Remember this night, Chrissy. This could have been real, and you could have been splattered against a wall in a dirty alley. Nobody would have seen anything. Nobody would have saved you if I had truly wanted to hurt you. Do you understand that?”
“Yes,” she said, and the tears started again. He wiped them away.
“And don’t try to grow up so fast, kid. You’re a beautiful girl. Don’t turn yourself into something ugly. No man who’s going to treat you good would want what you were advertising in that club.”
“Okay.”
“Go straight home.” He let go of her wrist, and she ran like hell.
NYLA WATCHED JAKE while he watched the girl run away. He didn’t take his eyes off her until she disappeared around the side of the building. Knowing him the way she did, she knew part of him wanted to personally deliver the girl to her parents.
“So demons got so boring you decided to move on to teenagers?”
“She came on to me in the club,” he said, returning his gaze to her. “I snatched her up before she moved on to another guy, a guy who didn’t look as if he’d give a damn that she’s just a child. Now, who are you?”
“Nyla.”
“That’s it? Just Nyla?”
“That’s all you need to know.”
“I don’t think so.” He raised his gun again, pointing it directly between her eyes. “Try again. Who are you, and what do you want from me?”
“You know, you’re really starting to get on my nerves,” Nyla said before spinning into action.
She swept his legs out from under him in one smooth, fluid motion, then followed him to the ground. She saddled his waist and grabbed his wrists, holding them over his head, wrestling with him as he strained to aim his gun on her.
“You bitch.”
“Manners, Jakie, manners.”
“I’m gonna show you manners,” he growled, straining harder to free his hands.
Nyla couldn’t hold him down for long or she risked him figuring out she was not a mere human. Hating the fact she had to play the part of the weaker sex, but knowing it was necessary for both of them to survive the night, she tried to hold both his wrists with her left hand, aiming her gun at him with the right.
She’d barely made the switch when Jake shoved her off of him sideways, using her own arm for leverage. She fell back on the ground but quickly jumped up before he could train his gun on her. They circled each other, guns pointed and ready, in the dark alley.
“You know, Jakie, I think you have some major trust issues.”
“Quit calling me Jakie.”
“But it’s so cute.”
“I’m not cute.”
No, he wasn’t. He was a display of raw masculinity, sexy and rough around the edges. Nyla strained to control her raging hormones while she and Jake continued to circle each other. She could still remember the feel of him beneath her body from a moment ago. She longed to have him in that position again. Preferably without the guns involved. Or the clothes.
“I’m not here to hurt you, Jake, but I will if you force me to,” she cautioned him, dropping the nickname. It was too close to Jackie, the nickname his best friend had given him. She’d known that, and her ploy had worked. He was on edge. Crappy as it made her feel to hurt him, even the slightest bit, she had to do it. She had to mess with his head a little. If she let him think while he was calm and rational she might give something away, and she’d be dead before dawn. Not the best way to start a relationship with the man she loved.
“I’ll ask again what it is you want. If I don’t get a good answer I’m going to shoot your pretty little head off.”
Pretty? Nyla practically swooned inside and silently chastised herself for it. Now was not the time to go all girlie.
“I’m hunting the bastard who killed the women in Baltimore. I know you have information about him.”
“And you know this, how?”
“I was there, and I saw you. I saw you with the vampires.”
His eyes widened, but if she’d blinked she would have missed it. He was starting to get suspicious. Not good.
“Yet none of the vampires sensed you.”
“Neither did you, oh great vampire hunter. I followed you all the way from Baltimore. You’re growing careless.”
“If you truly want my help finding the guy, why did you draw down on me?”
“After the stories I’ve heard about you I wanted to be armed and in control when we first met.”
“I’ve never killed a human.”
“You were holding a young girl at gunpoint in an alley,” she reminded him. “How was I to know you hadn’t gone off the deep end?”
“You thought I was going to hurt the girl?”
“You had a gun on her. You’re lucky I wasn’t a cop.”
He seemed to think about that. Then, with a sigh, he clicked on the gun’s safety and shoved the weapon into the back of his waistband. “If you were going to shoot me, you’d have done it already.”
“You think?” Nyla put her gun away, letting out a breath of relief. So far so good. “Let’s make a deal. Don’t shoot me, and I won’t shoot you.”
“Sure.”
“What’s with the club? Dunn a regular patron, or you just looking to get laid?”
“You know his name?”
“I told you I was after him too. The Dunns are some jacked-up demons.”
He narrowed his eyes at her, just enough to make her nervous, and then cleared his throat. “Why do you need my help?”
Nyla managed to look shamed. She was a good actress. Hell, she’d pretended to be Jake’s pet cat for years. “Because I haven’t managed to get him yet. You got close, took one of them out, I believe. And you have more vampire kills than anyone I’ve heard of. That counts for something.”
He nodded. “I don’t work with a partner, Nyla, and even if I did, I’m not sure I trust you.”
“You don’t have to trust me, Jake. Just help me catch and kill this bastard.”
He nodded again, then motioned for her to lead the way back to the club. Never let the other guy walk in back of you. It was the golden rule for hunters and hit-men.
“Oh, and, Nyla,” he said softly from behind her as they walked toward the club, “if you give me even the slightest reason to, I will put a bullet through you.”
Chapter Four
“I DON’T HAVE ID.”
“What?”
“I don’t have ID,” Nyla repeated, stopping a few feet from the club’s entrance. IDs were plastic. Plastic was the one material that didn’t stay with her when she shifted.
“What do you mean you don’t have ID?”
She turned to find Jake frowning at her, his eyes incredulous. She was on edge enough as it was. She really didn’t need the attitude, and she wasn’t about to explain to him all the reasons why she generally didn’t need ID so he could put a hole in her body. “I said I don’t have ID. I think the statement is simple enough, Sherlock.”
“That’s just great. They don’t look hard at the IDs, but they do at least look at them. What kind of hunter doesn’t carry at least one fake ID?”
“This kind. You just go back in the front way and I’ll see you inside.”
“And how are you getting in? The front and back exits are covered, and the side door doesn’t open from the outside.”
“A lady has her secrets, Jakie. Now be a good little boy, and do as I say.”
Something hot and angry flared in his eyes, and she knew it was because of the nickname more than the fact she’d just given him an order. If she were in cat form she’d rub her body along his to comfort him. She wanted to rub her body against his now, but not just for his comfort.
“My name is Jake. Not Jakie, not Jacob, not anything but Jake.”
“Whatever. Time’s a wastin’. Let’s just get in the club . . . unless you’re only here to pick up a woman.” Nyla tried to fight off the little flare of jealousy the thought evoked.
“One of the victims worked here,” he snapped. “I need to question the employees, not to mention look out for Dunn in case he’s a customer.”
“All right, I’ll see you inside.”
Nyla turned and headed back around the club, entering the same alley they’d just left. She didn’t need an ID to get inside a building, she’d merely shift and enter through a vent, window or under a door crack while still in mist form. It was another skill she’d acquired since Demarcus bit her. Before then, she’d never been able to move while in the mist state or hold it for longer than it normally took to shift into another form.
She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Jake wasn’t following. So far he seemed to be buying her story. If she didn’t know him well, she’d say she was in the clear. But she did know him, and she knew she’d better watch her back or risk getting shot in it. Jake no longer had any qualms about killing a female; he had no qualms about killing anyone if he thought they needed to be killed.
Nyla checked out the back of the club and found her way inside. A small rectangular set of windows high up on the wall indicated where the club’s bathrooms were. She glanced around again, making sure there were no witnesses, and dissolved into mist.
JAKE MADE HIS way through the club, elbowing through the growing crush of people. His gaze fell on the back of a woman, noting the purple thong sticking out of the back of her pants, and the woman’s underwear made him wonder what Nyla was wearing beneath her tight jeans. He shook his head in frustration. What he should be worrying about was how many weapons she had beneath her leather jacket, not what type of underwear she was or was not wearing.
He didn’t trust her, found it odd that a hunter would just pop up out of the blue claiming to need his help, but it didn’t stop his mind from wondering what she’d be like in bed . . . or on the floor, or up against a wall . . . the possibilities were endless. Damn, he needed to get laid before his mental faculties shut down altogether.
He scanned the club, searching for the object of his lewd fantasies, but didn’t see her anywhere. Great. Who didn’t carry ID? Something was definitely off about her. No matter how hot she was, his instincts said she was trouble.
Jake took a seat at one of the small neon green tables sitting outside the dance floor. Pushing the job back to the forefront of his mind, he waited for the waitress he intended to question.
He saw Nyla exit the ladies room and scan the club. Their eyes locked, and a sense of familiarity washed over him, but she glanced away and headed for the bar before he could figure out why he felt as if he knew her.
The sound of a feminine throat being cleared brought his attention back to the matter at hand. The waitress he’d picked out earlier stood at his side, her expression clearly indicating she’d been waiting for his order long enough. It irritated him because he didn’t recall staring at Nyla that long.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized, smiling to set off the dimples the ladies seemed to love. “How are you tonight . . .” Jake glanced at her name tag. “Selene?”
“Dandy. What’ll you have?”
Oh-kaaay. She wasn’t in a good mood. Well, he’d worked with pissed-off spirits, so he could handle a grumpy waitress. “Just a beer.”
“Bottle or mug?” Selene’s tone didn’t change. Bags under her eyes indicated she wasn’t getting much sleep.
“Bottle.”
“What kind?”
“You pick, and get one for yourself. You look like you could use it.”
Selene glanced up from her little notepad, weariness drawn on her face like a mask. “I’ve got two kids, honey. I don’t have time for one-night stands.”
“I’m just offering a beer to cheer you up, and maybe keep you from falling over. You got a break coming?”
“Maybe.”
Jake flashed his lady-killer smile again. “Grab yourself a beer and sit down. You look like you need a breather, and some company couldn’t hurt.”
Selene looked at him long and hard, then walked away without a word. Jake watched her as she approached the bar, noticing that Nyla was deep in conversation with the same bartender he’d tried chatting up earlier.
Their faces were close together, her upper body stretched across the bar as though she couldn’t get close enough to the tattooed hunk of muscle. Jake’s fist tightened, and his jaw clenched. He recognized the reaction as jealousy, but didn’t know where it came from. He’d just met the chick, and if he was going to get jealous over a woman, it would be a normal woman, not one who could e
asily sweep his legs out from under him and pin him to the ground.
He tried to tell himself she’d just taken him by surprise, but inside he knew that wasn’t entirely true. She was a tough chick, but there was something different about her. With her speed and strength, he’d say she was a shifter, but she didn’t put out that faint buzzing of preternatural power which seemed to emanate from the nasty creatures. She didn’t put out anything indicating she wasn’t human.
So what was she, and how was she making it so hard for him to pull his gaze away from her?
NYLA GLANCED AT the neon clock on the far wall, took note of how many hours had passed, and groaned. This was taking too long. She’d cozied up to the bartender, welcoming his flirting in order to get information, scoped out the club in search of Dunn, and watched in dismay as Jake chatted up the waitress, flashing his killer dimples. There was a moment when he’d covered the waitress’s hand with his own, and Nyla had nearly marched over to his table and scalped the woman.
He was hers, dammit! He’d held her for years, telling her his deepest secrets, going to her for comfort when he needed it. Just because he didn’t know it didn’t make him any less hers.
Nyla stalked out of the club, hoping he’d notice she’d left and come looking. Hell, at this point, she just hoped he’d notice her. He’d already shared the waitress’s break hours ago. For some reason he’d stayed at the same table, chatting with the blond whenever she had a lull between ordering customers. The thought that he was interested in sleeping with the waitress flitted through her mind, and she clenched her teeth, fighting the urge to change into panther form and rip the woman to shreds.
She held on to her anger as she walked to an empty section of curb a block away from the club. For the next step in her plan to work, she needed to look furious when Jake found her, which, thankfully, turned out to be only a matter of minutes.
“Is there a reason why you’re standing on the curb looking at a vacant parking spot with murder in your eyes?” he asked after he reached her side and studied her face.
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