Dalakis Passion 4 - Eternal Brothers

by N. J. Walters

  be more like supper than lunch. The day had flown by and it was only an hour until

  sundown. A sub sandwich would hit the spot. She'd grab one on her way to talk to

  Officer Cuthbert and Detective Simpson. She contemplated changing her clothes, but

  decided that jeans and a T-shirt were good enough.

  Closing down her computer, she left her office. She was tempted to check on Zane

  one final time, but forced herself to turn toward her living room instead. It was kinda

  freaky to watch him when he wasn't breathing and his heart wasn't beating. She'd leave

  him a note letting him know that she'd meet him at Lucian's when she was finished at

  the police station.

  A knock interrupted her reverie. She wasn't expecting anyone. Her heart began to

  pound furiously and she gulped in a mouthful of air. Okay, this was totally ridiculous.

  It was probably nothing at all.

  Still, better to be cautious. She hurried back into her office and grabbed her cell

  phone before approaching the front door. Hitting the speed dial again, she didn't have

  long to wait, as it was answered on the first ring.

  "Cassidy."

  "It's me again. There's someone at my door."

  "Don't answer it," Cassidy barked.

  There was another knock before she got there, this one slightly harder. Peering out

  through the peephole, she relaxed when she recognized the delivery uniform from a

  local office supply shop. "It's a local delivery. Hang on while I talk to him." She undid

  the locks but kept the chain on. She could hear Cassidy swearing in the background.

  "Yes."

  The man was bald and appeared to be somewhere in his forties. It was hard to tell

  exactly because his shoulders were slumped forward. He gave her a quick, frazzled

  smile. "You Sophia Daring?"

  Her fingers tightened on the doorknob. She hadn't been expecting this. "Yes," she

  replied cautiously.

  "Good. I gotta delivery."

  "I didn't order anything."

  The man's pale blue eyes narrowed as he stared at his clipboard. "Says right here

  it's for Sophia Daring." He rattled off her street number.

  "That's me, but I didn't order anything." Now she was totally confused.

  The man checked his clipboard again, shuffling papers. "Phone order by a Zane

  York." The man looked up again, looking perplexed. "It's a great desk chair. Top of the

  line. The order came in yesterday evening."

  Sophia sighed. This sounded like something that Zane would do. Putting the phone

  back to her ear, she closed the door and undid the chain, ushering the man inside. "It's

  just a chair that Zane bought for me."

  "Sophia." She could hear the panic in Cassidy's voice. "Did Zane tell you he bought

  you a chair?"

  The man wheeled his trolley just inside the door.

  "Well, no." Now Cassidy was making her nervous.

  "Just need you to sign here, ma'am." The deliveryman held out his clipboard and

  pen.

  "Hang on a second, Cassidy." She laid the phone down on the hutch and reached

  for the pen and clipboard.

  It happened so fast, she didn't have time to respond. The man straightened to his

  full height and slapped his hand over her mouth as he yanked a hypodermic needle out

  of his pocket and jammed it into her arm. It hurt and she cried out as she started to

  fight. But her limbs didn't want to work properly and her head began to spin.

  The man held her easily with one arm. He was much stronger than he appeared

  beneath his baggy uniform. Flipping open the top of the box with his other hand, he

  then hefted her over his shoulder. It was only then that she realized the box was empty.

  "In you go." She tried to stop him, tried to move her body, but it was no use. Her

  hand flopped out and smacked him in the shoulder. He ignored her as if she were no

  more than a fly and stuffed her into the box. Before she knew it she was inside and the

  lid was being closed. She couldn't move, but she could still hear as the man picked up

  her cell phone.

  "Who am I speaking with?" He chuckled and continued. "I rather thought it would

  be you, Cassidy. I've done quite a bit of research on the Dalakis family." He laughed

  and the sound sent shivers down Sophia's spine. This man was evil. She swallowed

  back her fear and continued to listen even as she struggled to get her body to move.

  "Hmm," he continued after a few moments. "You're in no position to make threats or

  demands. I know things that your employers wouldn't want made public. Who'd have

  thought that vampires were real?"

  Sophia stilled and thought about Zane, totally vulnerable and helpless under her

  bed. She didn't think he could wake up during the day. Prayed that he couldn't. As

  weak as he was earlier, he'd be no match for this man.

  "Tell your employers to expect a call from me later this evening." He laughed

  evilly. "If you want to see Ms. Daring alive again, you'll do exactly what I say. If you

  don't care, I'll just make her my latest project. I'm sure her blood, while not particularly

  potent, would be quite sweet."

  Sophia's heart stuttered and she forced herself to take deep, slow breaths as she

  strained to hear what was going on. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hear

  Cassidy's voice. A moment later her captor continued. "Now, now, Cassidy. If I were

  you, I'd be more concerned about that delectable morsel you've been protecting."

  Oh, God. This man knew everything about them and they didn't know anything at

  all about him. She was so screwed.

  Sophia.

  She blinked as she heard the voice in her head, recognizing it immediately. "Zane,"

  she whispered. Wasn't he supposed to be sleeping?

  What's going on? Are you hurt?

  She didn't know what to say. How much to tell him.

  Sophia! His voice was louder now. Sharper.

  He's here. The killer is here. She thought the words, not daring to say them aloud.

  The blast of anger hit her like a sledgehammer and her entire body jerked. The box

  shifted and she realized that the man had hung up the phone and was moving the

  trolley out through her front door. Suddenly she was falling sideways as the box was

  tilted back. Her captor hummed a little ditty as he began to lower the trolley down the

  stairs one at a time.

  Sophia! Zane roared.

  What! she screamed in her mind. She had bigger problems at the moment. Her body

  still wouldn't function and her eyes were beginning to get too heavy for her to keep

  open.

  What's going on? Let me see your memories.

  She had no idea what he meant by that, but she felt the push in her mind. Knowing

  it was Zane, she dropped her guard and let him in. She started to doze as she bumped

  down the stairs and out the front door.

  Sophia, stay awake. She wanted to tell him that she was trying, but she didn't have

  the energy.

  She heard the whir of a motor as the trolley was lifted and she was rolled again. A

  moment later a door slammed. She heard the dull roar of a truck engine and then she

  felt the movement. She was in the back of a truck being taken God only knew where by

  a killer.

  Zane's roar filled her ears and then there was nothing.

  Zane's finger twitched and his eyelids shot open. He knew his green eyes would be


  tinged red, blazing with barely suppressed fury as he cursed his inability to move. He

  wanted to yell, but no sound would come from his lips.

  He bellowed Sophia's name over and over in his mind, but she was unconscious.

  He wouldn't even allow himself to think that she might be dead. The man wouldn't

  have taken her if he meant to kill her right away. Besides, he'd know if she were dead.

  He'd feel it in every cell of his body.

  From what little he'd been able to glean from Sophia about what had happened, he

  knew that the man had spoken to Cassidy. Sophia's captor knew that the Dalakis men

  were vampires. That wasn't good. It meant they'd been watching them for quite some

  time now.

  Zane didn't know if they knew about him or not. Oh, they knew he was involved

  with Sophia. Of that he had no doubt. They would have seen her coming and going

  from Lucian's home with him as her escort. Hopefully, they just thought he was another

  cop involved in the investigation. That might give him an extra edge.

  Sweat rolled down his temples as he tried to reach out to Sophia. But there was

  nothing. For one bitter moment, he wished he'd converted her. If he had, they'd both be

  at his home, locked in sleep in a vault that was safer than Fort Knox. Even if she hadn't

  been with him, he would have been able to find her anywhere. Now, he'd have to hope

  that she awoke so he could follow the path of her blood link.

  And when he found her, there would be hell to pay.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Cassidy swore as he tossed the phone on the desk.

  "What's wrong?"

  He whirled around, gun in his hand. Blythe blinked at him, frozen in place. He

  glanced down at his weapon. He hadn't even been aware of drawing it, it was so second

  nature to him.

  "Sorry." He holstered his gun and grabbed a file off the desk. The number for the

  sheriff's office in Salvation had to be in here somewhere.

  "What's going on?"

  Cassidy's mind was racing, replaying his phone conversation with the killer as he

  tried to figure out the best course of action. "That was the killer." Cassidy found the

  number and began dialing. "He has Sophia."

  She gasped, her face paling. "Ohmigod."

  "We'll get her back," he growled. Any other outcome was unacceptable.

  Blythe shook her head. "You don't even know where to begin. Poor Sophia."

  "Stop it." He didn't have time for this. "I should have made her stay here." He

  glared at Blythe.

  "It's not your fault," she began, her features softening.

  "Of course it is," he began, but broke off when the phone on the other end was

  answered. "Yes, I'd like to speak with the sheriff if he's in. It's Sam Cassidy from New

  Orleans." He paused as the speaker continued. "That's right. I was there when all that

  trouble happened with Laurel Rose. Sure, I'll hold."

  He held his hand over the mouthpiece. "After I finish on the phone, I'm going over

  to Sophia's place to see if I can find anything. Maybe the killer left something behind or

  someone saw him. It's a long shot, but it's all we've got."

  Blythe nodded. She looked lost and afraid and he wanted to wrap his arms around

  her and just hold her. Last night had been emotional for both of them. He'd wanted to

  spend the day with her, snuggling and reassuring her that last night didn't matter. They

  had all the time in the world and he could wait until she was ready to deepen their

  physical relationship. Whatever had happened in her past didn't matter. Only the

  future did.

  But there had been no time for talking or snuggling. He'd gotten up only an hour

  after he'd fallen asleep. Blythe had slept until well after lunch, which pleased him. She

  needed her rest. She was strong in so many ways, but lurking beneath her protective

  armor was an intelligent, giving woman who made all his senses stand up and take

  notice whenever she walked into a room. Cassidy had spent the last week just being

  around her as much as possible. He figured the more she got used to him being around,

  the more she'd relax. And it was working. Sort of.

  Whether she knew it or not, she'd taken a huge step last night. She'd reached out to

  him. Yes, she'd pulled back in the end, but Cassidy saw it as progress. Blythe was still

  skittish, but each day she was becoming less and less so. He kept things light and

  undemanding and had even managed to coax several smiles out of her. It was

  ridiculous just how pleased he was with himself when he'd managed to do that. Her

  shy smile had his cock standing at attention within thirty seconds.

  He started to reassure her again, but the sheriff came back on the other line. "This is

  Sam Cassidy. I was wondering if you have a few minutes to talk about what happened

  in Salvation last year."

  Blythe watched Sam as he talked to the sheriff. He was all business now, ruthless

  and focused. If anyone could find Sophia and get her back, it was him. She didn't know

  when she'd started thinking of him as Sam and not Cassidy, but it had become a habit

  she couldn't break. Cassidy was the cop--watchful, dedicated and hardnosed. Sam, on

  the other hand, was the man who made her breakfast and laughed at sitcoms on

  television. Sam was the man who made her heart sing and her body hum. Sam was the

  man who'd surprised her yet again last night, putting aside his own needs to soothe

  her.

  Uncomfortable with the sensations coursing through her, she turned away and

  wandered into the kitchen. Spending the past week in his company had challenged her

  in ways she'd never imagined. All her life she'd thought herself frigid, but around Sam

  she didn't feel that way. Instead, she felt hot and achy. Even after everything that had

  happened last night, her body still made no secret of the fact that it was primed and

  ready for him.

  Groaning, she clenched her thighs together and tried to ease the ache growing

  within her. Never before had her breasts felt so painfully sensitive. Even her bra was

  uncomfortable as her puckered nipples brushed against the fabric.

  Sam was a very handsome man in a rough sort of way. Six feet of hard-packed

  muscle in jeans and boots, his blue eyes could sparkle with mischief or turn hot with

  desire. But it was more than his looks that drew her. It was the way he treated her, the

  way he treated the others. Sam was the kind of man who took his responsibilities

  seriously.

  Right now, she knew he was blaming himself for Sophia's abduction even though it

  wasn't his fault. He'd all but begged Sophia to stay here during the day, but she'd been

  adamant that she had to go home to work. Not that Blythe blamed her. She missed her

  apartment and her old life.

  "But that's gone." She scrubbed her hand over her face as she stared out the kitchen

  window into the private garden. She'd had to quit her singing job because she honestly

  didn't know if or when she'd ever be able to sing again. As long as Adrian Prince was

  searching for her, there was no way she could resume her career. It made her too easy

  to find.

  Deciding she needed to do something, she grabbed the pot from the coffee machine

  and filled it with water. Sam could probably use a fresh cup of coffee. The man had

  been running on catnaps and caffeine for days now. As
she measured coffee grounds

  and set the machine running, she allowed the memory of the past week to flow through

  her mind.

  It was odd, but as bad as this past week had been, it had also been one of the best

  times of her life. She'd lost her home, her job and a local crime boss was after her. That

  was the worst. But on the other hand, she'd met Sam and all the rest of them. For the

  first time in her life, she was making female friends. It was strange, but she liked it.

  Liked them.

  The other three women were different from her, but they were all very accepting of

  her, not pressuring her to reveal anything from her past that she didn't want to. That

  unconditional acceptance had allowed her to creep out of her shell and meet them

  partway. Oh, she was still uncomfortable with it, but it was kinda nice to sit and talk

  and laugh with other women.

  "Oh, Sophia." She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying. Brash, brave Sophia in the

  hands of a killer. It was unthinkable, yet it was all too real. They had been living under

  a constant threat for days now and the worst had finally happened. She knew that Sam

  thought he could find Sophia, but Blythe was more realistic. As much as she didn't

  want to believe it, it was more likely that Sophia would become the third victim of the

  killer.

  She heard Sam's boots on the hardwood floor and swiped her hands over her eyes

  and sniffed back her tears. It wouldn't do for him to see her crying. He'd get all upset

  and protective. Her heart beat heavily as he got closer and then she sensed him behind

  her.

  "You all right?" His large hands cupped her shoulders gently as he drew her body

  back against his.

  She nodded. "Fine. Did you find out anything?"

  "Not really." He sighed and wrapped his arms around her. She felt surrounded by

  his heat and strength. They hadn't talked about what had happened between them last

  night, but Blythe knew it was only a matter of time until Sam forced the issue. "The

  sheriff didn't know much more than we do. They found the name Spencer and a phone

  number on a slip of paper in Stoner's house when they searched it. But the phone

  number is no longer in service and when the sheriff checked, he found out it was for a

  disposable cell phone that had been paid for in cash. End of lead."