by Vivi Anna
He kept her gaze. It was fierce, but there was something else there behind the crystalline green depths. A sense of recognition, a kinship. He liked that. But he still wasn’t sure what to divulge to her and what to keep to himself. He trusted her to a point. But trust had gotten him into loads of trouble.
“I’m here on my own, yes. When I heard about the robbery, I had a hunch about it, and I informed my superiors that I was going to check it out. They trust my hunches, so they allowed me to come here.”
She cocked her head and scrutinized him even more. Sweat trickled down his back from her examination. She would make an incredible inquisitor. Maybe he could set her up with a job at the agency. “You heard about the robbery?”
He nodded, but his tie seemed to be choking him.
“You were in the bank only hours after it happened. I’d just heard about it and I was only a half hour from the site. You would have had to have flown in from somewhere.” She frowned. “That’s pretty quick. Or maybe you fly as fast as Superman.”
“Some things are going to remain classified, Olena. That would be one of them.”
She pursed her full mouth as if considering the statement. “I’ll keep your secrets, but only because I like the way you say my name.”
Finally, she turned toward the computer and set her long, elegant fingers on the keyboard. “So, a female lycan isn’t what we’re looking for.”
He rolled his chair a little closer to her. “Definitely male. But I’m not sure what species. Vampire, I think.”
“Well, that narrows it down.” She typed in a few more commands, and the screen filled with information. Two names popped up. But before she could do anything further, her cell phone vibrated against the desk.
She picked it up. “Petrovich.” After a few moments, she turned and smiled at Cale. Every time she did that, his heart rate accelerated. He was going to have to work on controlling that. Because he was certain that Olena could hear it.
“Thanks, Kellen. That was quick work.” She snapped the phone closed. “Box one hundred and thirty-six.”
Cale picked up the list of box owners on the desk and scanned the contents. His eyes rested on the name beside box number one hundred and thirty-six. “Luc Dubois.”
Olena pointed at the ID photo of a middle-aged man with long black hair on the computer screen. “And we have a winner.”
Chapter 5
With Gabriel’s blessing, Olena drove herself and Cale out to Luc Dubois’s place of residence. They didn’t have a warrant, but they hoped he’d speak to them regardless. Olena figured he’d be anxious to get back whatever it was that had been stolen. Unless, of course, that item was of a questionable nature—which she assumed it was, or the sexy British agent wouldn’t be in her city.
She was a bit more relaxed around Cale now that he’d confessed the agency wasn’t behind him. She liked that he was out on his own working this case, that he followed his instincts. Another man may not have been so courageous as to step out of the ranks to go it alone.
She also sensed there was something he was keeping hidden. Not about the case, but about himself. She didn’t believe for one second that he’d come to Nouveau Monde after the explosion. It was physically impossible. Cale had been on his way there before the explosion even occurred, and she really wanted to know why. But she suspected he wasn’t going to tell her. Not easily, anyway.
She had her ways, though. It would be just a matter of time before he was confessing all his secrets to her.
She smiled, thinking about all the delicious ways she could torture the information out of him. “What’s funny?”
She glanced at him, careful not to rake her gaze over his body and give away all her thoughts. “Nothing of consequence.”
“Somehow I don’t believe that. I think everything you do is of significance. Especially to those around you.”
“Hmm, I’m not quite sure how to take that. You’re either insulting me or complimenting me.”
“It wasn’t an insult.” He turned his head to look out the window.
Olena put her attention back onto the road. But she had to admit she really liked looking at Cale. He was delectably put together. His strong jaw, with just the hint of stubble, begged her to stroke a finger or run her tongue over it. His high cheekbones seemed cut from stone, and his straight nose reminded her of a royal bloodline. She would know, as she’d been around her fair share of kings, princes and lords in several different countries and centuries.
She wondered not for the first time what he’d look like underneath the crisp press of his suit and white shirt. He’d taken off the jacket at least, but had yet to loosen his tie. She hoped he’d let her do that for him. There was nothing more erotic than undressing a sharply dressed man. Shedding the stiff exterior to discover the wild, untamed man beneath.
A shiver rushed through her just thinking about it. Cale must have sensed it, because he looked at her with that sexy lift of his eyebrow.
“Are you cold?”
“Not at all.” She grinned at him.
He turned to look out the window again, likely trying to avoid her predatory gaze.
He thought she was using her powers against him. Olena wondered what he’d do if he knew she hadn’t spiked her power levels once since meeting him. Whatever was zipping between them was one hundred percent natural.
It would probably bring him no relief to know that it surprised her as well.
Olena pulled the vehicle up to the curb in front of a lavish home. Luc Dubois lived in a gated community usually reserved for the rich and famous. She didn’t recognize his name offhand, so she didn’t think he was a celebrity, and she knew almost all of the vampire elite in Nouveau Monde. This man was flying under her radar.
“What does this guy do for a living?” Cale asked.
“I’m not sure. The bank doesn’t keep those types of records for safety-deposit boxes. Privacy issues.”
Cale opened his door and slid out of the car. Olena followed suit and stood beside him on the walkway to the front door.
“Do you have a weapon?” he asked, taking in the layout of the house and street.
“I have plenty.”
He looked at her. “Are you armed?”
Olena unzipped her nylon jacket and parted it to the right to show him the gun on her hip. “Standard issue. Silver bullets. Although that wouldn’t stop a vampire if he wanted to hurt someone.”
“No, but it might make him think twice about it.”
Olena patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Cale. I’ll protect you. I’m faster and meaner than most.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Please do.” With that, she started up the walkway. She didn’t wait to see if Cale followed. If he was up on his species, he’d know all about the politics that played out in the vampire society. During this meeting, Olena would be doing all the talking. Humans weren’t high on most vampires’ respect list. Except for blood donations and sex, humans weren’t regarded much at all.
Olena didn’t agree with the structure, though. She liked humans. Over the years, she’d had her fair share of human lovers, and loves. All of them were long dead now, to her regret, and it had been a while since her last human lover. Contrary to what most people thought, she didn’t engage in a lot of casual sex. More often than not, she developed feelings. She was just really good at masking them as indifference and flamboyancy. In fact, though, she’d had her heart broken many times over watching the men she’d loved die.
She didn’t have any plans on going through that again. Not even for a man as attractive as Cale.
She’d flirt with him, toy with him to get what she wanted, but she refused to ever get involved. Her heart couldn’t take it. She’d spent the past thirty years mending it, and she wasn’t about to wreck any of that progress. No matter how much she wanted to peel away his serious layers and discover the passion inside. She sensed the man would be explosive if prodded just the right way. And she knew a
ll the right ways to prod.
Standing on the doorstep, Olena waited until Cale was at her side before she rang the bell. She counted to three under her breath, then rang it again and added three sharp raps to the door. After a few moments, there was still no answer.
She put her ear to the door. She was no lycan, but her hearing was far superior to a human’s. She didn’t hear any movement inside, but she did hear the faint thumping of some type of dance or hip-hop music. “Anything?”
“Music. Either someone’s home, or they left their radio on somewhere in the house.”
Cale cupped his hands against the window in the sidelight door and peered inside. He shook his head. “I don’t see anything.” He backed off the doorstep and headed around the side. “Let’s check around back.”
Getting around back proved to be difficult. A high wrought-iron fence with a locked gate bracketed the backyard.
Cale looked it over, then glanced at Olena. One eyebrow went up in a question. “Any ideas?”
“If I find a way in, I’ll open the front door for you.” She winked at him, then, backing up a few steps, ran forward and leaped into the air.
She soared over the fence, the heels of her shoes just brushing the tips of the iron spikes at the top of the fence. When she landed on the other side, she glanced over her shoulder at Cale.
He was shaking his head, but she caught the grin he was trying to quell.
“Wish you could do that, don’t you?”
“Maybe.” This time the smile came freely. And it was dazzling. A little quiver erupted in her belly.
It had been a long time since she’d had that kind of reaction to anyone.
“I won’t be long,” she said as she made her way toward the pool area and sliding glass doors.
“Be careful,” he called out after her.
She paused at that and looked back. He was watching her through the fence. She gave him a little wave and continued on. Why on earth would he be worried about her? She was the stronger one here.
The one with the enhanced strength and durability.
Must be a man thing.
Olena walked along the stone path through the yard, around the pool and up to the sliding glass doors. The blinds were open and she peered in.
There was no sign of anyone in the house, at least not in the back part. Someone could’ve still been upstairs, or in the basement for that matter. She imagined Luc had a basement; most vampires with big homes did. It was usually the place where they slept and engaged in other activities if they were so inclined.
She rapped on the glass door, but there was no response. Taking out a latex glove from her coat pocket, she slid it on, then grasped the handle.
Unlocked, the door slid open with no effort.
She poked her head in. “Hello? Monsieur Dubois?
I’m from the crime-scene investigation team.”
There was no response.
But Olena did pick up the strong smell of blood.
She slid the door all the way open, drew her weapon and stepped into the house. Now that she was inside, she could hear the music a little better.
It was definitely hip-hop. She crept through the kitchen, down the hallway and to the large front foyer. So far, she hadn’t seen any blood spots or bodies. She threw open the lock and opened the front door for Cale.
“I smell blood,” she told him.
He came into the house and drew his own weapon. He looked around the front entrance, taking in everything and, by the way his nostrils flared, trying to smell the blood. “I didn’t realize vampires had a heightened sense of smell.”
“We don’t for most things. But blood we can scent from a long distance.”
“Makes sense.” He looked past her from where she came. “Did you see anything?”
She shook her head. “I came through the kitchen.
It’s clean.”
“Where’s the music coming from?”
“The basement.”
He nodded and motioned for her to continue. Olena retraced her steps and went back toward the kitchen. There was a door along one wall and she suspected it led to the basement.
When she reached it, she glanced over her shoulder at Cale. He was poised behind her, his gun ready. She was impressed that he hadn’t demanded to go first, like most men would have. But Cale seemed quite comfortable with Olena in the lead. Maybe he understood that he was human and much more vulnerable than she. It was nice to meet a man who understood the balance of nature.
“On three,” she said to him. He nodded. Wrapping her hand around the doorknob, she whispered, “One, two, three.” She turned the knob and swung open the door. Cale was there at the opening, his weapon pointed. But nothing jumped out at them.
Olena peered down the stairs. There were lights on, and the music was much louder.
“I’ll go down first,” she said. “Stay behind me. If anything should get by me, make sure you go for the head. A head shot will slow anything down.”
“I’m fully aware of how to kill, Olena,” he said. “I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with members of the Otherworld community.”
“I’m just making sure. I really don’t want to send your shredded body back to your bosses. I hate having to explain things like that.”
“Thanks for your concern.”
She smiled at him and started down the steps. As she moved she could feel him behind her. True to his word, he was pressed in close to her back. She liked that he was seeking protection from her. There was nothing more Olena liked than control.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the smell of blood intensified. From the way Cale’s nose wrinkled, he could smell it as well. But so far they didn’t see any crimson pools or a body.
The basement was obviously where Luc played. A billiards table and a dartboard were set up near what looked to be a fully stocked bar. A huge projection TV with surround sound took up one wall. Olena counted about ten speakers mounted nearby. The music was coming from a state-of-the-art high-tech sound system mounted on the wall, shelves of CDs surrounding it.
The walls and the floor were done in an old-world tavern style. Hardwood floors, wooden bar stools, wood paneling on the walls with what appeared to be oil lamps lighting the way. Olena liked it. It made her homesick for a few of her old haunts in London and Paris back in the early 1900s.
“Looks like he’s a big entertainer,” Cale said as he inspected the full bar. He motioned toward three half-full glasses on the counter. “And he had company.”
Olena carefully made her way to another door in the corner. She didn’t think it led to the bathroom. The scent of blood was strongest coming from underneath the door.
“I have a feeling he did some other types of entertaining as well.”
Cale came over to her as she slowly opened the heavy wooden door. He produced a flashlight from one of his pockets and shone it into the dark room.
It was what Olena had suspected. Luc Dubois was one of those vampires who got off on the pain and suffering of others, or in some cases, their own.
As Cale swung the light around the room, they could plainly see the iron manacles fastened to the wall, a padded wooden horse in the middle of the room likely used for punishment, both sexual and otherwise, and the rack mounted on the wall with varying instruments of pain and pleasure.
What they didn’t expect to see was a completely naked Luc Dubois—or what Olena thought was him—also fastened on the wall by several wooden stakes. Without his head.
Chapter 6
Cale cursed. He’d vampire-killing scenes but never been witness to one. It was disturbing on many levels.
He glanced at Olena and saw that she’d gone deathly still. He holstered his weapon then put his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, but he could tell that she wasn’t.
Her body was vibrating, and her naturally pale skin had gone even paler. Wrapping his hand around her shoulder, he pulled her to him. She let him.
He knew then that she must’ve been in shock, otherwise he was sure she would’ve pulled away from him, not wanting to appear weak.
He didn’t think she could appear weak in any circumstances.
Cale wrapped his arms around her and steered her away from the open door. She held on to his shirt and nuzzled her face into his shoulder. Acting on instinct, he ran a hand down over her hair. It was silky smooth under his palm, and he had to fight the urge to bury his fingers in it.
“Just give me a minute,” she said, still clutching his shirt. “I’ll be fine.”
“Okay.” Was it wrong of him to want her to take her time? To want her to need to hang onto him for support, for comfort? She felt so right in his arms.
He liked the way they fit together, like interlocking puzzle pieces.
After a few more moments, she breathed deeply, then uncurled her fingers from his shirt and took a distancing step back. She brushed the front of her jacket, as if to sweep away the moment.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a vampire execution.” She didn’t make eye contact with Cale as she spoke, but looked toward the open door.
“Is that what this is?”
She nodded. “Someone wanted to make an example of him. It’s a message.”
“To whom?”
She shook her head. “Someone who knows Luc Dubois. A business partner maybe, or a relative.”
Olena took out her cell phone. “I’d better call this in and get the team down here.”
“While you do that, I’m going to go in and look around. See if I can find his head.”
She nodded, then walked away from the room to call Inspector Bellmonte. He was glad for the reprieve, as it would afford him the privacy to do what he needed to do.
He went into the room and scanned the walls for a light switch. He found only five oil lamps along the wall. Without matches, he’d have to make do with the flashlight.
Mindful of where he was stepping, Cale neared the impaled body. As if an insect on display, five wooden stakes pinned the victim to the wall, one each in his arms and legs and one through his heart.
