Uncertainty becomes Sami’s companion when Connor doesn’t return to Operation Underworld headquarters days after his scheduled arrival. Through the help of Dedou, the voodoo Priestess, and Harper, the white-hat hacker, they trace him to the mountains in Washington State. Sami immediately travels across the country, determined to rescue him.
Her search will bring her face-to-face with the true mastermind behind the disappearances and deaths of humans, and a surprising twist of events leaves her devastated by her connection to Selene. Now, Sami and Connor must once again fight for their lives in order to find the future together they both desperately want.
Dear Reader…
My contribution to this series is book 3 in a trilogy. Because I want you to enjoy this whole story, I am gifting books 1 & 2 to you.
You can get your copy HERE
1
Connor Dickson heard the water running in the bathroom, the light sound of the shower spray hitting the tile.
He rose from the bed and stretched his hands over his head, his spine resounding with a few satisfying cracks and snaps.
Padding over to the bathroom door, he quietly opened it, knowing Sami stood in the stall, the water running over her beautiful body.
As he silently peeked behind the curtain, he studied her back. Black, shiny hair hung down around her shoulders. A slim waist flared into lightly padded hips, a pert ass, and strong legs. Although they’d made love just a few hours ago, his groin thickened and ached at the sight.
He stepped in behind her and wrapped his arms around her. At first, she gasped at the surprise, then relaxed against him, laying her head back on his chest.
They stood in silence as he kissed the column of her neck.
“I’m going to miss you,” she whispered.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” he replied as he nibbled her earlobe.
She turned to him and laced her arms around his neck. “Do you promise me?”
“Of course,” he whispered, lowering his mouth to hers.
His whole body seemed to hum as their lips moved together in a perfect, slow dance. The energy traveled throughout him, energizing him, making it feel as if his veins might vibrate right out of his skin. He loved the sensation, loved the flawless world he and Sami created when they held each other, when their bodies met.
“What time is your flight?” she asked, breaking their kiss.
He groaned, not wanting to think about airport security, cramped airplane seating filled with other people’s germs, screaming babies, or trying to stuff his luggage into the overhead compartment. He wanted to be present, with his vampire.
“I don’t remember. In a while. Just forget about all of it.”
She gripped his shaft, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.
“Yeah, do that.”
As she moved her hand over his length, she giggled. “Is this what you want me to concentrate on? Not getting you to the airport on time?”
He nodded, unable to speak as he braced his hand against the wall to steady himself. Anytime Sami touched him, it was as if his knees would give out, and he’d dissolve into a pile of mush at her feet.
“Are you going to miss me?” she murmured, her tongue lapping over his pulse point.
“More than you’ll ever know,” he said, his breath catching in his throat.
How odd to think that just over a month ago, he never would have considered willingly having a vampire feed off him. Now, he longed for it worse than he needed food or water.
“Good answer.”
She moved away from him, but he didn’t open his eyes. With Sami, he liked not knowing what came next.
As her hot mouth found his erection, he hissed. Her fangs dragged over the shaft, sending a shudder of desire mixed with a bit of fear through him. This was the pinnacle of trust, as far as he was concerned. A vampire with elongated fangs sucking his cock? Yeah, the damage could be deadly, and the sheer thrill of it, the excitement, was probably part of the enjoyment.
“Don’t stop,” he whispered, placing his hand on her head. “Please don’t stop.”
“I have no intention of it,” she said before resuming her ministrations.
He sighed in contentment.
What a perfect way to start the day, especially before getting on a flight.
2
As the plane touched down in Seattle, Connor had to admit the lack of rain surprised him. When he’d been here just last week, the weather had been relentless with sheets of cold water pelting the area at an almost constant pace. Sami had hated it, and he’d also been glad to get the hell out of dodge. But, then again, bringing down a drug dealer by decapitation with a knife blessed by Voodoo could also have that effect on a person.
He waited patiently for his turn to exit, stepped into the aisle, grabbed his duffel bag from the bin above, and smiled at the flight crew on his way out.
As he strolled to the bus that would take him to the rental car area, he wondered what Sami was doing. He felt foolish for wanting to call her, especially since he’d last talked to her right before he took off five hours ago. Admitting to himself he’d become a lovesick boy was easy, but he didn’t quite feel ready to tell it to Sami. Not yet, anyway. Anytime he thought about it, he wanted to barf and curl up in bed like a child. He’d never been in this position before, and it warmed his heart, but at the same time, made him uncomfortable. Something held him back from voicing his true feelings to her, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint exactly what it could be. He knew he wanted a future with her, but telling her he loved her … that, he couldn’t do. It was as if the words became twisted up on the way from his brain to his tongue.
He just assumed that when he was ready, they’d flow easily.
The bus arrived, and he stepped on and took a seat. They had more stops to make before hitting the rental car terminal, and he watched the people filing in. Since he’d been cursed with the ability to see vampires living among humans over a year ago, he’d grown accustomed to studying those around him with great detail. During the afternoon, he wouldn’t see any high-bred vampires, as they burnt to a crisp during the daylight hours. However, there could very well be vampires like Sami around him—those who didn’t possess any vampire abilities, such as putting humans in a trance, but who lived their lives mixing in between the human and vampire world.
Yes, Sami needed blood every now and then, far less than what she drank from him. He had become a more than willing donor. The pain as her fangs initially punctured his skin almost debilitated him every time, but the pleasure afterward … yeah, he had no problem suffering a bit for that. When she drank from him, it touched him on many levels. First and foremost, he gave her the sustenance that she needed to survive and be strong, and it made him feel as though he took care of her.
Then there was the sex. Holy hell, the sex. If she dumped his sorry ass tomorrow, he didn’t think he could ever go back to a relationship with a full-blooded human. But at the same time, Sami had said that his blood was the perfect match for her. Would it be the same with another vampire? He doubted it. She had told him that not all blood tasted the same. To her, his surpassed all her favorite things, including wine and chocolate. To others, it may possess the flavor of sewer water.
His world had become such a different place from what it had been before the explosion in Guatemala. Right now, besides his relationship with Sami, he couldn’t decide if his new-found ability made it for the better, or for the worse.
As they pulled into the rental car area, he stood and filed off the bus. He followed the herd to the counter and patiently waited his turn while he checked his phone. A bit of disappointment welled within him when he realized Sami hadn’t called, but then he chastised himself for it. For all she knew, he was still on the plane.
Not able to avoid the need to hear her voice again, he dialed.
“Hi,” she said, picking up after the first ring.
He could hear the smile in her voice, which had him grinning ear to
ear. He felt incredibly foolish—like an adolescent who had gotten up the nerve to call a girl for the first time.
“Hey. How’s everything going?”
“Fine. I’m thinking of venturing up to Harper’s lair tomorrow morning. How was your flight?”
Before he’d told her otherwise, Sami had thought he and Harper were an item, which was ridiculous. In the beginning, he’d thought there could be something between them, but had quickly accepted that wouldn’t be the case. As a shameless flirt, Harper had a certain charm about her, but the girl would rather spend time with her computers than with a living, breathing man. However, she had offered him a nice distraction from the heartache Sami had caused him with her relentless teasing and sexual innuendos she had no intention of ever following up on.
Still, the fact that Sami had been jealous of their relationship had brought him a little bit of satisfaction when she’d told him. He’d never gotten over Sami, no matter how hard he’d tried, despite the lies and how she’d almost gotten him killed. His little vampire had his guts all tied up in knots, and he wouldn’t want it any other way.
“The flight was fine,” he answered. “Just waiting to get my rental car.”
“Is it raining?”
“No, but the skies are gray. It’s still depressing.”
“Ugh. I’m glad I’m not there.”
He arched an eyebrow. It had taken a lot of convincing to make sure she stayed in New Orleans. “Really? If I remember correctly, you were offering me sexual favors if I brought you with me.”
She laughed as the man in front of him turned around, his eyes wide. Connor covered the mouthpiece then said, “What can I say? I’m a lucky guy. Now mind your own business.”
The man faced forward, and Connor returned to his conversation.
“That’s true, I did say that,” Sami said. “I miss you, but I hated the weather there, so that’s why I’m glad I’m here.”
The eavesdropper stepped up to the window.
“I miss you, too. But I’ll only be gone a couple of days. Like I said, I just want to make sure that we haven’t left any loose ends hanging around. We had to get out of here pretty quick, and there wasn’t time to be certain we had everything wrapped up.”
She sighed. “I know, but I also worry about you. You had a concussion, Connor, so please be careful. You can’t get tossed around anymore.”
“I promise, nothing is going to happen to me, okay?”
“Alright. Just hurry back.”
Finally, his turn had arrived. “I will. I’ve got to go.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
He disconnected and smiled at the woman who had his keys. “Connor Deckson. I have a reservation for a sedan.”
Dedou had thrown together a new identification for him, and he’d made sure that the last name didn’t translate into anything he’d regret. Last time, she’d given him the name of Connor Le Polla, which loosely translated to Connor the Dick. She’d found it hilarious, as had Harper, but he hadn’t been amused. This time, he told her to keep it simple and only change one letter, so he went from Dickson to Deckson.
After a few taps on the computer, the woman looked at him and grinned. “I’ve got you right here, Mr. Deckson. Welcome to Seattle.”
3
The next morning, Sami climbed the stairs to Harper’s inner sanctum, determined to make the best of her time without Connor. Now that she felt fairly certain that he was hers, she found herself intrigued by the woman instead of wanting to rip her heart out.
What did she do up here all day and all night?
She knew Harper was some sort of white hat hacker and that she worked for Operation Underworld, but she couldn’t help but wonder what her story could be, and what exactly her job entailed.
After knocking on the door, she waited a moment, then pressed her ear to the panel. She heard Harper’s voice, but couldn’t make out what she said.
Just as she was about to go back downstairs, the door opened, and Harper stood in front of her with a grin on her face.
“Well, well, well, Ms. Vampy Vamp. I never thought I’d see you darken my doorstep.”
She wore a red Rolling Stones T-shirt, matching Converse sneakers, and jeans. Highlights of purple rained down through her hair.
“I thought I’d come see what the infamous Harper does up here all day,” she said with a grin. “Is that okay?”
“Of course it is, as long as you like chocolate, coffee, and energy drinks. Are you down with that?”
Sami shrugged, looking forward to seeing Harper’s little universe. “I certainly don’t see anything wrong with it.”
“Then come on in!” Harper exclaimed, moving to the side.
She stepped into the space, which seemed perfect for Harper. It had enough room for her desks and computers, as well as a bed and a clothing rack for her jeans and T-shirts. The rows and rows of shelves held too many sneakers for Sami to count.
Aside from that, there was a small kitchenette complete with a sink, refrigerator, and a microwave.
“Sit down, Sami,” Harper said, pointing at an office chair next to the one she sank into, right in front of a large bowl of M&Ms. “You’re going to love this next call.”
Sami hesitated for a moment. “I don’t want to disturb your work. I just wanted to say hello.”
“Sit!” Harper hissed as she picked up one of the three cellphones on her desk and dialed, then put it on speakerphone.
“Hello?” a female voice answered.
“Harper for Chris. I have an appointment.”
“Yes, he’s been expecting your call. One moment.”
The line went silent as Harper began typing, and Sami grabbed a handful of the colorful candies.
In a few seconds, pictures came up on the screen. Sami squinted to make sure she was seeing correctly.
“Is that—”
“Yes. Shh.”
She sat back in her chair as she stared at one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in different stages of undress, including completely nude. Embarrassment warmed her cheeks. She should look away—she had no business invading this man’s privacy by looking at his personal photos—but she couldn’t take her gaze from the screen. Was this what Harper did all day? Stare at nude photos of the Hollywood elite?
“Harper, this is Chris.”
“Well, hello there, you sexy hunk of man meat,” she purred.
Sami pursed her lips to stop her laughter and wondered what her affiliation with Chris could be. Certainly, it had to be a personal relationship because one didn’t talk to others like that without some sort of friendship, or more.
“Uh … um, hi. I-I’ve never had someone I’m thinking of hiring address me quite like that.”
Well, no one else except Harper talked to people they didn’t know with such intimacy.
“That’s because you’ve never hired me, Handsome.”
A beat of silence ensued, and Sami wondered if he’d hung up.
“You came highly recommended, but I’m beginning to wonder if Brad was pulling a fast one on me.”
Harper threw her head back and laughed. “No, Chris, Brad’s not messing with you. I am the best. You want me to make sure no one can get access to your cloud, right?”
“Yes. With all the celebrity hackings lately, I’m a bit nervous. I think I have things set up pretty well, but I wanted a second opinion.”
Harper sat back in her chair and rolled her eyes, then double-clicked one of the fully nude pictures, making it as big as her screen.
Despite her love for Connor, heat and longing flushed through Sami. She’d always thought this guy good-looking when she’d seen his movies, but looking at him nude had butterflies of desire tickling her belly.
“Well, Chris, I can tell you it took me about five seconds to hack into your cloud, and I’ll say it again, you are one fine piece of man-meat. I particularly like this full nude of you, although I would suggest you do some exercises for your calves. Those are looking a little s
crawny. But every other inch of you … perfection.”
“Y-you’re looking at my pictures?”
“Of course I am. That’s what hackers do. We break in, take a look around, and see what’s on the other side of the so-called bolted door. Duh, Chris!”
Another long silence ensued, but Sami knew Chris hadn’t hung up. He was most likely trying to process the conversation, figuring out how respond to Harper. However, as she studied Harper’s computer screen, she didn’t mind the wait. Chris was, in fact, a very nice piece of ‘man-meat.’
Finally, Chris sighed. “You aren’t going to share them, are you?”
Harper leaned back in her chair and rolled her eyes. “Chris, don’t be a fucking moron. My job is to hack your system to see if it’s secure enough, and I got news for you … it’s about a secure as one of those flimsy diary locks. If I can get to your sexy little nudes, then that means other hackers can, too. So, I think what you meant to say was ‘thank you, Harper, for saving my ass.’”
Chris broke out into laughter. “I never in a million years thought I’d hire someone who had seen me nude and called me a piece of man-meat and a moron all within a five-minute period of time.”
Sami bit her tongue to keep from breaking out into a fit of giggles. Despite her utter lack of respect and lack of professionalism, it sounded like Harper would be getting the job.
Amazing.
Harper grinned and reached over to grab a Hershey bar, even though Dedou hadn’t served breakfast yet. She quickly unwrapped it, then tore off a large chunk with her teeth.
“Glad to be of service,” she said, washing it down with a long swallow of Coke. “You know where to send payment. Once I get notification it’s been received, I’ll get started.”
“I’ll have my assistant send it now. Please make sure that my cloud is locked up tight.”
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