“What about her?” Kade was surprised she’d stayed after Sydney’s attack, but he also knew how much she got off on vampires.
“They took her. She was alive, though.” He shook his head and put the rim of the bottle to his lips, not bothering to pour it in a glass this time. “She was screaming. It all happened so fast.”
“How do you know it was Gemma if you were back here?”
“I’ve worked here a long time. You know she’s a screamer.” He blew out a breath. “Shit, I know that’s wrong to say at a time like now, but it’s true. I heard her scream, and peeked over the bar for all of about two seconds before a slug whizzed by my head. I saw them dragging her out of here. For the record, I did shoot back. I keep a handgun back here but it was no match for what they were packin’. Fuck, this has been a night.”
“So you think the perps were vamps?”
“Only one. The way he took out the others…he had to be a vampire. The other three seemed human.”
“You sure?”
“I’ve been working here for five years, boss. I’m tellin’ ya, I know the difference. Mask or no mask.”
“This it?” Anthony interrupted. He held up a black leather case and opened it.
“Yeah,” Gil responded. “We’ve got an app that tracks the appointments. It’s what was up when I gave it to zebra guy.”
“It’s busted,” Anthony said.
“Let me see.” Kade took the iPad from Anthony, observing a web of cracks across its glass. He pressed a button and it flared with light. “Still working.”
“Well, that’s something.”
“You keep personal information on employees?” Kade asked. His eyes darted to Sydney, whose shocked expression told him she already knew what he was about to say.
“Yeah, we’ve got personnel files but we keep addresses and phone numbers stored in there so we can call in staff when we need to…go pick them up if they need a ride. Stuff like that.”
“They were looking for her.” Kade flipped the tablet toward Sydney, so she could view it. Mya Everhart’s address and appointment information flashed across the screen.
“He went after her because of me,” Sydney whispered. “Shit. How could he have known?”
“Someone told him,” Kade said, his eyes meeting Gil’s. After their performance on the balcony, it hadn’t been a secret that both he and Sydney had been at the club.
“Hey, I don’t know who you’re talking about but whoever it is, ya’ll know I wouldn’t tell anyone anything. Look at the donor list if you’re looking for a suspect. Humans don’t all get the privacy rule. Just sayin’,” Gil said.
“We’ve got to go to Mya.” Sydney tugged on Kade’s arm.
“I think we should get you home,” Kade suggested.
“This is my fault. I came here. I used Mya. There’s no way I’m not going to check on her.”
“Look at me,” Kade said, taking her hands in his. Her cheeks remained flush with color and she appeared healthy.
“I’m fine. I swear it.”
“The second you feel the slightest twinge of hunger, we’re going home. Understood?”
“Yes, I promise.”
“Let’s go,” Kade reluctantly agreed.
As they left Embo, he pulled Luca aside and asked him to go ahead with Dominique to Mya’s apartment and make sure it was clear. He caught Anthony’s look of concern as the detective ushered Sydney into the car. Someone had alerted Pat that Sydney had been at Embo. It was likely the informant was alive and well, assisting Pat, and looking to lure Sydney into a trap with Mya.
It wasn’t as if Sydney hadn’t been to a crime scene before, but this was personal. Mya was missing because of her. She studied the décor and took note of the perfectly straightened books that sat on a dusted bookshelf. A small trail of destruction led from the foyer into the bedroom, everything in its path strewn onto the floor. She spied an overturned picture frame on the carpet and bent over to retrieve it. Sydney ran her finger over the edge of the cold metal frame and picked away the broken glass. Underneath, Mya kissed a fluffy white lap dog, a pink diamond collar around its neck. Every detail about the apartment told a story of an innocent young woman, one who appeared to be in college. Her psychology book lay open on a small kitchen table, and Sydney wondered how the fresh-faced coed had found herself employment as a siphon donor.
Kade waved to her, gesturing to the bedroom. She entered, scenting the blood, but concealed her reaction to the scene. A torn shirt lay on the floor. A set of bra and panties were tied around one of the poles of the white four-poster bed. Dark brown bloodstains were splattered across the pink sheets.
“Are you sure you wanna stay?” Luca asked Sydney. When she nodded, he leaned over and sniffed the linens. “There’s semen. It’s fresh. It’s possible she was raped.”
“It would be in line with Pat’s M.O.,” Anthony interjected.
“Yeah, it is.” Sydney turned her head, sickened by the sight. She made her way into the tiny bathroom and what she saw took her breath away.
“Wait a minute, Syd,” Luca said. “I didn’t have a chance to tell you…”
“Kade.” Sydney’s heart caught in her chest as she saw the folded note taped to the mirror. Kade went to reach for it but she blocked his hand. “No, he left this for me.”
Her hands shook as she tugged at the smooth paper, careful not to tear it. Pat Scurlock. He attacked Mya because of me. Carefully, she opened it, a gasp choking in her throat as she read it. You took my girls. Now I’m taking yours.
“He’s not going to get to you,” Kade assured her.
“He’s going to kill her,” Sydney whispered. Dizzy, she gripped the sink.
“Syd. You know him. He never kills right away,” Anthony said
“No, he’ll play with her, torture her. I don’t get it, though. Who is the vampire helping him? What could Pat possibly have that he’d be worth causing this kind of trouble in New Orleans? Maybe he’s not from here.”
“It could be a ‘she’,” Luca commented.
“A woman?” Sydney asked with surprise.
“They had on masks. But who knows? It all went down fast and Gil didn’t see much from behind the bar.”
“Gil never mentioned he scented or suspected it was a woman,” she countered.
“It’s unlikely but still possible,” Luca continued.
“I guess.”
“Back to your other question; why does a vampire involve himself with miscreants?” Luca took the note from Sydney’s hands and studied it.
“Power would be the obvious answer, but if there was one strong enough to challenge me, why would he wait for the help of a human? It makes no sense,” Kade said.
The conversation faded as Sydney spied the red spray on the flowered shower curtain. Bile rose in her stomach and she fought the pangs of hunger that arose out of nowhere. She closed her eyes briefly, and attempted to gather strength. Something was happening to her. The rush of Mya’s blood waned. She’d need to feed, find another donor. Yet curiosity drove her as she put one foot in front of the other. Her fingers curled into the nylon fabric. As she pulled it across, a thick trail of caked blood clung to the textured fiberglass tub. A tunnel of black engulfed her vision as she pointed to her name, which was written across the white tiles.
Chapter Nine
Kade gently laid Sydney onto the crisp cotton sheets. After she’d fainted, he’d gathered her into his arms, cursing himself for not seeing the signs. He’d dismissed her shaky hands, but knew she’d never show fear. Before her accident, the threat in the shower wouldn’t have caused her to falter. While she’d been temporarily nourished, it wasn’t nearly enough for a new vampire to thrive. As if she was a newborn, she’d need frequent feedings.
When he’d left Mya’s apartment, he’d instructed Luca to wait for Xavier, so they could turn it over for clues. Despite his orders, Kade suspected they wouldn’t find anything else. Pat Scurlock meant to toy with Sydney. Like a cat batting around a
mouse, he’d play with her first, making his kill all the more sweet. Delighting in a sick sense of torture, Pat sought to instill both fear and guilt.
Kade had asked Anthony to help him transfer Sydney back to the house. He played the scenario in his head, the act scrolling through his brain. A mixture of excitement and apprehension arrested his thoughts, and he prayed Sydney would accept the inevitable.
After they’d arrived home, he’d given her a bath. Cleaning the stench of the evening away, he’d washed Mya’s blood from her skin. He’d dressed her in a warm robe and brought the covers up over her hips. Brushing a stray hair from Sydney’s eyes, he studied her face and considered how much he loved her. Sharing her with Anthony would be the ultimate act of devotion, yet he was fully prepared to see it through. He wasn’t sure why he thought it would work, but instincts told him that she’d never allow herself to hurt her friend.
Kade turned his head toward the door, where Anthony stood silently watching. Wearing only a pair of pajama pants, he stood bare-chested. Kade gave him a small smile and waved him into the room. As the detective made his way toward the bed, Kade leaned to kiss Sydney’s forehead. Her eyes flickered open in response. She stared up into his eyes wearing a look of confusion.
“Hey there, how’re you feeling, love?”
“I, um…” Sydney’s eyes darted from Kade to Anthony, who stood next to the bed. “How did I get here?”
“You had a little spell is all.”
“I passed out, didn’t I?” She groaned.
“Not unexpected, I’m afraid. I should have watched you more carefully,” he apologized.
“This isn’t your fault.”
“I should have known you were about to get sick.”
“How would you…?”
Kade cocked an eyebrow at her and smiled.
“Hmm…you know everything, huh?” Sydney moved to sit up, but fell back onto the pillow in exhaustion.
“Just relax, now.”
“Back in the bathroom, I don’t know what happened. I remember feeling dizzy, hungry. I need blood again, don’t I?” she asked.
“I may omit details every now and then,” he gave a small laugh, looked up to Anthony and back to her, “but I’ll never lie to you. You need to eat.”
“Where am I going to get blood? Mya’s gone.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I can’t do this, Kade. I can’t bring one more donor into our house. I can’t do it. There’s something wrong with me. I’m a terrible vampire.”
“No you’re not. You’re just a little fang challenged.” He smiled down at her, gently sliding the back of his hand over her cheek.
“I’m the worst.” Her gaze moved to Anthony, who leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. Her eyes lit up and she reached for him. “Tony. What are you doing all the way over there? Come here.”
“You scared me, there. How’s your head?” he asked.
“My head?” Sydney smoothed her hand over her hair. When she found the knot, she grimaced. “Shit. I thought being a vampire was supposed to give me some kind of super healing power?”
“You need to feed,” Kade told her.
“But I did.”
“More often. At least every day for a few weeks. It won’t always be this way, but you haven’t been well.” Kade brushed his lips to her forehead.
“I can’t believe he took Mya,” she began. “If we hadn’t made a scene…we did this.”
“Stop it, Syd.” Anthony’s eyes met Kade’s. He moved to sit on the bed, bringing his legs next to hers. He shoved up onto his side, resting his head on his hand. Bringing her hand to his chest, he continued. “You know Pat better than anyone. The women he takes. The ones he tortures. He’s been after you for months. But not once did you flinch. Not once did you cave to the phone calls or the letters. And I’m not going to let you now. We,” he glanced to Kade, “aren’t going to let you be a victim. If you were feeling better, you’d kick both our asses.”
“How am I supposed to fight like this?” she replied.
“I want to help you.” Anthony kissed the back of her hand, refusing to let her go. His eyes met Kade’s.
“What do you mean, help me?”
“Anthony’s going to be your donor,” Kade said, his voice calm and caring. He knew she’d protest at first but he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“No.” Sydney tried unsuccessfully to sit. She grunted and fell backwards once again.
“Yes,” Anthony insisted. “Listen, Kade’s been talking to Léopold about what’s causing this to happen to you, and I know you know this already, but he thinks you need a friend to help you get through this thing. It’s just like anything else in life. You have an accident and you’re afraid to get in the car and drive. Fall off a horse and you’re supposed to get back on.”
“I was never on the horse.”
“Okay, bad analogy but the principle is the same. Until Kade, you’d steered clear of the supes. I know you love Kade and you’ve become friends with some of his friends, but for a long time, all you saw was the bad side of vampires.”
“And humans,” she added.
“All the donors we’ve had to date have been strangers. And normally that’s fine,” Kade explained. He’d thought discussing his proposal would be the easiest path to get her to acquiesce, but he was starting to rethink his strategy.
“I can’t control it. It’s not like I haven’t tried,” she told them, shaking her head.
“I know, but we need to try again…you’d never hurt Anthony. Please. Let him do this for you, Sydney. Let him do this for us. Once you learn how, you’ll be free.”
“I don’t know. This seems wrong. What if I can’t control the rest?”
The rest? The devil is, indeed, in the details. Kade knew what she was thinking. It was perfectly normal to arouse and be aroused when feeding, but the act itself could be restrained. One learned discipline through experience, but first she must learn the basics.
“I’ll do that for you.” Kade took her hand in his. Like mirrored souls, he and Anthony flanked her.
“I don’t know…are you sure about this?” Her eyes darted from Kade to Anthony. “Tony, if this works…I need to know you’ll be okay afterward. I don’t want to use you.”
“I’ll be fine. It’s not like it’s a secret that I find you attractive. But we both know that we aren’t meant to be together…not that way.”
“You know I love you, Tony, but I’m in love with Kade.” She gave him a small smile.
“I get it, Syd. It’s okay. I want to do this for you.”
“I don’t know if this will work,” she hedged.
“This will work, love. All you need to do is trust me.” Kade pressed his lips to hers, indulging in the warmth of his mate.
“I don’t know,” she whispered into his kiss.
“Trust us to take care of you.” Kade spoke into her mouth.
“Yes,” she agreed softly. Her face flushed as she caught Anthony watching her.
Reluctantly, Kade broke away and slowly turned her to Anthony, who brought his palm to her cheek. “I want you to taste him…scent him. Know your prey.”
Sydney’s mind warred against what she yearned for, Anthony’s vital essence flowing beneath his skin. As she took his wrist to her lips, she shivered with desire. An ache grew between her legs, arousal flowing through her veins. She fought the burn in her gums, concerned about the pain she’d cause Anthony. Her eyes flew open to Kade, who stroked his hand over her hair. Unsure, she shook her head in refusal, yet she never let go of Anthony’s arm.
“What’s wrong, love?”
“I…I don’t want to hurt him.” Sydney’s eyes fell on Anthony, whose erection pressed into her hip.
“We’ll do this together,” Kade promised. He leaned forward and brushed his lips over her forehead. “All of us.”
Her chest constricted with emotion as Kade’s fingers trailed down her collarbone. She relaxed into his touch, his strong hand massaging her shoulder. Their e
yes locked, and her anticipation heightened as she felt a tug on the belt of her robe. He opened the fabric and the cool air teased her nipples. Exposed, she arched her back as he thrummed the pad of his thumb over one of her taut tips. Moaning softly in arousal, her mouth grazed over Anthony’s arm.
“That’s it. Let go,” Kade told her. His eyes caught Anthony’s and he nodded.
“You sure?” Anthony hesitated.
“Tony,” she began. In tandem with her arousal, the urge to bite him grew stronger. She took his hand and rested it on her bare stomach. “Please. I’m scared but I want this.”
“Syd,” Anthony breathed. He tore his arm from her grasp and slid it around the back of her neck.
As his lips met hers, she opened to him. His tongue swept into her mouth and she whimpered in pleasure. Unlike Kade’s possessive kiss, his was soft and gentle. His succulent taste flared every nerve in her body, and she wrapped a leg around his waist. Allowing Kade to undress her, she breathed into Anthony’s lips as her mate’s bare chest grazed her back. Kade’s strong hand cupped her breast, his cock prodding her bottom.
“This is what you need,” she heard him tell her, his fangs scraping her shoulder.
“Kade, I…ah,” she cried. Her eyes focused on Anthony’s; his cheek brushed into her cleavage, his soft lips grazing over the swell of her breast. The unmistakable feel of Kade’s fingers slipping into her wet folds left her pleading for more. “God, yes.”
“That’s right, feel me inside you. Let your senses take over. Scent Anthony’s blood. Can you feel his pulse? Take what he offers. He wants you to have it.”
“But what if I…”
“You won’t hurt him. It’s okay. He’s agreed to this. You can do it. Give him the pleasure he seeks,” Kade commanded.
Granted permission to enjoy the experience, Sydney smiled. She slid her hand into the front of Anthony’s pajama pants and gripped his cock, swiping the glistening wetness over his slit. A rush of dominance surged through her as she heard his groan of pleasure. His head lolled back onto the pillow, exposing the cords of his neck as she lapped his skin.
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