“Go ahead. Judge me. Everyone else does.”
He put more space between them and she stiffened. His reaction hurt. He didn’t walk away though, instead rounding the island. She held his narrowed gaze until he paused close enough that they nearly touched.
“I respect the difficulty of your job, Bat. I might not like it, but I’ve been an enforcer since I became an adult. Not all my duties have been agreeable, yet they were mine to fulfill. You fill a need in society. Someone has to defend them.” He lifted his hand and gently trailed his thumb along the side of her face. “I understand.”
Tears filled her eyes and she dropped her gaze before he could see them. It was the first time someone outside her firm had said anything that even remotely implied they didn’t detest her for doing her job. “Thank you.”
“We can’t stay here.”
“We can.”
“Decker’s enforcers could order Doug to let them inside and have him bring them right to your door. That glass he stays behind won’t protect him from our eyes.”
She lifted up the key she still had in her hand. “They can’t get in without this. There are no more copies.”
“They can break a door down, Bat.”
“It’s reinforced. It might look like mahogany but it’s steel-lined. That’s why I bought a condo here. I wanted to sleep at night without fearing some lunatic would be able to get to me.”
“You really have enemies?”
“You saw the wall.”
He glanced over his shoulder at the framed reminders of her cases before looking back at her.
She backed away to prevent him from continuing to touch her. “Imagine I’m the lawyer who defended the guy you think murdered your brother. I don’t make it easy for them to get to me. Some of my clients are morons too. They need me to save them from going to prison but they might feel I’m a liability after the fact. A dead attorney tells no tales. You think I’m paranoid for living here? You’ve never met real lowlifes. Who knows, maybe they’ve all taken too many drugs to be rational. As if I’d be stupid enough to try to blackmail them or write some tell-all book one day.” She snorted. “But you can’t convince them of that. I can think of four off the top of my head who would love to see me dead and might pay some bucks to make it happen.”
“You know where the bodies are buried.”
“Not literally, but I know more than they’re comfortable with.”
Kraven scowled, staring at her. “They can’t be tried for the same crime twice, right? What’s the big deal if you know they’re guilty?”
She took a sip of water. “Let’s say for the sake of argument that you’ve been accused of murdering someone and you actually didn’t do it. Instead you were screwing around on your wife. You have to tell your attorney where you really were and what you were doing, so she can help figure out how to prove your alibi without the mistress being involved in any way.” Bat tapped her chest. “That would be me. So I do my job and prove you innocent…but I still know about the mistress. You might sleep better at night if I died so you don’t end up losing a chunk of money in a messy divorce. See how that goes, Kraven?”
“That’s all kinds of fucked up.”
“Welcome to my world. I take precautions.”
“What’s to keep them from bribing someone who works in this building to turn on you? You want me to think like one of your criminals? That’s what I’d do. I’m assuming your clients are rich.”
“I make sure they know I have a safety deposit box with all my notes. I might imply that upon my death, the box will be turned over to someone with access to major newspaper outlets. Most of them probably believe it. It’s the few who don’t that worry me.”
“Is that true?”
She shook her head. “I’d never chance a bank being robbed and those kinds of notes getting out while I’m still alive. I’d be disbarred at best, sued for certain, and have so many hits out on me that I wouldn’t survive a week. I also have Dusti to think about. They’d kill her out of spite. It’s just a bluff I tell my clients.”
“Has anyone ever come after you before?”
“Four years ago, my firm hired security for me because I was almost killed. I used to drive myself to and from work. Now I’m escorted.”
“What happened?”
She swallowed hard, remembering. It was tough to talk about. “I had court. I was running late because it was raining. Traffic was shit, like normal, but it was worse that morning. One second I’m sitting at a red light and the next thing I know, a guy on a motorcycle pulls up between my car on the passenger side and the truck next to me. He pulled out a gun.”
Kraven moved closer.
“I guess when he’d weaved through traffic, he’d tagged the truck’s side mirror, so the driver started screaming at him, oblivious to the gun because it was pointed at me. He distracted the shooter for just a second. I slammed on the gas as he opened fire. Lucky for me, he was a bad shot and I wasn’t creamed by traffic. He chased me for two blocks, firing at me. There was a cop who saw it go down and pursued. The motorcycle broke away and took off.”
“Shit.” Kraven reached out and gripped her arm, turning her toward him.
“Yeah. They dug out six bullets from my car. At first we thought it was road rage. That happens here. Then four hours later, they found the suspect next to his motorcycle in an alley. He’d been shot in the head execution style. My picture was found inside his pocket. The police realized it wasn’t random after all. Whoever hired him to kill me was pissed enough to take him out when he failed, or maybe wanted to make sure he couldn’t blab to the police. My firm immediately took action. Now I’m picked up every day and dropped off at night.”
“That was nice of them.”
Bat debated on telling Kraven the truth or not. She decided to be honest. “The police were all over me, trying to figure out which of my clients would send a hit man. They were certain that was the cause. My firm just wanted me to keep my mouth shut. We have a reputation to uphold. Clients come first and foremost. They offered me armed security and, in exchange, I refused to give up possible suspects to the police that would help them arrest anyone we’d defended.”
“Was it one of your clients?”
She shrugged. “I have no clue. Probably. The police were never able to solve that one. It’s still an open case.”
“Your firm wanted to protect one of the killers you defended, rather than see justice for you. That’s what you’re saying.”
“Alleged killers. We’re not certain it was one of our clients. My firm did right by me, regardless of the reason. And that’s only one reason for the security detail. The firm helped me upgrade to this place too. You have to have recommendations to get approved to buy in this building. I’m safe.”
He growled low, a furious sound. “Unbelievable.”
“There’s that word again.” Bat tried to break the tension with a little humor. “This coming from a guy who can make people think they’re a Saint Bernard if he wants.” She leaned in closer, peering into his eyes. “Woof!”
He didn’t crack a smile the way she’d hoped. He looked furious.
“Lighten up, Kraven. I work for them. They aren’t family or my friends. It’s business.”
“I don’t like your world.”
“Yours wasn’t so hot either. Mine has delicious takeout food and they deliver. Speaking of, it should be coming soon.”
He released her and spun away. “You need to pack.”
She grit her teeth. He was stubborn as hell. It was exasperating.
Kraven left Bat in her kitchen and walked down the hallway to explore the rest of her home. The guestroom was to the immediate right. It was a small, impersonal space with a closet and bathroom. He exited and entered her bedroom. Her scent lingered strongly there, even after her absence.
The four-poster canopy bed with white scarves hanging from it surprised him. It looked exotic, instead of cold like the rest of her furnishings. A teddy bear lay o
n the plush overstuffed pillows on the bed. He crossed the room and lifted the brown animal, curious about the tattered old toy.
“My parents gave him to me.”
He turned.
She stood in the doorway. “That’s Puffin.”
He arched his eyebrows. It was an odd thing to name a stuffed animal.
She seemed to understand. “I couldn’t say muffin when I started to talk. Apparently, that’s what I was going for. Puffin stuck.”
He gently replaced it on the bed. A framed picture caught his attention next and he strode to her dresser to lift the eight-by-ten photograph. “Antina.”
“I thought you never met my mom?” She came closer.
“I wasn’t close to her but I saw her from afar a few times. Decker didn’t want anyone to get too close to his only daughter, especially men. He had plans for her. She looks very much like her mother did. That’s your father?” He studied the smiling blond man with his arms around Batina’s mother. He could see a family resemblance. Bat and Dusti took more after their father in coloring.
Bat came up and took the frame from him, replacing it on the dresser. “Yes. That’s one of the last pictures I have of them together. It was taken a week before they died. I got a new camera for my birthday.” Emotion laced her voice. “I took it.”
He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her but she spun away, marching to an open doorway.
“I’m going to take a shower. Get the door when the food comes. It’s already paid for.”
“Do I tip the runner, Brian?”
“No. We’re not supposed to do that with building employees. We give them holiday bonuses every year in lieu of tips. I think it’s a stupid policy but I don’t make the association rules.” She closed the door behind her.
He strode across the room and tested the knob. It opened. He entered her master bathroom, which was bigger than the one attached to the other bedroom. Bat glared at him as he leaned against the doorway.
“Do you mind? I shut that for a reason.”
“I came in here to make certain it was safe.”
“You saw security downstairs. No one broke into my place, no one’s hiding in here. We’re fourteen floors up. It’s not as if they can come in through a window.”
“It’s night, and that means GarLycans will feel safer taking to the skies.”
“I highly doubt they would fly all this way to come after me.”
“Aveoth could have a pact with Lycans in the area and may have assigned them a guardian. Decker has to know where you live. This is where they’d start if they’re looking for us in L.A.” He pushed away from the jamb and moved around her to the window. “Why don’t you have curtains?” He stared out at the city lights below.
“Do you see any other buildings this high within clear view? They’d have to have a high-powered telescope to see in. Most of those other buildings are businesses, not personal homes. There’s no reason for covering them.”
“Go use the other bathroom. There are no windows.”
“Are you serious?”
He inclined his head. “Yes.”
“So you think a winged guy is going to bust in through a window and grab me while I’m in the shower?”
“I’d rather not take the chance. I’d hear glass breaking if they attacked but I want you where it will be harder for someone to take you until I have a chance to fight them.”
She frowned. “You are serious.”
“Yes.”
“That’s a real threat?”
“It is if Aveoth sends anyone from his clan to retrieve you.”
She bit her lip but nodded. “Fine. Let me grab some of my things and I’ll go use that shower.”
He had expected her to argue more. “Thank you.”
“I can be reasonable.”
“Good.”
“About some things. We both want to talk to Dr. Brent. We’ll do that in the morning. He only keeps office hours during the day and I don’t know where he lives. That means we should spend the night here.”
“No way in hell.”
“I want to sleep in my bed, not in some cheap motel.”
“Who said we had to?”
“This is my city, Kraven. Nice hotels ask for identification and credit cards. We’re supposed to stay under the radar if we’re being hunted. That means leaving few traces. They’re too afraid you’ll throw a party and destroy the room if you pay in cash. That means staying in a seedy part of town where they take cash and don’t give a damn what you do, as long as you don’t leave a dead body in one of the rooms. Those places are already trashed. No thanks. I refuse to sleep on a bed where some hooker just earned fifty bucks.”
“I’m certain I’ll find somewhere suitable.”
“You won’t be able to pull the eye trick on them. Nice places have surveillance cameras. It’ll be the airport all over again.”
“Not all of them will.”
“Bullshit. I’m not leaving. We can stay here tonight. I’m done moving around. We were in a car for almost twenty-four hours. Stick a fork in me. I’m done. Forget it, Kraven. I’m going to take a shower, eat, and sleep in my own bed.” She approached him and fisted his shirt. “That’s not up for debate. Play your cards right and I’ll let you sleep with me. You can take the side next to the windows, since you think some rock dude is likely to come smashing through one.”
He ignored her flippant tone. “You thought I was crazy about VampLycans being real. GarLycans will come after us if Aveoth tells them to. Fourteen floors up will make it easier to attack. Less witnesses to possibly see them.”
“It’s safety glass. Some stockbrokers live here.”
He gave her a blank look.
Bat grinned. “Bad joke. Really bad. You could pick up a chair and smash it against those windows. They were made to withstand earthquakes. The only thing that will shatter them is a lot of bullets.”
His eyebrows arched.
“Do your rock guys carry guns?”
“No.”
“Then we should be good. Relax, Kraven.”
“I need to keep you safe, Bat.” She frustrated him with her inability to understand the depth of the danger she was in.
“I disagree that they’ll come here. This is the last place they’ll look for us. Hiding in plain sight and all that. My grandfather knows we’re together and he’ll figure you’ll take me somewhere woodsy. It seems to be your thing. Either way, I’m sleeping in my bed tonight. It’s a highly secured building. We’re good.”
“Damn it, Hellion.”
She winked. “I’m going to take that shower in the other room. See? Compromise. We can sleep here tonight and argue about where to go tomorrow after we talk to Dr. Brent. His office hours start at eight a.m.”
“Go.” He needed time to think.
Bat released his shirt and collected her toiletries, striding out of the bathroom. He followed her down the hallway until she entered the other bathroom, waited for the door to close, then went out into the living room to retrieve his bag. He placed a call home to one of his friends.
“Yeah.”
“Hey, Red. It’s me. Is everything good there?”
“We haven’t been attacked. You shouldn’t call family.”
“It’s your enforcer line.”
“True. Just keep it short.”
Kraven already knew that. “I need you to relay a message. Tell my brother that I’m going to talk to the doctor. He’ll know what that means. That’ll take place in the morning. I’ll call back tomorrow night with an update.”
“You doing good?”
“We’re keeping on the move.” He glanced around Bat’s condo. He hated to lie to Red, but he wasn’t about to admit the little attorney might have talked him into making a stupid mistake like staying where they were until morning. “Thanks.”
“Keep in contact.”
“Will do.”
Kraven hung up and removed the battery from the phone before replacing it in his bag.
The doorbell rang. He approached it with caution, avoiding the peephole. “Who is it?”
“Brian.”
The male had a very human pitch to his voice. Kraven unlocked the door, yanking it open, prepared to attack if necessary.
The guy who stood there looked young, perhaps just out of high school. He held a large open box packed with food containers. The smell of it filled the hallway.
Kraven glanced behind the kid, spotting no one else. “Thank you.” He took the box.
“You’re welcome, sir. Have a wonderful evening.” Brian hurried away.
Kraven kicked the door closed and locked it with his free hand, sniffing at the food. He carried it to the long island and set it down. His stomach immediately rumbled. Bat had been right. The fast food they’d eaten for lunch hadn’t done the trick of keeping his belly full. Her Chinese food did smell good.
He moved around her kitchen, opening cupboards. He located a few plates and silverware, placing them on her dining room table. He heard when the water turned off in her shower. Minutes passed before Bat came out of the guestroom. She only wore a towel wrapped around her middle.
“Great. The food came.”
Kraven stared at all of her flushed, warm skin exposed and lost interest in food. He wanted her.
Bat ignored him as she entered the kitchen. “I’m starved.”
“Me too.”
She twisted her head, eyebrows arching. “Why’d your voice turn so deep?” She peered into his eyes. “Oh, I know that look—and forget it. I’m eating.”
She wasn’t going to drive him insane. He was already there. “Fine.”
Chapter Fourteen
Bat was amused that Kraven had ordered her to put on a set of pajamas before they sat down to eat. She wasn’t about to complain that he found her distracting when mostly naked. It had been a long time since a man had made her feel sexy. Kraven did.
That killed her good mood.
She was falling for him, and it spelled disaster. They were from two different worlds. Hell, two different species. She believed her mother had been a VampLycan but she really had nothing in common with Kraven. Her body was totally human. She hadn’t inherited any traits, despite wishing she could control minds. It wasn’t a bad thing that she couldn’t shift. The idea of turning into a beast with hair didn’t appeal to her in the least.
Kraven Page 20