Viper (Sons of Sangue)

by Patricia A. Rasey

  “Word is she was your girlfriend.”

  “Then the word you heard would be incorrect.” Kane tapped the table next to the folder. “Read the file, Captain, I’m sure it says I’ve already denied that. I didn’t have a girlfriend.”

  “Then what was Tabitha to you?”

  Kane sat up straighter and glared at the smug man. “A fuck buddy.”

  “What do you think CEO Perkins would say to that?”

  “I don’t give two shits what the old man says. I call it for what it was. We met occasionally and we fucked. We didn’t go to the movies; we didn’t go for ice cream. We met at the Blood ‘n’ Rave and we had sex from time to time. What would you call it?”

  The captain leaned back on the table again. “I don’t believe you realize how serious this is, Mister Tepes. You’re a suspect, our only suspect, in the murder of three women who match your dating, scratch that, fucking habits. What do you have to say about that?”

  “I didn’t do it.”

  “Prove it.”

  Kane tipped his head back and genuinely laughed. Shaking his head in his mirth, he leveled his smile and gaze on the man. “You prove I did. Now, am I free to go or are you going to charge me with something? And if that’s the case, talk to my lawyer.”

  One of Melchor’s brows angled toward the ceiling. “You saying you need one?”

  “I’m saying I didn’t do it. If you want to question me further about this then get in touch with my lawyer. I’ll leave his name and phone number with that young man out there minding the desk. Now, unless you have reason to hold me, I’m heading the fuck out of here.”

  “No one said I was through questioning you, Mister Tepes.”

  “I did.”

  With that, Kane stood, turned the seat around and slammed it against the table and walked out of the room. He could hear the son of a bitch issuing threats against Cara and her sidekick. The captain ought to be glad that Kane didn’t want to cause Cara further distress.

  Stopping by the young blond, he said, “You know Charles McCreary?”

  The boy nodded. “He practices law down on Main Street.”

  “You might want to make note of his name and number. Because if that fuck back there wants to question anyone from the Sons again, you tell him to call McCreary.”

  The boy said nothing, only nodded, showing he had heard.

  “Then I’m done here,” Kane said as he walked out the security door, through the small lounge and out into the blinding light.

  Damn, he hated daylight. He grasped his glasses from his vest pocket and centered them on his face. Stepping over his Fat Bob, he turned the key and the bike roared to life. Without glancing back, he headed off down the road with a smile on his face.

  No doubt, Cara would be at the clubhouse this evening wanting to apologize for Captain Pencil-pusher. He knew exactly how she could make amends.

  Chapter 21

  Cara grabbed her handbag and headed for the back of the Sheriff’s Office. Before she even got to her car, she heard footsteps rapidly pounding the pavement, coming from behind her. Heart in her throat, she turned to find Robbie closing the distance. Not that she was any more pleased to see it was him, but at least it wasn’t the psycho vampire who wanted her dead.

  She’d rather take her chances with the date rapist. At least now she knew his true colors. No more poor, trusting Cara.

  “What do you want, Robbie?”

  “I thought maybe we could go somewhere … get a drink.”

  He certainly had nerve, she’d give him that much. “What makes you think I would go anywhere with you?”

  He held his hands out, palms up. “Old times?”

  Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to let them fall, or allow him to see he could still affect her.

  “How dare you?”

  He looked at her queerly, as though she were truly clueless. “Dare I what? It’s just a drink, Cara. Nothing to get all up in arms over. A drink between two old friends.”

  “Friends? You raped me, Robbie.”

  He did a quick glance about to make sure no one had heard. “It’s not like we hadn’t had sex. And you were more than willing.”

  “Last I checked, no still means no. Go fuck yourself,” she said, giving him her back and heading for her Charger.

  Robbie grabbed her shoulder and turned her before she could get a hold of the door handle. “Look, Cara, I said I was sorry.”

  “Get your hand off me.”

  Thankfully, he listened, shoving his hands deep into his pants pockets and rocking back on his heels. “I just think maybe we could talk over the case.”

  “I’m tired. Go call on Hernandez.”

  His gaze turned hard and he clenched his jaw. “You really don’t need to be such a bitch.”

  Cara’s hand itched to strike him, but instead she made a fist at her side. The last thing she wanted was to provoke him further.

  “Go back to the hotel, Robbie … or better yet, why not head back to Salem. You’re not wanted here.”

  A grin rose on his smug lips. “You may not want me here, but if you’d been doing your job—”

  “Stop right there.” Her voice shook in anger. “I’m doing my job. This piece of crap isn’t leaving us anything to go on. But if you think you can do better, you go right ahead.”

  “I plan to.”

  “Just so you know, pissing off the one man who can possibly help us isn’t the smartest thing you’ve done since you’ve been here.”

  “Kane Tepes? You can’t be serious? Why the hell would I care if I pissed that piece of shit off? Have you forgotten he’s an outlaw? I would say, I’m surprised…but frankly, Cara, you’ve always been a bit of a disappointment.”

  He leaned in and lowered his voice. “That includes in bed, dear.”

  Cara gasped as if he had openly slapped her. She stepped back and glared at him. “Get out of my face, Robbie. If you so much as touch me, I’ll tell the world what you did.”

  His lips turned up again. “Go ahead, dear. No one will believe you. Why don’t you run along. I’m going to go back inside and do your work.”

  Without another word, the smarmy bastard turned and walked back to the station. He knocked on the door, waited for someone to let him in, then looked back and winked, just before the door closed behind him.

  How dare he?

  Cara fought back tears as she turned toward her car. But instead of getting in, she turned and leaned against the door, staring into the distance. She hadn’t even been aware of Robbie’s promotion until this morning when she found him pouring over her case. Where was the justice in the world that a slime like him could be put into a position to convict others?

  A tear slipped down her cheek and she batted it away. For however long it took to get this investigation over with, she was stuck with him. Like it or not. This time, it wouldn’t be as simple as packing her bags and moving away.

  The rumble of a Harley caught her attention just as she was about to get into her car. Cara caught sight of Kane sitting astride the Fat Bob, and her heart picked up a beat as butterflies took over her stomach. Just like that, Kane chased away all the haunting memories of Captain Robbie Melchor.

  He brought his motorcycle to a stop at the rear bumper of her car. “You got a minute?” he asked over the rumble of the powerful bike.

  She smiled. “For you, yes.”

  For once, she was actually glad to see Kane. “What do you need?”

  “There’s someplace I want to take you.”

  “You want me to follow?”

  He turned, unstrapped a skull cap from the rear seat of the back and handed it to her.

  Cara glanced behind Kane. “Last time I looked, your Harley was a one-seater.”

  “The benefits of owning a motorcycle shop. I added the bitch, uh … sorry, fender pad this afternoon. After I left here.”

  “I got the idea you preferred to ride alone.”

  “I do, don’t get used to it.” He laughed
. “Now get on.”

  Kane helped her strap the helmet beneath her chin. Skull cap secured, she stepped on the foot peg and, with his help, lifted her free leg over the back fender of the bike. Cara sat, tucked her small hand bag between them, then wrapped her arms around his waist.

  He glanced back at her. “Ready?”

  She answered with a nod. Pushing off slowly with his feet and gently pulling back on the gas, Kane did a wide arc in the parking lot, then headed for the exit. Looking both ways, he headed down the road and out of town. Once they hit the coast and turned south on Oregon Coast Highway, Cara’s curiosity got the best of her.

  She leaned forward and spoke loud enough for Kane to hear her over the wind and the rumble of the motor. “Where are we going?”

  He turned briefly. “Bookings.”

  Bookings? “You asked if I had a minute. That's a three and a half hour trip down the coast.”

  “We’ll be there in three.”

  She caught his smile as he hit the gas and leaned into a curve. Wrapping her arms securely about him, she settled into the ride, knowing whatever he had in mind, it must’ve been important enough to add an extra seat to his bike.

  * * *

  The sun’s descent cast the horizon reddish-orange as they reached their journey’s end. Thankfully, the daylight hadn’t completely dissipated as Kane wanted the benefit of light, though more for Cara than himself. Flipping on the turn signal, he leaned into the turn and pulled the motorcycle into a gravel parking lot, the tires crunching over the fine stone next to a picnic area. He felt Cara lean forward and peer over his shoulder as they approached a grassy knoll where he brought the bike to a stop and cut the engine. Cara lifted her leg and stepped over the back of the bike, stretching her arms and legs. Obviously, she wasn’t used to riding on the back of motorcycles for long periods of time. He hoped to change that. Guess he’d need to keep the bitch seat on his back fender.

  Kane had put off making this trip, not wanting to relive the pain of losing his only son. Thankfully, Cara had agreed to come along without question so he wouldn’t need to face the grief alone. She had surprised him by remaining silent for most of the long ride down the coast, her gaze taking in the scenery whenever he’d peered at her through the rearview mirror. Maybe the quietude had helped her shed stress over the case and the threat coming from one of his kind.

  Cara unsnapped the helmet from beneath her neck and waited for Kane to dismount the bike before handing it to him. He hung both skull caps from the handle, then took her hand and led her to a path leading into a small copse of Oregon Ash just beyond the picnic area. The farther into the forest they traveled, the heavier his heart beat. His chest felt as though an elephant had sat on it. Kane hadn’t been back since the fateful night that had changed his life forever.

  Cara trotted to keep up with his long gait, ducking beneath a few low hanging branches and stepping over fallen limbs and debris. “Where are we?”

  Kane gave her fingers a slight squeeze. It had been easier to stay away, than to face the cold ugly truth. Returning to the site made it real, a bitter pill to swallow. Kane had hoped by coming back he would finally be able to come to terms with the loss. Cara made the heartache bearable.

  “I’ve wanted to come back here for years now but haven’t had the courage. I think somehow I convinced myself if I didn’t see it, I wouldn’t have to let go of my anger.”

  “Where’s here?” She tugged his hand, causing him to stop and look back at her. “Where are we, Kane?”

  He didn’t reply, just turned and pulled her further into the thicket until they stood before the wide base of a dead tree reaching toward the heavens about twenty-five yards from the picnic area. Dim light filtered through the trees, illuminating the small area where they stood. After all these years, the tree stood like a shrine, hollowed out. No bark or vegetation … just bare and dead like his soul. Although many years had passed, it pained him as if it had only happened yesterday.

  How did one come to terms with losing your only son?

  “Kane?” Cara tipped her face to his. “You brought me to see a tree?”

  “I brought you to the place Ion died,” he said.

  Cara gasped.

  Kane stared at the gnarled dead wood that had held his son upright before the assholes had taken his head. Once it, too, had been a living and breathing thing.

  Anger directed at Rosalee burned like fire deep in his gut as he recalled her tears, her repeated apologies when he broke the chains that bound her. She could have easily snapped the thick iron links herself had the cartel not beat her and Ion repeatedly, had she not lost a great deal of blood. Kane supposed Rosalee had been slumped, chained to the tree for at least a week after witnessing the beheading. She probably hadn’t even tried to free herself, maybe even wished to follow her son’s fate.

  Her skin had the translucent, dead chill, telling Kane it had been a long while since she had ingested human blood, but he hadn’t given a rat’s ass. Had it been his choice, he would have left her there to die. Only repercussions from her stepfather kept him from doing so.

  “I haven’t been back since the night I found them, which was a few months shy of when I first laid eyes on you at the Rave.” He turned, cupping her chin with his palm. Kane tilted her face upward and said, “Both nights altered my life forever.”

  Her brow creased. “Why would you not return after all this time?”

  “I didn’t want to face the pain. By staying away, I was able to bury the hurt, act as though Ion made his choice when he followed his mother. But every time I walked into the meeting room at the clubhouse, I saw Ion’s empty chair and the truth stared me in the face. Ion followed his mother because of blind devotion, because he trusted his mother more than he did me, and the weight of that nearly crushed me.”

  Cara reached out, smoothing a palm down his whiskered jaw. He leaned into warmth. Kane suddenly understood his desire to bring Cara here. She had begun to fill the hole in his heart left by Ion. Christ, his feelings only put Cara in further danger. He couldn’t risk losing her, too. If Rosalee had anything to do with this threat on her life, he’d make sure she paid with her own…her father be damned.

  “I knew I had to come back, to bury Ion for good, and let go of the guilt that I felt somehow responsible.”

  “How could you blame yourself for Rosalee’s actions?”

  “Because I chose her. I mated with her.”

  “Without Rosalee, there would’ve been no Ion. How could you wish those years away?”

  “He wouldn’t have had to suffer and die because of me.”

  “You can’t focus on the end of his life, Kane. Think of the years you had with him. No one can take away your memories. Focus on the good. Let Rosalee go. She’s not worth your time.”

  “And I no longer want that part of my life to define me. I hate the man I’ve become.”

  Cara ran a hand down his chest, stopping just over his heart. His flesh heated from her mere touch and his blood raced through his veins. She made him feel things he never thought to experience again. That maybe he could trust someone other than himself.

  “So what does this have to do with me? Why bring me instead of coming here with Kaleb?”

  “Because with you I am no longer dead inside.” Kane picked up a tendril of her hair that had escaped her braid. “I can’t allow this son of a bitch to take you from me, Cara. I can’t lose you as I did Ion. You need to start taking this threat on your life seriously. Let me protect you.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “That I want you in my life. I think I always have from the moment I saw you.” He paused, now running a finger along her jaw. He needed to touch her. Hell, he wanted her naked and beneath him.

  “I’m not sure it’s possible. The rules state I can sleep with anyone I want as long as I hypnotize them into believing I’m as normal as the next guy, that my facial features are no different than any man’s. You weren’t supposed to know what I become.
”

  No more secrets. It was time to tell Cara everything, screw the repercussions. If she didn’t run for the hills, then he’d do everything in his power to keep her at his side. That is, if this shit bent on destroying his life didn’t get to her first. Kane shivered at the thought.

  “Rules?”

  “Vampire law. MC rules. They’re one and the same.”

  “If you could’ve hypnotized me into not remembering ten years ago, why didn’t you follow me? Why didn’t you take away my memory then?”

  “Because I didn’t want you to forget, Cara. I never did.”

  Her large blue eyes rounded. He could easily drown in their depths.

  “I can have sex with you, be with you, as long as you don’t know what I or my brothers are. Feeding from you is strictly forbidden.”

  “But you already have.”

  “Yes, and I don’t apologize for it. I can’t feel bad for something so damn sweet.” His fingers touched the pulse point at the base of her neck, felt her answering shiver. “You know that we can never mate either.”

  Cara intertwined her fingers with his again. “Because you’re already mated or because vampires can only mate with each other?”

  “Not because of Rosalee. She is dead to me. But, yes, vampires can only mate with their own kind.”

  “Would you even want to mate with me if you could?”

  Kane released her hand and took a deep breath, hoping to calm the frustration and insecurities clawing at his gut. He couldn’t stop thinking about this woman, couldn’t stop wanting her … hell, he had broken rules that he would have never thought to because of her. And yet, he didn’t have an answer to that question. Mating wasn’t something he ever thought to do again.

  Not waiting for his answer, she asked, “How does one become a vampire?”

  Kane wasn’t sure what he expected her to say, but that sure the hell wasn’t it. He glanced at her dumbstruck.

  “I mean,” she stammered, “should someone want to become a vampire.”