Blake's Pursuit

by Tina Folsom

  Instead, he lowered his face to her breasts and captured one hard nipple in his mouth, sucking on it, making Lilo shiver under his touch. Yes, that was how he would help her decide: by showering her with passion and pleasure, with tenderness and care. And with love. He froze. Love? Was the feeling that was controlling his body and mind, love? Could it be? Could it even happen after so short a time? How would he know for sure?

  Her voice made him snap his attention back to her.

  “Oh, yes, Blake, please, just like that,” she said, riding him faster now.

  He helped her by gripping her hips and lifting her up whenever she rose onto her knees, then drawing her down when she sank back onto him. Despite the plentiful lubrication from his semen and her juices, the friction was increasing, and he felt his next orgasm approach.

  He continued sucking her breasts, alternating between her nipples, while he plunged his cock deep into her.

  “Yeah, ride me hard,” he mumbled against her firm flesh.

  He lifted his head to look at her face, a face that glistened with passion. Their gazes met, melting into each other.

  Lilo suddenly lifted her hand and brushed her hair away from one side of her neck, tilting her head to the side. He stared at the delicate skin and could see the vein beneath its surface pulse in the rhythm of their lovemaking. How many more temptations would he have to resist?

  Lilo bent closer, then let one hand trail down the exposed side of her neck, as if to show him the way.

  He groaned out loud. “Damn it, Lilo. This is hard enough.”

  She didn’t break eye contact. “I know. I can feel it.” As if to emphasize her statement, she drove down fast, practically impaling herself on his rock-hard cock.

  He moved his head back, touching the headboard. “If you don’t stop teasing me—”

  She cut him off by crushing her mouth to his. Her tongue licked the seam of his lips, and he parted them, unable to resist her. When she licked along his teeth to entice his fangs to descend, he knew he’d lost.

  A ringing sound drifted to his ear. Was he already delirious from the knowledge that in a few seconds, he’d be piercing Lilo’s skin and driving his fangs into her? Was he that far gone already?

  The ringing didn’t stop. Finally, he realized what it was: his cell phone. It lay on his nightstand. And the ringtone was one he couldn’t ignore.

  He ripped his mouth from Lilo’s. “Sorry, Lilo, but I need to get this.”

  A disappointed mewl came over her lips, but she stopped moving up and down on him. He reached for the phone, but before he answered it, he said, “Trust me, I’m more disappointed by this interruption than you.”

  Her eyes sparkled at his words, and he squeezed her hip in reassurance while he connected the call.

  “John?”

  “Glad to hear you’re awake,” his colleague answered. “Are you fully recovered?”

  Despite the fact that his shoulder still felt a little sore, he answered, “I’m a hundred percent.”

  “Good, because we have a solid lead.”

  Lilo who was leaning closer to hear what John was saying, sucked in a breath. “Oh my God!”

  “Let me put you on speaker. I’m here with Lilo.” He pressed the speaker button.

  “Hi, Lilo. So, here’s what we’ve got: we found Hannah’s dog at an animal shelter. And listen to this: who do you think dropped off the dog there the night of Hannah’s disappearance?”

  “Who?” Lilo asked.

  “Ronny.”

  “Why would he—”

  Blake cut her off. “Are you sure it was him?”

  “Positive. The clerk on duty that night recognized him from the photo we showed him.”

  “Did he also see how he left? On foot, by car? Was anybody waiting for him outside?”

  “No,” John said. “But guess what: there’s a gas station kitty corner from the animal shelter. And they have surveillance cameras. One of them caught Ronny getting into an old pick-up truck.”

  “A pick-up? I thought the car we were looking for was a Toyota Corolla.”

  “Correct, but he wasn’t driving that car.”

  “Please tell me the camera picked up the license plate.”

  “It did. We already traced it. Looks like it’s registered to an address in Napa. We looked it up on Google Maps. Pretty remote area, deep in the woods. Ideal for hiding an illegal operation.”

  “Let’s get a team together, now,” Blake ordered.

  “Already done. We’re just waiting for you.”

  He checked the digital clock on his nightstand. Not only did it show the current time, it was also programmed to count down to sunset and sunrise. “Sunset is in an hour. I’ll be at HQ before that.”

  “Good. We’ll be waiting.”

  Blake disconnected the call and looked at Lilo. “I wish I didn’t have to cut this short, but—”

  She put a finger over his lips. “You don’t have to explain anything. We’ve gotta go. Let’s get dressed.”

  “We?” He shook his head. “Oh no, you’re not coming with me this time.”

  “But—”

  “No but! We don’t know what’s waiting for us there. You must be crazy if you think I’d let you put yourself in harm’s way.”

  She braced her hands on her hips, scoffing. “You’re calling me crazy?”

  “Only in the best possible way.”

  “There is no fucking best possible way.”

  He gripped her hips. “While it does turn me on when you swear like that, I’m afraid you’re not going to win this argument. You’re staying put. And to make sure you do, I’m going to ask my family to keep you company.”

  “You can’t do that!”

  “I can and I will!” Furious that she wasn’t obeying, he thrust his hips upward, ramming his cock deep into her.

  Her eyelids fluttered and he could hear her pulse race. Well, maybe he’d secure her submission by other means. He wasn’t above a little manipulation. And nobody would get hurt by it.

  Sliding his hand between their bodies, he found her clit well lubricated by their combined juices and rubbed his finger over it.

  “That’s not fair,” she ground out and dropped her head back.

  “Life isn’t fair. Now be a good girl and come for your big bad vampire.”

  While he plunged in and out of her, he steadily rubbed his finger over her clit, increasing the pressure and tempo with each second, until he finally felt Lilo stiffen in his arms. A second later, a shudder wrecked her body and she collapsed against him, while her interior muscles squeezed his erection. But he didn’t allow himself to come. Instead he lifted Lilo off his lap and laid her on the bed.

  He pressed a kiss to her navel. “That’s a good girl.”

  “You’re a bad vampire,” she murmured, but there was no heat behind her accusation. He’d managed to wear her out, at least long enough so he could get ready to leave.

  He rose and smiled down at her. “Exactly how you like it, baby.”

  32

  Blake had left his Aston Martin in Scanguards’ parking garage and was riding in one of the blackout vans with Samson and John. Amaury and Wesley were following with Oliver in a second van, while Haven and Yvette followed in their car. It was unusual for Samson to take part in a mission these days, but given the serious implications of a drug that could control humans, he’d decided to get intimately involved in all aspects of the case. He’d been briefed on every detail and now knew as much about the case as Wesley and Blake.

  It was busy on the bridge as they crossed the bay, and while John concentrated on the rush hour traffic, Samson turned to Blake. He’d insisted on both of them sitting in the back.

  “How’s Miss Schroeder holding up?”

  “I think you might want to start calling her Lilo.”

  Samson raised an eyebrow. “So I wasn’t wrong then.”

  “She saw me at my worst when I got shot. I couldn’t control the beast inside me. She didn’t flinch.
Didn’t run.” Blake smiled at the recollection of how she’d tended to his injury, even though he’d been behaving like a wild animal. “She’s brave.” And that was the thing he admired most about her.

  Samson chuckled. “Reminds me of somebody I know.” He paused. “Actually, reminds me of a few women I know. Very special women.”

  “Me, too.”

  “You trust her?”

  He didn’t even have to think about his answer. “With my life. Did Ryder tell you how she got the silver bullet out?”

  Samson smiled. “Quite ingenious. I’m glad you’re alright.” Then he turned serious. “A few things about this case don’t make sense for me yet.”

  “Just a few?” In Blake’s mind, there were a lot of things that didn’t make sense.

  “There’s something about this Ronny that doesn’t ring true. We believe him to be behind the disappearance of his girlfriend and the manufacture and distribution of the drug. But what’s not consistent with that picture is this: why go through the trouble of dropping Hannah’s terrier off at an animal shelter?”

  “I’ve been wondering about that, too.” Blake shrugged. “Maybe he’s an animal lover.”

  “It’s possible. I just don’t see him being the caring type. Especially considering he shot you—which by the way is another thing that doesn’t make sense. Why attack you?”

  Involuntarily Blake rubbed his shoulder where the bullet had entered. “I was wondering the same thing. First I thought maybe he was after Lilo, but considering the bullet was silver, I believe it was meant for me. Maybe he followed us after we left Hannah’s flat. Maybe he was watching it?”

  “To what end? His associate, Norwood, had already been there earlier.”

  “True, but he left empty-handed. Well, he got Lilo’s cell phone. But from what I could tell, he didn’t find what he was looking for. Why else would he ask Lilo where it was? I can only assume that he wanted the USB stick. Maybe to cover his tracks.”

  “That would mean he knew it existed. How would he have found out?” Samson rubbed his nape.

  “Assuming that Ronny didn’t know about the camera in Hannah’s flat, the only person who could have told Norwood or Ronny about it is Hannah.”

  Which could actually be good news. Samson seemed to think so, too.

  “They didn’t kill her. Maybe they have no intention of killing her,” his boss said.

  “You think they’re using her? Like they use the other humans for their crimes?” The thought sent a shudder down his spine, and chilled him to the bone. “That means they’re using the drug on her.”

  “To make her compliant, yes, it’s possible, though they could do that with mind control, too. No need to waste the drug on her,” Samson said.

  Blake nodded and fell silent again. He hoped that in the woods in Napa they’d find not only Ronny, but also Hannah. Ronny hadn’t returned to his house in the Excelsior since he, Wes, and Lilo had searched it, so he had to be holed up somewhere else. And what better place to keep a kidnapping victim than in a remote cabin where nobody would hear Hannah’s screams for help?

  “How much longer, John?” Blake asked.

  “According to my GPS, we’re almost there.”

  Blake glanced out the window. Dense vegetation lined the narrow road on both sides. “Where are we?”

  “On the border between Napa county and Sonoma county. It’s only thinly populated. Lots of off-the-grid people out here from what I’ve heard,” John informed him. “Probably why Ronny chose this area.”

  Samson nodded. “Twenty, thirty years ago, there were a lot of marijuana growers up here. The feds conducted a ton of raids here. But they weren’t always very successful. The growers chose pretty secluded spots. That was before they legalized cannabis, of course. Now there’s no need for those secret farms anymore. It made space for other illegal operations to move in.”

  Blake grunted. “Well, let’s evict the bastard.”

  ~ ~ ~

  The GPS only got them as far as a dirt road that culminated in a dead end a hundred yards off the paved road they’d been on. There was no sign of a house or any kind of habitable structure, though according to the latest map, this was supposed to be a legitimate address. Not that any mailman would ever find it: there was no number posted anywhere, and no mailbox either.

  Blake got out of the car and looked around. His colleagues joined him until all eight were assembled. Maybe this many trained bodyguards was overkill, but without knowing how many accomplices Ronny had apart from the one they’d identified as Norwood, Samson had insisted on the best and toughest men (and women) in his employ. It was a shame that Zane was still in New Orleans. Gabriel was running HQ in Samson’s absence, while Quinn had agreed to look after Lilo. He and Rose had arrived at Blake’s house just as Blake had left. Call him overly cautious, but he wasn’t going to take any chances when it came to Lilo’s safety.

  “Fan out,” Samson ordered. “If you see a structure, notify the team by text. Everybody’s cell phone set to silent. Now.”

  Blake checked his phone, then his weapons. A small-caliber handgun was holstered on his hip, a silver knife hidden in his boot, and a stake tucked away in the inside pocket of his jacket, though he hoped he didn’t have to use it. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t mind inflicting a little pain with his silver knife, to explain how it felt in a language that Ronny understood.

  All his senses on alert, Blake stalked into the darkness, aware of his colleagues around him, though everybody was careful where they stepped, trying to remain as quiet as possible.

  About a mile away from the main road, Blake saw a faint light. He carefully approached, his eyes searching the ground for possible booby-traps that might alert Ronny. About a hundred yards away from the structure, which looked like an old, run-down cabin, he stopped and texted his position to his colleagues.

  His superior night vision picked them up a few moments later as they circled the building and closed in. Blake lifted his hand to tell them to remain where they were, then walked closer to the spot where a sliver of light was coming from. It was a window. And though the curtains had been drawn, somebody had been sloppy, leaving an inch uncovered. Blake moved his head closer to the glass and peered inside.

  A living room. Empty.

  Blake shifted his angle, but all he could see was a door, but not where it led to or whether anybody was there. They’d just have to take their chances. Suddenly a sound came from inside. Blake’s heart stopped, and his mind tried to analyze what he’d heard: cutlery clanging against metal. Either somebody was eating, which meant it wasn’t Ronny, or somebody was trying to give a signal.

  He turned around and made hand signs to alert his colleagues that at least one person was inside the cabin. He waved to Wes, and the witch joined him. They’d already discussed earlier what to do. This time, Wes didn’t speak the spell to open the door—since Ronny, if he was inside, might hear them out here in the wilderness where there was no ambient noise. Instead, Wes had brought a potion that opened any lock without making a sound. He now poured it over the doorknob, put the empty bottle back into his small backpack, and stepped back as if to say, It’s all yours.

  Blake motioned to his colleagues to cover the windows in case Ronny made a run for it, then nodded at John, who was now giving him cover. Blake drew his gun, and without further ado, he kicked the door open and stormed in.

  There was a sound coming from one of the rooms, and Blake headed for it, hearing his friend rush into the house behind him. He kicked the door to the room open and aimed his gun at the person inside the large kitchen.

  “Shit!”

  “Ronny!”

  The jerk dropped the utensils he was working with and lunged for the door that led into the next room.

  “Don’t make me shoot you,” Blake warned calmly, knowing his colleagues were cutting Ronny’s escape route off. “Silver hurts like a bitch.”

  But Ronny didn’t stop—and ran right into Amaury who grabbed him and slammed h
im against the nearest wall, holding him there, suspended.

  “Let me go! Damn it!” Ronny yelled, struggling, but Amaury was stronger.

  “You want first dibs, Blake?” his linebacker-sized friend offered.

  “With pleasure,” he grunted and swung his fist into Ronny’s face, slamming his head so hard into the wall that the lath-n-plaster cracked. “That’s for the silver bullet you left in my shoulder.” He swung again and this time delivered an uppercut to Ronny’s chin. “And this is for Hannah!”

  Blood ran from Ronny’s nose, and Blake’s fangs lengthened automatically. His fingers turned into claws, and he lifted his hand, ready for another punch. But his claws didn’t connect with Ronny’s face. Instead, somebody was holding him back.

  Blake whipped his head to the side.

  “That’s enough. We need him alive,” Samson said, before releasing his wrist.

  Blake sucked in a breath and stepped back. Then he looked at the others who’d entered the kitchen. “Have you found Hannah?”

  They shook their heads.

  “Not a trace,” Haven said.

  Blake turned back to Ronny, narrowing his eyes. “Where is she?”

  “I don’t know!”

  “The fuck you don’t!” Blake shot back. “I’m asking again: where is Hannah? Where are you keeping her?”

  “I don’t have her,” Ronny wailed. “They’ve got her. I don’t know where she is.”

  “You sack of shit! Liar!”

  “I’m not lying. Please, let me go. If they know that you found me, they’ll kill her.”

  “Who’s they?”

  He motioned to the large table in the kitchen, where he’d been working with several bowls and herbs. “The vampires behind all this.”

  Blake scoffed. “Are you trying to tell me you’re just a pawn? How stupid do you think I am?”