by Kym Grosso
There was a knock at the door. Sydney peered through the safety hole in her door and all she could see was red.
“Delivery for Miss Sydney Willows,” he announced.
Sydney slowly opened the door, gasping at the sight. There were more roses than she had ever seen in her life.
“Oh my God, they’re beautiful! Here, put them on the dining room table,” she instructed.
As soon as she ushered the deliveryman into the hallway and locked her door, she ran over to inspect her gift. She was astonished at the five dozen long-stemmed red roses tastefully arranged in an enormous Tiffany crystal vase. She leaned into the flowers to sniff one of the buds, which smelled heavenly. Attached to a plastic holder was a small, red envelope. There was a single name written in calligraphy on it; 'Sydney'. She gingerly opened the envelope, not wanting to accidentally tear the card. She pulled out the card and read it. 'Dearest Sydney, Your kiss is still on my mind. Be good while I’m gone love. I will return soon so we can finish what we started. Yours, Kade.'
Her first thought was that he’d mentioned the kiss. The hot, steamy kiss. He had not forgotten that. But 'be good'? Did the man seriously think a bunch of flowers, albeit an incredibly gorgeous and very expensive bunch of flowers, was going to convince her to leave the case willingly? She knew he wanted her safe, but it was her job to solve cases. She laughed at the irony. He infuriated her and aroused her all at once, and no matter how hard she’d tried, she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
Sydney glanced at the time on her cell phone. Damn, it was almost six o’clock and she was late. Sydney had promised Adalee earlier in the day that she’d meet her at the station. She considered what Kade had told her about the danger they faced. She padded down the hallway to her guest bedroom. In the far corner, an antique cedar trunk sat against the wall. She flipped open the top, pulling out several blankets. Reaching inside, she retrieved two metallic cases. She laid them on the carpet and unzipped one.
Tristan had given her these as a birthday gift, having known that she loved weapons of all kinds. A dozen silver knives of different sizes lay sparkling, encased in foam liners. Sydney grinned as she ran her fingers across the flat side of the sharp blades. “Thank you, Tris. The gift that keeps on giving.”
She moved to the second case, which held a small crossbow with a strap that could be slung over the shoulder, several wooden darts, and five large, wooden stakes. Sydney was well trained in how to use weapons to kill both humans and supernaturals, but she’d never imagined using them before now. Usually her Sig Sauer was more than enough to bring down a human, but whoever was killing these girls clearly was not in that category.
Sydney gathered the weapons she intended to use and put them next to her jeans and t-shirt. She planned to arm up before going on duty tonight. She tested the feel of the stake in her hand as she walked toward the bathroom, slashing it through the air. She would have no problem turning a vamp into ash, if needed. She shoved the stake in the pocket of her robe, hung it up on a hook, and went to turn the shower on. It was getting late, and she wanted to get going.
Sydney reveled in the hot spray of the shower. Feeling relaxed, she yearned to stay a little bit longer, but didn’t have the time. As she shut off the water, she heard a hiss coming from outside her door. Grabbing a towel, she haphazardly dried herself, and threw on her robe. Someone was in the living room.
Did Kade stop by before leaving? No, Kade would never break into my condo. Who’s here and how the fuck did they get in? Thinking quickly, she reached into the vanity cabinet, where she kept a spare gun for emergencies, and peeked out the door. Nothing. Maybe she was just being paranoid. She looked both ways down the hallway and saw no one. Quietly, she tiptoed down the hallway into the living room. Before she had a chance to look around the room, something rammed into her, sending her and her gun flying across the room.
She lost her bearings for a second, stunned from the hit. As pain tore through her body, it brought her back to focus, making her remember where she was. What the hell was that?
A huge man stood across the room. He had to be at least three hundred pounds, and was bald with a scar across his face.
“Hey, chica, you think you can kill me with that gun of yours? I got news for you, we vamps don’t die easily. My Mistress is not pleased with you. She doesn’t like that you have been sniffing around her mate.”
Kade?
“Yes, that’s right. My Mistress says you are a distraction, but maybe I will have you for myself before I kill you. You like big men? Oh yeah. I might break you in half, but man, it will be sweet.” Did this sick vampire think he was going to rape her? Good fucking luck with that. Too bad, she had other plans for her attacker. Keep him talking.
“You always take orders from a girl?” She scrambled to cover herself, keeping her eyes on him as she used her peripheral vision to search for the gun.
“I only obey my Mistress. And you…you have angered the Mistress.” He stalked toward her. “She wants you taken care of, but I didn’t expect it was going to be so much fun. Your blood smells so sweet. I’m gonna have a nice little taste. How ‘bout we play a game before you die?”
Sydney slowly scooted backward on her buttocks and hands, inching toward the kitchen. Where’s the damn gun? She spied it over near the refrigerator. Then she remembered the stake in her pocket, but in order to use it, she would need him close to her. She pretended to move toward the gun, hoping he would think she was going for it.
“You are a bad little girl, aren’t you? You think you gonna reach that gun? Stupid concha. You really think you can run from me? Maybe I will fuck you so hard that you can’t walk before I drain you. I am gonna make you bleed. Oh yeah…you’ll scream for me. I love to hear a girl scream,” he snarled.
Sydney would die before she let him rape her. There was no way in hell he was taking her down without a blazing fight. She’d let him keep thinking she wanted the gun. She wasn’t stupid. Sydney knew the gun might slow him down, but it wouldn’t kill him. No, he’d just be even more pissed. She needed to use the stake; that was the only thing that would kill him. She just needed to get him closer so she could drive the stake into his heart. Closer without getting herself killed in the process.
“You want me, huh? How about you bring it. And while you’re at it, I got a little message for that bitch of a Mistress who has you leashed.” With those words, she fake-lunged for the gun, hoping to draw him to her.
In a flash, he flew across the room and grabbed her by the throat with one hand; he smashed her head several times against the refrigerator, jamming her up against the wall, leaving her feet dangling off the floor.
“I’m goin’ to enjoy this. Nice and slow,” he grunted, the spray of his saliva hitting her face. He weakened his grip around her neck and reached for his groin.
As he fumbled to unbutton his pants, Sydney quickly kneed him in the cojones, she’d remembered that much from Spanish.
“Puta.” He slammed her head hard against the wall.
Sydney saw stars, her eyes teared as the pain sliced through her skull. Using every last bit of strength, she yanked the stake out of her pocket. Choking, she prepared to strike.
“Tell your Mistress,” she spat, “tell that bitch that I said I’ll see her in hell!” Sydney drove the stake up into his heart, and he instantly disintegrated into a pile of ash. Her body crashed to the floor as she lost consciousness.
Kade had argued with Luca on the way over to Sydney’s. He knew his friend hated disagreeing with him, never wanting to appear disrespectful or insubordinate. Luca had always been respectful of Kade, having owed him his very life ten times over. But Kade knew Luca would never forget they’d discovered the girls in the barn. If Simone was back in the country, they both knew there was no time to stop and play kissy face with the nice detective. It wasn’t as if he didn’t understand Luca’s point, but he wanted to say goodbye in person, alone.
When they pulled up to Sydney’s condo, Kade insisted
Luca stay in the limo. He went to push the buzzer, but no one answered. He rang Sydney’s cell phone, but no one answered. Where is she? As someone opened the door to leave the building, Kade slid into the condo complex unnoticed. When he approached the door and knocked, it swung wide open. Tearing into her condo, he yelled for her and searched her apartment.
“Sydney! Where are you? Sydney!”
His heart sank as he entered the kitchen. Sydney was sprawled on the floor, wearing only a robe, which was spread wide open exposing her naked body. Next to her was a pile of ash. Vampire. Blood, he could smell blood, Sydney’s blood. He could hear her heartbeat. She was alive. He knelt down and gently lifted her head, speaking to her softly.
“Sydney, love, can you hear me? Damn it to hell,” he cursed when she didn’t respond. Gently kissing her on the forehead, he thanked God she was still breathing. “It’s going to be okay. I’m here now. I’ll take care of you.”
Needing to see where and how badly she was injured, he turned her head slightly to inspect her wound. A tiny cut bled from the back of her skull. Later she’d have a goose egg and a bad headache, but she’d be okay. Kade held a handkerchief to her wound. He shook his head, suspecting that Simone had sent a vampire to Philadelphia. And his girl had staked him well and dead. But if one vampire was here, more could be on their way. Kade needed the protection of his home and security team to keep her safe.
He had to get her out of here. Kade reached for his cell and texted Luca. They needed to collect Sydney, take her to the jet and get to New Orleans, now. Luca ran into the apartment, quickly finding Kade on the kitchen floor next to Sydney. Kade had forgotten her nudity. Glancing up to Luca then back to Sydney’s naked body, he pulled her robe shut and covered her. She was his only.
“Grab a blanket and pillow from her bedroom and let’s go. I’ll carry her down,” Kade told him.
Luca promptly did as he was asked. Within minutes, they’d all made it safely to the car and were on their way to the airport.
With Sydney in his arms, Kade gently brushed the hair away from her face, twirling a blond curl with his finger. He was overwhelmed with guilt. He’d known damn well what Simone was capable of, and he had left Sydney alone anyway. Kade’s heart squeezed as he studied her face. She looked peaceful as she slept, vulnerable. He tucked the blanket around her neck, ensuring her warmth. Nothing would happen to her now that she was with him. She’d be spitting tacks when she woke up to find she was in New Orleans, but from now on, she wasn’t getting to call the shots. Those days were over, and she would just need to deal with it. There was no way she was leaving him. She was his, and he would protect her with his life.
Chapter Nine
Sydney woke in a warm, soft bed that smelled of lilac. She stirred, her eyes fluttering as she was blinded by the light. She had a killer headache, and brought her hand to her head. Where am I? She wondered if she was dreaming. Need Advil, now. If she could only get out of bed and look for her pills, she’d be good. Sydney placed her palms flat against the bed and slowly pushed up. She felt soft but strong hands easing her back down into the bed as she heard Kade’s smooth voice.
“Easy there, everything’s okay. Just lie down, and I’ll get you some water. You in pain, love?”
“Kade? Where am I?” Sydney was starting to panic as memories flashed into her head. She looked around, struggling to get her bearings. “Oh my God. A vampire. My condo.”
“I know, but you’re safe now…”
“Am I…in a plane? How the hell did I get in a plane? Where are we going?” She had traveled enough to recognize the hum of the engines.
Kade smiled. It didn’t take her very long to try to control the situation. That was his girl. “Yes, we’re in my plane, and we’re on our way to my home in New Orleans. But you’re safe now. The vampire who attacked you…not so much. You took care of him back there. He’s dead.”
Kade resisted asking details about her attack. He didn’t want her to talk if she wasn’t ready, but it was hard to ignore the fingerprint bruise marks that were starting to appear around her neck. She had been strangled.
“You have a small cut on the back of your head, but it’s stopped bleeding. I iced it, but I can get you some more. Here, take these for your headache.” He handed her pills and a bottle of water and sat down next to her. “Sydney, about what happened at the condo…I’m sorry.”
“Considering that I can barely open my eyes, I'll forgive the fact that I'm in a plane heading to New Orleans. Couldn’t you just take me to a hospital or something?” She was just too tired to fight, but when she regained her strength, Kade had some explaining to do. On the one hand, she would prefer to work the case in Philly, on the off chance more dead girls showed up. On the other hand, if Kade was going after Simone, she wanted to be there. Payback was a bitch, and after her little encounter with the sumo wrestler vamp, she was so up for it.
Sydney was starting to remember pieces of what had happened back in her home. It wasn’t her first fight, but she’d be lying if she said it hadn't shaken her up a bit. She wasn’t used to battling against vampires, or any other supernaturals, but she was a fighter and that was what counted. She lay her head back, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She glanced up at Kade.
“I was in the shower and heard a noise. He slammed me to the floor, before I had a chance to see who was in my condo. I always keep a spare gun hidden in the bathroom, and a few other places, you know, just in case. A girl can’t be too careful. Anyway, the gun went flying into the kitchen. Before my shower, I’d been going through my weapons, and I was fooling around with a stake and shoved it in the pocket of my robe. But the gun I had in the bathroom…it didn’t have silver bullets or anything, so I knew it wouldn’t do much good. I played like I was going for the gun.”
Sydney shook her head. She suddenly remembered the vampire saying something about Kade being his Mistress’s mate. Is Kade married? He said they were lovers, but did he marry her? “He said Simone sent him to deal with me since, apparently, I was messing with her mate.” She looked to Kade, hoping for a response. He must be good at poker, she thought, because he remained expressionless.
“He thought he could play a little before killing me. I don’t even know how he got in…broke into my apartment.” Her voice trailed off. She stared at the water bottle, unable to look at him when she said the words. “He…he was going to rape me. I staked him instead.” She fought back tears, knowing how close she’d come to being violated, killed. Kade was about to interrupt, but she held up her hand, preventing him from speaking. “Kade, please. Don’t say anything. You warned me. I'm a big girl who makes her own decisions. Rape, violence, it’s not new to me. Every day this happens…just not to me.”
Kade didn’t want to show emotion, lest he freak the hell out right in front of Sydney. He was so furious that another vampire had dared to lay a hand on her that he wanted to break something. But he resisted, aware that any further violence would only demonstrate to Sydney what monsters vampires were. Now was not the time. What she needed was comfort. He needed to calm her, soothe her. He decided to save the anger, to harness it for when he obliterated his enemy. Simone, and whoever else was helping her, would pay dearly for hurting Sydney. As incensed as he was, he needed to help her heal, physically and emotionally.
He moved to lie down beside her, and held her in his arms, cradling her against his chest. Instead of fighting him, Sydney laid her head across his chest and allowed him to hold her, to care for her.
“Kade, I’m sorry. You need to know that this is who I am. I'm a fighter. And what just happened…I just can’t forget it. I plan on finding this bitch and taking her out. The dead girls, and now this. I have a feeling that it’ll only continue. Killers like Simone, they don’t usually stop. They hone their craft, believing they’re smarter than the cops, but we usually get them. She’ll make a mistake, something…I sure as hell hope we get some clues about where she is down in New Orleans.”
Kade kissed th
e top of her head. His heart swelled at his brave warrior’s words. She’d just been attacked, and here she was ready to get back in the fight. He knew that telling her ‘no’ would be useless. He would put a security detail on her once they got home. Home? His home. Their home. He would protect her, so this never happened again. No matter how tough she thought she was, a vampire could easily kill her. She had gotten lucky back in the condo. She wasn’t even trained to fight with vampires; a few stakes didn’t make a human safe.
As he held her, Kade felt Sydney start to doze off to sleep and he considered how right it felt to have her in his arms. He heard a knock at the cabin door.
“Come in,” he said. Kade continued to lie motionless in the bed with Sydney, unwilling to disturb her. He wasn’t ready to let her go yet.
Luca stepped into the bedroom and raised an eyebrow at him. Kade knew his friend was wary of the woman he’d brought into their lives. Luca didn’t trust humans, believing they were weak, easily broken.
“Kade, we’re landing in about thirty minutes. How’s the detective?”
“She’ll be fine tomorrow. Right now, she needs rest. I will make sure she sleeps so she heals. Is security in place for when we land?”
“Yes, it’s all in place. Etienne and Xavier are meeting us at the airport to help with the transfer. Dominique is at the compound securing things.”
“Thanks, tell Dom that I’ll need her help with Sydney when we get there. Make sure they all know she is arriving. Also, make sure they understand that she is under my protection and must not be touched. Am I clear?” Kade knew the other vampires might feel tempted with a new human on site. While they often had human donors and staff work at the compound, he did not want anyone to think she was available for their needs. She was his.
“Yes, it will all be ready. Do you need help with Miss Willows?”
“No thanks, I’ve got her. Just make sure Etienne and Xavier are ready to go. I don’t want to waste time at the airport. Simone could have minions anywhere at this point. We need to get to a safe location. Any word from Ilsbeth?”