She landed on her feet at the same time as the big vampire’s hand slashed through the air. One of his fingernails scratched across her neck. It stung, but not enough to slow her down.
James had already impaled the female. She heard the dry dust explosion sound as the hooker’s flesh burst into a cloud of dust particles.
Normally, she felt quite confident taking on vampires by herself. But there was something different about this one. It wasn’t just his size. There was something about his eyes. Besides the fact that his eyes were glowing, he had a seasoned look about him. She noted his quick assessing scan of the situation. Not just old, he exuded intelligence. Vampires didn’t make it this long without superior cunning. Suddenly, she felt like an 18-year-old vamp protecting herself for the first time. When James landed beside Jess, ready for the fight, relief swept through her.
The vampire smiled at them—he actually smiled—then leapt up the side of the building and was gone.
Jess put her hand on James’ arm as he crouched to spring after him. “No. Not today. We’ll meet him another time,” she said, wishing that statement weren’t true, but she knew it was.
She’d just met a vampire with knowledge so far beyond hers, it terrified her. When she’d been made leader of the team she thought she could take on these vampires and protect New York City from the vile nighttime predators. Now, she felt like one of the recruits. Untried—untested—and maybe unable to stop this ancient foe. One who’d experienced many more battles than she’d even dreamed about, and he had lived to tell the tale. His dark soul emanated with evil so potent it was almost tangible.
Whatever had made her think she could fight this horde and win?
Chapter Seven
Britt pushed reheated beans and pork around his plate. CB purred and rubbed himself against Britt’s legs, then wandered off when he didn’t get any more food. Next, the cat jumped onto the coffee table in the one room kitchen, dinette and living room and started licking his paw. He had never done that before.
“Get down,” Britt said. The cat jumped to the floor and rebuffed him with a hard cat stare. “Cat, you’ve been a perfect roommate until now. If you start jumping onto the furniture, you’re history.”
He started to turn back to his tasteless meal when he realized the spot on the table where the cat had sat shouldn’t be bare. The gravestone had been there yesterday. Now it was at the opposite end of the table.
He pushed his chair back and went to the coffee table for a closer look.
Someone had been in his place and they’d moved the gravestone, maybe deliberately so he’d know they’d been here. His hackles went up. He picked up the stone and found a flattened hydrangea beneath it. No doubt it was a message, since he’d planted a hydrangea next to Randy’s crypt.
His blood pressure skyrocketed. He hated games. And hated threats even more. The need to throw the damned stone out the window surged through him. He didn’t do it. The way his luck was running, it would hit some little old lady on the head.
Instead he picked up the phone and dialed Jess. If she had any idea what the hell was going on, he wanted to know. This time he wasn’t taking no for an answer.
Jess arrived an hour later. It was barely dusk when he opened the door, expecting to see her dressed in her standard leather, but this time she wore jeans and a T-shirt. She looked like a regular woman, he thought, as he waited for her to step inside.
She entered. “I got your urgent message on my answering machine. What’s up?”
“Someone was in my apartment while I was out. Left me a present.” He held up the crushed flower. “I thought maybe it was time we had that talk.”
“I prefer carnations myself,” she said.
Damnit. He wasn’t in the mood for her odd humor. “I’m a member of the team now. Fill me in!”
She was as good as he was when it came to keeping her expression neutral. He’d heard about how she’d fought the vampires in the alley the other night, and he’d seen how cool and calm she’d been when she returned to the van. Like nothing had happened. That was talent.
“Fill you in on what?” She sat down on the couch and leaned forward to take a better look at the gravestone without touching it.
“Let’s start with Bergeron. Did you find out why he was killed and left in my building?”
“Not yet. But we know where he was killed. Outside Saint Eugenia’s Catholic Church. I assume you know the one I mean since you were there the other night.”
“Are you saying I was there on purpose?”
“Not really, just checking to see what your reaction might be,” she said, still devoid of expression.
He huffed out an irritated breath. “And?”
“You were sufficiently irritated when I mentioned Saint Eugenia’s, so I suppose you’re clear.”
“Funny. You were following me anyway, weren’t you?” He folded his arms across his chest.
She ignored him. “We found enough DNA to know Bergeron was killed at the church.”
“By DNA, I’m assuming you mean a lot of blood?”
“Not a lot of blood, no.”
“Where did it all go? The kid didn’t have much left in him downstairs.”
“Good eye.” She pursed her lips in a thoughtful, yet somehow cynical way and he knew from that expression what it meant.
“A vampire got him?”
“Probably. We’re following up all leads. His throat was slit with a curved blade. It was a lousy job, though, and didn’t completely cover the bite marks. My forensic specialist, Sampson Case, is working on trace to see what he comes up with.”
“Is this forensic specialist part of the Special Ops unit?”
She looked at him casually. “Yes and he’s quite good at his job.”
“So that means there are more people in this unit than the six scrawny members you had out on the street last night.”
“Definitely.”
“How big is the unit?”
“Fifty members, give or take.”
“Fifty!” His skin went cold. “How big is this vampire problem?” He expected there might be a dozen people in the unit, but fifty? Just to concentrate on vampires?
“To be frank, we’re not really sure yet.” She leaned back on the couch and stretched her arm languidly across the back of the faded fabric.
Maybe she was cool and composed, but his mouth had gone completely dry. What did all of this have to do with that damned moldy rock on his coffee table? “Any idea why I’m in their sights?”
“Not one iota,” she said.
He turned and paced to the window, hands on his hips. His patio door was open and he stared through the screen. “Are they out there right now? Watching us?”
“Yes.”
“How many?” His shoulder’s tightened, and his hands moved off his hips to form fists.
“Two.”
“How do you know that?”
She pushed off the couch and followed him to the door, looking past him to the rooftops on the other side of the street. “I can see them. If the wind is right, I can even smell them.”
“What other special attributes are you capable of besides extraordinary night vision, scent, and hearing? Can you turn into a bat and fly out my door?”
Her eyes sparkled, but this time with wry humor. “No. We can’t do that. We can, however, jump quite a distance and I’m pretty good at scaling buildings.”
He looked down at the street. He was on the fourth floor. Given this new information, his place probably wouldn’t take a vampire much effort to scale, and he always left his patio door open. Not that a lock would stop someone with vampiric strength.
He took a couple of steps back. “How’d you become one?” He instantly regretted his question because her eyes grew hard. Became devoid of life.
Her voice was unbearably sad when she said, “I was bitten by a vampire when I was a cop. I was on the beat on the East Side. Not far from where we scoped out the hookers last night. My partner w
as supposed to be backing me up, but he wasn’t. I made it back to my brother before I succumbed.”
He scraped his upper teeth slowly over his bottom lip. Something he often did when he was thinking. “One more question.” Actually, he had dozens more but he sensed he’d pushed her as far as he could tonight. No sense making her angry as well as sad.
“What is it?”
“Why did you proposition me outside the bar that night?”
Surprise scuttled across her features.
“You remember that? I’m impressed with your abilities. You do realize vampires have a certain amount of ability to control the human mind. I can make people forget they saw me. If I were a bad vampire I could make you walk toward me and bend you head sideways, exposing your carotid artery.” She went back to the couch and sat again. “Works best on the weak willed. Apparently, you’re not one of them.”
He found it difficult to remember that this woman, this cop, was a creature nightmares were made of. He had to constantly remind himself she was a vampire. Shouldn’t he be repulsed by that fact?
“Maybe it’s time we work on this thing together,” he said. “I’d sure as hell like to know why I’m in their sights. I have to know. It’s the only way I’ll really be able to protect myself from them.”
She stared into his eyes and smiled. He felt his gut liquefy. How’d she do that to him? It took everything he had to tear his gaze from her lips. And her body. Damn, he had to remember she wasn’t a woman any more. She was a vampire whose teeth grew and could rip out his throat if she was angry with him. Or hungry.
Jess watched Britt’s expression change from smoldering to that pinched looked of underlying dread she’d become too familiar with. Had she been delusional, or for just a second had he really looked as if he wanted to kiss her?
Imagine thinking a human would desire a vampire, especially a human who knows what vampires are. She admired Britt’s strength, his smarts, and even though she didn’t want to admit it to herself, his physique. She liked the strong line of his jaw, his nose. And his clear blue eyes that laid her soulless heart bare every time he looked at her.
She’d been doing her homework on him. He was a good guy. Most of his money went to his partner’s widow and her child. It was supposed to be anonymous, but since she had his bank records and the widow’s account information, it was easy enough to see that the same amount that left his account entered hers. She knew he didn’t know the woman well. For some reason Randy hadn’t wanted to socialize outside of work. Maybe he was the jealous type and didn’t want the other cops mooning over his wife. By all accounts she was beautiful. Or maybe she didn’t like cops?
Suddenly, a movement outside caught her attention. She straightened and stared though the screen. A yellow cat dropped onto the balcony and she froze.
“Don’t worry, Jess, that’s just my cat, CB. I fixed the emergency ladder so he could come and go whenever he wants.”
Just his cat? He still had a lot to learn. Her attention didn’t leave the vile creature on his patio. Odors of another vampire wafted off its fur. The cat recognized her, too. Its hair stood up on its back.
“Britt, this isn’t an ordinary cat,” she said.
“What are you talking about?” Britt’s breath hissed out as if it’d been ripped from his torso.
“That mangy cat belongs to a vampire. If he’s here it’s to keep tabs on you for his master.”
CB hissed and flattened his ears in response. He glared at her then turned and ran back up the ladder.
“I knew cats shouldn’t be able to climb ladders. Just thought this cat was smart,” Britt said, dropping lifelessly onto a chair.
“You won’t see that cat again. Now that he’s seen me here, he won’t be back.” She leaned into his personal space to get his full attention. It worked, because he looked up to stare at her. “It’s quickly becoming apparent we need to work together so this situation doesn’t get out of control,” she said.
“Situation? Hell, I want to curse, but I can’t think of a curse word vile enough for this situation,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve always prided myself on my intuition and investigatory skills, but things are happening around me and I’m totally in the dark. I want to know why I’m of interest to those … things.”
She felt the prick when he said it. And he knew she did because his eyes instantly met hers. This time, no sympathy lay behind their hazel depths. He was angry and not about to drop the issue until his questions were answered. Either she went along with him, or he might go after the vampires on his own and she didn’t want to lose him yet.
Still, none of this made sense. He was a human. Why didn’t the vamps turn him into a vampire if he was so valuable to them? As one of them he’d keep his skills and gain all of theirs.
As she contemplated the question, she continued to study him. She could hear the warm blood surging through his veins, his heart pumping. Oddly, the sounds didn’t stir the beast inside her. Instead, this breathing, muscled, hard-looking man made her wonder what it would be like to feel like a woman again, to be held in a man’s arms and…
“I don’t blame you,” she said when she realized he was staring at her. “I want to know why they’re interested in you too.”
She’d also like to know why he was making her feel like this. She never thought about sex. Why had that changed since she’d met him? Maybe because he actually looked at her with desire? The mere act of his gaze sweeping over her had the ability to turn the icy blood in her veins molten. But no human could have real feelings for a vampire. At least not for long. And not once they realized what they’d gotten themselves into.
“Where do we go from here?”
“I think I have an idea or two,” she said. “Want to get started right away?”
“You bet I do.” He stalked across the room and into the alcove where his double bed and night table sat. He grabbed a worn leather jacket off the end of his bed and pulled it on as if it were part of his battle gear. “Where are we going?”
“To Saint Eugenia’s.”
“After you.” He held the door open for her. “One thing though. I’m not a hack driver anymore, I quit my job and I don’t have my own wheels.”
“That’s okay. I do.”
“Really? You didn’t come on foot tonight?”
She cast him a scathing look. “Don’t you mean sprout bat wings and fly here?”
He shrugged. “With everything else I’ve learned lately, I’m not going to discount anything until I know for sure it isn’t possible.”
She laughed—out loud! It felt foreign to her. She hadn’t done that in years.
Saint Eugenia’s was in total darkness when they arrived. Not even the security lighting was on. Jess hoped she wasn’t bringing Britt into more danger than they could cope with. After meeting that massive vampire the other night she had some doubts about her own abilities. She’d never met anyone remotely equal to her in battle until now.
A layer of land fog flirted just above the dewy grass, something that made scents even more pungent to her. Fog held everything in, contained it. She could smell the residual decaying blood and body fluids that had sunk into the grass beside the church.
She led Britt along the ancient stones at the side of the church.
Holding one hand up, she signaled for him to stop. She sensed a vampire in the vicinity, but she didn’t know where he was.
Now she regretted bringing Britt with her. She didn’t know enough about those vampires with glowing eyes. She shouldn’t have put him in this danger.
At least he wore the cross she’d given him. That would give him a slim advantage. Even old, intelligent vampires weren’t immune to crosses.
Because her soul had been partially salvaged by a priest, the cross didn’t bother her, at least not crosses that small, but another vampire would feel excruciating pain in its presence. She might feel better about that if this vampire hadn’t chosen a church for his killing ground.
From out of nowhere, a large form dove from the spire above them and landed solidly in front of Jess.
It was him! The massive vampire from the alley. Without James to help her, she could be in big trouble. She might not win this time.
“Britt. Leave right now,” she grated out through clenched, elongated teeth.
“No. I’m staying.”
No time to argue with him. She faced off with the vampire. They moved around each other, trying to figure out the best method of attack.
With a lurid expression on his wicked face, and signs of blood on his chin, he mocked her. He’d been feeding when she arrived. At the church! And, he wanted her to know it.
With a powerful leg thrust she burst forward, her heel spike aimed at his heart.
His reflexes were fast. Extremely fast, she realized as he moved away from her. He already knew about the heel spike so that advantage was lost. Normally vampires who fought her didn’t survive long enough to be wary of her spike a second time. She grabbed her silver knife, which was ornately carved into the shape of a cross. She lunged at him.
The brute cringed back, but only for a second. The cross pained him, but not nearly enough.
Before she knew it, he’d grabbed her from behind. He whipped her around, grabbed her hair, and wrenched her head to one side, his fangs hovering over her neck, ready to plunge in.
“Britt! Go!” she yelled, more worried about him than herself. “Get out of here!”
Instead of obeying orders, Britt rushed forward with the cross in one hand and a bottle of holy water in the other.
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