“Jess, call someone at the station and have them check Randy’s house right away. Just in case the baby’s still there.”
Jess looked horrified at his words and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.
Chapter Thirteen
Concern rippled across Regent’s face when they entered the rectory. It didn’t take him long to spot the four inch rip in Jess’s leather jacket and the deeper wound beneath. He bent over and gave her injury a closer look. “Bad night out, I take it, dear?”
Jess shrugged as if it were nothing unusual. “Britt got a vamp tonight.”
“Really now.” Regent turned and winked at Britt. “And hardly a mark to show for it I see. At least there’s no blood spurting anywhere and your head’s still on your shoulders.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” As grizzly as the task had been, the feeling of accomplishment remained. He hadn’t felt like this since he’d been a cop and had just taken down a criminal. Seeing how calmly Regent handled the sight of his injured sister made it apparent they’d been through their share of wounds over their time together as vampire and priest/protector.
“Sit down and tell me what happened.” Regent opened a cupboard in the corner of the room and pulled out some dry leaves and cotton bandaging. He tucked the leaves inside the layers of cotton and wrapped it around Jess’s waist. Right over her clothing.
Jess sat quietly and let him work. She even raised her arms so he could wrap the bandage around her. With a smirk on her face and something akin to love behind those beautiful green eyes, she gave Regent a playful poke.
“This doesn’t do me a bit of good, but Regent always feels better if my open wounds at least look like they’ve been taken care of.”
“Now, Jess, there’s no evidence to prove these bandages and herbs don’t help.”
“None, except on those occasions when you weren’t around to bandage me, I’ve healed every bit as quickly.” She put one hand on the side of her mouth and said to Britt, “Possibly even faster.”
Regent ignored her and took a seat in his aged leather executive chair behind the desk. The chair creaked when he sat in it, and he leaned back to get comfortable. Britt expected a sigh of relaxation from him at any moment.
“Okay, you two, I’m waiting for the story to be told.”
“Not much to tell. I’ll give you the abridged version. Vampires, graveyard, desecration, and the corpse of a dead woman who was vamped. All in a normal night’s work.”
Tenting his fingers and leaning his chin on them, Regent looked at Britt. “She’s a difficult one, isn’t she?”
“She can be,” he agreed, smothering a grin.
“Hey! What’s with you two ganging up on me? I’m a hardassed vampire with a mind of my own. I can kill like the best of them. My life is a constant battle between good and evil. I couldn’t count the number of times I nearly let myself succumb to that dark seduction under the light of a full moon.” Jess stood and paced to the fireplace, standing close to its warmth and staring into the burning embers for a few seconds before she turned back to face the men. “I’m like a drug addict who just came out of rehab. Who knows how long I’ll stay clean and sober? So I think I deserve to be a little bit difficult, don’t you?”
The expression on Regent’s face said her speech had shocked him. But Britt instinctively knew it wasn’t meant for Regent. She’d been telling Britt she was damaged and dangerous goods and he’d better beware.
He let her comments slide. He was damaged goods, too, and he could be tougher than she gave him credit for. Were they so different, really? And after her little outburst, he liked her even more for trying to drive him away.
“It’s late.” He glanced at his watch—nearly four a.m. “I’m leaving,” he said slapping one hand on a bare knee poking out of his nearly new jeans. “It’s late and I’m tired.”
Jess gave him a startled look, almost as if she suddenly believed she’d scared him off for good and wasn’t sure if that was what she really wanted.
Unaffected by the tension in the room, Regent yawned and pushed himself out of his form-fitting chair. “Good night, you two. I’m only letting you get away without telling me the whole story because we’re all tired.” He moved across the room, then halted. “Oh yes, the precinct called earlier. They said there was no baby at the house?”
“Thank God.” Jess let out a low breath and looked at Britt.
“The child could be fine. Maybe he gave it up for adoption,” Britt said.
“I’m not used to being left in the dark,” Regent shuffled his feet. “But I’m tired tonight. I’ll expect full details tomorrow.” He left through the side entrance to his bedroom without a backward glance.
For about two seconds Jess stared after him as if he were a paradox she couldn’t fathom. Then she casually followed Britt to the door.
“It didn’t work, you know,” Britt said when they reached the entrance.
“What didn’t work?” When he started to speak, she held up a hand. “Just remember this before you say a thing. It’s not smart to irritate a vampire, especially when the moon’s in its apogee.”
Britt faced her and deliberately gave her his sexiest smile. “You don’t scare me, lady. And you can’t drive me away either. I’m here for the duration.”
He leaned in close. So close his lips were nearly touching hers. Their eyes met. There was no warning look telling him to back off. She might be caving in. One more second and he was going to kiss her like she’d never been kissed her before.
She hissed out a breath as only a vampire can do, a warning sound, then took two steps back, prodding at the bandage on her side. “Britt, look at me. Really look at me. I’m standing here wrapped with a piece of useless cotton and fig leaves over a gaping wound that doesn’t bleed. A wound that will be almost completely healed by morning. I’m not amongst the living. I’m dead, whereas you’re a warm-blooded human being. Why would you want to stick around? You should find yourself a woman who bleeds. Maybe one who can have your children.”
“Been there. Done that, minus the children. Got the alimony payments to prove it. What makes you think living, breathing women are what I want or need? And not everyone is meant to have children. My wife would have been the worst mother ever. Luckily, she was unable to conceive”
“What’s the matter, didn’t have the swimmers?”
“Nasty.” He grinned, unaffected by her attempt to anger him. “Actually, I have no idea if it was her problem or mine. Neither of us got around to figuring that out.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Guess no one cared enough about the other to go that far. Probably the best thing that could’ve happened to some hapless kid we’d have had.”
“You can’t make me feel sorry for you. I don’t care if you’re impotent. Do I look like some sappy teenager out to get laid?”
He narrowed his eyes, giving her his best tough-cop look. As a cop it had been important to perfect dangerous. He tipped his head slightly and stared deeply into her eyes. “I can promise you I’m not impotent.” He let his gaze wash over her. “I remember everything about the woman who pressed herself against me that night on the sidewalk. Her body, her scent, the way she made me feel. That woman changed my life forever.” He paused for effect. “And, if you want to be crude, that woman did want to get laid.”
The air between them crackled. Jess could feel her blood pressure rising.
She shouldn’t let him make her angry. Anger in a human was one thing, but anger in a vampire quickly turned into an uncontrollable rage. It was time he needed some visualization. A look at reality.
Without holding anything back to soften the blow, she reverted to vampire almost instantly, fangs white against the darkness in the hallway. Her eyes burning like black coals. She was letting him see the real truth, the ugliness of her transformation.
“That’s not going to work either.” He languidly hung his thumbs from his back pockets and leaned one shoulder against the wall. “Good try though.”
She put her hands on her hips again and barely refrained from stamping her foot. Get a grip. He’s doing this to you on purpose. He’s baiting you and you’re falling for it. Telling him way too much about how you feel.
“Call me crazy but the general consensus for most normal men is that they like their women alive.” She gave him a glacial smile. “Now that you mention it, I like my women alive too. Blood is much tastier at body temperature.”
If he was shocked, he hid it well.
“You can try to prove you’re a monster as often as you please. I’ve seen the woman you really are. And I happen to like what I see, lady, so don’t even think about trying to drive me away. I’m a goddamn bull when it comes to being stubborn. If I want you, I’ll have you.”
Jess stared at him for about two seconds before she got really angry. “Then maybe it’s you I’ll have for supper some night when you least expect it!” She spun away from him, and marched down the hall. Before she reached the door to Regent’s office, she hesitated and turned back.
He still stood there, watching her with maddening resolve. “Never underestimate the tenacity of an Irish cop who’s made up his mind about what or who he wants.” His gaze washed over her in an aggressive sexual overture. If a look could sizzle her flesh, that one could. If he could set her on fire with a mere glance, imagine what he could physically do to her.
No! She couldn’t think like that. He was just asking for trouble. If he kept it up, she wouldn’t be responsible for what happened.
“Night now,” he said, blowing her a kiss before stepping outside and closing the door behind him.
She could just imagine the smug smile on his face as he walked down the sidewalk. And damn it, she could hear him whistling!
Chapter Fourteen
The team gathered outside the van the next night. Their target, an old house purported to be owned by a drug dealer. Neighbors had been complaining about strange things happening at night and weird looking people dressed in black coming and going.
As usual, Britt lurked at the back of the group. That way he could judge the dynamics of his fellow team members. To his surprise, Tat was still part of the team. He’d heard the rumor that Jess was going to cut him. First chance he got, he’d ask her why Tat was still around.
Tat’s attitude hadn’t changed. He was still arrogant and mouthy. Jess ignored him for the most part as she said, “It could mean there are vampires, or it could simply mean it’s a Goth hangout. Either way, it’s our job to find out what’s going on. In this case, we’re going in as regular police officers and not the vampire patrol.”
James stood beside Jess while she talked to the team. It was easy to tell he respected her. And, though Britt hated to admit it, James was a much more ferocious opponent than he’d ever be. James was the one Jess deserved at her side. At least he could protect her. What could a puny human do against predators with super human strength?
Then there was that little bit of information Jess had shared. She’d turned James into a vampire and he’d stayed by her side for decades.
Jess hauled out NYPD jackets and started passing them around. When she gave Britt his, her fingers brushed against his hand under the jacket. Was it his imagination or had she deliberately touched him?
James must’ve been furious that Jess had gone to the graveyard with a mere human the other night. And maybe he had every right to be angry, because Britt was well aware how lucky they’d been to make it out of there alive. Even though Jess was tough, those vampires were tougher. How Jess and he had gotten away from them still puzzled Britt. Something didn’t jive.
“Heard you saw some action this weekend,” Griz said quietly, as if reading his thoughts.
Britt’s eyebrows rose. “Where’d you hear that?”
“I overheard Jess telling James about it. I don’t think they knew I could hear them.”
“I see.”
“How’d you get the boss lady all to yourself, you lucky son-of-a…”
“Just happened by chance,” Britt cut in, glancing at Jess. Yeah, she was listening. To prove his point, she gave him an inquisitive look. Her eyebrows arched and her mouth twitched as if to hold back a grin. Apparently she wasn’t concerned about the group hearing about their escapade.
“She’s been the lead officer on an ongoing investigation in my building. A young fellow was killed and left in my laundry room a week ago.” A partial truth, but all Griz needed to know.
“If she’s on the case that must mean the guy was killed by a vampire.
“Yeah, at least connected to them. The victim was apparently a runner for vampires. Being left in my building was a little unsettling. Left my neighbors pretty jumpy, I can tell you.”
“I’ve been jumpy myself lately. Most of the time I have the feeling I’m being watched. It’s like I’m paranoid or something, especially when I’m home at night. I hear strange noises on the roof sometimes. I’ve got my room practically decorated in vampire stakes and crosses. If my sweet little old lady neighbor came to visit she’d be calling the men in little white coats to come and get me. I’ve tried to convince myself it’s all in my head, but I just can’t.”
“I don’t mean to make things worse, Griz, but I’ve been followed too. It’s probably not all in your head, and you’re not paranoid. It’s part of what we signed up for. The thing is, these vampires don’t want us around. They might just try to pick us off one at a time.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card with his home phone number on it. “Do me a favor, okay, big guy?”
“What?”
“Stay alert. If you need to talk or whatever, call me. Any time, night or day. I’m just a couple of blocks from you. There’s safety in numbers, and I’ll be there for you if you ever need me.”
“Thanks, man, you don’t know how much I appreciate it. When you’re in a secret Ops unit, you can’t even talk things out with your closest buddy. No one else can know. And God almighty, I’d kill myself before I’d tell anyone outside the unit. Who’d want to be the one that introduces them to the realities of this world?”
“Yeah,” Britt agreed. He understood how Griz felt. But at the same time, he knew this was the life for him. It felt right deep inside, as if it was his calling.
Griz surveyed his chewed fingernails. “You know, after my wife died, I was like a mad man. When I joined the team, I really needed something to take my mind off the loss. But now that harsh reality has turned into an even worse nightmare, I’m not sure how to handle it. Am I stuck in this life forever? Because if I am, I don’t want it.”
“You might be stuck for a while, Griz. Just watch your back. Thing is, we’re going to get these vampires under control. When it’s safe, you can get out. Jess told me when I started I could quit, but it would be dangerous if I did. Once we control the vampires, you can probably go without worrying.”
Britt eyed the neighborhood while James pulled up to a curb and parked the van outside an unpainted two story house. An old balcony fronted the building. Bits of furniture and rusted appliances were piled all over the place. All the lights in the house were on and a noisy party was going full swing.
“Tat, you’re with Britt tonight.” Jess gave Britt a knowing glance. “The rest of you pair up.”
Everyone started talking at once, trying to team up with the person they thought would be their best chance at survival. Britt stuck close to Tat because he knew Jess wanted him to keep an eye on the idiot.
Before anyone else had even moved, Tat jumped up and threw the back doors of the van open, ready to go off on his own.
“Hold on there,” Britt grabbed the back of his collar, stopping him suddenly and hauling him backwards. “You’re not going anywhere without me. This is a team effort, and I’ll be damned if you’re going off half-cocked when we’re expected to be a team.”
“Pussy.”
“Shithead.”
Tat swung at Britt. He ducked and Tat missed. Before Tat regained his equilibrium from the swing, Britt’s arm
shot out and caught Tat on the cheekbone. He’d always been a good fighter. Tat hadn’t even expected it. In a situation like this Tat was like a mongrel; he didn’t have what it took to fight the lead dog. He’d cower and take his orders from Britt from now on. Britt just wouldn’t be stupid enough to turn his back on him.
Tat opened his mouth to speak. Britt moved in closer and put himself in Tat’s face. “Yes, did you want to say something? Maybe you’d like to try to get a piece of me right here and now? I’d be happy to oblige.”
“Not right now.” Tat looked away.
“Get moving then,” Britt said. “You take the lead down that alley. I’ll be right behind you.”
The back of the house was in darkness. He followed Tat quickly down the alley and toward a back door. There, he made sure Tat was still with him and then he turned the doorknob. The door was open. They found themselves in a back pantry with cupboards on both sides of the room. One cupboard door was hanging off its hinges and he could see a couple of cans of beans inside.
Must be some humans here.
Suddenly, loud music started up again and boomed from the center of the house. Practically shook it.
A quick glimpse proved that Tat was still glaring at him from behind. He’d hung back when they got to the door.
Jesus, he wasn’t sure who was more of a threat—the possibility of undead killers or Tat. The guy was a psycho. The team may have been made up of misfits, but if he’d ever seen a born killer, Tat was it.
“Just keep looking ahead. I’m following you. God only knows what’s going on inside that room,” Tat said, trying to sound as if the thought scared him, but Britt could see the light of excitement in his eyes. He couldn’t wait for whatever horrors he hoped were inside.
Britt’s skin suddenly began to crawl. He had to wonder who the good guys were in this place. He glanced at Tat again and shook his head. This guy had maniac written all over himself in tattoo ink. The only thing he didn’t have was a Swastika on his forehead.
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