Belong To The Night

by Shelly Laurenston

  Her brows rose.

  “I can’t see, but I can hear, smell, taste, and feel everything.”

  Yeah, shifters had incredible senses, she sure knew that. Hers were far, far superior to any human’s.

  “My remaining senses are stronger than other shifters’.” Said simply. “Like they kicked into high gear to make up for my eyes.”

  She’d heard about something like that happening with humans.

  “I don’t need sight—no, forget that.” He drew in a deep breath and stalked forward, stopping inches away. “I was lying earlier, I can see, I just don’t use my broken eyes to do it.”

  “Sadie.” Liam’s voice. He stood in the doorway, face tense and black eyes on Kyle.

  She held up her hand. “It’s okay, Liam.” Time for truth. “And I was lying, too, Munroe.”

  His lips parted. “I knew—”

  “I pity you because you had the shit-screwed luck to be born with that asshole as your brother and that he hurt you.” Probably more than the guy would ever reveal. “But I don’t pity you for any other reason.” She’d be a fool if she did. She could feel the man’s power. “Got it?”

  Maybe someone else would think that a shifter without vision was weak, but she knew her kind too well.

  No shifter was weak. Ever. They were the most dangerous hunters in the world.

  And she pitied anyone who thought otherwise.

  He inhaled. “Got it.”

  “Good.” She stepped back. “If you think of anything else to tell us, Moody’s outside.” The giant demon with the snake tattoos was a damn fine guard. “Let him know and he’ll get word to Liam or me.”

  Liam wasn’t looking real happy right then. He stood in the doorway, filling the space, and his burning glare focused on Kyle.

  “Do you…know how she is?” Sounded like the words had been ripped from the shifter.

  Sadie didn’t have to ask who “she” was. “Su hasn’t woken up yet.” Su Kent, the victim Liam had managed to rescue.

  Su Kent, age thirty-two. Art director at the Miami Museum. Her mother had immigrated from Thailand and married Jonathan Kent, an ex-Marine.

  “Is she gonna make it?”

  “I think so.” She hoped so. From all accounts, Su Kent was a genuinely good person, a pretty rare thing. She donated food to the needy, taught an after-school art program for disadvantaged kids, and even had a recycling bin at her house. Yeah, Miller had checked her out thoroughly.

  A nice lady. One who sure hadn’t deserved the horror she’d suffered.

  Sadie walked to Liam.

  Just like he hadn’t deserved the horror that had happened to him and his team.

  Sometimes, life really sucked.

  “I-I’ll help you.” Kyle’s rushed words had her glancing back at him. “I want Michael stopped. My whole life my parents hated me because of the way I was. Said I was weak.”

  The pain on his face was gut-wrenching.

  “Michael made my life hell. You don’t know what he did all those years—” He broke off, shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter.”

  But she thought it did.

  “I survived,” he continued. “But he’s not going to, not this time.”

  “We’ll stop him,” Sadie told him, meaning the words. “He’s not going to hurt anyone else.”

  Yeah, they’d stop the bastard—once they found him.

  The shifter whore was with the vampire again. Walking with him, his arm around her shoulders, flesh pressed to flesh.

  She was with the parasite, all but purring up at him.

  She knew better.

  He snarled and lowered his binoculars.

  Binoculars—human invention, one that was coming in handy. He couldn’t risk getting close enough for the female to smell him—or close enough for his freak of a brother to catch his scent with that hyped-up nose of his.

  Should have cut off Kyle’s nose years ago. Should have killed him years ago.

  ‘Course, he’d tried—and nearly succeeded more times than he could count.

  Lucky bastard. That luck wouldn’t last forever. He’d make sure of it.

  But she’d been the one to save his brother this time. Sadie James. Tough agent. Sexy bitch.

  Soon-to-be dead woman.

  The vampire bent and pressed a kiss to her temple.

  The binoculars seemed to explode in his hand. Glass, metal, and blood fell from his fingers.

  Blood.

  Sadie had given her blood to the vampire. Freely given blood and body. She wasn’t a worthy adversary. Not a shifter of skill to fight and challenge.

  She was garbage. A whore who’d spread her legs too quickly for the undead.

  She’d pay for that. Pay for desecrating their kind.

  It was time for the hunt to come to an end.

  Time for Sadie James to die.

  He wouldn’t lose her.

  Liam held Sadie close, his arms tight around her as they hurried up the steps to her house.

  The desolation on the shifter’s face when he’d asked about his Su—

  No, that wasn’t the end Liam would have with Sadie. He wasn’t giving her up. Wasn’t going to live his life, hell, such as it was, without her.

  The instant the door shut behind them, his mouth was on hers. The need and the blinding lust had his body shaking. His cock was rock hard, fully erect, and ready to thrust into her tight sex.

  Her lips and tongue met his with the same feverish intensity. He could taste the hunger on her tongue. Wild fever.

  Fuck, yes.

  She clawed at his shirt, shredding the material so that her hands could get to his flesh. Her fingers curled over his muscles, hot hands that sent sparks dancing over his body.

  A purr rumbled in her throat and his cock jerked in hungry anticipation.

  Her fingers went to the buckle of his belt.

  Liam ripped his mouth from hers. “No!”

  Her eyes widened. So gold. And her lips were so red and wet and—

  He picked her up, took five steps into the dining room and spread her out on the table.

  Fucking beautiful. He’d wanted to make a meal of her all night.

  Her lips curved in a slow smile as she kicked off her shoes.

  I’d die for her. The realization hit him as he watched her beautiful smile. Lie. Kill. Die. Anything she wanted. He was lost. And so desperate for her. A taste. Liam had to have a taste. It had been too long.

  He caught the waist of her pants. Jerked the soft cotton down, and snagged the scrap of lace that shielded her secrets at the same time.

  Sadie tossed her shirt away and unhooked her bra, showing those perfect lick-me breasts.

  He caught her nipple with his mouth. Sucked and licked and tasted the sweet flavor of her flesh. The scent of her arousal filled the air around him. Rich. Tempting.

  Her hands were on his back. Stroking and pulling him closer.

  Liam freed her breast, only to immediately turn his attention to the other pink nipple. She tasted good.

  And he was going to taste more.

  So much more.

  He licked his lips when he rose. “Spread your legs.”

  The table was a dark cherry beneath her, making her skin seem to shine in stark contrast.

  Unbelievable—

  Her legs parted, showing him the plump, pink folds of her aroused flesh. Pink and wet and perfect.

  Liam’s mouth captured her. Pressed tight to that sweet center and took.

  Tongue and lips teased her. Pushed against the button of her desire. Tasted the silky flesh open to him.

  Liam took from her like a man starving, because he was. The more he tasted, the more he hungered. His tongue drove into her body, the need for her essence burning down to his very soul.

  He heard her shout of release, felt the ripples of her climax.

  Still he took.

  The taste he’d longed for in his dreams.

  “Liam!” Sadie, demanding as she pulled his hair. “Th-t
his time…you…inside.”

  His cock was about to explode so that sounded like a damn fine idea to him. One final swipe of his tongue, then—

  He shoved his jeans down. Caught his cock in one hand and pushed the broad head between her thighs.

  Creamy flesh.

  Liam sank into her.

  Their eyes met.

  He withdrew. Thrust deep.

  Her breath choked out. He could see the edge of her teeth.

  Her muscles clamped around him.

  So. Damn. Tight.

  They climaxed together, the release slamming through them. Liam held her tight, drinking the cries from her lips and knowing that he’d found—

  Everything.

  All, with his Sadie.

  Dammit…why, why couldn’t a monster have a chance at love?

  Someone was pounding at the door. Sadie blinked, forcing the sleep from her eyes so that she could glare at the bedside clock. Ten fifteen.

  Not exactly the crack of dawn, but then, she hadn’t gotten to sleep until after six that morning.

  An arm rested over her stomach. A strong thigh caged her legs.

  She smiled, catching sight of Liam’s tousled hair. He liked to hold her when he slept. She rather liked that. Made her feel…wanted. Ah, that was—

  “James! Dammit, James, I know you hear me! Freakin’ cat ears—you probably heard me drive up!” The pounding of a fist against her door, then Miller shouted, “Get your clothes on and open this door! We’ve got a situation—”

  “That man needs an ass kicking,” she muttered.

  “Yeah, he does,” Liam growled.

  Sadie smiled at that and kissed his bare shoulder before she managed to slide free of his grasp. She grabbed her robe and belted it quickly. “Remind me to give him one.”

  Liam didn’t get out of the bed. Not that she blamed him. Daylight and vampires really didn’t mix well. His kind were too weak when the sun rose, often suffering headaches and nausea—no wonder they preferred the nightlife.

  She hurried across the room and took the stairs three at a time, adrenaline beginning to kick in her blood. When Sadie jerked open her front door, Miller was still shouting.

  His eyes widened when he saw her, his stare sweeping from her hair—and, oh, yeah, she knew it had to look wild, courtesy of Liam’s fingers—to her bare thighs. Her silky black robe was short, she hated having her legs trapped by too much fabric. Leopards sometimes had confinement issues.

  But she didn’t mind it when Liam held her tight in bed. No, she didn’t mind that confinement at all.

  Miller drew in a hard breath. “What? Do you spend all your free time screwing vampires?”

  Ass kicking. Her hands dropped to her sides. One more minute, and she’d let her claws out. She hadn’t gotten enough sleep for this shit. “Do you spend all your time being a prick?”

  Miller blinked. “Yeah, pretty much.”

  What?

  His gaze drifted over her shoulder as he frowned. “Tell Sleeping Beauty to wake his butt up, I need him.”

  “Daytime’s not exactly his peak performance time.” A fact Miller knew.

  “I don’t need his strength.” Miller looked back at her. “I need his contacts.”

  Her brow furrowed. Behind her, she heard the creak of the stairs. “What’s happening?” She stepped back, knowing that she had to let Miller inside.

  The door closed with a soft click. “Kent’s awake and, unfortunately, her memory of the attack is crystal clear.”

  Sadie winced. Uh-oh. “Has she…started telling the hospital staff about what happened?” If she had, she’d either be headlining the news soon or she’d find herself shipped off to the psych ward for the foreseeable future.

  “She told Micco. He was in the room when she opened her eyes and started screaming about men with claws and fangs.”

  A soft footfall behind her. A moment later, Liam’s hand pressed against her back. “What do you want me to do? I can’t make her forget. You know I can’t work Thrall yet.”

  Thrall. The old vamp term for the ability to control a victim’s mind. To get the unwilling to surrender, to bare a throat and beg to be Taken.

  Born Masters had the ability with their first kill. For others, age brought the power, and, in terms of a vamp’s age, Liam was still a newborn.

  Though not quite as defenseless.

  “You know the demons in this city, better than anyone. Even Moody.”

  Yeah, well, Sadie knew Moody wasn’t exactly popular among his kind. Demons didn’t tend to think too highly of anybody who looked or acted like a cop.

  And Moody had been a cop for ten years before joining the Bureau.

  “Do any of them still owe you favors?” Miller pushed.

  Sadie glanced back at Liam. Dealing in favors—the way of the human world and the Other.

  A nod. “A few.”

  “Good, ’cause you’re gonna have to call in markers today.”

  Liam lifted his hand and pressed his fingers against his forehead. “What do you need?” What, not who.

  He knew the game.

  Miller flashed his shark’s smile. “A level eight or nine demon, the stronger the better.”

  Level eight or nine. Sadie exhaled slowly. Demon power was on a scale from one to ten. The low level demons, the ones to threes, were barely any threat to the human population. It was the high level demons that the people feared. Those above a level seven distinction, or L7, were trouble.

  Powerful. Deadly.

  Level tens—they were the hell-on-earth guys with their supernatural powers. But a level nine—well, he or she sure wouldn’t be someone to take lightly. Especially considering that one with that much power might be able to rip away the mind of a human.

  “You sure about this?” she asked Miller.

  “No choice, James. We need help. Someone has to make Ms. Kent forget all about her trip to hell.”

  A perfect job for a demon.

  Chapter Eight

  The woman on the bed was covered in stark white bandages. Her straight black hair fell around her face and her almond-shaped eyes blazed with fear.

  “I know you.” Her voice was a broken rasp.

  Liam hesitated just inside the doorway. “Do you now?” Yes, that was part of the problem.

  A tear leaked from her left eye and she began to shake, then to scream, with a voice long gone hoarse. Horrible, gasping gurgles sprang from her throat.

  “The bastard tortured her for hours,” Miller said, shaking his head. He stood at the foot of Su Kent’s bed, hands clenched behind his back. “Micco wants to send her to a psych ward—”

  Where she’d probably stay for a long, long time.

  Especially if she started talking about men who could become real monsters.

  Su stopped screaming and fell back against the mattress. Liam noticed the straps that were tied to her wrists, anchoring her to the bed. He took a cautious step forward.

  She flinched and turned her head away. “S-stop…M-make it all…st-stop…”

  Her pain and fear filled the room.

  I’ll find the bastard. And I’ll stop him from hurting anyone else ever again.

  “Su.” He said her name quietly.

  Another man stepped into the room behind him and the door closed almost soundlessly.

  The woman on the bed didn’t move.

  “Su.” He walked around the bed. Stopped beside her and saw that her dark eyes were open, but staring at nothing.

  No, staring at a nightmare only she could see.

  He reached for her hand. Damn. She was cold.

  Her lips parted and Liam was afraid the woman was about to start screaming again.

  “I never hurt you.” He spoke to her as another tear rolled down her cheek. She stared right through him. “I hurt him. I stopped him before he could do anything else to you.”

  “Cl-claws…and t-teeth…” Dry heaves shook her chest.

  Liam swallowed and wondered if she was talkin
g about the shifter or him.

  “I didn’t hurt you,” he repeated, trying to reach her. He wished Sadie were there. She always had a much softer touch than he did.

  But Miller had sent her back out to that damn bloody building downtown. He’d wanted Sadie and her team to canvas the area to see if anyone knew anything about Michael Munroe—and to make certain the bastard hadn’t left any telling tracks that would help them nail him.

  Sadie was the best hunter they had. She hadn’t been with the unit that swept the building the night before, and Miller was worried as hell they’d missed something without her.

  But she sure would have been handy right then. With her soothing voice and understanding eyes, she would have been able to reach the shattered Su.

  “Hurt…I-I hurt…s-so much. C-can’t forget…”

  “Do you want to?” He knew Miller’s attention was locked on them. Her response was very, very important.

  Her head moved in the briefest of nods.

  Not good enough. Miller wanted him to help wipe out Su’s memories. Before he gave the demon standing so still next to the door the all clear, he wanted to make absolutely certain Su understood what was happening.

  She’d have a choice in this, no matter what Miller wanted.

  “Tell me, Su. Tell me what you want.”

  “T-to for…get…” Her swollen lips trembled. “Go back…like before.”

  Wouldn’t be exactly like before.

  But it wouldn’t be like surviving hell, either.

  “I can do that. I can take all the bad memories away.”

  Her hand twisted, grabbed his with desperate strength and her eyes finally locked on his. No, finally saw him. “Do it.” The clearest thing she’d said.

  The choice was made.

  The demon stepped forward.

  The building reeked of the leopard. Sadie stood outside the old building on Burns and Montay, her nose wrinkling. That bastard had left his scent everywhere.

  “Probably living here,” she muttered to the two men at her back. Humans, but they knew the hunt wasn’t for a normal killer. “His stench is too strong.”