Bite (Bloodlines Book 1)

by Crissy Smith

  Kieran could see why that would be a problem. He also wanted to know who’d spotted him and how. He held off asking, not wanting to give away his inability to do the same.

  “So after you checked in I did some digging around,” Alex said.

  He knew that any official information found would be light on info.

  “When I couldn’t find much, I phoned my contact within the Organization. Alex verified Kieran’s earlier thought. “All I could get was that you are on the job. And that was good enough for me.”

  “Okay,” Kieran said. “So what exactly do you want from me?”

  “Like I said, hopefully nothing.” Alex braced his elbows on his knees. “In the last six months, we’ve seen more and more supernatural types in town. It’s kept my employees busy and we’re concerned that someone might be up to something. If there’s trouble, we’d like to be able to call on you. We’ll even go through official channels but having you here actually works out well for us.”

  “So you don’t only run security for the hotel but the entire city?” Kieran asked. That was what the cops, Coalition and Organization were for. If Alex and his people were vigilantes, Kieran had to look into it.

  “No.” Alex shook his head then nodded. “Or maybe. Jackson was the first of our kind that settled in the city. He looks at this as his responsibility and he isn’t going to let trouble put any of us in danger. Part of my job is to ensure that.”

  Kieran really wanted to meet this Jackson…after he’d looked a little more into the entire operation in Vegas. “How many of us are there in the city?”

  “A dozen.” Alex shrugged. “More or less as people travel. But living here, under the radar, and who we keep tabs on? Twelve.”

  “Okay,” Kieran said. “I want to talk to my people, although while I’m doing that, I’ll remain open to offering my services if needed.”

  Alex smiled. “I appreciate that.” He stood, so Kieran rose as well. “You know you’re being watched, right?”

  Kieran laughed. “Very much so. I’m having fun with it. It’s personal and I’m not in any danger.”

  “Okay.” Alex held out his hand. “If you need any help, just let me know. Been a while since I’ve had any fun.”

  For some unknown reason Kieran liked the man in front of him. He felt comfortable, and although he wanted to be wary, he just couldn’t manage it. He grinned back at Alex. “We might be able to work something up.”

  “That’d be great.” They shook before Alex headed toward the door. “If you’d like to get a drink sometime, give me a call. I imagine you’ll have more questions after you’ve done some poking around on us.”

  Kieran figured the same.

  “I’ll be happy to tell you what I can.” Alex handed him a card. “My office and personal numbers.”

  “Thanks.” Kieran accepted the card.

  Alex turned to open the door and stepped out. Kieran stood in the doorway as Alex strolled down to the elevator. This was an interesting turn of events. What had happened to his boring vacation? He hadn’t planned on the Organization agents following him or this new twist.

  Crap! Remy was headed to him any day. He would prefer to keep his friend away from these guys. If what Alex had said was true, that they tracked every supernatural person who came into their city, the minute Remy arrived they would know.

  He could call his friend off. Remy wouldn’t be happy but he’d deal with it. Although Kieran needed his bribe for Lettie even more now that he had additional work for her to do.

  Before he could close the door, he heard the elevator ding and the doors open. He could smell the rich bold aroma of coffee. His dinner.

  Alex entered the lift as the hotel staffer exited it. They nodded at each other in a familiar fashion. Kieran narrowed his eyes as he watched the man who wheeled his food in his direction. He picked up the scent of berries and grass. He took a deep breath. Shifter, bear. He jerked back in surprise.

  “Good evening, sir,” the staffer said. “I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

  “No,” Kieran said. “I was letting my guest out.”

  “Should I bring the cart in?”

  Kieran stepped out of the way. “If you could place it on the table, please.”

  “Sure.”

  As the young man busied himself with setting out Kieran’s meal, Kieran watched him closely. The bear shifter’s heart rate was calm and steady. He didn’t smell nervous or afraid. Just a normal guy doing his job? Kieran wasn’t so sure. He was pretty certain Alex was showing him that the hotel was full of supernatural people.

  It’s what he would do.

  “Do you need anything else?”

  “That should be it,” Kieran said as he accepted the leather case to sign. Again he added a generous tip before he handed it back over. It wasn’t his money he was spending anymore.

  “Just call if you need anything else, sir.”

  He nodded then closed and locked his door. His stomach growled as he strode over to the table. He started to make a mental list. He needed to call Lettie and Remy, and depending on what Lettie told him, maybe Caspar. As much as he hated reports, there was a good chance he’d be spending the rest of his night researching the city and occupants.

  Alex had stated that he had a contact within the Organization. He wanted to find out who that was. If it was Dean or Dakota, that would simplify things for him. Since he wasn’t normally that lucky, he suspected that it wouldn’t be that easy. It would give him the opportunity, though, to see who else worked for his company in Vegas.

  Maybe tomorrow he would stake out their building. There had to be somewhere that they worked out of.

  If he could find a way inside, he might really have some amusement. Caspar would probably be pissed if Kieran did so, which made him want to break in even more. He did need to pay his boss back for putting Dean on him. Hell, he might be able to get into Dean’s office and screw with both Caspar and his nephew. Excited now, Kieran started on his dinner.

  He savored every delicious bite of his meal as he worked out what he wanted to do. First he had to check his emails for what he’d asked Lettie for the night before. She’d had almost twenty-four hours so he had no doubt Lettie would have come through for him by now. He’d also have to send her the new names to look into while he worked on going through case files there in Vegas.

  Kieran finished his first mug of coffee then poured another. After he’d eaten the last couple of bites of dinner, he sat back in his chair and groaned. That had been so damn tasty. If the hotel was footing the bill, maybe he should think about eating lunch there also?

  No, he wouldn’t take advantage. They might ask him for his help or might not. If not, he’d pay for his expenses but if there was any need for him to get involved, he’d allow them to pay.

  He wasn’t sure how he felt about this new development in his life. Twelve Day Walkers, fourteen if he included himself and Alex. Alex had said that he kept in contact with them, so did they work within the hotels or just live in the area?

  His cell phone rang and he glanced around. Ah, bedroom, where he’d undressed. Kieran pushed back from the table and strolled through the living area. His pants were still on the chair he’d left them on. Kieran picked them up and dug in the pocket until he pulled out his cell.

  “Hey,” he greeted after he’d swept his finger over the screen to answer.

  “I’m a day away,” Remy told him. “I should be in late tomorrow night. What hotel should I check into?”

  Well, shit. Kieran didn’t want his partner at his hotel or anywhere near Alex until he knew what was going on. Maybe not even then. “Ugh.”

  Remy laughed. “I’m not feeling the love. What’s going on?”

  Remy should know what was going on. He’d want to help, but Kieran would deal with that later. “I don’t want to get into it over the phone. But can you trust me?”

  All trace of amusement left Remy’s voice. “Of course.”

  “Grab a hotel on the s
trip but don’t use the Graham chain,” Kieran told him.

  “No problem,” Remy agreed. “I’ll text you my hotel and room number. You want to meet me there when I get in?”

  “Yeah,” Kieran agreed. That would give him enough time to do his research, stalk around and come up with a plan.

  “Watch your back,” Remy said.

  “Will do,” Kieran promised before he hung up. Since he had his pants in his hand he gathered up the rest of his clothing and added them into the same laundry bag he’d shoved his sweater in earlier. He glanced at the bed—it was mussed up a little but not too bad. And he appreciated that housekeeping had added the same amount of blankets and pillows he’d had on it the night before.

  He had work to do and strode into the living area. Kieran went directly to the curtains that hid the large windows. He pulled them open, giving him an astonishing view of the Strip. There were hundreds of people on the streets right now, and any one of them could be a Walker. Okay, enough stalling. He rubbed his hands together. Research was needed, and as much as he hated it, if he wanted answers, the job had to get done. He grabbed his laptop from the table where he’d left it the night before and took it to the desk that sat right next to the window. At least he’d have the view to appreciate as he sorted through files.

  Humming, he opened the computer lid and powered it on before he strolled back over to the table and poured himself a fresh cup of coffee. He carried it with him to the desk and sat. Kieran logged on and waited. He had to connect to the Internet, glad he’d ordered the extra amenity even if it was an additional fee. Then he logged into his secure server so his movements couldn’t be followed.

  After he was as protected as possible, he opened his emails. As expected there were two emails from Lettie. The subject lines were the names that she’d researched for him. He was surprised to see one from his boss as well.

  Kieran opened Caspar’s first. He grinned as he read. It was the basic checking-in talk and telling Kieran to behave himself. There was no chance in hell he’d be doing that. But the email did tell him that Dean hadn’t spoken to Caspar yet.

  He closed the email without responding. Let Caspar wonder what he was up to. Next, he hovered the mouse icon over the email with Dakota’s name in the subject line. Did he want to go there? When he’d first asked Lettie to look into her, it had been before they’d slept together. Now it seemed…creepy. He already knew her, didn’t he?

  Earlier he’d admitted to himself that he didn’t see Dakota as a shifter that was out to hurt him. There was a big part of him that wanted to keep that fantasy alive. What if he found something that changed his feelings about her? Maybe her family, or other shifters she knew, had captured or tortured Walkers like those who’d taken him. He wouldn’t be able to stand it.

  Cowardly maybe, but Kieran chose the email for Dean first.

  There was no message, just an attachment that he double clicked open. A picture of a younger Dean was the first thing he saw. He was a good-looking kid who’d grown into a handsome man. He’d resembled Caspar more when he’d been younger. They shared the same square chin and high cheekbones. It was hard to hate the guy when he reminded Kieran so much of a man he cared for.

  He scrolled down past the picture. Dean had attended the Organization’s boarding school in California. So Angel and Remy probably wouldn’t know him. They’d both gone to school on the east coast. Dean had been a good student who’d aced all his classes, especially math and science. Kieran read about all of Dean’s accomplishments and was impressed. If he’d been in charge, he would have put Dean in a lab or as a technician. He would thrive investigating, just like Lettie. Maybe Dean was good in the field but he had a feeling that it was his last name that had decided his position.

  Vaguely, he wondered how Dean felt about that.

  According to the file, Dean had been partnered with Dakota for three years. A long partnership that had benefited the city of Las Vegas. There was little on his personal affairs in the file but that was to be expected. The juicy stuff would be harder to find, but Kieran was a determined man.

  He minimized this email and pulled up the program that gave him access to the Organization’s files. He typed in a request for cases in the Las Vegas area for the last six months.

  Jesus! Over four hundred open, closed and current cases. How did the agents there get anything done? To narrow down the numbers, he typed in Dean’s name. That was a little more manageable. Still just shy of one hundred. He picked the newest and opened it. He’d work his way back. If he didn’t get a good idea of how Dean and Dakota worked after reading through these, he didn’t know how he would.

  * * * *

  It was almost ten at night but no one had seen Kieran leave his suite, so Dakota hoped he was still in for the night. After she and Dean had left the hotel earlier, they’d been called in to assist some of the other agents.

  A group of shifters had decided to try their hand at breaking and entering. They’d used brute force instead of finesse and that was what had got them busted. It wasn’t hard to follow their scents to where they’d crashed.

  But that had made her later than she’d wanted.

  She knocked softly on Kieran’s hotel door so as not to disturb the occupants in the rooms around him. Dakota leaned closer to the door and could hear sounds. She moved from foot to foot as she waited.

  When he opened the door, her breath caught. Kieran wore only a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. She hadn’t seen him dressed down before and she liked it. Almost as much as when he was naked. He looked good in his street clothes but now? He actually took her breath away. His hair was ruffled like he’d been running his fingers through it. To see him so laid-back and in comfort made her feel like she was seeing a side of him very few did.

  Without a word, he opened the door the rest of the way. She stepped in and picked up the smell of coffee, food and wine? It had to have been a better meal than what she and Dean had picked up on the fly. Dean loved fast food, and while Dakota tried her best to shovel some of the same crap down, she always felt slightly nauseous after.

  Kieran closed the door and with a hand to her lower back, led her into the living space of the suite. The suite looked even more lived in than it had the night before. The room wasn’t as neat as when she’d left earlier but still tidier than her own place. She wondered if he was always neat or if it was just because he was in a hotel room.

  “Would you like a drink?” he asked as he strolled to the table ahead of her. “I had a bottle brought up.”

  “Yes, please,” she replied as she shrugged off her coat and placed it over Kieran’s on the back of the couch.

  Kieran poured her a glass of a dark red liquid then strolled toward her. “I’d wondered if I would see you tonight.”

  She accepted the glass as she nodded. “I got caught up in work.” She glanced around and saw that he’d been working on something himself at the desk. His laptop was open and he had a notebook sitting next to it. If he was on vacation, was that for business or pleasure?

  He followed her gaze. “Research.”

  When he didn’t elaborate, she shrugged it off. She knew that Kieran was still wary of her. She wished she knew what his problem with shifters was so she would be able to make him more comfortable.

  She could call Caspar or have Dean do it but then she’d have to admit that her interest was personal. Not that she was ashamed of it, but Dakota had a feeling that Caspar wouldn’t want anyone to know about her and Kieran.

  She’d even thought about calling up his file but that felt like a breach of trust. All she could do was hope that eventually he would be comfortable enough to share his past with her. Her only worry was that something would come between them before he fully trusted her. Dakota knew she would fight for him but if he was the one pushing her away, she wasn’t certain she would succeed. It was very obvious that he was damn stubborn. She glanced over at him and saw him watching her. Dakota smiled before she took a sip of her wine.


  “Have you eaten?” he asked.

  “We grabbed something at the drive-through earlier,” she told him. “After you stopped following us.”

  Kieran laughed. “You have to tell me how you spotted me.”

  “It was easy,” she said while strolling to the window to look down at her city. “Yours is the best ass I’ve ever seen. I’d know it anywhere.”

  She saw him approach in the reflection in the windows. Kieran placed his hand on her shoulder before he leaned into her. Holding her glass in her right hand, she reached back to grasp the back of his leg to hold him close.

  “I thought I was sneakier than that,” he said.

  Dakota sipped more of the smooth liquid. It had a good, bold flavor that she appreciated. She leaned more toward hard liquor or beer but this was nice. Especially with Kieran pressed up against her as she watched the lights twinkle below. “You probably are but since you were on my mind, it most likely made it easier.”

  “On your mind?” he asked. He brought his arms around her to place his hands over her stomach.

  She allowed herself to rest her weight against him while continuing to drink. “You know you were,” she said. It was easier to speak her mind not having to look at him. “I was impressed this morning.”

  “I hope you were impressed last night, in the middle of the night and this morning,” he teased.

  Dakota laughed. “Yeah, yeah, I was but I was talking about my clothes and breakfast.”

  He sighed, and she started to turn around but he tightened his hold. Maybe this was less demanding for him too, not having to face her as they spoke. “I didn’t want you to feel like… Just…even though I was gone this morning, I enjoyed our time together and hoped you’d be back.”

  She smiled at his confession so she gave him one of her own. “There was no way I wasn’t coming back, whether you wanted me to or not.”