He pulled back his shoulders, his green eyes shadowed and bleak. “Sure as hell feels like you’re blaming me.”
“I’m not. But you have to be reasonable. How would this work?” she asked, shaking her head. “I can’t go into a relationship trying to hide what I am. Not even for an affair.”
He opened his mouth, ready to say God only knew what, but was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. Blowing out a sharp breath of irritation, he moved off the bed and zipped up his jeans as he headed toward the dresser, where he’d left the phone. He answered the call, then looked at her, saying, “It’s Ashe. I’m putting him on speaker.”
The vampire’s voice crackled from the phone. “Guys, we’ve got a problem. Gid and I just found out we’re not the only ones running surveillance on Spark. Liam, our cousin, spotted a Casus who’s watching her, too. The guy’s holed up in the room right next to ours. Said he’s a big bastard, with a scar that runs along the right side of his face.”
“It’s Seton,” she murmured, scrambling for her clothes. “He’s here.”
“How do you know?” Seth asked, giving her a sharp look. “I thought you couldn’t read him.”
“I can’t.” She pulled on her panties, then her jeans. “But I’m the one who gave him the scar. And I can read Spark.”
He turned the lamp on high, flooding the room with light. “Since when?”
“Since earlier tonight.” She didn’t look at him as she pulled her sweater over her head, but could feel the force of his anger as it blasted against her.
“You knew she was in town, didn’t you?” His voice was raw. “You knew before you ran.”
She nodded, saying, “But I wasn’t reading her as clearly as I am now.” Settling her gaze on the phone, where Ashe was still listening, she said, “Spark doesn’t know that Seton’s in town, but she did get a call from him earlier today. He told her he was delivering orders from Westmore.”
“What were the orders?”
“To come to Berlin and find me.”
“Was it a kill order?” Ashe asked.
“No,” she answered. “She’s meant to take me in alive.”
“So then why would Seton come to Berlin, as well?”
“I’m not sure. But I can tell you that Spark is suspicious. She knows there’s a good chance that I can use my powers to read her. She thinks they’re setting her up. Figures they’re using her as a decoy to distract us, so that a backup team can swoop in and close the deal.”
“They’re trying to draw you out,” Seth growled, a muscle pulsing in his hard jaw.
“Well, we know where they are,” Ashe said. “Our best bet is to strike now. But we’ll have to move fast. I’ll have Liam keep an eye on Spark and tell Gideon to stick to Seton.”
“And where are you going?”
“I’m coming back to the hotel to get the two of you. I’ll text you from the lobby when I get there.”
The line went dead and Seth slid the phone into one pocket, then pulled the knife she’d given him out of the other. “What are you doing?” she asked, watching as he opened the blade.
“We don’t have much time, but you need to feed before going into something like this.”
She didn’t argue. Not when it meant getting more of his blood. Call her a junkie, but she was already strung out on his taste, unable to say no, needing the feel and warmth of him in her mouth. He sliced into the same cut that he’d made before, reopening the wound, then collected the blood in one of the hotel’s glasses. She took it without looking at his face, but knew he watched her as she drank, the flavor somehow even richer than it’d been before. When she’d finished, she took the cup to the bathroom and rinsed it out, leaving it sitting by the sink, and came back to find him opening his first-aid kit.
“You don’t need another bandage,” she told him, her voice shaky with nerves as she crossed the room to him. She was helpless to ignore the idea that had just sprung into her mind, determined to see it through.
“I’d rather not bleed all over myself,” he replied dryly.
“Just trust me,” she whispered, taking hold of his strong wrist, loving the way the golden hair on his arm crinkled against her palm. He flinched as she lifted his corded forearm to her face, his pulse racing, the scent of the warm blood easing from the wound making her mouth water. But she stayed in control, determined to show him she could be trusted. That she wasn’t going to attack him in a fit of bloodlust and savage his arm. Instead, she slowly swiped her tongue over the shallow cut, the biological composition of her saliva acting as a coagulant and healing agent.
“There,” she whispered a moment later, lowering his arm as she released her hold on him. “All better.”
“Thanks.”
The gruffness of his tone made her shiver, and she lifted her gaze to find him staring down at her, the look in his dark eyes impossible to read. Their bodies seemed to sway closer together, and they stayed that way for what felt like forever, searching for answers in each other’s eyes, until the sudden vibrating of his phone broke them apart.
“That’s probably Ashe,” she whispered, while he pulled out the phone, glanced at the text and nodded. They grabbed their things, planning to leave them in Ashe’s car, and left the room. The elevator was empty as they took it down, but she knew Seth was on the lookout for trouble. He’d loaded himself up with weapons, two guns and several knives hidden under his clothes, his big, muscular body vibing with tension. Just before the doors started to open, he reached down and pressed the button to keep them closed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, wondering if he’d sensed something. He might not have possessed supernatural senses, but she trusted his instincts.
He popped his jaw, keeping his gaze locked on the doors as he said, “When this is over, we’re finishing that conversation.”
She didn’t need to ask which one. Raine knew exactly what he wanted to talk about. But she wasn’t going to change her mind. She might want him so much it hurt, but she couldn’t pretend to be something she wasn’t. If she tried, anything she felt for him would turn to resentment, and she’d be left with one more regret to add to a list that was already far too long.
“I don’t think there’s much left to talk about,” she told him, forcing herself to sound firm. Strong.
But he turned his head slowly, looking right at her, and his green eyes promised her she was wrong. That he would get his way. Ignoring the voice in the back of her mind whispering that she was running like a coward, Raine opened her mouth, ready to argue, but he released the button and the doors opened onto a chaotic scene that looked like something out of a war movie. Smoke billowed in thick clouds, obscuring the lobby, the acrid stench of chemicals filling the air, while the hotel staff ran around shouting panicked orders for evacuation, the blaring wail of an alarm suddenly vibrating through the building.
Raine couldn’t see anything, but she knew what had happened, her powers flooding her mind with sudden bursts of information so quickly it made her dizzy.
“It’s Spark,” she shouted, reaching out for McConnell just as he grabbed her arm and jerked her into his side, a gun in his free hand. “She’s already here!”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THOUGH HE WANTED to pull Raine back into the elevator and get her the hell out of there, Seth fought the impulse, knowing it was probably what Spark had planned. If she’d paid for hired guns to help her, odds were high that men would be waiting for them on the upper floors of the hotel, as well as the other exits. Their best shot was to fight their way out of the lobby, where Granger would be waiting for them—but he didn’t have a goddamn clue what they were up against, the fog so thick he couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of him.
“Why isn’t the smoke burning our eyes?” Raine asked him as he pulled her off the elevator and pushed her behind him, keeping the wall at her back. Her voice was remarkably calm, considering the circumstances, and while he hated the risks she continually took with her life, he coul
dn’t help but be thankful that she wasn’t one of those women who panicked at the first sign of trouble.
Turning his head to the side so that she could hear him over the wailing alarm and the panicked hotel staff who were now screaming about the exits being blocked by gunmen, he said, “Spark’s used a Collective creation called fog bombs. They’re meant to be used for cover, without the debilitating effects of actual smoke.”
“She’s waiting for us near the doors,” Raine said. “And she’s not alone. She has five armed men with her that she’s worked with before. They’re expecting us to try to fight our way past them, and she’s given them orders to shoot you on sight. There are more gunmen covering the other exits.” She paused, no doubt listening to the thoughts streaming into her mind, then added, “She had someone follow Gideon here earlier tonight. That’s how she found us.”
“If you can read her so clearly now, why didn’t you know she was coming?”
Though Seth wasn’t looking at her, his gaze focused on their foggy surroundings, he could feel her rolling her eyes. “My powers aren’t a sure thing, McConnell. It’s probably best not to rely on them.”
“Can you get a read on Ashe?”
“He was waiting for us near the elevators when the blasts went off. He’s slipped behind the reservations desk—and he’s getting ready to shout for you.”
Sure enough, the vampire’s deep voice rang out a second later, and Seth pulled her along behind him as they made their way through the thick mist. “Raine says Spark is covering the entrance,” Seth said, as soon as they’d bunkered down behind the desk with the vampire, three of the hotel’s employees huddled nearby, clearly terrified. “And she’s not alone. She has five guys with her in the lobby and more are covering the rest of the hotel.”
“How did she find you?” the vampire asked, his expression grim as he cast a sharp look toward the shell-shocked humans. Seth figured Granger would have had more sympathy if they were women…but probably couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that three grown men were frozen stiff with fear. Not that Seth could understand them, either—but then he knew he no longer thought like the average human male.
Answering the vampire’s question, Raine said, “She had Gideon followed when he came here to pick up Thomas.”
Ashe muttered a raw curse, his pale eyes burning with fury. “I just talked to Liam. He’s still watching the redhead that we thought was Spark through her hotel room window. Spark must have known Gid and I were tailing her and set up a decoy.”
“Does Gideon have Seton?” Seth asked, slipping his bag off his shoulder.
The Deschanel shook his head. “I talked to him right after I got off the phone with Liam. Seton took off a few minutes ago, but Gideon lost him.”
“Shit,” he growled, knowing damn well that their chances of finding the bastard again were slim. Seton wasn’t going to make it easy for them by showing his face until he was ready to make a move against Raine.
Either that, or the Casus was going to use this cluster-fuck as the perfect opportunity to sneak in and grab her. Which meant Seth had to get her out of there as soon as possible, every moment putting her in greater jeopardy.
Scooting closer to his side, Raine asked, “How long is this fog going to last?”
“Another ten minutes or so, but the cops will probably get here before then,” he told her, hating the worry he could see in her eyes. He wished they were anywhere but there. Wished they were someplace quiet and calm, where they could finish what they’d started up in that hotel room. It made him feel like shit for reacting the way that he had to her fangs, his shame so thick he could taste it, and he’d have kicked his own ass if he could only reach the damn thing. She’d been so warm and trusting, and he’d repaid her by acting like a complete jackass.
He couldn’t believe he’d just thrown it away. Not when everything had been so perfect. Christ, his head was still reeling from the way she’d come for him, his mouth still watering for more of her taste…and his dick was just in downright hell.
“What should we do?” she asked him, and it was with a surreal sense of pride that he realized she was willing to let him make the call. That she finally trusted him to protect her.
Not giving a shit what Ashe thought of it, Seth leaned over and gripped the back of her bare neck, her long hair tucked up tight under her black cap. Holding her steady, he planted a hard kiss against the heady softness of her mouth, then forced himself to let her go.
“I’m going to handle this,” he told her, his voice hard with command. “I want you to stay here.”
Her eyes shot wide with panic. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m not sure,” he admitted, “but I’ll think of something.” He slid Ashe a questioning look, and though the vampire didn’t appear happy about being given guard duty, he relented with a sharp nod. Looking back at Raine, Seth said, “Whatever happens, you don’t leave Granger’s side.”
He didn’t give her time to argue, but immediately vaulted up onto the high counter. Knowing exactly how Spark worked, he figured she’d have her men fanned out in front of her, while she used their bodies to shield her position. Which meant he’d have to take out the thugs before he could get to the assassin.
As another canister was released, Spark shouted at the top of her lungs, and he could tell from the direction of her voice that she was near the entrance, just as Raine had said. “You know we have the advantage!” she called out over the alarm and screaming crowd that was gathering in the lobby, the hotel’s guests apparently being herded into the spacious, high-ceilinged room. “And you know I have no qualms about shooting one of these innocent bystanders. How does one dead hotel guest for every minute that you make me wait sound to you?” she asked, and he could hear the smile in her husky voice. Crazy bitch. She always had gotten a kick out of killing.
“If you don’t want anyone to get hurt,” she added, “you’ll go ahead and turn yourself in, McConnell!”
A shot rang out from somewhere in the hotel, increasing the crowd’s panic, and he knew he had to act fast. Pulling up a mental image of the lobby from his memories, Seth tilted his head back. Though he couldn’t see the wires in the thick smokelike fog, he jumped, the fingers of his right hand just managing to snag one of the thick cables he recalled being strung across the ceiling as part of some modern light fixture. With his Sig in his left hand, Seth hooked his feet around the cable and started to shimmy across the lobby, careful not to crush any of the small bulbs hanging from the wire, while the fog obscured him from view down below.
Within seconds, he was hanging directly over Spark and her men, their forms just visible in the hazy mist. With his knees hooked over the cable, Seth slowly lowered his upper body, his abs flexed tight as he swiftly formulated his plan of attack. In a flash, he used his right hand to reach around the head of the gunman standing directly beneath him. He grasped the guy’s chin and gave it a violent yank, instantly breaking his neck, while shooting the man standing beside him in the head. Then he drilled bullets into the other three, and pulled back up to the cable before he was even spotted.
Now the gunmen were lying dead on the tiled floor, one with a broken neck and the other four with gunshots to the center of their foreheads, while Spark spun in a circle, gun raised, trying to determine where the attack had come from.
“Come on, McConnell. Show your face,” she shouted over the screaming crowd, the gunshots only increasing their distress.
Knowing he had only seconds before she looked up and spotted him, he holstered the Sig and reached for one of the “tranq” poppers he’d shoved in his pocket before leaving the room. The high-dosage sedative had been created by the Collective and was dispensed from a small syringe that fit in the palm of his hand. The instant Spark moved beneath him, Seth lowered his upper body again, jabbing the short needle into her jugular. A second later, she slumped to the floor in an unconscious heap.
After dropping deftly to his feet, Seth tucked her gun into the
back of his jeans, then quickly opened the hotel’s front doors. As the fog began to dissipate, spilling into the cold night air, he picked Spark up, slinging her body over his shoulder as he forged his way back to the reservations desk, eager to make sure Raine was all right. With the main doorway clear, panicked guests and hotel staff rushed for the exit, knocking into him as they scrambled past, but he pushed forward, scowling as he picked out the sounds of fighting coming from up ahead.
As he drew closer, Seth could hear Ashe’s feral curses, the visibility finally improving enough that he could see the vampire in violent hand-to-hand combat with three more of the hired thugs who worked for Spark. With the fog quickly thinning, he watched the vampire make short work of the humans. The bodies of several other gunmen were scattered across the floor, having already been dispatched by the vamp, and he realized Ashe had clearly had his back, keeping the men from crossing the lobby while Seth had been dealing with those at the entrance. He was just about to offer his thanks when he caught sight of the vampire’s grim expression…and knew something had happened to Raine. Racing toward the reservations desk, he found the area empty but for another fallen gunman and their bags.
“Where the fuck is she?” he growled, tossing Spark’s body on the counter as he spun toward the vampire.
Ashe used the back of his wrist to wipe the bloodied corner of his mouth. “She’s gone.”
“What do you mean, gone?” His voice was deceptively soft, his chest so tight he could barely breathe, while panic seared through his veins like an acid, stripping him raw inside.
“I mean she took off while I was in the middle of dealing with these assholes,” he muttered, jerking his chin toward the bodies that littered the ground. “I told her to stay put, but your woman listens for shit, McConnell.”
“You were supposed to be watching her!” he roared, his hands curling into fists as he advanced on the vampire.
“I was!” Ashe roared right back at him. “But I was trying to keep four of those bastards from grabbing her when she bailed. What the hell was I supposed to do? Chain her to me?”
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