“There won’t be a next time—”
But she broke off as she stared up at his laughing face. Because the truth was, she was no longer sure if she could resist him, which meant one thing. She needed to get to the wolf as soon as she could and then get the hell away from Leke…as far as possible.
AS SHE FOLLOWED ON HER Harley, Leke kept his eyes on her in the rearview mirror of the car. He’d been in such a hurry to come after her to the Blood Zone, that he didn’t give Fry a chance to accompany him as he usually did.
But it didn’t mean he got to spend any more time with her. He’d never taken advantage of the Blood Zone for his personal use before, not wanting to mix business and pleasure. But the way she’d moaned and writhed as she took blood from him…she dispersed the control gathered over decades, breaking through his resolve until he could think of nothing but sinking his cock and fangs into her. He’d wanted to do it again and again—damn, the processed stuff would be intolerable from now on—and if it wasn’t for the fact that Fry had information on the rogue shifter wolf, he might have even put his work aside to be with her.
Leke wouldn’t let up until he found Rasmus. For as long as the wolf was out there, he was a danger to Veronica, and Leke was not going to stand for that…no fucking way.
He parked up outside the mansion, and Veronica stopped alongside him. When he held his hand out, she arched an eyebrow. “Your keys.”
She scoffed as she leaned against her bike. “I’m not handing them over.”
“We’ve got an important mission coming up, and I don’t need to be chasing you all over the borough. Your keys.” He forced a hard tone to his voice, even though as she looked at him with that cocky smirk on her face, all he wanted was to pull her to him and kiss her until her stubbornness emanated.
“Keeping me prisoner was not part of the deal.”
This wouldn’t go anywhere, apart from in circles. He would have to inform security at the gate to let him know if she tried to leave the premises. Not the way he wanted to work, but he couldn’t waste time worrying about her—and there was no way he’d tolerate her putting herself in danger. “Let’s go to see Fry and find out what information he has.” She followed him into the mansion with no witty retorts. Fry was waiting for him in the office. Leke took his seat behind the desk as Veronica and his right hand sat opposite him. “What information do you have, Fry?”
“Wilson wants to meet with you. And Veronica.”
“Wilson?”
“Yes. He tried to contact you while you were in the Blood Zone, but there was no answer.” When Leke glanced at Veronica, she smirked. Infuriating creature. If Fry noticed the exchange, he gave no indication. “Edge returned my message.” That was fast.
“Edge?” Veronica looked as if she wanted to bash her fist through the desk. “What the fuck did that wolf want?”
Fry glanced between them both. “You didn’t tell her, Leke?”
“Tell me what?”
“Edge is Rasmus’ right hand, as you know,” said Leke. “But I had reason to believe he might be interested in helping…so I asked Fry to approach him with the option of working alongside us.” He turned to Fry. “What did the wolf say?”
“He wants to help, apparently.”
Before Leke could say anything else, Veronica went off on one. “I hope you told him where to stick his fucked up offer. Does the asshole really think we’re stupid enough—”
“Listen to what I’m saying,” said Fry. “We know the Association has been in touch with Rasmus about creating upheaval across the borough. Edge has offered to help us take out his leader before he does. Before he got in touch with me, he spoke to Wilson, and gave him some information that was of personal interest to the government office.”
“What?” asked Leke.
“No idea. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
“I’ve never met Edge.” Leke glanced at Veronica. “You know more about him than either of us.”
When she opened her mouth, her expression said she was going to release a round of curses. But instead, she shut it again. She drew a deep breath before speaking. “I can’t stand those guys, but from what I know of Edge, he’s not into violence. He’s never gotten his hands dirty…but we can’t forget that he works for Rasmus, can we?” She turned to Fry. “What was Wilson suggesting?”
Fry glanced between Leke and her. “He suggested we meet with Edge and him.”
Veronica rolled her eyes. It was a few moments before she spoke. “I guess there’s no harm in meeting with them, is there?” Unusually reasonable of her. “Set up the meeting.”
When Fry glanced at Leke, he nodded. “Do it.”
Fry stood. “I’ll get on to it straight away.” As his broad frame passed through the doorway, a silence settled in the office.
Leke leaned back in the armchair, his gaze on Veronica. She scowled in response. “What?”
He sighed. “I thought that after what happened in Blood Zone, you might have loosened up a bit.”
“I took blood from you, but it changes nothing.”
“You didn’t only take blood; you gave it, too. And enjoyed it.”
“I was caught unawares—”
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Deny it all you want, but you enjoyed what happened in the Blood Zone.” He paused. “As much as I did.”
“I still hate your kind.” Her eyes flashed and mouth tensed again as she stood. “Make the most of it, bloodsucker. Because it’s not happening again.” And with that, she turned. When she reached the door, she paused with her fingers on the handle. “I will beat those werewolves with human abilities. I don’t need vampire powers…or habits.” She left the room, slamming the door behind her.
Leke leaned into the armchair, tilting his head back to rest it. It was best if she maintained that attitude, because they both needed to keep their minds clear. One of them needed to be strong, and that someone wasn’t going to be him…because after what happened between them in the Blood Zone, it would be impossible to hold back from her.
Only her hatred could keep him away.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
* * *
LEKE AWAKENED WITH A thirst for blood…not just blood…Veronica’s blood. Days had passed since that night in Blood Zone, and as he’d suspected, the pints in his fridge were now tasteless. Nothing beat having his fangs sinking into her neck as she came around his cock…
He went into the bathroom to stand under the ice-cold water and cool off. Even after he returned to his bedroom, she was stuck inside his head. An affliction that wouldn’t let go. And the nights were the worst, dreaming of having her in his bed as they drank from each other…fuck. Edge and Wilson were coming to the mansion for a meeting today, and he needed to keep his focus on that…it didn’t mean he couldn’t see her, though. He’d kept out of her way over the past few days but now went to her bedroom door, only to sense she wasn’t in there.
He teleported to the underground training center…and then froze.
Against a backdrop of weapons, a bare-chested Junaid stood behind Veronica, their bodies touching as he held her wrist and guided her hand. Both of them so focused on what they were doing that they didn’t even notice him. Hell, there was no reason for his insides to twist the way they did right now…of course they would have contact…the lion shifter was training her, for God’s sake.
As if he sensed his presence, Junaid looked up. When he saw Leke’s face, his expression turned blank, but he didn’t step back until he’d finished the combination he was teaching her. A damn professional, which was why Blade, the demon owner of Eclipse, counted him among his most trusted men.
After he stepped back, Veronica finally noticed Leke, and a hint of color spread across her cheeks. She was dressed in black cotton trousers and a white sleeveless vest, a simple combination that made her even more appealing.
Junaid’s eyes were a tad too appreciative as they rested on her. “She’s a fast learner.”
“I know.” There was an edge in Leke’s voice. Did she prefer Junaid’s dark olive-skinned looks over his own pale skin tone? Where the fuck is my mind going?
“I think that’s enough for today,” the shifter told Veronica. He pulled on his shirt and grabbed his backpack. His lips curled up as he turned to Leke. “Take it easy, vampire. You know me…always professional.” And then he left the training area, cool as a damn cucumber as he whistled to himself.
Veronica’s brow furrowed. “What was that about?”
Leke shrugged. “What do you mean?”
He wanted to kiss away that smirk on her face. “You looked like you were going to kill him.”
Jealousy was an emotion he was uncomfortable with, especially when it got in the way of work. Yet, the thought of how close the shifter had been standing to her pissed him off no end. “How’s your training going?”
“I’ll be ready for Rasmus when we find him. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the training.” She paused. “That shifter really is something, huh?” He would have been well pissed if it wasn’t for the small smile that indicated she was winding him up.
He leaned back against the wall, not knowing whether to be amused or irritated by her tomfoolery. “I know what you’re up to, Veronica.”
“What do you mean?” Try as she might, she could not pull off that innocent look. “He is a great teacher, isn’t he? So big and strong—”
“Got a thing for shifters, have you?”
“I’d take a shifter over a bloodsucker any day, especially one like Junaid.” Her eyebrows arched. “In fact, once all this is over, I reckon I’ll look him up—”
Leke was over like a shot, his hands on her shoulders and nails biting into her skin. “No, you bloody won’t—”
She smirked, clearly enjoying seeing him lose his cool. Again. “I don’t know, Leke, I’ve been up close to him and had plenty of contact with his hard muscles and all that. A girl’s mind does wander—”
There was the sound of someone clearing their throat, and Leke let go of her, stepping back and pulling his attention to Fry.
“Edge and Wilson are here.”
Veronica’s smile faded, her face thunder. What the hell? Just the other day, she’d agreed to meet them. But unlike him, she was still staying away from blood, wasn’t she? And as if to confirm that, her mouth parted, exposing elongated fangs.
Leke held her arm, stilling her. “You go ahead,” he told Fry. “We’ll be right behind.”
As soon as Fry was out of the training center, Veronica pulled her arm away. “You better not give me another of your lectures.”
“Edge is here with Wilson. And you agreed to meet them here. We can’t go in there all guns blazing, especially after the stellar impression you left on him that day.”
“Fuck that…Edge is not walking back out of here.”
What the hell was wrong with her? “Edge is not your enemy; Rasmus is.”
“And he’s the wolf’s main man. Same thing.”
“Let’s hear what he has to say first. After that, you can decide if you want to tear him apart. Fair enough?”
“Fair enough.”
“You won’t go in there and stir shit?”
“Not unless he does something to deserve it.”
Thank fuck for that. “Veronica…we might have finally reached an understanding.”
She shrugged. “I guess a good fuck helps, huh?” What the hell was she on? She chuckled. “Your face, Leke. Straighten it before we get there.”
AS VERONICA FOLLOWED HIM THROUGH the corridor, the horde leader was also smiling. After days of agitation, his expression brought her some calm. But outside his office, he turned to her again. “Remember—”
“Yes, yes.” The bloodsucker was a damn broken record. “I’ll behave myself.”
His expression told her he doubted that, but they had no choice but to go in. When he opened the door, Wilson and Edge both sat with their backs to it. Fry had had the foresight to place an extra armchair alongside Leke’s. She trailed him into the office, and when he stepped around the desk, she was with him. They both sat next to each other, facing the visitors. Wilson gave Leke a warm smile, his expression a little reserved when he turned to Veronica.
He then indicated at the werewolf and introduced him, presumably for the benefit of the horde leader. “This is Edge.”
“Long time, no see,” said Veronica, narrowing her eyes on the wolf’s hard face. “How’s your fucker of a boss?” Leke shot her a warning glance. “I mean, how’s the lovely Rasmus doing? Sank his teeth into anyone lately?”
The wolf shifted, glancing between them both before he cleared his throat. “I had no idea he planned to do that.”
“What difference would it have made if you did? Would you have stopped him?”
“If it’s any consolation, I know how you feel.” Edge leaned forward, a flash of yellow in his eyes. “Rasmus turned me over a year ago. I only joined his gang because I had nowhere else to go, but all this time, I’ve been looking for an opportunity to get rid of him.”
She wanted to tell him she wasn’t soft enough to fall for that, but when her eyes met his, there was nothing to indicate he lied. Despite her efforts to hold back her supernatural abilities, that vampire instinct she was developing told her he spoke the truth. As she thought of her own frustration at the transformation, she did feel an affinity with him.
“Turning humans is against the law,” said Wilson, “But it seems Rasmus has been doing it for years.
Years? “But how the hell did he get away with it for so long?” she asked.
“He’s discreet, and nobody has ever reported him. In fact, if not for you coming forward, we wouldn’t have investigated further and realized what he was up to.”
“Is that a thank you? Because it makes no difference to me right now; I’ve already been turned.” She scowled at Edge. “You might not have been there that night, but you’re responsible for a lot of the stuff Rasmus has been up to. The only difference is he had the guts to face what he was doing, whereas you hid behind your laptop.”
“What’s done is done,” said Leke. Another of those warning looks. “Why are you here now, Edge? Fry said you had news?”
“I haven’t been happy with the way things are for a while, and when I received the message from your horde, I figured it was my chance to do something. And yes, I have news. The Association has come up with a plan to initiate conflict between humans and supernaturals. They intend for Rasmus to take out Wilson.”
A flush highlighted the government contact’s cheeks at the wolf’s words, but Veronica had never been one to trust easily. “You expect us to believe that?”
“Preparations are underway as we speak.”
“And you’re telling us this—because?”
“Because it will destroy the harmony supernaturals have strived for over the years,” said Edge. “If Rasmus takes out Wilson, the government won’t care about which non-human took out the official; it will come after all of us. When the state placed our kind in holding cells before, we were unprepared. But since then, powerful underground supernatural organizations have shot up all over the place. If non-humans retaliate, the Association and powerful criminal elements are waiting to join the fight.”
Edge was right. If Rasmus went ahead with this plan, mayhem was guaranteed. He needed to be stopped.
Leke turned to Wilson. “Why aren’t you organizing a hit on him already?”
“I can’t process a contract through my office, because we can’t risk word of this getting out. If my bosses find out that a supernatural is targeting one of us, the result will be the same.” He sighed. “Like Edge said, a lot of work has gone into maintaining harmony—but it won’t take much for it to fall apart.”
“So what do you want from us?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Veronica rolled her eyes at Leke. “They want us to take Rasmus out.”
Wilson nodded, approval on his face.
“And
now there is no time.” Edge’s eyes flashed. “Rasmus needs to be taken out fast, and I want to help. I know where he is every hour of the day—”
Veronica snorted. “You expect us to believe you?”
“No. I’m hoping you will.”
They had no other choice but to trust him at the moment, but it was a big ask. “You’re hoping for a lot.”
“I have risked a lot. By coming here.”
Leke looked at Veronica. “It’s your call.” He was going to put this on her? “You know these guys better than anyone. And at the moment, you’re the one who has the biggest beef with Rasmus. What do you think?”
She did not trust that wolf pack leader as far as she could throw him, and Edge—well, he was a supernatural she hardly knew. But finding Rasmus on their own was taking too long…she knew enough about the last crackdown on supernaturals to believe all hell would break loose if news got out that a non-human had his eyes on a government official.
What the fuck was wrong with Rasmus? He was always shit crazy, but he had upped it a notch this time. When it came down to it, they had no other fucking choice, did they? Because they could not risk interspecies fighting in the borough. She narrowed her eyes on the wolf. “What guarantee do we have, Edge? That you won’t double-cross us?”
“What do you want?”
“You’re also a supernatural, which means you can’t die unless it’s by certain means?”
Edge glanced at Wilson before turning back to her. “What is it? You’re going to shoot the messenger?”
“You will give us the information you have on Rasmus, and we’ll go after him. But when we do, you stay here, in the mansion.” Leke’s lips curled up in approval. “If it turns out you’ve double-crossed us, you will spend the rest of your life being a feeder for the bloodsuckers. They will make sure you don’t die before the end of your long natural life.” She looked Edge in the eyes, but his expression did not falter. “Agreed?”
“Yes.”
Wilson spoke quickly. “That is sorted then. Whatever the outcome, I want your guarantee that—”
Blood Moon Box Set Page 42