Such an eager little helper. “I know.” He trailed his fingertip down her cheek. Lisa. He didn’t remember her last name. Didn’t care.
“I’d do anything for you,” she whispered and her eyes were so wide and blue. “Anything.”
Because she wanted to live forever. Because Lisa, with her thin thighs and her big breasts and her perfect face, was aging. Slowly. One faint line at a time.
“I’m not afraid to kill.” Her chin lifted even as she swayed toward him.
His fangs lengthened. He’d love to have one more taste of her. Fresh blood was always the best. “No, you’ve proven that.” She’d brought prey to him that very first night. His fingers trailed down her throat and curled over that frantic pulse. “But are you afraid to die?”
Hope lit her eyes. “You’re going to do it? You’re going to change me?” Her smile stretched her face. “I’m not afraid, I want—”
“Good.” Then he lifted the weapon he’d kept hidden and stabbed her. Right in that laboring heart.
She choked at first, probably on her own blood because he saw the trickle of red slide from the corner of her mouth. Those wide eyes filled with pain and shock because this wasn’t the death she’d expected.
Because he hated for all that good blood to go to waste, he bent toward her, and licked those sweet drops away from her lips.
Then he let her body fall.
Time to get the other bitch.
Now this was just…weird. Dee shoved the stake back into her ankle holster. She tilted her head, straining to pick up some sound to indicate movement, but she just caught the muted beat of music.
“Chase?”
Maybe he’d circled back around to the front of the building. Possible. But that fast?
Her gaze darted to the row of cars nestled on the left. She didn’t see anyone over there, but…
Dee stalked to the vehicles, aware of a growing tension in her body. Last night, a woman had told her she’d die here.
Being back now, okay, that would make anyone nervous.
Narrowing her eyes, she caught sight of a small, red vehicle. Wait—that was—
A rush of wind behind her.
Oh, damn. Dee froze. She didn’t need to look back to know she wasn’t alone anymore. “I was wondering when you’d show up,” she muttered. Her fingers were just a few inches away from her gun holster. So if she was right and a vamp had just closed in on her—damn but they were almost as quiet as shifters these days—then a gunshot wouldn’t kill him.
But it would still hurt. A lot. And it would give her the precious minutes she needed to stake the asshole.
“I have been watching you,” he said, his voice clipping a bit with an English accent.
“Have you?” She turned, slowly, to face the vampire. Her fingers brushed the holster. “And I’ve been waiting on you.” Dee shook her head. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s wrong to make a woman wait?”
His fangs were out. Long and sharp. As she watched, his blue eyes faded to black. Great. Dee swallowed. A vamp in full hunting mode.
“I’m not here to play with you.” That black stare raked her.
“Oh?” This was it. “Then I guess we better skip the fore-play, huh?” No way to tell if this was the Born Master or one of his minions because the Borns, they always had freaking minions. “Maybe we should just get around to the death part.” Dee jerked out her gun and fired, six times, dead center in his chest.
Flesh and bone torn away, blood splattered around them. Dee stood so close that the bastard’s blood rained on her.
But he didn’t flinch. Didn’t fall to his knees. Didn’t stumble. Just stared at her, and smiled. “You’ll wish I killed you, before it’s over.”
She still had more bullets. This time, Dee aimed for the head. “Promises, promises.” Her finger tightened around the trigger—and they attacked.
Five, no, six vamps jumped from the darkness, teeth and claws out and ready to kill. Dee didn’t waste breath on a scream. She fired, fired until the trigger just clicked. They took her down and her body hit the ground, hard. But, twisting like a snake beneath the fists and bodies, she managed to grab her stake—new weapon, new fight. Dee swiped out at them, too aware that she’d made a fatal mistake and walked right into their trap.
You’re dead, Dee. Sunshine’s voice rang in her head. No one will mourn. No one will even miss you when you’re rotting in the ground.
Simon had just walked into Onyx when he heard the distinct thunder of gunfire. Hell.
His gaze scanned the big room. Dee, be here.
A curvy redhead walked by him, a wide smile on her lips. “Hi there, handsome, I’m—”
“Not interested.” He brushed by her and cut a quick path to the bar. He slammed his hands down on the counter. “I’m looking for a woman.”
The bartender didn’t glance up. “Try looking behind you.”
Growling, Simon leaned over the counter and grabbed the idiot’s shirt. Whiskey spilled over his hand. “You remember the woman I was with last night.” Not a question.
The guy’s eyes bulged. “You kidding me? Do you know how many chicks come in here every night? No way do I—”
“Small. Blond hair she’d hacked to pieces. Tight ass and lips that—”
“Her.”
“Where is she?”
The bartender pointed one hand to the left. Exit.
Simon thrust him back. He spun around—
And came face to face with a demon.
Not just any demon. Her demon. Another Night Watch hunter. Zane Wynter. The guy looked like a human, but Simon knew he was far more monster than man. Simon snarled, “You’re supposed to be watching her ass.”
“Thought that was what you were doing last night.”
The music had kicked up. The band blasted some screaming shit and—was that another shot? “Out of my way,” Simon ordered.
The demon didn’t move. Fine.
Simon shoved the bastard back, a good three feet, and ran for the exit even as the demon shattered a table before he hit the floor.
A kick sent the door flying open. “Dee!” He could smell her, that wild scent drifting in the air.
Simon rushed forward and saw the gun tossed on the ground. Her gun. “Dee!”
But he couldn’t see his little hunter.
Gone.
Maybe dead.
Sonofabitch.
Growling, he took off into the night, following the scent of the blood trail as fast as he could. Dee had made her attackers bleed and that sweet scent would take him right to her.
If he could get there in time.
The wail of sirens woke her. A loud, hard scream she’d heard too many times before. Dee fought to open her eyes. A groan tore from her lips as pain wracked her body.
Vampires.
The breath she’d tried to suck in now choked out as realization crashed into her.
Had she taken them down? Or had they Taken her?
Please, no.
The stench hit her then. The coppery odor she’d first caught long ago and had never forgotten. Couldn’t.
No, not again.
Her lashes fluttered open. She squinted, trying to see. But it was so dark. Pitch black.
She shoved up and a blast of agony burned through her head at the move. Shit that hurt. Her hands slapped down as she struggled for balance, and something sticky and wet coated her fingertips.
No.
The scent hit her again, stronger now that she was aware, striking like a hard punch in the face. Bile rose and she choked, scared, sick.
Not again.
She scrambled back, but hit something. Something soft and still.
Her eyes narrowed as she strained to see but the darkness was too perfect. Her hands fumbled, reaching out.