Chapter 17
Kane pulled into the darkened driveway, one lone security lamp lighting the way. He wouldn’t have needed it but was thankful Cara’s house had the small security. This far from town on a cloudy night, her surrounding yard and woods would be pitch black without it. He glanced at his watch. Three-fifteen. Turning the key, he cut the rumble of his bike short. Silence greeted him, other than the sound of crickets and critters scurrying close by through the dense woods. Kane didn’t detect any other sounds, no heartbeat, no breaking twigs, nothing to indicate he wasn’t alone. The air hung heavy with early morning dew, not to mention the promise of oncoming rain.
Thankfully, the Knights’ gun run had gone off without a hitch and the rain held off, allowing him to check on Cara. Kane pulled off his skull cap and dangled it from the handlebar before stepping over the seat of his motorcycle, glancing at the dark house before him. If Cara was here, then she had parked the car in the garage and lowered the door, since her Charger was nowhere in sight. Maybe she hoped to fool the primordial into thinking she wasn’t in residence.
The ancient vampire wouldn’t need to see her car, though. He’d be able to detect the beating of her heart from anywhere near the house, whereas Kane would have to be within. The dark windows yawned before him. Either she was fast asleep or not home. Kane needed to find out, to see for himself that she was safe. The entire evening he hadn’t been able to get his mind off her well-being and hoped like hell the primordial hadn’t found her. Jesus, he didn’t even want to think about the alternative.
Bile soured his stomach.
If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself for making her walk out, rightfully pissed, the previous morning. His temper had ruled his mouth. And once voiced, he couldn’t take it back. Cara probably thought him the worst of bastards and he couldn’t blame her. Kane and taken communion from her, fucked her, then threatened to take her life, as if she had meant nothing at all to him. He’d screwed up. Plain and simple. His only hope lay in Cara not believing the condemning words leaving his lips.
Fat chance.
Kane had never given her any reason to trust him. He rubbed a hand down his days’ stubble of beard. Dwelling on her opinion of him wasn’t finding Cara. Pushing off the bike, he headed for the back of the house and stopped just short of the door, trying to detect any movement. The house seemed deathly still.
A hollow ache gripped his chest. Dread washed over him. Reaching for the knob, Kane found the lock held fast. He could have easily twisted the knob, and snapped off the cylinder. But instead of further damaging her door, he used the palm of his hand to break away the plywood nailed over the broken pane, sending the wood skittering across the floor inside. Kane reached through the missing window and turned the lock.
The door creaked inward. Kane stepped into the back room, the soft soles of his boots striking the wooden flooring. By now he should have been staring down the barrel of Cara’s gun. Any good cop would have heard the intrusion the minute he struck the wood covering the broken window. He’d bet his life she wasn’t within.
Why the hell hadn’t he insisted the Sons do the run without him, hunted down Cara and insisted she take his offered protection? Instead, he had allowed her to walk out of the clubhouse and take her chances with the ancient vampire. An encounter she had no hope in surviving. Only his loyalty to the Sons had kept him from chasing her down and shaking her senseless until she saw reason.
“Cara?” he called out.
Eerie silence greeted him. Kane quickly moved through the kitchen to the living area, then took the stairs to her bedroom three at a time. On the landing, his gaze did a quick sweep of the area, her made bed, the opening to the bathroom. He was completely alone.
Where the hell had she gone?
Detective Hernandez came to mind, though he had no idea how to get in touch with him. Pulling his cell from his jeans’ pocket, he scanned his contact list for the only person who might know how to get a hold of Cara. He touched the number next to Sheriff Ducat’s name. Several rings later came a groggy, “Hello?”
“Tell me Cara’s with you.”
“Who the hell? Kane?” Rustling of bedcovers traveled through the cell’s speaker. “I thought she was staying with you?”
“If she were, I wouldn’t be calling, now would I?”
“Damn it, Kane. You check her house?”
“I’m standing in the middle of it. Trust me, she’s not here. You have any other ideas? Her partner?”
“She wouldn’t go there.”
“Why?”
“Because he has little ones. Whatever danger she’s gotten herself into, she wouldn’t want to place Joe’s family at risk.”
“You sure about that?”
“Positive. She wouldn’t even take my offered help.”
“Friends? Family?”
“She has no family other than her grandfather. He’s in a nursing home here in Pleasant. She wouldn’t be able to stay there. And other than her fellow deputies, I’m not aware of any other friends. At least none that she speaks of.”
“Any other ideas of where she might go?”
“You call her?”
Kane ran a hand through his messed hair and blew out an unsteady stream of air, quickly losing any patience he’d had. “If I had her number, would I be calling you?”
He’d sure as hell change that fact once he found her.
“I’ll call her,” the sheriff said. “Give me a few minutes, then I’ll call you back.”
“Thanks,” Kane said ending the call.
Kane paced to the window and looked out, his thoughts turning to the primordial who had stood over Cara while she slept two nights prior. Anger welled in his gut. The son of a bitch stood within a hair’s breadth of taking her out and easily could have, which told Kane she wasn’t his true target. He was using Cara to flush him out and doing a damn good job of it. He took in a deep breath, hoping to tamp down his rising ire. Getting pissed now would help no one.
Cara’s scent stamped the room, bringing to mind their assignation the night before. If anything happened and this primordial was responsible for hurting her, Kane wouldn’t stop until he hunted the vampire down and severed his head from his shoulders. He’d face the originals for his actions later and not make excuses. This fuck better pray he didn’t touch one hair on Cara’s head.
Her closet doors stood open. Kane peered inside, flipping through several of the garments. Several hangers hung empty at the center of the rod, tempting Kane to believe maybe she had hastily packed a few things hours earlier, although it could have been for her stay at the clubhouse. He slammed the closet doors closed, frustration clawing at him.
He needed to find Cara like yesterday.
Kane walked back to the window and brushed aside the sheer curtains, staring into the night. The primordial was out there somewhere. Kane could feel it in his bones. If he could figure out what the hell he wanted and what his weakness was, he might stand a better chance at catching this vamp.
Kaleb or Gypsy had yet to check in, but he’d lay odds the ride to the Washington border had been without incident. The Knights had shown up on schedule with a commercial van filled with wooden crates carrying illegal firearms. Kane opened the rear doors, peered at the crates, then waved them on. He wanted nothing to do with the deal the Knights had made or who they dealt with. The Sons were in it for the profit and to keep their town free of violence … period. After following the Knights through town, Kane allowed his men to finish the job so he could track Cara before anything untoward happened to her.
The Knights’ timing had sucked.
When Kane slammed his palm against the frame of the window in frustration, the wood split beneath the force. His jaw ached and his ears rang. He hoped to hell his promise to the Knights hadn’t cost him Cara.
The phone vibrated in his hand. Kane turned it over, slid the lock on the face of the smart phone and said, “Where is she?”
“She’s fine, Kane. Mad as a hornet for being tracked down, though.”
“That’s too damn bad.”
“She told me to tell you to go fuck yourself.”
Kane chuckled. “I’m sure she did. Where is she?”
“She spent the night with a friend.”
“Who?” Kane’s ire rose. He didn’t have time to play twenty questions with Ducat.
“Do you know Suzi Stevens?”
“Fuck.”
“I take it that’s a yes.”
“Goodnight, Sheriff.”
Kane stabbed END on the screen, then pocketed his phone. This was about to get ugly.
* * *
“Open the damn door, Suzi.”
Cara bolted upright, startled from a deep sleep. Following the sheriff’s call, she must have been tired enough to fall right back to sleep. After all, given Kane’s history with Suzi, she hadn’t thought that the arrogant jerk would show up here. She should have known better.
“Open the damn door, or I swear to whoever you pray to, you’ll be calling a carpenter to replace your fucking door.”
Nope. Not a nightmare. Crap!
More clamorous pounding came from down the short hall to the foyer. Cara struggled with the knitted quilt wrapping her feet as she tried like hell to wrestle herself free and make herself scarce before Kane came busting through the door. The last thing she wanted to encounter at four in the morning was a pissed-off vampire.
And, boy, did he sound pissed.
Just as she managed to flop from the couch with a thump, banging her knee in the process on the steel and granite coffee table, the sound of splintering wood followed her into the half bath.
“Jesus, Kane,” came from a shocked-sounding Suzi making her way to whatever was left of the door.
Cara had just gotten the restroom door closed before the imposing force made it fully into the apartment with a resounding growl.
“Look what you did to my door!”
“I’ll buy you a new one. Where is she?”
“Who?” Suzi feigned ignorance. “Do you even know what time it is?”
“You know damn well who. The sheriff told me I’d find Cara here. Now go retrieve her before I start breaking down more doors.”
“I highly doubt she’s going to want to see you. Have you completely lost it? Just look at the damage you’ve already done! Damn it, Kane, even I don’t want to see you right now.”
“I’ll fix the door. Now, I’m not leaving here without Cara, so you might as well go get her. She’s not safe with you.” He paused and Cara bet his facial expression was murderous. “I think I’ve just proven that point.”
“Of course, it’s not now, you big oaf! You just made firewood out of my door. Don’t even think to start on the bathroom door!”
Cara leaned her ear against the bathroom door, trying to better hear their conversation. Something bounced off the wood, jarring her head. She quickly backed up, fearing Kane might just make good with his promise and start with the door separating them next.
“If you two think that door was any kind of a barrier between you and a vampire hell bent on getting in, then you’re both seriously delusional.”
“Obviously.”
Cara couldn’t allow Suzi to take any more of Kane’s ill temper, not when it should’ve been focused on her. She had been the coward, the one to run.
Opening the half bath’s door, Cara stalked into the room, shoulders squared. She’d take the bull by both horns and not give him the satisfaction of seeing her cower. Cara gripped the afghan tightly about her breasts, although Kane had already seen all there was to see beneath the thin tee she wore as a nightshirt.
“What do you want, Kane?”
“Get your things, Detective.” His anger rose from him like waves off hot asphalt in July. No doubt he was plenty angry he had to come looking for her. “You aren’t staying here.”
“I was perfectly safe until you came traipsing in, making kindling of Suzi’s door.”
Kane raised one brow. “Exactly the reason I needed to come retrieve you. You two need your heads examined if you think that Suzi is a better match for this primordial than I.”
“I’m safe, or at least I was, because no one knew I was here.”
“I found you easy enough.”
“Because you talked the sheriff into helping you.”
Kane shrugged, not feeling guilty in the least for his cavemen antics.
“Really, Kane. What were you thinking? If this ancient vampire didn’t know where I was before, he probably does now. You led him straight to Suzi’s door.”
“He’s not after Suzi.”
“No, but now my association with Suzi puts her in danger as well.”
His brows met over the bridge of his nose, clearly perplexed at Cara implying this was his fault. “Don’t blame me for involving her. That was your decision. You chose to come here over my protection.”
Kane glanced from Cara to Suzi, grumbling beneath his breath, something sounding darn close to boneheads.
How dare he?
Before she had a chance to admonish him, he said, “Get your things … both of you. You’re going to get into Suzi’s car and follow me to the clubhouse. You’re no longer safe here.”
“What about my car?”
“It stays. This fuck surely knows your car, but he doesn’t know Suzi’s. I’d like to keep it that way.”
“He does if he followed you.”
“I don’t think he did. I would have smelled his presence. Now get your things and meet me out front in five minutes. You think you two stubborn clowns can manage that?”
“Gee, when you demean me that way, Kane, it makes me go all gooey inside.”
“Your sarcasm is lost on me, Cara.”
Kane didn’t wait to see if they’d follow his orders. His arrogance spoke volumes. He knew damn well they would do as he demanded. After all, they didn’t have much of a choice.
Cara looked at Suzi and grimaced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you involved in my mess.”
Suzi gave her half a smile. “What are friends for?”
“This certainly goes beyond.” Cara unwrapped herself from the afghan, folded it and draped it over the back of the sofa. “I guess we best get our stuff before we rue the day we tested Kane’s patience.”
“I’ll get my things.”
Several moments later, Cara sat in the passenger side of Suzi’s car as they closely followed Kane on his motorcycle. The sidewalks stood uninhabited this early in the morning as the red Neon traveled down Main Street and past Tom’s Deli. Street lights illuminated their way through the hazy layer of fog descending on the valley. By morning the fog would likely be dense, hampering visibility, a common occurrence in the cool fall temperatures.
Cara glanced out the side window, seeing the red glowing brake lights of a patrol car as it stopped at the corner of Washington and Monroe, then slowly rolled through the intersection. She suddenly missed her uncomplicated life in Eugene where she started out as a uniform. She had thought by moving back to Pleasant that life would be slower paced, even if she had taken on the job of detective. After all, what cases had Lane County seen in the past eighty years? A few drug trafficking cases, one bank robbery, and a couple of open and shut suicides. But not one murder case in the last twenty years.
That is, until now.
After letting out a long sigh, Cara returned her gaze to the back of Kane’s motorcycle and that of his backside. His jeans stretched nicely over his muscular rear, Cara remembered all too well the cords of muscles beneath his taut skin as her heels dug into his ass. Her mind couldn’t help traveling back to the previous evening when he walked in on her shaving. Truth be told, she hadn’t thought of much else in the last twenty-four hours. The question was would she want a repeat?
Desire pooled in her lower abdomen, numbing the inside of her thighs, causing her to cross them. Cara had never experienced anything so erotic in all her years. Hell, with the way her love life had been going, she’d be a fool to turn down round two. With a shake of her head, she stifled a chuckle. Last thing she wanted to do was admit was how much she really had been thinking about Kane, let alone wanting to revisit last night’s activities.
Cara glanced at Suzi. She wasn’t sure who all would be at the clubhouse this time of night. But for once she hoped Kane’s club members were out feeding or whatever it was they did when the sun went down. Noting Suzi’s death grip on the steering wheel, Cara figured she undoubtedly worried about Kaleb being at the house when they arrived. After what she had confided in Cara, she didn’t think Suzi would be in too much of a hurry to see him.
“What?” Suzi asked as she glanced briefly at Cara, having caught her staring.
“I feel horrible, Suzi.”
“You already apologized. Don’t sweat it.”
“But you hate Kaleb.”
Suzi didn’t respond right away. Instead, she returned her gaze to Kane and the road. Finally, she said, “Does Kaleb still live at the clubhouse?”
Cara nodded.
“Then, I guess I’ll just have to deal with him when I see him. I doubt pretending he doesn’t exist will work.”
That caused Cara to snicker, and Suzi joined in on the humor. “That will be as easy as trying to ignore Kane.”
Moments later, Cara’s prayers were answered as they pulled into the clubhouse’s empty parking lot, gravel crunching beneath the tires. At least now they could get settled before the other members discovered who the little red Neon belonged to.
One look at Suzi told Cara she wasn’t as brave as she let on. Truthfully, she looked ready to bolt as she stared at the wood-sided cabin. Kane didn’t wait to see if Suzi and Cara followed, nor did he bother to see if they had bags they might need help with. She supposed his pissed state of being had a lot to do with his lack of manners at the moment. He clearly wasn’t too pleased he had to chase her down in the middle of the night. She supposed he had better things to do, like feed.
How often did a vampire need to drink blood anyway?
That question brought back their late-night rendezvous in living color. Desire shot through her at the thought of Kane’s fangs sinking into her flesh. She knew damn well that if the opportunity arose, angry at Kane or not, she’d cave. No one had ever given her an orgasm of that magnitude. There was no question about it. Kane not only knew how to make a woman peak, but being food for a hungry vampire had its tremendous draw as well.
Exiting the small Chevy Neon, Cara grabbed her overnight bag and headed up the walk behind Suzi. She had to hand it to her old friend. Since exiting the car, Suzi hadn’t faltered her steps. Cara would bet her insides were tied into knots and no doubt hoped Kaleb wasn’t inside.