Chapter 8
Following a disappointing trip to the Blood ‘n’ Rave with her partner, Cara decided she needed to return … this time without Joe. She wanted to experience the Rave and its clientele after the sun went down, when nightmares go bump in the night. A black lycra halter and dark blue denims with bleached thighs had been the best outfit she could throw together so she wouldn’t stand out like a sore thumb, let alone as a cop. This crowd wouldn’t know her or her profession, so she hoped to go unnoticed.
Cara toyed with the large golden hoop in one of her ears as she stared at the darkened entrance. The owner certainly went out of his way to make the club uninviting. A certain type of person frequented the Rave and she wasn’t it. Tonight, she hoped it wasn’t so obvious. Her heart stuck in her throat as she leaned against her car, reminding herself she was much older, no longer that young naive girl who fled the establishment years ago, thinking never to return. Hard to believe ten years had passed.
Yet, here she stood.
Her thoughts flitted back to that night and seeing Kane for the first time. He had been elusive, intriguing, and, well … hot. Even as a young girl she could easily see his appeal, the ultimate bad boy. He rode motorcycles, wore a leather cut marking him as a member of the Sons of Sangue, and women seemed to take notice when he walked by. He had a commanding appearance then, just as he did now. That appeal had her following him to the restrooms, too damned naive at the time to understand why he would go into the ladies room in the first place. After long moments of looking for courage she didn’t have, she had passed through the same door, only to find he wasn’t alone.
Kane copulated with a blonde as Cara stood unable to exit the room as propriety called for. No, instead she had stared wide-eyed, rooted to the floor, a bit turned on, if she were being honest, by the erotic scene before her. That was until Kane turned and spotted her, his fangs scaring the bejesus out of her. Then she had run like the hounds of hell had been nipping at her heels, causing her to fear the man that had since become the cause of her night terrors, the same man who now made her insides hum with liquid desire. Just looking into his dark, hungry eyes left her one touch away from a screaming orgasm.
The club’s owner, Draven, hadn’t given away any of Kane’s secrets when Cara and Joe had been there earlier. He hadn’t told them anything more than they had already deduced. Kane had indeed been there with Tabitha four nights prior just as he confessed. No one had seen him since, not until the night Cara spotted him outside the club with Suzi. They were more than welcome to view the video feed if they didn’t want to take his word for it, Draven had assured them. Joe, not wanting to wait for the subpoena from the Florence PD, took him up on the offer and asked for a copy, which he planned to take back to the S.O. for viewing.
Cara’s thoughts returned to the tour and, more specifically, the office Kane used frequently. Was Kane using that very room to have sex with Suzi as well? She couldn’t help thinking of him with her ex-friend, entangled together, giving her what Cara could only fantasize about, making her heart ache for the unattainable. Disgusted with herself, she shook her head.
What the hell was wrong with her?
Her gaze had held the Italian leather sofa for far too long, wondering what secrets it held and how many girls Kane had lain with on its supple surface. Cara wasn’t sure she really wanted the answer.
Ignoring the jealousy snaking its way through her, Cara pushed away from the car and headed for the club. She had a job to do and standing by the car entertaining thoughts of Kane wasn’t accomplishing a thing. In a self-conscious gesture, she tugged at the hem of the tank, it resting an inch above the waistband of her jeans. Maybe she should have dressed a bit more conservatively. Too late to turn back now. Taking a deep breath, she pulled open the door and entered the building before she could talk herself into heading for the safety of her home. Truth be told, the only thing she really feared was running into Kane.
Cara nodded at the doorman as she slipped past and paid the cashier the five dollar entrance fee. Once inside, she quickly cased the place for the least obvious place to sit. Neon lights glowed from every corner, as strobes and spotlights of bright yellow, red, green and blues flashed about the fog-generated room. The music blared and the bass beat heavily against her chest. Cara skirted the crowd gyrating on the dance floor, opting for a table at the back of the room. Even if she didn’t run into Kane, she didn’t want someone telling him that she’d been snooping around his regular haunt. Sure, he expected Joe and her to interview Draven, to verify his claims. But coming here at night wasn’t part of that investigation, at least not the way he would view it.
She had barely taken a seat when a scantily clad barmaid approached, asking what her poison was. Cara ordered the house Merlot, thinking the preferred draft more suited for Murphy’s. The little barmaid returned quickly, placing a small, half-filled wine glass on the round scarred table. Cara handed her a ten, telling her to keep the change. The young girl smiled and tucked it quickly away, leaving Cara free to observe the room. Dancers raved to the music, glow sticks waved to the beat like extensions from dancers’ hands. She hadn’t recognized the song, but these days she didn’t keep up with the trends or listen to the radio.
Halfway through her glass, the alcohol began to sooth her anxieties. No one from this crowd would even recognize her. Kane didn’t seem to fit in with this young crowd either. Most seemed barely legal. Hell, she probably appeared ancient compared to a big share of the partiers. Coming here had been a mistake. Not like she’d discover any of Kane’s secrets.
Movement by the entrance caught her attention, stopping her from making a speedy exit. Kaleb Tepes strode up to the doorman, shaking his hand and butting shoulders with him. His grin widened by whatever the man said, he winked at the cashier, though no money exchanged hands, and headed for the bar at the back of the club. Apparently, the Sons’ money wasn’t good here. Her best bet would be to finish her drink and wait for Kaleb’s attention to become preoccupied. Once he ordered a drink and engaged in conversation, she’d slip out the nearest exit.
As she took another sip of Merlot, she heard “Looking for me?” just above the din of music.
Warm breath whispered across the shell of her ear, causing a shiver to pass along her spine before large hands cupped her bare shoulders, rooting her to the chair and preventing her from rising. Her window of opportunity just slammed shut. Shit. Cara glanced to the left. Kane’s lips were scant inches from her cheek, a disarming smile on them.
“Surprised to see me?” Kane asked before grabbing the chair beside her and sliding into it without waiting for the invite she wasn’t about to give.
He certainly hadn’t lost his appeal after all these years. Kane Tepes was still hot as sin, with no more wrinkles than he had sported ten years ago. The black, form-fitting wife-beater that he wore beneath his motorcycle cut, left his arms bare. His shoulders and biceps flexed as he crossed his forearms on the Formica table and leaned toward her. The black tribal tattoo covering his left shoulder snaked down his arm and reached his elbow. She couldn’t help wondering what he might look like without the tank and how many more tattoos he sported. Her mouth watered at the idea of his six-pack of abs, her fingers gently running over the contours.
“Something tells me you were hoping to run into me.”
“Mighty sure of yourself,” she scoffed, fearing her thoughts were plainly written on her face as heat rose in her cheeks. “Just because I came here, doesn’t mean I was looking for you, Kane. Or should I be calling you Viper here?”
One of his eyebrows rose. Obviously, she wasn’t a good liar. But rather than calling her on it, he said, “You may call me anything you want, Mia Bella, but I do prefer Viper over worse things I’ve been called.”
Damn, if he didn’t look good enough to … what? Sleep with? She needed to get a handle on her libido, for crying out loud. No matter how sexy and mouth-watering Kane was, she couldn’t allow herself to go there. Ever. Bad enough he rode on the opposite side of the law. Add vampire into the mix and the fact he was a strong possible suspect in her murder cases, she had reason enough to not allow him between her sheets.
Cara shrugged. “I told you I’d check out your story,” she said, hoping he’d buy her excuse.
“You did that this afternoon.”
No such luck. She might have guessed Draven had called Kane the moment she and Joe walked out the door.
“So why come back if not to see me?”
“I like the atmosphere.”
His smile widened. “Try again, Detective. How about the truth this time? You came here to check up on me.”
“Maybe.”
“You wanted to see me again?”
“Kane—”
He leaned in and whispered, “You can deny it, Cara, but I won’t believe it.”
Cara held Kane’s gaze, judging whether to try to dispute his claim. The words died against her lips. She couldn’t even form the lie; he’d see right through it anyway. So instead she looked toward the bar where Kaleb stood, engaged with some pixy-haired brunette.
Kane’s gaze followed. “Yeah, he wouldn’t be too pleased if he found us talking. Hawk thinks you mean to put me away. Throw the book at me for these murders.”
“He’s not far from the truth.”
Kane returned his gaze to her, looking serious. “You think I could be responsible for killing three women?”
“I don’t know, Viper. You tell me.”
“I might not have been in love with Tab, but I wouldn’t have taken her life. I did care. I wasn’t a total ass.”
“Could‘ve fooled me with your flippant attitude earlier.”
Kane grasped her glass and took a sip of the Merlot. “Good choice.”
“Are you always that cold with your girlfriends?”
“I told you, she wasn’t my girlfriend. Besides, if I was such an ass to her, you think she’d stick around for three years?”
“I don’t know. Seems like you have a way with the ladies,” Cara said, earning her another chuckle.
“There’s only one lady’s attention I want right now.”
Cara wasn’t sure if he was being straight with her or playing games. Either way, his admission had her blood humming through her veins. Like it or not, her body responded to the man and she wanted him in the worst way. Best that he never find out, because if he ever turned on the seduction, she’d be a lost cause.
“You want to go up to Draven’s office?”
This time Cara chuckled. He was shameless. “You don’t miss a beat, do you?”
“As much as I’d like to wrap those long legs of yours around my waist, I’m only thinking right now it’s in both our best interests if Kaleb or any of the other Sons don’t spot us together.”
Cara supposed she wasn’t exactly high on their list of hang-arounds, so she quickly agreed. Grabbing her glass of Merlot in one hand and his fingers in the other, she followed him through the back of the club and up the curtained stairway. Once the curtains closed, darkness enveloped them. Cara couldn’t see an inch in front of her face without the benefit of the tiny lights that illuminated the staircase. Kane took them as though he didn’t needed a visual. Cara tried hard not to stumble in his wake. Reaching the office, Kane closed the door behind them, sliding the lock into place, and flipped the switch, filling the room with a warm glow.
Cara’s stomach somersaulted. She certainly hadn’t thought her actions through. If she had been wrong about Kane and he had indeed killed the three women, then she had just put herself into a precarious situation. Even as a black belt, Cara was pretty sure she wasn’t a match for Kane’s strength.
Kane must have guessed her apprehension. Pulling her to him with the fingers he still held tenderly in his clasp, he brushed her cheek with the back of his free hand, before tucking one side of her hair behind her ear.
“You’re safe with me, Mia Bella. As I said to you before I would never take from you what is not offered.”
“I haven’t changed my mind, Kane. I’ll never offer you anything.”
Kane’s eyes lit with humor. “I’ll remind you of that when I’m fucking you.”
Cara sucked in breath. She might have slapped him for his vulgar declaration had his statement not been like a shot of pure desire. Lord, she couldn’t let him know the power of his words.
“Not only egotistical, but crude. You attract a lot of ladies with a mouth like that?”
“Confident, Mia Bella.” He framed her face with his palms. “There’s a difference. As for being crude, do I remind you of a gentleman so much that you think I should act like one?”
That earned Kane a smile as she quickly stepped back from his touch. “No, I don’t suppose. So why are we here?”
“Because I wanted to talk to you—off the record. I want to be straight.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. For some asinine reason I trust you. It could be because for ten years you’ve known that I was a vampire and yet you haven’t told a soul.”
“Who would believe me?”
“You didn’t tell anyone, Mia Bella, because somewhere deep inside, you know I’m not a monster.”
And she did, but she had to ask anyway. “Have you ever killed anyone?”
“Yes, a man. Never a woman.” He paused, waiting for a reaction that didn’t come. Then he said, “And not because I’m a vampire. One of the Sons’ old ladies had wandered away at a biker rally. Not the smartest thing to do, but she didn’t fear being hurt as no one with a lick of sense would touch someone belonging to us, but she was attacked. The man beat the shit out of her after he fucked her in every way possible. He left her for dead, thought the Sons would never find out. She lived for a short while, long enough to tell us who did it. It’s not pretty what I did to the man. So don’t ask. Just know he no longer draws a breath. If I’ve killed, Mia Bella, and I have, it’s always justly deserved. Does that shock you?”
“No.”
“Does it frighten you?”
“You scare the living hell out of me, Viper.”
“Why?”
“Not because you’ve taken a life. Not because of what you are. But because I fear one day you’ll be correct and I won’t be able to resist you.”
Kane stepped closer, his hand palming her cheek. “Lord, I hope not,” he whispered and lowered his head, his lips claiming hers.
It wasn’t a sweet, chaste kiss, but a total possession of her mouth. His kiss told her what his body desired, leaving no doubt where they were headed if she allowed him to continue. Just thinking about Kane doing to her what she had only dared to dream, numbed her limbs. Her grip slipped on her Merlot she had brought with her from the club and the glass fell to the tiled end table, shattering. Cara gasped, stepped back from Kane and reached for the broken shards, the pieces cutting into the flesh of her palm in her clumsiness. Red blood oozed from the wound and ran down her palm and between her fingers. Kane seized the injured hand before she could snatch it back and took it to his lips. His tongue wrapped each finger, licking the red fluid before moving to the deep cut on her palm.
Cara’s heart beat heavy in her chest, not from fright but from a craving so strong it scared the hell out of her. The act of Kane suckling her blood was ecstasy in its purest form. The sweet sting of the wound as his tongue touched it caused her to suck in more air as her legs threatened to give out. She had to get as far away from Kane as possible before she did something incredibly stupid like draping herself around a vampire and telling him to take what he hungered for.
Problem was, she wasn’t certain if he’d fuck her or bite her.
That last thought had her snatching her hand from his clasp, cradling it to her chest, and running from the room, not stopping or looking back until she reached the safety of her car. Cara sat heavily into the driver seat, willing her breath to return to normal before considering the depth of the wound. Surely, she’d need to get stitches. But when she opened her palm, holding it near the interior lamps of her car for a better view, only a thin red line remained. The wound had miraculously closed.
* * *
“Alec, you stupid idiot! You fucking imbecile!” came the irate screech through his cell as he pulled the phone from his ear. How dare she resort to name-calling after all he had done. And for what? Love? Hardly, he snorted! Maybe a few good pieces of ass.
“Careful, darling. I might be tempted to come back to Italy tonight and allow you to clean up your own fucking mess.”
“How stupid of you to threaten the woman detective! I want to destroy everything Kane Tepes has worked for. I don’t want him knowing a moment’s peace. The goal here is to take him down, get his brothers to start questioning him as the Sheriff’s Office closes in on their number one suspect. I want them to turn on him, remove his Pres patch, toss him as a member. They need to be convinced he’s guilty, going off the deep end and draining these women. The Sons will never believe he threatened that lady detective when he trails her like a dog looking for a bitch in heat!”
He could hear her intake of breath, could easily imagine her standing there, hands on hips, glaring at the ceiling, wanting to wring his regal neck.
“Look, what I did will make the cops think the President of the Sons wants this all to go away, which would mean that Kane would want Brahnam dead. And hopefully, his brothers will draw the same conclusion. The end result will be the same: Kane will be exiled, and you’ll be once again happy. If that is indeed possible.”
He knew she paced the large expansive bedroom they shared, fuming that he hadn’t followed her every directive, daring to set out on a plan of his own devising. She fascinated yet frustrated him to no end. He had committed to memory her every nuance, the way she ate, the way she moved, the little temper tantrums she threw. No love was shared between them, only the shared desire for power.
Together they were a force to be reckoned with. Any vampire would fear them, and rightly so. They were both primordials, originals, but Rosalee came from the very loins of Vlad Tepes’ brother’s last wife, making her the much stronger of the two. Vlad’s offspring hadn’t been so lucky, their blood watered down over the years, leaving Kane and Kaleb the closest living relatives, many years removed. Alec had been turned by one of Vlad Tepes’ now dead spawns, which gave him the title original, though he was not an actual relative on the Tepes’ family tree.
So for the time being, he humored Rosalee. After all, the perks were well worth it. No one fucked with, or like, Rosalee. The woman was an animal in the sack and out of it. He usually bore the claw marks to prove it. And when Rosalee wanted something, she could become downright insatiable. He grew hard just thinking about fucking her from behind, his fangs buried deep into the flesh of her shoulder.
Rosalee wanted Kane Tepes ruined, so much so it bordered on the obsessive. He could care less the reasoning behind it, just knowing Kane and Rosalee were once an item, was enough for him. Alec could have easily come to the states and ended the bastard’s life upon his first sighting, But Rosalee had expressed her desire that he live. The younger vampire was no match for a primordial. His powers well-surpassed that of Kane’s, but Rosalee had been adamant about making the bastard squirm. Who was he to deny her the pleasure? Besides, killing Kane was too easy. He’d rather watch him suffer.
“Alec? Are you listening to me?” came the shrill accusation, bringing his focus back to the phone call. “You know how I can’t stand it when you aren’t paying attention.”
He rolled his eyes and released his breath. She could be exasperating at times. “My dear Rosalee. Of course I am listening. You want Kane Tepes disrespected and ruined. What more do I need to know?”
She harrumphed.
“Look, how about you don’t worry about what methods I use and I won’t question your reasoning? I’ll see that Kane Tepes loses everything he holds dear in life and you can finally feel vindicated.”