Chapter Three
The hair on the back of Lana’s neck stood up as she drew closer to the group of bloodsuckers. Three young, impossibly pretty girls dressed in the latest designer fashions. These were the vamps she’d become accustomed to killing, not the desperate gigolo she encountered last night. But this also meant they probably had a few more years of experience over him. And three against one would take more effort and planning on her part.
Her arm still stung from where Byron had grabbed it, matching the sting of regret she felt from leaving him so abruptly. Why did these bloodsuckers have to show up right in the middle of her first semblance of a date in the last ten years? Never mind that Byron seemed intent on running smack into his own grave by acting like a rogue hunter. He was still cute, very attentive, and managed to turn her insides to goo with just a glance.
One of the vampires turned and stared directly at her. Lana’s stomach knotted. When the target issued a challenge, the huntress within seized control. Something didn’t feel right about this. Part of her wanted to tell her instincts to go fuck themselves, but duty called. They knew she was following them, and she couldn’t back down without looking like a coward. Her fingers wrapped around the stake in her purse as she pushed her way through the crowd.
They led her to the parking garage. Good. At least we don’t have to have this showdown in the middle of a crowd of onlookers. Every instinct inside her screamed “trap” as they disappeared behind a concrete barrier.
She dropped back a few paces and crouched between two cars, letting her sixth sense direct her instead of her eyes. Muted laughter echoed off the walls from the other side. They sounded so cocky, like catching a seasoned hunter was child’s play. Anger flared deep inside her. She’d show them.
“Where is she?” a male voice asked. “I thought you said she followed you.”
Her skin prickled. She hadn’t seen a man in their group. Make that four to one now.
“She was. I even taunted her. She’s here, somewhere.”
“Why can’t I smell her then?”
“The Foundation is very careful about who they choose to be hunters,” answered a smooth male voice with a German accent. “Perhaps they chose her because she is invisible to us.”
Lana silently cursed her luck. That made at least five vampires, and whoever Adolf was, he didn’t sound like a newborn. She mentally filed through the names of the older vampires and tried to remember if any were German.
Two came to mind, and neither one of them had an innocent reputation.
“A phantom?” one of the girls asked.
She almost laughed. She’d never been called that before. Maybe when she sent her report to the Foundation in the morning, she’d inquire about the term.
“Phantom or not, I’d lay odds she’s somewhere in this garage,” the other man barked. “Find her.”
They were splitting up. The sound of stilettos clicked down the ramp, and she tightened into a ball, ready to pounce on the first one who came into view.
The one who’d challenged her back at the casino stalked the aisles, peering between the cars on the opposite side through the shiny veil of her over-bleached hair.
Lana held her breath and tightened her grip on the stake. Ambushing Blondie sounded too fun to pass up. She raced from her hiding spot. The vampire turned, fangs bared, but not in time to keep the stake from plunging into her heart.
“Be careful who you mess with,” Lana whispered right before Blondie disintegrated.
A flicker of sound alerted her to the location of another attacker just after the tingling on the back of her neck increased. She whipped around and dodged another one of the female vampires. The bloodsucker moved slowly, as if she was unsure how to manage her new powers—a sign of being a newborn. She tore after Lana like a starving beast, opening her chest up as the perfect target for the twelve-inch piece of oak.
Great. Two down, three more to go, and none of them in sight. That observation alone set her on edge and tensed every muscle in her body. She honed her sixth sense, searching for the other vampires the way a German shepherd sniffs out the cocaine hidden in bags at the airport.
One level down, bullets ricocheted off the concrete. Lana ducked between two more cars. Let’s have some lovely gang violence thrown in tonight, shall we?
The car next to her crunched and rocked, sending her heart up into her throat. “Gotcha,” the male vampire said above her.
She burst out from her hiding spot, but not before he caught her dress. The material tore in his hands, and her high-heel-clad ankle twisted from the jerk. Pain shot through her foot and up her leg. She hated those heels, but never like she did now. She struggled to her feet, ignoring the breeze that bathed her back and the throb that pulsated in her ankle.
He lunged at her and she fell to the side to avoid him. Her stake grazed his skin but missed its target.
All of her weight landed on her injured ankle, bringing tears to her eyes.
His arm swung out and knocked her into the car on the opposite side. The air flew from her lungs. Glass shattered around her from what was once the rear window of a Prius. He definitely wasn’t a newborn, not with strength like that. She’d have some nasty bruises in the morning from the blow. That is, if she lived to see the morning.
She blinked away the stars that bloomed on the edge of her vision and pulled herself up using the bumper. Sweat coated the palm of her hand, causing her stake to slip through her fingers.
“So, you’re the best the Foundation has to offer.” He sauntered toward her, his brown eyes now glowing amber as the feeding frenzy consumed him. “Klaus said you were something of a legend, but I beg to differ. I think his opinion will change when I show him what’s left of your body.”
“Think again,” a familiar voice answered behind them, followed by three shots. The vampire’s arms flung up into the air from the impact of the bullets, his chest lurching forward.
He turned to dust before he hit the road.
“What the fuck?” Lana’s gaze went from the remains of the vampire scattering in the wind to her unexpected savior. “Bullets don’t kill vampires.”
“They do when they’re wooden tipped.” Byron slipped his gun back into his holster and approached her. “Is that all of them?”
“No, there’s two more, but I’m not in any condition to tangle with them now.” She hobbled toward him.
“Smart girl.” He scooped her up into his arms. “I killed one of the females below. Let’s go before more show up.”
Byron ran down the ramp to the outside, cradling her with each step. Her heart was still pounding in her ears. Thank God he’d followed her into the parking garage, or she’d have ended up being ripped to shreds. She knew she should be scolding him for being so reckless, but being alive and this close to him blurred her thoughts.
Sucking in a deep breath filled her nose with his scent. The aroma of warm, sun-baked leather mingled with the unique smell of his skin.
So raw, so male, so arousing.
Her cheeks flamed, both from the direction her thoughts were heading and from being carried in his arms past the throngs of shocked tourists. “You can put me down now. I know how heavy I am.”
“You’re not heavy at all.” His breathing slowed and his face showed no sign of strain. He seemed to be moving a pillow, not a person.
“But people are staring.”
“Let them stare. This is Vegas. They probably think we’re some newlyweds anxious to get back to our hotel room.” He flagged a cab.
Her flush spread lower. If only that were the truth. She’d love to see the body hidden under the twill shirt and blue jeans. Not that their snug fit left much to the imagination. Lean muscle ripped under her fingers that splayed across his chest.
When the taxi stopped, he climbed into the backseat with her, keeping her balanced in his lap. “Give the man an address.”
Oh, dear Lord, he wanted to go back to her place. What else did he want? “Um, this is really too much, Byron.”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight until I know you have your ankle propped up with a bag of ice on it. Now tell the man where to go or I will.”
His voice almost growled the last sentence, like he wasn’t used to people challenging his orders. A shiver coursed down her spine. Normally she didn’t like domineering men, mainly because she could kick most of their asses when push came to shove. But Byron looked like the type that could match her, tit for tat. An equal. A challenge. She rattled off the address to her condo just off the Strip and nestled into his arms. It would be a short ride, but she might as well enjoy it while she could.
His arms wrapped around her, warm and comforting. How long had it been since she allowed herself to get physically close to someone like this? She knew getting involved with him was out of the question— too many complications—but would one night disrupt the balance of her life?
“Let me take a look at your ankle.”
He slid his hand down her leg and her sex tightened. An amused light shone in his eyes when she met his gaze, like he knew exactly how horny he was making her. And if she wasn’t mistaken, he was struggling to contain his arousal as much as she was.
He cleared his throat. “It’s already starting to swell a bit. Can you move it, wiggle your toes? Do we need to take a detour by the hospital to make sure it’s not broken?”
She followed his commands, wincing as she did. “I think I’ll survive. It’s just a sprain.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“Maybe some bruised ribs,” she admitted. Her mind played back the encounter with the last vampire, and a cold chill washed over her insides. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For saving my life. And for taking care of me afterwards.” God, she hated to admit she needed help. It gnawed at her gut, but if she had to be rescued by anyone, she would’ve picked him. “But you need to be careful. You saw what they’re like, and from what I overheard, they were setting up a trap.”
“For me or for you?”
“Me.”
A reckless grin spread across his face. “Then maybe you’re the one who needs to be more careful. Maybe you should take someone with you when you hunt.”
She glanced up at the driver, wondering how much he’d overheard and understood. “Let’s change the subject.”
“Of course,” he said as he ran one callused hand over her legs and massaged the base of her neck with the other. “What did you have in mind?”
One look told her exactly what he had on his mind. Even if she closed her eyes, the firm ridge in his pants pressing against her thigh made her all too aware of his thoughts. “Are you always this forward with women?”
“Sometimes. Actually, I’d say I’ve been holding back on you.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you’re different than most women.”
That was an understatement. How many women prowled the streets at night with a wooden stake in their purse?
“You seem to be the type who likes to call the shots,” he continued. The sensuous curve of his lips rose into a smile, making his implications clear. He was waiting on her to make the next move.
Her heart raced. One kiss wouldn’t cause too many problems, would it? Plus, it might calm the growing curiosity inside her. Before common sense could talk her out of it, she gently brushed her lips against his. They were warm, soft, yielding to hers.
When she tried to pull away, his fingers threaded through her hair. Her breath caught. The hunger in his hazel eyes told her he wanted more than that, and frankly, so did she. This time, when their lips met, she did the yielding. Her mouth parted and his tongue swept in.
Mmm…this is how a kiss should feel.
Each sweep of his tongue, each nibble of his teeth, fanned the smoldering fire inside the lowest pit of her stomach. The stubble on his chin grated against her skin, adding a new sensation to her already hyper-aware brain. She curled his short hair around her fingers and held on for the ride, not wanting it to end.
A soft moan formed in his throat and he grew bolder in his advances. The hand on her leg worked its way under her dress. He stroked her seam through her already-soaked panties. Now it was her turn to moan. He repeated the action and she pressed against his hand, urging him to keep doing it, to go deeper next time.
A loud cough interrupted them, and Lana pulled away. The taxi was idling in the driveway of her condominium complex. Her cheeks burned. Had she really been so caught up in making out with a relative stranger in the backseat of a cab that she hadn’t realized they’d reached their destination?
Byron’s hand withdrew from under her dress. “Let me walk the lady upstairs, and I’ll be back in a moment.”
“Yeah, right,” the driver replied. “Just so you know, the meter’s running.”
“No problem.” He opened the door and scooped her back into his arms. “Got your keys, Lana?”
She searched her purse while she gave him directions to her unit. Despite the fact that she’d been sucking his face a few seconds ago, she couldn’t meet his eyes now. Once they entered the elevator, she whispered, “Sorry.”
“For what?”
“For acting that way in the cab. I usually have better control over myself.”
His laughter echoed off the stainless-steel walls. “So you’re saying you don’t normally hook up with random strangers?”
“You don’t have to say it that way!” She tried to wiggle out of his arms, but he held on to her tighter. “You really don’t have to carry me all the way up to my condo, you know.”
“What if I want to?”
Although she hated to admit it, she wanted to stay in his arms. For once in her life, she felt less like a tough-as-nails huntress and more like a fairy-tale princess. Of course, what she wanted to do to him didn’t belong anywhere near a Disney movie.
The elevator doors opened, and something sank into her stomach like a lead weight. The end of the line. The end of the night with Byron. Why did that disappoint her so much? She should be focused on work, on composing a report to the Foundation about what had happened tonight and researching whoever this Klaus fellow was, but all she wanted to do was taste his lips again. Years of sex deprivation had finally caught up with her.
He set her down in front of her door. “Will you be okay from here?”
No, her mind screamed. He’d left her body aching and needy for more than just a kiss. She should be flattered that he’d left the taxi waiting downstairs, a sure sign that he didn’t want just a random hookup with her. Oh, dear God, was he disappointed with her? Had it been so long since she’d kissed someone that she sucked at it? Only one way to find out.
She seized the collar of his blazer and pulled him against her, her mouth devouring his. She tasted traces of the Jack and Coke he’d drunk earlier, along with something more primal, more sexual.
Desire.
All semblances of self-control got tossed to the side. He pressed her against the door, pulling her injured leg up until it hooked around his waist and the hem of her dress gathered around her waist. His erection rubbed against her intimate areas, tormenting her with the layers of material that separated them.
He broke his lips away from hers and trailed them down her neck. The combination of his rough stubble mixed with the gentle flicks of his tongue and teasing nips of his teeth nearly sent her over the edge. Who cared if they were humping in the middle of the hallway? She wanted him to fuck her right here and now.
“Lana.” He moaned her name like a starving wolf presented with a haunch of fresh meat. His hands cupped her buttocks, raising her ever so slightly so his cock stimulated the exquisitely sensitive nub between her legs.
A shudder ripped through her body. She reached for the door handle, eager to continue this in her bed. Screw the cab waiting downstairs. She’d pay for the running meter at this point, so long as he left her a satisfied and exhausted puddle of flesh when he finished with her.
The door flew open beside her, and if Byron hadn’t caught her, they would’ve landed on the floor in a tangle of limbs. A petite Latina woman stared at them with round brown eyes.
Oh, shit, is this the wrong condo?