He didn’t open his eyes. “I told you, I’m with you.” Hers. If she only knew.
Dee didn’t speak again. Neither did he.
The ambulance stopped at an old factory on the outskirts of Baton Rouge. A train whistle echoed in the distance and the scent of rain carried on the wind.
When Simon climbed out of the ambulance, Dee tried really, really hard not to wince. The wounds were healing, almost right before her eyes, but, oh, damn, they were vicious.
And the man was standing. No, walking, as if he hadn’t just been comatose, with second-degree burns covering a good portion of his body.
Vampires.
He saved me. Again.
“Dee!” Tony’s voice. Demanding and a little nervous. Since he was human, he should be nervous. Very nervous.
She walked toward him, with Simon at her side.
I’m with you, babe.
If only things were that simple. If only she didn’t think the man still had secrets that could come back to bite.
Tony shoved open the doors to the factory. Rats squeaked and Dee was pretty sure about six roaches ran over her feet.
Oh, hell.
“Got him chained in there.” He jerked his thumb toward a room on the left. “He’s waking up, and even the blood loss isn’t going to slow him down for long.”
Her chin lifted. She’d managed to get some good swipes in before the cops pulled up, and she’d managed to knock out Leo just in time. She’d been the only one left conscious when the uniforms swarmed with their guns, so she’d been able to make some bullshit explanations, fast.
Lucky for her, Tony had been on the scene, barking orders and getting the cops he trusted—two charmers—to take the bleeding Leo into custody.
She’d leaned in close to Tony at that scene. Too many ears had been there, so she’d had to be careful, and she’d told him, simply, “My proof.”
He’d done the rest. Cleared the area. Taken Leo to the new “interrogation” room that had been cleared for supernaturals. Made sure that Samuels was there to treat Simon.
Simon.
Tony eyed him. “I can’t believe you took up with a vampire. I mean, seriously, Dee, a bloodsucker? Come on, I thought you had standards. You know that you and I could—”
Her stare shut him up. “Let’s get this over with, okay? I want my name cleared and I want to find out if more jerkoffs are gonna be coming to attack.” He didn’t know. Tony thought she’d just had one really kick-ass fighting night because she’d had those before.
You were getting stronger.
What would Tony do, when he saw what she’d become?
Growling, she shoved by him and went after her prey.
Leo stood in the middle of the room, his arms lifted and held in thick chains so that he dangled a good foot off the ground. The chains were hooked up to some kind of pulley, and one of the charmers stood near the master machine, sweat coating his brow.
“Bitch.”
Her brows lifted as she faced Leo. “Aw, you’re trying to sweet-talk me.”
He snarled and tried to lunge for her.
Stupid move. Even he wouldn’t be strong enough to break those chains.
He spun a bit, looking like a fish on two big hooks.
Leo’s teeth snapped together. “You should have killed me. I’m gonna get free—gonna come after you! You should have killed me!”
“Don’t worry, you’ll die.” From Simon. Hard. Cold. Ice.
“You. You f**king bastard! You think you found your damn golden ticket, don’t you? Think you can get away just because you’re screwing the new queen bitch?”
“Queen bitch?” Tony asked softly. “That’s…ah…different for you, isn’t it?”
“The bloodlust will get her,” Leo screamed. “Only a matter of time, then she’ll f**k like crazy and she’ll drink from any fool she wants. Drink, drain, and f**k—and you’ll be just as screwed as before!”
Dee flew at him. Not deliberate. Not really. She’d just seen the stiffening of Tony’s body and—
And, shit.
She launched at the vampire and slashed her claws down his chest. He howled and the blood flowed.
And the scent tempted.
Dee began to shake.
“What the hell? Dee? Dee, you’re not—”
She turned toward Tony and knew that her fangs were out. Fangs, claws. Bloodlust.
“Fuck!” Tony scrambled for his gun.
Simon punched him, a driving, brutal punch right in the jaw. Tony staggered back, hit the wall, then the ground.
Snick.
The two charmers had their weapons out and aimed.
“Won’t do you any good,” Simon told them, coming forward and—what? The guy was blocking her. Shielding her. Again. Kind of sweet. Kind of—“You know bullets won’t stop us.”
No, but Dee wasn’t exactly excited about testing that idea. She’d been shot as a human, could still remember the fiery blast, and didn’t want to go through that again, thank you very much. “Don’t even think about firing at me,” she told the charmers, aware of Leo laughing softly behind her. Laughing—freak.
“Hold your fire.” Tony rose slowly, rubbing his jaw. His gaze traveled over her. “Dee?” His dark eyes snapped to Simon and fury hardened his face. “You did this to her.” He had his gun out and aimed in an instant.
Simon, bastard, spread his arms wide as if to say, yeah, I can take it, so—
“Not to her!” Tony roared.
Damn.
Dee grabbed Simon’s arm and shoved him.
The bullet tore into her shoulder.
Her eyes squeezed shut. Still hurt like a bi—
“Dee!”
Her eyes cracked open. Tony ran toward her. “I didn’t mean—”
Simon caught him, lifted him by the throat. “You. Never. Shoot. Her.”
Um, he just did.
“I was aiming for you, ass**le!”
More wild, loud laughter from Leo.
Screw this. “Lower the bastard,” she ordered. The charmer near the switch hesitated. “Lower him.”
A choked gasp. Tony’s face began to purple and the whir of the pulley filled the room.
“Simon.” Dee kept her voice soft. Too much tension. Too much rage. Simon walked a fine edge, and one push…“Simon, I want you to let him go.”
He dropped the cop.
Tony heaved, trying to suck in air.
Dee licked her lips and fought to ignore the throbbing in her shoulder. The bullet had gone straight through, she’d heard it clang against one of the metal pipes behind her. At least she didn’t have to worry about digging the thing out.