protective custody, I’l need you, my brother and three of our most loyal friends to help safeguard her. Until then, have an additional security detail provide perimeter protection.”
“When do you want the word sent that she’s here?”
“I need to learn what she knows about the kil er. The more we understand about who he is and what he’s become, the better chance we’l have to fight him. Give me two days at the most.”
“If she doesn’t know anything?”
“We’l have to take our chances.”
Maison finished his wine and rose from the couch. “I’m on it.” He turned his head in the direction of the cel ar. “She is crying.”
“A woman’s ploy to soften me. It wil not work.”
Maison nodded. “I’l send the security force at once.”
When Maison vanished, Daemon poured himself another glass of wine. But Tezra’s sobs grew. Sighing, he set the glass aside, then appeared next to the bed where she sat.
“Go to sleep, huntress.”
“I’m an investigator by trade, not a huntress!”
Though he was wel aware her job description stated she was an investigator with the SCU, the way she’d protected her bodyguard and doggedly pursued the kil er vampire, she seemed more suited to being a huntress. Which made him wonder why they hadn’t trained her in that field instead.
Even as tired as she looked, she was beautiful, her pink glossy lips pouting, her green eyes sparkling. The image of freeing her from the leather she wore instantly came to mind again. “You’re exhausted. Sleep.”
“I can’t sleep like this. I can’t stand being in a room without windows, buried beneath the ground. It…it gives me claustrophobia.”
Suspecting she had ulterior motives, he held firm. “It’s the safest place for you…for now.”
She rubbed her temple. “No. I’l go mad down here.”
Folding his arms, he said, “If I take you from this room, you’l have to sleep in my bed with me .” Which triggered unbidden images of tangling in a carnal embrace with the enchantress.
“Why don’t you just lock me in another bedroom?”
Darkly amused at her suggestion, he gave her a wry smile. “You’d find a way to escape. You’l stay here.”
“Why do you think your brother didn’t murder the policemen when others believe he did?”
“He didn’t kil you .”
She studied him, then took a deep breath. “Please, let me out of here. You can use me as bait upstairs, aboveground. Please don’t make me stay in this tomb.”
“You won’t like it in my room any more than you do here.” He was certain of it, and he was sure she’d try to worm her way out of his bed if she could too.
She was petite like Lynetta, the huntress who’d stolen his heart, but the similarity ended there. Tezra’s hair was longer, darker, more striking, her eyes emerald, hiding a history he sensed would reveal a hel of a lot about her if he could dig into her psyche and discover it. He was certain she had no intention of being used as bait, not by him or anyone else. Some SCU officers lived on the edge, notoriously lying when it suited their purpose. He couldn’t trust her.
Yet, he tried to sense if she were tel ing the truth about her dislike for the cel ar. A light sheen of perspiration covered her skin.
Her breathing was too fast. It appeared she real y was claustrophobic.
Cursing, he grabbed her wrist. He heard her sudden intake of breath, felt her maddeningly enticing rapid pulse beneath his fingertips, begging him to drink of her nectar. Trying to ignore the feelings she stirred in him, he growled inwardly, transported her to his room and deposited her on the bed.
Coffee-colored curls cascaded over her shoulders in a windswept mass, giving her a wild, untamed look. Her expressive eyes showed her every emotion, from earlier when he entered her office and she’d been so startled, to now, pleading for compassion.
If he gave in to her this time, what would he do next? He was determined not to lose his soul to her
“When do you want the word sent that she’s here?”
“I need to learn what she knows about the kil er. The more we understand about who he is and what he’s become, the better chance we’l have to fight him. Give me two days at the most.”
“If she doesn’t know anything?”
“We’l have to take our chances.”
Maison finished his wine and rose from the couch. “I’m on it.” He turned his head in the direction of the cel ar. “She is crying.”
“A woman’s ploy to soften me. It wil not work.”
Maison nodded. “I’l send the security force at once.”
When Maison vanished, Daemon poured himself another glass of wine. But Tezra’s sobs grew. Sighing, he set the glass aside, then appeared next to the bed where she sat.
“Go to sleep, huntress.”
“I’m an investigator by trade, not a huntress!”
Though he was wel aware her job description stated she was an investigator with the SCU, the way she’d protected her bodyguard and doggedly pursued the kil er vampire, she seemed more suited to being a huntress. Which made him wonder why they hadn’t trained her in that field instead.
Even as tired as she looked, she was beautiful, her pink glossy lips pouting, her green eyes sparkling. The image of freeing her from the leather she wore instantly came to mind again. “You’re exhausted. Sleep.”
“I can’t sleep like this. I can’t stand being in a room without windows, buried beneath the ground. It…it gives me claustrophobia.”
Suspecting she had ulterior motives, he held firm. “It’s the safest place for you…for now.”
She rubbed her temple. “No. I’l go mad down here.”
Folding his arms, he said, “If I take you from this room, you’l have to sleep in my bed with me .” Which triggered unbidden images of tangling in a carnal embrace with the enchantress.
“Why don’t you just lock me in another bedroom?”
Darkly amused at her suggestion, he gave her a wry smile. “You’d find a way to escape. You’l stay here.”
“Why do you think your brother didn’t murder the policemen when others believe he did?”
“He didn’t kil you .”
She studied him, then took a deep breath. “Please, let me out of here. You can use me as bait upstairs, aboveground. Please don’t make me stay in this tomb.”
“You won’t like it in my room any more than you do here.” He was certain of it, and he was sure she’d try to worm her way out of his bed if she could too.
She was petite like Lynetta, the huntress who’d stolen his heart, but the similarity ended there. Tezra’s hair was longer, darker, more striking, her eyes emerald, hiding a history he sensed would reveal a hel of a lot about her if he could dig into her psyche and discover it. He was certain she had no intention of being used as bait, not by him or anyone else. Some SCU officers lived on the edge, notoriously lying when it suited their purpose. He couldn’t trust her.
Yet, he tried to sense if she were tel ing the truth about her dislike for the cel ar. A light sheen of perspiration covered her skin.
Her breathing was too fast. It appeared she real y was claustrophobic.
Cursing, he grabbed her wrist. He heard her sudden intake of breath, felt her maddeningly enticing rapid pulse beneath his fingertips, begging him to drink of her nectar. Trying to ignore the feelings she stirred in him, he growled inwardly, transported her to his room and deposited her on the bed.
Coffee-colored curls cascaded over her shoulders in a windswept mass, giving her a wild, untamed look. Her expressive eyes showed her every emotion, from earlier when he entered her office and she’d been so startled, to now, pleading for compassion.
If he gave in to her this time, what would he do next? He was determined not to lose his soul to her
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