At the Advent of Dusk

AT THE ADVENT OF DUSK

…Mary took a step toward him, erasing more of the space between them. She dropped her voice to an intimate level. “Don’t let my preference for passive resistance fool you, mister. If you don’t leave now, you’ll get a taste of that bloodshed you’re so keen on.” “You know what?” He leaned toward her until their noses were almost touching. “That’s kind of what I’m counting on.” Without otherwise moving, his hand shot out and grasped the throat of the young man who’d tried approaching him from behind. Gideon smirked at Mary before turning toward the congregation, letting his fangs descend at the same time. A collective gasp of horror rippled through the group. “You’re all idiots.” Ignoring the hands clawing at his, he dangled the man in front of them, shaking him for good measure. “You think a few pretty words mean anything? The world doesn’t care. The world’s laughing at you, because while you’re sitting in here singing your songs and trying to coax God out of retirement, it’s moving along, and it’s going to leave you behind.” “You’re right.” Mary’s voice drifted from behind him, still calm despite the rich wave of fear coming from her followers. “Talk is cheap. And you’ve already done too much.” Gideon heard her take a step, felt the heat from her skin as she moved closer to him. The man he was holding kicked out, the toe of his boot connecting hard enough to sting a little.

Gideon shifted his weight to his other foot, just as a burning pain radiated through his back. Startled, he looked down to see the tip of a crucifix sticking out of his chest…

ALSO BY JAMIE CRAIG Fortune’s Honor Keeping Time Master Of Obsidian Mosaic Moon Seduction In Black And White Unveiled Calendar Boys January: Miami’s Perfect Weekend February: Mine March: Kiss Me

AT THE ADVENT OF DUSK BY JAMIE CRAIG

AMBER Q UILL PRESS, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com

AT T HE ADVENT OF DUSK AN AMBER QUILL PRESS BOOK This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. Amber Quill Press, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review. Copyright © 2008 by Pepper Espinoza & Vivien Dean ISBN 978-1-60272-195-1 Cover Art © 2008 Trace Edward Zaber

Layout and Formatting provided by: Elemental Alchemy

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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CHAPTER 1 It was the perfect night for a bloodbath. The pale moon, fat and luminous, sulked behind the Chicago skyline, but it was the utter stillness of the air that made Gideon Keel throw his head back and inhale. Nothing moved. He couldn’t even hear the ripples of Lake Michigan lapping at the shore. When the screams came, they would rip through the night before drifting in shallow echoes to the ground. He’d wear their blood like rags. His only regret was that he couldn’t do it twice. Gideon prowled through the darkened streets, his step silent, his shadow long. Windows glowed behind their heavy 1

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curtains, but his attention never wavered. He wasn’t interested in their pitiful attempts at protection. Any vampire worth his salt knew how to lure dinner from its home anyway. No, his prey rested at the end of the avenue, its manicured lawn a swathe of ebony that led up to its double doors. Even from that distance, he heard the hum of their hearts, the murmur of voices as they prepared to settle in for their midnight mass. The congregation was larger than he expected, though considering the community, he shouldn’t have been surprised. There were a lot of Bible babies in this part of town; they looked to God to assure them that the travesties assailed on them by the white people would be reconciled in the afterlife. “God doesn’t give a fuck,” Gideon wanted to tell them. “So grab your dick, find your girl, and have some fun before somebody tears your throat out.” Tonight, that somebody was going to be him. Considering his iron hold on the city of Chicago, Gideon thought they should consider themselves lucky. They’d be famous for a few days because of him. He planned on making their deaths truly spectacular. The church was like any other he’d ever seen—tall and puffed up with its own importance. Light shone through the stained glass windows, spilling out onto the grass, but the front doors were shut, no more welcome for the neighborhood apparently. Gideon slunk around the edge of the property, looking it over, but when he caught no signs of other vampires, he returned to the front. 2

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No back doors for him. The best way to anything worthwhile was always head-on. “Excuse me? You look a bit cold tonight.” A young black man touched his arm and smiled. “Why don’t you come in and warm yourself?” Gideon swept a calculating gaze over his would-be host. Small and wiry, like a rat constantly on the run. Good teeth, though. Would make a hell of a vamp if he wasn’t such a runt. Dismissing the stranger as inconsequential, he adopted his best apologetic smile, the one that usually worked on the housewives when he pretended to be lost and needed to use the phone. “I’m not from around here. I’d hate to intrude.” “Oh, of course it’s not an intrusion. Anybody and everybody are always welcome. It’s too cold to be wandering around Chicago on your own tonight.” The man opened the door and held it there, waiting for Gideon to take that first step inside. A fresh wave of heat and hearts rushed out, slamming into Gideon’s senses. Centuries of practice kept his reaction tempered, even if his cock hardened in rabid anticipation. “Maybe I’ll just sit in the back and watch.” “Do whatever makes you comfortable. But if you feel the spirit…don’t be shy. We’re all family here.” He held out his hand before Gideon could enter the building. “I’m Marcus Brooker, the assistant pastor.” He shook it, but only briefly. The tantalizing smells wafting out drew his focus. The entry was deserted, but he hung back as the assistant 3

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pastor smiled and hurried past him into the nave. It didn’t have the sounds of any other mass he’d attended. Of course, the last time he’d sat through an entire service had been a century earlier; usually, Gideon got bored and then anything could— and did—happen. But this was different. He wasn’t hearing words about God. He was hearing words about battles. And they were coming from a woman’s mouth. He stood in the doorway, leaning against the jamb as he surveyed the congregation. The church had more people in it than he would have imagined for a midnight mass, but the number of white people dotting amongst the black was oddly disproportionate. Maybe Brooker hadn’t been lying about everybody being welcome. Especially since there wasn’t a sign of segregation to be seen. White sat next to black. Black sat in front of white. And up on the pulpit came the source of the sermon, but from the most exquisite holy person Gideon had ever seen. She was tall and slender, with the long limbs of a gazelle in flight. She had flawless skin the color of the darkest soil and eyes a man could sink into and never return, but the simple skirt and sweater did nothing to highlight her lean curves. No collar, either. She was the least likely pastor Gideon had ever seen. “That’s Mary Straughn,” Marcus provided at his side. “She usually sticks around after the service to meet the new faces. Here, why don’t you have a seat?” He gestured at an empty spot on a nearby pew. “Oh, excuse me.” Gideon barely noticed the other man scurrying away. As 4

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captivating as the woman in front was, he was here for a very specific reason. There were other things to take account of, instead of her gorgeous legs. Like how many people were scattered throughout the room. Where the other exits were located. Who might try to play the hero and who would be the first to scream. Silently, he pulled the door shut behind him. He couldn’t lock it, but it would slow down anybody who might run. There was another at the side of the altar that would lead to the clergy’s private offices, but only a fool would attempt to pass Gideon to try and reach it. The energy shifted in the room, harder, more intense. The woman’s voice rose, her voice passionate, and everybody leaned forward in their seats, drawn to her. It wouldn’t be long until a cloud, that peculiar blend of excitement, and anticipation, and lust, and love, and hunger, and everything that made their blood so delicious, began to permeate the small space. He could already taste it on the back of his tongue. He was poised to wait there until he felt that cusp when something this Mary Straughn said distracted him from savoring the anticipation any longer. “Wait a minute.” He said it loud enough so that his voice carried easily up the center aisle, cutting her off in midsentence. “Preaching to the choir is one thing. But you don’t honestly believe any of this actually makes any kind of difference in the long run, do you?” “It will make a difference.” She didn’t miss a beat, her 5

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dark eyes narrowing on him. “Every person in this room has already made a difference.” “Because you…what? Pat each other on the back and commiserate on what a mean, awful world this is?” With a derisive snort, he pushed off the jamb and sauntered toward her, long strides slow and confident. “Nothing changes. And when it does, it doesn’t happen because of words. It happens because someone, somewhere, spilled a little too much blood, and somebody else got scared and made a change. That’s all.” “Somehow I’m not surprised that it’s a white man coming into my church, uninvited, and telling us everything we’re doing wrong. So what do you suggest? We declare war?” “Oh, I wouldn’t go that far. Well, I would if I got a front row seat.” “If bloodshed is what you’re after, then you’ve come to the wrong place. That’s not what we’re about here.” Gideon reached the front of the church but didn’t stop, climbing the two short steps onto the pulpit. Mary didn’t flinch, even when he circled her once, deliberately looking her over. Distance had not done her justice. “That’s why you’ll lose, then. Because the people you’re trying to convince aren’t in here to hear you.” “Then we’ll go out to them.” Her voice didn’t waver as he moved closer, invading her personal space. Nobody in the church made a sound, not even the annoying and over-eager assistant pastor. “And we’ll find them and we’ll make them listen to us until they can’t ignore us anymore. Our brothers and sisters in Alabama and Georgia have already proven you 6

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wrong.” Gideon halted in front of her, his back to the congregation, and tilted his head as his gaze raked over her. She was nearly as tall as he was, her scent overpowering that of all the others in the room. This one, he was going to leave for last. She was going to be absolutely delicious. “I’m not wrong. But I’d be willing to let you try and convince me in private, if you want.” Mary took a step toward him, erasing more of the space between them. She dropped her voice to an intimate level. “Don’t let my preference for passive resistance fool you, mister. If you don’t leave now, you’ll get a taste of that bloodshed you’re so keen on.” “You know what?” He leaned toward her until their noses were almost touching. “That’s kind of what I’m counting on.” Without otherwise moving, his hand shot out and grasped the throat of the young man who’d tried approaching him from behind. Gideon smirked at Mary before turning toward the congregation, letting his fangs descend at the same time. A collective gasp of horror rippled through the group. “You’re all idiots.” Ignoring the hands clawing at his, he dangled the man in front of them, shaking him for good measure. “You think a few pretty words mean anything? The world doesn’t care. The world’s laughing at you, because while you’re sitting in here singing your songs and trying to coax God out of retirement, it’s moving along, and it’s going to leave you behind.” “You’re right.” Mary’s voice drifted from behind him, still 7

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calm despite the rich wave of fear coming from her followers. “Talk is cheap. And you’ve already done too much.” Gideon heard her take a step, felt the heat from her skin as she moved closer to him. The man he was holding kicked out, the toe of his boot connecting hard enough to sting a little. Gideon shifted his weight to his other foot, just as a burning pain radiated through his back. Startled, he looked down to see the tip of a crucifix sticking out of his chest. There was that split second where panic—raw and ravenous—raced through him. She’d staked him. He’d seen how cool she was, and he’d turned his back on her anyway, and…the bitch staked him. This was not how he was supposed to go out. Not him. Not Gideon Keel. He wouldn’t have a human sneak up on him, and he wouldn’t have a damn cross shoved through his back to crumble him into ash. Except he had. On both counts. The only difference was…he wasn’t crumbling. With a roar, he threw the man he’d been holding into the front row, satisfied when he crashed through the pew and took several people with him. Whirling around, Gideon snarled when he came face-to-face with a determined Mary. “Don’t start feeling all sanctimonious because you’ve managed to finally put a crucifix to some use,” he said. “All you’ve done is delay the inevitable.” She gripped the bit of wood protruding from his body and pulled him closer. He reached, intent on ending her. He was so intent on getting his fingers around her throat, he didn’t notice her knee. Until it connected solidly with his balls. 8

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His reaction was instinct. Shoving her away, Gideon curled for a second at the waist, fighting back the fresh pain radiating through his groin. He heard the congregation react to their leader’s fall, rising from their seats and surging forward, but he refused to allow them the satisfaction of being the ones to take him down. It wouldn’t happen tonight, even with as close as Mary Straughn had gotten. Summoning all of his strength, Gideon bolted for the door at the side of the pulpit, smashing through it and the exit that led to the rear of the church without regard to what damage he was leaving behind. Time to lick his wounds, nurse his pride, find sanctuary while he considered how he’d take his revenge. Time to run. The night was a cool mistress, waiting to take him back into her embrace. He took flight, his feet barely touching the ground, and melted into the darkness.

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CHAPTER 2 Mary’s stomach churned as she looked at the dark purple and blue ring around Hal’s throat, but she kept her face impassive, free of emotion. She needed to be strong for Hal, for everybody. And part of being strong was not showing how damned scared she had been. How damned scared she still was. Each time Hal exhaled, his breath wheezed through his throat. “Do you think you can eat something tonight?” Mary asked softly. “I’ve got some soup.” Mention of food made Hal grimace, his handsome features momentarily marred. “Still have to swallow for soup,” he 10

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rasped. “But I have a feeling you’re going to make me eat it anyway. You’re as bad as my mother sometimes.” Mary looked away, pretending to straighten the papers on the table between them. “I’ll make a deal with you, okay? If you want to go to the church tonight, you have to eat something.” “Can I eat it after we get back?” Mary shook her head. “You need food to keep your strength up. Plus, if you’re not well enough to eat, you’re not well enough to go out tonight.” “I’m well enough. I’m just not…” Under her direct stare, Hal sighed and leaned back in his chair. His gangly legs sprawled beneath the table, nudging against Mary’s ankles. “Fine. You win. I’ll have soup. But I reserve the right to be grouchy about it.” “You have the right to be grouchy anyway.” Mary stood, mechanically taking the soup from the small fridge, finding the pan, turning on the stove. “He shouldn’t have had the chance to grab you. I knew he was trouble as soon as I saw him.” Hal waved her off. “We shouldn’t have let him get up on the pulpit in the first place. Nobody’s to blame here.” “Have you heard anything like this?” She put enough soup in the pan for both of them, though she knew Hal would only take a few bites to make her happy. “Since when do vampires enter churches?” “Maybe he’s new and doesn’t know the rules yet.” “He’s not new. Do you know that bookstore near the park? 11

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The woman who runs it knows about vampires. I asked her if she recognized the name the vamp gave Marcus. She told me to avoid him.” Hal grinned. “Did you tell her you staked him? That was boss, by the way. You should have seen the look on his face.” “I told her I tried. She told me I’d better not miss next time, because he’s likely to snap my neck if he sees me again.” “Why would she think there’s going to be a next time?” Mary shrugged. “She didn’t say. I guess she thinks if he tries once to turn the church into a buffet, he’ll try it again.” The soup began to simmer, tiny bubbles breaking on the surface. She stirred it slowly, her stomach rumbling as the smell of chicken broth drifted through the kitchen. “We should definitely ask around a bit, find out if other churches have been targeted.” He was silent long enough for her to glance back. Her direct gaze made him shrug, and he toyed with some of the papers still littering the table. “I’m not sure I understand why you don’t just let this go. We’ve always known there are vampires in Chicago. It’s never bothered you before.” “They never came in my church before, either. There are…rules. Lines. We know where we stand, and they know where they stand, and churches are off limits. But this…this Gideon just strolled right in like he owned the place.” She hoped the explanation would be enough to satisfy Hal. The reality of it was, he had unsettled her. And frightened her. And 12

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nobody had done either of those things to her in a very long time. “And you showed him what for, for doing that,” Hal countered. “I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about him again. And if he does come back, we’ll just stuff enough crosses into his chest until we finally hit his heart.” “I don’t think it’ll be that easy. He was…” He was all wrong. But she didn’t think Hal would understand, no matter how much she tried to explain. He was a monster who almost stole Hal from her. He was a devil with a low, seductive voice, a voice that could tempt sheep from her flock. And he was a man who could turn her head—he could make her forget he was a demon. “I just don’t want anybody to get hurt.” The soft smile he gave her almost eased the knots in her stomach. It always made him look like a little boy, though she didn’t tell him that anymore. “That’s why you’ll win.” There was so much sincerity in his voice, her heart hurt. Because she certainly didn’t feel like she’d win at the moment. “You don’t really want to ask around, do you? Not everybody knows about them like we do.” “Not everybody knows about vampires, but if some strange men broke into their churches during a service, they’d notice. I think we can at least put out some feelers. Find out if anything strange is going on. Besides the obvious.” Hal finally sighed and nodded, as she had known he would eventually do. “If you say so, Mary.” 13

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“Isn’t it easier to just lead off with that?” Mary teased as she ladled the broth into a bowl. “Here, try this. Mama always claims it’ll cure just about anything you can think of.” It was the easiest thing for him to swallow, but it still hurt to watch his face screw up with pain as he sipped at the soup. Mary watched him through her lashes as she ate her own, deliberately slowing down when it became apparent he couldn’t eat very fast at all. “That’s another one I owe you,” Hal said quietly. He didn’t look up, making ripples as he moved his spoon back and forth in the bowl. “Guess I should start trying to pay you back one of these days, huh?” “You don’t owe me, Hal. You know you don’t. Do you think I would have made it this far without you?” “Yes.” It was uttered with unhesitant conviction. “There’s nobody like you, Mary. You put the rest of us to shame.” Mary shook her head. “You know I’m only as strong as you, and Marcus, and everybody else at the church. If I didn’t have you guys, I would be just as…” Weak as that vampire said. She bit her lip. She didn’t want Hal to know that Gideon’s words had stuck with her. “I need you guys.” A pleased flush crept up his long neck, mingling with the colors of the bruising. His mouth opened to reply, but his attention got caught for a moment by the clock hanging on the wall. “If we want to get there in time, we need to start moving.” Hal sat up and pushed his bowl away, only to freeze when she cleared her throat in warning. “How about we put this in a 14

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Thermos and I drink it along the way?” he offered. “If we waited until I managed to eat the whole thing, we’d never get out of the house tonight.” “Fine. But we’re not going anywhere or doing anything tomorrow until you eat a proper meal.” She made him sit while she dug around in the cupboard for a Thermos, and then sit some more while she poured his soup into it. Though she would never admit it aloud, guilt was a powerful motivator. Hal could bluster all he wanted, but Mary still believed it was her fault that he was hurt. If she hadn’t engaged Gideon Keel in debate, or if she’d been a little faster knowing he wasn’t human, nobody would have been hurt in the first place. Under normal circumstances, the night was warm enough that Mary would have insisted on walking. There was something about being under the stars, standing in the middle of an open space, tilting her head back, and just gazing out at the great expanse, that put her world into perspective. Questions about rights, about freedoms, made more sense when she thought about how small they all really were. What was the point of bickering and warring over such mundane issues as the color of a person’s skin when there were bigger issues at hand? But tonight wasn’t a normal night. After the events at the church, there was no way she was going to risk their safety being out after sunset. Michelle had said that Gideon Keel was dangerous, but she hadn’t mentioned whether he had his own little vampire gang to do his bidding. For all Mary knew, he 15

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was angry enough to set them after her now. Hal was wrong not to be worried. They were going to have to watch their backs for the time being. Hal drove through the serene neighborhood streets, humming under his breath. His long hands tapped along on the steering wheel, but he seemed fine maintaining the quiet. That is, until they came to a stop at a red light two blocks from the church. “I was thinking. There isn’t a meeting on Thursday. Maybe you and I could go out and have a relaxing night. Maybe go to the movies or something.” Mary thought Hal deserved a relaxing night. He deserved more than one. She’d make him stay home, if she could. But Hal was driven by a youthful sort of energy that couldn’t even be contained—not even when he should be taking it easy and giving his crushed throat time to heal. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and the half-hidden eager smile told her what she needed to know about the motivations behind the request. “I would, but I can’t. I’m going to visit my mom on Thursday. She needs me to run some errands for her.” “Oh. Okay.” The response came quickly, almost too quickly. Mary knew he was disappointed, but it would be worse to lead him on. Hal was her best friend, and though she’d give her life to protect him, that was all he ever would be. She would never say it to his face, but sometimes she got weary of this pedestal upon which he’d placed her. 16

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“Since you’re going to be busy,” he was saying, “I could check around and see if there were any problems at any other churches recently.” “Go before sunset, if you can. I’d worry about you less.” She knew he’d do as she asked. She suspected if she requested he travel from church to church hopping on one foot because it would worry her less, he would. She was about to ask him if he wanted to bring somebody along with him, just to be on the safe side, when the rotating blue and red lights of an ambulance stole her voice. It was parked outside her church, and a small group of people huddled near the door. She didn’t need to hear them to know they were crying. She recognized grief when she saw it. What was it? A bomb? An attack? Another vampire? Was somebody killed? Who is hurt? Those questions and more pounded in her head as Hal stopped the car. She didn’t speak. She rushed out of the car and sprinted across the church’s small yard. Marcus melted out of the crowd, slipping away from the steps to cut her off. “You don’t—” But she pushed him aside, shouldering her way through the people clogging the doorway. She only took a step inside before her heel skidded on something wet, and she looked down to see the scarlet streaks staining the church floor. Blood. Lots of it. And there, slumped in the corner with two paramedics crouched over them, were Mae and Missy Powers. Their necks were practically shredded, and their clothes torn. The 17

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paramedics had probably rearranged their skirts, but there was enough blood along their legs for Mary to know both of them had been raped as well. Everything sharpened and narrowed. She knew exactly what she needed to do. She could see every step she needed to take, carefully laid out in front of her. “Marcus?” He was already on hand, looking sick and nervous. “I need stakes. And I need to know where Gideon Keel lives. I think you can get both from Michelle. You know who I’m talking about right?” “Yeah, but—” “I’ll do it.” Hal stood grimly on the lawn behind them, his keys clutched in his hand. “People need Marcus here.” “Thanks, Hal. I’ll be waiting here.” She stepped closer to Marcus and lowered her voice. “We need to get everybody to a safe place for now. There’s probably enough room for them at Tandy’s church.” “Do you really…” His eyes jumped around, drinking in the tears and shaking shoulders of his other parishioners. “You’re not really going to have a meeting tonight, are you? If they’re striking churches, maybe everybody should just go home.” “We are not sending these people home. They need each other. If you think it’s safer to move the meeting to somebody’s home, that’s fine. But they need each other right now, and you need to find a secure place for them.” “Secure. Right. Whatever you say, Mary.” He seemed lost in a fog as he wandered off, but the light touches he dropped on people’s arms appeared to be doing the trick. 18

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The paramedics pushed through the crowd, wheeling a covered stretcher to the back of the ambulance. For a moment, Mary didn’t move. She watched the girl being wheeled from her, wheeled from their lives, wheeled from this world. Mary knew she would be going to a better place. The girl had had a strong faith. Both girls did. Later, she would mourn them. She would cry for them. She would comfort their parents and their friends and the people who loved them. Later. That would all come later, because now she had a job to do. She needed to make sure a tragedy like this did not happen again. And that meant staking the vampire—the monster— responsible. She was standing on the curb when Hal returned, less than twenty minutes later. The ambulance was gone, and Marcus was trying to herd the last of the people away from the church. They kept sending her fearful looks, as though they knew without being told what she planned to do. “Where is it?” Mary asked, before Hal had a chance to speak. “Can I walk or should I take your car?” “It’s too far to walk.” He jerked a thumb toward the curb. “That Michelle gave me a whole box of stakes for us to use. She really doesn’t like this Gideon guy.” “Yeah, well, she’s not alone. Marcus is directing everybody over to Tandy’s for now. You’ll probably need to stay here and intercept any latecomers.” Hal blinked. “I’m going with you.” “I don’t want him to finish what he started with you.” 19

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“He won’t. I’ll be armed this time. And you need somebody to help you.” “We’re not going to barge into his crypt, or wherever he sleeps, like we’re the cavalry. The only thing we have going for us right now is surprise. Which means I’m going in alone.” He surprised her by folding his arms over his chest and standing his ground. “It’s an apartment. And you’re not invincible. What if you get hurt? Or what if he’s not alone? You need somebody there, just in case.” An apartment? Between that and his affinity for churches, Mary was beginning to think Gideon Keel was the strangest vampire on the planet. “You can be there, just not inside the apartment. Hal, we both know I can do stealthy. I don’t get caught unless I want to be caught. But if we’re both there, we increase the odds of that happening. I’m just going to go in and get out, quick as you please.” He still didn’t look happy about it, but her concession was all he apparently needed to nod in agreement. Turning on his heel, he led her back down to the car, opening the passenger door automatically for her. Mary was tense, but not nervous, on the drive to Gideon’s apartment. She knew a thing or two about staking vampires, and before Gideon, she had never missed with a stake. She didn’t know how old Gideon was, but she was more than certain he wouldn’t be around to see the full moon rise that night. While Hal guided the car through the streets, she fished 20

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through the bag of stakes, looking for one that felt right against her palm. She found two she liked, and held onto one while sliding the other beneath her belt. She didn’t expect to need two, but it wouldn’t hurt to be armed in case something happened and she lost the one in her hand. “Wait here,” Mary instructed, once Hal parked outside an innocuous building. “Give me…ten minutes.” She was out of the car before he could argue. Unsurprisingly, the number Hal had given her led Mary straight to the basement. She crept along the carpeted corridor, listening for sounds of activity. Someone upstairs was playing the radio too loud. A baby was crying. But standing outside the door of 12A, she heard nothing at all. With this many humans in the building, her odds were good that her heartbeat would go unnoticed until it was too late. Holding her breath, Mary tested the doorknob, grateful when it turned easily in her palm. The door didn’t creak as she eased it open just enough to slip inside the cool apartment, and once again, she thanked God for making this just a little bit easier. It was too dark to see much more than shadowy outlines, but Mary didn’t dare turn on a light as she scanned her surroundings. There was just enough illumination to make out the corners of the couch and coffee table. No need to go bumping her shins in the dark and alerting him to her presence. The scent of a man’s cologne hung in the air, and she was almost ashamed to recognize it as Gideon’s. She’d smelled it on him when she’d stepped closer the night before. 21

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At least the apartment didn’t smell like blood. That would have been too much. She crept through the dark, mindful of any clue or hint that she wasn’t alone. But there was no sign of the vampire. A small part of her had hoped to find him asleep, but his bed was empty as well. Mary paused long enough to take note of the room—it wasn’t large, but it was comfortable. This Gideon apparently enjoyed the finer things in life. How much was stolen from the bodies of the people he had murdered? Mary turned back to the living room, trying to decide what she should do. Could she wait for him? He might not notice her if she hid herself in a closet. A swathe of light from the hallway cut across the floor as the door swung open. There, in the entrance, was the dark outline of the very vampire she was looking for. “Well, I’d like to say this is a surprise,” he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets and leaning against the jamb. Though his face was in shadows, there was no denying the flash of white as he smiled at her. “Except somehow, I just knew you’d find me irresistible.”

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CHAPTER 3 Gideon lied. The sight of the woman from the church had initially roused a wall of fury inside him. Especially when he saw the stake she clutched in her tight little hand. Did she really think she could just show up at his home and try to finish what she hadn’t managed the night before? Didn’t she know who he was? Well, obviously, she did, or she wouldn’t have found out where he lived. But still. It galled. Then the throb in his chest reminded him how closely he’d come to true death. At her hand. And he hadn’t healed yet from it, far from it. There wasn’t anybody else in the apartment or corridor, but it would still hurt like hell to fight 23

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right now. Not that he wasn’t sure he’d still win. He would. She was just a human after all, and a woman to boot. He still would have preferred coming home and not finding her, however. He didn’t need this shit tonight. Deliberately, he raked his gaze over her long, lean form. Her heartbeat jumped, but by the time his eyes had returned to hers, her pulse had evened out again. She wasn’t afraid. Excited, maybe. On edge, definitely. But not afraid. He ran his tongue along the edge of his teeth. Some good might come of this yet. “You could’ve called,” he commented casually, not moving from where he leaned in the doorway. “I would’ve made sure I was actually, you know, home.” “I expected to find you all fat and glutted. Don’t your kind get sleepy after a big meal?” He didn’t have a damn clue what she was talking about, but he wasn’t about to let her know that. “You tell me.” Pulling his hand out of his pocket, Gideon ran it down his stomach and side, going slow enough so that she was all too aware of the path it took alongside his cock. “Do I look fat to you?” “No. You look like the piece of shit I’m going to run through with this stake.” “Really? Your stake doesn’t look big enough to make it from there to here without you moving even a little bit. But if it’s any comfort…” He winked. “Mine isn’t, either.” “Don’t worry. I’ll move soon enough. But before I do, I 24

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have to ask one thing. Why would you do that? I don’t understand.” Gideon rolled his eyes. The righteous act had fit when she was in the church; he should have expected it outside, as well. “Why do you breathe? I’m a vampire. This is what I do. And what do you care anyway? Nobody got hurt. Well, except for the skinny guy who tried to jump me, but still, all he’s going to have is a sore throat for a few days. You got lucky.” “Nobody got hurt? You’re a vampire. So what do you give a fuck over two little girls, right? I only wish I could dust you twice.” For the first time since speaking up, Gideon took her words seriously. “What two girls?” he demanded. “What? Did you rape and murder so many girls tonight your memory is cloudy? Their names were Mae and Missy.” “I don’t care if their names were Lucy and Ethel, I haven’t killed anybody tonight.” He straightened, his features hardening. “Not yet, anyway.” “Then where were you?” Mary didn’t move as he approached, but she did settle in a more defensive stance. “Out for an evening stroll?” Gideon kicked the door shut behind him. Immediately, the room lapsed into darkness. While he could still see her clearly, Mary had no such advantage, her sharp inhalation, nearly silent, proof of that. “It’s really none of your business where I was tonight, you know. But it wasn’t with these girls. Whoever they were.” “They were members of my congregation. And they were 25

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torn apart by vampires. I don’t believe in coincidences.” Now her anger made sense. But mixing with her anger was something else, a low pulse of fear that made her already heavenly skin smell even more delicious. The dark was getting to her, as Gideon had known it would, but he took his time advancing, keeping his steps silent. “You last as long as I have, and you know anything is possible, Mary.” He used her name deliberately, delighted when her heart gave an extra beat afterward. “Be mad all you want, but I’m not the vampire you’re looking for. Which is a shame, really, because you’ve been the most interesting thing to cross my path in years.” “And why am I supposed to believe you didn’t do it?” She realized he was close a second too late. Gideon grasped her wrist and twisted just enough to open her grip, the stake falling harmlessly to the floor. “Because I have an alibi. A good one, actually.” As quickly as he’d grabbed her, he let her go again, stepping back and out of the way to give her a clear path to the door. “And because I’m going to let you walk out of here without killing you.” Mary began to move, like she intended to take the opportunity he so charitably offered. How many other people could say they walked away from him, unharmed? Not very damned many, that was for sure. But she paused, her hand disappearing from his sight. It was just a small pause. A moment of hesitation. But it was enough to alert him. When her hand sliced through the darkness, he caught her wrist, the 26

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stake stopping an inch from his heart. Gideon clicked his tongue. “Someone likes to live dangerously.” Slowly, he twisted her arm, bending her aim until the stake pressed lightly into her stomach. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t gut you right now.” “You were willing to let me walk out of here twenty seconds ago.” Her voice was even. Probably more even than his would be if somebody was an inch away from killing him. “Besides, staking me doesn’t solve your problem. A lot of people saw you last night. A lot of people saw those girls today. And if you think that’s a coincidence, you’re a fool.” She had a point. A very good one. If somebody was setting Gideon up, siccing someone like Mary Straughn on him was a very good way to do it. Because she was smart and strong, but most importantly, she was tenacious. If she saw him as an enemy, she wouldn’t stop until he was gone. “It looks like we both have a problem. What are we going to do about it?” “I’m not convinced we both have a problem. What’s your good alibi?” She wasn’t going to be satisfied until she had the truth. With a sigh, Gideon took the stake out of her hand and tossed it well out of her reach. “I’m at the Blackhawk on Tuesdays. Every Tuesday. Including the Tuesdays after the Monday nights where I get staked.” “The Blackhawk? The restaurant? What on earth are you doing there? Do vampires eat regular food?” Gideon ground his teeth together. This woman didn’t like 27

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to make things easy for him, that was for sure. “I’m friends with the head chef. On Tuesdays, we cook together.” He paused. “It’s a thing.” “You cook? You have friends? He isn’t a vampire, too, is he?” “No, he’s not. He’d miss all the great dawn specials on seafood down at the docks if he couldn’t walk around during the day.” “This is insane.” She stepped back from him and folded her arms. “Do you have any idea how insane you are?” “Why? Because I don’t fit in the little box you’ve conveniently created for me?” He took back the space she’d placed between them. “Be careful, Mary. Your prejudice is showing.” “So, I’m supposed to remember you’re an evil vampire when it suits you, but the rest of the time, you’re a unique snowflake that doesn’t fit in any box?” Leaning in, Gideon lowered his nose to her neck, inhaling her scent without indulging the urge to do more. “You’re still breathing, aren’t you? And quite well, I might add.” “Fine. You’re a unique snowflake.” She put both hands against his chest and pushed, reclaiming the space around her body. “And I guess you’re pretty smart, because vampires don’t make it as long as you do if they’re fools. So what are we going to do now?” Though he was tempted to press the advantage again—she did smell divine—her shove sent a fresh stab of pain through to his back, reminding him of his injury. “I seem to recall 28

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asking you that very thing not a couple minutes ago,” he said. “But since you don’t seem to have any ideas, why don’t you just toddle along so that I can figure out who is trying to make me look bad? Leave the killing to the professional.” “No. That’s not going to happen. I’m sure you’re a swell guy, but I can’t just leave this in your hands. Those girls were my responsibility. Everybody in that congregation is, and I’ll be damned if I ever forget that.” Every time she started talking about her congregation, her eyes glowed. And every time her eyes glowed, her skin flushed in new, mouth-watering delicacies. It had been like this the night before, too, when she was preaching at her followers about equal rights and humanity. Frankly, Gideon was almost to the point where he’d coax her into talking about anything at all just to indulge in enjoying the smell of her. It kept him hard, and it made his fangs itch, and he couldn’t help but think that when the time came that he drained her dry— preferably buried inside her in some fashion—she’d be one of the kills he always remembered. Hell, he might even turn her. She’d put all the other vampires in this godforsaken town to shame. All of them but Gideon, that is. “First thing to do is check out the church then.” He flashed a wicked smile. “Your car or mine?” “I’m not…” Her eyes widened. “Oh, fuck. Hal.” She bolted from the apartment, and her racing footsteps echoed up the stairs. He didn’t know who this Hal was, but Gideon followed 29

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after, humming under his breath. Stepping back into the crisp night air, he turned unerringly in Mary’s direction, her scent already indelibly etched on his awareness. She stood next to a dark Chevy sedan, an even taller man in front of her, and as Gideon approached, both of them looked toward him. He recognized the man right away, even if the bruises around his neck were only smudges in the dark. “See?” Gideon said with a smile. “I knew throwing you onto a pile of parishioners would cushion your fall.” Hal immediately shifted toward Gideon, his face already twisted with anger. Mary put a restraining hand on his arm, and he paused without hesitation. “What is going on here?” “It wasn’t Gideon.” “What? You’re on a first name basis now? And how do you know it wasn’t him?” “It wasn’t. He was…he has an alibi.” “And you believe him?” “Hal, I don’t want to fight with you about this,” she said softly, turning her body away from Gideon. “We’ve got a long night ahead of us if we’re going to find the vampires responsible.” “Yeah, Hal,” Gideon said good-naturedly. “And the longer we stand here doing nothing, the colder the trail gets.” Mary turned to Gideon. “Why don’t you follow us to the church? Then we’ll decide what to do from there.” It was on the tip of his tongue to suggest he ride with them, but one look at Hal was all he needed to know the young man 30

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would never go for that. “Sounds like a plan.” Following the Chevy through Chicago’s streets was easy, even considering the speed at which Hal drove. Somebody had a heavy foot, though Gideon suspected it had more to do with wanting to lose the vampire on their tail than anything else. Stop trying so hard, he wanted to tell the kid. There isn’t a corner in this city you can lose me in anyway. He knew the second he got out at the church why Mary was so upset about the murders. Even from that distance, he smelled the blood and fear on the air. Even better, they were reasonably fresh. Every step he took closer to the front door only sharpened them. “This wasn’t a single vampire,” he said as Mary and Hal approached. “There were three, maybe four here.” “How can you tell?” She watched his nostrils flare and her nose wrinkled. “Do they all smell different?” “As good as a fingerprint.” He nodded to the door. “Can I go in?” He wasn’t sure why he asked first. Maybe habit from needing permission to get into homes. From the look on Mary’s face, Gideon could tell she didn’t know why he’d asked either, but she agreed anyway. They stayed close on his heels as he entered. At the very first sensory assault, Gideon’s cock hardened, and he ran his tongue along his teeth as he took in the scene. “What a bunch of amateurs,” he muttered. He paused and looked over his shoulder, trying to gauge Mary’s reaction to the mess still on the floor. Maybe it was 31

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just because she had already seen it once, but her face remained impassive, her eyes darting around the small chapel curiously. Hal looked even more pale, his lips tight, his bruises a stark ring around his neck. “Are you going to be able to track their…scent?” “Track? Probably not. Too many people have come through here. But I’ll know them if I ever run into them again.” Gideon circled the corner, then frowned, turning his attention toward the doorway that led to the main room. Without a word, he shoved the doors open and stood behind the last pew, staring up at the pulpit. “Which might be sooner rather than later.” He called out, “You know, I never asked to be It. But if it makes you feel better, I can start counting to ten now. It’ll give you a chance to actually run before I stake you.” The vampire that had been hiding under the altar burst out, running for the side door. Gideon had anticipated that would be his attempted exit and flew forward, grabbing him by the scruff just as he yanked the door open. “You didn’t count to ten!” the vampire snarled. “Yeah, well, I lied.” Gideon grunted as the vamp thrashed in his grasp, its elbow slamming into his chest. The renewed pain made him growl, and while he struggled to get a better grip on the wriggling demon, Mary appeared out of nowhere, a stake tight in her hand. The vampire writhed and kicked harder, straining to reach Mary. Gideon’s shoulders began to ache with the strain of 32

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holding him back. The vamp was glutted on fresh blood, and strength coursed through his veins. The pain in Gideon’s chest spread to his back, sharp enough to make everything a little hazy. Mary walked right up to the squirming vampire and snapped her fist against his nose. Stunned, the vampire went lax in Gideon’s arm for a moment. Mary moved fast, burying her stake in his heart without a flicker of hesitation. Without the vampire’s weight, Gideon stumbled forward, catching himself at the last minute. He looked down at his dusty hands for a moment before lifting a stunned gaze to Mary. “What the fuck did you do that for? We needed him!” “You said there were three or four of them. I’m not looking for the vamps so we can chat with them, Gideon.” “Really?” He took a step closer. “So you know who the other two or three are? Because I don’t. But I can guarantee you, our staked pal did.” “That’s only if he wanted to talk. There’s nothing to guarantee he would. And if you tried to torture it out of him, he’d lie just to make it stop.” Gideon snorted. “Not to me, he wouldn’t.” Mary rolled her eyes. “So what are you telling me? Because I rid the world of one demon, you’re going to run around like a chicken with your head cut off?” “No, but don’t think the justice you want is going to come any faster now.” “He was in my church, Gideon. I have a policy of staking 33

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unwelcome vampires who barge into my church. Or have you forgotten that already?” How could he? His chest was filled with new aches, the muscles sore from the vampire’s struggles. Glancing down, he saw the bloom of fresh blood starting to stain his shirt and grimaced. “Fuck.” “What?” Mary stepped forward, her eyes narrowing in the dimness. She reached out, then pulled her hand back quickly, before looking up to meet his gaze. “Can I look?” Several feet behind her, Gideon caught Hal’s frown. He’d watched the entire exchange in silence, but clearly, this last statement of Mary’s bothered him the most. They were close obviously, but how close remained to be seen. “Sure,” he agreed, letting his hands drop to his sides. Mary took the hem of his shirt between her fingers and slowly pulled it up. It stung a little where the material separated from the wound, but Gideon didn’t do anything to betray his discomfort. Keeping her hold on the shirt, she pulled a rag out of her pocket with the other hand and brushed it over the small hole that marked the exit point of the cross. “This looks fresh. Aren’t vampires supposed to heal quickly?” He arched a single brow. “You tried staking me with a cross. It’s going to take more than a day to heal.” “Try nothing. I succeeded in staking you. I just missed the target.” She wiped the rag over the wound again, but fresh blood still pooled. “Would it help if we bandaged it?” 34

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Her fingertips glanced over his skin every time she cleaned him off, leaving behind fiery streaks. “Yes,” Gideon replied without pause. “Apply a little pressure, and it should quit again after a few minutes.” Mary shuffled closer, the space between them shrinking. She put the flat of her hand against his chest, pressing the rag to the wound. He expected the added pressure to hurt, but somehow, it didn’t. She knew just how hard to push, just the right way to touch an injury without aggravating it. Her fingers rested where his heart would be beating, if it still beat, and her mouth was near enough that a small incline of his head would make contact unavoidable. Gideon didn’t bother with human lovers. They rarely interested him past the suck and fuck, too weak to keep up with him, too easily scared to try. A few had snuck in under his radar to become friends, like Tony at Blackhawk, but there was a reason he was the most feared vampire in Chicago. He liked his mayhem. He liked his feeds. He had zero interest in blending as some of his brethren had done, and he had even less desire to play nice in order to do so. But for an instant, when his gaze caught the proud line of her jaw, the flex of the muscle in her arm as she kept the pressure against the rag steady, Gideon wondered what it would be like to take Mary to bed for more than a bite. She was the first person to stand up to him in a very long time, and while her body occasionally betrayed a trace of anxiety, she didn’t fear him. It should have pissed him off. He’d worked a long time for his notoriety. 35

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Instead, it made him want to see just how far he could actually push her. Whether it was possible for the indomitable Mary Straughn to break at all. Slowly, Gideon lifted his hand, watching her carefully as he placed it over hers. Her fingers were long and slim, nearly matching his in length if not breadth, and he molded over them as if to help in the first aid. “You know,” he said, keeping his voice low and intimate, “I think this might be the first time getting staked wasn’t such a bad thing after all.” Mary jerked, like he surprised her, and tried to pull her hand away from him, but he didn’t let her go. She relaxed slightly, her fingertips curling against his skin. “There are bandages in the rectory. Come back with me, and we’ll make sure you don’t ruin another shirt.” He thought it would be worth it to ruin another shirt just to get her touching him again, but Gideon smiled and nodded, finally releasing her so that she could step back. Hal still hovered in the background, but Gideon’s attention was fixed on the sway of Mary’s skirt as she walked around him to head for the doorway. Maybe it would only take as far as the rectory to push her. He couldn’t wait to find out.

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CHAPTER 4 Mary didn’t know when things became so awkward. One minute, she was bandaging his chest like she would bandage any of her congregation. It wasn’t anything more personal than when she wiped the blood away from a scraped knee, or put ice on somebody’s swollen eye. And then Gideon was touching her, too. Just lightly. It wasn’t any more contact than they had before. But it was enough to distract her. Enough to make her heart jump to her throat, and her blood rush faster. It was a vampire trick, she was sure. It had to be some sort of evil trick. It couldn’t be a genuine reaction to Gideon Keel. Mary kept her eyes averted, afraid of what he would see if she looked at him. She didn’t want this vampire to know what 37

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it did to her to be this close to him. She didn’t want him to know she was working slowly so she didn’t have to stop touching him. She didn’t want to forget he was a demon, even for a second, and she didn’t want him to know what would happen if she did forget. But maybe he knew anyway. Maybe it was another vampire sense she wasn’t familiar with. Because he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against him, and she didn’t resist. She couldn’t resist. The part of her that would have put up a fight was effectively silenced when he claimed her mouth in a hard kiss. Gideon’s body was cool against hers, soothing her flushed skin with a touch that was just a little too rough. In contrast, everywhere his mouth touched her burned, and she always felt—or imagined she felt—a hint of teeth with each kiss. Her shirt was already gone—stripped away and destroyed on the floor. His hung open from his shoulders, and she smoothed her hands beneath the material, pushing it from his arms and feeling his muscles flex with each point of contact. Gideon stepped back just enough to shrug out of the garment, his dark eyes boring into her. He didn’t speak. He didn’t have to. The way his gaze roamed over her body, dwelling on her high, firm breasts, the flat of her stomach, said it all. As did the thick line of his erection. Without looking away, he reached for her again, and this time, Mary went willingly, drawn on some invisible line that pressed her heated flesh against his solid torso. His head 38

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bowed as if to kiss her again, but veered when she lifted her mouth to him, his blunt teeth raking along her shoulder. This was another point to stop, a little voice inside her whispered. Vampires and teeth. Not a good combination. But then Gideon was going lower and lower, and those same teeth found the edge of her simple bra, pulling aside the fabric in order to find the curve it protected. As soon as his tongue slid along her skin, her knees buckled. It had been a long, long time since anybody touched her like that—since she’d allowed herself to indulge in something so basic. She threaded her hand through his hair, holding him against her as he exposed more of her breast, his lips seeking out her nipple. The sensitive skin was dark and hard against his mouth, her flesh thrumming with each flick of his tongue. His large hand splayed across the small of her back, coaxing her to bend, bend, until her shoulder blades touched the hard wood of the reverend’s desk. Not once did his mouth leave her breast, too intent on savoring every last inch. He pushed Mary along the surface, sending the blotter and pencil holder flying, until her bottom rested against the edge. Mary’s fingers sought out Gideon’s pants, and she made short work of unzipping and unbuttoning them. His cock was heavy and hard against her hand, and he shuddered as she stroked his thick length. His unmistakable response to her touch was enough to make the muscles in her throat constrict and her pussy clench. When he lifted his head from her breast, his mouth looked 39

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swollen. “Keep on doing that, and I will fuck you,” he warned. She didn’t look away from him or make a sound. She just ran her palm down his shaft again and again. With a growl, he slipped his hand out from beneath her, gathering the fabric of her skirt and shoving it up around her waist. Her panties came next, though these he didn’t even pretend to care about, ripping them away until her ass was bare against Reverend Carnell’s desk. Mary gripped a little harder, ready to pull him closer, when Gideon pulled away, breaking her hold by crouching down between her legs. “I never said I was going to fuck you right away.” He chuckled. In the next moment, she felt his tongue drag along the outer lips of her pussy. Mary dropped her head to the desk, staring at the ceiling as he teased her. A part of her realized he could replace his tongue with fangs at any moment, without warning. And by the time he did so, she would be powerless to stop him, to get away from him. But the more he used his mouth on her, dipping between her folds to find her clit, the more she forgot about that. She pushed against his tongue, moaning his name as he circled her clit in a slow pattern. Long, sure fingers stroked the inside of her thigh, over the same spot again and again until the muscles quivered. Mary tried to draw her leg up and away, to force Gideon to select a new spot to torture or to stop entirely, but he grasped her knee and forced it back down again, his steel strength undeniable. He held her there until she relaxed, all the while alternating between lapping at her opening and nibbling on her clit. 40

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Pressure began to build between her thighs, and her clit throbbed each time he brushed the tips of his teeth against her flesh. Her gaze went to the unlocked door, and for a moment she worried about somebody—Hal—barging in. But just for a moment. Because Gideon wasn’t giving her the chance to think about anything except what he was doing to her. “Just a little bit more,” she whispered. “Just a little bit faster. I’m almost…I’m going to…” Wake up. Mary opened her eyes, and she wasn’t staring at the rectory ceiling anymore. It was the familiar chipped, white paint of the tiny room she’d been living in for the past three years. She automatically reached to the other side of the bed. It was empty. She was alone. And it still felt like her body was on fire. Fuck. What was that? A nightmare. The best nightmare she ever had. *

*

*

It took forever to fall asleep. It wasn’t that his body wasn’t tired. His chest ached from the fight with the vampire at the church, and even though it had eventually stopped bleeding, Gideon felt every itch of his skin as it knitted itself back together. It wasn’t that dawn wasn’t creeping over the horizon, either. It had been a long night. After getting wrapped up in the rectory, Mary had insisted on going around to other churches she knew to warn them about impending threats. She 41

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had even made Gideon stand in the background with Hal, under strict instruction to try and sniff out the scents of the attackers from her church like he was some kind of trained dog she had on a leash. It was his head. And thoughts of Mary. And questions of why hadn’t he just snapped her neck when he’d found her in his apartment at the beginning of the night. So it was no wonder at all that when he finally did find sleep, she occupied his dreams. She prowled around his dark living room with the grace of a caged panther. Every time she passed in front of the open doorway to the bedroom, he saw the outline of the stake in her hand, but Gideon refused to acknowledge it. “There’s no way out,” he commented, the door at his back. “You might as well stop fighting it.” “There’s a way out if I stake you.” He clicked his tongue. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…” His smile was wide, though he knew she wouldn’t see more than a flash of teeth. Too bad. He would have liked to see her reaction to his bared fangs. “Well. Let’s just say I’m not a fool, shall we?” “I’m not willing to say that just yet. I have no reason to think you’re not a fool.” Gideon moved while she spoke, silently to the wall nearest her. “And yet…” He chuckled when she whirled at the close sound of his voice. “I’m not the one locked in a vampire’s apartment with only a tiny piece of wood to protect me. Who exactly is the fool here, Mary?” 42

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“If I shove this tiny piece of wood in the right place, it’s all I need to protect me.” She moved as she spoke, but Gideon silently moved with her, stalking her in the darkness. “You’re more vulnerable than you think.” “Only if you find the right place. And you’re not nearly as strong as you think you are.” His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, bending her arm behind her back and shoving her face first into the wall. He squeezed hard enough to make her drop the stake, but Mary writhed against him, trying to get free again. Gideon laughed. “Moving that pretty ass of yours like that against my cock? Someone must want it pretty bad.” She brought her heel down on his toes, but even the unexpected pain wasn’t enough to make him let her go. He yanked his foot free of her and wrapped his leg around her calf, trapping her further. Mary stopped moving for the moment, her body tense and her breath coming in sharp pants. “I don’t want anything from you.” “Really?” Keeping her arm twisted behind her back, Gideon snaked his free hand around her side, unerringly finding the hard tip of her nipple and giving it a savage pinch. Her gasp went straight to his groin, and he bent his mouth to her neck. “I think you want more than you’re willing to admit.” “I don’t…” Her protest was a token breath. He’d heard people try to deny him before, fight him, plead him, beg him with genuine fear. She was doing none of those things. Maybe she wouldn’t lower herself to the indignity of begging. But 43

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Gideon thought it was more likely that he was right. Especially when she tilted her head, ever so slightly, to the side. The tip of his tongue traced the sinew, chasing the taste of her all the way up to her ear. Gideon caught the lobe between his teeth, making sure to let his fang nick the tender skin so that a single droplet of blood oozed to the surface. “See, now, I’m not ashamed to admit it.” Releasing her nipple, he let his hand graze over her flat stomach, molding over her mound. He pushed the fabric of her skirt between her thighs and began rubbing along her slit. “I’ve wanted to fuck you since I saw you standing in front of all those people the other night. The way you shone. The way you were so alive. I wanted to sink into you and never come out again.” “Don’t…” She tried again, but he pressed his finger against her clit, and her protest was swallowed in a sudden gulp of air. The tension in her body shifted. Now she wasn’t trying to push against him, but she still wasn’t relaxed. Just the drop of blood he managed to gather with his tongue erupted in his mouth, and he wanted—needed—more. Another, deeper taste. “I can’t let you do this.” “Why? You want it. I want it.” He ground his arousal into her ass. “It’s just a matter of where we choose to fit together our compatible body parts at this point.” “Because you’re…” Her voice stopped and she sighed as he pushed against her again. “A vampire,” Gideon provided. “Yes.” Her vehemence was undermined by the way she 44

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began to move with him, giving him a hint of how she would follow his lead once he was inside of her. “And yet, I haven’t killed you. I wonder why that is.” Slowly, inch by inch, he caught her skirt and pulled it up, feeling it drag across the front of her thighs. Mary shivered as more of her skin was exposed, a sensation that practically begged Gideon to catch it against his tongue. “I know why,” he whispered in her ear. “Because I know how good we would be together. When was the last time someone made you feel like this?” Her breath caught. She opened her mouth, and he expected another protest or a smart remark. She closed it again, and dropped her head forward, resting her brow against the wall. Gideon didn’t mind waiting for a response as he pulled more of her skirt higher, until the very tops of her thighs were exposed. His knuckles brushed against her leg, and she jerked, like he had shocked her. Finally, she whispered, “Never.” “That’s what I thought.” Slowly, he eased his iron-grip on the wrist he still had pinned behind her back. “I’m going to let you go now. But do you know what you’re going to do? You’re not going to fight this anymore.” With her skirt now all the way up, he had room to ease his hand inside her panties, finding the slick juices already dampening the cotton and tickling along her folds. “You’re going to take me out while I debate where exactly I’m going to fuck you.” He thrust two fingers suddenly inside her channel, making her cry out. “I’m thinking I might like that pretty ass you keep grinding into me.” 45

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Mary dutifully reached behind her and fumbled blindly for his zipper. Each time Gideon pushed his fingers deeper inside of her, her hands faltered and she moaned softly. Despite the fact his cock was aching and straining against the tight pants, he didn’t do anything to make her task easier. He rotated his wrist, testing her responsiveness, testing how ready she was for him. Finally, her thumb and forefinger snagged the zipper and she pulled it down. Seconds later, her hot hand wrapped around his shaft. His approval came out in a long, drawn hiss that had Gideon dropping his brow to her shoulder. He held still for a moment as she pumped up and down his length, the faintest scratches of her nails when she grazed over his balls winding coils around his spine. Mary gripped the back of Gideon’s neck with her other hand, her fingers pressing into his skin. The fight seemed to be gone from her now, and for the moment, he was happy to remain still, feeling the heat from her palm spread through his shaft, and letting the smell of her skin and hair and blood and life cover him. “I could stay here with you.” *

*

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Gideon’s eyes snapped open, her whispered words still echoing inside his head. I could stay here with you. Stay. Here. 46

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There wasn’t a single word in that sentence that filled him with glee. She should have been begging. She should have been screaming. There should have been blood and terror and long nails raking across his skin as she fought against her impending death. There hadn’t been any of that. It was only when he passed his hand over his face that he realized he was hard as a rock. Closing his eyes, Gideon reached down and fisted his length, moaning out loud as he roughly squeezed the head. Three strokes later, he was shooting over his tense stomach, her name on his lips, her face in his mind. It didn’t help. And sleep never returned.

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CHAPTER 5 Mary stood outside Gideon’s building for several minutes, eyeing the door like it could eye her back. She knew she needed to speak to him, even if she just wanted to turn on her heel and pretend she’d never met Gideon Keel, had never seen him, never heard of vampires. But she couldn’t do that. He was the only one who could help her at this point. She wasn’t a vampire hunter, even if she did have some experience staking them. If she wanted to find the monsters guilty of that heinous crime, she couldn’t run away from Gideon. Gathering up her courage and silencing the warning voice in the back of her mind, Mary pushed the door open and was swallowed by the building. The light faded as she ventured 48

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down the steep flight of stairs, and Gideon’s apartment door looked different now. Maybe because she knew what was on the other side. She had a feeling not very many humans did. She knew it was still technically daylight, but she thought Gideon would be awake. He hadn’t told her when she should come by, but he never mentioned when she shouldn’t come by either. Did vampires get grumpy when they woke up? Gideon probably did. But it wouldn’t do any good to worry about that now. She took a deep breath and knocked lightly on his door. Interminable seconds passed. She was fairly certain at least a minute went by before she heard any noise inside the apartment at all. The door opened without fanfare, no undoing of locks, no queries of who was there. Gideon stood there without a shirt on, the only thing hiding his muscled chest from full view the bandages she’d put on him the night before. Jeans hung low on his slim hips, the line of his pelvis drawing her attention downward, and she had to force herself not to do more than glance. That meant meeting his nearly black eyes, though. And that was almost as difficult. Gideon held the door open wider, allowing her plenty of room to enter. “Let’s just make it clear here that I am not your early worm.” “It’s not that early. And we have work to do. How’s the hole in your back?” “Considering I don’t have eyes in the back of my head, I’m not so sure. The hole in my front seems to doing all right, 49

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though.” He cocked a brow, deliberately glancing at the space between them. “You do realize it’s daylight, right? So unless you plan on standing out in the hallway for the next forty minutes, you should probably come in.” Mary shouldered her way past, but made sure not touch him. Any other time she might have offered to check his back, and maybe even change the bandages, but with the dream so fresh in her memory, she didn’t want to instigate any contact. Not even casual contact. “The police came by the church this morning. One of them mentioned that a similar attack had happened in another mixed church. I don’t know if that part is a coincidence, but clearly there’s a group of vampires specifically targeting churches.” The click of the door behind her sent a shiver down her spine, but Mary steeled herself against letting it show. “Same kind of victims?” Gideon strode for the kitchen. “And what do you like to drink? I’ve got coffee, tea, or water.” “They were a bit sketchy on the details, but yeah, it sounds like the victims match a pattern as well.” Curious about his kitchen, she followed him. “Coffee is good. Thank you.” He moved with sure efficiency, grabbing a kettle off the stove to fill it in the sink. The kitchen itself looked like any other kitchen she’d seen, all the way down to the dishes drying on the rack. “I’ll bet the cops aren’t even thinking it was vampires,” he said. “No, but then, I’d be shocked if they’re putting much 50

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thought into it at all. All the victims were the wrong color.” Gideon shrugged. “Cops don’t want to believe it anyway. They wouldn’t be any good to you except to feed the vamps you’re after.” Mary didn’t respond. She watched him move around the kitchen in what could almost be a parody of normalcy. He meant what he said. Did he view humans as most viewed cattle and pigs? Or did humans even get that much consideration? She was sure Gideon wouldn’t see the men he so casually mentioned murdering as people with families, lives, friends, and a purpose. Or if he did see it, he wouldn’t care. “Every time I run into vampires they’re in packs. But you’re always alone. Why?” He finished scooping the coffee into the pot and put the lid on. “I don’t need others to watch my back for me.” “What about company?” Mary didn’t quite know why she didn’t just let it go. But now that she wasn’t intent on staking him—though she did come armed with one—and she didn’t think he intended to kill her, she was more curious about this strange creature. And Gideon was very strange to her, alien even. “Or do you not need anybody to talk to either?” With the water heating and the coffee ready for it, Gideon turned around and leaned against the edge of the counter. “We’re talking, aren’t we?” Mary made it a point to look at his face, instead of letting her gaze slip to his bare chest. “All that really proves is you’re capable of talking.” 51

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“Most people don’t have anything worth hearing.” He shrugged. “Call me particular.” There were many things Mary thought of calling him. Particular didn’t necessarily top the list. And she hadn’t made a special trip to Gideon’s apartment to discuss his friends, or lack of friends, as the case may be. “So where are we going to start tonight?” “I was going to suggest hitting a few vamp bars, but now I’m thinking maybe we should check out some of the other mixed churches first. See if anyone has a Wednesday night mass, or Bible study class, or something that would have parishioners there tonight.” “Marcus should probably know that. It’ll be easier to go talk to him than drive all over the city.” Mary frowned. “Though, even if he does, we’ll end up driving all over the city anyway. That doesn’t seem efficient.” Gideon frowned. “Who’s Marcus?” Mary sighed. “You met him. Right before I staked you. And he’s been carrying on for the past three days about how all of this is his fault because he invited a vampire into the church.” “Oh, please. I didn’t need an invitation to come inside. I would’ve gone in even if he hadn’t been out front.” “I didn’t say he was right. I just said he’s been blaming himself. He’s probably not going to want to talk to you, though. You should stay in the car when I go speak to him.” “I thought we decided it wasn’t efficient to drive out there to talk to him. I’ve got a phone. Call him now.” 52

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Mary chewed on the bottom of her lip. She knew Marcus wouldn’t want to see Gideon, but she didn’t want to tell him she was at Gideon’s apartment. He wouldn’t be pleased to hear that. And the discovery of Missy and Mae had put a strain on everybody. He was going to conduct the Bible study out of Enid Greene’s home, but he kept hinting that he thought everybody should “lay low” and “not attract attention.” “Yeah, I’ll call him now. Good idea.” Unfortunately, Gideon’s phone was in the kitchen, so she couldn’t even escape the temptation to look at him while she gave the operator Marcus’s number. “Oh, Mary.” In spite of how breathless his voice was, Marcus sounded pleased to hear from her. “You just caught me on the way out the door. Are you at Enid’s already? Does she need me to bring something?” “No…no, I’m not going to be at Enid’s tonight. I actually need a favor from you. Can you tell me which mixed churches are meeting tonight?” “None of them, I hope. I told them not to.” “What do you mean, you told them not to?” “Well, it’s not safe. You know that.” Some of the bravado had disappeared from his tone. “After that monster waltzed in during your meeting that night, I knew we weren’t safe. I called around and told everybody they shouldn’t use the churches after dark for a while.” Mary understood what Marcus was saying, what Marcus meant. But they were always in danger, and it was rarely from vampires. “Marcus, why didn’t you tell me you were going to 53

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do that?” “I didn’t think I needed to. You want everybody to be safe, don’t you? And they should be. Everybody listened to me, except for that old fool Hanson at Trinity United.” Mary glanced at Gideon, who was watching her with deceptively sleepy eyes. Now wasn’t the time to tell Marcus why he should have discussed this decision with her. Or why she was so disappointed. Hadn’t she been doing her best to show everybody they didn’t have to run, that they shouldn’t hide? “Thanks, Marcus. We’re going to go over there tonight and just make sure everything is okay.” “Promise me you and Hal will be careful.” “I’m always careful.” Mary considered leaving it there, but she knew for a fact Hal planned to join Marcus at Enid’s. “But I’m not with Hal tonight. I’m working with Gideon.” “Gideon? I don’t…” His sharp intake of breath was audible over the crackling line. “That vampire?” “Yes, the vampire. He’s helping me find the rest of the vampires who attacked the girls.” “No, he’s not.” Now Marcus sounded panicked. “Mary, what are you thinking? He’s one of them!” “Marcus, you need to calm down. I’m thinking that if I’m going to find the monsters responsible, I need help. I don’t know how to track them, and I’m pretty sure I can’t take on several at once.” “But that doesn’t mean you can trust him. If he’s agreed to help you, it’s because he wants something, Mary. He’s 54

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certainly not doing it out of the kindness of his heart. He doesn’t have one, remember?” Mary frowned. They hadn’t negotiated a deal. Gideon hadn’t even named a price. She had been so caught up in the promise of actually finding the culprits, she hadn’t been overly concerned about Gideon’s motives. But on the other hand, Gideon could have snapped her neck and forgotten about her and the vampires she was after. “I’ll be careful, Marcus. I already told you that. Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later tonight to check in.” Hanging up the phone gave her a moment where she didn’t have to face Gideon. But he didn’t bother waiting until she turned back around before speaking. “He’s right. I do want something.” “What?” Mary asked softly. “One night. Dusk to dawn. With you.” Mary blinked. “I’m assuming you don’t want to talk about Kennedy’s civil rights policy.” “Not really, no. I thought we’d start with dinner at Blackhawk.” Mary finally turned to face him. “Are you talking about a…date?” He hadn’t moved. He was even still regarding her with those same heavy-lidded eyes. “You’re the first person, dead or alive, that’s managed to get a stake in me in sixty-three years. I guess you can say I’m…intrigued by you.” Mary studied him for a few moments, the phantoms from her dream crawling over her skin. Finally, she nodded. “You 55

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can have your night under a few conditions. First, we only have a deal if we actually find the vampires responsible. Second, on the night, you don’t”—she gestured at him— “show fang.” The corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. “Is that the only body part I’m not allowed to show?” “I expect you to behave like a gentleman. Or is that asking too much from you?” His smile grew. “Oh, I can gentleman with the best of them. But for the record, I just want you to know you’re under absolutely no obligation to act like a lady.” Mary arched her brow. “I’ll keep that in mind. But for now, we’ve got other things to worry about. As I’m sure you heard, if the vampires are looking for a new hunting ground tonight, they might be forced to start with Trinity United.” Behind Gideon, the kettle started to whistle, and he straightened in order to take it off the burner. “Well, nobody’s starting anything until sunset anyway,” he said as he poured the boiling water into the coffee pot. “So go ahead and have a seat in the living room, and I’ll be there in a minute.” Mary nodded, leaving the kitchen without further encouragement. She needed a bit of space from Gideon, though it was impossible to get the necessary distance from him in his apartment. And not because his apartment was small. There were reminders of him everywhere. Little tiny touches she hadn’t noticed the night before because it had been dark. And because she thought he was going to kill her. “Sixty-three years?” Mary asked, once he came out 56

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carrying a tray with the coffee. “Who else got a piece of you?” Gideon waved it off. “Oh, just someone who never could see the bigger picture. But I can tell you, it was a woman, too.” He smiled, sitting down at the opposite end of the couch, bending his knee and twisting in order to face her. “You women always manage to surprise the hell out of me. Men are far more predictable.” “Maybe that’s because you underestimate women.” His smile never wavered. “Maybe.” “Did she live to tell the tale of the day she almost ended Gideon Keel?” “Did she live? Yes. Did she tell?” Gideon shrugged. “I stopped trying to figure out how Michelle’s mind works a long time ago.” Mary shook her head. She didn’t understand. Gideon seemed to be the sort of man—vampire—who would react quickly and exact his revenge without blinking. Yet, he didn’t seem to be interested in extracting a pound of flesh from her, and he let this other woman walk away as well. “Is that the way to get respect from you? Try to kill you?” “No. Surprise me. By being fearless.” Amusement danced in his dark eyes. “And not stupid about it.” “Some people might argue that having coffee and a chat with an infamous vampire in his apartment is pretty stupid.” “You wouldn’t have lived this long if I thought for a second you were dumb, Mary.” Mary smiled wryly. “No, I don’t think you think I’m dumb. But perhaps naïve? Or do you believe me now when I 57

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say we can make a difference in the world?” He didn’t answer right away. The smile that had been playing on his lips faded, and his eyes took on a distant gleam. “I’ve seen change happen,” Gideon finally said. “I know it’s possible. I just think…if you want it that badly, you need to be prepared to do whatever it takes to get it.” His gaze flickered back to her, a little more somber. “How far will you go for what you want? Honestly.” “I’m willing to go as far as I need to. Do you think I would be here with you if I wasn’t prepared to take that extra step? You know, the one nobody else is willing, or able, to take.” “No.” The answer came without pause, without mockery. “And that’s exactly why I want that one night with you.” Mary leaned forward, resting her forearms on her legs. “What have you got in mind besides dinner?” “I don’t. If we spend the entire night talking, I’d still consider it a night well spent.” Mary studied his brown eyes, looking for the barest hint of insincerity, or derision. But he gazed back steadily, unblinking, his face surprisingly open to her scrutiny. “I’m beginning to think I will never have you figured out. Even if we do spend the whole night talking.” His mouth started to twitch into a fresh smile. “That’s the plan.” “And what happens after that night? We’ll go back to our respective worlds and our respectful distance?” “Not if I have anything to say about it.” She never saw him move. One moment, he was at the other 58

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end of the couch. The next, her coffee cup was taken out of her hands, on the table in front of her, and his leg was pressed to hers. “Look at me.” Mary’s heart momentarily lodged in her throat, but she didn’t avoid meeting his gaze. Because of his sudden speed, she expected to see yellow eyes, but they were still the warm shade of brown. “What?” But he didn’t answer. Instead, he cupped a hand around the back of her head, long fingers surprisingly gentle, and held her still as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. It’s not anything like the dream, she thought stupidly as his tongue gently traced her lips, seeking entry. She froze, not responding while her brain tried to process what was happening. But even if her brain didn’t know how to handle the sudden contact, her body did. It was mere seconds before Mary opened to the kiss, softening her lips and touching the tip of her tongue to Gideon’s. A sound came from his chest that could have been a growl, could have been a groan. It should have made her stop, pull away, do anything but follow his lead, but as Gideon deepened the kiss, Mary did the same, sighing into the caress as he curled his other arm around her back. His body was unyielding to her softer curves pressing against him, and her fingertips fluttered over the sculpted muscle. She was panting when he finally pulled back. The light in his eyes didn’t look like anything she had ever seen there 59

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before. “I can’t say I’ve been able to figure you out, either,” he confessed. “I’m not that complicated. I don’t know. Maybe you aren’t either. Maybe it’s the situation we can’t figure out.” The tip of his tongue ran over his bottom lip, as if searching for any lingering taste of her. “But I’ll bet it’s a hell of a lot of fun trying.” Mary swallowed hard and her attention darted over his shoulder to the clock hanging on the wall. It would be dusk now. “It’s almost time to go.” She looked pointedly at his chest. “You should probably go dress for the evening.” She half expected Gideon to argue with her, but he unfolded himself from the couch without speaking and disappeared into the bedroom. Mary closed her eyes and sighed. She could still feel his mouth against hers, still feel the texture of his tongue. She touched her lips with her fingertips and wondered how a vampire could be so soft—and how she could possibly resist him if he tried it again.

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CHAPTER 6 The hot water felt good, sluicing over Gideon’s back. It relaxed some of the residual aches that remained from the fight the night before at Trinity United and washed away the last of the scabbing left from where Mary had staked him. The injury was still mending, but it wouldn’t be that much longer before it was gone completely. It probably wouldn’t even leave much of a scar. Gideon had always healed better than the average vampire. He soaped up his chest, not bothering to rinse away the sting it left on the exposed exit wound. It would be very interesting to see what kind of scars he had remaining after Mary Straughn had come and gone from his life. 61

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The expedition the previous night had been a mild success. Not long after they arrived, a group of vampires crashed the Bible meeting happening in the basement. Gideon knew their scents immediately, but before he could say so out loud, Mary had staked the smallest. He’d taken out two more, but the final two took advantage of the panicked parishioners to get away. If he hadn’t had to worry about killing the people who blocked his path, Gideon knew he could have stopped them. Except Mary would have none of that. And for some reason, that mattered. He heard the knocking at his door when he turned off the shower. With a frown, Gideon grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. His apartment had become Grand Central Station the past few days. Nobody ever came to see him. Nobody especially ever knocked. Nobody, that is, except Mary. With a sly twist of his mouth, he went and answered it, a retort ready on his lips. It died when he saw the plump form of a vampire he didn’t recognize. A vampire who started babbling as soon as the door opened to him. “They’re going to kill me that I come and told you,” he said. “Unless you takes care of ’em, then just please, don’t kill me, seeing as I’m the one who’s telling you what you probably want to know in the first place.” “Who the fuck are you?” Gideon snapped. “Just a friend, just a friend. Well, maybe not a friend now, maybe a friend later, seeing as how you pull so many strings in town—” 62

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The rest was cut off in a strangled gurgle as Gideon’s hand shot out and wrapped around the vamp’s neck, lifting him up and shoving him into the doorjamb. His chubby fingers came up to try and pry Gideon’s away, but that just made Gideon squeeze harder. “I don’t have any friends,” he growled. “So tell me what this is about before I lose my patience and toss you into the incinerator.” “That…girl.” It came out as a croak. With air cut off, the vampire didn’t have a voice. “The church one.” There was only one church girl to him. “Mary? This is about Mary?” When the vampire nodded, Gideon abruptly let him go. “What is it? Did something happen to her?” Rubbing at his neck, the vampire vehemently shook his head as he backed away from the door, out of Gideon’s reach and down the hall. “No, no, not yet, but you gotta be fast, ’cause JoJo and Packer are not happy about what happened last night. They’re out for blood, for real this time. No games like they played with those pretty little girls at the other church.” The more he babbled, the more anxious Gideon got. He took chase when his visitor got too far away, but the vampire was closer to the stairs than he was, disappearing up them with alarming speed. By the time, Gideon reached the top, the outside door was slamming shut and his prey was scampering down the street. He could have continued the chase, but the vampire claimed something was going on with Mary. If Gideon wasted 63

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time trying to find out, it might be too late. Not yet. You gotta be fast. He’d be fast, all right. He just hoped he could be fast enough. *

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All he knew was that Mary had said she was going to be visiting her mother that evening. But there were only three Straughns in the phone book—Mary, and two addresses he knew were in all-white neighborhoods. Georgia Straughn did not have a phone. And Gideon was running out of ideas to find her. It was a last ditch effort that he showed up at the church. Churches kept records. Mary was very active. Ergo, something somewhere would have more information on Mary. An emergency contact. Membership information. Something that would help him find her. It dawned on him as he snapped the fresh locks on the doors that he might be overreacting a little bit, but Gideon didn’t care. He hadn’t gone to so much trouble helping Mary to not get the night she had promised him because somebody else got to her first. Of course, if it turned out that Tubby was setting him up, and Mary and her mother were perfectly safe, he’d make sure the fat vampire was strung up on a cross long enough to look like a string bean left in the sun. Nobody made a fool of Gideon Keel and lived long to brag about it. The rectory was deserted. Snapping on the light, Gideon went straight to the filing cabinet and pulled out the top 64

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drawer. He flipped through the hanging folders, looking for anything that might indicate church enrollment. For the first time since leaving his apartment, something was going his way. Someone here kept meticulous records. “What are you doing here?” Hal demanded from the doorway, his voice hard. “Where is Mary?” Gideon turned only enough to make the young man visible out of the corner of his eye. He wasn’t armed. That was good. “At her mother’s. I need to find her.” A sudden thought occurred to him, and his head snapped around. “I’ll bet you know where she lives.” “I do. What makes you think I’ll tell you?” “Because if you don’t, she’s going to get hurt.” It was obvious the other man wanted to argue with him. He even opened his mouth, every line in his body telling Gideon he was about to pick a fight. But whatever internal debate waged was resolved in seconds. “I’ll drive you.” Slamming the drawer shut, Gideon followed Hal out of the church and to a Chevy parked nearest the door. Neither said a word until they were out of the lot. “What kind of weapons do you have?” Gideon asked. “We’re going to need stakes.” “There are some in the bag in the back, and about another dozen in the trunk. After last week…and the girls….I wanted to be prepared.” He rasped each word. “There should only be two of them, so stay back out of the way. I’ll take care of it.” 65

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“What if there’s more?” There better not be more. “Then, I’ll take care of them, too,” he ground out. “Something happens to you and Mary will get upset. So just do as I say, okay?” Hal snorted. “I’m touched by your concern. But I’m not going to stand back and do nothing if Mary is in danger.” “She shouldn’t be as long she stays inside. Let’s just hope she’s as smart as we both think she is.” *

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Georgia Straughn looked at her daughter reproachfully. “Why didn’t you come by and see me or at least call me this week?” “I’m here now,” Mary pointed out. “But I heard about what happened at the church. I worry about you. You could have called and let me know you were okay.” Mary took her mother’s hand between hers and squeezed it gently. The skin was soft but paper thin, baggy with wrinkles. It always surprised Mary how small Georgia’s hands were now. Her mother had always seemed impossibly large to her—a force that couldn’t be reckoned with or withstood. But after decades of working in a laundry room, she was bent and old, her joints stiff, her eyes tired. Her hair was steel gray now, and her clothes hung off her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Mama.” The words were old, but not quite worn out. She had apologized to her mother a million times. Apologized for stupid decisions, apologized for rash decisions, 66

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apologized for thoughtless moments, apologized because she knew Georgia was proud of her, but a little scared of her daughter as well. “I am. I meant to call you, but I’ve been…” Distracted. “Busy.” “With what?” “Looking for the…people who attacked the girls.” Georgia didn’t know about vampires and demons, and Mary was just as happy to leave it that way. What would the truth do now, except scare an old lady who had enough to worry about? “That’s not your job. That’s what the police are for.” “I know, Mama. But we don’t want another church to be attacked.” She released her hands and stood. “Why don’t I help you get some dinner made?” “I can make my own dinner. Been doing it for years before you came along.” Mary smiled patiently. “I know. But isn’t it easier to just reheat the food?” “It tastes funny.” Mary’s smile faded. “I know. But, Mama, it is easier. I stopped at the market and got all sorts of good food for you.” Georgia looked at her for a few moments before nodding. “You take good care of me, Mary. That’s all an old woman can really ask for, I guess.” “Do you want to come to church with me this week? I can come by before services and pick you up. Or Hal could.” Georgia smiled at the mention of Hal. “I bet that boy’s parents are fit to be tied.” “They don’t talk to him much.” 67

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“I never saw what the big deal was, letting the two of you play together. You’d think it was the end of the world the way they carried on.” Mary remembered their over-reaction well. When Hal’s father realized his son’s new favorite playmate was the laundry woman’s little girl, he had hit the roof. Mary had cried for days, convinced she would never see her best friend again. Until the afternoon he snuck over to share a piece of candy. After that, they were inseparable. But his parents never, ever changed their minds. Or forgave him. “You tell that boy to come over and see me,” George instructed. “I will. Oh, don’t forget you have a doctor’s appointment on Monday.” Georgia’s face twisted. “You know, I never saw a doctor until last year. I was never sick until then, neither.” Mary only smiled and let Georgia work her complaints out of her system. By the time they ate dinner, she would have nothing else to gripe about, and then she would move onto the neighborhood gossip. And Mary was only half listening anyway. It was difficult to concentrate on the conversation because she couldn’t stop thinking about the night before. The kiss would have been the highlight—and God help her, she wanted another one—but that wasn’t what she couldn’t stop turning over in her mind. Gideon had always been at her side during the scuffle at the church. He had been right there. Even when she was 68

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staking the vampire, she felt him, fighting, watching her. Watching her back. And then when the two made a break for it, he hesitated. Mary had known what he was thinking, had seen his eyes flash yellow and his hands curl into tight fists. She had seen him look at the people blocking his path and make the decision not to hurt them—or kill them. Mary had no doubt that any other time, he would have done it. He would have done it without thinking, without noticing. Because he was a vampire, and ultimately, what were those people to him except bags of flesh and blood? Mary had the feeling that Gideon never let anybody, or anything, get between him and his prey. Mary didn’t know what stopped him. It could have been any number of things. But ultimately, she cared about actions. What a person did was the best measure of that person—even if that person was a vampire. “Mama, do you want me to have Hal bring around more oranges on Sunday?” Georgia didn’t answer. Mary turned away from vegetables she was washing in the kitchen sink. “Mama?” Her only answer was the sound of windows breaking, and a shrill, broken scream from her mother. Mary didn’t waste more time on words. She sprinted into the living room where flames were already spreading across the wooden floor. Mary rushed to her mother and wrapped her arms around her. “Run!” 69

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But her word was cut short when she heard a low, evil laugh from outside the broken window. “That’s right. Run.” The voice that followed was the last she expected to hear. “That might be advice better taken than given.” Gideon actually sounded amused, but Mary didn’t have time to contemplate it before pounding came at the door. “Well. Except for the part where there isn’t a chance in hell I’m letting you get away from me a second time.” “Mary!” She jumped. Hal’s voice came between the frantic knocks, calling out for her to answer the door. Mary made a move toward the door, but Georgia pulled up, bending over double and coughing hard enough to shake her entire body. For a brief moment, she wasn’t sure what to do. She had no idea how many vampires were out there—what if there were enough to overpower Gideon? But despite her hesitation, she knew she didn’t have a choice. She had to trust that if she brought her mother out of the smoke, Gideon would be sure she wouldn’t be meeting fists and fangs. “Hal! We’re coming.” Georgia was still coughing, but Mary pulled her light weight to the door, forcing her to walk. Tightening her hold around her mother, Mary forced the door open. Cold air hit her face and filled her lungs. Hal was right there, arms reaching out, warm and safe as they always were. But it was the chaos she saw over his shoulder that widened her eyes, a gleeful Gideon lashing out at 70

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one vampire, two other vamps getting batted to the side every time they tried to intercede. “Stay just inside the door,” Hal ordered. “They don’t have an invitation, but you’ve got fresh air.” Pushing past her, he raced inside. Mary heard him cough before distinct thumps made the floor shake, and she glanced back to see him beating at the worst of the flames with the afghan that normally draped over the back of the couch. “What’s going on?” Georgia asked in a reedy voice, her eyes wide and glued on the melee in her yard. “Mary, what’s going on? Who are these men?” Mary had almost left her mother to go help Gideon with the vampires, but as Georgia clung to her, she realized she couldn’t. Because Georgia wasn’t seeing vampires. She was seeing four white men in front of her home while it burned to the ground. “It’s going to be fine,” Mary assured her. “It’s going to be fine. I promise, Mama.” Four became three. Three became two. Each fresh shower of ash only seemed to make Gideon fight harder. When the last vampire tried running away, Gideon chased him down the block, both black shadows disappearing into the night. “Do the neighbors have a phone? You need to get a fire truck out here. Soon.” So lost in trying to follow the fight and comforting her mother, she’d forgotten Hal was behind her. A glance back saw him sweaty and soot covered, and though the flames were still high, they weren’t spreading. He was keeping it at bay. 71

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For now, at least. Mary was saved from answering by Pete and Rose Johnson racing across the yard. The first words out of his mouth were, “We’ve called for the fire engine.” “What’s going on?” Mary shook her head. “I’ll explain everything later. Mama needs to get away from this smoke.” “Georgia? Are you okay?” Mrs. Johnson took her arm. “I need some water.” “Come on, we’ll go get some.” Mary relinquished her hold on her mother just as the sound of sirens rolled down the block. Hal gave up his battle against the flames as soon as the firemen surged into the house. He joined her out on the front lawn, watching her stare up the deserted sidewalk in the direction Gideon had gone. “I’ll bet the church will chip in to help replace what your mom loses,” he said. “What can be replaced. There’s nothing the church can do about everything she kept of my father’s. How did you know to come?” “I didn’t. I found Gideon at the church, looking for your mom’s address. He’s the one who said you were in danger.” “He must have heard something,” Mary muttered. Maybe somebody warned him about a possible attack? It didn’t matter how he knew. He had done something with the information. He had searched for her. “If I know my mother, she’s not going to want to leave the house.” 72

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“I don’t think you have to worry about another attack.” Hal stuffed his hands into his pockets, rocking on his heels. “The way that Gideon acted…I think he’d sit on your step until dawn if he had to, to make sure you were safe.” Mary might have scoffed at the mere suggestion before, but now she wasn’t so sure Hal was wrong. “I’m sure the police will be here soon. Can you stay and talk to them? I’m going to make sure Mama is settled for the night, either with me, or with Rose. And make sure she doesn’t need to go to the hospital.” “Whatever you need, Mary. You know I’m always here for you.” Mary impulsively wrapped her arms around him in a brief hug. “I know. Thank you. I’ll catch up with you later.” As she turned back up to the Johnsons’ house, she couldn’t help but look up the street one more time, though she was reasonably certain Gideon wouldn’t be returning that night. She didn’t blame him. More and more people were showing up—some to help, some simply to see what all the excitement was about. A part of her wanted to go find him immediately and speak to him, but she knew it would have to wait. Resolving to go to his apartment as soon as possible the next day, she went in search of her mother.

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CHAPTER 7 Gideon had just crawled into bed, dawn threatening to crack along the horizon, when the knocks came at his door. “Who the fuck is it now?” he muttered as he grabbed his jeans and slipped them on. He didn’t bother with a shirt. He’d been in bed. Whoever it was, they were lucky he was bothering to get dressed at all. He heard the pulse the split second before he opened the door. It wasn’t enough to stop the surprise on his face to see Mary standing on the other side. “Are you okay?” he said in lieu of a greeting. Mary nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Nobody was hurt. Mama didn’t even need to go to the hospital.” She paused. “Can I 74

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come in?” He stepped aside, giving her room to enter. As she brushed past him, the scent of smoke still clinging to her skin grew stronger. “I got the guy who ran away.” He said it mostly to keep himself from thinking about how tired she looked. Why wasn’t she home in bed? “There shouldn’t be any more attacks.” “Good. I told Mama they were the same men who attacked the church. I don’t think she noticed the ridges and fangs. I guess I can call Marcus later and tell him it’s safe to go back to church.” She was speaking in a soft, almost distracted tone. “How did you know?” Gideon wished she’d sit down. “A stoolie. Probably thought he could score points with me by giving me the tip.” He shrugged off her curious glance. “I’ve got a lot of influence in the vampire world. It doesn’t do any good to get on my bad side.” To try and lighten the mood, he grinned. “Just ask JoJo and Packer.” “You went looking for me. It might have been easier for you not to put forth effort. Then you wouldn’t have me knocking on your door at all hours of the day and night.” If she wasn’t going to sit, he was. Lounging in the corner of the couch, Gideon propped his feet up on the coffee table, watching her with hooded eyes. There was a streak of soot at her hairline he was pretty sure she hadn’t noticed, but even wearing exhaustion like a cloak, she stood straight and tall, exuding the same grace that had 75

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caught his attention the first time he’d seen her. “Maybe I like you knocking at my door,” he said with a small smile. “Well, thank you. I keep thinking about what might have…what would have happened if you weren’t there. And how relieved I was to hear your voice.” She rubbed her forehead. “I probably should have waited to come over. I guess I’m a little tired.” “Did you drive? Or is Hal waiting outside for you again?” “No, Hal isn’t waiting. I told him I was just going to go home and get some sleep.” “But you came here instead.” “Yes.” She took a step toward the couch. “I wanted to see you.” “Well, you’ve seen me now. So you could go, or you could sit and relax awhile.” Gideon swung his legs down, deliberately clearing her path to the sofa. “Personally, I’d vote for sitting.” Mary hesitated for a moment before inclining her head. She settled on the sofa, but not in the opposite corner. “Sitting is probably good. I’ve been on my feet all night.” She sighed and rested her cheek on the back of the couch. “Were you asleep?” “No, I was just getting ready to go to bed.” Without breaking her gaze, he carefully stretched an arm along the cushion, bending his wrist in order lightly brush the hair out of her eyes. His fingers didn’t make skin contact, but the heat of her jumped those few inches to make it feel like 76

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they touched. It took even less time for it to travel up his arm and warm his chest. “Have I told you how beautiful I think you are?” he said softly. His mouth slanted. “Even when you’ve walked through fire. Or maybe especially.” Mary’s breath caught, but she didn’t lift her head, or move out of touching distance. “No. I don’t think you’ve ever mentioned that.” “You might have tried staking me again if I’d said it before now.” “For future reference, I feel much less inclined to stake you now. I don’t want to stake you at all.” She smiled slightly. “But I suppose you could always piss me off again.” Gideon chuckled. “That’s one of my specialties.” She skimmed her fingertips up his bare arm to his shoulder. It was hardly a touch at all, but the heat from her skin radiated through him. “Do you think you could avoid pissing me off this morning?” His hand stilled. Suddenly, it seemed very important not to have any distractions that might confuse her next answer. “Are you staying for the whole morning?” Mary’s gaze met his. “I want to. If you don’t want to send me on my way.” “No,” he murmured. “I don’t want you going anywhere. Well…” He glanced at the open bedroom door behind her. “Unless I can convince you lying down is more relaxing than sitting on my lumpy couch.” She lifted her head and slid a little closer to him. Her 77

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fingers went from his shoulder to the back of his neck. “So convince me.” It took little effort to pull her closer, and even less to cover her mouth with his. Part of Gideon had been waiting for this ever since he’d seen her on the other side of the door. He suspected he’d been waiting for this ever since parting ways with her twenty-four hours earlier. He kept the kiss slow, deliberate, taking his time learning the curve of her lips before touching across the seam for entrance. When he had kissed her before, he had taken the same tack, sure that forcing more before she was ready would lose Mary to him forever. And he didn’t want to lose her. Not yet. There was passion brimming beneath her skin, waiting to be unleashed. He saw it in her eyes, heard it in her voice, felt it under his hands every time he touched her. Gideon wanted to feel the brunt of it when she finally let it go. He had a feeling it would be fucking spectacular. Mary moved closer and closer as the kiss continued, her grip tightening on his neck, her other hand going to his arm. Judging from the eagerness of her response, from the way her hot mouth opened to welcome his caress, convincing her to go into the bedroom wouldn’t be an issue. Each time she exhaled through her nose her warm breath fanned over his skin, and everywhere he touched her, he felt her pulse pounding. Without breaking the seal of their mouths, Gideon shifted his body, his arm curving around her waist to drag her onto his lap. He’d been hard from the moment he touched her; there was no way she wouldn’t feel it, pressing against her pussy. 78

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This would be the true test. Gideon had been controlling the kiss, doing his best to keep it slow, but as soon as Mary settled on his lap, she increased the pressure against his mouth. Her tongue swept boldly into his mouth, sliding against his before exploring deeper. He palmed her ass, his fingers digging into the supple flesh. Everywhere they touched, her heartbeat echoed through his skin, stirring his blood, igniting the lust he’d been trying to keep at bay. Her nipples were hard points pressing into his chest, and whether she realized she was doing it or not, Mary rubbed against him and his still-healing injury with enough force for slivers of white-hot pain to shoot through the pleasure. Mary broke from the kiss first, and when she lifted her head, her lips were already a little swollen, and her eyes were warm with desire. “You don’t have me in some sort of vampire thrall, do you?” His mouth quirked. “No such thing.” “Just making sure before I tell you to take me to bed,” Mary said, before pressing her mouth to his again, her tongue dipping between his lips. Gideon kept a tight hold on her and slowly straightened to his feet. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and she clung to him as he navigated through the small living room to the bedroom. He didn’t want to let her go. He loved the way she folded around him, how it took such little effort for them to fit 79

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together. But then there was the bed, and there was Mary, shifting her weight just enough to compel him forward, and the pillows conforming around them as he laid her down. Gideon propped himself up on one hand as his other slid between their bodies, seeking out the soft contours of her breast. She moaned and arched beneath him, pushing against his palm. Her hands were busy as well, moving over his shoulders and down his spine. Once she reached the rough jeans, she redirected her efforts, slipping her hand around his hip. As soon as her slim fingers began to work at freeing his button, he clawed at her shirt, forcing the material out of the way. She moaned again when his nails scraped against her hard nipple, the sound going directly to his cock. “I think my intentions of you relaxing are about to get blown out of the water,” he said against her skin. He mouthed a path over the thin cotton of her T-shirt, finding the edge of her bra and pulling it down and out of his way with his teeth. “Because I have no desire to stop any time soon.” “I don’t want you to stop any time soon.” She gasped as his lips closed around her nipple. “I don’t…usually…act this way.” Another sharp intake of breath. He could feel her heart hammering as he rolled her nipple between his lips. “But I can’t stop thinking about you.” He couldn’t help but smile at the sudden rush of pleasure her words evoked. Gideon covered it by quickly snagging the hard tip with his teeth and biting, just enough for her to arch away from the bed. 80

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“And what is it you think about?” His hand skimmed over her stomach, relishing the twitching muscles. “Go on. Don’t be afraid of extolling my virtues. I can take it.” “I think I’ll save the extolling for later.” She cupped his erection through his pants and squeezed him gently. “After you’ve shown me what your virtues are.” Gideon lifted his head and smiled. “Promise you’ll scream, and we have a deal.” She returned his smile. “I’m not usually a screamer.” “And I’ll bet you’ve never been in a vamp’s bed before.” He popped the button on her jeans and slid his hand inside, diving straight through her folds to stroke her wet opening. “Today’s going to have a lot of firsts for you.” She bucked against his hand, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. He teased her for a moment, circling her skin with a fingertip. She remained still until he lowered his head and found her nipple again. A short bite had her gasping and jerking her hips, and he slid two fingers into her slick passage. “Okay,” Mary gasped. “Okay. I’ll probably scream.” With a grin, Gideon rose from the bed, shucking his jeans before she had a chance to protest his absence. He knelt between her legs and peeled her pants away as well, taking her underwear in the same motion, then smoothed one palm up her tight thigh as he slowly stroked his cock. She was glorious. Dark, flawless skin made him want to sink his teeth into her and never let go. The inner lips of her pussy were a dusky rose, glistening with her arousal, but it 81

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was her lush mouth that fascinated him the most. He kept imagining it doing all sorts of wonderful things—stretching around his cock, panting as he fucked her, shouting his name when she finally found release. He hoped she did scream. He’d probably come, just from that. “Come here.” He grabbed her hand before she had a chance to comply, dragging her upward until she straddled his lap. His length was nestled between their stomachs, but it put their lips on a level par again, and he pressed a hard, hungry kiss to her mouth before adding, “Ride me.” Mary didn’t hesitate to wrap her fingers around his cock. She stroked him once before dragging the tip against her folds. He moaned at the first contact of her slick flesh against his sensitive head. She gripped his shoulder with her other hand, her nails sinking into his skin as she guided him to her opening. Her breath turned into a soft cry as she sank onto his shaft, engulfing him with her heat. His brow dropped to her shoulder. Her muscles quivered beneath her skin like a wild animal’s poised for flight. Gideon knew she wanted to start doing exactly as he’d instructed her, but he couldn’t let her move, not yet, couldn’t let her do anything but sit there while he drowned in the fire of her. “Fuck…” he muttered. “You are never what I expect.” Mary cupped his cheek and forced him to look at her. For a moment, it looked like she was going to say something, but then her lips were on his again. Despite the way she trembled around him, despite the energy he could sense just below her skin, the kiss was soft, breathy. It finally coaxed him to allow 82

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her to move, and she rocked against him. They were small strokes at first. Shallow. Just enough for him to feel her muscles constricting around his cock, not enough for him to lose the heat running rampant through her. Gideon swallowed each exhalation she couldn’t contain, refusing to give back the distance between their mouths now that he had her again. It had been a long time since he’d had a human lover he didn’t first think of as dinner; he would be greedy for her touches for as long as she allowed him to be. But Mary didn’t seem interested in breaking away from the kiss. Her nipples scraped against his chest, and her hands seemed to be everywhere. Her thighs flexed against his, clenching each time he filled her. Every one of his senses reminded him of how alive she was. The salty smell of her sweat, and arousal, and blood. The thundering of her heart. The sweet, warm taste of her mouth. It all made his head spin. It was a scratch of her nails across his shoulder blades that made him growl. Hands tightening around her ass, Gideon finally tore away from her mouth. “That drives me crazy,” he warned. “What?” She dragged her nails down his back, leaving ten red trails on his skin. “That?” He hissed, slamming her down his length. “Yes.” “What about this?” she murmured before catching his bottom lip between her teeth and giving it a sharp bite. Electricity shot through him, going straight to his cock. “Playing with fire.” Without breaking the growing rhythm they were setting, 83

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Gideon slid one hand farther along her ass and found the warm crease. Memories of his dream came flooding back, and he traced downward until he found the clenching hole. “Unless you want me to fuck you here instead. Because I’d be more than happy to oblige.” “I think you’ll have to work a bit harder for that privilege,” Mary said, sliding her hand down his shoulder to find his nipple and give it a hard pinch. Frankly, Gideon thought he could take her ass now and she wouldn’t be able to stop him, but he refrained from saying so out loud. It was hard enough fighting off the fangs that wanted to extend. The harder she rode his cock, the more he wanted to feel her trembling muscles against his teeth and tongue. With a smirk, he traced over the opening, feeling it tense even more with each revolution. “Could always work out a trade. You just have to tell me what you’d want in exchange.” Mary moved her mouth from his, licking a path down his jaw until she reached his ear. Her small teeth snagged his ear with the same pressure she’d used on his mouth. He stiffened, and she released him, soothing the skin with the tip of her tongue. Her breath was hot against his skin as she whispered, “You still have to make me scream.” It was a challenge as much as an answer. Gideon abandoned her ass to grab her wrist, twisting her arm above her head as he bent her back against the mattress. It took only a moment to capture the other, and he held her firm in a single hand as he bent his head to his breast. Without breaking the snapping tempo of his hips, he played with the 84

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puckered nipple, giving it the same attention he’d give her clit if he went down on her. Mary arched, twisting and writhing beneath him. Her breath came in faster and faster gasps as he lavished more attention on her taut nipple. Her wrists were slick against his fingers, but she didn’t try to pull away from him, and he didn’t lose his grip. His fangs itched, and if her eyes weren’t closed, she might have seen the yellow flashes in his. He could already taste her blood erupting in his mouth, but he tried to distract himself from that by using the flat of his tongue on her skin. He moved his mouth to her other nipple and felt the skin harden against his tongue. His teeth scraped across the tip, and she bucked with a sharp cry. “Not quite a scream yet.” Replacing his mouth with pinching fingers, he straightened in order to watch the pleasure contort her face. “Look at me, Mary.” Mary opened her eyes and focused on his face. When they threatened to close again, he pinched her nipple harder, drawing her attention back to him. “I don’t want you to forget where you are.” Slowly, he dragged his tongue along the sharp line of her jaw as he added more force to his thrusts. “Or who you’re with.” His hand abandoned her breast to slide between their bodies, and his thumb grazed over her clit. “Or the fact that you wanted to be here as badly as I wanted you to be.” “I couldn’t forget.” The concession was enough for him ease his hold on her 85

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wrists. Immediately, Mary wrapped her arms around his shoulders and his thumb brushed against her clit again. She rose to meet his hand, and once again he was struck by how well she fit against him, and around him. “Gideon…” His finger joined his thumb against her swollen flesh, and the next time she breathed his name, he pinched her clit. People didn’t breathe his name. They screamed it. They whispered it in fear. They condemned it. Gideon couldn’t remember the last time somebody with a pulse had made his name sound like a benediction, or even the last time he had wanted them to. It should have been enough to make him forget his vow to her and vamp out then and there, sink his fangs into her jugular and drain her dry while she writhed beneath him. But he couldn’t. Didn’t want to. The notion only briefly flickered across his mind before he shoved it aside with far more force than he had ever shown in front of Mary. “If you hadn’t come this morning…” The words caught and tumbled, torn apart by the sensations of her tight walls squeezing around him as he drove into her harder and harder. Gideon swallowed and rested his head on her brow, his mouth skimming over hers as he tried again. “I would have come for you tonight.” “I thought you would. But I couldn’t…wait that long to see you.” He rewarded her confession with another pinch of her clit. “Don’t stop…Gideon…” Her words faded into a sharp breath as she went rigid beneath him. The next time she 86

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opened her mouth, the promised scream escaped her throat. He felt her come like a wash of flame erupting from within. Her tight walls didn’t flutter with her release; they throbbed. They pulsed around his cock so that each stroke was rougher than the last, his control slipping until he didn’t want to hold it anymore. Gideon slammed his mouth to hers, sucking down the last shred of her scream, as he shot deep inside her channel. His fingers slid against her slick skin, trying to find purchase, but when that didn’t work, he slid a hand beneath her ass in order to hold their bodies together. His orgasm shattered through his flesh. By the time his cock stopped jerking, he felt like just a touch would break him. With anybody else, this would be the point Gideon left the body. It had been a very long time since he had to worry about what came after the fucking. But Mary didn’t release him. If anything, her legs were tighter around him. She traced her fingers over his brow, and smiled softly. “I screamed…does that mean you won?” The corner of his mouth lifted. All his worries about what came next promptly vanished.

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CHAPTER 8 Everything was back to normal. Everything was as it should be. Mary sat in the back of the full church, listening to Marcus’s sermon, and watching the parishioners lose themselves in the rhythm and cadence of his words. They had all been relieved and thankful, if a little wary, when Mary insisted they reopen the church. But as the days and nights passed into weeks, and the vampires never returned, everybody began to fall back into their old lives. Everybody except Mary. Her life refused to go back to normal. The fire damage in her mother’s home was too great to be repaired, and so Georgia had been living with her. For a short 88

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time, the hysteria spurned by the vampires’ attacks drove everybody to distraction and made race relations in the city unbelievably tense. Hal began teaching a class every other night in self-defense against demons. He often asked her to be there, and she felt like a fraud. Sure, she could fight off vampires. She could even stake vampires. But she couldn’t stop thinking about them. Well, one. Mary knew where he lived, if she really wanted to see him. But they hadn’t made any plans to see each other again, and she had snuck away while he was asleep. She thought he would turn up, but he didn’t. Which was probably for the best, because she didn’t have time to be carrying on an affair with an evil vampire. Even if she didn’t think he was completely evil. Even if she couldn’t stop dreaming about him. The sermon ended with several hymns, and then everybody stood and began to break apart for the night. The beginning of a headache began to tickle the back of her skull, but she didn’t sneak away, or try to avoid any of the dozens of people who wanted to speak to her, ask her questions, invite her to dinner. But slowly, everybody began to drift off, and an hour and a half after the service ended, Mary finally had the church to herself. “You know, this is the only time I feel like a church is honest.” His seductive voice wasn’t much more than a murmur, but it seemed to echo against the walls. Mary braced against the 89

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goose bumps that had erupted at the first uttered word, but she refused to look back, even when she heard his nearly silent footsteps come up the center aisle. “It’s too quiet, though,” Gideon said. Fabric whispered against wood, and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was sitting in the pew right behind her. “Makes it impossible to sneak up on anyone. Even for me.” She could almost feel his rough fingers against her skin, but she still didn’t turn to face him. “What are you doing sneaking around my church?” “You weren’t home.” “I’m usually not this time of night.” She glanced over her shoulder and the sight of him was almost like a punch to the gut. He hadn’t changed at all, of course, but now all she could see was him above her, the light behind him, his eyes sparking with desire. “Why are you looking for me?” His smile was slow and easy. “We had a deal. I’ve come to collect.” “A deal?” Now she did turn to face him. “I thought…I didn’t realize you still needed to collect.” “Who said anything about need? This is all about what I want.” He leaned back, stretching his arms out along the back of the pew, looking far too relaxed to be a vampire sitting in the middle of a church. “We agreed on a night. Just you and me, after I got rid of your vampire problem. And I know I’ve lived an awful long time, so maybe my memory isn’t quite as good as it used to be, but I’m pretty confident we haven’t had that.” 90

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“No, we haven’t.” Her lips twitched. “But we did have a whole day.” “A very good whole day. But it doesn’t count.” Mary turned around completely, resting her arms on the back of the pew. “So when does our night begin? Now?” His brows drew together as he contemplated her question. “Well…you did promise me dusk to dawn, and it’s already two hours past sunset. Technically, I should demand we do this tomorrow night.” “You can demand all you want, but I don’t have the time tomorrow night. I’ll stay with you an hour past dawn to make up for it.” “Five.” Mary laughed. “Five? You want me to stay with you until lunch time tomorrow? It must be nice, not having anything to do with your time but laze around.” “Who said we’d be lazing around?” “You cook me breakfast, and I’ll stay until nine.” “Ten. And I’ll promise not to crash the service tomorrow night and scare everybody when I come to pick you up.” Mary’s eyebrow arched. “I don’t recall agreeing to a second night with you.” Gideon smiled. “Oh, I know. That’s not part of the deal.” He sat forward until their noses almost touched. When he spoke again, his voice had dropped to bedroom cadences. “That’s just being prepared. Because you know how good we are together, Mary. And there isn’t a chance in hell I’m going to wait a month to see you again.” 91

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Mary was positive if she agreed to a second night, he would assume a third and a fourth. Because they were good together. And she couldn’t deny it. She leaned forward farther, her lips almost brushing against his as she spoke. “As long as you keep your promise not to scare everybody.” He didn’t bat an eyelash. “Of course.” “Gideon, I’m serious. Everybody here is still pretty…well, frightened. Many of them didn’t even know vampires existed before you showed up. Seeing you again might make the situation worse for them.” He pulled back then to regard her, dark eyes surprisingly somber. “I’m not interested in being part of your little club here. I’m interested in you. I’ll stay away from the church as much as you want me to, as long as I get to see you out of it.” Mary studied him for a moment before nodding. “You’ll definitely get to see me. I don’t know how smart it is…and I’m sure Hal and Marcus will have very strong opinions on the issue, but…maybe you do have me in some sort of vampire thrall.” As soon as she agreed, Gideon relaxed again. Rising to his feet, he took her hand and pulled her up as well, holding it as they walked down the length of the pews to the center aisle. “What’s it going to take to convince you that’s all fantasy?” he teased. “Chaining myself to a wall to let you have your way with me?” “I can honestly say I’ve never considered chaining anybody to a wall.” She squeezed his fingers. “But when you put it that way, I think I should take you up on it.” 92

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He led her out of the church, the doors whispering shut behind them. The night was cool and crisp, but Mary didn’t have time to appreciate it before Gideon tugged her against him, the hard lines of his body achingly familiar as he wrapped his arms around her. “See me be all respectful? I waited until I got you outside before kissing you.” There wasn’t time to remind him they were still on holy ground before his mouth was on hers. Then, all of Mary’s protests disappeared. Mary wrapped her free arm around him, surprised, as always, by the size of him. It was so easy for her to forget he was a vampire when he held her like this, because his mouth wasn’t too demanding, and his hands weren’t too rough, and there wasn’t a hint of teeth or violence. Easy to forget, but dangerous, too. She knew she couldn’t lose sight of what he was, even when she parted her lips and returned his thorough caress with a hunger that betrayed how much she had really missed him. When he broke away, she could’ve sworn she felt his hand shaking. “You’re going to make me forget that I promised you dinner,” he said. Mary knew she should step away from him, put a respectable distance between them until they were at least a few blocks from the church. Maybe even out of the neighborhood entirely. But she didn’t want to do that. In fact, she pressed even closer to him and looked up to meet his eyes. 93

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“As long as you don’t forget your promise for breakfast. Besides, I’ve been eating dinner every night this month.” She brushed her lips across his. “But I haven’t been doing that.” Gideon chuckled. “You know, if somebody saw us now, they’d never believe I haven’t been spending the past month corrupting you.” He threaded their hands together and began walking backward, leading her away from the front of the church for the pitch cover of the rear. “I’ll fix you a breakfast so good, you’ll never want to get out of my bed.” Mary followed him with a small frown between her eyes. “Where are you going? There’s nothing back here.” “Exactly.” His face passed into the shadows. “Nobody to interrupt. Nobody to witness. Just you and me.” Mary thought she should step away. Sure there was nobody back there, but that didn’t mean nobody would come along. Especially if they got noisy—and she knew from experience that was more likely than not. But the promise in his words wrapped around her chest, and she couldn’t get enough oxygen to give voice to her protests. Once they were in the shadows and his mouth came down on hers again, the protests were forgotten anyway. Hunger painted his kisses now. Gideon took her acquiescence and unleashed everything he had been holding back inside, when he’d presented himself as the model of decorum in collecting his debt. Mary knew she needed to heed the savagery of his hands now, how they pushed aside the clothes that separated them, how his rough nails scraped across her enflamed skin. He was a vampire. This was 94

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evidence of that. But she didn’t. Because she knew it was also evidence of human desire as well. She felt it in her bones and knew it to be true, just like she had always known what her job on this planet was to be. Gideon wanted her. Wanted to make love to her. And he was just monster enough not to care where he did it. Gideon walked her backward until her shoulders hit the church wall. Even after the day they’d spent together, she couldn’t say she was completely accustomed to his body, to his barely contained strength. And she wasn’t used to the way he kissed and touched her like he wanted to devour her. It made her heart race, her stomach tighten, her flesh slick with arousal. He pinned her against the wall with his body, giving her no room to escape. His erection pressed against her hip, demanding her attention. “I tried staying away.” His confession was muffled as he buried his mouth at the curve of her neck, his tongue creating patterns of chaos that echoed inside her skin. “I spent the last month telling myself to leave you alone. But I couldn’t do it.” Mary pushed her hands beneath his shirt, scraping her nails across his taut stomach. “I tried telling myself it was best if you did stay away. But I knew I was waiting for you.” He lifted his head at that. There were glints in his eyes, but they were shards of moonlight, reflecting off his dark irises, not a hint of anything else. He searched her face, and though long seconds ticked away, he didn’t say a word, until… “No more waiting.” 95

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Powerful hands gripped her thighs and lifted, forcing Mary to wrap her legs around his hips. Their clothing still separated skin from skin, but the grind of his arousal against her sex brought a moan to his throat, a moan he stifled by sealing his mouth over hers once again. Mary slid her hand down his chest and between their bodies, taking his words to heart. No more waiting. It was her turn to stifle his moan when she finally unzipped his pants and pulled his erection free. His flesh was hard, his skin smooth, and she couldn’t deny the thrill that went down her spine when she stroked his shaft. The wall scraped at her back as Gideon pushed his fingers beneath her panties, seeking out the wetness as they worked over her folds. He scissored them between inner and outer lips, his palm rough across her clit. It made her tremble for more, but he never pushed deeper, as if avoiding her clenching channel would make it better for them. She wanted to swear at him for teasing, do something that would make him give her what she’d been waiting for. She settled for pumping his cock as hard as she could, dragging her fingernails along the tender skin, stretched so taut in readiness that she wondered if it would burst at the smallest cut. “Vixen,” he muttered against her mouth. “You’re doing that on purpose.” “Only because you’re teasing me.” Her words ended in a soft gasp as he pushed the heel of his hand against her clit. She squeezed his shaft with strong fingers and dragged her palm 96

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down his cock. “Stop teasing me.” “Stop bossing me.” But he let his fingertips graze along the swollen inner flesh, just enough to make her jerk and cry out at the unexpected fire chasing through her veins. “Gideon…” She didn’t know what she wanted to say, so it was just as well that he shifted and brushed against her sensitive skin again. Every time he touched her, it felt like too much. Her skin felt hot and tight, and if they weren’t out in the open, she might have allowed him to continue these light caresses. But she didn’t think they could have that luxury now. Plus, she didn’t think she had ever been more ready for him. Not even their first time. Because now, unlike then, she knew exactly what she was waiting for, what he would give her. Mary buried her face in his neck. “Want you…” she said against his skin, her tongue darting out to taste him. “Right now.” She heard him whisper, “My pleasure,” but then there was the cool rush of air across her thighs as he pushed her skirt higher, yanked aside the flimsy cotton keeping her away from him, covered her hand with his own to guide the leaking tip of his cock to her pussy. The moment before he pressed forward reminded her too much of the time they’d spent apart, the chill night air a reminder of tossing and turning in a bed that shouldn’t have felt as empty as it did. It passed as soon as Gideon pushed inside, and he grabbed her chin to force her to look at him. 97

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Mary met his eyes without hesitation. Gideon liked to look at her, liked to watch her looking at him. Did he expect to see something in her eyes? Or did she surprise him with something he didn’t expect to see? Mary didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. She remained still, adjusting to his size as he stretched and filled her, her gaze locked with his. She didn’t know what was going on between them, why her chest always felt so tight when they were this close. When he began moving, it was with long, purposeful strokes, strokes meant to acquaint every available inch of his cock with as much of her tight walls as possible. The force moved her along the wall hard enough to jar her spine, compelling Mary to tighten her legs around him, but Gideon didn’t break his tempo. He even sped up a little. It was almost a dare between them to see who would break first. Mary forced her mouth closed. She knew she would only pant his name now, but the sound would grow and grow, until everybody in the neighborhood would know what she was doing, where she was doing it, and who she was doing it with. She gripped his arms, her eyes still clashing with his. She wasn’t going to ask him to slow, even when flashes of pain erupted everywhere her back met the wall. The pain didn’t bother her. It was just another reminder of who she was with—not that she was likely to forget. “Do you have any idea what you smell like?” His voice was a jagged whisper, drenched in a need he might be able to contain elsewhere but escaped with his words. “I think I could sink to my knees even now just to get a taste of it. I haven’t 98

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stopped dreaming about what it was like to finally eat you out.” She moaned, the memory of his head buried between her thighs washing over her. She still didn’t know for sure, but she thought Gideon had spent hours using his tongue on her, until each orgasm built on the last and rolled through her, leaving her quivering and aching. “Not here,” he continued, “but later, in my bed, you’ll scream for me. Again. And again. Until you’re as hoarse as I’ve been waking up with your name on my lips.” Mary understood it was simply a promise. She would be in his bed. And she would scream for him until she couldn’t scream any more. Gideon wasn’t giving her a choice in the matter, and Mary didn’t need one. God knew she had been lost in fantasies of that very thing enough times in the past four weeks. “I will,” she agreed, not interested in turning this into another challenge. His thrusts quickened. Any other time, and she might have been fascinated by the play of the light against his pale skin, the contrast of his dark hair where it tumbled over his wide brow, the dance in his eyes as he gazed at her. Any other time, and she might have savored how he always knew where to pinch and where to tickle, how his muscles felt rippling beneath her hands, how it both burned and cooled everywhere he touched. Any other time. Not now. “Oh…” She buried her hand in his hair and pulled his 99

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mouth to hers, their tongues meeting as soon as their lips touched. She kissed him harder and harder as the pleasure swelled in her body, lips, and tongues, and teeth clashing. It was almost a struggle, but she didn’t know what they were struggling for. She just knew she couldn’t break away, not even for a second of air when her lungs started to burn, until that growing wave of ecstasy finally crashed in her. She couldn’t stifle her cry, and her body vibrated and clenched around his. The way his body shifted over hers made it feel like he was falling, but Gideon’s hand shot out and braced against the wall next to her head, his hips pistoning forward again and again in search of the deepest penetration possible. He came with a convulsive thrust that wound through both of them, his teeth catching her bottom lip almost painfully, but he didn’t lessen the drive of his jerking cock until the shudders finished wracking through his shoulders. Several beats passed before Mary could even think of finding her voice. “If this is what happens when we wait a month, maybe I shouldn’t agree to see you again for another few weeks.” “Don’t even think it.” His tongue grazed over her sweaty neck. “I’ll hunt you down. I mean it.” Mary smiled. “I believe you.” She smoothed her fingers through his hair. “We should probably move before somebody sees us.” He didn’t let her go immediately. His hands roamed over her hips, massaging the muscles that felt like water, easing her 100

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way as she let him go and placed her feet back on the ground. He tucked himself away almost reluctantly, but not before she reached down and caught a drop of pearly fluid still lingering on the tip. Gideon growled low in his throat when she licked her finger. “This isn’t encouraging me not to fuck you again,” he warned. Mary grinned. “Well, I fully expect you to fuck me again. Just not here.” She took his hand again, threading her fingers through his. “Get back to your place, and we’ll put your vampire stamina to the test.” He led her out of the shadows, into the pale silvery light that washed over the street. His touch was light, his steps sure, but they moved together with the grace of a couple long accustomed to intimacy. “I have a feeling being with you will put a lot of things to the test,” he mused. And then, in a voice softer but even more ripe with meaning, “I’ve never had a human lover before. Not…like this.” Mary suspected she could guess what his past experience with human lovers was like. If she asked him what he meant, she had no doubt he would tell her. Gideon was many things, but he wasn’t coy about who he was. But she didn’t want to dwell on that. She wanted to dwell on the other half of what he was telling her. That he wanted her to be different. That she was different. “I’ve never trusted anybody like this.” 101

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His fingers tightened around hers. “Then I guess we’re both on a learning curve here.” “Yeah. It’s a little bit scary, isn’t it?” “Nothing wrong with scary.” Gideon flashed a quick smile as they reached his car. “Keeps us on our toes.” She had no doubt Gideon would be keeping her on her toes. For how long, she didn’t know. But she didn’t know anybody like Gideon. She didn’t know anybody who looked at her the way Gideon did, who wanted her the way Gideon wanted her. Who could challenge her and make her laugh and confuse her and delight her in the space of five minutes. She knew it wouldn’t be easy with him. He would never stop being a vampire, which was fine. She still had a stake in her purse. But something told her that as long as things stayed a little bit scary, a little bit interesting, a little bit unexpected, she wouldn’t need her stake. Yes, she hoped Gideon would be around to keep her on her toes for a very long time.

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JAMIE CRAIG

Jamie Craig is the collaborative efforts of Pepper Espinoza and Vivien Dean. Both successful authors on their own, they began working together in early 2006. Pepper lives with her husband and cats in Utah, where she attends graduate school, and Vivien resides in northern California with her husband and two children. *

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Ana Seger first meets Ben Scalia over an Internet message board dedicated to her favorite band and is immediately charmed by his humor and good-nature. Even when she learns Ben is a few years younger than her, she continues talking to him through email, chat rooms, and even on the phone. Driven by strong lust, Ana agrees to meet Ben at a concert, but she’s unprepared for the reality of their age difference, and more, the strength of her desire for him. She tries to end their affair before it can begin, but Ben is more than ready to fight for her, and a chance to show her how good they could be together…

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