Bonfire of the Vampires

BONFIRE OF THE VAMPIRES By Jennifer Colgan

© copyright May 2005, Jennifer Colgan Cover art by Eliza Black, © copyright May 2005 ISBN 1-58608-584-0 New Concepts Publishing Lake Park, GA 31636 www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Prologue

Jake Beaumont saw red. He sank against a granite pylon of the Church Street overpass and tried to rub the crimson haze from his vision. His hand came away bloody on both sides. Blood from the gash above his right eye smeared his palm. His knuckles oozed from the blows he’d managed to land on his assailant’s stocking-masked jaw. Jake sucked in a breath of damp December air just as a car passed on the roadway overhead. He looked up, blinked away another warm trickle of blood and considered his options. If he could make it to Church Street, he could flag down a car, but he’d have to climb the embankment.

The only other well-traveled road that passed through Haverston Park was Oak Avenue at the south entrance and that was half a mile away. If the knife-wielding mugger was still lurking in the pine grove, Jake wouldn’t stand a chance. On a deep breath he pushed up with his knees, using the pylon to steady himself. He still felt the stitch in his side, the one that had slowed him down on the Kissing Bridge and almost got him killed. Damn. I thought I was in pretty good shape.He laughed. It was a sound of exhaustion and desperation, rather than humor. And it hurt. He coughed, tasted blood. His vision swam. The pain should have subsided by now. He’d steadied his breathing, slowed his heart rate ... but if anything, he felt worse. He put his left hand inside his open jacket and found a warm, wet spot below his ribs. The iron tang of blood in the air grew stronger when he raised his fingers in the silvery light that spilled over the guardrails from the street lamps above. Jake cursed. The bastard had cut him. He hadn’t even felt it until now. Still don’t have a choice, he told himself as he scrubbed both hands on his jean-clad thighs.Gotta climb. He turned away from the pylon and stumbled. The embankment looked so far away and so steep. Behind him, something skittered across the gravel jogging path. Someone emerged from the pine grove moving quickly. A slim figure in a dark, hooded jacket rounded the curve, hands jammed into deep pockets, head down. Jake froze. It wasn’t the mugger. He’d been just a hair shorter than Jake’s 6 feet 2 inches. Jake held his breath as he watched the figure approach. Should he ask for help or hope the newcomer didn’t notice him sagged against the pylon, bleeding all over his crisp white shirt? Caution won out. There were too many unknowns in the park at night. If he’d thought of that in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened at all. Jake retreated a scant inch into the shadows, but his movement must have caused a faint sound. The figure stopped abruptly and turned in his direction. “Are you all right?” Her voice was strong and clear. She wasn’t one of the strung out teenaged hookers that frequented the park’s dilapidated picnic area. Jake exhaled as he watched her move into the puddle of lamplight. She leaned forward a little to get a better look at him. “Are you hurt? Is that blood?” “I was ... mugged.” It stung to admit it. Jake worked out twice a week. He’d been varsity track in high school and college. Normally he’d have beaten anyone to a pulp who pulled a knife on him, but tonight he’d been careless, distracted. He’d allowed himself to be lured into the park out of his own careless desperation. “Do you have a cell phone?” she asked. “The nearest pay phone is on the other side of the pond.” Jake shook his head. The movement made him dizzy and he clutched the pylon’s cool surface for support. “Lost it in the fight.” He’d heard it clatter to the ground when he and his assailant crossed the bridge. “It’s almost 12:30,” she said, stepping a little closer. Jake remained still. How could this young woman be so calm? At this hour she probably had more to fear in the park than he did. “There’s a cop who

hangs out across the street from the entrance by the kiddie playground. Come on, I’ll help you.” Jake steadied himself and focused on her shadowed features. She looked gaunt, but her eyes were clear. She reached out her hand as she moved toward him. “I’m Abby.” “I’m Jake.” He sighed heavily as she slid her shoulder beneath his arm and wrapped her arm around his waist. He probably outweighed her by a hundred pounds but she helped hold him up. Together they walked along the path toward the playground where railroad ties boxed in thick layers of wood chips and brightly painted playscapes made for toddlers had become canvases for graffiti artists. “What are you doing here at this hour?” Jake asked when they reached the outcropping of aluminum tables and benches just beyond the bucket swings. “I could ask you the same thing.” Her answer came quickly as though she’d expected the question. “I was ... meeting someone. He didn’t show but the mugger did.” Jake’s reply ended in a grunt of pain. He felt lightheaded again. “Hey! Hang on. We’re almost there.” She pushed up with her shoulder and they stood for a moment in an awkward semi-embrace while he willed his legs to hold him up. “I think I’m going to pass out.” “Oh, come on,” she cajoled. “A big, strong guy like you? You can make it a little bit farther.” “No. I definitely need to sit down.” Jake sagged against her. She didn’t buckle under his weight but maneuvered him a few steps backward toward a bench. Her strength surprised him. He let her help lower him down when he felt the edge of the seat against the backs of his knees. Pain shot through his ribcage and he grunted. More disconcerting than the pain was the warm sticky feeling that seeped down his side. “Don’t go south on me, Jake. The cop’ll be here in a few minutes.” “How do you know?” He looked up into her face. A strand of dark brown hair had escaped from under her hood. She poked it back under with shaking fingers. His heart sank a notch. Maybe she was a junkie after all, haunting the park for a fix. If he hadn’t told her he’d been mugged, she’d probably have just taken his wallet and run. “I’ve been hanging out here a lot. You start to notice things....” “You’re homeless?” He grunted again and leaned forward against the pain. “I’m between apartments. I’m not looking for handouts.” Her voice rose slightly and Jake realized his question had sounded like an accusation. “Or a date, if you know what I mean. I’m not a hooker.” “I didn’t think you were.” Jake clamped his teeth shut over the shivers that had begun at the back of his jaw. Damn, it was getting so cold. His jacket was Corinthian leather, fleece lined. His work boots were designed for mountaineering, yet they felt full of ice right now. He looked at her in her tattered, oversized

sweat jacket. It was zipped up her chin but there wasn’t much bulk underneath. If she wore anything at all under it, it was probably nothing more than a thin T-shirt. He looked down at her feet, which were encased in thin canvas sneakers, the kind they sold at Willard’s for $4.99. If he was cold, how did she feel? Jake thought of his wallet, still safe in a zippered inner pocket of his jacket. He could give her the $200 he carried and never miss a dime of it. “There.” She turned toward the park entrance. On the far side of Briarcliff Avenue, beyond the sporadic traffic, a patrol car had just pulled into the Redi-Mart parking lot. “Will you be okay here? I’ll go get the cop.” Jake eyed the distance between them and Redi-Mart. If she didn’t come back, he could still make it to the side of the road if he forced himself. He nodded. “Hang on. I’ll be right back.” Jack watched her run through the empty lot and across the street. He had to squint to keep track of her against the bright glow of the convenience store’s large front windows. When she reached the patrol car, she boldly tapped on the driver’s side window. The tempered glass rolled down and a local cop in the dark uniform of a rookie stuck his head out. That was the last thing Jake saw before he blacked out.

****

He woke up in the ER with the blinding beam of a penlight stabbing him in the right eye. The pain in his side was gone, but his head hurt bad enough to make up for it. “What happened?” The words oozed out of his dry lips. A dark-skinned face swam into focus as the penlight beam snapped off. “You’re a lucky man, Mr. Beaumont. Your knife wound is shallow but you sustained a concussion when you passed out and fell off the park bench. I’m Dr. Verash. I sewed you up. Only eighteen stitches.” That’s all?Jake thought. The idea of someone using a needle to bind his flesh back together made him suddenly queasy. “Do you have any drug allergies?” “N-no.” “Is there someone we can call for you? I’d like to keep you here overnight and do another MRI in the morning just to make sure.” “Abby?” Jake scanned the curtained alcove where he lay propped on one of the rolling stretcher beds. He saw his jacket lying on a chair next to the bed. A blonde nurse hovered just inside the curtain and she smiled at Jake when he caught her eye. “Where’s Abby?”

“Is that your wife?” Dr. Verash asked as he pulled a blood pressure cuff from a metal basket on the wall. “No ... the girl from the park....” “You came in alone. A police officer found you and called an ambulance.” Jake sighed. He wasn’t surprised that she’d disappeared. “You can call my business partner. I have his card in my wallet.” The nurse nodded. She went to his jacket and took out the wallet. Obviously they’d already found his identification or they wouldn’t know his name. “We’ll call him for you,” she said. “It’s a slow night so we should be able to get you into a private room in an hour or so,” Verash said. “But before that, Officer Gerhardt would like to talk to you about what happened. Are you feeling up to that?” Jake nodded. The movement caused the world to tilt and he grabbed the edges of the bed. “Don’t try to move just yet,” the doctor said with a knowing smile. “Now you tell me.”

****

Two days later Jake sat on the same park bench where Officer Gerhardt had found him. It was dusk and there was a bitter edge to the damp wind. The playground was empty except for an elderly man walking a small dog. The animal waddled around on stubby legs sniffing with intense fascination at tufts of winter-dry grass and bits of litter. It urinated at the base of the No Dogs Allowed sign, then led its owner off across the parking lot. Jake sighed. The cold air made his head hurt. He reasoned he should probably give up and go home, but an irrational need for closure forced him to wait another few minutes in the hopes she’d wander by. He blew on his fingers and jammed them into his pockets where his right hand encountered the envelope he’d prepared for her with a few crisp twenties and the phone number of the most reputable women’s shelter in the county. He planned to offer her a ride there if she needed it. Unfortunately Jake still couldn’t decide if it was a generous gift, or an insult, but he was going to give her the envelope anyway. If he found her. He didn’t notice her standing by the canvas-covered sand box until he rose to leave. She wore the same sweat jacket and scuffed sneakers, but her jeans looked much darker than the ones she’d been wearing the other night. “I thought it was you,” she said as she pushed the hood of her jacket down. She smiled and it occurred

to him that he hadn’t noticed before how pretty she was. That was all the more reason to help get her someplace safe to stay. Despite her disheveled appearance, there was a quiet grace about her that showed in her determined stride. Jake watched her pick her way over the railroad ties and he moved over to give her room on the bench. “How’s your side?” “Nothing important fell out.” He shrugged. Medical humor wasn’t his strong suit these days. “I’m doing okay.” “Good. Sorry I disappeared--” “Don’t apologize. I didn’t expect you to spend half the night in the ER.” An awkward silence descended and the wind picked up. Jake saw her shoulders tense, but she stalwartly refused to shiver. “You hungry?” He hoped he didn’t sound like a social worker. She shook her head but the gesture didn’t convince him. “Nah.” “Well I’m starving. I was going to the diner up the block. They’ve got pretty good burgers.” She nodded. “Yeah. I’ve eaten there a few times.” Her eyes traced the lines of the empty swing set in front of them. Jake noticed they were an odd shade of blue, almost violet. He tried not to stare too long. “Did they catch the guy?” “The mugger? No. I didn’t get a good enough look at him. The description I gave could have been half the twenty-year-olds in Haverston.” “Too bad.” Jake shrugged. “Yeah. Well. I figure he’ll get caught eventually. I ... uh....” His hand closed over the envelope. He thought of simply thrusting it into her hands and walking away but some part of him refused to treat her like that. She had saved his life, what there was of it, anyway. She deserved more than what amounted to a gratuity. He felt an inexplicable need to get involved in her problems. That was something his parents, friends and business associates would have vehemently advised against. Despite her brave exterior, she looked like she needed somebody. Maybe he was just going all “Highway to Heaven.” That age-old need for redemption hit hard when it hit. He never would have believed it. “Well,” he said, rising from the bench. “I’m glad I ran into you. I wanted to thank you for helping me.” “Don’t mention it, really.” He waited a beat. “Come on, Abby. Have dinner with me. No strings.” That made it sound more like he was begging for a date than trying to foist some much-needed charity on her. Apparently it worked.

Either that or hunger got the better of her pride. “I could actually go for a burger.” Her admission warmed him, but he knew he had no right to feel triumphant. Once again the silence was awkward, but he had the feeling that he’d made an overture that would not be taken the wrong way. That was a good place to start. As he fell into step behind her and they trekked across the parking lot, he wondered if it was truly wise to start something he wouldn’t be able to finish.

Chapter One

Three Years Later

“Miss Shore has arrived, sir.” Jake Beaumont’s butler, Martin, bowed slightly at the waist as he made the announcement. Jake looked away from the nest of spiral ribbons he’d created atop a gold-wrapped Christmas gift. “Show her into the library please, and then bring in the champagne.” “Very good, sir.” Jake sighed as the butler left. Martin was indispensable to him, but all Jake’s attempts to convince the man to be a little less formal had failed. Things would never change. He surveyed his handiwork with the gift wrap and ribbon and decided he’d achieved the slightly hopeful, tad-less-than-perfect look he’d been shooting for. The long jewelry box looked like a gold brick with an explosion of silver and gold corkscrews all over it.Not bad for a man who’s more comfortable with a hammer in his hand than a pair of scissors , he thought. He picked up the box and dusted a few scraps of wrapping paper off his black Dockers. As he passed the dresser on his way out of the bedroom he glanced self-consciously toward the mirror and shrugged. Martin had assured him twice that he looked fine. The dark pants and tan sweater were casual and elegant and that was a look he could deal with. Normally he wouldn’t have thought twice about his appearance, but tonight was special. He wanted to make an impression. He jogged easily down the curving staircase, careful to avoid the garland of lights and fresh pine boughs that decorated the banister. A seven-tiered tree of potted poinsettias sitting at the base of the stairs filled most of the foyer. Jake canted around it and slowed his pace so he wouldn’t appear anxious when he arrived in the library. She’d be waiting for him there with a glass of champagne in her hand, snowflakes melting in her dark hair, cheeks bright with the cold. He put the gift behind his back as he shouldered through the door. “Jake! The place looks so beautiful from outside. You really outdid yourself with the lights this year,” she

said with a warm smile. God, she was beautiful. He crossed the room and caught her in a one-armed hug, planting a quick kiss on her lips. It was all he could do not to linger there and melt the chill she’d acquired on her walk up the driveway. He gave her a crooked grin, one eyebrow cocked, and produced the gift from behind his back. Her eyes lit when he placed the box in her hands. “Merry Christmas, Abby.”

****

It had been a long day at work and Abby had been exhausted when she dragged herself up the long front walkway of Jake’s house. The six-bedroom Tudor boasted one tennis court, a fabulous in-ground pool and a gourmet kitchen, but it was just a shade too small to be called a mansion. The existence of Martin, Jake’s butler, added a few points to the score, but overall, the understated taste of the place made it more homey than ostentatious. With the meticulously arranged Christmas lights outlining the sloping eaves and glowing windows, and the crisp snow accumulating on the manicured bushes and the lawn, the place looked magical. That, and the smile on Jake’s face when he saw her, went a long way toward banishing the weariness caused by working in her gift shop until 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Her heart skipped a beat when he kissed her--probably because her overactive imagination suggested he’d meant the kiss to linger. The scent of his aftershave, like spiced pine, always made her a little tingly, and tonight was no exception. He looked great--as usual--but there was a formality to him this evening. His dark brown hair was newly trimmed and the sweater he wore was brand new, no smudges from blue prints or dirt from his latest construction site. When he placed the long, flat box in her hands, her stomach flip-flopped. As always, her first instinct was to refuse the gift. He’d been trying to give her things for years and she’d always managed to politely put him off, unable to bear the thought of accepting a handout from him, even in the guise of a present. He’d saved her from herself on that night in the park three years ago, though he didn’t know it, and that was all the gift she needed from him. The intervening years of friendship were more than she could have asked for, but certainly not more than she wished for. “Is this why you asked me to come early?” she asked with a raised eyebrow as she contemplated the explosion of metallic ribbons that spilled across the top of the box. He laughed. “Yes, it is. I didn’t want all my other guests to be jealous. They’re only getting CD players.” His loopy grin clutched at her heart. “You mean no CD player for me?” She sketched a mock frown. “I’ve always wanted one.” In response Jake took her hands in his and drew her over to the couch to sit. “I got you one of those, too.” His confession made her feel guilty. She glanced at the gift she’d brought for him, which sat on the coffee table neatly wrapped in red metallic paper. She’d agonized over its selection and finally decided on a black leather organizer with his initials embossed in gold. For a successful businessman, she’d

always wondered how he managed to keep all his appointments when he recorded them on scraps of paper that he regularly jammed into the pockets of his jeans. “Open it,” he urged. His enthusiasm made his rich, brown eyes sparkle. Abby’s fingers shook a little as she peeled the edges of the thick, gold paper open. A long velvet box slid into her hands. The hinged top creaked when she opened it to reveal the treasure inside. Abby gasped, somewhat prematurely. Rather than a sparkling bracelet or necklace, the box contained a folded document. She lifted the pleated pages and glanced skeptically at Jake. “Just my size!” He grinned. “It’s a sample contract from Hanfield, Limited. The entire first floor of their new building in Oak Ridge is going to be retail shops.” He ticked the options off on his fingers, “A florist, a high-end jewelry store, a rare book shop ... agift shop. On the last page is Andrew Cantrell’s phone number. He’s the project leader. All you have to do is give him a call to discuss the particulars and you could have a spot for your second store by the beginning of the summer.” Abby blinked. An expensive piece of jewelry would have been hard enough to accept, but this... “Jake--Treasure Trove is keeping me pretty busy as it is--how can I be in two places at once?” “Eleanor can run your flagship store while you’re setting up your first satellite location,” Jake replied. Always the entrepreneur, he’d been encouraging her business pursuits with unabashed enthusiasm since the day she’d made her first rental payment on the small storefront at the Cloverton Mini-Mall. Her collection of unique gift items had proved surprisingly successful and over the two years since Treasure Trove had opened, Abby had gone from barely making ends meet to turning a respectable profit. She had Jake to thank to a degree for her success, and only herself to blame for not knowing quite how to cultivate that success. “Flagships, satellites ... am I running a store or taking off for the moon?” She laughed to hide her sudden bout of nerves. Certainly Jake’s natural success had rubbed off on her but she would never be able to match his drive and determination. Too much good all at once terrified her and only served to remind her that oftentimes bad came in equally large doses. Jake shrugged. “The sky’s the limit. If you sign with Hanfield, you might end up with a shop in every one of their new buildings. You could be global inside five years.” Abby gulped and scanned the room for the champagne Martin had brought her before Jake arrived.I could probably use something a little stronger , she thought. “I don’t know if I’m ready to go global ... Jake, it’s hard enough to find inventory to fill one shop.” He smiled indulgently. “You’ll figure it out. Just give Cantrell a call. Nothing’s set in stone, and he’s a pretty levelheaded guy, a lot on the ball. He won’t steer you into something you don’t want.” Abby folded the contract back into the box and snapped the velvet-covered lid shut. “Thank you. Jake, your confidence in me means a lot.” She caught his gaze, which had turned sober and devastatingly intense. Those bottomless, brown eyes of his could mesmerize her and make her think anything was possible. “Just in case you didn’t like what was in the box, I got you this, too.” He brought his hand up in front of her face and dropped a sparkling bauble from his closed fist. A heart shaped pendant of purple crystal

surrounded by a dozen perfect little diamonds glinted in the firelight, suspended from a delicate silver chain. “Ah! It’s beautiful.” Abby reached up and caught the pendant. The faceted amethyst was flawless and the diamonds surrounding it burned with multicolored flames. She fought the impulse to kiss him. If she did, she might not be able to stop. “Thank you, again. Jake, you didn’t have to do any of this,” she said as he unclasped the chain and placed it around her neck. She swept her hair up in one hand and tried to ignore the longing invoked by the gentle brush of his fingertips at the nape of her neck. When she turned around he caught her hands in his again and drew her close. “Abby, when are you going to understand that I like doing things for you? I like giving you things.” “Jake--” “It’s not charity. You know that.” A frisson of anticipation coursed through her when his voice went low and husky. “It’s not just friendship either.” He leaned closer and in spite of her resolve to keep her relationship with Jake strictly platonic, Abby tilted her head back and parted her lips just enough to convey an invitation. If he kissed her now, all her willpower would dissolve. Her three-time New Year’s resolution never to complicate their wonderful friendship with sticky, mushy romantic feelings would go right out the window and into the snow if he kissed her right now. “You two look very cozy. I hope I’m not interrupting something.” Jake covered his disappointment at losing the moment with Abby by flashing an exaggerated grin at the intruder. Gideon Price, Jake’s business partner, stood in the doorway of the library, a gold-wrapped, beribboned liquor bottle in each hand. He returned Jake’s wolfish grin and added a wink for Abby’s benefit. She retrieved her champagne glass from the mantle and sipped the bubbling gold liquid while fanning the sudden flush on her cheeks. Jake hoped her blush had been caused by his near kiss and not Gideon’s arrival. Price crossed the room and set the bottles on the coffee table next to Abby’s gift. A moment later be stepped between her and Jake and planted a kiss on Abby’s cheek. “Hmmm,” he said with a predatory glance that rested too long on her modest décolletage. “New perfume?” She nodded. Jake wanted to drop-kick him. He’d noticed her new scent also, a hint of vanilla and citrus. He should have commented but it was too late now. Abby carefully extricated herself from between the two men. Jake watched her and wondered if she had any idea just how false Gideon’s charm was. He and Gideon had been friends for a long time. They were business associates who had forged a strong

trust in each other’s expertise. They agreed on almost all things business related and had an enviable ability to work out their rare differences of opinion both amicably and profitably. They played racquetball together and shared a stiff drink in companionable silence to celebrate their abundant victories and mourn their occasional losses. In most things, they were a flawless team. But there was one place their compatibility failed and that was when it came to women, and Abby in particular. Though he never would have let it show, Gideon disliked Abby with the same unwavering intensity that Jake adored her. “You’re here early,” Jake said when he’d calmed his irritation. He took a seat next to Abby on the couch, then scooted over half an inch to ensure their knees touched. He glanced at her with a rueful smile and saw her fingers flutter over her pendant. He wondered if she was attempting to hide it from Gideon, or draw his attention to it. “Abby’s already here,” Gideon replied. “If it’s okay for her to be unfashionably early, why not me?” Jake ignored the jibe. “You always prefer to be fashionably late.” “Tonight called for an exception. These are for you. One each.” He handed each one of them a bottle. “From my grandfather’s vineyards. Red for you, Jake and if I recall, Abigail prefers white.” “You remembered.” Abby sounded uncharacteristically demure. And Gideon sounded characteristically pompous. He was a brilliant business strategist, a consummate charmer and aGQ cover man, twice in fact. But sometimes Gideon was so full of himself Jake wondered how he didn’t just explode. “Happy Christmas, as they say in London,” Gideon said with a smirk. “As if you’ve ever been there,” Jake said. For all his affectations, the handsome, wealthy, overeducated Gideon Price had one near-fatal flaw. His paralyzing fear of anything airborne went beyond a mere phobia and into the realm of what Jake considered to be a complete emotional and psychological malfunction. Gideon couldn’t even drive past the airport without breaking into an ice cold sweat. It made him human. Or at least it made him seem that way. Gideon likewise shrugged off the underhanded jibe and checked his watch. “When is everyone else expected?” “Seven thirty.” Jake studied Gideon for a second. Something was up. His feathers were ruffled and his tie was loose. Gideon never loosened his tie before 8:00 p.m. “Good, then we have a few minutes. There’s something I need to discuss with you. If Abigail can spare us for a moment.” “Of course.” She looked relieved in fact. She rose with her champagne glass and headed for the door. “I’ll go bother Martin and the caterers. Thank you for the wine, Gideon ... and Jake, thank you for everything.” Jake’s gaze lingered on the door after she left the room.

“I saw mistletoe at the door of the dining room,” Gideon said as he pulled at the Windsor knot below his Adam’s apple. He’s going for the tie, Jake thought.It must be bad . “I’d have put it in a more private spot.” “Martin did it. What’s up, Gideon? You look paler than usual.” “I’ve good reason to be.” Gideon leveled his smoky gaze at Jake. “There’s been another death.”

Chapter Two

Jake shut the library door and locked it before turning back to Gideon. “When?” “Last night, apparently. I got word today from Gregori’s people.” Gideon lowered himself to the couch and tilted his head back on the brocade upholstery. His shoulders sagged. Despite the crispness of his suit, it was clear he hadn’t slept. “Who was it?” Jake forced himself to ask. “Igor Danislo.” “How?” Jake raised an eyebrow. He’d met Danislo a few times. The Swede was a large man, but fast and well toned. He would have been hard to kill. Gideon shrugged. “The usual way. One in the heart.” “It’s starting up again.” Jake rubbed at a phantom pain over his left eyebrow. “It never stopped, Jake. We had a few quiet months but it’s never going to stop until we’re all gone.” “How many of us are left?” “Only four.” “That’s all?” “The time is coming. Gregori is going to call everyone together soon and make his choice.” Jake looked past Gideon and out the library window at the snow and the dazzle of festive lights from the other houses on the long block. “Did his people tell you that?”

“Yes. It could be as soon as New Year’s Eve.” “ThisNew Year’s Eve?” Jake swallowed his surprise with a sip of champagne. “Of course. Gregori can’t take the chance that all of us might be eliminated before he makes his choice. It will have to be soon.” Jake crossed to the fireplace, put one arm on the mantle. “You should probably stay out of sight, then. I bet you’re next.” Gideon smiled. “Thanks for that comforting thought. Can I hide in your wine cellar?” “Yours is nicer.” Jake ran his hands through his hair and contemplated the discarded gift wrap on the table. He thought of Abby. He should have been worrying about himself and Gideon, but all he could think of was how it would affect Abby when she found out the truth. “Maybe we should go to Gregori’s now and stay with him until the choice is made.” “Huh?” Jake blinked. He waved off Gideon’s suggestion. “What if the deaths don’t have to do with eliminating the candidates but with eliminatingall of us? It won’t matter where we are, and huddling together is probably what the ... killers want us to do.” “You can’t even say it, can you?” Gideon chuckled. “You’re going to have to learn to say it.” “I can say it.” “I think we’d be safe with Gregori. Nothing will get past his people.” “That’s a misuse of the word ‘people.’ But yes, you’re right. Maybe that’s a good idea. Running to Gregori like wimps would be a surefire way not to be chosen. Let’s pack.” Gideon rose like a shot, anger coloring his normally pale complexion. “Jake, just because you don’t want it doesn’t mean it’s not worth having.” Jake sighed. “I know you want it, Gideon. And I know you’re willing to make the necessary sacrifices. I’m just not sure I am anymore.” A slow smile crept across Gideon’s face, replacing the hard set of his lips. He laughed. “Because of Abby. Your little matchstick girl has changed you. She took away your ambitions.” “Don’t call her that.” Jake’s eyes darkened. Gideon was his friend. It bothered him that lately he had to keep reminding himself of that fact. “Sorry. I know you hate it.” Gideon paused. His next words were free of contempt. “You could keep her, Jake. Take her as your mate. Then if you’re chosen, you won’t lose her.” “You think I want to do that to her? Do you think I could subject her to that?” “You want her, don’t you? You would never have to lose her.”

Jake refused to contemplate that possibility. He wouldn’t use Abby to further his position with Gregori, and he wouldn’t manipulate her or enthrall her. If she wanted him, it had to be of her own free will. “It’s 7:15. Everyone will be here soon.” Gideon checked his watch again. “Right. Let’s finish this conversation later.” “Let’s not.” Jake unlocked the door and left the room. He didn’t see the dark grin Gideon leveled at his back as they emerged into the foyer, but he felt it.

****

Abby lingered in the dining room when Jake’s guests began to file out with the remnants of their dinner drinks in hand. Martin’s announcement, that dessert and Irish coffee would be served in the game room, got them all moving again after the roast-turkey-induced lethargy set in. Jake loitered by the sideboard and whispered something to Mrs. Darden, his secretary, as she made her way around the table toward the door. The gray-haired woman laughed and winked jauntily at him, snaring her half-finished Chardonnay from the table as she passed. Despite Jake’s grin, Abby knew something was bothering him. Ever since Gideon had spoken to him alone in the library, Jake seemed oddly disconnected. Still he played the gracious host to the handful of employees and business associates who had no other holiday plans. No one else but Abby would have noticed the distant look in his eye. Abby noticed because everything about Jake captured her attention. She’d been trying all evening to catch his eye but aside from a brief glance in her direction when he’d raised his champagne for the traditional toast, he’d avoided her gaze for hours. Leaving the dining room at the right moment was like a dance. It had to be timed to perfection or it would look awkward and contrived, as though she’d planned to catch him under that damned mistletoe. She watched the procession of guests the way Gideon watched stock quotes. Mrs. Darden left, followed by George Goffing, Jake’s maintenance director. He was a nice man, fiftyish and widowed like Mrs. Darden. Next, the Carters, Ross and Rita, sidled out. They owned the furniture distributor that Jake used when his contracts called for interior design as well as exterior construction. Then came Murray Greenspan, Jake’s accountant, followed by Laura Dansk, Gideon’s flavor of the month. That was an uncharitable thought, Abby reprimanded herself as she skirted the table behind Laura. The woman worked in a body sculpting salon, which was a haughty title for a new age massage parlor. She wore a dress that wouldn’t have kept her warm in the middle of August. Abby had seen placemats that utilized more fabric. Her blonde hair crackled from a liberal application of hair spray and her perfume had begun to wilt the red and white roses of the centerpiece halfway through dinner. Laura smiled at Jake and brushed against him as she passed. “That sweater is the perfect color for you,” she said as her fingers, tipped in burgundy talons, skimmed his chest. So obvious. Abby sighed. Gideon brought women like Laura around all the time but it hadn’t taken her long to realize it wasn’t because they were his type. It was because he wanted to get Jake’s attention. It

was as if Gideon were offering the endless stream of overwrought, underdressed females to Jake like lures, hoping he would bite. To Jake’s credit, he never did. After a month or so, each woman in Gideon’s endless processional wandered off to be replaced by another of similar build and temperament. It made no sense. Then again, very little about Gideon Price made sense to Abby. “Did you enjoy dinner?” Jake asked when Abby finally drew next to him. “Wonderful as always. Can I talk to you for a second?” He seemed startled by her request. She resisted rolling her eyes. Jake should know by now that he couldn’t hide anything from her. “Sure. Let me get everyone settled in the game room.” He was through the door before Abby could say another word. Whatever Gideon had told him had unsettled him, and she didn’t like to see Jake unsettled. It scared her. He was her anchor, the steadying influence in her life when it threatened to spin out of control. She needed him calm and centered so he could be the refuge of sanity in her often surreal existence. A gentle tap on her shoulder halted her at the threshold of the dining room. She dragged her eyes away from Jake’s retreating back and swung them to meet Gideon’s stare. His eyes were hazel, mostly brown with green and gold flecks. It always amazed Abby how they seemed to change color based on his capricious moods. Right now they were earthy and hooded. She could have sworn the gold flecks had turned coppery in the cozy glow of the chandelier that hung over the dining room table. His mouth curved in a deceptively sensuous half-grin and he looked upward. “Mistletoe.” What was Jake thinking?Abby asked herself even as a strange, unwelcome tingle raced up her spine. Gideon’s eyes held her and for a moment she actually felt trapped in their depths. How did he do that? How could he make her knees weak with a glance when she spent so many sleepless hours thinking about Jake? A brittle thrill clenched the muscles in Abby’s jaw when Gideon’s hand came up and slid under her hair. He angled his face toward her and before she could explain to herself why she wanted him to, he kissed her. He tasted of champagne and the sweet citrus compote Martin had served with the turkey. His mouth was warm. Abby didn’t know why that surprised her. His fingers on her skin were like firebrands. Powerless to stop him, she let him in for just a moment. With her eyes closed and her back pressed against the door jam, she let herself float for a minute in the pure sensation as his tongue caressed hers. The thud of her heart brought her back to reality. “Gideon--” She broke the kiss with a gasp that was far too breathless for her liking. It would have killed her if he found out just how much it affected her. Would it kill him, she wondered, to know how much she wished it had been Jake?

His hand dropped to his side and he regarded her through thick, dark lashes. She kept her eyes on his lips, reluctant to meet his gaze. “Why don’t you let me drive you home tonight?” His voice was low and there was the sweetest hint of the Louisiana accent he tried so hard to hide. Abby locked her hands on the door jam behind her to still their trembling. “I have my car.” “It’s supposed to snowhard . You shouldn’t be alone--on the road.” There was something about the way he emphasized the word “hard” that made her insides liquefy. Where had this come from? Gideon had kept a respectful distance for three years. He’d never hit on her before. Had he? Had she missed the subtle clues to his true feelings? “I’ll be fine. I’m not going to stay late.” He nodded. His sardonic grin returned. “Let me know if you change your mind.” Gideon walked away and Abby sagged a little. A sudden burst of laughter from the game room startled her heart into another flurry of staccato beats. What the hell was that?she asked herself. It bothered her that she could still taste him. The ache in her nipples and her belly bothered her even more. “Abby?” “Jake--” What if he’d seen Gideon kiss her? “You wanted to talk?” His big brown eyes were wide and guileless. Abby settled her gaze on the sexy stubble that darkened his chin. “I was concerned. You’ve seemed preoccupied since Gideon arrived. Is something wrong?” One corner of his mouth lifted. “You can see right through me, can’t you?” Abby waited a beat and Jake nodded. “I’m a little distracted. Gideon brought some bad news about a business associate of ours.” “Oh?” “He ... died. He’d been ill for a while and his heart ... gave out.” “Oh.” It was more than that. Jake’s eyes couldn’t lie. “Are you all right? You seem a little preoccupied yourself,” he said. Abby willed herself not to glance at the sprig of green leaves and white berries suspended above their heads. She moved out of the doorway as casually as possible. “I was worried about you. Let’s go have dessert. If I don’t get a piece of Martin’s chocolate cheese cake, I’ll end up on Santa’s naughty list.” “I can pull a few strings and get you to the head of the line.” Jake winked at her and Abby relaxed just a

little. Whatever Jake was hiding, apparently wasn’t as bad as she’d imagined.

****

Abby felt an insistent tingle in the area of her right hip and reached down into the pocket of her slacks to retrieve her beeper. Not tonight, she sighed to herself.Not so soon after the last one. With all of Jake’s guests gone and Gideon almost out the door, she’d begun to consider the possibility of staying the night. The thought of spending the next twelve hours alone with Jake made her heart flutter a little. Maybe the wine helped, too. She’d ducked into the first floor powder room after bidding goodnight to the Carter’s and George Goffing. A splash of cool water on her face and a dash of fresh lipstick made her look and feel a little calmer. It hadn’t assuaged the butterflies in her stomach or the aching pull in her core that had begun when Jake seated himself on the couch in the game room and casually threw his arm over her shoulder. Gideon had smiled at them, as if he approved. He’d seen Laura out shortly after that, admonishing her to drive carefully and call his cell phone as soon as she got home. Abby slid the beeper out of her pocket and looked at the LCD, though she didn’t need to. There were only three people with the number: Jake; her assistant, Eleanor; and her client. As she expected, there was no phone number on the display, just a cryptic set of letters. NW RX New prescription. Her contact had strange terminology for everything. He called the jobs he had for her “prescriptions” and when she completed her assignment, she’d send back a text message to his beeper that read: RX FLD Prescription filled. Why tonight?Abby jammed the beeper back into her pocket and leaned on the bathroom’s black marble counter. She could ignore the page. The client would be furious with her, but she would have one night with Jake. And it would be the last. The last time she’d ignored a page, she’d ended up living in the park. Her tiny apartment had been suddenly and inexplicably condemned. Her car was stolen and stripped. Even the police had been shocked by that--dusty old Plymouth Horizons werenever stolen for parts. Her bank account wouldn’t accept her PIN number for a week and when it did, the balance was zero. The grocery store had cut up her credit card. She’d had to beg for another assignment to get back in his good graces. She’d have starved if Jake hadn’t tracked her down the day after she’d left him to the police officer in the park. He’d bought her first meal in two days and, despite her best efforts to resist, she’d fallen in love with him. He was her white knight.

She had a lot more to lose now than she had then. But now she also had Jake. The client couldn’t take him away from her, could he? She shook her head. That wasn’t a chance she wanted to take. She dragged in a breath of bayberry-scented air and reached for the doorknob. Her night with Jake would have to wait, for now.

Chapter Three

Her lips were warm and yielding and her body molded perfectly to his despite the thick coats they wore. Jake looked into Abby’s eyes and the regret he saw there made him want to scoop her up and carry her back into the house. He’d been so close to asking her to stay the night. He wanted her so badly it made his teeth itch. Not to mention what it did to other body parts. He broke the goodnight kiss and cool air rushed over his lips, evaporating the flavor of her. “Can’t Eleanor take care of the alarm?” Jake hated to sound like he was begging, but he was. Abby blinked snowflakes from her lashes and smiled up at him. “It’s Christmas Eve, Jake. She’s got little kids. Besides, the store is on my way home. I just have to go set the alarm. I can’t believe I forgot it again. It must be a mental block or something.” “Let me come with you.” She shook her head. There was that hint of sadness again. Obviously she didn’t want to leave any more than he wanted her to, so why was she insisting? Tonight they finally seemed to have broken through the wall they’d built between them, the one that formally separated their friendship from anything deeper. They were finally getting somewhere, and the damned burglar alarm at Treasure Trove ruined it. “I really need to go, Jake. It’s all right. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She stamped the gathering snow off her boots and turned toward her car. Exhaust billowed up in the frigid air forming a fog that rolled down the driveway. Huge wet flakes swirled through the headlight beams that illuminated the interior of Jake’s spacious garage. He opened the driver’s side door for her. “How about you come by for breakfast, say 9:30?” “Why don’t you come to my place, and I’ll cook?” Her offer was tantalizing. Alone at her place, alone at his, it didn’t matter where they were as long as they were. He’d put this off too long. “I’ll be there.”

“Goodnight, Jake.” She brushed her lips against his jaw and he caught her and held her for a moment. Three years of moments like this flashed through his mind. They’d come so close so many times. He was tired of almost. Why couldn’t he just tell her he wanted more than this? “Merry Christmas,” she said as she slipped from his embrace. She slid into the car seat and moments later the little Toyota rolled down the drive, its tires crunching the snow flat, red taillights disappearing in the blue night. Tomorrow he would tell her, he decided as he turned and stomped back into the garage, dislodging snow from his shoulders like a white shroud. He’d tell her everything and pray she would understand. Would she still want him if she knew the truth? It was a chance he had to take.

****

When Abby arrived home forty minutes later she found the white envelope lying just inside her door, separate from the pile of mail that had been stuffed through the slot. It sat alone and aloof, as though it were better or more important than the mundane envelopes that enclosed her cable bill, a few Christmas cards and useless advertisements. In every way, itwas more important. Abby dropped her purse into the chair next to the door and shrugged off her coat before retrieving it. She hated that her fingers shook.Why tonight? The envelope wasn’t sealed. The back flap was merely tucked inside. The stiff, heavy bond paper crackled as she opened it. No cheap recycled envelopes like those sold in boxes of a hundred at the supermarket. Her client spared no expense. He could afford it. And a man with his kind of power didn’t care about money anyway. She suspected he didn’t even need it to get what he wanted. She’d learned that firsthand. One clean white sheet of paper came out of the envelope folded in thirds. The name, typed in block letters dead center of the page, was the name of the target--the virus--as her client liked to say. He thought of them as an illness and Abby was the cure. She opened the paper and froze. The cold started in her fingertips and raced toward her heart as she reread the name on the page. Twelve crisp, black letters spelled out the name of the man--no, the creature--she had been hired to kill. This couldn’t be right, it just couldn’t. She swayed, caught the kitchen counter for support and stared unblinkingly into the sink for a full minute. The sudden nausea passed but the cold, black void in her gut remained.I can’t do this anymore. And if she didn’t ... if she disobeyed, the next name printed on a clean white paper would be hers. The prescription would rest in someone else’s hands, someone who killed humans, not vampires. The client had been very clear about what would happen the next time she declined an assignment.

She sank into a chair at the kitchen table and reached shakily for the cordless. She had to start over twice before she dialed the whole number correctly. Her heart felt like a clenched fist in her chest and her lungs were full of lead. The phone rang twice before he answered. “Merry Christmas, Abby. I trust you enjoyed your evening.” “This is a mistake.” Her voice cracked. “You’re playing with me.” “I don’t play games, Abby. You know that.” Despite the metallic voice modifier he used, she heard the amusement in his tone. He did indeed play games, but this wasn’t one of them. “It can’t be right. Do you have proof?” “You’ve never asked for proof before.” “I can’t do this anymore.” She covered her mouth to stifle a sob. Icy fingers danced over her spine, and it seemed as if the darkness was closing in around her. She flipped the kitchen switch with a violent movement and the fluorescent lights came on. Their bright, bluish glow didn’t dispel any of the blackness that crept at the corners of her vision. “The price for this one is double our usual contract. This is a new strain of the virus, dangerous and unpredictable. I expected you might have some personal obstacles to overcome but I know you’re strong enough to come through for me, Abby. Aren’t you?” “I can’t do it tonight.” Abby almost dropped the phone. Her hands shook so violently that she had to clamp them both on the receiver to keep it next to her ear. She’d made a mistake in calling him, hoping she could reason with him. She’d tipped her hand. He’d expect her to fail now and he’d make her pay for it. By tomorrow her world would be in ruins once again, if he wanted it that way. He would eventually have her killed but he’d make her look forward to it first. He’d make her want to die. “I realize tomorrow is a holiday.” The bastard actually laughed. “So I’ll give you some extra time. Take the day off and relax ... but I’ll need this prescription filled within forty-eight hours.” “Right. Of course.” Abby steeled herself, calmed her voice. She’d never been so cold in her life, even the nights she’d slept in the park. “Good girl. I trust you to do this, Abby. You know I trust you, don’t you?” “Yes. But are you sure--” He hung up before she finished her question.He knows , her inner voice screamed.He knows I won’t do it . She set the phone down and stared at the paper until her vision blurred. The letters ran together into a fuzzy mass but the name didn’t change. Even through her tears, Abby was able to read it.

JAKE BEAUMONT

Chapter Four

The snow let up just before dawn but the clouds didn’t break. There would be more snow throughout the day, so predicted the 5:00 a.m. weather report. Normally that would have pleased Jake. He loved snow and the dark, overcast days of winter. He always had, even as a child, but now he’d begun to crave the longer nights, and the weaker sunlight of the winter months. He’d been staring at the gray sky for hours, waiting. Half a bottle of scotch sat beside him. He’d just poured another two fingers worth into his glass when her car pulled into the driveway. The headlights were off. The engine cut off and the car coasted to a stop. Everything was still for a moment as the engine cooled and the last lonely flurries melted on the hood. Jake wondered what Abby was waiting for. When the car door opened he moved away from the window and sat on the bottom stair next to lowest row of poinsettias. With his gaze leveled at the door, he downed the scotch and wished to hell he could still feel the burn like he had when the bottle was full. He was there, empty glass in hand, when she let herself in with the key he’d insisted on giving her. He’d fantasized about her using it one night ... surprising him while he lay in bed dreaming about her. The fantasies had been nothing like this. The alarm was already off. He’d shut it down as soon as he’d opened the waterproof plastic envelope that Martin had found on the back patio after the party. He’d been expecting her all that time and he had to wonder why it took her six hours to come back to kill him.

****

The heavy front door clicked shut and Abby rested her head against the richly carved oak for a second. She should leave. She had no right to be here now, but she had to warn him, then get as far away from him as possible. She sensed him before she turned around. His cologne scented the air that still held the faint essence of their sumptuous dinner. Her breath stilled. “Jake.” His name came out as a dry whisper. His face was stone cold and his eyes were so hard they hurt. “How were you going to do it?”

Abby leaned back against the door, suddenly afraid her legs wouldn’t hold her up. “I wasn’t--” “A stake through the heart like Igor? Or maybe you were planning to drag me out in the sunlight and watch me turn to a pillar of flame. That’s always so festive, like a bonfire.” “No. Jake I came here to--” “Ulysses Van de Mir was decapitated. I don’t really go for that. There’s too much ... corpse left over. I prefer to be reduced to ash, that way it’s easy to clean up. How about you do it right here in the foyer so Martin can use the Dust Buster on me?” Anger, she could have dealt with, but sarcasm was too much. “I came here to warn you!” Her voice tore through the silence of the house. The echo off the marble tile rattled her. “Don’t you think it’s a little late to warn me when I’m already the target? If you don’t do it now, someone else will.” “Jake....” “Go ahead, say it. Say you couldn’t tell me. You couldn’t find the right words to tell me that you’re a vampire killer.” Abby pushed off the door and took two long steps. Her boot heels snapped across the floor. When Jake looked up at her she saw there was something about his eyes. They were red rimmed. He looked haggard. “That is how it is, Jake. I couldn’t find the words. Just like you couldn’t find the words to tell me you’re one of them.” She paused, swallowed the sharp taste of betrayal. “Or maybe you did tell me, and I didn’t take it well, so you made me forget.” That hurt. Maybe not a stake in the heart, but certainly a sharp blade. She felt it just as acutely as he did. He looked away. “What else did you make me forget? Did I notice you didn’t have a reflection? Did I question why you never seem to go outside before sunset? Did we ever make love, Jake, and did you feed from me?” Her last words came out as a strangled cry. She wanted to rush at him and hit him. She wanted all those memories back if they existed. “No.” He clamped his lips shut on the word. “I’ve been ... working at keeping you from noticing things. Just little things, but we never ... Inever .” “Whodo you feed from? Laura? Gideon maybe?” “I go to the bars.” The bars. Vampires were very skilled at hiding their existence but they let certain people into their secret world. There were groupies, women mostly but a few men also, who loved the vampires and willingly submitted to the feeding. They hung out in the vampire bars. Some even got paid. That was how Abby found her first target. Marcus Durand paid for a three-course meal every Thursday evening at a club called After Dark in Bennington Heights. She’d offered herself as an appetizer and lured him into the back alley. When they were hungry, vampires were vulnerable and sometimes a little dull witted. Marcus was easy.

It made her sick to think Jake might be so easy for some other vampire killer when he was hungry. It made her sick to think he fed off the young women who did that kind of thing for a living. “Were you going to tell me?” Her throat closed on the words. He nodded, then laughed. There was no humor in it. “This morning in fact. I was going to tell you while we had breakfast in your sunny little kitchen.” He let that hang there for a moment. “Were you going to tellme ?” “No.” Why lie? “I never wanted you to know. I wanted to get to that last job, somewhere down the road and walk away and never have to clue you in that I kill vampires for a living. The problem is, there will never be a last job. I can’t get out of it. I can’t walk away because if I do, I lose everything that matters to me. It happened once already and I can’t go through it again. I came here to tell you to get lost--go somewhere far away from me. If I can’t find you, I can’t kill you. And when someone comes for me, at least I’ll know you’re safe for a while.” “Don’t.” “Don’t what?” “Don’t try to make me feel sorry for you. You’re a paid assassin.” That hurt. Now they were both bleeding. “I’m not an assassin. I’m an exterminator.” Another cut. This one was deep. She saw it in his eyes. If she could make him hate her--hell, mission accomplished. He couldn’t even look her in the eye anymore. “So do it, then. I’m sure you need the money. Didn’t bring a stake? I can scare one up for you, let me call Martin. Oh, he’s one too, just in case you get paid by the kill, you can make a few extra bucks and take him out, too.” Martin, too? Of course. “Why don’t you just kiss me and make me forget all this?” Kiss. Oh, God. Gideon’s kiss. What hadhe made her forget? “Gideon’s one too, isn’t he?” “Maybe everyone is. Maybe you’re the only human left in town.” “Jake.” Abby sighed and covered her face with her hands. How much damage could they inflict on one another? “Please. Let’s just deal with this. You need to get away from here. We can fight later.” “Ineed to get away? To run away and leave my life behind?” “You’re immortal, you can start over. How old are you, anyway?” “I’m thirty-two.” “A newbie.” She was surprised. All his money, all his business savvy usually came with age. He’d

actually accomplished all his successes in a natural lifespan. Impressive. “What made you do it? Why did you turn?” “I wanted to live forever.” “Did you bank on having to die to do it?” “Yes.” There was such anger in the word. Of course he did. You didn’t agree to be turned into a vampire lightly. That’s why the groupies, the feeders, didn’t all get turned. Most of them had no idea what they were getting into. They wanted the glitz and the glamour of it, but a wise vampire never turned someone just for fun. A disgruntled new player could be deadly. People who gave up their humanity because they thought it would be a fun thing to do on a Saturday night often went insane when they literally woke up dead the next day. It was a lot to deal with, and some people just couldn’t handle it. “How long? When did you....” “Three years ago. A month after we met.” She took a step back. At least when she’d met him he’d been human. The look in his eyes told her there was more to it, but she’d probably never learn the rest, even if she begged for it. “I’m not going anywhere, Abby. I refuse to run away.” “He’ll send someone else.” “Who? Tell me who you work for.” “I don’t know. He’s ... he just calls himself the Client.” “And what does he pay you?” Jake still couldn’t look at her. His shoulders were bowed and his knuckles were white where he clutched the empty glass tumbler. “Jake.” “Ten thousand is the going rate for functional vampires. The ... mistakes, the crazies, go for a lot less because they’re easier to catch. I bet you don’t bother with those.” “You’re worth fifty.” The words spilled out with a little more anger than she intended. “Damn. That’s impressive. Is it because I’m in line to succeed Gregori Nachevik?” Her eyes widened. “You?” Nachevik was a vampire king. Like a mafia don, he kept the “family” in line. He made the rules that governed vampire society in this neck of the woods. “That’s impressive for a three-year-old vampire.” Abby had to wonder what, besides his looks, intelligence and charm, made Jake a candidate to take over Gregori’s empire. Without centuries of life--or rather death experience, he was at a disadvantage in the vampire hierarchy. Jake rose from the step suddenly, tipping over the liquor bottle that sat next to him. The amber fluid spilled onto the lower stair soaking a dark puddle into the carpeting. He barely glanced at the mess. “You’d better leave, Abby. We’re done here.”

“You can’t stay here and wait for someone to kill you.” Her protest only drew a casual shrug as a response. “I’m not waiting for someone to kill me. I’m waiting for someone to try. You’d better get out of town. Don’t plan on coming back.” He brushed past her as he headed toward the door. Abby had the terrible sinking feeling that he was going to physically push her out the door. She wasn’t sure she could bear that. The scent of his cologne as he passed her brought on the tears she’d been fighting since she arrived. She hung her head as he reached for the doorknob. The sound of a car rolling up the drive interrupted Jake’s movement. He glanced out the window just as the boxy, shadow shape of a black Beamer angled across the driveway behind Abby’s car. Gideon. Jake pulled the door open just as Gideon bounded up the steps. His coat hung open and under it he wore a T-shirt and jeans. His lower jaw was bluish with stubble and his curly hair hung in his eyes. “What the hell?” This had to be Gideon Price’s unkempt twin. Except for racquetball, the man never appeared in public in anything less than a three-piece suit. “Jake, don’t you answer your phone? I’ve been calling you for--” Gideon halted when he saw Abby in the dim foyer. Jake pivoted to let him through the door. “Oh, that’s why you weren’t answering.” “No, it’s not.” Jake’s reply was quick and decisive. He slammed the front door behind Gideon. “Abby was just leaving.” Gideon’s eyes bounced from one to the other and Jake did his best to dampen his curiosity with a hard stare. “Uh ... we have to go, Jake. There’s an emergency meeting.” “What kind of--oh.” Gideon nodded. “Tomorrow night. It’s been called for tomorrow night.” “You can say it, Gideon. Abby knows.” Jake watched Gideon’s expression change. His emotions flickered through shock to confusion and landed on a hint of amusement. “Is that why you’re leaving, Abby?” Gideon’s voice was low, sympathetic rather than sarcastic. Jake eyed him. “I really never thought you’d have a hard time accepting it.” There was annoyance in Jake’s tone. “She’s leaving because she’s a vampire killer, and she can’t complete her latest assignment.” Gideon’s eyes widened. “Abby?You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” Abby didn’t look up. Jake’s throat burned and his hands itched. He wanted to touch her, to kiss her and do exactly what she’d bade him to do. He could kiss her senseless and make her forget this awful night. Why had he said those things to her when she came here only to warn him? She cared enough to risk her life for him and he’d struck out at her with the intent to wound. He may as well have punctured her

skin with his fangs and fed from her until she was only a dry husk. That might have been less painful for both of them. “Soyou’re the one,” Gideon said. “I got word tonight that there was a killer with a new job and that the plot was to eliminate all the remaining candidates.” “I got word, too,” Jake said. “Martin found a packet outside with a lot of interesting information in it. Somehow I don’t think it came from Gregori’s people, though.” “It probably came fromhim ,” Abby said. Her voice was just a whisper. “Who?” Gideon asked. “My client. He knows how I ... feel about Jake. He knows everything about me. He’s playing me. Probably clued you in to make it that much harder for me.” “What about me?” Both Jake and Abby turned toward Gideon. “Am I on your hit list?” “No so far.” “Oh.” He seemed disappointed. “I’d like to see that packet, Jake.” “Me too,” Abby said. Jake looked at her too sharply and she turned her eyes away. “Go home, Abby. Gideon and I will handle this.” “Jake! You can’t send her home.” Gideon actually stepped between them in a protective gesture that caused a faint surge of jealousy in Jake. “If her client knows everything like she says, then he’s probably watching us. If she leaves, he’ll send in his back-up team to take care of us. We need to keep her with us for now.” Jake hesitated. He couldn’t send Abby out there, leave her at the mercy of her client. If she got hurt, he’d never forgive himself. Before he could speak, light flooded the foyer. Jake tensed. Martin stood in the doorway of the dining room fully dressed and blinking at them. “Good morning, sir. Mr. Price, Miss Shore, always a pleasure. Is everything all right?” Jake sighed. “Martin, can we get some coffee? Let’s go into the kitchen and away from these windows.” “Of course, sir. Would Miss Shore care for some breakfast?” “No, thank you, Martin,” Abby replied. Her voice was dull now. She moved stiffly across the foyer, following Gideon and Martin toward the kitchen. Jake brought up the rear, holding back to put distance between them. He wondered, as he watched her move, her dark hair swaying across her back, if they hadn’t met that night in the park, would her job have been easy tonight? Could she have killed him without a second thought and been happy to rid the world of another vampire?

****

Abby turned page after page of the dossier Jake showed her, growing angrier by the minute. Only the client could have provided the complete timeline of her employment, kill by kill. He’d even included a page of quotes taken out of context from their various telephone conversations. One line stood out when she skimmed over the incriminating collection. “Please give me another assignment. I’ll do anything.” It sounded like she couldn’t wait to kill again, when really she’d been begging for her life back. The conversation in question had taken place only a few hours before she’d met Jake. The few sips of coffee she’d managed to drink roiled in her stomach. While Gideon looked over the pages, she stared into the cup wishing she could fall into the swirling black void. He whistled when he was finished reading and poured himself a second steaming mug with cream and sugar before he spoke. “According to this, you’ve taken out six of Gregori’s twelve candidates. Two that aren’t on this list are also dead--someone else must have made those hits. That leavesme , Jake, Phillippe Rogenet and Mick Garvey. You’ve been systematically narrowing the competition for us.” “You killed Igor Danislo just last night ... was it on your way here?” Jake’s voice was cold as surgical steel. Abby didn’t look up. His tone sliced another wound in her resolve. “It was on the twenty-third. Would you like details?” “Committing murder doesn’t bother you?” Abby closed her eyes. She felt lightheaded. To keep from falling over, she clutched the edges of the butcher block where they sat with their coffee and an untouched plate of scones between them. “Jake, it’s not murder.” Gideon’s voice still held a hint of amusement. “When humans kill humans, it’s murder. When vampires kill humans, it’ssupernatural murder. When humans kill vampires it’s--” “What? Justice?” Jake snapped. Gideon laughed. “A service to humanity, some would say. God’s work.” “I don’t work for God.” Both men looked at Abby. She met their surprised gazes with quiet rage. Across the large kitchen, dishes clinked as Martin stacked them in the cupboard. He finished his task and turned to them. “And we don’t work for the devil either, Miss Shore. Being a vampire doesn’t automatically make one evil.” Abby might have argued that point before she’d met Jake. Every vampire she’d come across up until now seemed to lack a moral compass. She knew enough about the ones she’d killed personally to know that evil came in degrees with vampires, just as it did with humans. “So true, Martin,” Gideon replied saving Abby from the awkward silence. “True evil takes decades of

hard work to achieve.” Abby hated the responses that ran through her mind. She wanted to remind Gideon that vampires killed too, and with their mind control powers, they could cover up their sins. Humans didn’t have the luxury of being able to change the perceptions and memories of those around them. They had to rely on their wits to get away with murder. “When do we have to be at Gregori’s?” Jake asked. His question filled the leaden silence and sent Martin back to his chores. “After sunset, of course,” Gideon said. “We should leave soon.” “Nowyou’re in a hurry?” “I want to get this over with, Gideon. There are still four of us left. Gregori will choose one. With any luck, it won’t be me. Then I won’t be worth so much to Abby’s client. Whoever is chosen will be safe at Gregori’s estate and the rest of us can go on with our lives.” “He doesn’t just want the candidates dead,” Abby said. She wrapped her hands around her coffee mug in an attempt to draw a little warmth into her soul. Her fingers were so stiff. All her muscles ached and her heart felt like a ball of ice between her lungs. “His plan is global extermination.” “That’ll take a while.” Gideon shrugged. “Yeah, but he’s not alone. Half the people who know we exist want us all dead.” Jake sounded so bitter. Abby hated that she’d done that to him. “And the other half wants us to turn them. Maybe we should track this guy down and bring him over.” Jake gave Gideon a sour look. This was no time for levity. It was odd, but since Gideon’s initial panic had faded, he seemed almost euphoric. He tasted victory. He wanted to be Gregori’s successor and before tomorrow was over, he might be. Jake hoped he was. If Gideon wanted that power and responsibility, let him have it. Then Jake could get back to his life. No, scratch that. Life as he knew it had ended. Things would never be the same after the ritual was over, no matter who was chosen. “Gideon’s right, Jake. Our only chance might be to track him down,” Abby said. “And do what? Kill him? None of us can do that.” “Turn him,” Gideon said. Abby shook her head. “Just turn the tables on him and fight back.” For the first time since she’d arrived, Jake met Abby’s gaze. The pain he saw there burned him. “How?” “Out him to the vampires, all of them. If they all know who their biggest enemy is, he won’t be able to operate. They’ll take ... care of him.” “What you mean is, some crazy vampire will kill him and spare the rest of us the trouble.” Jake rose and

leaned on the wooden block. He seemed to tower over Abby and for a moment he swore she shrank back from him. She was afraid of him now. He’d never wanted that. Ever. “Sounds like a solid plan.” Gideon’s eyes were bright. “Set a human up to be murdered by vampires?” Jake stared at them both. How had his world gotten so out of control? “Do you have a better plan? Do you want to run from this guy forever?” Jake lowered himself back to his seat. “Fine. Let’s bring what we have to Gregori. His people have more resources than we do.” Gideon nodded. “This stuff in the packet, if it was left by him, is probably completely untraceable. Abby, do you have anything from him that we can use?” “I have his letters and his phone number and pager number.” “How does he pay you?” “Bank drafts.” “Do you have any stubs?” “Yes.” “Let’s get them and bring them with us.” Jake watched the exchange between Abby and Gideon not sure whether to be impressed or jealous at how quickly they began plotting together. “Hold on, we can’t just walk into Gregori’s with a vampire killer. Abby wouldn’t be safe there,” he said. Gideon’s smile widened. “She won’t be safer anywhere else. Gregori believes in keeping his enemies close. He’ll welcome her with open arms. Trust me.”

Chapter Five

Gideon hesitated at the door of Abby’s apartment and she turned a startled glance at him. He’d insisted on driving her home to get whatever items she had that might help them trace the client. For once, she was grateful for his company. The chasm between her and Jake was bottomless. She felt poised to jump into the abyss and Gideon’s presence calmed her for some reason. “Oh ... you need to be invited in.”

He laughed and took a single step over the threshold. “You’re a vampire killer and you don’t know that’s just a myth? We can’t enter a home that’s been magically sealed against us. I expected some talismans--that’s why I held back.” “Oh.” She turned away, too numb to feel chastised. She’d never sealed the place against vampires mostly because she didn’t put too much faith in potions and candles and circles of salt. Her client had explained the scientific nature of vampirism to her and while there was certainly a supernatural component to the virus that transformed humans into the living dead, there was more cold, hard biology at work than people realized. The other reason she’d never bothered with a talisman or spell was because her targets never saw her coming and none had ever survived to come looking for her. Human authorities never investigated vampire deaths and no criminal psychologists wrote tip sheets on how to understand the mind of a vampire killer. There were times, Abby thought, that she wished one of them would. “I keep everything in one place,” she said. “In the bedroom. I’ll get it.” Gideon nodded. He sloughed off his coat and laid it on the chair by the door. As Abby headed toward the bedroom he took a casual turn around the living room eyeing her possessions with polite curiosity. “Nice place,” he called while she rooted under the bed for the strong box where she kept her unmentionables. “This clock in the kitchen--is it...?” “It’s a reproduction,” she answered. “Damn shame. An original would be worth a few grand.” “I know. I’ve had customers at Treasure Trove asking for similar items. If I could lay my hands on one--” Abby stopped, her thumb poised over the last number of the box’s combination lock. She thought of her little shop and how hard she’d worked for it. She’d probably lose it now.If her client didn’t ruin her, the lack of extra funds from her ‘jobs’ would. The store had been just about breaking even for months now.Overhead expenses were high and with insurance costs, taxes, Eleanor’s full time salary and the two part timers who worked weekends and evenings, there was barely enough left over for Abby to pay her own rent. She hadn’t told Jake because he had such faith in her. He’d have given her a loan, brainstormed with Gideon for a new financial plan, insisted on bankrolling an expansion or change of inventory and she didn’t want to be further in his debt. The truth was, she didn’t want to need him half as much as she did. Another cold truth was, she’d long suspected her client had a hand in her success. While many of her customers were locals who came in to browse her exotic inventory and always managed to find something they couldn’t live without, she had a suspicion that many of the special orders that garnered her most of her profits were for customers sent to her by him. He’d never mentioned a connection of course, but the suspicion was there. Any new, unusual item she acquired always managed to find a buyer within a week or so. Shortly thereafter someone always came in having heard of the rare find and wanting a similar item, willing to pay top dollar for it. With the economy taking a nose dive and the average person turning to cheaper venues for their gift and novelty needs, it stood to reason Treasure Trove’s profits would begin to decline. Abby feared it was the client keeping her afloat, like a leaky lifeboat. She’d teetered with her head above water for too long and now she was sure to sink.

She pushed thoughts of bankruptcy out of her mind. That should be the least of her worries. The client was capable of much faster and bloodier forms of torture than a slow financial demise. With the strong box finally open, she scooped out the contents and slammed the lid shut. When she looked up, Gideon stood in the doorway. He wore an expression she was sure she’d never seen on him before. Sympathy. “Are you all right?” he asked as she rose. With his hands jammed in the pockets of his jeans and his Old Miss T-shirt untucked, he looked like a college boy. What happened to the buttoned up desk jockey who usually regarded her with a faintly disdainful smirk? She climbed to her feet and handed him the bundle of papers, all neatly folded and secured with a rubber band. “I’m fine. As long as Jake is all right.” “You two had a rough time this morning, didn’t you?” “If I had known--” She cut herself off. No excuses. She couldn’t blame Jake for being angry, but didn’t she have the right to be angry, too? They’d both lied. In fact, it seemed like their entire relationship was based on lies. She had to wonder how much of what she remembered over the last three years had been manipulated by him to keep his secret. How many times had she almost discovered the truth about him, only to have him skillfully manipulate her perception and make her forget? All she had done was omit the truth. She’d never obliterated it from his mind. “He’ll get over it, Abby. He cares about you.” “Don’t, Gideon. Don’t try to make me feel better. I don’t harbor any illusions that Jake will forgive me. I killed Igor Danislo. They were friends.” Gideon made a disparaging sound. “No they weren’t. They were both candidates. That’s all. Igor didn’t much care for Jake. None of the other candidates do because he’s so young. I’m surprised no one’s tried to kill him sooner.” Abby nodded and bit her lower lip as Gideon backed himself out of the bedroom and headed back toward the living room. “Why is he a candidate? What makes him special to Gregori?” Abby regretted the question. She shouldn’t have asked Gideon, but she was desperate to know. “Gregori turned Jake personally. He doesn’t do that very often, in fact he likes to punish vampires who turn too many humans. He has very high standards about whogets into the club , so to speak.” “Why Jake? Not that he isn’t special...” “I think it was because he asked. He didn’t just goad a vampire into doing it. A lot of men pick females and offer to let them feed. Females are ... easy. They like to turn their mates and keep them around a long time. Jake didn’t go that route. He went right to the top. Strolled into Gregori’s office downtown one night and just asked.” “Because he wanted to live forever?” “No.” Gideon shook his head. He looked surprised by Abby’s ignorance of the situation. “It was

because he didn’t want to die.” “What’s the difference?” Gideon gave her an odd look and for a moment she saw those coppery highlights in his mossy brown irises. “Come on, Abby. Do you want to live forever?” That was an easy question to answer. “No.” “Do you want to die right now?” “I ... no. You mean Jake was dying?” Gideon nodded. “Brain tumor. They found it about two months before he got mugged. He’d been getting dizzy spells and blurry vision. Turns out he had an inoperable mass next to his right trigeminal nerve. I forget the all the medical mumbo jumbo but the fact is, his life was going to drain away in a matter of months and he didn’t want that. Who would? I don’t blame him one bit. I’d have done the same thing. But Jake had something else going for him that Gregori admired. He couldn’t be enthralled.” “You mean vampires couldn’t control him?” “Nope. Lord knows I tried a few times.” Abby hovered by the couch hoping she wouldn’t faint. Jake would be dead now, if he hadn’t turned. Wait a minute ... hewas dead. He’d have been ... gone. “Funny thing. Vampires had no affect on him, but you did. You could have made him do anything for you. You realize that, don’t you?” “Is that why you’ve been so aloof with me all these years? I’ve always wondered why you were so formal with me. I thought I had it figured out when you kissed me.” Again Abby regretted opening her mouth. Gideon stepped closer. “Oh? What conclusion did you come to?” “That you were jealous. That you wanted to take me away from Jake.” God, that sounded so pompous. “Maybe I do.” “Gideon--” Abby felt that same magnetic pull she had the night before. The look Gideon gave her could have melted lead. “Do you deny there’s a spark?” he asked. His eyes were on her lips. She wanted to deny it so badly. “We need to go.” Abby brushed past Gideon and grabbed her coat. The brief contact felt good and bad at the same time. She felt like she had betrayed Jake by not instantly denying her attraction to Gideon. It hurt that it probably didn’t matter to Jake anymore. Gideon picked up his coat, tucked the papers in the inside pocket as he put it on. Abby followed him out the door and turned for one last look at her place.

If she were smart, she wouldn’t even attempt to come back. But she realized if she were truly wise, she would never have needed to leave.

****

It was only 7:00 p.m. but it seemed much later when Jake’s SUV turned off Route 7 onto a little used service road that lead up into the hills. The night was moonless and still heavily overcast. Four hours north of Haverston the snow had lasted most of the day and huge mounds of it gave the landscape a surreal appearance. The narrow lane that led up from the main road to Gregori Nachevik’s well-hidden estate was overhung with snow-heavy branches. Some of them actually brushed the roof as the vehicle passed, dumping their loads like bales of cotton in its wake. Both inside and outside the vehicle, there was complete silence. Abby watched the scenery go by in awe. She had no idea where they were, only what their destination would be. She had agreed to allow Jake to cloud her mind during the trip so that she wouldn’t remember the way. According to Gideon, no human would be granted entrance to the estate if they knew too much about the place. A well-plowed driveway arched around a huge marble fountain where frozen cascades glistened in blue-tinted spotlights. The mansion rose up behind the fountain in gothic splendor, a collection of parapets and widow’s walks all topped with sharp, wrought iron grillwork. Abby couldn’t have imagined it any better. It was the perfect haunt for a powerful vampire and somehow that surprised her. Given the human population’s general disdain for their kind, she expected something low-key. Arched windows glowed with a cozy, amber light and figures moved sedately within. Abby shivered. She wondered if she would be the only human inside. Gideon offered his hand to help her out of the car and she caught Jake’s disdainful look. Before they reached the front steps, the door opened and a uniformed man came out. He moved unhurriedly but with determination, tipping his cap to Jake as he approached. “Can I help you?” he asked. “Jake Beaumont and Gideon Price,” Jake said. The man nodded, obviously familiar with their names. “I will have the valet park your vehicle, sirs. Please go right in and enjoy your stay.” “We have luggage,” Gideon added as Jake handed the man his keys. “Of course, sir.” The man walked around and opened the back to retrieve their bags. Abby noted Jake’s look of discomfort. He didn’t like anyone rummaging through his car. Gideon led her up the stairs and inside the front door and Jake followed a moment later. Abby heard the SUV’s engine start up and wondered how easy it would be to get it back if they decided they didn’t

want to stay. The entry hall was cavernous. Rich mahogany paneling covered the walls of the octagonal-shaped room. Lit by a multi-tiered chandelier that hung above a curving staircase, the place looked more like the lobby of a hotel than a private residence. In the center of the marble tiled floor sat an obsidian urn that could have held four people within its convex body. Huge plums of delicate foliage topped with deep purple blossoms spilled over its thick rim. The odd-shaped flowers gave off a sweet scent, like vanilla candy with a touch of orange. In spite of her determination to remain aloof and inconspicuous, Abby found herself caressing one of the flowers and eagerly inhaling the calming scent. She caught Gideon’s eyes through the foliage and he smiled at her. “What are these?” she asked. The acoustics in the room were so muted that she could barely hear her own voice. “One of Gregori’s hybrids. Some kind of orchid, I think.” Jake paced around the urn impatiently. “Someone should be here to meet us, don’t you think?” he asked. Abby shrugged. As if in response to Jake’s question, a previously invisible door opened in the paneling to their left. Two people emerged into the foyer. The first, a man, was dark and dangerous looking. His eyes were utterly cold when he appraised the new arrivals. He was adjusting a sparkling diamond cuff link in the sleeve of his perfect white shirt as he advanced into the room. Behind him strolled a woman in stiletto heels and a little black dress that Abby had to admit was to die for. It was backless and the deeply plunging neckline left little to the imagination. She was as blonde as her companion was dark. Her hair was near platinum, long and straight and her pale blue eyes had an ethereal quality to them that made her seem exotic and mysterious. Abby would have judged her to be the vampire of the pair and the man to be merely one of her servants, until his soulless gaze swept over her. His black gaze bounced quickly to Jake and he nodded. “Mr. Beaumont?” “Yes.” “And this must be Mr. Price. I’m Claude, Gregori’s personal assistant.” “Is he available?” Gideon asked. “We have an urgent matter we’d like to see him about.” “Of course.” Claude’s voice was smooth, without a hint of accent, and slightly unctuous. His gaze skimmed over Abby again as she spoke. The woman merely stood silently as though she were awaiting instructions. “I’ll make arrangements for you to speak with him right away.” “Thank you, we appreciate it,” Gideon’s tone mirrored Claude’s.

“Why don’t you gentlemen accompany me inside. Marabel here will see to your guest. To whom does she belong?” Abby’s eyebrows shot up and her mouth opened to form a scathing retort, but Gideon stepped forward immediately, silencing her with a firm hand on her arm. “She’s mine,” he said. Abby gaped wider but said nothing. She didn’t trust herself not to cause a scene that would put Gregori’s hideaway right on the map. Resisting the urge to kick Gideon in the shins, Abby finally clamped her mouth shut. She wanted to look at Jake but his silence in the matter of her ‘ownership’ spoke volumes. “Very good. Marabel.” Claude snapped his fingers and the woman sprung to life. Her expression animated into a Barbie doll smile and she stepped forward teetering on her heels. She slid one long, slender arm around Abby’s waist. “I’ll take you upstairs and show you around. You’ll love it here.” Abby shot a questioning glance at Gideon who nodded. Before she could protest, Marabel herded her up the stairs. Jake and Gideon were lost in the crystal glow of the chandelier and any conversation that might have taken place below, faded to silence. “He’s a hottie,” Marabel confessed when they reached the top of the stairs. “Who?” Abby was still trying to discern exactly what was happening in the foyer below. “Price. Won’t it be nice if he wins? You’ll get to live here all the time.” This was a conversation Abby did not want to have. She would have loved to pump Marabel for a lot more information on just what was going to happen, but she wasn’t up to trying to explain her relationship with Gideon--or lack thereof. For now, she decided it would be wiser just to nod and smile.

****

Claude led Jake and Gideon back through the door he’d come through as Marabel and Abby climbed the stairs. Jake tried to catch a glimpse of the women but they’d already made it to the top landing. Gideon held the paneled door open for him and gestured impatiently. In the room beyond, a fireplace crackled and candles glowed by the dozens. A fully stocked bar took up most of one wall and windows that looked out over the sloping front lawn took up another. “Make yourselves comfortable, gentlemen. I’ll tell Gregori that you’re here.” Claude backed out of the room and closed the door. It melted seamlessly into the inner paneling as though it had never been there. Jake found himself feeling a little bit claustrophobic even though the room was huge. “Why did you do that?” he asked Gideon. His fists balled involuntarily at his sides. “What?”

“Claim Abby. She’s not yours.” Jake instantly regretted the possessiveness of his tone. He had no right to claim her either. Gideon shook his head. “Someone had to and I didn’t hear you jumping in. If we’d tried to explain that she was just a friend--they’d insist she leave. You can’t bring a human here unless it’s very clear to Gregori that you can control them. You’ve got a lot to learn about the way things work.” Jake sighed. “I don’t want to learn about the way things work.” “You know when you asked to be turned that it made you subject to certain rules. Gregori’s rules. Why are you suddenly so churlish?” “Churlish? Who says ‘churlish’?” “It means--” “I know what it means. I’m churlish because I never wanted Abby involved in any of this.” Gideon laughed as he looked over the offerings at the bar. “She’s in deeper than you are. And besides, what did you think would happen? Were you going to work your way up to proposing marriage and then explain why you’d look the same on your fiftieth wedding anniversary as you did on your honeymoon, while she shriveled up and wasted away? You can’t un-vampire yourself, Jake. Unless you cut her out of your life, she was going to end up involved.” Jake turned away and studied the flames in the hearth. Their wild movement mesmerized him for a moment and he thought only of Abby. Upstairs with Marabel, she was probably learning a whole lot about how things worked--probably a lot more than she’d ever imagined, even with her experience as a vampire killer. “What will Gregori do to her--when he finds out?” he asked. There was a pause before a voice that wasn’t Gideon’s replied. “What will I do to whom?”

Chapter Six

The room Marabel led Abby to could be described as a bedroom only because there was a bed in it, a large, sumptuous bed. The rest of the furnishings and decorations, however, told her the room was in no way designed for peaceful sleep. The bed was round and covered in black satin sheets and animal print throes with a mountain of matching pillows. The ceiling above bore a hexagon of shiny tiles within which pinpoints of multicolored light raced around in mesmerizing patterns. Candles glowed everywhere and their warm, musky fragrance filled the heavy air. The walls were all the same dark paneling as the foyer below and a series of lighted niches held stunning examples of modern art: erotic sculptures, crystalline vases and art glass. In one, a

set of jewel-handled daggers fanned out on a multi-tiered display rack. The blades gleamed in hues ranging from gold to obsidian. Interesting choice, Abby thought as she absently circumnavigated the room. Of course, in a house of vampires, the daggers posed no threat to anyone--except the humans. “There’s liquor in this cabinet,” Marabel said. She’d opened a dark lacquered sideboard revealing an impressive collection of bottles. “And in the closet are things for you to wear.” “Thanks but I--” Marabel swung open the doors of the closet next to the sideboard and rummaged while Abby watched, somewhat stunned by the array of lingerie revealed within. The woman pulled out a white peignoir that bore a diamond shaped lace panel in the front, it’s points stretching from neckline to navel. The rest of the material was barely opaque. “This would look great on you. Does Price have a preference? Claude insists on black, black, black. I get so bored.” “He tells you what color to wear?” Marabel nodded and bit her pouty lower lip. “Sometimes I wear red, just to tease him. He gets so ... rough with me.” She sighed dreamily like that was a good thing. “I’ll just stick with what I have on for now.” Abby eyed the peignoir. It was nice, but she had no desire to wear it for Gideon. Marabel appraised Abby’s black turtleneck and slacks and shook her head. “No, honey. You can’t go to dinner in that. You’ve got to be ... easy access.” “I beg your pardon?”Easy access for what? “Maybe the white one is too--virginal. Here’s something in gold that would go great with your coloring. And there are slippers to match!” The negligee Marabel produced this time was a metallic sheath with barely there straps that crisscrossed in the back. An oval cut out in the front provided lots of room for cleavage and the slit in the side traveled thigh high. “You have to wear something from here. You can choose, but I’d definitely go with the gold. I’ll wait outside while you change, then we can go to the buffet.” The buffet?Abby wondered if she was being invited to eat or be eaten. “I really should wait here for Gideon.” She bit out the words. “No, honey,” Marabel said again. There was a hint of sympathy in her voice as though she were just figuring out that Abby was a little bit in the dark. “You eat first. Then Price.” Abby grew cold. She wanted to protest that she was not a feeder and she never would be, least of all for Gideon, but two things hammered against her resolve. One was the undercurrent of warning in Marabel’s sweet tone. The other was a disarming sense of anticipation. The room screamed brothel. The seductive scent of the candles and the slinky lingerie gave Abby ideas she didn’t want to have. What if

she let Gideon--no, Jake!--what if she let him feed and then let him have her? Maybe she could forget, even if only for a little while, what the future held for her now. “I’ll be there in a few minutes,” she said finally. The blonde smiled. “Good. You don’t have to be shy. Everyone’s really nice here. Oh, bathroom is through there ... and here are the slippers that go with that gown, aren’t they cute?”

****

Gregori Nachevik didn’t look a day over forty. Rumor was he’d actually been about twenty-five when he was turned, some four hundred years ago. But back then, hard living aged people a lot faster. There was even a little gray shot through his coal black hair and a very fine web of wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. That, and their warm brown color, gave him an oddly friendly countenance that one would not have expected in a vampire king. He smiled at Jake and Gideon when they turned to him and he spread his arms in a gesture of welcome. “How are you both? I’m actually quite relieved you both made it here in one piece, or two....” He laughed at his own small joke. “Claude said you had an important matter to discuss.” “We have some information about a man who’s paying for hits on vampires. The one responsible for a number of candidates’ deaths, including Igor’s.” Gideon spoke fast as though he wanted to get the words out before Jake could. Jake merely nodded. He preferred to say as little as possible around Gregori. Not that he was self-conscious, but he felt that every word he said since Gregori had made him a candidate for succession was carefully weighed and measured. The last three years had been an ongoing test and his every move added up to points for or against his chances of becoming Gregori’s chosen. Maybe he was self-conscious after all. He didn’t want to do or say anything that might tip the scales further in his own favor. “Let me guess.” Gregori nodded, his jaw set, as he stalked across the room to look out into the blackness. “The Client.” “You know?” Gideon raised an eyebrow.Why would that surprise him? Jake thought. It would be more surprising if Gregori didn’t know anything about the man who was systematically murdering his twelve apostles. “I’ve heard things. Rumors mostly. Humans pay no attention when vampires are murdered. We have to conduct our own investigations. The Client is elusive. He’s very ... I hate to use the word ‘professional’ but it fits.” “You don’t have any leads?” Jake asked finally. If Gregori knew of the client, did he know about Abby also? “Nothing substantial. What have you learned?”

“Jake is his latest target.” Gregori’s eyes widened and he gave Jake a sympathetic glance. “I’m so glad you came here. I figured it would only be a matter of time. How did you find out? All the previous hits have been so fast--done with such precision that no one could have predicted them.” Gideon and Jake shared a glance. There was no way around the truth. Without it, Gregori’s people would have no advantage to help them locate the Client. “Jake?” Gideon nodded as if giving Jake permission to tell the story from here. Jake sighed. He moved toward the hearth and kept his eyes on the flames while he spoke. “Abby Shore is working for the Client. She’s his vampire killer--or one of them.” “Oh.” Gregori was silent for a moment after that. Jake remained still, waiting for something terrible to happen. “Well, that’s good news.” Jake resisted the urge to gape at his sire. Gregori shrugged. “If it had been anyone else, you’d be dead already, Jake. Abby can’t kill you any more than ... Gideon could. She loves you.” Gideon had told him that, and now Gregori. Why was Abby the only one who couldn’t tell Jake she loved him? Or maybe she had loved him, up until last night--until she found out that he was dead to her. “She’s here. Upstairs,” Gideon said. Jake glared and his partner shrugged. Again, there was no use in being anything but blunt. Gregori made a sound of relief. “Of course. I’m glad you brought her here. I’d like to speak with her.” “She’s in my room.” Jake resented the hint of pride he heard in his friend’s voice. “I’ll speak with her after dinner. The ceremony will conclude at midnight, tomorrow. I wish you both luck, gentlemen. I’d be very pleased if either of you won.” A moment later Gregori was gone. In his absence the room seemed warmer. “What if he kills her?” Jakes voice was dry as old bones. Misery had settled in his gut. “He won’t,” Gideon replied. “He’ll order one of us to do it.”

****

“All these women are feeders,” Abby said as Marabel poured her a glass of blood-red wine. They stood at one end of a sumptuous buffet table in the second floor dining room of Gregori’s home. Six other women, each one exquisitely beautiful, milled around the room or sat at small, café-sized tables eating or drinking, talking and laughing. They all wore silk or satin gowns in colors and styles that screamed, “Bite me, I’m yours.” In her gold negligee and high-heeled slippers, Abby felt just as naked as the other women looked. She

still battled with the part of herself that wanted to enjoy the feel of the flimsy material that skimmed across her breasts, the part of her that kept imagining what Jake’s body would feel like stretched over hers as he drained her with one part of his anatomy and filled her with another. “We’re not just feeders,” Marabel replied with just a touch of annoyance. “We’re exclusive. I’m Claude’s only feeder. He doesn’t need to go anywhere else. Eventually, he’s going to turn me. He promised.” Abby only nodded as she sipped her wine. “These girls belong to the other candidates and whoever wins tomorrow, he’ll be able to turn his girl into his mate, if he wants to. She’ll become a vampire Queen. Won’t that be cool?” Abby studied the crimson depths of her wine. She would have refused to drink it if it didn’t smell so gloriously sweet. “What I don’t understand is why Gregori needs a successor. It’s not like he’s going to die, right?” Abby sipped again. The wine tasted like candy. It coated her throat and gave her an instant craving for something to eat. She eyed the food on the table. Cruise ships served less at a sitting. Marabel put an empty plate her free hand. “Gregori’s been the king of North America for a hundred years, but he’s bored. You know, he came here from Europe. I’m not sure when exactly. When the vampire wars took place over there in the 1800’s, he left.” “Vampire wars?” “You don’t know much vampire history, do you?” Abby shook her head, momentarily distracted by the cascading tower of ripe fruit at the center of the table. Raspberries, strawberries, cherries and grapes, all red, spilled out of an ice sculpture cornucopia. “Gregori was on the losing side of the war, so he came here. There weren’t many vampires in the US in those days, so he took over, but the real power is still in Europe. He wants to go back and wage war again. I hope Claude gets to go with him. I’d love to see Europe! Anyway, whoever takes over here, well, they’ve all been personally turned by Gregori, except ... Price and the guy who just got killed.” “Igor Danislo?” “Yeah. They were turned by vampires that Gregori turned so they’re like, his grandsons, sort of. Anyway, whoever he picks will run things over here, but Gregori will be able to control them so it’ll be like Gregori runs North Americaand Europe.” “If he lives long enough, he’ll take over the whole world, right?” Abby smiled into her wine glass as she chewed a succulent strawberry. “He’s going to live forever.” Marabel’s voice held that hint of annoyance again. “He just can’t be everywhere at once, so he’s delegating.” “Of course.”

“So what’s with Beaumont?” Marabel asked. She began heaping her own plate while Abby gathered fruits, cheeses and an eclectic sampling of exotic hors d'oeuvres. “What about him?” “Are you his, too? I noticed he didn’t bring anyone.” “I’m not his.”Not yet , Abby thought. Maybe she could convince Gideon to take her to Jake’s room later. “Too bad. He’s almost as good-looking as Price.” Marabel covered her lips with her fingertips. “Don’t tell Claude I said that ... ooh, on second thought, you can. He’ll make me do things to make up for it.” Marabel closed her eyes in anticipation. Abby didn’t want to think about what kinds of things Claude would make Marabel do, but she could think of a few things she’d be willing to let Gideon do ... Jake, Jake do. She took a long sip of the sweet wine and felt the flush rising in her cheeks. Marabel smiled and winked. “You know just what I mean, honey, don’t you?”

****

Jake paced the confines of the room he’d been assigned. His chest felt tight. Down the hall, Gideon waited in his own room for Abby to return from the dining room. The thought was more than Jake could stand. Gregori had offered Jake a feeder--a lovely girl named Lillian. She had pouted sweetly when he refused her. Despite the fact that he hadn’t been to his regular bar in four days, he felt no hunger. If he didn’t feed, he’d be weak when the ceremony took place, less apt to win. That was fine with him. What was not fine was the thought that Gideon might feed from Abby. He said he wouldn’t, but Jake didn’t believe him. He’d just now realized how often in the past few months he’s refused to take Gideon’s word on things. He’d been doubting his best friend for weeks now and never questioned why until tonight. Twice he’d gone to the door determined to take Abby back and sequester her safely in his own room. Twice, he’d stopped himself. How could he let this happen? He loved her regardless of what she was--regardless of whathe was. She killed vampires because humans could not co-exist peacefully with a species that used them for food. He had become her natural enemy, a predator. Could he blame her for trying to protect her race? For the third time, he headed toward the door.

****

Pleasantly sleepy from the wine and sated from the delicious food, Abby dozed. Spread on the big bed, she stretched and yawned, enjoying the cool slide of the sheets beneath her satin gown.

When Gideon arrived, she blinked languidly at him. He smiled and crossed to the bed. “You look amazing,” he said. He ran one finger under the silky strap on her left shoulder and her skin tingled in response. “Where’s Jake?” “Feeding. Like I should be.” Abby sat up. “Everything here is designed to keep the humans compliant, right?” The thought should have enraged her, but she couldn’t seem to muster the energy to be angry about it. “Mmm.” He leaned over and nuzzled her neck. His teeth scraped her skin and Abby arched. “The wine, the flowers, your perfume.” “My ... you gave it to me, didn’t you?” Abby met his gaze and focused on the coppery sparks in his moss green eyes. A fuzzy memory swam to the surface of her consciousness. “Now you remember, don’t you, love?” Gideon’s hand slid down from her shoulder and cupped her breast. His lips traveled across her collarbone eliciting a tightening of the muscles in between that spot and her thighs. “You can remember all of it.” Abby gasped as twin pinpricks stabbed her flesh. It felt so good, even though she knew it shouldn’t. Gideon had always been so gentle when he fed from her. “How long?” She panted as his hand skimmed down to her exposed thigh and his fingers explored beneath the slit in her gown. “How long have we been together?” “You always ask me that.” The cadence of his tone changed. The haughty high-society accent he affected fell away and his sexy drawl dripped out. He licked the warm trickle that ran from her jugular and a second later his fingers closed over the silky thong she wore beneath her gown. He dragged the tight elastic down her thigh. “You ask me every time, and every time I tell you, it’s beenthree years .” White-hot longing shot through Abby’s intimate muscles as Gideon buried his head in her neck and sank his teeth into her skin. She moaned, unable to do anything but replay the day’s events in her mind--events that, up until now, had been blocked from her memory. When she’d brushed against Gideon in her apartment, he’d captured her hand in his. He’d drawn her to him and kissed her hard. She’d responded like a shipwreck victim clinging to a life preserver. Next she was on the floor beneath him. He drank only a little but gave her so much in return. When they finally finished, she’d removed her torn shirt and used it to blot the blood from the already partially healed bite marks on her neck. He’d suggested she change into the black turtleneck to hide the marks from Jake. Then he’d made her forget. “No!” Abby pushed Gideon away. His teeth tore her skin, leaving a bleeding gash. “How many times have I told you that I love Jake?” Gideon sat back on the bed and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. His eyes were dark, the

copper points faded to black. “You tell me all the time, usually while you’re on your back. It’s hard for me to believe that you love him when you’re always ready for me.” Abby backed away, disgusted that she’d lost control with Gideon so many times. The memory of him inside her made her hot and shaky. It killed her that she wanted him even now. “You’ve begged me to make you forget, Abby. Every time you give in to your desire for me, you feel guilty and you want to forget. I let you ... only because I love you.” For a moment there was regret in Gideon’s eyes. “If I didn’t cloud your memory, I’d lose you. You’d have left both of us a long time ago because you can’t justify loving two men.” “I don’t love both of you.” Abby gathered into herself. She dragged the black sheet across her body as a shield between them. “I don’t love you, Gideon.” “You love what I do to you. You love what I make you feel.” His voice shook with emotion she would never have believed him capable of. “You just make me think I do.” That was meant to wound and it did. Gideon’s eyes narrowed. “You know I’ve never forced you. I’ve never convinced you to do anything you didn’t want to do. You came to the bar that night--you found me and offered yourself tome .” She remembered. Like a key, Gideon’s words unlocked the memories. The night in the park, she’d just come from one of the vampire bars. Hunger had driven her there--a descent meal was a necessity for a feeder, to increase their blood volume and keep them from passing out on the customers. Gideon paid for her meal, and her blood. He’d been so handsome and kind, not at all what she expected. None of the vampires the Client had paid her to kill would have turned her on like Gideon did. Why had she always credited Jake with saving her life, with making her reconsider becoming a feeder to survive? Gideon had planted that memory weeks later after she’d been with him a few times, probably right around the time Jake formally introduced them to each other. She brought a shaking hand to her throat, felt the sting of the open wound. “I won’t let you do it again.” Only anger kept her from succumbing to the sudden wave of nausea. She didn’t want all those memories back, but she couldn’t stop them now. “Yes, you will, Abby,” Gideon said. “You always do. You don’t want the guilt. You want to be free to love Jake so you beg me to take it all away and promise to leave you alone. Then you come back for more. Even though you don’t remember the past, you still can’t resist it. Don’t you realize this is what’s been stopping you from being with Jake? It’s not pride, not the fear of ruining your friendship. It’s me. It’s the fact that you want me.” “No.” “Abby, remember it.” The command let loose another stream of suppressed memories, forbidden carnal memories. Her skin tingled, her inner muscles vibrated with the memory of Gideon’s skilled hands on her body. “Don’t. No more.” “I’m going to win, Abby. And tomorrow night when I succeed Gregori, I’ll turn you, just like you’ve wanted me to. Just like you’ve begged me to.”

“No!”

Chapter Seven

Jake heard Abby scream. In the next second he wondered why he’d ever planned to knock on Gideon’s door when he should have merely kicked it down. He burst through the door using strength he’d long denied. What he saw enraged him. Abby perched at the head of the huge bed, black sheets in disarray around her legs. Blood oozed down her neck from a jagged bite mark. Her cheeks were flushed, lips swollen and her nipples stood out against the shimmering fabric of her golden gown. Gideon whipped around, anger flaring crimson in his eyes. “You’ve come to rescue your matchstick girl, Jake? Take her. Do what you want. I’ll erase you from her mind later when I have her again.” Jake advanced on Gideon and delivered a punch that would have left a human unconscious. Gideon’s head snapped back and blood welled at the corner of his mouth where the white tip of a fang peeked out. He rubbed his jaw, stunned, but recovered quickly and smiled. “I was wondering when you’d get around to defending her honor. Don’t forget, Jake, she’s a killer and a liar. Let that lie between you when you take her to your bed.” Jake took another menacing step and Gideon wisely backed up. He put his hands up defensively but there was humor in his tone. “I won’t stop you, Jake. I’m still hungry and she’s not enough for me tonight. She’s all yours.” He turned and stalked toward the door. Jake watched him, his hands aching to wrap around Gideon’s neck, if only it would have had any effect. When Gideon disappeared into the hallway, Jake turned to Abby. She sat in a ball surrounded by pillows, clutching a zebra print throw to her chest. “I’m sorry, Jake. I’m so sorry.” Her tortured whisper tore at him. “What did he do to you?” Long-suppressed emotions roughened his voice. He gathered her in his arms and rocked her gently as she clung to him. “He told me he’s been clouding my memories all this time. I’ve ... been with him.” Jake growled and cupped her head against his chest. It made sense now. Gideon’s distaste for Abby hid his abuses.All this time , he repeated in his head.All this time when she was supposed to be mine. “Come on.” He looked down into her face. Her skin was so pale, her eyes so wide. Her lips beckoned him. The sweet, salty aroma of the blood on her neck made him want her in more ways that one. “Let’s

get out of here. I’m not going to let him touch you again.” “He’ll make me forget. I’ve asked him to make me forget....” There was a dreamy quality to Abby’s voice that scared him. What exactly had Gideon done to her? Jake forced himself to maintain control as he lowered his face to her neck. He inhaled the complex mixture of scents that clung to her. Gideon’s cologne, the heady musk of the abundant candles, blood and her own feminine scent, layered with her enticing new perfume that smelled just like Gregori’s flowers. It’s a drug. “Where are your clothes?” He tore himself away from her and began searching the room. Gideon’s overnight bag sat in the corner but Abby’s was not with it. She shook her head. “Marabel took them.” “Come on, I’ll give you something to wear.” He took her hand and pulled her from the bed. “Are we leaving?” “We’re going to get as far away from here as we can and never look back. If we have to run forever, we will. I can’t let Gideon use you and I won’t let the Client hurt you.” The gaze Jake leveled at Abby took her breath away. Her thoughts were so muddled from the wine and Gideon’s revelations that it took her a moment to process what Jake was saying. “Run away? Together?” “Come on.” He pulled her out of Gideon’s room and down the hallway to his own. Once they were inside, he locked the door. “Get out of that gown,” he said. Abby would have found the command a turn on if he hadn’t looked so angry. “Go in the bathroom and take a shower. Get that scent off you so you can think clearly.” “Oh....” Abby looked down at herself and tried to concentrate on Jake’s words. The perfume. Gideon had given it to her a week ago when he’d shown up at her apartment late one night hungry and horny. The sexy scent in its beautiful crystalline bottle seemed to put her right in the mood and they’d ... she didn’t dare call it making love. She remembered wanting him so badly. It was only afterward that she’d thought once again of Jake and how she’d spent the day fretting over buying him the perfect Christmas gift. With a startled glance at Jake, she fled into the bathroom. Jake paced. It was close to midnight. If they drove fast and stayed on the freeway, they might make it over the border before dawn. The windows of his truck were tempered. He could drive all day long without fear of the sunlight, as long as no one stopped them. He pulled his luggage apart and dragged out a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt for Abby. He assessed a pair of Fruit-of-the-Loom briefs and decided they’d look damn sexy on her. He tossed them into the pile of clothes along with sweat socks and a flannel shirt for warmth. Marabel had even taken Abby’s boots and coat. He’d have to carry her to the SUV, assuming he could get it back from Gregori’s valet.

He’d tell Gregori that he’d be back before the ceremony began. What was he thinking? With Rogenet and Garvey already here, Gregori would not permit anyone to leave. He gathered the clothes and headed toward the bathroom. At the door, he hesitated. It didn’t seem natural to barge right in, so he knocked, at first tentatively, then with more conviction. When there was no answer after the third try, he opened the door.

****

Abby’s tears mingled with the hot water sluicing down her body. She braced herself against the black tiles of the shower stall and leaned into the soothing spray. Thick steam filled her lungs, replacing the intoxicating scents that had helped Gideon control her thoughts. Slowly her perception cleared. Gideon. She didn’t love him. That much was clear immediately. What they had was a parasitic relationship. She laughed ruefully at the thought. She needed him because he let her indulge her fascination with vampires--a fascination she only now remembered having. When the Client destroyed her life, she’d finally broken down and gone to the vampire bars out of desperation. It was easy to get in. They always needed new feeders. Vampires tended to keep their favorites--often whisking them away to private clubs after a while--leaving an opening on the menu. Abby was young and fresh and she filled a newly empty slot at a place called the Underside. At first she’d told herself it was only because she’d starve otherwise, but when she met Gideon that night she’d felt an instant carnal attraction. They become lovers not long after, but by then she’d also met Jake and he was human at the time. Her feelings for him were different, but just as immediate. It was only now that she realized that Gideon was indeed the force behind her suppression of those feelings. It was his constant subliminal suggestion that Jake could never love her if he knew the truth about them that kept her from admitting the depth of her love to herself or to Jake. A tapping on the shower doors made her gasp. Jake stood in the bathroom, his back to her, a fuzzy shape beyond the steamy glass. His attempt to preserve her modesty made her smile. “Are you okay?” His voice was muffled by the pounding of water around her. “I knocked but you didn’t answer.” “I was just ... thinking,” she replied. “I’m fine.” “I’ll leave these here. They should fit.” “Okay.” He left before she could think of anything else to say. After another few minutes under the liberating warmth of the shower, she shut off the water and rested her head against the wet wall for a moment. Maybe Gideon was right. Jake would never be able to love her once he knew the whole truth.

****

In Jake’s jeans and T-shirt, Abby looked like a teenager. She stood in the bathroom doorway rubbing her dark hair briskly with a towel and giving him a sympathetic look that made his lungs feel like bags of wet cement. He tried to concentrate on his plan but two things distracted him. First was Abby’s clean scent. She smelled like a meadow after the rain and he wanted to take her in his arms and bury himself in that soothing aroma. Second was his growing hunger. The memory of the scent of blood on her skin clawed at his gut. It enraged him that Gideon drank from her, deliberately weakened her. No matter how hungry Jake got, he could not allow himself to do the same. He would have to feed soon or begin to suffer the effects. He couldn’t let himself get too weak to protect her. “Sorry about your shoes,” he said over his shoulder as he contemplated the door of the bedroom. Their best bet was to simply walk down the stairs and out the front door, but she wouldn’t last long wearing nothing on her feet but socks. “How are you going to get your car back?” she asked as she tossed the damp towel onto the floor behind her. “I have a spare key in the right front wheel well. My main concern is finding the car. If it’s not still snowing we can probably follow the tracks. I doubt the valet will bring it back for the asking.” “How do you know? Maybe--” “No. Gregori isn’t expecting any of us to leave. We’re all here until the ceremony is over. “What happens if you win?” “I won’t.” “Then what happens if you lose?” Jake turned. He hated to admit that he had no idea. If Gideon won, his power would increase exponentially. Only Gregori would be able to control him. As Jake’s friend, he probably would have been a great asset, but now.... It was likely neither one of them would survive. Vampires were notorious for not tolerating their rivals. “I don’t plan to be here to find out.” Jake took Abby’s hand. Despite her shower, her fingers were cold. “Let’s go. Move fast and quiet. If anyone stops us, let me do the talking. They’ll expect you to be ... obedient.” She nodded and he tugged her toward the door. Jake flung it open and found himself face to face with Gregori. He heard Abby gasp. Gideon stood behind Gregori with a satisfied smirk on his face. Jake backed up and the two men entered the room. “Jake.” Gregori’s smile was brittle. Maybe Jake could lie to him, but Gideon certainly wouldn’t. “This must be Abby. I’ve heard a lot about you, Miss Shore and I’m eager to discuss your ... what shall we call it? Your part-time job?”

Abby just stared. Jake saw the pulse at her throat throbbing and it drew him like a beacon. Gregori could make her tell him anything he wanted to know. “I gave Gregori all the stuff from Abby’s box,” Gideon said. “And now he’s got a few questions.” “Please, sit down, Miss Shore. I assure you this won’t hurt a bit.” Abby obeyed, not because Gregori Nachevik compelled her, but because she saw no other option. She had no problem telling him the Client’s secrets, and it was clear she would probably never get another chance.

****

Abby awoke hours later in the middle of Jake’s bed. Dull gray light filtered through the thick windowpanes illuminating Jake’s face where he slouched in the chair beneath them. For a moment, Abby panicked. It was dawn. What if the sun finally broke through the snow-heavy clouds? “Jake! Wake up--the light.” Her voice startled him awake and he immediately looked out the window. “The sun’s coming up.” “It’s okay. Tempered glass. This is a vampire mansion, remember?” His smile was sad. She remembered all too well. Gregori had questioned her for more than an hour. True to his word, though, the inquisition had been painless. She readily told him everything she knew about the Client, down to telephone numbers and the fact that he used various methods to disguise his voice when they spoke. It amazed her that Gregori seemed to harbor no anger at her for killing half a dozen of his chosen successors. In fact, he’d congratulated her on avoiding detection by his own private investigators for so long. She thought it eerie that his only emotion seemed to be polite curiosity. He maintained his composure even when he and Gideon finally left the room and he coolly bade them good day. Moments later when Jake checked the door, he found it locked from the outside. Abby ran shaky hands through her tangled hair. “What now?” “We wait. I’m sorry, Abby. We’re not leaving here until the ceremony is over.” Abby sighed. “What actually is going to happen? I don’t understand all the references. Are you going to compete for succession? Will Gregori pick your name out of a hat?” She wanted to laugh at the idea, but it occurred to her that whatever the reality was, it would not be amusing, or benign. Jake’s hesitation spoke volumes. He dragged himself up from the chair and crossed the room to try the door again. “I never wanted to be chosen,” he said. “In fact, originally I wasn’t one of the twelve, but when the

candidates started dying....” Abby went cold when his voice trailed off. When she began killing the candidates, she’d opened up a space for Jake. “I think Gregori thought it would make the other candidates angry if he chose a newbie to replace one of them. It made them all want it a little bit more.” “How did Gideon take it?” Jake turned. Relief flooded Abby when he met her gaze and approached the bed. “He was cool with it. Or so I thought. I don’t think he expected I had a chance. Maybe I don’t. Which is fine with me, but Gideon isn’t playing games.” “Oh, yes he is.” Abby’s anger flared. He’d been playing games for years and she was the chief pawn. The thought of vengeance crossed her mind briefly but logic told her it was no wiser to try to punish Gideon for his actions that it was to try to make the Client feel sorry for the mess he’d made of her life. Jake sighed. He looked exhausted and ... hungry. “Maybe you should get some sleep. You can have the bed.” He smiled at her offer and she scooted over, giving him room to stretch out his long legs. He curled his arms around a pillow and stretched, then looked up at her. His eyes held hers for a moment and in their depths she saw herself. “You can remember now,” he said. She wasn’t sure if it was a statement or a question, but a moment later she recalled the times she’d questioned him, the times she’d wondered if he wasn’t human. Mingled with the sharp bursts of arguments with Gideon over her love for Jake, were the pangs of longing and the hot flush of sexual desire she felt for both of them. No wonder she’d always felt so out of control around both of them. She’d always felt uncertain, as if anything she said or did might be the wrong thing. She always thought it was her own uncertainty and flagging self-esteem that kept her from letting Jake get too close, but that wasn’t it at all. The choices had never been hers to make. “I don’t love Gideon. I never did.” Her voice thickened with unshed tears. “He’s been working at keeping us apart.” Jake blinked sleepily, one corner of his mouth turned up in a half-grin. “Don’t worry about it now. None of it is important anymore.” “All that lost time.” Abby reached out to stroke the hair from Jake’s forehead. His skin felt cooler than she remembered. How many times had she asked him, “Are you sick, Jake? You feel clammy.” He’d made her forget every time. Once, when the flu was going around Haverston, he’d made her believe he had a fever. She yelled at him to go home and go to bed and she’d brought him chicken soup which he told her was delicious, but she never saw him eat it. Yesterday every revelation might have made her furious but now, compared to the things Gideon had hidden from her, Jake’s transgressions were wholly forgivable. Was it because they tempered her own guilt, or was it because she loved him so much? He caught her hand and twined his fingers in hers. “I’m sorry for every lie.”

“Me too. Gideon told me about the tumor. Was that true?” Jake’s eyes clouded. “Yes. You don’t know how many times I’ve gone over it in my mind. Maybe I was impulsive, but the doctors told me I didn’t have any medical options. I got a little stupid that night in the park. I was going to meet a vampire and pay to be turned. I didn’t know that Gregori controlled that. I didn’t know he killed vampires who turned people without his permission.” “So you went to Gregori and got permission?” He nodded, still caressing her fingers. She reveled in the sensation as his flesh slid against hers. The friction created the illusion of warmth. “It’s funny, Gideon told me where to find him. Gideon helped me become a vampire. When I first told him I was sick, he acted so ... human. He was angry for me. He said how unfair it was. He wanted me to go to Europe or Mexico and try some of those illegal treatments, and I considered it. But then he helped me do some research and everything we turned up sounded like a scam. He never suggested I turn. He didn’t push me to do it, but when I brought it up, he just said if it was what I wanted, he’d help me. That’s what I’d have expected a friend to do.” Abby shifted her body and stretched out next to Jake. Lying next to him on the bed felt so good. The fact that they were prisoners, and that they were talking about Gideon who had betrayed them both, didn’t seem to matter at the moment. “I’m sorry for everything, Jake.” Her heart ached for him and she wished she had been there for him then. “Let’s put it all behind us, Abby. We can’t change the past.” “Well, not for the better, anyway,” she said with a hint of sarcasm. Her past was barely recognizable at this point. Jake pulled her into his arms and she gasped softly as he brought his lips down on hers. Warmth flooded her. It seemed as if Jake came to life in her arms. She felt his heartbeat, fast and erratic against her breasts. “Sorry,” he murmured against her lips. “Force of habit.” “No, it’s okay. I like it.” It was good that he felt human in her arms, even if it was only an illusion. The illusion of his warm breath in her mouth and his pulse quickening beneath her fingers as she cupped his jaw, made everything seem right. He pulled her beneath him and slid his fingers inside the flannel shirt to cup her breast through the T-shirt. Her nipple was already hard for him, straining against the soft fabric. She felt it in her womb when he thumbed the tip. All her muscles tightened when he settled his lean hips between her thighs and she felt his erection pressing against her mons. That was no illusion.

As Jake’s hands roamed her body, she fought to push thoughts of Gideon aside and banish him fully to the past. He had no place between them, and he would never interfere with them again. Abby raised her hips to meet Jake’s and instinctively, she turned her head to expose her neck. What came next was part of it. Even in the bars, feeding had a sexual component, though the degree varied. “No.” Jake’s voice was low, belying the fact that he didn’t want to refuse her. “I won’t do that to you, Abby.” “You’re hungry, Jake. I can see it in your eyes.” “I won’t use you like that. I promised myself I would never...” She kissed him into silence, urging her body against his. “I need you, Jake. It’s okay to need me, too.” She guided his lips to the pulse point below her jaw, then pushed her fingers into the waistband of his jeans. After a moment’s hesitation, he lunged at her with a primal sound that arrowed through her, igniting a spark of fear and the slow burn of her need for him. Before his teeth pricked her skin, the door of the room burst open.

****

Every nerve ending in Jake’s body pulsed with unrequited need. Regardless, he tore himself away from Abby and scrambled to his feet to face the intruders. Claude stood poised for battle, an electric cattle prod in his hand. Behind him stood two of Gregori’s security force and behind them, Gideon. “Mr. Beaumont.” Claude smiled and tapped the end of the prod into his open palm. “Your presence is requested at an important meeting. Please don’t make this unpleasant.” Jake swung his gaze to Abby. He couldn’t leave her alone, not with Gideon leering at her over the shoulders of the security guards. “Go, Jake,” she said. “Don’t make them hurt you.” “Oh, we’re not going to hurt you, Mr. Beaumont,” Claude responded. His voice seemed to vibrate with a perverse pleasure. His head bobbed once and the two brawny vampires raced to opposite sides of the bed. One of them knocked Jake aside as if he weighed nothing. A moment later, they dragged Abby from the bed and pulled her to stand before Claude. Gregori’s assistant held up one hand as a warning to Jake not to move. He raked his soulless gaze over Abby and placed the tip of the prod beneath her jaw at the very spot Jake had, only moments before, been about to sink his teeth into. To her credit, she didn’t flinch. “Gregori instructed that you not be harmed,” Claude said to Abby, his voice a sneer. “Unless you caused any trouble. How can a vampire killer not cause trouble?”

Abby kept her eyes averted. Jake seethed. Claude could make her do anything he chose to and she wouldn’t be able to fight it. “Mr. Beaumont, wait in the hall.” “No.” “If you don’t want to find her in a pile of ashes when you return, I suggest you wait in the hall.” “Jake.” He couldn’t ignore the plea in Abby’s voice. Jake passed Gideon on the way out. He stopped just over the threshold and listened. There was a wicked smile in Gideon’s voice. “Abby, I’d like you to go back to my room now. I’ll need you when this meeting is over.” Jake’s stomach rolled. He would not allow Gideon to touch her again. Better they both ended up dead. The rage building inside him would certainly give him the strength to carry out his plan. The hunger that gnawed at him only grew, reminding him that soon he wouldn’t have any fight left. He had to conserve his strength if he was going to save her. After a moment, Claude and his cronies emerged from the bedroom. They flanked Jake and corralled him, forcing him to accompany them down the stairs. He heard only faint conversation coming from the bedroom’s still open door. At the bottom of the stairs, Claude opened yet another door that was hidden in the ornate paneling of the foyer. The guards pushed Jake through the narrow opening. The last sound he heard before the door shut was the vicious slamming of the bedroom door from above. His heart contracted. Though it was unable to beat unless he willed it, the dead organ in his chest was still capable of aching. No matter what happened today, he vowed then that Gideon would pay for whatever harm came to Abby, and he would pay dearly.

Chapter Eight

Abby faced Gideon with her head high. He looked different somehow, larger. His lips seemed fuller and more sensuous. His hazel eyes were coppery and there were dark rings around his irises. He’d fed recently--and well. “I won’t go to your room,” Abby said when Claude and the guards left. Her heart was with Jake but her mind was busy calculating her limited options. She still had one advantage over Gideon that she could exploit if necessary. In his own twisted way, he loved her. Therefore, she could hurt him.

“I could force you,” he replied. Their gazes clashed and held like crossed swords for a moment. When Gideon spoke again, the darkness had drained from his voice. “I won’t, you know. But I could.” He shifted his stance then and his angry ramrod posture deflated. He jammed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and looked at her from under his lashes. It was a look she had never been able to resist before, but now, with the memory of Jake’s body molded against hers, Gideon’s power over her diminished. “Abby, after tonight, we can be together ... forever. Just like I’ve promised you.” “It won’t work, Gideon. Even if you win this succession. I need to be with Jake.” “If I win, there will be no Jake.” Abby swallowed. It occurred to her that the candidates might be tempted to fight amongst themselves for the coveted position that Gregori was going to relinquish tonight. She’d never considered that the winner could have cause to destroy the losers. “You’ll kill him out of jealousy?” she asked. Her voice was dull, belying the anger she felt. “No. I’ll kill him to win. It’s a fight to the death, Abby. Didn’t you know that?” “No. Jake wouldn’t tell me anything.” “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. I’ve always been straight with you, Abby. I’ve always answered all your questions ... of course later I made your forget you asked them, but I always gave you honest answers.” “Jake wouldn’t have stood in your way for this. Why won’t Gregori let him go?” “Gregori has his reasons. He chose Jake like he chose the rest of us, and now Jake has to see it through.” “So you’ll kill Jake to win.” “Yes.” There was no malice in the answer. It was simple truth. “Only because I have to, in order to win.” “If Jake dies, what happens to me?” Abby had to work to keep her voice from breaking. Gideon reached for her but she backed up a step. Disappointment colored his eyes a darker shade of bronze. “Then you’re mine again.” “I’ll never be yours again, Gideon. I’d rather take my chances with the Client.” Gideon’s face blanked at that revelation. For a brief instant Abby feared his reaction. She’d cut too deep. When he laughed, she shivered. “You want to keep killing vampires, Abby? Does it make it easier to indulge your fantasies if you can

destroy us when you’re finished? Does it help take away the guilt you feel at using your body to nourish a vampire, if you can stake one in the heart later on?” Abby turned away. “Get out, Gideon. I’m staying here to wait for Jake.” “Or what’s left of him.” “What do you mean?” “He’s going to fight Mick Garvey today. I’m paired with Phillippe Rogenet. And tonight, at the final ceremony, the winners will go against each other. I may not get to fight Jake, but I hope I do. I’d hate for anyone else to have the honor of killing my best friend.” “You’re sick.” Gideon nodded. “Maybe I am, Abby. And maybe you’re the cure. I was always better when I was around you. I did things for you I would never have done for anyone else.” “Get out, Gideon.” Gideon turned, hands still in his pockets. He took two steps and shot her a disarming glance over his shoulders. “It’s never too late to change your mind.” Abby bit back a reply. She held her ground until the door closed behind him. She heard it lock. Her breath left her in a whoosh and she collapsed on the bed, her mind reeling. Jake had to fight for his life. Gideon was prepared to kill him if Mick Garvey didn’t succeed first, and Jake was weak from hunger because he refused to feed from her. At least she was the cure for that.... Liquid fear poured down Abby’s spine when Gideon’s words echoed in her mind. The cure. The Client called her the Cure. He wanted Jake Beaumont dead. Why not Gideon? Gideon had more experience as a vampire--that made him a more logical choice for Gregori’s successor. It made a twisted kind of sense. Gideon controlling her, creating an emotional wall between her and Jake so it would be easier for her to kill him when the time came. She had to find a way to prove it, but how could she tell Gregori that he couldn’t trust his own ... grandson? Did it work that way with vampires? Did Gregori feel a familial connection to the ones he’d turned? Would he be hurt by Gideon’s betrayal or angered by Abby’s attempt to shift blame for the candidates' deaths from herself to one of his trusted inner circle?

****

For a moment, Jake was blind. Thrust through the narrow door into utter darkness, all he could do was stand still and wait. His heightened senses told him the room was bare. The floor beneath his feet was cold wood, the walls were thick. When a rectangle of pale light appeared opposite where he stood, he dropped instinctively into a crouch.

What were they going to throw at him? A silhouette appeared in the doorway and a second later, a candle flame flared to life. Claude appeared close enough to the flame that it reflected in his eyes. “Get ready,” he said. Jake resisted the urge to ask for what. Part of the test was in being prepared for anything. He ignored Gregori’s assistant and scanned the room, which he now saw was set up like a small arena. The center of the hexagonal space was empty except for six wooden stakes lying at intervals on the floor. On a raised platform that ran around all sides of the room, ornate chairs faced inward. Lit only by candlelight and the dim glow from a deeply carved glass panel in the ceiling, the room leant itself perfectly to a deep, dark vampire ritual. Jake waited while Claude lit more candles. When the room was just bright enough for Jake to make out the faint seams of the hidden doors, they began to open and a dozen vampires filed in. Each man acknowledged Jake as he entered. There was grudging respect in their eyes and jealousy as well. He wished they knew how readily he’d have traded places with any one of them. Once the spectators were seated, Gregori appeared dressed in his vampire finest. Bela Lugosi would have been proud. And I thought he hated stereotypes, Jake mused as the vampire king, in his red robe and flashy estate jewelry, seated himself in the most ornate of the chairs. Behind him appeared the man Jake knew as Mick Garvey. They’d met once not long after Jake turned. At the time, the brawny former body builder seemed sedate and vaguely uncomplicated. Now he looked like a pro wrestler, eager to bash someone’s head in, just to hear the roar of the crowd. Garvey leapt into the arena and executed a gymnast’s roll. When he regained his feet he had a stake in each hand. “To the death, gentlemen,” Gregori said with a nod. “And to the winner goes a special prize....”

****

It seemed like hours passed while Abby paced. She rattled the door handle, banged on the ornate panels and yelled for Gregori. Finally she heard the faint click of the lock. She stepped back, afraid of what might be on the other side of the door. She held her breath as the door swung open and cried out when Jake lurched into the room. He doubled over and sank to his knees clutching his chest. Blood dripped between his fingers. Abby ran to him. She cast a dark look at the security guards who stood shoulder to shoulder in the

doorway. “I want to see Gregori. I need to talk to him,” she said mustering all the authority she could manage as she smoothed Jake’s hair from his bruised face. The guards parted and Marabel strolled in. She wore a black dress similar to the one she’d worn last night, but this one was even more daring. There were bite marks on her alabaster skin and her eyes seemed a bit sunken. Nevertheless she smiled at Abby. “Bring in the trays,” she commanded the guards. While Abby watched in astonishment, the guards disappeared into the hall and returned with a room service cart, piled high with food, wine and a bouquet of Gregori’s very special orchids. “You’ll both need your strength for the next ritual.” There was sympathy in her voice when she looked at the two of them, huddled on the floor, Jake’s blood soaking his shirt and Abby’s hands. “Midnight. You’re invited too, Abby, so dress appropriately. Black is preferable, but you can get away with red.” Abby regarded Claude’s concubine. “I need to talk to Gregori again. I have more information about the Client. Tell him I need to--” Marabel clapped her hands and the guards closed ranks once again. They left the room with her trailing behind, her narrow hips swaying. The sound of the lock clicking shut was deafening. “What happened, Jake? What did they do to you?” Her plea for Gregori forgotten, Abby ran her hands over Jake’s chest. She began tearing at the already ripped shirt to expose the cuts that marred the flesh of his chest. “I fought Garvey.” Jake’s reply was breathless. “I won.” Abby blinked. She slid her arm under Jake’s and tried to coax him to stand. “You killed him?” “I had to. They made it clear it was him or me and the winner ... got you. I couldn’t let him ... did Gideon--” “Gideon didn’t touch me.” She hoisted Jake up. He lurched unsteadily and together they staggered to the bed. She rolled him onto the dark sheets and spread the remains of his shirt so she could fully assess the damage. The wounds were jagged and random but they were all in the proximity of his heart. “These will heal, won’t they?” He nodded and licked his lips. His eyes fluttered closed. “They’re going to make you fight Gideon next, aren’t they?” “If he wins.” “Somehow, I think he will. Jake, I think Gideon is the Client.” Jake’s eyes flew open. He tried to say something and coughed instead. Abby’s hands fluttered to his

shoulders to settle him back on the bed as he struggled to sit up. “How--” “It was something he said to me. He used a phrase the Client uses a lot. Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions, but it makes sense to me that Gideon might resort to murder to win the succession. I need to talk to Gregori. Maybe his people can help prove it.” Jake shook his head. “Stay away from Gregori. The only reason you’re still alive is because Gideon wants you. Gregori won’t listen to you.” Abby deflated. She wasn’t even sure she could prove her accusation. It was just a gut feeling, and considering all she’d learned about her own past in the last few hours, could she really even trust her own instincts anymore? There was more she needed to remember, but she couldn’t sift through the layers of fog that still remained. Gideon had unlocked so much for her, but not everything. It was those still hidden memories she feared the most. Something told her all the proof she needed was locked in her mind. “Jake, you’ll never recover by midnight. You need to feed in order to have the strength to fight.” “No, Abby.” “Jake, please. If Gideon wins, what happens to me? You’ll be dead. Please let me help you.” “I never wanted--” “You never wanted me to know. But I do. And it’s okay.” As she spoke she locked eyes with him. Without breaking eye contact she moved from the bed and stripped off the flannel shirt, the T-shirt and finally shimmied out of the jeans Jake had given her. “I’m willing, Jake. Use me to save both of us.”

****

Jake’s mouth had never felt so dry. With Abby standing naked before him, he would have expected to be salivating but all he could do was wallow in his own exhaustion. Mick Garvey had beaten him to a pulp. The former Australian was a personal trainer and his vampire strength had been formidable. Only Jake’s speed had helped him survive, but even so, he could barely lift his head from the mound of pillows Abby had arranged behind him. His vision swam as Abby climbed back onto the bed. He followed the sway of her hips hungrily. Too sore to move more than his eyes, his hands ached to touch her full, firm breasts and silky thighs. He moaned involuntarily as she climbed over him and threw one long leg over his hips. She straddled him and settled herself over the hard ridge of his erection. At least that part of his anatomy still worked. The sudden rush of blood to that area seemed to staunch the flow to his wounds. He felt her heat right through his jeans and for once in his life he enjoyed being helpless to resist. When she arched her back and lowered herself down to him, he drew in a jagged breath. It wasn’t

supposed to be like this. He’d fantasized so many times about having her, loving her, even drinking from her, though he would never have admitted the last. In all his most fevered dreams he’d never been too weak to move or too hungry to crave the taste of her blood more than the feel of her flesh on his. “Abby.” “Shhh.” She hushed him with a finger across his lips. Then she swept her hair aside and offered him her throat. He didn’t have to move. She positioned her throbbing pulse at his lips. Her thighs closed on his hips exerting a sweet, sexual pressure that drove the last dregs of his strength up from his groin. Hunger and desire met in his chest with an explosion of primal need. Without thought, and finally without remorse, he sank his teeth into her skin.

****

Abby made no sound when Jake’s teeth penetrated her flesh. She held back the cry of pain and passion for his sake so that he wouldn’t hold back. He didn’t. She clung to him while he drank, and as he drew her life into him, she felt something unexpected. Her need grew. Her desire increased. Maybe it was because it was Jake, finally Jake--but she felt invigorated. With Gideon she’d felt the draining immediately but this was different. Jake was different. As he drank from her, she felt his strength returning. His body hardened beneath her and with it the intensity of his feeding increased as well. Finally his arms came around her, locking her to him. One hand slid down her back and cupped her bottom, pulling her hard against the granite bulge beneath his fly. Every muscle in her body went taut at the marvelous friction as he ground her hips against his. The rough texture of the denim against her moist folds made her gasp. Liquid heat pooled there and an urgent longing began. She shifted her hips and rubbed against him to heighten the ache. He tightened his grip and the pressure caused a sensuous ache in her lower body. She moaned and the sound seemed to galvanize him. Renewed enough to take command, Jake rolled her onto her back. She cried out when his razor sharp fangs tore at her delicate flesh, but now he was undaunted. A vampire in the throes of blood lust could not be stopped. Jake pulled back and licked his lips. He looked down at Abby, his gaze hooded and so, so dark. He pulled off the remains of his bloody shirt and while she writhed beneath him, he tore open his jeans and freed his erection. She arched expectantly when his thick cock bobbed up. She would have thrown him back down and climbed on top to take him in, but he wouldn’t have allowed it. A vampire lover was always the dominant partner--and Abby didn’t mind at all. Jake lowered himself between her thighs, his cock straining. When the tip nudged her warm center, the blood lust hit him again like a hot wave. He’d wanted control. He’d planned a gentle union between them, something sweet and loving, but his very essence denied him that.

Blinded by insatiable hunger and dark desire he’d denied too long, he plunged inside her. He hated the fact that he was eager for the startled cry that escaped her parted lips. He loved the sound of her rasping breath as she took his hard length inside her. Her supple body curled around his, enveloping him in warmth and the enticing scent of sex. He came down on her hard, pushing her into the satiny lake of the bed and lowered his teeth to her neck again as he embedded his body to the hilt within hers. She moaned in his ear and reached up to caress his face but he would have none of the tenderness he didn’t deserve. He grabbed her wrist and trapped her hand above her head as the rhythm of his thrusts increased. Her breathing became ragged as he drank more from her and her cries of passion quieted, though her hips moved eagerly beneath his. She met each thrust with her head thrown back and her eyes squeezed shut. Her free hand clutched the sheets and he tilted his gaze to admire the graceful curve of her hips as she bucked beneath him, arching toward her release. He fought the urge to bite deeper so he could feel the pulsing of her heart in his mouth. He lost the fight. She whimpered but at the same time her slick sheath tightened around his cock. When she came he’d be able to taste it--the adrenalin and the surge of hormones would flavor her blood and give him a dangerous burst of carnal energy. He swallowed her. Tightening his grip on her wrist, he slid his other arm beneath the small of her back to raise her hips. Her legs curved around his thighs and she stiffened with a cry that came from deep within her. Her climax hit hard. He felt the already tight muscles that held him contracting violently. Her blood flowed hot and her body hummed with the electric spark of her orgasm. He held her while she shuddered and he pumped deep, the tremors of his tortured muscles setting off his own climax. There was no seed to spill, though. Vampires merely pulsed their ejaculations--strong and insistent, but sterile. Nevertheless, Jake remembered the feel of spilling himself into a woman and he recreated the sensation for Abby so they could both feel the satisfaction as he claimed her with his scent and his stain. His climax marked her, rocked her. He swallowed one last draught of her sex-sweetened blood and broke away, licking his lips before he sought her mouth to kiss her. Her eyes were open now, pupils wide. Her skin had gone pale and translucent. Still locked within her, he felt the last pulses of her orgasm keeping time with his own. “Abby....” Jake was back. The animal he’d become sank back into the darkness, sated for now. Fear contracted his chest as he brushed errant strands of damp hair from her face and skimmed her cold cheeks with his knuckles. “Abby?” Had he taken too much? He shook her and her eyelids fluttered. Her languid gaze turned to his. “I love you, Jake.” He gathered her in his arms and placed one hand between her breasts. Her heartbeat was slow and irregular. Her skin was sticky from the blood of his wounds. She looked like she’d been through a worse ordeal than he had, yet her lips curved in a seductive smile.

“Abby. I took too much. I’m sorry.” He cradled her and gathered the cool satin sheets around her body, cursing himself for only being able to produce the illusion of body heat. “Let me sleep a while, Jake.” She sighed and clung to him even as she released her inner hold on him. He rained kisses on her closed eyelids and her pale lips. “I’ll be okay, Jake. I promise.” “I love you, Abby,” he said. What was left of his heart contracted with the fierceness of it. He loved her too much to do this to her again. Whatever strength he had gained from this one fevered coupling would have to be enough to fight Gideon and win.

Chapter Nine

Abby came again in her dreams. The swirling mists of her subconscious wrapped her aching body like a shroud and tightened sensually around her. She felt Jake’s long, skillful fingers between her legs, teasing and gently caressing the swollen folds until a pulsing orgasm brought her awake in his arms. He held her, but not with any sexual intentions. His dark eyes scanned her face and his lips were tight with worry. “What?” Her throat felt like sandpaper. “You need to eat something,” he told her as she contemplated the position of his hands. One arm propped her up, the other held a steaming cup of broth. He’d been attempting to feed her and while the thought warmed her, she felt a pang of regret that her shuddering release had been brought on only by her own fevered imagination. The black sheets were tucked chastely around her body and the flowery scent of soap lingered on her skin. He’d bathed her, too. That thought made her blush.How silly , she thought, to feel modest after what she’d let him do. She sipped from the cup he held to her lips and let the soothing warmth of the soup fill the void in her stomach. When she’d drained half the cup, she raised one hand to push it away. “We still need to get out of here, Jake.” The hard set of his mouth told her that wasn’t an option. “What time is it?” she asked suddenly panicked. A royal blue darkness had descended outside. “Almost 11:00.” She tried to rise but he held her back. “I’ve been asleep all day?”

“You needed the rest. You need a lot more that just some soup. I was wrong to do ... what I did. It will take you longer to recover now because you weren’t ready.” “But how are you? Are you strong enough?” She ran her fingers into the open neck of the clean shirt he now wore searching for the cuts and bruises she remembered. Only smooth skin met her explorations. “I’m fine. I’ll be able to fight.” “You could be stronger, if you took more.” They still had time. If he drank more now, he could boost his strength to the upper limits. “No, Abby. Even if I thought it would make a difference, I won’t risk your life.” She sat up and reached for the soup again. He held it to her lips while she drank in hesitant sips. “I’ll be all right. If you don’t win, Jake, my life won’t matter.” “Abby.” Jake’s voice was steely. He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. “I never wanted you to be my feeder.” For some reason that revelation saddened her, but she wouldn’t let it show. “Then make love to me, Jake.” “You know what would happen if I did.” He shook his head. They both knew he wouldn’t be able to resist the blood lust now that he’d sampled more than just her body. “Eat now. Get your strength back. You’re going to need it.” Abby felt bereft when Jake rose from the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. She finished the soup and slid across the bed to investigate the rest of the food on the tray that Marabel and the vampire guards had brought. She ate slowly, savoring every bite. She felt the strength returning to her body as she ate, but each moment Jake spent away from her seemed to drain her resolve. She heard the shower and figured Jake needed it as a distraction to avoid what now lay between them. She realized she’d heard reluctance in his voice when he’d told her he loved her. It wasn’t love at all but the blood lust that had taken over. The sex act was so closely linked with feeding for vampires that they were known to consider both equally important to buoy their strength. He’d taken her by instinct, nothing more, and now he couldn’t face her. She finished her meal and set the dishes aside. Clutching the sheet to her, she retrieved the jeans and T-shirt Jake had given her and put them back on. By the time she tucked in the hem of the shirt and buttoned the jeans, the shower was silent. Jake appeared a moment later toweling off his wet hair and torso. He wore nothing but his own jeans. “You look better,” he said. “How do you feel?” “I’ll be fine.” Engaged in the pointless exercise of folding the discarded bed sheet, she tried to keep her thoughts on the problem at hand. “What are we going to do about Gideon? I want to prove to Gregori that he’s the Client.” Jake shrugged. Abby caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and admonished herself fiercely

for admiring the ripple of muscles as he turned his back to toss the wet towel into the bathroom. “I don’t think it matters to Gregori anymore. The ones who are dead are dead. They don’t mean anything to him.” “I guess that doesn’t surprise me.” Abby climbed on the bed and sat cross-legged in the center of the lake of black satin. Her heart leapt when Jake joined her. He sat at the edge of the bed and reached over to touch her hair. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. “I meant what I said, Jake. No matter what, I love you.” She silenced his response with a lingering kiss. “Take from me. You have to do anything you can to win.” For a moment, Jake considered it. The memory of her body stretched beneath him, her arms and legs wrapped around him, made him dizzy with desire. She was the closest he would ever get to being alive. When he was inside her, he lived and breathed. His heart beat with the rhythm of her pulse and blood flowed hot in his veins. It was so much more than love he felt for her, and despite his need to protect her from himself, he found he wanted her even more than before. Maybe if he just took a little more. Before he could reach for her, the door burst open. Claude and Marabel appeared with the guards behind them. “It’s time,” Gregori’s assistant announced. “It’s not midnight yet,” Jake retorted. He slithered off the bed and placed himself between Abby and Gregori’s entourage. “We start now. The decision will be made at midnight.” Claude made a motion and Marabel skirted the bed with a shy smile at Jake. She clamped her long fingers over Abby’s wrist and hauled her to her feet. “You get to watch,” she said. “But you have to change.” The guards advanced and flanked Jake. They dragged him into the hallway. He didn’t flinch until he heard Abby scream. They held him at the threshold and he watched while Marabel cut Abby’s T-shirt off with a gold-bladed dagger. She brandished the blade and pointed it at the waistband of Abby’s borrowed jeans. “Take them off, too.” “All you had to do was ask.” Abby spat the words. Beneath the blade, she removed her clothes. Jake strained against the guards when Claude walked around Abby’s naked form, his black eyes glittering. “She may wear red tonight,” he said after a three-sixty degree view. Marabel went to the closet and pulled out a barely-there gown in a brilliant vermilion. She took it off the hangar with exaggerated care and held it out to Abby. “I like this one.” “What if I don’t?” No, Jake mouthed. This wasn’t the time to become defiant. Claude laughed. He raised a hand to Abby’s neck and caressed the just visible teeth marks that remained. “I see he’s fed. Good.” With one fingernail, he tore open the partially healed wounds. Abby winced. “He’ll need to again before the night is over. The smell of your blood will make him stronger.”

Claude turned his back to Abby and gave Jake a dark grin as he licked his fingertip. “I’ve never tasted sweeter. If you loose, I may just take her for my own.” Marabel bristled at that and gave Abby a scathing look even as she held up the gown like an obedient sales girl for Abby to try on. The two women regarded each other with feral glares as Abby slipped the silky fabric over her body. The gown did little to hide her curves from Claude’s leering gaze and Jake’s jealousy peaked with a barely audible growl. She was his. Claude was just a lackey of Gregori’s. He would never get his hands on Abby, no matter who won the right of succession. “That’s better,” Claude said when Abby finished adjusting the flowing lines of the gown. He took Abby’s arm roughly by the elbow and pulled her toward the door. Marabel fell into step behind them, her pale blue eyes leveled at the back of Abby’s neck.As if she needs another enemy , Jake thought. The entourage made its way down the stairs and through the hidden door that lead back to the room where Jake had battled with Mick Garvey. Jake remembered all too well the smell of blood and Gregori’s delighted exclamation when he’d killed Garvey. How could he have ever blamed Abby for being a vampire killer when he’d known all along he was destined to become one himself? The guards threw Jake into the center of the room. He knew the drill, so he crouched and scooped up one of the new stakes that had been set on the floor. He took a stance dead center of the room, his jaw set, muscles tense. His opponent would arrive any minute. Above him, Claude escorted Abby to one of the chairs. Once she’d lowered herself to the overstuffed cushion, Marabel reached around and jerked Abby’s arms behind her. Though Jake couldn’t tell in the dim light, it appeared that Claude’s concubine was securing Abby’s arms behind her back. Their eyes met and he hoped she understood how sorry he was that it had come to this.

****

Abby twisted her wrists against the silken cord Marabel used to secure her hands behind her. She doubted she could escape even if she managed to free herself from her bonds. With the vampire guards flanking her and Claude and Marabel at arm’s reach, she wouldn’t get far. She kept her eyes on Jake and marveled at how natural he looked in the macabre setting. Naked to the waist, brandishing a wooden stake, he looked like a primal warrior. There was something feral in his eyes that she’d never seen before--or at least couldn’tremember ever seeing. It excited her. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. Across the room, a door opened and Gregori stepped through. Abby rolled her eyes. The vampire king had dressed for the occasion in a blood-red hooded robe. Around his neck, a huge square pendant encrusted with jewels hung from a satin ribbon.Very Dracula , she thought and fought to suppress a giggle. Why on earth she would find anything amusing at this moment, she had no idea.

Gregori didn’t share her amusement. His eyes were narrowed in anticipation of the event and they rested hungrily on Jake. Other vampires began appearing then from hidden doors throughout the room. After a few minutes the entire raised platform was full of both vampires and their feeders. Abby noted there seemed to be no female vampires. She knew they existed, but apparently Gregori’s old world sensibilities didn’t tolerate them. All of his Chosen were male. When the spectator gallery was full, Gideon appeared from behind Gregori. Like Jake, he was shirtless. He’d obviously not escaped his own earlier duel without injury. Healing scratches covered his chest and arms as well. With a superior look, he leapt into the center arena and picked up one of the five remaining stakes. He and Jake faced each other from opposites sides of the hexagon, brandishing their weapons. The tension between them was palpable and Gregori’s expression showed that he relished it. If he had a favorite, Abby couldn’t tell, but the smug look on Gideon’s face told her he had no intention of losing. Jake’s expression was neutral. He had no desire to win but he had no choice if he wanted to survive. Gregori rose. Though he was shorter than both combatants, from the platform he towered over them. When he spoke, his voice carried clearly through the room. “To the death, gentlemen.” That pronouncement began the ritual. Gregori’s faint accent made his words sound so polite and genteel. What ensued between Jake and Gideon was anything but civilized. While Abby tested the strength of her bonds, the combatants circled each other. Their wary movements hinted that there wasn’t a shred of trust left between them. Neither expected mercy from the other, and neither intended to show it. Gideon made the first aggressive move. He looked as though he’d fed to the point of frenzy. His eyes blazed and his skin was practically ruddy from the abundance of blood in his system. When he smiled at Jake, his fangs showed. He bared the razor-sharp incisors fully when he lunged, swinging wildly. The tip of Gideon’s stake glanced across Jake’s upper arm. He danced back and stumbled. Gideon seized the moment of weakness and advanced again, but Jake was ready. The loss of footing was a ruse. When Gideon neared, Jake smashed his fist forward in a jaw-shattering blow. Gideon took the hit in stride. He grabbed Jake’s outstretched arm and, using his body for leverage, slung Jake to his knees. It seemed like an easy victory but Jake rolled to his feet almost immediately, sparing only a glance at the jagged tear across his left bicep. The blood that oozed there was dark, attesting to the fact that the exertion of the fight was taking its toll. One of them would have to feed in order to win. Gideon swiped at the blood that leaked from between his lips. The coppery sparks in his eyes blazed with renewed hatred for his former friend. Whatever friendship had stood between them was long dead,

and soon one of them would be as well. Jake backpedaled until he reached the very edge of the arena, then leaned forward and spread his arms wide. It was an invitation. Abby held her breath. Was Gideon so pumped with his quest for power that he would foolishly attack again? The two men circled each other, their ragged breathing the only sound in the room. Finally Gideon did just as Jake anticipated. He lunged. Abby gasped as Jake danced aside. His stake came down hard in the center of Gideon’s back and there was a moment when they both hung suspended--joined by the thin wooden shaft. Gideon’s fangs flashed but he made no sound. Jake pulled the stake away and a gaping hole remained. It was deep and bloody, but not fatal. Gideon lurched aside and fell against the platform just a few inches from Abby’s feet. He smiled up at her before he turned on his opponent. “You missed,” he rasped. Jake didn’t respond. He tossed the bloody stake from one hand to the other like a street punk while Gideon hissed at him. “This could go on for hours,” Claude whispered. Abby resisted the urge to shush him. Marabel nodded. “We should do something.” Abby looked up suddenly as Marabel hovered toward her. Gregori’s eyes were on her from across the arena and he nodded. Marabel slashed the bonds holding Abby’s hands and a second later Claude dragged her to her feet and threw her into the arena. She landed at Jake’s feet, bruised and dizzy from the impact with the hard wooden floor. “Kill her or claim her,” Gregori said. “Either way, the winner will have her blood on him.”

Chapter Ten

Jake resisted the urge to swear at Gregori. If Gideon hadn’t stood between them, his predatory gaze locked on Abby, Jake might have gone after his sire. He had no doubt that with Gregori out of the way, the rite of succession to his self-appointed throne would be up for grabs among the slavering spectators. Instead of indulging his rising desire for vengeance, he reached down and yanked Abby up. She wobbled, still dazed by her impact with the floor. He squeezed her bicep until she winced, and her startled cry cut through the haze in her brain. “You’re a vampire killer,” he whispered savagely in her ear. “Now is a good time to act like one.” He shoved the stake into her hand and simultaneously pushed her behind him. Gideon was gearing up for his next attack. He leered at Abby over Jake’s shoulder. “You’re going to waste your energy protecting her?” he asked, dark amusement coloring his words. “At least I’m not wasting it by asking stupid questions.”

Jake feinted then, taunting Gideon. He left Abby unprotected for the split second it took him to retrieve another stake from the floor. Gideon seized the opening and rushed forward. Abby twirled away with her stake in front of her and, all around the arena, the vampires in attendance leaned closer. The smell of vengeance drew them like sharks to fresh blood. Jake had to struggle to concentrate. Not only had the fight weakened him, but Abby’s presence in the arena was a major distraction. How could he keep her safe from Gideon when he couldn’t keep his eyes off the pounding pulse in her neck? How could he keep her safe from himself? He shook himself from his dangerous reverie and flanked Gideon as he stalked toward Abby. She flexed her knees, the sharpened point of the stake poised. “If Jake doesn’t kill you, I will,” she said loud enough to draw a startled reaction from the crowd.What did they expect? Jake thought. That she would stand there and wait for one of them to grab her and drink from her? “Can you do it?” Gideon taunted her with quick feints as he circled her. For a moment it seemed, he forgot about Jake. “Remember you love me, Abby. It’s okay to remember you love me.” Abby hesitated for a second and Jake’s eyes slid from Gideon’s to hers. Could hedo that? Was that one of the things Gideon had made her forget? By the look on her face, it was obvious that she feared it for that brief second. She feared remembering that it was really Gideon she’d loved all along. Abby straightened her stance and dropped her arm. “Gideon....” Her voice had lost its edge. Jake felt weak. No. He refused to believe it. How could she love Gideon after what she’d said to him in the bedroom? A curtain of indecision clouded Gideon’s features. Whether or not Jake believed it, Gideon did. His grimace softened. “Abby--get behind me.” His voice was so low Jake wasn’t sure he’d heard the words. His heart nearly split when Abby nodded. She didn’t look at Jake. Her head dropped and her hair obscured her face. Jake stared as she padded across the floor to stand behind Gideon. His former partner’s smile of triumph was like a stake in his heart. “You see, Jake? I had her all along. She was always mine and she’ll always be mine.” Jake lifted his own stake. He had one shot. If he missed now--he’d open himself up for Abby to kill him. Maybe it would be better that way. She’d already destroyed him, what more was left? Above them, Gregori leaned forward even farther in his seat. Another inch and the vampire king would topple into the arena. Jake took a breath and lunged.

The impact rattled his exhausted brain, but he vaguely registered the look of shock on Gideon’s face before he stumbled away. The stake was buried halfway up its length in Gideon’s chest but the blow was high and more toward his right shoulder. It was the shock of pain that registered in his eyes now, not the realization that his un-life was over. Or so that’s how it seemed for a moment. Gideon staggered backward laughing. Even a wound such as this would heal. “You don’t even know where my heart is, do you, Jake?” he asked. His question ended in a startled hiccup that brought dark blood to his lips. Jake scanned the floor for another stake. He’d bought himself one more chance. As he bent to retrieve another weapon, Gideon turned to Abby. She stood back, almost touching the platform. The vampires behind her were wide-eyed with anticipation for the end of the ritual. It was then that Jake noticed there was no stake in her hand. “Come here, Abby,” Gideon said, beckoning her with a trembling hand. “I need you now.” Jake rose slowly, his eyes on Abby first then on the bloody shaft that protruded from Gideon’s back. Something surged in him when he realized what Abby had done. Gideon sank to his knees before her in a posture of supplication. “You can remember that you love me, Abby. You can remember that now, can’t you?” She shook her head, but Jake saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes. “I don’t remember.” “Finish him!” Gregori said, his voice was a barely audible hiss. Jake considered refusing. Neither stake had reached Gideon’s heart or he’d have been dust by now. He moved forward on leaden feet. It was like swimming up stream. He wrapped his hand around the stake in Gideon’s back. All he had to do was pull it free, or push it home. Gregori rose. “Finish him.” Jake obeyed.

****

The pounding of blood in Abby’s ears drowned out the reaction from the assembled spectators. She sank to her knees before the pile of ashes and bone fragments that had once been Gideon Price. She should have felt relief ... or maybe remorse, but instead she felt nothing. She blinked and lifted her hand to Jake so he could help her up. His arm came around her, but his attention was on Gregori. The vampire king looked pleased. He

nodded to them and flanked by his guards, he left the arena. The others followed one by one until only Claude and Marabel were left. Gregori’s manager reached down and offered his hand to Abby. He pulled her up and delivered her into Marabel’s capable hands. “Let’s get you cleaned up. Now you can wear anything you want,” she said vapidly as she guided Abby through one of the paneled doors. Abby glanced back to make sure Jake was following her. His smile was meant to reassure, but it seemed forced. She wondered if he had any greater clue than she did as to what might happen next. The thought that this ordeal wasn’t yet over made her blood thicken like cement. Claude and Marabel escorted them into the foyer and there they separated. “It’s all right. No one’s going to hurt you now,” Marabel soothed as she urged Abby toward the stairs. Claude showed Jake to one of the hidden doors. Abby caught Jake’s gaze over his bloody shoulder. She might have protested but she was too drained to fight. She climbed the stairs in a trance and when Marabel led her to Jake’s room, she crawled across the smooth sheets of the bed and collapsed. “I’ll bring you something to eat,” Marabel said. Abby ignored her. She curled her arms around a pillow and closed her eyes. The image of Gideon’s face as he crumbled to dust was etched into her mind’s eye. She’d never forget it. She’d killed dozens of vampires for the Client and each job was different. Some had fought her, some never saw it coming. Some looked surprised and others fearful as they rotted away to nothing or burst into flames. But the one thing they’d all had in common was that none of them had ever looked at her with regret. None of them had ever looked at her with need in their eyes. None of them had ever loved her. Though she wasn’t completely sure why, Abby cried. She cried until her tears ran dry and she fell asleep on the cool, black sheets.

Epilogue

“Put the larger display case on the left so it won’t obscure the heating vent,” Abby said with exaggerated patience. The two muscular deliverymen sighed in unison like a well-rehearsed comedy team. With identical expressions of long-suffering weariness, they shouldered up to the six-foot tall, mirror-backed shelving unit that they had just set down in exactly the wrong place. Abby tried to smile as the men grunted and groaned their dissatisfaction. At this rate Treasure Trove Too would never be ready for the grand opening that Hanfield Ltd. had scheduled in two weeks. “Inventory is going to start arriving on Monday, Abby,” Eleanor Saks reminded her as she hustled by with a bucket full of cleaning products. The deliverymen had left greasy fingerprints on every shiny surface in the new store and Abby’s assistant was itching to tackle the mess as soon as they left.

Abby smiled weakly. “We’re going to have to leave everything boxed until the rest of the shelves arrive.” “It’s one step short of a disaster.” Eleanor shook her head and pushed a blonde curl out of her eyes. Always melodramatic, she looked far more enthused than a person facing a near catastrophe had a right to be. She loved the chaos of opening the new store and deep down, despite her never ending bout of nerves since she’d signed the contract, Abby did too. “We’ll pull it all together,” she said. “I really appreciate you coming in on a Saturday to help out.” “I wouldn’t miss it.” Eleanor gave her boss a conspiratory wink. “Besides, the sooner you get set up over here, the sooner I get promoted to store manager. There’s nothing selfless about my dedication, sweetie.” Abby laughed. “I’m shocked! You’re trying to get rid of me?” Her laughter faltered when a figure appeared in the back doorway of the store. Silhouetted against the turquoise glow of early evening, Jake looked just a little dangerous and it set Abby’s heart fluttering. Six months together hadn’t settled the butterflies she felt every time she looked at him. Power seemed to pulse from him since he’d assumed Gregori’s throne. “How’s it going, ladies?” he asked as he sidled past the deliverymen. His smile faded some of her nervous tension and she walked into his embrace. “I didn’t expect you back tonight,” she said as he kissed the top of her head. “I got finished with my meeting early. I thought I’d pick you up and we could go out to dinner.” “Ooh, you’re so lucky!” Eleanor said with a mock scowl. “I’ve got to cook tonight.” “Why don’t you come with us? After all your hard work, your boss owes you a dinner.” Eleanor giggled at Jake’s offer. “I would but you two are so lovey-dovey. All that sugar is bad for my diet. You go have a good time like only couples without kids can. I could use a break from the slave driver here anyway.” Abby rolled her eyes. “Where’s my whip?” “See?” Eleanor’s grin widened. “I never catch a break.” “Is this okay, ma’am?” One of the deliverymen asked. The look on his face suggested that Abby had little choice but to say yes. She nodded with a sigh. Eleanor only shook her head as the men shouldered through the narrow back door and headed to their waiting truck. She scooped up her jacket and purse and turned back to Abby. “I’m outa here. Before I forget....” She fished in her oversized purse, pulled out several envelopes and handed them to Abby. “This was yesterday’s mail from T1. It came after you left and I’ve been meaning all day to give it to you.” “Thanks.” Abby accepted the envelopes and waved them at Eleanor. “Now go home! Before I think of something else for you to do.” “Aye Cap’n!” Eleanor saluted and disappeared into the parking lot beyond the back door.

Abby felt Jake’s hands on her hips as she sifted through the mail. “You smell good. New perfume?” “Mm. It’s calledEnchanted .” “I like it.” “Good. It’s super expensive. You can buy me a....” “A gallon of it?” Jake nuzzled her neck. “If that’s what you want.” He inhaled another deep breath of her, then realized she’d gone cold and stiff in his arms. “What’s wrong?” She held up a plain envelope of thick, creamy paper. Her hand shook and the rest of the mail fluttered to the floor. It had been six months since the arena, since Jake took over for Gregori and with Gideon dead everything seemed to fit into place. No one had bothered Abby in that time. Her life continued as she’d planned, better than she could have planned, in fact. Despite Jake’s constant assurances that she had nothing to fear, she worried now and then that her newfound happiness would one day crumble to dust. Jake took the envelope from her and squeezed her shoulder. “Relax. It could be anything.” She shook her head and the fear in her eyes crushed his heart. What if the Client was still out there, ready to punish her for failing in her final assignment? Jake opened the envelope and pulled out the single crisp sheet from within. He unfolded it and showed Abby the words typed in clean black letters at the center of the page. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. GREGORI

The End

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