Bound to Shadows

Chapter Six

Rhoan and Liander were both home when I got there.

"I'm fine, sis," Rhoan said, the minute I opened the door. "Really, it's just a shoulder wound."

"Doesn't mean I wasn't scared." I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tight, soaking myself in the scent and strength of him. "Maybe you and Liander need to take a holiday somewhere nice while you recover."

Part of me want to warn him about Kye and the threat he posed, but I knew the minute I did that, Rhoan would go on the offensive. And that could get damn dangerous for us all. Right now, the better option seemed to be silence. As long as I kept playing Kye's games, everyone I cared about should be safe.

Rhoan snorted. "And you think Jack's going to let me do that?" He waved his bandaged limb about. "It'll be fine in a day."

"I know, but—"

He placed a finger on my lips, quieting me. "I'm fine. In fact, I look a whole lot better than you. Why is that?"

"I got into a fight with some vamps." I stepped back, not wanting to get into the details of events at Dante's or the warehouse. Too much had happened in too short a time, and I just needed time to sort it all out. To figure out what the hell I was going to do. "And now I need a long hot bath."

"Then go. We'll have the coffee waiting when you finished."

I leaned forward, dropped a kiss on his cheek, then headed for the bathroom. An hour later, feeling a whole lot cleaner but actually no wiser, I twisted around in front of the mirror, trying to look at the wound the vampire had given me. Though it was already healing, it was going to leave a nasty mark. Give me another year in this job, and I probably wouldn't have any unscarred skin left.

Yet short of leaving the job—an option I didn't have—there wasn't anything I could do about it. The more I fought bad guys, the more things would go wrong. And one of these days, that wrong would mean death.

Which was a good reason to say yes to Liander's and Rhoan's request. At least part of me would live on.

But then, there were also people out there who'd be more than willing to use any offspring as a pawn against me. Hell, Kye was showing no qualms about using Liander and Rhoan's safety as a means to secure my obedience, and he was my damn soul mate.

I blew out a frustrated breath then tossed my towel in the laundry basket, collected my coffee, and then walked into my bedroom and climbed between the sheets.

Once again, my sleep was uneasy, but this time the mix of worry and desire blossomed into unbridled pleasure. This time, the dreams were sharp and real rather than just restless sensations. I dreamed of being caressed and kissed, of hands sliding and teasing, of heated flesh pressing against mine, taking me, bringing me to fulfillment, again and again.

My dream lover had no face, and no smell. My dream man could have been Quinn, it could have been Kye, or maybe it was both all mashed up into one. It didn't matter. I just enjoyed, even if somewhere deep inside I wished it were real rather than imaginary.

And then it did become real.

Quinn's scent filled my lungs as he slid in beside me, his hands moving down my body to where it was warm and wet.

I moaned softly, arching into his caress as I reached out sleepily and drew him closer. I kissed him, my lips soft on his as my hands began to roam the warm, hard expanse of his body.

And just like the dream, his body pressed against mine, his flesh joining mine, so heated and hard. It felt so damn good that I wanted to cry. Then the pleasure intensified and I came, as did he, my name on his lips moments before his teeth entered my neck, taking the substance that was a vital part of the act for him and giving me yet more pleasure.

As the soft haze of sated exhaustion rolled over me, he moved to one side and gathered me in his arms. I snuggled against his bare chest, breathing in the scent of him, wishing the day and the problems that would come with it would just all fade away, and let me lie here forever.

His fingers brushed the sweaty strands of hair away from my forehead, then his lips lightly took their place. "Good morning, sweetheart."

"The only good thing about this morning is your sudden appearance in my bed," I muttered, wishing I could go back to sleep.

His smile held a warmth I felt deep inside, even if I couldn't see it. "You did look as if you'd had a bitch of a night."

"Understatement of the year." I gave up on any attempt to sleep and stretched, my body pressed warmly against his. "I don't suppose there's coffee anywhere near, is there?"

"Only a mug of congealed muck I presume you forgot to drink last night. But I did put the coffee maker on before I came into the bedroom."

"What a clever vampire you are." I shifted and kissed him lightly. "You worked late."

"I wasn't working. An old friend arrived in town, and we went out for drinks."

I raised my eyebrows. "An old friend? Should I be jealous?"

"I wish you would be." Though he grinned, there was more than a little sadness in his eyes. He might have gotten used to my werewolf ways, but part of him still hungered for a truly one-on-one relationship. It was something I could never give him, especially now that my wolf soul mate was on the scene. "Tell me about your dream."

"It revolved around sex."

He laughed. "That explains why you were so wet and ready when I climbed into bed."

I grinned. "I'm a werewolf. We're always wet and ready."

"So who was your dream lover? Or is that a question that's likely to make me jealous?"

"He didn't have a face or a smell. He could have been anyone." I wrinkled my nose. "It was weird, really."

If only because I felt as if I had spent the entire night making love rather than just dreaming it. My body felt drained and lethargic—although that could have been a result of Quinn feeding so soon after I'd lost so much blood from the attack.

"Is there any reason why you should be dreaming about sex?" He shifted upright, his shoulder lightly pressing against mine. I could feel the sudden tension in him. It was almost as if he knew something vital had happened.

Which he probably did.

He was linked to me in much the same ways as Kye, and while the connection mightn't be as strong as the werewolf bond, it was still there. It probably gave him insights I couldn't even begin to guess at.

And there was no easy well to tell him about Kye, so I just up and said it. "Kye's back in town."

He was silent for a moment, then asked, his voice softer, "And you've seen him?"

"Seen him, yes. Had sex with him, no."

He glanced at me, his dark gaze exploring my features, as if searching for a lie. "But you will."

It wasn't a question. "I'm trying not to, but denying my nature is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I can't promise it won't happen, Quinn. I really can't."

He looked away. His chest moved as he breathed deep, though a vampire didn't really need air to survive. He released it slowly, a silent sigh that somehow conveyed so much tension and anguish. "I'm asking too much, aren't I?"

I reached out and clasped my hand through his. His fingers curled around mine, warm and steady. "It's the same as me asking you to restrain your urge to take blood after sex. "

"Restrain, not stop. There is a difference."

He was wrong, but I didn't bother saying it. It wasn't a point worth arguing.

"We both knew this moment would arrive eventually," he continued. "I will fight for us, but at the same time, you can't continue fight what you are. I shouldn't have ever have asked you to."

Relief swirled through me, the force of it so strong tears stung my eyes. Yet there was also frustration. Kye was going to force a relationship, I had no doubt about that. Just as I had no doubt that whenever we made love, the ties that bound us would get deeper and stronger. How could that not affect my relationship with Quinn? I had no idea if the bond I had with him was deep enough to withstand the onslaught of binding with my wolf soul mate.

It was an answer I would probably uncover sooner rather than later, and it was one that filled me with fear. "Quinn—"

I wasn't entirely sure what I intended to say, and it didn't matter, because he raised a hand and pressed it against my lips. "When it happens, I don't want to know about it. And if I see him, I will beat him to a pulp."

"As long as you promise to give him a whack or two from me, I'm fine with that."

He laughed softly, then looked around at a knock at the door.

"Sorry to interrupt," Rhoan said, opening the door and peeking around it, "but Jack's on the phone. He's pissed off again. Apparently you have your phone off."

I swore softly. I'd meant to switch it back on once I'd gotten home, but I'd been so shaken by Rhoan's injury and my close encounter with Kye that it had totally slipped my mind. I kissed Quinn softly, then scrambled out of bed, grabbed the phone, and made a mad dash for the bathroom.

"I'm on my way, boss," I said, flicking on the shower taps and waiting impatiently for the hot water to appear.

"I swear, Riley, one of these days you'll push me too fucking far."

I raised my eyebrows at the curt tension in his voice. "What's happened?"

"If you'd keep up with local news, you'd fucking know."

"Boss, I did work late—"

"And turned off your phone and comlink in the process. How many times do I have to tell you about that?"

The water finally got hot. I flicked the phone to speaker, shoved it on the basin, and stepped into the shower. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

He snorted. Obviously he believed it about as much as he believed in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. "We've got another woman dead for no apparent reason. I want you to meet Kade over there ASAP."

"I'll be out the door in five minutes." I hesitated, wondering if it was wise to poke the bear, but decided I needed an answer. "Something other than this new death has gotten up your nose, hasn't it?"

"Some damn fool reporter has gotten wind of the vampire beheadings, and now it's all over the news. The headlines reads 'vigilante gang hunts down vampires.'"

"Which it may well be."

"Yeah, but we don't need the vampires thinking that, and we certainly don't need the humans thinking they need to arm themselves against retaliatory attacks. Trust me, there's already been some talk about that."

"I gather Director Hunter is keeping the vampire council well informed on the situation?" And surely the council would be able to keep a lid on the reactions of the general vampire population? At least for a little bit longer.

"Of course, but with the tension already in the ranks over our handling of the blood whore situation, this is going to add more fuel to the fire."

"And won't that make the streets a fun place to be."

"Yeah. Be careful out there, Riley."

If Jack was adding a warning like that, then he was really worried. Which meant me and my gun were going to become very close companions. I might never have wanted to use the damn things once, but I'd learned the hard way that sometimes strength and speed just weren't enough.

"I've got a possible lead one the beheading case," I said, and quickly updated him about Luke Johnson and the information I'd gathered from the security tape—although I didn't tell him the other man seen talking to our so-called witness was Kye. He wasn't likely to ever trace the image back to Kye, and the fewer people who knew he was back in town, the better for my sanity. "I'll send through the pictures now so someone can chase up some information on them."

"I'll get Benson on to it the minute he gets here."

Benson was one of the newer liaisons, and while he was every bit as efficient as Sal, he was far less fun to goad.

"Thanks, Jack," I said, and hung up.

I quickly finished my shower then ran into the bedroom to get dressed. Quinn wasn't there, but the smell of man and coffee led me into the kitchen, where I found both. He handed me a steaming travel mug, then kissed me lightly on the lips. "Be careful out there. It could get nasty."

I raised my eyebrows. "You overheard my conversation with Jack?"

He shook his head. "I'm an advisor to the council, much the same as Jack is."

"Two facts I wasn't aware of until now." I studied him for a moment, wondering if I'd ever uncover all there was to know about him. "I can understand Jack being an advisor, given he's in charge of the guardian division and his sister is on the council, but why are you?"

"I was once a cazador, and I'm one of the few who survived the experience." He shrugged. "I'm the one they call for advice when things go bad."

Cazadors were basically vampire hitmen. From the little Quinn had said about them, they worked for the council and took out anyone who broke the council's rules or those who went really bad. As in, more than the Directorate could handle, and we handled some pretty nasty shit.

"So they haven't called you for advice yet?"

"No." His expression sobered. "And pray that they don't, because that would probably mean we are on the verge of war. "

"Do you think things will get that bad?"

He hesitated. "If the Directorate can quash the speculation in the press and catch whoever is behind these beheadings quickly enough, then the council will be able to control the situation, vampire wise."

"But what about the unrest over the Directorate's handling of blood whores?"

"The council is about to issue an edict regarding that, and it will basically back the law as it currently stands." He shrugged. "They have no other choice, really, though the decision was not unanimous."

If he knew how the voting was going on council decisions, then he was something more than a mere advisor. "So you agreed with the vote?"

He smiled and tapped a finger against my nose. "I didn't vote, if that's what you want to know. As an advisor, I can't."

"But you were there to witness it."

"Yes, but simply because I'm also fairly far up in the hierarchy. It is my right—and often my duty—to witness all council decisions."

"So how come you're not on the council itself? I gather you could be?"

"Yes, I could. I just have no wish to be."

"Why not?"

"Didn't Jack tell you to hurry to some murder scene?"

So much for him not listening to my conversation. "Yes, but if I leave now, I may never get an answer to my questions."

"The problem with you and questions is the fact that you never seem to run out of them."

I grinned. "You shouldn't be such a damn mystery then, and we wouldn't have that problem. And seeing that you avoided my last question, I'm owed one more. Then I'll leave."

He rolled his eyes. "Okay."

"How did you attend council meetings when you were living full time in Sydney? I was under the impression that the council met every day."

"Every state has it own council, and they handle the day-to-day governing of the vampire population. The highest ranking members from each of these make up the greater council, which presides in Melbourne. These are the meetings I attend, and they're generally once a month, unless problems arise."

"Is there some sort of worldwide ubercouncil?"

He smiled. "I can't say."

Meaning he wouldn't say, but that there was. "So the greater council would handle things like the discontent over the Directorate's handling of the blood whore killers and the beheadings."

"Yes. The man I went out with last night came to town specifically to attend the greater council meeting. We went for drinks afterward."

"Will I ever get to meet this friend?"

"That is a second question."

"You are such a pain in the ass, vampire." I leaned forward and kissed him. Lightly. Sweetly. "I have no idea what time I'm going to be home."

He smiled. "Nor do I. Julien has expressed a desire to visit some wolf clubs to see just what it that has me so engrossed with the culture."

Something inside me twinged. Jealously? God, I hoped not. And yet…

I couldn't deny that some small part of me didn't want him going to the clubs without me.

Which was totally stupid, given the odds of my date with Kye not ending in sex weren't great.

Still…

"But you hate the culture."

"True. So perhaps he hopes to capture his own luscious redhead." He leaned forward and kissed me again. "I don't have the heart to tell him my redhead is a rare and precious jewel that I'm never going to give up."

His words made my heart do a giddy little dance. I chuckled softly. "Just for that, I might let you bite me again tonight."

"I'll bite you now if you don't get your pretty ass in gear." He slapped said rear lightly. "Go, before Jack starts calling again."

I sighed dramatically, but spun around and walked out the door.

The new murder scene was in Craigieburn, which was on the northern outskirts of Melbourne. I was going against the main flow of traffic, so it didn't take me long to get there via the ring road and the freeway.

Kade was already there when I arrived. I pulled up behind his car and killed the engine, then grabbed the laser from its hidey hole under the seat and climbed out.

"A laser?" Amusement twitched his lips and his chocolate-colored eyes sparkled with mirth. "So you think a ghost might jump out and start hassling you?"

"I'm making a point not to go anywhere unarmed at the moment."

"Ah, the fuss the papers are making about the so-called gang responsible for the beheadings." He paused. "You don't think the vamp population is going to get antsy about it, do you?"

"I had two very old vampires warning me to be careful this morning. This is me being careful. I haven't got telekinesis as a weapon, like you." I shoved the weapon in my back pocket and waved him forward. "Has Jack filled you in on the details?"

He'd sent me the file, but the computer's metallic tones had annoyed the crap out of me, so I'd switched it off and concentrated instead on the road and drinking my coffee.

"Yeah, it appears to be the same MO as the last one," Kade said, opening the front gate and ushering me through. "The victim's name is Janette Crowley. A divorcee in her mid-forties—no kids, no family, no lovers. The women she shares the house with found her body last night."

"So an autopsy hasn't been performed yet?"

He shook his head. "But the police report said there were no obvious signs of a struggle in the room or on the body, and no sign of forced entry into the house. Because we were already handling the Renatta Bailey case, they threw this one straight to us."

"Even though it may not be related?"

"The cause of death may not be known, but everything else is the same." He shrugged. "I guess they're not taking chances."

I grunted and opened the screen door. Kade rapped his knuckles on the sturdy-looking front door. The sound echoed inside, suggesting the house was empty. He knocked a second time, then dug out his electronic lock pick. The door clicked open, and the air that rushed out was filled with the stench of death and decay.

I wrinkled my nose and tried breathing through my mouth. "I'm guessing that not only isn't the housemate staying here, but she didn't find her straight away?"

"No. She'd just come back from a two month holiday. Initial reports suggest Crowley died at least a month ago."

"Well before Renatta Bailey, then."

I followed Kade inside, but didn't shut the door behind us. The house desperately needed some fresh air. We made our way down through the living room and small kitchen area to the back of the house, following the smell. It led us into a small hall at the rear of the house, past a large bedroom and bathroom, before dumping us into second, smaller bedroom.

Janette Crowley's taste in furnishings was the polar opposite to Renatta Bailey's. Her bed was a single, and the rumpled sheets and blankets looked threadbare and worn. The dresser and side tables were teak but both had seen better days, as had the small writing desk that sat underneath the half-window. The smell of decay had permeated the room, and I very much doubted there'd be much in the way of emotions lingering, let alone a soul.

I stopped near the doorway, desperately trying to ignore the smell as I watched Kade move through the room, his large form dominating the space.

"Nothing," he said after a moment. He glanced over his shoulder. "You?"

I shook my head. "It's been a month. Most souls tend to lose energy after a few days, so even if she was here, I might not be able to sense her."

He frowned and turned around, his gaze sweeping the room. "Jack would have known that, so why bother sending you in the first place?"

"Because I keep doing the unexpected, and he's hoping for an easy way to solve the puzzle." I shrugged—a movement he wouldn't have seen because he was walking towards a mirror on the wall.

"It's opposite the bed, just like the one at Renatta Bailey's," I commented.

"That was my thinking." He lifted the mirror and looked behind it. "I can't sense anything, but as you said, it's been a month."

My gaze swept the room, spotting a purse on the dresser. Wrinkling my nose against the overwhelming stench of death, I walked across and picked it up. Surprise, surprise, more vampire club business cards inside.

"We have a connection," I said, holding up the cards. "You know, it seems a little odd that blood whores have now come up as a connection in two apparently separate cases."

Kade dropped the mirror and walked over. He plucked the cards from my fingers and examined them critically. "The beheadings just happened near a whore club. And none of these women appear to have gone near Dante's."

"Just because they haven't got a card doesn't mean they haven't visited. And at least two of the beheading victims serviced 'clients' at Dante's." Given the propensity of cases to intertwine in the past, I wasn't about to ignore a possible link now. Not if it meant a quick end to one or both of the cases.

Of course, to discover if either of the women had gone to Dante's, I'd have to go question the man himself—and that wasn't something I wanted to do. The man was sexual dynamite, and I really didn't want to take my chances with him any more than necessary.

"I can't sense any sort of magical or emotional tag on the cards, so I don't think they're connected." Kade handed them back to me, then shoved his hands in his pocket, his expression one of frustration. "There has to be more of a connection between these women than just the clubs."

My gaze went to the bed, and I frowned. "Maybe there is. Let's presume Crowley died the exact same way as Bailey. So if she'd been found early enough, there would have been a feeling of ecstasy in the room, would there not?"

"Yes."

"Well, emo vampires feed off that sort of emotion, don't they?"

He frowned. "Yeah, but emo vampires can't travel through mirrors. "

"That we know of." I met the warm chocolate of his gaze. "Even if they can't, they're still vampires and still territorial. The first murder was on Vinny's turf. She'd surely be aware of someone encroaching."

I'd discovered Vinny's existence a while back, and she was currently under observation, thanks to the fact her wealth was growing extraordinarily fast and because she had several underage, unidentified newly-turned under her care. The Directorate—and the council, apparently—didn't like having unknowns in their midst.

"Then we'd best go talk to her."

I grinned. "And wouldn't Vinny just love you? Which is why we'd better split up. I'll talk to Vinny. You go investigate these clubs." I waved the business cards at him.

He raised his eyebrows. "You don't trust my control?"

"No, I don't trust Vinny. Her aura is so powerful she had me kissing her, and I'm definitely not attracted to women. You'd be putty in her hands."

His lips twisted cheekily. "I'm never putty when I'm in someone's hands. As you should know."

My grin widened. "I do remember that fact quite fondly."

He stepped forward, wrapping a hand around my waist and dragged me against his long, strong body. "Care for a refresher?"

The stallion was already half rampant. I sighed wistfully then shook my head. "I'm afraid I have enough men on my plate at the moment."

"Such a shame," he murmured, and bent to give me a quick kiss on the lips. It was a friend's kiss, not one shared by lovers. He was teasing, not actively trying to seduce.

Still, it wouldn't have taken much to flare into something more serious, so I pulled free of his grip and stepped back. "I'll meet you back at the Directorate, then."

"One of these days, I'm going to break down those barriers and enjoy that luscious body of yours once more."

"In your dreams, my friend."

"Oh, you don't want to know about my dreams, trust me on that." Kade walked past me and headed for the front door.

I trailed along behind, enjoying the view. I might not be able to touch, but that didn't mean I couldn't look. And he always did wear jeans extremely well.

Once in my car, I zoomed into the main road traffic, then clicked the comlink in my ear and said, "Hello, hello, anyone there ?"

"Unlike some who shall not be named, I do not slack off." Benson's deep tones were dry. He'd obviously been taking lessons from Sal. "What can I do for you, Riley?"

"Did Jack pass on a request for an information search on a Luke Johnson?"

"Yes, and I've done it. He's human."

"He's also a possible source of information. I need his details."

"Patching them through now. Anything else?"

The onboard beeped as the information came through. I glanced at it briefly, then said, "Did you get any hits on the other man?"

"Nothing yet. We're currently going through license information."

"Thanks, Benson."

"My pleasure," he said, and signed off.

I transferred Johnson's address to the nav computer and drove across town to his place.

Luke Johnson, it turned out, was a dead end in more ways than one. He opened the door naked, and his scrawny body stank of booze, cigarettes and sex. His neck was littered with the scars of old vampire bites and there was an unhealthy, sallow look to his skin—suggesting he was indulging in his drug of choice a little too often.

"Yeah," he said, squinting blue eyes and leaning forward slightly, as if he was having trouble seeing me.

"Luke Johnson?" I flashed my badge. "Did you visit Dante's club two nights ago?"

He frowned and gripped the doorframe a little tighter, though it didn't seem to help stop his swaying. "I think so. Why?"

"Do you remember talking to this woman?"

I took out a photo of Mandy and held it up. He leaned forward, squinting harder. "Yeah. She's not a vamp."

"No, she isn't. What did you talk to her about?"

"Thought she was a vamp, didn't I?" He teetered backwards, his vice like grip on the door and the frame the only things holding him upright. "She wasn't."

"Did you talk to her about anything else."

"No. Found me a vamp, didn't I?"

Which left me with Kye, and he'd already denied talking to the woman about the vampire found dead outside the club.

So why would he lie? Because he obviously was. I'd seen the cash in Mandy Jones' wallet and had found no lie—or psychic interference—in her thoughts or memories.

"Thanks for your help, Mr. Johnson."

He nodded and closed the door. His footsteps meandered away, going back to whoever was sharing his bed. I could only feel sorry for them.

I went back to my car and headed over to Vinny's.

She still lived in one of those high-rise brick and glass buildings that the government had insisted on building some fifty years ago. The intention had been to relieve the low-income housing crisis, but the resulting buildings were neither pretty nor truly functional. Add tenants who hadn't really given a damn about the place, and you were basically left with a large hovel. One with many smashed windows and doors, and decorated by multi-colored graffiti.

Vinny's building had been vacated by both the government and the real tenants years ago, and according to recent Directorate records, she'd bought the building outright. It was interesting to note that the broken glass and graffiti that had once decorated this place were now gone.

I walked up to the front door. As before, the stink of vampire grew stronger with every step, until the cloying, unhealthy smell all but surrounded me.

Obviously, she still hadn't got the water running properly in the downstairs area.

I opened the glass front doors and stepped inside. Footsteps whispered through the shadows—the sounds so soft regular hearing wouldn't have caught it.

"Riley Jenson from the Directorate," I said, raising my voice just a little. "I'm here to see Vinny."

A young woman in her late teens emerged from the shadows to the right. Her plump face was smeared with dirt, but otherwise she was extremely pretty—and very healthy-looking. Which was a vast change from the scrawny, half starved figures I'd seen on these lower levels when I first visited. Vinny was obviously feeding well if the lower levels were looking this good.

"She is expecting you," the vamp said, her voice a low hum of excitement.

Which was worrying. Rising excitement amongst a nest of emo vampires might not be good for my health. Just as well I was still carrying a laser. And that I could fly, and they couldn't.

"You can use the elevators," the girl continued. "They're working now."

"Thanks, but I prefer to walk." If only because I didn't trust Vinny not to trap me inside one of the damn things. She and I had something of a volatile relationship—although calling it a relationship was also something of a misnomer. It was little more than a wary connection—one formed when I'd uncovered her lair while working a case.

She was useful and so far had seemed reasonably happy to help the Directorate when asked, but I had no doubt she would double-cross us if it suited her purpose. The only thing Vinny worried about was Vinny.

I grabbed the hand rail and began climbing. The unwashed scent of vampire faded the further I went up, so that by the time I reached the eighth floor, it had all but disappeared. In its place was the rich freshness of springtime—a scent provided by the series of red candles that sat in the stylized, rose-shaped sconces that lined the hall.

Down at the far end, a woman waited. Like most of the vampires on the floors below, she was young and gangly. But unlike them, her blonde hair had been recently washed and shone like pale gold in the flickering candle light.

She wasn't a stranger. She'd been the door guard on several of the occasions I'd had to come here for the Directorate. She didn't talk much, but I'd gleaned a name—Rose.

She was one of the ones we couldn't identify.

"Morning, Rose," I said, as I strolled towards her.

She nodded, her dark gaze sweeping the length of me. "You armed?"

"Yes, and this time I will remain so."

She opened her mouth but didn't get a chance to protest as I added, "Vinny, if I wanted to fucking shoot you, I could do so quite easily from here."

Something flickered through the girl's eyes, and a moment later she opened the door. Unlike the squalor in which the majority of her nest lived, Vinny enjoyed her comforts. The room beyond could only be described as lush. The walls covered by thick velvet drapes that were a dark, dramatic red and the carpet was the color of rich sand, thick enough to lose your toes in. Two big chandeliers hung from the ceiling, sending rainbow-colored sprays of light though the shadows.

I stepped inside and looked beyond the thickly-stuffed black leather chairs and sensuous-looking chaise sofas to the small circle of people at the far end of the room.

Half a dozen toga-clad boys and girls—I always refused to think of them as anything else, because not one of them looked to be older than seventeen—stood around a mahogany and leather chaise lounge. In it sat Vinny.

Power and sensuality oozed from her and, as ever, the force of it caused me to hesitate, however briefly.

Then her lush lips twitched and annoyance swept through me. She'd been warned often enough not to try her tricks on Directorate personnel but she liked to push. And given she was currently more of a help than a hindrance, there was nothing I could do about it.

I strode forward. Vinny watched me. She was an ordinary looking brown haired, brown eyed woman of medium height and build, but there was nothing ordinary about what she could do. As an emo vampire in charge of a huge nest—which was the only one we knew of in Melbourne—she was more dangerous than she looked. She had an aura similar to a werewolf's, and was totally capable of seducing anyone she chose, willing or unwilling. She'd come damn close to seducing me, and had even won a kiss from me—although that was more from a desperate need to get information than any emo geis.

The scent of blossom and springtime got stronger the closer I got to her chaise, and it mixed warmly with the heavy scent of desire stirring the air. The toga-clad teenagers watched me with languorous expressions, their pupils dilated. Meaning they'd recently fed, and were now sending the vibes out to the rest of the nest. Which explained the hum of excitement I'd felt downstairs.

I stopped when there was still a good ten feet between us. This close, Vinny's skin looked almost luminous, as if the richness of moon itself glowed from deep within her…

I blinked. Damn it, she was doing it again.

"Vinny," I warned softly.

She laughed—a rich sound that sent warm shivers up my spine—and unfurled her legs from the hem of her long dress. Her shoes were red and glittery, reminding me Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. "What can I do for you, Riley?"

"We've two dead women on our hands," I said without preamble. "Both died of unknown causes, and in both cases, there was an extreme aura of desire and lust lingering in the room."

"Meaning they had sex before they died." She paused, mirth sparkling in her chocolate eyes. "Lucky them. But why do I need to know about these deaths?"

"Because we suspect an emo vampire might be at large."

"And I have the only known nest in Melbourne."

"Exactly."

She rose unhurriedly, her movements grace itself. Her long skirt billowed briefly around her—a cloud of pale organza that seemed to catch the flickering sprays of rainbow light from the chandeliers and gleam like the inside of an oyster shell. Those same sprays of light danced across her skin, leaving a luminosity…

I dug my fingers into my palm, using the pain to battle the caress of her aura, however light it might be at the moment.

"It is a waste to kill a lover," she said softly, moving around me, her body so close I could feel the heat of her. "A dead lover is of no use to the nest."

"They are if they bequeath you their estate."

She laughed, and her breath stirred the hairs at the back of my neck. I forced myself to remain still, and she reappeared on my left side. Her skirt swirled around my leg. It felt as sweet as a caress.

I flexed my fingers and ignored the urge to get out of here.

"I can get that without killing them," she said. "All I have to do is ask."

"It's against the law to use your abilities for monetary gain, Vinny."

She laughed again and stopped in front of me. "Everyone who has bequeathed me their possessions or money has done so willingly. Just ask them."

"We have."

Something flickered in her eyes. Annoyance, perhaps. "Then you know I have done no wrong. So why are you here?"

"Are there any other emo vampires or nests in Melbourne? Nests that we don't know about?"

"No."

It was flatly said, and I could sense no lie in her words. Of course, Vinny was such an accomplished liar that I probably wouldn't. And while in any other situation I would have tried to read her mind, telepathy was useless in this place. This room acted like a big black hole when it came to psychic energy. There were no deadeners involved, nor did it appear to be any kind of natural psychic shield. It was just a hole. Or maybe it was more like a black hole, because it seemed to suck away any sort of mental resonance.

Jack had theorized that it had something to do with an emo's control over energy, but Vinny certainly wasn't about to confirm or deny that.

"Would you know if there was another emo or nest in the city?"

"Yes."

"Would you tell us if there was?"

She smiled. "Perhaps."

Meaning only if there was something in it for her. I stepped back into cooler air. "If you do hear anything, let us know."

"If I hear anything and let you know, I expect something for my troubles." She cocked her head slightly. "Why do you taste so tense?"

"It's the company, I'm afraid."

She waved the comment away. "That tension is all part of the fun of having you here. This is different." She considered me for a moment. "Your soul is weary. It fights, and yet it tires of the fight. There is a tension in you I have not felt before."

And wouldn't feel again, as long as I could figure out a way to get Kye safely out of my life. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She smiled again. "You lie, guardian, but I appreciate the effort. Its taste is sweet."

Great. Now she was feeding off my emotional output, no matter how little I was trying to put out there. "Time for me to go," I said briskly, backing away further. "Remember; contact us if you hear anything."

She merely smiled so I turned and got the hell out of there.

I'd barely made it down to the ground floor when my phone rang. I knew without looking that it would be Jack.

It was that sort of day.

I plucked it free from my pocket and said, "What's up boss?"

"I want you to get over to Dante's straight away." My stomach sank. "Not another beheaded vampire?"

"Nope. This time it's a human. A drained human and a very ugly crowd of onlookers." His voice was grim. "The shit has hit the fan big time."