Dark Secret

the tension in the room went up several degrees.

Colby rubbed her hand over her face. 'I'm fine, Ben. Thanks for worrying about me. Paul and Ginny are at Sean Everett's ranch at the moment and I'm just resting.' Why not just say something? Have Rafael arrested for stalking her? She pressed her fingers to her throbbing temple and shook her head at her own foolishness. She didn't have the kind of strength it took to get Rafael out of her life. Maybe she could do it for her brother and sister, but not for herself. She was beginning to despise herself.

Querida. His voice was soft, compelling. Terribly intimate whispering in her mind. You are beginning to understand, to accept. You face so much for others without fear and yet you cannot accept anything for yourself.

When he did that, when he spoke in that voice in her mind, she turned inside out and wanted to burrow inside of him and be everything he wanted and needed.

'We've got trouble around here, Colby. I should have listened to you when you were talking about all the accidents happening on your ranch and old Pete's disappearance.' Ben removed his hat and sank into her one good rocker. 'I've had three people disappear from town and another two from a couple of ranches.'

Colby glanced at Rafael. The news obviously didn't surprise him.

Vampires have to feed and when they feed, they kill their prey.

A chill went down her spine. He was so calm about it, so accepting and matter-of-fact. So removed. As if his feelings weren't involved.

I have not had emotions for centuries. I do not feel when I hunt the vampire. I would not be able to kill that which was my friend over and over.

'Was there evidence of foul play?' Colby asked, watching Rafael. Did he even feel for the victims? For their families? She couldn't see evidence of it. What did you feel when you tore out that poor unfortunate man's heart? Because it could have been Paul's heart. He could have been hunting her brother. The vampire had bitten him, tried to use him in the same way as a puppet.

I felt nothing at all. He would not lie to her. She insisted on scaring herself and making her life so much more difficult than it needed to be.

Would you have been so dispassionate had it been Paul? It was not Paul.

'Colby, are you listening to a word I'm saying?' Ben demanded.

'I'm sorry, yes, it's just so awful. We've never had murders and disappearances here before.'

'I talked to Tony Harris.' Ben's hard-edged gaze fell on Rafael.

Colby had to admit Rafael didn't look impressed or in the least bit remorseful. 'I have no idea what got into Tony. He was far worse than usual.'

'Luckily for Mr. De La Cruz, he admitted he had assaulted you,' Ben said. 'I felt like giving him a good beating myself.'

'Tony admitted it?' Colby was shocked. She glanced suspiciously at Rafael. Had he planted a compulsion in the man to tell the truth? Rafael's dark features remained expressionless.

Ben nodded. 'I had a long talk with him about all the things going on here. I've been suspicious that his boss wanted your ranch and that he was the cause of some of your accidents here'

'I thought of that, Ben,' Colby said, 'but as much of a bully as Tony is, he's rancher. He's one of us. I couldn't see him doing that to the kids and me. I've known him my entire life.'

'And you've always looked down on him.'

Colby spread her fingers out in front of her. 'Maybe that's true. He's always been such a bully. I hate the way he talks to me.'

'He's had a crush on you for years, Colby,' Ben said.

She glanced at Rafael. She couldn't help herself, although she didn't want to look at him. She could feel his gaze, hot and possessive, on her body. Stop looking at me like that. The plea burst out of her before she could stop it. He made her want him without touching her. Standing across the room, looking cool and nearly bored, he could look at her and reduce her to raging hormones. I hate it. I hate what you do to me.

'I don't believe that, Ben. He was always nasty to me. Nasty and sarcastic. He always calls me the ice princess.'

'Everyone knows he's had a thing for you, Colby. And he is nasty and sarcastic. I'm not saying Tony Harris is a great guy-he's meaner than a snake-but he seems to think you should be with him and he's damned angry that you're not. It was fine when he didn't feel he had a rival, but everyone knows you're carrying on with De La Cruz '- Ben jerked his thumb toward Rafael-'and Tony's nose is out of joint.'

'That doesn't give him the right to put his hands on me.'

'No, it doesn't, and I would have arrested him if you'd made a complaint. And if I'd seen what he did to you I would have done what De La Cruz did.' He looked at Rafael. 'You've made an enemy for life. Tony doesn't hold too much with the law.'

Rafael shrugged, uncaring. 'Did he have anything to do with the accidents happening on Colby's ranch?'

'I think so,' Ben said. 'He skirted the issue, but he didn't altogether deny it either. I think his worm of a boss tried to get her place cheap and Tony went along with it. Twice, in the course of the conversation, he said maybe Colby wouldn't be so high and mighty when she realized she needed a man to help her. I think in his twisted way, Tony thought he could force Colby to ask him for help.'

'As if!' Colby all but snorted. 'I'd never ask that rat for help. You should have seen him when he thought I was alone out by the mines. He and that…' She trailed off, biting down hard on her lip. She didn't want to talk about Ernie Carter, or think about Rafael standing, covered in wounds, his fist buried in the man's chest. She closed her eyes, feeling sick.

Ben shrugged. 'Tony has delusions, Colby, but I think he had opportunity and in his own twisted way, motive.'

She sat up straight. 'You don't suspect him of killing Pete, do you?' Tony was many things, but he wasn't a murderer. She didn't want to try to tell Ben there were vampires and puppets in his county. He would lock her up in a padded cell, but she couldn't have Tony arrested for murder.

'Tony isn't smart enough to commit murder and get away with it. He drinks too much and he talks when he's drinking. No one would help him cover up a murder.'

Colby let her breath out slowly. 'If it's that worm Clinton Daniels causing all the accidents to my ranch, how are we going to catch him? He'd send Tony or one of his other men-he'd never dirty his own hands.'

'Whatever you're thinking about doing, Colby,' Ben warned, 'don't.'

'Well, someone has to stop him. I'm not going to be happy putting Tony in jail if Daniels put him up to it.'

Rafael, always a shadow in her mind, touched on her plans, irritated that Ben could read her so easily. He caught her thoughts, meeting Daniels casually for a drink, flirting with him, trying to get information on tape from him. Could she kiss him? She wasn't certain she could go that far.

I do not think so. I would have to kill him. Rafael was matter-of-fact about it. And then you would have to deal with my wrath.

Spare me the male drama. This is serious. Clinton Daniels is a snake. I've struggled for months trying to hold things together.

'You stay away from Daniels, Colby,' Ben said. 'I'm not putting up with your shenanigans in the middle of dead bodies and disappearances.'

Colby grinned at him. Ben had used his sternest voice on her. 'Ben, darling, no one says 'shenanigans' anymore.'

She felt the darkness then, heard the roar of a beast. Rafael turned his face away from her, staring out the window, his back to them, but she knew fangs exploded in his mouth. He was fighting a dark instinct that seemed to be riding him hard.

What? She pushed a hand through her hair, irritated all over again.

You call this man by an endearment when you will not even contemplate the possibility of caring for me. How do you expect your lifemate to react?

It was almost a snarl. Her heart thudded hard against her chest. Ben? You're jealous of Ben? Are you nuts? Ben thinks I'm loony. He loves me like a sister or something. And I love him back the same way.