yet you let her come with us. It's your damn fault she's gone.'
'You're her boss. Why didn't you forbid it?' Although Michael understood Jake's anger was merely his way of coping with the situation, he couldn't keep the edge of annoyance from his voice.
Jake lowered his gaze. 'I'm her boss, yes. But damn it, you care for her!'
Michael stared at him in surprise. Where in hell had Jake gotten that idea? He barely knew Nikki, and while it was true there was definitely an attraction between them, he had no intention of acting on it. And by all indications, neither would she.
'What I may or may not feel gives me no right to force her to do anything against her will.' And despite his noble words, he knew that had he been able to enter her mind and force her to remain behind, he would have. Even if it meant breaking his vow.
Maybe he and Jasper had a lot in common after all.
He listened to the sound of the zombies' awkward footsteps fade away into the silence, then, using the wall as a brace, rose to his feet. The drug in his system would take hours to dissipate, and, with the sun strengthening towards noon, there was little he could do now but wait.
'The creatures have gone,' he said. 'We'd better head back to the office.'
'And make no attempt to find her?' Jake said incredulously.
'I have no other choice,' Michael bit back.
So much for control, he thought bitterly and stepped out of the hole. A glint of silver caught his eye. He walked across the track, and bent to pick it up. It was Nikki's silver cross. The small amount of silver within the charm tingled against his palm, but he ignored it. At least he had something of Nikki's to hold on to. Something to remember her by in the years ahead.
He glanced across at Jake then strode through the darkness. There was nothing more they could do in the tunnel, and Jasper just might try to contact them at the office—if only to taunt them.
Tonight he would search.
And Jasper would pay when he found him.
The darkness stirred, coming to life.
Shifted, then disappeared.
Nikki blinked, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her. The night appeared silent, empty. Yet the more she stared into the darkness, the more certain she became that someone was there, watching her.
She shivered, but resisted the urge to rise from the cold concrete floor. Until she had an idea of where she was, there was no point in moving. Who knew what traps might wait in the darkness.
The minutes crept by. Sweat broke out across her brow, and fear crawled through her heart. Though there was no sign of Jasper in the uneasy darkness, he was there, somewhere. The foul scent of his evil filled the air.
She clenched her fists and tried to still the sudden rush of panic. She had to stay calm if she wanted to survive. Taking a deep breath, she tried to contact Michael through their link.
Only he wasn't there.
Nothing was.
Her psychic abilities no longer answered her call. Bile rose in her throat. She swallowed heavily. What had Jasper done to her?
Laughter rolled across the night, a rich sound that made her skin crawl with terror.
'Your lover will not hear you.'
Jasper's voice spun through the darkness, entwining her in corruption. She still couldn't see him, nor did she have any sense of him. What was wrong with her?
'He's not my lover.' Her voice was little more than a harsh whisper that burned against her throat's sudden dryness. She licked her lips and tried again. 'And why won't he hear me?'
The night stirred, and Jasper appeared. There was an almost terrible beauty in watching his perfect body find shape from the midnight silence.
Then she realized he was naked.
Her heart skipped several beats. Closing her eyes, she tried to control the terror squeezing her throat.
Despite the soreness of her limbs, she sensed Jasper hadn't touched her yet. But he would. She could feel his hunger.
He laughed. She resisted the urge to roll into a tight ball of fear and sat up instead. The concrete scraped harshly across her buttocks. Only then did she realize that she was as naked as he.
'When the form is as beautiful as ours, why cover it?'
To emphasize his point, he struck a pose, showing the muscular splendor of his body. Mad… He has to
'Many things.' The amusement fled his features. 'Mostly, I want you to help me kill the man who murdered my brother.'
'Never.'
He laughed softly. 'Oh, you will help me, pretty one.'
She didn't bother refuting the statement. He smiled and walked to the far corner of the room, his movements grace itself. Nikki blinked, suddenly realizing she could see. The night had begun to lift, and dawn seeped through the boarded up window to her right. Freedom. Yet she didn't dare move. She had no doubt he would kill her if she so much as blinked the wrong way right now…
He turned, holding a syringe in one hand. Relief surged. That was why her head felt so fuzzy. He was drugging her.
'This won't put you out.' His smile made her edge back slightly. 'Only stop you moving and cloud your gifts. I have no wish for you to call your lover so soon.'
Fear held her immobile. He knelt and slid the needle into her thigh. His hand caressed her skin, his touch hot, possessive. She closed her eyes and held her breath.
Jasper laughed and rose. Her eyes jerked open, and she watched him move to the bed. He played with her, she realized grimly. Tasted her fear, fueling its flames. Savoring it.
She knew then that he wouldn't physically touch her. Not for a while, anyway. This man enjoyed violation of another kind more—the heart, the soul and the mind. Like a cat playing with its prey, he would toy with her until she broke.
Then he would use her to trap and kill Michael.
She had to escape this mad man's grasp.
Footsteps whispered through the silence. Laughter surrounded her, provocative yet chilling. Not Jasper's. Monica's.
She closed her eyes, refusing to acknowledge the teenager's presence. Bedsprings squeaked as Monica joined her lover on the bed. After several more minutes came soft moans and the rustle of sheets.
All she could do was ignore the noise of their lovemaking and try to rest. Like Jasper's word games, she knew this was meant to be some perverted form of torture. But if they hoped to shock her, hoped to encourage the first tiny cracks in her sanity, they were in for a surprise. She'd seen and heard a lot worse during her years on the streets.
Yet she couldn't help the tiny hope that daylight would quickly drive them into oblivion. Or better yet, to hell.
Pain woke her. Her heart pounded, racing uncomfortably in her chest. She opened her eyes. Jasper knelt beside her, warm breath kissing her skin, his gaze burning with desire as he watched… And sucked blood from her wrist.
Nikki screamed and tried to jerk her arm away. He held her still, his grip bruising as he drained her life away. There was nothing she could do to stop him.
As the realization of death hit her, he pulled away.
His razor-sharp teeth left her skin, and the hot ached eased. Smiling, still watching her every movement, he licked the remaining droplets away. His tongue danced sensually across her wrist, and the two small holes
