'Women are strange folk, buddy. What they know and what they understand are often two very different things.'
True. But that wasn't the case with Nikki. She didn't want him close, didn't want anyone close. She might concede to physical attraction, but would definitely allow nothing more. 'I don't think that'll be a problem here.'
'Until the last few days, I would've agreed with you. But you've cracked her shell, and no matter what either of you might say, I have eyes. I can see what you're both denying.'
'I'm not denying I'm attracted to her, just saying that I've been honest with her.' Honest where it counted. Up to a point, anyway. 'Believe me, I have no desire to hurt her.'
Jake nodded. 'I just needed to know she's in safe hands. Let's enjoy our drinks, my friend.'
Michael picked up his beer and made no comment.
Nikki blinked the sleep from her eyes, then flipped the sheets away from her face. Bright sunshine caressed her skin, filling her with warmth. She felt contented and lazy and, for the first time in ages, happy. Like a big, fat cat rolling in the sun.
Only Michael wasn't there.
Fear leaped through her. The hotel room was silent, empty. She clenched her fists against the sheets.
They'd left without her.
'Damn you both,' she muttered and flung the blankets aside, climbing out of bed. If they thought they had her beaten, they were wrong. She'd just have to go after Monica alone.
The thought sent a chill down her spine. She ignored it and quickly dressed. Jake and Michael had forgotten one major point—she was still the only person who could accurately pinpoint Monica's whereabouts.
Or was she? Nikki frowned and walked into the kitchen. Last night she'd seen the enormous power behind Michael's gifts. He'd never said he couldn't find Monica. She stopped in sudden horror. Had last night been little more than a convenient way to tire her and make her sleep?
Pain stabbed through her heart. That last time couldn't have been a lie. Their minds had entwined too closely for any lie to survive.
And yet, with the strength of Michael's gifts, how could she ever be sure? Tommy had been able to make her believe he cared, and he'd only possessed a tenth of Michael's abilities.
She crossed her arms and stared at the smoke-stained wall. Why did it matter so much anyway? One night, that was all she'd asked for, all she'd wanted. One night free from Jasper's taint. Michael had surely given her that.
So why did she suddenly feel so cheated? Especially when she'd been the initiator? She'd only seduced Michael to run Jasper's dark whispering from her mind. But something in his touch had made her feel cherished. Loved, even.
She closed her eyes at the thought. Because it was nothing more than a lie. He'd warned that he couldn't love her and that he couldn't stay. He'd given her last night, but he couldn't give her anything more.
It was totally foolish to even want something more. People died when she cared too much, and she didn't want to see him dead.
The kettle whistled shrilly into the silence. She made a cup of coffee then picked it up and walked back into the living room. The newspaper lay on the sofa, and headlines leaped out at her. Three more dead
She took a gulp of coffee, almost scalding her throat in the process. Monica had to be stopped, before she could slake her thirst on more innocents. She put the cup down and shoved a hand into her pockets, dragging out the locket she'd swiped from Trevgard's. Obviously, Jasper hadn't bothered searching her when he'd stripped her.
Dark laughter flickered through her thoughts, and her pulse rate jumped. She swallowed uneasily, but knew she had no choice. Monica had to be found. She wrapped her fingers around the locket. A chill chased horror through her mind. Monica's evil had grown. Images pushed forward, but she held them at bay and sat down.
Only then, after taking a deep breath, did she open her mind to hell.
Darkness flooded her senses. Through it, she heard the faint strains of music… an organ . Frowning, she tried to broaden the view. She needed an exact location, not merely the sounds and images of Monica's den.
She smiled at the absurdity of it. Yet what better hideaway could Monica find? No one expected a vampire to hide in such a place. Not even Michael…
She jumped. The question sounded so clear he might as well have been standing right next to her. She put her hand on her chest, and took a deep breath to calm the rapid pounding of her heart.
Annoyance seared her. She smiled grimly. Good. Maybe next time he'd think twice about leaving her behind… But there wasn't going to be a next time, was there?
The sudden wariness behind his question made her wonder if he'd heard her thoughts.
Thank you. He sounded surprised, as if he hadn't expected an honest answer. We'll find her, Nikki.
Maybe they would. And maybe she would. The bracelet would lead her straight to the teenager's lair.
Yeah, right. She rose and called for a cab. Her car was still parked in front of the agency, and, hopefully, she still had a set of knives hidden under the dash. Even if a knife wasn't an effective weapon against a vampire, she still felt safer with them strapped to her wrist.
She glanced at the time. Two o'clock. She collected her jacket and went outside to wait for the cab.
Two hours later, she stopped her car opposite an old church and climbed out. This was the place. She took off her sunglasses and leaned against the car to study the church. A priest puttered around in the front garden, tending to a few winter flowering plants. Two old cypress pines dominated the grounds on the right side of the old building, but the back and left side were bare and open.
She squinted slightly and looked at the sky. It was after four, and the sun's strength was beginning to wane. Michael had said any exposure to the sun was dangerous to the newly turned, but she wanted to be sure of death. The later it was, the less likely that became.
And it wouldn't wait until Michael arrived. She didn't question the certainty that he was coming. As he'd warned, the ties between them had been strengthened by their lovemaking, and he was using that connection to find her.
Maybe she should wait for him… But something drove her on, told her she couldn't afford to.
She locked the car door then crossed the road. The priest moved back into the old building.
How could she rid the church of its unknown guest without raising the priest's suspicions? She frowned and turned down an old stone path that led through the trees. There had to be a second entrance around the back of the church. Maybe she could get in there.
Luck was with her for a change. She climbed over a small fence and approached the second door. It was locked. She looked around to ensure no one watched, then quickly zapped the door with kinetic energy.
It creaked open. The hallway beyond was dark, still. The murmur of several voices came from a room to her right, and someone moved around in another room further down the hall. Below them all, a sense of evil, sleeping.
