First Drop of Crimson

aimed theirs. Denise watched until the other boat was no more than a speck on the ever-lightening horizon, then she turned to Spade.

“I’m so relieved you’re all right. I was so worried.”

Denise stepped back from Spade to sweep her gaze over him, inwardly cringing at the rips in his clothes along with the crimson spatters. He hadn’t just risked his life; he’d also killed for her today.

“Is Web…?”

“Still living, sadly,” Spade replied with a shrug. “No matter. He won’t risk open war when he can’t declare a reason for it.”

“You look knackered, Denise,” Bones called out from the upper deck where the helm was located. “Should take her below to get some rest, Charles.”

A slow smile spread across Spade’s face. “What a brilliant idea,” he murmured, dipping to slide his mouth over her neck.

The tremor that went through her was more than a physical reaction. Denise wanted Spade to make love to her, but that wasn’t all she wanted. She also wanted to wake up with him, talk to him, laugh with him, and fall asleep with him. The intensity of her feelings shook her. Spade had become so important to her so soon. What if he didn’t feel the same way about her?

And then there was that other matter…

“You might want to shower first,” Denise said, shivering at the flick of his tongue under her ear. “I’d offer to join you, but it’s so small, you might not even fit.”

A low laugh ticked her. “You can always watch…again.”

She was confused, then understanding bloomed about that night in Vegas. “You knew?”

Another laugh, infinitely more wicked. “I wanted you to watch, so I stomped around the room to wake you before I got into the shower. Didn’t you wonder why the light was on? It wasn’t for me, I can see in the dark. And then I kept the water cold so the glass wouldn’t fog.”

“With your body, that should count as entrapment,” Denise muttered, feeling her face heat.

“No, darling.” His voice was husky. “It’s seduction, and I have no qualms about that. I intend to seduce you every chance I get.”

He drew away, letting his hands slide from her grip. “I’ll be taking that shower now.” His brow rose with meaning. “And I’ll leave the door open.”

Desire rose in Denise, covering her shyness over Bones and Cat being well within listening range.

“Give me a few minutes,” she said, mentally plan ning a quick freshening up. Breath mints, powder, and lipstick in my purse, camisole in my bag.

Green swirled with the cognac in his gaze. “I’ll see you there.”

Spade went below the deck, drawing off his shirt and the Kevlar vest before disappearing into the minuscule bathroom. Denise glanced up at the helm. Bones didn’t once look away from the grayish sky ahead, even though he had to hear every word between them. I don’t care, Denise decided, crossing the deck to the storage unit under the chair where she’d left her purse. It would be nothing Bones hadn’t heard before.

She’d pulled back the cushioned seat and was fishing around the life jackets for her purse when a violent blast of movement came from below deck. One moment, Denise was holding her purse; the next, she was on her back, looking up at a tawny-haired vampire she recognized even without his mask.

Before she could blink, a knife hilt appeared in Web’s chest as if by magic. Denise felt a moment of relief when Web dropped to his knees, but then an iron grip closed over her and she was jerked to her feet.

“Drop your knives,” Web commanded, his arm around her throat cutting off her breath while something sharp jabbed her in the stomach.

Bones and Spade were in front of them, silver knives gripped in their hands. After exchanging a glance, they lowered their weapons onto the deck.

Another vampire dropped out of the sky in front of Denise, smirking as he gathered up the weapons and then stood close to Web.

“Smart idea with the Kevlar,” Web commented. “That’s why I’m late. I have the docks under video surveillance, so I knew where to look for you, but I had to get my own vest first…and how thoughtful that you’ve taken off yours.”

“Let her go,” Spade said, rage blistering off each word.

A snort at her back. “Not likely.”

“You know if you harm her, there’ll be nothing to stop us from ripping you to pieces,” Bones said in a calm tone. “Release her, and I promise you can fly off unharmed the same way you came.”

Web gave an ugly laugh. “Not without what you stole from me. Give me Nathanial, then when I leave, I’ll have Canine drop this bitch off a couple miles in the water. You can fish her out, if she means that much to you.”

“You’re not going anywhere with her,” Spade said, voice vibrating with hatred.

“I have the hostage, so I make the rules,” Web hissed.

Pain slammed into Denise’s stomach in the next instant, so intense and overwhelming, she couldn’t even breathe to scream. Then the only sound that came out of her was an agonized gasp.

Spade snarled and charged forward, but through the sudden haze in Denise’s vision, she saw Bones yank him back.

“One more move and I’ll spill her guts onto this deck,” Web’s voice said near her ear while another blast of pain in her belly had her almost passing out. “You give me Nathanial now and you can heal her in time for her to live. If you don’t, she dies.”

Canine snickered. Spade had quit fighting Bones and was staring at both of them with a fiery emerald gaze.

“If she dies, you will forever wish to join her in death, except I won’t let you.”

Denise knew she shouldn’t, but she glanced down at the source of the white-hot agony. Web had a knife jammed in her stomach, blood pouring out of her onto the deck, each twitch of his hand sending new streams of that awful throbbing deeper inside her.

The blood pooling at her feet brought a surge of images into her mind. So many glowing eyes. Cool flesh all around her. Blood will follow. Death will follow. It always does.

But this time, instead of the paralyzing panic her memories normally instilled, Denise felt the strangest wave of anger blasting through her, growing along with the pain in intensity.

“Get that out of me.”

Denise didn’t recognize her own voice. It was low and feral, like nothing that had come from her throat before.

“Shut up,” Web said, sounding surprised that she’d spoken at all. “I’m losing patience. Bring me Nathanial, or I spill more of her blood.”

Cat slowly came up from the lower interior of the boat, Nathanial in front of her. When she was almost within spitting distance of Web, she stopped.

“Have your boy come get him and then you all can leave. But if you try to take Denise, or you do anything else to her, I’m going to fry you where you stand,” Cat growled. Her hands turned blue, orange sparks starting to drip from them.

“You stop that or I’ll kill her!” Web ordered, some thing sharp digging into her neck next. He has two knives, Denise realized. One at my throat and one in my stomach.

Instinctively she touched the lower wound, feeling the coldness in Web’s grip on the handle and the warmth of her blood spilling through her fingers. Another wave of dizziness overcame her, followed by a nauseating fresh rush of pain.

Then she saw Spade’s face, anguish competing with the rage in his expression, and it was his pain that snapped something within her.

“Let go of me.”

Except it didn’t come out as words. It was a garbled snarl that made Bones’s eyes widen in amazement. That feeling of wildness grew in Denise until it was stronger than even her pain.