Josette stumbled back a step, her eyes widening.
"Josie…." Shit, she didn't have all night.
"Mythlin Street. 208." Another hurried step back.
Jeez. Had that been so hard? Maya waved to a guy in a tuxedo who'd poked his head out of the gallery's entrance.
"Josette?" Uh, oh. Mr. Elegance looked worried.
"I'll be right there, Martin." Cool, calm tone. Wild, desperate eyes. Josette lowered her voice and said, "You cannot come here again, understand? I am out of that life now. All of it. I don't want demons, vampires," those wild eyes darted to Adam, " anything coming around. I want to be normal, okay?"
Normal. Check. "You won't be seeing me again."
Her breath caught. "We're even?"
Not really, but Maya nodded.
Her chin lifted, some of the hard arrogance coming back. "Then get the hell off my property, vampire."
"Charming friend you have," Adam drawled as they made their way back to the bike.
Maya grunted.
His anger spiked. Adam grabbed her arm, jerking her around and against his chest. He had the feeling she was dicking around with him, and he didn't like it. "Why the hell did we come here?"
The way he saw it, they were wasting valuable time. They needed to be out there, tracking down the vampires who'd taken Cammie.
Not screwing away time at some gallery.
Maya's teeth snapped together. Her hands balled into fists and pressed against his chest.
He should have let her go then, but he didn't. Her eyes were wide, swimming with emotion, and damn if he didn't want to kiss her.
She'd gotten her taste of him last night. Now he wanted his turn.
She smelled of roses instead of death.
What would she taste like? "You're overstepping your bounds, Slick." Her voice was a warning growl.
Oh, the vampire was getting angry. Good. He liked to see her with some kind of passion in her eyes.
The valet lifted a hand as he approached them. Adam stared at him, let the fool see the rage he carried.
The young guy nearly tripped running away.
Maya wasn't struggling within his hold. Her breath came hard and fast, but she wasn't trying to break free.
Good thing that. Because the mood he was in, he'd just hold her tighter, vampire strength be damned.
Then she'd know he wasn't just a man.
Her chin lifted as she stared up at him. "Do you know," she began quietly, "just how many vampires there are in the world?"
Too fucking many.
"Hundreds of thousands," she gritted. "And they are everywhere . In every country that you know and even in those small-ass ones you don't. They hide in plain sight. Drink when they want.
Kill when they want." Her fangs glinted.
She wasn't telling him anything he didn't know. His fingers tightened around her. "Your point?"
"My point is that finding them can be like hunting in the dark. You don't know what's out there until it's too late." She shook her head. "I wanna know what's waiting. Who is waiting."
"And this Marie-she's going to tell you?"
"I think she will."
His hand fell away. "Fine. Then I'll trust you, for now ." But he didn't want to waste any more time.
"Hey, you came looking for me, remember? If you don't like my methods, hit the road."
The woman truly didn't understand that she was playing with fire.
He caught her chin in his hand. Soft flesh. Tender. Her mouth was close to his. Just inches away.
Such a full, tempting mouth.
And one that could spew insults so quickly.
"I'm not leaving you yet." Not until Cammie was safe. Because he truly didn't doubt that Maya could find her.
He just knew that Maya was going to keep pissing him off along the way.
His thumb brushed over her bottom lip.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Her breath feathered against him. No more belligerence in her voice.
Confusion filled her eyes.
He wasn't sure. He was furious, impatient, and…hungry. For her.
Just a taste.
One taste, that was all he'd need, and then this ridiculous hunger for a vampire would disappear.
She wouldn't taste sweet. He wouldn't like the touch of her lips against his. Her teeth-they would repel him.
Yes, just one taste. That was all he'd need. And this insanity would end.
"Adam…"
Her mouth was open. Perfect.
His lips covered hers.
She gasped softly into his mouth and he stole her breath, locking his mouth onto hers and feeling the soft press of her lips beneath his.
His tongue pushed inside, swept against hers and-
Her taste. Adam shuddered Her taste was unlike any other.
His mouth tightened on hers in sudden demand.
Not bitter, dammit. Good. So fucking good.
Sweet like honey. Rich like wine. And the flavor of her-it was making him drunk. Making him crave. More.
More .
His fingers locked around her waist, and he pulled her tight against him so that he could feel her nipples pressing into his chest.
Her tongue met his. Just as hungry. Just as wild.
Mistake. The word blasted through the growing fog of lust in his mind. Tasting the vampire had been a serious mistake.
Because now he wanted more. A hell of a lot more.
Fuck, he was so screwed.
Fighting his instincts, struggling for control, Adam managed to lift his head and step away from her. Her scent, roses and aroused woman, tickled his nose and made his cock jerk.
Maya's lips were still parted. She swallowed, staring up at him.
He figured she was about to rip him a new one, but she stared at him, looking a little lost.
And damn if he didn't want to put his arms around her and just hold the woman.
So. Screwed.
Then that chin of hers shot into the air and her index finger jabbed into his chest. "I don't remember asking to be kissed, Slick." She barred those fangs. "Try that again and you might just get bit."
His breath expelled in a hard rush. "I'll keep that in mind." Because he sure as hell planned to try that again. That, and a whole lot more.
She frowned at him, then straightened her shoulders and stalked toward the bike. For a moment, he admired the sway of her ass in those jeans.
The woman knew how to move.
He followed her slowly back to the waiting bike. Maya glanced over her shoulder, not to look at him, but to stare at the glowing lights of the gallery.
Her lips curved down, just the tiniest bit.
He balled his hands into fists so he wouldn't give in to the urge to touch those lips. Not again.
Not yet. Adam cleared his throat, and tried to figure out how to get back on neutral ground and away from his building lust. He looked toward the gallery, saw the outline of a tall woman in black gazing out of the window. Staring at him.
Huh. She'd been watching them.
He glanced back at Maya. "How'd you meet her?" And just what was going on between them? Maya turned toward the motorcycle. "I found her in the middle of a gang war."
Not the answer he'd been expecting.
"One of the assholes had a knife at her throat. She was up against the wall, bleeding, not making a damn sound. And he was laughing."
He studied her profile. Heard the anger in her voice. "What'd you do?"
She shot a hard stare toward him. "I was still a cop back then. I told him to drop his weapon. To stand down."
"Did he?"
"Hell, no. He came at me, blade flying."
His stomach knotted. When she'd been a cop, she'd been human.
Humans were so weak.
They died too easily.
A slow smile spread across her lips. "Then I beat the hell out of him. Necessary force, you know."
He should have known. Adam shook his head and grabbed the black helmet. "So your friend's pissed because you saved her life?" She was still watching them. He could feel her stare.
"Nah, she's pissed because I'm a vampire. Josette was fine when I was human, but when I changed-" A shrug. "Let's just say her family doesn't have the best track record with supernaturals."
The woman, Josette, had power. He'd felt the lick of her magic in the air. She wasn't strong. But something had been there.
She'd known he wasn't human.
"Josie's mom was killed by a vampire. So she pretty much thinks we're all bloodsucking bastards or bitches."
Ah, well, no wonder the woman hadn't greeted them warmly. "Will this Marie have the same feelings? Will she talk to you?"
"Yeah, Marie'll talk."
And she'd better have something interesting to say. The news that Nassor didn't yet have Cammie had thrown him and made a rush of excitement leap in his blood. If they could find her before he awoke-
But he couldn't hope yet. Maya had said that she could track the vampires who'd taken Cammie.
So far, the only thing she'd done was take him to an art gallery.
He hoped her next stop proved more helpful.
It had better.
"Josie's turning away from the old ways," Maya said, climbing onto the bike. "She's seen too much darkness in her life, and now she wants to try to pretend it doesn't exist-that things like me don't exist."
Maya wasn't a thing. He frowned, holding the helmet. What did she mean about the old ways? "The lady tends to get pissed off when she's reminded that things on Earth aren't all caviar parties and cocktail dresses." The cycle's engine roared to life. "No matter how much she might wish they were."
"Sometimes people need their illusions." That was why so many refused to accept the reality of demons. Vampires.
"Guess they do."
Adam climbed onto the motorcycle behind her, his body stiff. He was getting rather tired of being her tag-along. It wasn't a position he was used to, but he knew he had to play the role for now.
But later…
"So why is it so important to find Marie?" He had to shout over the roar of the bike.
Maya laughed. He could barely hear the soft sound and her equally soft reply. "You'll see, Slick.
You'll see."
He clenched his teeth. The lady could only try his patience so far. Adam wrapped his arms around her waist, holding on tight. His cock pressed hard against her perfect ass, a deliberate move on his part. He was still horny as hell, and feeling her ass against him, holding her to his chest, well, it was the closest thing to relief he was going to get.
He had to suffer the indignity of riding behind her.
But at least he got the benefit of her soft body.
And when the ride was long, he sure as hell did enjoy her.
Maya had no trouble finding 208 Mythlin Street. The bike bounced down the old pothole-filled road. Drove past the ramshackle buildings. Stopped at the two-story brick house that was nearly hidden by twisted trees.
Maya parked her bike and they stepped onto the broken sidewalk. It wasn't quite midnight, but the yard was full of people. Men, women. All dressed in white.
Five tall, muscled men with skin a deep brown and bodies humming with tension, immediately walked toward them.
Maya raised her hand. "I'm here to see the Mambo."
Mambo.
The word was familiar to him. He struggled, trying to remember where he'd heard it before.
The men looked back toward the house. Silence stretched across the yard.
"Maya." A whisper. Could have been the wind. Could have been a woman's voice. Adam wasn't sure, but the men stepped back, eased into the shadows.
He stared at the house then. It wasn't like the others on the street. No disrepair. No neglect.
Strong bricks. Long, wraparound porch. White windows open to the night.
The house didn't belong on this road.
There was something off about the place. About the people who watched them walk forward and whispered quietly, their eyes knowing.
Lights burned brightly from inside the house.
The porch steps creaked as Maya climbed them. She didn't look nervous. Hell, so far, he hadn't seen her look nervous at all, not even when the L10 had gone after her.
But he was getting a bad feeling. Every instinct went on full alert as his body tensed.
The front door was open. Waiting.
Inviting? Maya stepped over the threshold.
Adam froze.
He glanced down and saw the red dust. The thin line that went all the way across the entranceway.
Shit.
Mambo.
Maya glanced back at him, brows lifted.
His jaw locking, Adam gritted, "This Marie, just what is she?" Why had Maya wanted so badly to see her? The power from the house, from Marie, swept around him.
Hell, no.
Josette's power had been weak, but she'd still sensed his deception.
This woman, Marie-she was too strong for him to fool.
A man's laugh rang from the darkness.
Maya wet her lips. Her own gaze fell to the line of dust. "Don't you know?"
Yeah, he did.
The woman was a voodoo priestess.
Sonofabitch.
"Let's get out of here." His skin was prickling, the hair on his nape rising.
"No, you don't understand." She leaned back over that line. "Marie knows things. She might be able to tell us which vampires took Cammie."
"Yeah, and we can also just go and find some feeding rooms and start kicking ass until we round up the vamps who know." Going into the mambo's house-that wasn't an option for him.
And he didn't want Maya out of his sight.
A half-smile curved her lips. "That's plan B, Slick. The slow plan. For Plan A, I wanna see what Marie knows."
