Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire (Love at Stake) (8 page)

With her feet on solid ground, she let go of his neck. In the dark, he slid his hand along her arm till he hit metal. “What is this?” he said over the noise of the alarm.

“One of my mother’s bracelets. I put them on to encourage myself.”

A pang of guilt nagged at him. “I’m sorry I left you so far away.” He felt past the bracelet and found his watch. “I was worried something would happen to you.”

“You worried about me?” she asked just as he punched the button to turn off the alarm.

The cave was suddenly silent, her question hanging in the air unanswered. He berated himself for admitting too much as he unfastened the watch, then slipped it into a pocket.

“Stay put till I get some lights on.” He lit two oil lamps close to the kitchen area.

She looked around the cave, her mouth curling into a small smile. “I love what you’ve done with the place.”

His answering smile faded when he felt his heart squeeze once again.
Don’t fall for her,
he warned himself.
You can protect her and admire her, but don’t start caring about her.

He moved to the table to gather his weapons, and when she joined him there, he noticed her slight limp. “Are you sure you want to do this? You’re injured.”

“It’s just a scratch.” She removed the knife from her right boot and set it on the table. “I’ll clean my ankle in the stream and be good to go.”

He pulled a stool toward her. “Sit.”

“You’re making too much of this.”

“Sit.” As soon as she sat, he hunched down and pulled off her boot.

“I can do it myself.”

“Your sock is still damp.” He pulled that off as well. “I’ll give you some dry ones so your feet won’t chafe.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Why not?” He looked up at her. “You want sore feet?”

She heaved a sigh. “I know you didn’t want this partnership, so I won’t allow myself to be a burden.”

Did she think he was looking for an excuse to be rid of her? She must not realize how attracted he was. Or how, in the last moments, he had desperately wanted her to pass the test.

He rolled up the hem of her pants, trying not to think how delicate her ankle looked or how soft her skin was. “You’re not a burden. You’re a partner. That means for the success of our mission, we must keep each other’s health and safety in mind. If you’re injured or in any way incapacitated, you have to let me know.”

“All right.”

He examined the bloody scrape that started at her ankle and extended a few inches up her calf. Another pang of guilt nicked at him.

She stiffened suddenly. “What is that? You have Han’s mark on your arm?”

With a muttered curse, he glanced at the tattoo on the inside of his right wrist. “It’s nothing.”

“All of Han’s men have that mark. I’ve seen it on a bunch of soldiers who were in the clinic at Tiger Town. It means ‘slave’—”

“It means nothing. Now stay put so you don’t get any sand in the wound.” He filled a bucket from the stream, then poured water over her ankle and foot.

“How did you get it?” she asked softly. “Did he capture you? Force you to work for him? Were you under his control?”

“No!” Russell scowled at her. “He never controlled me.”

“Then why do you have his mark? Why do you want to kill him?”

“I don’t explain myself.” Ignoring her frustrated look, he grabbed a towel and his first-aid kit from the bookcase. In a few minutes, he had the wound treated and wrapped.

“Thank you,” she mumbled.

Guilt jabbed at him once again as he returned his supplies to their rightful place. He handed her a pair of dry socks.

“Thank you,” she repeated.

“Don’t—” He clenched his jaw with exasperation. “Don’t thank me. You wouldn’t have gotten injured if I hadn’t put you through that stupid test.”

“I don’t mind proving myself.”

“You could have been injured or attacked.” He slipped a knife into each of his boots, then buckled on his sword belt. “I kept telling you not to wander about the forest alone at night, but then I intentionally put you into the exact same danger I warned you against. You should have slapped me when you had the chance.”

She gave him a curious look as she pulled on his socks. “Are you always this hard on yourself?”

He paused in the middle of fastening his watch on his right wrist. Normally it did a good job of concealing the damned tattoo. She was already seeing through him, asking questions. If he wasn’t careful, she would get completely under his skin.

He put on his coat. “Let’s get to work.”

“I guess the answer is yes,” she muttered as she pulled on her boots.

He groaned inwardly. If he was being hard on himself, it was only because the mission was hard. Physically, he was in great shape for keeping her safe, but socially, he was sorely out of practice. He filled his pockets with ammo and weapons, wondering if he could manage to be charming. Probably not. With a sigh, he levitated up to the ceiling to grab his crossbow and quiver.

She glanced up. “Sorry about the hole.”

He dropped back to the ground and attempted a wry smile. “You mean the new moon roof? Maybe it will increase the property value.”

She sat back. “Oh my gosh. Are you attempting humor?” When he winced, she grinned. “You can’t sell this place.”

“I know. I don’t actually own it.” He shook his head. Major fail on the charming issue. “Besides, no one would want it.”

“I would. I think it’s beautiful.”

He scoffed. “It has no plumbing.”

“It has running water.” She pointed at the underground stream. “You’ve seen my house. No electricity, no plumbing. This isn’t so different. I’ll be quite comfortable here.”

His mouth dropped open. Did she think she was going to live here? She must not realize that he was suffering from a severe case of lust. But she had to know that betrothed women didn’t shack up with other men. It would ruin her reputation and drive him insane. How could he live with her without touching her?

Obviously, he needed to somehow forget he was attracted to her.
Willpower,
he told himself. No unnecessary touching. No more lame attempts at being charming. He would work with her each night, then before dawn, he would teleport her back to her house in Tiger Town. But he better not mention that now, or they would spend the rest of the night arguing instead of working.

He sat on a stool next to her. “Before we get started, I think we should set some ground rules.” When she nodded, he continued, “Rule number one: our partnership is strictly for business. Our mission is to find Han and kill him.”

“I agree.” She slipped her knife back into her boot.

“Rule number two: our method of operation. We’ll start off with the assumption that Han’s underground bunker is somewhere near one of his established camps. I’ll teleport you to each camp, then you will use that supernose of yours to track him down.”

“Agreed.”

“Rule number three: establishing rank. I’m in charge. You will follow my orders without question.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’ll obey my orders—”

“Why?”

He frowned. “I am not accustomed to explaining myself.”

She gave him a wry look. “Try.”

“I’m the commanding officer—”

“No. We’re partners. That means we’re equal.”

He gritted his teeth. “We are not equal in battle experience. If we come under attack, the situation could become deadly in less than a second. There will be no time for discussion. Your best bet at survival will be to do precisely what I tell you. Does that explain it?”

“I . . . suppose.”

“Then you agree.”

She scowled at him. “Okay, you big bully.”

He scowled back. “Rule number four: I am not a bully. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, even at the cost of the mission.”

Her eyes widened. “You mean you would lose a chance to kill Han in order to save me?”

“I already have.” When her eyes softened, he stood abruptly and swung the crossbow and quiver over one shoulder. “It’s a simple matter of logic. You deserve to live. Han doesn’t. He can always be killed another day.”

“Right.” She tilted her head, studying him. “One might get the impression that you cared.”

“Only about safety. Are you ready to go?”

“Not quite.” She slipped off the stool. “Rule number five—”

“I’m in charge. I do the rules.”

“Number five,” she repeated, regarding him seriously. “If something happens to me, if I’m mortally wounded, I need you to make sure my body stays intact. Don’t let them hack me to pieces.”

He grimaced. “I’m not going to let them hurt you.”

“I know you intend to protect me, but if something goes wrong, and I’m dying, promise me you will not take me to Tiger Town.”

He stiffened. “Of course I’ll take you there. Neona is a healer.”

“No!” She grabbed the lapel of his coat. “Promise me you will bring me here.”

“You would die here.”

Her eyes glinted with a fierce look. “I know.”

His heart stuttered in his chest. “Dammit, woman, you
are
suicidal. I should take you home now.”

“No!” She seized his coat with both hands. “I’m as afraid of death as anyone. I won’t try to make it happen. But if it does, promise me you will bring me here and watch over me until I wake up to my second life.”

“It’s not going to happen. I won’t let it.”

“Promise me.” She gazed up at him, her eyes simmering with emotion. “I want to trust you.”

He swallowed hard. “You can trust me.”

“Thank you.”

How could he not reassure her when she was looking at him so desperately? He cupped the back of her head and kissed her brow. “Let’s get to work.”

Chapter Eight

J
ia checked her backpack, hoping to conceal the fact that her nerves were all in a jumble. During the last ten minutes, it felt as if she’d careened through every possible emotion. Fear that if she didn’t find Russell in time, he would take her back to her prisonlike room in Tiger Town. Pain when her foot had crashed through his ceiling. Panic with the realization that she was stuck. Joy at having passed the test to become Russell’s partner. Curiosity over the tattoo on his wrist. And most recently, the anxiety of asking him to watch over her if she was mortally wounded.

But out of all the emotions she’d experienced, one continued to haunt her. A strange, tingling feeling that she’d never experienced before. When he’d held her in his arms and they’d gazed into each other’s eyes, it had seemed like time had screeched to a halt and the world had suddenly constricted to a tiny point that had contained only her and Russell. She’d felt breathless and dazed, yet somehow achingly aware of him. His every breath, every movement. His eyes, his hands, his mouth.

She had wanted him to kiss her.

A vampire. She cast a sidelong glance at him as he downed a bottle of synthetic blood before their departure. God help her, she was attracted to a vampire. She’d known from the first night she’d met him that he was handsome. She’d admired his physique and determination. She’d respected his expertise. Teaming up with him had been the logical choice, since it gave her the best chance at successfully completing the mission she’d worked on for thirteen years. But now she wanted to kiss him? There was nothing logical about that. She had to be losing her mind.

Sure, there were a few good Vamps, but she could never forget that it was a vampire who had killed her parents and brother. Rajiv had also lost his parents to a vampire. For generations, vampires had been the sworn enemy of the were-tigers. Vampires hated shifters because they were not susceptible to mind control. And unlike a naïve human, who normally had no idea that vampires existed until it was too late, a were-tiger could instantly identify a bloodsucker by his scent. In most cases, whenever the two met, one was going to die, and since vampires knew that cat shifters had nine lives, they had a nasty habit of hacking a were-tiger into pieces so he couldn’t come back.

And now she was hopelessly attracted to a bloodsucker.
No, not hopelessly,
she corrected herself as she removed her mother’s bracelets. She could never dishonor her family by falling for the wrong kind of man. Somehow, she would put this attraction aside. Vengeance for her family had to come first.

Stay with me, Mother. Give me strength
. She returned the bracelets to their red silk pouch and stuffed them into her backpack beneath her spare knives.

Russell finished his bottle and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “After we leave the bat cave, we might get another call from J.L. They know you’re missing in Tiger Town, and they’re looking for you.”

Jia swung her backpack on. “I’ll tell them I’m with you, if you don’t mind. Then they’ll know I’m safe.”

Russell snorted. “I doubt they consider me very safe.”

She winced. Rajiv might go into a tiger tizzy if he knew she was hanging out with a vampire whom she secretly wanted to kiss.

Most were-tigers her age were already well versed in kissing. Between the ages of fourteen and sixteen, they each shifted for the first time. It was an important benchmark in a were-tiger’s life and called for a celebration that continued for the three nights of the full moon. It was during that party that the young adults usually received their first kiss.

Unfortunately, in Jia’s case, none of the local boys had wanted to risk kissing her. Their parents had warned them that she was a princess and stealing a kiss from her would bring the wrath of her grandfather, the Grand Tiger, upon their household.

So, in all of her twenty-one years, Jia had only received an occasional peck on the cheek from family members. How many times had she lain awake at night imagining her first real kiss? She was convinced it would be hot and passionate, for the man’s desire for her would be so overwhelming that he would risk the Grand Tiger’s anger just to kiss her.

Never had she imagined that her first nonfamilial kisses would come from a vampire. And how embarrassing that they had both been accidents! Last night, Russell’s mouth had accidentally brushed her brow; tonight, her cheek. Clearly it had meant nothing to him, for he’d quickly admitted it had been an accident. Her heart had shriveled with humiliation.

It was all wrong. The man she’d dreamed of had always been wildly romantic, with a burning, uncontrollable desire for her. And he had certainly never been a vampire.

But now, Russell had surprised her by kissing her on the forehead. On purpose. Why on earth would he do that?

She glanced at him again as he turned off the lamps. Had the kiss been nothing more than his reaction to her display of emotion? Or did he feel more than sympathy? There had been a few moments when she’d suspected he cared about her. Like when he’d doctored her foot. But then there were other times when he seemed brusque and distant.

It would be better if he didn’t care. If she hoped to resist this attraction, she would need him to remain distant.

As he turned off the last lamp, the cave plunged into darkness. It was time for them to go, which meant he would teleport her out. Any second now, he would reach for her and pull her into his arms. Instantly, her heart started pounding. Her skin tingled with anticipation.

Good God, was her attraction hopeless after all?

“Ready?” he asked softly, and her skin prickled with goose bumps.

His night vision had to be better than hers, for she couldn’t really see him; she could only sense his presence in front of her. She extended her hands till her fingertips grazed his chest. As she rested her palms on him, his chest expanded with a deep breath.

He stepped closer, one of his boots slipping between her feet. His hands slid beneath her backpack. “I have to get a good grip on you so I don’t lose you. You’ll need to hold onto me, too.”

“I understand.” She wondered why he felt compelled to explain something she already knew.

When she smoothed her hands up to his shoulders, he pulled her closer till she bumped against his chest. Even through his bulky coat, she could feel the softness of her breasts pressed against his rock-hard chest.

“Rule number one,” he muttered, his grip on her tightening.

She swallowed hard. “What about it?”

“Strictly business,” he gritted out.

“Oh.” The strange, tingly hyperawareness returned, and she could feel the pressure of his hands, the strength of his arms, the hardness of his chest, the softness of his breath against her brow, and the scent that belonged only to him. How was she going to resist this man? He was all wrong, but he felt so right.

Everything went black. As soon as they landed, he released her abruptly and strode away. She regained her balance and looked around. They were on top of a hill, with a clear, starry sky overhead. Scrubby trees, only shoulder-high, grew at an angle from being constantly buffeted by the wind. The moon, almost half full, shone down, painting the bushes silver and outlining Russell’s silhouette where he stood on the edge of a bluff overlooking a valley.

When she joined him, he pointed across the valley at the lights flickering on a high cliff. “That’s one of Han’s favorite camps. He has control of all the land and villages within a hundred-mile radius. I’ll teleport closer so I can see inside. I’ve never seen any guards on this bluff. You should be safe here to do your sniffing.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll be back as soon as possible. We have—” The phone buzzed in his pocket, and he made an impatient noise as he pulled it out. “Let’s get this over with.” He punched a button. “What?”

Jin Long’s voice was loud enough for Jia to hear. “Why aren’t you answering your damned phone?” he demanded. “And don’t give me any bullshit about a water buffalo. They don’t squeal like girls. Do you have Jia with you?”

Russell looked at her, and she mouthed, “
Water buffalo?
” The corner of his mouth curled up. “Yeah, she’s with me.”

“What—” Jin Long sputtered. “Why did you take her?”

Russell shrugged. “Why not?”

“You can’t do that,” Jin Long growled. “Bring her back now!”

“No.”

“You told them I was a water buffalo?” Jia asked, but she forgot to be indignant when he smiled at her. God help her, the man had dimples. He should smile more often.

“Russell—” Jin Long switched to English. Jia couldn’t understand him, but his tone was certainly angry.

Her mouth twitched when Russell lowered the phone and glanced at his watch with a bored expression.

Then Rajiv’s voice cut in, speaking in Chinese. “What are you doing, Russell? You can’t kidnap a princess!”

Russell switched back to Chinese. “I didn’t kidnap her.”

“Then why is she with you?” Rajiv demanded. “Did you threaten her—”

“Enough!” Jia ripped the phone from Russell’s hand. “Rajiv, stop yelling at him. I’m here of my own free will.”

“You need to come home now,” Rajiv ordered. “If Russell won’t teleport you, I’ll send Jin Long—”

“No, I’m not coming home until I complete my mission.”

“Jia, I don’t want you doing this,” Rajiv insisted. “It’s too dangerous—”

“Russell will keep me safe. He wants to kill Han, too, so it makes perfect sense for us to team up.”

“What about your engagement?” Rajiv asked.

She glanced at Russell, who was not looking at her but was still standing so close that she knew he could hear every word. “Killing Han has been my mission for thirteen years. Nothing is going to stop me.”

Rajiv sighed. “All right. I’ll make a deal with you. Come home, and I’ll let you go with Rinzen and Tenzen to track Han.”

Now Rajiv was taking her seriously? But even with this new offer, she knew she had made the right decision. “I appreciate it, but I’m sticking with Russell. He has skills that our uncles don’t have. And I firmly believe he is my best chance at success.”

“But you don’t even like him,” Rajiv protested. “The last time I saw you with him, you slapped the hell out of him.”

Jia groaned inwardly. Only once in her life had she slapped a person, and everyone seemed to be stuck on it. Even Russell was watching her now with a wry look on his face. She turned her back to him and lowered her voice. “I get along with him fine now.”

“I don’t want you working with him,” Rajiv grumbled. “I’m not sure he can be trusted.”

A spurt of anger shot through her. “How can you say that? He’s saved your life more than once. And he saved mine the other night.”

“I know,” Rajiv gritted out. “But he’s not . . . stable.”

“He’s as steady as a rock!” she argued. “I trust him with my life, and so should you. Now I have work to do, so I’ll call you later. Bye.” She punched the Off button and turned to give the phone back to Russell.

He didn’t take it. He was staring at her like she’d grown another head.

“Something wrong?”

“No.” He grabbed the phone and vanished.

S
he’d defended him. She’d fussed at the Grand Tiger and head of her family on his behalf. In spite of his astonishment, Russell cautioned himself not to misinterpret the situation. Her defense was probably nothing more than an indication of her desperation to succeed. He was a means to an end. He signified the successful killing of Han. But what if he meant more to her than that? She’d said she trusted him with her life.
Steady as a rock.
She believed in him.

How could he resist her now?

Rule number one, he reminded himself. Focus on business. After teleporting onto a roof in Han’s camp, he listened in on conversations. Nothing new was going on, so he teleported back to the bluff where Jia had remained. Her nose hadn’t detected any vampires in the area other than him. Without further ado, he grabbed her and teleported to the next camp.

An hour later, they had investigated eight more encampments with no results. Because of their close proximity to some of the camps, he used hand signals to communicate with her. Other times, he leaned close to whisper in her ear. She was growing increasingly tense each time he teleported her to a new place, but he figured it was disappointment over their lack of progress.

“There are thirty camps in all,” he whispered in her ear when he slipped his arms around her once again. “And no guarantee that Han is hiding anywhere near them. Locating him could take us several nights.”

She nodded. “I understand.”

Why did she sound so breathless? “Are you tired? Do you need a break?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine. Let’s get on with this.”

“All right. The best spying place for the next camp is high in a tree.”

Her hands clamped down hard on his shoulders. “What?”

“Don’t worry. If our combined weight is too much, I’ll just levitate.” He teleported to a thick branch, positioning Jia next to the trunk.

She gasped when the branch dipped.

He levitated while helping her grab onto the trunk. Then he grasped another branch to pull himself forward so he could scan the interior of the campsite. It was much the same as the previous nine camps—a few soldiers barely doing the minimum.

“Do you smell anything?” He turned to Jia.

Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she was hugging the trunk tightly, her grip so hard that her knuckles were white. Perspiration beaded her forehead, and her breathing was fast and shallow.

“Jia? Are you all right?”

Her face was deathly pale, and her cheek pressed hard against the bark. “D-don’t mind me. Go on with your business.”

He recalled finding her hanging from the silken rope outside her house in Tiger Town. Her eyes had been shut then, too, and her face pale. “You’re afraid of heights.”

Her eyes flickered open. “Is it that obvious?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

She winced. “Do what you need to do. I’ll be fine.”

He took hold of her upper arm. “I’ll teleport you out of here.”