Delilah Devlin - My Immortal Knight 03 (14 page)

When she pulled away, she looked into his reddened
face, still tight with strain. “Do you think anyone heard us?”

Snuggled under the blanket once more, Lily fought the
urge to sleep. Her body was as relaxed as a soggy noodle, but she hated wasting
a moment of her time with Joe.

She turned her head, which rested on his shoulder, to
look into his face. “Now that I’ve had a chance to catch my breath, do you mind
telling me why we’re going to Florida? I know Madame told you to go home, but
how do you expect to find our answers there?”

Joe glanced away. “There’s one person left who might
know something. Although I hate like hell asking him for a damn thing.”

“Why?”

He looked back, his anger barely banked behind his
rigid face. “He made me what I am.”

“Your sire?”

“Yeah.” He must have seen the interested light in her
eyes. “Don’t go there. We’re not talking about that—or him.”

“All right. I’ll change the subject. So what do you
do? Besides…vampire things?”

“I’m a cop. Or was.”

She nodded, not the least surprised.

“What? Not going to list the clues that gave me away?”

She frowned. “I don’t think I like it when you tease
me.”

“Why?” His finger smoothed the lines furrowing her
forehead.

“Because I wonder how you read me so well. Do I have a
teleprompter on my forehead that repeats my every thought?”

He groaned. “I know you’re dying to tell me. Go ahead.”

She chewed on her lip. He was going to laugh at her.
She just knew it. “Well, you have short hair and a well-conditioned body.”

“I could have been military.”

“True, but you knew how to break into my apartment.”

“You didn’t think that was just part of Intro to
Vampire? Or I could have been military with a criminal past.”

“Well, then there’s the way you walk.”

He raised one dark eyebrow. “The way I walk?”

“Come on. Tell me you’ve never been pulled over for a
speeding ticket and seen that little strut cops do when something makes their
day.”

“I’ve never seen it.”

“And you don’t believe it just because you’ve never
seen it?” This time she raised an eyebrow. “And I’m supposed to believe I snore
just because you said so? Sometimes you’ve just got to trust.” She grinned. She
had him.

His eyes narrowed. “Okay. So I strut.”

Satisfied for now, Lily yawned and snuggled closer. “Wake
me when we get there.” She fell asleep with the sound of Joe’s soft laughter
and his hand rubbing her breast.

* * * * *

Joe
strutted
into the Special Unit’s station
house, dreading the coming confrontation.

It was early morning, just before sunrise. The time
the guys usually returned from patrol and gave their outbriefs to the Captain.

With Lily following behind him, he walked past the
long row of empty desks, past the dispatcher’s booth, straight to the
conference room. He didn’t bother knocking on the closed door.

A dozen faces, most belonging to teammates he’d known
better than his own family, turned toward him. His old buddy Max Weir muttered,
“Just another fucking vampire.”

Joe’s back stiffened.

Captain Springer looked over his shoulder, his eyes
widening, a smile wreathing his broad face. Then it slipped and he darted a
glance down the table.

Joe followed that glance to find Darcy in her usual
place, Quentin at her side.

Darcy’s face blanched white and she gripped the edge
of the table. Quentin’s arm encircled her shoulder and he leaned toward her to
whisper something in her ear. Then he straightened and glared at Joe.

“I think, we’ll talk in a little while,” the Captain
said, sending a meaningful look around the table.

The room cleared quickly, except for Darcy, Quentin,
and two people Joe didn’t recognize—one a dark-haired male and the other a
busty blonde. Some deeply buried instinct told them these two were kin—vampires.

His teammates nodded their greetings as they passed,
their faces betraying wariness. Max jostled him, giving him a deliberate shove
as he left the room. Joe didn’t care. His eyes were on his sire.

Suddenly, Quentin’s nostrils flared and his eyes
narrowed. He lunged to his feet. “Why the hell did you bring
that
here?”
he bellowed, staring past Joe’s shoulder.

Lily gasped and slipped her hand inside his. Quentin
was staring at her like she was some kind of monster.

Joe stiffened and gave Lily’s hand a reassuring
squeeze. “She’s the reason I’m here.”

“Well, this is a pretty pickle. Do you even know what
you have, cub?” The glib murmur pulled Joe’s attention to the brown-haired man
sitting on the opposite side of the table. The pointed glance he shared with
Quentin marked him as the blond vamp’s friend.

Joe lifted his chin with defiance. “A breeder, or so I’m
told.”

“She doesn’t belong here,” Quentin said, looking mad
enough to tear his head off. “We don’t mix.”

Darcy, still seated, reached for Quentin’s arm. “Why
don’t we sit down and talk? And what exactly is a breeder?”

“The enemy.”

Lily clutched Joe’s hand, trying to still her
trembling. The way the tall, blond man stared had her cowering behind Joe. She
should just leave. She tugged her hand, but Joe wouldn’t let go. She tugged
again, but he simply drew her to his side and put his arm around her shoulders,
anchoring her there.

She glared daggers at him, but he never noticed. His
gaze remained on the blond one. Then Lily saw the woman seated beside the
menacing man. She was slender, with wide-set brown eyes and shoulder-length
brown hair. Her face was devoid of makeup, but she was lovely. Her skin glowed
with health—at least it would have if she didn’t look like she was about to
pass out.

In an instant, Lily guessed this was the woman who’d
scorned Joe and stopped feeling sorry for her. The woman’s gaze met hers for a
moment and she gave Lily a tight-lipped smile.

“I think I better go, Joe,” Lily said softly.

The man with the chestnut hair gave her a pitying
look. “You don’t even know, do you?”

“That you’re vampires? I guessed that. I also know
werewolves are on my ass,” she said, lifting her chin.

“You’re too valuable for them to let you go. You can
give them the next generation of—”

“Vermin!” the blond man spat.

“—cubs. My name’s Dylan O’Hara by the way,” the
chestnut-haired man said with a crooked smile. “That’s my wife, Emmy.”

He nodded toward a plump, blonde woman Lily hadn’t
seen because she was tucked in the corner next to a box of chocolate-covered
donuts. She waved one and giggled, “Sorry, sympathy cravings.” Her eyes widened
and her glance darted to the dark-haired woman.

Lily was starting to feel dizzy. There was so much
anger and intrigue going on inside the room, all she wanted to do was leave. “Really
Joe. I want to go,” she repeated.

A glance at his face and she knew he hadn’t even heard
her. He stared at Emmy for a long moment, and then his gaze flew to the
brown-haired woman.

“That’s Darcy Henry,” Emmy said, drawing Lily’s
attention away. “ Quentin won’t ever get around to the rest of the
introductions. He and Joe have a history.”

Lily felt sick at knowing the source of the
competition was wrapped in one willowy-slim woman.

“So do Darcy and I,” Joe ground out, dropping Lily’s
hand. His jaw set like granite, he circled the table stalking toward Darcy.

“They are
so
competitive,” Emmy said.

Quentin stepped in front of her, but again, Darcy
reached up to stroke his arm. “It’s okay, Quent.” Darcy rose and Lily suddenly
understood the tension. Darcy’s belly was round. Obviously, she wasn’t a
vampire.

She was pregnant.

Joe stood in front of her, his hands clenched at his
sides. “Mine?”

Quentin’s arm slipped around the woman’s shoulders,
clearly stamping his possession.

“Your child, yes,” Darcy whispered.

Lily reached for the edge of the table, something to
hold onto because her legs suddenly felt like rubber.

“I wouldn’t have left you if I’d known,” Joe said
angrily, his words stabbing at Lily’s heart. He still loved her.

“I know,” Darcy said, reaching up to place her hand on
his cheek. “But it was for the best, don’t you see?”

Joe shook his head. “Not really. You’re pregnant. I’m
responsible. Christ, I was stupid.”

“Water under the bridge—and I am happy, Joe.”

“With
him
? Is he treating you well?”

“We’re married.” Her smile reassured Lily that at
least she wasn’t in love with Joe. “I love him.”

Joe closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. “What
about the baby?”

“He’s yours and ours. I’d like you to be part of his
life.”

“I will be.”

Darcy nodded, and then she looked at Quentin. “Right?”

The blonde vampire glared at Joe, but he nodded, too. “I
don’t have to like it.”

“I’m glad you don’t,” Joe murmured.

Lily almost rolled her eyes at the posturing from the
two males. You’d think it was high noon at the OK Corral.

“I’ve just got one question for you,
Garcia
.”

Joe’s eyes narrowed and Lily hoped they weren’t about
to draw.

“Have you fucked her?” Quentin asked, nodding at Lily.

Lily felt the wind squeeze out of her lungs as she
gasped.

Darcy looked just as shocked. “Quentin!”

“It’s important,” Quentin said, his jaw tight.

“What my eloquent friend is trying to ask is whether
you’ve been in her bed?” Dylan repeated, his gaze also turning to Lily.

Feeling naked beneath their stares and knowing her
face was as red as a tomato, Lily blurted, “My name’s Lily!”

“It’s none of your business,” Joe said, rage making
his voice gravelly.

“I’m afraid it is,” Quentin said softly.

“Why?” Lily whispered.

“She’s a breeder,” Quentin said, his hard gaze unwavering.

“So?” Joe’s stance widened, and he looked about ready
to swing. “She hasn’t been with any werewolves.”

“But she’s been with you, hasn’t she?”

Joe nodded once, curtly.

“Well, shit!” Quentin took a deep breath and shared a
look with Dylan.

“Quentin!” Darcy pulled on his arm. “Why is that
important?”

“Werewolves will kill her and her get,” he said,
looking suddenly tired.

Lily felt like ice water ran through her veins.
Quentin’s anger was one thing—his defeated expression made her tremble.

“Then we’ll protect her,” Emmy said cheerily.

“It’s not that simple, love,” Dylan said, his voice
devoid of emotion. “Vampires will want her dead, too.”

“But why?” Her wide blue eyes stared back with
innocence. “I’m a vampire, and I don’t want her dead. Besides, he’s not a
werewolf. She can’t bear the next generation of puppies if she’s been with him.”

“Because she’s likely carrying an abomination in her
belly, even now.”

This from Dylan, the kind one, made Lily swallow
nervously.
A baby? An abomination?
That wasn’t possible. She’d never
read of a hybrid child in all her research.

“But she can’t be pregnant,” Joe said, his face
darkening. He turned back to stare at her, too. “Vampires can’t impregnate
humans.” His glance dropped to her belly.

“But she’s not
entirely
human, is she?”

Lily heard Quentin’s smug comment as if from a
distance. The room had started spinning.
I can’t be pregnant!

“Now see what you’ve done!” Emmy glared up at the
three men who hovered around the sofa in the lounge. “And babies are never
abominations!”

“What is it with you?” Quentin shoved Joe. “Are you
single-handedly trying to populate the world?”

“Leave off, Quent!” Dylan said. “We’ve got bigger
problems than your jealousy.”

“So, tell me how this is possible?” Joe asked, raking
a hand through his hair, trying to gather his wits. The last few minutes had
scrambled what was left of his brains. Finding out he was a father—and might be
again soon—had him feeling like a low-down, dirty bastard. Then watching Lily
drop like a brick to the floor had scared years off his life—if he’d had one.

“We’re not spermless,” Dylan replied, “it’s a
temperature thing that keeps us from impregnating humans, or even our own kind.
This woman” he said, nodding toward Lily, “emits a chemical that excites
werewolves and vampires. Our temperatures rise—just enough.”