Immortal Danger (5 page)

The man's taste—
Hot, rich.
She'd never had anything like it.

His blood, the tangy flavor, the power.

Emotions and needs had ripped through her when the first drop of his blood spilled onto her tongue. Hunger. Lust.

Sex. Orgasm.

Life
.

She had a feeing that Adam's blood could prove to be addictive.

She wondered if the second taste would be as good as the first.

Watching her, Adam slowly lifted the phone. Punched in the numbers and, after a few moments, ordered the transaction.

Maya smiled.

Time for the hunt.

 

“What the hell are we doing here?” Adam snapped, climbing slowly off the back of the motorcycle and glaring up at the elaborate building with its gleaming glass windows and sweeping arches.

“I need to meet a friend.” Okay, so “friend” wasn't quite the term she should be using. Maya knew Josette wasn't exactly going to be thrilled to see her, but she needed to ask the lady a question.

The art gallery's parking lot was full of fancy cars. Big ones, with shiny rims and perfectly polished exteriors. Through the gallery's front windows, she could see men and women in formal attire, talking and laughing.

Josette had sure as hell come a long way in the last six years.

Homeless to high society.

Maya admired her.

Josette pretty much hated her.

Such was fate.

Maya marched up the stone walkway, her head high. The valet approached her, frowning.

“Miss—”

“The bike stays put, dude. We'll only be here a min—”

“You'll be here less than that,” Josette said, her voice still tinged with the faint southern drawl she'd acquired while living in New Orleans. She stepped away from the gallery's entrance and into the soft lantern lighting.

“Ah, Ms. Dusean, should I—”

Josette strode forward until she was approximately ten feet away from Maya. Then she stopped and ordered the valet, “Leave us alone.”

Maya eyed the distance between her and Josette. The woman had always been like that. Not wanting to get too close to the vampire.

Can't blame her, not with her history
.

But that didn't mean she had to like the woman's attitude. Hell, just for sport, Maya was tempted to bite her right on her elegant neck.

Josette was a beautiful woman, no getting around it. The soft lighting made her look all the more stunning. Perfectly defined cheekbones. Wide, red mouth. Eyes the color of the night. Skin a dark cream.

“You going to stare all night, vampire? Or are you here for a reason?”

Beautiful, but the lady sure could be a bitch.

“You didn't have to walk outside to meet me,” Maya murmured softly, aware of Adam's silent presence behind her. “I was planning to come in and find you.”

Josette's lips thinned. “I bet you were.”

“You've come a long way.” The gallery was Josette's. The fancy pictures. Everything was hers. Not bad for an immigrant from Haiti who'd barely spoken English when she'd arrived in the U.S.

Josette didn't respond. Just stared with ice-cold eyes.

Maya tucked her hands into her back pockets. “How'd you know I was here, Josie?”

“Could feel you.” Her stare drifted to Adam. “You always know when evil's around.”

No, most people didn't know, but Josette did. And so did her grandmother.

So as fun as this walk down memory lane was…“I need to find Marie.”

Josette stiffened.

“Where is she?”

“How the hell should I know?” Josette turned away. “Get out of here and—”

Maya lunged forward and grabbed her arm, holding tight. Adam never moved.

Josette shuddered at her touch.

“I need to find her. It's very,
very
important.” Josette might have turned her back on the old ways, but Marie hadn't. She never would.

“
Rete!
Let go.” The words were gritted between clenched teeth.

Maya dropped her hand, but didn't step back.

Josette glared at her. “I haven't talked to
grand-mere
in months. I have no idea where she is—”

“Bullshit.” Sure, Josie might have stopped the visits and the phone calls to protect her new image, but Maya didn't buy for one minute that she didn't know where Marie was. “You're probably sending rent money to her. All I need is the address.”

Adam stalked forward, and Maya was suddenly, fiercely aware of him at her side.

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.