Tricked: A Dark Protectors Novella (5 page)

“Where’s your mate?” Theo nearly growled.

She shook her head. “Dead. Nearly a century ago in a witch-shifter battle. We weren’t allies with the shifters then.”

Dead? Her mate was dead? Jared tried to concentrate. Shifters and witches were barely allies now, even though the most current war had ended. Jared studied her. She was so small. Tiny, delicate, and obviously frightened. Where had she been? Why hadn’t she contacted him before now? “Why are you here, Ginny?” he asked, his senses reeling. The woman had broken his heart two centuries ago, and he hadn’t prepared for seeing her again.

“I’ve been on the run and this is the first time I was able to track you down.” Her hand trembling, she reached out to touch his wrist. “I couldn’t find you before.”

Theo leaned back in the booth, irritation sizzling across his skin. “What a coincidence that you’re here now. How did you find him, anyway?”

She turned toward Theo, her gaze dropping. “He just came back on the grid a few days ago. I’ve had feelers out for years, and this was the first chance I’d gotten to find him. Stop being mean, Theo.”

Jared swallowed. Hell. This was crazy. The witch was correct in that he’d been off the grid since he’d given up being a pirate on the high seas. Theo had never liked the woman, for some reason. “Ginny, why are you scared?”

She fumbled with her wrap. “The shifter who killed my former mate is after me. He wants to finish the job.”

Jared’s breath caught. “Former mate?”

Her gaze lifted, so blue and deep. “I took the virus to negate the bond. I’m free, Jared. The mating bond is gone.”

Chapter 4

Ronni rushed into the back room of the coffee shop, her files in a backpack and a tall latte in her hand. Her steps were sure and steady. Energized and healthy. Yeah. She was back, baby.

Two of her friends were already seated, files and papers scattered in front of them. Olivia hurried in from the bathroom, her pretty face breaking into a wide smile. “Ronni!” She rushed forward for a hug.

“You weren’t kidding about making the meeting.” The cabbie must’ve sped from the airport to the shop. Ronni hugged her best friend and leaned back to look. Olly’s eyes were a sparkling blue, and she all but glowed. “You’re happy.”

“Yeah.” Olly laughed out loud. “You will be, too. I just know it.”

A man cleared his voice from the table. “What’s going on? Ronni? You look tons better.”

Ronni turned toward the off-duty detective. Lance Peters was about thirty with sharp green eyes, an angled jaw, and a pissed-off expression. His skin was a dark mocha, and unlike the month before, it now had a healthy glow. He’d been angry since his partner had died—supposedly of a suicide. “So do you. Is your shoulder healed?” Ronni asked.

“One little bullet won’t stop me,” Lance said, rubbing his shoulder after having been shot a month ago while investigating an unrelated case. “You?”

“I’m better. Maybe on the mend,” she said. “Ready to figure this thing out.” She turned toward Dr. Mabel Louis, the assistant medical examiner. “Any news on the poison?”

Mabel shook her head, her blue eyes clouding. “No. Nothing from your blood tests has shown the poison. It could be anything, Veronica. I won’t know, I mean, until…”

“Until you can cut open my heart and take a look,” Ronni said thoughtfully.

Olly slapped her on the arm. “That’s not going to happen.”

No, it wasn’t.

Mabel flushed, her pale skin turning a bright pink. “I’m sorry to be indelicate.”

“You’re not. That was the plan until recently,” Ronni murmured, taking a seat.

“You really do look better,” Lance said, his gaze tearing across her face. “Is there a chance you’ll survive this?”

“Yes,” Ronni said, unable to hold back her smile.

“How?” Mabel asked, hope leaping into her eyes.

Ronni shrugged. “It’s hard to say since we can’t identify the poison.” She cleared her throat. These were the three people she trusted most in life, which is why they were working the case off the books. The official investigation didn’t seem to be going anywhere, and she had to wonder why. “Lance? Have you finished looking through yours and Walt’s cases? Anything jump out?”

Walt was Lance’s partner, who’d died four months previous. While his death had been ruled a suicide, the facts didn’t add up. He’d been a regular psychology patient of Ronni’s, as were many of the undercover cops in the precinct. His death and her poisoning had to be related, somehow.

“There are several leads in Walt’s death.” Lance pushed manila files across the table. “I went through your list of which cases you talked to him about, and I’ve cross-referenced all of them. There has to be a connection here somewhere.”

Olivia took a seat and cleared her throat. “We’re making an assumption that the same person who killed Walt also tried to poison you, Ronni. Walt died of an overdose.”

“Walt didn’t do drugs,” Lance snapped.

“Yes, he did,” Mabel countered softly. “We all know it. Walt was struggling after losing his wife two years ago, and we all know he drank and occasionally did drugs.”

Ronni intervened before Lance could explode. “We’re not knocking him, Lance. I agree, based on every session I had with him, that he wouldn’t have killed himself by such an overdose.” The amount shot into Walt’s veins was way too much to be accidental. “Let’s find out who wanted him, and then me, dead.”

Lance shoved a red folder toward her. “Walt was working an internal case regarding drugs that had disappeared from lockup six months ago.”

Ronni reared back. “We hadn’t discussed any internal case. You think a cop took those drugs?”

Lance shrugged. “Walt did. I found the notes in the bottom of his locker at the gym.”

That would make sense. A cop could easily get to her as well with the poison.

Mabel leaned forward. “You can’t let anybody know you’re better. They might try to take you out another way.”

But she didn’t know a thing about Walt’s internal investigation. Did she? “I need to go through all my notes and files from meeting with Walt.” She’d done so once, but her body and mind had been barely working. Who knew what she’d missed.

“I disagree,” Lance said slowly, his gaze hard. “Let’s get you out there and flush the bastard out.”

Ronni’s mouth opened and then closed. “That’s a great idea. Tonight is the retirement bash for the lieutenant, right? How about I show up and prove my health?”

Mabel sputtered. “That’s dangerous. You’re not a cop.”

Yeah, but she was flirting with immortality. “I don’t care. Somebody tried to fucking kill me, and I want to know who it is. Make them pay.”

“For killing Walt, too.” Lance studied Mabel. “We need to take a look at your boss. He decided it was a suicide way too quickly.”

Mabel paled even more. “Not necessarily. Dr. Counts has been overworked for years. He might’ve just missed something.”

“Right. For now, I’ll leave these files for you to go through. They’re copies.” Lance pushed away from the table. “We’ll see. Tonight, everyone keep vigilant. Ronni, stick close to me. I’ll cover your back.”

Oh, this was crazy, but anticipation lit Ronni up.

Mabel cleared her throat. “Let’s have the Tuesday meeting at the lab. I think I’m on to something with the autopsy files, and I want to have them organized for you guys to go through.” She allowed Lance to assist her up and then smiled when he pressed her forward with a hand on her waist.

Were they seeing each other? “Bye,” Ronni murmured, waiting until Lance and Mabel had headed back to work. “I can’t wait to catch this dickhead.”

Olivia sipped her latte. “What does Jared think about you pursuing the guy who tried to kill you?”

Ronni blinked. “It’s not really his concern. Why?”

Olly shrugged. “I’m not sure. Chalton is over-the-top protective. I mean, he’s in the other room right now doing some business while I’m just meeting with friends. I haven’t given him the whole truth here.”

Ronni raised an eyebrow. “Don’t lie to your man for me.”

“Didn’t lie. Just didn’t give the whole truth.” Olly’s eyes sparkled.

It was nice to see her friend so happy. “Don’t worry about me. Jared and I have an arrangement, and he’s probably already making plans to leave town.” Why that made her recently healed heart ache a little, she didn’t want to examine. Although it would’ve been fun to play with that hard body of his. She’d never seen natural muscles like that.

Olly leaned in. “Just how bad was the mating?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, no. Nobody farted, did they?”

Ronni sputtered her coffee and then laughed. “No. I didn’t even have the energy to fart, and Jared was way too worried about being gentle and not breaking me.”

“Well, that’s good.” Mirth filled Olivia’s eyes. “Oh, he texted Chalton for your phone number, and I gave it to him. Figured that was all right.”

“Sure.” They should probably keep in touch a little.

Olivia stood. “I don’t think tonight is such a good idea, you know? You’re not a hundred percent yet.”

“Don’t care. It’s time to flush this guy out.” Besides, she felt fantastic. “Let’s keep our investigation between us, though. Promise?” If nothing else, she needed to keep her personal and professional lives separate. Talk about having a huge secret. Vampires existed, and now she was immortal. How crazy was that?

Olivia frowned. “I’m not sure.”

“Don’t lie. Just don’t say anything.” It was too late to prove her worth to a dead man, but she could do this. Could take down an enemy.

Olivia faltered. “I don’t know Jared very well, but I doubt he’d want you going after a killer on your own.”

He’d done his duty, and he was gone. Ronni took another big drink of her coffee. “The vamp is probably already halfway out of town. Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

Well, kind of.

* * * *

Jared leaned back against the door of the hotel room and crossed his arms. It had taken most of the afternoon to find a suitable place with decent security.

“Mated?” Ginny whispered, backing away. Fire flashed through her eyes. “Are you joking? You actually mated a human?” Her voice rose to shrill.

His eyebrows rose. “Yes.” She was even more beautiful today than she had been centuries ago, her fragility and lady-like qualities a direct contrast to many of the women he’d met through the years. It had been a long while since they’d been in the same room. For so long, he’d imagined her perfection. Was she really that perfect?

She stared at him and then quickly dropped her gaze. In the opulent hotel suite, she looked small and a little lost. “I can’t believe it.” Her voice trembled.

He sighed, his mind spinning. He wanted to offer her comfort, but he couldn’t touch another woman.
Wouldn’t
touch another woman since he’d mated Veronica. “It was necessary.”

“So you don’t love her.” Ginny’s head snapped back up.

He opened his mouth and then shut it again. The world seemed to be closing in on him, and he needed to think it through. “I’ll not discuss my mating with you.” If nothing else, he owed his mate that loyalty.

Ginny paled. “I see.”

Damn. He didn’t want to hurt her. She was so delicate. Once upon a time, he’d wanted nothing but to stand between her and the entire world. But she’d chosen another. “You have to understand my position here,” he said softly.

She nodded, tears gathering on her long lashes. “I do. This is my fault. When I let my father force me to mate Levi, I created this. I lost you.”

“I would’ve fought your father and Levi,” Jared said evenly.

“Yes, and somebody I loved would’ve died,” she said, wringing her hands together.

Would they have? For the first time, Jared wondered. Her father had seemed like a decent guy. Would he have truly forced his only daughter to mate somebody she didn’t love?

“I’m sorry, Jared,” she said, a tear rolling down her face.

Of course she was. He moved forward and gathered her close, against his better judgment. How could he let her be in pain? What had he been thinking? She’d always been fragile and in need of protection.

His skin itched.

He swallowed.

His tongue swelled a little.

Clearing his throat, he backed away. The mating allergy would have him on the ground in a minute if he kept touching her. It would spread to her, too.

She looked up, another tear escaping. “The allergy.”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“I’ve no right to ask you for anything.” She gestured around the suite. “I figured you’d take me to your place.”

“I don’t have a place in New York,” he said. “You’re safe here. It can’t be traced to either one of us.” Perhaps he could gain a secure place for her with the Realm. They were allies now, after all. “We’ll figure something out.”

She slowly drew her red wrap off her small body, revealing a long white dress that hugged her curves perfectly. “I need you, Jared. I always have.”

“You have a family, Ginny. They can protect you, too.” Had she not spent any time training as a witch? She should be able to make and throw fireballs. Had she been his, she’d know how to fight whether she liked it or not. “You need training.”

“No.” She sighed. “I’m not a fighter.”

Veronica was. His mind moved to how hard she’d fought to stay alive to the last second, even while he had bitten her. He should call her. Hopefully she’d gone back to bed after spending the day resting. Darkness would soon fall outside, and he wanted to check on her before the storm he smelled coming hit.

“Jared?” Ginny asked.

He shook himself back to the hotel room. “I’ll find a safe place for you.”

She licked her pink lips. “What about us?”

He straightened. “Huh?”

“Us.” Her smile turned her pretty face into sheer beauty. “I want another chance with you. Don’t you want that?”

For so long, it was all he’d wanted. But he’d given up the dream a while ago. His blood sped up. “It can’t happen.”

“Sure, it can. The virus works to negate a mating bond.” Hope lit her eyes. “I’m proof of it.”

It took a minute to catch her meaning. “Ginny.” He stood straighter. “I’m mated. My mate was human and probably still is. The virus used in a mate with a still living mate might kill her.” Ginny had to know him better than that. Once he’d made that commitment, it was absolute.