On the Prowl (Bad Things #2)(11)

Before the woman could scream, he snapped her neck.





Chapter Three


“Stop the bike!” Rose yelled. She tightened her hold on Julian. He’d driven for miles, and he hadn’t spoken a word to her during that ride. She had no idea where he was taking her or what he planned, but she wasn’t just going to disappear into the dark.

He didn’t stop.

How typical of him.

Eyes narrowing, she leaned even closer to him. “Stop the bike, Julian,” she said, nearly purring the words into his ear. She wasn’t sure if a compulsion would work on another paranormal creature—she’d actually never tried to work her power on someone like him—but she figured she had nothing to lose.

Only the guy just kept driving.

Her breath blew out in a huff as the wind whipped against her. Fine, if that was the game he wanted to play…

He didn’t have on a helmet. Neither did she. No helmet, no leather jacket. He had on a t-shirt, and the back of his neck was exposed to her. Truly, in that instance, what was a hungry vamp to do, but take a bite?

Rose leaned forward. She put her mouth to his neck. Her lips feathered over his skin, then her tongue slid out and lightly licked him.

The motorcycle jerked to the left.

Then Julian was braking the bike. Swearing up a storm, but braking and then he whirled to face her on the motorcycle. Their faces were close, their mouths just inches apart.

“What in the hell kind of game are you playing?” His voice was a low, dangerous growl. “I pulled your sweet ass from one wreck tonight. Are you in the mood for a second?”

“My kiss distracts you enough for a wreck?” She let her brows climb. “Interesting. Now I certainly do wonder what my bite would have done.”

But, before he could reply, she jumped from the motorcycle. All she’d wanted was for him to stop and she’d gotten what she wanted. Now to get away from him as fast as she—

His hand flew out and locked around her wrist. Stupid lightning-fast shifter reflexes.

“Love, you’ve been around humans for so long that you’ve forgotten just how strong others paranormals can be.”

Rose’s chin notched up. “Not like that whole forced close-proximity to humans bit was my choice.” None of the madness ever had been—that was the problem. “I didn’t ask to get kidnapped by some covert government group and tossed in a cage.” But that was exactly what had happened to her. She’d spent the last few months in hell. Oh, sure, the government had a cool name for the group that had taken her—Operation Night Switch. And the group had liked to peddle some BS about using paranormals to make the world a better, safer place.

But she’d seen nothing better. She’d just learned more about betrayal and pain. Because that twisted group that had kept her for so long? The bastards who’d starved her and tortured her as they tried to turn her into the perfect weapon for Uncle Sam? The group had been headed by her own brother.

A brother who was now dead. The last of my family…gone. And she’d felt only relief when he died. “I just got my freedom,” she said, her gaze dropping to her wrist. He wasn’t hurting her with his grip. Julian had never physically hurt her. “So why are you so hell-bent on taking it away?”

“Believe it or not, I’m trying to protect you.”

Not. Her gaze rose to meet his. His golden stare blazed with the power of his panther.

“Consider me your paranormal protection, sweets. I’ve been assigned as your twenty-four, seven bodyguard. My job is to make sure that you don’t wind up in a prison again.”

Being caged again was the last place she intended to be.

“You think I don’t know that you hate being near me?” His voice had gone rougher, and he gave a bitter laugh. “Trust me, I get it. You see me and you see pain.”

That hadn’t always been the case. Once, she’d looked at him and thought she saw her future waiting. But that future was long gone. Now she just had blood and death to look forward to for the next millennia.

Provided, of course, she could manage not to get thrown into another cell.

Since becoming a vampire, she’d learned some bitter lessons.

Lesson One. Trust no one. Absolutely no one. Because even family would turn on you in an instant. You weren’t human any longer, so people tended to treat you like a monster.

Lesson Two. The paranormal world was all about survival of the fittest. The older a paranormal being was, the more powerful he or she was, too. And since Rose was a newbie, she tended to measure up terribly low on the power scale.

“Has the drug worn off?” Julian asked her.

“I’m a little sluggish, but otherwise okay.” She was low on the power scale, but Julian…he was a different beast, literally. He’d been born a paranormal, so he’d been accumulating power since before he could even talk. And the stories she’d heard about him since her transformation…

He’s the right hand of the devil. The instrument of death.

She’d never known him at all.

Rose licked her lips. “Why…why is Simon after me?” A shiver slid over her skin. “Is he connected to Operation Night Switch?”

His jaw hardened. “I think dumbass Simon is just the errand boy for another player on the paranormal scene. His boss is a guy who calls himself the ‘Collector’. My…source told me that the Collector had been using the ONS. Getting their men to help him find certain paranormals, only he had no intention of working with Uncle Sam. The guy wanted these paranormals for his own purposes. He found them, caught them, and locked them away.” His fingers stroked along the inner line of her wrist. “And he wants you now.”