The Ripple Effect (Rhiannon's Law #3)(39)

“Not a problem. We’ve been looking for these *s all week. I’m just sorry we didn’t make it here before your friend got hurt.” He waited until I was leaning against the wall to let me go.

“Why were you looking for them?”


He snorted. “I should ask you the same question.”


“Is that supposed to mean something?”

“Only that I know this area and the people who live on its streets. You talk to one of the squatters, I’ll find out about it.”

“You knew?” I couldn’t believe it. He knew I’d talked to the old homeless man?

“I know everything. My people own this side of the city. If something goes down, I’ll know within minutes. That’s the way it works, and it’s the only reason I cut you a break when we made our deal. Although I was surprised to learn a girl was putting her nose where it didn’t belong. Only someone with a death wish would be searching for a killer.” His gaze swept over my body. “Too bad you didn’t have protection on you. Then you could have taken care of business with minimal questions asked.”

“An unmarked gun?” I tried to laugh, but stopped when my side cramped. “No way. I have a license to carry, but if the cops caught me with one of those I’d lose it and wind up in jail. Time behind bars isn’t something I’d like to experience.”

“Better than getting raped and killed.”

Excellent point. “I’ll remember that next time.”

“Why did you want those guns and so much ammo?” Bane’s voice lowered, becoming soft. “I know it wasn’t for protection.”

It was for protection, but I couldn’t tell him that. If I did, he’d ask for protection against what. He’d really think I’d fallen off my rocker if I said, “Oh well, you know, I have vampires who want to kill me. Better to have some silver rounds to hold them off just in case.”

If only I could say that, my life would be so much simpler.

Instead, I sighed. “A girl’s gotta have some secrets.”

“From the looks of it, you have secrets that will get you killed.”

“Doesn’t everyone?” Considering what he did for a living, I was sure he had a few targets on his back.

He opened his mouth to say something when police sirens echoed in the distance. We both looked in the direction of the noise, knowing they’d be on the scene in minutes.

“Listen up,” Bane said and took a step back. “You came upon the scene, you saw what was happening, and you tried to help. They attacked you, gang members showed up and offered assistance and fled when they heard the cops coming. That’s the story. Stick to it. You don’t remember faces and you don’t remember names. Got me?”

“You want me to lie?”

“Not a lie, bending the truth. Besides...” He cracked a grin. “If we get called in, so do you. I won’t hesitate to tell them what our connection is, and you wouldn’t want that. Would you?”

There was that. “You’re actually going to blackmail me?”

“Whatever it takes.” He motioned to the men with him, and they started hurrying from the alley. Then he faced me one last time. “You’ve got a mark on you.” He lifted his hand but stop shorting of touching my neck. “I noticed it the first time we met.”

He knew about the mark. Shit. How could he? Was he aware vampires existed? That they thrived in the city he considered his?

“What would you know about that?”

“More than you’d be comfortable with.”

“Try me.”

His grin was pure evil. “You have to be a newbie. Only someone fresh on the scene would buy weapons with silvers bullets and not recognize what’s selling them.”

What’s selling them? What did that mean?

“You can share at any time.” I snarked, no longer riding an adrenaline high, coming down to shaky ground.

“What do you think I am?”

At the moment, I was drawing a huge blank. I had no idea what Bane was. “Something that answers questions with questions?”

“There’s that.”

To hell with it. I was going to ask. The nagging inner voice wouldn’t let it go.


“Are you a shifter?”


I’d met plenty of lycanthropes during my trip to the future. Bane was large and mean enough to qualify as one, and I’d learned vampires and shifters weren’t exactly friendly with each other when I made a trip into the future. Maybe that’s what he was—a shifter of some kind—and recognized my mark because of it.

He answered without blinking. “I’m something worse.” His eyes swept from my head to my toes, assessing me for injuries. When the trip was over, he lifted his head and met my gaze. “You better grow eyes in the back of your head, princess. I might not be around next time.”

Instead of bestowing a sarcastic retort about him calling me princess, I replied through gritted teeth. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

He moved closer, so I could hear his softly spoken words. “You remember what I said. With that mark on your throat, you’re likely to need a friend at some point. You’re not the first person to be sucked into a life you don’t want with no way to escape, and you won’t be the last. No one associates with vampires without getting hurt. If and when you get a clue, give me a call.”