Night Sins (5 page)

E
than followed Kayla up the stairs leading to her loft-style apartment, watching as she kicked off her shoes and tossed her keys onto a tiny table to the right of her front door. A second later, the room was flooded with lights, displaying a cozy room with wood-paneled walls and hardwood floors. The room was given a warm feeling by the presence of throw rugs, an overstuffed couch, and a corner fireplace. But much like his own apartment, he saw no pictures, no connection to family. Perhaps that was one of the things that had always drawn him to Kayla. They were both without roots, without anything but duty to drive them to tomorrow.

Yet, still, they lived by different rules, in different worlds.

Kayla sat down at a corner computer desk and began to punch keys. “I just need to check in with the Council and grab a few things and we can go.”

Ethan gave her a quick nod as he stepped farther into the room and settled down on the couch. He’d only agreed to take her back to the hotel for one reason, and that was to keep her safe. The more he had considered the risks of her exposure, the less he’d been willing to leave her out there on her own.

The closer she was to him, the more control he had over her exposure to the Brothers. Why that was so important to him, he didn’t know. There were plenty of people who would call him a cold-hearted bastard who cared about no one but himself. He’d never cared what they said about him. It didn’t matter. Fighting wars meant making tough, often unpopular, decisions. He’d made his share and earned his reputation for his ability to do so.

But could he make that kind of calculated decision if it impacted Kayla? For the first time in his life, he wasn’t sure. She’d gotten to him on a deeper level than the physical. Gotten to him in a way he couldn’t explain. Not unless she was indeed his mate. But how was that possible? She wasn’t a vampire.

From where he sat he could see her work and he found himself wanting to see the real Kayla, not the fantasy, and wishing that damn blond wig gone. When he got her back to his room, it was the first thing he was getting rid of. Right before her clothes.

With the punch of a key, Kayla pushed to her feet. “Okay. I’m ready. Nothing new tonight I haven’t already dealt with. You have a computer I can check in on, right?”

“Of course,” he said, standing up. “Since when does the Council e-mail you assignments?”

“It’s fairly new. We used to be flying blind, patrolling and making our own contacts. But now, The Portal Guardians are all set up under the guise of operating paranormal investigation operations. They get tons of calls from all over the country and those are funneled through to the proper Watchers for investigation.” She rolled her eyes. “We get a lot of active imaginations sending us on wild goose chases, but it comes with the job.”

“Interesting,” Ethan said, wondering if the goose chases she mentioned might not be too much of a distraction. But then, vampires rarely agreed with the methods of The Council.

His cell phone rang and Ethan reached for it, noting the private caller ID as Rigo’s. He frowned and punched the answer button. Rigo wouldn’t call without cause. “Problems?”

“One of the dancers left Secret Sins to get her things. She called Michael and told him she thought someone was following her. Halfway through the call, she screamed and the line went dead.”

There was only one other woman at Secret Sins he knew on an intimate level. “Who is it?”

“Carrie.”

And that was her. Ethan’s blood went cold. “What’s her address?”

“I’ve got a team headed out to check on her now,” Rigo said.

Ethan spoke through clenched teeth. “What’s her address?”

A beeping sound from Kayla’s purse drew his attention and he looked up to see her retrieving her phone. He memorized the address Rigo gave him and hung up in time to see Kayla reading a text message.

She looked up, her face pale. “We have a problem.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” he mumbled. “Tell me what it is on the road. I need to check on one of the dancers.”

“The Council knows about the Brothers, Ethan. They want me to check on a possible victim and report back immediately.” He could see her mind racing. “I need to change. I can’t fight like this.” She ripped the wig off and tossed it to the ground and then eyed her phone. “99 Walker Street.” Her gaze went to his. “You know the address?”

Ethan cursed. “It’s the same address Rigo just gave me. You have two minutes to change. I’ll meet you out front with the car.”

She nodded and then reached out, touching his arm. “If you leave me I’ll show up anyway.”

He gave her a nod. “I have no intention of leaving you.” And he didn’t. He planned to keep her close and safe.

“Okay then,” she said, studying his face and appearing satisfied with his answer. “I’ll see you out front.”

Only minutes later, Ethan pulled in front of Kayla’s apartment to find her standing at the curb, dressed in black from head to toe.

She yanked open the door and slid inside, tossing a small bag in the back, which he assumed contained her wig and previous get up.

“You know the victim?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said, hating the truth, feeling responsible. “I know her.”

“Maybe it’s not too late.”

Ethan ground his teeth again. “Maybe.” But he knew the chances of Carrie being alive were next to zero. If she’d been attacked when she was on the phone with Michael, too much time had passed. Yet another woman in his life had found her demise. And here he was keeping Kayla close, as if that would keep her safe.

Perhaps the best thing he could do was get the hell away from her.

 

99 Walker Street had a similar set up as Kayla’s own neighborhood. Side by side apartments lined both sides of the road, with street-side doors leading into second floor lofts. In Carrie’s case, she also had a back entrance, offering Kayla and Ethan two points of entry to consider.

Having parked the car a mile away in a small garage, careful to be discreet, they approached the apartment on foot. Exchanging a quick look, they silently agreed to approach the rear of the building. Though both Kayla and Ethan were well armed, their guns were holstered. They were both aware of their limitations. Discretion was critical for safety reasons, but neither of them wanted attention brought to the paranormal world, either.

Kayla surveyed the dark windows, the interior as pitch black as the outside of the building. With her instincts not quite right yet, she felt more on edge than normal.

They squatted down at the edge of the wall, inspecting the door. “I have a bad feeling about this,” Kayla whispered.

“You and me both,” Ethan murmured softly.

A scream from inside the building put them both in motion. “I’ll take the front,” Ethan said, already moving.

Kayla didn’t watch his departure, her attention on the ground in front of her, on the door she had to go inside. A warning screamed in her head and she started running, her hand going to the knife sheathed just inside her jacket at her ribcage.

She had reached for the doorknob when her instincts told her someone was behind her, to her right. She kicked, making hard contact, and drew her knife. Rotating around she found herself faced with not one, but three male vampires. She inhaled, absorbing their emotions, their hatred, and making it her own. Frustrated, as the task was more difficult than usual, she still managed to let their emotions fill her.

She threw a punch, and another, successfully fielding what was thrown at her. This wasn’t the first time she’d been outnumbered, though it was her first time facing vampires. They were strong. So damn strong. But she didn’t let herself think about it. She couldn’t. She
would
survive and save that girl.

Suddenly, Ethan was there. One of her attackers was thrown aside, tossed like he was nothing. Kayla caught a glance of Ethan as he reached for another attacker, leaving her with only one to deal with, and
one
she could easily handle.

She kicked him solidly in the chest and he stumbled to the ground. Rushing forward, she straddled him, holding the knife above his chest, ready to plant it in his heart. The old fables about a stake in the heart killing a vampire were true, of course. At least, to some degree. Shove a stake—or, in this case, a knife—in anyone’s heart, and they died. She reared back and prepared to plant the knife.

A male voice roared through the air. “Do it and she dies.”

Kayla froze, knife drawn back, arm lifted high. She looked up for the source of the voice. And that’s when she saw the woman, her back held against the broad chest of a muscular male, a blade at her throat.

Ethan spoke then, his voice as tense as she felt. “Rigo? What the hell are you doing?”

“That’s Rigo?” she asked, still poised to slam the knife into the vampire’s chest, not daring to look away from the man she still held captive.

Kayla’s question was ignored as the man called Rigo answered Ethan. “I’m showing you who has the real power,” Rigo said. The two vampires who’d been battling Ethan moved to stand on either side of him.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Ethan demanded. “What kind of game are you playing?”

Jac rounded the corner and he wasn’t alone. Two more muscle-bound vampires framed him. “No game,” Jac said. “Rigo simply got smart. He was tired of fighting for a king who gives no rewards.”

“This is the Rigo you trusted?” Kayla demanded of Ethan, planting her foot on the vampire’s chest beneath her so she could survey the situation. At the same time, she eased her knife to the front of her body rather than poised above her head.

Ethan didn’t get to respond to Kayla. Rigo did it for him. “I am indeed the Rigo he stupidly trusted.”

Rigo eyed Kayla and gave her an evil smile. He touched the blade to the woman’s neck. The woman whimpered. “Help me.”

“I am also the Rigo who will slice her neck if you don’t drop your weapon and back away.”

She clenched her jaw and stared down at the vampire on the ground, fighting the urge to be done with him. “I don’t mind cutting her,” Rigo said, as if he sensed her resistance. “Unlike Ethan, I don’t fight my nature. I like blood.” He laughed, amused at himself. “Give me a reason to cut her, Watcher.
Please.”

With a frustrated sigh, she threw the knife away and took several steps backward. “Stand beside Ethan,” Jac ordered.

She did as he said, not unhappy about her new position. Together, she and Ethan would be stronger. But she didn’t look at Ethan as she took her place by his side, afraid to take her eyes off their enemies.

“Turn around,” Jac ordered, walking toward them, his eyes locking with Ethan’s. When neither of them moved, Jac raised his voice. “Turn around or the girl dies.”

Ethan glanced at Kayla and gave her a tiny nod that said they really had no choice. Slowly, they did as they were told, moving in unison.

“Put your hands on the wall,” Jac ordered.

Kayla and Ethan did as they were told. They stood there, hands before them, eyes locked. She could see his mind racing with potential escape options. Hers was doing the same thing. Strategic moves played in her head.

But before a solid plan could form, Jac was there, close, his hands on her hips. “I’ll need to search you for weapons.”

Kayla felt herself recoil and then anger formed. She started to turn, ready to fight to the death, ready to stop this now. But she wasn’t the only one who reacted violently.

She heard Ethan curse even as he turned and reached for Jac, yanking him forward. “You sorry bastard,” Ethan spat at Jac. “I’ll kill you.”

Kayla had to get to the girl. She started running toward Rigo but it was too late. The woman she’d intended to save fell to the ground, lifeless. Kayla didn’t stop. She charged forward, determined to make Rigo pay. But, suddenly, a sharp pain pinched her shoulder and dizziness rushed over her. She reached toward the pain to find a dart stuck in her skin. Kayla yanked it out and tossed it aside, knowing she was in big trouble.

She turned to find Ethan, just in time to see not one, but three, darts hit him. “Ethan!” she screamed, seeing him stumble even as she started to run toward him. But her legs were like jelly and she started to fall, slipping into darkness.

E
than woke with a jerk, trying to sit up, only to find his hands tied above his head. He eyed his surroundings, taking in the dimly lit space and realizing he was inside a cargo van of some sort. Beside him, Kayla still slept, clearly under the influence of the drug they’d been given, her hands also tied. Thank God, she was okay and still with him.

Sedation didn’t last long on a vampire with elder blood such as his own. But they’d filled him with plenty of drugs. The heaviness of his limbs left no doubt of that. The question was—why bother even trying to sedate him? Why not just kill him and be done with it?

Whatever the reason, Ethan didn’t plan to find out. He yanked at the thick, corded ropes, testing their strength. Yanked again. Nothing. They were solid.

“Ethan?” Kayla jerked upward, trying to escape, only to find she couldn’t budge. She eyed the restraints before fixing her gaze on him. “Where are we?”

“Nowhere good,” Ethan said, rolling to his side to face her. “Are you okay?”

She blew a strand of raven hair from her eyes. She nodded. “Considering the circumstances, fine.” Her head lifted as she surveyed the van. “There was a knife in my boot they might not have found.”

“How exactly would you propose we get to it?”

She frowned. “I don’t hear you making suggestions. We have to get free. We’re outnumbered and they’re stronger than us.”

“They’re young and weak,” Ethan said. “Not even a close match for me. All except Rigo. He’s of elder warrior blood like myself.”

She stared at him a minute as if he were insane. “Forgive me for saying so, but we both got our asses kicked.”

Ethan gave her an irritated look. In some ways, he was a typical male vampire; namely, he didn’t like his ability to protect his woman questioned. He ground his teeth. Not that she was his woman. No matter how much his body screamed that she was his mate, it was impossible. Both biologically and realistically. To be together would be a crime in both their worlds. Besides, his willingness to die in battle had always been an advantage. Being alone meant no one to worry about in life or death.

Even the deaths of those women close to him hadn’t affected him as Kayla did. Yes, they upset him because he felt as if he’d created the women’s death sentences. But he was a warrior. He knew the evils of battle, the poison of the enemy. But Kayla was changing him. He couldn’t begin to think of her death, even in a mission of war, even knowing she was born into a life of battle.

No. He wouldn’t see her die. No matter what he had to do, he wouldn’t let harm come to her. With that decision, he shackled her legs with his own bigger, stronger one, pulling her close even as he moved toward her.

“What are you doing?” Kayla demanded, her soft curves now pressed to his body.

“When a vampire drinks blood, he is stronger. I need to be stronger, Kayla.”

Her face went pale. “What are you saying?”

He stared into her eyes, hoping she would see and feel the good intentions in his actions. But he couldn’t give her time to debate his actions. Any minute, the van could stop, and the door would open.

“Forgive me, little one,” he said, and he sunk his teeth into her neck. Their lives might well depend on him drinking of her. And being a Watcher, she would offer him more power than a human.

Kayla stiffened beneath his bite, a gasp escaping her lips. Ethan stroked her back, telling her without words he meant her no harm. And she didn’t fight. Slowly, her body eased into his. Slowly, she gave him her trust.

And he knew then, with her blood on his tongue, that Kayla was indeed his mate. Somewhere in her bloodline, she had a vampire ancestor. He closed his eyes, losing himself to the next few seconds, tasting the truth as it flowed through his veins. He felt her connection to him in his body, in his soul. But fate had played an evil trick on them. For he didn’t dare complete the three blood exchanges needed to fully mate. He could never fully claim Kayla.

Kayla whispered his name, drawing him back to the present. Ethan reminded himself to be careful, not to drink too much. Though he no longer lived with the thirst, the taste of blood revived the hunger. And the taste of one’s mate set a male on fire. Ethan forced himself to pull away, to seal Kayla’s wound with his tongue.

He pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

But she didn’t yell, didn’t complain. “Just tell me you can kick their asses now.”

He laughed. He didn’t remember anyone ever making him laugh the way she did. “Yes. Now I can kick some ass.”

She smiled. “Good. Because I really want to beat some vampire ass.”

Ethan laughed at her outrageous comment. “As long as it’s not mine.”

“Oh, we have some fighting to do, Ethan,” she said, leaning back to fix him in a reprimanding stare. Her eyes darkened. “Don’t take what isn’t given freely ever again.”

He gave her a short nod. “You have my word.”

“Good,” she said, seemingly satisfied. “But when this is over, there will be further conversation over what just happened.”

“I certainly hope so,” he said, leaning forward to claim her lips. And though he merely brushed her mouth with his own, not daring to linger, he couldn’t help wondering how he would ever walk away from her.

He knew he had no other choice.

 

Kayla watched as Ethan yanked hard and broke the rope holding his arms over his head. “You weren’t kidding about being stronger now.”

He didn’t respond but focused on ripping the ties from his wrists and tossing them aside. And just in time. The van pulled to a stop.

“Oh crap,” Kayla murmured, her heart racing. She wanted to be free so she could fight. She didn’t have any plans to die this night, or anytime soon, for that matter. “Untie me. Hurry.”

But Ethan didn’t do as she bid. Instead, she watched in horror as he bit his wrist, drawing blood. A second later, he was by her side, shoving his arm at her mouth. “Drink. We can’t wait until we’re trapped again. We need to act now.”

She shook her head, curling her lips inward. What the hell was he thinking? She wasn’t a vampire. “Drink, Kayla. My blood is rich with power. Power you’ll need to survive this night.”

She shook her head, refusing again.

Ethan made a frustrated sound. “You said you trust me,” he said. “If that’s true, do as I ask now. I mean you no harm. You can sense that.”

The front doors opened and shut. Kayla didn’t have time to process, only to trust. And trust Ethan she did. She drank long and deep, surprised that the taste didn’t make her gag. In fact, it was sweet and easy to swallow.

The sound of someone messing with the back door said they were out of time. Ethan yanked his arm away from Kayla, leaving her to her own devices to free herself—clearly more confident than she that she could do so—and he moved toward the exit, preparing to attack.

Kayla yanked at her ropes, amazed to find she could, indeed, break them, amazed to find how powerful she felt.

As she tore the restraints away, the doors burst open and Ethan charged forward. Kayla quickly made her way to the edge of the van. She could see Ethan surrounded by a group of vampires a few feet away. Though he was holding his own and then some, he needed her help and he was going to get it. But before she could exit the van, Jac appeared, blocking her way.

“Ethan’s a little busy right now,” he said, smiling. “But no worries. I’ll take care of you myself.”

“You can try,” she said, grabbing a strap across the top of the van and kicking her feet at him. She slammed him in the chest and he stumbled backward.

Not about to wait until he found his footing again, she jumped out of the van and landed in a squatting position, retrieving her knife from inside her boot at the same time. She dared a quick sideways glance at Ethan, noting he now battled only two vampires, having taken down several others. Nothing but old vacant warehouses surrounded them, and Kayla couldn’t place their exact location. The only positive thing about being in the middle of what appeared like nowhere was a lack of humans to worry about.

Jac started to get up and she charged at him, hand wrapped around the handle of her weapon. Strong legs had always been a plus for Kayla, and they were even stronger now. She used them, kicking Jac again, relieved to see him land flat on his back.

She caught a look on his face, too. A look that said he was as surprised as she was with her newfound strength, strength born of Ethan’s blood and of her own ability to funnel her enemy’s malice. And one thing was for sure: Jac had plenty of darkness in him to use to her benefit.

Kayla dove at Jac, ready to go hand to hand with him, only to find herself lifted mid-air and pulled hard against a muscular body. “Not so fast.”

Her heart skipped a beat. She knew the voice. It was Rigo. And she remembered what Ethan had said. Rigo had elder blood in him. He was the strongest enemy she had to face today. She didn’t want to give him the upper hand, and as long as he held her from behind, that was what he had. Her elbow landed solidly in his ribs but he didn’t budge. She followed that by planting her knife in the meat of his thigh muscle.

He laughed. “I like pain.”

Damn! Kayla’s blood was pumping, her adrenaline in overdrive. She had to get free. As if he sensed she was about to act, Rigo lifted her off her feet, carrying her with the ease of someone lifting a small child.

Kayla screamed for Ethan, having no idea if he could hear her, half afraid she’d break his concentration and get him hurt. Worse, she could see Jac was getting to his feet. Now, she’d have Jac and Rigo to deal with at the same time. Jac she could take. But Jac and Rigo together, she wasn’t so sure.

 

Ethan’s blood boiled into pure rage when he saw Rigo carrying Kayla toward an old warehouse in the distance. He yanked a dagger from the waistband of the vampire he was facing off with and jammed it in the vampire’s gut. A second later, Ethan removed the dagger and watched as the enemy crumbled to the ground.

All strategic thoughts of using Jac and Rigo to find the main operation of the Blood Brothers disappeared. Ethan simply wanted this over and Kayla safe.

Ethan charged at Jac, who eagerly met him halfway. But then, Jac had no idea Ethan had fed, no idea that Ethan had the strength of Kayla’s blood. Jac was young and weak, no match for Ethan. With a mere few blows exchanged, Ethan was able to bury his weapon in Jac’s chest. Before bidding farewell to the traitor he’d once called a friend, Ethan gathered Jac’s armory, including three silver stars.

Then Ethan took off running. When he was close enough, he fired those stars into Rigo’s back with all his might. One. Rigo jerked but kept running. Two. He stumbled. Three. Rigo stopped in his tracks. Ethan raced forward, closing the distance between himself and Rigo, desperate to get to Kayla.

But Kayla proved she could fight, and fight well, on her own. She took advantage of Rigo’s injuries, struggling with such fierceness that for several seconds she broke free. Ethan felt an instant of relief that was quickly smashed as Rigo grabbed her again and turned to face Ethan, Kayla as his shield.

“I’d love nothing more than to kill your woman, Ethan.”

“Hurt her and I swear I’ll make you beg for death.”

Kayla fixed Ethan in a look and then let her gaze discreetly move to the knife in Rigo’s leg, silently telling Ethan her intentions. For several seconds, Ethan and Kayla stared at one another. One. Two. Three. Kayla reached for the knife, and, at the same time, Ethan moved forward.

In a hard, fast blow, Kayla slammed the knife into Rigo’s side. Rigo roared with pain, his injuries finally taking a toll on him, his grip on Kayla going slack. Instantly, Kayla skirted away, out of reach.

Ethan blasted into Rigo, taking them both down to the ground, Ethan on top. The stars were still planted in Rigo’s back and Rigo screamed out as they pressed deeper into his skin. Ethan shoved Rigo’s shoulders hard against the dirt, ensuring the silver made complete penetration. With that action, with the pain it delivered to Rigo, what could have been a war became another easy victory. Ethan removed the knife from Rigo’s side and sent it barreling into his chest.

“That,” Ethan said between clenched teeth, “was for our king.” He stood up, straddling Rigo’s big body, and spit down on the vampire who had been a trusted member of his government’s most elite military. “Traitor.” He stepped away from Rigo, disgusted that someone of Rigo’s stature would behave with such evil.

Kayla appeared by Ethan’s side. “Feels kind of anticlimactic.”

He quirked a brow. “Meaning?”

“I thought they’d be harder to beat.” She smiled. “They weren’t so tough.”

“They were nothing. Just a couple of greedy bastards with a private agenda. The Blood Brothers aren’t so easy to defeat. Their leader wants to rule more than his own people’s destiny: he wants to rule the vampire world and move on from there.”

“And he’s starting with Las Vegas,” she said.

“No,” Ethan said. “Vegas is one statement of power.”

She eyed the warehouse. “Any hope this is their main operation?”

Ethan shook off the idea. “Not a chance. The Blood Brothers have money and power. This is nothing but a place where Jac planned to murder us.”

Kayla hugged herself with those words. “We should check it out anyway.”

He nodded. “Agreed.”

Thirty minutes later they’d finished their search, and, as Ethan had expected, there were no signs of the Blood Brothers. They did, however, find a phone and he called for help. The van’s tires had been sliced sometime in the midst of battle. A car was on its way to pick them up and he’d arranged a crew to clean up evidence of their battle.

Kayla sat down on an old crate and sighed, her frustration obvious. “So we basically achieved nothing, it seems.” She ran her hand through her wind-ruffled hair. “Nothing besides killing a few assholes.”