Zane’s Redemption (2 page)

Zane’s heartbeat accelerated as Samson hurled wrong accusation after wrong accusation at him. “I didn’t feed off him.”

Samson blinked in surprise. “You murdered him in cold blood?”

Zane swore he could still hear the guy’s screams of pain and fear. The recollection caused his gums to itch, a sure sign that his fangs were eager to descend and come out to play. “And I enjoyed every single second of it.”

“My God, you have no heart.” Samson took an instinctive step back, clearly taken aback by his admission.

“I wouldn’t say that. For a while there, I had two.”

Samson pounded his fist onto the desk, apparently not enjoying Zane’s sense of humor. Zane didn’t care; he wasn’t Samson's court jester.

“Do you have any idea what risks you were taking? This could expose us!”

Zane lunged for the desk, bracing his hands on it. “What would you have done, huh? That fucking asshole was raping an innocent girl! At knifepoint!”

With satisfaction, he noticed the widening of Samson’s eyes. “Yes, that’s right. But you always assume the worst of me, don’t you?” Just as everybody else did.

“She was an innocent, and he raped her, just put a knife to her throat and violated her. What if that had been your wife, or your sister? What if somebody did that to your daughter? Would you then stand here, self-righteously talking about exposure? Or would you rip the jerk a new one?”

Zane thrust his chin up in challenge, and knew he’d won this round.

As a blood-bonded vampire, Samson was fiercely protective of his human wife, Delilah, and their two-month-old daughter Isabelle. He would gladly give his own life to protect theirs and wouldn’t think twice about killing anyone who threatened them.

When Samson closed his eyes for a moment and raked his hand through his raven black hair, Zane relaxed his aggressive stance.

“You could have made it a clean kill. There was no need to butcher him.”

“There was need.” He’d needed it. He’d needed to see him suffer. A clean kill wouldn’t have satisfied him. “Breaking his neck wouldn’t have hurt him. I had to set an example.”

“An example of what?”

“That evil will be eradicated; that rapists will pay for their crimes.”

“You can’t make an example of someone when nobody knows why you did it!”

Zane let out a sharp breath. “The fact that he had his pants down to his ankles didn’t tell you enough? What do you guys want, a sign around his neck that says ‘rapist’?”

“The article didn’t mention anything about his pants being down.”

“Then maybe you should check your facts with your contact at the police first before accusing me of being a cold-blooded murderer.”

Because of Samson’s friendship with the mayor, who was a hybrid—half-vampire, half-human—he had a direct line to the police department, a fact that came in handy on occasion. Maybe Samson should have used his contacts before he’d gone to town on him.

Zane straightened and turned toward the door.

“Oh, we’re not done,” Samson said calmly.

Zane raised an eyebrow as he spun around to face him.

“The fact remains that you slaughtered a man and left his body for anybody to find. It goes against everything Scanguards stands for.”

As Samson paused, a nauseating feeling spread in Zane’s gut. Was his boss planning on firing him? Scanguards was his life, his family, his only link to humanity. Without it, he would descend into darkness and give into his most evil desires. He would only live for revenge and nothing else, leading him onto a path that was sure to destroy him. He was smart enough to know that if Scanguards wasn’t there to ground him in reality any longer, he’d lose the last bit of his soul and turn as evil as the men responsible for his transformation into a vampire.

“No …” he choked out, feeling his throat constrict at the thought of losing everything that meant anything to him. The faces of his colleagues and friends flashed before him: the scarred face of Gabriel, Scanguards’ second in command and the man who’d first hired him; Thomas, the gay biker with the IT-Geek brain; Amaury, his linebacker-sized friend whose huge size detracted from the fact that he had the softest heart of any man Zane had ever met, particularly when it came to his blood-bonded mate Nina; and even Yvette, the prissy woman who’d been a pain in the butt until two months ago when she’d found her soul mate, the witch-turned-vampire Haven.

His thoughts wandered further, back to New York and his friend Quinn who was responsible for him still being alive. If Quinn hadn’t pulled him out of the downward spiral he’d been in at the time and introduced him to Gabriel, he would probably be dust by now. He couldn’t give all this up. Those were his friends, the only people he could rely on.

“Sit down,” Samson ordered.

“I’d rather stand.” If Samson was going to fire him, he would take it like a man.

“Suit yourself. I’ll discuss this situation with Gabriel later, but I’m sure we’ll be of the same mind.”

Figured! When didn’t those two agree on something, particularly when it came to the punishment of fellow vampires? Sticklers for rules, both of them! Fuck, he was a vampire, not some idiot human. He had his own rules.

“In the meantime,” Samson went on, “I’m pulling you off your assignment and revoking your class A status.”

Zane clenched his jaw shut. Having Scanguards’ highest clearance revoked meant being ineligible for any dangerous or high-importance assignments. It meant being relegated to routine duties. Samson might as well have chopped his hands off.

“You can’t …” He was no fucking rent-a-cop with a beer belly and a bad haircut sitting in the lobby of a deserted building all night, guarding empty offices.

Samson held up his hand. “Before you say anything you might regret later, I’d like you to listen.”

Zane snorted. Regret wasn’t part of his vocabulary. Neither was remorse.

“I can’t risk having a loose cannon on my staff. Until we’ve figured out how to mitigate the risk you represent, you’ll work in low-risk and low-stress areas. You’ll have my final decision in two days.”

Zane nodded stiffly. “Fine,” he pressed out, barely parting his lips so he wouldn’t bare the fangs that had descended the moment the rage had started to grip him.

Low-risk! Low-stress!

What the fuck was Samson insinuating? That he was having a nervous breakdown? Those were for fucking sissies, not for men like him! He’d shove a nervous breakdown up their asses if they gave him any more shit about this.

Zane left Samson’s study and resisted the urge to slam the door. His long legs ate up the distance as he hurried along the dark, wood-paneled corridor that led to the foyer. He couldn’t wait to get out of the Victorian home that suddenly felt oppressive. He needed to smash something.

“Low-stress!” he cursed under his breath.

“Evening, Zane!” Delilah’s calm voice came from his left.

He whipped his head toward her and watched her walk down the broad mahogany staircase, her infant daughter cradled in her arms.

“Delilah.” He was unable to be any more civil than that. After all, her mate had just insulted him.

She smiled at him when a beeping sound from the kitchen put a frown on her face. “Oh, no, the cookies, I almost forgot.”

Before he realized what she wanted to do, she stretched out her arms and put the baby against his chest. “Here, hold her for a moment. I’ve gotta take the cookies out or they’ll burn.”

Instinctively, his arms came up to hold the baby before Delilah rushed toward the kitchen. “But, I …” His protest was too late. Shit!

He looked down at the little bundle in his arms, not knowing what to do next when the baby opened its eyes. They were as green as her mother’s and just as beautiful. The little girl looked straight at him. She was a hybrid, a half-human, half-vampire child, possessing the attributes of both species.

She could be out in daylight without burning, yet she would have the strength and speed of a vampire once she was fully grown. Even as a child, she was stronger and would grow faster than a purely human child. While she could eat human food, she could also sustain herself on blood. And once she had reached maturity, she would stop aging just like a full-blooded vampire.

The best of both worlds, she was a tiny wonder. Only vampire males were fertile, but they could only procreate with blood-bonded human females. Vampire females were infertile. However, this little girl had lucked out: her human genes assured she was fertile. She would make Samson a grandfather one day; and her children would be hybrids like her, no matter who the father was.

Fascinated, Zane stared at the miracle in his arms and stroked his knuckles over her rosy cheeks. He hadn’t felt such softness and sweetness since his little sister had been a baby. Ten years her senior, he’d often taken care of her, fed her, and lulled her to sleep.

“You sweet little girl,” he whispered and noticed how she opened her mouth to smile at him. Tiny little fangs peeked from her upper gums.

The baby’s little hand reached for him, and he obliged her and allowed her to capture his index finger with her fist. Her grip was strong, pulling his finger toward her face with ease. Before he could register what was happening, she drew his finger to her mouth and wrapped her lips around it. Sharp fangs descended into his flesh.

“Ouch!” He jerked his finger from her. Blood dripped from it. Zane looked back at the baby and saw her smack her lips together as if she wanted more. The little devil had bitten him!

He shook his head and looked up, his gaze colliding with Delilah’s. Her mouth gaping open, she stared at his bleeding finger and then at her daughter’s mouth.

“She bit you.” Not a question, simply a statement. “She’s never bitten anybody before. You do know what that means, don’t you?”

Ah, shit, he knew only too well.

Chapter Three

Portia Lewis shut her laptop and slid it into her shoulder bag together with her course book, waiting for her best friend, Lauren, to do the same.

“Are you going to Michael’s party tonight?”

Portia shook her head as she and Lauren fought their way through the throng of students exiting the lecture hall. “I still have to prepare for tomorrow’s criminal psychology test.”

Lauren made a dismissive hand movement. “Piece of cake. Besides—” She bent closer and lowered her voice. “—you can always use your powers.”

Portia jumped back and gave her a scolding look. “You know we’re not allowed to do that!”

It had been drilled into her as far back as she could remember. Both her father, a full-blooded vampire, and her mother, a human, had instilled in her that she had to hide what she was at all times: a hybrid, half vampire, half human. The only reason she could even talk to Lauren about this was because her friend was just like her.

When Portia and her dad had moved to San Francisco after her mother’s death in a car accident six months earlier, she had struck up a friendship with the mayor’s daughter after realizing that Lauren was a hybrid too. They were signed up for many of the same courses at the University of San Francisco, a private catholic school. Because the aura of hybrids was so different from humans, they had recognized each other instantly, both glad to have a best friend they had so much in common with.

When she’d told her father about her new friend, he’d seemed displeased, making Portia wonder whether he was somewhat envious that she had instantly found a friend while he still mourned the loss of his wife. She missed her mother terribly, but she knew she had to get on with her life. Luckily, Portia had always been good at making friends quickly. It was a survival mechanism she’d developed early on, because her family rarely stayed anywhere for longer than a year. Her father always moved them to a new town just when she started to feel at home. She understood it to a certain degree. As a vampire, he had to be careful not to attract attention. Humans around him would eventually find it odd that he never ventured outside the home during the day, never extended or accepted dinner invitations, and didn’t age. She had accepted it, but at the same time, she longed for a place to grow roots and stay.

“Eric will be there,” Lauren baited her and brought her back to the present. “You know he likes you.”

Portia felt her cheeks flame and wished that her vampire side prevented her from blushing, but unfortunately only full-blooded vampires didn’t blush. As so often before, she covered her insecurity about guys with an offhanded remark. “You know he’s not all that hot. I’ve been with more exciting guys before.”

What a big lie that was! She’d never had a boyfriend, but not even Lauren knew that. Despite the fact that they were friends, Portia still hadn’t been able to confide in her that the prospect of getting naked with a guy not only made her nervous, but terrified her.

“Not hot? You’re kidding me. Eric is pretty much the number one heartthrob on campus.”

“Shh, not so loud,” Portia cautioned. “I don't need everybody hearing us talking about him.” She cast a nervous look over her shoulder, hoping none of Eric’s friends were close.

Lauren put her hand on her arm, making Portia halt in midstride. She turned to look at her friend, wondering why Lauren suddenly gave her this penetrating look. “What?”

Lauren’s eyes bored into her. “Oh, my God, why didn’t I see this earlier?”

“Hey, move along, or get out of my way,” an impatient voice ordered from behind.

Portia stepped aside to get out of the person’s way when Lauren dragged her into the closest doorway.

“What are you doing?” Portia protested.

“We’ve gotta talk,” Lauren insisted as she darted cautious looks down the corridor as if about to reveal a big secret. She opened the door to a small study room and, finding it empty, virtually pushed Portia inside, shutting the door behind her.

“Lauren, I’ve got another class in five minutes.” Portia glanced impatiently at her wristwatch and hugged her bag to her chest. “I’ve already told you that I can’t go to the party because of that criminal psychology test. Honestly, I’ve been to plenty of parties in my life, and they’re all the same. It really gets boring after a while. So don’t be a nag.”