Kade's Dark Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans) (13 page)

“He thought he could play a little before killing me. I don’t even know how he got in...broke into my apartment.” Her voice trailed off. She looked down at the water bottle not wanting to look at him when she said the words. “He...he was going to rape me. I staked him instead.” She fought back tears knowing how close she’d come to being violated, killed. Kade was about to interrupt and tell her it would all be okay, but she held up her hand preventing him from speaking. “Kade, please. Don’t say anything. You warned me. I'm a big girl who makes her own decisions. Rape, violence, it’s not new to me. I mean I’m a cop. Every day this happens...just not to me.”

Kade did not want to show emotion, lest he freak the hell out right in front of Sydney. He was so furious that another vampire dared to lay a hand on her that he wanted to break something, but he knew any further violence would only demonstrate to Sydney what monsters vampires were. Now was not the time. What she needed was comfort. He needed to calm her, soothe her. He decided to save the anger, to harness it for when he obliterated his enemy. Simone, and whoever else was helping her, would pay dearly for hurting Sydney. As incensed as he was, he needed to help her heal, physically, emotionally.

He moved onto the bed, lay down beside her, and held her in his arms, cradling her against his chest. Instead of fighting him, Sydney laid her head across his chest and allowed him to hold her, to care for her. She was safe with him. She needed this. “Kade, I’m sorry. You need to know that this is who I am. I'm a fighter. And what just happened...I just can’t forget it. I plan on finding this bitch and taking her out. The dead girls, and now this. I have a feeling that it will only continue. Killers like Simone, they don’t usually stop. They hone their craft, believing they are smarter than the cops, but we usually get them. She will make a mistake, something...I sure as hell hope we get some clues about where she is down in New Orleans.”

Kade kissed the top of her head. His heart swelled at his brave warrior’s words. She’d just been attacked and here she was ready to get back in the fight. He knew that telling her ‘no’ would be useless. He would put a security detail on her once they got home.
Home? His home. Their home.
He would protect her, so this never happened again. No matter how tough she thought she was, a vampire could easily kill her. She had gotten lucky back in the condo. She wasn’t even trained to fight with vampires; a few stakes didn’t make a human safe.

Kade felt Sydney start to doze off as he held her. It felt so right to have her in his arms. Soon they would land and they would begin the hunt for Simone. He heard a knock at the cabin door. “Come in.” Kade continued to lay motionless in the bed with Sydney, not wanting to disturb her. He wasn’t ready let her go yet.

Luca stepped in and raised an eyebrow at Kade. He had known his friend for a long time and knew Sydney was changing him. Still he was wary of the human. They could not always be trusted, and they were so weak, easily broken. “Kade, we are landing in about thirty minutes. How’s the detective?” Luca preferred to keep it professional. Even if the woman was tough, it didn’t mean she would survive the impending fight.

“She’ll be fine tomorrow. Right now, she needs rest. I will make sure she sleeps so she heals. Is security in place for when we land?”

“Yes, it’s all in place. Etienne and Xavier are meeting us at the airport to help with the transfer. Dominique is at the compound securing things.”

“Thanks, tell Dom that I will need her help with Sydney when we get there. Make sure they all know she is arriving. Also, make sure they understand that she is under my protection and must not be touched. Am I clear?” Kade knew the other vampires might feel tempted with a new human on site. While they often had human donors and staff work at the compound, he did not want anyone to think she was available for their needs. She was his.

“Yes, it will all be ready. Do you need help with Miss Willows?”

“No thanks, I’ve got her. Just make sure Etienne and Xavier are ready to go. I don’t want to waste time at the airport. Simone could have minions anywhere at this point. We need to get to a safe location. Any word from Ilsbeth?”

“Yes, she has been in seclusion with her coven. I summoned her to the compound, and she is expected to arrive tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Luca. We will need her assistance locating Simone. We also need to get details on what kind of magic is being used...why the girls were killed in the manner they were. Something is off.” As Luca left, Kade pulled the blanket up over Sydney’s shoulders. Finally, they’d be back in New Orleans. He could feel his power increasing, thrumming throughout his body as they got closer to the city. No one was going to hurt Sydney again and live to talk about it.

Sydney woke in the middle of the night to find she was naked in a strange bed.
Nice.
This was turning out to be a fine damn week.
Not that she generally had a problem with nudity, but it was a little disconcerting to know someone undressed her somewhere between thirty thousand feet and here...wherever 'here' was. She guessed she was at Kade’s house...well, she sure as hell hoped that’s where she was. She looked around at the benign setting. Sydney was surprised to wake up in such a girly room. The violet bedroom was decorated with cream, shabby-chic furniture. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought she was in a Vermont bed and breakfast.

“Hey, Sunshine, ‘bout time you woke up. My ass is getting sore sitting here playing nursemaid.” Sydney looked over to see a beautiful, tall, red-haired woman sitting in a large, white, leather chair.

“Nursemaid? Really? Okay, number one, I’m fine.” She winced as she sat up in bed, keeping the sheet up against her chest. “Number two, where is Kade?” She was still feeling like shit, but she wasn’t about to let 'Ginger' think otherwise. Between her unearthly beauty and pale skin, Sydney guessed the stranger in her room was a vampire.
Show no fear.

“Yeah, okay. Well, Kade says you are not fine. And with Simone looking for your pretty little ass, I would be a little more grateful for a personal guard.” The woman walked across the room, opened a large wardrobe, and held up a dress. “I guessed your size and brought over some clothes. Your purse is in the bathroom. Luca brought it...thought you might need it, shoes are in the closet. As for Kade, he should be here soon. So you might as well know that you really don’t look so great. Might want to go take a shower.” She put the dress back into the wardrobe and opened another door. “Bathroom is here. Robe and slippers are in there too. Just like the freakin’ Hilton, huh?” She coyly smiled at Sydney. “So, guess that is about it. As soon as Kade gets here, I’m done. Xavier will be on next.” She walked over to another door and put a hand to her hip.

Sydney had just about enough of the welcome speech. She felt as though she was in a bad horror movie. “Thanks for the tour. While it is true that Simone sent someone to attack me, I do not need a guard. You can ask the last vamp...oh, that’s right, you can’t, because he’s now a pile of ash. That being said, thanks for the clothes. I don’t intend to stay here long, but I appreciate something to wear.”

The strange woman zipped across the room and was face to face with Sydney within seconds. “Sydney darling, I work for Kade, not you. If he says you need a guard, you get one. If you have a problem with that, take it up with Kade. I follow orders...that’s how this goes. And if you like living, human, you should accept it.” And with that, she strode out of the room and slammed the door.

Sydney shrugged. She was getting sick of this vampire shit. She wanted a shower, food and then she fully intended to leave. There was no way in hell she was spending her days living in a house full of vampires. Even though she remembered the wonderful feel of Kade’s strong arms on the plane, she wanted no part of his world. It wasn’t going to work. She reasoned that she could get a room at the Hotel Monteleone and work with Kade from there. She was willing to continue her partnership with Kade until they found Simone, or another dead girl showed up in Philly. There was so much to do. She needed to call into her office.

Her weapons? She ran over to the wardrobe and found her purse. Well, at least something had gone right: wallet, cell, charger but her weapons, that she’d so carefully prepared, were back in her condo. She felt naked, and it had nothing to do with her nudity. She clicked through her contacts and pressed the call button for Tristan. He picked up. “Tristan! Thank God.”

“Hey, Sydney. You okay? Kade called me and told me about the vampire. Listen, Syd...I need to talk to you.” There was a period of silence as if he was seeking the right words. “Kade told me that he told you everything about Simone. I know I should have told you, but I was just hoping that it wasn’t her.”

“Don’t worry about it. I know you guys have a connection to her. But Tristan, this is just another killer. We'll get her.”

“But, Sydney, that’s just it. You don’t know what she's capable of...what she did. Aw hell. I just don’t want to see you hurt. Before you even say it, I know it’s your job, but there are forces that could easily kill you...you’re human. She got my sister, and she was a strong wolf. If you could have seen what she did to those girls…you just need to be extra careful on this case.” He sounded exasperated. “Look, I’m coming down there. My brother, Marcel, is the Alpha in the region, and before you say anything, which I know you will, don’t argue. It’s not negotiable.”

“Okay, Tristan. I get it. Simone-evil vampire. Me-weak human.” She rolled her eyes.
Men
. “I won’t argue...well, not now anyway. But, I need a favor. I need you to stop by my condo and bring my weapons. You know, the special gifts you gave me a few years ago. I also need my guns. I left them in the condo. I might need them down here.”

“Okay Syd. I will bring the weapons, but please just stay with Kade until I get down there. You’ll be safe with him at his compound. We can talk about next steps when I get there.”

Sydney sighed. What was it about these werewolf and vampire men thinking they could boss her around?
Hello? Detective here. Vampire-killing cop. Ugh. Whatever. Just tell him yes so you can get your weapons.
“Okay, Tris, call me when you get down here. Thanks for bringing my stuff.” She hung up, resigned that it was going to be even more difficult working with both Kade and Tristan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After taking a shower, she gingerly brushed out her hair, still feeling the goose egg on the back of her head; at least the headache was gone. She dressed in a pair of black leggings with a sports bra and pink workout top, which clung to her figure, showing a hint of cleavage. Her stomach growled. She remembered Kade said that vamps ate food, but she wondered if they really kept any around for humans. She cringed, thinking about what they really ate: humans. She wasn’t stupid. She knew that human donors, both women and men, served themselves up on platters at Eden, but Sydney had never witnessed a 'feeding.' And in a house full of vampires, she didn’t plan on offering herself.
Just play it cool, get your weapons, and you’ll get a hotel room in the French Quarter. You will be fine.

Deciding not to wait for Kade, she ventured out in search of food. A hand gently blocked her way as she took her first step out of her room. She looked up to see a good looking, African American man smiling down at her. He must have been at least six-five, lean and strong. He was dressed in casual, black sweatpants and a white, sleeveless, spandex shirt that showed every hard line of the muscles in his arms. He was statuesque and reminded her of a Greek god. “Mon Cher, where you think you’re going without me?” He grinned knowingly.

Sydney smiled back. She didn’t know this man, but her gut told her that he had good intentions. “I take it that you are Xavier? Hi there, I’m Sydney Willows, Detective Sydney Willows. Nice to meet you.” She extended her hand.

He took it and kissed the top. “Ah, mon cher, so very nice to meet you. Yes, I am Xavier. I have been assigned to accompany you during your stay at the Isaacson Estate. I am a good friend of Kade’s, and we do intend to keep you safe.” He let go of her hand.

Okay, here we go again with the vampire hand kissing: so polite, so deadly. Sydney sensed he was a nice guy, for a vampire, so she decided just to go with the flow, no use fighting with the hunky, vampire guard. She would save her energy and deal with Kade once she found him. “Xavier, I really need something to eat.” She laughed a little. “You know, like human food. Also, I really need to talk with Kade.”

“Ah yes. This is N’awlins girl. You kidding? We’ve got plenty of food.” He laughed as if she was crazy. “Come on, you must be famished after your ordeal. We heard all about it, tough girl you are.”

They made their way to the kitchen table where an older woman served them food. Sydney polished off a pile of eggs and quite a bit of andouille. She loved New Orleans food and was pleasantly surprised that they had a human cook in the house. She ate her meal, and enjoyed drinking her hot, chicory coffee. Sydney wondered exactly how many people lived here. She learned from Xavier that the mansion was located in the Garden District. She was pleased to learn she was in a place where she could easily get to the French Quarter without needing directions. On one of her previous trips to the city, she stayed in a lavish bed and breakfast in the Garden District and knew exactly where she was.

Xavier kept her company while she ate. He told her how he’d come to know Kade in the year of eighteen sixty-eight. His father was of Acadian decent and married his mother, who was an African American, freed slave. He grew up in Lafayette Parish on the bayou, learning to fish and trap as his forefathers had done. Around his twenty-eighth birthday, he was attacked by the Southern Cross KKK and left to die in a field. As he struggled for his last breath, Kade found and turned him. Soon after, he’d come to live with Kade, Luca and the others. He was a loyal friend to Kade and currently worked for him as a technology specialist.