The Darkest Kiss (20 page)

“All of which the one we have here is doing.” I paused to take another sip of the fizzy drink. It was actually a bit too sweet for my liking. “Do they normally have sex with their victims?”

“I’ve only heard of one or two instances, when the cat has been in heat.”

Trust us to get one of the randy ones. “Why would it be scratching the necks of the men it’s killing?”

“That could be a form of territorial marking.” He shrugged. “Remember, you are not dealing with something that thinks like a human. It may be out for revenge, but it is still a cat, and reacts like a cat.”

“A very smart cat.”

He made an eloquent motion with his hand. “Of course. Is she just killing men?”

“No. She’s been killing women and taking over their identities.”

“Which suggests that the bakeneko believes the women played a part in her owner’s death. Unless they’re cornered, they don’t do random.”

“Well, the only connection between the ladies seems to be the fact that they belong to a group collectively known as the Toorak Trollops.”

“Ah, the high-class hookers themselves.”

I raised my eyebrows at the hint of scorn in his voice. “I was told they weren’t.”

“That depends on your definition of hooker, doesn’t it? If they sell their bodies for the high life and gifts, is that not a form of prostitution?”

“They might just enjoy sex. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“No, there’s nothing wrong with it, even if such wanton indulgence does sometimes offend the stiff sensibilities of very old vampires.”

“I’m glad
you
said that.”

“If I didn’t, you probably would have.” He smiled another sweet smile, unraveling a few more threads of control. “However, these women ask for their favors
first
. That, in my opinion, makes them pros.”

Well, yeah, if you were intent on defining prostitution, asking for payment before the act would definitely be one of the criteria. “So you’ve had personal experience with the Trollops?”

He shook his head. “Not personally, but I have friends—”

“No,” I interrupted, feigning surprise. “You actually have friends? How shocking.”

His laugh was soft and warm, filling his dark eyes with mirth and causing that flame of desire to burn even brighter. “Yes, even the control freak has friends.”

I smiled. “I’m glad.”

“So am I.” He reached out again, and this time, the palm of his hand cupped my cheek as his thumb lightly brushed across my lips.

One touch.

One single, solitary touch.

And it felt so good that tears briefly filled my eyes. God, how long had it been since anyone had caressed me with any sort of feeling or gentleness? I may have voluntarily restrained my more sexual nature, but a lot of that had been the simple distaste of not wanting just another hand on me. I’d wanted more—had needed more. And with that one simple caress, I knew that I could not let it end here tonight.

I leaned forward and kissed him.

For the briefest of moments, he didn’t react. Then his other hand came to my cheek, holding my face gently, tenderly, as he deepened our kiss.

And it felt like I was tasting heaven. Felt like I was coming home after a long, long absence. And the part of me that had died when Kellen walked away came to aching life, fueling the desire that burned around us to even greater heights. Yet despite that fire—despite the urgency that sung through every fiber of my being—our kiss was slow and tender, and so very, very thorough.

After what could have been hours, he groaned—an almost demanding sound that vibrated through my soul. A sound I understood completely. Because, like him, I wanted more than just his lips. I wanted
him
, all of him. Wanted to feel him in my mind, in my body, in my soul.

Which would be a little hard to achieve, given our current location.

He opened his eyes and stared into mine. “What do you want, Riley?”

“I want you.” My voice was little more than a breathy rasp of sound, but it didn’t matter. He would have heard it had there been a mile between us.

“Just this once? Or do you want more?” He gave me a lopsided smile that made my heart do happy little cartwheels. “I can’t change what I am any more than you can. And I prefer not to go any further if this is all there is. I can’t do casual when it’s you and me.”

My gaze searched his for a moment, then I raised my hands, capturing his and lowering them to my lap. “I haven’t done casual for months. I stopped having sex after Kellen left.”

Surprise crossed his features, but I was relieved to see that there was no incredulousness. He believed me, when so few others had when I first told them. “How did you get around the moon heat?”

I grimaced. “Well, I couldn’t, but aside from those few days, I’ve abstained.”

“I guess that explains the desire that just about blew me off my feet.”

“Yeah. Sorry about that.”

He laughed softly. “Don’t be. It was a nice reaction to get.” He studied me for a moment, then said, “You haven’t told me why.”

I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Because I wanted something more than just the touch of a stranger. I wanted the caring, the emotion, that I got with Kellen. And with you.”

“You could have contacted me after the breakup.”

“No, I couldn’t. I’d told you to go away and give me time, remember. And after the breakup, I still needed that time.” To not only recover from the hurt, but to decide what I really wanted. Except it wasn’t until tonight, and the kiss we’d shared, that I’d really known. “Quinn, I like what we have. I believe it’s good, and I believe it is strong. But I also believe my soul mate
is
out there, which means I still won’t commit fully to anyone. Not even you.”

“So where does that leave us?”

“In the same old quandary, I guess.” I squeezed his hands and then released them. The world felt a whole lot colder without his touch, and my hormones screamed in horror.

He leaned back and picked up his wineglass, his movements elegant and casual. As if he hadn’t shared a mind-blowing kiss only moments before. And yet I could feel the hunger on him, smell his arousal.

He took a sip of the drink, then said, “None of the Trollops are here yet.”

I glanced at my watch. It was just after seven-thirty. “I thought this gig started at seven?”

“It does, but the beautiful people tend to arrive just before the main proceedings. Unless they are on the hunt, of course. Then it’s a different matter.”

“I think most people would consider you one of the beautiful people.” But despite the scent of his arousal spinning all around me, he didn’t particularly seem to be on the hunt. But then, if a vampire with over twelve hundred years behind him couldn’t control his emotions and needs, then who could?

“Was that a compliment? Ms. Jenson, I’m shocked.”

“Okay, so I’ve been a little sparse in my compliments. But then, so have you, buddy.”

“Which is very remiss of me. You look stunning in green, by the way.”

I smiled. “Compliments that you’ve been prodded into don’t count.” I leaned back a little, and crossed one leg over the other, showing a nice amount of thigh. “So what are we going to do, Quinn?”

“I don’t know.” His gaze went past me. “Marcy Bennett and Enna Free just walked into the room.”

I twisted around to look. Two statuesque blonde women stood at the doorway, one dressed in dusky orange that clashed a little too much with her overly tanned skin. The other was wearing the deep red of autumn leaves.

“Enna’s the one on the right?” Only a cat would put that color dress with her skin tone.

“Yes.”

“Then I guess I’d better go back to work.”

I stood somewhat reluctantly. He stood up also, but wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer, his fingers splayed against the bare skin of my back, sending little bolts of electricity tingling up and down my spine.

I licked my suddenly dry lips and stared into his dark eyes, seeing the hunger there, seeing the need. And not just sexual need. “I thought you didn’t want to do casual?”

“I thought you said you’d quit casual?”

I smiled. “Well, yeah, but that doesn’t change—”

He placed a finger gently against my lips, silencing me. “I have the presidential suite at the Langham. If you feel like discussing this matter any further, come back there when you finish tonight.”

“I’m not sure what time I’m going to be finished working.” And I certainly wasn’t sure if I
should
go back, no matter what I was feeling or how much I needed him. We’d been through so much, had hurt each other so much, that part of me worried that the cycle would just start up all over again.

I couldn’t bear that. There’d been enough shit in my life already. I just wanted a simple, straightforward, caring relationship with someone for a change. No ulterior motives, no hang-ups about what I was or what I did. I just wanted to deal with regular everyday problems in a regular everyday relationship.

And I really wasn’t sure Quinn and I could ever have just a regular relationship.

“It doesn’t matter what time you turn up. I’m not going anywhere.” He bent and kissed me, his lips lingering, teasingly close as he added, “Please come back, Riley.”

I took a shuddery breath and released it slowly. “No promises.”

I stepped away, even though all I wanted to do was remain in his arms with all that lean strength wrapped around me. To feel safe and secure and cared for for the first time in what seemed like ages.

“Be careful when you’re dealing with the bakeneko. Don’t let it get a taste of you.”

“The bitch isn’t going to get close enough to bite, trust me on that.” I gave him a confident smile, then turned and walked away—even though my legs felt like jelly and every step away from him had my hormones screaming in rage.

The glittery room seemed a whole lot noisier away from the quiet oasis that had seemed to surround Quinn and me, and I suddenly wondered if he’d been using his vampire wiles again. Not on me, but on the others in this room. There were a lot of people here, but he was a whole lot of vampire, and it wouldn’t have surprised me if he had been keeping the noise and the people at bay while we talked.

Enna and her friend hadn’t moved that far from the main entrance, their gazes scanning the room as if they were searching for someone. Or perhaps they were checking out the talent.

I skirted the room, coming up to them from the left and slightly behind. I was one table away when Enna suddenly swung around, her nostrils flaring as she sucked in air. I hadn’t thought she’d gotten close enough to me to catch my scent when we were chasing her earlier, but obviously I’d been wrong. Her gaze zoomed to mine, and an anger that was both derisive and alien flared deep in the blue depths. She bared her teeth and made an odd sort of hissing sound, then turned and ran for the door.

Chapter 8

F
or a cat who’d only been wearing stilettos for a few weeks, she was damned fast.

I ran after her, dodging tables and people. Some fool in a suit saw her running and gallantly opened the door, then walked away and let it shut, making me waste precious seconds flinging it back open again.

Thankfully, the hallway beyond was relatively clear of people. Enna had already gone through the main entrance doors and swung right, heading toward the river.

I raced after her, startling the doorman by thumping my hand against the door as he began to close it.

“Sorry,” he said, but by then I was almost out of earshot.

The night was cold, filled with the scent of eucalyptus and the slightly muddy aroma that was the Yarra River. But the scent of cat rode the night sharply and it was easy to follow. I raced along the footpath, my stilettos creating a sharp tattoo of sound that echoed across the moonlit gardens that surrounded us. Up ahead, Enna’s vivid orange form ran on, her arms pumping as fast as her feet. It almost looked as if she was so used to running on four legs that she couldn’t quite adjust her motion to two. But it wasn’t helping, because slowly but surely I was reeling her in.

Beyond her, the footpath curved around to the left and disappeared behind some trees. I reached for more speed, wanting to grab her before she got to the corner and went out of my sight, however briefly. She was obviously thinking along similar lines, because her speed increased and her arms and legs became little more than a blur.

She could fucking run, I’ll give her that. Hell, I had the speed of a damn vampire behind me, and I was only making up little bits of ground.

The corner loomed and she disappeared around it. I was maybe two seconds behind her, but it was enough for her to disappear. I cursed and stopped, my nostrils flaring as I sucked in air, trying to catch both my breath and her scent.

It was there, but not as strong. And lower.

She’d shifted shape.

I did the same and, with my nose to the ground, ran on. The grass was damp under my paws and the scents of the nearby eucalyptus and rosebushes were sharp against the night. Her trail went off the footpath, twining through trees and flowers.

Given the meandering line she was taking, I wouldn’t be surprised if she were trying to mingle her scent with the other aromas, thereby making it harder for me to follow. Obviously, a cat had no understanding just how sensitive a wolf’s nose could be.

Her scent was getting stronger, not weaker. I trotted on until I came to the thick, gnarled trunk of a tree and the scent of cat was so strong I was practically drowning in it. I stopped and looked up. Up in the higher branches of the big old elm, two blue eyes glinted back at me.

I shifted shape and said, “Come down, Enna. Or whatever your name really is.”

She snarled in reply, white teeth gleaming.

“Climb down, or I’ll fucking shoot you out of the tree.”

She snarled again, and this time it was a deeper, angrier sound.

Well, the bitch couldn’t say I didn’t warn her. I opened my purse to grab my laser, intending to shoot the damn tree limb out from underneath her, but at that moment, magic caressed the night. I looked up quickly, had a brief glimpse of a cat the size of a tiger, and then she was leaping down, straight at me.

I swore and dove sideways, hitting the ground with a grunt, tearing the side of my dress and sending my purse flying. I had no idea where the laser went, but it wasn’t in my hand when I rolled to my feet. My stilettos chose that particular moment to get stuck in the dirt, so I stumbled a little before I got my balance. From behind came a heavy thump, then footsteps. I swung around in time to see her leap. God, she was
bi
g. Bigger than a tiger and with paws as large as dinner plates.

I kicked off my shoes, grabbed one in each hand, and ducked away from her leap. She twisted in midair, lashing out with those thick, sharp claws. Several caught my dress, snagging the flimsy material and tearing into skin.

Pain flared as blood began to run down my arm. I hissed and lashed out with a stiletto. The specially hardened wooden tip of the heel scraped down her side, cutting into her flesh and sending blood splattering across the nearby trees and rosebushes.

She growled—a sound so deep it seemed to vibrate through the earth. I shifted my weight, digging my toes into the dirt a little, getting balance and grip as she hit the ground then launched back at me again.

Her lips were drawn back into a snarl, white teeth gleaming. I waited until the last possible moment, until her claws were almost on me, then dropped low and thrust up with the heel of a stiletto, driving it deep into her belly.

It wouldn’t kill her, but a four-inch heel shoved in her gut wasn’t going to feel real good, either.

Her snarl of rage became a long howl of pain, and then she was running again, her black form quickly disappearing through the trees. I scrambled to my feet, grabbed my purse and the laser, and ran after her.

This time she was even faster. How that was even possible I have no idea. Maybe it was something to do with whatever magic allowed her to change her size.

I followed her scent, ducking and weaving through the trees, moving so fast they were little more than a blur to me. We were looping around, moving back toward the footpath and the river.

I found my stiletto abandoned on the footpath. The trail ended at the river.

Obviously, this particular cat didn’t have an aversion to water. I scanned the dark river but couldn’t see anything or anyone swimming. There were no boats moored nearby, so she couldn’t be using those to hide behind. She was simply gone.

I briefly shifted shape to stop my arm from bleeding, then pressed the com-link button. “Hello, anyone tuned in?”

“I’m always tuned in,” Sal said, voice dry. “Unlike certain werewolves who shall remain nameless.”

I grinned. “Gee, I wonder who you could mean?”

“You’re wasting my time, wolf girl. Get to the point.”

“Well, I just lost the bakeneko’s trail—”

“Make a habit of losing your quarry, and Jack won’t be pleased.”

“She decided to go for a swim in the Yarra and was gone by the time I reached it.”

“God, she
had
to be desperate. That river is
unclean
.”

And a vampire would know all about unclean. Although, to give Sal her due, she did wash like a regular person, and smelled rather nice for a vamp. So did Jack, thankfully. “She’s taken over the identity of one Enna Free, which means the real Enna Free is probably dead. You want to get me her address, and send a cleanup team over there?”

“Hang on.”

I walked back and picked up my stiletto. With the money I’d spent on them, I wasn’t about to leave them. And once the blood was washed off, they’d still be totally usable.

“Kade was over there earlier to bring her in,” Sal said. “She wasn’t home, and he didn’t report anything out of the ordinary.”

“I’d say she would have already been dead by then.” And a horse-shifter wasn’t as sensitive to the scent of death as a wolf. “What’s the address?”

“Two-nine-one Napier Street, Fitzroy—”

“She doesn’t live in Toorak?” I interrupted, surprised.

“Toorak isn’t that far,” Sal retorted. “And
that
section of Fitzroy isn’t exactly cheap, because it’s real close to the Brunswick Street shops and nightlife.”

Which was mainly human-related. No wolf clubs had opened up in the Brunswick area, so most nonhumans kept away. Except for the vampires, who didn’t mind the odd bite on a consenting neck.

“Sounds as if you know the area well.”

“I live there. Need anything else?”

“Warn the cleanup team that the bakeneko is wounded and probably pissed off, because I managed to stab her with a shoe. They may have to go in with guns.”

“I’ll let them know.”

“Good. Were you able to track down Ron Cowden?”

“He lives above the restaurant, which is on the city end of Lygon Street.”

“Did you find anything out about him? Has he got a brother named Jake?”

“Yes, but the system is still trying to track him down.”

“Then give it a kick and make it hurry. This is urgent.”

“Everything always is.”

True. And it could be that I was barking up the wrong tree, anyway. If this
was
all connected with Young’s sudden disappearance at the end of grade ten, then Ron himself wouldn’t be a target. And I couldn’t imagine his brother being a target, either, considering what Liander had told me.

Still, Young had circled his picture for a reason, so I had to at least check it out.

“Do you know if Kade has rounded up the other Trollops yet?”

“He’s having trouble locating a couple of them.”

Which wouldn’t put him in a good mood. As he’d been known to say—out of Jack’s hearing—he’d joined the Directorate ranks for action, not babysitting duties. “I’ll probably head on over to the Rabbit after I check Napier Street.”

“You don’t get extra for all this unapproved overtime, you know.”

“You know I do it for the love of the job rather than the money,” I said, voice dry.

She sniffed—a disbelieving sound if I’d ever heard one. “Night, wolf.”

“Don’t let the bedbugs bite,” I replied, and hung up on her snort.

I padded back to the car barefooted. Once there, I opened the trunk and grabbed a plastic bag, dumping my shoes in them. I didn’t know how useful forensics would find them, but better safe than sorry. Although it would mean I wouldn’t get my shoes back for a few weeks.

I shifted shape to heal the wounds a little more, then grabbed a cloth and cleaned the blood from my arm. After slipping on the spare set of practical black shoes I kept for emergencies, I hopped into the car then drove across to Napier Street. It wasn’t that far from Sparkies, so it took me only five minutes or so to get there.

Even so, Cole and his team beat me there.

I grabbed my gun and climbed out of the car. “What, have you suddenly grown wings or something?”

He grimaced. For the first time since I’d met him, he actually looked tired. His face was drawn, there were bags under his eyes, and his chin covered by stubble—though if gray stubble could look good, then his certainly did.

“There’s only two teams doing the so-called day shift at the moment, and these people you and Kade are chasing are running us off our feet.” He swept a hand through his already tousled gray hair and looked at the dark house in front of us. “We were told to go in with guns, so I wasn’t expecting you to be here.”

“Thought I’d better be, just in case. I had a run-in with our bakeneko and managed to stab her, but she dove into the river and got away. If she’s here, she could be hurting and extremely pissed off.”

He frowned. “Cats traditionally don’t like water.”

“Yeah, but traditionally cats can’t change into humans or vary the size of their animal, so I don’t think the usual rules can be applied in this case.” I waved a hand at the house. “I’ll go in first and make sure it’s safe.”

“Try not to destroy too much of the scene,” he said dryly.

I smiled. “I’ll do my best.”

“Good.” He hesitated, and amusement briefly lifted the tiredness from his blue eyes. “And may I just say, that’s a lovely lot of leg you’re flashing there.”

I glanced down, and realized that between my tussle with the bakeneko and my shapeshifting, I’d managed to tear my dress from the knee to the top of my thigh. Luckily for everyone, I’d actually worn panties tonight, otherwise all the goods would be on show. I gave him a grin and a curtsy. “Thank you for the rare compliment.”

I walked past him and approached the wrought-iron gate. The house was dark and silent, and I couldn’t smell anything more than human.

Once at the door, I grabbed the handle and twisted it. Locked. A quick thump with the shoulder soon fixed that. Obviously, the real Enna Free hadn’t been too worried about security, because she didn’t even have decent locks, let alone dead bolts.

I opened the door cautiously. The air that rushed out was filled with the richness of jasmine, but underneath it were notes of blood and death.

A clock ticked softly in one of the rooms to the left, but otherwise it was deathly quiet. Literally, in this case. I couldn’t smell cat, couldn’t sense cat, and didn’t think she was here. Just to be sure, I switched to infrared and scanned the rooms for any sign of body heat—large or small.

Nothing.

The bakeneko wasn’t here. Only death.

I flicked back to normal vision and walked inside. Moonlight shone through the skylights above, lending the hallway a muted, ghostly brightness. White must have been the color choice for all fashion-conscious Trollops, because the only splash of color in Enna’s house was the occasional flare of primary color in the large paintings that dominated a good many walls.