be more like supper than lunch. The day had flown by and it was only an hour until
sundown. A sub sandwich would hit the spot. She'd grab one on her way to talk to
Officer Cuthbert and Detective Simpson. She contemplated changing her clothes, but
decided that jeans and a T-shirt were good enough.
Closing down her computer, she left her office. She was tempted to check on Zane
one final time, but forced herself to turn toward her living room instead. It was kinda
freaky to watch him when he wasn't breathing and his heart wasn't beating. She'd leave
him a note letting him know that she'd meet him at Lucian's when she was finished at
the police station.
A knock interrupted her reverie. She wasn't expecting anyone. Her heart began to
pound furiously and she gulped in a mouthful of air. Okay, this was totally ridiculous.
It was probably nothing at all.
Still, better to be cautious. She hurried back into her office and grabbed her cell
phone before approaching the front door. Hitting the speed dial again, she didn't have
long to wait, as it was answered on the first ring.
"Cassidy."
"It's me again. There's someone at my door."
"Don't answer it," Cassidy barked.
There was another knock before she got there, this one slightly harder. Peering out
through the peephole, she relaxed when she recognized the delivery uniform from a
local office supply shop. "It's a local delivery. Hang on while I talk to him." She undid
the locks but kept the chain on. She could hear Cassidy swearing in the background.
"Yes."
The man was bald and appeared to be somewhere in his forties. It was hard to tell
exactly because his shoulders were slumped forward. He gave her a quick, frazzled
smile. "You Sophia Daring?"
Her fingers tightened on the doorknob. She hadn't been expecting this. "Yes," she
replied cautiously.
"Good. I gotta delivery."
"I didn't order anything."
The man's pale blue eyes narrowed as he stared at his clipboard. "Says right here
it's for Sophia Daring." He rattled off her street number.
"That's me, but I didn't order anything." Now she was totally confused.
The man checked his clipboard again, shuffling papers. "Phone order by a Zane
York." The man looked up again, looking perplexed. "It's a great desk chair. Top of the
line. The order came in yesterday evening."
Sophia sighed. This sounded like something that Zane would do. Putting the phone
back to her ear, she closed the door and undid the chain, ushering the man inside. "It's
just a chair that Zane bought for me."
"Sophia." She could hear the panic in Cassidy's voice. "Did Zane tell you he bought
you a chair?"
The man wheeled his trolley just inside the door.
"Well, no." Now Cassidy was making her nervous.
"Just need you to sign here, ma'am." The deliveryman held out his clipboard and
pen.
"Hang on a second, Cassidy." She laid the phone down on the hutch and reached
for the pen and clipboard.
It happened so fast, she didn't have time to respond. The man straightened to his
full height and slapped his hand over her mouth as he yanked a hypodermic needle out
of his pocket and jammed it into her arm. It hurt and she cried out as she started to
fight. But her limbs didn't want to work properly and her head began to spin.
The man held her easily with one arm. He was much stronger than he appeared
beneath his baggy uniform. Flipping open the top of the box with his other hand, he
then hefted her over his shoulder. It was only then that she realized the box was empty.
"In you go." She tried to stop him, tried to move her body, but it was no use. Her
hand flopped out and smacked him in the shoulder. He ignored her as if she were no
more than a fly and stuffed her into the box. Before she knew it she was inside and the
lid was being closed. She couldn't move, but she could still hear as the man picked up
her cell phone.
"Who am I speaking with?" He chuckled and continued. "I rather thought it would
be you, Cassidy. I've done quite a bit of research on the Dalakis family." He laughed
and the sound sent shivers down Sophia's spine. This man was evil. She swallowed
back her fear and continued to listen even as she struggled to get her body to move.
"Hmm," he continued after a few moments. "You're in no position to make threats or
demands. I know things that your employers wouldn't want made public. Who'd have
thought that vampires were real?"
Sophia stilled and thought about Zane, totally vulnerable and helpless under her
bed. She didn't think he could wake up during the day. Prayed that he couldn't. As
weak as he was earlier, he'd be no match for this man.
"Tell your employers to expect a call from me later this evening." He laughed
evilly. "If you want to see Ms. Daring alive again, you'll do exactly what I say. If you
don't care, I'll just make her my latest project. I'm sure her blood, while not particularly
potent, would be quite sweet."
Sophia's heart stuttered and she forced herself to take deep, slow breaths as she
strained to hear what was going on. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hear
Cassidy's voice. A moment later her captor continued. "Now, now, Cassidy. If I were
you, I'd be more concerned about that delectable morsel you've been protecting."
Oh, God. This man knew everything about them and they didn't know anything at
all about him. She was so screwed.
Sophia.
She blinked as she heard the voice in her head, recognizing it immediately. "Zane,"
she whispered. Wasn't he supposed to be sleeping?
What's going on? Are you hurt?
She didn't know what to say. How much to tell him.
Sophia! His voice was louder now. Sharper.
He's here. The killer is here. She thought the words, not daring to say them aloud.
The blast of anger hit her like a sledgehammer and her entire body jerked. The box
shifted and she realized that the man had hung up the phone and was moving the
trolley out through her front door. Suddenly she was falling sideways as the box was
tilted back. Her captor hummed a little ditty as he began to lower the trolley down the
stairs one at a time.
Sophia! Zane roared.
What! she screamed in her mind. She had bigger problems at the moment. Her body
still wouldn't function and her eyes were beginning to get too heavy for her to keep
open.
What's going on? Let me see your memories.
She had no idea what he meant by that, but she felt the push in her mind. Knowing
it was Zane, she dropped her guard and let him in. She started to doze as she bumped
down the stairs and out the front door.
Sophia, stay awake. She wanted to tell him that she was trying, but she didn't have
the energy.
She heard the whir of a motor as the trolley was lifted and she was rolled again. A
moment later a door slammed. She heard the dull roar of a truck engine and then she
felt the movement. She was in the back of a truck being taken God only knew where by
a killer.
Zane's roar filled her ears and then there was nothing.
Zane's finger twitched and his eyelids shot open. He knew his green eyes would be
tinged red, blazing with barely suppressed fury as he cursed his inability to move. He
wanted to yell, but no sound would come from his lips.
He bellowed Sophia's name over and over in his mind, but she was unconscious.
He wouldn't even allow himself to think that she might be dead. The man wouldn't
have taken her if he meant to kill her right away. Besides, he'd know if she were dead.
He'd feel it in every cell of his body.
From what little he'd been able to glean from Sophia about what had happened, he
knew that the man had spoken to Cassidy. Sophia's captor knew that the Dalakis men
were vampires. That wasn't good. It meant they'd been watching them for quite some
time now.
Zane didn't know if they knew about him or not. Oh, they knew he was involved
with Sophia. Of that he had no doubt. They would have seen her coming and going
from Lucian's home with him as her escort. Hopefully, they just thought he was another
cop involved in the investigation. That might give him an extra edge.
Sweat rolled down his temples as he tried to reach out to Sophia. But there was
nothing. For one bitter moment, he wished he'd converted her. If he had, they'd both be
at his home, locked in sleep in a vault that was safer than Fort Knox. Even if she hadn't
been with him, he would have been able to find her anywhere. Now, he'd have to hope
that she awoke so he could follow the path of her blood link.
And when he found her, there would be hell to pay.
Chapter Twenty-One
Cassidy swore as he tossed the phone on the desk.
"What's wrong?"
He whirled around, gun in his hand. Blythe blinked at him, frozen in place. He
glanced down at his weapon. He hadn't even been aware of drawing it, it was so second
nature to him.
"Sorry." He holstered his gun and grabbed a file off the desk. The number for the
sheriff's office in Salvation had to be in here somewhere.
"What's going on?"
Cassidy's mind was racing, replaying his phone conversation with the killer as he
tried to figure out the best course of action. "That was the killer." Cassidy found the
number and began dialing. "He has Sophia."
She gasped, her face paling. "Ohmigod."
"We'll get her back," he growled. Any other outcome was unacceptable.
Blythe shook her head. "You don't even know where to begin. Poor Sophia."
"Stop it." He didn't have time for this. "I should have made her stay here." He
glared at Blythe.
"It's not your fault," she began, her features softening.
"Of course it is," he began, but broke off when the phone on the other end was
answered. "Yes, I'd like to speak with the sheriff if he's in. It's Sam Cassidy from New
Orleans." He paused as the speaker continued. "That's right. I was there when all that
trouble happened with Laurel Rose. Sure, I'll hold."
He held his hand over the mouthpiece. "After I finish on the phone, I'm going over
to Sophia's place to see if I can find anything. Maybe the killer left something behind or
someone saw him. It's a long shot, but it's all we've got."
Blythe nodded. She looked lost and afraid and he wanted to wrap his arms around
her and just hold her. Last night had been emotional for both of them. He'd wanted to
spend the day with her, snuggling and reassuring her that last night didn't matter. They
had all the time in the world and he could wait until she was ready to deepen their
physical relationship. Whatever had happened in her past didn't matter. Only the
future did.
But there had been no time for talking or snuggling. He'd gotten up only an hour
after he'd fallen asleep. Blythe had slept until well after lunch, which pleased him. She
needed her rest. She was strong in so many ways, but lurking beneath her protective
armor was an intelligent, giving woman who made all his senses stand up and take
notice whenever she walked into a room. Cassidy had spent the last week just being
around her as much as possible. He figured the more she got used to him being around,
the more she'd relax. And it was working. Sort of.
Whether she knew it or not, she'd taken a huge step last night. She'd reached out to
him. Yes, she'd pulled back in the end, but Cassidy saw it as progress. Blythe was still
skittish, but each day she was becoming less and less so. He kept things light and
undemanding and had even managed to coax several smiles out of her. It was
ridiculous just how pleased he was with himself when he'd managed to do that. Her
shy smile had his cock standing at attention within thirty seconds.
He started to reassure her again, but the sheriff came back on the other line. "This is
Sam Cassidy. I was wondering if you have a few minutes to talk about what happened
in Salvation last year."
Blythe watched Sam as he talked to the sheriff. He was all business now, ruthless
and focused. If anyone could find Sophia and get her back, it was him. She didn't know
when she'd started thinking of him as Sam and not Cassidy, but it had become a habit
she couldn't break. Cassidy was the cop--watchful, dedicated and hardnosed. Sam, on
the other hand, was the man who made her breakfast and laughed at sitcoms on
television. Sam was the man who made her heart sing and her body hum. Sam was the
man who'd surprised her yet again last night, putting aside his own needs to soothe
Uncomfortable with the sensations coursing through her, she turned away and
wandered into the kitchen. Spending the past week in his company had challenged her
in ways she'd never imagined. All her life she'd thought herself frigid, but around Sam
she didn't feel that way. Instead, she felt hot and achy. Even after everything that had
happened last night, her body still made no secret of the fact that it was primed and
ready for him.
Groaning, she clenched her thighs together and tried to ease the ache growing
within her. Never before had her breasts felt so painfully sensitive. Even her bra was
uncomfortable as her puckered nipples brushed against the fabric.
Sam was a very handsome man in a rough sort of way. Six feet of hard-packed
muscle in jeans and boots, his blue eyes could sparkle with mischief or turn hot with
desire. But it was more than his looks that drew her. It was the way he treated her, the
way he treated the others. Sam was the kind of man who took his responsibilities
seriously.
Right now, she knew he was blaming himself for Sophia's abduction even though it
wasn't his fault. He'd all but begged Sophia to stay here during the day, but she'd been
adamant that she had to go home to work. Not that Blythe blamed her. She missed her
apartment and her old life.
"But that's gone." She scrubbed her hand over her face as she stared out the kitchen
window into the private garden. She'd had to quit her singing job because she honestly
didn't know if or when she'd ever be able to sing again. As long as Adrian Prince was
searching for her, there was no way she could resume her career. It made her too easy
to find.
Deciding she needed to do something, she grabbed the pot from the coffee machine
and filled it with water. Sam could probably use a fresh cup of coffee. The man had
been running on catnaps and caffeine for days now. As
she measured coffee grounds
and set the machine running, she allowed the memory of the past week to flow through
her mind.
It was odd, but as bad as this past week had been, it had also been one of the best
times of her life. She'd lost her home, her job and a local crime boss was after her. That
was the worst. But on the other hand, she'd met Sam and all the rest of them. For the
first time in her life, she was making female friends. It was strange, but she liked it.
Liked them.
The other three women were different from her, but they were all very accepting of
her, not pressuring her to reveal anything from her past that she didn't want to. That
unconditional acceptance had allowed her to creep out of her shell and meet them
partway. Oh, she was still uncomfortable with it, but it was kinda nice to sit and talk
and laugh with other women.
"Oh, Sophia." She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying. Brash, brave Sophia in the
hands of a killer. It was unthinkable, yet it was all too real. They had been living under
a constant threat for days now and the worst had finally happened. She knew that Sam
thought he could find Sophia, but Blythe was more realistic. As much as she didn't
want to believe it, it was more likely that Sophia would become the third victim of the
killer.
She heard Sam's boots on the hardwood floor and swiped her hands over her eyes
and sniffed back her tears. It wouldn't do for him to see her crying. He'd get all upset
and protective. Her heart beat heavily as he got closer and then she sensed him behind
her.
"You all right?" His large hands cupped her shoulders gently as he drew her body
back against his.
She nodded. "Fine. Did you find out anything?"
"Not really." He sighed and wrapped his arms around her. She felt surrounded by
his heat and strength. They hadn't talked about what had happened between them last
night, but Blythe knew it was only a matter of time until Sam forced the issue. "The
sheriff didn't know much more than we do. They found the name Spencer and a phone
number on a slip of paper in Stoner's house when they searched it. But the phone
number is no longer in service and when the sheriff checked, he found out it was for a
disposable cell phone that had been paid for in cash. End of lead."