Eternal Flame

Chapter 13

“No!” Catalina flew in front of him. Zane shoved her to the side. Now wasn’t the time for the witch to—

She grabbed his arm and held tight. “He didn’t know what he was doing, Zane! They bled him nearly dry! It was instinct. He needed to survive, he needed—”

“He attacked her.” And where the fuck had Catalina been while the vamp shoved his teeth in Jana? Water dripped down the vamp’s body as he sloshed toward the shore. His stare was still black and his fangs glinted.

Rip. Him. Apart.

Catalina’s nails dug into him. “Please, Zane, he-he didn’t mean—”

“Screw what he meant.” Jana’s voice. Strong. Angry. She ran up beside Zane. “I’m not on the damn menu.” She shot the vampire, blasted him right in the chest with a bullet from the gun she held in her trembling hands.

“ No!” Catalina screamed.

Too late.

Blood blossomed on the vamp’s chest. He stared at Jana a moment, his eyes flickering between blue and black, and he whispered, “S-sorry …” right before he toppled back into the water.

Catalina ran after him, chanting, whispering her spells- they wouldn’t do much good. Not with her being so weak. And if that vamp rose again …

He’s mine.

Jana’s hand was shaking so much. Damn blood loss. Zane caught her hand and took the gun.

An explosion rocked the ground. Jana slipped, tumbling to her knees. Zane glanced over his shoulder. The Perseus buildings had just blown to hell and back. Guards were running, screaming, and that fire was blasting out of control as—

Fuck me. Beth was running out of the building. The flames were chasing after her, and she was headed right for him.

He grabbed Jana, pulling her to her feet. He’d protect her, make sure that—

Those flames raced toward them. Beth shrieked, “I can’t stop it! Help! Make it stop! Make it—”

This time, Zane was the one who fired. His finger squeezed the trigger and the bullet thudded into Beth’s heart. She gasped, shuddered, then pitched back on the ground.

The flames sputtered, then began to die, burning down slowly.

“I made it stop,” he said quietly, staring at her prone body. He’d made it stop, the only way he could. His left arm wrapped around Jana and held her tight.

“Z-Zane…”

His head tilted down toward hers.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” she whispered, and she blinked away the tears in her eyes. “It wasn’t …”

He kissed her. Because right then, he damn well had to. Vamp attacked her. Could have lost her. In the end, despite their powers, Ignitors were only human. Unlike the vamp asshole, an Ignitor couldn’t take a bullet and rise again.

So easy to kill. Too easy.

His lips brushed against hers. Light at first because shit, she was delicate. So fragile. But her hands rose and sank into his hair and she arched up against him, kissing him harder, pressing her mouth tightly to his.

Zane’s tongue thrust into her mouth. His hold was too hard. He knew it, but he couldn’t manage to ease his grip. Can’t let her go.

The world fell down around them, but he held her close and wondered how in the hell she’d come to mean so much to him. So much that he was ready to kill for her.

“ Zane!” The shout broke through the chaos, but he didn’t let Jana go. Not yet.

“Zane, fuck!” Footsteps thudded toward him. “I come to save your ass and find you gettin’ ass!”

Jude. Perfect timing, as always. Slowly, Zane lifted his head. His gaze craned to the right and met the shifter’s. “Arriving late to the party?”

Jude whistled as he took in the scene before him. “What the hell did you do?” The question wasn’t for Zane, though. No, when he asked, his stare locked on Jana.

Tony ran up behind them. “Fire trucks are coming but- shit, Catalina? What are you doing here?”

“Like I said,” Zane murmured, “a party.” A death party.

Jana stiffened against him. “The cop?” Her whisper. She shoved against Zane, and he let her go, only because he knew there was a hell of a lot to work out. Sirens blasted in the distance. The fire trucks. Probably police cars, too.

Zane exhaled heavily. “You sure took your sweet time tracking me.” Jude was usually a much better tracker. He’d thought his friend would arrive sooner. Before the fire and screams.

Tony rushed toward Catalina. She had one arm around the vamp, and she was struggling to pull him out of the water.

“What the hell happened to him?” Tony demanded.

Catalina’s green eyes darted to Jana.

“I did,” Jana said, squaring her shoulders and stepping even farther away from Zane. What was up with that?

Zane’s eyes slit when Tony offered a hand to the vamp. “Watch it, Tony.” The cop would need the warning. “The asshole with Cat bites.”

“Shit.” From Jude. Yeah, the shifter understood-he would have caught the vamp’s scent.

Instead of reaching for the vamp, Tony drew his weapon and leveled it at the guy. “My bullets are laced with holy water. Make one move at me, come at me with those teeth, and the first bullet goes between your eyes.”

Tony always believed in being prepared. Smart guy.

Jana slipped back a few more steps.

Fire trucks and police cruisers flew onto the scene. The low flames flickered, and the smoke billowed. Then the uniforms burst out of their cars. Hell. Showtime.

Her neck burned. It ached and throbbed and burned. What the hell? You try to do something nice for someone, like oh, drag a guy’s butt out of the fire, and as payment, he bites you. Did she look like a freaking buffet?

As the cops swarmed the scene, Jana eased deeper into the darkness. The firefighters were blasting the remaining flames with hoses from their trucks. Not that there was much point in fighting the fire now. Those flames were dying on their own. Without the Ignitor to fuel the fire, they would sputter out.

The Ignitor.

Jana cast a fast glance at Beth’s body. Beth had lost control at the end. The fire had been too new to her. She hadn’t been able to control the flames.

Because those flames were mine. The power was mine.

But Beth had taken the flames from her. And now-now she was just … human.

A human with a lot of blood on her hands and too many cops close by.

The butt of the gun pressed against her lower back. She’d taken it from Zane, stolen it right out of his hand while he’d kissed her.

I can still taste him. I still want him.

But Zane was about twenty feet away now and talking to that woman. The one with the pale blond hair. The one who touched him too much. The chick who’d saved the vamp. Zane hadn’t attacked the vampire. He’d frozen, because of the blonde. Catalina. The witch. She’d heard the woman chanting when they came outside, and she’d felt the wind ripple around her in response to those words. Yeah, the blonde was a witch, though she seemed to be pretty weak in terms of power.

Beth had been right after all. There had been someone in the Perseus compound that Zane cared for. His weakness.

But Perseus was dead. Gutted. The guards and agents who’d survived the flames had fled into the swamp. The cops would search for them. If they didn’t find them, Night Watch would. She didn’t know what kind of bullshit explanation Zane was giving to the cops then, but it was obvious from their expressions that he had the guys eating out of his hands. The fact that he had a cop at his side-that Tony guy from Baton Rouge-probably just made his story all the more believable.

Yeah, the cops were on Zane’s side, but when the smoke cleared, they wouldn’t be on her side. No, she was still a wanted woman. They’d come after her, and she didn’t particularly like the thought of spending any more years locked away from the world.

She stared at Zane. Watched him gesture to Beth’s body. Jana swallowed. Time was running out. She needed to leave but …

Zane.

His gaze cut to hers. His eyes glinted, reflecting the fire. His face was hard, tight, and her breath shuddered out as she stared at him.

She’d gone back into the fire for him. Did he know that?

Did he—

Zane turned away and started walking toward the back of an ambulance. Catalina was with him…. so was the vamp. He turned away.

Jana kept her shoulders up. She blinked. Once. Twice. Swallowed. They’d had a deal. She’d given Zane what he wanted-Perseus. Justice for the hunters who’d died in the fire.

Now the deal was over.

“Miss?” A cop approached her with his brows drawn low. “Miss, we’re gonna need to ask you a few questions.”

Questions that she couldn’t answer. Hi. I’m Jana Carter. If you check, you’ll see that I’m wanted in connection with a series of arsons. What? Oh, yeah, the fire tonight was arson, too. It looks like my M.O.? Really… um, look, why don’t you just shove me in jail forever?

She stared at the cop and shook her head. “I can’t talk to you.”

He blinked. “Miss?” He was a harmless looking fellow. Big, brown eyes. Pale cheeks. A bit of a receding hairline. Well, he appeared harmless … except for the badge and the gun he carried.

How could she get away from him? Without, of course, assaulting him. Don’t want to add assaulting an officer to my rap sheet.

But then he gasped and those puppy dog eyes widened. “Uh, are you okay?” she asked. He fell to the ground.

Jana jumped back. Her heart slammed into her chest. “What the—” She found herself staring into eyes that she’d never forgotten. Bright blue eyes that seemed to shine. No, that did shine-with the light of the beast. Shifter. The wolf she’d been ordered to kill.

“You planning to stand there all night?” he demanded, and she saw that he was sweating. In the chilled air, he was sweating. And shaking. “Or do you have a plan to get out of here?”

Once more, she looked at Zane and only saw his back. The wolf closed in on her, and Jana knew what choice she had to make.

Survival. That’s what life was all about, right?

Good-bye, Zane.

The EMT was a demon. Low level. Zane took one look at the guy and saw right through the glamour. “We got a vamp here,” he murmured to the EMT as he steered the guy and Catalina toward the ambulance. Catalina wasn’t releasing her hold on the vampire-probably because she knew just how much Zane wanted to rip the bastard apart.

Can’t. Not with all the humans there …

“Get him out of here,” Zane told the EMT. “Before he starts gnawing on the humans or before I have to cut his damn head off.”

The EMT’s eyes bulged, but he nodded quickly.

Zane glared down at Catalina. “You don’t know what you’re doing with him.”

The vamp was weaving on his feet. He slumped forward and fell into the ambulance. The demon EMT grabbed him and shoved him onto a gurney. Then he strapped the vamp down, nice and tight.

“He didn’t meant to hurt her,” Catalina said. Finally, she wasn’t touching the vamp. “He was starving, desperate….”

No fucking excuse. Zane leaned into the ambulance. “Hey, asshole …”

The vamp’s eyelids flickered.

“You and me are gonna be meeting up again.” Once this mess with Perseus was cleaned up. “I’ll find you,” he promised the vamp. “Count on it.” Because he wasn’t getting away with attacking Jana.

The sirens screamed on. Catalina jumped into the ambulance. She bit her lip and stared down at him. “Zane …”

He grabbed the door and slammed it shut. He didn’t trust himself to talk to her then. Not with the scent of Jana’s blood still on that vamp.

He spun away and marched back toward Tony. Covering up an Other event with a dozen humans wasn’t easy. He’d been forced to break his normal rule about not slipping into a human’s mind without permission. Because, yeah, some of the cops and firefighters had seen things they shouldn’t have. He’d needed to blur their memories.

Behind Tony, a team tagged and bagged Beth’s body. “Where’s the gun?” Tony whispered.

Zane blinked. Hell, he’d forgotten all about that. He’d kissed Jana and—“Jana took it.” Not that he blamed her. Not one bit. After the vamp’s attack, she’d want to protect herself.

“We’re gonna need it.” Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “This shit is gonna hit the fan, and we’ll need—”

“You won’t need anything, son.” A man walked up to them. He strolled right through the smoke. He had on brown pants, a loose white shirt, and a badge. He inclined his head toward them, and when he flashed a smile, his white teeth looked a little too sharp. “I’m Chief Jeremiah Daniels.” He paused. “And I understand you took down some of the bastards who’ve been targeting us.” The South rolled, nice and heavy, in his drawl.

Us.

The chief’s dark skin was unlined. Daniels could have been fifty or thirty. One thing for sure, he wasn’t human. Behind him, more cops piled out of new vehicles. “My men,” Jeremiah said with a nod. “My … uh, special unit.” A grim nod. “They’ll know how to handle the agents still alive.” And the human cops began to be pushed back by the new arrivals.

Zane studied the chief. “If you knew about Perseus, why the hell didn’t you take ‘em down?”

That wide smile flashed again. “Because you beat me to the punch, son.”

Right.

“Pak called me. Told me you boys would need some help cleaning up.” He shrugged. “I got this scene.” Good.

“But I’m going to need the Ignitor,” Daniels said, and Zane stiffened.

“The hell you are. Jana didn’t do this! It was the other one—”

Daniels watched him with narrowed eyes. “Other one?”

Zane jerked his thumb toward the body bag. “That’s the Ignitor who started the blaze.”

“Two Ignitors?” Tony whistled. “Man, talk about playing with fire.”

But the chief didn’t look at Beth’s body. “I knew Beth Parker. She was a low-level psychic, but she was no Ignitor.”

“Then why were her eyes burning red as the flames ripped through the place?” Zane asked, voice tight. “I know what I saw, and I’m telling you—”

“The only Ignitor is Jana Carter,” Jeremiah said flatly. “I got my own psychics on the team, and when an Ignitor is in the area, I know.”

No, the guy was wrong.

“I need to talk to Ms. Carter. And I need to have that little chat with her before the suits from the FBI get here.” The extermination list.

Daniels nodded. “Now you’re understanding, demon. We don’t have much time. Where is she?”

Zane glanced back at the trees. Jana had been there moments before, watching him. He’d been leading that vamp bastard to the ambulance, determined to keep the guy away from Jana. But now …

Now the spot was empty. No, not empty. A cop was on the ground. On his knees, rising slowly.

“Shit.” The curse was Tony’s, but they both took off running at the same time. Zane reached the cop first. He caught the guy’s arm and hauled him the rest of the way off the ground.

“Where is she?”

The cop blinked. “Wh-who?” He rubbed the back of his head. “Wh-what hit me?” Not what. Who.

Tony huffed out a breath. “Wasn’t there a pickup truck parked over there”-he pointed to an empty space near some twisting pines—“a few minutes ago?”

Zane’s hold on the cop tightened. “You were talking to a woman.”

“I was?”

Hell.

The cop’s eyes widened. ”I was. Y-yeah … I-I wanted to ask her some questions.” He shook his head and winced. “Where is she?”

That was the question Zane wanted answered. He caught the whiff of blood and knew that someone had hit the cop.

“Uh … Zane?” Tony tapped him on the arm.

Jaw clenched, he let the cop go. The guy scrambled back but eyed him with a frightened stare.

“Hollis, get over here!” the chief called out. Officer Hollis rushed to obey, even as he still rubbed the back of his head.

Tony leaned in close. “Where’s the shifter?”

With his strong nose, Jude was helping the cops search for the dead. “Jude’s with the—”

“Not him.”

He glanced at Tony.

“The bastard I saw running away from Catalina when I got here. It looked like he was coming to help her and the vamp, but when he saw me and Jude, the guy turned tail and ran.”

Turned tail? Nice.

“I saw his fangs and his claws. I know he was a shifter.” He was. Now they were missing a shifter-a shifter who just might have a score to settle with Jana.

“We found the truck,” Chief Daniels told him an hour later as he crossed his arms over his wide chest. They were back in the city, at the police department, and Zane’s whole body tightened with tension.

“Where is she?”

“Hold on, son.” Daniels shook his head. “I said we found the truck. Not her.” He paused. “Something you need to know … there was blood in the truck.”

The world seemed to narrow then.

“The girl was gone, but one of my cops—” Daniels leaned in close. “Officer Wiley… he’s got a good nose on him.” Right. Because he was probably a shifter. “And he said he smelled wolf all over that damn pickup.”

Zane’s back teeth clenched. “Get an APB out. The wolf is about six-foot-one, maybe one-eighty, blond hair, blue eyes.” Sharp teeth.

“I already got an APB out on your girl,” Daniels said. “I’ll make sure the uniforms know to look for him, too.”

But they’d already ditched the pickup. Hell, now they could grab any vehicle, any time.

“I figured she’d just run.” Daniels sighed. “Until I found out about the blood. Now I’m not so sure she went willingly.”

They were alone in the chief’s office. A small office, and one with a really crappy view. Zane forced his hands to unclench. “The vamp bit her back at the swamp. The blood could have come from that bite.” Could have. But if that shifter had gotten her …

Should have left his ass chained to the wall.

A knock rapped at the door.

“Come in,” Daniels barked.

The door opened, and Tony poked his head in. “We’ve got company.” Company that had made his whole face harden.

“Tell ‘em to take a fuckin’ number!” Daniels bellowed. “I’ve got a missing—”

“A missing what?” A female voice asked.

The chief froze, then grunted out, “Shit.”

Daniels might be surprised, but Zane had caught the woman’s scent, so when the door swung open fully and Special Agent Kelly Thomas appeared next to Tony, he wasn’t surprised.

But he was annoyed.

“Where is she, demon?” Agent Thomas asked, staring at him. “I heard the call on the police scanner. I know about the fire out in the swamp.” She walked into the room, her heels clicking. Tony, his mouth tight, shut the door behind her. “And I know an Ignitor set that fire.”

Zane rolled his shoulders. Jana, where are you? “You’re right. An Ignitor did set the fire.”

Her eyes widened. “You admit she—”

“Beth Parker started the fire. I can testify to that. So can two other witnesses.” He’d make sure Catalina didn’t disappear before backing up his story, and he’d also be sure not to kill the vamp until that guy could back up his claim, too.

The special agent’s teeth snapped together and she gritted out, “Another one?”

“I can dig up other witnesses who will testify that Beth Parker started numerous fires in the area.” He was bullshitting now, but screw that. Jana wasn’t being exterminated. “Parker was the Ignitor, not Jana Carter.”

The silence in the room was so thick he could feel it weighing on him.

Kelly’s cheeks flushed a dark, violent red. “Jana Carter is a killer.”

Maybe, but they weren’t killing her. “I’ve already talked to Pak. He’s calling his contacts at the FBI and clearing this mess up. You’ve been after the wrong woman, Special Agent.”

If looks could kill … “The hell I have been.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Jana Carter isn’t your prey anymore.” The chief wasn’t saying anything. Surprising, but good. The guy was going along with his story.

“Yes, she is.” And her stare touched on the chief. “You backing him?”

Jeremiah’s bushy brows climbed. “The evidence indicates that Beth Parker was the one who started—” ”Give me Jana Carter.”

Zane leaned forward and quietly said, “Not going to happen.”

Her eyes widened as she stared at him. “You’re in the middle of a federal investigation. I could have you arrested for obstruction, and don’t think you’re just walking away after that crap you pulled in Baton Rouge—”

“You pulled a gun on me, lady. I was just defending myself.” And he’d do it again. Real soon, if she didn’t back off.

Tony stepped between him and the agent. “Jana Carter isn’t here.” Ah, a calm voice. “We have no idea where she is.”

That was the absolute truth.

“She was with him.” Kelly pointed her finger at Zane. “They traveled down here together. My sources say they stole a Ford and—”

“What sources?” Zane asked, curious. She knew the make of the car they’d used. Sonofabitch. Perseus hadn’t come after them-she had. “Would those sources be the assholes you sent to run our car off the road?”

Kelly didn’t answer.

Tony swore.

Her back straightened. “Jana Carter is a fugitive, she’s—”

“Gonna be cleared by the FBI any damn minute,” Zane promised. Pak had pull. Zane would be covered for his … incident in Baton Rouge.

And Jana had better be cleared, too. He sauntered around Tony. “I’m afraid your job’s over here, Ms. Thomas. Pack it in. You’re not after Jana anymore.”

But she wasn’t backing down and he could see the calculation in her gaze. “You really don’t know where she is.” A hard laugh filled the tight room. “Did she fuck you over, too? She screwed you, left you, and you’re still idiot enough to try and protect her?”

He glared back at her. “Stay away from Jana.”

She shook her head. “I’m doing my job. My job is to find her, to stop her-by any means necessary.” Her gaze could have singed him. “Don’t you remember? That was your job, too. Before you decided to have sex with a killer.”

Kelly spun away and stormed for the door. “I’m finding her, and I’m doing my job.” Her fingers curled over the doorknob.

“He was your stepbrother,” Tony said. Zane blinked. Uh, what?

“Brent Martin, one of the two doctors killed in that fire a few months back. The fire you think Jana started in that lab.”

Her spine was flagpole straight. “I don’t think it. I know she started that fire. I know she killed him.”

Tony whistled. “This thing has been personal for you from the beginning. It’s not about doing your job. It’s about getting some kind of revenge.”

She threw a fuming gaze back at them. “Jana Carter killed two innocent men.”

“Innocent my ass,” Zane muttered. “Lady, you don’t know what the hell has been going on down here.”

“Brent was researching paranormals—”

“He was slicing them into little pieces to see what made them tick,” Zane told her bluntly. “And guess what? Some of those paranormals didn’t like getting cut up. Some of them fought back.”

“Like your Jana?”

He wasn’t touching that. So he said, “He was working for Project Perseus, a bunch of bastards that couldn’t be trusted. You’re FBI. Start digging. Check ‘em out.”

“She already knows about them,” Tony said quietly. “From my intel, the FBI had been trying to get someone inside Perseus for months.” A pause. “Was your stepbrother an agent? Was he working both sides?”

“No,” she snapped. “He didn’t know what was happening. He was just trying to help—”

“Bullshit.” Jana’s memories burned through Zane’s mind. “He knew what he was doing. He knew he was hurting them, and he didn’t care.”

“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, you don’t—”

“Investigate him,” Zane said. Simple. “Find out for yourself.” But he could tell by the expression on her face that Agent Kelly Thomas had already made up her mind.

The only thing she planned to do was hunt. And, as the door slammed shut behind her, he realized he had to find Jana before she did because the FBI agent didn’t seem to care about orders.

Just revenge.

“I don’t think your girl is the cold-blooded killer Agent Thomas believes she is,” Tony said.

Zane forced his teeth to unclench. “She’s not.” Dead certainty.

“Um … tell me … have you wondered how Jude and I came to find you? How the cavalry”-he inclined his head toward Daniels—“knew where we all were?”

He’d just figured that Tony and Jude had tracked him. When it came to tracking, Jude was the best.

“We found you because Jana called Pak. She told him where you were, and she told him to haul ass and get help out there.”

Then she’d come back into the fire and tried to pull him out herself.

Where are you? The question was burning him alive. “We have to find her.” Before Agent Thomas did.

Two nights later, Zane stood on the doorstep of his house, the night air crisp around him and worry a cold, hard weight in his chest.

The New Orleans cops hadn’t been able to find Jana. Jude hadn’t been able to track her. He hadn’t been able to find her.

The woman had vanished, and he was scared as all hell.

What if Daniels was right and she hadn’t disappeared willingly? What if that shifter had taken her? Agent Thomas might not be the only one jonesing for revenge.

The cops had rounded up over twenty guards and agents from Perseus. Davey had gotten away. Maybe, just maybe that kid would be smart enough to start fresh somewhere- and to choose fucking sides better next time.

Perseus was dead. Jana should have been safe from them. So where the hell are you, baby?

He shoved the key into the lock. Tomorrow, he’d use every resource Night Watch had to break apart the Other world. He’d already been up nearly forty-eight hours straight, only catching a few hours’ worth of sleep, as he searched for Jana. It had taken the cops a day to realize she’d left the city. A whole wasted day. Should have known that right away.

He kicked the door shut behind him and shoved the dead bolt home. He had to find Jana before the FBI did.

Pak had told them to call off the dogs, but he knew the order wasn’t going to stop Thomas. That woman was gunning for Jana’s blood.

Jana.

The last time he’d seen her, she’d been standing under that willow tree. Blood had trickled down her throat. She’d been too pale. Her eyes too wide. He’d wanted to run to her, but he’d needed to get rid of that dick vampire.

He dropped his bag. His eyes were grainy, and he was in serious need of a shower. Zane couldn’t remember the last meal he’d eaten and—

Not alone.

The awareness seeped into his pores. He hadn’t bothered to turn on the lights. No need. His vision was almost as good as a shifter’s in the dark. His sense of smell was almost human, but his vision was far superior. He let his gaze sweep to the left. To the right.

Then up, to the second story. His bedroom. The faintest of creaks reached his ears. Someone was up there.

Someone had picked the wrong demon to screw with.

He took the steps three at a time. Moving fast, but not making a sound. The bedroom door was open, just as he’d left it days before. The bedcovers were wrecked. He could see the mess through the door. Not the way he’d left the place. He caught the movement of a shadow. His uninvited guest.

Mouth tight, he launched through the door and attacked.

Their bodies collided and the intruder stumbled back. He followed, going in for the kill and—

And her breath feathered over his cheek. Her scent-wild, sexy-filled his nostrils and he knew, he knew even before he saw the wild curtain of black hair that his intruder was Jana.

He caught her before she could hit the floor. He yanked her up close, held her tight, then they fell together onto the bed.

His mouth took hers. Had to. His tongue thrust past her lips and drove deep into that sweetness that he’d missed. Her body was soft beneath his, but her fingers were strong on his shoulders. Her legs had spread, and he thrust against her, shoving his jeans-clad legs between her thighs.

She tore her mouth from his. “You’d better know who the hell I am.” Anger there.

And he realized that, to her, it was pitch black in the room. “Baby, trust me, there’s no forgetting you.” The anger was there, boiling just beneath the surface for him because she’d scared him. “Where the hell have you been?”

Her fingers dug into his shoulders. Growling, he grabbed her hands and pinned them against the mattress. “Jana … why did you run? Where did you go?” Why did you leave me?

“I came here.” Her breath feathered against him. “To you. I thought … I thought I’d be safe here.”

The rage left him at those simple words.

“You were safe with me in New Orleans.” He kissed her again. His tongue swiped over her lips. Into her mouth. “You shouldn’t have left,” he whispered. “Do you know how fucking crazy I was?”

“The cops were there.” Her voice was just as soft as his had been. Hushed in the darkness. “I couldn’t let them take me in. I-I couldn’t.”

“You’re not going to jail.” He wouldn’t let it happen.

“Zane, I—”

“You’re not.” He kissed her once more even as his hands went to the snap of her jeans. They’d talk more. He’d tell her about Beth and the cops and the plan he’d already set into motion but for now-now if he didn’t have her soon, his control would shatter.

He unsnapped the jeans and jerked down her zipper. Why couldn’t he get enough of her? Why was he so desperate for her?

Jana’s hands were on him now, moving just as greedily as his own. She shoved up his shirt, and her nails scored his flesh.

He heard the thud of her shoes as they hit the floor. His followed right behind ‘em. She lifted her hips, and he yanked the jeans down her legs. The scrap of lace-sexy panties- disappeared with them.

His fingers pushed between her folds. Found her warm. So warm. He eased his finger inside her and she was fucking tight. Her cream began to coat him as he stroked her, getting her ready, because she had to want him as much as he wanted her.

Her hands pushed between them. Then she was the one yanking at the button of his jeans and pulling down the zipper.

When she tried to touch his cock, Zane stopped her. “Can’t … baby … too close.” Because he was about to explode. He shoved off the bed. Zane grabbed the condoms out of his nightstand and went back to her.

She stripped off her shirt, but kept on a black bra that cupped her breasts so well. Her dark hair spread out on the pillow behind her. His fallen angel.

He sheathed his cock, rolling the condom quickly into place. He caught her ankle and pulled her toward the edge of the bed. Zane leaned over her, and took another taste. His mouth pressed against her sex, his tongue licked over the tight button of her need, and he tasted that rich cream and that sweet flesh.

She shuddered against him, a ripple that he felt right at his mouth. His tongue pushed into her.

“Zane…”

His fingers worked her even as his mouth took and took. Not enough. Not even close. Not—

She jerked against him, coming on a long rush as she gasped his name.

Fucking perfect.

He pulled back and positioned his cock at the wet entrance of her sex, then he drove deep in one long, hard thrust.

Her eyes were wide open. On him. The contractions from her climax squeezed his cock. So damn good.

He withdrew, then plunged back into her. Jana locked her legs around him and held tight. Not soft. Not easy. Not this time.

Too desperate. Too much fear and worry inside, too much lust.

His thrusts were fast and frantic as he pounded into her, and she met him, arching and driving right back at him. Her breath panted. His heartbeat thundered in his ears. Faster. Faster.

When she tensed beneath him, he knew another climax was close. He kissed her, thrusting his tongue into her mouth just as her orgasm hit.

Holy fuck.

His spine tightened. He plunged into her. Again. Again. His fingers bit into her hips. The bed squeaked. Sweat slickened his body.

So wet and tight and so—

Jana.

He erupted into her, coming on a blast of pleasure that burned through him, singeing his flesh and leaving him hollowed out, weak … and wanting more. Of her-always more.

Special Agent Kelly Thomas stared up at the darkened house on Louis Avenue. She’d known that Zane Wynter would be coming home sooner or later, so she’d just waited for him. No need to follow the man around the state, not when she knew where he was heading.

Home.

Zane was her key. She knew it. The man was a fine hunter, one of the best. All the Night Watch hunters had solid-and dangerous-reputations when it came to tracking and apprehending their prey. Hell, that was why the FBI contracted out with them so much. Why should the agents get their hands dirty when Night Watch could handle the blood so much easier? She’d thought this case would be handled fast by Night Watch, by Zane. Guess I thought wrong.

Zane knew how to take down Ignitors. He didn’t let their humanity stop him. He killed them, end of story.

Or, that had been the end, until Jana Carter came along.

Back in New Orleans, she’d seen the way Zane’s face hardened when he talked about her. Seen the slight widening of his nostrils, the lock of his fists. He’d been worried about the woman. Worried about a cold-blooded killer.

Men always let their dicks confuse them. Give ‘em a good ride, and they’d forget every moral they’d ever had.

Looked like the hunter had fallen for his prey. Pity. Would he wise up in time? Would he realize she was just using him? Probably not. Most men were too stupid to see what was right in front of them.

Brent hadn’t been like that. He’d been a nice guy, sweet, always ready to lend a hand, and always happy to make room for a stepsister who hadn’t felt like she ever really belonged anywhere.

He’d been there for her, the first person in her whole life who cared, and now, she’d be there for him in death. She wasn’t letting his killer walk away. No way did she buy that bullshit story about Beth Parker being an Ignitor. The FBI had a file on Parker. The woman was a psychic, one who’d worked with Perseus for too many years, but she wasn’t an Ignitor.

Hell, she’d even gotten that info backed up by a demon who’d escaped the fires at Perseus. The guy had found Kelly at her cheap hotel room. He’d been trembling, scared, and he’d told her that she needed to keep watching Jana.

Jana. That woman was the killer. Jana was the one who would pay for her crime. And Jana was the one she would catch.

Her eyes never left that darkened house. Zane was the key. He wasn’t just going to let Jana walk away; she’d seen that in his eyes, too. He wouldn’t stop until he’d found his little firestarter.

No sense racing against him and trying to find Jana first. No sense in that at all.

She just needed to step back and watch him. Sooner or later-and Kelly was betting on the sooner part-Zane would lead her right to Jana.

Her gun was a solid weight in her holster. When she found the Ignitor, she wouldn’t shoot tranquilizers at her anymore. Time for this hunt to end.

Time for Brent’s justice.

Jana’s heartbeat shook her chest. Her body still trembled with aftershocks of pleasure and Zane-he was all over her. Covering her, still in her.

She never wanted him to move.

Biting her lip, Jana let her hands curl over his shoulders. She’d been afraid to come to his place. Not sure if he’d want to see her, but also sure that she couldn’t just walk away from him. She’d walked away from everything and everyone else in her life, but she hadn’t been able to turn away from him.

Zane’s dark head lifted and she wished that she could see him as well in the dark as he seemed to see her.

“You’re crying,” he told her and, shocked, she realized he was right.

His fingers smoothed over her cheeks and he brushed the tear drops away.

She swallowed. “I don’t want to …” Run anymore. Spend my days looking over my shoulder, always wondering when the cops will come. “I know I’m on the extermination list, and I shouldn’t be here—”

“I’m getting your name off the list.”

A shocked laugh broke from her lips. “Sure you are.” His fingers were warm and a little rough on her skin. But then, her demon was a little rough. “Even you don’t have that kind of power, Zane.” That meant she wouldn’t have much time with him, but she’d take what she could get.

“Is that why you left me in that swamp? You were afraid of being taken in?”

She smiled and knew that it would be twisted with sadness. “I’m a wanted woman.” A woman who’d finally found something she wanted. “Me and the cops don’t mix so well.” Never had.

He stared down at her, saying nothing. Then, he pulled away from her. His flesh slid slowly out of her body, and she ached at the loss.

He rose and disappeared into the bathroom. A few moments later, he came back. He stood next to the bed, staring down at her. Jana gazed back at him, seeing a dark, looming shadow and feeling … vulnerable with her jeans gone, just clad in the bra. She reached for the covers and yanked them over her body.

“Why did you come to me?” he demanded in a voice gravel rough.

Ah, the million-dollar question. Because I wanted you. Because I knew you’d keep me safe. Because you’re the most dangerous badass demon I know and I need you. Because…

No, no, she wouldn’t even go there in her own thoughts. She sat up and tugged the covers with her. “You and I had an agreement.”

He waited, a dark shadow.

“Something … something happened to me in that swamp.” Said in a rush.

His fingers brushed her cheek and, slowly, his hand slipped down to her neck, to the skin that still ached. In the light, she had a lovely yellow-and-black bruise. She wasn’t sure how strong his vision was, and she hoped he couldn’t see it, or the tremble that slipped over her at his touch.

“I should have staked that bastard.”

She swallowed and remembered the raw flash of fear that had pierced her when the vamp had locked his teeth on her. She hadn’t been helpless in so long, but in that moment …

“I didn’t expect him to attack.” That had been her mistake. Any vamp was a dangerous vamp-she knew that. But in the flames and the fury and her fear for Zane, she’d forgotten.

“Catalina.“

Jana blinked.

“The witch told me to save him … and that shifter.”

Jana stiffened a bit. “She’s the friend you had inside Perseus.” That made her worried. Very, very worried.

“She wasn’t there by choice. They were binding her.”

Her breath left in a rush. She’d heard of witches being bound before. Their powers were slowly stolen from them. Three binding marks … then a witch was helpless. Almost … human.

Join the club.

“You seemed close.” Okay, crap, she couldn’t keep the jealousy out of her voice. “We were.”

Were was nice and past tense, but it also sure implied that a whole lot could have gone on between him and the witch. “You went back in to save her.” That point had stuck with her. He’d braved the fire for the witch.

“Catalina almost burned once before.”

Something clicked then. “The other Ignitor …” The one he’d killed. “Did she…?”

“She started the fire that went after Cat, yeah.”

He’d killed to protect the witch. Then he’d been willing to fight the flames for her again in that swamp. Jealousy tasted like acid on her tongue.

“I went back for her.” He paused. “And you came back for me.”

Jana licked her lips, and her fingers curled tighter around the covers. “I-I had to make certain you were okay.” Sure, the big bad demon could probably handle anything, but she hadn’t planned to walk away and leave him in the fire.

“Why didn’t you tell me that Beth was an Ignitor?”

Her heart slammed into her ribs. “She wasn’t—”

“The cops are pinning the other arsons on her.” His words cut through her soft whisper. “Beth was spotted at the scenes of the other fires. She’s the one who’s going down for them, not you.”

She shook her head and tried real hard to suck in air. “But she wasn’t—”

“Pak has some Other friends in Louisiana. When Catalina and I told them that Beth was an Ignitor-we saw her eyes and that fire-they put the pieces together. You’re clear, Jana. You don’t have to run from the cops anymore.”

Perseus wasn’t after her. The cops-were they really going to let her go?

“You should have told me about her sooner,” he said, an edge creeping into his voice.

Enough. She needed to see his eyes when she talked to him. Jana jumped from the bed and hurried toward the far wall. She flipped the switch and light flooded into the room. “There was nothing to tell!” she snapped. “Beth was an average-level psychic until that night. But she—” Ah, hell, this was the part she’d dreaded. “She took something from me.” My fire.

He hadn’t bothered dressing. His arms were at his sides, his cock still up, and he just … waited.

“She had someone else with her. A new Perseus recruit.” She could still see the woman coming toward her. “After you left, Beth offered me a deal.”

The faint lines near his eyes deepened. “What kind of deal?”

Her breath blew out on a hard sigh. This was the part she’d dreaded. “She offered me a chance at a normal life. All I had to do was leave you behind and take it.”

You’ll lose the fire, but get your life back. Leave the demon. Walk away and the life you always wanted can be yours.

Beth had sounded so tempting. So very tempting.

When the lights in the upstairs room flashed on, Kelly froze. Then she saw the shadows. Two shadows. But Zane had gone in alone.

“Jana.” Her whisper. She smiled. Talk about an easy mark. Now, she just had to get her girl, without that demon interfering.

Luckily, she knew the perfect way to take out a demon. Every demon she’d ever met had the same weakness, regardless of their power level.

She’d done her homework on Zane. Since that bastard had stopped her from taking Jana, she’d had the Bureau dig into his past. She knew all about his family. His father.

Like father, like son.

Yes, she knew the demon’s weakness, and if she played her game just right, she’d use that weakness to her advantage.

And maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t even have to get her hands dirty on this one. She could let the demon do the dirty work for her.

He could kill Jana Carter.

No, before she was finished, he would kill Jana.