Prime Vampires - I Hunger For You Part 3

Three days later "Would you like another iced tea?"

Mia looked away from the airplane window at the flight attendant's question. "No, thank you. How soon until we land?"

"About half an hour," the woman answered.

She smiled hopefully, but when Mia didn't request anything else, she moved to the back of the plane. Mia was the only pa.s.senger on the small jet flying back to Los Angeles from Colorado, and she wasn't making much work for the staff on her great- grandfather's jet.

The fact that her great-grandfather had a private airplane, and that he'd put it at her disposal, was still pretty shocking. Yes, she'd known he was very rich, but being exposed to the rarefied atmosphere where the super wealthy dwelled made her breathless.

She'd expected the telephone number her grandmother had left her would put her in immediate contact with her great-grandfather, but it hadn't worked out that way. The number belonged to a law firm. She'd used the code phrase that went along with the number, which got a very complicated ball rolling.

Getting to see her elderly relative face to face had taken her through several layers of flunkies; men in more and more expensive offices and suits; men with blanker and blanker faces and blander voices.

Finally, a rough old voice on a speaker phone in the fanciest office of all had ordered the expensive lawyer out.

When she was alone, the old man said, "What do you want?"

It turned out to be very hard to say the words. What if she was making a complete fool of herself? What if it was all myth after all?

What if what had attacked her hadn't been-what she thought? What if this wasn't actually Henry Garrison?

But she took a deep breath and said, "I want to know how to hunt vampires."

"Why?" was the gruff reply.

"Somebody has to," was the only answer she could think of.

"For the sake of family tradition? Or is it more personal?"

She thought for a moment before she said, "Both, I guess. I was attacked by a vampire, and I-"

"You've had actual contact with one? Did it take your blood?"

"Yes. No. I-"

"Do you know where it is?"

"Somewhere in Los Angeles."

"That's a lot of territory to cover."

"I know. That's why I need your help. I'm willing to hunt it, but I need to know how."

A soft cackle of laughter issued from the speaker. Then the old man was silent for a while. "All right," he said at last. "I'll show you."

After that she'd been whisked off in a succession of limousines and airplanes, and finally into an SUV that took her up a mountain road to a mansion in the center of a walled compound. Once inside this luxurious fortress, she'd finally come face to face with the last vampire hunter in the family.

Her great-grandfather was not a rush-up-and- give-him-a-big-hug-and-call-him-Grandpa kind of person, but Mia hadn't expected him to be. What she hadn't expected him to be was-kind of creepy. The time she'd spent with him had been instructive, but it hadn't been particularly pleasant. In fact, he spent more time hunched over a laptop working on financial dealings than actually looking at her when they were together. The man was cold, abrupt, and there was a-hunger-in him for vampires.

The fact that he wanted her to bring him a live one freaked her at first.

But his explanation made sense. He reminded her that vampire hunting was almost a dead art. Times had changed, and it would be intelligent to find out what sorts of modern weaponry worked on the monsters.

When he first brought the subject up, Mia was outraged at the idea of experimenting on a living creature. But her great- grandfather pointed out that that was exactly what vampires were-creatures, monsters, parasites. The Enemy.

She'd signed on to fight a war. There couldn't be any room for mercy when fighting the forces of evil.

That sounds so melodramatic.

Yet it was true. And she had promised to capture a vampire and bring it to her great-grandfather. He'd provided her with drugs that he promised rendered the monsters helpless.

She'd figure out something. And she'd have to do it alone. Even with her new knowledge, Mia still felt unprepared for the challenge.

Oh, no, you don't, Caramia Luchese. I am as tough as nails, and I can do this.

Only it would be so much better if she didn't have to do it by herself. Her great-grandfather had promised her help in transporting the vampire once she'd caught it, but insisted that the capture was her duty alone.

She didn't get it.

Maybe it was some sort of hunter tradition of going mano a mano against the forces of evil. Though if that was the way it was done, it was no wonder the hunter families had died out or gotten out of the business.

Maybe it was a test.

Maybe if she brought her great-grandfather the vampire, he would provide her with more information and resources. Well, she needed his help, so she'd do it his way for now.

She just wished she could tell someone. Unreasonably, stupidly, the one person she wanted to tell was Colin Foxe.

I can't trust him on an emotional level-but d.a.m.n, the man can kick a.s.s.

d.a.m.n, but the man alsohad a fine a.s.s.

Mia ran a hand through her short curls and wondered where that thought had come from. Probably because he'd shown up the other night and-she hated to admit it-savedher a.s.s. She'd had a primal reaction to it then that she'd managed to cover with anger, but the effects still lingered. Only pride had kept her from dragging him down on the ground and giving herself to him. She'd felt his excitement after the fight, knew the c.o.c.kiness he got from the victory. The s.e.x would have been hard, fast, and sweet.

She closed her eyes and tasted the man's kisses, felt his hands on her. The memories alone were enough to stir instant, aching heat.

She had good reasons to hate the man, but he made a h.e.l.l of a s.e.x toy.

Which was another reason not to bring him into this. She couldn't afford emotional involvement-not l.u.s.t, not hate. It wouldn't be good for her edge, or his. Besides, how could she get him to believe in vampires? He'd scoff until one was sucking the life out of him.

This thought brought up lovely images of her rescuing him, his grat.i.tude, and her cheerfully rebuffing the gorgeous b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

"We'll be landing in a few moments."

The flight attendant's voice brought Mia out of her reverie. This is not a game, she reminded herself as she checked to make sure her seatbelt was fastened.

"What do you mean, you can't guard her if you can't find her?" Colin demanded of his cousin over the cellular phone. "Why can't you find her?" Why had he left Mia's welfare to anyone else?

He stepped out of the small office building of the Van Trier Executive Airport with his phone pressed to his ear, and sudden anger bursting inside him. Even though the sun was setting, he automatically put on sungla.s.ses. His gaze was drawn across the parking lot toward a small jet making a landing on one of the airport's two runways. He put a finger in his left ear to block out the engine noise.

Alec Reynard's voice sounded far too cheerful when he answered. "The best we can figure is that your girlfriend left home voluntarily."

"She's not my girlfriend. And how do you figure that?" Colin shouted over the roar of airport noise.

"Domini and I broke into her house. There was no scent or sign of any vampire having been in the place but you. There was a string of garlic on the back door, so maybe she suspects vampires exist."

"She's Italian," Colin answered, "and she likes to cook. The back door's in the kitchen."

"That's what Domini suggested. You've spent a lot of time over there, have you?"

"You don't believe the girl's in danger, do you?"

"I haven't found any evidence of her being involved with our kind, except for you calling me every hour."

This was only the second time Colin had enquired about Mia, as he hadn't had the time, but he let it go. He didn't know why Alec was needling him and not taking the situation seriously. "Has Tony found-"

"He found and lost the trail of the one you fought, but no evidence of a pack operating in the area yet. Let's hope it was a lone Prime pa.s.sing through who decided to have a little fun with you."

It would be a relief to think that the Tribe was long out of town. "Tony's still checking, though, right?"

"Of course. And how's your a.s.signment coming along?"

"Slowly," Colin answered. "My team spent most of the last few days on that bank robbery situation that was all over the news.

Then we had to do a debrief, and a training sim to see how we could handle it better."

The rest of his team had gone home wrung out and ragged. Colin wasn't tired the way his mortal teammates were, but he was glad for the days off they'd been given. For some reason, he'd found that he was slightly envious of the wives and families the rest of the team had to go home to.

"Now I finally have some time off to work on the Patron info I'm supposed to check out."

"And?" Alec prompted.

"I'm at the airport now. I persuaded a beautiful young woman to look through all the confidential client files, but it's going to take her a while."

"Do you think you've finally run down a lead on this Patron?"

Impatience clawed at Colin. When he'd helped shut down the Patron's immortality research facility in Arizona, he and the others had made their escape on a stolen Gulfstream jet. Tracing the ownership information of the airplane should have quickly led to the ident.i.ty of the Patron.Instead it had led to plowing slowly through layers and layers of financial camouflage. The man hid his ident.i.ty well. After all this time, they still didn't know who the plane belonged to, but some maintenance records had finally been tracked down. That paper trail led to this small, private airport. Now all Colin could do was wait while the mortal female he'd flirted with and hypnotized into helping him looked through confidential files.

He tried to put his mind on how good-looking the office worker was, to stop thinking about Mia, but heard himself say, "Why couldn't the woman stay home so she can be protected?"

"Maybe the woman thinks she can take care of herself," Reynard said.

Colin had forgotten that he was on the phone. "Mortals need taking care of, especially females."

The wave of awareness. .h.i.t him even before he stopped speaking. If Reynard answered, Colin didn't hear him. All he was aware of was Mia stepping off the plane that had just landed. He was waiting by the gate by the time she reached it. Her gaze was on the ground, a frown of concentration on her face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Her head jerked up, and their gazes met. For a moment there was a light of welcome in her eyes that took Colin's breath away.

He almost took her in his arms, but her expression changed to guarded suspicion that warned him to keep his distance.

"What areyou doing here?" she questioned him.

"Business," was his answer. He moved to let her through the gate and kept pace with her as she walked across the parking lot.

"Where have you been?"

"Out of town."

"I know. Why?"

She stopped, and glared at him. "How did you know? Why do you want to know?"

"You were attacked. I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"So you tracked me down here?"

"No. I told you I'm on business."

She took a deep breath, and Colin felt her pull her emotions in and get herself under control. "Thank you for your concern, Officer Foxe."

If she could attempt to be reasonable, so could he. He put his hand on her arm. He was aware of the muscles beneath the warm softness of her skin. That was Mia, steel and velvet. She trembled ever so slightly at his touch, wanting him, and fighting that wanting. He felt the same way. The need was always instant between them.

"Come on, let me drive you home."

She didn't answer, but she did let him lead her toward his car.

But as they pa.s.sed the small airport office, the office manager stepped out of the doorway. "Officer Foxe!" she called, and hurried up to him.

Standing too close to him, she tilted her head provocatively and said, "I found those records you asked for." She smiled, and the look she gave him was both pleased and hopeful.Mia stiffened, emotions going cold as ice, and stepped away from Colin. "I have a ride."

Colin moved toward Mia, but the other woman put herself between them. She touched his shoulder. "Come into my office, and I'll show you what I've found."

d.a.m.n! d.a.m.n! d.a.m.n! The woman was beautiful, and he had come on to her. But he hadn't expected Mia to be here!

Now Mia was walking away, and she was likely reminding herself that he'd broken up with her because he'd told her he wasn't interested in being involved with only one woman. Which was the truth, but he still felt as if he'd somehow been caught cheating on her.

Which didn't change the fact that he did need the information the woman had found for him. He'd stop by Mia's place later to check on her.

"Good work," he said, turning a smile on the waiting woman. He put his arm around her slender shoulders, turning her back toward the building. "Let's have a look at what you've found."

Chapter Five.