“Which only means these women are in the position to spend big.”
“And yet their financial records suggest that should not be possible.”
“Unless they're getting their cash flow through other means. Like raiding the safes of their victims.” I rubbed my wet arms and tried to ignore the water dripping off my nose. Neither was working.
“It would explain the robberies, but not the violence. Did you get close to any of those guarded doors Kade mentioned?”
“Had no legitimate reason to, and I didn't want to do anything that would raise suspicions on my first night.”
Ahead of me, a door slammed and the sharp tattoo of heels echoed across the rain-swept night. I stopped in the shadows, watching as a blonde-haired woman stepped out of the shadows and turned onto King Street. I didn't immediately recognize her, but her scent told me who it was soon enough.
Hanna Mein herself.
“Gotta go, Jack,” I said softly. “I've just spotted one of our targets.”
“Report back as soon as you're able.”
“Will do.” I clicked off the sound, then slipped off my stilettos, shoving them into my bag and padding barefoot through the cold, wet night. The woman ahead was moving quickly, her blonde hair barely visible in the thick furry collar of the coat she was wearing. The click of her heels rode across the silence—a sound that was punctuated by the occasional car roaring past on the empty street.
She turned left and marched toward Bourke Street. I dashed across the street, and followed on the opposite sidewalk. I couldn't wrap the shadows around me full time, thanks to the streetlights and the occasional car sweeping by, so there was less likelihood of her realizing she was being followed if I wasn't right behind her. Not that she was bothering to look around her anyway. She seemed more intent on simply getting to wherever she was going as quickly as possible. Not that I could blame her.
I swiped at the drips running down my cheeks and chin, but my sleeve was as wet as my face and really did little to remove the rain. My top was soaked and it clung to my skin like… well, a second skin. It was providing so little cover that I might as well have been naked—only that might have drawn too much attention from the cops who were always cruising King Street at this hour. With all the nightclubs in this area, there was always some kind of trouble for the police to hose down.
So was that where Hanna was heading? She was certainly moving in the right direction for the clubs, but the rail and bus station wasn't far away—though she didn't exactly look the type to take public transport. Certainly an expensive fur coat, whether it was faux or not, wasn't what any sane person would wear if trying to avoid either trouble or getting wet. Although if she was the one hacking away at the vampires, maybe sane-ness wasn't in her vocabulary.
We crossed Little Bourke Street and hurried on toward Bourke. The quick-click of the blonde's heels were now mingling with the base-heavy thump of music from the clubs farther down the road. She still hadn't looked around, which was odd if she was up to no good. You'd think she'd show a little more awareness of her surroundings …The thought faded as awareness suddenly prickled across my skin. The woman wasn't the only one being followed.
I resisted the urge to look around and flared my nostrils, drawing in the scents of the wet night and rifling through them quickly. And there it was in the undernotes—a scent I recognized. A wolf who obviously wanted to be found, because he knew better than to be caught upwind of another hunter.
“I know you're there, Kye,” I said softly. He wasn't close, but I knew he'd hear me anyway.
There was no response, no sound of quickened footsteps, but that wash of awareness grew stronger until he fell into step beside me.
It took, you long enough to realize it. His mind voice might be cooler than the night itself, but his presence was so, so hot.
It felt like I was walking beside a furnace, and a whole lot of me wanted to snuggle right up to it. And not just because I was cold.
That's because you've only just moved in direct line of scent. Which was a guess on my part. I'd like to think I'd been in this job long enough now to instinctively “feel” when I was being followed.
Which might not be the case, but hey, a girl has to dream a little.
You might never have realized I was there, otherwise. This time his mental tones were laced with amusement that sent a delicious tingle all the way down my spine.
God, what was it with this wolf? I couldn't exactly blame the moon heat anymore, because the full moon was over for the next month. So why did Kye—someone I didn't want to like—have my hormones dashing around so excitedly?
Maybe Liander was right. Maybe my wolf soul had had enough, and was putting her foot down to demand equal loving rights.
Maybe I was just hoping that like all bad smells, you'd eventually go away.
I don't smell bad, and you know it.
He was right, he didn't, but there was no way on this green Earth I was going to admit it.
What are you doing here, Kye?
Same thing as you. Following a target.
The woman up ahead isn't the woman who was in the warehouse with the zombie and the hellhounds, so I repeat the question—why are you here?
He glanced at me then, his amber eyes cool and judging, weighing his options, sizing up the opposition. The tension that rolled through me was part fear, part a readiness to attack.
Probably for the same reason you are. I suspect she's involved with what is going on, but have no proof.
And if he got proof, he'd kill her. I resisted the urge to rub the chill from my arms, although I was no longer sure if the cause was the cold or the man. This wolf might have me in a spin, but he repelled my saner half.
Because in him I saw a reflection of myself—a reflection of the killer Jack wanted me to be.
He was everything I was trying not to become.
And for that reason alone, I'd fight this damn attraction as hard as I could. I didn't need a constant reminder of the future that might be mine.
If you kill her, I replied, wondering how much he actually knew—and whether I should risk doing a full read of his thoughts. We may never get that proof.
Which is the reason, he said softly, that I merely follow.
So no killing tonight?
He met my gaze again, and a slight smile teased one corner of his mouth. It didn't reach his eyes. Didn't warm the cold depths. No killing tonight.
Good. I paused. Does this mean you're going home?
I said it in a hopeful kind of way, and his smile widened. Despite the continuing chill in his gaze, the night suddenly didn't seem as cold anymore.
My wolf soul, it seemed, wasn't going to give up this attraction very easily.
No, Kye said, it means you're stuck with me until we discover just what this woman is up to.
Darn.
It's so nice to feel wanted.
Oh, he was wanted all right. It was just lucky the moon heat was over and I had some measure of control over myself. Not that control did much good given he could probably smell my interest. It was hard for a wolf to hide that sort of thing.
Though he seemed to be doing a damned good job of it.
I should be arresting your ass, I muttered. You've been warned off this case several times already.
You could try if you want to, but it'll cause a bit of a ruckus, and our target just might realize she's being followed.
Which is why I'm not arresting your ass. That and the fact I was just too bone tired to muster the strength I'd probably need to haul his cute rear end in to the Directorate.
He smiled again and didn't say anything. We walked another block and crossed over Bourke Street. Laughter and voices joined the bass-heavy beat, and the scent of alcohol and humanity rode the wet night air.
“I liked your performance in the club tonight,” he said after a while. I guess he figured us actually having some conversation did look a little better than utter silence should our target happen to look over her shoulder. “Even for a werewolf, you moved extraordinarily well.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You were there?”
“I was.”
“Disguised, obviously.”
“Obviously. You didn't spot me.”
“Hard to spot someone if they've erased their scent and donned a completely different look.”
“True.” He glanced at me. “It took me a moment to recognize you. Your look and smell was different enough that I glanced past you several times before I realized who you were. I like your regular look better, by the way.”
“Then I'd better keep this one,” I said dryly. “You planning to be there tomorrow night?”
“Of course.” Telepathically, he added, Now that I know she has an accomplice, it is my duty to track, her down and kill them both.
And if he did, I would arrest him. No matter how horrified my crazy hormones might be. “If I spot you tomorrow night, I'll treat you to a lap dance.”
“I wouldn't.”
I raised an eyebrow again. “Why not? We both know you'd enjoy it.”
“That is the problem.” I am not here to enjoy myself.
Of course he wasn't. He was here to track down and kill. Just like me. A shiver rolled across my skin and I rubbed my arms. If he noted the movement, he didn't do the gentlemanly thing, like offer me his coat. Quinn would have.
As we neared Flinders Lane, Hanna suddenly swung in our direction, looking left and right before running across. She didn't even look our way as she ran past us, moving up the street with a quick glance at her watch.“Must have an appointment,” Kye murmured, his arms brushing mine as the pavement suddenly narrowed.
Up ahead, a figure waited. A slender woman who was all of sixteen or seventeen.