"That was bold."
"What?" Emmett asked, confused.
"You called the bomber a coward."
"It's true," he said. "He is a coward."
Dylan nodded. "Yeah, he is, but you don't want to piss him off. He might come after you to prove a point."
"I hope that bastard does comes after me. I'd love to be the one to put a bullet through his head."
Dylan chuckled. "I had no idea you were so bloodthirsty."
Emmett stopped beside his vehicle and faced Dylan. "I've never pulled my service weapon on anyone before, but with this guy … " He shook his head. "I just want to stop him before he has the chance to kill any more people."
"Don't worry. We'll get him."
Dylan's confidence washed over Emmett, giving him a dose of strength. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
"I know."
Dylan cupped the back of Emmett's neck. The heat from his hand radiated out, sending a shiver through his system. Emmett licked his lips, silently begging Dylan for a kiss. The man's lips twitched, as if he knew exactly what Emmett was thinking. The vampire didn't waste any time. He leaned down, capturing Emmett's lips in a passionate kiss. He took what he wanted, and Emmett was eager, giving as good as he got.
He wrapped his arms around Dylan's neck, holding him tightly as their tongues danced and swirled. Leaning into the other man, he felt his knees weaken. In this moment, nothing else existed. It was just the two of them, bodies touching and lips moving. Dylan kissed him until he was breathless. When the vampire pulled away, he left Emmett gasping for air.
Dylan ran the pad of his thumb over Emmett's lower lip. "If I don't stop kissing you now, I never will."
Emmett nodded. "We've got to catch this bomber."
"There's so much I need to tell you, but it'll have to wait."
"Later?"
"Yeah." Dylan smiled. "Later."
Dropping his arms, Emmett forced himself to take a step backward, creating some much-needed space between them.
He realized two things then. One, Dylan would be the man that Emmett compared every kiss to for the rest of his life, and two, they weren't alone. Glancing over Dylan's shoulder, Emmett saw a camera pointed at them, watching their intimate moment unfold.
"Oh fuck," he murmured. "We've got to get out of here."
The last thing he wanted was the local media blasting the New Orleans FBI office. He didn't want his superiors to think that he was focusing on his personal life instead of the case.
Chapter Five
"Axel," Dylan said as he walked into the communications command center at the New Orleans police department. "Tell me you have something. I need some good news, man."
"Your two bombers, Glenn Yassin and Jamall Kabir, traveled to New Orleans from D.C. with a third man, Rasheed Basher. They checked into a hotel down the street from the Silver Bullet, which I thought was strange considering that they are all from the area."
Dylan asked the most obvious question. "Why aren't they staying with family?"
"Exactly." Axel nodded.
"Glenn Yassin's older brother, Thaamir, and his father, Mahmood, both live here."
"Wow," Emmett murmured, sounding impressed.
"If Axel can't find it, it can't be found," Dylan said, copying Max's earlier statement.
"Yeah, well, Homeland and ATF just left," Axel informed them. "They're going after the brother. They consider him a creditable suspect since he's Muslim and attends a local mosque."
"Oh, great," Dylan murmured sarcastically. "They'll torture a confession out of him. Thaamir doesn't stand a chance."
Emmett instantly objected, shaking his head. "That's not the way we do things."
Axel scoffed. "Really?"
"The bureau has never supported extreme interrogation tactics, and neither do any other federal agencies."
"Whatever you say, Agent Flowers," Axel said.
"We should go to the mosque," Emmett told Dylan, changing the subject. "We might be able to identify other members of this terrorist cell before Homeland and ATF."
"I already told you that this isn't a terrorist attack."
Dylan had seen plenty of attacks over the centuries. He'd been alive long enough to know what he was talking about.
Emmett took a deep breath. He looked as if he wanted to disagree, but instead, he asked, "What do you suggest then?"
"Do you have any connections with Homeland or ATF?"
"I know a few people."
"Can you get me in to see Glenn Yassin's brother, Thaamir?" Dylan asked.
"I'll make a few phone calls," Emmett said. "But I doubt they'll let us question their suspect."
"Do what you can. Until then, we need to head to the hotel. It's getting late, and I'd like to find Rasheed Basher. He might be in possession of another bomb without his knowledge."
"I'll ask the bomb squad to meet us there to set up a perimeter. They can start evacuating the surrounding area."
Dylan nodded. "Okay, let's go."
They left the communication command center together. Dylan walked close to Emmett, brushing his hand against the other man's. Their fingers touched, and a tingle ran up Dylan's arm, making him shudder. Touching Emmett brought his whole body to life. It was almost as if he was feeling something for the very first time-intense, real, and raw.
"When this case is over … " Emmett started.
Dylan stopped beside the car, bringing them both to a halt. He turned and cupped Emmett's face, holding him gently. "When this case is over, we'll finally be able to sit down and talk. There's a lot I need to tell you."
Emmett smiled. "I'll take you to my favorite restaurant."
"I'd like that."
"I would kiss you right now"-Emmett licked his lower lip- "but I think we both know what would happen."
"Yeah." Dylan's lips twitched. "I wouldn't be able to stop."
"Exactly."
"Well then, I guess we should find our bomber."
Emmett fished the car keys from his pocket. He walked to the driver's side of the vehicle, a little strut in his step. Dylan hid a chuckle as he opened the passenger side door and climbed in. Emmett started the engine and put the car into gear, leaving the police station in the rearview mirror.
"With all these cops and military personnel out on the street, this place looks like a warzone."
Emmett was right. The streets were flooded with police officers carrying firearms. The citizens of New Orleans seemed to be locked away inside their homes, away from public places.
"It's understandable though. People are scared. Having the extra law enforcement presence out on the streets gives them a sense of safety. It shows that the police really do care."
"I'll be happy once everything is back to normal."
"It will take a while for the people of New Orleans to heal after these tragedies."
"The sooner this ends, the sooner the healing can begin. This city has been through a lot. We always bounce back."
Dylan didn't think Emmett really understood how long the healing process would take. This wasn't a natural disaster. The bombings had killed innocent people and injured hundreds more. Fear was the only emotion people were feeling. What these bombings proved was that any city could become a target.
"We're here," Emmett announced as he pulled up in front of the hotel.
Dylan opened the door and stepped out. He leaned back against the car, surveying the area. It was twilight. The soft glowing light from the sky had dropped below the horizon, scattering the sun's rays. Dylan couldn't believe that the day was almost over.
"The bomb squad is on their way," Emmett said. "When they get here, they'll evacuate the area while we question Rasheed Basher. If there's a bomb, we'll find it."
"Let's hope we find it before the bomb goes off."
"If your theory is right, Rasheed isn't a suicide bomber. And if someone is setting the bombs off remotely, I doubt that we're his next target."
"We still don't know the motive behind the bombings."
Two vans pulled into the parking lot, tires screeching. The doors opened, and a line of men filed out.
"Okay, let's do this."
Pushing off the car, Dylan headed toward the hotel room. He lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles against the door. When it swung open, a young man with dark brown hair and dark eyes was standing on the other side.
"Rasheed Basher?"
"Yes," he answered, his brows drawn together.
"I'm Dylan Aldian, FPA, and this is Agent Emmett Flowers, FBI."
"Oh God," Rasheed breathed out. "Did you find Glenn? What about Jamall? Are they okay? What happened? The bombings on the news … are my friends dead?"
Dylan studied the young man closely. "Why would you ask that?"
"We were all supposed to go to the Silver Bullet last night." Rasheed dragged his feet across the carpet and dropped down onto the bed. "But I wasn't feeling well. Jamall and I … " He sighed. "We told Glenn to go to the club without us. He didn't want to go, but Jamall pushed him out the door and locked it. We forced him to go to the Silver Bullet. When he didn't come back last night, we both assumed he'd met someone."