"Oh." Her face burned as she turned to look out the window.
As the minutes ticked by, the tension in the car grew. Lights flashed and horns blared, but it all seemed distant, as if they were alone in the world, as if nothing could touch them in their private cocoon. It was only him and her and this strange magnetic energy that was pulling them together.
An odd sense of destiny overwhelmed her thoughts, making her feel as if her whole life had zoomed by for the express purpose of reaching this moment in time. This moment with Jack.
She thought remaining silent would help, but it didn't. Heavy desire surrounded her, swathing her in heat. It felt so dense, she would have sworn there was a physical connection between her and Jack. If he hadn't been driving, she'd be climbing all over him by now.
He turned onto Canal Street, going east.
She cleared her throat. "Jack?"
"Yes?" His voice sounded strained. Was he feeling it, too?
"If we ever … I mean, if I go to bed with you, I want it to be entirely my own decision." She turned to him. "Promise me you won't use any of your manipulative powers to sway me one way or the other."
"I promise." He gave her a sad look. "I would not have it any other way."
"Thank you." She took a deep breath. "What is your last name, Jack?"
"Good question. I go by the name Giacomo di Venezia, since my last name has always been debatable." His eyes twinkled with humor. "I'm a bastard, but I'm sure you've already noticed that."
She smiled. "Yes, it was painfully clear from the start."
He chuckled. "According to my birth certificate, I'm Henrik Giacomo Sokolov."
"You're kidding. You're … German?"
"Half Bohemian, from my mother. Her husband's name was Sokolov. I've never used the name since I'm not related to that cuckold, who refused to allow me in his house."
"Your mother's husband rejected you as a baby?"
Jack shrugged. "Why not? I was evidence of his wife's infidelity. He sent her back to her family in disgrace, and she died a few years later. I never really knew her."
"That's terrible!" Lara leaned toward him. Poor Jack. "What happened to you?"
"I was sent to the … place where my father was working. An old nurse raised me." Jack headed across the Manhattan Bridge. "It wasn't that bad, really. Nana Helga was a kind woman, and I saw my father whenever I could. He taught me Italian. I spoke Czech with everyone else."
"So your father's Italian?"
"He was. He died when I was seven."
"Oh my gosh, Jack." Lara touched his arm. "I'm so sorry."
"It's all right. My father was seventy-three when he died. He had a full life. A very full life."
"What happened to you then?"
"I was sent to Venice to live with an uncle and some cousins." He squeezed her hand. "I fell in love with Venice. I'd love to show it to you."
"Well, maybe. That would be nice." Lara realized he still hadn't claimed a last name. And something about his story seemed oddly familiar. "Your father was Italian, but he was working in Bohemia, where he met your mother?"
"He lived in many places, but he had a way of burning his bridges behind him." Jack approached her street in Brooklyn. "Can I see you tomorrow night? We can work some more on this case."
"You mean the kidnapping?" She'd become so intrigued with Jack's story that she'd almost forgotten about Apollo.
"How about eight-forty-five?" He turned onto her street. "Your place?"
"Okay." She gathered up her belongings. "Thank you for helping me."
"Lara." He stopped the car in front of her apartment building. "I want Apollo stopped. I pray the girls are still alive. But most of all, I am determined to keep you safe."
"I'll be fine." She unbuckled her seat belt.
He touched her cheek. Her heart stuttered in her chest.
"I want to kiss you," he said softly. "Is that all right?"
"Yes." Oh God, yes. She skimmed her fingers along his high cheekbone, then across the hollow of his cheek and the dark whiskers on his jaw.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. His mouth moved slowly, sweetly, molding her till she ached to open up to him. She slipped her hand around the back of his neck and ran her fingers into his soft dark hair. He was so delicious, so tempting.
He broke the kiss and settled back in his seat. "Good night, Lara."
The rascal. He had to know he was leaving her hot and bothered. The red tinge in his eyes let her know he was as turned on as she was. "Good night, Jack."
She climbed out of the car and hurried up the three flights of stairs to her apartment.
"So how did it go?" LaToya lounged against her bedroom doorway, wearing her pajamas.
Lara booted up the computer at her desk. "It was great. We now have a description of the perp. Tall, blond, and goes by the name Apollo."
"Cool." LaToya yawned. "And Jack behaved himself?"
"Yes." Lara connected to the Internet and Googled Giacomo Casanova. "You look tired. Go on to bed. I'll fill you in on the details tomorrow."
"Okay. Good night." LaToya closed her bedroom door.
When Jack had told her about his childhood, certain things had bothered Lara, and it had taken her a while to figure out why. Jack's father had lived such a naughty life that the old priest who tutored Jack had worried that he would follow in his father's footsteps. The man had been a womanizer who lived in many places. His last job had been in Bohemia, where he'd seduced Jack's mother. He'd died there at the age of seventy-three.
As Lara scanned Casanova's biography, her chest tightened. Her heart raced. Giacomo Casanova. Famous womanizer. He'd lived in many places until some sort of scandal forced him to move on. His last job was librarian at Castle Dux in Bohemia, where he died at the age of seventy-three. In 1798.
Lara's stomach roiled, and she pressed a hand to her mouth as bile rose in her throat.
No, it was some kind of strange coincidence. People didn't live to be more than two hundred years old. She was imagining things. But had she imagined Jack's super speed and hearing? His ability to teleport or control minds?
She jumped to her feet and paced across the living room. Who was he? What was he?
He had to be human. He had a beating heart. She'd felt it before. She'd felt his breath against her face when he kissed her. And she'd felt his erection under the zipper of his jeans.
She paced back and forth, but nothing was making sense. She collapsed on the couch and grabbed a legal pad off the coffee table. She could figure this out, dammit. If she was going to be a detective, she had to be smart enough to solve things.
She scrawled a title at the top of the page. You Don't Know Jack. Then she began a list of his characteristics. Intelligent. Strong. Handsome. Witty. Sexy. Sweet. Gorgeous. Protective. Supportive. Generous. Naughty. Great kisser. She frowned at the list, then marked a big X through it. It looked like a wish list for the perfect boyfriend, not clues to reveal his true identity.
Her gaze drifted over the list once more. Damn, he would be the perfect boyfriend if there wasn't something weird about him. What she needed was a list of his stranger characteristics. She began writing. Teleportation; mind reading and manipulation; super speed, strength, and hearing. These were the obvious ones. She needed to dig deeper. The truth could be hiding in the obscure.
Secretive. He definitely had something to be secretive about.
Hardworking. Motivated. She'd gotten the impression he didn't need to earn a living. He was fighting what he called the bad guys.
Has enemies. He'd mentioned enemies several times. And his friends and enemies all had the same ability to control minds.
What else? Old-fashioned. That made her cringe. He'd said he was seven years old when his father died. What if his father died in 1798?
Never drinks with me. Come to think of it, she'd never seen him eat, either.
Pale. Megan had said that Apollo was pale, too.
Eyes that can glow red.
Lara stared at the list. Her mind ticked off the possibilities LaToya had mentioned that night over dinner. Her ideas had seemed silly then, but not anymore. Superhero. Mutant. Alien. Bionic man.
Could Jack's secret have something to do with Romatech Industries? If Roman Draganesti had managed to clone blood, what other strange things had he accomplished?
Lara tossed the list on the coffee table and lounged back against the sofa. She rubbed her temples. Whatever Jack was, he was giving her one doozy of a headache. If she had any sense, she'd avoid him. But she knew she wouldn't. When it came to Jack, she was hopelessly intrigued. And falling fast.
Chapter Eleven
"With the amount of mind manipulation involved, I believe we can assume Apollo is a vampire." Jack finished explaining the case of the missing college student.
"I agree." Connor tapped his fingers on the desk in the security office at Romatech Industries. "He could be a Malcontent. Instead of hunting for a victim every night, he lures them to his place and keeps them on hand."
"Yeah," Phineas said. "The dude's stocking his pantry."
Jack suspected Apollo was using the women for more than food. He paced across the office. After dropping Lara off at her apartment, he'd driven back to the townhouse. Then he'd teleported to Romatech and called this meeting.