Julian didn't look at him. "Rose." He'd said her name, roughly, demandingly, but his touch was tender as he stroked her cheek. "Wake up."

She didn't.

Why the h.e.l.l not?

Icy tendrils seemed to snake around his heart. Fear. He didn't usually experience fear. Emotions were for the weak, and he didn't have time to waste on them. But with Rose, it was different. With Rose, everything was different.

He pulled her into his arms once more, holding her tightly, and he turned toward his motorcycle. He'd get her to safety. She was breathing, there was no sign of deep injury...

Drugged.

He stilled, just a foot away from his motorcycle, as the truth hit him. Her unconsciousness was too deep for there to be any other explanation.

"Don't...leave me..." The human yelled from the wreckage. "My legs are t-trapped! Get me out!"

Julian stared down at Rose's face. He walked forward, then he very carefully put her on the ground near his motorcycle. "I'll be right back." His hand lingered on her cheek.

"f.u.c.king help me!"

The human was getting on his last nerve.

Julian stalked back toward the wreckage. He leaned into the open pa.s.senger side- "Thank G.o.d," the blond gasped. "Thought you were going to leave me here."

"I am." Because he'd just caught sight of the syringe on the floorboard. He bent and scooped it up. Broken and empty. "What did you give her?"

"Get me out! Don't you smell the gas? Don't you-"

Julian grabbed the guy's arm. "You drugged her. Were you part of that team in the alley? Were you there for her all along?" Because the club was an obvious place to hunt for a vampire. With drinks flowing so heavily, with people dancing and getting lost in the moment-a club like that one was practically a dream vampire destination. And a vampire hunter would have known that. You just waited there, didn't you, hoping that the vamp in the area would come in...

The answer was on the man's face. "Get me out." Now he was pleading. "And I'll tell you everything."

A siren shrieked in the distance. The woman he'd sent away-she'd probably called the cops. He sighed. Humans. Always asking for more trouble.

"You drugged her." He didn't need any other explanation. "That was your mistake."

Fire ignited near the back of the vehicle, flames shooting up into the air.

The human screamed. "Get me out now!"

"Looks like someone is about to burn." He smiled. "Like I said, you made a mistake." Then Julian left the b.a.s.t.a.r.d. He went back to Rose, ignoring the man's screams. She was still out cold, dammit.

The blond roared. "Get me out-and I'll tell you everything I know!"

Julian stared down at Rose.

Her lashes began to flutter. His lips parted as he crouched before her. "Come on. Come back to me." He let his claws slide out and he raked his forearm, a deep enough cut that blood trickled to the surface. Then he gave Rose that blood, knowing it would help heal her.

At first, she didn't drink.

The sirens grew louder. The scent of smoke and the crackle of flames were louder.

"He has a muse! She's locked up! A muse and an angel!"

Rose's lips pressed to Julian's forearm. She began to drink. The icy tendrils finally released his heart.

"He's got a witch locked up, too! The guy wanted a mermaid, but he didn't get her. The vampire is next on his list-he wants her because she wasn't bitten or born, but created from magic. Oh, s.h.i.t, dammit, the flames are almost on me! Get me out! Get me out!"

Rose's green eyes were open. She pushed his arm away, frowning. "Julian?"

The human screamed again-this time, the cry was ripe with pain.

"He's burning." Julian didn't move. "Do you want him to live or die?"

Horror flashed on her face. "Live."

Because she was still a human at heart. She didn't get that some monsters were better off dead. After the h.e.l.l she'd been through, he'd thought she would have learned that particular dark truth by now.

"Only for you," he said then he leapt away from her. If it had been his call alone, that w.a.n.ker would have burned. In seconds, Julian was back at the SUV. He crawled through the pa.s.senger side. The flames ate at his arm, burning the forearm he'd offered to her moments before. Then he was shoving against the steering wheel, freeing the worthless b.a.s.t.a.r.d who'd hurt Rose. Julian dragged the guy out of the SUV, and the blond was groaning and moaning the whole d.a.m.n time.

The sirens were closer now. The human cops would be arriving soon. Not much time for talking...

So he'd cut right to the chase.

He brought his claws up and shoved them against the man's throat. "Where were you taking her?"

Fear-he could smell it. The guy reeked of fear. A human who was in way over his head. "I-I was..."

"Where."

"To...to a boat down on the dock. My boss...he has a boat there."

Julian let his claws cut the fool's skin. "The name of the boat." Not a question. An order.

"Th-the Pandora."

Because the b.a.s.t.a.r.d liked to put creatures into a box? "Where are the others you mentioned?" Julian barked at him.

"I don't know, I swear!" The human was shaking. "I don't-"

The cops were almost there. The sirens were blasting in Julian's ears. "I have your scent. Wherever you go, I can find you now." He smiled and knew his elongated teeth would flash. His beast was far too close to the surface. "Never make the mistake of going near Rose again. If you do, I'll rip the flesh from your body."

"Julian..." Rose's soft voice. "We...we need to leave."

He dropped the human. Just let him fall into a pile of waste on the ground. Then he turned toward Rose. Now she's ready to leave with me. Good choice, love. Good choice. Rose was on her feet, but she was trembling-not the hard shakes of the human, but small tremors that rocked her body. He caught her hand in his, and his fingers smoothed over her wrist, a delicate caress that seemed second nature to him.

He pulled her toward the motorcycle. He got on and brought the engine snarling to life. She stood beside the bike, staring at him, her eyes so big and deep.

If a man had a soul, he could get lost in eyes like hers.

But Julian had traded his soul already.

Traded it for her.

The wind caught her thick, red hair, tossing it around her face. His fingers itched to brush it back. Control your s.h.i.t, man. Focus.

"Get on," he ordered her as his hands curled around the handlebars. "I'm not in the mood to deal with the cops."

She glanced back at the human. "Simon..."

Was that the b.a.s.t.a.r.d's name?

She bit her lower lip-a full, plump lip. She had such a gorgeous mouth. She was gorgeous. Heart-shaped face, killer cheekbones, and a body made for pleasure. d.a.m.n, but he'd missed her.

Rose brushed back a lock of hair that blew toward her eyes. "Are we going to just leave Simon Lorne here?"

Yes, they absolutely were. If Simon was smart, he'd high tail it far away from the Keys. "Get on," Julian gritted again. "Simon's boss may have reinforcements coming. He wants you in the collection." Something that would happen over his dead body.

He could see the flash of police lights. They'd run out of time.

Rose slid onto the motorcycle behind him. Her legs pressed against his and her arms wrapped around him.

About time. "Hold tight," he told her. "Because it's going to be one h.e.l.l of a ride."

Then he took off, racing into the night, and the sirens screamed after them.

"Sir, sir are you all right?"

Did he look f.u.c.king all right? Simon Lorne squinted up at the cop above him. Blood was dripping in his eyes. His forehead had slammed into the steering wheel on impact, and broken gla.s.s had rained into the car. "Need...ambulance." Something that should be obvious. That freak had cut his throat, and Simon had burns on his arms.

"It's coming. Just stay still. Help will be here soon."

Not soon enough. The vampire was gone-taken away by that b.a.s.t.a.r.d on the bike. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d with the claws and with the promise of death in his eyes. Simon couldn't even hear the roar of the motorcycle any longer.

The EMTs arrived a while later. f.u.c.king finally. They loaded him onto a stretcher. Put him in the back of the ambulance. Then they started hooking him up to tubes-an IV and some other kind of monitor. They wrapped his burns. They bandaged his neck.

"Didn't realize...she had a protector," he said as he stared straight up.

The EMT-a pretty brunette-frowned at him as she leaned into his line of sight. "Sir?"

The ambulance lurched forward, leaving the scene.

The brunette was in the back with him. A man-thin, balding-worked at her side.

"Rose having a protector...that makes it...harder..." So much harder.

The brunette leaned closer to him. "Sir? I think you're confused."

No, he was very, very focused. He had to get back to the top of his game, and a pit stop at the hospital wasn't going to help him. Science never helped.

Magic did.

His hand flew out and locked around her throat. "Harder," he allowed. "His presence will definitely make things harder, but not impossible."

Before the woman could scream, he snapped her neck.

Chapter Three.

"Stop the bike!" Rose yelled. She tightened her hold on Julian. He'd driven for miles, and he hadn't spoken a word to her during that ride. She had no idea where he was taking her or what he planned, but she wasn't just going to disappear into the dark.

He didn't stop.

How typical of him.

Eyes narrowing, she leaned even closer to him. "Stop the bike, Julian," she said, nearly purring the words into his ear. She wasn't sure if a compulsion would work on another paranormal creature-she'd actually never tried to work her power on someone like him-but she figured she had nothing to lose.

Only the guy just kept driving.

Her breath blew out in a huff as the wind whipped against her. Fine, if that was the game he wanted to play...

He didn't have on a helmet. Neither did she. No helmet, no leather jacket. He had on a t-shirt, and the back of his neck was exposed to her. Truly, in that instance, what was a hungry vamp to do, but take a bite?

Rose leaned forward. She put her mouth to his neck. Her lips feathered over his skin, then her tongue slid out and lightly licked him.

The motorcycle jerked to the left.

Then Julian was braking the bike. Swearing up a storm, but braking and then he whirled to face her on the motorcycle. Their faces were close, their mouths just inches apart.

"What in the h.e.l.l kind of game are you playing?" His voice was a low, dangerous growl. "I pulled your sweet a.s.s from one wreck tonight. Are you in the mood for a second?"

"My kiss distracts you enough for a wreck?" She let her brows climb. "Interesting. Now I certainly do wonder what my bite would have done."

But, before he could reply, she jumped from the motorcycle. All she'd wanted was for him to stop and she'd gotten what she wanted. Now to get away from him as fast as she- His hand flew out and locked around her wrist. Stupid lightning-fast shifter reflexes.

"Love, you've been around humans for so long that you've forgotten just how strong others paranormals can be."

Rose's chin notched up. "Not like that whole forced close-proximity to humans bit was my choice." None of the madness ever had been-that was the problem. "I didn't ask to get kidnapped by some covert government group and tossed in a cage." But that was exactly what had happened to her. She'd spent the last few months in h.e.l.l. Oh, sure, the government had a cool name for the group that had taken her-Operation Night Switch. And the group had liked to peddle some BS about using paranormals to make the world a better, safer place.

But she'd seen nothing better. She'd just learned more about betrayal and pain. Because that twisted group that had kept her for so long? The b.a.s.t.a.r.ds who'd starved her and tortured her as they tried to turn her into the perfect weapon for Uncle Sam? The group had been headed by her own brother.