I slapped him hard, the crack of his vertebrae making me more than happy. "What else do you know about the government helping the vampires?"

His eyes rolled. "They keep us in a safe place. Safe from you."

Calvin leaned over Caine's head. "Where?"

"Close by, with all the other monsters," he snickered. This was a bad side effect of the blood. It made vampires f.u.c.king goofy, and while they still spoke the truth, the longer it was in their system, the harder it was to get that truth to make any sense.

"Give me a name. Someone who's helping you."

He grinned at me, his teeth still pink from the blood. "Oh, I have a name, and it's a good one. A perfect name just for you. Are you ready for it?"

I grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him up so we were face to face. "Tell me."

He licked his lips. "Victor."

I reeled back, anger lighting me up as I let out a scream. "That f.u.c.king b.a.s.t.a.r.d. I'm going to rip out his throat and watch him bleed at my feet."

Calvin grabbed my hand, a dangerous thing to do when a vamp was worked up, but he knew I would sooner cut off my own arm than hurt him. "Easy, Lea. Victor is your patron. Maybe he has information for us. We don't know what kind of 'truth' this is from Caine."

Hearing his name, Caine rolled on the floor snickering. I kicked him in the back for good measure. "Get the net, Cal. We're going to speak to Victor and we can't have Caine leaving before we're done with him."

Call it a hunch, but if something was going down with the vamps, then Victor would be here in New York as well.

"Oh, not the net," the vamp whimpered, holding a hand up to me.

I grabbed the pincers still wound around his guts, using them to lift him into the air. A silent scream opened his mouth as he bounced on the end of his intestines like a fish on a hook. "You're lucky I don't shoot you full of liquid silver."

Calvin handed me the net and I wrapped Caine in it, and then hung him from the ceiling. His hands were bound behind his back, his guts pressed against the net. Everywhere the filament touched, his skin sizzled and the scent of cooking meat slowly filling the air. Calvin stuffed a rag into the vamp's mouth and slapped a piece of duct tape over it.

I pointed at Caine. "Don't you f.u.c.king move. I'll be back."

His eyes rolled back into his head. By the time we got back, the priest's blood would be completely out of his system. h.e.l.l, it was probably almost gone now. That was the problem; such a small amount burned out so fast.

I strode out of the building, tugging my cowl around my head. Calvin was much slower, but he would never allow me to help him. A long time ago, he used to lead the way. But now...now he had no choice but to follow. To sit back and let me do the lion's share of the work. We both knew what was coming, though neither of us talked about it. I needed a new helper and he was going to have to train them.

I paused as I opened the car door and tipped my head to scent the air. There was no sign of any other vamps; no one was coming to rescue Caine. My diversion also gave Calvin time to catch up with me again without creating the impression I was waiting for him. I slid into the backseat of the car; Calvin took his place in the driver's seat. I said nothing, but then, we both knew.

"Say it," he grumped at me.

"No. Not yet. Let me believe you will be with me forever," I said softly. "You are my one friend, Calvin. Let me pretend for a little while longer."

He pulled away from the curb. For a split second, I thought I saw headlights across the way, but nothing moved in the darkness and there were no other flickers of light. Seeing things was not a good sign in my world. When vamps went crazy, people died. A lot of people.

"Do you know where we're going?"

I nodded. "If Victor really is a part of whatever's unfolding, he'll be in town. And if he's in town, he'll be at his restaurant."

Calvin jerked in his seat as if I'd goosed him. "Love of Blood?"

My jaw twitched. "He named it for me. Thought I'd appreciate it."

A laugh bubbled out of him. "Did he think you'd suddenly spread your legs for him?"

My mouth twisted. "Apparently."

I gave him directions, and before long we had reached Amore Sangre. Calvin waved at me. "You go in, I'll follow."

The thing was, the restaurant was at the top of a twenty-story building and exclusive in that hoity-toity way Manhattan restaurants had down to an art. I took the stairs. Bolting up them, I was faster than any elevator. Once I reached the top, I pushed the door open and approached the bouncer at the front of the restaurant.

"Reservations?"

"I'm here to see Victor."

"The boss is eating with a companion tonight, and he's not to be disturbed."

Like that was going to stop me. I strode forward and the bouncer blocked me.

Or tried to. The moment he stepped in my path, I grabbed his arm and flung him into a wall across the hall. The restaurant hummed with low voices that came to a grinding halt the moment I stepped into view.

I had to admit, swathed in my black cowl, weapons at my side, I probably looked like a hitman. I scanned the crowd, finding Victor with ease. Mid-thirties, the body of a young Adonis, blond hair, and bright green eyes that saw far too much. Victor wasn't just a billionaire, he was an intellect, and that was what made him dangerous. His father had been my patron-basically funding my hunts because he believed wholeheartedly in killing the 'demons'-before him.

Victor Senior had always stayed out of my way. His son, on the other hand, was a complete pain in my a.s.s who need to be put in his place once and for all. He could dabble with the government all he wanted, but the second he put his toe into vamp-infested waters, that was my territory. And if what Caine told me was true, then Junior was playing both sides of the fence. Paying me to kill the vamps, while he funded a government program to keep them safe like endangered animals.

The person sitting with Victor confirmed Caine's accusation.

I strode across the room, heading straight for them.

Their conversation came to a stuttering stop as I slammed my hands onto their table. She had the smarts to try and back away, but I snaked a hand out, circling her throat. She bared her fangs at me and hissed, which seemed to shock the h.e.l.l out of my patron, if his widening eyes were any indication. I tightened my fist, but my eyes were on him.

"Victor, how many times have I told you not to play with vampires?"

His jaw dropped and I had the satisfaction of watching him squirm. "I didn't know."

She glared at him and hissed out, "Bulls.h.i.+t."

The thing was, I was inclined to believe her over him. Which meant this was about to get interesting.

CHAPTER 10.

RACHEL.

As I made my way up the rickety steps, I asked myself once again: What the h.e.l.l was I doing? Derrick was right. This wasn't my story...or at least it wasn't the story I had thought I was pursuing. I barely knew anything about it. The responsible thing to do would be to call 911 and let the police handle the whole mess. But I hadn't ever been known for taking the safe road. Maybe it was all that influence from my older brothers.

Even in the Middle East, I'd been known as Risky Rachel, willing to rush into danger to get a good story. If I were completely honest, I was an adrenaline junkie. I loved the rush of danger. Still, contrary to what people thought when they first met me, I didn't embark on fool's errands. I always had some idea of what to expect. I had multiple scenarios and escape routes sketched out in my head. There was always a plan.

This time I had none.

At the top of the stairs, I slowly nudged the door open, my gun drawn in my right hand and a flashlight in my left, my senses alert. I let my eyes adjust to the light and crept into a trashed room. It looked like a grand hall with wide stairs going up and down. The ornate railings hinted that this place had once been something grand. Now it looked like the perfect setup for a haunted house.

The question was, which way to go? Then I silently groaned. I'd seen enough horror movies to know the answer.

The bas.e.m.e.nt it was.

My pulse kicked into overdrive, a dull beat in my temple. My body was primed for fight or flight, and the hyper awareness that came with it was such a rush. G.o.d, I'd missed this.

But I pushed the horror of that realization to the back of my mind. I'd psychoa.n.a.lyze myself later. Right now, I had to find a man named Caine.

I crept silently down the stairs. A soft light fanned out from a door at the bottom of the stairs. When I pushed it open, the smell hit me first-a combination of urine and feces and another distinctive scent, one that I knew all too well.

Blood. A lot of it.

My throat tightened and I forced myself to take a deep breath and confront the very real possibility that Caine was dead. Either that or I was entering the torture chamber I had suspected from the outset. As I crept closer, the smell of blood grew stronger, and I decided it was probably both. Then I heard a m.u.f.fled moan of pain that confirmed he was probably still alive...in some form.

For all I knew it was a trap, but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw as I rounded a stack of shelves.

A naked man, covered in blood, hung from the ceiling, suspended in a silver net. His hands were tied behind his back and duct tape covered his mouth, but it was the sight of the intestines spilling from his abdomen that made me almost lose my lunch. Huge puddles of blood covered the floor.

His eyes were wide with fear and panic when he saw me. His body flinched and a sizzling sound filled the air, joined by the smell of burnt flesh. How could he even still be alive?

I backed against a wall, holding my gun as I looked around the room to see if we were alone.

"Is anyone else here?"

He shook his head wildly.

"Is your name Caine?"

Surprise filled his eyes. He didn't respond, but that was answer enough. Derrick had warned me that Caine was dangerous, but he looked pretty incapacitated at the moment. What the h.e.l.l was I going to do? I couldn't leave him like that.

I pulled out my cell phone to call 911, then cursed. No service. "I'm going to go call for help." I made a move to exit, but he panicked, thras.h.i.+ng enough to make his body sway and touch the net, which burnt his flesh with a loud crackle.

What the h.e.l.l was that? An electric filament? I didn't see any cords attached to it. The net dangled from what looked like a meat hook.

I crept closer to him and carefully reached through the loops in the material to rip the tape off his face and pull out his gag.

"Help me," he pleaded, his voice a whisper.

"I need to call for help."

"No! Don't leave me!" He shook his head, panic in his voice. "Just get me down."

There was no way I could lift the net off the hook with him inside it, so I glanced around to find something I could use to cut him down.

A utility knife lay on a table next to a bottle of red water that looked like it was boiling. "What the f.u.c.k..." I whispered.

"Please!" he pleaded again, regaining my attention. "They'll be back soon. Save me!"

I stuffed the gun in the back of my pants. I'd suspected the net was electrified, but I saw no evidence of any cords, so I grabbed the knife and hurried over to him, holding the blade up to cut the net. Then I lowered it. "I want answers first."

"What answers?" he squealed. "What are you talking about?"

"I know your name is Caine."

"No! My name is Matt. Please!"

"Cut the s.h.i.+t. I saw you in the park. I saw her take you, and I know you were with Derrick." The real question was how he was still alive, holding a coherent conversation?

"She's going to kill you." His voice changed. The panic was gone, replaced with authority. "She's going to kill us both. Cut me down."

I found myself reaching up to slash the net, but I pulled back again, shaking my head to clear out the desire to please him.

Please him? What the f.u.c.k?

I took a step back. "Where's the facility?"

He groaned, then asked, with a hint of humor, "Where's Derrick?"

"He was injured, which you should know since you're the one who hurt him. He sent me."

He laughed. "You? Do you even know what the facility is?"

"I know enough."

"You're dabbling into things that don't concern you, little girl. Dark, ugly things. Your worst nightmares come to life."

I released a harsh laugh. "You obviously don't know me very well."

"I'd like to get to know you better." His words were husky and held the sultry promise of pleasure. "I'd like to f.u.c.k you until you beg me for more."

A wave of heat and l.u.s.t gushed through my body. I shook it off, horrified that this literally gutted man could do this to me. "What is that? Hypnosis?"

"You really don't know what I am." He laughed, but the movement jarred him against the filament, searing his flesh. "Cut me down!"

His voice pushed into my head and every fiber of my being wanted to obey. I started to saw through the net before the fog cleared from my head. What the h.e.l.l was he doing to me?

I took several steps back this time. "What type of bioterrorism is the facility trying to create?"

"How are you resisting me?" he roared, thras.h.i.+ng his body in his frustration. But I must have sawed through enough to weaken the remaining fibers. His body dropped into the b.l.o.o.d.y pool beneath him.

I scrambled backward as he flailed with the net, pulling the gun from the back of my jeans. I didn't get to it in time. Without warning, I was slammed to the concrete floor. Pain shot through my head, but I was too stunned to a.s.sess my injuries because I was looking into Caine's face.