Laurent slept with women. He drank their blood. He took their money. It was a good life. And most important, this low-key lifestyle let him live in choice territory claimed by the Clans without them being any the wiser. He'd been dwelling safely and happily in the warm California nights until his sire showed up with a pack of Primes and all their emotional baggage, and demanded Laurent do his bidding.

He wished he hadn't been lured back into the machinations of Tribe Manticore.

Being an exile had its advantages.

Besides, he onlymightbe my sire. It's not likely he'll say so one way or the other. He uses the truth to keep me in line. If I'm a good little slave, someday he might tell me. Typical tribal behavior.

"But I'm only really in it for the money."

Justinian had said something about their finding out what the Clans knew about Laurent's quarry, but Laurent hadn't heard any news after two nights of hunting. And this was after he'd gone to the trouble of providing the pack with cell phones and teaching them how to use them-after convincing Justinian that this modern method of communicating was safer around Clan boys than using telepathy, since mental activity was more likely to be looked for.

He snorted, and concentrated on the area below his roof perch, where he had a clear view of the entrance of the building across the street. Tonight would be the night.

This was the third night he'd staked out the fitness center where the Garrison woman worked out. This had seemed a safer place to wait for her than her house, where the Clan Prime might be lurking-waiting for Laurent. She was an exercise fanatic, and bound to show up sometime.

"And there she is," he murmured as he spotted the dark-haired young mortal turn the corner and come striding toward the gla.s.s doors of the gym. Energy, purpose, and righteous anger crackled through her aura like flashes of lightning.

It was too bad she was Justinian's prey, because Laurent would quite enjoy a taste of this gifted mortal woman. He shrugged.

Maybe after the pack leader was done with her-not that she'd have much spirit left then.

He let himself fantasize while she went into the building. When she left the gym, he could follow her back to her car and take her there. It was a simple, neat plan.

And foiled within a few seconds when the Clan vampire he'd fought for her came walking around the same corner, and followed the woman into the fitness center.

Laurent drew all his mental shielding tightly around himself and kept his swearing silent and on the surface of his mind.

Why couldn't this go easily?

He sighed. After he was sure the Clan vampire had no awareness of him, Laurent took out his cellular telephone.

Maybe, just maybe, he could get someone in the Manticore pack to answer, and give him a little backup.

"Oh, for crying out loud, what are you doing here?" Mia demanded when Colin Foxe walked into the martial arts room.

Bare-chested, he wore a pair of loose-fitting gray sweatpants. There was no one else in this small area but the two of them, so she couldn't just ignore him in the crowd.

He smiled in that infuriatingly charming way of his, and his sultry dark eyes glinted beneath the heavy arch of his brows. "I have a membership."

"But you haven't been here since we broke up."

His smile widened. "You've noticed."

Mia was tempted to keep her claws out and continue snarling at the man, but what good would it do? It would only let him know that she still hurt. It wasn't likely that he was here to explain about the bimbo at the airport, or to apologize for his continuing existence. He certainly wasn't here to beg her to take him back. She knew she should wrap herself in pride and dignity and simply ignore his presence, but curiosity got the better of her.

"You followed me here, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Because you're feeling protective, Officer Foxe?"

"Yep."

While she rather admired this trait in him, she wished he was feeling protective toward somebody else. "It was a random act of violence that you came upon by accident. Having done the Good Samaritan thing, you can go back to forgetting about me now."

"I take 'serve and protect' seriously."

"Which is about all you take seriously." d.a.m.n! There she went being bitter and sarcastic again. "Never mind my whining," she added. "It's late. I'm tired. I want to get in a workout and go home."

She'd wanted to go to bed the minute she got home, but a hunter needed to be disciplined. She hadn't expected Colin to be part of her workout regime.

Colin looked around the empty room and gestured her toward a mat. "Come on. Try to beat me up. You'll feel better."

"I don't want totry. "

He laughed. "I know." His gaze flicked over her, all hot and arrogant. "You are so s.e.xy when you're p.i.s.sed off."

It was such a blatant come-on that Mia laughed. After three months of callous abandonment, he thought that she still couldn't resist him.

"You are so-"

"A pig. I know." He spun around and did a backflip onto the sparring mat. He was lithe, lean, wiry as Jet Li.

"I'm impressed," she told him.

Mia crossed to a punching bag set up on a heavy floor stand and proceeded to take out her aggression with some kickboxing moves. She could feel him watching her, which made her clumsy. Which did nothing for her temper. She wasused to practicing with a group. She'd been doing this for ye- "You don't look like you've been doing this for years."

She turned in puzzlement at Colin's sarcastic comment. He was closer than she thought, and he lunged toward her. Though she was off balance, Mia reacted to defend herself.

For the next few minutes they punched, blocked, feinted, and kicked their way around the practice room. There was nothing formal about what they did; it was the closest thing to street fighting Mia'd ever experienced.

It was intense, exciting, punctuated by adrenaline and rising l.u.s.t.

Becoming aware of where this dance was leading, Mia came to a stop. She put up her hands, and Colin backed away. He looked bright and fresh, like he could go on like this all night. She was sweaty and breathing hard.

"You did good," he told her. He bounced on the b.a.l.l.s of his feet, grinning. "More?"

It was tempting to continue going at it with Colin, but she knew that come-and-get-me look in his eyes was also an I'm-gonna- have-you promise. And she wanted him, just like she always wanted him, especially at times like this when his hands had been on her, and hers on him. She wanted at the same time to hurt him and to fall on the mat with him and go at it like bunnies.

So for his safety, and her self-respect, Mia said, "No."

He tilted his head to one side, and looked up from under dark, thick eyelashes. "You sure?"

Now he was being cute. She didn't need that. She picked up a towel and wiped off her face. "I need a shower. And don't take that as an invitation to join me."

"Is s.e.x all you think about?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "That's my line."

He gave a slight shrug. "You know how I like variety. And I've never done it in the girl's locker room."

Mia didn't say anything else, and when she left the workout room, he didn't follow her, yet she could feel his attention focused tightly on her. She was aware of his straining not to come after her, and she knew he was aware of her fight to keep from going back to him. It was a victory that she made it out to the hall and down the stairs.

She hoped he wouldn't be waiting for her after she took a long, hot shower and then lingered in the locker room for a long talk with a friend. But Colin was waiting by the entrance when she came upstairs, his back to her. He was facing the wide gla.s.s doors, talking on his cell phone. There was no way out of the building but past him.

She heard him say, "Thanks, Dom." Then he turned around, smiling at her, the phone already off and tucked away.

She didn't know what to make of this man who had left her suddenly getting so clingy. "I'm fine," she insisted, waving him toward the door. "Go home."

"Right," he said, taking her by the arm. "Let's go home. I'll drive."

"My car's in the lot."

"I know. Mine's parked next to it. I'll drive."

"Oh, for crying out-"

"What were you doing at the airport?" he asked as he ushered her outside.

The fitness center was open twenty-four/seven, and it was late. There was little traffic on the street, and no one on the sidewalk but the two of them. This privacy, and the intimacy of his hand on her arm, disturbed Mia greatly. It depressed her, as well. Even his solicitousness was depressing.

It seemed like Colin was always taking her home. Toher home, never his. She really knew very little about him, except that he loved being the knight in shining Kevlar, and was great in bed. And that hecouldn't be tied down by one woman.

"If I answer your question, will you answer one for me, for once?"

"I told you I was on business," he antic.i.p.ated her question. "That woman didn't mean anything to me."

Mia chuckled. "What you do with other women is not my business," she reminded him.

"You were jealous."

"I was annoyed at myself."

"For being jealous."

"What is the matter with you?" she demanded. "I'm trying to be civil, but you keep-coming on to me."

"Sorry," he said, and let go of her. "Is that better?"

She nodded, though she could still feel the possessive warmth of his touch on her skin.

"Now, where have you been? What were you doing at the airport?"

She didn't know why he sounded suspicious. Maybe just because he was a cop.

"I was out of town doing research." It was more or less the truth; let Colin think it was research for a story. "And caught a ride home on a private plane. My turn?"

They turned the corner and walked uphill toward the three-story parking garage at the end of the block. An alley cut between the fitness center building and the garage. The streetlights were s.p.a.ced farther apart on this side street, and the one nearest the parking lot was out. There was suddenly something very still and spooky about the darkness.

Fighting off primitive uneasiness, Mia said, "I heard about a bank robbery that SWAT was called in on, while I was in the locker room."

Her friend had said, "The news said that a sharpshooter took out two of the robbers. Was that your boyfriend?"

"Were you the shooter?" Mia asked Colin. She felt him tense. "It was me."

She stopped and turned to face him, putting a hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"

He nodded.

Colin stared at the mortal woman. Just when he thought she was going to rag on him some more about their breakup, she started worrying about him. Every time he convinced himself that his fascination with her was purely s.e.xual, she did something that rattled him.

"I'm fine," he told her, too aware of her touch, too aware of her compa.s.sion. "I'm bloodthirsty, remember?" There was no way a mortal woman could understand and accept this literal truth the way a vampire female would.

"Good," she said, growing suddenly tense. She looked around very slowly and carefully, and whispered, "I think bloodthirsty is about to come in handy."

He became aware of the threat a moment before she spoke.

Mia no doubt saw shadows moving toward them, two out of the alley up ahead, and another pair from around the corner behind them.

What he noticed before seeing any shapes was dark mental energy, the malevolent psychic signature of Tribe vampires. They'd dropped their shielding as one, wanting him to know they were there. The intensity of their regard sent a stab of pain through his head.

"Games," he said, and smiled grimly. His blood suddenly sang with the joy of the hunt. "I like games."

"Colin, I think-"

"Don't think. Go on instinct."

She took something out of her gym bag. If it was a gun it wasn't going to do any good, but he didn't tell her so.

"Parking lot," he said. Grabbing her around the waist, he picked her up and ran.

Chapter Six.

Mia might have protested being carried like a child, if she wasn't so shocked at Colin's speed and agility. It seemed like it only took him a few steps to reach and dart around the two vampires in the alley. She caught the flash of fangs and glowing eyes as they pa.s.sed, and brought her hand up enough to squeeze off a blast of aerosol into the vampire's face.

When his only reaction was a sputtered cough and a slight turning of his head, she realized she'd pulled out a canister of pepper spray instead of the garlic mixture she'd reached for. But at least it took the monster's attention away from Colin for a moment.

As Colin sprinted ahead, she could hear the footsteps of the two from the street pounding up to join the ones from the alley.