Chapter 7.

Picking Luka up easily in his arms, Ahmose took him to the room they'd slept in last night.

"I will begin the conversion, but you need to procure restraints. Conversions are brutal, detective, and he will fight for release. It won't help, the pain is absolute since the body is literally being torn apart and rebuilt."

"G.o.d," Mal whispered.

"You must get me very heavy-duty chains. Reinforced links, thick shackles, six inch bolts half an inch in diameter. Heavy loops to attach them to. Thick leather to protect his wrists and ankles from the metal. That's all for now."

"Okay. I need to contact Captain Smith to clear the area. The shooters may still be out there."

"They're not. I took care of one of them. I think he's the one that shot your partner. There were others, but they were able to get away while I secured the first one."

"Do you know what happened?"

"The one that shot your partner, I do not know. I suspect that the other set of shooters were the ones who shot me two nights ago and returned to finish the job. You can't call the authorities. I won't let them near anyway. Just get the things I asked for, please."

"All right. I'll be back."

"I will unspell the house. When you return, call and I will allow you entrance. You understand that what we do must remain unknown. Do not think to apprise the local constabulary that you need help or try to bring anyone else here. Nod if you understand and agree."

"d.a.m.n, you sound like an attorney. Yes, I understand and agree. Just, Ahmose, save him."

Ahmose shook his head. "I cannot believe I am forcing a conversion." But his expression softened and he reached out to fondle a long curl that had escaped the clip Mal had used to bind her hair up.

"Go," he said, quiet, but urgent.

Mal turned and left immediately.

On the side of the house, tied to a 4 x 4 post with a garden hose, Jinx's feet barely touched the ground. How the h.e.l.l he came to be here, he really didn't know. He'd followed Luka around the edge of the house, realized that the cop Mal Kalani was at the back door, and made his way to the other side of the deck. It was the perfect scenario for completing his mission. Fire the fatal shots at Luka, thus delivering the message Canzone wanted delivered straight to her face, and escape to the street and his car before she realized what happened.

Only the plan stopped right after he shot Luka dead, stowed the rifle on his back and began to go. Someone else was firing at him!

He noticed two men on the opposite side of the deck, rifles raised, firing past where Luka lay. Almost crawling, he retreated back down the outside edge of the small house. And that was where he got confused.

Because the next thing he knew, he was hanging here, dangling, his gun gone, and no way to get free.

Moonpie was laughing his a.s.s off. Generous tears ran down his face and he kept swiping at them with the nubby fingers of one hand and the tip of the barrel of his handgun with the other.

"f.u.c.k, that was crazy! Who the h.e.l.l was that shooting at us?"

"No idea. But we were outgunned. Whoever it was had serious artillery. We are never going to get an opening to take this vampire. Now, I think that maybe there's someone else after him. If that's the case, Claude needs to know."

"All I know is that was one great big mess! Two sets of shooters, I don't even know who the guy was that got shot, and your big-a.s.s vampire is still standing, head attached, and all. Your boss is gonna be pi-i-i-s-s-sed."

Cheeto was quiet now. Watching the road, his mind elsewhere, he swerved to avoid a bicyclist that was well-lit with front and back lights, and a full-body reflective suit.

"Yeah, I gotta do this. I can't fail this a.s.signment, or there'll be no more coming and this is my main job. Otherwise, I'm unemployable, Moonpie, you get me?"

Moonpie did. He nodded, because he himself was kind of a one-trick-pony. He had tried several other jobs and they either didn't suit him, he couldn't master them, or people made fun of him. And he got fired.

"Another day, then, okay, Cheet?"

Mal hurried to Luka's bike to get what Ahmose needed when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man hanging on the side of the house.

What the f.u.c.k!

When she turned to him, and saw who it was, her head spun.

"Jinx?" she yelled and walked up to him. What the f.u.c.k was he doing here?

"Could, uh, you let me down?" he asked after a few moments.

Her brows drawn tightly together, Mal stared at him, confused. What the...

Then it struck her like lightning...he was the one who shot Luka!

"I'm going to kill you if he dies." She was in his face, her breath hot on his. "And even if he doesn't, don't bet on your own survival."

"It wasn't me. I mean, it was Canzone who ordered the hit. He's the one you want. I don't know why he has a thing for you, but he's locked on you like a guided missile. Come on, I'm not your enemy."

"You shot my partner, you are my greatest enemy. You're lucky I'm on a mission, or I think I'd kill you right here right now."

She nearly ran from him, afraid that one more second with him, she'd rip out his throat with her fingernails.

The priority now was Luka, and she wouldn't let herself become distracted. Afterward, Canzone could kiss his a.s.s goodbye.

She screamed, out loud to the wind that took her voice as she headed into town to find Ahmose's list of items.

"Canzone, wherever you are, it isn't far enough. Your a.s.s is mine!"

With her skills and determination, Mal would run him down like the rabid dog he was. Luka, and she, would have their revenge.

Ahmose continued the feed to save his new lover's partner and make him vampire. He looked over the man who would be coming home with him to his village in Zambia. Handsome, big, he would make a fine vampire.

Ahmose already knew Mal enough to know that if she loved this man enough to ask Ahmose to save him, he had to be a good man.

It was enough for him, for now, to honor the promise.

Luka was too weak to respond yet to the blood, but if he was going to survive at all, he should begin to fight the blood draw soon. Ahmose hadn't told Mal that some people cannot convert, their bodies incapable of handling the catastrophic change of DNA. What would be the point? The man would survive, or he wouldn't.

Just as he thought this, Ahmose heard a low gurgle. Luka was choking on the blood, finally beginning to fight. Good news.

Ahmose held Luka down as he struggled against him. It would be better for the writhing man when Mal arrived with the restraints, but Luka was as weak as a kitten against Ahmose's superior strength. He held him easily as he thought about Mal.

She didn't know that she would never see Luka again, even though he had warned her that after conversion, he would have to give up everything he knew. That did include her.

Once Luka was past danger, Ahmose would move them to his home in Zambia for safety. His own murder had been evidence enough that Lamont's organization had found him and were still serious about eliminating his race.

Before his daughter arrived, Ahmose hoped that he and a complement of highly motivated first bloods would end this threat forever.

The ringer of his cell phone ended his reverie.

"Hi. Yes," he said, "Come in." With a focused thought and a hand movement meant to do the same, he knew the house was now visible so Mal could come back in.

"Hey," she said, as she dragged an obviously heavy duffle bag through the doorway.

Ahmose stood and walked over to easily pick the bag up and carry it into the room.

"Thank you. I'll keep him here until I'm certain that he is going to survive, that the conversion is occurring, and then we'll go."

Mal nodded and walked over to look at Luka, pale and gagging, on the floor, and winced at the blood that covered nearly every inch of his shirt.

"He looks horrible." It was the only thing she could think right now, other than wondering if she'd made a big mistake giving in to the desperate choice of believing that Ahmose could save him. Her reasonable self knew that he should be in a hospital. But her eyes moved to Ahmose's forehead, and the fact that there had been a bullet hole in it two nights ago, and there was no evidence of it at all now, gave her the courage to see this through.

"I saw the man you have tied up outside this house. You're right, he's the one who shot Luka. His name is Jinx, and he's the henchman for a powerful businessman who threatened to kill everyone I love. I don't know why, but the son-of-a-b.i.t.c.h has targeted me. Canzone won't get away with this. When I get back to L.A., I'm going to get that a.s.shole if it's the last thing I do." She paused. "It might be."

"Do you need my help?"

"What? No. I'll have the backing of everyone in my division. And I have Jinx now, so that's one more b.a.s.t.a.r.d off the streets."

"Then I will leave tonight."

"You'll go back to South Africa. Luka, too. I would like to fly with you."

He knew she would ask. It didn't matter what he said now. "Okay."

Mal nodded. "Thank you, even if he doesn't pull through. Thank you for trying. I don't understand most of what has happened in this house for the past two days, but, for some strange reason I'll never suss out, I trust you. And I'm grateful."

"You have been a delight. I wish we had more time, but things are happening too quickly. Mal," Ahmose said, facing her.

"Yes?"

As she turned to him, he took her face in his hands and kissed her, his tongue gently sliding inside her mouth and across her lips as he pulled back.

"You're delicious. I find I am going to miss you more than I would have thought possible. Look at me."

Mal lifted her eyes, still distracted from that amazing kiss, her pale green eyes trapped now.

"Mal, you are finished here. You will take your phone and Luka's keys and leave. You will have no memory of me at all, no memory of this house. You will not remember anything that happened here with Luka. When you get back to your own apartment in L.A., the only thing you will remember is this. Luka came looking for you, but never found you. When people ask you where you were, tell them you were kidnapped, but you have no memory of where you were, that you just woke up on this beach and went home. When you try to remember what happened during the kidnapping, you will remember a sense of incredible s.e.xual satisfaction, but no other details. Although you won't know what happened to Luka, you will have an overwhelming feeling that everything is okay and that Luka is all right. That he's happy. You won't worry about him. Little detective, try to let people in, try to find love. Go, Mal, now, and take Luka's bike. When you get home, go to bed and rest well."

Mal stood still, looking at Ahmose for several moments after he issued the final compelled command.

It surprised Ahmose because she should have responded immediately.

"Go," he repeated, and pushed harder.

Nodding, she turned and disappeared out of the doorway to the hidden bedroom.

Ahmose followed her and watched as she methodically opened the sliding gla.s.s doors, walked out, carefully closed them, and then continued to the street. He moved to the front of the house where he saw her start the motorcycle. She was gone.

Heading out the same door, he felt an unexpected sense of loss. For a beautiful girl who gave him blood sustenance and two nights of incredible s.e.x? That made no sense until he admitted to himself that she had gotten under his skin, that she was someone he really did want to know better. It wasn't in his destiny, though.

He dropped easily off of the deck without using the steps and came around to where Jinx was still tied up on the post.

"Whatever you plan to do with me, remember that I was only shooting at the dead guy on the deck. You're fine, no threat, honestly, I'm just going to get out of here."

"You are." Ahmose captured his eyes again.

"You will remember nothing that happened here. You no longer work for Canzone. You will return to your home, and collect the information that Detective needs. You will call Mal and tell her you have information about Canzone. Again, you will collect the information and help her to stop this man from harming her or anyone else."

"Yes, I will," he agreed.

Ahmose broke him loose. "Get out of here."

So, he'd taken care of the loose ends, he would get Luka ready to travel, and go home.

Mal had to ask her landlord to let her into her apartment. She didn't know where her keys were. In fact, she didn't know where her car was, and why she'd ridden back home on Luka's bike. All she knew was that she was extraordinarily exhausted. As soon as she pa.s.sed the front door, she went straight to her bedroom and crashed onto her bed.

The next thing she knew was that she opened her eyes to see filtered sunlight brighten her bedroom as morning arrived. She didn't move. Her attention locked on the yellowed shade that covered her window and she just stared.

How did she get here? What day was it? Did she need to go in to work? She felt foggy, and none of the answers came. Her eyes moved around the room from her p.r.o.ne position and all she could see were the tops of the walls and the ceiling. Had that ceiling light fixture always had exposed wiring covered with electrical tape?

Mal took several long breaths, released them slowly, and then repeated it. She needed to do something, though, so she pushed her overly tired body up and swung her legs toward the floor. That felt weird.

She was forgetting something. What was she forgetting? As hard as she tried, nothing came, so she pushed upright and went into the kitchen. Coffee fixed everything.

As it brewed, she sat down at her small table and tried to figure out why she was so confused. What did she remember?

Well, the last thing was the beach house with Luka. Yeah, that was it, they were at the beach house that belonged to the Captain on an enforced vacation while the division tried to deal with the skeeze who'd threatened Luka and her father. But that wasn't all. Was it?

Wait. Someone had kidnapped her? From the Captain's house? No, not from the house. From a crime scene she'd secured for Captain Smith.

What else? Closing her eyes, Mal reached for the memory, but nothing came. Who kidnapped her, and what happened when they did. Her head hurt, she was trying so hard to pull up any memory at all, but there was only...

Mal dropped a hand down low on her belly and smiled.

An erotic feeling welled up between her legs, her nipples hardened, and her c.l.i.toris throbbed. She was wet down there and ready. Her body wanted something, someone, but she had no idea why this sensation struck so strongly while she tried to remember what had happened to her. She'd been abducted, so why was she having intense s.e.xual feelings when she thought about it?

Her coffee was ready and she poured a generous cupful and filled it with creme and sugar. Squeezing her forehead with her right hand, she tried to recall the events before last night. Although she couldn't, she still needed to report to the Captain. Her hand on her phone, she paused, then sipped her coffee.

She'd just go in. That was the best way to debrief anyway.