Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood 8)

Lash nodded. "Leave the product. Go. "

The humans pulled a Simon Says and put down the drugs, backed away, and then briskly walked in the opposite direction, keeping their hands by their sides.

As soon as they turned a corner and their footfalls continued to echo away, Lash strode over to the briefcases and opened his shadowy palms. On command, the handles popped up and the two loads of coke levitated from the asphalt into his grip--

The shrill sound of a car alarm brought his head around, the mad beeping coming from the alley where he'd left his AMG.

Fucking human pieces of shit downtown--

Lash frowned as his instincts rippled outward and located that which had been taken from him.

She was here.

Xhex. . . his Xhex was here.

As what was left of his vampire side roared with possession, Lash found his body vibrating until his feet were removed of their burden and he moved over the asphalt with the wind, leaning into the momentum he created with his mind, not his legs. Faster. Faster--

He came around the corner and there she was, standing by his car, looking like pure sex in her leathers and her jacket. The instant he appeared, she turned toward him as if he had called out to her.

Even with no lights shining down on her, Xhex was resplendent, the ambient illumination of the city gathering to her body, like her inner charisma demanded it. Fucking wow. She was one hot bitch, especially in the fighting gear, and as the hollow space in front of his hips tingled, he reached down.

Something was hard. Behind his fly, something was there and ready for her.

With a shot of adrenaline that was better than any kind of coke, he entertained how much fun it would be to take her with an audience. His cock had returned in some form or another and that meant he was back in business--just in time.

As she met his eyes, he slowed his speed and focused on who was with her. The Brother Tohrment. Qhuinn, the mismatched genetic failure. And John Matthew.

The perfect peanut gallery for some Clockwork Orange shit.

How. Fucking. Fabulous.

Lash lowered himself down to the ground and set the briefcases on the asphalt. The idiot males she was with were all busy popping various kinds of heat--but not his Xhex. Nope, she was stronger than that.

"Hey, baby," he said. "Miss me?"

Someone let out a growl that reminded him of his rottweiler, but whatever, now that he had everyone's attention, he was going to take advantage of the stage time. Willing the raincoat's hood from his head, he reached up, his shadow hands undoing the black strips that covered his face to reveal his features.

"Jesus Christ. . . " Qhuinn muttered. "You look like a Rorschach test. "

Lash didn't dignify that with a response, mostly because the only one he cared about was the female in the leather. Obviously, she hadn't expected his transformation, and the way she recoiled? Better than a hug and a kiss. To disgust her was just as good as turning her on--and much more fun when he got her back and booked their asses some time in a honeymoon suite.

Lash smiled and sent his new, improved voice out into the air. "I have such plans for you and me, bitch. 'Course, you're going to have to beg me for it--"

The goddamn fuck

ing female disappeared.

Right into thin air.

One moment she was standing by his car; the next there was nothing but air where she had been. Bitch was still in the alley, though. He could sense her, just not see her--

The first gunshot that rang out came from behind him and caught him in the shoulder--or didn't, as was the case. The trench coat shredded on impact, blowing out a flap, but the nonflesh beneath couldn't have cared less--and all he felt was an odd echoing sting.

Niiiiiice. Otherwise that might have hurt.

He cranked his head around, frankly unimpressed by how obvious she was being and how bad her aim was.

Except Xhex hadn't been the one throwing the lead. Benloise's boys had shown up with reinforcements, and good thing they couldn't aim for shit. Last time he'd checked, his chest was still solid, so a couple of inches down and to the center and he might have had a sieve for a heart.