Eternal Flame (Night Watch 3)

Jude froze. Yeah, they all knew about the list. They’d even been hired a few times to make sure the exterminations were carried out for particularly dangerous paranormals.

But … Jana.

Zane yanked the wheel to the left. “She wanted me to just hand Jana over, knowing they were gonna kill her. Agent Thomas wanted …” He braked hard and turned to meet Jude’s bright stare. “I’m not turning Jana over to the Bureau.”

Jude whistled. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“When is it standard procedure for the FBI to drug hunters? Huh? When? They drugged you, Jude. Attacked first, and didn’t plan to ask questions later.”

The tiger shifter’s lips tightened. “I’m pissed as hell about that—” And his fangs were still out. Those claws still ready. “But Jana—”

“If the agent wanted Jana dead, she could have killed her.” While I just stood there. Fucking stood there. “But she drugged her. She didn’t shoot to kill.” Because the agent wanted Jana for something. To use her? Aim and fire-everyone knew that was the way to use an Ignitor.

His gaze returned to Jana. She still barely appeared to be breathing. Her face was so pale, and dark smudges lined her eyes. “I’m not turning her over,” he said again. “She didn’t burn Night Watch. And before anyone plans her extermination, I want to know exactly what happened with those humans in New Orleans.” He wanted to know everything. Every detail of her life. How had she become a killer?

How had he?

“You’re lettin’ this get personal,” Jude warned.

Yeah, he was. “Get out of the truck, Jude.”

The shifter blinked. “It’s my truck.”

Zane brushed back the dark hair that had fallen over Jana’s cheek. “I need the wheels because I’ve got to get cover and figure out what’s going on.” His eyes once again met Jude’s. “The FBI is gonna be looking for me now, too. I don’t want them to come after you.”

“Screw them.” Said instantly. “The day I’m worried about some jerk-offs in suits …”

“What about Erin?”

At the mention of his lover’s name, Jude blinked. “What about her?” A distinct edge had entered his voice.

“She’s the ADA. How would she feel about you being on the run?”

“Erin trusts me.” Absolute certainty.

“But she doesn’t need to get pulled into this.” He still wasn’t even entirely sure what this was. “And neither do you.” Zane sighed. “This is gonna get bad, real bad.”

“All the more reason you need me.” Jude’s smile showed off his sharp teeth. “I know how to do bad.”

“So do I.” The shifter didn’t really know just how powerful he was. He’d worked hard to keep Jude and the others in the dark. Sometimes, you didn’t want the whole world to fear you-and sometimes, you did. “I need you to work with Tony. Find out if that special agent is legit. Use Pak’s contacts at the Bureau, and then call me.” He still had the replacement phone Jude had given him.

The shifter measured him with a long, hard look. “Is she worth being hunted?”

He’d never been hunted. Always predator. Never prey.

“Don’t blow your life for a good f**k.”

“Get out of the truck, Jude.” There was no more time to waste, and he really didn’t want to punch out his friend.

Growling, Jude got out of the truck. “Don’t trust her, you hear me? She’s dangerous. The woman could fry you—”

He laughed at that. “No, she couldn’t.” He was probably the only one she couldn’t burn. She could let her fire rage, and it wouldn’t so much as blister his skin.

Jude slammed the door. “Watch my truck, okay? Watch—”

Zane left him, racing the truck forward and speeding down the road. After he found a place to lay low, he needed to make Jana tell him the truth.

Don’t trust her. Maybe though, just maybe, he could make her trust him. If he did, then he could get to Project Perseus- and give the ass**les some serious payback.

But she’d have to trust him first. Have to think that she could rely on him for everything. Anything.

One killer, trusting another. Right. Fate would laugh her ass off at that one.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, Jana became aware of two things. One … she was in a bed. A strange, lumpy bed that smelled of stale cigarettes. Two … she wasn’t alone.

Since the last thing she remembered was standing in front of Dusk and getting shot-that bitch was so gonna pay for that-Jana didn’t move immediately. She kept her breathing nice and easy, even though her heart galloped in her chest. Slowly, she let the charge build within her body. Her gaze stayed on the peeling ceiling above her, on those faint brown water lines.

If the Bureau had taken her in for extermination, they’d find out that she wasn’t that easy to kill, and if they didn’t want to kill her …

I’m not going to be their pit bull. She was sick of being a weapon to the world.

The energy built inside her. More, more. The blast would come hot and strong and—

“Turn it off.”

The words were clipped, cold, but the voice—familiar. Zane. She rolled onto her side and blinked in shock. He’d been beside her at Dusk. Standing right there when the agent fired. “They got you, too.” But why? Zane was a hunter, not—

“They didn’t get me.” His chest was bare, and his dark hair was mussed, as if he’d been running his fingers through the mane.

Her breath caught. “I don’t …”

“Did you know you were on the extermination list?”

No sense lying. “Well, Night Watch was after me, so I figured the FBI was, too. Hell, I figured the FBI was probably the one who was paying your fees.” So why was she there?

“I don’t want to hear any lies,” he told her.

But she was good at lying.

“Why were you in Dusk?”

Jana blinked. Okay, she hadn’t been expecting that question. “Why were you there?” Convenient, too convenient, and- Jana jerked up, sending the covers sliding off her body.

“You followed me.” Understanding was bitter as her memory flooded totally back.

He didn’t move. “Did you really think the sex would distract me so much that you could just walk away?”

She took the slap and realized that Zane had taken off her shirt and her pants. “Where are my clothes?”