Midnight's Master (Midnight 3)

And Niol-that demon wasn't exactly known to be the helping sort.

Two cabs pulled away from the curb.

No.

One left. So close. Shiny yellow coat of paint. So damn close.

Kim reached out-

And saw the whirl of a long, black skirt from the corner of her eye.

She jerked her head to the left and met the bright stare of a smiling woman. "Oh, sorry!" The woman murmured, smile dimming. "Was this your cab?"

Kim's throat dried up. She stared at those too-sweet features. Into the eyes that seemed to sparkle with good will.

No. Dammit, no.

She knew that face. The lighting last night had been dim, just a bit of a glow from the parking area trickling through the blinds, but no way would she ever forget that face.

"T-take it." Kim stumbled back. The pavement bit into her bare feet. Hadn't been able to find shoes to steal.

The woman glanced down at her toes, a frown pulling her brows low. "Are you all right?"

Get away.

"Hey!" The call came from the cabbie as he stuck his head out of the driver's side window. "You ladies want a ride?"

Kim's gaze shot to him. Help. Her lips parted.

The woman stepped closer to her and raised her hand as if she were going to hug Kim-

The hard prick of a needle shot into her arm.

"My friend's not feeling so well," the woman said, turning her head toward the man. "I think we're going to sit out here for a bit. Thanks, though."

The bright sunlight seemed to weaken. Kim shook her head and tried to speak. Help. Her tongue was huge in her mouth, swollen and twisted. She couldn't talk. Could only stare-no, try to stare.

Too dark.

The drumming of her heart filled her ears.

No.

"If she's sick, I can help, I can-"

Help.

She barely heard his words over the slamming drumbeat.

"We've got a ride coming, don't worry about us." Sharper, now. "You can leave. He's-he's right there."

No, don't leave.

Please don't leave me.

Maybe Holly was still around. Surely she wouldn't let this crazy bitch take her.

Kim's knees buckled.

Or Niol. She'd take him over this-

The woman's arms caught her, held her tight. "It's okay, I've got you."

I've got you.

Tears slid from Kim's eyes.

The cab rolled away. She heard the squeak of the tires.

No, no, she wasn't going to be lucky again.

Darkness.

CHAPTER 13

" We've got a problem," Colin announced as he stormed into McNeal's office. "Our vic-uh, captain?"

Danny McNeal was standing close, too close, to Smith. And his hands were on her shoulders.

And-

Sonofabitch. Had those two been making out? In the station?

Smith straightened her shoulders and pulled away from McNeal. "Right. That should be all you need to know about the Jamison case."

The who?

McNeal nodded, the light gleaming on his completely bald head. "We'll finish the briefing later."

Aw, shit.

Did they think he was buying this crap?

Smith marched past him, held his gaze, and then gave him a quick wink.

His own eyes widened. Smith? Winking at him? For a very tense while there, the woman had all but ran whenever she saw him.

Maybe her visits with Emily were paying off .

Maybe she wasn't so afraid of monsters anymore. Not that he blamed her, after the hell she'd lived through.

"Detective."

Colin realized he was staring after Smith and that McNeal sounded pissed.

What else was new?

"Shut the door and tell me what the hell is goin' on."

Colin kicked the door closed with his heel. "Kim Went disappeared from her hospital room about twenty minutes ago."

"Fuck." McNeal dropped into his chair. "Willingly or-"

"Don't know." For her sake, he sure hoped the escape had been her idea.

The captain's dark brows rose. "The press know?"

"Holly Storm was there when the cop on duty…ah…discovered Kim's absence."

"Of course she was." A hard sigh. "Storm's every-damn-where these days. If there's a murder, her pretty face is right on the scene and she's shoving a microphone at my cops."

Yes, that was the general status quo for her.

"Get a team out. Start canvassing the area and get your ass over to Went's house."

A nod. Colin turned to go-

"Gyth, do me a favor." McNeal's voice. Quieter than he'd ever heard before.

Colin glanced back at him.

"Forget what you think you saw in this office, got me? Smith's a lady, and I won't have her being gossiped about by the cops in my division."

The bastard cared about her. Colin wouldn't have been more surprised if McNeal had shifted in front of him right then. "Ah, right captain."

"I mean it, Gyth. Not one f**kin' word. Or you-and your pretty-boy partner-will find your asses sitting desk duty for the next month."

Colin rolled his shoulders. He really wasn't the threat-taking type. "Smith's not the kind of woman you can play around with." No, Smith wasn't about play. He knew because the lady reminded him a lot of his Doc. Same quick intelligence, same core of steel that had let both women survive nightmares.

"I'm not playin'." Dead quiet. Deadly quiet. "Forget what you saw."

"Don't worry, captain. I've never been much for station gossip." Not exactly big into fraternizing with the others. Brooks was close to him, but that was all. He couldn't risk the other cops finding out his secret.

He reached for the doorknob.

"We both know Went won't be at her house."

Damn right, but checking was protocol.

"When you're done, head over to Paradise. She's one of Niol's. He might have a lead on where you can find her."

One of Niol's? Now just how did the captain know that?

Colin wrenched the door open.

A low chuckle sounded behind him. "Storm's not the only one with sources in this town."

Niol met with three demons at Paradise. A woman with brown hair and gorgeous blond highlights, a man with tattoos over most of his body, and another guy in a perfectly pressed three-

piece suit. Holly listened to Niol give them orders about Kim and she hoped they'd find the woman.

Alive.

When the demons cleared out, after sparing her more than a few curious glances, the silence in Paradise seemed deafening.

Alone with Niol.

If you knew the things I'd done, you wouldn't let me touch you.

Holly figured they should probably talk. Try to clear the air more between them. There were too many secrets, on both sides. But as she stood there, her hands at her sides, her eyes on him, talking, well, that really wasn't her priority.