Kissing Sin (Riley Jenson Guardian 2)

"He probably wouldn't have had time to do anything about this particular attack. If he even knew about it."

"True." I supposed the real test would come in a day or so, once he'd had a chance to contact his boss and make his threats. Though if the man behind it all was so all-powerful, what could Misha possibly threaten him with that would make him listen? And why wouldn't he have used it to free himself?

The sound of an engine, accompanied by the squeal of tires, cut through the silence. I looked up. The van came screaming around the corner, with Quinn just in front of it, on foot and fully armed. His gaze met mine, the dark depths sending a shock of warm concern through me.

"You're hurt."

"Just scratches." I pointed to the creature near his feet. "That one isn't dead."

He aimed the laser and shot it. "And the one you're near?"

"Dead," Rhoan said, and pushed to his feet. "Let's get the hell out of here before any more of these things turn up."

The van skidded to a halt. We walked over and jumped in. Quinn slid the door shut and the van took off. Silence fell until we were out of the car park and into the rush hour traffic.

"You know," I said, to no one in particular, "I'm getting a little pissed off about all these attacks."

"They obviously think you're a threat to their operation," Kade commented.

"How, when I was unconscious most of the time in that place? Even when I did wake up, it was to escape with you. What could I have possibly seen that you didn't?"

"It might be simpler than that," Quinn stated. "Remember, your DNA is as good to them dead as alive. And you're a whole lot more controllable dead."

I grinned. "Ain't that the truth."

"Question is, how did they find her?" Kade said. "Either we've got a tail, or they're tracking us somehow."

"We checked for body bugs," Rhoan said. "We didn't find anything."

"But these people are stealing technology that isn't released on the street yet," Kade commented. "It could be they have something we don't know about."

"Well, there's a bit of information no one told the plebs," Rhoan commented dryly.

"All in good time," Jack said. "And that time is not in this van. We can still be picked up by listening devices, if they feel so inclined."

I shared an annoyed glance with Rhoan, then looked at Kade. "Misha had watchers. It's more than likely they reported my being with him back to their base. There was certainly enough time to arrange an attack while we were holed up in the private room."

"They couldn't have known we'd go to the car park."

"No, but it was a logical guess. Street parking is shit around the club, so the car park is the next best option."

"It just doesn't feel right," Quinn commented. "Those creatures weren't something that could be called up at a moment's notice. They knew you were going to be there beforehand."

I met his dark gaze. "It wasn't Misha."

"Are you sure of that?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Why is it important to you?"

"Because I'd hate for you to be killed before I made a decision one way or another."

"At the rate you seem to make your decisions, vampire, I'll be old and gray and undesirable."

He smiled, and it touched his eyes, warming the obsidian depths. Warming my soul. "Old and gray, maybe, but never undesirable."