Dangerous Games (Riley Jenson Guardian 4)

"This guardian business?"

"Yes."

"I'll check with Jack."

Not just a cow, but a bitch as well. "Fine. Just trace the plate."

"Hang on."

I did, my gaze moving to Quinn, watching as he turned to study a small alley to the right of the limo.

Sal came back online. "It's registered to a Karen Herbert."

"You want to do a background check on her for me?"

"You sure this is Directorate business?"

"Yes," I said, even as I was thinking, Just do it, bitch. But I wisely held my tongue.

"I'll see what I can find and give you a call back."

"Thanks."

I hung up and called Jack immediately, but got switched to voice mail. Maybe the cow had him on speed dial. I left a message telling him why I'd asked for the trace and the background check, then hung up and walked across to Quinn. "The car belongs to a Karen Herbert. She's not a disgruntled ex-girlfriend, is she?"

"Never heard of her."

Didn't think the answer was going to be that easy. I glanced at the alley he was continuing to study. Something scratched at my senses - a presence that was there, and yet not. Which didn't exactly make sense. I frowned and looked at Quinn again. "So who wants to kill you now?"

He smiled at that. "I'm a very successful, often ruthless businessman, and a vampire besides. Those two alone give me more enemies than most."

"It would be helpful if you could narrow the field a little."

He glanced at me, eyes again obsidian stone, in which there was no life, no warmth. He suspected someone, that much was obvious. But he wasn't about to tell me, and I had to wonder why. He might have a trunk-load of secrets that he chose to keep, but this shouldn't have been one of them. I had the right to know, simply because I was now involved.

But all he said was, "Something hides in that alley."

It drew my attention away from him again, as he'd undoubtedly intended. My senses crawled outward, and the sensation of being watched by something indefinable increased, until my stomach flip-flopped in reaction. "What is it?"

My voice was a whisper, and he answered in kind. "A presence I haven't felt in centuries."

I raised an eyebrow. "What sort of presence?"

He shook his head. "Wait here."

I caught his arm, halting him as he stepped away. "You can't go in there alone."

"I must. He will not speak if you are with me."

"Why not?"

He touched my face briefly, his fingers so warm against my suddenly chilled skin. "Just trust me, and stay here."

I did trust him. I was just afraid for him, and besides, two was always better than one when in a fight - a fact I knew too well after a childhood of misadventures.

I crossed my arms and watched as he walked into the alleyway. The shadows wrapped around him as gently as a lover, whisking him from sight. He wasn't even visible through infrared. And it took every ounce of will I had to remain near the car, to wait as he'd asked. To trust that he knew what he was doing.

Which he did, of course. You didn't get to be over twelve hundred years old without gaining more than a little common sense. Not to mention some usable fighting skills.