Deadly Desire (Riley Jenson Guardian 7)

The slender woman made a clicking sound with her tongue, then said, "Make it twelve, and I'm yours."

"Twelve it is then." Even from where we stood, Hanna's satisfaction was evident. "Here's my business card in case you need to contact me. Be in the lane behind Meinhardt's at seven, and we'll hustle you into the club."

The woman took the card and shoved it in her pocket, then turned and walked back up Flinders Lane. Hanna watched her for a little while, then spun around and headed back in our direction.

Kye kissed me again.

It was even more electrifying than before, and it took me several seconds to register the fact that Hanna had walked past us.

"Looks like we have a tough decision," he said, his breath fast and heated on my lips. "Follow the witch, or follow her target?"

"She's a sorcerer," I corrected, and ducked under his arms, forcing some air and distance between us. "And you know as well as I do that my next quarry is her target."

He reached out and touched a finger lightly to my cheek. "I enjoyed our little encounter tonight, but it's going to make the lap dance tomorrow night all that much harder to ignore."

He wouldn't be ignoring anything on my shift. Which was not entirely a sane thought given my resolve to have as little as possible to do with this man. But then, maybe I wasn't entirely sane. After all, I was a guardian. "Don't kill the blonde."

"I gave you my word not to kill her tonight, Riley. I am a man of my word, if nothing else."

"Good. See you tomorrow night."

"If you can find me," he said, a trace of amusement in his voice again.

It was a challenge, and we both knew it. I didn't answer, simply turned and ran after the young woman before she disappeared.

Chapter Eight

Fortunately for me, she didn't catch a cab, but rather the nightrider bus. I climbed on after them and made my way down to the back of the bus, my wet and clingy outfit catching several appreciative glances from the male passengers. The teenager had settled about halfway down. I sat two seats behind but across from her, and tried to ignore the reek of alcohol coming from the snoring woman in the seat behind me.

The driver had classical music playing softly and with the blue interior lighting of the bus, it was a peaceful trip. Even the drunk stopped smelling as bad-either that, or my nose had become accustomed to her.

The teenager climbed off at the Dimboola Road stop in Broadmeadows and began walking down the hill. I followed, keeping far enough back so that even if headlights tore the cover of shadows away from me, she wouldn't realize she was being tailed. Not that she appeared to be really aware of anything else but getting home. I couldn't blame her-it was a miserable night.

She turned left into a street then crossed the road and ran into a house. I waited on the corner, watching as the lights come on inside, then touched the com-link lightly. "You still there, boss?"

"I'm afraid so. What's happened?"

"Hanna Mein, the co-owner of Meinhardt's, has just made contact with another teenage girl, and has employed her to sleep with a vampire for one night. I suspect we really have found our killers."

"And it undoubtedly means she's about to do another robbery-murder. Any hints as to who?"

"Yep. A vamp with a taste for unusual body markings. This girl has a wine-colored stain on her face and neck."

"That narrows the field considerably. I'll get Sal onto it straight away," he said. "I'm guessing you tracked the girl?"

He said that like it was a bad thing. "Any reason why I shouldn't have?"

He hesitated. "No. I just want these bitches stopped, Riley, that's all."

"And I'm working on it. In the meantime, we take away her tools, and maybe frustrate them into making a mistake."

He grunted. "Did you see the other owner at the club tonight?"

"Certainly did." I paused to swipe at the drips of rain rolling down my cheeks. "Maybe I was reading her wrong, but she seemed awfully uptight to me, boss."

"Well, they'd have to know these murders would be attracting Directorate attention. Where does the teenager live?"

I gave him the address. "She's got one of those magic business cards, so you're going to have to make sure Marg provides her with protection before you move her."