Eternal Flame (Night Watch 3)

The pealing of a bell echoed through the house. Jana’s eyes widened. His doorbell? Someone was downstairs?

Zane didn’t look away from her. “What happened?”

“She-the other psychic came at me. She was human. I-I didn’t want to hurt her—”

The doorbell rang again. “Zane …” she whispered, glancing toward the door, “What if …?”

“Whoever it is can go the f**k away.”

A furious pounding carried through the house. Their guest was slamming a fist into the door. “The wolf shifter, Marcus, I told him I was coming to you.” They hadn’t spoken much during their drive because, hell, what was there to say? They’d both just wanted to get away from that swamp, as fast as they could.

He knew she’d been the one sent to kill him. He also knew she hadn’t carried through with her orders. Then they’d both become prisoners.

Until that night…

Freedom.

“So you did go with him.” An edge sharpened in Zane’s words.

She nodded and crept toward the door. “He was the one I told you about. The one Perseus wanted me to kill.” The pounding stopped.

“Zane, what if it’s him or—” Or any of the other ass**les who could be after her?

His gaze hardened. “Stay here.” Sounded like a great plan to her.

He yanked on his jeans and hurried out of the bedroom. His footsteps thudded down the stairs. Her breath caught. Zane could probably handle anyone down there, but—

“What the hell are you doing here, Tony?” Zane demanded, and his voice carried easily to her.

Shit. The cop. Jana scrambled for her clothes. She pulled on her jeans-no time to search for the underwear-and shoved her arms into her shirt as she tugged it over her head.

Tony. He didn’t know she was here. Zane would cover for her, it would be fine. She’d be able to leave after—

“Jana!” Zane’s booming voice exploded up the stairs.

Horror filled her. No, no, he wouldn’t just sell her out like that. Not after-after what? The sex? Like a man couldn’t turn his back on a woman just because they’d screwed.

Jana rocked back on her heels. What if it had been a trap? What if Tony had been watching the whole time, and Zane was just going to turn her over to him?

“Jana…” Softer.

Zane stood in the doorway now. She hadn’t even heard him approach. Tony loomed behind him.

Her shoulders straightened. So be it. “Let me get my shoes, Captain, and I’ll come with you.” She’d survived being locked up once before. She’d survive again. Right?

Damn cages.

Her gaze darted to Zane. What the hell had she really thought would happen? Good guys don’t fall for the bad girls. Zane was firmly aligned on the side of the “good” guys. She knew that. Why had she even tried to pretend? Why had she come back to him?

Because he got to me. He’d slid right past the surface and worked his way under her skin. He was her weakness now, one that she’d have to watch.

Jana shoved her feet into her shoes.

“How long have you been here?” Tony asked quietly.

She turned to face him and deliberately kept her hands loose at her sides. “Since yesterday.” Zane’s stare bored into her.

“What happened to the wolf shifter who was in that swamp?” the cop asked.

Jana shrugged. “We split up once we got to Baton Rouge.” Why did it matter?

“So you … were with him.”

Was this an interrogation? “Yeah. Yeah, I just said I was.”

“Did he try to hurt you?” The question was Zane’s.

Jana blinked. “Ah … no.” Okay, and now her stomach was knotting.

“I need to talk to that wolf,” Tony said.

Good luck with that. She bit the words back.

“Jana …” Zane stepped closer to her. “There’s been a killing.”

Her stomach twisted again. “In this city”-she kept her voice low and calm—“there are often killings.”

“Not like this.” Tony shook his head. “Not when a woman’s throat is cut from ear to ear, and I find freaking dog hairs all over the scene.”

Hell, now the questions about Marcus made sense. “No, he’s not—”

“Lindsey Meadows, a college student, was killed right outside of her dorm room. Several hundred kids were in that dorm, and no one heard a damn thing.” Tony’s voice vibrated with tension. “She was last seen having dinner with a blond male.”

“Sound familiar?” Zane asked.

She licked her lips. “I-I don’t … he didn’t kill those girls in New Orleans.”

“Maybe not. But I need to find that wolf,” Tony told her, “and I need to find him now.”

Tony wasn’t after her. The knowledge finally sank in. He wasn’t there to haul her to jail. He was after the shifter because he thought Marcus was a killer.

She remembered pain-filled blue eyes. Hands that trembled. “He didn’t attack those girls. He wasn’t the killer.” No matter what the news stories had implied, Marcus hadn’t been guilty.

“Maybe he wasn’t a killer before,” Tony said, “but I need to see for myself what he is now. If Perseus had him all these months, if they’ve been screwing with his head, there’s no telling what he is.”

Her fault. She hadn’t realized that Perseus had him-or that vamp who’d taken his bite out of her. But she should have known. When she’d escaped the other lab, there had been paranormals there, too. They’d gotten out when she escaped. Her fire had let them all run free.

But, of course, Perseus had another facility. Another backup plan.

Was there another pit still out there? If they’d had one backup location before, wouldn’t they have another now?

Zane turned away from her. “I want to see the crime scene.”

Tony frowned. “My men have—”

“I can find things they might have overlooked.”

Demon senses.

“Let me at that scene. Let me see what I can find before you start this hunt.”

Because Zane had seen Marcus and the marks on his body. Trapped. Tortured. She swallowed.

Tony nodded, his face grim.

“What…” She took a deep breath. “What about me?” Usually a cop would have tried to cuff her by now. But Tony …

He shook his head. “Didn’t Zane tell you? You’re clear.” His voice was bland. “The arsonist who started the fires in New Orleans was killed in that blaze at the Perseus headquarters.”