Midnight's Master (Midnight 3)

A knock sounded on the driver's window.

He kept touching her. Kept using his tongue and teeth and-

"Oh, dammit!" Holly wrenched away from him, falling back into the passenger seat. The windows were fogged up-huh, he hadn't done that in over seventeen years.

Another knock, harder this time.

Someone out there had just ruined the best five minutes of his week-

And they were really, really pissing him off.

He jerked the key, wrenching it forward and starting the SUV again. A rough flick of his fingers had the window rolling down. A guy in a security uniform peered into the vehicle, shining a flashlight.

"This isn't freaking Make-out Boulevard, man! This is a private parking area for News Flash and-uh, Ms. Storm? That you?"

Holly coughed and shoved back a rather large clump of her hair. "Hi, uh, Steve."

The flashlight shone right into her eyes.

She held up her hand, wincing.

Niol's eyes narrowed and the flashlight fell to the ground with a clatter.

"My, um, boyfriend was just dropping me off so I could get my car."

Boyfriend was really too tame a term. He would have much preferred lover. But they'd get to that later.

The guard's timing sucked, but at least their cover was being firmly established. Now the guard wouldn't question his arrival at the station.

Because the guy-Steve-he was a demon. Niol could see right past the glamour and to the real man. He wouldn't have been able to use his compulsion power on Steve. Now, well, it didn't matter.

Niol smiled at the guy. "Couldn't leave without a kiss."

The guy grunted, then gave a low whistle. " Niol. Shit…didn't expect to see you."

Ah, everywhere he went in the city, folks seemed to know him. Sometimes that was good.

"Ms. Storm, you should get out, now. "

Sometimes it wasn't.

Niol raised a brow. "Do we have a problem here?"

The guard swallowed and his Adam's apple bobbed. "N-no."

"Good."

Holly shoved open her door. She stalked around the front of the SUV. The beams of the headlights bounced off her pants.

"Thanks for checking on me, Steve. I'm gonna be heading home now."

Steve inched back.

Holly paused. "Niol, I'll see you later."

Oh, she definitely would.

After giving a nod, she turned away and marched toward her waiting car.

"She's human." A whisper from Steve as he bent to grab his flashlight.

Niol lifted his brows. "Does it matter?"

The guy's jaw worked, then he said, "Holly Storm-she's decent, okay? She's not like those other pricks who just like to see themselves on TV."

Well, well. A warning after all.

"Don't worry about Holly. I'll take care of her."

The guard shoved his flashlight back into the holder on his waist. "That's what I'm afraid of…"

Then he was gone.

And Holly's taillights flickered as she cranked her car.

Niol reached for his phone. Hit speed dial. His contact answered on the second ring. "Everything in place?" He asked as Holly's sporty little red car reversed and headed for the exit.

"Yes, sir."

She braked for a moment, then turned left.

"Make sure she gets home, then keep a guard on her until dawn."

No need for Holly to know about the security. She'd never realize the men were there, unless something happened and she needed them.

Niol didn't believe in taking chances. Not anymore.

He shifted gears, shoving the SUV into reverse. It wasn't even one a.m. yet. The night was still young.

Plenty of time for more hunting.

This time, he'd be going straight to the darkest side of town. The side where demons huddled in smoky rooms, black eyes glassy as they let the drugs run in their blood.

Sam hadn't been the only one to seek oblivion.

Addiction-it was the true devil for demons.

He didn't want Holly in those rooms.

Best to hunt alone.

Fucking demon.

He crouched behind the fence when the black SUV swept by him.

He knew what Holly had been doing in that SUV with that bastard demon, and Niol Lapen was most definitely a demon.

Impure.

His fingers tightened around the camera in his hand.

Who would have thought that Holly would have such a taste for evil? And he'd believed he knew her so well.

That bitch would get what she deserved in the end.

So would Niol.

Man had been created in God's image. Demons belonged only in hell.

And that's exactly where he'd send them. One at a time…

Piece by piece, if need be.

CHAPTER 6

Holly was hot for the demon, no denying it. And she hadn't been hot for a guy since…Zack.

Not that she'd ever actually been hot for Dr. Zachariah Hall, but she'd been interested.

Interested enough to get engaged. Stupid, stupid mistake.

Her gaze darted down to her left hand and to the bare ring finger that stared back at her.

Oh, yeah, stupid.

She'd thrown that ring back at him that last, fateful night. When she'd found him kneeling between the spread legs of one of his female grad students-right in his office.

Prick.

Her teeth ground together. Niol wasn't like Zack. Not. One. Bit.

Zack had seemed so safe and steady.

When he was really a lying ass**le.

There was no way Niol would ever be called safe –and she sure liked that, she-

"Uh, Holly?"

She blinked, and found Mac staring at her, a deep furrow between his now-bushy eyebrows.

He'd plucked like a fiend when he was on-air. But no more…

"Hon, you all right? I've been calling your name for the last two minutes."

And she'd been busy with lust and a pity party. Holly straightened behind her desk. "Sorry.

Thinking about a story."

"Ah…" Sounded kinda like a bear's growl. "Good girl." His fingers curled around her open door. "That what you wanted to see me about?"

She pushed against her chair, letting the wheels rock back and forth just a bit. "Yeah, yeah, it was." Holly motioned to the seat across from her. "Mac, I've got a lead."

"Then you've got me." He crossed the room and threw himself into the chair. "Talk."

"Carl Bronx-"

"The guy who almost made you pass out on camera?"

He would remember that.

"Carl was one of my sources."

Another bear's growl.

"And the guy the cops found yesterday-Sam Miters-he was, too."

No growl this time, just silence.

Holly exhaled. That beady stare he was aiming at her had made governors break.