Deadly Desire (Riley Jenson Guardian 7)

"It won't be the first time," he said, as he lowered me onto the catwalk.

I tried to retain my grip on him, but I might as well have been a baby grabbing at an adult.

"See you later, Riley," he said. His lips brushed my forehead, and then he was gone, his footsteps retreating along the metal walkway.

"Bastard," I said, as the darkness closed in around me.

"Riley?"

The voice was sharp and concerned. It was also very loud, spearing through the shadows of unconsciousness as fiercely as a foghorn.

I forced my eyes open, but for several seconds, nothing registered beyond the blackness and the cold metal that pressed into my side.

Then memory came back and I sat up abruptly.

Only to have my head just about explode in protest at the sudden movement.

"Ow," I muttered, pressing fingers to my temples and massaging lightly. It didn't do a lot to help the fierce ache behind my eyes.

"Damn it, Riley, answer me!"

Jack's voice reverberated through my head, shooting pain through my brain and making my eyes water.

I flicked my ear, switching the com-link fully on, then said, "I'm here, Jack. No need to shout."

"No need to shout? We've damn well been trying to contact you for the last fifteen minutes."

I rubbed a hand across gritty eyes, then glanced at my watch. It was nearly three. I'd been out for a good half hour. "Why have you been trying to contact me?"

"Because according to the tracker you've been stationary for forty minutes, and given that you're never still for that long, Sal figured something was wrong."

"Sal was right." She'd taken over as Jack's chief assistant when I'd reluctantly become a guardian two years ago. She was damn good at her job and had saved the lives of a couple of guardians through her quick response to signs of trouble. It was good to know she had my back as well, despite our somewhat antagonistic relationship.

"What happened?" Jack asked.

"Long story, but I was basically knocked out."

"Who by? And what happened to the zombie?"

I pushed up onto my feet. The warehouse walls seemed to spin around me and I had to grab at the railing to keep upright. The sensation abated quickly enough, but it left a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"The zombie is defunct. Eaten by hellhounds. There was a witch controlling it, but she took the form of a crow and flew off."

"So that's why there's never any evidence of a second party at the murder scenes. We were looking on the ground rather than up higher."

"Yeah. I didn't get much of a look at her, but I'd recognize her voice if I heard it again."

He grunted. It wasn't a happy sounding grunt, either. "So what happened?"

"Kye Murphy."

"Who's he?"

"A gun for hire. Our paths crossed a year ago, when he was playing bodyguard to the son of our pack's alpha."

"The one you and Rhoan beat up?"

Surprise ran through me, and it took me a moment to reluctantly admit, "Maybe."