Blake's Pursuit (8 page)

“One of our Vüber employees is missing. You might know her: Hannah Bergdorf.”

“Pretty redhead?” Wes asked.

Blake nodded. “That’s her. She hasn’t been seen or heard from in three days. Lilo here is her best friend and flew out from Nebraska to try to find her. We’ve already searched her flat, and we have reason to believe that her boyfriend has something to do with it. He was one of her Vüber clients.” The last sentence he added to make sure Wes understood that Hannah’s boyfriend was a vampire.

“Ah, I see.”

Blake motioned to the end of the block. “Ronny lives out here. We thought we’d pay him a visit, see why he hasn’t contacted anybody about his girlfriend’s disappearance.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Wes grinned. He loved nothing more than driving a little fear into a man who didn’t treat his woman right.

Blake suppressed a chuckle. In that respect, they were the same, though they’d started out as competitors when they’d both first joined Scanguards and hadn’t always seen eye to eye. Shortly before they’d met, Wesley had found out that he was a witch. In the years that followed, he’d worked diligently to gain back the powers that his mother had robbed him of as a child, and now he was one of the most accomplished witches in the country. And he was on Scanguards’ side, though witches had traditionally been the vampires’ enemy.

“This way.”

He led the way while Wes and Lilo followed close behind. Ronny’s house was nothing special, a 1950s ranch-style house with a short driveway in front, a tiny untended patch of grass next to it, and a dilapidated wooden gate that only hung on one hinge.

Silently, Blake marched up to the front door and listened. It was about three hours before sunrise. No vampire would be asleep this time of night, but the house was quiet and dark.

He looked over his shoulder and motioned to Wes. He only had to point to the front door, and Wes knew what he needed to do.

Blake moved to the side to let his friend do his magic. And magic it truly was: a simple spell that unlocked any door. While Wes mumbled the verse as quietly as possible, Blake turned around to Lilo, his broad back shielding Wes from her view.

What is he doing
? Lilo mouthed.

Blake shook his head and put his finger across his lips to indicate to her to remain quiet. For once, she complied, though she tried to spy past him to get a glimpse at Wes. The witch, however, was already done. There was a soft click, and the door eased open.

Blake lifted his hand to signal Lilo to remain where she was, while he nodded to Wes and slipped past him into the house. He let his senses roam. It smelled of vampire, but the scent was at least a day old. Nevertheless, he proceeded with caution as he moved farther into the house. There were two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Every room was empty.

He marched back into the hallway. “You can come in, he’s not here.”

As soon as Wes and Lilo entered and closed the door behind them, Blake flipped the light switch. He didn’t need the light to find his way around, but neither Wes nor Lilo possessed the superior night vision of a vampire.

“He’s gone?” Lilo asked, disappointment coloring her voice.

“I’m afraid so. But that’s not to say he’s not coming back.” Blake walked back into the living room. “He’s messy, but it doesn’t look like he’s moved out.”

“Maybe he left in a hurry,” Lilo suggested.

“Don’t think so,” Wes said, and pointed to a table. “He left his computer. And that looks like a pretty new Mac. Even if he was in a hurry, he would have taken that with him.”

“Wes is right.” He exchanged a look with his friend. “Let’s put surveillance on the house in case he comes back, and let’s take the computer with us.”

Lilo stared at him. “You’re gonna steal the computer? Don’t you need like, a warrant, or something?”

Blake winked at her. “Luckily, we’re not the police. Besides, we’ll give it back once we don’t need it anymore.”

“I’ll take it back to the office and have IT check it out,” Wes offered.

“Eddie can do it.” He pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed. The call was answered immediately.

“I was about to call you to tell you I’m leaving,” Eddie said, before Blake could say anything.

“I’ve got another computer for you to check out.”

“Sorry, can’t stay. Bring it to the office, and I’ll have one of my guys do it, but I need to get back to HQ. Thomas just called.”

“Fine. I’ll send Wes with the computer. Did you find anything else on Hannah’s laptop or tablet?”

“Not much. I’ll send a list of her web searches to your email so you can go through them and see what might be important. But there was nothing significant in her emails or any of the files on the computer.”

“Thanks.”

“Oh, and what do you want me to do about Nicholas and Adam?”

“They’ll be fine on their own for a short while. I should be back within an hour. Tell them not to answer the door while they’re alone, and to run for the safe room if they hear or see anything suspicious.” The kids knew the drill. He wasn’t too worried.

“Sounds good. Leaving now.”

“Thanks, Eddie.”

He shoved the phone back into his pocket. “Let’s see if there’s anything else that could tell us if he took Hannah and where they might have gone. Lilo, why don’t you start in the bedroom?”

She nodded and disappeared.

Blake followed Wes into the kitchen. “Wes, another thing,” he said quietly, so Lilo wouldn’t hear them.

“Yeah?”

“I need you to scry for Hannah.” Scrying was a skill only witches had. A skill that helped them find missing people.

“Do you have anything with her DNA on it?”

“Not on me. Go to her flat and see what you can find.”

“Will do right after we’re done here.”

“Thanks.”

11

The search of Ronny’s house hadn’t yielded anything else, but had confirmed what Lilo had always suspected: that he was a loser. He owned nothing of value besides the computer, and he was a slob, judging by the state of his house. What did Hannah see in him?

She recalled the photo Blake had shown her and had to admit that Ronny was good looking. Was that what he was living on? His good looks? Coupled with charm and some skill in bed, she knew only too well how a woman could lose her good sense and stay with a man like that longer than she should. She’d found herself on the receiving end of such an arrangement only a few years earlier. But she’d learned from it. Now she chose her boyfriends with care, in fact with so much care that she hadn’t dated anyone for the last two years.

Maybe her break from dating was the reason why Morgan West, her protagonist, had become so lifelike and real to her. He was the personification of what a man should be like: strong, decisive, reliable. A take-charge kind of guy. A man she could rely on. Just like Blake.

The more she saw him in action, the more she was in awe of him. His colleagues seemed to respect him and not question any of his demands. He always seemed to know what to do next; there was no hesitation in his actions.

As she now followed Blake up the stairs from the garage into his house, she couldn’t help but find herself admiring his muscled physique. Was it really possible that this man had everything she’d ever wanted? Not just a great character, but also a great body? Not to speak of a kind disposition, which surfaced when he dealt with Nicholas and Adam.

She sighed and entered the hallway. From the living room the TV blared, and Blake headed for it. She followed and watched him snatch the remote control, switching it off. Silence descended on the room.

Adam and Nicholas were asleep on the couch.

Blake looked over his shoulder, meeting her gaze. “Guess it’s time for those two to go to bed.”

He shook Nicholas gently, until the boy opened his eyes. “Hmm? What?”

“Time for bed.”

While Nicholas got up rather sluggishly, Blake scooped the still sleeping Adam up into his arms.

“Do you need help?” she asked.

He smiled and shook his head. “Why don’t you rest?” Then he carried Adam upstairs, while Nicholas followed him.

It was only a few minutes before Blake came downstairs again. Lilo still stood in the archway between the hallway and living room, having watched him walk down the stairs. Despite the fact that she’d been up all night, she wasn’t ready to sleep. So much had happened in such a short time that her mind wasn’t ready to rest yet.

“They’re all settled in?” she asked.

Blake stopped in front of her, nodding. “You should go to sleep, too. I’m sorry I kept you up for so long. It’ll be morning in a couple of hours.”

“It doesn’t matter. I can sleep when we’ve found Hannah.”

“There’s no need for you to stay up. I’ll take care of what needs to be taken care of. We’ll check if Ronny has a car, and if he does, we’ll find it. I’m still waiting to hear back on whether they’ve found Hannah’s car. Eddie should have emailed me Hannah’s web searches by now. I’ll go through them and—”

She lifted her hand to his cheek, touching him, surprising herself with the impulsive gesture. “You’re doing so much. I just hope it will bring us to Hannah.”

She was about to pull her hand away when he captured it and held it against his cheek. Surprised, she sucked in a breath of air. His lids lifted, and the blue of his eyes was suddenly more intense as he pinned her with them. Mesmerized, she was unable to move or look away. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her pulse raced.

“Lilo…”

“I should…” She swallowed nervously. “…go to bed.” Yet she made no attempt to move. Instead she eased closer, comforted by his nearness. She’d been through a lot tonight. Perhaps she deserved just a few moments of tranquility, of peace, of the kind of comfort only a man’s arms could give. Was it so wrong to want that?

“Yes, you should…” Blake agreed, but didn’t release her hand.

He turned his face now and pressed a kiss into her palm.

“Blake…” She suppressed a moan when his lips brushed her fingertips. “It’s probably better if I go upstairs…”

“Better?” He shook his head. “Smarter for you, for both of us, yes, but not better.”

She knew exactly what he was implying. And what she wanted. To let herself go. To accept the comfort he was offering, even though she barely knew him. He’d helped her today, done everything he could to find Hannah. He wasn’t really a stranger anymore. He was somebody she could rely on. More than she’d ever been able to rely on any of her previous lovers or boyfriends. Didn’t that make him a friend? And friends could give each other comfort, hold each other for a moment. That was all it would be. Just a short embrace at the end of a long night.

Whether she stepped closer to him or whether Blake leaned in, she wasn’t entirely sure, but suddenly her face was only inches from his, and his arm was coming around her waist, bringing her hips flush to his, her body connecting with his.

The first thing she felt was the heat emanating from him, from every part of him: his hand on her lower back, his pelvis brushing against hers, and his breath ghosting over her face. Then he drew her closer and his heartbeat seemed to reverberate in her body, echoing the rapid drumming of her own.

“I should let you go,” he murmured, his mouth coming closer.

“Don’t.” She slid her hand onto his nape, feeling him shiver. “Please don’t.”

~ ~ ~

Her tender plea sank deep into him, settling in his groin, adding fuel to the fire that raged there. He’d promised himself not to act on it, but when she’d touched his cheek, he’d thrown all his good intentions out the window.

“As if I could.” He whispered the words against her red lips, lips that had tempted him all night. Lips that parted now in invitation.

Damn it, he had no chance of resisting now. She held all the cards. And she was practically begging him to kiss her. He wasn’t the predator in this game; wasn’t coercing her into something she didn’t want. He wasn’t even seducing her; Lilo was seducing
him
. And while he held her in his vampire arms, arms she wouldn’t be able to escape unless he allowed it, she was the one who held
him
captive.

“As if I could escape you now,” he corrected himself and brushed his lips over hers.

The touch was electrifying. Her lips were warm and soft, yielding to him. He was hesitant at first, not wanting to spook her in case he’d interpreted her signs incorrectly.

“You want that?” he murmured.

She hummed, and the sound vibrated on his skin, making him shiver. Her fingers on his nape pulled him closer. There was no doubt now: she wanted him as much as he wanted her. All hesitation gone, he captured her mouth fully, dipping his tongue between her parted lips and stroking it against hers.

A spear of white hot heat shot through him, sending blood rushing to his groin. Fuck, this was worse than he’d expected. Worse, because at the rate he was getting aroused he’d have her flat on her back in about sixty seconds, thrusting into her in the middle of the hallway where the boys could surprise them at any moment.

But not even that thought could stop him from delving deeper into her, exploring her, tasting her. And, damn it, she tasted good. Felt even better. He angled his head to get better access, and she obliged him and did the same. She now lapped her tongue against his, demanding he kiss her harder.

For a moment, he tore his lips from hers. “Damn it, Lilo!” But despite the fact that her kiss was teasing the vampire inside him to emerge, he couldn’t stop. Crushing her mouth with his, he pressed her against the wall and pinned her there. Passion and lust surged within him, seeking an outlet. Breathing hard, he claimed her mouth more fiercely than he’d planned. Planned? Hell, he hadn’t planned this at all. It had just happened. One look into those cornflower-blue eyes, and he was lost.

Too late to do anything about it now.

He thrust his pelvis against her, feeling his hard-on rubbing along her stomach, cradling him with her warmth and softness. Tempting him to unleash the beast within him.

Lilo kissed him back with a passion he hadn’t expected, especially not from a woman who barely knew him. She was pure fire and unrestrained hunger. She was positively wanton. He felt her heartbeat reverberate in his chest, her soft breasts crushed against him. Gentle moans escaped from her throat whenever he gave her occasion to breathe. But the reprieve never lasted long. A mere second, and she would seek his lips again, demanding more, a deeper connection, as if she couldn’t get enough of this kiss, of him. Just like he couldn’t get enough of her.