Bad Cop (Entangled Covet) (11 page)

His eyes flickering away from her, Scott’s jaw flexed. “You know the story.”

She ignored the low growl coming from Ian next to her. “Yes, I’m aware of the story. I want to know specifically what happened to the gun.”

“If I knew that, I would have been cleared a hell of a lot sooner than a month.”

Alice watched him closely. “Detective, I can tell when someone is lying to me. I need to know the truth. My brother’s going to die tomorrow.”

Scott’s gaze jerked to meet hers, and it wasn’t obscure anymore. There was pain there, enormous, debilitating pain. “I missed,” he said hoarsely.

“Missed?”

“I was aiming for his shoulder.” He braced his head with his hand. “I know we’re supposed to go for center of mass, but he wasn’t more than a kid so I went for the shoulder. My hands were shaking too much. I’d never had a gun fired at me before. Never even had one pointed my direction.”

A creeping numbness stole through her. Zach’d had a gun. The detective could have been lying, but if so, he was one hell of an actor.

“What happened to that gun?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see which way it went after he fell. I was too…I just don’t know.” He leaned his elbows on his knees and gripped his hands together. “It showed up again, though, eight months later during an armed robbery.”

“Wait. Showed up? How do you know it was that gun?”

“Ballistics database matched the bullets to the weapon.”

“What bullets?” Her pulse beat a few erratic pulses.

“The ones the kid shot at me.” He frowned at her. “He got off three shots. Went wide, thankfully.”

The words jolted her system. She hadn’t known about the bullets. How could she have missed that very important fact? Trying to stave off her sudden nausea, she swallowed convulsively. There was nothing Zach had done to indicate he would be involved in anything like the drugs or the shoot-out. Had she not known him at all?

“You said he’s going to die. What did you mean?” Scott asked.

“They’re taking him off life support.”

“I thought he didn’t need life support.”

“How would you—” But his face gave away the answer. “You’ve been checking up on him.”

He shrugged. “Every month or so.”

So Ian had been right. Scott Benning had never forgotten that night, and from the looks of things, his haggard appearance to his empty house, he had probably tortured himself. Over a man who had shot at him, a man he’d shot in self-defense. Her heart squeezed into her throat.

She grabbed Ian’s hand on the sofa next to her and gripped hard. The soothing glide of his thumb over her knuckles helped ground her before dizziness could set in. Silence reigned for several minutes while her emotions twirled into a tangled mess.

“He matters to you,” she murmured.

“Yes, he does.” No hesitation in Scott’s reply, though it hadn’t been a question but a statement of fact. To herself.
God, the irony
. There was no one else alive besides the men sitting there with her in Scott’s house who cared so deeply about what happened to Zach. Of the two men, the officer who had shot Zach would suffer the damage of her brother’s death. She’d been wrong, and she’d gone to such lengths to see him punished. There was really only one thing she could offer him to make up for that. It took every ounce of will in her to make the offer.

“Ian can’t be with me tomorrow because it’s during the day, but would you—”

“Yes.” Scott answered without hesitation. “I’ll come.”

“It’s in—”

“Bellevue, I know. Give me a call and I’ll be there.” He handed her his card. “I’m sorry, Alice.”

She cringed inside. “There really isn’t anything for you to be sorry about, Detective.”

“I’m sorry I missed. I’m sorry I even saw what he was doing.” He ran a hand through his dark hair. “Every day, I wonder if it was even worth it when I think of the cost of stopping someone from getting high.”

Part of Alice didn’t want to have a heart where Scott was concerned, but she couldn’t let him be responsible for Zach’s mistakes. Something told her nothing she said would make a difference to him, but she had to try. “Maybe it would have killed someone. Maybe what Zach sold had already killed someone or gotten someone killed over it. You don’t know. All you could do was your job. You did the right thing, Detective. I’m the one who’s sorry.”

He nodded, but it wasn’t very convincing. After he reminded her to call him, she and Ian left.

The last six years she’d been holding on to the hope Zach would awaken.

But tomorrow, her twin, her other half, was going to die.

Chapter Fifteen

Alice was quiet on the ride back, and Ian sensed she needed that time for herself. Taking her hand, he offered his silent support. There was something horrific about stretching a death of a loved one over six years, a life in suspended animation. She’d spent her life in the same state right along with Zach. There was nothing he could say or do to save her from her pain.

They pulled up in front of her apartment building instead of the VLO. She was in no state to work, and there wasn’t anything to be done until they’d located Revenant or another dead fledgling showed up. When they reached her door, he braced himself for her inevitable request for solitude. Instead, she left the door open behind her.

The second he closed the door, she pinned him against it. Her hand fisted in the hair at his nape, and her mouth was on his. She licked the seam of his lips, and he wasn’t about to resist. She delved into his mouth, her tongue sliding sensually against his.

He drew back. “Alice—”

“Don’t.” She covered his mouth with one delicate finger. “No talking. Just forgetting.”

Holy fuck. She’d turned his rod titanium like a medieval alchemist. Then she climbed his body, lifting herself until her legs wrapped his waist. The heat of her aligned with his cock, and the thought of being inside that heat nearly popped his control.

Wait
. He forced a little sanity. She was grieving. This wasn’t the right time for—her lips locked with his again.

Fuck. If a bout of mind-numbing sex was medicinal
…

He explored her mouth as his hands followed her trim waist to her curved hips and around to grip her luscious ass, pulling her tighter against him. The friction of her rubbing against him drove him crazy. If he didn’t get inside her soon, he’d embarrass himself again.

He spun them, pressing her against the door. Tugging relentlessly at his shirt, she freed the tail of it and shoved her hands underneath to glide over his chest and down his belly. His skin quivered with delight at her touch. Trailing his mouth along her jaw, he found the sensitive place near her earlobe. Her sultry moan and flood of arousal pheromones said he’d found a sweet spot. He suckled there before moving lower along her throat.

Holy shit—those sounds she made
… And then she wrapped her fingers around his bare cock. His knees nearly gave out. She’d opened his jeans and took what she wanted.
Hell, yes
. Head rolling back, he groaned, pushing into the clasp of her hand.
Fucking perfect
. Fast down pump and slow up, smoothing over the head and then down again. Goddamn, he wasn’t going to last long like this.

He lifted her higher and reached between her spread thighs to cover her mound. Her body jerked, and she cried out. Wouldn’t take much to get her off, either. The clothes had to go. Now. Before he could move, she pulled up her sweater with one hand and clicked the front-fastening of her bra. Her breasts flushed a rosy pink to match her cheeks and trembled with the aroused shaking of her body. She guided his mouth to her nipple, scraping his scalp in her urgency—as if he’d need the encouragement. Her nipples were dusky little works of art.
Ripe
. His mouth watered, and then he covered her with a hard suction, his tongue working the stiffened point. She squirmed, her breath panting hard and fast. An even sweeter spot.

“Yes,” she rasped. “Oh, that’s so good. Ian!”

While he lavished each breast, he delved his hand between their bodies to open her slacks and push them down enough to reach in. Slick and ready for him. But damned if he wouldn’t keel over dead if he didn’t hear her come. He slid his finger into her, pressing his palm to her clit as he pushed in and out and seeking that incredible spot right—
ah, there
. The second she bucked and her frenzied cries rang his ears, he rubbed with abandon. So tight and smooth—paradise.

Her grip tightened on his cock almost painfully, and then she erupted in a molten burst of wet heat and sound. Fighting down his own climax, he kissed the breath from her mouth. She whimpered against his lips, her hips still moving against his hand. Withdrawing from her body was criminal, but he’d explode if he didn’t get inside her.

Lowering her legs, he shed her slacks and lacy panties, pushed his jeans down, and broke away from her for a few deep breaths.

“Fuck, Alice.”

His balls ached to release, but it couldn’t happen the second he got inside of her.

“Ian?”

“Shhh,” he panted, pressing his forehead against hers. “It’s okay. I’m on fire, but it feels good.” And it did. His body burned for her, his skin glistening with sweat, his muscles trembling. It was more than good.

Reaching around her thighs to lift her against the door, his eyes met her beautiful silver ones for the first time since she’d sexually mauled him, and his jaw clenched. She hated his way of life, but he didn’t care. She meant so much to him. With a single, slow, deep slide, he entered her. Yes, paradise. Her inner walls clamped onto him, dragging against his flesh as he withdrew.

She gasped when he pushed back in, grinding against her. Knees wide apart, she dug her heels into his buttocks to pull him back into her. Speeding his thrusts built the pleasure to astronomical proportions. She kept pace with him, a sex goddess with gyrating moves to put an experienced vampire to shame. Goddammit, he was almost there, but he didn’t want to be. So fucking amazing.

And then she really blew his mind. Watching him through her lashes, she pulled his mouth to her throat.

“I need it,” she pleaded when he hesitated. That’s all it took. Fangs lowering instantly, he bit into her tender flesh. When the taste of her hit his tongue and energy blazed into him, he snarled against her throat. The world went red and wild. Her thighs framing his ribs, he pounded her so hard against the door, she’d have bruises. The bang of the wood shuddering under their force, the potent sound of her cries, and the slap of flesh against flesh drove a wickedly savage satisfaction through him.

Her fingernails drew blood from his back, and then she bit into his shoulder. The sting of that erotic pain drove him over the edge. He came so hard, it radiated from head to toe. It was more than his seed she milked from him with her screaming orgasm. She wrung from him emotion he’d experienced only once before in his long life. It lingered far past the throbbing tail of his pleasure.

He licked over the punctures from his fangs with the curative serum that would seal the love marks and the contact made her shiver. Lowering her gently, he caught her before her legs collapsed. With a husky laugh, she looped her arms around his shoulders and rested her head against his chest. He carried her to her bed, barely making it before his legs gave out. Sore in the best possible way, he didn’t have the energy to do more than pull up his jeans. She watched him, her lip between her teeth, as he stretched out beside her.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

He scowled at her. “Don’t start that shit, Alice.”

“I’m not sorry it happened. I just don’t want you to read anything into it. I kind of used you because you were convenient.”

A sharp ache lanced the middle of his chest, but he kept the pain from his face and grinned instead. “And you’re welcome to use and abuse me like that at any time.”

“Lecherous hick.”

“That’s lecherous
Irish
hick.”

She laughed and sagged against the bed as her tension let go. “My body’s going to ache for a while.”

He frowned. “Did I injure you? I got a little rough—”

“I wanted rough.” She eyed him a little dreamily. “You were perfect.”

He tried not to show his smug gratification, but she rolled her eyes at him.

“It’s going to your head now. I can tell.” She narrowed her lids. “You’re tiny pecker could be bigger.”

He laughed outright. “Any bigger and I’d split you in half, turtle.”

“No comment.” Her expression sobered. “What do we do about Revenant?”

“You do nothing for now. Get some rest,” he said, reassuring her with a wink. “After that workout, I doubt you’ll be walking about for a while.”

“You’re funny.” She ran a velvety caress along his cheek. “Thank you, Ian. You’ve been a great friend.”

Another stab to his heart. She would be the death of him inside and out if she kept talking. He went for his usual flippancy, hoping he could pull it off after her offhanded blow.

“Don’t you cuss at me with the F-word.”

Must have worked because she laughed while he bled internally.

“What are you going to do tonight?” she asked.

He pushed her wayward midnight curls from her face. “I’ll meet up with Dec and Ezra. Revenant may be good, but he can’t evade three of us working together.”

“Good. The sooner you catch him, the better.”

“You know you can call me tomorrow. After.” He swept his thumb over her lips. “I don’t think I’ll sleep, knowing what’s happening. I could figure out some way to be there with—”

“No. It’s fine, Ian. I don’t need you to do that.”

His mind tripped over the “I don’t need you” part. It sat like an elephant on his chest. He was acting like a fucking sentimental little girl. The offer of a casual relationship with her had been deliciously accepted. He should be happy with that. He
was
happy with it. It had been earth-shattering.

With the weight clinging stubbornly to his shoulders, he dipped close and kissed her one more time. At least her lips would know how he felt. He rose and slipped into her bathroom to clean up. He was half-hard, ready to go another few rounds with her in her bed.

“Down, boy,” he muttered. He should be proud to be a great
friend
. With those words echoing like a death knell, he left her apartment. Stupid thing was he really had wanted to be there for her tomorrow. For once, his vampiric nature was biting him in the ass, though she might’ve chosen to go alone regardless.

Well, not alone. She’d have Benning there, and there was no way in hell he’d begrudge that. Despite the bad news the detective had imparted, it was important for her to know the truth. She’d never find closure without it. If there was one thing he couldn’t abide, it was her unhappiness. He’d seen enough of that to last a lifetime, and he’d love nothing more than to take that long to keep the smile on her face.

As he pulled away from the curb, putting distance between them, it occurred to him he was as good as fucked. He liked Alice too much. For many reasons, humans and vampires didn’t mix well when it came to relationships, and it was rare to get a transformation approval based on a relationship alone. Even so, it didn’t much matter to him if Alice remained human. He’d devour every minute he could get with her.

She apparently felt otherwise after he’d shown her how alike he was to the cops she despised. No wonder she kept her distance. It didn’t used to be this way. Logically, he understood Sean had lost his shit, but at the time, he’d just felt…abandoned. He hadn’t been enough. Afterward, he’d spiraled deeper into a pit until he just didn’t give a fuck what happened to him. Even Kade had to chew him a new one when he’d run into a flash where it could be witnessed. The last straw, he’d said, and Ian had earned that with his lawless cowboy tendencies. He was lucky Kade kept him on the team. That wouldn’t be the case if anyone found out about Hes. Especially Alice.

Something had to change because for the first time in fifty years, he could see a future worth living.

He flinched when his music cut to a screamo version of “Don’t Fear The Reaper.” Dec the Asshole had been playing with his cell phone again. With a groan, he hit the call button hard enough to make a cracking sound. Not good.

“What?”

Dec’s laughter came through the speakers. “Like my new ringtone?”

“So much I’m going to marry it. I can barely hear anything. Where are you?”

“At a rave.”

“Didn’t know that was your thing.”

“Apparently it’s Revenant’s thing. Sending the address. Get here yesterday.”

“Ezra with you?”

“Do I look like I need a babysitter?” Dec paused, and Ian heard him sigh. “Yes, he’s here. If Revenant moves out, we’re going whether you’re here or not.”

“Wouldn’t expect anything less. Don’t lose him.”

“I’d eat my own balls before I let that happen.”

“You know I’ll hold you to it.”

Dec hung up rather than reply. Sometimes getting him worked up was easier than spitting on a sidewalk. The younger vampire truly was the grumpiest bear in the woods.

Revenant wouldn’t be simple to contain. It wasn’t likely they’d get him alive. The Tracker was a violent, vicious killer, a great asset to the Legion when doing his job. Now he was a traitor and murderer, and he’d become a grave detriment. Killing Revenant would be difficult enough, but capturing him… With only three of them available, it may be entirely possible one of them could lose his life in the attempt.