The Dark-Hunters (253 page)

Tabitha quickly led him away from the sidewalks so that no one else could toss a bucket at them and kept her arm wrapped around his. “You know, I don’t see how you can do your duties with Zarek taking potshots at you from Olympus and the rest of the losers on the street gunning for you.”

“I learned quickly to avoid Bourbon Street and leave it for Talon or now Jean-Luc to patrol while I take the areas where no one knows Nick.”

“And Zarek?”

He didn’t comment.

They turned down Dumaine Street. Neither spoke. They hadn’t gone far when Tabitha felt a weird sensation whip through her. “Daimons,” she whispered, unaware she had spoken until Valerius let go of her.

He pulled a dagger from his pocket as he turned around in the street as if trying to catch a scent.

There was nothing.

Tabitha could feel the evil presence, but she couldn’t pinpoint it either.

Something whistled before an unexpected wind danced down the street. It carried the sound of faint, maniacal laughter.

“Tabitha…”

Her blood ran cold at the sound of her name whispered out of darkness.

“We’re coming for you, little girl.” The laughter echoed loudly, then faded into nothing.

Terrified, Tabitha couldn’t breathe.

“Where are you?” Valerius called.

No one answered.

Valerius wrapped Tabitha in his arms as he reached out with every sense he possessed, but could find no trace of who or what had spoken.

“Tabitha?”

Valerius turned sharply at the sound of a voice directly behind him.

It wasn’t human. Nor was it Daimon. It was a spirit. A ghost.

It opened its mouth as if to scream, then evaporated into an eerie mist that ran over and through her, leaving her body completely cold.

It was as if something had actually brushed her soul.

Valerius could feel Tabitha shaking, but to her credit, she didn’t scream or lose control of herself.

“Is it gone?” she asked.

“I think so.” At least he no longer felt it.

“What was that thing?” she asked with a tiny trace of hysteria in her voice.

“I’m not sure. Did you recognize it or the voice?”

She shook her head.

A human scream rang out.

Valerius let go of her so that he could run toward the sound. He knew Tabitha was right behind him and he made sure he kept her there. The last thing he wanted was to leave her behind for that thing to attack.

It didn’t take long to reach the small, dark alcove where the scream had originated.

Unfortunately, they were too late. A body lay on the street in a heap.

“Stay back,” he told Tabitha as he inched closer to it.

Tabitha started to argue, but didn’t really want to see what was obvious. To be honest, she’d seen more than her share of dead bodies.

Valerius knelt down and felt for a pulse. “He’s dead,” he said.

Tabitha crossed herself, then glanced away. As her gaze touched on the building, she frowned. There on the old faded brick was bloody Greek writing. Tabitha could speak the language, but couldn’t read the Greek words. “Do you know what that says?”

Valerius looked up. His face turned to stone. “It says, ‘Death to those who meddle.’”

As soon as he read it, the words vanished. She swallowed as a new wave of panic swept through her. “What is going on here, Val?”

“I don’t know,” he said before he pulled out his phone and called Tate, the parish coroner who was a long-time friend of the Dark-Hunters.

“I’m surprised Tate will talk to you,” she said after Valerius hung up.

“He doesn’t like me, but after Ash had a talk with him, he’s learned to tolerate me.” Valerius rejoined her. “We better go before Tate arrives with the police.”

“Yeah,” she said, feeling sick to her stomach. “Do you think we should call Ash and tell him what happened?”

“We don’t really know what happened. There wasn’t enough time for a Daimon to kill him and steal his soul.”

“So what does that mean?”

“Have you or your sister conjured up anything?”

“No!” she said indignantly. “We know better.”

“Well, something seems to have your number, Tabitha, and until we find out what it is, I don’t think I should let you out of my sight.”

Tabitha couldn’t agree more. In all honesty, she didn’t want to be out of his sight. Not if that … thing was going to come back.

“Tell me something, Val. Are Dark-Hunters any good against ghosts?”

“Honestly?”

She nodded.

“Not a damn bit. In fact, if we’re not careful, we can become possessed by them.”

She went cold at his words. “Are you telling me that if that spook comes back, he could take you over?”

Valerius nodded. “And God help you and the rest of this city if it does.”

Chapter 7

Tabitha felt uneasy for the rest of the night. She couldn’t shake the notion that even the air around her was evil. Tainted. Something was out there and it was gunning for her.

She only wished she knew who or what.

Why?

Valerius didn’t speak much as they patrolled and yet found no sign of any Daimon. It was less than an hour before dawn when they returned to her place on Bourbon Street.

Valerius stood back while she unlocked her door. Tabitha paused as she noticed that he didn’t make any move to enter.

“You had a bad fright tonight,” he said quietly as he kept his hands in his pockets. “You should get a good sleep and you’ll feel better.”

Tabitha watched the way the moonlight cut across his handsome features. The sincerity she saw in those tormented black eyes haunted her. “Honestly, I don’t want to be alone. I would really like for you to come in.”

“Tabitha—”

She placed her fingers over his warm lips to stifle his protest. “It’s okay, Val. If you’re not interested in sex with me, I won’t take it personally. But—”

He broke her words off with a hot kiss. Tabitha moaned at the taste of Roman as he placed one hand on the back of her head and buried his fingers in her hair.

Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him inside and pinned him to the wall so that she could kiss him wildly. She pulled at his clothes, practically ripping his shirt off before she realized she hadn’t even closed the door.

She slammed it shut, locked it, then returned to Valerius.

“Marla,” he said huskily as she reached to undo his pants.

Tabitha cursed. Valerius was right. If Marla heard them, she’d come and investigate.

“Follow me,” she whispered, taking him by the hand to lead him up the stairs to her room.

Luckily Marla’s door was closed. Tabitha took him into her bedroom, then shut and locked her own door.

She should be nervous about this and yet she wasn’t. It was like some part of her needed this intimacy with a man who was a total anathema to her entire family.

It didn’t make sense.

Yet here she was, breaking every taboo she knew. Amanda would kill her for this. Kyrian would never forgive her.

But her heart wouldn’t hear reason. Against all sanity, it wanted her Roman general.

Tabitha kissed him fiercely, needing him to drive away her fear.

Valerius growled at how good she tasted. He wasn’t used to a woman taking the lead in sex and he found her lack of modesty refreshing. She broke from his lips long enough to pull her own shirt off before she seized him again.

He couldn’t think as she pressed her body against his. Her lace-covered breasts were small and inviting as they brushed against his chest. She unzipped his pants, then slid her hand down to gently caress his cock.

He hissed in pleasure as she moved her hands around his hips to his butt. Slowly, seductively, she slid his pants down, baring him to her. He’d never experienced anything more erotic.

Kneeling down before him, she removed his shoes, and socks, then pulled his pants free.

He didn’t understand this woman. He found it impossible to believe that she was here with him like this. It’d been so long since he’d been with a woman. As Tabitha had pointed out, most of the ones he’d met had been frigid and formal in bed.

Never passionate. Not like this.

Not like her.

She was priceless and special, a rare treat he wanted to savor. It was that fire in her that warmed him. That fire that drew him in even against his will.

Tabitha paused as she felt an odd sensation from him. “What’s wrong, Valerius?” she whispered, rising to stand before him.

“I’m just trying to understand why you’re with me.”

“Because I like you.”

“Why?”

She bit her lip seductively before she shrugged. “You’re strangely amusing and you’re kind.”

He shook his head. “I’m not kind. I only know how to be cold.”

She buried her hands in his unbound hair and let the silken strands caress her fingers. “You don’t feel cold to me, General.”

Tabitha ran her tongue along the edge of his bottom lip before she kissed him.

Valerius’s head spun at her actions and her words. Starving for her, he reached behind her back and unhooked her bra. Without breaking her kiss, she lowered her arms to let it fall to the floor.

He pulled her up against him so that her bare breasts were flush to the heat of his chest. Her silver moon-shaped belly button ring brushed against his hip, bringing a foreign thrill to him. His groin burned in need of her.

As did his heart.

He’d never made love to a woman who really liked him. As a man, his lovers had been political alliances. Women who only sought to claim him as a well-connected, wealthy husband or lover.

As a Dark-Hunter, his liaisons had been with women who didn’t even know him.

But Tabitha …

Growling low in his throat, he finished undressing her as quickly as possible. The glow from streetlights drifted in from her shades, cutting across her bare body. She was beautiful. Lean, muscled. He’d never wanted anyone more.

Valerius lifted her from the floor and pinned her against her door.

Tabitha laughed at the strength of him. At his raw, earthy passion. No, her general wasn’t frigid. He was hot and exciting. Delectable.

Holding her with nothing more than the strength of his arms, he slid himself deep inside her.

Tabitha moaned deep in her throat as he filled her to capacity. “That’s it, baby,” she groaned. “Give me all you’ve got.”

Valerius buried his head against her neck and inhaled her warm sweetness as he thrust against her. She had one leg wrapped around his waist. He’d never made love to a woman like this. It was animalistic and fierce.

And he loved it.

She arched her back, drawing him in even deeper as she met him stroke for stroke. She had one leg on the floor that she used for leverage against him as she raised and lowered her body on his, heightening the depth of his penetration. It was all he could do to wait on her as she took from him the same pleasure he felt with her.

Valerius cupped her breast in his hand while he savored the sleek wetness of her body welcoming his.

He watched her bite her lip as she wrapped her other leg around his waist and squeezed him tight between her thighs. She was incredible.

She licked and teased his neck as he continued to thrust for both of them.

Tabitha couldn’t think past the sensation of his hard thickness inside her. Her body burned and ached for him. She could feel herself clutching him, needing him.

And when she came, she had to stifle her cry.

Valerius growled as she scoured his back with her nails and moaned in his ear. Yet it wasn’t painful.

He smiled at the sight she made coming in his arms. She actually laughed and purred, then cupped his face in her hands before she kissed him blind.

That kiss drove him over the edge. He could swear he saw stars as his body released itself inside hers.

He held her tight until the last tremor shook him. His head spinning, he leaned his forehead against the door while she slid her legs slowly down his body.

“You are the wild one, aren’t you?” she asked playfully, nipping at his bare shoulder.

Valerius grinned at that, taking an odd sense of satisfaction from it.

Tabitha slid out from between him and the door to head for the stereo she kept under a pile of clothes in the far corner.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Suddenly Elvis filled the air with “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” She turned the volume low before she came back to him and pulled him into her arms.

“Tabitha?”

“Dance with me, Val. Everyone should have at least one night of naked dancing in their lives.”

“I don’t dance.”

“Everyone dances to Elvis.”

Before he could protest further, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his chest, then started slow dancing with him.

Valerius had never been more uncertain. Yet as she led him through the song, he felt the most surreal calmness of his life. It was magical. Special.

His heart light, he brushed his hand through her hair while he silently held her and they swayed to the music.

Tabitha’s soft, melodic voice sang quietly along with Elvis.

“You have a beautiful voice,” he whispered.

She kissed the center of his chest. “Thank you. I was the lead singer in an all-girl heavy metal band in college.”

He smiled at the thought as her breath tickled across his chest. He could just see her on stage, singing to a wild crowd. “Really?”

“Mmmm.” She looked up at him with the sweetest expression he’d ever seen on a woman’s face. “We thought we’d be the next Vixen. We weren’t. Shelly got pregnant and Jessie decided she wanted to go out to Las Vegas and be a hotel manager.”

“And you became a vampire slayer.”

She twirled out of his arms, then came back flush with his chest. “Yes, and I’m damned good at it.”

He looked down at the tiny scar on his chest where she’d stabbed him. “I would concur.”

The song stopped, but was followed by Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion.”

Tabitha let go of him to sway seductively to the music. Valerius couldn’t breathe as he watched her, especially when the beat picked up and she kicked one leg over her head.