Page 10 of Angel Of Darkness

Oh, God. The cop might not know what she was, but Nicole was very, very afraid that she did. And she was also afraid that she’d soon be just like the bastard who’d attacked her.

A killer. A monster.

A vampire.

Chapter Two

Six months later…

When the woman with the midnight-black hair and dark red lips strolled into the cantina, he knew his hunt was finally at an end. Keenan lifted the tequila to his lips, barely feeling the fire of the liquid as he tossed it down his throat. It had been a long hunt, but after all this time, he’d found her.

Nicole St. James.

The only charge who’d ever escaped him. The woman who, sure as the devil, had changed his life. Rage began to heat his blood because it shouldn’t have been like this. Not for him. Not for her.

He slammed the glass down on the countertop. She hadn’t even glanced his way. She’d just sauntered to the old, scarred tables in the back. What was she doing?

Nicole St. James was a schoolteacher. She was a woman who wore long skirts and loose, gauzy tops. She wasn’t a woman who wore torn and faded blue jeans, jeans so tight they hugged her thighs and hips like a second skin, and she didn’t wear tops like that—tops that barely covered her breasts and left her midriff bare.

He yanked his gaze back up and off her bare skin. Did she even realize how much danger surrounded her? And why was the woman in Mexico? She should have been home in New Orleans, enjoying the life he’d given her.

But no, she was leaning over some man and skimming her fingers down the guy’s tanned neck as she whispered to him.

Seduction.

The man rose, laughing, and turned away from his friends. In moments, Nicole and the stranger disappeared through the small back door.

Keenan’s shoulders straightened as he rose from this chair. Okay, so he’d expected more. The woman hadn’t even glanced his way. Not once. She’d found her pick for the night, taken his hand, and led the man right outside.

Eyes narrowing, Keenan stalked after them. The man could find another lover. He had plans for Nicole St. James. He didn’t bother going out softly. Keenan wanted them to know he was coming. He shoved his palm against the door and the wood splintered beneath his touch.

Then he was outside. The night air—thick with humidity and musky with the scent of wild animals—hit him. One more step forward and Keenan caught the soft whispers in the air.

A woman’s husky voice.

A man’s hungry mutters.

The heat inside of Keenan flared hotter.

He turned the corner, and he could see them half-hidden in the shadows. Kissing. Nicole’s hands were all over the man. She was up on her toes, and her head lowered as she began to kiss her way down the man’s neck.

Keenan crossed his arms over his chest. He cleared his throat. “Uh, sorry to interrupt.” No, not sorry at all.

Nicole glanced back at him. There was no surprise in her stare. A stare that seemed darker than he remembered. He understood her lack of surprise. After all, it was pretty hard to disguise the smash and splinter of wood.

But Romeo must have been too far gone to hear because he whirled in surprise then narrowed his beady eyes. The guy’s shoulders blocked Keenan’s view of Nicole. The man snarled, “Go to hell!”

Right. Been there. He didn’t exactly plan to be taking another trip anytime soon. “You need to leave.”

Romeo blinked.

“I want her.” Keenan’s voice rumbled too much when he spoke, but fury churned inside of him, demanding release. So he was having trouble controlling his emotions. Getting slapped with all these feelings hadn’t really been part of his game plan.

“Too bad,” Romeo snapped, his English tipped with a heavy accent. “She’s busy tonight.”

Her fingers curved over her would-be-lover’s shoulders. “Let’s get out of here.”

Keenan shook his head. “No, Nicole, you’re not going anywhere.”

---