Page 45 of Sinner's Salvation

“Like we’re having sex?” she shook her head. “No. I’ve never felt anything like this before with anyone.” She glanced at his neck. “It was a completely new experience for me, and that’s...rare.”

Half his mouth turned upward. “Good. When you need blood, you come to me.”

She frowned. “That might not be practical. If we’re separated or if you’re hurt...” She didn’t want to think about him getting hurt, but she had to be logical.

He rested his forehead against hers, as if he needed to touch her with more than just his hands. “If I’m available, you come to me,” he ordered.

“Yes,” she said, her body cradling his. She pulled him tighter into her and hugged him. “I don’t understand what just happened,” she said, in a small voice.

He rubbed her back. “Some things are better felt than thought,” he said, in her ear. “And a lot has happened in the last few hours. Let things sit in the back of your head for a while. Give your brain a chance to sort through it all.”

His expression was wide open and full of satisfied happiness. If he looked like this when they left the bathroom, everyone who saw him would know that she did more than just feed from him.

But they hadn’t even taken their clothes off, and he’d kept his hands on her back and head. Still, the pleasure had been intense, and they both smelled faintly of arousal.

He backed up, letting her slide off the counter. Then he took her hand, and they walked out of the bathroom.

Baz and Brian were sitting at a table where they could watch Evan and herself come out. Baz studied them for a moment, then wiped his face with one hand. “This got complicated in a hurry.”

“Oh, stop fussing, Bazyli,” Anna said.

“I think,” Baz said slowly. “We need to start with in depth introductions, then we can get into what the hell happened to you.”

“Agreed,” Evan said. “I’ll start.” He gave everyone a tight smile. “My name is Evander Gunn. I’m an Army Intelligence officer. I’ve been in that role for almost five years. I served with Baz in Afghanistan. I had no idea you and Anna were related.”

“How do you know my Mom?” Baz asked. “Start at theverybeginning.”

“My grandfather was in the Ghost Army during WWII. He told me stories when I was young about this fearless French resistance fighter. It wasn’t until he was dying of cancer that he told me that Anna wasn’t like other people. I have to say, I didn’t believe him. I figured his Anna died of old age. He gave me a picture he drew of her back then. Imagine my surprise when she turned up at an international financial meeting. And again, at another high-level meeting in a different country. I didn’t know for certain that his Anna and mine were the same until I was shown a video of Anna healing from a head wound.”

“You were shown a video?” Baz asked.

“Homeland Security made a request of Army Intelligence for an experienced interrogator to question a suspected terrorist. I was assigned the job.”

Baz looked at her. “You were theterrorist?” He put air quotes around the last word.

“I was never called that. I heard the wordscreatureandsomething other than human.”

“I was told,” Evan continued, “That Homeland was given information about Anna. I only heard some of it. Ledger obviously had more, but hadn’t shared it with anyone. He seemed paranoid about who found out.”

“So, Homeland Security is going to be looking for you?” Baz asked Anna.

She bared her teeth at her son. “I’ve got diplomatic immunity.”

“Ledger fucked up,” Evan said. “He was running his own operation completely outside of Homeland Security. He planned to kill me and anyone else who had any knowledge of Anna, including our baby FBI agent. I have him on tape.”

“So, he might come at us, but he also might have hamstrung himself.”

“Yes.” Evan grinned with all his teeth on display. “I destroyed all his evidence. All he can do is try to grab her again.”

Baz looked at Brian. “How are you involved?”

“I was in the same car as Anna when she was shot in the head by Ledger. He then shot me and kept a gun on me while he watched me bleed for several minutes. He told the FBI that Anna and I were killed in a car accident and fire.”

“That was dumb.”

Brian rubbed his hands together, then winced. “I can’t wait to report in at the FBI office and make him look like an idiot at best, and a lying sack of shit at worst.”

“The Agosti brothers are a bigger danger than Ledger is at the moment,” Anna said. “They’re after Brian for his potential, and I would assume Nika and Samantha as well.” She thought about how quickly the Agosti’s found the ambulance. “They may have been observing the military base.”

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