Bit the Jackpot (Vegas Vampires #2)(44)
Author: Erin McCarthy

"Really?Interesting.By the way, I have a thought or two I want to discuss with you."

"See you in ten." Seamus hung up the phone and dropped it on his stomach next to the cat. Not even assassins and frustrating mysteries that seemed to dance around him and dart away before he could solve them could ruin his sense of bliss. He was one slap-happy vampire.

The water was off and Cara was softly humming in the bathroom. It was a song Seamus didn’t recognize, cheerful and upbeat. She made a twang sound, and he picked up on the fact that it was a country tune. Unable to resist, he got out of bed and went to the bathroom naked.

Pushing the door open, he saw Cara drying herself off with one of the new pink towels, steam rising all around her. Her soft black hair was clinging to her head and back, and her skin was dewy, flushed a subtle red in the spots where the hot spray had hit repeatedly. When the towel slipped and Seamus caught a glimpse of her perky round backside, he slipped in behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

She jerked a little,then relaxed, "Hey. You move so damn quietly, like a mouse."

"Like a vampire." He nuzzled the back of her ear, her hot skin warming him up, her backside pressed against his rapidly growing erection. Running his palms over her abdomen, he asked, "Are you okay? Not too sore?"

She leaned back and kissed his cheek, "I’m fine. Good. You are mmm ." Turning, she wrapped her arms around his neck."Beyond my wildest dreams."

That was a compliment worth recording. Seamus kissed her forehead, pulled her body in close to his. "I thought it was amazing, too, but I was, well, rougher than I intended to be."

It didn’t seem like she’d minded at the time, but he still felt a twinge of guilt now. He could have proceeded with a little more caution and finesse, but once he had let the horse out, he’d gone for a full gallop.

"Just remember paybacks are hell." She gave him a saucy look, a secret womanly smile that told him she was pleased, satisfied.

Which made him satisfied.And turned on."Cara " He bent to kiss her.

The doorbell rang.

"Shit."

"We can ignore it," she said, pressing her hips into his.

Seamus groaned in frustration. "No, it’s Ethan. He’s bringing up the tape of the would-be assassin."

Cara sighed and pulled back. "Which one?" she asked dryly."The one who tried to kill him or the one who tried to kill me?"

That made Seamus ill just thinking about Cara being in danger."The one who tried to kill him. The ass**lewho went after you is still in lock-up, detoxing . Once he’s clean, we’ll transport him for a trial by his vampire peers."

Cara shivered and reached for her clothes. "I guess we should get dressed."

"Ethan might prefer that." He went back into the bedroom for a pair of jeans, forgoing the boxer shorts.

Two minutes later he left Cara in the bedroom to call the hospital to see about Dawn’s condition, and he went to let in Ethan, who was grinning.

"Hey, Fox."

"Carrick."Seamus didn’t like the look on Ethan’s face or the way he clapped him on the shoulder a little too hard.

"We’ll try to make this quick. I know it’s late. You’re probably ready for bed." The grin grew wider."Again."

Ethan was about as subtle as a jalapeno. "Where’s Alexis?"

"She’s really worried about Brittany . She wanted to pop in on her again before she retires for the day."

"I thought Brittany just has the flu."

Ethan shrugged. "You know how Alexis is with Brittany ." He glanced around Seamus. "Hello, Cara, interesting night, wasn’t it?"

Seamus turned and took her hand, worried about the somber look on Cara’s face. "How’s Dawn, babe?"

"They said she’s fine. She’ll be going home this afternoon then after a few days of rest and proper nutrition she’ll be completely recovered." She rubbed Seamus’s palm restlessly. "I talked toBryan . He says she doesn’t really understand what happened to her. That she doesn’t remember anything. But she told me she had sex, with that vampire. Why would he do that? Leave her like that?" Cara visibly shuddered.

Ethan tapped the tape in his hand. "Young vampires lose control. Conscience-lessvampires enjoy the power, the thrill. If we can catch him, we could censurehim, put him under a no-travel restriction. He would have to stay here so we could monitor him, sort of like the Frenchman."

"But first we have to figure out who he is, and what he has to do with Ethan. And you and I." Seamus held his hand out for the tape. "Let’s see who this bastard is."

"I have to tell you what Alexis told me."

Ethan surrendered the tape, but his words gave Seamus pause. "What did she say?"

"That Kelsey told her the blood was better at the Venetian, but she won’t go there because that’s where they took her the night she was attacked."

"The Venetian?The only vampire I know who hangs out at the Venetian is " Seamus swore." Donatelli. Shit. You don’t think he’s responsible for all of this?" Anything was possible, but Seamus didn’t really see the motivation. Why kill him? Cara?

"It’s possible. Let’s see this tape,then we need to have another conversation with Kelsey."

Donatelli.It boggled the mind. Was he so desperate to take office that he would kill his opponent?

The tape went into the machine sitting in a cabinet under Sea- mus’splasma TV. A man was stepping off the elevator, bent over talking to someone, presumably Kelsey, since they couldn’t see her.

"That’s him," Cara said before Seamus could really even get a good look at him. "The guy who was in Dawn’s dressing room."

"You’re sure?" Ethan asked.

"Positive." Cara shifted closer to Seamus. "What is he doing? Why is he unzipping oh, geez ."

"He was with Kelsey, babe." Seamus curled his lip as the assassin’s eyes closed in ecstasy. Seamus really could have done without this one-sided o**l s*x clip. He grabbed the remote and turned it off before he tossed up his blood breakfast. "That’s the guy who was in the alley, too.The one who walked off with Kelsey. Do you think he works for Donatelli ?"

"Let’s get Kelsey down here and find out." Ethan pulled out his cell phone. "Yes, this is Mr. Carrick. Find my secretary Kelsey and send her to Mr. Fox’s suite. Thank you."

Ethan turned back to them. "Security will find her and get her here in a few minutes. Sorry for interrupting your morning, Cara."

Cara waved her hand and sat down on the leather sofa. "No, it’s fine. I want to know what the hell is going on. Why this happened to Dawn. I feel so bad he wouldn’t have approached her if it wasn’t for me, I’m sure of it."