Midnight’s Master (Midnight #3)(23)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Holly let her gaze drift slowly back to Niol. She had the feeling the vamps were just waiting for the opportunity to pounce.

The demons, too.

His black eyes met hers. Burning with intensity. "Holly…"

She heard the warning in his voice.

Her arms were still around his neck. She stared into his eyes, kept her body nestled against his and said simply, "I want to play."

His lips parted in surprise.

Hard laughter echoed around her.

But then the vamps started talking again, the demons slunk away, and the blood party kicked back into action.

Niol kissed her. Another one of those deep, toe-curling kisses that made her wish they weren’t surrounded by the stench of blood and monsters that they really, really couldn’t trust.

Because right then, she just wanted to be alone with him.

She was glad he was safe.

And when the hell had Niol started to matter so much to her?

The powerful beat of his heart drummed against her. The warmth of his body bored into hers.

And his mouth…

That tongue…

"Let’s get out of here." He growled the words as he tore his mouth from hers.

Holly nodded, more than happy to ditch the vamps.

Niol kept a tight grip on her wrist as he led her through the house. She passed gleaming chandeliers, fireplaces that were big enough to walk in, and half-dressed demons.

Then they were outside, stepping onto a stone walkway, one lined with rosebushes. A few party stragglers were outside, but they’d left the noise behind.

He drew her into the shadows, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her against his chest. His head lowered and Niol’s breath stirred the hair near her ear.

"Most of ’em like to stay in the house. It’s safer there, fewer prying eyes."

His voice was a whisper, one that shouldn’t have been seductive. It was too dark, too sinister, but goose bumps rose on her arms and it sure wasn’t because he scared her.

If anyone glanced their way, she knew they’d look like a couple stealing away into the night.

Bodies too close. His wicked mouth at her ear.

For just a second, Holly could have sworn that she felt the warm touch of his tongue sliding over the shell of her ear.

Her knees did a quick tremble. "Niol…"

"Why are you here?" Another dark whisper. "And who the hell sent you to this place?"

She drew in deep breath, caught the scent of the flowers, fresh and clean from the late evening rain.

And the dank stench of blood.

Vampires.

Holly turned more fully against him. Her br**sts teased the muscled expanse of his chest. Niol wasn’t dressed in the fancy garb some of the vampires had worn. No silk jacket and pants.

Just his standard black T-shirt. Faded jeans.

A T-shirt that was stretched taut by his defined chest, his wide shoulders, the rippling muscles of his arms.

And those jeans…

Later.

Holly rose onto her tiptoes and let her lips skim his jaw. "Marc told me-I made him, but that doesn’t matter." Not at all. She swallowed. "The picture at Carl’s…" Her voice was as soft as she could make it, a breath of sound. The vampires weren’t close, but she sure didn’t want to chance them overhearing her. "I got one like it today, delivered to the station."

She glanced over his shoulder as she spoke, her gaze resting on the plump, bloodred petals of a rose. The roses were twisting beneath an old-fashioned gaslight. Strange to see them blooming, far too early in the season. Magic . She cleared her throat and said, "I got a picture, of you and me…and a note."

The roses shriveled before her eyes. Darkened to a sickly brown, then fell to the ground, petals raining down. Magic-Niol’s magic.

Holly jerked her head back and stared, wide-eyed, up at Niol. His face was a hard mask, his black eyes glittering. "What did the note say?"

"The impure will die."

Her hair lifted in a breeze that hadn’t been there a minute ago. "I think you’re next on the bastard’s list, Niol." The guy had all but drawn a bull’s-eye on Niol’s face. "I had to find you, to make sure-"

She stopped.

One black brow rose. "To make sure-what?"

"That you were safe."

The brow lowered and a crinkle appeared on his forehead. "Worried about me?"

In too deep . "Yes." Stark. She caught the surprise that flickered over his face. What? Hadn’t anyone ever worried about the man before? "No matter how strong you are, you can still be hurt…or killed."

She didn’t want to think about that. Holly’s fingernails dug into his arms. "The bastard’s watching us, Niol. And I’m not going to let you become his next slaughter."

A ghost of a smile feathered his lips. "Deadly."

"Right, that freak is, and I’m not-"

"Not him. You."

She didn’t know what to say. Deadly-not exactly a word many had used to describe her.

"I like that in a woman."

He would.

"And if our…friend…was watching us before, when he took that picture-"

"It was from last night, in the parking lot of News Flash Five." He’d been so close to them, too close.

His hold on her hardened. "If that sick f**k was watching us then…" His stare bored into hers.

"What makes you think he’s not watching us now?"

Holly’s breath stuttered out as her heart slammed into her chest.

Hell, yes, he could be watching. Could have been watching her the whole time.

And, if so, she’d just led the freak straight to Niol.

CHAPTER 7

Holly’s face bleached of color and Niol swore.

"You think he followed me?" She sounded horrified.

No point lying. "Maybe." Or maybe the bastard had been following him. "Either way, the guy’s letting us know the game’s on."

"And that you’re his next target."

Or she was.

No, no that wouldn’t make any sense. The impure reference in the letters had to be talking about the demon blood.

No humans had turned up carved to ribbons. Only his kind.

So, yes, looked like his ticket was up next.

Let the f**ker just come and try to kill him.

"The flowers are all dying," she murmured, her lips curving down. "Stop it, Niol. They were the best thing about this place."

He hadn’t even realized he’d been letting his power leak out. Instantly, he slammed down the gates of his control.

Niol dropped his hands and stepped even farther back into the darkness. He could see the withered petals in the flickering light.

Dead.

He was good at killing.

But once something was dead, there was no way to bring it back.