Eternal Flame (Night Watch #3)(27)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Think again.

He rose from the bed and marched to the table. Jude had left a cell phone for him. He punched in the shifter’s number. Jude answered on the second ring, just as Zane heard the roar of a motorcycle’s engine flare to life outside.

At least she had a helmet this time.

“She’s on the move,” he said, running a hand down his face.

“We put a tag on the bike. We’ll be able to follow every move that she makes. Get dressed.”

Follow because the motorcycle had been a lure for Jana, and she’d taken the bait. No, she was the bait, and he hadn’t even realized what game Night Watch intended to play with her until he’d arrived at the cabin, and Jude had mentioned the motorcycle.

Why tell a bounty about an escape vehicle unless you wanted her to escape? And then, when Jude had tossed him the keys … one glance at the shifter’s blue stare and he’d known exactly what Pak wanted them to do.

Let her run. Let her think she was safe. Then track her.

Because while Jana hadn’t started the fire at Night Watch, she was tied to those flames. The bastards who had set the fire were after her. If Jude and Zane watched her, if they followed her, they’d find the murdering ass**les they wanted. Because those ass**les would come after her again.

“Where are you?” he asked Jude, as he yanked open the door.

A green pickup shuddered to a stop right in front of the cabin. Zane lowered the phone. Of course, the shifter would have stayed close.

“Come on,” Jude yelled through his open window. “I’ve got the GPS linkup in the truck.”

Zane slammed the cabin’s door and hurried around the vehicle. He jumped inside, and seconds later, they were racing away from the swamp. He realized his knuckles ached because his hands were clenched so tightly.

“I didn’t expect her to run so fast,” Jude said as his gaze flickered to Zane.

“Neither did I.” And, yeah, stupidly, he’d actually hoped she wouldn’t run. He’d hoped Pak and Jude were wrong, that their plan wouldn’t work. He’d wanted to open his eyes and see Jana lying next to him, and he’d wanted her to tell him about Project Perseus. Wanted all her secrets.

Fucking delusional.

“You slept with her, didn’t you?”

His jaw clenched.

“Come on, hoss, you sleep with every attractive woman you meet.” Jude whistled as he turned the wheel to the left. “I just didn’t expect you to screw a killer.”

Zane’s eyes cut to Jude. ”Watch it.” His voice was lethal and the power within him built, shoving against the bonds of his control.

Jude’s gaze darted to him. “What? A friend can’t tell you that you’re f**king up? With her, you’re crossing the line.”

He knew that, but walking away hadn’t been an option. Taking her had been the only choice.

Then she’d walked away. But he’d get her back.

“You know, she could be working with them.” Jude’s voice was softer now. The truck shot past the pine trees, blurring their limbs. “Not once have they tried to actually hurt her. Even the cop tried to shoot you, not her.”

So Jude had already talked to Tony and gotten all those details, too. Figured. “She’s scared of them.” He’d seen the fear in her eyes.

“That woman? She’s scared of something? You sure about that? She didn’t seem like the fearful type to me.”

Zane realized he could still smell her. Her scent was all over his skin. Hell, no wonder Jude realized they’d slept together. No way a shifter nose could miss the scent of sex. “She’s afraid of someone.” Not something.

Afraid and angry.

“There’s a chance she could just turn tail and slip out of the city.” Jude’s fingers were tight around the wheel. “Pak said if she does, we stop her and bring her back.”

“She won’t leave Baton Rouge, and she’s not just going to sit there and wait for them to come after her.” Zane was certain of that. “She’ll fight.” I can still hear their screams.

They hit the highway. Jude glanced down at the GPS and turned right. “Yeah, that’s what I figured.” He paused. “But whoever we’re up against, these bastards were strong enough to level Night Watch, even with the protections we had on the place.”

It wasn’t like this was the first time Night Watch had come under attack. But it was the first time anyone had made it past the high-tech security and the paranormal charms that protected the place.

He licked his lips —tasted her. Damn her. She shouldn’t have left. She’d tried to distract him with sex. Yeah, that had worked. Then the moment she’d thought he was weak, she’d left him.

“She could be walking right into hell,” Zane said. Going in alone. “She said they had her before, but that she managed to get away….”

“Well, Pak couldn’t find any intel on Project Perseus. So either its cover is too good or—”

Or Jana was bullshitting him.

One way to find out. “Hurry the hell up, Jude. We don’t want to give our Ignitor too much of a head start.” I’m coming, baby. Are you ready?

When Jana got back to Baton Rouge, she didn’t stick to the shadows. She drove the motorcycle right down the main roads, revved her engine as loud as she could, and hoped the bastards would find her.

She was in the mood for some heat.

It was after midnight, but the city wasn’t sleeping. Far from it. Jana knew just where to go in order to find the trouble she sought.

Four turns later, a fast blast into the darker side of town, and she braked in front of Dusk. Demon Central. One thing about demons … the lower-level demons were such sellouts. Always willing to turn on a friend or, hell, anyone. It hadn’t just been coincidence that the big rig had hit them after they left Dusk.

Someone had made a phone call. Someone had fed the bastards her location, even given a description of the car she and Zane had been using.

That someone was about to feel her fire.

She jumped off the motorcycle. Once she’d gotten back to the city, she’d taken twenty minutes to run by her place and change clothes. No one had jumped out to confront her. Pity. She’d been ready for them.

Now she wore black. Tight shirt. Long jeans. And boots made for kicking ass.

She strolled up to the bouncer. He glanced her way, a quick gauge to see if she was using glamour. When he realized she wasn’t, he hesitated until she shoved a fifty into his hand.