Part 27 (1/2)
Jace frowned. He'd have to be careful. Jordan was no fool. ”What if I told you I had nothing to do with his death?”
”I wouldn't believe you.”
Jace tensed. ”Are you here in your official capacity?”
”If I were, I'd be accompanied by the Cherry Hill Police. Because I know Santiago is not someone I'd like to see exposed or hindered in his present activities, I'm giving you fair warning. Don't get sloppy or you'll find your a.s.s in jail. And don't think you can kill non-vampires and get away with it.”
”I have never killed another human being.”
”Timbersmith was not a vampire. When we found his body his blood was not degraded.”
”Maybe not, but I a.s.sure you, he was no longer fully human and he almost killed the woman I loved. Did I kill him?” He leaned forward and stared into Jordan's eyes. ”You're d.a.m.ned right I did. I snapped his d.a.m.ned neck like a twig. I should have crushed his b.a.l.l.s while I was at it.”
Jordan's eyes narrowed. ”And where did this happen?”
”Here in Cherry Hill.” He smiled. ”Why else would I confess to a Philly cop? You have no jurisdiction here, Jordan. So if that's all...” He turned away.
Jordan swore softly and swung him back around to face him. ”Wait a d.a.m.ned minute, Makefield. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can brush me off so easily. I' m going to check your story out. If I find he was an innocent human, I promise you, your a.s.s is going to jail.”
Jace jerked away from Jordan. ”I rarely have occasion to lie. Timbersmith was not human and he was involved in some heavy duty vampire s.h.i.+t you don't want to know about.”
Jordan shook his head. ”I don't need a vampire telling me what I need to know about, Makefield.”
Jace stiffened. How the h.e.l.l did Jordan know he was almost a vampire? He looked at the detective with new respect in his gaze. ”Look, we both want the same thing-to protect the innocent. We don't need to be enemies.”
”Then don't hand me any s.h.i.+t. Be straight with me.”
”I am being straight with you. He was not human. If you have his tattoo a.n.a.lyzed, you'll find it was applied with a very special kind of ink and blood...degraded blood.”
Jordan nodded slowly. ”I'll do that.” He turned and got back into his car.
Jace watched him drive away before pulling out his keys and walking to his condo. The moment he stepped into his living room and closed the door, he knew he wasn't alone. Sensing a vampiric presence, he crouched and swept the long, dark duster he wore aside, revealing the short sword strapped against his right thigh.
Now that he was stronger and more vampire than human himself, he supposed he didn't really need the sword any longer, but he'd been carrying it for fifty years. It would take a while before he didn't feel naked without it.
Staring around the room, he spotted the intruder. He straightened and allowed his duster to drop back over the sword.
Tat stood near his patio doors in the dark room. With the moonlight s.h.i.+ning on her dark hair and face, she looked even more breathtaking than ever. Overcome with warring emotions, he stood staring at her silently, his heart beating so fast he knew she could hear it.
She spoke first. ”Who was that?”
”A detective from Philly.”
”What did he want with you?”
He hesitated. He didn't think she needed or wanted to know how thoughtlessly her idiotic brothers had disposed of her former lover's body. ”He's investigating the death of a rogue I dispatched in Philly a while back.”
”Are you going to have difficulties with him?”
”No. I don't think so. He knows what I am and he's okay with it.”
”I see.”
He nodded and they lapsed into silence, staring at each other.
She broke the silence. ”You will have no need of your blade.”
Those were close to the first words she'd spoken to him when they met. Injured, he' d been keeping to the midnight shadows, trying to make his way safely home. Remembering that night, he spoke much as he had then. ”I think you know what I am.”
”Yes, but as you're not hunting me, I foresee no immediate problem. You've been injured.”
He smiled. ”Actually, I've had my a.s.s kicked-again.”
She slowly crossed the room to caress his bruised cheek. ”Bit off more than you could chew again? This is becoming a bad habit with you.”
He nodded. ”You could say that, yes.”
”What happened?”
”Your twin took exception to my daring to beard him in his den to ask where you were.”
”You did that?”
He wondered why she sounded so surprised. ”What else could I do? I had to find you and I knew he'd know where you were.”
”Andrei did this?”
He and Andrei had traded blows, but Andrei was none the worse for it. He nodded.
Her eyes glowed. ”I'll have to backhand him for bruising my goods.” She tilted her head. ”Did he hurt you?”
”He made no effort to pull his punches. What do you think?”
”I think I'll slap him upside his head big time when I see him.”
”You do that.” He frowned. ”You know, he's never going to like me.”
She linked her arms around his neck. ”You might be right, but I like you-a lot. Isn't that enough?”
He nodded and leaned his forehead against hers. ”I more than like you. I love you so much it hurts.”
”I love you like that too...just like that,” she whispered against his lips.
He s.h.i.+vered at the feel of her cool lips against his. ”That's nice, but I'm afraid it's not enough.”
She moved out of his arms and turned her back to him. ”What more can you possibly want?”
He took her arm and swung her around to face him. He stared down into her eyes. ”Do you know what I've been through this last week? On top of everything else, I've had my a.s.s kicked by your worthless twin. If he weren't your brother, I swear I would have cut off his G.o.dd.a.m.ned head.”
She bared her incisors. ”If you weren't the man I loved, he would have killed you where you stood before you could even draw your blade.”