Part 20 (2/2)

Melissa hesitated on her way to the phone, but when the convulsions continued, she dropped to the ground beside the man and cradled his head in her lap. Forcing his jaw open, she pulled a depressor from her jacket pocket and used it to keep him from swallowing his tongue. She tried to hold him down as best she could. ”Phone's by the door. Call for help,” she instructed.

Sebastian rushed to the phone. After giving Security the details, he received a promise that a.s.sistance would be on its way quickly.

The man's seizures had almost completely stopped, but judging from Melissa's face, that wasn't a good thing. ”What's up?”

”He's high as a kite on something. His pulse is too rapid and shallow. Breathing's very labored. He's not looking good.”

She had no sooner said that when his breathing stopped entirely. ”We've got to do CPR.”

With Melissa instructing him, he helped her until Security arrived with the EMTs in tow. He and Melissa stepped away. It was then that she noticed Sebastian was hurt as blood dripped from beneath the cuff of his jacket and onto his hand.

”Let me see that.” Sebastian eased off his duster to reveal the long, ugly gash along his forearm. Blood oozed freely from the wound and onto the white speckled tiles of the floor.Melissa went into action, helping herself to some gauze and bandages from the EMT's tray. She bound his wound, but said, ”I need to take you to the E.R. for some st.i.tches and a teta.n.u.s shot. I'm so sorry, Sebastian.”

Distress was clear on her face. She felt responsible and he worried how that might affect things between them. Striving to downplay the injury, he said, ”I'm sorry, too. That was my favorite jacket.”

But that didn't help the situation as one of the EMTs called out to Melissa, ”Doc, we need you here. We're losing this guy.”

Melissa stepped into the fray of trying to save the life of the man who might have taken hers without a second thought. Sebastian had only seen her in action once before-the night Ryder had been injured by the serial killer Diana had been tracking. He remembered her intensity that night and her perseverance. The cool competence that had impressed him so.

Melissa was no different tonight with this total stranger. She worked with the paramedics to stabilize her attacker, but to no avail.

Whatever the man had taken was too potent for his body to handle. Nearly half an hour later, they p.r.o.nounced him dead and called for NYPD and a coroner.

Melissa rose, defeat etched into the lines of her face. He held his arms open and she stepped into them, hugging him tightly. He returned the embrace, wincing slightly from the cut on his arm. She must have sensed his discomfort for she reacted immediately, advising Security that if she was needed they could call down to the E.R.

He reached for her hand, but she s.h.i.+ed away from his touch, much as she had when they had first met. He knew then that her earlier look of defeat wasn't just about the dead man on the lab floor.

It was about them, as well.

Chapter 27.

D etective Peter Daly arrived with his partner and Diana in tow. When the call came in about the attack and possible homicide, he'd grabbed the case and phoned her.

Melissa watched as both he and Diana patiently went over the crime scene, searching for clues. Sebastian stood by her side, ever vigilant and protective. A little jolt of fear went through her again as she realized how he had risked himself. All for her. He must have sensed her discomfort for he placed his hand on her shoulder and gave a rea.s.suring squeeze, but she couldn't bear his touch.

She'd put him in great danger. He'd risen to the call, but she couldn't deal with putting him at risk again. Taking another step away from him, she wrapped her arms around herself tightly and gave her concentration back to the police work going on in her lab.

Diana and Peter got to the body after examining the surrounding area. They searched the man's pockets and seemed pleased with what they discovered. From one pocket, Diana extracted a bag and what looked like a key card for the building. When Diana opened the bag, she discovered that it contained a needle, syringe and rubber tie. Peter extracted a small vial of clear liquid from another pocket. Holding it up to the light carefully, he smiled and called out for one of the crime-scene staff to come over. ”I think we've got a print.”

”Probably not the perp's,” Diana said quickly, motioning to the gloves the young man was wearing. The CSU tech dusted the vial and lifted a partial print.

”My money says it's similar to the batch that killed the other two,” Daly said, rising.

”Easy money, Daly. Let's hope the print gives us something we can use.” Diana came to stand beside her brother. ”You okay?”

She laid a hand on the white bandage wrapped around his forearm.

”Fine. The cut wasn't too deep-”

”You needed twenty st.i.tches,” Melissa said, and was surprised by the anger in her voice. ”I'm okay.” Sebastian laid a hand on her shoulder, trying to rea.s.sure her.

Melissa took a step away from him and wished she was fine. She tightened her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold now that the adrenaline coursing through her body was starting to wear off. Diana must have noticed she wasn't okay, for she said, ”Maybe it's time you and Sebastian went home. Detective Daly and I will probably go to the M.E.'s to wait for a fingerprint match and the toxicology reports. Don't wait up.”

”Call us when you have some kind of info.” Sebastian placed his uninjured arm around Melissa's waist. As before, she s.h.i.+fted away as if uneasy with his touch.

Sebastian didn't know how to reach her. When she grabbed her coat from a peg by the door, he just stood there.

Melissa turned and said, ”I'll meet you by the elevator.”

She didn't wait for his reply to leave the room.

Sebastian stared after her, both confused and hurt. He grabbed his duster off a chair where somebody had placed it. Diana laid a hand on his arm.

”Give her some s.p.a.ce or you might scare her away.”

Leave it to his sister to cut past all the bulls.h.i.+t to what was important. ”I'll try. I don't want to lose her.”

”I don't think you could.”

Still unconvinced by her statement, he took a step toward the door. He stopped when Diana called to him in soft tones, ”Hermanito.”

She smiled and laid a hand on his shoulder. ”I'm proud of what you did today. The way you protected Melissa.”

”You don't think I could watch you all these years and not learn anything, did you?” he said, trying to dispel not only his sister's concerns, but his own. What would it be like to live every day like this-the way Diana lived her life? The way Melissa did?

Diana hugged him hard and he returned the embrace, having a new appreciation for all that she did and all that she was. ”I love you, hermanita.”

”I love you, too,” she responded and before it got any worse, he walked out to meet Melissa.

Ryder was about.

Sebastian didn't know how he knew it, but he did.

He sensed the vampire's presence as he and Melissa left the hospital. Even though he searched as best he could, he saw no sign of the vampire. He wondered if Ryder was waiting for Diana or if he'd follow them home.

After a block or so of walking in silence beside Melissa, Sebastian realized Ryder had stayed behind to wait.

He pressed on, feeling strangely like a man walking to the gallows. Once inside the apartment, there was an awkward moment at the door, as if Melissa wasn't quite sure she wanted him to come in.

Cradling her cheek, he said, ”Don't shut me out, Melissa.” When she looked up at him, her eyes were dark with emotion, almost glimmering with unshed tears. ”Don't,” he said, fearful of where she was going. Unwilling to accept that she wanted him gone.

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