She turned her gaze away from him. It hurt to look at his handsome face just then for some reason. Confused, she blinked hard. What was wrong with her? She barely even knew the guy when it came right down to it. Sure, the sex was fantastic, and sure, she’d never jumped into sex so fast in her life, but there had been special circumstances.
At least…that’s what it had seemed like at the time. Really, would it have been so tragic if she’d had her memory of him wiped? It wasn’t as though she had any feelings for him. No. She’d just been worried about the danger aspect, she told herself.
It was far too soon to have developed feelings for him. That is, she cared about his well-being and safety as she would any other human being’s, but she didn’t feel anything outside of a grand case of lust and, in spite of his being a vampire and she being human, a warm sensation that the possibilities for the future were very good.
She shouldn’t feel that way. Hell, any sane person would have walked away the minute the word “vampire” came into the picture—before that even. When he had brought danger into her life. Apparently she wasn’t a sane person. She was a crazy person. Crazy to be attracted to such danger. Then again, she’d never really been the type to say no to an adrenaline rush. She’d even bungeed off a bridge over the Colorado River. Well, an offshoot of the Colorado River. Still it had been high and dangerous and thrilling.
Was that what this was? Was Rafe high and dangerous and thrilling? She suspected he was. But he was also much more than that. She could tell he was a kind and caring person. He’d been nothing but polite and forthcoming, almost to his own detriment.
No. There was no almost about it. He had risked everything for her. Realizing that vampire justice often required capital punishment, he had risked his life for hers. There was no looking at it from any other direction.
She squeezed his hand as she tried to imagine a world without such an incredible man. Not only was he beautiful on the outside, but he seemed to be a treasure on the inside as well. She wanted to get to know him better, and he needed to stay around in order for that to happen. He needed to take better care of himself.
They arrived at the crime scene in short order and as expected there was a large crowd pressed up against the police barricades. There were several officers controlling the crowd and she showed her badge to one of them, leaving Rafe behind at the barricades.
She found Jimmy easily—right next to the dead body. This time it was a woman in an alley in the snow, slumped forward over her own legs. Her hair was in a bun, which was pulled to the side off kilter and half hanging loose. Clearly visible on the back of her neck were bite wounds.
“Another alley, another body. Only it’s a female this time. Our guy doesn’t seem to have a sexual preference. I hate to say it, but I think we’re looking at a serial killer.”
“Any witnesses?”
“Not that have come forward. ME says it took place about six hours ago. She’s been sitting here freezing in this alley all night long, poor thing. Damn, I want to get this guy,” Jimmy said fiercely.
“I do too,” Renee said, glancing over at Rafe.
Jimmy followed her gaze.
“Isn’t that the same guy who came to the precinct yesterday?”
Renee refused to look at Jimmy, crouching down to inspect the body a little closer.
“Do we know who she is?”
“Oooh, avoiding the question. It must be serious. Well, you’re not wearing the same clothes as yesterday, so that’s a plus.”
“James, mind your business. Who is she?”
“Iona Carter. Twenty-six. We have to inform the family.”
“My favorite part,” she said with a sigh.
“I know. But I gotta say, you always do it as well as can be expected. They prefer hearing it from you than me. Maybe it’s because I’m too pretty,” James said.
“Ha! Hardly. Give me some gloves.”
Jimmy handed her a pair of gloves and she snapped them on. She reached out and brushed back the straggling hair from her bun.
“Maybe we can get DNA from the saliva,” Jimmy said.
“Maybe,” Renee said noncommittally. She didn’t even know if vampires had DNA. They had to have DNA. Everything had DNA. And what would that DNA look like under a microscope? Would you be able to tell it wasn’t human? Was Rafe’s entire race in jeopardy just because of a little saliva?
“Well, Stella will swab the wound. She’ll find something. It doesn’t look as though she fought much. Other than her hair being mussed, there’s no sign of a struggle. Maybe he used a weapon to subdue her before he bit her.”
“Maybe,” Renee said again. “We’ll have to see if Stella finds any bruising. I think he just overpowered her.” Or used hypno on her, Renee thought. It was something they would never be able to see in a physical exam. “Outside of this bite we’re not sure it’s the same guy. Stella will have to compare dental impressions.”
“C’mon. It has to be the same guy. There can’t be two people running around biting people on the back of the neck. What I can’t figure out is why.”
Actually, there could be hundreds of people running around biting people on the back of the neck, she thought, once more glancing in Rafe’s direction. His expression was serious and brooding. This had to be stressing him out. Every body put his people one step closer to exposure. They had to find this guy and fast.
“Here’s the kick in the pants,” Jimmy said. “With the first guy it was a heart attack that killed him. I figured he got scared to death and it triggered a heart attack. But this girl’s young and looks healthy. There’s no sign of trauma other than the bite. Who gets bitten to death?”
“There must be something else,” Renee lied. “Maybe he smothered her or cut off her air somehow.”
“Wouldn’t we see bruises around her mouth? Inside her lips where her teeth might have cut into her?”
“Maybe there is but we just can’t see it yet. It’ll be up to Stella to tell us what’s what. Makes no sense to stand here guessing all day.”
“Hey. We’re detectives. Guessing is an integral part of what we do.”
She laughed softly. “I supposed that’s true. But we guess with facts. Draw conclusions more than guess. Let’s canvass the crowd. Maybe we’ll get lucky and someone saw something. Doesn’t hurt to hand out a couple dozen business cards.”
At least…that’s what it had seemed like at the time. Really, would it have been so tragic if she’d had her memory of him wiped? It wasn’t as though she had any feelings for him. No. She’d just been worried about the danger aspect, she told herself.
It was far too soon to have developed feelings for him. That is, she cared about his well-being and safety as she would any other human being’s, but she didn’t feel anything outside of a grand case of lust and, in spite of his being a vampire and she being human, a warm sensation that the possibilities for the future were very good.
She shouldn’t feel that way. Hell, any sane person would have walked away the minute the word “vampire” came into the picture—before that even. When he had brought danger into her life. Apparently she wasn’t a sane person. She was a crazy person. Crazy to be attracted to such danger. Then again, she’d never really been the type to say no to an adrenaline rush. She’d even bungeed off a bridge over the Colorado River. Well, an offshoot of the Colorado River. Still it had been high and dangerous and thrilling.
Was that what this was? Was Rafe high and dangerous and thrilling? She suspected he was. But he was also much more than that. She could tell he was a kind and caring person. He’d been nothing but polite and forthcoming, almost to his own detriment.
No. There was no almost about it. He had risked everything for her. Realizing that vampire justice often required capital punishment, he had risked his life for hers. There was no looking at it from any other direction.
She squeezed his hand as she tried to imagine a world without such an incredible man. Not only was he beautiful on the outside, but he seemed to be a treasure on the inside as well. She wanted to get to know him better, and he needed to stay around in order for that to happen. He needed to take better care of himself.
They arrived at the crime scene in short order and as expected there was a large crowd pressed up against the police barricades. There were several officers controlling the crowd and she showed her badge to one of them, leaving Rafe behind at the barricades.
She found Jimmy easily—right next to the dead body. This time it was a woman in an alley in the snow, slumped forward over her own legs. Her hair was in a bun, which was pulled to the side off kilter and half hanging loose. Clearly visible on the back of her neck were bite wounds.
“Another alley, another body. Only it’s a female this time. Our guy doesn’t seem to have a sexual preference. I hate to say it, but I think we’re looking at a serial killer.”
“Any witnesses?”
“Not that have come forward. ME says it took place about six hours ago. She’s been sitting here freezing in this alley all night long, poor thing. Damn, I want to get this guy,” Jimmy said fiercely.
“I do too,” Renee said, glancing over at Rafe.
Jimmy followed her gaze.
“Isn’t that the same guy who came to the precinct yesterday?”
Renee refused to look at Jimmy, crouching down to inspect the body a little closer.
“Do we know who she is?”
“Oooh, avoiding the question. It must be serious. Well, you’re not wearing the same clothes as yesterday, so that’s a plus.”
“James, mind your business. Who is she?”
“Iona Carter. Twenty-six. We have to inform the family.”
“My favorite part,” she said with a sigh.
“I know. But I gotta say, you always do it as well as can be expected. They prefer hearing it from you than me. Maybe it’s because I’m too pretty,” James said.
“Ha! Hardly. Give me some gloves.”
Jimmy handed her a pair of gloves and she snapped them on. She reached out and brushed back the straggling hair from her bun.
“Maybe we can get DNA from the saliva,” Jimmy said.
“Maybe,” Renee said noncommittally. She didn’t even know if vampires had DNA. They had to have DNA. Everything had DNA. And what would that DNA look like under a microscope? Would you be able to tell it wasn’t human? Was Rafe’s entire race in jeopardy just because of a little saliva?
“Well, Stella will swab the wound. She’ll find something. It doesn’t look as though she fought much. Other than her hair being mussed, there’s no sign of a struggle. Maybe he used a weapon to subdue her before he bit her.”
“Maybe,” Renee said again. “We’ll have to see if Stella finds any bruising. I think he just overpowered her.” Or used hypno on her, Renee thought. It was something they would never be able to see in a physical exam. “Outside of this bite we’re not sure it’s the same guy. Stella will have to compare dental impressions.”
“C’mon. It has to be the same guy. There can’t be two people running around biting people on the back of the neck. What I can’t figure out is why.”
Actually, there could be hundreds of people running around biting people on the back of the neck, she thought, once more glancing in Rafe’s direction. His expression was serious and brooding. This had to be stressing him out. Every body put his people one step closer to exposure. They had to find this guy and fast.
“Here’s the kick in the pants,” Jimmy said. “With the first guy it was a heart attack that killed him. I figured he got scared to death and it triggered a heart attack. But this girl’s young and looks healthy. There’s no sign of trauma other than the bite. Who gets bitten to death?”
“There must be something else,” Renee lied. “Maybe he smothered her or cut off her air somehow.”
“Wouldn’t we see bruises around her mouth? Inside her lips where her teeth might have cut into her?”
“Maybe there is but we just can’t see it yet. It’ll be up to Stella to tell us what’s what. Makes no sense to stand here guessing all day.”
“Hey. We’re detectives. Guessing is an integral part of what we do.”
She laughed softly. “I supposed that’s true. But we guess with facts. Draw conclusions more than guess. Let’s canvass the crowd. Maybe we’ll get lucky and someone saw something. Doesn’t hurt to hand out a couple dozen business cards.”
