When He Was Bad
Page 58
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So youre telling me this jerk is going to get away? And get to keep killing?
He shook his head. Im telling you, the boys and girls in the suits are going to lock you up for the next few weeks
What? She was the victim, not
Sam isnt as clueless as he appears. I think he was right about the killings, and the FBI will, too. Hell, there have probably been more murders, scattered around the country. No way has our vamp been playing nice the last few years. The agents, theyll want to keep you safe until theyre sure Paul isnt coming after you again.
Now that gave her pause. Will he?
He didnt answer, but Miranda supposed his silence actually was an answer. Oh, damn.
Go with them. Theyll keep you safe, and Paul
Will what? Move on to another victim? Shed be all safe and protected by the Bureau while some other poor woman had her throat ripped open by razor-sharp fangs. No, that didnt sound fair. Not at all.
Her chin lifted. Why cant they catch him?
Because vampires are damn strong, far stronger than humans. And bullets, well, they can wound vampsnot kill emand usually they only serve to piss off his kind.
Cain sure seemed to know what he was talking about. Both with the vampire and with the FBI.
I cant let him hurt anyone else, she whispered.
His eyes narrowed. You might not have a choice on that, baby.
Theres always a choice.
Dont be tooShit. He stiffened. Theyre here.
How did he know? What was
His lips hitched into a half-smile. Stop applying human rules to me, Miranda. I heard em when they entered the building.
Superhearing, check. Shed have to remember that little perk.
And shed have to find out just what, exactly, Cain was. Not a vampire, there was too much hate in his voice when he talked about the undead.
Cain didnt particularly seem the self-hating type.
Theyll take care of you, he said, just
Im not going with them. No way was she going to disappear with a bunch of strangers. Her summer vacation had just started last week, and she wasnt about to lose her carefully ordered life because of one nightmarish evening.
Choices, remember? she said softly. She was about to make hers, but she needed him. Help me, Cain. I know you can. You know about vampires. How theyre strong, how theyre weak. They had to have some kind of weakness, right? We can do something, I dont know, go after him. Stop that bastard fromhurting anyone else.
His eyes narrowed. Youd risk yourself?
I
The door was pushed open.
Look, dammit, I said you cant go in there! I dont care who you are Sams voice blared angrily.
Two men in immaculate black suits stepped over the threshold. One was darkly tanned, short, and stocky, with a long scar bisecting his left eyebrow and sliding down his cheek. The other guy was about average height, pale, with a thin, slightly haggard face.
When he caught sight of Cain, the scarred fellow seemed to stiffen. But his partner directed all of his attention to Miranda, saying, Ms. Shaw, Im Donovan Delaney from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Its come to our attention that youve been the victim of
Cut it, Donovan Delaney, Cain said, rolling his shoulders. Shes not in the mood to hide.
The scarred guy cursed softly. One of yours, is she, Lawson?
This guy knew Cain?
That same twisted smile was on his lips as he glanced her way and said, Miranda, baby, did I happen to mention that I just recently, ah, retired from the good old FBI?
Uh, no, hed forgotten that lovely little tidbit. You retired? What are you, thirty-five?
Cains lips twisted in a brief glimmer of amusement. Just about, and it wasnt your typical retirement. His stare returned to the men and the amusement vanished. And yeah, for the record, shes most definitely mine. Shes not your bait. Not your hostage. If we work this case, we work with my rules, and we make Mirandas life the priority.
Okay. So he was talking like he was the boss and damn if the scarred agent wasnt nodding his head in agreement while Sam stared at Cain with widening eyes.
Were gonna have to get the okay from above, the shorter guy stopped nodding long enough to say. Its gonna be shit with paperwork because you pulled out already
Make the calls, Santiago. This case is mine.
Delaney swallowed a few times, glanced back and forth between the guy identified as Santiago and Cain, then muttered, Look, buddy, you might have worked the crimes before but
Youre not point on this one, Santiago said softly. And trust me, kid, youre playing out of your league if Lawsons already involved.
Delaney flushed.
Youll be backup here, Santiago told the guy. Cain and I will be lead.
Ah, so he was the senior agent. Miranda was trying to follow things but she still felt like shed stepped into the Twilight Zone.
He shook his head. Im telling you, the boys and girls in the suits are going to lock you up for the next few weeks
What? She was the victim, not
Sam isnt as clueless as he appears. I think he was right about the killings, and the FBI will, too. Hell, there have probably been more murders, scattered around the country. No way has our vamp been playing nice the last few years. The agents, theyll want to keep you safe until theyre sure Paul isnt coming after you again.
Now that gave her pause. Will he?
He didnt answer, but Miranda supposed his silence actually was an answer. Oh, damn.
Go with them. Theyll keep you safe, and Paul
Will what? Move on to another victim? Shed be all safe and protected by the Bureau while some other poor woman had her throat ripped open by razor-sharp fangs. No, that didnt sound fair. Not at all.
Her chin lifted. Why cant they catch him?
Because vampires are damn strong, far stronger than humans. And bullets, well, they can wound vampsnot kill emand usually they only serve to piss off his kind.
Cain sure seemed to know what he was talking about. Both with the vampire and with the FBI.
I cant let him hurt anyone else, she whispered.
His eyes narrowed. You might not have a choice on that, baby.
Theres always a choice.
Dont be tooShit. He stiffened. Theyre here.
How did he know? What was
His lips hitched into a half-smile. Stop applying human rules to me, Miranda. I heard em when they entered the building.
Superhearing, check. Shed have to remember that little perk.
And shed have to find out just what, exactly, Cain was. Not a vampire, there was too much hate in his voice when he talked about the undead.
Cain didnt particularly seem the self-hating type.
Theyll take care of you, he said, just
Im not going with them. No way was she going to disappear with a bunch of strangers. Her summer vacation had just started last week, and she wasnt about to lose her carefully ordered life because of one nightmarish evening.
Choices, remember? she said softly. She was about to make hers, but she needed him. Help me, Cain. I know you can. You know about vampires. How theyre strong, how theyre weak. They had to have some kind of weakness, right? We can do something, I dont know, go after him. Stop that bastard fromhurting anyone else.
His eyes narrowed. Youd risk yourself?
I
The door was pushed open.
Look, dammit, I said you cant go in there! I dont care who you are Sams voice blared angrily.
Two men in immaculate black suits stepped over the threshold. One was darkly tanned, short, and stocky, with a long scar bisecting his left eyebrow and sliding down his cheek. The other guy was about average height, pale, with a thin, slightly haggard face.
When he caught sight of Cain, the scarred fellow seemed to stiffen. But his partner directed all of his attention to Miranda, saying, Ms. Shaw, Im Donovan Delaney from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Its come to our attention that youve been the victim of
Cut it, Donovan Delaney, Cain said, rolling his shoulders. Shes not in the mood to hide.
The scarred guy cursed softly. One of yours, is she, Lawson?
This guy knew Cain?
That same twisted smile was on his lips as he glanced her way and said, Miranda, baby, did I happen to mention that I just recently, ah, retired from the good old FBI?
Uh, no, hed forgotten that lovely little tidbit. You retired? What are you, thirty-five?
Cains lips twisted in a brief glimmer of amusement. Just about, and it wasnt your typical retirement. His stare returned to the men and the amusement vanished. And yeah, for the record, shes most definitely mine. Shes not your bait. Not your hostage. If we work this case, we work with my rules, and we make Mirandas life the priority.
Okay. So he was talking like he was the boss and damn if the scarred agent wasnt nodding his head in agreement while Sam stared at Cain with widening eyes.
Were gonna have to get the okay from above, the shorter guy stopped nodding long enough to say. Its gonna be shit with paperwork because you pulled out already
Make the calls, Santiago. This case is mine.
Delaney swallowed a few times, glanced back and forth between the guy identified as Santiago and Cain, then muttered, Look, buddy, you might have worked the crimes before but
Youre not point on this one, Santiago said softly. And trust me, kid, youre playing out of your league if Lawsons already involved.
Delaney flushed.
Youll be backup here, Santiago told the guy. Cain and I will be lead.
Ah, so he was the senior agent. Miranda was trying to follow things but she still felt like shed stepped into the Twilight Zone.
