Dalakis Passion 4 - Eternal Brothers Page 11

  her.

  "You mean with that vampire mind meld stuff." She tossed her head when he

  nodded. "You can try, but I'm no longer weak or hungry. And if I ever found out you

  tried it, I'd never trust you again."

  Zane's anger grew. She could see it in the tenseness of his massive body and the

  hard set of his shoulders. His lips thinned into a tight line, but she held firm. "Promise

  me you won't do anything to put yourself in danger," he all but growled.

  She realized then that he wasn't trying to control her so much as he was trying to

  protect her. It was sweet, if misguided. He was probably in more danger every time

  he'd gone to work as a cop, but she knew he'd disagree with her. Typical male. "Okay. I

  promise not to do anything that I think will put me in danger."

  He narrowed his eyes, but since he'd gotten what he thought he wanted, he relaxed.

  She wasn't about to tell him that her idea of what constituted dangerous would

  probably differ greatly from his.

  "Now that that's decided, we should probably both get to work." Sophia was so far

  behind that she had a good three or four hours to put in at her home office before she

  could even begin to research. After all, a girl still had to earn the rent and food money.

  "First things first." Zane's husky tones shot straight to her core, melting it. He was

  staring at her with that look in his eyes again. Lust made his face appear even harsher,

  his lips parted, giving her a glimpse of sharp, white fangs.

  "We've both got work to do," she protested halfheartedly. Her taut nipples were

  poking through the cotton of her bra and her top. Her sex contracted and relaxed,

  reminding her that she was empty, telling her that she needed him to fill her.

  He reached for her, lifting her and perching her on the top of her desk. "I promised

  you last night that I was going to eat you until you screamed with pleasure." His grin

  was positively wicked as he reached for the opening of her jeans. "And I'm a man of my

  word."

  Chapter Nine

  Cassidy studied the worn building as he took the stairs two at a time. It was an

  older home on the edge of the French Quarter. Like many homes, it had once been quite

  grand, but it had seen better times. It had been converted into apartments about thirty

  years ago and, although it had sustained some damage during Katrina, it had remained

  relatively unscathed by Mother Nature. His quarry lived in one of the small studio

  apartments on the top floor.

  Using the bank receipt he'd plucked from her pocket and Stefan's computer

  hacking skills, Cassidy had found his mystery woman from the night before. Blythe

  Nixon was a local singer of some reputation who'd actually worked for the deceased

  Jethro Prince for almost a year, and until very recently, she'd been the sole supporter of

  her very sick mother. Her mother had passed away about a month ago, leaving Blythe

  with no known relative. He could certainly relate to that.

  Last night had been tense when he'd shown Lucian and Stefan the letter the woman

  had dropped in the garden. Like a bloodhound, Lucian had wanted to see if he could

  pick up the woman's scent and track her. Cassidy wasn't sure if Lucian could actually

  do that, but he had discouraged it. The woman might be legitimate or she might be part

  of an elaborate scheme to try to trap Lucian and his family. He'd wanted to check out

  Blythe Nixon himself. And it had nothing to do with the fact that he'd been instantly

  attracted to her.

  Or so he kept telling himself.

  It was better for everyone if no one in the family had any communication at all with

  Blythe until he was sure she was clean and not involved in any way. He'd done some

  research on his own last night, contacting some buddies on the force and picking their

  brains about Adrian Prince. What he'd discovered hadn't been encouraging. If

  anything, Adrian was even more ruthless and depraved than his older brother had

  been. Added to the fact that he was calm and organized and not crazy like the elder

  Prince, he made for a formidable enemy.

  Cassidy had stayed home with the women last night as, according to the letter,

  Prince had already sent some of his men out to kill them. The brothers had gone

  hunting. The man Cassidy had been even a few years ago wouldn't have condoned

  vigilante justice. But he'd seen too many criminals like Prince and his boys get off due

  to technicalities or lack of witnesses. Anyone who went up against organized crime

  bosses tended to disappear.

  He knew there was no way to stop Lucian and Stefan in their quest for justice and

  he didn't even try. He understood their need to protect their families at all cost. He only

  wished he could have gone out hunting with them.

  When they'd returned home just before dawn, they'd been grim but satisfied.

  They'd also surprised him. Instead of killing the men sent to harm them, they'd messed

  with their minds. Both of the men had calmly gotten back into their car and were

  currently on their way to California. Stefan had smirked as he'd related how Lucian had

  planted the suggestion that they had found religion and would spend the rest of their

  lives atoning for the wrongs they had done. The fact that the men's minds were weak

  after years of alcohol and substance abuse had made it possible. Plus, it would ensure

  that there would be no missing persons or bodies for the police to concern themselves

  with. Cassidy thought it a brilliant solution.

  Adrian Prince might have fired the first shot in this war, but the Dalakis family had

  sent it right back at him. Prince would find himself short two men this morning. The

  Dalakis family was bracing for the next round of attacks.

  Which was why he was here now. It was just after seven in the evening and Cassidy

  had been guarding the house all day. But now that the sun had gone down, the family

  was awake and alert and ready for anything.

  Both houses had underground tunnels and escape routes they could use if

  necessary. And Lucian had already called Chase in New York. After his abduction last

  time, the family wasn't taking any chances. Chase was currently on the private family

  jet headed to Europe to spend some time with Cristofor and Johanna.

  Cassidy had insisted that they have the jet return immediately in case the rest of the

  family needed to be evacuated. The men had bristled but had seen the sense in it when

  he'd pointed out that the women might have to be sent away for safety's sake. He

  hadn't been stupid enough to say it in front of either of the women though. He knew

  they wouldn't leave without their husbands, was in fact counting on that if he felt the

  family would be better off leaving town.

  Reaching the top landing, he glanced at the first door and then turned left to the

  door at the end of the short hallway. According to his information, this was the place.

  Raising his fist, he knocked on the door and waited. He knew she was home--he'd seen

  a light shining from her window before he'd come up, plus he'd already found out

  where she'd worked and called them as well. She wasn't working tonight. In fact, she'd

  called in sick at the last minute.

  He waited a few seconds and then pounded his fist against the door again. "Who is

  it?" The voice was lo
w, but he recognized it immediately.

  "I need to talk to you, Ms. Nixon." Cassidy stood to one side of the door. He didn't

  think she'd be armed or that she'd actually shoot, but it was better to be safe than

  stupid. "My name is Sam Cassidy."

  "I'm not well, Mr. Cassidy. You'll have to come back another time."

  He could almost picture her on the other side of the door. Her tousled cap of white-

  blonde hair and blue eyes had haunted his dreams when he'd managed to catch a few

  hours' sleep. The dreams had been hot and erotic and he'd awakened with a raging

  hard-on that had abated to a low-level arousal every time he thought of her.

  He grunted and adjusted his jeans. Now was not the time to let his dick do his

  thinking. He might be attracted to this woman, but he didn't know anything about her.

  "You were fine last night when you delivered your message. And call me Cassidy."

  Tension permeated the air. Cassidy could almost hear her thinking, contemplating

  her options. Locks turned and the door opened, although two chains were still drawn

  across the door. Frightened blue eyes stared out at him. "How did you find me and

  what do you want?"

  "It's not important how I found you. I just want to talk to you. To find out what you

  know." He kept his voice low and unthreatening even as he kept out of the direct path

  of the small opening in the door.

  "I told you everything." Cassidy could hear the desperation in her voice and it

  made his stomach clench. She was afraid, very afraid.

  "Just let me in so we can talk. That's all I want to do," he promised. "Just talk."

  She chewed on her bottom lip and he almost groaned. Her lips were soft and pouty

  and he longed to soothe away the sting with his tongue. She obviously came to some

  conclusion as she closed the door. Cassidy waited, unsure if she'd open the door or turn

  all the locks again.

  The scrape of two chains being pulled across metal was music to his ears. Then the

  knob turned and the door slowly opened. He didn't push his way inside but waited for

  her to shift back and let him in. He stepped in, careful to keep her in his sight. He hadn't

  seen any signs of a weapon, but he wasn't convinced she didn't have one.

  She seemed smaller than she had last night, almost fragile, even though he put her

  height at about five-five. There was certainly no excess weight on her even though her

  breasts were more than a handful. She raked her fingers though her hair as she

  motioned to a chair. "Sit down."

  It only took Cassidy three steps to reach the chair. The room wasn't very big and it

  was open, revealing almost the entire apartment. A small refrigerator and countertop

  range were nestled next to about three feet of counter space. A few meager cupboards

  were situated above and below the counter with a tiny sink at the far end. A round café

  table and two iron chairs sat in front of one of the windows, and the chair he was sitting

  in, a futon and a trunk, which doubled as a coffee table, took up the rest of the room. An

  armoire was pushed up against a wall, but he had no idea what was housed within--

  maybe clothing, maybe a television. He could see the door to the bathroom, which was

  just to the left of the front door. Minimal, sparse and neat were the best descriptions of

  the place. There were no signs of wealth of any kind. Considering the kind of money

  Blythe must have made the past few years, Sam was suspicious.

  Blythe stood beside the trunk, her arms crossed over her chest. "Well?"

  "You worked for Jethro Prince?"

  His eyes narrowed as she shuddered. A mask seemed to fall over her face then,

  blanking out all expression. She shrugged. "So?"

  "Are you working at The Club now?"

  Fear, distaste and shame all flashed in her eyes before they went blank again. If

  Cassidy hadn't been watching closely, he'd never have seen it. "No." She shook her

  head. "I don't work there any longer. Haven't since Jethro was murdered."

  "Were you two close?" She had called him Jethro, not Mr. Prince. Cassidy didn't

  like the way his stomach clenched or his shoulders tensed. He wanted to be wrong, but

  suspected he wasn't.

  She laughed bitterly. "Some would say so."

  "But you wouldn't?" He kept his tone non-threatening, nonjudgmental, even

  thought it was difficult. For some stupid reason he felt betrayed by her relationship

  with Prince. Which was ridiculous since he'd only met the woman a day ago.

  "No. Our relationship was strictly business."

  She was lying. He could feel it in his gut, but he let it go for now. "So how did you

  find out about Adrian Prince's plans to harm the Dalakis family?" Blythe was still tense,

  but she relaxed slightly with the change of subject. Interesting.

  "I got a call from an accountant saying that there was a new owner who was paying

  the employees what they were owed from when the club unexpectedly closed down. I

  was told the new owner was trying to entice some of the old staff back to work there."

  "But it didn't work?"

  She began to pace, rubbing her hands over her arms as if she were chilled in spite of

  the fact she was wearing a long-sleeved blue sweater, a pair of jeans and sneakers. "Not

  for me. The bartender, Barney Amos, was from the old days, but he was the only person

  I saw other than the accountant, who was a stranger."

  Cassidy nodded, ignoring the tight fit of his jeans as he watched the sway of her

  lush behind while she paced around the confines of the small room. "What about Prince

  and the other man...what was his name?"

  "Saunders. Adrian Prince called him Saunders. And no, I didn't see either of them."

  She paused by the window next to the table and stared out into the dark. "I heard

  someone coming and ducked into a storage closet."

  She hugged herself tighter. Cassidy wanted to go and stand behind her and wrap

  his arms around her, warming her and assuring her that she was safe. He did neither.

  "I didn't want to run into anyone. It was bad enough just having to go back to that

  place. If I hadn't needed the money..." She shook her head and sucked in a deep breath.

  "Anyway, they paused right outside the door and I heard their conversation. End of

  story."

  Every muscle in his body was tense enough to snap. "They had no idea you were

  there?"

  "Of course not." Blythe whirled around with a scowl on her face. "I waited a

  minute and then went back out through the bar, told Barney I'd taken a look around the

  old dressing rooms for old times' sake."

  "He believed you?"

  "I'm sure he did." But although her words were firm, Cassidy could tell she was no

  longer certain.

  "Why did you write the note to Lucian?"

  Blythe shrugged. "It was the right thing to do. I couldn't let him hurt innocent

  people if I could help it. The Prince brothers have hurt too many people." Her voice

  faded as she drifted off into thought.

  Cassidy's mind began to work furiously, sorting through all the facts. When Prince

  found out his men were gone, he was going to suspect that the Dalakis family had

  something to do with it. He'd also suspect that they'd somehow known about his

  planned attack. The list would be short. The first person Prince would question would

  be his staff, including the bar
tender. Cassidy suspected that the man would give Blythe

  up in a heartbeat to save himself. He'd remember that she came from out back just after

  Prince and his associate, Saunders, had been down that way.

  "You have to come with me." Cassidy stood and held his hand out to her. Her eyes

  widened and she stared at him like he was out of his mind.

  "No." She backed away from him until she hit the wall. There was nowhere else for

  her to go.

  "Blythe." He wanted to soften his tone, but she needed to understand the

  seriousness of the situation. She needed to be afraid. "Two of Adrian Prince's men have

  already been taken care of. He's going to be angry and suspicious and want to know

  how the Dalakis family found out about the planned attack. He's going to start

  questioning people. If he suspects there's a leak in his organization, he's going to plug

  it. Who do you think he'll talk to?"

  She shrugged, although he could see the dawning comprehension.

  "He'll talk to the accountant and the bartender," he continued ruthlessly. "If he's

  smart, he'll figure out you were still in the building when he and Saunders were

  talking. If nothing else, he'll want to talk to you."

  Men like Adrian Prince didn't just talk to people and they both knew it. Blythe

  began to shake. Cassidy thought it was with fear and started to soothe her. Before he

  could open his mouth, she erupted.

  "It's not fair. I thought that with Jethro dead I was free from that place, from that

  family." Deep rage vibrated in every single word and Cassidy realized that Blythe was

  more angry than frightened. Her blue eyes blazed. "Haven't they taken enough from

  me?" she all but spat.

  "I don't know," he answered quietly. "Have they?" He had no idea what had gone

  on the year that she'd worked for the elder Prince, but he sure as hell was certain that

  whatever it was, it hadn't been good. At least not for Blythe. The possibilities were

  endless and enough to curdle his blood.

  She shook her head. "Thanks for the warning. You can go now." Striding to the

  door, she yanked it open. Cassidy rubbed his hand over his face. Every instinct he had

  was telling him to toss her over his shoulder and drag her out of here. But even he

  couldn't get away with something that outrageous. It would be kidnapping, plain and