“Umm …” The nurse didn’t wear one of those annoying white uniforms. She wore dark blue scrubs, and a stethoscope dangled around her scrawny neck. “Come with me into the back. Let me check you out thoroughly, and I can explain everything.”
Right. Step into my web. Nancy was a pretty woman, with gray-streaked black hair and the faintest of lines around her eyes. She didn’t look like the devil. Really, she didn’t.
Zane glanced back at Jana. “What should I do?” he asked softly.
She stared into his eyes. “We need help. Let’s see what she has to say.”
He gave a curt nod. Together, they turned to follow Nancy. But the nurse held up one hand, stopping her. “I’d like to speak to him privately.”
Not going to happen. “I’m his sister. I go where he goes.”
Nancy’s lips tightened.
“She goes,” Zane snapped.
“Fine. Follow me.”
And they marched right past the EMTs. Poor EMTS, they were still blinking and trying to figure out what was going on.
“In here.” Nancy pointed to a small examining room. “Just sit down. I’ll be … right back.”
They went inside. Nancy closed the door behind them and sealed them inside.
Zane frowned.
“She’s gone to make the call.” Ah, but she’d watched this routine a few times. Not that Nancy knew that. “She’s letting her contact know that she has a potential in the area.”
“A potential? Is that what I am?” He yanked his phone out of his front pocket and tapped fast on the screen. He put the phone to his ear and a few seconds later said, “Pak. Yeah, I’m in New Orleans.” A brief hesitation, then he said, “I need you to run a check on a nurse Nancy Gilbert at Our Sisters of Mercy Hospital. She’s about five-foot-four, forty-five to fifty years old and—”
His gaze flew toward the door. He shoved the phone back into his pocket.
Nancy opened the door about three seconds later. She had a bright, friendly smile on her face. “Sorry, I just needed to assure the EMTs that you were in capable hands.” She laughed, a light tinkle of sound. “You’d think I’d never treated a patient before!”
Jana inched closer to Zane’s side. “Why aren’t the meds working?” She really didn’t want to bullshit through the chitchat. Might as well get to the main show.
The door clicked closed. Nancy’s smile dimmed. “First… I’m going to need some background information on my patient.”
Zane narrowed his eyes.
“Your parents … what are their names?”
“Why does that matter?”
“Because I need to see if you have a family history of—” “Fuck, she doesn’t know.” Zane charged forward. “Let’s get out of here.”
Nancy put a hand on his chest. “You’re a demon.” Zane stiffened.
Nancy’s gaze darted to Jana. “The question I have … are you a full-blood or a hybrid?” She blinked and seemed to realize they might not know what she meant. “Ah … a hybrid would be a mix, a—”
Zane backed away from her touch, and Jana saw the muscle flex in his jaw. “I know the damn term. Yeah, my mother was human but that bastard who fathered me wasn’t.”
Oh, nice touch. Perseus would be all over a hybrid. They’d want to recruit him, not kill him. They did love that human blood. And the powers that be over there would really get off on a demon killing other demons.
“Demons don’t always respond the way they’re supposed to when they are given human medications,” Nancy said, her voice quiet and calm.
“I’m not a demon.”
“Hybrid,” she murmured and her gaze darted to Jana. “And you…?”
“I’m human. I’m his half-sister.” Said fast because she knew Nancy would be able to rustle up a demon who could check her out. A demon could look right through the veil of glamour and see another of his kind. If one took a good look at her … no sense pushing that. “I see.”
Jana knew exactly what the nurse meant. Nancy wasn’t interested in her.
“I have some friends.” Nancy turned her attention back to Zane. “They work with people like you. They can help you.”
“Bullshit. No one can help me. I’ve been trying for years, fighting this thing inside—”
Nancy’s eyes narrowed. “Does it tempt you, this beast inside?”
He didn’t speak.
“Does it call to you … taunt you with the power that it has?”
Jana didn’t roll her eyes, but it was a near thing.
“I know I can do any damn thing I want,” Zane’s voice rumbled, so dark, and Jana’s gaze darted to him. “If I let my control go, there’s no stopping me.”
Now that sounded so real. Maybe too real. Her tongue snaked over her bottom lip.
“Have you ever let go?” Nancy’s eyes were fixed on him.
A grim nod. “Once.”
Nancy leaned forward. “What happened?” Eagerness glittered in her gaze. Hungry vulture.
Zane straightened his shoulders. “I killed the bastard who claimed to be my father. I sent the demon back to hell.”
Well, damn. The man really was one class-A actor, and a pretty good writer, too, because that was just the kind of story Perseus would eat up.
Demon killer… destroying even your father because of what he was.
Nancy smiled. “Good for you,” she said. “Sometimes, there are some folks that just need to be put down.”
Sometimes. But those folks weren’t always demons. Humans could be just as evil.
Nancy’s gaze darted to Jana.
Jana swiped her hand over her cheeks, wiping away the tear drops that she still let fall. “It’s been so hard,” she whispered.
Nancy gave her an understanding smile, one oozing fake sympathy. “I’m sure it has. But everything will be changing for you now.” She turned toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Zane asked, taking a step forward.
“I need to call a friend. He can come and get you. He’ll make sure you’re safe for the night.”
Safe and snug inside Perseus. Just what Zane wanted. Hmmm … maybe they would be opening those doors wide open … making them welcoming for him. The guy had just played Nancy perfectly.
“I’m afraid you won’t be coming with him,” Nancy said, that stare once more landing on Jana’s face. “You understand, don’t you? Your brother needs to be around others who understand him.”
Yeah, this wasn’t part of the plan. Jana blinked and lifted her chin. “I understand him just fine.”
What? Was that pity filling Nancy’s eyes? The last thing she wanted was for that witch to pity her. “Your brother is special,” Nancy said. “My friends can help him, but if you come-you’ll just be in the way. They don’t have a place for someone like you.”
Because Nancy thought she was simply another human, one without special skills. If she’d been a paranormal, Nancy would be getting ready to send her off-either to use her or to kill her. But a straight human got a pass out of there.
Only she didn’t want that pass this time. She wanted to stay by Zane’s side. The guy might need her. No, he would need her.
“I’m going—”
“Home,” Zane said, interrupting her. He turned his head and his eyes met hers. “Go home and wait for me. I want- I want to see what these people have to say. If they can help me …”
Now he was kicking her to the curb, too.
But, wait, wasn’t that supposed to be what she’d wanted? She’d been trying to get away from him since the beginning, but now … Now she didn’t want to let him out of her sight. She didn’t trust Nancy. Didn’t trust anyone in Perseus. What if Zane wasn’t strong enough to bring them down?
“I’m coming with you.” Her fingers caught his and held tight. “We’re a team, remember?” He’d been watching her back. She’d watch his.
He glanced down at their fingers. Then slowly, carefully, he pulled away from her. “Not this time.”
Shit. The demon was cutting her loose.
This had not been part of the plan. They really should have talked more before storming into the hospital. Maybe agreed to, oh, she didn’t know—not desert each other.