A good guy, her ass. Just another wolf inside. No, a demon inside.
She wrenched open the door and hurried outside. The cold night air bit into her face and arms and cut right through her clothes. Her teeth chattered before she was even halfway across the parking lot.
“I’m not letting you go, Jana!” His words carried easily on the wind. Loud, angry. Desperate? No, not desperate. Zane was never desperate for anything.
But those were just the words she needed to hear, the words that pissed her off. Jana spun back to face him. “You don’t let me do anything. I do what I want, always have, always will. And right now, I’m leaving you.”
He didn’t rush toward her. Didn’t run. Just … stalked her. Slowly. Like she was prey and he had her cornered. He doesn’t.
His eyes blazed with emotion that she couldn’t read. So much emotion swirling in those deep eyes. “Is leaving me really what you want?” he asked.
Not answering that. She couldn’t have what she wanted. That was obvious. He didn’t trust me. Had to look in my mind to see the truth. “There’s a killer in this town, apparently coming after me.” Talk about kicking a girl when she was down. “According to your witch girlfriend, I’m dead center on the target list and—”
His eyebrows shot up, but he kept coming at her. “Catalina isn’t my girlfriend.”
“Screw that. You’ve slept together.” Why was she bringing this up now? Like this mattered with all the other crap that was happening. I don’t care what he does with the witch. I’m leaving. Not my business anymore. The back lot was deserted. Frost had settled over the handful of cars parked there, and a small pool of light spilled from the building.
“We have slept together,” he confirmed and Jana wished, wished, she had her fire back then.
Zane stopped in front of her, bracing his legs, and throwing back his shoulders. “But we’ve been over a long time. Catalina knew she wasn’t the one for me.”
“What? Did she scry that, too?” she tossed out as her breath formed a cloud in front of her face.
“Yes, she did.”
He caught her arm and pulled her close. “Don’t leave me.” Not an order this time. Probably as close to a plea as the man had ever gotten. “Everything is so screwed up, but shit … I need you, Jana. More than I’ve ever needed anything.”
She needed him. She wanted to punch him right then, and dammit, she needed—
His mouth crashed onto hers. Hot. Hard. Desperate. Wild. Just what she wanted. His tongue pushed into her mouth, drove inside and claimed her, and her heart thundered against her chest. It would be so easy, so easy to give in. But …
But Jana pulled her mouth away from his lips. Hurt. The wound was too fresh for her to give in to the rush of lust. “Why?” she whispered, letting more emotion out than she should. “You want me for sex?” That wasn’t enough for her anymore.
“Fuck, yeah, for sex, but more. “ There was more glittering in his eyes. “Give me a chance, baby. I know I can be a dumb bastard, but give me a chance.”
“You don’t trust me.” Couldn’t he see? Without trust, they didn’t have anything.
“No, I don’t trust myself. Not with you.” Stark. “I want you so much, need you, that I don’t trust myself.” He huffed out a hard breath. “You’re in me, Jana. Beneath skin and bones, and even if you had traded your fire for me … shit, I’d still need you just as much.”
What? Oh, damn … the man was making her weaken.
“I don’t care what powers you have. I don’t care if the fire is gone.”
But she thought it was coming back. She’d almost felt the charge a few times. Maybe-maybe the transfer had only been temporary. Knowing Beth, she’d probably killed the other paranormals who’d lost their power. Hit ‘em while they’re weak … Yeah, that was Beth’s M.O. So the woman might not have even realized …
My fire can come back. Well, she hoped it could. If not…
“Stay with me,” Zane said, “we’ll finish this asshole out there hunting and then we’ll—”
“You’ll both die.” The words were as cold as the night, and too damn close.
Jana broke from Zane’s hold and whirled around. Special Agent Kelly Thomas was there, pointing a gun right at them, and smiling.
Chapter 16
Aw, hell, but she had bad luck. “I don’t need this now,” Jana said. Zane’s hands were steel tight around her. “I don’t need—”
“Do you think I give a shit what you need?” Kelly snapped at her.
“You can’t take her in.” Zane’s voice vibrated with fury. “She’s clear on those arsons. Your boss knows that. Miller isn’t after her. You’re supposed to be standing the fuck down.”
“I was.” The woman’s smile looked like a shark’s. “Then you and the Ignitor had to go and start killing again.” She shook her head but her gun didn’t waver. A long, black silencer covered the end of the weapon. Not a good sign. “I found that poor man’s body on your porch tonight. What was his crime, hmm?”
“We didn’t kill Marcus,” Jana said, aware that her breath came too fast. A silencer? The agent had really gone over the edge.
“Marcus.” Kelly repeated the name sadly. “On a firstname basis with your victim? So you knew him, and you killed him.” “We didn’t—”
“He was dead when I found him.” Zane’s thundering voice cut across Jana’s words. He edged forward, placing his body between hers and the special agent’s. “Jana didn’t hurt him, and neither did I.”
“Right. I’m supposed to believe that.”
Guess everyone was having trouble with trust tonight.
“You’re not taking her in.” Zane shook his head. “She’s off the list. Agent Miller doesn’t want her. You’re not—”
“Screw what Miller wants. I’m taking you both in.” That gun still didn’t waver, and Jana was real tired of it being pointed at them.
“I’d like to see you try,” she threw at the agent. “You really think you can take us both down?” Kelly didn’t know about her power loss. The agent would think she was as fire strong as always. And Zane, well, he was strong. Far stronger than the agent. “You’re out of your league, Special Agent.”
“The hell I am.”
“You know what I can do,” Zane said softly. “Don’t make me show you again.”
“I’m a federal agent. You can’t threaten me.” Um, he could and had.
Kelly’s voice pitched higher as she said, “I’m taking you both into custody until this mess is sorted out.”
“No,” Zane told her quietly. “You’re not. You don’t understand what’s happening here. You don’t realize—”
“I realize some poor guy is dead on your doorstep. I know Jana’s a killer, and her lover-well, it looks like he is, too.” She drew in a deep, shuddering breath. “Cuff her.”
Jana blinked. “Um, what?”
“Screw this,” Zane snarled. He was fully in front of her now, shielding her with his body. Jana felt the hot rush of his power in the air. A hard buzzing filled her ears, like a thousand bees. Her knees began to sag, and her vision blurred.
“I’m not going out easily this time, demon,” Kelly said. “You won’t get to me so fast. You’ll just take her out.”
Zane’s head jerked back around, and he stared at Jana with wide eyes. Demon eyes. Eyes so dark. Eyes that had seen into her.
“I wasn’t prepared for you before,” Kelly said. “I am now. My stepbrother believed in sharing his findings with me. He studied the monsters, and he told me how to fight ‘em.”
Bitch. “Not monsters,” Jana managed.
“Yeah, you are. Now cuff her or I’ll shoot you both.” Jana couldn’t see the agent, but Kelly sure sounded close. “The bullet will blast right through you, Wynter. Through you, and into her. You’ll survive. Odds are good she won’t.”