legitimate. As legitimate as a turned vampire working for the FBI could be.”
If he’d stiffened before, now Nick seemed to have turned to stone. “He was turned? In the FBI’s Turning Program?”
Barrett hesitated. Was she imagining things or had Nick’s focus sharpened the second she’d mentioned Peter’s name and said he was a turned vampire? She couldn’t even begin to guess why that would be the case, but her guard instinctively went up. She needed to trust Nick with certain information in order to get his help. That information did not include the details of Peter’s turning—or the fact he, Ty, and Ana had been attacked and forcibly turned. “I don’t know how he or the others were turned,” Barrett said, feeling the pressure of the lie in her chest but not knowing what else to do. If she evaded, she’d just make Nick more suspicious. “Anyway, Belladonna’s mission is to track down Rogue vampires, even if they once worked for the Bureau.”
“Right,” he said. “The ones selling humans as blood slaves. And, I’m guessing from what you’ve told me, selling teenage humans as sex slaves,” Nick said grimly.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I hooked up with a Rogue vampire named Joseph Powell. And he led me to Jane—virtually, anyway. And then I found my way to you.”
Nick nodded. He’d been right, of course. Her latest mission, not desire, had brought Barrett back to him. It seemed, however, that she was leaving a lot unsaid. Hell. If she wanted help, she was going to have to be more forthcoming.
“Fill me in on a few facts,” he said. He wanted to ask her about her reference to hooking up with Powell and what that meant, but he held back. He was no saint. There were a lot of things he wouldn’t tell her and he wasn’t going to judge her.
She gave him a mulish look that he remembered all too well. “I’ve told you the relevant facts. Why isn’t that enough?”
“This is the first I’ve heard of Belladonna,” he began.
“Then I guess we’re doing something right.”
Nick studied her set expression. He might be better off using his intuition instead of trying to coax further information out of her. So her fellow agent Peter Lancaster was a turned vampire—and apparently not the only one given Barrett had referred to “others.” That fact alone had his mind racing. The List specifically targeted those turneds who were a threat. It was a safe bet that since Lancaster was working for the FBI, he wasn’t one. Even so, Nick knew better than anyone that could change at any moment, and he didn’t like the idea of Barrett being around when it did.
“So,” she said in a light tone he knew was forced, before he could say anything further. “Are you in?”
Nick didn’t reply right away. “Back to Jane? Of course I’ll help you, but I can’t do it officially. Like I said, I have my own missions to accomplish.” Including finding out if Tim Murphy is still on my mountain, Nick thought.
“That’s fine with me. My superiors at Belladonna know what I’m doing, but the fewer people who do, the better.”
“Well, I’m happy to help, you know that. But I have to think about how to do it and I need a little time.”
He could feel her tense and draw back. Didn’t take much for Barrett to stop believing. But given that she wasn’t necessarily on the side of the angels, he had to cover his ass.
“You mentioned a superior?”
Barrett shrugged, a troubled look in her eyes. “A woman named Carly.”
“And this Carly—she’s okay with you officially following up on something that personal?”
A flash of anger lit up Barrett’s blue eyes. “I don’t care if Carly’s okay with it or not. I have to find Jane.”
He paused, thinking before he spoke. He couldn’t tell her that The List was a mandate to assassinate turned vampires. What if he eventually had to take out one of her colleagues? He chose his next words carefully. “Barrett, you know what could happen. In
If he’d stiffened before, now Nick seemed to have turned to stone. “He was turned? In the FBI’s Turning Program?”
Barrett hesitated. Was she imagining things or had Nick’s focus sharpened the second she’d mentioned Peter’s name and said he was a turned vampire? She couldn’t even begin to guess why that would be the case, but her guard instinctively went up. She needed to trust Nick with certain information in order to get his help. That information did not include the details of Peter’s turning—or the fact he, Ty, and Ana had been attacked and forcibly turned. “I don’t know how he or the others were turned,” Barrett said, feeling the pressure of the lie in her chest but not knowing what else to do. If she evaded, she’d just make Nick more suspicious. “Anyway, Belladonna’s mission is to track down Rogue vampires, even if they once worked for the Bureau.”
“Right,” he said. “The ones selling humans as blood slaves. And, I’m guessing from what you’ve told me, selling teenage humans as sex slaves,” Nick said grimly.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I hooked up with a Rogue vampire named Joseph Powell. And he led me to Jane—virtually, anyway. And then I found my way to you.”
Nick nodded. He’d been right, of course. Her latest mission, not desire, had brought Barrett back to him. It seemed, however, that she was leaving a lot unsaid. Hell. If she wanted help, she was going to have to be more forthcoming.
“Fill me in on a few facts,” he said. He wanted to ask her about her reference to hooking up with Powell and what that meant, but he held back. He was no saint. There were a lot of things he wouldn’t tell her and he wasn’t going to judge her.
She gave him a mulish look that he remembered all too well. “I’ve told you the relevant facts. Why isn’t that enough?”
“This is the first I’ve heard of Belladonna,” he began.
“Then I guess we’re doing something right.”
Nick studied her set expression. He might be better off using his intuition instead of trying to coax further information out of her. So her fellow agent Peter Lancaster was a turned vampire—and apparently not the only one given Barrett had referred to “others.” That fact alone had his mind racing. The List specifically targeted those turneds who were a threat. It was a safe bet that since Lancaster was working for the FBI, he wasn’t one. Even so, Nick knew better than anyone that could change at any moment, and he didn’t like the idea of Barrett being around when it did.
“So,” she said in a light tone he knew was forced, before he could say anything further. “Are you in?”
Nick didn’t reply right away. “Back to Jane? Of course I’ll help you, but I can’t do it officially. Like I said, I have my own missions to accomplish.” Including finding out if Tim Murphy is still on my mountain, Nick thought.
“That’s fine with me. My superiors at Belladonna know what I’m doing, but the fewer people who do, the better.”
“Well, I’m happy to help, you know that. But I have to think about how to do it and I need a little time.”
He could feel her tense and draw back. Didn’t take much for Barrett to stop believing. But given that she wasn’t necessarily on the side of the angels, he had to cover his ass.
“You mentioned a superior?”
Barrett shrugged, a troubled look in her eyes. “A woman named Carly.”
“And this Carly—she’s okay with you officially following up on something that personal?”
A flash of anger lit up Barrett’s blue eyes. “I don’t care if Carly’s okay with it or not. I have to find Jane.”
He paused, thinking before he spoke. He couldn’t tell her that The List was a mandate to assassinate turned vampires. What if he eventually had to take out one of her colleagues? He chose his next words carefully. “Barrett, you know what could happen. In
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