had murdered her in cold blood. Or so he’d thought. The grief and the self-loathing had eaten away at him. He had done nothing more than walk through the motions of life these last eight years. He ate, he drank, he slept, he worked. Sex was a release, nothing more. He had not lived. He had existed. Now everything was different. He looked up at the screens, and something deep and dark inside him lit up. Selena’s smoldering sensuality reached out from beyond the grave and grabbed him.
The door buzzed. They all looked up at the monitor to the right and saw Dr. Soto standing outside. Godfather buzzed him in.
Dr. Soto glanced at Nikko before he looked at Godfather. He handed a flash drive to Godfather, who said, “Tell us in laymen’s terms what’s going on with Cruz.”
The doctor cleared his throat and looked at Nikko again, then at Cassidy, then back to Godfather. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen blood work come back like his.”
“Like what?” Nikko demanded, coming forward in his chair. “Am I infected with something?”
“I don’t know. Everything came back normal except your blood. It has compositions that I can’t identify. I took draws each hour. The compositions doubled in each subsequent draw, as if building, not dissipating.” Dr. Soto looked at Cassidy. “Cassidy has several of the same properties in her blood. But Cruz’s has traces of others I can’t even begin to guess at. I’m working on it though.”
Holy shit .
“Your research will stay here on the compound, Doctor,” Godfather directed. “Anything you need that you don’t have here can be brought to you.”
“But I can’t—”
“The samples stay here,” Godfather firmly said.
The doctor nodded. “Of course.”
The door buzzed again. Cross on the video monitor.
Marcus Cross. Vampire or not, he was one hell of an intimidating bastard. And Cassidy’s lover. Nikko swiped his hand across his chin. It was all still so damn surreal. During Cassidy’s first mission, she’d told the team Cross was a vampire. They’d laughed her into the next state, then pleaded with Godfather to pull her. He’d refused. And it was a damn good thing. Cross proved to be not only a vampire but a damn good one with a human Special Ops background. The son of a bitch had nearly single-handedly saved the US of A from eternal damnation. As time passed, Nikko’s initial apprehension had grown into a grudging respect. That didn’t mean he was okay with the vampire thing. Even if Cassidy was. It was her life, and she seemed happy. So who was he to judge?
Godfather buzzed Cross in.
He glided into the room as if he were on a conveyor belt. Just as Nikko had earlier.
Cassidy nonchalantly nodded, but Nikko smelled her excitement. Cross was a little more cordial, grinning at Cassidy and showing sharp incisors. Stone crossed his arms over his chest, while Satch and Dante nodded their hellos. Dr. Soto did not utter a word. Godfather extended his hand. Cross took it.
“Thank you for coming in, Marcus. We seem to be out of our element here and could use your help.”
Cross nodded as he proceeded into the room. Nikko caught the vampire’s surprised stare. Cross’s nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed as their gazes clashed. So, Cross detected Nikko’s change. And apparently didn’t like it. Nikko sat forward, feeling a sudden rush of power coupled with the insatiable urge to fight. Cross felt it, too. Nikko glanced around the room at his team. They sat silent but expectant, picking up on the tension. Cross strode past Nikko and took the seat next to Cassidy, casually draping his arm along the back of her chair, then looked pointedly at the doctor. Godfather quietly escorted the doc out of the room, saying he would be in touch.
Nikko let out a long, slow breath, wrangling with his potent urge to fight the vampire. Was it because he had the same blood?
Ignoring Nikko, Cross looked up at the images of Selena and narrowed his eyes, but did not say a
The door buzzed. They all looked up at the monitor to the right and saw Dr. Soto standing outside. Godfather buzzed him in.
Dr. Soto glanced at Nikko before he looked at Godfather. He handed a flash drive to Godfather, who said, “Tell us in laymen’s terms what’s going on with Cruz.”
The doctor cleared his throat and looked at Nikko again, then at Cassidy, then back to Godfather. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen blood work come back like his.”
“Like what?” Nikko demanded, coming forward in his chair. “Am I infected with something?”
“I don’t know. Everything came back normal except your blood. It has compositions that I can’t identify. I took draws each hour. The compositions doubled in each subsequent draw, as if building, not dissipating.” Dr. Soto looked at Cassidy. “Cassidy has several of the same properties in her blood. But Cruz’s has traces of others I can’t even begin to guess at. I’m working on it though.”
Holy shit .
“Your research will stay here on the compound, Doctor,” Godfather directed. “Anything you need that you don’t have here can be brought to you.”
“But I can’t—”
“The samples stay here,” Godfather firmly said.
The doctor nodded. “Of course.”
The door buzzed again. Cross on the video monitor.
Marcus Cross. Vampire or not, he was one hell of an intimidating bastard. And Cassidy’s lover. Nikko swiped his hand across his chin. It was all still so damn surreal. During Cassidy’s first mission, she’d told the team Cross was a vampire. They’d laughed her into the next state, then pleaded with Godfather to pull her. He’d refused. And it was a damn good thing. Cross proved to be not only a vampire but a damn good one with a human Special Ops background. The son of a bitch had nearly single-handedly saved the US of A from eternal damnation. As time passed, Nikko’s initial apprehension had grown into a grudging respect. That didn’t mean he was okay with the vampire thing. Even if Cassidy was. It was her life, and she seemed happy. So who was he to judge?
Godfather buzzed Cross in.
He glided into the room as if he were on a conveyor belt. Just as Nikko had earlier.
Cassidy nonchalantly nodded, but Nikko smelled her excitement. Cross was a little more cordial, grinning at Cassidy and showing sharp incisors. Stone crossed his arms over his chest, while Satch and Dante nodded their hellos. Dr. Soto did not utter a word. Godfather extended his hand. Cross took it.
“Thank you for coming in, Marcus. We seem to be out of our element here and could use your help.”
Cross nodded as he proceeded into the room. Nikko caught the vampire’s surprised stare. Cross’s nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed as their gazes clashed. So, Cross detected Nikko’s change. And apparently didn’t like it. Nikko sat forward, feeling a sudden rush of power coupled with the insatiable urge to fight. Cross felt it, too. Nikko glanced around the room at his team. They sat silent but expectant, picking up on the tension. Cross strode past Nikko and took the seat next to Cassidy, casually draping his arm along the back of her chair, then looked pointedly at the doctor. Godfather quietly escorted the doc out of the room, saying he would be in touch.
Nikko let out a long, slow breath, wrangling with his potent urge to fight the vampire. Was it because he had the same blood?
Ignoring Nikko, Cross looked up at the images of Selena and narrowed his eyes, but did not say a
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