word.
“Do you know her?” Godfather asked, dispelling some of the tension.
Cross nodded. “I’ve seen her in the company of one or two vampires.”
Nikko’s blood ran cold. “Who?”
“She runs with the Miami underworld boss, Joran Cadiz.”
“How is that possible?” Cassidy asked. “I thought you guys had a handle on that kind of stuff.”
Cross shook his head and said, “As in your world you have those who don’t follow protocol, we have ours. Cadiz is one of them. He does just enough to look respectable, but he’s got his own game. He’s formidable and has the backing of many powerful vampires, as well as a host of human unsavories.”
Nikko shook his head. Selena was human, not some damn bloodsucker. Rather, she had been human. He’d bet his life on it. Now? Fuck, now she could be anything. Maybe she’d been brought back from the grave by a vampire?
“How unsavory and who are they?” Nikko demanded. His shock aside, the only way he was going to get answers was by finding Selena, and that meant tracking her down. Starting with the undead she hung out with.
“There is proprietary information I am not at liberty to discuss. What Cadiz is and does falls under that umbrella.”
Nikko stood and turned to face Cross, who postured in response. Anger washed off Nikko in waves; he struggled for control. “I’m sure your vampire code of ethics doesn’t include allowing vampires or whatever the hell he is to threaten national security.”
“Sit down, Cruz,” Cross said levelly.
“Give us the information,” Nikko bit off, stepping closer.
In the blink of an eye, Cross stood. As he did, he shoved his hand, palm open, straight at Nikko, who went flying toward the wall. Just as he was about to smash into one of the flat screens, he slowed to a stop and settled gently on his feet. Incredulous, Nikko looked at everyone in the room. Then to Cross for answers. “How’d I do that?”
Cross smirked and sat down next to Cassidy, who had not flinched. He dropped his arm across the back of her chair again and said, “You thought it. Now, before we proceed on the other matter, tell me what happened so I can identify what got you.”
Nikko nodded, not sure if he really wanted to know. He sat down in a chair away from his team, then slowly and precisely explained to Cross what had happened in Kyrgyzstan.
“So she injected you with something that you think caused to you become Superman?”
“Yeah. What the hell was it?”
Cross just scowled. “How long has it been since you were injected?”
“A little more than forty-eight hours.”
“And you still feel as potent as you did when you came to?”
“More so. It’s like it’s time-released.”
Cross sniffed the air and stood. Slowly he walked toward Nikko.
Nikko didn’t like the look in Cross’s reddening eyes and barely stopped himself from taking a step back. “Don’t fucking try to bite me,” he warned.
Stone, Satch, and Dante stood and closed in. Cassidy stood, too. Godfather didn’t move.
“Hold out your arm, Cruz, and man up.”
When he refused, Cassidy strode across the room, grabbed Nikko’s right arm, and shoved up his shirt-sleeve. “It doesn’t hurt, you big baby.”
Nikko steeled himself. Cross did his dirty work quickly. His fangs sank into Nikko’s wrist; instantly he jerked away, spitting the blood from his mouth.
“Jesus!”
Nikko ignored the throb in his wrist. He looked down at the bite wound and the blood oozing from it. “What is it?” he demanded.
Cross swiped his hand across his lips. “It’s vampire blood, but something else with it. I’m not sure. But it’s potent as hell and tastes like shit.”
“A mixture of substances?” Godfather asked.
Cross nodded and looked at Nikko, then up at the screen where Selena’s face still beckoned. “If she injected you, she’ll know what’s in it or at the very least where to get that information.”
“If you had to hazard a guess, what do you think
“Do you know her?” Godfather asked, dispelling some of the tension.
Cross nodded. “I’ve seen her in the company of one or two vampires.”
Nikko’s blood ran cold. “Who?”
“She runs with the Miami underworld boss, Joran Cadiz.”
“How is that possible?” Cassidy asked. “I thought you guys had a handle on that kind of stuff.”
Cross shook his head and said, “As in your world you have those who don’t follow protocol, we have ours. Cadiz is one of them. He does just enough to look respectable, but he’s got his own game. He’s formidable and has the backing of many powerful vampires, as well as a host of human unsavories.”
Nikko shook his head. Selena was human, not some damn bloodsucker. Rather, she had been human. He’d bet his life on it. Now? Fuck, now she could be anything. Maybe she’d been brought back from the grave by a vampire?
“How unsavory and who are they?” Nikko demanded. His shock aside, the only way he was going to get answers was by finding Selena, and that meant tracking her down. Starting with the undead she hung out with.
“There is proprietary information I am not at liberty to discuss. What Cadiz is and does falls under that umbrella.”
Nikko stood and turned to face Cross, who postured in response. Anger washed off Nikko in waves; he struggled for control. “I’m sure your vampire code of ethics doesn’t include allowing vampires or whatever the hell he is to threaten national security.”
“Sit down, Cruz,” Cross said levelly.
“Give us the information,” Nikko bit off, stepping closer.
In the blink of an eye, Cross stood. As he did, he shoved his hand, palm open, straight at Nikko, who went flying toward the wall. Just as he was about to smash into one of the flat screens, he slowed to a stop and settled gently on his feet. Incredulous, Nikko looked at everyone in the room. Then to Cross for answers. “How’d I do that?”
Cross smirked and sat down next to Cassidy, who had not flinched. He dropped his arm across the back of her chair again and said, “You thought it. Now, before we proceed on the other matter, tell me what happened so I can identify what got you.”
Nikko nodded, not sure if he really wanted to know. He sat down in a chair away from his team, then slowly and precisely explained to Cross what had happened in Kyrgyzstan.
“So she injected you with something that you think caused to you become Superman?”
“Yeah. What the hell was it?”
Cross just scowled. “How long has it been since you were injected?”
“A little more than forty-eight hours.”
“And you still feel as potent as you did when you came to?”
“More so. It’s like it’s time-released.”
Cross sniffed the air and stood. Slowly he walked toward Nikko.
Nikko didn’t like the look in Cross’s reddening eyes and barely stopped himself from taking a step back. “Don’t fucking try to bite me,” he warned.
Stone, Satch, and Dante stood and closed in. Cassidy stood, too. Godfather didn’t move.
“Hold out your arm, Cruz, and man up.”
When he refused, Cassidy strode across the room, grabbed Nikko’s right arm, and shoved up his shirt-sleeve. “It doesn’t hurt, you big baby.”
Nikko steeled himself. Cross did his dirty work quickly. His fangs sank into Nikko’s wrist; instantly he jerked away, spitting the blood from his mouth.
“Jesus!”
Nikko ignored the throb in his wrist. He looked down at the bite wound and the blood oozing from it. “What is it?” he demanded.
Cross swiped his hand across his lips. “It’s vampire blood, but something else with it. I’m not sure. But it’s potent as hell and tastes like shit.”
“A mixture of substances?” Godfather asked.
Cross nodded and looked at Nikko, then up at the screen where Selena’s face still beckoned. “If she injected you, she’ll know what’s in it or at the very least where to get that information.”
“If you had to hazard a guess, what do you think
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