“Excellent. How much time do you need?”

“We’re ready, and the plane is waiting.”

“Even better. Give me ten minutes.”

Lucas disconnected and strode back into the bedroom, going straight for the shower once more.

“Hey!” Kathryn jumped out of bed and hurried after him. “What’s going on?”

Lucas closed the shower door and stepped under the hot spray without answering. Kathryn was not so easily deterred, however. The door opened, and she joined him, pumping a handful of his shower gel and washing herself off quickly as she spoke.

“Where are we going?”

“We are not going anywhere. I’m going to pay Klemens a visit.”

“Fuck that. He has my brother.”

“I don’t think—”

“Alex had Daniel, and now Alex is dead. And according to you, he was acting under orders from this Klemens asshole, which means Klemens is probably holding Daniel. I’m going with you.”

“One . . . no, you’re not. This is vampire business, and it’s going to be ugly. And two . . . I don’t think Alex ever had your brother, hence, Klemens doesn’t either.”

“Three,” she said, snarkily continuing his count . . . I don’t care what you think. And four . . . I don’t need your permission to do whatever I want, big guy.”

“Maybe, but you don’t know where I’m going, either.”

“Oh, like I can’t find out. Even vampires have to file flight plans, and I can certainly get the tail numbers from your planes.”

“And I can put you into a sleep so you don’t wake up until it’s all over,” Lucas ground out.

“And I can charge you with assault on a federal officer,” she snapped, getting up in his face.

“Then I’ll fix it so you don’t remember that, either,” he responded, shoving his face so close to hers that their noses were touching.

“What the hell is your problem?” she demanded.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The hell you don’t. You’ve been pissy ever since . . . Oh, please. Just because I said all guys get smug after sex? What? You’re too good to be lumped in with other men?”

Lucas snarled and grabbed her around the waist, shoving her against the tiled wall and holding her there with his body. “I am not a man at all. You should remember that.”

Kathryn grinned, then licked a drop of water from his chin. “You sure act like one sometimes.” She rubbed her foot up the back of his calf, and his cock hardened instantly. “Unfortunately, I don’t believe we have time to act on that,” she murmured.

Lucas bared his teeth and tightened his grip around her, lifting her until his cock was nestled in the soft triangle between her thighs. “There’s always time,” he growled and pushed into her wet heat, thrusting forward until his shaft was fully seated, their bodies skin to skin in the steamy shower.

Kathryn gasped at the unexpected intrusion. Her head fell back, and her eyes closed, the big vein in her neck straining with the sudden rush of blood, almost begging to be tapped. Lucas bent close, licking and tasting her lips, her jawline, dipping his tongue into her ear before running it roughly over her plump jugular. The leg she’d been rubbing along the back of his calf was now clamped around his hips, pumping gently as she encouraged him to get closer . . . and to move. Lucas grinned and began fucking her, thrusting steadily in and out as he squeezed the firm globes of her luscious ass.

“You don’t play fair,” she breathed as she gripped his shoulders, flexing the muscles of her butt as she thrust against him.

“Fuck fair,” he whispered against her ear, then dropped his lips to the delicate skin of her neck and sank his fangs into her honey-sweet vein.

Kathryn jolted when the euphoric in his bite hit her bloodstream, her muscles clenched in anticipation of the coming orgasm. A full-body shudder rippled from her head to her toes, her leg tightening around his hips, holding him inside her as the tiny muscles of her sheath trembled along his shaft. Kathryn cried out suddenly, nails digging into his shoulders as her body fisted around him like a warm, wet glove. Her cry became a keening wail as the orgasm swept over her, and she began pumping against him furiously trying to ease the ache. Lucas lifted his mouth from her neck and licked the twin puncture wounds. He would have liked to take her back to bed, to have wrung every last bit of climax from her trembling body before seeking his own. To remind her of the pleasure he could give her over and over again, and let her try to find a human lover who could match it. Or another vampire who would dare touch her. She was his, or she was no one’s. But there wasn’t enough time.

He growled at the thought, enraged that she could bring him to this, enraged that he had permitted it. He tightened his hold on her and fucked harder, slamming his hips against hers until he felt the overwhelming heat of his own climax building to a roar, tightening his balls and hardening his cock as he thrust into the tight fist of her body before he came with a shout of triumph, filling her once more with his release.

Lucas eased Kathryn’s legs back to the shower floor. She held onto him for a moment, her strong fingers gripping his arms almost painfully tight. Her heart was pounding rapidly, her breasts pulsing with the force of it. It was the exertion of their lovemaking, but also the heat of the shower which had been running the entire time, making the shower stall more like a steam room than a shower.

“You okay?” he asked, bracing her gently.

She nodded and licked her lips. “Point made, vampire,” she said, her husky voice breathless, her muscles trembling beneath his hands. “You’re definitely one of a kind.”

Lucas felt a rush of pleasure, but tamped it down, only permitting himself a slight smile before saying, “If you’ve finished accosting my manly self, I’ve got to get ready. Nick and the rest will be waiting for me downstairs.”

“Right,” she agreed, brushing her wet hair out of her face. She frowned. “I’ll probably need to borrow some clothes from you. I didn’t come prepared for skulking around in the dark.”

Lucas released her and stepped back. “That’s all right, because you won’t be doing any skulking.”

“Lucas, be reasonable. I can help you.”

“I doubt that. The only thing you’ll do is get in the way and end up getting hurt.”

She punched his arm hard enough to hurt. “Fuck you. I train every fucking day for this.”

“Yeah?” he responded. “If you’re so tough, take me down. Right here, right now.” He strode out of the shower and into the living room where he found the sidearm she always wore. He shook it loose from its holster. “Here’s your Glock,” he said, holding it out to her. “Shoot me.”

“I’m not going to shoot you,” she said, clearly appalled at the idea.

“Take the gun, Kathryn.” He pushed it into her hand, and she grabbed it from him, racking the slide to verify its readiness as she scooted back to put several feet between them.

“Stop that, Lucas. There’s no external safety on a Glock. This weapon’s hot.”

“Yeah,” Lucas replied dismissively. “I’m terrified. So shoot me.”

“I told you,” she spit angrily, “I’m not going to shoot you. This isn’t a fucking game.”

“Do it, Kathryn,” Lucas demanded, advancing on her menacingly. “Do it, or I’ll take it and do it for you.”

She stared at him in disbelief for no more than a few seconds before the gun came up between them. “Stop it,” she said. “This isn’t funny.”

Lucas shook his head. “It’s not meant to be funny. I’m making a point. Shoot me.” He kept advancing, then purposely let his fangs emerge to press against his lower lip. “Do it, do it, do it,” he thundered, punctuating each one with a pounding footstep.

“No further, Lucas,” she said, deadly serious now, the gun absolutely steady in her hand.

“Make me stop.”

“Dammit.” She raised the gun a fraction, and he saw the slightest tension in her right hand as she prepared to pull the trigger.

And then he moved. Two seconds later, her gun was his, and he had her wrapped up tight in his other arm, spitting mad.

“You fucking asshole,” she snarled. “Let go of me.”

Lucas released her without an argument, and she stumbled several feet away from him. But he held onto the gun. He wasn’t a total idiot.

“What the hell was that?” she demanded, her blue eyes filled with fire.

“That, a cuisle, was a demonstration of why you’re not coming tonight. As you so rightly pointed out, this isn’t a game. This is war. And when vampires go to war, people die. A human wouldn’t stand a chance.” He zipped across the room faster than she could follow and hugged her gently. “And I’ve no desire to watch you die.”

She tensed in the circle of his arms. “Let go of me,” she said tightly. She was clearly still angry at his demonstration, but that was all right. He’d rather have her angry and alive, than dead the first time she tried to face off with a vampire on the field of battle.

Lucas released her with a shrug. “You wouldn’t have believed me any other way, Kathryn.”

She rubbed her wrist, although he knew he hadn’t hurt her. Even making his point, he’d been exquisitely careful of her human vulnerabilities. Far more careful than his enemies would be.

“Fine. So I can’t match you guys for muscle or speed,” she admitted sullenly. “But there’s more to a takedown like this—”

“This is not a takedown,” Lucas interrupted implacably. “This is war, Kathryn. Call it what it is. Vampires fight to the death.”

“Fine,” she repeated irritably. “But there’s more to war than hand-to-hand fighting. I can’t match you there, I admit it, but I sure as hell can shoot. Give me a decent long gun and the high ground, and I’ll be your overwatch.”