I shivered again, heat racing through my veins. I wanted him to kiss me. To press his lips firmly against me, to feel his touch.

A shudder ran through him, and I gripped him more tightly.

17

The Devil

Holding Carrow in my arms was heaven, or as close as I’d ever get to paradise.

It was also hell.

The scent of her was a drug, making my head spin as I resisted sinking my fangs into her neck. It would be so sweet, so perfect.

A shudder ran over me.

Resist.

But I had to have something. She called to me like a siren.

Unable to help myself, I pressed my lips to the smooth, warm skin of her neck.

A soft rush of breath escaped her as she tilted her head to the right, giving me more access. A low groan was torn from my throat, and I pressed against her, nearly forgetting the cop that we were hiding from. My lips parted.

Just one taste.

When my tongue touched her skin, it was bliss.

A moan of pleasure escaped her.

“All right, all right,” the cop’s voice sounded from behind us. Protectiveness surged through me, but when I heard his voice again, it drifted from down the street, and I realized that he’d kept walking as he talked. “Break it up, lovebirds. Not too much in the daylight.”

In my arms, Carrow sagged. She dropped her head back against the brick wall and looked up to meet my gaze. “That was close.”

“It was.” My voice was oddly rough as I spoke.

I forced myself to pull back.

I’d kissed her skin. For fate’s sake, I’d licked her.

I hadn’t done that in centuries.

Shocked by my own actions, I turned and looked out of the alley. The cop was turning down another street. “He’s gone.”

“Good.” Carrow’s voice was nearly back to normal. “Let’s go get our guy.”

She strode out onto the street, and I joined her. I pulled the magical compass out of my pocket and held it in front of me. The arrow spun and stopped, pointing at the ramshackle pub at the end of the street. The little thing vibrated fiercely in my hands, indicating that we were nearly there.

“Is he really in a human pub?” she asked. “Just sitting and drinking? What about the abduction?”

“It does seem odd.” I inspected the dreary surroundings. “Some places in the human world are actually secret supernatural hot spots, like the Haunted Hound, but I don’t think this is one of them.”

“This is just too strange.” She leaned over and looked at the compass, which was still buzzing.

We stopped in front of the wooden door. It was impossible to see through the dirty glass, but I could feel our prey on the other side. It was a vampire instinct.

“He’s inside.” I raised my wrist to my mouth and spoke into the comms charm strapped there, calling for backup from my shifter bodyguards.

“What was that for?”

“Just in case. They’ll wait outside unless I call them in.”

“Right, then. Let’s figure out why the hell our target is in a pub.”

Carrow

We were about to catch this bastard.

My name would be cleared soon. Lives would be saved. Finally, I’d be in time to save someone. If we caught this guy, the deaths would stop.

Heart pounding, I moved to push the door open, but the Devil was faster. He stepped into the pub first, blocking me from any threat. I followed, my eyes quickly adjusting to the dim light. Every inch of me was on the alert—to flee, to attack, I wasn’t sure.

But the pub was…normal. Gloomy and dingy, there was almost no one inside. Still, my gaze went unerringly to the guy sitting at the bar alone. The bartender stood on the far side, giving the guy a wide berth.

The Devil nodded to the seated man. “It’s him.”

“Really? He seems so…normal.” Not like a necromancer at all.

“He’s human. No magic that I can feel. Not even well controlled magic.”

“But he still committed the murder?” I could hear the faint buzz from the magical compass that the Devil held.

“Yes. He may be a hired gun.”

I looked back at the man, anger bubbling inside me.

He was tall, with broad shoulders and a partially bald head. His plain white T-shirt was covered in dark stains that I initially took for blood.

No way.

I blinked, realizing it was probably engine grease.

Still, he had Beatrix’s blood on his hands. Anger seethed inside me like a snake, twisting and writhing.

As if he could feel the intensity of our scrutiny, the man turned to look at us. Moving in synchrony, as though we’d been partners for years, the Devil and I approached the bar and seated ourselves on either side of him. I clenched my fists to keep from punching him.

The man turned to look at me, his heavy bulldog’s face creased in a scowl. “What do you want?”

Heart pounding, I returned his stare.

Our suspect.

The murderer.

I could feel it, just like I’d suspected I might.

The Devil gripped the back of the man’s neck. “Look at me.”

The man flailed in his grasp. he Devil’s knuckles whitened, and the bastard stilled.

The bartender took a hasty step back, moving away from the confrontation.

I didn’t blame him. The Devil looked so ruthless that even I didn’t want to be near him right now, and he was on my side.

“Tell me about the murders you committed,” the Devil said.

“Where is the abducted person?” I cut in. I was desperate to know about Beatrix—but there was a living person’s life on the line. They had to come first.

The Devil tightened his hold on the man. “Answer her.”

“I have no idea what—”

“Answer truthfully.” The Devil’s voice lowered, and magic sparked in the air around him.

“It was a job, all right?” The words seemed torn from the man. “Just a job I was paid for.”

As we’d thought—he wasn’t the mastermind. Helpless rage twisted inside me at the idea that another person was out there, and that Beatrix’s murder had been just a job.

“Murder isn’t just a job,” I said, voicing my thoughts aloud.

“It is for me.”

“Where is the person you abducted?” I demanded.

“I don’t know!”

“It’s the truth.” The Devil’s voice was grim.

No. I couldn’t accept that. “Where do you think they are? Any clues? Anything at all.”

“I don’t know. The client mentioned something about a church.”

Just like the Devil had said. Flares of dark magic coming from different churches. “Which church?”

“I don’t know. I don’t care about churches, so I didn’t recognize it.”

“You’ve been there?” I asked.

“What if I have?”

“Where was it?”

“Somewhere in the city. Maybe near Fleet Street. Don’t know exactly. The client’s guys took me there to meet him, but I was blindfolded.”

Damn it.

I drew in a bracing breath, then reached out and touched his shoulder. A wave of disgusting energy flowed into me, making my stomach pitch. Sometimes, when I touched something with a particularly vile past, I could feel it. And this guy had a very vile past. I prayed I wouldn’t see Beatrix’s death.

Flashes of the recent murders ran through my mind…a club coming down on the first man’s head. A blade plunging into a chest. It made me ill. Cold chills raced over me, and my insides turned to snakes.

I swayed on my seat. The Devil gripped my shoulder, steadying me. I relaxed against his hand, absorbing his strength as I drew an unsteady breath.

The church…the church.

I had to see the church he’d been to.

But it was impossible to call up certain images or information. My gift showed me whatever it wanted, not whatever I wanted.

“The church, man.” The Devil’s words were harsh, and his magic flared in the air. “Think of the church.”

He knew what I was trying to do. I gave him a grateful smile.

A moment later, an image of the church flashed in my mind. Moderately sized, situated right in the middle of London. A small cemetery surrounded it, packed in between the tall buildings. But the building itself was unusual, with curving walls. I’d never seen a church shaped like that. Not here, at least.

Contact with the murderer was making me so woozy that it was nearly impossible to stay upright on the chair. I withdrew my hand from the man’s arm, sucking in some of the stale pub air.

“Is the abducted person still alive?” I demanded.

“Yes. He wanted her for a ceremony. Had to bring her alive for it.”

Her.

He’d abducted a woman.

“When will the ceremony be?” I asked.

“On the full moon,” the man said. “Midnight.”

“Tonight,” the Devil murmured.

“What does he want her for?” I demanded.

The man shrugged violently. “Why would I know?”

“Because you did the dirty work.”

“Just a job, lady.”

“Not just a job,” the Devil said, repeating my words. “What organ did you take from your last victim?”

Oh, that was a good question.

The man’s jaw clenched. Clearly, he didn’t want to answer.

“Tell me.” The Devil’s words were cold enough to freeze lava.

“The liver,” the murderer said.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I was told to. Gave it to the creepy bloke, along with the woman.”

“What was the woman’s name?” I asked.

“Don’t know. Some lady about forty years old. He’s not particular.”

“What about the other victims?” the Devil asked. “Did it matter who you killed?”

“No. He just wanted the liver and heart.”

“Why?” I snapped.