Kade's Dark Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans) (12 page)

Sydney was astonished at the five dozen, long-stemmed, red roses tastefully arranged in an enormous Tiffany, crystal vase. She leaned into the flowers to sniff one of the buds, which smelled heavenly. Sydney may be tough as nails, but she loved flowers. Attached to a plastic holder was a small, red envelope. There was a single name written in calligraphy on it
'
Sydney'
. She gingerly opened the envelope not wanting to accidentally tear the card. She pulled out the card and read it, 'Dearest, Sydney, Your kiss is still on my mind. Be good while I’m gone love. I will return soon so we can finish what we started. Yours, Kade.'

Her first thought was that he mentioned the kiss. The steamy, hot kiss. He did not forget that. But 'be good'? What the hell? Did the man seriously think a bunch of flowers, albeit an incredibly gorgeous and probably very expensive bunch of flowers, was going to convince her to stay off the case? Forget that. How did this man manage to make her angry and happy at the same time? She had to get him out from under her skin. She knew he wanted her safe, but she was a cop. What in the hell did he not comprehend about that fact? She wanted to scream in frustration.

Sydney looked at the time on her cell phone. Shit, it was almost six o’clock. She talked to Ada earlier in the day and told her that she’d be at the station, before she went out tonight. Sydney went into her guest bedroom and opened an antique, cedar trunk. She pulled several blankets from the chest before feeling around for the knife case, got it. She pulled another case out, which was a bit larger than the knife case. She laid it on the carpet as she unzipped it.

Tristan had given her both cases for her birthday one year. He knew it would be the perfect gift for her. Sydney loved weapons of all kinds, but this gift was special. The knife case held a dozen silver knives of different sizes. She knew she’d use these someday. She grinned as she ran her fingers across the flat side of the sharp blades. “And thank you Tristan. The gift that keeps on giving.”

She quickly unzipped the second case, which held a small crossbow with a strap that could be slung over the shoulder; several wooden darts; and five large, wooden stakes. Sydney was well trained to use both the knives and the crossbow. She understood that the material of the weapons was important as well. Silver wouldn’t kill a vamp, but it would bring him down hard and weaken him. Wood would also burn, and through the heart, it would kill. Sydney never saw herself needing these weapons before now. Usually her Sig Sauer and a few fighting moves were more than enough to bring down a human, but whoever was killing these girls clearly was not.

Sydney took all the weapons she planned to use and put them next to her jeans and t-shirt. She planned to arm up before going on duty tonight. Sydney tested the feel of the stake in her hand as she walked toward the bathroom, slashing the stake through in the air; it felt good. She would have no problem turning a vamp into ash, if needed. She shoved the stake in the pocket of her robe, hung it up on a hook, and went to turn the shower on. It was getting late, and she wanted to get going.

Sydney loved the hot spray of the shower. Feeling relaxed, she just wanted to stay a little bit longer, but didn’t have the time. Sydney shut off the water, and heard a hiss coming from outside her door. She grabbed a towel, haphazardly dried herself, and rapidly threw on her robe. Someone was in the living room.
Did Kade stop by before leaving? No, Kade would never break into her condo. Who was here and how the fuck did they get in?
Thinking quickly, she reached behind the toilet where she kept a spare gun for emergencies and peeked out the door. Nothing. Maybe she was just being paranoid. She looked both ways down the hallway and saw no one. Quietly, she tiptoed down the hallway into the living room. Before she had a chance to look around the room, something rammed into her, sending her and her gun flying across the room.

She lost her bearings for a second, stunned from the hit. As pain shattered through her body, it brought her back to focus making her remember where she was.
What the hell was that?
A huge man stood across the room. He had to be at least three hundred pounds and bald with a scar across his face. “Hey, chica, you think you can kill me with that gun of yours? I got news for you, we vamps don’t die easily. My Mistress is not pleased with you. She doesn’t like that you have been sniffing around her mate.”
Kade?
“Yes, that’s right. Put the pieces together. My Mistress says you are a distraction, but maybe I will have you for myself before I kill you. You like big men, chica? Oh yeah. I might break you in half, but man, it will be sweet.”

Sydney was disgusted. Did this sick vampire think he was going to rape her? Good fucking luck with that. Too bad, she had other plans for scarface. Keep him talking. “You always take orders from a girl, hombre?” She scrambled to cover herself, keeping her eyes on him as she used her peripheral vision to search for the gun.

He started stalking toward her. “No, chica, I only obey my Mistress. And you...you have angered the Mistress. She wants you taken care of...but I didn’t expect it was going to be so much fun. Your blood smells so sweet. I’m gonna have a nice little taste. How ‘bout we play a game before you die?”

Sydney was slowly scooting on her buttocks and hands, inching toward the kitchen.
Where was the damn gun?
She spied it over near the refrigerator. Then she remembered the stake in her pocket, but in order to use it, she would need him close to her, too close. She pretended to move toward the gun hoping he would think she was going for it.

“You are bad little girl aren’t you? You think you gonna reach that gun? Stupid concha. You really think you can run from me? Maybe I will fuck you so hard so you can’t walk before I drain you. I am gonna make you bleed. Oh yeah...you’ll scream for me. I love to hear a girl scream,” he snarled.

If this guy was going to try to rape her, Sydney would die before that happened. There was no way in hell he was taking her down without a blazing fight. She’d let him keep thinking she wanted the gun. She wasn’t stupid. Sydney knew the gun might slow him down, but it wouldn’t kill him. No, he’d just be even more pissed. She needed to use the stake; that would kill him. She just needed to get him closer so she could drive the stake into his heart. Get him closer without getting herself killed in the process.

“Listen, hombre, you want me? Huh? Bring it. And while you’re at it, I got a little message for that bitch of a Mistress who has you leashed.” With those words, she fake lunged for the gun, hoping to get him close.

In a flash, he flew across the room and grabbed her by the throat with one hand; he banged her head hard several times against the refrigerator and jammed her up against the wall with her feet dangling off the floor. “Puta, I am going to enjoy this. Nice and slow.”

As he reached down to unbutton his pants, Sydney quickly kneed him in the cajones, she remembered that much Spanish. “La madre que te parió!” he grunted and weakened his grip around her neck as he reached for his groin. “Puta.” He slammed Sydney’s head hard against the wall. She saw stars.

Using every last bit of strength, Sydney yanked the stake out of her pocket. She was choking. “Tell your Mistress,” she spat. “Tell that bitch that I said I’ll see her in hell!” She drove the stake up into his heart, and he instantly disintegrated into a pile of ash. Sydney’s body slammed to the floor as she lost consciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kade had argued with Luca on the way over to Sydney’s. Luca hated disagreeing with his boss, never wanting to appear disrespectful or insubordinate. He respected Kade immensely and owed him his very life ten times over, but he was there the day Kade discovered the girls in the barn. It was a sight he would never forget. If Simone was back in the country, there was no time to stop and play kissy face with the nice detective. Kade was definitely acting strangely when it came to this woman.

Kade insisted Luca stay in the limo when they pulled up to Sydney’s condo. He wanted to say goodbye in person, alone. He went to push the buzzer, but no one answered. He rang Sydney’s cell phone, but no one answered.
Where was she?
As someone opened the door to leave the building, Kade slid into the condo complex unnoticed. When he approached the door and knocked, the door pushed open.
What the hell?
He ran into the condo yelling for Sydney. “Sydney! Where are you? Sydney!” No answer.

His heart sank as he entered the kitchen. Sydney was sprawled on the floor, wearing only a robe, which was spread wide open exposing her naked body. Next to her was a pile of ash.
Vampire.
Blood, he could smell blood, Sydney’s blood. He could hear her heartbeat. She was alive. He knelt down and gently lifted her head and spoke to her softly, “Sydney love, can you hear me?” She didn’t respond. “It’s going to be okay. I’m here now. I will take care of you.” He gently kissed her on the forehead.

Needing to see where and how badly she was injured, he turned her head slightly to inspect her wound. A tiny, cut bled from the back of her skull. Kade thanked God her breathing and heartbeat were steady. Later, she’d have a goose egg and a bad headache, but she’d be okay. Kade held a handkerchief to her head.
Dammit.
Simone must have sent a vampire to Philadelphia. And his girl had staked him well and dead. But if one vampire was here, more could be on their way. Kade needed the protection of his home and security team to keep her safe.

He had to get her out of here. Kade spoke telepathically to Luca telling him what happened. They needed to collect Sydney, take her to the jet and get to New Orleans, now. Luca ran into the apartment, quickly finding Kade on the kitchen floor next to Sydney. Kade had forgotten her nudity. Glancing up to Luca then back to Sydney’s naked body, he pulled her robe shut and covered her. She was his only. “Luca, grab a blanket and pillow from her bedroom and let’s go. I will carry her down.” Luca did as he was commanded and hurried after Kade to the car.

Kade was overwhelmed with guilt. He knew damn well what Simone was capable of, and he left Sydney alone anyway. She looked peaceful as she slept with her head on his lap. He pulled the blanket up to her neck covering her shoulders. Nothing would happen to her now that she was with him. She’d be spitting tacks when she woke up to find she was in New Orleans, but from now on, she was not getting to call the shots. Those days were over, and she would just need to deal with it. There was no way she was leaving him. She was his, and he would protect her with his life.

Sydney stirred and tried opening her eyes. The light was blinding. And she had a killer headache.
Where am I?  
She woke in a warm, soft bed that smelled of lilac. She wondered if she was dreaming. Her head hurt something fierce.
Need Advil, now.
If she could only get out of bed and look for her pills, she’d be good. Sydney placed her palms flat against the bed and slowly pushed up. She felt soft but strong hands pushing her back down into the bed.
Who is here with me?

Kade saw her stir. They still had an hour before they landed. What was she doing? Getting out of bed? She was a walking disaster. He reached over and gently pushed her back into the pillows. “Easy there, Sydney. You’re safe. Just lie down, and I will get you some water. You in pain, love?”

She yawned, “Where am I? Kade? Oh my God. A vampire. My condo.” Sydney was starting to panic as memories flashed into her head. She looked around, struggling to get her bearings. She was talking fast, not letting Kade get a word in edgewise. “Am I...in a plane? How the hell did I get in a plane? Where are we going?” She had traveled enough to recognize the hum of the engines.

Kade smiled. It didn’t take her very long to try to control the situation. That was his girl. “Yes, we’re in my plane, and we’re on our way to my home in New Orleans. Now, come on love, lie back and let me take care of you. You are safe now. The vampire who attacked you...not so much. You took care of him back there. He’s dead.” He smiled at her...that warm, sexy smile that she could not resist.

He wanted to ask details about what happened, but was apprehensive. He didn’t want her to talk if she wasn’t ready. He still wasn’t exactly sure what happened to her, but it was hard to ignore the fingerprint bruise marks that were starting to appear around her neck, she had been strangled. “You have a small cut on the back of your head, but it has stopped bleeding. I iced it, but I can get you some more. Here, take these for your headache.” He handed her pills and a bottle of water and sat down next to her. “Sydney, about what happened at the condo...”

“Considering that I can barely open my eyes, I'll forgive the fact that I'm in a plane heading to New Orleans. Couldn’t you just take me to a hospital or something? You know, that would be a logical course of action, but then again, nothing seems to make sense since I met you.” She was just too tired to fight, but when she regained her strength, Kade had some explaining to do. On the one hand, she would prefer to work the case in Philly, on the off chance more dead girls showed up. On the other hand, if Kade was going after Simone, she wanted to be there. Payback was a bitch...and after her little encounter with the sumo wrestler vamp, she was so up for it.

Sydney was starting to remember pieces of what happened back in her home. It wasn’t her first fight, but she’d be lying if she said it didn’t shake her up a bit. She wasn’t used to battling against vampires, or any other supernaturals, but she was a fighter and that was what counted. She laid her head back, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She glanced up at Kade. “I was in the shower and heard a noise. He slammed me to the floor, before I had a chance to see who was in my condo. I always keep a spare gun hidden in the bathroom, and a few other places, you know, just in case. A girl can’t be too careful. Anyway, the gun went flying into the kitchen. Before my shower, I’d been going through my weapons...and I was fooling around with a stake and shoved it in the pocket of my robe. But, the gun I had in the bathroom...it didn’t have silver bullets or anything, so I knew it wouldn’t do much good. I played like I was going for the gun. ” She shook her head. Sydney suddenly remembered the vampire saying something about Kade being his Mistress’s mate.
Was Kade married? He said they were lovers, but did he marry her?
“He said Simone sent him to deal with me since, apparently, I was messing with her
mate
.” She looked up at him, hoping for a response. Kade must be good at poker, because he remained expressionless as she continued to speak.