“You didn’t ask,” Niol drawled.
“Flint sure as hell did!”
Niol just stared at him then, with those fathomless eyes. Todd remembered, too late, something Niol had told him days before.
A third of the officers on your force are demons. I know what’s happening in this town every moment. Don’t think I don’t.
Hell.
The reporter watched them with green eyes that saw too much. Todd tried to rein in his temper—he sure would have liked to have rip into Niol, but now wasn’t the time.
“Seems you’ve got some pretty interesting sources, Ms. Storm.” He’d bet his next paycheck that Susan Dobbs had been one of those sources. “Do you realize that you’ve been getting information from a killer?”
She didn’t blink. “Easy to lay blame on the dead, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, real easy—when the dead was a murderer.” He paused. “Are your other sources just as reliable as she was?”
Her eyes held his. “Well, at least they’re better than the police department’s.”
Hit. He inclined his head. “Rest assured, we are doing everything possible to make certain that the Bondage Killer is stopped.”
“Well, when I go live with my story at ten tonight, and tell everyone in Atlanta the truth about what’s happening, then I think you’ll start truly doing everything that’s possible.”
The woman couldn’t be serious. “Lady, you don’t even know what you’re talking about.” He didn’t need crap from a reporter right then. The puzzle pieces were all dancing through his mind.
Susan had been in Paradise Found before Cara started singing, but she could have still been around when his succubus was performing, if she’d slipped past the guards…
Paradise Found.
Had she met the killer here? Seemed a damned good possibility.
A perfect place for humans who liked to play with the dark side.
From the reports he’d read on Susan, the woman had possessed one major dark side of her own.
“I know—I know about the demons,” Holly said. “I know they’re around us, cops, doctors, lawyers—”
“And you have proof, do you? Hard evidence?” He pinned her with his stare while Niol just well, looked bored. Nothing new there. “You think the station director is gonna just let you blast out your tale? Get real, lady. News Flash Five would be laughed out of the city.” And so would she. People weren’t ready to hear the truth yet.
He sure hadn’t been. “And you mentioned just the demons—what about the others?”
Her face seemed to pale a bit. “O-others?”
“Yeah, you know, the vampires, the witches, the shape-shifters…”
Her eyes widened a bit with each name that he rattled off. He did not have time for this. “Lady, you don’t even have a fucking clue about everything that’s lurking out there—and do you really think all the supernaturals are gonna be happy that you’re planning to blow the lid off their nice, secret world?”
He saw her throat work as she swallowed. Then her gaze shot to Niol’s. He smiled at her, a smile that displayed a whole lot of teeth. “I don’t care what you do. If exposing the Other is your plan, then do it.”
Aw, crap. Niol would encourage her.
“Every demon in the city will go after her,” Todd snapped. Maybe the woman’s sources were setting her up for just such an event.
Niol’s lips quirked. “I wouldn’t.”
And that just left what, a couple of thousand who would? Could he not just deal with one crisis at a time? “Go home,” he told the reporter, injecting as much steel as possible into his voice. “This isn’t a place for you—go back to your safe world and forget about this story.”
“And what about the killer?” She demanded, voice rising.
“I’ll handle him.” And he’d handle Niol, too. “Don’t report this story,” he told her. “Just go home for the night, and we’ll talk tomorrow—hell, I’ll answer any questions that you have, tomorrow.” In the bright, safe light of day.
She hesitated.
“I’m asking for just a little time, Ms. Storm. Just a little more time.” And if she didn’t agree, well, he’d have to toss her ass in jail—
because no way was she airing her story tonight. He’d hate to lock the lady up, but he couldn’t risk her blowing his town to hell, and now that he knew she’d been poking around in his case, well, the woman could very well have stirred up a whole mess of danger for herself.
Her lips pressed together. Her gaze flew between him and the ever-watchful Niol. “You promise to answer all of my questions, on the record?”
Ah, now she was pushing too much. “I’ll give you an interview.” That was as much of a promise as she was going to get from him.
And once he got her in the station, he’d work on convincing her to see things his way.
Holly exhaled. “All right. You have until tomorrow afternoon, three p.m. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll go live at five.”
And the woman would do it. He’d have to contact the captain ASAP and let him know they had another fire blazing.
She turned around, began to stride away from them.
“Oh, Holly…”
Niol’s voice was soft, silken.
The woman stumbled to a halt. She glanced back over her shoulder, lips parted.
“Don’t come to my Paradise again, unless you’re willing to play with the devil.”
Todd heard the sharp sound of her indrawn breath. Then she hurried toward the door, almost ran in her haste, and Niol watched her every move like some kind of hungry spider. Creepy as hell.
“Leave her alone,” Todd warned. “Hell, I thought you didn’t even want her ‘kind’ in here!”
Niol shrugged. “She’s human, sexy, and hungry for a walk in the dark.” A soft laugh. “Just the way I like my women.”
Christ. Todd’s stare shot across the room. Landed on the door marked PRIVATE. He pointed toward the door. “I wanna know every damn thing you’ve been holding back, and I want to know now.” Before any more unexpected visitors showed up in Paradise.
Chapter 17
The closed door muted the growing hum of conversation and music from the club. Todd didn’t bother to sit down. His hands rested easily at his sides and he pinned Niol with his gaze. “Talk, and, this time, save the bullshit.”
Niol lowered his body into the chair behind the desk. “Just what do you want to know, Detective?”
“Why didn’t you mention that Susan Dobbs had been in your place before?”
The demon’s lips pursed. “Because I didn’t want you to think I was involved with the killings. And I’m not, by the way.”
Yeah, ’cause the guy just reeked of innocence. “So you’ve been hindering my case so you wouldn’t look guilty?
Niol frowned at him. “I’ve been helping you.”
By withholding information. Right. “Cut the crap, okay? I really don’t have time for this shit.”
“Then what is it that you want to know?”
“Why’d you kick her out? Why let Susan come in, then suddenly bar the door to her?”
“Susan wasn’t a woman who took well to rejection.” Level stare. “And she was also very much not my type.”
A woman who liked to kill—and she wasn’t a perfect match for the demon? “So the lady hit on you, you rejected her, and then told her to keep her ass out of your place?”
One brow lifted. “Pretty much.”
Todd felt an ache behind his right eye. “Let me go over this one more time, asshole.”
The demon’s brow lowered. His lips thinned.
“I’ve got four dead bodies now, all pointing to a demon’s hand.” Okay, so Monroe’s pointed more to Susan’s dead hand, but…“I’m staring at a fucking demon who knows what’s going on, and I’m getting sick and tired of hearing his jackshit stories.”
“Humans die every day,” Niol said. “Not really my problem.”
“This is your problem. The killer brought Cara into his game, and his damn accomplice was in your bar, right in your face and—”
The door to Niol’s office flew open.
Todd jerked his head toward the entrance, automatically reaching for his gun.
“What the hell—Cara?” She stood in the doorway, her chest rising and falling quickly, her long hair wet. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
Her eyes were on Niol. Only Niol, and she asked starkly, “What did you do?”
The demon stared back at her.
Todd realized that his lady was trembling. He was by her side in an instant, catching her arms and pulling her against him. Damn but her skin was cold. “Cara?”
She looked up at him, and her eyes were pitch black. Her lips tried to curve into a smile, but the sight was so weak that he felt a hard clench in his gut. “Baby, what’s going on?”
She blinked once, twice. “I-I need to talk to Niol. Please, Todd, let me talk to him for just a moment. Alone.”
The clenching in his gut turned in to a hard kick. “Where are the patrols I put on you?” Because, yeah, the lady was strong, but she wasn’t invincible.
And he didn’t want to take any chances with her life.
“They’re in the club. They brought me here.” Her skin was smooth. No makeup. No jewelry. She wore jeans, a pair of high, strappy sandals, and a light blue shirt. She looked so casual, so very perfect.
And a bit afraid.
No, a lot afraid.
What did you do? Her question rang in his ears. He wanted to stay there with her. His mouth opened as he began to demand that she tell him exactly what in the hell was happening.
“Todd, please, this isn’t about the Bondage Killer, okay? Just—just trust me a moment and let me talk to Niol.”
Trust. So simple to ask for, so hard to give.
He leaned forward. Kissed her chilled lips. He wanted to keep kissing her, until the heat and warmth flowed back into her.
Something had spooked her, and he wanted to find out exactly what had put the fear into his lover’s eyes.
He raised his head. Gazed into her turbulent gaze. “I’ll be on the other side of the door.”
A soft sigh slipped past her lips. “Thank you.”
He brought her hands to his lips. Kissed the palms. Too cold. His lady wasn’t cold. She was fire. Passion.
Not ice.
“You’re gonna tell me what’s going on. You’re gonna tell me everything.” He didn’t want any secrets between them, not ever again.
A slow nod.
“Cara…” A hard edge cut through Niol’s voice. “Some things the human doesn’t need to know.”
“And there are some things that he does.” Her voice was fierce. “Wait for me, Todd. I-I’ll be right out.”
Another kiss. One from her this time as she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth against his. Her breasts brushed against his chest, the soft weight of her body an intimate caress.
Desire reared its head— as it always did when she was near. The urge to pull her against him, tighter, harder, flared through him.
But now wasn’t the time.
Soon.
She pulled away, and though he wanted to hold her fast, he stepped back. Cast one last look at Niol, then stalked out the door.
Cara’s past wasn’t going to stop him from wanting her.
And it wasn’t going to stop him from trusting her.
Now, if she would just start trusting him a little more.
The door closed with a quiet squeak. Cara’s heart pounded so hard her body seemed to shake and the fierce drumming echoed in her ears.
“What’s got the fear in you, love?”
Love. He used that endearment with everyone, but with her sister, well, she’d thought he actually meant it then.
“I have to ask you a question, Niol, and I really, really need you to give me a straight answer.”
“You and your cop—always asking questions—”
“Niol, damn it, I’m serious! I need the truth!”
He stilled. “Have I ever given you anything else?”
She didn’t respond to that. Instead, she got to the question that was ripping her apart. “Did you kill Lance?”
No change of expression. He was far too good at deceit for that. “Why are you asking me this now, Cara? Haven’t you known the answer to this question for years?”
Had she? “I thought it was you,” she admitted as her hands balled into fists. “I didn’t say a word all this time because I thought it was you.”
There was a crack in his expression. The barest hint of worry that appeared in his eyes. He rose from his chair. Crossed slowly to her side. “Cara? Love, why are you so scared?”
Niol—he’d always been able to read her so well.
Because she was scared right then, fucking terrified.
Todd fought the urge to shove his ear against the wooden door and listen for all he was worth. His partner’s shifter senses sure would have come in handy right then and—
From the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of a familiar figure.
Todd spun around. His gaze raked the crowd There. Striding away from the bar. Black hair. Cocky-as-hell walk as he sauntered toward the back exit.
Cameron.
Oh, no, the guy wasn’t getting away from him that easily.
Now that he knew about the guy’s history, he had a few more questions for the incubus.