Night Light. Amy Blankenship
Heâd all but flat out called her a jaguar the other night, so he obviously hadnât been lying about being a paranormal investigator. If it was an army the boys wanted, then the least she could do was help recruit⦠right?
âNow, if youâll excuse me, Iâm gonna go make myself a good target for the vampires that have been leaving bodies on our doorstep.â She went to walk around the bar but Trevor grabbed her wrist so fast she hadnât even seen him move. She simply cocked an eyebrow at the restraining hand. âUnless youâre going to help me, you might want to let go.â
âYouâre serious?â Trevor asked.
Heâd also been leaning toward thinking it was vampires for the mere fact that there seemed to be a baby boom of them right now⦠oh, and the little fact of half-destroyed fang marks. The downside to this was he hadnât dealt with vampires before⦠only during training. He needed a reason to stick around until Envy resurfaced, so why not hang around with the competition's sister?
When Kat nodded and slowly pulled her hand away, Trevor shook his head knowing he would regret this, âAre your brothers going with you?â
âOh, theyâre going all right, but in different directions.â She made a pouty face. âIt seems no one wanted to team up with the girl.â
As if to prove her point, Steven and Nick chose that moment to come downstairs and head for the door together. Nick gave Kat a hard stare, hoping she would get the message and do what Warren had asked her to do⦠stay here where itâs safe. He felt a little easier when she gave him a small smile as if all was forgiven.
Glancing back toward the door leading upstairs Kat nodded, âSee, its tag teams tonight except for the odd number⦠aka me.â She flashed Trevor a big smile as if she didnât mind. âBut thatâs okay, I donât mind hunting on my own.â
Trevor smirked and crossed his arms on the bar top. He leaned forward a little signaling Kat to do the same and whispered two words.
âNot alone,â he shook his head.
Quinn and Warren stopped as they came down into the nightclub. Warren knew they were overstaffed tonight so the bar would be covered but that didnât stop him from issuing a couple of last minute orders.
While he was doing that, Quinn nearly glared a hole in Trevor. He hadnât missed the monitor, seeing the way Trevor reached out and grabbed Katâs wrist⦠or the emotional dance that had followed. How close was Kat to this man? The way they were acting, it was like they shared some secret that the rest of them werenât allowed to hear and it grated on his nerves.
âWho is that man with Kat?â Quinn asked when Warren was finished with his com-link.
Warren turned to look seeing Envyâs ex-boyfriend. He figured Kat was telling Trevor that Envy was no longer available, which was a good idea because without Trevor's eye-candy hanging out at the bar, maybe the paranormal investigator would go investigate somewhere else.
âThatâs just the local masochist that likes to be tasered by attractive women,â Warren smirked at his own joke. When Quinn didnât smile, it made him suddenly miss teaming up with Michael. He wondered if it was too late to change partners then deleted the thought. Quinn and Kane teamed up together would be a disaster waiting to happen.
Trevor felt someone staring at him and glanced over toward the door. He was barely able to keep the surprise out of his expression when he saw Quinn Wilder with Warren Santos. If he hadnât suspected what he did, Trevor would believe the two were involved in the murders and were plotting their next move. But that line of thought was reserved for the dumb asses on the local police force.
âWhat is the owner of Night Light doing here?â Trevor asked turning back to Kat.
âWe are all trying to fix the problem with the vampires,â Kat said as her eyes locked defiantly with Quinnâs. Oh my, he looked a bit rattled. Just to test the theory, she leaned closer to Trevor like she was whispering sweet nothings in his ear, âDo you have any weapons we can use to even the odds?â she winked knowing sheâd just gained a partner for the night.
Trevor thought about it for a moment, making a mental checklist of what he did have in his trunk.
âYeah, Iâve got a few things in the car,â Trevor admitted. âWe may have to go back to my place to get some extras Iâve stashed in my gun safe.â
âPerfect,â Kat thought to herself.
As Warren and Quinn walked past the bar, Warren was again distracted by the com-link going off in his ear. Quinn didnât mind the delay. It gave him a moment to find out what was going on with the happy couple at the bar.
Kat saw Quinn coming and quickly moved down the bar so Trevor couldnât overhear and Quinn couldnât blow her cover. Reaching for a bottle, she turned around to find Quinn standing between her and the bar.
âCan I help you sir?â Kat asked with a sarcastically raised eyebrow. âYou do know there are no patrons allowed behind the bar.â
Quinn took a step toward her even though it was already a tight fit. Placing a hand on the shelf beside her arm, he efficiently trapped her where she was. Seeing her eyes stray over his shoulder to the man she had been talking to⦠Quinn growled, âDonât get distracted tonight Kat. Iâm warning you. Just because youâre not coming with us to hunt doesnât mean a vampire canât just walk in the door of this bar.â
Kat sighed knowing that was the oldest trick in the book. Make someone think they were important by giving them a safe little side job. âIâll be fine,â she informed him as she ducked under his arm and headed back toward Trevor. âAnd if I need anything, I already have someone willing to give it to me.â The last was said with a seductive hint in her voice. It was a lie, but Quinn had pissed her off.
She smirked inwardly knowing Quinn thought she meant sexually and Trevor thought she meant on the vampire hunt tonight. Warren chose that moment to finish up and motion for Quinn that he was ready to leave.
Quinnâs lips thinned as he stepped behind Kat and leaned down, almost brushing his lips against her ear, âHave a safe night.â He watched the goose bumps spread down her neck and across her shoulder with satisfaction.
Kat gripped the edge of the bar when her knees went weak. Steadying herself she jumped when Michaelâs voice came from right behind her.
âBe careful how hard you pull that catâs tail, love,â Michael reminded her then nodded at Trevor before going to meet Kane on the roof.
Trevor frowned at the startled look on Katâs face. âWasnât that a vampire?â
âNo, that was a gentleman and heâs helping us track the real monsters,â Kat said confidently as she silently added, and heâs the only one that didnât put up a fuss about me going out tonight. âHowever, it looks like weâre falling behind. Are you ready to leave?â
*****
Kane was pacing back and forth on the roof, smoking a cigarette and occasionally waving his arms around. He was starting to get antsy waiting for Michael to show up.
âJaguars and cougars,â he grumbled. âTheyâre worse than domestic house cats. Everyone has to have domination over the others. Iâd rather team up with the Coyotes than deal with this.â
Michael came up over the edge of the roof right behind Kane, catching him in his agitated rant. He frowned when Kane immediately fell silent and glanced to the side acknowledging his presence.
âDamn it Kane, are we going to talk about whatâs bothering you or not?â Michael asked as he crossed