"I'm not tired."

He backed up a little to study her face. "You should be."

It wasn't late. "I'm not."

"You should feel exhausted."

"You mean because of the s.e.x? It was amazing but I told you, I'm not going to snooze afterward. That's a male trait."

"I gave you my blood. It should have hit your system. You'll pa.s.s out for a few hours."

"You had no right to do that." It made Lacey angry all over again that he'd tricked her.

He suddenly rolled away, getting to his feet in one swift motion that left her gawking at the display of his speed as he paced naked at the end of the bed. "Of course you can't be normal. No, not my bonny la.s.s."

She sat up, drawing her knees to her chest to shield some of her nudity. "You're mumbling."

He paused, flashing his glowing eyes. "I had plans."

"What kind?" She didn't like the sound of that.

"You're mucking them up."

She wasn't sorry, but it did make her nervous enough to slide off the side of the bed and inch toward her clothes. "I think we should get you to a doctor, Lethal. You're acting crazy again. I think it's some kind of allergic reaction to something in the blood I brought you."

He growled again, his gaze turning electric blue as his eyes shone even brighter. "Sleep," he demanded in a deep voice.

"That hypnosis s.h.i.t doesn't wor-" Her knees gave way and she would have crashed to the floor if strong arms hadn't caught her.

"You've got my blood in you now." He chuckled. "You are highly susceptible to my suggestions."

She didn't even have enough time to be afraid before everything turned black.

Lethal carefully put Lacey back on the bed. He took the time to cover her with a sheet and gently brushed back the strands of hair from her cheek. "Ah, I'm gonna enjoy this rare moment, la.s.s." He straightened and located her cell phone. The call he placed was answered on the third ring.

"Any luck yet, Chase?"

"I have some leads. I heard about what my pack did. I'm sorry. They didn't get within twenty feet of the female."

"Good thing."

Chase hesitated. "She's important to you?"

"Very."

"Understood. What do you need?"

"A pickup would be great. I'm bringing her in."

"Oh."

"Is there a problem?" Lethal strode into the next room and found a neat pile of folded clothes.

"I just thought you liked this woman, since you gave her your name to use. Blaron figured the same. We were hopeful."

"What does that mean?" He bent, using his shoulder to hold the phone while he put on the faded jeans. They were comfortable and freshly laundered.

"You've kind of grown cold in the past few decades." Chase sighed. "This is a revenge thing then? You didn't want anyone else to make her pay for taking you?"

"It sounds as if you and Blaron were doing a lot of speculating."

"We care," Chase admitted. "We worry about you. It's what friends do. We also had some time on our hands since you disappeared. It's been a long day."

"I'm grateful you are my friends. She is special, but the la.s.s is a little stubborn. I knew she'd put up a fight. My blood is going to keep her down for a few hours so I'd like to get her somewhere safe. She works with a team of human hunters but she doesn't trust them. I don't think they can find us but I want her where I know for sure they can't get to her."

"You with a stubborn woman?" Chase laughed. "Imagine that. I knew she'd have to be something to pry your given name from your lips. Want to share how she did that?"

"Shut up and come get me. I a.s.sume you've been tracing the call to find my location?"

"We were prepared after the first time you made contact. We'll be there soon. They located the closest cell towers and we've triangulated the area of the address. Leave the line open and we'll signal when we're there. I persuaded the police to be helpful to our cause. They won't remember doing it tomorrow."

"Thanks." He set the phone face up on the table and dressed.

"Lethal?"

He lifted it again, his keen hearing picking up the sound from the phone. "What?"

"Do we need fresh blood on hand? Did you turn her?"

"No." Disgust rose. "She's not ready for that yet."

"Yet?" Chase sounded surprised.

"You suspected."

"I was half joking and fishing for information. s.h.i.t. Okay." Chase suddenly laughed. "Blaron will want to come with. You know that, right? We're both curious to meet the woman who finally snagged you." He paused. "We also want to know the details of how you were taken."

"I told you she works with a team of humans." He wouldn't admit Lacey was the one who took him down. They'd never cease teasing him. It was better to allow his friends to a.s.sume he'd faced off against a group. "Just get here."

"We're preparing to roll."

Lethal placed the phone down again and returned to the bedroom. It only took moments to retrieve a washcloth and clean away any traces of blood from Lacey's face and neck. He returned to the stack of clothes, chose a couple of items, and dressed her carefully before gently hoisting her over his shoulder. A sense of urgency filled him to get her out of the apartment. A tinge of danger lurked, and he hadn't survived as long as he had without listening to his instincts.

He paused outside her bedroom door after flipping off the lights and took the loaded gun she'd left there. He checked the safety, half listening for any sound from outside. The high windows were closed and covered by curtains. He grinned. She'd bluffed about having him sealed below ground, just as he'd suspected.

An engine pa.s.sed close before all sound died. He c.o.c.ked his head.

"This is it," an unfamiliar voice stated after a van door slid open. "She put it in her mother's maiden name."

"f.u.c.k," Lethal growled, quickly locating the stairs out of the apartment. The humans Lacey worked with had found them.

He held Lacey firmly over his shoulder by gripping her thighs. He kept his other hand free to use the gun. He left the phone where it lay; he couldn't wait for his men-he would go to them.

Lethal heard more voices and counted four approaching human males. They weren't very stealthy. He glanced around the abandoned auto store-signs on the wall told him what it had once been. He spotted the attic access high up on the right corner and ran toward it. He bent, tensed, and leapt. Having Lacey's added weight wasn't a concern, but he worried when he landed on the rickety metal of the stairs. The sound was loud, and he knew the humans heard it when they became silent.

He didn't have time to waste. He kicked the door hard, snapping the lock, and rushed up the ten steps. There was one more door he broke through before he breathed fresh air as he glanced around again. More buildings were nearby.

He only hesitated for a second while he shoved the gun into the waistband of his pants and adjusted Lacey in the cradle of his arms to cushion her. Then he ran full speed toward the edge on silent feet.

The twenty feet he sailed over wasn't a great distance, but he was extra careful nonetheless, since the woman in his arms was so frail. Regret was strong that he hadn't turned her already. He didn't pause after landing, just kept going, jumping across a few more buildings.

Gunfire erupted from the street, but the increasingly distant sound only a.s.sured he'd made a clean getaway. He didn't want to fight while Lacey was helpless. The humans must have resorted to shooting out the locks to gain entry to the building.

He paused a block down, knowing the direction his men would come from. It was only a matter of minutes before he saw the windowless cargo van with the familiar catering logo.

He glanced around to make certain no humans were in the immediate vicinity before he tucked Lacey's head against his chest and jumped. Soft gra.s.s cushioned his landing and he stepped out into the street so they couldn't be missed.

The driver hit the brakes and Chase's eyes widened.

"We had company," Lethal called out.

The back door slid open and a tall blond wearing a kilt climbed out. "I'm glad to see you."

"It's good to see you too, but couldn't you have worn pants to my rescue? Were you gonna flash your hairy thighs to distract them while Chase got me out?"

Blaron laughed. "I would have if it worked to save your a.r.s.e." He peered at Lacey. "This is her? That wee la.s.s captured you?"

"Shut up. Let's go. Her team found us, and I'm sure they've realized by now that we're gone. They'll be leaving there soon, and I don't want to make it easy for them to locate us again."

He crawled into the van on his knees, ducking his head, and glanced at a few of the werewolves sitting on the floor in the back. "Any of you touch her and you're dog biscuits."

Blaron climbed in and closed the door. "Let's go, Chase."

"Where to?"

Lethal hesitated. "The club. We have to take care of these hunters and they'll be coming for us anyway. We don't want to disappoint them."

Chase eased off the brake and the vehicle rolled forward. "Isn't she going to be upset if we kill them?"

Lethal settled more comfortably with Lacey on his lap. "They weren't coming after us just to say h.e.l.lo. I heard them talking while they were surrounding the building. They're pretty angry that she attempted to fool them into believing she'd dusted me. The one called Jeff had a surveillance camera hidden where I was kept."

He inwardly winced, determined to find all video the b.a.s.t.a.r.d might have of his Lacey, naked, astride him. n.o.body but he would see her beautiful b.r.e.a.s.t.s bounce while she rode him. "The humans need their memories wiped-or they need to die."

Chapter Seven.

"Wake up, my bonny la.s.s," a s.e.xy, masculine voice crooned next to her ear. Hot breath tickled her skin before a gentle kiss brushed along her neck.

Lacey opened her eyes to stare at a white ceiling. She flattened her palms against Lethal's solid chest. She fisted a handful of his tank top as she focused on his blue eyes.

"You d.i.c.k."

He grinned. "Aw, that's my sweet la.s.s. Tell me how you really feel."

"You blood-drugged me." There wasn't a thing wrong with her memory. "Where are we?" She looked past his face again, studying the ceiling. It wasn't her apartment. She was almost afraid to turn her head.

"We're at my club."

Her heart lurched. "Why?" Had he lied to her? Was he going to toss her to his other vampires to drain dry? It was the worst scenario she could come up with on short notice.

"I told you, I'm fond of the place. I wanted you to see it."

She didn't believe him. "Lethal?" Her grip on him tightened even more. He was bent half over her and she was lying on something soft that kept her slightly upright. "What are you planning?"

Irritation narrowed his eyes. "I don't know how many times I've got to say it. You're safe."

"Not quite," a deep male voice stated. "Her friends could show up at any time."

Lacey jerked her head to the side and gawked at the tall blond man wearing a red kilt. He wore a belt with a sheathed sword and a black tank top. A long braid trailed over one broad shoulder, down his chest, to almost the hilt of the weapon. His accent was a little thicker than Lethal's, but she guessed they were from the same place. It meant he must be the friend she'd heard about.

She was in a room with not just one master vampire-but two.

"That's Blaron," Lethal rasped, still watching her intently. "How do you feel?"

She had to force herself to look at him. "Angry."

"Besides that? Do you feel stronger?"

"I feel betrayed. You lied to me."

He flinched. "I'm sorry. I told you why I had to do it."

"You tricked me into taking your blood, and I told you the club wasn't safe."

"Your friends showed up at your apartment."

That news sank in. "How?"

"You used your mother's maiden name. Ring any bells? At least that's what I overheard before I got us out of there."

"They aren't my friends." She had hoped Jeff wasn't smart enough to figure out how to track her. "They're my team members. I take it they didn't buy the scene I left behind to fool them?"