He rushed in and she hurriedly shut the door behind him. "Ryder called. Sloan is missing. Diana is trying to locate him. I inoculated one of the rats to make it seem like I'm doing my father's experiments."

Melissa was wired, he thought. Maybe justifiably so, given all that was happening. Surprisingly, he couldn't muster the same kind of angst. Taking a step toward her, he touched her cheek and said, "Good night, good morning and-" he paused to look at his watch "-good afternoon. I missed you."

The worry evaporated from her face like a soap bubble in a summer breeze. "I missed you, as well. The bed was empty without you."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, a brush of his lips that grew deeper with each kiss that followed. "Hmm," he said as she opened her mouth to him. "I can't wait until tonight."

She outlined the edges of his goatee, which had grown thicker over the past few days. "Me, too. But you look beat."

"I am, but I can get some rest here while you work, if that's okay." He inclined his head in the direction of his quiet corner of the lab.

"I'd like that. Plus, I just got the a.s.says back from the lab and need to review them. Maybe prepare some other samples for a.n.a.lysis." After another kiss, she moved to the a.s.sortment of papers laid out on the black countertop before her.

Sebastian opened his laptop on the far side of the lab and tuned into his favorite version of MTV-Melissa Live and Uncensored.

There was a rather earnest look on her face as she studied the lab results; it was followed by a knowing smile.

He liked to see her pleased with her work. Slouching in the hard metal chair, his duster wrapped tightly around him since he was still cold from his walk to her building, he managed to find a position that was comfortable. Crossing his arms, he tucked his hands beneath his armpits to watch her. Occasionally he would nod off, but he battled to stay awake.

Eventually, he lost the battle.

"You understand what you're supposed to do. Get the test tubes and the rat. Nothing is to get in the way." Sloan examined the young man's face to confirm that he did, in fact, comprehend his task.

The young man-a friend of a friend of a friend who spoke highly of Sloan's designer drugs-fidgeted before finally nodding emphatically.

Sloan was hesitating over this one. The man seemed a little too young and a trifle too desperate. But Sloan was desperate, as well, and had few choices. He should have kept his last a.s.sociate around for a bit longer. He'd been more responsible.

Funny thing to say about someone willing to do anything for their next high, he thought as he reached into his pocket and held up a few bills in front of the man's face. "This is to get you there and back. Once you arrive with the goods, I will make payment with this," he said, holding up a vial containing a clear liquid.

The young man's eyes perked up and he rubbed his gloved hands together as if in glee. "Dude, I so understand."

Sloan examined him again, from the combat-style boots on his feet to the multiple piercings and tattoo marring what might have otherwise been a handsome face. He was tempted to call this off and find a more reputable minion, but it was too late. This Neanderthal already knew too much, which made him prime morgue material. But not before he did this one job.

"You should get going," Sloan advised, and his a.s.sociate grabbed the bills from his hand.

"I'm on it."

Sloan turned his back on the young man and walked around the edge of the table that was a remnant of his old days in the NSA.

He hadn't known what possessed him to keep the setup, but it had certainly proved worthwhile in the last year or so.

Suddenly he was uneasy. When he turned, he caught a glimpse of the man from the corner of his eye. Had his young a.s.sociate pocketed something on his way out?

Sloan returned to the spot where they had both been standing and carefully examined the area. Nothing appeared out of order or missing. At least not that he recalled. One of the problems of his advancing years.

It was also one of the problems that might be remedied once the young man returned with the merchandise he'd been paid to steal.

With a slightly sprier gait and a lightheartedness he hadn't felt in some time, Sloan walked back to the lab table to prepare the payment for the young man.

A payment of the most final kind, he thought with a chuckle.

Sebastian was half-awake when he heard the creak of the door, the abrupt rush of footsteps and Melissa's startled cry.

A gaunt and very scruffy man stood in the center of the lab, barely a foot from Melissa. He had a knife in his hand and his stance was unsteady. "Get out of the way," he instructed, his speech slurred.

Melissa remained at her position by the counter, hands braced against the edge of it. Her body was poised for action, but Sebastian wasn't about to let that happen. He couldn't allow Melissa to be hurt.

The intruder hadn't noticed him. Slowly Sebastian rose from the chair and looked around for something he could use as a weapon. Nothing except the chair, which was too noisy to be moved slowly.

The man waved the knife about in the air. "Get the f.u.c.k out of the way, b.i.t.c.h."

Melissa stayed in place, staring straight at the young man. Her gaze wasn't fearful, but calculating, as if a.s.sessing the risks and what she could do.

The man lunged at her.

Sebastian experienced a weird sense of deja vu.To this day, he remembered vividly the seconds before his father had been killed. The car had driven by in front of his sister, his father and a.s.sorted others. He remembered shouting at them, although not what he'd said. He'd run toward his sister and father, intent on getting them out of harm's way.

Only he hadn't been fast enough.

He wouldn't be too slow this time.

His senses slipped into hypermode as everything seemed to slow down around him.

His heart pounded, loud and fast, urging him on. The metal chair was cold and slick beneath his hands. His mouth dry, lungs almost painful when he took a deep breath, he sprung into action. The floor beneath his feet seemed unsteady as he grabbed the chair and, half running, swung it into the path of Melissa's would-be attacker, catching him across the legs.

The man went down in a sprawling heap.

Sebastian placed himself between Melissa and the intruder, keeping her trapped behind him with one arm.

The man recovered and awkwardly lumbered to his feet, knife still in his hand. With a ruthless leer, he lunged.

Sebastian blocked the thrust, but his attacker quickly recovered and wildly lashed out at him again.

Fire erupted across Sebastian's arm as the sharp blade bit through the leather of his duster and across his skin. That didn't keep him from landing a sharp punishing jab to the man's nose.

Blood erupted in a spray as Sebastian's blow connected soundly. The man grabbed his nose with one hand, but continued to threaten them with the knife.

Sebastian was about to strike out at the man again when Melissa grabbed a beaker from the table and threw it at the man's head.

Their attacker ducked the missile and Sebastian seized the momentary distraction by lashing out a dropkick to the man's upper chest.

Their attacker crumpled to the ground in a heap. Sebastian kicked away the knife, which the man had finally dropped. "Call Security."

Their intruder gave an odd groan and went into spasms. "What the h.e.l.l-" Sebastian cursed.

Melissa hesitated on her way to the phone, but when the convulsions continued, she dropped to the ground beside the man and cradled his head in her lap. Forcing his jaw open, she pulled a depressor from her jacket pocket and used it to keep him from swallowing his tongue. She tried to hold him down as best she could. "Phone's by the door. Call for help," she instructed.

Sebastian rushed to the phone. After giving Security the details, he received a promise that a.s.sistance would be on its way quickly.

The man's seizures had almost completely stopped, but judging from Melissa's face, that wasn't a good thing. "What's up?"

"He's high as a kite on something. His pulse is too rapid and shallow. Breathing's very labored. He's not looking good."

She had no sooner said that when his breathing stopped entirely. "We've got to do CPR."

With Melissa instructing him, he helped her until Security arrived with the EMTs in tow. He and Melissa stepped away. It was then that she noticed Sebastian was hurt as blood dripped from beneath the cuff of his jacket and onto his hand.

"Let me see that." Sebastian eased off his duster to reveal the long, ugly gash along his forearm. Blood oozed freely from the wound and onto the white speckled tiles of the floor.Melissa went into action, helping herself to some gauze and bandages from the EMT's tray. She bound his wound, but said, "I need to take you to the E.R. for some st.i.tches and a teta.n.u.s shot. I'm so sorry, Sebastian."

Distress was clear on her face. She felt responsible and he worried how that might affect things between them. Striving to downplay the injury, he said, "I'm sorry, too. That was my favorite jacket."

But that didn't help the situation as one of the EMTs called out to Melissa, "Doc, we need you here. We're losing this guy."

Melissa stepped into the fray of trying to save the life of the man who might have taken hers without a second thought. Sebastian had only seen her in action once before-the night Ryder had been injured by the serial killer Diana had been tracking. He remembered her intensity that night and her perseverance. The cool competence that had impressed him so.

Melissa was no different tonight with this total stranger. She worked with the paramedics to stabilize her attacker, but to no avail.

Whatever the man had taken was too potent for his body to handle. Nearly half an hour later, they p.r.o.nounced him dead and called for NYPD and a coroner.

Melissa rose, defeat etched into the lines of her face. He held his arms open and she stepped into them, hugging him tightly. He returned the embrace, wincing slightly from the cut on his arm. She must have sensed his discomfort for she reacted immediately, advising Security that if she was needed they could call down to the E.R.

He reached for her hand, but she shied away from his touch, much as she had when they had first met. He knew then that her earlier look of defeat wasn't just about the dead man on the lab floor.

It was about them, as well.

Chapter 27.

D etective Peter Daly arrived with his partner and Diana in tow. When the call came in about the attack and possible homicide, he'd grabbed the case and phoned her.

Melissa watched as both he and Diana patiently went over the crime scene, searching for clues. Sebastian stood by her side, ever vigilant and protective. A little jolt of fear went through her again as she realized how he had risked himself. All for her. He must have sensed her discomfort for he placed his hand on her shoulder and gave a rea.s.suring squeeze, but she couldn't bear his touch.

She'd put him in great danger. He'd risen to the call, but she couldn't deal with putting him at risk again. Taking another step away from him, she wrapped her arms around herself tightly and gave her concentration back to the police work going on in her lab.

Diana and Peter got to the body after examining the surrounding area. They searched the man's pockets and seemed pleased with what they discovered. From one pocket, Diana extracted a bag and what looked like a key card for the building. When Diana opened the bag, she discovered that it contained a needle, syringe and rubber tie. Peter extracted a small vial of clear liquid from another pocket. Holding it up to the light carefully, he smiled and called out for one of the crime-scene staff to come over. "I think we've got a print."

"Probably not the perp's," Diana said quickly, motioning to the gloves the young man was wearing. The CSU tech dusted the vial and lifted a partial print.

"My money says it's similar to the batch that killed the other two," Daly said, rising.

"Easy money, Daly. Let's hope the print gives us something we can use." Diana came to stand beside her brother. "You okay?"

She laid a hand on the white bandage wrapped around his forearm.

"Fine. The cut wasn't too deep-"

"You needed twenty st.i.tches," Melissa said, and was surprised by the anger in her voice. "I'm okay." Sebastian laid a hand on her shoulder, trying to rea.s.sure her.

Melissa took a step away from him and wished she was fine. She tightened her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold now that the adrenaline coursing through her body was starting to wear off. Diana must have noticed she wasn't okay, for she said, "Maybe it's time you and Sebastian went home. Detective Daly and I will probably go to the M.E.'s to wait for a fingerprint match and the toxicology reports. Don't wait up."

"Call us when you have some kind of info." Sebastian placed his uninjured arm around Melissa's waist. As before, she shifted away as if uneasy with his touch.

Sebastian didn't know how to reach her. When she grabbed her coat from a peg by the door, he just stood there.

Melissa turned and said, "I'll meet you by the elevator."

She didn't wait for his reply to leave the room.

Sebastian stared after her, both confused and hurt. He grabbed his duster off a chair where somebody had placed it. Diana laid a hand on his arm.

"Give her some s.p.a.ce or you might scare her away."

Leave it to his sister to cut past all the bulls.h.i.t to what was important. "I'll try. I don't want to lose her."

"I don't think you could."

Still unconvinced by her statement, he took a step toward the door. He stopped when Diana called to him in soft tones, "Hermanito."

She smiled and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm proud of what you did today. The way you protected Melissa."

"You don't think I could watch you all these years and not learn anything, did you?" he said, trying to dispel not only his sister's concerns, but his own. What would it be like to live every day like this-the way Diana lived her life? The way Melissa did?

Diana hugged him hard and he returned the embrace, having a new appreciation for all that she did and all that she was. "I love you, hermanita."

"I love you, too," she responded and before it got any worse, he walked out to meet Melissa.

Ryder was about.

Sebastian didn't know how he knew it, but he did.

He sensed the vampire's presence as he and Melissa left the hospital. Even though he searched as best he could, he saw no sign of the vampire. He wondered if Ryder was waiting for Diana or if he'd follow them home.

After a block or so of walking in silence beside Melissa, Sebastian realized Ryder had stayed behind to wait.

He pressed on, feeling strangely like a man walking to the gallows. Once inside the apartment, there was an awkward moment at the door, as if Melissa wasn't quite sure she wanted him to come in.

Cradling her cheek, he said, "Don't shut me out, Melissa." When she looked up at him, her eyes were dark with emotion, almost glimmering with unshed tears. "Don't," he said, fearful of where she was going. Unwilling to accept that she wanted him gone.