Those folks would have to get in line.
“Thank you,” Nicole whispered.
He blinked, but was careful to keep his face expressionless. Sam, ever the sly one, had brought them to this place—an apartment in the Quarter. One with reinforced shutters and a perfect view of the outside. Once, the Quarter houses had been designed to keep out enemies. Shut the doors, bar them, and no one could get in from the street. The buildings were all lined next to each other—the better to keep intruding soldiers out.
The design still worked to their advantage. At least, this way they’d know when company came calling.
Nicole rubbed her arms. “So you’re looking at me now, but you’re not speaking? Fine. Okay. Fine. You didn’t have to come after me, you know. You didn’t have to—”
He stepped toward her. Her lips pressed together. He took a breath and could almost taste her. “Did you really think I wouldn’t come for you?” Of course, he would. He’d do just about anything for her.
That sexy chin lifted as her eyes glittered. “No.” Soft but certain. “I knew you’d hunt for me. What happened …” She cleared her throat. “What happened to the leader, Mike?”
One touch. “You don’t have to worry about him anymore.” He turned away from her and paced out onto the balcony. Jazz music drifted up to him, and he saw the people strolling down the street. A motorcycle raced below him. “That coyote, he’s the one we have to worry about now. He wants you dead, and—”
“You’re the one he wanted.” The floor squeaked behind him. She was coming closer. Her scent reached him, wrapped around him. “Keenan …”
“Don’t touch me.”
He heard the sharp inhalation of her breath and knew she was hurt. Better to be hurt than dead. He grabbed the railing. “You need to get away from me. Get out of New Orleans and don’t come back.”
“You’re the one who brought me back!”
“My mistake.” So foolish. But he’d wanted her back in the city because she’d been happy here. She hadn’t been happy the whole time he’d been with her in Mexico and Texas. He’d thought if she came home, he could keep her safe. Make her happy.
Make her laugh. She hadn’t laughed once in all their time together, not laughed and actually meant it.
“I can’t touch you.” Anger snapped in her words. “You barely look at me … but you were screwing me yesterday.”
More than screwing. “Things have changed.”
“You don’t want me anymore?” Pain darkened her voice.
“Wanting isn’t an option.”
“Dammit! What the hell is with you? You never give me a simple yes or no answer to any question I ask you!”
Because he couldn’t. “Things are never simple.”
“You want me.” Certain and not so soft now.
He stared at the street below. The river was close, and the scent of the water drifted to his nose. “Lots of people in this world want what they can’t have—or what they don’t need.”
“You fight for me, then tell me to get away.” A choked laugh. Not the kind of laugh he’d wanted to hear from her. His fingers tightened on the balcony’s railing and the wrought iron groaned. “You’re giving me some seriously mixed messages, Keenan.”
“Then let me be very clear.” He took a breath. Face her. He turned slowly and looked right at her. She was pale. So very pale. Her eyes were big and dark. “I want you to get away from me, and I want you to get away now.” Truth. He’d never spoken truer words.
And she realized that. He saw the words sink in as she took a step back. Her hands came up, as if she’d cover her mouth, but she caught herself. Nicole stiffened instead. Shoved back her shoulders and dropped her hands. Bruised, bloody hands. He frowned.
But she was the one turning away now. “Watch your ass, angel. That coyote wants you, and he knows how to kill you.”
It was his turn to laugh, and his laugh was as cloaked with bitterness as hers had been. “Killing me isn’t easy.” The female shifter had learned that.
“He knows how,” she said and she didn’t stop walking. “He won’t stop until he has your blood and his Angel’s Dust.” Her hand reached for the bedroom doorknob. It looked like she’d battered that hand to pieces.
His jaw clenched and he had to ask, “What happened to you? What did he do?”
“Chained me in a crypt. Left me as bait.” She threw a fast glance over her shoulder. “For you.”
That had his brows rising.
“Angel’s Dust. He wants to use your blood because he thinks getting it will make him the big badass in the Other world.”
If Carlos could take out the level-ten demons with the Dust, he would be the badass that the Others feared.
“I told you,” she murmured, “This time, it wasn’t all about people wanting to take out the evil vamp. The coyote wanted your blood, not mine.”
Carlos had been willing to sacrifice Nicole to get what he wanted. The coyote would pay. Want blood? I’ll make sure you bleed. He pushed back the fury. Tried to. “What did he do to your hands?”
A ghost of a smile tugged at her lips. “Nothing. That was all me.”
She’d done that?
“Vamps heal, you know. We heal from just about everything. Even the wounds that ass**le angels give us.” She opened the door and walked away.
Keenan knew she was right. She’d get over him. She’d get past the pain that he’d glimpsed in her eyes. She’d heal.
It was a pity he couldn’t say the same thing.
His nostrils twitched. He hadn’t just scented the river on that balcony. “Az, you bastard, I know you were watching… hope you’re happy now.” Because he’d lost the fight against temptation.
He’d lost everything.
Keenan stepped forward and slammed his fist into the glass of the open balcony door.
“You’re just going to walk away?”
The drawling voice stopped Nicole as she neared the bottom of the staircase. She looked up and saw Sam strolling toward her. Dressed all in black, again. Black T-shirt. Black pants and boots.
“He wants me gone,” Nicole said without flinching and kept her gaze up. “So it’s time for me to leave.” She’d survive. She’d made it for the last six months. She’d make it six more.