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With Brock still on post at Jenna's cabin, Tegan, Chase, and Hunter had since relocated their operation to Tucker's house. They'd waited out the scant few hours of daylight there, using the idle time to dig into the dead trooper's computer records and look for further evidence of his corruption in the house. They hadn't had to look very far.
Zach Tucker might have been a bush cop but he had an accountant's eye for record keeping. He'd logged every drug deal and bootlegged bottle of booze that had passed through his hands and into Skeeter Arnold's for distribution around the area.
When the two Staties woke up, they were going to find every handwritten ledger and computerstored spreadsheet in Zach Tucker's ransacked house. They were going to find the safe where Zach kept all of the considerable cash he'd made from his little side business over a period that had to have been several years.
The uniformed troopers were going to follow a hunch neither one of them could shake that would lead them to a remote area of the bush where they would discover Harmony's sole police officer, brutally murdered and scavenged by animals. Near the body, they would find Skeeter Arnold's cell phone, showing a history of plenty of calls to and from Trooper Tucker. With Skeeter nowhere to be found, nor heard from, the Staties would conclude that Tucker, and possibly Skeeter, as well, had apparently found themselves on the losing end of a deal gone horribly, fatally wrong.
What the troopers from the Fairbanks unit would not find was evidence of any other strange happenings in Harmony. With no one in town recalling the spate of recent deaths, let alone the names of the victims, and with a strategically placed computer worm originating from Boston that wiped out half of the AST's dispatch logs for the past week, there would be no reason for the Staties to look for anything more than a disappointing matter of police corruption in the otherwise peaceful town of Harmony.
"That's gonna do it," Chase said as he came out of Tucker's home office. "The computer password is disabled and there's a spreadsheet of our boy's current-year transactions conveniently left open on the monitor. These troopers are going to think Tucker was not only an asshole, but a complete moron besides." Tegan chuckled. "I'll finish in here with the humans. Tell Hunter we're rolling out in five minutes." Chase nodded. He took a step, then paused. "Any word from Kade?"
"Nothing yet."
"Damn shame about his brother," Chase said, his voice oddly wooden.
"Yeah," Tegan said. "It is a shame."
When the ex-Enforcement Agent pivoted to walk away, Tegan cleared his throat. "Hey, Harvard. I've been meaning to talk to you about what happened out there at the mine."
"What about it?"
"Just wondering what the fuck you were thinking when you held that Minion by the throat for a while instead of going for a clean, quick kill."
Chase's grin seemed somehow too tight for his face. "Just having a little fun, is all." Tegan stared, assessing the once-straitlaced agent who'd proven to be a valuable asset to the Order, if a bit reckless at times. "Fun can get you killed, my man. You'd do well to remember that." Chase's expression was nonchalant, the lift of his shoulders casual, unconcerned. "Sure, Tegan. Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind."
Tegan watched him walk outside, then he turned his attention toward instructing the tranced humans to awaken once he and the other vampires had time enough to get several miles out of town.
Chapter Thirty-three
Kade stood outside his quarters at the Darkhaven compound in a black silk robe, leaning against the timber post of the back porch that looked out over the property's vast acreage. It was now a few hours after the sun had retreated, and darkness blanketed the region once more. He was lost in his thoughts, staring out at the far horizon, where the greenish glow of the aurora borealis streaked across the starlit sky. Alex drifted outside to join him. He heard her walking up softly behind him, closed his eyes as she gently wrapped her arms around his waist. She made a soft noise in the back of her throat, then sighed when he skimmed his fingers tenderly under the white satin sleeve of her robe to stroke her bare arms. They had spent most of the day in his bed, lying in each other's arms. His body was still healing from the funeral rite, though much improved, thanks to the blood Alex had given him. Now his skin was merely red and tender, no longer blistered and searing with pain. His libido reminded him that he was well enough to want Alex. God knew, there was nothing that would keep him from desiring her.
"I didn't mean to wake you," he murmured as they stood together as one under the starlit sky and watched the aurora dance in the distance. "You've been through a lot the past few days. You should rest some more."
Alex moved around to the front of him and burrowed into his warmth. "I came out here to tell you the same thing. How do you feel?"
He grunted, gave a brief nod. "Better, thanks to you. And all the more so when I have you in my arms."
She lifted her head to meet his gentle kiss. The brush of her lips was warm, inviting. Filled with tenderness for all they'd been through, and ripe with a tentative hope for what may still lay ahead for them.
"I needed you today, Alexandra," he whispered against her mouth. "I tried to convince myself that I didn't, but you are all that I need. Thank you for everything you did for me today. Thank you just for being here."
She smiled up at him, her voice soft with emotion. "You never need to thank me for that."
"God, I love you," he murmured, his chest tightening as he gazed down at her. "You honor me, Alex. You humble me. I don't think you realize how much. You could have any male you choose--" She reached up to caress his cheek with aching sweetness. "There is only one male I would choose. Only one male I could ever love."
His words perished on a low moan as he bent his head to hers and caught her mouth in a deep, passionate kiss. Need surged within him, hot and demanding. He wanted Alex--wanted her in his bed, passionate kiss. Need surged within him, hot and demanding. He wanted Alex--wanted her in his bed, beneath his fangs. He wanted her in every way he could have her.
So total was his desire, he hardly heard the rapid knock that fell against the front door of his cabin. He would have ignored it completely if Alex hadn't drawn back, breathless. "Someone's here."
"I don't care." Kade moved to kiss her again.
The knock came again, louder now. Insistent and demanding.
Kade snarled a curse as he caressed her beautiful face, then withdrew to stalk toward the door. He knew who he'd find on the other side, even before he opened it.
"Father," he said, his clipped tone hardly able to be interpreted as a greeting. Kir stared at him, then glanced past Kade's shoulder to where Alex had drifted in from the back porch. "We need to talk."
Kade stood firm, blocking the threshold with his body. "I've said all that I needed to."
