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She reached for the link between them again. There was no response from his mind, and the sense of him was growing more distant. “Left at the next street,” she said. “And hurry." The car slid around the corner. The tires squealed in protest and the Mercedes fishtailed several times before Jake brought it back under control.
"They can't be heading for the airport,” he commented. “It's in the opposite direction." She fought the urge to close her eyes as Jake wove in and out of the traffic. “They wouldn't get an unconscious person past security, anyway."
Ahead, the lights changed to red. Jake pressed his foot on the accelerator rather than the brake. Nikki tensed, her knuckles white with the force of her grip on the side of the seat. Cars moved into the intersection. Jake swore and slapped his palm against the horn. Then he gunned the engine, and the big car surged forward.
She closed her eyes and prayed that someone upstairs was looking out for them. Tires squealed. Other horns blasted. Something hit the back of the Mercedes, and they slewed sideways. Jake swore, his hands slamming against the wheel as he fought to keep the car going forward. Then they were through the intersection and speeding up the street. She blew out a breath, but her relief was short lived. A car flew out of a side street and arrowed towards them.
She barely had time to scream a warning before the car hit and blackness swamped her.
* * * *
Nikki drifted in and out of consciousness, as if caught in a fragmented dream. Pain was a beat as steady as her heart, pounding through her veins like blood. Her throat burned, and for what seemed like ages, she couldn't swallow. Could barely even breathe.
Voices swam around her. Many voices, except for the one she really wanted to hear. Lights as bright as any sun burned into her eyes. She tried to blink, felt the touch of heat against her cheek and eyelid. Realized someone was holding her lid open, pouring light into her eyes. Something bit into her arm, sharp, stinging. The pain began to ease, and for a while, there was nothing but peace.>"You must have been paying Lenny a decent salary if he could afford an apartment in this place,” Nikki commented, regarding the old but classy-looking apartment block dubiously.
"Apparently so.” He walked through the old-fashioned concrete arch and approached the security doors. He directed a lance of kinetic energy at the locks, and the door opened with little protest.
"You would have made the best cat burglar,” Jake commented.
"I was, once."
Nikki's gaze jerked to his. “You? On the wrong side of the law?" His smile was wry. “Often."
Though his clashes with the law had more to do with the darkness within him gaining the upper hand than anything else. He'd walked the edge for more years than he cared to remember. If he hadn't met Seline, he might not have been around to find Nikki.
They took the stairs to the fourth floor. Michael checked the corridor and motioned everyone out of the staircase. Lenny's apartment was the third from the end. Though the echo of heartbeats came from the apartments on either side of Lenny's, no life beat in his.
Michael stopped and switched to the infrared of his vampire vision. No life at all inside, human or otherwise.
He stepped back and glanced at Nikki. “Your turn."
She pressed a hand against the door. Energy shimmered through the air, dancing lightly across his skin. The door opened without a creak of complaint.
There was little furniture in the living room—a chair, a TV, and a ratty looking coffee table dotted with dried coffee rings.
"What are we looking for?” she asked, stepping through the doorway.
"I don't know. Something unusual. Something out of place." She nodded and began searching. Jake followed her in. Michael leaned against the doorframe and watched them explore.
They were going through the drawers, when he heard the distant sound of footsteps in the stairwell, footsteps that were moving up towards them. He looked toward the stair door, his gaze narrowing as he listened. Two sets of steps. Two sets of heartbeats. One human. One not. He pushed away from the doorframe. Nikki, someone's coming. She looked over her shoulder, expression pensive. Shall we leave?
No. Warn Jake, then close the door. I'll go check it out.
Be careful
Definitely. We have a date I have no intention of missing.
The warmth of her smile ran through him, stirring the very heart of him. Good. He turned and walked toward the stairwell. The footsteps stopped, and for several seconds, all he could hear was the drumming of hearts in the apartments around him. Then the footsteps echoed on the stairs again, this time heading down in a hurry.
They've sensed me, Nikki. Stay in the apartment until I get back. Be careful.
Always.
He slammed through the stairwell door and took the stairs two at a time. The two men were several floors below him, their footsteps as rapid as their hearts. The second man had the feel of a shifter rather than a vampire. Had they been intending to visit Lenny? If so, why run when they sensed his presence?
The fact that they did might mean they knew who he was. Might know something about Lenny's attack on Nikki.
He heard a door open and close, and he swore. He couldn't afford to lose them now. Leaping over the banister, he dropped to the floor, jarring his spine for the second time in an hour. He pushed through the door and saw the men running down the street.
