Page 23 (1/2)

Michael turned her around and pulled her towards hiainst the warmth of his chest, and wished she could stay in the safe circle of his aro to hell and leave her alone? Better yet, asn’t there a way to simply turn back the clock to the tih that would ood had come out of this whole mess, no hed and pulled away "If Jasper’s ht"

Michael shrugged, finally relanced at the sun "It’s nearly five, and the winter sun is weak Besides, it was probably the zorabbed hied a second time "As I’ve said before, he and I are old foes I make it my business to know my enemy"

"Do you make it your business to keep your allies in the dark?" A wisp of annoyance ran through her, though his face was impassive "I only tell what needs to be known"

She clenched her fists and tried to ignore the desire to yell in frustration "Well, right now I need to know everything I can about Jasper"

He nodded, though his dark gaze was suddenly distant "As I said earlier, he’s a twin He and his brother survived the San Francisco fires of 1906, but the rest of their faed, but we do know it occurred shortly after the fires, when they were fifteen" He hesitated, his face grim "Even so, Jasper was responsible for the murder of at least five people before his rebirth" She shifted fronore the need toshe could muster--and every scrap of infore "You h it was a sound filled with annoyance "I aanization known as the Damask Circle"

"Are you all vampires?"

"No But neither are we all what you’d term human"

Human The bitter emphasis he placed on that word spoke voluht She bit her lip and glanced away frooes around killing people like Jasper?"

"Yes So people like you can rest easier at night"

People who fear what cannot easily be explained People who cannot trust what their hearts know to be true She closed her heart to his thoughts This wasn’t the tiue about her refusal to trust "Is that why you killed Jasper’s brother?"

Again Michael hesitated Pain rose briefly through his soul She wanted to reach out and tell hiers and waited for him to continue

"No I killed Jasper’s brother because hewas based on revenge, and it could end up killing them all "How often have you and Jasper met in the past?"

Then she frowned "If you’re three-hundred-years-old and Jasper is only one hundred, wouldn’t your brother have been well and truly dead before Jasper and his brother were even born?" The pain in Michael’s soul became sharper "Patrick was a vampire" And Michael had turned him Nikki wondered why "How often have you and Jasper met in the past?"

"Three times"

And each time Jasper had somehow slipped froain, she thought, staring at him Deep in the dark depths of his eyes she could see the promise of death One way or another, Michael was deter pounded through her Shivering, she turned away and locked the car door Dark laughter ran through herher She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath Jasper wouldn’t win this battle, either

"Let’s go inside," she said, avoiding Michael’s gaze and walking around to the front of the car "I should be able to find so to trace Jake with"

She climbed the steps and unlocked the door The office was as cold as the ice forain scurried past the edges of herher around to face hi to ood job of it," sheMichael would wrap his arms around her and hold her until the scent of evil left her skin But it was no use wishing for things that could not be He couldn’t stay She didn’t want hi cut pain through her heart?

He placed a finger under her chin, raising it until her gaze met his "He can’t control you, Nikki, only undermine your confidence"

It was a lie He knew, as she did, that Jasper only had to call, and she’d probably go running "Why is he bothering? I’er, his eyes layered with a darkness that chilled her soul

"He fears you, Nikki" He raised a hand, pushing a wisp of hair away froainst the ice of her skin "Fears the strength of your abilities" His touch felt so goodShe shivered, fighting the need to fall into his ar the desire to jerk away from it "Why? My psychic talents can’t hurt him"

"Can’t they?" His voice was distant, distracted, as he ran a finger lightly down her cheek and neck She licked her lips It was hard to concentrate with hiently Lord, all she wanted to do was fall into bed with this man--but she couldn’t The ti A man who couldn’t love and a woman afraid to love--what hope would there ever be for thelanced up quickly, but he avoided her gaze and stepped away It didn’t hts Kneouldn’t touch her like that again

"I’m sorry," he said softly

She nodded It was as much her fault as his She should have pulled away the minute he’d touched her She walked across to Jake’s desk and raised a hand There had to be soh of Jake’s vibes to enable her to track him

She found it within a fewthe junk in his botto on the edge of the desk She nodded and tried to ignore the sensations running through her fingers "How do you want to go about this?"

"That would depend on how ave hiing one leg slightly So very casual in appearance, but she could feel his tension See it around the edges of his dark eyes

"What do you mean?"

"Jasper knows you will atteain" She nodded That uessed But she had to find Jake, and this was her best option Probably the only option, if they wanted to find him alive

"You have a plan to stop hi yours," he hesitated and shrugged lightly "Coe hts and desires?