He forced a note of severity into his voice. “Three hundred and sixty, not three hundred and eighty, thank you very much."

Her grin widened. “What's twenty years when you're that old? And you didn't answer my question."

"I have had good sex. But I've never had sex that could so completely blow my mind as well as my body. Amazing, as you said."

She studied him for a second, her eyes amber slits of contentment. “What about Elizabeth?" If she at all worried that Elizabeth might yet usurp her position in his heart, then it didn't show—in her voice or her thoughts. Still, he owed her the truth.

He sat down on the edge of the spa and tucked the wet strands of her hair behind her ear. “I gave up life to follow Elizabeth. She was my world—all I wanted at the time, and all I thought I would ever want.”

Nikki frowned and looked away. He caught her chin, gently forcing her to look at him again. “But she never was, and could never be, what you are to me. You complete me, Nikki. She never could." Her smile filled his heart and mind and stirred to life the embers of passion. “I really do love you." He leaned forward, kissing her sweet lips. “Good. Now get your ass out of that water." She sighed and struggled upright. He helped her out, then towelled her dry. Ignoring the rising desire to touch her more fully, he guided her into the bedroom and tucked her into bed.

"Wouldn't like to join me?” she murmured, patting the sheets next to her. He would have liked nothing more, but there were things he had to do first. Like contact Seline. “I thought you had no bones? I can't make love to a boneless woman." Her gaze flicked down his body and she grinned. “Parts of your body are refuting that statement."

"Parts of my body have a will of their own. Sleep Nikki. I have to contact Seline and see if she has found any information on Cordell."

"Which reminds me—I thought you said vampires could heal just about any wound inflicted on them?" He frowned slightly. “We can. Why?"

"Cordell's in a wheelchair. I saw it when I was in Matthew's memories."

"That doesn't make much sense.” Even if Cordell had broken his back at some stage, his vampire healing capacity should have fixed the wound within weeks. Unless ... it must have happened before he became a vampire. As you were in life, you are in un life. If Cordell was crippled in some way before he became a vampire, he would have remained that way.

She shrugged. “I'm just reporting what I saw. Cordell was using Matthew to set up a series of electronic cash transactions."

"He's getting ready to pull out."

"It sounds like it. Though I can't understand why he'd bother transferring all this money to a charity organization in the first place if all he wanted to do was steal it himself. Why not just transfer it straight into is own accounts?"

He shrugged. “Seline said the charity looked legit. Maybe he needed to keep it that way until he'd hit all his targets and was ready to flee.” He bent down and kissed her forehead. “You sleep. I have work to do."

"Don't be long,” she murmured, closing her eyes.

She was asleep by the time he'd settled on the day bed. Smiling, he relaxed his mind and opened the lines of communication. Contact was instant. Seline had obviously been waiting for him. Found lots of information on your Randolf Cordell, she said. He's not a very pleasant type. If he was, we probably wouldn't be hunting him, would we?

Well, no, I guess not. Her smile ran down the line. His parents died when he was eight. Cordell was shuffled between in-laws, none of whom really wanted him. The streets became his home. By the time he was thirteen he'd been up before the courts on several counts of assaults and robbery. When he was seventeen, he got involved in a car stealing racket but during one theft was involved in an accident, and the injury left him a paraplegic. He sued the driver for damages but lost the case. He then attempted to kill the driver, but was caught and charged, and spent the next ten years behind bars. Apparently, he was not a model prisoner. A charmer, all right. It was odd how differently people coped with their situations. Nikki had also made the streets her home after her parents had died. Yet she'd managed to escape with both her integrity and her humanity relatively intact. Let me guess. The man who hit him was one of his first kidnap victims.

Clever boy. William Parnell was actually one of the four major investors in a high-flying brokerage company. The other three men provided alibis for Parnell in the court case. Victims two, three and four?

Yes. I would guess that by the time Cordell got around to penalizing the fourth man, Robert Carson, he'd gained quite a taste for kidnapping and easy money.

He frowned. Cordell doesn't seem the type to be happy with siphoning money from their accounts. Especially as a means of revenge.

These four are the types who think money is all-conquering. Cordell never had a hope in the court case, given his record and the fact the car he was driving was stolen, but he never saw it that way. What he saw was big fancy lawyers and lots of cash burying the truth. I'm guessing he wanted that power, and that he wanted to take it away from them.

Do we know when he was turned?

Not exactly. He disappeared for several years after his ten-year stint in jail. The next mention I found was in a journal of an old witch—you remember a woman called Ladonna doing the fairground circuit some ten years back?

Vaguely. He wasn't into fairground mysticism—it was one of the few things he hadn't done through the years. She was a shyster, wasn't she?

No, she was very much the real thing, even though her act stunk to high heaven. He smiled. The sort of thing that gives witches a bad name, huh?

Exactly. She sniffed. Anyway, Cordell apparently joined her act, and they became quite a team. In her journal, Ladonna states that she had apprenticed Cordell and intended teaching him the art. Seline's tone told him she wasn't impressed. I gather Ladonna followed the dark path?

Yes. I warned her many years ago it would lead to her death, but power was all she could see, all she was interested in. Fool.

I think you've lost me. Why would teaching Cordell have cost Ladonna her life? Beside the fact that Cordell is a murderous creep, that is.

The only way those apprenticed in the dark ways can gain complete mastery over the dark powers is by killing their master and absorbing their talents. Ladonna had failed to do this, which was why she was such an abysmal practitioner and no real threat to us. I haven't found a record of her death, but I have no doubt Cordell did kill her if he is now using the full powers of dark magic. Could he use that magic to restore his ability to walk? He couldn't imagine women like Ginger and Rachel falling for a grimy little cripple like Cordell—not unless he was using some sort of glamour to hide the truth.

Maybe, if it was for short periods of time. That sort of magic sucks a lot of strength from the user, though.

Cordell is skin and bone.

Then he has used the magic often. It will make him weaker, but perversely, won't make him an easier target. Especially if he has found a way to siphon the energy of the flame imps. Well, that solved the mystery of the imps’ role in all of this. What about the charity these funds are going into? Have you done a background check yet? Cordell didn't seem the over generous type. The charity had to be a cover.

Yes. Cordell is listed as one of the directors and is being paid a huge salary. Three other directors are listed, but I cannot find more than postal addresses for them. Surprise, surprise. Then they are probably no more than names on paper. More than likely. But the charity is legit, insofar as it has all the proper registrations and has spent considerable monies providing hostels and shelters for street kids. On the other hand, considering the amounts donated, it is but a sneeze.

Why would he be kidnapping these men and risking possible exposure, if all he wished to do was siphon their millions? It doesn't make sense.

I would suspect that Cordell has the sort of personality that enjoys inflicting pain. He probably doesn't have to kidnap the men to make his scheme work, but he prefers to watch them suffer. Then why use the imps?

She sniffed. If he is a practitioner of the black arts, and as thin as you say, he probably needs their energy now to work his magic.

Then that's why he's pulling out. According to Nikki, he has all but killed the imps off in this area. Though I still don't understand why he is forcing them into vampires like Rachel and Ginger. If they are his fledglings, they would do as he ordered, anyway.

But they would not have enough control of their bloodlust to seduce and coax these men into Cordell's arms. The imps probably give them that strength

Up to a point, anyway. Rachel's bloodlust had overcome the control of the imp inside her. Or had that simply happened because the bonding was still new? Has Doyle arrived with our parcel yet?

Yes, and what a parcel she is. I think your Nikki is being optimistic in thinking she can be saved, but we'll see.

Can you tell anything about the methods Cordell is using to bind the imp?

It will be a spell of binding, for certain. What type of spell I can't say, but you will need protection against it. I've already couriered two charms for you and Nikki. They should actually be there by now. Go down and check with the desk the minute we finish.

Nikki won't need it. She's heading home in the morning.

Seline's amusement filled the line. If you say so. Give her the charm as a going away present, then. And make sure you wear yours.

I will. Controlling the darkness inside him was hard enough. What he didn't need right now was a battle over control with an imp forced into his body. What did you find out about thralls?

Nothing much, although there was one suggestion it was better not to use those with psychic gifts. It didn't say why. Has she exhibited any other signs of emerging powers?

Her night sight has improved immensely, and the powers she has have definitely strengthened. You sound worried.

That's because I am. Elizabeth had created several thralls over the years, and never once had she mentioned anything like this happening. But then, maybe she'd never shared her life force with anyone who was psychic. Maybe she knew the risks and had just never mentioned it. He wished fleetingly he could go down and talk to her—but he didn't trust her. Not when it came to Nikki's safety. I'll keep researching. In the meantime, go down to the desk and see if the parcel has arrived. I will. Stop nagging.

Her laughter filled his thoughts, and the line went dead. He stretched and rose. The darkness shifted outside the window, shimmering briefly. He frowned. For an instant, a familiar taste ran across his senses, only to be whisked away before he could fully identify it.

He moved past the day bed and opened the door. The night was crisp and clear and touched with the faint scent of orange blossom. Elizabeth's scent.

Had she been watching him? For what reason? Did she merely wait for him to leave so she could attack Nikki?

Probably.

She'd enjoy robbing him of his thrall, especially after the dunking Nikki had given her. He closed and locked the door. He wasn't about to go anywhere when there was a vampire hell bent on a good bloodletting roaming around outside their room. Seline's charms would have to wait until the morning, when the rise of the hotel's other guests forced Elizabeth away.

Chapter Nineteen

The sound of the suite door clicking shut woke Nikki. She peeked out from under the comforter, watching Michael carry a tray of croissants, fruit and coffee over to the table. He'd pulled on some jeans but wore no shirt, and the warm morning light played lovingly across his well-muscled chest and stomach. He had good skin color, considering how little he saw of the sun.

"Are you getting up?” He flipped the cups right-side up and poured two coffees. She yawned and stretched. She felt like a cat, all warm and contented and full. But that didn't mean she couldn't do with more. Especially when the meal in question was standing a few yards away, looking mighty sexy in tight-fitting jeans. “That depends."

"On what?” He watched her over the rim of his steaming coffee mug, a smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.

"On whether you're intending to bring that coffee over to me.” Not that she intended to drink the coffee once he'd bought it over. What she wanted was him in bed with her.

"Not a chance.” Grin widening, he sat down. “You need to get out of bed, because we need to talk."

"That sounds ominous."

"It is. The coffee is delicious, by the way, and getting colder by the minute."

"Never tease someone who hasn't yet had their first morning cup. It could get ugly."

"I can handle ugly."

But he hadn't yet seen her in a coffee deprived fit. Even Jake quailed. She thrust the covers aside and wandered over to the table. She didn't bother dressing. Their room was isolated enough, and it wasn't cold. And after last night, he probably knew her body better than she did. She smiled. Besides, there was something deliciously wanton, almost erotic, about parading around without any clothes on—especially when his gaze all but devoured her.

He cleared his throat. “If you intend coming to breakfast dressed like that all the time, I'll definitely have to keep you around."

"Play your cards right, and I just might stay.” She grinned and sat down next to him. “What do you want to talk about?"

His gaze ran over her, stirring heat where it touched. Her nipples hardened, aching for his caress. Whatever he wanted to talk about, he'd better make it quick, because she fully intended to do for him what he'd done for her last night—and she didn't think she had the strength to hold off touching him for much longer.

She picked up her coffee and sipped it. It felt cold when compared to the heat already burning through her body. She glanced sideways at him, a teasing smile on her lips. “You did say you wanted to talk, didn't you?"