"Boiler room is a check," he told Niko on the other end. "I've got three more units to set and then I'm out - "

He froze, hearing the scuff of footsteps outside the closed door.

"Lucan?"

"Shit. Company coming," he murmured quietly as he rose from his position and crept near the door to prepare to strike.

He wrapped his gloved hand around the hilt of a nasty serrated blade sheathed across his chest. He had a gun on him, too, but they'd all agreed no firearms on this mission. No need to alert the Rogues of their presence, and with Niko throwing the gas main outside, pumping fumes into the building, the spark of a bullet firing was liable to set the whole works off prematurely.

The latch on the boiler room door began to twist.

Lucan smelled the stench of a Rogue, and the unmistakable coppery scent of human blood. Muffled animal grunts mingled with wet smacking and the faint whine of a victim being bled dry. The door opened, letting in a huge gust of putrid air as the Rogue started to drag its dying plaything into the dark alcove.

Lucan waited to the side of the door until the Rogue's big head came into full view. The suckhead was too involved in its prey to notice the threat. Lucan brought his hand up, burying the blade in the Rogue's rib cage. It roared, huge jaws gaping, yellow eyes bulging as the titanium sped through its blood system.

The human fell to the floor in a slump, boneless, spasming in the throes of death while the Rogue who'd been feeding off of him began to sizzle and shake, blisters rising like it had been doused with acid.

No sooner did the Rogue collapse into swift decomposition than another came pounding up the corridor. Lucan leaped to meet the new attack, but before he could deliver the first blow, the suckhead came up short, yanked off its feet from behind by a black-clad arm.

A blade flashed, as crisp and quietly as lightning, across the Rogue's throat, severing the big head in one clean strike.

The huge body was dropped to the floor like rubbish. Tegan stood there, blade dripping gore, green eyes steady. He was a killing machine, and the grim set of his mouth seemed to reiterate his earlier promise to Lucan that if Bloodlust ever got the better of him, Tegan was going to make sure Lucan got his own taste of titanium fury.

Looking at the warrior now, Lucan had no doubt that if Tegan ever came for him, it would be over before he even knew the vampire was in the room.

He met that cool, lethal look and gave a nod of acknowledgment.

"Talk to me," Niko said over Lucan's earpiece. "You good in there?"

"Yeah. All clear." He cleaned his dagger on the human's shirt, then sheathed it. When he glanced up, Tegan was already gone, vanished like the specter of death that he was.

"Heading to the north entry points now to place the rest of these party cakes," he told Nikolai as he ducked out of the boiler room and crept down an empty stretch of corridor.

Chapter Thirty-two

Gabrielle, what's happening? What's wrong with Kendra? She came to the gallery and told me you were in an accident and that I had to come with her right away. Why would she lie about that?"

She didn't know how to answer Jamie's anxious, whispered questions from beside her in the backseat of the sedan. They were speeding away from Beacon Hill, toward downtown. Financial District skyscrapers loomed ahead in the dark, office lights twinkling like Christmas bulbs. Kendra sat in the front seat next to the driver, a thick-necked bouncer type in a thug's dark suit and sunglasses.

Gabrielle and Jamie had a similar companion in back with them crowding them onto one side of the slick leather bench seat. She didn't think they were Rogues; they didn't appear to be hiding huge fangs behind their tense lips, and from what little she knew of the Breed's deadly enemies, she didn't expect that she or Jamie would have gone so much as a minute without getting their throats ripped out if the two men were, in fact, blood-addicted Rogues.

Minions, then, she reasoned. Human mind slaves of a powerful vampire Master.

Like Kendra was.

"What are they going to do with us, Gabby?"

"I'm not sure." She reached over and squeezed Jamie's hand. She kept her voice low, too, but she knew their captors were listening to every word. "It'll be okay, though. I promise."

They had to get out of the car before they reached their destination, that much she did know. It was the most basic rule of self-defense: never let yourself be taken to a secondary location. Then you were on your attacker's turf.

Odds of survival would go from poor to nil.

She glanced at the sliding lock on the door next to Jamie. He watched her eyes, brow pinching in question as she stared at him then back to the lock. Then he got it. He gave her a nearly imperceptible nod.

But when he started to shift his hands into place to unlock the door, Kendra chose that moment to turn around and taunt them from the front seat. "Almost there now, kiddies. Are you excited? I know I am. I can't wait for my Master to finally meet you in the flesh, Gabby. Mm, mmm! He's just gonna eat you right up."

Jamie leaned forward, practically snarling with venom. "Back off, you lying bitch!"

"Jamie, don't!" Gabrielle tried to hold him back, fear seizing her at his naive display of protectiveness. He had no idea what he was doing, agitating Kendra or the other two Minions in the car with them.

But he wouldn't be swayed. He made a lunge from his seat. "You touch either one of us and so help me, I'll claw your eyes out!"

"Jamie, stop, it's okay," Gabrielle said, pushing him back down. "Calm down, please! It'll be okay."

Kendra had hardly flinched. Staring at them both, she let out a sudden, shrill giggle. "Ah, Jamie. You always have been Gabby's faithful little terrier. Arf! Arf! You're pathetic."

Very slowly, obviously very full of herself, Kendra resituated herself in the front seat, giving them her back. "Turn up at the light," she told the driver.

Gabrielle blew out a tremulous sigh of relief as she settled back against the cold leather. Jamie was bunched up against the car door, fuming. When their eyes met, he slid a fraction to the side, letting her see that the door was now unlocked.

Her heart jumped at his ingenuity and courage. She could hardly contain her hopeful smile as the vehicle slowed for the traffic light a few yards ahead. It was red, but based on the line of cars stopped in front of them, it was due to change at any second.

This was their only chance.

She glanced at Jamie, and saw that he understood the plan perfectly.

Gabrielle waited, watching the light, the seconds seeming like hours. The red light blinked off, then went to green. The cars started moving ahead of them. As the sedan began to accelerate, Jamie grabbed the door handle. Pushed it open.

Fresh night air rushed in, and the both of them made a headlong move for freedom. Jamie hit the pavement and immediately moved to grab Gabrielle's arm to help her escape.

"Stop her!" Kendra shrieked. "Don't let her get away!"

A heavy hand clamped down on Gabrielle's shoulder and hauled her back inside the car. She crashed against the Minion's massive chest. His arms wrapped around her, trapping her in an iron hold.

"Gabby!" Jamie screamed.

A desperate sob choked out of her throat. "Get out of here! Jamie, go!"

"Punch it, you idiot!" Kendra yelled to the driver as Jamie reached for the door handle, trying to come back for Gabrielle. The engine roared, tires screeching as the car joined the other traffic.

"What about him?"

"Leave him," Kendra ordered sharply. She smiled at Gabrielle, who was struggling in vain in the backseat. "He's already served his purpose."

The Minion held her in a bruising grip until Kendra ordered the car to a stop outside a sleek corporate building. They got out of the car and forced Gabrielle toward the glass entrance. Kendra was talking to someone on her cell phone, purring with self-satisfaction.

"Yes, we've got her. We're coming up now."

She pocketed the phone and led the way across a vacant, marble lobby to a bank of elevators. Once inside, she pressed the button for the penthouse suite.

Gabrielle immediately thought back to the private showing Jamie had done for her photographs. As the elevator stopped on the top floor and the mirrored doors slid open, she had a dreadful feeling that her anonymous buyer was about to make himself known.

The Minion thug who had her by the arms shoved her into the suite. She stumbled forward and, in mere seconds, Gabrielle's dread became fact.

A tall, dark-haired figure in a long black coat and sunglasses stood in front of the wall of glass, Boston's nighttime skyline glowing behind him. He was as big as any one of the warriors, and he projected the same air of confidence. The same cool menace.

"Come in," he said, the boom of his deep voice rolling like a storm. "Gabrielle Maxwell, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."

Kendra went to his side and pet him adoringly.

"You brought me here for a reason, I assume," Gabrielle said, trying not to mourn the loss of Kendra's humanity or fear the dangerous being who made Kendra what she was.

"I've become quite a fan of your work." He smiled without baring his teeth. Kendra was brushed aside with a rough hand. "You take some interesting photographs, Miss Maxwell. Unfortunately, I need you to stop. It's not good for my business."

She tried to hold the calm, predatory gaze that she knew was peering at her from behind the dark glasses. "What's your business? You know, aside, from being a diseased, bloodsucking leech."

He chuckled. "World domination, of course. Really, is there anything else worth fighting for?"

"I can think of a few things."

A dark brow arched over the rim of his shades. "Oh, Miss Maxwell, if you say love or friendship, I may have to end this pleasant little introduction right now." He steepled his fingers, the rings on them sparkling in the dim light. She didn't like the way he was staring at her, sizing her up. His nostrils flared slightly, and then he leaned forward. "Come closer."

When she didn't move, the big Minion at her back shoved her into motion. She drew up just an arm's length away from the vampire Master.

"You smell delicious," he hissed slowly. "Like a flower, but there is something... else. Someone has fed from you recently. A warrior? Don't bother to deny it, I can smell him on you."

Before she realized it, he grabbed her wrist, yanking her to him. With rough hands, he pushed her head to the side, moving the hair that concealed Lucan's bite and the other, more damning mark, beneath her left ear.

"A Breedmate," he growled, smoothing his fingertips over her skin. "And newly claimed at that. You grow more fascinating by the second, Gabrielle."

She didn't like the intimate way he whispered her name.

"Who bit you, Breedmate? Which one of the warriors did you permit between those long, lovely legs?"

"Go to hell," she said, through gritted teeth.

"Not going to tell me?" He clucked his tongue, slowly shook his head. "That's all right. We can find out soon enough. We can make him come to us."

He drew back from her at last, and motioned for one of the Minion guards. "Bring her to the roof."

Gabrielle fought the grip of her captor, but she was no match for his brute strength. She was forced toward a red exit sign and a door with an information placard affixed to it, marked "Helipad Access."

"Wait! What about me?" Kendra complained from within the suite.

"Oh, yes. Nurse K. Delaney," her dark Master said, as if just now remembering her. "After we leave, I want you to come out to the roof. I know you'll find the view from the ledge to be spectacular. Enjoy it for a moment... then step off."

She blinked at him dully, then bobbed her head, completely under his spell.

"Kendra!" Gabrielle shouted, still desperate to reach her friend. "Kendra, don't do it!"

The one in the black coat and dark shades strode past without a care in the world. "Let's go. I'm finished here."

With the last block of C4 in place at the northern end of the asylum, Lucan navigated his way through a ventilation duct that led to the outside. He removed the loosened grid and hoisted himself out onto the ground. The grass crushed beneath him as he rolled onto it, fresh air crisp in his mouth as he came up on his feet and started to jog toward the perimeter fence.

"Niko, how're we doing?"

"We're good. Tegan's on his way back and Gideon should be right behind you."

"Excellent."

"Got my finger on the detonators," Nikolai said, his voice nearly drowned out by the low chop of a helicopter encroaching on the area. "Say the word, Lucan. I'm dying to light this sucker up."

"Me, too," Lucan said. He scowled up into the night sky, searching for the bird. "We've got incoming, Niko. Sounds like a chopper heading right for the asylum."

As soon as he said it, he saw the dark shape appear over the tree line. Small lights flashed as the helicopter angled for the roof of the asylum and began its descent.

A breeze kicked up as the propeller beat its steady rhythm. Lucan smelled pine and summer pollen... and another perfume that made his blood run cold in his veins.

"Oh, Jesus," he gasped as the trace scent of jasmine registered. "Do not touch the detonators, Niko! For chrissake, whatever you do, you can't let that fucking building blow!"

Chapter Thirty-three

A volatile mix of adrenaline, rage, and absolute, marrow-chilling fear vaulted Lucan to the roof of the old asylum. The helicopter had barely touched down on its landing rails as he thundered toward it from the edge of the building. Lucan was vibrating with fury, more explosive and unstable than a tractor trailer packed with C4. He fully intended to rip the limbs off of whomever was holding Gabrielle.