Dark Lover by Brenda Joyce Read Free Book Online

E.R. was a bad idea. The non-ordinary—and many at CDA were NO—could not seek treatment in a public hospital, either. The press would start to figure things out. Full-blooded demons disintegrated if left untouched within moments of their destruction, so they were rarely an issue. Five was for the very special.
    That done, she closed her phone and looked at the bodies on the street. Four dead kids, all of whom had once been normal. It was routine by now. These possessed kids were mostly runaways, and they were easy prey for evil.
    She looked at the boy who was still alive. “Try not to die. With a little help from the gods, we might get you back to your family.” She spoke without emotion. Compassion was a bad idea, she’d learned that long ago. If she started caring about who lived and who died, she’d be the one winding up dead, really soon.
    He spat at her, mostly blood.
    â€œAre you all right?” It was the woman who had been fleeing the subs.
    The man with her knelt beside Sam. “Jesus, are you a cop? I’ve never seen anything like what you did! You saved me and my wife!”
    Sam smiled grimly. She looked past the couple at Maclean.
    He stood on the corner, hands in his tuxedo pockets, regarding her thoughtfully. Their gazes locked. He hadn’t lifted a single finger to help her . The anger burned.
    â€œShould we call 911?” the woman asked worriedly.
    â€œI’m fine,” Sam said. As she started to stand, the woman’s husband grasped her arm to steady her.
    â€œYou’re hurt,” he said with concern.
    Sam looked at her bloody arm and the slashes in the bodice of her red dress. She’d been nicked on her bicep and her rib cage. It burned a lot, but she was almost certain the cuts were superficial. “Par for the course. Why don’t you two go home? Have a brandy on me. I’m a Fed.” The Bureau was her cover. “I’ll take care of this.”
    â€œWe can’t possibly leave you,” the man said firmly.
    His wife nodded in agreement, beginning to cry. “She’s so brave,” she said to her husband. “I was so scared.”
    He put his arm around her and turned away, whisper-ing to her. They were in their forties, Sam thought, and it crossed her mind that they really loved each other. Sweet. She looked at Maclean again. What a frigging selfish jerk.
    The sirens from CDA’s mismarked ambulance could be heard. Maclean sauntered toward her. Sam glanced at Hemmer’s house and saw that his two dates had vanished. Of course they had. Bimbos were usually chickens.
    â€œImpressive,” he said, his glance going to the tattered bodice of her dress.
    â€œGee, I’m so glad you enjoyed the show.” She turned her back on him and knelt, gathering up her weapons and piling them into her messenger bag. She was bloody, bruised, stabbed and dirty, and he didn’t have one hair out of place! He had watched the entire attack. What kind of superpowered hero was he? It was unbelievable. Even an antihero would have cut in.
    She stood up. “Thanks for all the help.”
    He shrugged. “Yer a tough girl. Ye hardly needed my help.”
    â€œLike you’d have bothered.”
    â€œI want ye in my bed, not dead.”
    â€œYou have a great way of romancin’ a gal,” Sam snarled.
    He smiled. “Every man likes to watch a good fight. Maybe I should help ye next time. Or maybe I’ll be your next target.” His eyes gleamed.
    Sam had the instant notion that he’d love for her to fight him with everything she had. “Don’t worry. The day is rapidly approaching.”
    His answer was to touch her.
    Sam tensed as the back of his hand skimmed the bottom of her breast. He lifted the shreds of her red dress where it had been cut. She inhaled. In spite of the pain, desire was instantaneous and acute. She knew he kept his hand pressed against her breast on purpose.
    His gaze was