Kissing Sin

"We may just be helping Misha take over the whole shebang."

"I think you'll find Misha's reasons for this are a whole lot more personal," Qui

Meaning what he wanted most was me? I snorted softly. "Misha doesn't love me, Qui

He raised a dark eyebrow. "Who mentioned love? This isn't about love—it's about possession."

"Whether it is or isn't is beyond the point," Jack interrupted. "Fact is, you will go to him tonight and continue questioning him. Meantime, Kade, Rhoan, and myself will join the team at the domain tu

"While I do what?" Qui

"The Sydney team should be here at eight with the Gosford man. I thought you might like to help with the interrogation."

The slow smile that touched his lips sent a chill up my spine. If the man who was Mrs. Hunt had any secrets left, Qui

All he said was, "Willingly."

Jack thrust to his feet. "Then we should go. Riley, I've arranged a car to take you into Lygon street. We still have the place staked out, so you should be perfectly safe."

Should and would were two entirely different things. I had an odd suspicion that things were going too right for us, that the wheel was about to turn yet again. I rubbed my arms and ignored the premonition. It was only fear—or a simple reluctance to be with Misha again. Clairvoyance wasn't a talent I'd shown the slightest aptitude for—despite what Jack's test had said—and it certainly wasn't one I wanted to be developing.

"I'd prefer to drive myself." Especially given I had no intention of hanging around here with only Qui

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Given your record with cars, I do not think that advisable."

"Have I ever crashed a Directorate car?"

"No, but—"

"Then let me take one. We can't afford to presume these people have stopped watching me—or at least, stopped watching the Rocker. With Gautier on their payroll, they probably know the profile of every Directorate employee. They see any of them arrive at the Rocker with me, they'll suspect it's me, disguise or no."

Jack's green eyes narrowed slightly, like he knew I was up to something. Given we'd been working together a long time now, that was entirely possible. But my shields were strong enough to keep him out of my mind, so he couldn't check and be sure.

"All right," he said eventually. "But when the session with Misha is over, you come straight back here. No detours."

"'Deal," I agreed, without qualms. After all, the detour I pla

Jack's frown deepened, but he rose and said, "Let's go," then walked out of the room.

Kade followed. Rhoan stopped by my chair and swooped to kiss my forehead. "Be careful."

"You too."

"I'm not walking into the enemy's boudoir." He squeezed my arm. "Just remember, keep aware even when you're having fun."

"Stop worrying, and just go do your job."

"It's a brother's task to worry about his little sister." He cast a glance Qui

"I remember. Now mind your own business and get moving."

He gri

I gri

"Good." He kissed me a third time—three times for luck, as we always said—then pushed away from the chair and left.

Which left me with the moody Qui

"We have a conversation to finish," he said, the moment we were alone.

I untucked my legs and walked across to the water dispenser. "I've said all I have to say."

"Then tell me why you fucked Kellen last night. Was it just to get back at me?"

I snorted softly as I filled the little plastic cup. "Qui

"So is that a yes?"

"It's a no. I fucked him because I wanted to, because he was hot, and because I wanted him to answer some questions afterward. Which he did." I took a sip of water and turned around, meeting his stormy gaze. "Kellen was well aware that I came to the event with you, mind. I believe he took great delight in the fact that he took me from you."

"And you intend to see him again?"

"Lots of times. And if you don't like that fact, walk away now. It's not worth the angst to either of us."

Qui

I raised my eyebrows. "That almost sounded like a threat."

"Take it any damn way you please."

"Threat then. So my next question has to be, or what?"

He was still giving me his vampire look, but underneath it, I had a sense of turmoil. Frustration. "You don't want to know."

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know."

He hesitated. "I have the power to force you to do certain things."

I stared at him, not sure I'd heard him right. Not wanting to believe I'd heard him right. "What?"

His gaze was uncompromising. "We shared blood. That gives me the power to enforce certain actions on you."

"Another thing you forgot to mention when the blood sharing happened." My voice was flat, calm, totally belying the anger that burned deep.

"You were mad with moon fever at the time. Do you really think you would have refused my blood even if I'd taken the time to explain the consequences?"

"No, but you could have warned me afterward." Forewarned is forearmed. Though in this case, I very much suspected being forearmed wouldn't matter a damn.

"Have I yet tried to curtail any of your actions?"

I gave a harsh laugh. "No. Doesn't mean you won't in the future though."

"I won't."

"And would I even know if you did?" He didn't answer and I shook my head. "You know what you've done, don't you? With that one little threat, you've put yourself into an entirely different category in my eyes."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you've just leapt into the basket that contains the men who are using me for their own ends."

"Dammit, Riley, you know—"

"What I know," I cut in harshly, "is that of the three men I'm currently dancing with, Kade is the only one who has shown me any sort of companionship and caring outside the realms of sex. Do you want to know what he did for me today? He took me to a mare's place, ran me a bath, washed my hair, then he tucked me into bed, and left me alone. He looked after me, pampered me, because he damn well knew I needed it. What have you done, except reluctantly accept the sex and blood you desperately needed? Oh, and make demands, or raid my mind?"

He raised an eyebrow. "So what is it you're telling me? That I need to pamper you, romance you, to win your heart?"