Tempting Evil

As the orders slipped into his subconsciousness and became fact, I pulled out of his mind, carefully erasing the traces of my presence and making doubly sure he remembered nothing more than fucking the hell out of me.

As the co

"Wake him just before six." I rubbed my eyes wearily, and pushed to my feet. "Let's get going."

"You know where central security is?"

"Yes."

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't question my knowledge, simply led me out of the rooms to the elevator. When it was moving, I looked at him. "Ten minutes, remember. And if you don't do what I asked, I'll find those detonators and set them off myself."

"I will do as you ask."

"Good." I glanced up, saw we were almost at the ground floor. "What is the toy room you mentioned earlier?"

"A torture room on the first level."

Trust Starr to call a torture room a toy room. "What else is there?"

"An armory. Secure meeting rooms. Stuff like that."

The elevator jerked to a stop and the doors opened. I headed left, but not directly toward the security area. There was ten minutes to kill before the power outage removed the threat of the cameras, so I pushed open the nearest exit door and walked out into the coolness of the gathering evening. The sun had moved behind the mountains and trees, and shadows hunted across the ground. The scent of eucalyptus filled the air, and kookaburras were begi

I casually touched my ear, then plucked a long blade of grass and idly fiddled with it.

"Hey, Jack," I said softly. "Any more news of Nerida and Berna?"

"And good fucking morning to you, too. Or evening, as the damn case is."

"This is the first chance I've had to report, so don't pull the heavy on me."

"It doesn't take much to Hick your ear and let me hear what is going on even if you can't speak."

"Which is impossible to do when you're unconscious."

He swore loud enough to make my wince, then added, "You'd better update me."

I did. "You heard from Rhoan at all?"

"He touched the com-link briefly as he was going into the fight, but nothing since then."

"Damn. Hope he's okay."

"He's been in far worse situations. He'll be fine."

"But Starr is suspicious of us both, Jack. He's got a watch on me, even now." I flicked the blade of grass away and glanced sideways at the man in question. He was leaning, cross-armed, against the brick wall, his face raised as if he was studying something in the trees. The mere fact I'd sensed his presence when I hadn't even heard him meant he was something other than human. Which possibly meant it wasn't going to be easy to ditch him, but I had to try before I went anywhere near the security center.

"Then maybe we'd better pull you out."

Pull me, not my brother or Kade. "I'm not going anywhere just yet."

"Riley, if he does suspect, it's far too dangerous for everyone—"

"I have things to do first."

He swore again. "You can't rescue that kid—"

"We made promises to people. Jack. I'm going to try and uphold them before I run. Besides, I'm not going to leave my brother alone in this mess."

"He's got far more experience than you to fall back on."

He hadn't seemed too damn worried about my inexperience when he'd sent me in here. "Experience won't mean squat if he's outnumbered. Which he is."

Jack grunted. "At least tell me what you're pla

I gave him a rough outline. He was silent for a few minutes, then said, "You know, it might be worth destroying the labs and security."

"What? Why?"

"Starr may be suspicious of you, but I actually doubt he realizes that you're working for the Directorate or that you're a dhampire. Even if his suspicions are raised over you losing your guard, he won't suspect you being behind the destruction of security and the lab. We both know only someone with vampire speed can manage to get to those two places in a short amount of time."

"Agreed, but I'm still not seeing the point."

"It's a simple subterfuge to deflect his suspicions. Given the kitchen bombing that barely missed taking out Merle, he may suspect the cartels playing friendly are actually attempting a little double-cross."

"Which means I couldn't actually leave, even if I wanted to."

"Yes."

"Then how do I get the baby out?"

"Women," he muttered. "Look, bring the kid to the forest and I'll call in an eagle-shifter to get her out. We'll look after her until Dia is free. Okay?"

I gri

"Oh, I'm counting on it." His voice was dry. "Just remember, kiddo, that you can't leave live evidence behind."

My grin faded. "I know."

I'd just avoided thinking about it, because it was just another step down that road, another twist in the chain Jack was wrapping around me. One kill, then two, and before I knew it, I'd be killing without thought, without regret. Or so he hoped.

"Good. Contact me when you've finished creating havoc."

"Will do."

I touched my ear to turn off the link, then rose and walked downwind. After a few minutes, the muskiness of something feline and male touched the air. The guard was following, but keeping his distance.

Good.

I walked along the outside of the building until I was at the far end of the house, close to the remains of the kitchen and well away from the security center. Then I stepped into the trees and the deeper shadows lurking within. The minute I found a path, I wrapped those shadows around my body and ran like hell around to the other side of the house. With vampire speed it only took seconds—but that was long enough to have disappeared from the guard's sight. And the whispering wind would already be scattering my scent. All I had to hope now was that he didn't go ru

I stopped in the duskiness of several large trees and sca

I let my gaze rest on the metal doors that were the main entrance to central security. The floor plans indicated heavy fortification within that area, which included the substantial doors and a long corridor to traverse before reaching the control room.

And though it wasn't mentioned on the plan, it made sense that the center would have its own power source if all else went down. But any auxiliary source would take time to get going. I just had to make sure my timing was right, or they would catch me on camera.