"Dahlia."
The man chuckled. "Like Black Dahlia, I assume?"
One carefully sculpted eyebrow rose. "I think I'm more of the gilded kind. Besides, being cut in half isn't in my plans. What about you?"
"I'll pass on the dismemberment tonight." His roguish smile was captivating.
She tapped his chest playfully. "I meant your name."
"Oh!" he said, playing naive. "Thane. Guess you need something to scream later, huh? Although I won't mind too much if you just call me God."
Ok, she liked this guy. He was full of himself and yet still charming. "Baby," she purred, guiding his arms away from her body and up toward the wall behind him, "I think you'll be the one screaming for God."
"Oh yeah," he agreed as she leaned into him. "If that's how you want it, I can be submissive."
That was exactly how she wanted it. Sliding her hands along his arms, she guided them up, over his head, and against the wall. Inch by inch, she caressed each of those rock-hard muscles, reveling in the ropes of them running over his biceps, then up toward his elbows without stopping. One leg slid up the side of his calf as she straddled his thick thigh, and the man beneath her gave in to her control. Once again, she leaned in for his mouth, just as her hands slid over his forearms, but an irritating tingling sensation made her pause.
Sucking in a breath, she looked at where her palm rested on the tender skin just below his wrist. So did he. There, tattooed in vivid shades of blues and greys, was a symbol that made her heart stop. The Celtic cross was palpable. That wasn't just ink. It was magic. She knew better - but how had she missed it? How had she gotten this close without sensing the ward?
Her eyes flicked back to his as Thane tensed. All of his playfulness vanished when her touch sent electric warnings over the bespelled tattoo. She watched him pull in a long, shocked breath, as if someone had slowed down time. He didn't blink. He didn't talk. He didn't ask why. His eyes just held hers. The bastard knew.
Just as his lips began to move, she slammed her mouth into his. Her tongue dove between his teeth and she pulled, savoring the life of him, devouring just enough to make them even. Thane had to feel it. He tried to pull free, but she was stronger than she looked. Even those powerful muscles could do little against her. Dahlia had him pinned, trapped exactly where she wanted, but she wasn't strong enough to finish this. She just needed an advantage.
Her mouth left his only to be replaced by her hand, clamping his lips together. "How many of you are there?"
His eyes narrowed, the sultry darkness of them changing. Like the corona of the sun, his power was flaring, gathering in his eyes like a molten halo. She'd caught him off guard, but she didn't have much time.
"How many!" she screamed, not caring who heard.
Against her palm, he answered, "Five. You can't kill me and make it out of here."
Dahlia smiled cruelly. "Watch me."
Wrenching her hand away, she kissed him one last time. Oh, her perfect beauty had to be the enemy, didn't he? But she'd take from him. She'd drink of him. She'd use him just enough to protect herself. Then Thane's hand cupped the side of her face and his tongue slid over hers. She sucked in a breath of shock, and pulled back.
She barely caught his smile before she turned, forcing her retreat. "Mei Yun!" she screamed, knowing her partner would hear. "Inquisitors!"
Dahlia pushed through bodies, scrambling. She didn't have much time. She'd pulled enough vitality from Thane that he'd be no faster than most humans. That didn't mean he was weak. Her only advantage was that he hadn't known what she was. He'd honestly thought she was a woman. He hadn't expected her kind to be able to touch the cross. For most, even being near it would've burned like the fires of Hell - both her and the inquisitor - but not Dahlia. Those rules didn't apply to her, and only barely did to Mei.
Dahlia was almost across the dance floor when Thane's wits caught back up. "Vampire!" he yelled.
In a club like this, no one would think anything of it. No one would panic, but he'd just alerted the rest. The hunt was on, and she had to get the hell outside.
"Mei!"
"Come on!" Mei screamed from near the door.
Dahlia ran. Behind her, four men raced to catch up. This was not at all how she'd planned to spend the night. Fucking inquisitors and their foolish beliefs. She wouldn't even feel bad killing them. Those bastards had just ruined what should have been a very good meal.
Chapter Three
DAHLIA
"Where to?" Mei asked as the pair raced along the broken sidewalk.
Dahlia struggled to keep her weight on her toes. The heels of her boots were tall enough she could easily fall, giving the men a chance to catch them. Finding Mei's eye, she pointed at a gap between buildings. "It's Deep Ellum. Pretty sure we won't draw too much attention."
Mei darted into the gap just before her. "How many?"