Синтия Иден - Midnight Sins

The demon’s eyes darted to the mirror. “You can’t do that! That’s not legal!”

Yeah, the ADA had said pretty much the same thing, but …Colin let a smile shape his lips, one that showed the tips of his lengthening canines. “I don’t really care about legal now. I just wanna stop the killing.” Human laws weren’t going to apply to this…situation.

Cameron’s gaze darted to Colin’s teeth. “Ah, shit, shifter.”

His smile widened.

“Thought you might be a charmer, hadn’t pegged you for one of those animals.” His hands went to the bottom of the shirt, and he jerked the material up, fast.

Revealing a completely unmarred stomach and chest.

Just like the flesh of the other two demons.

Well, damn.

“Satisfied?” Cameron snapped, and Colin saw the faint tremble in his hands.

“No.” The wounds could have been to the killer’s arms. Defensive wounds that were deep, and bled like a stuck pig. “Show me your arms.”

A curse. Muttering. Todd yanked the shirt down, fumbled with the buttons at his wrists and finally managed to push up the sleeves.

Not even a scratch, on either arm.

“Now are you satisfied ?”

Colin shook his head. Of the three demons, he sure as hell would have pegged this guy as the killer.

But it looked like there was another incubus out there in the city. Hiding in the dark, and killing at will.

And playing one deadly cat-and-mouse game with his partner’s lover.

“I’ll be satisfied,” Colin said clearly, “when you give me your alibis for the murders.” Then he sat down and pulled out his notebook and a pen.

“What? Shifter, damn it, I don’t even know when those humans died !” He tugged his sleeves into place.

“You will.” Colin tapped his pen against the table. “Now let’s start with the first victim, Simon Battle.”

McNeal looked like he was about to start screaming. His face had flushed beet red, and Emily could actually hear the sound of his teeth grinding together.

“Back to square one,” he gritted. “Damn, but I hope Brooks and his demon have better luck with Niol.”

Then he turned on his heel and stalked from the room.

Emily turned her gaze back to her lover, her brows pulling down into a frown.

Maybe it was just the demon’s distaste for humans that had her stomach clenching. There had been such anger in him when he raged at Colin, and she’d been around Cameron before—actually, she’d known him for years—but she’d never felt that fury from him.

He’d always been seductive. A flirt. She’d known he was an incubus, of course, it would have been impossible for her not to know, but the rage in him—

It was new.

And that scared her.

Jesus, but when had he started to hate with such a consuming fury?

That much hatred, if it wasn’t faced and fought , soon, it could destroy a man…or a demon.

Time to face the devil.

When night fell, as the shadows stretched over the city and seemed to swallow the light in their hungry grasp, Todd returned to Paradise and to face his own personal demon.

The guards were at the door this time. He tensed when he saw them, more than ready to deal with their shit.

He’d been briefed by the captain. Their top three suspects appeared to be in the clear. That meant, as McNeal had told him, “We’re back to jackshit with this case.”

He needed a break, and Niol was going to give it to him.

“Don’t mess with me tonight,” he warned, voice cold. Cara wasn’t with him. He’d dropped her off at her place, despite his lady’s vehement and loud protests. But he didn’t want her involved in the danger, superhuman powers or not.

The woman was his, and the way Todd saw it, as a cop, and as a man, he was supposed to do his damnedest to protect her.

Tall and Scary opened the door for him. “Not stopping you this time,” he told Todd. “Boss wants to see you.”

Todd grunted and shouldered past him. It was still early enough that the place wasn’t packed. A few folks had wandered in, and Todd thought he caught the glimpse of fang as one guy turned away from him, but the club appeared mostly empty.

His gaze darted toward the bar.

“He’s not here tonight.” Niol’s voice, coming from right behind him.

Christ. Todd spun around. Met those dark eyes. “Where is he?”

“I was going to ask you the same question, Detective.” Niol cocked his head. “Did your partner decide to arrest my bartender?”

“No.” No sense lying—and where was Cameron, anyway? “He’s clear.” The guy had provided Colin with alibis for the murders. The bastard said he’d been tending bar, and at least four people had already confirmed his story. Sure, the witnesses were humans, so they could have been hypnotized by the demon, but Colin had also told him that the bartender didn’t have so much as a scratch on his body—and there was no way the guy could have covered the knife wounds.

It looked like the asshole bartender was off the hook.

“He’s clear? Hmm. Interesting.” But no interest showed in Niol’s shuttered expression. “Cameron didn’t check in for his shift. Should have been here at least half an hour ago.”

The hair on Todd’s nape rose. “The captain told me he left the precinct just before six.” So where was he ? His heart rate kicked up, but Todd drew in a deep breath in an attempt to keep his control.

Cara was okay. While she’d still refused the safe house, she’d finally agreed to accept guards. Grudgingly agreed and just to “satisfy you,” as she’d said. A patrol car was stationed right in front of her house.

Nothing was going to happen to her.

Besides, Cameron had been cleared. He was an annoyance.

Not a killer.

But something was pushing his body into alert mode.

Was it Niol? Or someone, something else? “What did you find out?” He demanded, wanting to get his information and get the hell out of there. His skin was prickling, and he wanted to see Cara again.

God, but the woman was always in his mind. Awake. Asleep. Her smell was on his skin. Her taste in his mouth.

He swallowed.

Niol shook his head. “You’re addicted, you know.”

Not the answer he needed. “What?”

“It can happen. The lure of a succubus is strong. She won’t just take your heart. She’ll take your soul, and you’ll want her so much, you’ll stop caring about the pain when she takes and takes.”

But Cara didn’t just take from him. She gave—passion, trust, strength, power. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” And it wasn’t the demon’s business, anyway. “Forget about Cara. She’s not yours to worry about.”

Niol’s face hardened, his lips firming. “Cara is the only thing resembling a family that I have left in this world. Believe me, human, she most definitely is mine to worry about.”

Okay, now he was about to have to get real physical, real fast with the jerk. And to think, he’d promised himself he’d try to be the good cop tonight.

“I don’t know why she chose you,” Niol said, and his brow furrowed. “She could have anyone.”

Yeah, like he didn’t know that fact. But his goddess had chosen him, and he’d thank his lucky stars every day for the rest of his life.

A life he wanted to spend with her.

The realization was as shocking as it was sudden.

“I’ve got word of a few strays in the area.” Niol shrugged. “Nothing too dangerous from the accounts, but—”

Strays? Niol had used that word earlier and—Jesus, what were the demons, some kind of unwanted cats?