Jaci Burton - Taken by Sin

They were going to have to talk-eventually. But for now, they had other things to deal with. Michael had given the rest of the team a full report on the demons they’d found in Florida, the testing, what the demon had told them, and how they’d killed it. Now it was on to another crisis: Dalton and Isabelle.

Derek had found Dalton. After Dalton called him, Derek had set to work with the Realm’s help tracing the call. It hadn’t been easy, but they’d pinpointed the call to Louisiana. After that, they’d relied on Angelique, who had finally been able to pick up her sister’s connection. Isabelle must have finally started opening up so Angelique could get psychic impulses, or whatever it was the twins exchanged. Between the two of them, Derek and Angelique had followed the trail into Louisiana with Gina and Ryder, confirming Dalton’s and Isabelle’s arrival in a small bayou town. So far the fugitives hadn’t left.

“So what’s our plan?” Gina asked.

They’d eaten breakfast and now sat drinking coffee while a vicious storm blew through, leaving gray clouds and wet roads in its wake. The sun had finally started to break through in pinhole points. There might be hope for the day after all.

“We’re heading straight to the house where they’re holed up,” he said.

Angelique frowned, worry etching her features. “We’re going to talk to them, right?”

“Yes, Angelique. Don’t worry. We’re not going in with lasers pointing at your sister. Dalton needs to explain why he took Isabelle there. I’m sure he had a good reason for it.”

“Any clue what that might be?” Ryder asked, stroking Angelique’s back.

Michael knew that Ryder was looking for assurances, for Angelique’s benefit. He had none to give her. “I have no idea, other than he wanted to keep Isabelle alive.”

“He believes in her, in the goodness in her,” Angelique said. “So do I.”

He supposed it would do no good to say that Angelique would believe in anything to save her sister. And that would only piss off Mandy even more. Not that it mattered whether she was angry at him or not. He should be used to that by now.

Still silent, Mandy cupped the ceramic mug in both hands and stared into it like it held tea leaves that would reveal her future.

“You’re quiet,” Gina said to Mandy.

Mandy lifted her gaze and attempted a smile. “Sorry. Tired.”

Gina arched a brow. “Evasive, too.”

Mandy shrugged. “It’s been a long few weeks.”

Derek slung his arm around Mandy’s shoulder. “We all miss Lou, honey.”

Her gaze shifted to the mug again. “Yeah. Sometimes I forget that there were other people who knew him as well as I did.” She turned her gaze to Derek, lifted her lips in a smile, then laid her head on Derek’s shoulder.

Derek had been with Lou for a long time. He was tight with Mandy like a big brother. They had all been close, like family. And devastated when Lou had been killed.

Which only served to remind Michael why getting close to Mandy would be a colossal mistake.

Of course it was a little late for that, wasn’t it? He’d already gotten close, closer than he’d ever expected to. Throughout all the arguing, all the bullshit, he’d discovered something about her-about himself.

He could feel again. And not just physically. The short period of time he’d been with Mandy, he felt more alive than he’d felt in years.

So why couldn’t they continue what they’d started?

Besides him being her boss-and that was a serious enough conflict right there.

Attraction could be deterred. He’d channel her energies in different directions. She had a natural talent for demon hunting, a zeal for adventure.

She also needed a life outside demon hunting, a chance to develop relationships with men, to explore her sexuality …

But the thought of that burned him inside with a rage that shocked him. He’d just had his hands all over Mandy last night. He’d been inside her.

He’d had her first.

The thought of anyone else touching her was out of the question.

And none of his business, considering the conversation he planned to have with her.

“Do you need a nap? Should we plan this surprise on Dalton without you?”

Mandy’s not-so-subtle elbow in his side nudged him out of his thoughts.

“Sorry. My mind was elsewhere.” He sidled a glance in Mandy’s direction. She quickly looked away but not before he caught the tinge of pink darkening her cheeks. He turned to the others, dragging a hand through his hair. “I drove all night so I didn’t sleep. I’m a little fuzzy.”

“You need to catch a little shut-eye before we confront Dalton,” Ryder said. “We all need to be sharp for this. I’ll drive your vehicle when we take off.”

Michael nodded. Based on the map they’d laid out, they had about four hours before they’d arrive at Dalton’s hideout. He could use a little sleep.

“I call shotgun,” Mandy said.

Michael smiled. “You can have it. I’ll stretch out in the back. I’m dead tired.”

More so than he thought. He was out cold before Ryder backed the SUV out of the truck stop parking lot, and didn’t wake until they pulled into a gas station about twenty minutes from their destination. He went inside to grab a soda, needing the caffeine to clear his head. Derek met him in there.

“What bug crawled up Mandy’s ass?” Derek asked. “She was grumpy and quiet the whole way.”

Michael took a long swallow of the soda. “That’s different for Mandy?”

Derek laughed. “Okay, so she’s normally moody. But there’s something off about her.”

“She froze when she tried to kill the demon in Florida. Couldn’t pull the trigger. It really messed her up. She had some kind of meltdown over it.”

Derek’s brows lifted. “That’s weird. She’s usually right on the front line and eager to be the first on a kill.”

“Yeah, I know. I read her file. But something’s going on with her, Derek. She went out after that and hunted down another, made a kill, but it screwed with her head. She came back a wreck.”

“Physically?”

Michael shook his head. “Physically and emotionally. My guess is she’s still pretty messed up over Lou’s death and the part she was forced to play in it.”

“You talk to her about that?”

No. He got her naked and made love to her. “I’ve tried.”

“Do you want me to talk to her?”

“I’ll handle it. I’m her Keeper and in charge of her. She needs a cooling-off period right now.”

Derek nodded. “Your call. If you need me, let me know. In the meantime, I’ll make sure we all have her back. She’s family.”

To them she was family. To him she was …something entirely different.

“Okay. Thanks. Look, I know I’m not Lou and I’ll never try to be, but I have all your best interests in mind with this. My job is to protect you. If you can’t do your jobs, I’ll pull you. Any of you. That’s what I told Mandy”

Derek’s lips lifted. “I’ll bet she hated that. And you for doing it.”

Michael leaned against the counter and waited for the store clerk to make change, grinning back at Derek. “Uh, yeah, you could say she was a little unhappy with me.”

Derek looked Michael over from head to foot.

“What are you doing?” Michael asked.

“Searching for wounds. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re still walking.”

Michael laughed. At that moment, Mandy walked in and they both stared at her. She stopped, looked at both of them, then glared.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Derek said.

Her gaze narrowed. She had to know they’d been discussing her. She cast a look at Michael, then moved on to the back of the store.

“Yeah, she’s pissed,” Derek said.