Keri Arthur - Kissing Sin

"Hell, no. I just say these things because I love to hear the sound of my own voice." He waved a hand to the spare chair in front of his desk. "Sit, woman, and pay attention."

My gaze met my brother's as I walked across the room. There was understanding there, like he knew what I was feeling. And he probably did. We might not share the communication of twins, and we might not be telepathically linked, but we very often knew when the other was hurting. I sat down, and he reached across, grasping my hand, squeezing it lightly.

"In his own weird way, he cared."

I smiled. "I know."

"People, can we get back to business here?" Jack glared at the two of us for a moment, then continued. "As I was saying, we have two people who, given everything Misha told you the day he died, fit the bill. One is Frank Margagliano, and the other is Deshon Starr. Both men have apparently undergone subtle changes in recent years—"

"It's Deshon Starr." I took the letter from my pocket and handed it to Jack.

He raised an eyebrow, then leaned back in his chair and read the note. "Well," he said slowly, once he'd finished. "That's certainly a help." He smiled slightly. "And I'm glad it's Deshon, because that's whom I was leaning toward."

"Misha's given us a way in."

He studied me for a moment, then placed the folded letter on his desk and leaned forward, his hands clasped in front of him. "He's given someone a way in, certainly."

His gaze was on mine, green eyes challenging. He wanted me in on this, there was no doubt about that. But this time, it was all in, or nothing at all. His way, or the highway.

"No," Rhoan said, before I could say anything.

I looked at him. "I have to do this. I have to see it through."

"No," he repeated, his voice full of repressed fury as he looked at Jack. "She's not trained for this sort of work. And given that she's the prize this man has spent the last few months hunting, it would be utter stupidity to throw her into his web."

I touched a hand to his, dragging his gaze back to mine. "The last place he will look for me is in his own backyard."

"There's Gautier."

"Gautier can be taken care of," Jack said.

"Dammit, Riley," Rhoan exploded, "do you know what you will have to do? What you will have to dance with?"

"Yes, I do." And while the thought made my stomach curl, the simple fact was, I owed it to Kade, and to all the stallions who had died in our escape—and all the women who had been held in those breeding cells and who were more than likely dead—to see this through. But more importantly, I owed it to myself. These people had taken me, filled me with drugs that might yet have dire consequences, they'd abused me, and basically torn my world apart. And most of all, they'd made me fear. I couldn't let them get away with that. I had to be a part of their downfall, if only for my future peace of mind.

And if that meant dancing with a murderous piece of meat, then so be it. I was a wolf, and sex was only sex. As I'd said to Quinn more than once, it was merely an act that meant nothing more than enjoyment until real feelings were invoked.

Besides, how could I ever hope to live a normal life when that man was out there? When my brother was involved in the hunt and I was not?

"We can use the moon fever to our advantage," I said softly. "If what Misha says about them is true, they're likely to be less circumspect during the full moon phase."

"Dammit, Riley, that's not the point."

"The point," I said softly, "is that that man has been plotting against me for over three years. Would you sit back and let someone else make him pay if our positions were reversed?"

He slumped back in his chair, and rubbed a hand across his eyes. "Jesus, sis, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

Maybe I didn't. Maybe he was right, and I was stepping through hell's door when the sane would be running. But that was something I just couldn't do. Not if I wanted to live with myself. "Can it be any worse than what has happened to me already? Any worse than sitting here, waiting to see what effects the drugs Talon used on me are?"

"Yes, it can." His gaze met mine, eyes bleak. "You've never embraced your vampire half. Never acknowledged the killer instinct. It's going to take that, and more, to get through this."

"You cannot go in there alone, and we both know Jack can't send a female vampire to do this, simply because the Directorate has no female guardians capable of moving around in the daylight."

"I don't want you doing this."

"And I didn't want you to become a guardian, but you did, because you felt it was the right thing to do. I feel the same way about this."

"Fuck, Riley, that's not fair."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why? Because it's the truth?"

He leaned forward and grabbed my hands. "If you really, really need to do this, then I can do nothing but support you." His gaze searched mine for a moment before he continued. "But if this is about Misha, about what was done to him, then I won't. Can't."

"I'm doing this for me. Because of what has been done to me." Mostly, anyway.

He sighed, and let me go. "Then at least get some training before we go in."

"If she does this, she'll be getting training. And Gautier will know about the training, because everyone there knows I want to set up a daytime unit."

"Hiding in plain sight," I murmured. "How much time have we got, do you think?"

"Plenty, because he thinks he's safe, and we can't afford to rush. We'll continue to keep track of Gautier, and set up a watch on our two female assistant directors. And we'll need to thoroughly investigate the two lieutenants, as well as set up covers for the two of you."

"Why not just take Gautier out?" Rhoan asked.

Jack glanced at him. "Because the minute we do that, Starr will know something is happening. He's better kept under close watch, and fed false information." His gaze came back to me. "Are you in, or out?"

"In," I said.

And even as I said it, I knew I'd stepped onto the road to becoming the one thing I'd sworn never to become.

A guardian, just like my brother.

Keri Arthur received a "perfect 10" from Romance Reviews Today and was nominated for Best Shapeshifter in PNR's PEARL Awards and in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Awards. She lives with her husband and daughter in Melbourne, Australia.

Four times the heat.

Four times the suspense.

Four times the sass.

Four months in a row.

This much excitement isn't normal—it's paranormal!

Now is your chance to fully immerse yourself in the wonderful world of

Keri Arthur

Smart, sexy, and suspenseful, the Riley Jensen novels are rapidly gaining fans worldwide. And now we are giving you the unique opportunity to read four books inside four months, as part of our exciting new publication schedule:

Full Moon Rising

January 2007

Kissing Sin

February 2007

Tempting Evil

March 2007

Dangerous Games

April 2007

Be sure not to miss any of these exciting novels—nor this series of special previews,

to give you a taste of what is still to come…

FULL MOON RISING

On sale in paperback January 2007

The night was quiet.

Almost too quiet.

Though it was after midnight, it was a Friday night, and Friday nights were usually party nights—at least for those of us who were single and not working night shift. This section of Melbourne wasn't exactly excitement city, but it did possess a nightclub that catered to both human and nonhumans. And while it wasn't a club I frequented often, I loved the music they played. Loved dancing along the street to it as I made my way home.