Laurie London - Embraced by Blood

Not that Jackson actually thought Xian would sever his loyalties to their kind, deciding instead to hunt and persecute vampires as a handful of humans had done over the years, but he liked to tease the guy anyway. When Darkbloods had slipped into the family bakery late one night, targeting them because a few of them were sweetbloods, Xian and his sister would’ve been dead if it hadn’t been for Guardians. They hadn’t arrived in time to save his mother, but because he and his younger sister were not sweetbloods, the Darkbloods hadn’t gotten around to killing them before the Guardian showed up

Grateful and insisting he owed the team his life, Xian eventually became the administrative manager for the Seattle field office, where he did a little of everything, including occasionally volunteering as a blood donor. And making some kick-ass desserts. Although Jackson could do without all the fish and healthy shit the guy loved to fix.

“No, it appears Kip is not in the field office,” Xian said. “His badge has not been scanned since—” Xian touched the screen again “—since eleven forty-three last night.”

Lily’s face paled. “That’s the time we left for our shift. I assumed he was entertaining one of the women. Are you sure?”

“I am certain of it.”

Jackson licked his fingers one by one. “I don’t understand. Weren’t you working the shift together, Lil? I thought he was shadowing you.” He grabbed another brownie and held it out to her.

Glancing at his hand, she cocked an eyebrow and shook her head. He shrugged and shoved the piece of heaven into his mouth.

“He was with me on second shift, but I had him drive my car back to the office while I walked home. I … I wanted to clear my head after a somewhat difficult capture.”

He considered taking yet another brownie, but decided two were enough. Any more sugar and he’d never get to sleep. Then again, as soon as the others saw the brownies, the container would be picked as clean as a chicken leg in a tank of hungry piranhas, so maybe he should take a third.

“That’s your very own container,” Xian said, obviously following his train of thought. “Didn’t you see your name on the lid?”

Jackson flipped it over and saw his name printed neatly on a piece of masking tape in Xian’s perfect script. “Xi, dude, if you were a woman, I’d kiss you.” To Lily, he said, “Is your car here? Did he even come back?”

“I’ll go see,” she said as she sprang toward the door.

“No, wait. I can check the parking garage cameras from here.” Xian swiped his finger over the screen several more times, then made a clucking sound with his tongue. “I am afraid your red Porsche is not parked in the garage.”

“Maybe he stopped by the Pink Salon and is spending dayside with a human woman somewhere.” Jackson popped the lid on and held it on his lap.

“With my car? Without calling or asking? No, Kip’s not the kind of guy who would do that.”

From the pocket of her sweatshirt, she pulled out her cell, punched in a number and held the phone up to her ear. She waited a few moments, a worried look creasing her brow, before she snapped it shut. “He’s still not picking up.”

“Come on,” Jackson said as he jumped from the counter and jogged to the kitchen door, the container of brownies tucked under one arm. “Let’s have Cordell pull up your car’s GPS system to see where it’s located.”

Lily followed closely on his heels. “Tell me exactly what Alfonso told you about Darkbloods looking for Trackers.”

ALFONSO SET A HAND–PAINTED tile flush against the edge of the wet saw, lined up his black Sharpie mark, and grabbed the handle of the blade. Just as he was about to flip on the power switch to make the cut, his phone rang.

Not Santiago again? Few others had his number. He checked the screen and his gut tightened. Damn. The Seattle field office.

He pressed the green answer button. “Yes?”

“Alfonso, it’s Jackson. Lily’s partner is missing.”

Alfonso’s heart flipped in his chest and he stripped off his protective eyewear. “Lily. Where is she?”

“She’s fine,” Jackson said.

Alfonso leaned on the wrought-iron railing and sank to the bottom stair as his heart kick-started under his ribs again with the force of a jackhammer.

“Your intel was accurate,” Jackson continued. “We’re thinking Darkbloods kidnapped Kip because he’s a Tracker. It happened to a Tracker Agent in San Diego as well.”

“Isn’t Kip the new guy? He hasn’t gone through all the training yet, has he? I thought you said Lily just started working with him.”

“Yeah, she only had him out on patrol a few times.”

Alfonso grabbed the handrail and leaped to his feet. “Then it’s her they wanted, not him.”

“Could be a possibility.”

“Where was she when he disappeared? Wasn’t she with him? Tell me everything.”

“She decided to walk home last night at the end of their shift and Kip was to drive her car back himself. Evidently, she’s done it before.”

“Walked home alone?”

“Yeah.”

Alfonso groaned, rubbing his temples.

She hadn’t walked home the night he had watched her. What was she thinking? He was a fool to assume she’d carry out her duties the same way every night.

Jackson continued, “But this time, he never made it back to the field office. The car was found only a few blocks from where they’d originally parked it.”

My God, it could just as easily have been her . “Didn’t you tell her what I told you? That she shouldn’t be out on patrol alone with Darkbloods actively looking for Trackers? What was she thinking?”

“Of course I told her, but you think that made a difference? She’s not gonna change shit just because someone doesn’t think she can handle herself. Besides, we don’t have a lot of Agents here. Not really enough personnel to double up on patrols.”

“Oh, for godsake. They were probably after her in the first place and took the trainee by accident.” The thought of Lily walking unprotected through the streets of Seattle made him want to throttle some sense back into her.

“Thing is,” Jackson said, “she’s taking Kip’s disappearance really hard. Thinks it’s her fault. That if she’d been with him, DBs would never have been able to kidnap him. She’s going out at nightfall to track him.”

“And who’s going with her?”

Jackson hesitated. “No one. We can cover more ground if we split up.”

Not if I can help it .

Alfonso sprinted upstairs. “Was this decision discussed with Santiago? Does he know you’ve got a missing Tracker? I’ve already told him that they’re being targeted by the Alliance. Does he know you plan to allow one of the Agency’s finest Trackers to go out alone?”

There was an icy pause before Jackson replied. No man wanted to be questioned about whether or not he’d checked with his superior for permission. “He’s in complete agreement with me. Lily isn’t just a nose. She’s an awesome fighter. Hell, she’s kicked my ass a few times.”

Yes, but these guys had no fucking idea what she might be up against. “Fine. Then I’m going with her.” He retrieved his army-green duffel bag and began jamming a few things inside.

Jackson laughed. “Dude, you better plan on telling her yourself because I sure as hell don’t want to. She’ll rip me a new one thinking we don’t believe she’s strong enough to do the job without help.”

Alfonso paused. If she heard he was coming, she’d leave before sundown and deal with the resulting energy drain, rather than deal with him. “Don’t tell her I’m coming. It’s imperative you stall her as long as possible. That woman is not to go out alone, understand? When she goes, she goes with me.”