Night Sins Read online

  Night Sins

  Lisa Renee Jones

  LYRICAL PRESS

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Also by

  Prologue - Within Our Imagination Lies the Truth

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  8

  Teaser chapter

  Teaser chapter

  Copyright Page

  Novellas by Lisa Renee Jones

  Published by Kensington Publishing Corp.

  AMBER FIRE

  NIGHT SINS

  Prologue

  Within Our Imagination Lies the Truth

  We’ve all heard stories. Tales told around camp fires and at slumber parties. Urban legends, myths, and, yes, ghost stories. We go to the movies, yearning for a dark thrill. We buy the newest horror novel the minute it hits the shelves. We beg to be scared. Wanting fear. Needing it. Getting a high off the adrenaline rush of spine-tingling terror. Convincing ourselves these dark things live only in the imagination . . . but that’s what evil wants us to think. It thrives on our ignorance. Drinking innocence like fine wine. Waiting. Planning. Lurking in the shadows of existence with the poison of its presence and then targeting the souls of the defenseless for attack. Preying on the weak and using them to stalk those that are stronger.

  And only one force stands between the hunted and the hunter.

  Born with a beauty meant to disguise the potency of their skills from those they hunt, they are the Chosen Seven. Women born into their destiny as part of magical genetic lines. These gifted seven are overseen by the Council of Lords, who represent the law over all things paranormal.

  These seven women not only protect humans from the paranormal beings who exist in this realm, but also from those who wish to enter from beyond. From Purgatory.

  Each woman guards a portal that opens with the full moon and must be sealed with her magic. Without these women’s skills, their duties, life as humans know it would never be the same.

  For, in Purgatory, there is darkness beyond human comprehension. Sinister beings demanding to be seen and known, yearning to take control of the living. Preying on those who believe them non-existent. There is only one way to stop their malicious intent to claim good for evil.

  The Circle of Seven.

  Supporting the Chosen Seven, placed in surrounding cities without portals around the world, are magical women of the same bloodline, called Watchers. These Watchers not only protect humans, but also protect the secrets of their world.

  Upon the death of a Chosen One, higher powers are unleashed to one of the Watchers, making her one of the Chosen Ones. Though, no one ever knows who this will be.

  The war rages onward.

  1

  Kayla Ward shivered as she stepped inside the chilled lobby of Night Sins Hotel Casino. His hotel. His territory. One of numerous hotels and bars he owned in Las Vegas. A dangerously hot vampire who dripped money and sex and affluence, Ethan could damn near make a woman wet by merely existing.

  In the year since she’d been awarded her post as the Watcher in charge of the Vegas area, she’d had several encounters with Ethan, all at his instigation. Encounters the Council of Lords would consider forbidden. Vampires didn’t follow the Council’s laws and that made them the enemy.

  Kayla knew all of this. She knew he was off limits. Yet, Ethan was good at enticing her into his world, dangling secret little tidbits of information—about helping protect innocents—as bait. Always using that bait to lure her deeper under his spell, deeper into his seductive game of cat and mouse. A game she yearned to play but didn’t dare. To act on such a desire would only lead to trouble. Trouble she couldn’t afford.

  Already, The Council of Lords felt she walked the line. They felt she pushed their rules to the limit, beyond what they found acceptable. She’d barely managed to land her post thanks to that reputation. If the Council knew of her association with Ethan, she might just find herself packing. If she dared act on the sizzling attraction between herself and the vampire, she might never see another post again.

  On the other hand, they expected her to handle her duties, and handle them well. So what was a girl to do but to go straight to the place she knew would bring answers? Especially now, when innocents were dying and Ethan might well know who was responsible.

  She headed for the elevators, tuning out the sound of slot machines and excited guests, cataloging her surroundings. Not that she expected to make an emergency departure, but one could never be too prepared.

  Continuing her inspection, she noted exit routes. West exit behind the quarter machines. East exit behind the cluster of roulette tables. Stairs to the right of the east doorway. One, two . . . three security guards trying to blend into the crowd, wearing all black and looking like professional wrestlers. Right. Real discreet. They might not be wearing identification, but it was clear they were the muscle of the place.

  She arrived at a set of six elevators just as a pair of shiny gold double doors opened, revealing an empty compartment. As she stepped inside, red velvet-covered walls surrounded her, enveloping her in the bold color predominant within the hotel. Red . . . blood red. No doubt Ethan found it amusing to surround people in something so symbolic of his existence. Of his true self. He might claim he no longer craved the taste of blood, but his crimson obsession screamed otherwise.

  Tucking a strand of long, raven-colored hair behind her ear, Kayla let her eyes drift upward. She scanned the mirrors overhead, seeing no obvious surveillance equipment but sensing she was being watched. Sensing him.

  Glancing down at her black v-cut T-shirt, she checked for cleavage, satisfied to find herself well covered. She’d dressed in all black, preparing for a night patrolling for nasty spirits, not dodging cameras with a ceiling vantage. Certainly, she didn’t need to send the wrong messages to Ethan. As it was, she melted on contact with him, and, for the life of her, Kayla didn’t know why.

  She didn’t melt for anyone . . . well, no one but him. Damn it to hell. Truth be told, just his name drew a reaction. Ethan and sex were synonymous. He simply oozed sensuality.

  “I know you’re there,” she murmured under her breath, eyeing the mirror again, promising herself she’d walk away from the temptation he represented. From the offer of pleasure he never failed to deliver in his oh-so-convincing way with every encounter.

  A moment later, a ding signaled her arrival on the twenty-fifth floor, and Kayla was greeted by yet another wrestler-esque security guard. With a curt nod, he led her to another set of elevators, clearly already aware of her identity and destination.

  The thirtieth floor . . . Ethan’s private quarters.

  Traveling to that higher floor, to his lair—or so the tightly secured high rise location felt—Kayla began to experience doubt over her choice to approach Ethan. By the time the security guard opened oak double doors to allow her entry into Ethan’s private study, she found herself beyond ready to get the meeting underway. No. Over. She wanted it over.

  Ignoring the sleek black leather couches and the dozen or so televisions lining the far right wall, all with various images of the casino playing on them, she focused on only one thing . . . him. Ethan.

  The doors closed behind her, shutting her inside the room—inside the small quarters of the vampire hiding beneath a deliciously male, deceptively harmless-looking, human exterior.

  “Hello, Kayla,” he said, his sensual mouth hinting at a smile.

  Kayla stared across the mahogany bar he stood behind, feeling the heat of his attention, the impact of his p
resence no less intense, no less potent, than on their previous meetings. The man—no, she reminded herself—the vampire, stood a good six-foot four, and possessed the kind of hair that begged for a woman’s fingers. A mixture of auburn and brown, it was sleek on the side and fell near his collar.

  He wore a perfectly fitted dress shirt, the top two buttons undone to display just a hint of a broad chest with a light sprinkle of hair. The deep blue color of the expensive material matched his eyes to absolute perfection. Dark brows framed eyes filled with seduction, almost mystical in their ability to pull her under their spell.

  “Hello, Ethan,” Kayla said, sensing they were about to go into the cat and mouse game they always played together.

  “Finally you come to me,” he said, his tone hinting at the conquest he felt he’d achieved.

  “Not by choice,” she told him, holding her ground, feet solidly planted, keeping the safety of distance between them. She knew how her senses were impacted when she got close the Ethan.

  “There is always a choice,” he said, his tone soft and sensual.

  She didn’t like those words, perhaps because they held far more truth than she wanted to face. No matter how good her intentions, her decision to come here would hold repercussions if discovered.

  “That might be true,” she countered, forcing herself to walk toward him, doing her best to ignore the way his gaze touched her from head to toe “But don’t kid yourself, Ethan. If I felt I had another choice, I wouldn’t be here.” She stopped behind a bar stool, her hands settling on its sleek silver back.

  He poured a glass of brandy and slid it in front of her. “Sit down and have a drink.” His head tilted ever so slightly, his gaze sharpening. “Then maybe you’ll admit how much you wanted an excuse to see me. You, my sweet, might not ever admit it, but you get high off danger.” His voice lowered. “You enjoy the forbidden.”

  She rolled her eyes and slid onto the barstool. Ignoring the little voice inside that screamed with the truth of his words. With the excitement she felt over every encounter with Ethan.

  “I enjoy getting my job done,” she said, her tone sharp as she tried to get them focused on business, not on her unnerving attraction to Ethan. “Which is why I’m here. I understand the police have three dead bodies, all female staff members from your clubs, all with bite marks on their necks.”

  His brow inched upward. “I’m impressed,” he said. “Very resourceful, Kayla, considering that information is not public knowledge.”

  “You’re not the only one with resources,” she reminded him. “The police think it’s a serial killer of some sort. I think it’s vampires—The Blood Brothers.” Her hands settled on the wooden surface before her, hoping Ethan would tell her she was wrong. The Brothers used blood like a drug, drinking it for the high long replaced by injections to curb the craving.

  “Yes,” he said after a long pause. “It’s the Brothers. And it’s being dealt with . . . my way.”

  It didn’t surprise Kayla he meant to dismiss her. Ethan liked control. “I can’t take that answer, and you know it. This is as much my business as it is yours. I protect this city. The Council is going to find out and they’ll expect me to handle this.”

  “Yet you haven’t shared your suspicions with them?” He studied her a moment. “Why is that?”

  The Council made her follow rules. Rules that didn’t allow her to seek out Ethan, the one contact who might end this without more killing. It’s why she’d risked so much coming here.

  But she wasn’t about to admit that to Ethan. “My job is to solve problems, not report them.”

  Without warning, he moved and leaned on the bar, his palms settling beside hers, their fingers touching. A charge of electricity shot through her, but somehow she managed to hide it. His eyes held hers, his nearness unnerving. She felt the connection damn near to her toes: intimate, yet, tense.

  “Do you know how the Watcher before you died?” he questioned.

  The question shocked her, mostly because she’d often wondered about the answer. The Council had told her it was of no consequence to her duty. But as much as she wanted to know, she wasn’t going to be led wherever Ethan was trying to take her. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Do you know how she died?” he demanded, his voice low and curt. He didn’t give her time to respond. “Of course not. Your Council tells you nothing but expects everything. She died fighting The Brothers, just as you will if you don’t leave this alone.”

  The words hung in the air, heavy with implication, for several long seconds before he added, “She died after I told your precious Council to get her the hell out of here. They expected her to solve a problem she wasn’t equipped to solve . . . just as they will expect of you.”

  Kayla swallowed hard, a bit shocked by the news. Had the Council sent her to Vegas, their troublemaking Watcher, because they felt she was disposable? The thought didn’t sit well, and she found herself becoming defensive.

  “She couldn’t leave,” Kayla argued. “Watchers have a job to do. And that job demands we protect our cities at all costs.”

  His brow inched upward. “Including death?”

  She swallowed. “Yes. Including death.”

  “Very noble, Kayla, but sometimes noble isn’t enough. As much as your Council likes to believe it can control the paranormal world, this city needs support it can’t give. Support you can’t give. Why do you think I’m here?”

  She hated his coded words. “What are you talking about, Ethan?”

  “Two years ago, the Brothers vowed to take over one city at a time. When they made a presence here I followed.”

  “You’re saying you’re here to stop them.”

  “Exactly. Which is why they’re targeting my clubs.”

  She’d heard of the battles between the Brothers and their own kind. Everyone knew. The Brothers had become a problem for more than the vampires. Kayla had long believed the divide between the Council and the vampires hurt the war against the Brothers.

  Which was why she would work with Ethan if it meant victory. And why she hadn’t told the Council of these murders or of her visit here today. “Let me help.”

  Ethan’s rejection was instant. “A Watcher is no match for a vampire high on blood.”

  She knew little of the vampires, but Kayla doubted Ethan knew as much about Watchers as he thought he did. “Don’t underestimate me,” she argued. “Besides.” Her teeth slid together. “A vampire is no match for a demon or a spirit. This city needs me.” And it did. Each night, the Council transmitted at least five reports of paranormal activity. And though only a few of her monthly investigations represented a serious threat needing extermination, it was more than enough to be a real threat to innocents. She repeated her words. “This city needs me. You have no idea how much.”

  Before she knew his intention, Ethan leaned toward her, across the bar, his cheek touching hers, the slight stubble of his jaw scraping against her softer skin. Unexpected, the contact left her stunned into aroused stillness. His warm breath tickled her ear.

  “You have no idea what you are dealing with, little one,” he said, his voice low, seductive. “No idea how alive the vampires’ senses are. How they can feel your fears and use them against you. How they burn for the taste of blood.”

  Teeth scraped her neck, erotic and far too arousing for her sanity. Kayla’s hands went to his shoulders, intending to push him away. Somehow, she didn’t. Somehow, she could only manage a verbal protest. “Stop, Ethan.”

  He ignored her words. “Did you know I can smell your desire, Kayla? That no matter how hard you try to pretend otherwise, I know you are slick and ready for me.” She tried to jerk away from him, but his hands went to her arms, holding her in place. “And do you know what it makes me want? It makes me want to taste that arousal on my tongue, Kayla. I want to lick you all over until you scream my name. To feel you quiver and shake beneath my hands and mouth. But that wouldn’t be enough. I’d have to drink
of you, Kayla. To taste the crimson sweetness of you on my lips and tongue as I bury myself deep in the wet heat of your body.”

  When she would have used force to escape, Ethan seemed to know he’d pushed her beyond her limit and released her, leaving her both stunned and shaken. Kayla leaned back in her chair, her heart beating a million miles an hour. And good lord, she was aroused. Her nipples ached and her panties were wet with want.

  “We crave blood by nature,” Ethan said. “I’d never take what wasn’t offered, but the Brothers would and they do. Stay out of this, Kayla. This is my war.”

  She was reeling from his touch, her body warm and tingling all over. Lust had always consumed her in ways it didn’t other Watchers. Or maybe it did all of them, and no one talked about it.

  Part of her wanted to scream a rebuttal at Ethan, to remind him she had senses above and beyond human ones as well. Senses that told her of malice and aided her in battle. But he already knew this and obviously didn’t care. Besides, she was beyond words. She simply wanted out of there. Away from a man who both infuriated and enticed at the same moment. A man who confused her senses, setting them on fire, heating her inside out.

  “You know what?” she said, pushing out of her seat, needing space to think. “This was a mistake. I should have just dealt with this myself.”

  She turned around and started walking, still rattled from what had just happened, not surprised that Ethan had rejected her assistance, or even that he had used her desire against her. At least she knew what to expect from the Brothers. She could expect the same methods Ethan himself used.

  She punched the elevator button and silently vowed to never return there again. To never see the vampire who tempted her to cross the line she normally walked.

  “Kayla.”

  Ethan spoke from behind her. Close. His voice was a sultry seduction, his agility and speed a dangerous weapon.

  Slowly, she turned, facing him, hating the way she had to look up to make eye contact. Hating the way it seemed to give him the power. She arched a brow, offering an expectant look, acting unaffected by all that had just happened. Trying not to react to those deep blue eyes full of passion.