"What?"

"We had to, Jack. We can't withhold evidence. And the minute Apollo started kidnapping girls across state lines, it became a matter for the FBI."

Nine circles of hell! Jack gripped the phone in his fist and paced around the table. "You shouldn't have done that. We were working on it together. We were making good progress."

"I know. I'm sorry, Jack, but it's not in your jurisdiction."

The hell it wasn't. This was a Malcontent crime, and it needed to be handled by Vamps. "How many people know?"

"Lots of people. The FBI and NYPD have set up a joint task force-"

"Merda!" He couldn't let them find Apollo first. The whole vampire world was in jeopardy. He couldn't believe Lara had done this. He stopped and leaned his elbows on the back of a chair. "I trusted you."

"Jack." Her voice was laced with pain. "I didn't mean to-I don't understand why this case is so important to you."

He took a deep breath. Fussing at her wouldn't fix the problem. "I'm sorry. I should have explained."

"There are a lot of things you could have explained," she grumbled.

"It'll be all right." He would get Connor and other volunteers to help. Ian and Toni were still on their honeymoon, but Robby was around. And maybe Phil Jones. "How much did you tell them? Do they know about Apollo's ability to control minds?"

"No. And I didn't tell them about you," Lara said. "You really can trust me."

"Thank you." He resumed his pacing. He needed to make some calls and set up a meeting.

"Unfortunately, they're giving me credit for all your hard work," Lara continued.

"That's all right. Maybe it will help you make detective."

She heaved a sigh. "They offered me an assignment under cover, posing as a college student."

Jack halted abruptly. "What?"

"I have the right look, so I'm going-"

"No!" It felt like a wrecking ball had slammed into his chest. "No. You will not be bait."

"I already agreed."

He gritted his teeth. "You will not do it."

"You can't tell me what to do."

"Where are you? Are you alone?"

"There's no point in discussing it," she said. "My mind is made up."

Merda. He hoped she wasn't in a public place. He focused on her voice and teleported.

CHAPTER 16

Lara gasped when Jack materialized in front of her. He looked quickly around the room.

"What-" Her throat constricted. He'd just focused on her with eyes that gleamed golden hot.

A frisson of fear pinned her to the couch. Jack was a man of supernatural power. What was he truly capable of?

Nonsense. She mentally shook herself. This was Jack. He'd made love to her the night before.

Somehow Venice seemed so far away.

Still glowering at her, he snapped his cell phone shut and pocketed it. He pulled her belt from another pocket and dropped it on the coffee table. "Maybe I should spank you," he muttered.

"Excuse me?"

His jaw shifted. "Forget I said that."

Like that would ever happen. She turned off her phone and placed it on the coffee table. "I gather you're a little miffed about the situation." She paused when a low growl vibrated in his throat. "Look, I'm not going to be intimidated by the he-man tactics. We can discuss this calmly and rationally."

"There is nothing rational about this." His hands fisted at his sides. "Using yourself as bait is ridiculous, foolish, and crazy!"

She sucked in a breath. "Why don't you tell me what you really think?"

His eyes narrowed into two golden pins of light. "You're not doing it."

"It's not your decision, Jack. In fact, none of this Apollo stuff is your business."

"You are my business, and you're trying to get yourself killed."

She snorted. "This may come as a surprise to you, but I'm not suicidal. Every precaution will be taken to ensure my safety. I'll be wearing a tracking device-"

"Those can be lost."

She glared at him. "As soon as they have a fix on Apollo's resort-"

He leaned over suddenly and with a swipe of one hand, he pushed the coffee table across the room. She caught her breath when he moved directly in front of her.

"You are not doing it." Anger seethed in his low, sharply clipped words.

Dammit, he was trying to bully her. Lara rose to her feet, her face inches from his stubborn chin. "No one tells me what to do."

He grabbed her by the shoulders. "I could teleport you someplace so remote you'd never find your way out."

She shoved at his chest. "Then you would be a kidnapper just like Apollo."

"No. I would be saving your life." His grip tightened on her shoulders. "Stay away from Apollo. You have no idea what he's capable of."

"But you know?" She seethed with frustration. "What do you know that you're not telling me, Jack?"

He released her and stepped back. He dragged a hand through his hair and paced across the room. "When Apollo sees you, he's going to want you."

"We're counting on that. And with the tracer I'll be wearing, we'll be able to track him down."

Jack shook his head. "He'll teleport you someplace. He might teleport you several places in a row. You've seen how quickly it's done. By the time the police figure out where he is, he... Bloody hell, Lara, it will be too late!"

She swallowed hard. "I can buy some time. I won't be under his control like the other victims. That's why I'm the best choice for this job. I'm immune to mind control."

He scoffed. "You think that makes you safe? Lara, the instant he realizes he can't control you, he will kill you."

A shudder zipped down her back. He's just trying to scare you into quitting. Hell, maybe she should quit. What if she got in completely over her head? The special task force had already warned her that she couldn't take any weapons with her. It would blow her cover.

"You can't survive against Apollo," Jack continued quietly. He paced across the room, then turned to face her. His mouth twisted as if he found the words painful. "He'll feed on you."

Lara gasped and pressed her hand to her chest. "What?"

"He'll sink his teeth into you and take your blood."

She grimaced. "That's sick. You make him sound like a... a..."

"Vampire," Jack whispered.

She stared at him. My God, he was serious. "Jack, there's no such thing. Maybe he thinks he's a vampire. There are some crazy people out there who pretend they're vampires. But any guy who tries to bite my neck would get a knee in his groin faster than he could say Transylvania."

Jack scowled at her. "You don't believe me."

"I think you're trying to scare the hell out of me so I'll quit this assignment. I really should be pissed, but I realize you're worried about me 'cause you care so much."

"I'm in love with you."

Her heart squeezed in her chest. She would never get tired of hearing him say that. "I care deeply for you, too, but-"

"Lara." He stepped toward her.

"But" - she put up a hand to stop him-"I will not allow you to control me or manipulate me."

"Merda. I'm trying to keep you alive. He's a vicious vampire."

"There's no such thing!"

"That's what they want you to believe. They've used mind control to make everyone believe they don't really exist, that they're just make-believe monsters. But they feed on people, then erase their memories. It's been going on for centuries."

Her skin crawled with gooseflesh. "How can you know about vampires? How would you know that Apollo's one of them? Have you met him?"

"No, I haven't. But I recognize the signs. Apollo only appears at night. He can control people's minds and erase memories. He has super strength and speed. He can teleport."

She gasped. "You're describing yourself."

Jack winced. His eyes glinted with a wary look.

Lara stumbled back and fell onto the couch. Oh God, he wasn't denying it. He was either crazy as a loon, or he was actually...

"No," she whispered. "No. Vampires aren't real."

He regarded her sadly. "Why would I lie about it? What can I possibly gain from this, other than your disgust?"

She dragged in a shaky breath and pressed her hands against her eyes. Memories flitted through her mind. She'd never seen him eat. She'd never been able to reach him during the day. There was no mirror in his bathroom. There were thick shutters on the windows. He was over two hundred years old. He worked at a factory that manufactured synthetic blood. Damn, it was a grocery store!

All the pieces of the puzzle had been there, but she'd never been able to fit them together 'cause she hadn't known what the final picture looked like. She'd expected a picture of a superhero. Not a monster.

Her stomach lurched. Oh God, she'd kissed him. She'd let him touch her, make love to her.

She covered her mouth as a moan escaped.

"Lara." He stepped toward her.

She pressed back against the couch.

His face paled. "Santo cielo. Do not fear me. I would never hurt you."

"I think you'd better go."

"We still need to talk."

"No." Her eyes stung with tears. What was there to talk about? She'd fallen for a monster. She'd been a fool.

He frowned. "You know the truth about Apollo now. This is a matter strictly for vampires. You will let me handle it."

Anger sizzled deep within her. "How dare you. This is not just about Apollo. All of his victims are human, so don't tell me to butt out. And don't expect me to believe that there are monsters who care."

He stiffened. "We're not all bad, Lara."

"I want you to leave."

He rubbed his brow. "You're in shock now. In a few days, we can talk."

"Go!"

He lowered his hand, and his eyes glimmered with pain and sadness. He wavered, then disappeared.

Jack materialized in the woods surrounding Romatech. He trudged toward the side entrance. If only he knew how to materialize without a heart. His chest ached so much, it hurt to breathe.

He propped a forearm against a thick tree trunk and leaned forward, resting his brow against his arm. He closed his eyes, and images flipped through his brain, the expressions on Lara's face. Shock, horror, disgust, anger. Just like the women from his past.

He'd lost Lara.

You must have faith, Giacomo. Father Giuseppe's words echoed softly in his mind.

How? He was a creature of darkness, trapped in a circle of hell. How could he possibly have faith? He was losing Lara just like he had the others. How many years had he suffered after losing them? And Beatrice-losing her had been sheer torment. He'd always wondered if she could have accepted him, but she'd died before he could tell her. She'd died all alone, believing he had abandoned her.

Merda! He punched the tree with his fist. He would not abandon Lara, even if she hated him. He would not let her die.

If Apollo kept to his usual schedule, he'd take another victim the last Saturday in June. That gave Jack plenty of time to locate the bastard and eliminate him. Then he could do a mind sweep on the police and FBI to clean up loose ends, find the whole ordeal would be over.

Lara would be saved. He just needed to have faith. And the help of a few good friends.

He pulled out his cell phone as he walked through the woods. Robby MacKay would help him. He'd first met Robby in 1820 at Jean-Luc's fencing academy in Paris, when they'd been paired as sparring partners. They'd become good friends when they weren't trying to skewer each other.

Robby was now working as Jean-Luc's bodyguard. Since Jean-Luc was hiding in Texas, Robby was there, too.

Robby answered the phone. "Hi, Jack. How's it going?"

"A problem's come up. Can you spare a few hours? I could use your help."

"Thank God. I'm bored out of my skull here. Last night Jean-Luc's daughter asked me to play dolls with her, and I nearly said yes. That's how desperate I'm getting."

"Then it's your lucky day," Jack said. "In fact, I may need you for a week or so. Phil, too, if he can come."

"I'll check with Jean-Luc, but I'm sure he willna object. See you soon." Robby rang off.

Jack pocketed his phone and strode toward the entrance.

"Hey, bro." Phineas zoomed up to him. "I was making a round when I heard your voice."

"I was on the phone. Did Connor arrive?"

"Yeah, he's in the office." Phineas cast a sidelong glance at Jack. "Are you all right, dude? You look kinda wasted."

Jack winced. "I want you and Carlos to live at Romatech for the next week or so. There are a few bedrooms in the basement, right?"

"Yeah. What's wrong? Are the Malcontents up to something?"

"No, but the police might come to the townhouse. We don't want to be caught there in our death-sleep."

"Damned po-po." Phineas halted. "Shit. Did you tell that cop lady about us?"

Jack gave him an irritated look. "Didn't you just advise me to?"

"Well, yeah, but since when does anyone take my advice? So I guess it didn't go well, huh?"

Jack shook his head.