“Thane Durant,” Vincent continued darkly, “was a twisted, sadistic, lying bastard. You can’t believe any shit he told you.” His laughter was bitter. “Actually, Thane was the one to kill your father.”
What? Jane gave a quick, hard shake of her head but… “I guess vamps turn on each other all the time, huh?”
“No, we don’t.” Vincent inclined his head toward her. “You know then, how you came…to be?”
“I don’t need a talk on the birds and bees from you, jerk.” She could feel the rage pouring off Aidan and Jane wasn’t sure how much longer his control would last. Having a vamp this close to him, well, it had to be like waving a red flag in front of a bull. A very, very big and dangerous bull.
Stampede time is coming.
“Michael was a good man, once. A good father. But he didn’t handle the change well. He needed a guide.” Vincent sighed. “I let him down, so that’s on me.”
He actually sounds sincere. Was the vamp bullshitting? Or had he known her father?
“If you want to learn more, I guess you’d better come find me before sunset,” Vincent added. “Because I will be gone then.” His gaze slid to Aidan. “Alpha, I don’t want a war. That’s not why I was in town. Believe it or not, I thought I was helping.” He rolled back his shoulders. “I won’t make that mistake again.”
“Damn right, you won’t,” Aidan snarled.
Vincent turned away once more. He started walking and then…
Freaking parlor trick. He vanished.
Aidan turned Jane to face him. “He’s trying to manipulate you.” She could see his worry. “Jane, he probably knows dick about your real father. He just wants you to seek him out. He wants to get power over you.”
“I don’t care.” Saying those words made a weight rise from her chest.
Aidan blinked. “Come again?” He threw a quick glance over her shoulder, and a predatory gleam appeared in his eyes as he swept the street.
Probably trying to make sure Vincent hadn’t reappeared.
“I don’t care what he knows about the vampire who used to be known as Michael.” That had been the name her mother had whispered on a few pain-filled nights. Monsters aren’t real. Monsters…Michael wasn’t a monster. Had her mother been trying to convince herself of that fact? “He doesn’t matter to me. The past is over, and all I want to do is focus on the future.” Her future with Aidan. “The past isn’t going to dictate my life. I won’t let it. I’m more than some vamp’s kid.”
His hand rose and slid tenderly over her cheek. “Yes, Jane, you are. You are…everything.”
Only Aidan could say those words and make them sound utterly true. She wasn’t, of course. She was just a cop, doing her job as best she could. But Aidan made her feel special. Aidan made her feel like she didn’t need to be ashamed of her past.
Her Aidan.
Her head turned and she pressed a kiss to his palm.
***
The werewolf was a fucking problem.
Vincent watched as Aidan touched Jane so tenderly. The alpha knew what she was—he knew what she would become. With Aidan Locke’s own twisted past, the guy should be running the hell away from Mary Jane Hart.
Not holding her so gently.
Damn him. He is screwing this up for me.
Jane should have died the night before. Everything would be different this day if she had. But no, she still breathed. She still packed her gun with its wooden bullets.
She was still fighting what would be.
Jane and her werewolf turned away and headed down the street. Probably off hunting for more clues. She was so worried about getting justice for the humans. He didn’t get that. She needed to be worried about herself. Surely she could see that?
She’d flinched, just the smallest bit, when he’d said her father’s name. Michael. The name mattered to her. The man mattered. Poor Jane. She’d probably gone her whole life, wondering about the monster that was her father. Would she like to hear that he hadn’t always been so bad? That he’d tried to protect his family? Protect her?
Vincent thought Michael might just be the key to winning over Mary Jane. He’d thrown out the bait, now he just had to wait and see if she took it.
And if she didn’t…
And sunset came…
Then I have to work out a new plan. Because he truly hadn’t intended to go to war with the alpha. But sometimes, battles couldn’t be avoided. Sometimes, bloodshed came.
Death came.
No matter how hard you fought to avoid it.
Chapter Twelve
“What in the hell happened last night?” Police Captain Vivian Harris demanded as she paced beside her desk.
Jane blew out a long breath. Aidan had gone back to Hell’s Gate after dropping her off at the police station. She’d immediately gone in to have a closed-door talk with her captain and now—
“Jane, how close did you come to dying?”
“I think as close as one can get.”
Vivian stopped pacing. Her eyes squeezed closed. “Dear God.”
Jane jumped to her feet. “I’m okay now. Better than okay.”