Page 5 of Midnight Kiss

I stepped away from her, my expression blank. “You’re not getting it,” I said, giving her a look that carried nothing.

Cassia drew her tongue over her teeth. “Getting what?”

“You know better than to play dumb with me,” I said. “You’re not getting it.”

She kept her peace for a millisecond before slamming her fist against the side of the compartment so hard that it rattled the glass.

I let a smirk slip onto my lips before banishing it again.

“Come on,” Cassia hissed. “You don’t deserve this mission. You don’t even want it.”

“Who told you that, Cassia? Or is that another of your presumptions?”

She glared at me, her eyes glowing white hot. “You don’t care about anything,” she hissed. “You don’t care about the U.C., or getting better, or promotions or … You just don’t care, Alexander, so why don’t you give it up and give me the mission?”

“It’s my mission.”

She let out a feral shriek. “I want it,” she said. “I want it. You realize this could be it, don’t you? The key to defeating Sanguine Nox. The person who pulls this off will be decorated. Celebrated. Powerful.” A hint of desire leaked into her tone, and it repulsed me.

“I don’t care about any of that.”

“And that’s exactly why it’s wasted on you,” Cassia said. “Alexander, please.” She pressed a hand to my arm, and I felt the compunction she forced into my flesh. A last ditch attempt to overwhelm my mindshield and force her will onto me. It felt oily and sweet, like spoiled honey left in the sun.

I removed my arm from her grasp. “No.”

She slammed her finger onto the button on the elevator pad, bringing it to a halt. The doors slid open, revealing that we were halfway past a floor. “You,” she pointed at me, “are a machine. You’re empty. There’s nothing inside you, nothing that you care about. And I will get this mission from you. You mark my words, Alexander. I’ll have it.” And then she dropped out of the doors and down the shaft.

I grunted out a sigh and hit the button to close the doors again, then hit the one that corresponded with my floor.

The guy who watched the cameras in here had gotten a show he hadn’t bargained for. Then again, that kind of temper was normal with horny, blood-thirsting vampires who hadn’t gotten any in a while.

Sex and blood kept vampires strong and under control. I prided myself on having control over both of those needs.

The elevator dinged, the doors slid open, and I entered my apartment, moving over to stand near the glossy kitchen counters I hardly ever used. The open-plan living area was decorated immaculately—cream sofas and armchairs, a glass coffee table with sweeping lines, and marble counters in the kitchen, all with a view of the sparkling city skyline.

I took my phone out of my pocket and opened my email inbox, finding the message from Haldren.

I’d given it, at best, a cursory read before I’d gone to his office to complain about the lack of information included in the primary message.

Att: Alexander Knight

You have been tasked with a new mission. Details attached below.

Target location: New York Public Library, rare books division. Alternate Location: Kingsbridge, Bronx.

Danger level: Red. Enemy operatives from S.N. are aware of the target’s whereabouts.

Access level: Enforcer/Lieutenant level. Information will be provided on a need-to-know basis.

Retrieve the book in the target’s possession and return it to the U.C. headquarters in New York City. Target is human but can be killed if necessary. Images attached to this correspondence for your convenience.

I tapped on the images that had been attached to the email. The first picture showed a massive leatherbound book, no title, but the edges of the pages stained with blood.

The second image heated my blood.

A woman. A human woman.

She was … gorgeous beyond measure. Wavy auburn hair, beautiful blue eyes. The picture had been taken on the steps of the New York Public Library, as she talked to a young man. Her hair was wind swept over one shoulder, her eyes dancing with joy as she laughed at something the man had said, her full lips parted into a smile that twisted my stomach.

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