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Shit. Not now.
The phone pealed. Vibrated.
He withdrew from her body, swearing. Oh, but somebody had just made his shit list. Cain fumbled for the phone, knowing he had to take the call, especially with Roberts out loose in the night.
“Lawson,” he answered, saying his last name.
Miranda was silent beside him, face tense.
“We’ve got contact.” Santiago’s response.
Tension had his gut clenching.
“I logged onto Miranda’s new online dating account. Checked out her profile and email.”
“The bastard’s already taken the bait?” An Internet sting had never worked that fast for him in the past. Never. Red flags shot up in his mind, and they waved hard.
Had Roberts used the blood link to figure out what they were doing? Was he trying to trap them? Cain couldn’t ignore that very real possibility.
“Oh, he’s taken it,” Santiago replied. “An email was sent from the same account Roberts used before. Traced the IP address back to one of those free computers at a coffee shop just outside of town.”
Figured. The vamp was smart enough to cover his tracks.
“He’s jonesing hard for another victim,” Santiago muttered. “In the message, he starts talking about their shared love of antiques, then the jerk cuts to the chase. Says he doesn’t usually do this, but he’d love to meet her for dinner, since they’re both in the same area.”
Slick asshole.
“Says she can meet him at a place called Mancini’s Grill at seven tomorrow night.”
A public meeting. One designed to make the victim feel safe. And she would be safe, until she made the mistake of letting Paul get her alone.
Then there would be no more safety.
“Tell him I’ll be there,” Miranda whispered, obviously having overheard everything.
His hold on the phone tightened. “We’ll be there.” They’d have the place surrounded by cops and a Bureau team. Roberts wouldn’t escape again.
The bastard had let his bloodlust bring him down, and Miranda had been right—she was, indeed, the perfect bait. Bait that Roberts would wish he had resisted.
Cain ended the call. Glanced at Miranda. She was clutching the sheets tightly to her breasts, her skin was flushed, and when she tilted her head, just a bit, he caught sight of the faint mark on her shoulder.
His mark. From their fast and furious lovemaking session in the sheriff’s office.
“Do we need to go back to Cherryville now?” Miranda asked.
He wrapped his arms around her. Inhaled and caught her scent. “Soon.” But not that exact moment. He wanted to hold her first. Stay with her. Pretend that a devil wasn’t waiting just beyond the door. “Soon,” he repeated and pressed his lips to hers.
The damn devil could wait a bit longer.
Chapter Eight
“You’ll be monitored every moment,” Cain told her the next evening, right before her promised meeting with the vampire. Cain bent and gave her a quick, hard kiss. “Plainclothes deputies and some cops will be in the restaurant. Santiago and Delaney will be watching from the kitchen.”
“And where will you be?” Not too close, or she knew the vampire they were after would catch his scent.
He smiled at her. “Baby, I’ll be watching your every move. Don’t doubt it for a minute.”
Her lips curved as she nodded.
