closed and tossed it into her
lap. “Put your seatbelt back on.”
“If you don't stop this car I am going to get out the first chance I get.” she warned, her hand easing to
the handle. “I'm fine, Damon. You need to let me do my job.”
“I said put your seatbelt on.” He stopped at another light. Before she could escape he reached over and
slammed her door shut, firmly snapping her seatbelt back in place. Without moving back his breath
fanned across her face moving wisps of hair. “I'll take you.”
“Thank you.” Her breath mingled with his, their eyes held for a second. When he moved back to his
seat and pulled a U-turn she relaxed. Ah yeah, this was getting really awkward. How was she suppose
to work with the guy when all she wanted to do was leap across and straddle him? Good Lord, she had
to get a grip. Her job was too important to her to mess up with a bunch of hot meaningless sex...... and
knowing what sat across from her, she knew it would be hotter than hell.
Chapter 4
Damon pulled into an empty spot in the emergency room parking lot at Children's Hospital. Grabbing
her bag, Nicole headed toward the door noticing all the police cruisers. Glancing at Damon, she saw
his expression was as confused and concerned as hers. The doors slid open and they were hit with a
blast of cold air as they entered the emergency room. It was packed with anxious parents with crying
kids, all waiting to be seen. Seeing Mitch, she headed his way.
“Excuse me.” A blonde woman behind the sign-in desk spoke loudly trying to stop her and Damon.
“I'm with them.” Nicole kept walking and pointed over her shoulder. “And he's with me.”
The woman threw up her hands. “I need to see some ID.” The woman shouted after them.
Ignoring the woman, Nicole walked up to Mitch, nodding at a few of the police officers she knew.
“What's going on Mitch?”
“We have a hell of a mess is what's going on.” Mitch ran his hand down his face, the shadows under
his puffy eyes making him look older and more tired than she'd ever seen him. “We have a 16 year old
vampire in there who killed both of his foster parents, human parents.”
“Oh God.” Nicole tried to peek around him to see if she could see the kid.
“It took ten officers to bring him down and he got a little roughed up so they brought him here. Now
he has a nurse and is threatening to kill her if they don't let him go. They're going to take him out.”
Mitch stepped back getting out of way of the hospital staff pulling Nicole with him.
“Who is it Mitch?” God, if it was one of her cases she was going to freak out right here and now.
“It's Stevie Richardson.” Mitch glared at the floor. “It's Chad's case and I can't get a hold of him so I
called you. I want you to try to talk him down Nicole.”
“No!” Damon had kept quiet up to this point. No way was he going to let Nicole get anywhere near
this kid. He knew how unstable a cornered vampire could be and he had no doubt that this kid would
kill. Hell, he already had. “I'll take care of this.”
Nicole grabbed his arm. “How Damon, by going in there and turning all bad warrior vamp on the kid?
Stevie was one of my cases until Chad threw a fit because he wanted to work with him and place him.
I gave up the case. Now I wish I wouldn't have. Stevie is a good kid. Something isn't right about this
whole situation and if you go in there we may never find out what it is.”
“Do you have a death wish?” Damon glared at her, jaw clinched. “You are human. What don't you
understand about that Nicole? You have no power over our kind.”
“You're right.” Nicole nodded. “Not with violence I don't, but I can get through to these kids and I am
not going to let him get hurt. Something triggered this and we need to find out what it is before it's too
late.”
Damon understood, he really did, but he didn't want Nicole going anywhere near this kid who had
already killed. He