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private investigator would find a nice logical explanation for what had happened in her past, why her aunt had kept them isolated for so many years. Instead, she’d hired a madman, who talked about dead people as though they had the power to walk and talk and eat. A madman who’d had the nerve to kiss her. She could still feel that kiss against her lips—she’d never imagined a kiss could feel like that.
    Graham regarded her as she stepped up to the reception desk, his eyes widening as he took in the red folder she clutched. Did he know what was in there? Had they laughed as they put it together?
    “Would you like another appointment?” he asked.
    “No,” she said. “I won’t be coming back, and you can return this to your madman of a boss.” She slapped the file on the desk and headed for the door.
    “Tara.”
    “What?”
    “You could be in danger.”
    She stalked from the building. Outside, she gazed about for a moment then headed for the alley opposite—the quickest way to the train station. She hesitated at the entrance; the alley was narrow, the streetlights penetrating only a few feet, and beyond that, utter darkness.
    Of course she wasn’t in danger. Of course she hadn’t been brought up by a dead woman. Of course there wasn’t something really scary waiting for her down this alley.
    And if there was, all she could say was—it had better watch out.
    Chapter Four
    “Well that went well,” Christian murmured.
    What the hell had happened to keeping his hands off her?
    Though it wasn’t his hands that were the problem. He hadn’t been able to resist that one fleeting kiss, and she tasted as good as he’d expected. A delicious combination of bitter and sweet he’d never encountered before. If he had put his hands on her he probably would have dragged her back in here and not let her out again until sunrise.
    But she didn’t want that. She wanted “normal,” and he was about as far from normal as it was possible to get.
    Perhaps he should have kept the information about Kathy Collins to himself. He had considered that option, but was worried. Tara was obviously human—it came off her in waves—so why would she have an undead guardian? And why had the undead guardian up and died? Presumably, the spell giving her life had run out of power. But who had brought Kathryn Collins back to life in the first place and why?
    There had to be a good reason, because magic like that never came cheap. Someone had paid a high price to protect Tara. And if she didn’t find out why she needed safeguarding, her chances of a normal life were remote.
    Part of him liked the idea of protecting her, but he knew nothing good could come of bringing her into his world however much he might crave it. A wave of bitterness washed over him. It had been more than five hundred years since his wife and two daughters had been slaughtered in a demon attack. Christian had nearly died himself. The Order had offered him a chance to get his revenge. Since that night, he’d embraced the darkness wholeheartedly. For centuries, he’d fought demons, slaughtered demons, feasted on their immortal blood.
    Until one sunset, he’d risen from his sleep to realize he no longer wanted that life. Or rather death.
    He’d turned his back on t he Order and tried to make a place for himself in the world of humans. But now he was bored, and he wanted more. He wanted Tara Collins. Maybe just one small taste and afterward, he would sort out whatever mess she was in, and send her on her way unaware how close she had come to the darkness.
    His cell phone rang. It was Piers. “What?” Christian growled.
    Piers chuckled. “Bad moment? Is your balance sheet not adding up?”
    “What do you want?”
    “Are you aware that there’s a lot of demon activity going on tonight?”
    “So, send someone after them.”
    “Aren’t you interested where?”
    Christian sighed. “Get to the point, Piers.”
    “They’re right outside your building.