Free NocC 014 - Elle James - Hot Demon Nights - Harlequin 2012-05 by Nocturne Page A

sure you’re not a demon?”
     

Chapter Seven
    M y insides turned cartwheels at the way his touch made me feel. I fought the need to lean into him, pushing against his chest instead. “Hell, no, I’m not a demon. I’d think I’d know it if I was.”
    Blaise’s grip tightened. “What do you know about your father?”
    I shook free. “Nothing. I barely knew him before he left. All I know is my mother loved him so much, it tore her apart when he abandoned us.”
    Blaise opened his mouth to say something, closed it and zipped his jacket. “We’re going to be late.”
    I grabbed my jacket from the floor where it had fallen the night before, crammed my keys in my pocket and headed for the door.
    “Forgetting something?” Blaise held up my shoulder holster with the gun.
    I slipped the holster over my shoulders, buckled it and slid my arms into my jacket, making tracks for the door as I shrugged into the leather. My blood boiled in my veins from Blaise’s incessant questioning about a man I hated to the very core of my being. And the residual sexual tension didn’t help slow my pulse in the least. I held onto my anger like a shield, determined to put this obsession with a demon to bed…er, rest…er…out of my freakin’ mind before it drove me crazier than I’d already become.
    At the station, we found Detective Thomas in the conference area labeled War Room. He had a dry-erase marker in his hand and was making notes on a large white board. All the attacks and their dates were listed, the people involved and any correlations to each that had already been discussed.
    “Glad you two could make it.”
    “Any other attacks last night?” Blaise asked.
    “No. But then there has only ever been one on any given night.”
    “So we can expect another tonight if we don’t find our mad scientist before then?” I interjected.
    Thomas nodded. “That would be my guess.”
    I walked around the conference table, getting as far away from Blaise as possible. Not that it helped. I was hyperaware of his presence to the detriment of my concentration. I filled in the detective on what we’d learned from our visit to F&L labs the night before. “Maybe we should split up to question all the different scientists from the reanimation lab. We could get through the list a lot sooner.”
    Thomas shook his head. “No, you work as partners. We don’t know how dangerous the man behind these attacks can be. So far two homeless men have died, and Felding’s secretary is in the hospital in a coma. The widow would be dead if the doorman hadn’t come to her rescue as soon as he did. I prefer you two to stick together.”
    Blaise nodded. “I agree.” He jerked his head toward the door. “Ready to hit the road, partner?”
    Much as I hated to admit it, I was half glad the boss forced us to stick together. Still kinda new in the city, I didn’t really relish the idea of knocking on doors of potential killers by myself. On the other hand, being in close quarters with a demon—oh all right, with this particular demon—was having a detrimental effect on my ability to think straight, and my body felt like all the blood inside was hopping. I couldn’t relax for a moment without worrying that I might end up in his arms again.
    Damn it, what had happened to all my promises to myself to be independent, to never need anyone, and particularly not any man?
    I stomped toward the door, patting the gun beneath my arm, telling myself that if I had to, I’d use it on Blaise if he didn’t keep his hands off me.
    Will you shoot yourself if you can’t keep your hands off me?
    “Get out of my head, demon,” I warned.
    We’d appropriated an unmarked police car from the precinct to make the trip. With me driving, I had my hands full dealing with traffic, as good an excuse as any to keep the idle chatter to a minimum. The ride to Victor’s apartment was accomplished in silence. I refused to speak, working at how to block my thoughts from the