from the park before ripping the heavy plastic with a fang and pulling it open.
“ Jesus! ”
A white-faced paramedic stared at him, shock and horror competing on his face. Spade yanked the knife out of his throat, tucked it into his trousers, and gave the lad a cool smile.
“Not nearly, mate.”
The ambulance swerved as the driver stared back at him with equal shock. Spade rolled his eyes. Poor bloke would wreck if he wasn’t careful.
“Watch the road,” he said, letting power leak out of his gaze. “You didn’t see me get up. You don’t know what happened to me.”
“Don’t know,” the paramedics mumbled in unison.
Spade climbed into the front and then went out of the side door, not bothering to tell them to stop first. A quick leap into traffic and then he was back on the sidewalk, heading for the Plaza. He was anxious to return to Denise. He’d taken quite a lot of blood from her while in the initial throes of its druglike effects. She’d looked stable when she made it to the hotel, but what if she’d gone into shock since then?
The strange looks from the people he passed reminded him that he was covered in blood and missing his shirt. Right, that would draw too much attention. Spade ducked into the nearest alcove and then grabbed the next person walking past.
“Quiet,” he said, glaring at the young woman with his gaze lit up. “Give me your coat.”
She handed it over without another word. Spade put it on. It was several sizes too small. Still, it covered what it needed to and he wouldn’t be wearing it long.
“Off you go,” Spade told her.
He made it to the Plaza as quickly as he could without revealing his supernatural speed. Once inside, though, he ignored the elevators in favor of the stairwell. One clear shot upward had him flying past the different floors in a blur, arriving at nineteen in seconds.
The stench of sulfur drifted to him as soon as he opened the stairwell door. A demon had been on this floor.
Spade flew the rest of the way, not caring now who might see him. He crashed through his hotel room and rolled when he hit the carpet, the same silver knife that had been in his throat now gripped in his hand.
“Denise?” he called out. “Denise!”
She appeared in the bedroom doorway, blood still staining her neck, her face even paler than his normally was.
“You’re back,” she said, swaying.
Spade caught her before she hit the floor.
Chapter Eleven
Denise’s eyes fluttered open. Spade leaned over her, a deep frown creasing his face. Blood covered the front of him and even clumped in his hair. Considering what had happened the last time she’d been this close to him, she should have been concerned about his proximity to her throat. But right now, she couldn’t summon the strength to worry about being bitten.
“You look like hell,” she murmured.
Spade didn’t smile. “What did he do to you?”
She didn’t want to talk about it. She’d thought it was agonizing the first time Raum forced his essence into her, but this last occasion made her realize what the word pain really meant. The hotel had sent security to her room. She’d had to lie and say she twisted her ankle—as if that would explain several minutes of screaming. What they’d heard, anyway. Raum had covered her mouth after he got bored listening to it.
“What did he do?” Spade repeated, more emphatically this time.
Denise closed her eyes. “He upped the dosage on the marks,” she said, trying to keep the horror of remembrance out of her voice. “He wasn’t happy with my progress.”
Spade muttered something low and fierce, too rapidly for her to catch. “Shouldn’t have stayed at a hotel,” he finished with. “Should have picked a private home where demons couldn’t enter. I didn’t think he’d followed us here, but he’s obviously smarter than I realized. We’re leaving, Denise, just as soon as we get cleaned up.”
“Doesn’t matter where we go.” It was so exhausting
“ Jesus! ”
A white-faced paramedic stared at him, shock and horror competing on his face. Spade yanked the knife out of his throat, tucked it into his trousers, and gave the lad a cool smile.
“Not nearly, mate.”
The ambulance swerved as the driver stared back at him with equal shock. Spade rolled his eyes. Poor bloke would wreck if he wasn’t careful.
“Watch the road,” he said, letting power leak out of his gaze. “You didn’t see me get up. You don’t know what happened to me.”
“Don’t know,” the paramedics mumbled in unison.
Spade climbed into the front and then went out of the side door, not bothering to tell them to stop first. A quick leap into traffic and then he was back on the sidewalk, heading for the Plaza. He was anxious to return to Denise. He’d taken quite a lot of blood from her while in the initial throes of its druglike effects. She’d looked stable when she made it to the hotel, but what if she’d gone into shock since then?
The strange looks from the people he passed reminded him that he was covered in blood and missing his shirt. Right, that would draw too much attention. Spade ducked into the nearest alcove and then grabbed the next person walking past.
“Quiet,” he said, glaring at the young woman with his gaze lit up. “Give me your coat.”
She handed it over without another word. Spade put it on. It was several sizes too small. Still, it covered what it needed to and he wouldn’t be wearing it long.
“Off you go,” Spade told her.
He made it to the Plaza as quickly as he could without revealing his supernatural speed. Once inside, though, he ignored the elevators in favor of the stairwell. One clear shot upward had him flying past the different floors in a blur, arriving at nineteen in seconds.
The stench of sulfur drifted to him as soon as he opened the stairwell door. A demon had been on this floor.
Spade flew the rest of the way, not caring now who might see him. He crashed through his hotel room and rolled when he hit the carpet, the same silver knife that had been in his throat now gripped in his hand.
“Denise?” he called out. “Denise!”
She appeared in the bedroom doorway, blood still staining her neck, her face even paler than his normally was.
“You’re back,” she said, swaying.
Spade caught her before she hit the floor.
Chapter Eleven
Denise’s eyes fluttered open. Spade leaned over her, a deep frown creasing his face. Blood covered the front of him and even clumped in his hair. Considering what had happened the last time she’d been this close to him, she should have been concerned about his proximity to her throat. But right now, she couldn’t summon the strength to worry about being bitten.
“You look like hell,” she murmured.
Spade didn’t smile. “What did he do to you?”
She didn’t want to talk about it. She’d thought it was agonizing the first time Raum forced his essence into her, but this last occasion made her realize what the word pain really meant. The hotel had sent security to her room. She’d had to lie and say she twisted her ankle—as if that would explain several minutes of screaming. What they’d heard, anyway. Raum had covered her mouth after he got bored listening to it.
“What did he do?” Spade repeated, more emphatically this time.
Denise closed her eyes. “He upped the dosage on the marks,” she said, trying to keep the horror of remembrance out of her voice. “He wasn’t happy with my progress.”
Spade muttered something low and fierce, too rapidly for her to catch. “Shouldn’t have stayed at a hotel,” he finished with. “Should have picked a private home where demons couldn’t enter. I didn’t think he’d followed us here, but he’s obviously smarter than I realized. We’re leaving, Denise, just as soon as we get cleaned up.”
“Doesn’t matter where we go.” It was so exhausting
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