Sea Panther (Crimson Storm) by Dawn Marie Hamilton

harm. He drank deep from the goblet,
wishing it were her blood.
    His conscience reared its unwanted opinion. Who was he
trying to fool? He desired her with every fiber of his despicable being.
    As a woman? As prey? As a mate?
    A soft yowl escaped his lips, the panther uneasy. The
vampire slithered through the shadows, determined to have Kimberly. Robert
forced the evil from his mind. What mattered most was keeping Kimberly safe.
    * * *
    Another Christmas day. Another overly bright diner with
gaudy holiday decorations. Another job to do. Dino chuckled and lowered the
visor of the baseball cap to shade his eyes. One could never be too careful
when you were a hired gun, though he doubted the young deputy sitting at the
next booth flirting with the waitress would recognize him from old mug shots.
He’d undergone plastic surgery from his face to the tips of his fingers,
changed the color of his eyes, and dyed his hair since his last incarceration.
    He’d even changed profession—drug dealer to assassin.
    Assuming the identity of a dead hit man was one of his most
brilliant plans yet. And the fool that hired him was none the wiser. Dino
couldn’t wait to get the hundred grand for the kill. He took a sip of coffee
and leaned back to better hear the conversation.
    The girl giggled. “Maybe you could make it up to me
tonight?”
    “I’d love to, sweetheart, but I was up all night searching
for a person of interest.”
    “But it’s Christmas,” she whined. “You promised.”
    “I know, honey. I’ll make it up to you. I swear.”
    “Why can’t you come tonight?”
    “Would if I could.”
    “What’s stopping you?”
    “The woman we’re searching for is part of the crew on that
yacht, Sea Panther ,” the deputy said, changing gears.
    “The fancy boat berthed over at the marina?” The girl’s
voice rose with excitement at the hint of gossip.
    Go figure.
    “Not any more. The yacht disappeared in the middle of the
night around the same time Hotel Jackson’s inflatable went missing.
According to the hotel manager the Zodiac reappeared this morning with an
envelope containing three hundred dollars cash.”
    “What’s that to do with us spending Christmas night
together?”
    “One of the guys from Sea Panther was seen leaving
the dock after the Zodiac showed up. My partner is trying to get a handle on
where the kid went. Then we’re going after him.”
    “Don’t count on me being available when you get back.” The
waitress stalked past Dino in a snit.
    He threw a few dollar bills on the table for the coffee. It
was doubtful the woman he hunted remained with Sea Panther . He’d done
his homework. The yacht’s billionaire captain had a reputation for being
shrewd. Dino would find the kid from Sea Panther’s crew before the
sheriff’s deputies. He planned to take him to his employer. The kid would talk
if he wanted to live.
    * * *
    Sea Panther moored in a calm inlet on the
Intracoastal Waterway. Kimberly snuggled within the folds of the new green
mohair cape, allowing the unseasonably warm night soothe her. She’d slept in
after their hurried escape and found the surprise gift late in the afternoon
when she woke. No one would admit to being her secret Santa.
    Only Robert could have left the large box wrapped in white
paper with a large green velvet bow. Sarah would advise not to accept such a
present, warning there might be strings attached. Kimberly didn’t care if there
were. She intended to keep Robert’s thoughtful gift.
    She leaned against the mast and inhaled deeply. Fresh air
with a briny tang prompted pleasant memories of better times. She hummed as the
evening sounds of the nearby salt marsh played a symphony.
    Robert’s grim expression when he appeared on deck brought
reality crashing down.
    In the time it had taken to reach the rendezvous spot, she’d
tried to come to terms with her situation. The need to escape had ruined the
entire crew’s Christmas. She couldn’t allow them to also risk