Finding the Texas Wolf Page 10

  He felt like a fool. Despite knowing exactly what kind of being Carmen Vargas was, he’d deluded himself into allowing the intense sexual pull of her to make him forget. No doubt she’d be excellent in bed, but he needed to remember it could never be anything more than that. Vampires were notoriously adroit at avoiding emotional entanglements. Perhaps because they had no beating heart.

  Still, he liked her. Gutsy, smart and beautiful, all in one.

  Once she’d carefully moved all the unbroken glass vials to a safe area, she finished rolling up the dead man and secured him in the tarp.

  “For this, I need to be careful,” she said, her voice low. “While I can easily drag him off by myself, if anyone sees me, it’ll raise questions.”

  “Good point.” A human woman of her size and shape would have difficulty moving a large, inert dead man. “Since nothing broke, I think I’ll be okay helping you drag the tarp. Where are we going with him?”

  “There’s a fire pit in an area away from the little sheds and houses. I noticed it when we were walking earlier. It’s not huge, but I think I can utilize it to burn this body.”

  Again, her clinical, remote tone gave him pause. Something must have shown on his face, because she shook her head.

  “Would you rather be dealing with a hysterical, crying female?” she asked him drily. “When you live as long as I have, the one thing you’re not afraid of is death. It’s a shame, what happened to this man, but nothing I can do will change that.”

  “Point taken.” He matched her tone. “Let’s get this done.”

  “Do you mind grabbing the gasoline and the lighter?” she asked, pointing to where Tommy had placed the items on the ground.

  “No problem.” He grabbed the gas can with his right hand and stuck the lighter in his pocket. Then he took hold of the tarp, his left hand next to hers. When he gave a sharp tug, he could barely make the poor, dead Sheldon move.

  Carmen shot him a look of disbelief. “Allow me,” she said, and began effortlessly dragging the tarp away. To his chagrin, Rick could barely keep up with her pace. Of course, he was also carrying a five-gallon can of gas.

  “Better slow down,” he muttered. “Only a Vampire could move this fast.”

  Immediately, she complied. “Damn, you’re right. I’m sorry. But look, we’re almost there.”

  And they were. The fire pit sat less than twenty yards to their right. With a few more moves, they maneuvered the body into place. At her signal, Rick doused the tarp with gasoline.

  “Hand me the lighter,” she asked.

  He almost declined. Almost. But then, because for whatever reason he didn’t want to be the one who set a man he’d never known on fire, he passed the lighter to Carmen.

  “You might step back,” Carmen pointed out quietly. “You know what fire does to your kind.”

  Jaw tight, he didn’t move. “Just do it,” he said. “I’m far enough away.”

  With a shrug, she picked up a dry stick, dipped it in the gas and lit one end. Once she had a flame going, she touched it to the edge of the tarp and dropped it, simultaneously stepping back. There was no wind, so at least neither of them had to worry about that.

  The blaze burned hot and furious. The awful smell made Rick want to gag, but he managed to maintain his stoic expression. Carmen turned away, as if to say she’d finished with this, but when he touched her arm and she looked at him, he realized tears streamed down her face.

  Stunned, he froze.

  “Sorry.” She sniffed, swiping at her cheeks with her fingers. “This man had a brilliant mind. While death doesn’t usually upset me, sometimes I just hate the complete and utter disregard humans have for life. If they only understood what a precious gift it is to be alive...”

  Stunned, he nodded. Clearly, Carmen Vargas wasn’t nearly as heartless as he’d thought.

  They stood and paid homage to a man they’d never known, waiting until the flames settled down into embers, glowing amid the thick ash. Soon, with nothing else to use as fuel, those glowing bits of heat would fade also.

  “We should have asked for a shovel,” Carmen said. “I’d prefer to bury the ashes once this is over.”

  “I can go back and get one,” he offered.

  She jerked her head in a nod.

  Once at the house, he started up the porch steps, intending to knock on the door. Instead, Tommy came outside and met him. “What’s up?”

  Rick explained what he needed. Tommy grunted, told him to wait there and went to the garage to fetch it. When he returned with two large shovels, Rick thanked him and started back toward Carmen.

  “Do you need any help digging?” Tommy called after him.

  Noting that the other man had waited until Rick had gone a fair distance, Rick told him no.

  Once he reached Carmen and handed one of the shovels to her, they made short work of digging a hole. It didn’t have to be that deep, because wild animals didn’t go after ashes.

  “There,” he said, tossing the last shovelful of dirt on the mound and tamping it down. “That’s done.”

  Expression solemn, she nodded. “Thanks for understanding a bit ago. Let’s go for a walk. I need to move. Something, a bit of a distraction.”

  Since he could well understand this, he nodded. “Come on. The woods are waiting. I feel better when I’m among the trees.”

  On impulse, he held out his hand. After a second’s hesitation, she took it. He didn’t know about her, but right now he needed skin-to-skin contact.

  Though it hadn’t been that long since he’d shape-shifted, his inner wolf recognized the earthy scent of the forest and grew restless. Rick couldn’t help but think about what a relief it would be to change into his lupine self, and run and hunt until exhaustion chased all thoughts from his head. Obviously, he couldn’t, and wouldn’t, not while the fate of the entire human race hung in the balance.

  He imagined Carmen felt similar, in her own way. Vampires enjoyed their own form of hunting.

  “That was unusually rough for me,” she said once they were far enough into the forest.

  “You took that guy’s death harder than I expected.”

  “Maybe.” She lifted one shoulder. “Humans come and go. Usually, their passing doesn’t affect me much. But this...” Clearing her throat, she looked away. “While I didn’t know Sheldon personally, I was looking forward to learning from him. He clearly had a brilliant mind. I wanted to find out what steps he followed in his creation or discovery of the new virus. I’m hoping at least they preserved his notes.”

  Intelligent and vulnerable. His heart squeezed. Damned if she didn’t keep surprising him, making him like her even more, deepening the strong sexual attraction he felt into something he didn’t dare guess at. Too dangerous.

  Hand in hand with her, walking through the leafy shadows of the trees, he could almost pretend they were a normal couple, out for a stroll. Since this—being normal, with a regular life—wasn’t something he’d ever wanted, much less thought about, the odd direction his mind had taken concerned him. Had to be because his libido seemed to be working overtime where Carmen was concerned.

  He needed to focus on the case. Nothing else. The rest could wait until the unforeseeable future.

  They came to a large boulder near the edge of the stream. He squeezed her hand, meaning to help her up. She grinned at him, pulled her hand free and then leaped to the top. Clearly a Vampiric move and one he couldn’t replicate unless in his wolf form.

  With a sigh, he climbed up the normal way.

  “This is nice.” Expression serene, she looked around. “I always thought I’d like living in the country, though I haven’t, not since I was a small child. I like the lack of people. Plus, these pine trees have a nice scent.”

  “They do. Where did you live before you came to Galveston?” he asked, genuinely curious.

  “All over,” she replied, grinning. “East Coast, West Coast and several places in between. I stick to large cities, usually. My favorite is Ch
icago. And then Europe, before America became so populated. London, Paris, Rome.” Her heavy sigh matched her wistful expression. “I really need to get back there someday. I was born as a human in London.”

  “Exactly how old are you?” he asked, mentally wincing at the brusque nature of the question. “Sorry,” he added. “But I really want to know. Idle curiosity.”

  Where most women would have been instantly offended, Carmen just brushed her hair away from her eyes and studied him. “Why?”

  “I’m intrigued. You’re the first Vampire I’ve ever been even remotely close to. Most of what I know about your kind is hearsay.”

  “Seriously? In your line of work?”

  “Sorry.” He shrugged. “I’m a Shape-shifter. I work mostly with other Shifters and with humans. I’ve never worked with a Vampire until now. In fact, I’ve never even talked to another Vamp.”

  “You haven’t missed much,” she said, deadpan. And then ruined it with a huge grin. “Just kidding. Like anything else, being a Vampire has its good and its bad sides. Eternal life is a plus. Having to drink blood is a minus, though you get used to it. I miss real food, especially pasta. And a good T-bone.”

  “I’d never really thought about that,” he mused.

  “Most others don’t. That’s okay. But in case you ever wondered why we Vamps tend to stick to our own kind, there’s part of your answer. It’s easier being around others who understand where you’re coming from.”

  Though he knew better, he reached for her hand again. “I think we’re all like that. Even among my kind, we Shape-shifters tend to stick to our own beast. Wolves hang around with other Pack members, the big cats keep to themselves, and so on.”

  “Hmm. Maybe we have more in common than we thought.” She squeezed his hand, the simple move sending a jolt to his midsection. “What else do you want to know? I guess I don’t mind answering your questions.”

  “How about instead of me grilling you, you just tell me whatever you feel comfortable sharing.” The notion that he truly wanted to know more about her worried him slightly, but right now he couldn’t make himself care.

  “I was thirty when I was made,” she said, still smiling, her misty gaze faraway.

  He waited for her to elaborate. When she didn’t, he pushed. “What year did you turn thirty?”

  Her smile faded. “I’m not sure I should tell you. I fear it will make you think differently about me, and I don’t want that.”

  “I already know you’re a Vampire,” he pointed out. “And judging by what I know of your kind, I’m guessing you’re at least a couple hundred years old. I’m just curious.”

  “Let’s just say it’s been a while and leave it at that.” Gently pulling her hand from his, she fluffed her hair. “Call it Vampire vanity.”

  He wasn’t sure whether he found her reluctance to talk about herself charming or stubborn. In the end, he decided it was a combination of both. “Interesting,” he mused. “I never would have pegged you for being vain.”

  “Vain?” One perfectly arched brow rose. “I’m female. Why wouldn’t I be vain?”

  Her response made him chuckle. “Point taken. Beautiful women like you are usually vainer than most.”

  Her lack of reaction to the compliment disappointed him. But then again, no doubt she was well aware of the lure of her beauty.

  The thought felt like someone had splashed ice water in his face. What the hell was he thinking, acting like some lovesick teenager who couldn’t keep it in his pants? He had a job to do, as did she. The entire human race’s survival was at stake.

  “I’m sorry, but this is getting weird,” he said, making his voice flat and his expression cold. “Whatever this thing is that’s simmering between us, we need to put it aside until we’ve successfully completed this mission. Then and only then, we can explore it.”

  Her throaty laugh had him clenching his jaw. “I disagree. I think we need to have wild sex immediately and get it out of our systems, so we can focus on the task ahead. Shutting down this virus is going to be difficult enough without me being distracted. What do you say?”

  * * *

  Since it had been years, no, decades since she’d wanted a man with this much intensity, Carmen found herself holding her breath. She’d been bold, certainly, but she’d learned life went better if she simply asked for what she wanted. And in this case, she wanted him.

  “Ms. Vargas, Mr. Fallin!” Landers’s voice, high with panic, echoed through the trees. “Where are you?”

  They exchanged glances. “Let’s go toward him before we respond,” Rick said. “No sense in giving away our hiding place.”

  Since she agreed with that, she nodded. “Come on.” She jumped down from the boulder, smiling when he did the same.

  They took off at a slow jog, heading for the path that led back to the field behind the house. Landers called out again. Since they were halfway there, Rick responded. “We’re on our way,” he shouted.

  As soon as they burst into the clearing, the sight of several men waiting for them sent a shudder of warning up Carmen’s spine. “Trouble,” she murmured to Rick, who’d skidded to a stop alongside her.

  “What now?”

  Slightly winded, Carmen and Rick jogged to the others. “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “Where were you?” Gus’s narrow-eyed gaze swept over them, his expression drawn and suspicious.

  “We went for a walk in the woods.” Carmen kept her voice cool. “What’s up?”

  “What did you do with the vials?”

  “I moved them over by that shed.” She pointed. They were no longer there. “I’m assuming Tommy came out and got them after bringing me the supplies I asked for. Why? Has something happened to them?”

  Seriously, she hoped not. Those vials contained a deadly virus. How much more incompetent could they be?

  Gus stared at her. “Are you lying to me?”

  “Of course not. Why would I?” She took a step closer to him, making her own expression fierce. “What happened to those vials? Surely you understood they needed to be put back in a safe location in the lab.”

  Naturally, Gus looked away. “Yeah, I got that. I asked someone to do that. No one wanted to. They were scared,” he sneered. “Finally, one of my newer guys said he’d handle it. Ted.”

  “And?” she prompted, unable to hide her impatience. “What happened?”

  “Ted took the vials, got into a truck and took off. No one even realized he was gone at first. He got a fifteen-minute head start on us, but I sent two guys out looking for him.”

  “Fifteen minutes,” Rick said, disbelief in his voice. “I’m guessing they haven’t found him.”

  “Well, no.” Fury blazed from the other man’s eyes.

  Carmen swore, using words she’d learned long ago from longshoremen on leave. “Do you realize what you have done?” she asked. “Do you have any idea?”

  “Believe me, lady.” Gus advanced on her, fist clenched. “I don’t need you to tell me.”

  With a look, she dared him to touch her. Dared him.

  Rick cleared his throat. “What does this Ted want with the virus? Has he asked for a ransom? Or is he planning to stage some sort of terror attack or something?”

  Gus spat. “Probably money. He’d heard enough to know we were sitting on a gold mine. We’d just started negotiations with foreign countries. I’m talking millions.” He clamped his mouth shut.

  “What do you want us to do?” Once again Rick, sounding like the voice of reason.

  “I don’t know.” For the first time, panic leaked into Gus’s voice. He eyed Carmen. “If Sheldon left notes, can you recreate the virus?”

  Careful to contain her excitement, she nodded. “I can. But why do you say if? Why wouldn’t there be notes?”

  “Because Sheldon might have destroyed them when he found out what we planned to do with his creation. That’s why I had to shoot him, remember?” Landers said.

  “Might,” she pointed out. �
�I take it that means you don’t know for sure?”

  Gus and Landers didn’t answer.

  Worst case scenario—no notes. And the virus out in the open, in the hands of someone who might not realize the full extent of what he had. If this Ted were to get into an accident, the repercussions would be deadly.

  “How much does Ted know?” Rick asked, apparently having similar thoughts. “Is he aware of how much danger he could be in?”

  “Like I said, he’s new.” Gus shook his head. “I don’t keep any secrets from my men, but I’m not sure exactly what he does and doesn’t know. He was pals with Sheldon. In fact, Ted took his death hard.”

  Talk about giving them the important news last. Carmen and Rick exchanged a glance.

  “When you say pals,” Carmen said, “do you mean they hung out together after work? Or did Ted help Sheldon in the lab?”

  Gus kicked the ground with the steel toe of his work boot. “Ted was Sheldon’s assistant. He was supposed to be yours, too, once you started work. I imagine he knows more about the virus than all of us put together.”

  Blinking, Carmen closed her eyes. She didn’t want Gus to see her fury, especially since Vamps’ eyes tended to glow red when they were engaged. Mentally she counted to twelve, tamping down all emotion. When she felt even-keeled again, she glanced at Rick. He appeared stunned.

  “It appears we’ve got one hell of a mess, gentlemen,” she said. “If any of your men even remotely considered Ted a friend, they need to start working on contacting him immediately.”

  “What for?” Tommy asked. “Ted ain’t stupid. He knows he’ll be a dead man if he comes back here.”

  “Shut up,” Gus ordered. “She’s right. At least we have to try. Who was friendly with Ted?”

  Though more than one man shifted his weight uncomfortably, no one responded.

  Of course, this lack of response had Gus erupting into a string of curses that rivaled Carmen’s earlier outburst. “Come on, now. At least one of you had to be friendly with the guy.”

  “Not really.” Tommy again. “He hung out with Sheldon. He didn’t talk much to anyone else. He even slept up at the lab like Sheldon.”

  Which meant Ted probably knew more about the virus than anyone else. She swallowed hard as a thought occurred to her. “Is Ted a biologist?”