Michaela stood uneasily before Diana. Woman to woman. Warrior to warrior.
Well, except that Diana held a sleeping baby in her arms.
“How is she?” Michaela asked with a nod at the baby.
“Her name is Charlotte. Would you like to hold her?”
Michaela didn't have a chance to refuse the offer since Diana thrust the baby against her, making it impossible to do anything but grab the child and hold her close.
Presented with the hard bumps and lumps of weaponry beneath her leather vest, the baby eyed her with what Michaela could only imagine was disgust. Then the baby scrunched up her mouth and let out a surprisingly strong little sigh before she settled back to sleep.
Inside Michaela, something twisted. Something soft and gooey and filled with longing. Something different, and totally unknown. She pushed it firmly aside, because that feeling was way scarier than anything she had ever experienced before.
“I'd like for you to be one of the godmothers,” Diana said.
“Godmothers? As in fairy god ones?” Michaela rocked the baby in her arms and paced, not wanting to face the baby’s condemnation again.
Diana chuckled. “I guess you can say that. One human, one wolf, and one dhampir. A solid lineup for a special child.”
Michaela stopped pacing and peered at Diana. “Is she? Special?”
Diana nodded. “She's like you, so...I hope you'll still be around to offer some pointers when it's time.”
The challenge in that statement was obvious, but Michaela refused to pick up the gauntlet. Especially because Jesus walked in just then with Ryder. Thankfully, the two men seemed more at ease with each other than they had been in the past.
“I'm sorry I've brought trouble to your door,” Michaela said, ignoring the loving look Jesus shot her as he took note of her holding the baby. The expression was unexpected, considering how long he had gone without any kind of serious relationship. She had supposed he was long past wanting the family thing. But that look said otherwise, making her even more uneasy.
She returned the baby to Diana.
“It won't be the first time we have trouble, or the last, I suspect,” Diana assured her as Ryder walked over and wrapped his arm around her waist.
Michaela believed her. In the little time she had spent with them, they had been involved in one otherworld problem after another, not of their own making. This was probably old hat to them, but not so much to her. She avoided connections partly because her line of work made those connections possible collateral damage.
Besides, this was the mission on which she had based her whole life—justice for her mother. How would she feel if getting that justice harmed others in the process?
But what about afterward? a little voice in her head asked. What's left for you after? Who’s left for you?
No connections meant no collateral damage, but it also meant no friends to help celebrate her victory.
Jesus sauntered to her side and laid his arm over her shoulders, the weight of it comforting. Too comforting. She couldn't allow confusion and need for what she couldn't have to muddle her thinking. Especially now.
Too much was at stake. Not only for her, but for the family standing in front of her.
She turned the discussion to her father and told them what she knew about him, providing an abbreviated history of what he had done in the past, as well as a rundown on his latest kills and taunts. So they would be prepared.
“Psychopath. But that's right up my alley. Right, Jesus?” Diana said dryly.
“Are you sure you're up for this?” he asked her, a dubious look on his face.
“I'm not anywhere near 100%, but that doesn't mean I can't be useful,” she said, clearly surprising him.
Jesus nodded. “Okay, let’s get started then.”
“Connall already knows there is someone in this building who is important to Michaela, so while I don't like using my family as bait, it's too late to avoid that. But he's not really sure who he wants to attack in this building, so we have to remedy that,” Diana said.
Ryder was clearly troubled by her plan, and opened his mouth to say something, but Michaela beat him to it.
She shook her head and raised her hands. “No way are we using you and yours to draw this bastard out.”
“I agree,” Jesus said. “He doesn't know who you're here to see, so there's no reason it can't be me.”
Michaela drew away from him and slashed her hands through the air. “Hell no. Let's just stop this discussion right here. While I appreciate the expertise you all bring to the table, no one here is going to martyr themselves on my behalf.”
“The whole idea is to avoid becoming a martyr,” Ryder reminded gently.
“I get that, but you don't understand how unpredictable Connall is. He could just as easily have killed Jason last night, but he didn't. Why not? Part of it was he wanted a witness so you would know it was him...but the 'C' was an easy-enough calling card,” she said, and began to pace, more and more bothered by why her father hadn't killed the doorman.
“There were a lot of people out and about that morning, and the police responded within minutes,” Jesus said. “Could have been a dry run.”
“For something bigger, you mean,” Diana said immediately. She started to pace and rock the baby as Charlie began to fuss. “Like a bank robber casing a joint or a terrorist planning an attack. He wanted to see what the response would be.”
“Which means he'll be back tonight to scope out if any changes were made after the attack,” Jesus said, picking up from her. “He’ll adjust to those changes and decide whether to strike for real.”
“And we'll be waiting for him,” Diana added. “Is he working alone or has he charmed someone into helping him?”
Michaela frowned at the lightning-fast back and forth. It was obvious Jesus and Diana had done this before. Many times. Spinning theories together. She was surprised to feel a surge of jealousy. Not on a personal level. Well, not much, anyway. But on a professional level. She had always worked alone, and thought she preferred it that way. Seeing them work together...she wasn’t so sure any longer.
Suddenly she realized they were staring at her, waiting for an answer. Working alone. Right.
She recalled the female who had been with Connall and helped attack her. “He was with a woman, Siobhan, the fang hag of the fledgling I killed.”
“ ’Fang hag’? That's a new one for me,” Diana said with a cringe.
“She was Kieran’s blood bag and lover,” Michaela explained.
“And a fighter. She ran straight away to Connall, who turned her,” Jesus added.
Charlie started fussing again, and Diana glanced down at the baby with an indulgent smile. “Hungry already, Charlie? Just like your daddy.” The look Diana shot Ryder nearly incinerated.
Michaela coughed, uncomfortable with such displays. “I guess we should be going.”
She pivoted on one heel, ready to flee, but Diana said, “No, it's okay. Let me just get her settled.” With a naturalness that was unexpected, she sat down on the sofa, grabbed a pink baby blanket, draped it over the baby, and started her nursing.
Michael's mind tried to process the picture—Diana all bad-ass in her black leather and weapons, swathed in pink with the baby's tiny form tucked safely against her body.
Surprisingly, something maternal and incredibly protective rose up in Michaela, and for a nanosecond, she let herself imagine being like a fairy godmother, protecting Charlie from harm and showering her with godmotherly gifts.
Maybe even having a baby of her own one day...
“You look good with a baby, Diana,” Jesus said as he eased beside Michaela and slipped his arm around her waist again. She glanced up at him, and it was impossible to miss the yearning on his face.
Which only brought pain and heaviness to her heart, because she could never give him what he yearned for.
“Thanks, Jesus, but let's see what I look like after a month of no sleep,” Diana replied.
“Hey, I'm a modern man,” Ryder cut in. “If you forget I'm over two hundred years old... I'll help out with the feedings.” He sat down next to his wife and peeked beneath the blanket to watch his daughter feed, which turned his grin lopsided and tender.
Such love. Too much love.
Michaela struggled to speak past the knot in her throat. “This is all very homey and nice, but could we maybe get back to the psycho trying to kill us all?”
Diana's eyes narrowed as she assessed her, seeming to see past the armor to what Michaela desperately wanted to keep hidden.
“Ryder has surveillance cameras at all entrances to the building,” Diana said. “I'll monitor those from his office. I can also tap into the nearby traffic cams.”
Michaela nodded. “Good. We’ll be on the street, discreetly monitoring. My guess is that Connall will sacrifice this woman, Siobhan, to test your building security.”
“Do you have any idea where his lair is?” Ryder asked.
Michaela shook her head, and Jesus said, “He had one down in the projects. He left us a nasty gift there. We tracked him down—”
“Who's the 'we'?” Ryder interrupted.
“Jesus, me, and Benjamin. We can count on Ben to help,” Michaela said.
Diana nodded. “Good. The more boots on the ground, the greater the likelihood of boxing in him or his little female friend,” she said, and shifted the bundle in her arms to the other side.
Ryder jumped in with a physical rundown of the area surrounding their condo. “There are a lot of tall buildings in this area and only a few rooftops where Connall can have eyes on the ground. We can focus on those, and on the nearby subway. He may use that to travel around without risking any exposure to the sun. I've got a hidden entry point into the subway tunnel from the sub-basement of this building. I personally secured it and put a camera down there, so we’ll know if that entry has been breached.”
Michaela checked her watch. “We've got a little over an hour until dusk, but he won't strike this early. The streets are still too busy. I doubt he cares about hurting any humans, but he won't want to be too visible. Chances are he'll wait until after midnight, when foot traffic has died down. What do you want to do in the meantime?” she asked.
Diana rose from the couch carefully to keep the blanket from falling away. “I've got some personal things to do, but I think it makes sense for you to call Benjamin over and work out where you'll station yourselves.”
Michaela nodded. “Okay. I'll do that.”
Diana tipped her head at Ryder and said, “Do you think you could give me a couple of minutes?”
“Sure. If you'll excuse us,” he said, and followed his wife up the stairs.
Michaela eyed her carefully as she moved, concerned about her physical and mental states. Although Diana seemed totally in charge, so many things had happened in such a short time that it was impossible to know for sure. But if there was anyone who would know how she was really doing, it would be Jesus.
“Do you think she's ready to deal with all this? It’s so soon...”
Jesus shrugged and waited until the couple had closed their bedroom door to speak his mind. “They're both incredibly strong. I've seen Diana handle things that would break most people. With Ryder at her side—not to mention us—I'm sure she'll be able to handle the changes.”
Michaela didn't want to burst his bubble about being around to provide moral support to the couple. Unlike Diana, she wasn't as certain of her own role with Jesus and this group of friends.
Slayer?
Lover?
Fairy godmother?
The last two brought a smile to her face. Two roles she hadn't ever envisioned. And yet, she might actually be able to get used to them.
“If you're cool with her involvement,” she said, “far be it for me to question it. Let me call Benjamin.” But as she dialed, she caught the look on Jesus's face—as if he had just swallowed sour milk.
Clearly not a fan of the Slayer-turned-vampire ex-lover. She didn’t blame him, really. She had been jealous of his relationship with Diana at first, until she realized it was solely friendship, and that Diana was so head over heels for Ryder that she would never consider Jesus in any other way.
When Benjamin answered, she updated him on the situation and their plans for that night.
“Dusk is in about an hour. I'll be there after that,” he said, and ended the call.
She walked over to Jesus, putting a sexy little roll in her stride. “It seems we've got some time alone.”
He arched one dark brow. “Minutes.”
She put her hand on his chest and rose on her tiptoes. “Time enough for this?” she murmured, and kissed him hungrily.
At his ragged groan, she smiled against his lips, pleased beyond reason. She dropped back onto her feet, swiped her thumb across his lips in a final caress, and winked at him. “Just in case you had any doubts about who I want in my bed.”
He grinned devilishly, and bracketed her waist with his hands. “Actually, I think it's my bed you're sleeping in. And in case you were wondering, I don't do threesomes.” His grin widened. “Not with other men, anyway.”
In a move so quick he couldn't hope to stop her, she had his handcuffs in her hand and dangled them in front of him. “So sad, but how about some bondage fun?” She waggled her brows.
A bright flush of color ran across his sharp cheekbones and he swallowed hard. Then he snatched the cuffs from her hand and put them back in the holder on his belt. Leaning in, he dropped a kiss on her lips, and said, “I guess you'll just have to wait until later to find out.”