Richard stepped back. “What the hell?”
Tabi hopped back to Evan’s side. “Oh, thank goodness. I thought it was me. I’m fine. You couldn’t attack his mind, either?”
Okay. They were both nuts. “I think we should get you two some help.” Evan set the cuffs back in place and reached for his phone. “We have a nice and secured area at the hospital where we can figure out what’s going on.” Was Tabi involved in some type of weird cult with this moron? It figured that a crazy blonde would make him wish he could live longer. The fact that she was nuts should diminish his desire for her. Nope. Maybe the shrink from anger management could help her.
“You really should leave,” Tabi said, her gaze remaining on Richard. “I mean it, Richard. Don’t hurt him.”
Enough. Evan reached for his gun, stopping when Tabi cried out. Tears leaked from her eyes and her body shook. “Tabi?”
Her chin firmed and she snapped her head up. Her legs visibly trembled, and the air thickened around her. She coughed and then sucked in a breath. “You attacked me?” she all but growled at Richard.
He smiled. “Just wanted to make sure I still had it.” Then he lowered his chin again, and his eyes gleamed in the darkness.
Fury lit her face. “Don’t you ever—” She cried out again and dropped the grappling hook. It bounced near the discarded drill.
Evan instinctively reached for her arm. “Tabi?”
She jerked and then settled, taking a deep breath. Slowly, she turned her head to face him. “How did you do that?”
“Do what?” Evan didn’t like how pale she’d become, so he gentled his grip on her. What the hell was going on here?
“You, um, stopped the mind attack,” she breathed, her eyes wide.
Heat flowed through him. “Honey? I think you need help.” How had the jackass in front of him convinced the woman that her mind could be attacked? “Let’s get you to the hospital, and I’ll take a complete report from you about whatever you’re involved in. I am going to help you.” While he’d sensed she was in some sort of trouble, he hadn’t figured on anything this crazy. It’d be nice to take down a cult before he died, if that’s what was going on.
His own headache was about to drop him to the ground, but he was used to that. In fact, if his head stopped hurting, he’d know he was close to death. Not that it wasn’t coming for him, anyway.
Tabi slipped her hand in his. “Let’s get out of here.”
The sweetness of her gesture dug into his chest and took hold. “How about we all go to the station?”
Richard’s lips thinned, and he stared at their joined hands. “I guess I can wait for your disease to kill you, human.” His eyes sparked again. “Your deadline is Thursday, Tabitha. Take me, or take death. Your choice.” He turned and strode away.
Evan stiffened and reached for his gun.
“No,” Tabi said softly. “Let him go. You know he didn’t break any laws.”
True. Evan wouldn’t be able to hold him for long. “What’s going on?” he asked quietly.
She shook her head. “I don’t really know, to be honest.” Then she looked up at him, her gaze earnest. “I have to go home now. We can talk after the anger management class tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll be there to make sure I go.”
“Let me help you.” He could just take her in, but at the moment, he didn’t have enough to really hold her on. Part of that was his fault in that he’d stopped her before she could use the rope and hook. His time was limited, and saving her had become his focus two weeks ago.
He hadn’t figured out why.
Yet.
Chapter 2
Tabitha paced in the kitchen of her rental bungalow—or what counted as a bungalow in this small town. Yeah, it was charming and she loved it, but there was no chance she’d be able to stay. If Richard had found her, the Popovs wouldn’t be far behind. She looked at the clock, knowing it was way too late to call. Yet she picked up her phone and pressed speed dial.
“Somebody better be dead,” a grumpy voice answered.
Then a soft female voice in the background. “Who would call this late in the night?”
Tabi winced. “I’m so sorry to bother you, Raine. I didn’t realize you had company.” The deadly vampire-demon hybrid could probably pick up a woman with a lift of his dark eyebrow. He was more vampire than demon by far. Hence the charm.
Blankets rustled, and Raine chuckled. “No worries. Did you manage to rob the bank?”
