Nina stepped around yet another homeless man passed out on the sidewalk. The scent of alcohol and urine assaulted her senses. Suddenly, the drunk twitched and grunted, startling her. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. She glanced down at the man, ready to defend herself if necessary, but he was out cold. When she looked back up, Amaury had just turned a corner. She only caught sight of a flap of his long coattail.

Immediately, she quickened her stride. She couldn’t afford to lose him when she was so close to her goal. Two blocks further was the location she’d scouted out days ago.

The old obsolete stairway she’d discovered led over the roof of an abandoned one-story building. At the diagonal corner of it, it provided a clear viewpoint above a narrow alley—an alley Amaury liked to take. He would pass by it, and she would be able to jump onto him from above, stabbing him at the same time.

Nina slipped her hand into her pocket and touched the stake. The wood felt smooth in her hand as she caressed it like a lover, fitting it to her palm.

Amaury LeSang, you’ll be one dead vampire in a minute.

Such a big man, yet such a small object would bring about his death. It was almost poetic. For all their strength and power, vampires were surprisingly vulnerable to something as simple as a piece of wood. There was justice in this world after all. She would call on this justice tonight.

She rounded the corner he’d turned only seconds earlier. The narrow street was dark and—empty. Nina skidded to a halt. Had he noticed her after all and started running once he’d been out of her direct line of sight?

She scanned the sidewalk and doorways. Nothing, except for a couple of homeless men arguing and a teenager lurking in the shadows, probably waiting for his drug dealer, if he wasn’t one himself. No sound or sight of anybody else in the vicinity. A cold shiver travelled down her spine, spreading unease in her body.

A block further was the turn-off to the alley. Maybe he’d already reached it and taken it. A few steps ahead to her right she ducked under the small arch which led to the old stairway. Taking two steps at a time, she climbed it. If she hurried, she could still be in place in time to strike.

Nina picked up speed and ran up the last few stairs before it made an abrupt turn. A short sprint across the roof and she reached the vantage point which exposed the narrow alley beneath. She knew he liked taking this shortcut to his home. She’d seen him do so several times.

Only this time, he wasn’t in the alley. She’d missed him. All her work for the night was for nothing. A complete waste.

Damn!

Nina stomped her foot in frustration and pushed the air out of her lungs. A faint sound behind her made her spin on her heels. Only her quick reaction saved her from being grabbed from behind, but the large hand still caught her arm. Her breath hitched, and fear clamped around her throat at the unexpected contact. Without even looking up at his face, she knew who she was dealing with.

Amaury was built like a tank: hard, unyielding, and unstoppable. She felt his raw power send electrical charges along her skin. Genuine worry hummed through her. Without the element of surprise on her side, she had no chance of winning a fight against him. He could easily steamroll her, and she’d be giving him as much resistance as a blade of grass in the wind.

Escape was her only option at this point. She wasn’t proud or stupid enough to stick around.

With a swift move she twisted her arm out and jerked it away, making him lose his grip on her. A firm kick into his shin, and she darted past him, muffled curses chasing her. When she felt his hand grab her sweatshirt, she kicked back with her leg, then spun on the other foot and used both her arms to twist his to force him to release her clothing. But she had underestimated his strength—or the strength of any vampire for that matter.

“Who the hell are you?” Amaury spat out. The deep rumble of his voice sent a tremor through her body and made her skin prickle. “And why were you following me?”

His imposing frame towered more than half a foot over her, crowding her senses. One hand still on her sweatshirt, he wrenched her hood off with the other, ignoring her flailing arms. Her curls tumbled out. Nina tried unsuccessfully to shake his hand off when he used it to tip her chin up, forcing her to look at him.

“You’re a woman!”

His eyes widened as he looked at her. She used his moment’s hesitation to twist out of his grip and ran for it. She didn’t even make two steps before his arms snatched her again and held onto her. Tighter this time, hauling her into his hard frame. He turned her around. Pressing her lips together in a thin line, she glared up at him—and looked into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.