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Of course. I have to say I’m not disappointed. Your first day, and you have already uncovered important information.

Leah gritted her teeth. The Organization had put in a modified chip when they’d performed the procedure for the C2 implant. Under most scans, it looked no different from the C2 implant. The modification allowed Dmitri and others to see and hear exactly what she saw and heard.

In other words, she was a walking, breathing camera.

If you don’t want me to get caught, leave me alone.

Fortunately, he couldn’t hear or see her thoughts. She had to concentrate on sharing her thoughts with him to communicate. Apart from being a personal intrusion, the chip could also become uncomfortable when she aimed her thoughts at her forehead, where it heated like she had a slight fever. It had taken her a week of practice after her surgery before she could even send a single thought.

Don’t worry. The vamps don’t suspect a thing. This chip operates on a different wavelength than their telepathy. They can’t sense it.

Leah wished the vampires could sense it. That would’ve deterred the Organization from planting that chip in her brain.

What do you want?

Don’t take that tone with me.Leah bit back a wince. Her body tensed for the expected hit, but Dmitri wasn’t here. His tone was softer when he said,I want to make sure that you’re safe. Meeting Blackmore was not part of the plan. I’m worried about you.

As if.Hearing Blackmore’s name set off the fire in her bloodstream again. For a precious few minutes, she had forgotten about the uncomfortable desire that Blackmore stirred. Now it returned with a vengeance.

I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me.

Heat curled in her stomach at the thought of those ice-blue eyes. What would it be like to have sex with Julian Blackmore? What a stupid question. Blackmore had the power to take away her will, her freedom. It would be worse than having this chip embedded in her brain.

Be careful. Avoid him if possible. Remember, your goal is to stay under the radar and gather as much information as possible.

Yes, for the last time, I know.She’d trained long and hard for this mission. She didn’t need his incessant monitoring.

His annoyance was clear when he grated.Then go out and do some scouting.

That’s the plan. Now may I have some privacy?

As you wish.

The heat in her forehead dissipated and she was alone again. Leah changed into a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved white shirt with flowers embroidered on the front. She twirled several times in front of the mirror, smiling at how the clothes fit so perfectly.

Screw Dmitri. The chip notwithstanding, he wasn’t here. She could do her job and have some fun. The two weren’t mutually exclusive.

This assignment was becoming a lot more interesting than she’d expected. In a few scant hours, she’d uncovered an underground stadium, met the infamous Julian Blackmore, who made her feel like a cat in heat, and received her own spacious quarters in the Central Tower.

It wasn’t with trepidation that Leah left her room, but with a sense of anticipation humming in her blood.

She couldn’t wait to see what she would find in the city.

Chapter Five

Onceoutside,Leahbreathedin the fresh air and grinned. It felt good to be out

after being inside all day, first in the airport, then the flight, and—she shivered—her little detour to the arena. Refusing to let that dampen her spirits, she took off toward the entertainment district. While Dmitri wished for her to observe the secondary Towers and their guard movements, tonight was for her.

This late in the night, the oppressive heat hanging over the desert had lifted. There was even a slight breeze that brought the scent of pavement, releasing the day’s heat.

Vampires flew in the sky, their wings making them look like gigantic bats.

The streets were wide and clean; the bright streetlights made the area feel safe as day. Only a few cars passed her until she was about a mile out. Several groups of drunk people dressed up for a night out stumbled along the sidewalk while shouting and singing. The flashy and colorful signs of the various clubs and bars lit the street, replacing the streetlights. Raucous party noises mixed with the music blasting from the clubs set her heart hammering.

Before the vampires took over, Vegas was a gambling city known for its ostentatious casinos and scintillating nightlife. People came to have a good time and forget about their troubles.

The vampires had kept the spirit of the city. Leah lost count of how many clubs and hotels and bars she saw.