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She glanced sideways as Vadim disembarked from the ferry alongside her. It was still warm and sunlight glinted off the water like shards of glass, making her slide her sunglasses down onto her nose. He took off his jacket and slung it over his shoulder. He looked like something out of a fashion magazine.

“Is this really about your wallet?”

“I can’t manage without ID.”

She turned right and started up the slight slope toward her home. “Did Feehan ask you to come home with me?”

“He did, but I’d already decided to do that anyway.”

Ella stopped walking and faced him. “Why?”

“That’s a good question. Sometimes I just have to follow my instincts.”

“Your big bird instincts?”

His delicious mouth curved up into a half-smile. “You don’t give up, do you?”

“That’s right. I’m a tough cookie and I don’t need protecting.”

“I don’t doubt that you are strong, but this particular killer seems to have the ability to disarm the most competent of empaths.”

“Did he kill Natasha?”

“I can’t prove anything, but I suspect he had something to do with it.” He looked out over the sea. “She was certainly acting irrationally.”

“All empaths do that when they turn twenty-seven.” Ella started walking again. It was too hot to linger. “You know that.”

“But they don’t tend to betray their colleagues.”

“Is that what she did?”

“We’d set up a trap for the killer at one of the empaths’ apartments and at the last possible moment, Natasha blew our cover. The Siren escaped with his intended victim and murdered her at a different venue. Natasha left in hysterics and killed herself.”

Ella kept walking as she imagined the chaos Natasha had caused. “Did you find her?”

“I found both of them.”

Ella waited for him to elaborate, but he just paced alongside her, his dark hair blowing in the soft breeze, his expression unreadable.

“Do you think the Siren wanted you to find them?”

“Seeing as they were both dumped in my apartment, I’d say that he did.”

“Oh, shit.” Despite the fierce sun Ella shivered. “So Natasha was living with you at the time.”

“She was certainly there a lot.”

“Is that why you were suspended from duty?”

He looked down at her. “Someone’s been doing their research. My boss decided that I was at fault for a) becoming intimate with a team member, and b) for not realizing that said team member was unstable.”

How were you supposed to know that Natasha would lose it like that?”

“Apparently, as team leader, I should have known. And she was an empath.”

Dammit, she was starting to feel sorry for the man and that would never do. Ella dug in her purse for her front door key, opened the door and then handed the bunch of keys to Vadim. “Go check the car for your wallet.”

She left the door open and went inside, glad of the instant chill of the newly upgraded air conditioning. The light on her phone was blinking. It would be her mother asking a million questions about Laney that she really didn’t want to answer. Her stomach knotted at the thought of another evening on her own.

She jumped as Vadim knocked on the door and held out her keys. “I found my wallet. Where shall I put these?”

“On the countertop is fine.”

He placed the keys carefully in the center of the glass bowl and stepped back. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then, Ms. Walsh.”

He was almost out the door before Ella really believed he was leaving. “Hey, Morosov!”

He looked over his shoulder at her. “What?”

“You can hang out here with me for a while.”

“I don’t want to miss the ferry.”

“Oh for God’s sake, don’t make me ask nicely. If things go well and we manage to stand each other’s company for a few hours, you can always sleep on the couch again.”

“Are you sure?”

“If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have asked.”

“Then I’ll stay for a while.”

She waited until he came in and shut the door. “You have to cook me dinner though.”

“I guessed that. Or we could order in some pizza. I like pizza.”

“So do I.”

He held up his wallet. “I’ll even pay for it.”

* * *

Vadim closed the lid of the pizza box and secured it tightly.

“That was excellent.”

“Yeah, they do a pretty good job.” Ella patted at her mouth with one of the red-checked napkins the pizza place had given them, burped discreetly and put her paper plate on top of the pizza box.

Vadim removed it and stood up. “I’ll put this in the refrigerator for you.”

“Sure and while you’re there, can you get me another beer?”

He picked up the pizza box, her empty beer bottle and the two plates. “Where does the recycling go?”

“There’s a green container under the sink.” She looked back at him over her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it now. Come and sit down and belittle this cop show with me.”

He ignored her and focused on cleaning up the kitchen, finding two more beers and locating the recycling bin. When he returned to the couch she held out her hand for the beer without taking her gaze away from the TV.

“Thanks.” She pointed at the screen. “Look at that guy. He’s getting results to a complex DNA issue overnight!”

Vadim cautiously stretched out beside her and sipped at his own beer. It was time to catch the last ferry, or stay and risk ending up in Ella’s bed. He couldn’t deny that he was tempted. Despite his distrust of empaths, she intrigued and excited him in a way no other woman ever had. She always came right back at him, questioning his judgment, arguing about everything and generally getting in his face. Most empaths were far too sensitive to want to tangle with him. Alexei had been right about Vadim’s shields; something about their complexity, the darkness behind them repelled empaths. Even Natasha, who claimed to love him, had been unwilling to trust him one hundred percent.

The fact that Ella didn’t seem to be repelled was in itself enough to send him running for the ferry. He was in no position to take on any commitments other than the preservation of his own life. But he had to stay because he needed her to solve the case. So wasn’t he doing what was best for them both? His instincts screamed she was in danger and that he was the only one who could keep her safe. And when it came down to it, he wanted to stay with her. He liked her, goddammit.

“Are you okay with me sleeping on the couch again?”

She looked at him. “You can sleep wherever you like.”

“The couch will be fine.”

“Whatever.” The phone rang. She glanced at the caller display and went still. “Damn.”

“I’ll get it,” Vadim offered.

“No, it’s my mom and she’ll just start asking why you’re here, and I don’t need that right now.” She picked up the receiver and cradled it against her shoulder. “Hey.”

Ella’s expression gradually changed from relaxed to uptight and haunted.

“Yeah, I know that, Mom. I tried to tell you yesterday, but?—”

Her mother was off again.

“I know . Fuck it, she was my best friend, don’t…” Even though she sounded strong, Vadim was fascinated to see tears falling down Ella’s cheeks. He offered her his handkerchief but she refused to relinquish her tight hold on her beer. Leaning close and, ignoring her ferocious frown, he dabbed at the tears himself.

Eventually even Mrs. Walsh ran out of things to say and Ella concluded the call. She dropped the receiver back into its cradle and flung herself down on the couch, one hand over her eyes.

“That woman drives me mad. She’s telling me off because Laney was killed.”

“She can hardly blame you.”

“Apparently I should’ve taken better care of her. Laney was the only one of my friends my mother ever liked.”

Vadim wrapped his fingers around her ankle. “You can’t always save people, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve lost far too many colleagues not to understand that. I think I’ll go to bed.” Vadim moved out of her way and she stumbled toward the bathroom. “You know where the sheets are, right?”

“Yes.” He waited to see if she’d invite him to join her, but she just closed the bathroom door behind her with a snap. He stared at the pine door, not sure whether to be insulted or not. It would be far better if they could solve this case and then get together. Perhaps that was what the Fae-Web predicted, a nice quick heated affair before he left. But by then Ella would either be hooked up with an OCOS mate, or on her way to a madhouse…

When she emerged from the bathroom wearing only her bra and panties, her hair loose around her shoulders, Vadim resolutely kept his gaze on his bedding. “I’ll come to Laney’s funeral with you, if you like.”

She paused. “I thought you’d be there to check out the mourners. You know how the ghouls are sometimes drawn to the scenes of their ‘triumphs.’”

“I would’ve come with you anyway.”

“I appreciate that.” She headed into her bedroom. “Night, Morosov. Sweet dreams.”

* * *

Ella closed her bedroom door and leaned back against it. Not asking Vadim to join her had been easier this time. The more she got to know him, the less she wanted to use him just for sex. How annoying was that? Unfortunately, it went right along with her dating creed. She’d fucked as many men as possible in the vain hope that she could avoid her fate and meet a potential mate, but that hadn’t happened and she’d gotten tired of having to erase herself from men’s memories. Perhaps she was finally growing up. Approaching death and madness could do that to a person.

“Good evening, Miss Walsh.”

She blinked at the naked man who lounged seductively on her bed. His hair was gold, his eyes a celestial silver and every single muscle on his body was toned and buff and yet kind of soft and feathery …

“Who the hell are you?”

“Don’t you know?” He smiled at her and she felt it in her core. “Am I not familiar in any way?”

She stared at him again and certain things fell into place. She raised her voice.

“Morosov? Can you come in here?”

She just remembered to peel herself away from the door as it opened abruptly behind her. Vadim appeared, his gun at the ready. With a disgusted sound he slammed the door so hard it hit the wall.

“For fuck’s sake, Rossa. What are you doing here?”

The naked man didn’t even flinch. “I might ask you the same thing. She’s hardly your type, is she?”

“She is my colleague. Now sod off back to Otherworld.”

“What’s wrong? Are you afraid I’ll tell on you?” She poked Vadim in the ribs. “He’s related to you, isn’t he?”

“You might say that.”

“He’s like a blond version of you, but fifty times sexier.”

The blond gave a crack of laughter. “She’s certainly amusing. Is that why you keep her around?”

Ella took a step closer to the bed. The man’s chest was covered with fine, white, downy feathers she yearned to stroke. “You can shut the fuck up and get out of my bed.”

He held her gaze, his gray eyes glowing, daring her to delve into their depths and never come up again. Her shields flexed but held steady, and his confident smile wavered. He glanced at Vadim, who had remained by the door with his weapon raised.

“Not quite what she seems is she?”

“Quit talking about me as if I’m not here,” Ella said. “I’ve asked you nicely to leave. Don’t make me have to get nasty.”

“What could you do to me, little human?”

“Suck you dry?”

“I’d like that. You on your knees…”

She smiled, then flicked his raised knee with her fingertip. He jerked away.

“Ouch! Don’t touch me.”

“She’s an empath, Rossa. She really can suck you dry,” Vadim said.

“Then why in makking hell are you hanging around with her?”

Vadim straightened. “As I said. Ms. Walsh is my colleague. We work together.”

“ Work ?” Rossa shook his head. “You make me sick, Vadim, or whatever you call yourself these days.”

“I don’t care what you think. I agree with Ms. Walsh, and I want you to leave.”

“All right then, but if anyone asks after you, I’m telling.”

With a flash of light, the blond disappeared, leaving Ella gaping at her now empty bed.

“I apologize for that. Rossa can be very immature.”

She turned to Vadim, who was disarming his gun. “Is that all you have to say?”

“He’s gone. He knows what you are. I doubt he’ll be back.” He started walking toward the kitchen.

She followed him out. “Hang on a minute. What the hell just happened? Who is he, and what was he doing in my bed?”

Vadim was filling a glass of water from the refrigerator. He’d already taken off his tie. His shirt was open, displaying his muscled chest and rather nice abs.

“I told you. His name is Rossa, and he normally resides in Otherworld. He must have sensed I was over there the other day and come to check up on me.”

“Then why didn’t he get into your bed?”

“He probably did. Alexei would’ve told him where I was. They are friends.” Vadim added three ice cubes. “Rossa won’t harm you.”

“How do you know?”

“Because if he’d wanted you dead, there would’ve been nothing you could do about it. Now he knows you’re an empath, he’ll be more careful. Even Otherworld realizes you have your uses for catching their criminals. No one wants to face the penalties for murdering one of your kind.”

“Apart from the Siren.” She glared at him. “And how exactly do you know all this?”

“It is a little complicated to explain.”

“I don’t care. Take your time and tell me.”

He took a slow sip of his water, then went across to his immaculately made bed and placed the glass on the coffee table beside his pillow. Ella tapped her foot. “Well?”

He took off his shirt and laid it carefully over the back of the nearest chair. “As Rossa said, we are connected. I can sense his thoughts, so I know what he’s likely to do next.” He undid his belt and Ella realized she couldn’t look away.

“But he was one hundred percent Fae.”

“Almost one hundred percent.”

Vadim unzipped his pants and then stepped out of them, lining up the seams before laying them next to his shirt. He wore tight cotton knit boxers, which molded far too well to the muscular curves of his spectacular ass. She found it hard to swallow.

“What else?” He turned to look at her and her gaze immediately dropped to the luscious bulge of his cock. “You said that it was complicated.”

He shrugged. “It is, but that’s all you need to know.”

“Says who?”

She forced herself to look away from his boxers and into his face. He smiled at her. Had he done it deliberately? Flaunted his perfect body to distract her? She’d bedded some awesomely fit surfer dudes, but she reckoned there wasn’t a single inch of fat on this man. Her fingers twitched and she made her hands into fists. She would not reach out and see if he was as hard as he looked.

“Ms. Walsh, all I’m concerned about is your safety. Rossa has nothing to do with this case. He’s just an annoyance, one that I can easily control if I have to.”

Ella thought back to the brief moment when she’d touched the Fae and felt his power. Was Vadim suggesting he was more powerful than that? She also knew from past experience that he was unlikely to tell her anything else.

“Fine. I’m going to bed. Alone.” She stomped back toward her bedroom.

“Good night, Ms. Walsh.”

She made the mistake of looking over her shoulder just in time to see Vadim shed his boxers to reveal his ass before stretching luxuriously. She closed her eyes and repeated to herself, “I do not sleep with coworkers. I do not sleep with coworkers.” But she wanted to so badly… For the first time in her life she actually bolted.