Her Midnight Hunter (Keeper's Kin Book 3) Read online

  Her Midnight Hunter

  Keeper’s Kin Book Three

  Beth Alvarez

  This is a work of fiction. All characters and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to real people or events is entirely coincidental.

  HER MIDNIGHT HUNTER

  Copyright © 2020 by Beth Alvarez.

  All rights reserved.

  Cover art by Beth Alvarez

  This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without the express written permission of the author.

  First Edition: October 2020

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Author’s note

  About the Author

  Books by Beth Alvarez

  Chapter One

  On the third day in a row Felicity Colton flew out of bed and flung herself over the toilet bowl, her husband stood in the bathroom doorway and grinned like a fool.

  It wasn't unexpected. Her husband was dead; getting his baby in her belly had been a very concentrated, deliberate, and expensive endeavor. But clinging to the porcelain with enough proximity to see every hard water stain her cleaning had missed gave it a certain gravity the hospital visits hadn't. And no matter how many times Kade curled close and drew his cool fingertips over her swelling abdomen, there were moments it didn't feel real.

  When they made their announcement two months later, no one was surprised. They didn't know the struggle had started the moment the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon.

  They didn't know about the countless doctor's visits and the drugs with miserable side effects.

  They didn't know Kade was a monster.

  “You're in that bad place again,” Kade murmured beside her ear, drawing his thumb over her brow. As if commanded, the dark thoughts fled from her mind. “Thought I told you to quit that.”

  Felicity turned to rest her forehead against his. “I wish it were that easy.”

  He kissed her nose and cradled her close as he pulled the blankets up around her ears.

  They didn't have quiet mornings like this often; she was supposed to be enjoying it. Instead, fear gnawed at her like a beast, stealing her peace no matter how she tried to fight it. His arms around her were a comfort, but she didn't know how long that would last. She'd come to terms with the fact Kade was a vampire ages ago, but sooner or later, the wrong person would find out.

  He kissed her again, right between her eyebrows. “They already have. We made it through that well enough.” His ability to hear her thoughts didn't bother her; she'd grown used it some time ago. She did, however, regret that he also heard her fears.

  “What did I just say?” He prodded her side. “Quit. Quit worryin' about me. You oughta be worried about this.” He slid a hand over her stomach and was rewarded with a fluttering kick from the baby.

  Felicity caught his hand and repositioned it to help him feel the movement.

  Grinning, he slid beneath the blankets and tugged up her shirt so he could plant a kiss above her navel. “Two months to go. Lord, I can't wait to meet you.”

  She slid her fingers through his jet black hair, caressing him like one might pet a cat. “Are you sure you can't tell what it is?” They'd tried twice to catch the baby on ultrasound. Both times, it had refused to cooperate.

  “If I knew, I'd tell you. Don't think they know, themselves.” He held the blanket up like a tent overhead, his hazel eyes sparkling. “But it's about to fall asleep, for what that counts.”

  Felicity giggled and cradled his cheek. “If nothing else, I guess that mind reading trick of yours will make it easier to figure out what the baby wants when it's crying.”

  Kade kissed the palm of her hand and then slid up to press a kiss to her lips. “If I can figure it out. I guess it'll be clearer later on. Right now, it's just impressions. No words. No pictures. Readin' your mind's a lot easier. Especially since you don't mind me bein' there.”

  Despite her letting him into her head, he didn't return the favor. Felicity was only human. She didn't have the skills to dig into his thoughts on her own. But she'd expected he'd explain more of what he could do after they married.

  He hadn't.

  She'd pieced together some things. His Keeper—the older vampire who served as his overseer and mentor—had warned her that Kade's strength could increase in the wake of his rule-breaking, but it was only just before their wedding that she'd learned what he could do.

  Some changes were to be expected. Kade had killed a fellow vampire and absorbed his strength. Such consumption was forbidden, but had been permitted as a necessary action in fulfillment of his job. That he could read minds was one inherited skill.

  The fact he could also control them, he'd never mentioned again.

  A shadow dulled the sparkle in his eyes and she knew he wouldn't speak of it now, either.

  So far as she knew, he'd only done it once. It had been a necessity, like his killing of the vampire Drake du Coudray. The man he'd used that power on had threatened them, and had even gone so far as to attack Kade. Using compulsion to wipe Nick Foster's memories of what Kade was had been necessity, but that didn't mean they had to like it.

  “You should get up,” Kade murmured as he settled into the pillow beside her. “Sun'll be up soon. Your clientele will be hungry.”

  “They can wait a little bit.” She snuggled into his side, resting one hand on her stomach and the other on his chest. “I won't have you to myself much longer. I want to enjoy it while I can.” Besides, Penny could open the bakery by herself. Running Love Bites wasn't always a two-person job. Felicity had managed on her own for months. Her assistant could make do for an hour.

  Kade made a small sound of disapproval in his throat.

  “What, you don't think she can handle it?” Felicity raised a brow.

  “Oh, I know she can. And I don't mind you takin' time off, either, but I just got back from work and you're gonna keep me up all morning.” He tweaked her side and grinned when she wiggled. “Besides. Havin' you all snuggled up in bed gives me ideas, and I don't think you wanna be that late.”

  “Point taken.” She kissed his nose and slipped out from underneath the covers, shaking out her brown hair. The texture had changed after her pregnancy started. She liked the thicker curls and suspected her husband did, too.

  “That ain't all that's thicker,” he intoned as he drew one strong hand over the curve of her backside.

  She snorted. “Normally, telling a woman she's gained weight is insulting.”

  “Normally, I think they take it as a complaint.” He stroked her again, then swatted her rump and tucked his hands behind his head. “It's a compliment, by the way.”

  “Thanks for clarifying.” Felicity padded across the room to tug open one of the dresser drawers. She retrieved clean clothes and shimmied out of her pajamas. Though it was spring, the predawn air held a kiss of chill that made her skin rise in goosebumps. She half expected a catcall from her husband, but he stayed silent. When she glanced over her shoulder, Kade was staring at the ceiling.

  “What?” She wiggled her bra into place and pulled her shirt over her head.

  “Just thinkin'.”

  Felicity padded back to the bed. “About what?”

  “What we should name her.”

  She gasped and smacked his arm. “You did know!”

  Kade flinched away, then laughed. “No! It's just a guess. I don't know anything for sure, but...” He trailed off, extending a hand to caress her stomach. He couldn't seem to keep his hands off her. “It just feels right, you know?”

  She leaned closer and pressed her hands over his. “Do you have a preference?”

  “I do,” he said, and a sparkle lit his eyes. “I hope it has those big brown eyes of yours.”

  Felicity chuckled. “Funny. I was hoping it would have yours.” She smoothed her shirt and returned to the dresser to fetch a clean pair of socks. She lingered there and tilted her head to look at the growing pile of envelopes beside her small jewelry box. “Don't you ever open your mail?”

  “Vampires should be exempt from credit card offers and junk from cable companies.” He rolled onto his side and snuggled the blankets to his chin.

  “Some of these are unmarked. They could be important.”

  “Who would send me any mail? I'd recognize it if it came from Dad or Owen. Don't think many other people know I'm alive.” A pause. “Or, uh, kind of alive.”

  She rolled her eyes and carried the stack over to drop it on his face.

  Kade batted the envelopes away with a laugh. “Why don't you open it? You're my wife, I don't mind.”

  “Because I have a bakery to run. And soon I'll have a baby in
my arms all the time, while you're out chasing cattle around the ranch. You can do some things yourself.” She stuck out her tongue, perched on the edge of the bed, and tugged on her socks. Behind her, Kade sat up and flicked through the mail, casting the junk to the floor beside the bed. She looked down at it and opened her mouth, but he raised a finger before she could speak.

  “I'll pick it up in a minute. Lord have mercy, why you thinkin' daggers at me like that?” He started to flick another envelope to the floor, then stopped and looked at it again.

  Felicity froze with a shoe in hand. “What?”

  He grunted softly, tore open the top of the envelope, and unfolded its contents. “Looks like I ain't sleeping today, after all.”

  Her brow furrowed and she shifted closer.

  “I'm supposed to report to the Dallas headquarters for an interview and possible reassignment.” He skimmed the second page.

  Felicity's heart skipped a beat.

  Kade had seen things in the Nashville headquarters when he'd been there, just before they married. The notes in the file his superiors kept on him had been frightening. Both of them knew it was a problem waiting to explode.

  “It ain't unusual. They do check-ups every now and then, especially after a major change in living situation. I've been here for over a year, now, so it makes sense they'd wanna follow up and see how I'm doing.” He flipped back the covers and slid out of bed with a sigh. “Don't mean I gotta like givin' up a day for it, though.”

  “No one said you had to do it today.” She preferred if he didn't, if she was being honest with herself.

  “No, but I'd rather get it done. The last thing I want is to give a Keeper a reason to show up at our front door.” He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in to press a kiss to her temple. “I'll be home in time for a nap before I ride tonight.”

  “Famous last words,” Felicity muttered.

  He pulled on fresh clothing and donned his black Stetson before he put on his boots. “Even if I do get caught, you can always come rescue me.”

  “While seven months pregnant?” Her hand drifted over her stomach and she snorted a laugh. “I don't think so. If you get in trouble this time, you're on your own, cowboy.”

  “We both know you don't mean that.” Kade gave her a peck on the cheek, then snatched his keys from the top of the dresser. “I'll call you when I'm finished. Good luck with your... whatever it is you do out there in the sunshine.”

  Felicity caught him by the sleeve, reeled him back, and seized a proper kiss. “And don't you go getting staked or something.”

  He snorted. “Nobody carries stakes anymore. Even if they did, Keepers don't get their hands dirty.”

  “Justine did,” she replied flatly, calling to memory her escapades with the female vampire.

  “Justine don't count. She was a hunter before she became a paper pusher. Now let me go. The sooner this is over with, the better.”

  “Fine. Drive safe.” Though reluctant, she let him go and tried not to pout as she picked up the hairbrush and pulled her silky brown locks over her shoulder.

  “I always do.” Kade flashed her a grin and a wink before he slipped out the door.

  Early in their relationship, she'd foolishly thought he'd be able to escape the twisted world of the Keepers. He'd resigned from his position as a hunter—an Enforcer, she'd later learned was the proper name—but that hadn't freed him. Every vampire had a Keeper, and though most were supposed to have limited interaction with the suit-wearing elders, most weren't like Kade. Even before he'd killed another vampire and inherited the man's abilities, he'd been dangerous to his own kind. That was the entire point of being a hunter.

  The undead operated in secret, with the Keepers serving as the self-appointed managers of everything from werewolves to Nessie. The hunters were the peacekeepers, sent to eliminate all manner of supernatural creatures who posed a threat to the security of others—vampires included. For all Felicity knew, they might have been in charge of the Tooth Fairy, too. The Keepers shared their business with nobody, and beyond what could be found in the contracts he'd fulfilled as a bounty hunter, Kade knew no more than she did.

  Felicity suspected that wasn't something to be proud of.

  She twisted up her hair in a simple chignon, pinned it in place, and crept downstairs in search of breakfast.

  Though they lived with her father, he mostly kept to himself. Aside from evening meals—conspicuously eaten after Kade left for work—she spent little time in Emmett's company. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy it; it was just that her life had gone in a different direction after the wedding.

  That and the fact their relationship had been damaged by the missions she'd gotten involved in because of Kade. They were still working out the kinks that came with mending ties and earning trust again. Emmett's approval of her husband hadn't changed, but he still eyed the two of them with suspicion, as if he expected they'd vanish without warning at any time. Having done it twice already, Felicity couldn't blame him.

  As a small gesture of goodwill, she cooked extra bacon and put it aside for her father.

  By the time she finished breakfast, the spring sun washed everything in gold. Felicity always worried about Kade being out during daylight hours—especially having seen what sunlight could do to him—but he'd managed for years before they met, and she supposed he could manage today. Still, worry darkened the edges of her thoughts as she slipped outside and started for the town square.

  Small as Holly Hill was, there wasn't much point in driving the few blocks to her bakery. The Hilltop House was close to almost anything she needed, which she appreciated now more than ever. The house had served as a bed and breakfast for most of her life, but with the impending arrival of their firstborn, they'd made the decision to close the doors and turn the stately, dark blue building into a private family home once more. They left the sign out front for old times' sake, but they'd served their final guests in early January. The guest room nearest the upstairs master suite was halfway converted to a nursery, complete with cautiously neutral décor.

  Now she just had to hope her husband would live long enough to see what color they'd use to finish it off.

  Fighting back a shudder, Felicity pushed that thought out of her head. She didn't mean to let the negativity swallow her, but the thought of him driving to Dallas by himself without a clue what waited for him didn't sit with her well. He'd had his share of difficulties since fate pulled them together, and she'd already saved his hide several times. The last thing she wanted was for another misfortune to crop up without her there.

  At the same time, she knew she couldn't cling, either. Kade was a grown man who didn't need to be babied. And right now, what needed her attention most was the bakery on the town square, its glass door streaked with fingerprints just begging to be washed off.

  She unlocked the door and pushed her way inside. The sign that displayed the shop's hours swung hard, and she stilled it with one hand before she locked the door again. She'd been meaning to paint the hours on the glass for months, but hadn't gotten to it. In some ways, she thought that might be best. There was no guarantee anything would stay the same after the baby arrived, even if her father and Penny both pitched in to pick up the slack.

  “You're early,” Penny called from the kitchen, where good smells already filled the air. “What's up?”

  “Oh, you know,” Felicity sighed, pushing up her sleeves as she slipped past her friend and employee to wash her hands. “Business as usual.”

  Chapter Two

  No matter where Kade went, the Keepers' offices were all the same. Nondescript buildings hidden in plain sight, filled with men and women in dull black suits.

  Kade had visited the Dallas headquarters before; he'd been to most of the offices across the country. A small handful in Mexico and Canada, too, but the Keepers didn't like sending their charges across borders, even if it was considered the same territory. When he'd first turned, he'd wanted to travel as far as Thaddeus would let him and had been disappointed to learn he would go no farther than the Americas. Overseas flights, according to the old man, were out of the question. The distance mattered less now. Even the few hours from Holly Hill to Dallas seemed uncomfortably far from home.