Eternal Brothers (Dalakis Passion, Book Four)

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An Excerpt From: ETERNAL BROTHERS

Copyright © N.J. WALTERS, 2007

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

Zane York let the shadows engulf him as he watched the Dalakis family pile into several luxury vehicles and drive away. He´d thought he´d be able to forget about them when he´d left New Orleans almost three years ago and headed back to his beloved New York City.

God knows he´d tried to forget about them. Although he was a big man, he had no problem melding with the darkness. He was at home here in the night. It was a trait that had served him well when he´d worked the night shift as a New Orleans police detective. But he´d given up that job and had been back working in New York when Katrina had hit the city. For a fleeting moment he´d considered returning to his briefly adopted home but, in the end, he´d forced himself to stay away. It was better for everyone, especially him.

But he hadn´t been able to settle back into any kind of a life in New York. Questions about the Dalakis brothers plagued him constantly. Were they what he thought they were? He watched the headlights of the vehicles disappear into the distance. Were they murderous vampires?

He shook his head. They were the reason he´d moved to New Orleans in the first place. With his reputation on the New York police force, it had been no problem for him to get a job here. He´d quickly gotten into the routine of his new life and watched the Dalakis family from a distance.

From the outside, they seemed to be exactly what they proclaimed to be-a rich, powerful family. But Zane had heard rumors and he´d followed up on them.

The first whisper of real trouble had come when a woman had been assaulted in an alleyway after witnessing a murder. Delight Deveraux had escaped, but the men who´d attacked her had never been found, even though there was quite a bit of blood in the alley and none of it belonged to the woman.

Detectives Sam Cassidy and his partner, Jean Gagnon, had been assigned to the case. Zane had talked to both of them but had been unable to get much of anything from Cassidy. Detective Gagnon was the weak link in that partnership and Zane had had a much easier time getting information from him. All it had taken was a few drinks at a local cop bar one evening and Gagnon had spilled everything he´d known. Which, admittedly, hadn´t been much at all.

There was no doubt in Zane´s mind that Cassidy was the brains in that partnership, which only proved that looks were deceiving. Gagnon was smooth, polished and well-spoken, wearing his three-piece designer suits while Cassidy, with his blue jeans and good ol´ boy attitude, was frequently overlooked.

Gagnon had told him that Lucian Dalakis had been with Delight Deveraux when they´d questioned her and that his attitude had been very protective. Whether he´d been protecting himself or Delight, Zane hadn´t been sure at the time. But now there was no doubt in his mind that he´d been protecting his woman. The fact that they were now married spoke volumes. However, it had also raised Zane´s suspicions. What had happened to the men in the alleyway?

Then there was the incident at The Club, a local hotspot, a short time later when local crime lord Jethro Prince and his chief enforcer, a man known only as Smith, were found murdered. Once again Sam Cassidy had been on the scene and it was written off as hit from another crime syndicate-a falling-out among thieves.

But Zane hadn´t been convinced. He´d snooped around the streets and alleys around the club and found a drug addict who remembered a large man with fancy clothing and long black hair entering the club. No one inside the club remembered seeing such a man. That had raised Zane´s hackles. The description easily fit Lucian Dalakis.

He´d dug further but had uncovered nothing. Worried about his preoccupation with this family, he´d resigned his job and returned to New York. Then a new rumor had reached his ears a few days ago. Sam Cassidy was now working for the Dalakis family. What that meant, he wasn´t sure, but he´d had to find out.

Zane saw the man in question slinking out the side entrance of the garden, searching the darkness. So Cassidy sensed that someone was out here. It wouldn´t do to underestimate this man. He was a good cop. Or at least he had been. Now Zane was no longer sure. Turning, he walked swiftly down the street, careful to keep to the shadows. He wouldn´t learn much else tonight and wanted to return to his home to think.

He´d tried to resist the temptation of returning to New Orleans, but it was no use. He had to know the truth, not only for his own sake, but also for the protection of the people of this city.

And if the Dalakis brothers turned out to be what he feared they might be, then he´d be left with no choice.

He´d have to kill them.