Loved by the Vampires

by ERIN BEDFORD

  I guess I’ve played with them long enough.

  I shoved the sword back easily, making the hunter fall onto the ground, his head cracking against the road. I kicked out, knocking the crossbow from Mizuki’s hands before spinning on my heels. "You'll have to catch me first.”

  A low curse, followed by several arrows whisking through the air, chased me as I dodged and weaved. Now that I had them on my trail, I had to circle back until they grew tired and returned to their base.

  I darted into an alley and jumped, grabbing the lowest rung of the metal ladder leading up to a fire escape, before I raced up the ladder's rungs, taking them two at a time. Leaping the final rung to the top, I glanced down to the ground to see if the hunters had caught up yet.

  No sign of them. Frowning, I waited a moment until I heard hurried footsteps heading my way. Turning from the edge of the fire escape, I braced myself, bending my knees and pushing as much power as I could into my jump. I shot up into the sky and landed with a heavy thud on top of the brick building. The ground of the roof broke beneath me, but I didn't waste time worrying about it. The footfalls were closer now.

  Pivoting around in one smooth movement, I ran toward the opposite side of the roof. The edge came into view and at the last moment, I jumped. Thankfully, the roof of the building next to me was lower, allowing me to land in a roll. I came up instantly and kept moving. If I knew the hunters, they would have figured out that I'd gone up and would be coming after me any moment. Slower, but I still couldn't tarry.

  Once I was sure I’d put enough distance between us, I dropped from the side of the building, landing heavily on the sidewalk. My legs held and I made it two more steps before something small and sharp hit me in the side of the neck.

  My hand went to it, my mind clouding as I pulled the small item from my flesh. A dart. Laced with poison no doubt by the way my skin was going numb. I found my vision darkening and I dropped to my knees.

  "Not so slow now, are we, vampire." The voice of the woman, Mizuki, filled my ears. "Now we'll get answers from you, one way or another."

  I grunted as I collapsed to the ground, my face hitting the pavement with a smack.

  “Quickly, the poison won’t keep him out long,” Mizuki commanded, and footsteps hurried to my side. “We have to get him back to base. The commander will want to interrogate him personally.”

  “But is that wise, Mizuki? What if the others follow us?” a voice I didn’t recognize asked, but my mind was going blank and I couldn’t listen in any longer.

  Well, on the bright side, I was finally going to see where their base of operations was located. Unfortunately, Antoine was not going to be pleased.

  Chapter 6

  Piper

  "Are you sure you want to do this?" Darren inquired, as he worked on unpacking his suitcase into the hotel dresser drawer. Seriously, who even used those?

  While I couldn't see his face, I could hear the apprehension in his voice. Neither of us thought this was a safe idea, but it was the only one I had.

  "You know, you can back out now. We can go back to Seabrick and no one would be the wiser." He finished putting his things away and closed the drawer, turning around to face me.

  I sat on the edge of the queen-sized bed in the beige hotel room. Literally, everything was beige. The carpet, the walls, even the bedspread. The only other color in the room were the dressers, and those were only a darker shade of beige. Just sitting in the room was making me feel depressed.

  "I don't see what other option we have." I shifted on the mattress, not used to the outfit I wore. If I was going to play vampire hunter, I had to look the part. That included dressing in all black. Logical I guess for nighttime raids, but really, who was the person that had a color phobia? ‘Cause this outfit, while slimming, could use a dash of color. At least, some varying shades. Burgundy wouldn't be so bad. It was dark, and if you bled no one would notice. Or maybe brown. No, not brown. Too many poop jokes. Still, I could have done without the leather pants riding up my ass. I couldn't even wear underwear with these things. Alas, there weren't many options I could choose from for a vampire hunter persona. I couldn't exactly go to Hunters 'R Us for my outfit. And from what Rayne told me about the hunters in Club Dead, this was the kind of stuff they wore. Bondage with a side of badass. I guess I could live with it. At least until I got them off my guys’ tails.

  I sighed. The things we did for love.

  Standing, I checked the different straps I had attached to the pants for my daggers. While I had joked around with Billy about never needing to use them, I made sure I had some just in case. I didn't know exactly what kind of gear the hunters would be toting, and I wanted to be prepared. I already had a crossbow to strap to my back and a gun. Billy had given me a shoulder holster as a gift when I told him I was heading out of town.

  "Not that it's my business, but better to be safe than get a hole in the foot." We'd shared a laugh over that before I hugged him tightly. He didn't ask, but hugged me back before wishing me luck. That guy might not know everything there was to know about me, but I could trust him to have my back. I was sure if I had asked him, he would have come with me, but I couldn't bring him into this. This was my fight. Mine and the Durands’.

  "I'll check in every day at the drop point," I reminded Darren with a lifted brow. "Fifth and Memorial? The trashcan on the corner?"

  Darren placed his hands on my shoulders and rubbed them up and down. "Yes, I'll be waiting with bated breath."

  I smiled softly up at him, a small chuckle coming out before I shoved it down. If I laughed, I might cry, and I couldn't handle that right now. Not to mention it would ruin my mascara.

  So, instead, I let Darren hold me for a moment before pushing away. I knew if I stayed any longer, I wouldn't be able to make myself do what needed to be done. I loved the guys, but sometimes it took a woman to get the job finished, and I was just the one to do it.

  "Do you want me to come with you?" Darren offered, not for the first time. "I could pose as a hunter as well."

  I shook my head, my ponytail whipping me in the neck with the movement. "No, it'll be easier to blend in with one rather than two unfamiliar hunters. Besides, they know about the two of us. It would look suspicious." I took a deep breath and let it out, my eyes staring down at nothing. "No, I have to do it alone. Besides," I gave him a salacious grin, "a pretty hunter who's lost her way is far more likely to get information than if I were attached."

  Darren's brows furrowed and his lips pressed into a tight line.

  I reached up and brushed my finger between his brows. "Don't give me that look. I have far more than enough dick in my life. I don't need to add any more."

  "I'm not worried about that." Darren frowned harder.

  "Then what is it?"

  Darren let out a long breath and shook his head. "I'm afraid you'll make rash decisions in there by yourself. You don't exactly have the best track record."

  I gaped at him. "I do not! I mean, ugh, I do too!" Darren quirked a brow. "Fine. Name one. No, three instances."

  Lifting his hand, Darren put down one finger. "Getting employed by a house of vampires."

  I scoffed, "How the hell was I supposed to know that? That's the agency's fault, not mine."

  "Drawing Valentine's attention when you were clearly instructed to keep a low profile." He lowered another finger.

  "He was deranged," I countered, and then added, "And if it were anyone's fault it was the others for being overprotective." I crossed my arms and nodded. "Valentine would never have had any interest in me had the others not thrown their dicks everywhere."

  Darren inclined his head. "I will concede that one. However, there was the time you ran off on your own in Boris's home. Being mouthy at the introductions. Taking the payment for the information from Morpheus." I opened my mouth to argue, but Darren kept going. "Getting a job with an attractive boss." I clipped my mouth shut and glared, making Darren smirk. "As well as getting involved with any of us in the first
place. Admit it. You attract trouble."

  I opened and shut my mouth before placing my hands on my hips and turning my head away. "Fine. I can see your point. But still, I can handle this. I won't do anything stupid. Cross my heart." I did the gesture across my chest as well.

  Darren took my hand in his, bringing it to his mouth for a kiss. "I have no doubt you will try. Good luck, Piper."

  My gaze softened on Darren before he released my hand. I nodded my head once and headed for the door. It was time. I couldn't hold off any longer.

  Leaving the hotel, I walked down the street. I couldn't take my car because they might check my tags for my identity. In fact, I'd left everything that could trace me back to the Durands at the house in Seabrick. Darren had booked the hotel room under an alias and paid cash. No one but us and Gretchen knew we were here.

  I'd taken some sick days at the office to carry out this plan. So, as far as Jack and Bethany were aware, I was out with the flu. I just hoped I would be done before I ran out of time off. Not that losing that job would hurt me or anything. The Durands were still paying my salary and besides, this was all for them anyway.

  The black boots I wore clomped against the concrete, my leather pants tucked into the tops at the calf. The shoulder holster sat on top of my long-sleeved shirt, the V-neck of it showing off a generous amount of cleavage. I hadn't been kidding when I said I hoped a lone, attractive female would draw the right kind of attention. The kind that led to information and a way to get my guys off the radar and my life back in order. I didn't know about the rest of them, but I had about enough vampire drama to last me a lifetime.

  The vampire hunters’ base of operations sat on an acre of land surrounded by a sharp-edged fence. The mansion behind the offensive gate looked more like an old museum than a base for vampire hunters. Without a sign showing it was one thing or the other, it just seemed like an unassuming, stuffy old building. One that I had to somehow get inside of.

  Walking around the fence, I found the front of the gate. It had a call box with a keypad to type in some code.

  Damn. I should have thought of that.

  What was I going to do now?

  I glanced up at the gate and the menacing sharp points. I winced. No way was I going to be able to get over that.

  Blowing a raspberry, I clicked my tongue and shifted from side to side. I guess I should just go back to the hotel room. What a waste of a good outfit. Plus all the time and energy it took to get it on and the teary goodbye to Darren. I didn't know if I had it in me to do that again.

  Just as I was about to turn away from the gate, a crackling voice came over the speaker. "Did you forget the passcode again?"

  I scratched the side of my face and bent down to the box, trying to look sheepish. "Uh, yeah. Sorry. Do you think you could let me in?"

  "Fine," the voice snapped. "Just write it down next time."

  "Of course!" I straightened up, lifting my hand to my forehead in a salute. I didn't know why I was doing it, or if they could even see me, but it felt like the right thing to do. Seconds later, there was a buzz and the gate popped open on its own.

  Well, that was lucky.

  Or it was a trap.

  Nope. Nope. This was a good thing. I couldn't be in deep shit yet. I might have had bad luck, but not that bad. I thought. Maybe. Whatever. I wasn't looking a gift hunter in the mouth.

  Sauntering through the gate, I walked with as much confidence as I could. If I was a vampire hunter, I had to ooze badassery. I'd never heard of a wimpy and simpering vampire hunter. And I doubted they would believe my disguise if I acted that way.

  The closer I got to the entrance of the building, the less confident I felt. The shadows seemed darker than normal, every sound made me jump in place. What was wrong with me? I shook my head and forced my back straight and my eyes forward. The guys were depending on me. I had to do this. There was no other way to get the hunters off their trail.

  Once at the door, I didn’t hesitate to open it. Now was not the time to be indecisive. The hunters would be able to smell the weakness on me and then this would be all for nothing.

  Inside the manor, hunters sprawled out on various couches and chairs. Its entryway was a lot larger than the House of Durand, with stairs going up one side of the wall. They didn’t bother with decorations or even with matching furniture. Everything seemed to be for functional purposes only. Including that large rack of weapons that lined the back wall.

  Holy mother of all that was badass. Billy would have a field day with this! They had every weapon I could imagine, and then some I never dreamed of. My eyes I drifted over the weapons before stopping on a ball with sharp-pointed spikes. Yowch. That looked painful.

  “Hey, you!”

  I jolted in place. My gaze darted from the weapon rack to the hunter coming right for me. A few of the other hunters looked up from where they were repairing their weapons or talking in low voices, but the majority of them didn’t even give me a second glance, or a first one, for that matter. Not like the beefy one who didn’t halt his trajectory until he stopped right in front of me.

  If anyone in this place did steroids, it had to be this guy. Bulging muscles strained against his sleeveless black tank top. Veins popped underneath his skin, making him look more monster than hunter. His dark eyes narrowed on me, locking me in place.

  “What do you want?” I demanded with as much attitude as possible. Couldn’t let them think they could walk all over me, now could I? Crossing my arms, I cocked one hip to the side and stared the man down.

  Strangely enough, the man balked at my rudeness. He stopped and held his hands up. “I was just going to tell you the pin code so you wouldn’t forget again.”

  Okay…so apparently looks could be deceiving, even in a vampire hunter lair.

  He held a piece of paper out to me with a nervous look. “Uh, here.”

  I reached out to take it, confusion on my face. “Thanks. I guess.” Were these guys really the big, bad vampire hunters making my guys run for their lives? It was hard to believe it.

  The beefy guy stayed around for a moment longer, seeming to want to ask me something.

  “Was there something else?” I tucked the paper into the pocket of my pants.

  The big man jerked away at my words and then scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Oh, um, you’re new around here, aren’t you? Are you from the main headquarters? I’m Tristan, by the way.”

  Headquarters. So that’s what they called their base of operations. Better than calling it a lair, I supposed, but still kind of pretentious.

  Quick on my feet, I shook my head. “Piper. And no, I just came back from a job in Europe. Hunting down some nest of vampires. I heard they came back to the states.”

  Buzzed head’s expression lighted up. “Oh! You mean the Durands.” He chuckled and grinned menacingly. “Those bloodsuckers keep giving everyone the slip, but I hear they got them pinned down in a college town in Rhode Island.”

  “Really?” I arched a brow. Was it bad that I was getting more information about my guys from the hunters than from them? I’d have to do something about that. “Then perhaps I should head that way.”

  “Oh, no.” He grabbed my arm as I turned away. I glanced down at his hand and he dropped it immediately. “Oops, sorry. I mean, don’t bother. They’ll be on the move again.”

  I frowned. “What’s that?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded knowingly. “You just got here, so you probably haven’t had a chance to check-in, but they caught one of them and are bringing him here.”

  My heart dropped to my stomach. I was going to be sick. They caught one of the guys? How could it be? Wynn didn’t mention anything about it when he came by.

  “Oh, yeah, it just happened,” Tristan continued, as if I weren’t having a total meltdown. “Normally, they’d take him to the main headquarters, but since the president is visiting us right now, he ordered them to bring him here.”

  “They’re bringing him here?” I g
rabbed the front of Tristan’s tank top and clenched it in my fist. “Where? When?”

  Tristan balked. “Uh, um, I don’t know. They just gave word they were coming today.”

  I sighed and released him. “Oh.”

  “You must really have it out for those vamps to get so worked up like that.” Tristan gave me a nervous smile. I nodded to put him at ease. “Well, won’t be until tomorrow, if anything. Why don’t you relax? I can show you around if you want? Do you have a room assigned yet?”

  I let Tristan lead me farther into the manor, barely listening to anything he was saying. My mind was full of thoughts of who they could have captured. Was it Wynn? He hadn’t gotten taken on the way back, had he? I didn’t know, but waiting until tomorrow to find out was going to be torture.

  Chapter 7

  Rayne

  "I don't like this," Drake grumbled next to me on the airplane. "We should be looking for Marcus, not going back to Georgia."

  This is a waste of time.

  Swiveling in his chair, Wynn leaned on one elbow and stared lazily at Drake. "If they found Marcus, they might have found Piper and Darren as well."

  "No way." Drake brushed him off with a shake of his head. "One has nothing to do with the other. Marcus was being rash." A dumb ass plan anyway. "It was his own fault for getting caught. It has nothing to do with Piper or Darren."

  Wynn cocked a brow. "Do you really wish to chance it?"

  Fucking know it all.

  Drake grunted. "I guess not." His fingers clenched into fists and he pounded one onto the arm of the chair. "I'm just so tired of running. I want to go home."

  "Don't you think we all do?" Allister scowled at his brother. "We're not running for the fun of it." Allister jumped out of his seat and waved a finger at Drake. "Stop thinking of yourself for five fucking seconds and think of what Marcus must be going through. They're probably torturing him as we speak, and all you can do is whine about wanting to go home! Sometimes, I don't know how I'm even related to you."