“Flint, what’s going on?” Victor held onto Kimber while Flint paced back and forth, one hand running through his hair while the other was bunched into a fist at his side.
“We’ve got a problem that’s what.” Flint stopped to turn and face them, his eyes cold as ice. “Rather, several problems, Victor. We’re up to our fucking neck in problems.”
Kimber gasped before she tipped her head to look at him, her lips moved but no sound came out…but he knew what she said anyway.
“I told you so.”
Damn it to hell and back!
Victor led her to the sofa and sat down, pulling her next to him and wrapping an arm around her. “Tell me.”
“It started a few hours ago when one of Ace’s men was found out in the forest to the back of the property. A Shifter, he was on patrol in Wolf form, and he’s dead. Killed.”
Flint stopped to take a breath and Kimber jumped right in.
“How? How was he killed and are you sure this wasn’t an accident?” she asked.
Flint looked at her, just for a second, before answering. “His throat was ripped clean out and he had been shot with silver bullets. That suggests this wasn’t an accident. And that’s only the start. Markus and his mate…”
Kimber shot to her feet, rushing to Flint and grabbing him by the arms, shaking him furiously. “What about Markus and Rachel? Are they hurt?”
Victor rose to release her from Flint who was attempting to shake her free, but she was hanging on for dear life. Victor could see her fingers digging into Flint’s arms and he had to pry her free before Flint could carry on.
“Kimber, calm down,” Flint stepped away from her, “they’re fine, but only because of Ace’s men who caught two would-be assassins. If it weren’t for the added shutters too, I think they might’ve gotten away with it. It was the noise of them trying to get those damn things open that the Guards heard, and they managed to call for back-up and they got them. One was a Vampire and the other was a Wolf and they had enough weapons on them to take care of Markus and Rachel. Shit. It was close.”
Kimber shook herself free before she turned to glare at him. “I knew something like this would happen.”
She didn’t raise her voice, but every syllable hit him as if a silver dagger pierced his skin and wounds opened over his body. Pain lanced through him as she stood before him, her eyes full of sadness and recrimination.
“What?” Flint’s head spun between them, then back to Victor’s. “You were aware there was a threat and you didn’t tell me? What the fuck were you thinking?”
Flint’s jaw ticked, his lip curled back, revealing teeth that were clenched tight and his eyes flashed red. His fury was burning bright, and Victor didn’t blame him. Not one fucking bit. Kimber had warned him.
“I didn’t have any firm evidence.” Was all he could say and even to his own ears the words sounded lame.
Flint shook his head, his eyes flashed once more before he regained control of himself…his next words striking right to Victor’s heart.
“You can tell Quinn that little snippet of information. You know…that you knew there was a threat but didn’t think to warn us because, Victor…him and Amaya were attacked last night.”
Victor couldn’t believe it. The words swam around in his head and his legs wobbled beneath him. Kimber grabbed hold of his arm, her voice sounded like it was coming from far away…he heard it, but he couldn’t quite grasp what she was saying. Not for a few seconds because he couldn’t stop the realization that this was all his fucking fault.
“Victor, honey, it’s okay. Victor! Are you okay?” Kimber tugged on his arm, over and over. Her voice rising and repeating the same question.
Was he okay? No, he wasn’t. He most definitely was not.
“Are they hurt?” He looked over at his friend, dreading what he said next with all his heart.
If Quinn was hurt he’d blame himself forever. If Amaya was…hell’s fire, he had no idea what that would do to him. Kimber’s fingers tightened their hold on him and he knew she could sense his feelings. His utter despair that he’d let the damn ball drop and in doing so he’d put people he cared about in danger.
Flint’s eyes dropped to her hand then to Kimber’s face and finally he raised them to meet his, and they were no longer flashing red, but he had a steely glint in them which Victor knew well. One that told him he was out for blood. He just hoped it wasn’t his.
“They’re fine, but it was a close call.” Flint paused, turning to look out the window while he took a few deep breaths.
Victor knew his friend well and all the signs pointed to him trying to contain his anger. He could see it simmering just below the surface, and another few seconds ticked by before he faced them again. “They’re waiting for us downstairs in the dining room with Kenzie. Amaya is eating everything in sight, she used up a lot of energy, but I’ll allow them to tell you about it…let’s go.”
“Flint,” Victor reached out, grabbing him by the shoulder. “I’m sorry. Kimber tried to warn me, but I didn’t listen when she said she had a feeling something was wrong. I thought we had this under control and with all the extra guards, shit, I’m not even sure how this could happen.”
“A feeling?” Flint queried, looking at Kimber. “What do you mean?”
Kimber looked flustered, her cheeks flushing and her eyes flitting away before she straightened her shoulders to return defiantly to Flint.
“Just what Victor says, I’ve felt off since we arrived and no, I’ve no idea why. My Dragon has been trying to warn me that something is wrong but I couldn’t give specifics, so Victor had nothing concrete to go on. He did speak to Ace to make sure the guards were in place and everything, but the feelings have just grown worse inside me, but I can’t explain them, Flint. So, it’s not really Victor’s fault. Not when I couldn’t give him proper information…not when it’s just something I can feel.”
Flint looked baffled, running a hand over his face before looking at Kimber closely for a long moment then up at Victor, shaking his head. “A feeling was all you had to go on?”
“It was enough.” Victor sighed, regretting not taking more notice of what his Bloodmate had been trying to warn him of…a damn threat which had materialized.
Flint frowned, his dark eyes looking at Victor as if he were the dumbest ass he’d ever seen…and he was. He should have taken more action when Kimber told him there was something wrong, albeit he wasn’t sure what more he could’ve done about it, not with any other information to go on. But there was always more.
“For someone as smart as you are, you sure can be a dumbass at times, you and me…we should’ve talked.” Flint exhaled loudly. “I’m sorry, Kimber, I’m not saying you didn’t try to warn Victor, or us, but we can’t actually do much with a feeling or without hard facts to use. This place is locked down tight with guards everywhere so I’ve no idea what else you expected us to do without knowing what, or who, was coming our way. Or even an inkling of where they were coming from. Let’s just go downstairs and talk to Quinn and see what we do from here.”
“Yes, please let’s do that.” Victor had to go, now. He needed to see with his own eyes that his friends were safe and not injured in any way.
Plus, he wanted to face Quinn. Had to look him in the eye and tell him that Kimber had tried to warn him of a threat. He wasn’t sure of the outcome that snippet of information would have. Not when Quinn’s Bloodmate had been put in the path of danger. He sure as hell would be ready to rip someone’s head of if it had been Kimber that had been in peril and it could’ve been avoided. Hell, he felt like shit for not doing more…what he had no idea but anything would’ve been better than sitting on his ass twiddling his fucking thumbs.
Not only that, he’d been upset at Kimber. His love. His beautiful and fiery Dragon. She’d felt helpless because she’d tried to tell him and he’d made her feel her concerns were insignificant and of no consequence. Yeah…no consequence. That was the icing on the damn cake. Th
e consequences of him doing diddly squat: his friend and his Bloodmate being physically attacked.
Victor stopped dead in his tracks. They’d reached the top of the grand staircase, and his feet just wouldn’t move. His head swam, and his heart stampeded wildly in his chest while his body and mind were flooded with emotions. Far too many at once and some he couldn’t even name although there were good friends there that he knew well: anger, fury, and rage.
All directed inward and if it were possible he’d knock himself on his ass because he deserved it.
“Victor? Darling, breathe, it’s okay, honestly it is. We can sort this…together as always. Isn’t that what you told me?” Kimber’s soft fingers trailed over his jaw and he heard her, but his vision was a blur of images of him ripping faceless men apart limb from limb while crimson liquid flew all around as he wreaked bloody vengeance on them for daring to hurt anyone he cared about.
Dark rage ran through him like a river of wrath. So intense he could see nothing but blood and gore in his mind, but it was quickly followed by another emotion he wasn’t familiar with. One he wasn’t sure he’d encountered before…if he had it was so far back in his life he’d forgotten; shame. Shame he’d let the woman he loved more than life itself down. Shame he’d allowed his own pride to get in the way of listening to her concerns and shame that because of that Quinn and Amaya had come to harm.
His skin felt alien, his body was not his. He was not Victor Strong, and he was not the man he’d been just a few minutes earlier…capable of taking on anything and destroying any threat that stood in his path. Now he felt a failure and…weak.
“Victor!” Kimber tugged and pulled at him, viciously, and then he felt something he never thought possible…her hand connected with his cheek in a hard slap. “Victor, come back to me right now! I need you. We need you!”
The sound of her palm connecting with his skin was like a bullet going off, echoing along the corridor…Flint cursed loudly but it wasn’t the physical pain that brought him out of the downward spiral he’d fell into. No. It was the heartfelt plea he heard from his Bloodmate that brought him back from the brink. He knew she was crying. Heard it in her voice, in the way she hiccupped at the end and that’s when he snapped back to reality…his eyes popped open to find Kimber’s dazzling emerald beauties gazing up at him, and he’d been right. Tears streamed down her white cheeks and her face was a mask of concern.
“You’re back,” Kimber sighed. Her body fell forward against him, her arms reaching around his waist to hold onto him tightly. So tight he thought she’d never let him go.
“What the fuck just happened?” Flint asked quietly, his friend looked confused but he also looked scared. His hands bunched at his sides and his feet shuffling gave him away.
“I’m fine.” Victor held onto Kimber, talking to her and her alone. “I’m sorry, darling, I just hope you can forgive me for not listening. Not hearing you. I know you didn’t know what was coming and you didn’t have specifics, but I didn’t hear you, and I should have.”
Kimber’s body trembled against him before she took a great gasp of air inside. “Thank you.”
“We should get going.” Flint had already moved away and was halfway down the stairs, looking back at them with concern.
He knew his friend well and was aware that Flint was worried for him but he had no need. He was back, and he’d do whatever it took to deal with what was coming, but he had a feeling that whatever had happened last night wasn’t the end of it. No matter. The fuckers better watch out because if they came anywhere near him, or anyone he cared about, he’d show them just how deadly he could be…and more.
Chapter 4
Kimber held his hand tightly as they entered the room to find their friends sitting around the dining table, his eyes zeroing in on Amaya for any signs of injury. He could see none as she gulped down a croissant as if she’d not ate in days before waving over at them.
Quinn sat opposite and he too didn’t look as if he’d been in a battle. Then again he was an ancient and powerful Vampire and would heal fast from any wounds he’d suffered. Victor’s belly clenched at the thought of either of them being hurt because of him and was just about to offer up his profound apologies but was interrupted…and possibly relieved when the moment was put off by Kenzie.
“Kimber!” Kenzie sped across the room her arms wide open with every intention of hugging her, and Victor had no option but to release his hold before Kenzie arrived and knocked them both flying.
He didn’t want to. In fact, Victor wanted to keep her close to him for the foreseeable future, but Kenzie was already tugging her into a hug and fussing over her.
“You look like death.” Kenzie stood back, gazing at Kimber then up at Victor then back at his love whose face was deathly white. “Are you okay, honey?”
“Yes, of course I am.” Kimber struggled to get free and immediately reached for his hand.
Victor saw more in that outstretched arm than if she’d yelled at the top of her lungs…she needed him, and he fucking craved her more in that moment than he had since he’d first found her. His arm shot forward to snatch her back to his side, holding her against him tightly and leaning down to place a kiss on her cheek before taking a deep breath to face the friends he’d let down.
Before he did, Kimber reached up, cupping his face, her breath a whisper on his skin as her eyes flashed with determination. “We face whatever it is…together. Remember that.”
A few words, eight in total, but they meant the damn universe to him.
Victor swallowed the lump in his throat, grabbed the back of her head and kissed her passionately as if they were the only two people in the room. His mouth devoured hers, his lips covered hers in a demanding coupling of their love, his tongue slid over hers before he backed out slowly, caressing her lips one last time. “I love you more at this moment than I ever have, Kimber. Thank you, baby, for being here for me and for forgiving me for being an idiot.”
“I’ll always be here.” She sighed against his lips, and he was absolutely certain she’d never looked more beautiful than she did at that moment.
“Excuse us but what the hell is going on?” Amaya interrupted them.
Kimber’s cheeks flushed as she pulled away.
“An apology,” Victor explained, turning to face the music but no longer feeling the way he had earlier.
Kimber had forgiven him and her faith in him, her trust in him, had given him back something he needed…he wasn’t sure what, but he felt more like himself and he was ready to take on anything. Including admitting to his friends that he was the cause of their being attacked.
“For what?” Amaya had left the dining table and was striding back and forth like a caged beast.
She didn’t look as if she were hurt. Certainly, there were no injuries visible, but she was a powerful Tiger Shifter, and that didn’t mean she hadn’t been wounded but had already healed. Victor glanced to Quinn who didn’t appear to be overly angry either but that wouldn’t last. Not once he divulged that he’d had an inkling of the threat but hadn’t told him.
Victor straightened his shoulders, cracked his neck, and decided it was best just to get it over with as quickly as possible. However, he didn’t want Kimber beside him in the event that Quinn’s anger took over.
“Why don’t you go and get something to eat?” he told her.
Kenzie seemed to agree and took the opportunity to come for her friend. “Yes, honey, as I said earlier, you’re looking tired and you definitely need food. Aggie’s cooked up a banquet for us, so come on, let’s get you fed.”
Kimber didn’t have a choice in the matter as Kenzie pulled her toward the table, but Victor waited until she was far enough away before he faced Quinn again.
“Flint told us about you and Amaya being attacked. I can’t begin to imagine what that was like, Quinn, and I can only apologize for that…”
“What? Why?” Amaya stopped pacing and whirled around to face him. “It’s not your fault
those bawbags got in and tried to kill us. So why are you talking like that?”
“Bawbags?” Victor thought he’d heard wrong because she’d fired off the words so fast it was hard to keep up.
“Yeah, bawbags…” she turned to Quinn, “that’s right isn’t it, honey? It’s the same as asses or something like that, but you get the meaning.”
Quinn merely smiled as he nodded over at Amaya, his eyes twinkling as she turned back to Victor and waved a hand to carry on.
“As I was trying to say, I sort of had an inkling trouble was headed this way. No specifics, of course I didn’t have anything concrete or I would’ve come to you immediately, Quinn, but Kimber, well…”
Quinn didn’t look shocked or angry, and Amaya interrupted, again. “Yeah, Kimber’s Dragon was upset and on edge, and Kenzie was feeling off too. Us girls spoke about it, and I talked to Quinn, but we didn’t have anything firm to go on. So he talked to Ace and told him to be extra vigilant but there wasn’t a hell of a lot else we could do about it…or am I missing something? Did you have anything else to add? Were you given some other information that we’re not aware of?”
Kimber dropped the cup she’d just raised to her mouth. It clattered to the table spilling hot tea all over the place as her eyes shot to Victor’s before she glared over at Amaya.
“What? You didn’t tell me you’d spoken to Quinn about my concerns. I’ve been angry and upset because I thought nobody was listening to me, especially Victor, and you’re saying now that you did bring it up. Why didn’t you say anything about that?”
Kenzie didn’t look happy either, her head was nodding like a bobble head toy and before Amaya could say a word she’d jumped in, her voice high and her cheeks pinked as they usually did when she was upset.
“I agree with Kimber. We’ve both been worried about this, and you could’ve told us that you’d spoken to Quinn. I’ve been arguing with Flint, telling him I could feel something wasn’t right, but he kept telling me he couldn’t do anything about a feeling, and here you are saying you’d already told Quinn. Hell, Amaya, I feel like an eejit now, fighting with him over something that had already been dealt with.”
A Deadly Masquerade: A Vampire’s Thirst Page 3