Flint was impressed. The man conducted himself exactly as he would have in the same situation. Succinct and to the point. Talon opened the driver’s side door, stepped out and responded in kind, “I’m fine, Ace, guest is too but the passenger has remained unconscious. No tail and you should have time, I don’t think they’ll find us until at least tomorrow morning . . . I’m sorry to be the one to tell you but it’s Kragen Smithson who’s gonna be coming.”
“Kragen Smithson, that dirty bastard, shit.” Ace cursed before turning to yell out orders before turning back to and sticking his head inside the open door and addressing Flint directly. “You’ve picked a fight with a right bad fucker but I’ll get another line of defense set up now. Unless he’s planning on attacking with just his wolves then we’ll have plenty of time because he’s not got too many day walkers on his payroll.”
Flint sized the Vampire up. He could feel his power but he wasn’t certain of his age so he just plain out asked, “Are you? A day walker . . . I am, but I’d like to know if you’re going to be in charge come sun-up.”
Ace’s blue eyes roamed over Flint, obviously taking his measure as well, before answering, “I am and I’ll be in charge until this party’s over. Don’t worry on that account. My men are made up of day-walkers, shifters, and some warlocks . . . there are no weak links in my command. I’ll keep you and your lady safe.”
Flint snorted, shaking his head. “No need to worry about me. I’m capable of looking after myself. In fact, I’m looking forward to meeting this fucking asshole and taking him out personally, but more importantly . . . I want the other guy, what’s his name? Stelian, yeah, that guy . . . he’s mine. He did this to her and if he comes here, I’m gonna tear him apart for what he’s done.”
Ace looked over the prone body Flint held, his mouth hardening and eyes glinting harshly as he saw her bruised face and bloodied head. “Fucking Neanderthal. I’ll help . . . he should’ve been put down decades ago. Shit, he should’ve been drowned at birth. Anyway, what I’m saying is, I’ve got your back . . . what’s your name?”
“Flint, and thanks, no doubt I’ll catch you later but we need to . . .”
A commotion behind them had Flint’s heart hammering in his chest and Ace darting away as his men surged forward. Two large jeeps approached and skidded to a halt behind them. Shit, what now? Had Kragen arrived?
Chapter 15
Flint itched to get out and see what was going on, but he couldn’t bear to leave his Bloodmate. He kept her tight in his embrace and satisfied himself with twisting around and watching out the back window. Secure in the knowledge he was surrounded by an army that was there to protect her.
He had a decent view due to the headlights of the front vehicle which, at first, had been completely surrounded by Ace’s men, but now they’d fanned out and a huge bear of a man had gotten out and was standing having an animated conversation with Ace. His arms were flying around as he talked, and it was obvious he wasn’t going anywhere until Ace seemed to relent and shadowed him toward Flint’s vehicle with two other men guarding him.
When they arrived the newcomer leaned down, his massive upper half sticking in the driver’s door, hand resting on the seat. He had a head of red hair and a face covered in a bushy beard, with green eyes that locked with his. “I assume you’re Flint?”
“I am, who’re you?” Flint replied, on guard but getting no bad vibes from the mountain of a man. He was obviously a Wolf, but he was also an Alpha, that much was certain. He could feel the power rolling off the man. No wonder Ace was right there with his men, guarding his every move.
“Hello, I’m Dougie MacDowall, and I received an urgent call from a friend of mine, I believe you know him . . . Victor Strong. He says you need my help. Said you’ve found your soulmate and she’s hurt and needs protection. So, here I am with some of my men, including my Beta, Gus. We’ll watch over her for you until this business is over, or until you don’t need us. For however long you need us. However long, laddie. That’s my job now. Yours is to take out whoever’s the threat, so you concentrate on that, okay?”
Flint’s entire body relaxed as if a weight had been lifted from his very soul. A small pack of wolves, including a fucking Alpha and a Beta. Damn. Victor had got his Bloodmate a pack of wolves to guard her. “I can’t thank you enough, Dougie. If you follow us into my cottage where I’m staying, the Healer is waiting on us. That’s where she’ll be staying for the time being.”
“Aye, laddie, that’s fine.” Dougie tipped two fingers to the side of his head and backed out of the cab, addressing Ace as he did so. “All set.”
Ace shook his head as Dougie retreated to his own vehicle. “She’s got her own damn pack to guard her . . . your boss has some clout, Flint.”
“Yeah, he does.” Flint agreed before waving for Talon. “Come on, Talon, we need to get her to the Healer.”
“Coming,” Talon jumped back in, and they were on their way in seconds, with Dougie and his men right on their tail.
The thought brought Flint a sense of peace he hadn’t felt since he’d leapt into the Range Rover back in Edinburgh. Shit, was that only, what? An hour or two ago? It felt like a damn lifetime had passed and he was sure he’d aged ten years with the burden and anxiety of keeping the frail body in his embrace safe. Some of the anxiety had lifted when the Alpha had spoken with such assuredness of taking over as her guardian, and although Flint didn’t want . . . no, hell, he hated the thought of leaving her side, but he knew it was necessary. He had to. He had to ensure that Kragen was taken out, as well as take his pleasure in destroying the bastard who’d inflicted the injuries to her in the first place. Hell, yes, that fucker Stelian was going to pay and pay hard for what he’d done, and Flint was going to enjoy every damn second of the pain he was going to inflict.
“Talon, I need a favor.”
“Anything . . . shit, maybe not. What is it?” The Scot smiled over his shoulder before returning his eyes to the long driveway.
“Blades, I need them, lots of them. Do you have a supply? Throwing knives, some daggers . . . push daggers if you’ve got them, and do you have any Fairbairn-Sykes? If you do, please, get me a couple of them too. If you’ve got any silver tipped blades, I’d greatly appreciate it if you could get me some. I’ve got a special use for those in mind.”
“Jesus, Flint, how many do you want?” Talon shook his head, “I’ve got a few but I’d need to go to the armory for some of those, especially ones with silver. I don’t have those. I’m not even certain they’re in the armory. I’ll need to check with Mister Alexander.”
“If you can manage to get your hands on them for me then please do,” Flint pressed determinedly. “And I’ll take as many as you can get me, together with a pack of some kind to carry them in, oh, and can you get me a change of clothes too. I’m afraid I didn’t come equipped for a damn battle.”
He thought of his Armani suits, and his tight fighting Boss jeans . . . no they definitely wouldn’t be suitable for the bloodbath he knew was coming. He required combat gear and darn if he’d gone and forgotten to pack that this time around. Flint grinned when Talon chuckled before replying.
“You and me both. I’ll get the weapons and a change of clothing for us after we’ve met with Mister Alexander.”
“Fine,” Flint ground out, not looking forward to being introduced to his host. If he tried to come across as high-handed or talk down to him . . . they were going to have a problem. He knew Victor was calling in favors that meant Quinn was being “paid” in some way or another, and more than likely very handsomely too. What that was he’d find out. Most probably not from Quinn, but he’d wrangle it out of Victor somehow and pay him back. Whatever it took, he’d do it. No matter the cost, he’d meet it, even if it took him a hundred years . . . he’d fucking do it.
Chapter 16
Kenzie saw it all. Well, in a dream-like haze she witnessed what happened. Or maybe she was just dreaming and her Vampire didn’t rescue her after all.
Her brain hurt. Physically hurt and that was definitely not a good sign.
His arms around her felt good though. So good. His fingers trailing over her face as he moved her hair . . . oh that was magical. It felt so much better in real life than anything she’d experienced in her dreams. And boy! That was saying something.
There was another voice and it called him . . . Flint. His name was Flint! It suited him, she thought as she tried to listen in but she couldn’t. Dropping in and out as she fought to heal herself . . . and failed. She wondered if she’d stay alive long enough to open her eyes, see him properly and feel his lips cover hers. She hoped so. Craved to feel him against her as she told him that she’d been dreaming of him and known about him for weeks now. She wanted to whisper his name and hear hers on his lips. Would he like it as much as she loved his?
In and out she drifted . . . aware one moment and then darkness would sweep her away only to jolt her back again. This time she heard that magical word: Healer. Wonderful. Maybe she stood a chance after all. If they got hold of someone worth their salt . . . and knew anything about her kind, then maybe she stood a chance. His arms tightened around her, anchoring her to him and tethering her to his heart . . . how? She wasn’t aware of the how. The why. But she felt it, flowing from him . . . his power vast, so strong that it held her firmly here and stopped her slipping away into nothingness. If she could hold on, just for a little while longer until the Healer . . . maybe she had a chance.
“I’ll try, Flint, I’ll try.”
Talon pulled to a stop right at the door to the cottage, jumping out to open the door. “You got her? If so I’ll go check that the Healer’s here and ready.”
“I’m fine. Go,” Flint urged him. “Make sure she knows what happened.”
“Sure.” Talon turned and sprinted toward the house.
Flint got out, taking great care with his cargo. “I’ve got you, baby. The Healer will help you now.”
Dougie and his men were already setting up, the Alpha ordering his wolves to set up a perimeter around the house before he and his Beta walked in behind Flint. “Flint, I’ll stay in side with Gus. We won’t let anyone get near your mate.”
“Thanks,” Flint replied as he entered, finding Talon talking to a small, elderly woman who turned to greet them.
What he didn’t expect was her face to turn ashen and her hand to shoot to her chest, a scream to tear from her throat. “Kenzie! Oh my lord! What’s happened to my granddaughter? What’ve you done?”
She tore toward them, her speed shocking him as she slid to a stop, her hands flying over his Bloodmate. Flint couldn’t stop his lip curling up and the snarl ripping free. “Back off, old woman. This is my Bloodmate and nobody, and I mean no-fucking-body touches her unless I say so. If you want to keep those hands attached to your body, I suggest you step away . . . now!”
Talon rushed forward, his hands up placatingly before him. “Flint, stop! This is Moira McBride, the Healer I was telling you about.”
Flint didn’t relax, glaring down at the diminutive woman who was glaring right back up at him angrily. Her eyes flashed at him before she snapped, “You! You’re her Vampire? The one she’s been dreaming about? And this is how you bring her back? She’s severely injured, you great big numbskull! How did this happen and tell me . . . why did you allow this to happen?”
Her words hit him like physical blows. Each and every one landing on him like silver daggers thrown by a worthy opponent and sinking deep inside him. His insides churning as he pushed past and strode toward his bedroom. His voice cold as steel as he threw back icily, “I am definitely hers and she is mine, although I’ve no idea what you’re talking about . . . she dreamt of me? And I didn’t allow this to happen. We came upon her in an alley and she’d been accosted by a group who were in the act of kidnapping her. We rescued her but she’d been hurt before we could get her away. Talon here contacted a Healer . . . you! We had no idea you were related, so, if you’re done with the accusations, can you get to work and help her? I’m about at the end of my tether and my patience is worn through right now. All I care about is her.”
His jaw ached, his muscles tensed, his head fucking pounded at the thought this woman believed he had anything to do with hurting the woman in his arms. How fucking dare she. She was so damn close to getting her throat ripped out. If it weren’t for the fact she was the Healer and his Bloodmate’s only chance for help . . . Kenzie. Fuck. He knew her name now and suddenly he seemed to calm down a little as he kicked open his bedroom door and entered. Hurrying to place Kenzie on the bed gently and covering her with the bedspread before turning to face her grandmother.
“Can you help her? If so then get to work instead of arguing with me because the people who did this to her . . . well, they’re not done.”
Moira’s eyes opened as she sat on the bed, examining his unconscious Bloodmate, talking as she worked. “What does that mean? Is she still in danger?”
“According to Talon, she is. The men responsible are going to come after her and we’re setting up for a fight. I’ve got a pack of wolves here, including an Alpha and a Beta, as her personal guard. They’ll stay right here with you and Kenzie, at the cottage while I go with Talon and the rest of the army that’s being assembled to take out these fuckers. I’ll promise you this . . . they won’t survive because I plan on killing them myself. The one that did that to her, he’s mine. I’m going to make him pay for that. He’ll suffer for touching her, for hurting her, and for what he’d planned on doing to her before I got there to stop him.”
Moira glanced back at him, her eyes locking with his and he saw an age-old wisdom there, but that wasn’t all he saw. He saw a fury burning brightly and something else. Something that was boiling hot inside him too: an ardent need for revenge. “Make sure you do,” she fired back at him coldly.
“I will. You don’t have to worry about that.” He came closer, kneeling at the side of the bed to gently run his finger down the side of Kenzie’s face. “Can you help her?”
He saw the pallor of her face; how pale it was and it scared the shit out of him. Her skin was cold to the touch too and that just ratcheted up his concern. He leaned over, caressing her cheek with his lips in a brief ghost of a kiss as Moira answered.
“Aye, I can, but if you’d been much longer it might’ve been a different answer I’d be giving you. Now go and give me peace to work. This is going to test my skills, Flint, and I’ll need all my strength and I’ll be needing a good drink afterward and a long nap.”
Flint canted his head, exhaling loudly. “Thank you. You’ve no idea what she means to me. She’s my Bloodmate and that’s, well, it’s amazing is what it is. I wouldn’t be able to carry on without her. I’m sorry if we started off on the wrong foot, but I’m very protective of her.”
“I understand.” Moira patted his shoulder. “She’s my only family now so I’m protective of her too. You better take care of her, Flint, or you’ll have me to deal with.”
“I will. Do you have a phone?” he asked.
Moira grabbed her bag, rummaging around inside and pulling out an old model. “Yes.”
“Give me your number.” He got his own out, input her number then called her, letting it ring before hanging up. “That’s mine, save it and keep me updated if there’s any change.”
“I will.” Moira nodded.
“Thanks.” Flint rose, turning to leave. “There’s a good Glenmorangie in the kitchen . . . help yourself. I’ll see you later.”
He took one last look at his
Bloodmate, still, pale and bloodied, lying in his bed . . . red-hot fury igniting deep inside his soul and a growl rumbling up unbidden from his chest. He spun away, marching down the hallway to find Dougie standing guard, his imposing figure giving him a sense of composure with the knowledge that Kenzie would be well defended in his absence.
“I’ll no be moving until this is over.” Dougie tipped his head. “Have no fear about your mate while you’re taking care of business.”
“Thanks.” Flint gave the Alpha a nod as he passed, waving for Talon. “Come on, we’ve got business to take care of.”
Talon jumped up from the sofa, falling in behind him. “Right there with you. Mister Alexander is waiting for us.”
“Wonderful,” Flint replied sarcastically, knowing he needed the guy’s help and he should at least try and play nice.
Hell, he was on the edge and it wasn’t going to take much to tip him right on over, so he hoped that Quinn Alexander didn’t do anything that set him off.
Chapter 17
Talon led him into the main house as he kept calling it, but to Flint it looked like a castle. Something straight out of Outlander, the dang show that Suzette had been binge watching lately whenever she could, and he’d caught her so many times that she didn’t even flinch now, just shrugged and carried on. And this building he was now in seemed right out of that show, except it was all fancied up and was modernized, obviously.
“Through here.” Talon led him down a long hallway and already he’d counted at least twenty men on guard duty.
They were a mix of Supernaturals, Vampires, Shifters and he also felt a few magic wielding guys in there too. Good. That gave them a wide spectrum of abilities to use and the more they had, the better their chances of success. He also felt their eyes raking over him, taking his measure as he passed by. Flint kept his face a cool mask of nonchalance, his head held high, shoulders back and his body loose, but his eyes roamed all around. Just in case. You just never knew if an enemy had managed to infiltrate so he was on guard at all times, ready and waiting for an attack.
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