The man grinned revealing a pair of long sharp fangs and Gregory realized he’d made a mistake. He was out of his depth here, and he should have called for help. He dug in his pocket and hit the speed dial he’d programmed in for that Claude guy. It was a lost cause, but maybe he could at least keep his sister out of harm’s way.
Claude had just finished destroying yet another punching bag when the buzz of his phone got his attention. He didn’t recognize the number and almost didn’t answer, but this niggling feeling that it might be important forced him to press the call, button.
“Hello.” He barked, but on the other end there was only rustling, followed by a male scream and silence.
Claude listened more, and his blood ran cold as he recognized the sound of blood gurgling in a windpipe and an all too familiar cackle.
“Take Mr. Jones inside, he will do fine in my new army.” Maura’s voice came through the speaker.
“I’m glad you are pleased,” a male voice said.
“You did well, Declan, for once, but you still have to bring me the girl.” Maura’s voice was farther away this time and almost inaudible.
There was silence for a while, but the call hadn’t disconnected. Claude ran to Shane’s room and burst in, not bothering to knock.
“What the hell?” Shane said sweeping what was no doubt a plethora of illegal drugs away from sight. Claude would talk to him about that later but for now they had bigger problems. Putting his phone on mute Claude demanded Shane’s help.
“I need you to trace this call. It could lead us to Maura’s hideout.”
Upon hearing that Shane jumped into action, rushing to his computer he began typing away. Claude continued to listen in while he worked. There was a loud thump, and a new voice came across the speaker.
“Hey Axe, be gentle with the guy. He’s our new brother.” The voice was nasally and grated on Claude’s nerves.
“Sorry, Rod.” A deeper voice.
“And check his pockets. He doesn’t seem like the type to come empty handed.”
“Yes, Rod.”
More shuffling.
“Holy shit! Give me that. I’ll handle the gun you keep checking his pockets.”
A brief pause with more rustling.
“Oh and if you find a phone smash it.”
The rustling was getting louder, which meant they were getting closer.
“Shit, we’re almost out of time.” Claude wanted to maintain an element of surprise. It was the safest way to approach Maura, so he hung up.
“What the hell, man. I was so close!” Shane jumped up from his seat and glared at Claude.
The man’s temper was running high, and Claude could understand. They all had reasons to want the location of Maura’s hideout.
“Did you at least get a good search area?” Claude ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
Shane typed a little more on his keyboard. “Yeah, there are only two cell towers where the call could have originated from. If we focus our patrols to this mountain area, it will take us about a week to find her.”
“A week! Shit.” Claude began to pace.
“It would have been easier if it were in the city, but she’s in the mountains. She could be in a cabin or underground. In a fucking tree house.” Shane had joined in on Claude’s pacing.
“Fuck it. Give me a map. I’m taking first patrol. You let Xander know what’s going on.” Claude snatched the map from Shane’s hand and headed for the door.
Maura had Gretchen’s brother, and there was no way he was going to let her keep him.
double trouble
Claude studied the map spread out across the desk in the study. For the past two days, they had systematically combed the area but had come up with nothing. His hands shook violently as he attempted to mark off the area he had just patrolled. Xander crossed the room and snatched the pen from his hand, marking it for him.
“You need to calm down.” Xander squared off with him.
Claude glared at his close friend and shook his head.
“Would you be calm in my shoes?” He was so enraged. Spittle flew from his mouth as he spoke.
Xander wiped a drop from his face, flinging it away in disgust.
“If you want to save him, this has to be done right. Take a walk, beat the shit out of something, but don’t go on patrol in your condition. You will only end up dead and no help to anyone.” Xander’s harsh words pierced the red haze of his brain and Claude’s shoulders slumped in defeat.
He fell back onto the sofa and covered his face with his hands.
“Gretchen can’t know. She hates me already, but I will have no chance if she finds out about this. I love her so much I can’t lose her like this. I can’t lose her to Maura.” A single tear broke the flood gates of his emotions, and he began to sob. Not caring about his ego he accepted Xander’s embrace.
“Am I interrupting something?” Cat glided into the room as if she didn’t know that a closed door meant a need for privacy.
Claude pulled away from Xander and quickly wiped at his face.
“Claude needed a good punch in the gut is all,” Xander said with a smirk and pulled his wife into his arms.
Claude turned away, he couldn’t watch them together. It was too hard. Instead, he walked over to the window and stared out into the night. The sun was beginning to rise, and it stung his eyes, but for once he welcomed the pain. It was a mild distraction from his own inner turmoil. After a few moments, Claude realized the couple had forgotten he was there. He slipped out of the room to give them privacy. Instead of going to his room, he headed for Shane’s.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Shane didn’t bother hiding his stash this time.
“I need you to find an easier way to track Maura. Our plan now will take too long and may even give her a heads up to our arrival.”
Shane sighed and moved over to his computer. He began typing away, but stopped when Claude moved to look over his shoulder.
“I can’t work with you breathing down my neck.”
“I’m surprised you can function with all the poison you’ve been putting in your system.”
Shane glared at him, and Claude glared back before leaving. With Xander occupied, and Shane being anti-social, Claude decided he should take Xander’s advice and find something to beat up.
Cat paced in the kitchen with her phone in her hand. She had to tell Gretchen what she had overheard. That Maura had her brother. Xander hadn’t realized she had overheard, and it was hard not to yell at him for being so cruel. What if Gretchen found out in the worst of ways?
“She mustn’t know.”
Cat didn’t even jump at the now familiar voice. The shadow appeared on the other side of the kitchen.
“I have to tell her.” Cat began to dial Gretchen’s number, but a sharp pain shot through her hand causing her to drop the phone.
“She will die and all will be lost.”
Cat didn’t bother picking up the phone again. Maybe she shouldn’t be so trusting of this shadow. It had set Molly on fire and now was causing her pain, keeping her from doing what Cat felt deep down was the right thing to do.
“Don’t you ever come with good news?” Cat massaged her now aching hand.
“Just be thankful for my help and heed my warning. The time is near, and your cooperation is key.” The shadow disappeared, and the pain in Cat’s hand immediately subsided.
“Well, that was interesting.” Cat jumped as Shane appeared from the shadows.
“Seriously Shane! Stop being such a creeper!”
“I’m not the one talking to ghosts,” He replied getting a mug from the cabinet.
“If you saw it too then I’m not as insane as you think.”
He stopped what he was doing and smirked at her.
“Not exactly a comeback. Cat, my dear, you are losing your bite.”
“This from a man who looks like the grim reaper. Molly loved you for your vibrant, outgoing personality. You need an interv
ention and a prayer if you are going to have any chance with her again.” She didn’t wait for his reaction she just turned and stormed out. Once this whole Claude and Gretchen thing was settled, Shane would be in for a rude awakening.
The shadow looked down at the man resting peacefully before her. He resembled his sister with his brown hair and pale skin, but that is where the similarities end. His face is harsher with a strong brow ridge and jutting chin. His angular face matched the deep cut of his muscled torso.
He was strong, a warrior. Even now his spirit warred with Maura’s dark hold over him. It was with all her strength that the shadow slowed his change. Keeping him safe from Maura in the only way she could and buying time for him to be found.
She placed a shadowed hand on his cheek and to her surprise her hand took shape. Not the shadow she was used to in this plane of existence, but her old hand, flesh and blood rested upon his cheek. He stirs, turning into her touch, and she smiles. He knows she’s there. Her excitement fades as the sound of feet approaching means she must leave. It wouldn’t be wise if she were discovered. I’ll keep you safe, I promise. The shadow fades away just as Maura enters the room.
Maura admired her latest recruit as he lay tied to the dining room table. His brown hair was cut short, but there was enough length to hint at bountiful curls once it grew longer. He was fair of skin, but his hands were rough, most likely from the same work that toned his muscular body.
This one was a warrior. She had seen it in the way he conducted himself in the brief fight with Axel. It was only by a chance blow that Axel had overpowered him. It had been two days, and he still hadn’t woken. A testament not only to his amount of fight, but also to the weakness of her blood.
Even with regular feeding she was still getting weaker. She could feel it in the stiffness of her joints and the creak in her bones. Her skin may be almost flawless, but her inner workings were aging faster every day.
“You wanted to see me.” Rodney approached her cautiously.
He was a good asset but had recently gotten too cocky. Even suggesting she might take him to bed instead of Axel. He’d been unprepared for her idea of amusement, and now he tiptoed around the house. She turned to him and smiled, putting him even more off kilter.
“I’ve waited long enough. Tell Declan that it’s time.”
“Yes, my queen.” Rodney scurried away like the rat he was.
She turned back to Gregory and placed a kiss on his lips. Her heart beat rapidly at the thought of him at her mercy. He would fight her, and she would break him, just as she had all the others before him. The only thing she would spare him would be watching his sister die by her hand. It would be better if he believed it were the traitors. He only needed to wake up.
first strike
The club was crowded, even for a Saturday night. Mostly humans, which Gretchen appreciated. Ever since she’d come back, the other vampires had started to treat her differently. The male vampires acted as if they were afraid to get close to her. The female vampires glared and whispered, like she was the unpopular kid in high school. She knew the reason; it was all because of Claude.
He had marked her. She was his vampire bride, and as such, became just as much a pariah as he was. She reeked of him. Not even a thousand showers could get his smell from her skin. She loved it and hated it. Just as she loved and hated him. There was no denying that in just a few days he’d managed to weasel his way into her heart.
Gretchen pushed her way through the crowd and over to the back bar. She’d only just reached it when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She turned around coming face to face with her biggest nightmare.
“Declan!”
“The one and only, did you miss me?” His smug smile filled her with dread.
Where was all the fight she’d saved up for this very moment. Her trauma was getting the better of her.
“You have a lot of nerve showing up here.” Gretchen fought the urge to signal security. This was her fight no need to involve anyone else.
“I just wanted to have a chat. I have a new friend who is dying to see you.” He laughed, but the sound was lost in the pulsing dance beat filling the club.
Gretchen raised an eyebrow at him before she slapped him with all her strength. His body jerked with the impact, and he whirled on her quick. Grabbing her shoulders he shook her violently. Suddenly he was pulled away, and Gretchen was being shielded by club security. He screamed an address at her as he was being dragged away. She only got a few numbers of it as the rest was drowned out by the music.
“Are you okay?” Ben, the head of security asked. He was a vampire. He knew what Declan was.
“I’m fine.” Gretchen couldn’t meet his gaze. Her eyes fell to her shoes, and she noticed a card on the floor. She picked it up and froze in place. Tears forming in her eyes, she fell to her knees.
Ben quickly picked her up and ushered her into the staff area. He asked her questions, but she couldn’t hear them for the rush of blood in her ears and her loud sobs. Clutching her brother’s driver’s license in her hands, she began to pray. Not for strength or guidance, but for vengeance and death. Without a doubt, Declan’s actions demanded retaliation and retribution. She would kill Declan for sure.
“I’m not letting you go.” Molly said blocking the door. For such a small woman, she had quite a grip. Even for a vampire.
She was glad to see Gretchen was no longer sobbing hysterically, but this was no better. Upon getting the word from Ben, Molly had rushed to the club and shut it down for the night. Gretchen had sobbed all the way back to the condo.
“That bitch has my brother!” Gretchen pushed at her again. She was crazed, a vampire on a mission, but Molly could not let her go to her death.
“And if you go alone, she will kill you and still have him.” Her fingers dug into the door frame deeper cracking the wood.
Molly sighed with relief as Gretchen seemed to back off. If she’d gripped the frame any harder, it would have to be replaced. She waited a moment before dropping her arms.
“I just hate that he’s mixed up in this.” Gretchen said before bolting out the door. She was gone before Molly could stop her.
Fucking Bitch! Claude is going to kill me if anything happens to her.
Molly picked up her phone and texted Cat. At least she knew the address so maybe the guys could beat her to Maura’s lair. She wasn’t surprised to see Cat calling almost as soon as the text went through.
“How and the world did this happen!”
“Stupid bitch bolted. I told her it wasn’t a good idea to go alone, but she knows they have her brother. I told you it was a stupid idea to keep that from her. Are the guys on their way yet?”
“Claude was out patrolling. He will probably get there first, but Xander and Shane just left. It wasn’t my call to keep it a secret. Anyway it’s too late now.”
Molly could hear the regret in her friend’s voice. Not saying that Gretchen knowing sooner would have helped the situation, but at least Molly wouldn’t feel so guilty about keeping it from her the past few days.
“Fuck it. I’m going. Are you coming?”
“Xander’s going to kill me, but hell yeah. We need to support our friend.” Cat ended the call first, and Maura ran to her room to change. There was no way she was wearing a mini skirt and heels to the mountains.
Gretchen tossed the cab driver a twenty and got out. The sweet old man rolled down his window as she rounded the car.
”You sure you don’t want me to wait?” He cast an uneasy glance at the dark road. Gretchen had asked him to drop her off at the base of the trail. The car noise would give away her approach to the cabin.
She pasted on a smile and waved him off. “Have a goodnight.”
She didn’t wait to see him pull off as she began to jog down the wide path. As soon as she heard him drive away she picked up her speed. Determined to get there and meet Declan head on. She would die before allowing her brother to become one of Maura’s Men.
Claude crouched low in the brush as he studied the cabin in front of him. There were no lights to be seen from the window, but Declan sat in the shadows of the porch. The vampire could easily have detected Claude’s arrival if he were using his vampire senses, but he obviously wasn’t or didn’t care. His gaze was trained down the path, waiting, for Gretchen no doubt.
Claude’s heart beat faster in his chest at the thought of her coming here. It was a blatant trap, but she wouldn’t care with her brother’s life at stake. As if his thoughts had conjured her, Gretchen appeared down the trail a bit, running full speed towards Declan. Claude had no time to react as she crashed into the other man, arms flinging wildly as she attempted to hit him.
If she weren’t in real danger, Claude would find the situation amusing. Declan easily deflected the majority of her hits with timely side steps, but he wasn’t always quick enough. She connected a few times with great affect, sending the man sprawling to the ground. Pride swelled in his chest as he watched her face her real life demon.
It wasn’t until another figure appeared behind her that he made his presence known. Jumping from his hiding place in the bushes, he attacked the wall of muscle. A punch to the gut, the side, and the jaw did nothing to move this mountain of vampire.
“Silly man.” The mountain laughed before easily lifting Claude off his feet.
Claude's Conquest (Maura's Men Book 2) Page 12