Blood Bound (Blood Ravengers Book 1)

by Traci Douglass

  “But—”

  “Later.” He turned back to Rev and Dex. “Things are set at the medicine wheel?”

  “They will be,” Rev said. “One of the Crow tribesmen will sneak us in shortly before nightfall. With the full moon, we should have no problem seeing the vortex when it arrives.”

  “Good.” Dante turned to Dex. “And what about the sentry?”

  “I’ll handle it.”

  “The beast says this because he has not spoken with them yet. I just saw the alpha of the nearest pack and he knew nothing of our plans,” Rev said, glaring at the bartender. “I told you never to trust a cowardly beast.”

  “I said I’ll handle it.” Dex faced them, his expression harsh. “Vamps know nothing of pack politics. I can’t just walk into their territory. It isn’t done.”

  “We must have their consent by Friday,” Rev said.

  “I said I’d get it and I will.” The wolf shifter snarled. “You have my word.”

  “Fine.” Dante stood and took Anna by the hand. “We have someone to meet.”

  *

  Sunshine, blue skies, the wind in his face as he and Anna roared through Salvation on his chopper—Dante could almost believe things were normal, that he wasn’t about to start a war.

  Veering off the main drag, he headed toward Bobo’s—the place was small, secluded, perfect for hiding out and telling secrets. They pulled into the tiny parking lot and he helped Anna remove her helmet.

  She adjusted her blond ponytail and gave him a pointed stare. “What?”

  “I am glad you are being yourself.”

  “Yeah, well. The wig itched. And the contacts irritated my eyes. Besides, everyone seems to think they know who I am anyway, so why bother?” She took a deep breath and looked around. “I did enjoy the bike ride though.”

  “Come.” He took her hand and led her into the diner.

  She tugged free of him once they were inside and he reminded himself this was not a date. This was two people doing what they needed to survive. The sooner he remembered that, the better.

  No matter how good it felt to touch her, to hold her, to have her kneeling at his feet.

  The place was almost empty, save for a few lingering customers at the counter and one man seated in the farthest booth from the door. The guy’s nervous gaze locked on Dante as soon as he and Anna walked in the place, and they approached him with caution. He looked just like Juan, only younger. Dark spiky hair, intricately inked sleeves of tats covering both arms, a nervous stoop to his shoulders.

  Had to be Carlos.

  Dante allowed Anna to slide into the booth first then he followed behind, shielding her from prying eyes or anything else that might harm her. He looked across the table and met the informant’s gaze.

  If the guy in any way planned to jeopardize Dante’s plans, then Carlos had good reason to be scared. “Talk to me.”

  Carlos glanced around then took a sip of his ice water. “Are you sure this place is safe?”

  He used the guy’s palpable fear to his advantage. “You can tell me what you know here or you can tell me out in the foothills. Your choice.”

  At his harsh threat, Anna tensed, but thankfully remained silent. Dante had warned her she was not to respond no matter what happened. That she was to observe, listen, and remember. That was it. So far, she had kept her promise. Of course, they had only been here a few minutes.

  Beneath the table, her leg brushed against his. He expected her to pull away, but she didn’t. Their connection was stronger when they touched and her nervous tension pulsed through him. Perhaps the contact would help calm her. Perhaps it might help center him as well, keep him from reaching across and strangling this puny traitor where he sat.

  Loyalty was prized almost as much as lineage in the current otherworld.

  Wide-eyed, Carlos stared back at them, a slight tremor running through his slim body. The human couldn’t have been more than nineteen, maybe twenty. The fact his older brother traded in flesh and slavery didn’t bode well for the kid’s future. Dante leaned forward and rested his forearms on the table, giving Carlos a sinister half-smile. “You know what the foothills means, right?”

  “Yeah. I know.”

  Enough stories had cropped up recently among the humans about unidentified remains found around the foothills, some drained of blood, others mauled beyond recognition, the faces and bodies mutilated so badly it took DNA to identify them. All the handiwork of Basher and his unholy, inhuman minions. Not that this kid needed to know that information.

  “So talk.” Dante leaned back and crossed his arms. “Now.”

  “Swifty said you’d help me, if I told you what I know. Help me get out of here and get a better life.”

  “Swifty says many things.”

  “My brother’s setting you up.”

  “Rumors and opinions do not help me. I need facts.”

  The waitress came and Dante and Anna ordered drinks. Carlos waited until she left before continuing. “I heard Juan the other night, outside the trailer, talking with someone.”

  The waitress returned with two white mugs and a pot of coffee. Anna stirred cream and sugar into hers, her fingers shaking. Dante frowned. Perhaps bringing her had been a mistake. Yet he had been unable to leave her behind either, their connection too strong. One night. One incredible night and they were already bonded far more than he had ever planned or expected. She glanced over and caught him staring.

  He looked away fast, focusing back across the table at Carlos. “What did you hear?”

  “Plans. For a new network, to run more than just women. They want to move drugs. Weapons, too. Whoever he was talking to said it would be more lucrative.”

  Dante sat forward, bringing his preternatural senses to the fore.

  From the sharp stench of adrenaline in his sweat and the rush of the kid’s heart rate, it was apparent he was not telling Dante the whole truth. “You expect me to believe Juan has such sensitive conversations in public, where everyone can hear?”

  “No. It was late. Really, really late. And where we live, there aren’t many people.”

  “Where exactly is your home?”

  Carlos’s frightened gaze darted from Dante to Anna then back again. “I’m not telling you where I live.”

  “Then we are done.” Dante grabbed Anna’s hand and started to scoot out of the booth. “Good luck with the rest of your life. I’m guessing it will not be long.”

  They were halfway to the exit when the kid called from behind them, soft and strained. “Out by Sage Creek.”

  Dante looked back over his shoulder. “Where?”

  “Sage Creek.” Carlos hung his head. “My brother’s got a trailer. Not exactly a mansion, but we get by.”

  Dante directed Anna back to her seat then slid in beside her again. He’d had the misfortune of seeing several of these rigged-up RVs firsthand. No plumbing, no running water. The residents were notoriously poor and money was a powerful motivator. If Juan was flipping for increased profits, then things made more sense. Especially since the trafficker had bragged recently he had more bank than Switzerland. “Go on.”

  “Whoever my brother was talking to made it sound like there was a boatload of cash to be made and all Juan had to do was agree to an exclusive partnership.”

  “Was this a man? A woman?”

  “A guy. No idea who.” Carlos slumped back in his seat. “Never heard his voice before. It sounded painful though, deep and scratchy.”

  “Any accent?”

  “Nah.” The kid drank more of his water, his movements steadier now. “Wish I knew more.”

  “Me, too.” Dante sat back as the waitress refilled Carlos’s glass. “Any other noises?”

  “A motorcycle. The other guy definitely left on a cycle.”

  Dante remained stoic even as his mind raced. The description sounded like Basher. But why would their gang leader cut a deal with Juan himself? Unless he had gotten wise to Dante’s plans.

  Anna sh
ifted in her seat and clutched her coffee tighter, her frown deepening. The connection between them, usually bright and vibrant, dulled to a murky gray.

  Concerned, Dante leaned in closer and whispered, “Okay?”

  “I don’t know. I feel weird.”

  “Weird how?”

  “Weird like something bad is going to happen.” She shook her head. “Sorry.”

  “No need to be sorry, ofryd.” He pressed his leg tighter against hers then concentrated on Carlos again. “What kind of bike?”

  “Based on the sound of the engine I’d say a Sportster. Maybe a Fatboy.” Carlos squeezed his eyes shut, his tone quivering with fear once more. “These guys will kill me if they find out I’m talking to you. My own brother will slit my throat. You have to promise you’ll protect me.”

  “Not until you tell me everything.” Dante drew on the power of his demon, knowing his eyes would glow red. He wanted the kid terrified. Terrified and truthful. “Protection has a price. And if I find out you are lying, I will do far worse than slit your throat. Do you understand?”

  “Jesus Christ!” The kid pressed his body into the corner of his seat. “What the hell are you, man? You’re one of the otherworld freaks, aren’t you?”

  “What I am is none of your business.” He grabbed Carlos’s wrist, tugging him forward, the delicate human bones crunching beneath his grip. “If you cross me, I will become your worst nightmare.”

  “I’m telling you the truth, man. I swear. Please let me go.”

  Dante held fast. His infernal instincts told him there was still something more Carlos had not revealed. And if the kid was not willing to bare all his secrets, Dante was not willing to put his life and the lives of others on the line. “I would suggest you get your affairs in order, kid.”

  “You won’t help me?” Carlos tossed a ten-dollar bill on the table to cover all of their bills, then followed Dante and Anna out of the diner and into the parking lot. “Swifty said—”

  “Swifty is gone.” Dante handed Anna her helmet. “You should leave too, kid.”

  “I’ve got nowhere to go. If this new dealer guy doesn’t kill me, Juan will.” He wrung his hands, his pale, long-fingered hands.

  An artist’s hands. The kid worked at the local tattoo parlor and did nice work. Too bad Carlos would not live to see another week. Hell, if anyone spotted him here today with Dante, he probably would not live through the night.

  “Please.”

  The desperation in Carlos’s tone made Dante’s chest pinch with unexpected guilt, but it made no sense to jeopardize everything he had worked centuries to achieve.

  Dante swung a long leg over his chopper then waited while Anna settled in behind him. “Not enough. Sorry, kid.”

  “Tonight.”

  “What?”

  “Tonight.” Carlos looked around nervously. “The guy’s supposed to meet Juan tonight at the wild mustang reserve. They’ll exchange money for names. Nine pm. Is that enough?”

  Yeah, that was enough.

  Dante glanced back at Anna then got off the bike again. “Stay here.”

  He hauled Carlos by one arm around to the back of Bobo’s. Nothing but abandoned buildings and empty fields surrounded them on all sides. Dante clamped a hand around the kid’s skinny neck and pinned him against the diner’s cinder block wall like a bug under glass. “If you are setting me up, I will skin you alive. Slowly. Until you beg to die. Understand?”

  “Y-yes.” Carlos managed to stutter.

  Dante released the kid and let him slide to his knees on the ground. “Eight-thirty. Hixson’s Theater. Only what you can carry.” He walked away.

  Behind him, Carlos rasped. “Thanks.”

  “Thank me by not fucking up your life again.”

  Hot sun blazed down as Dante rounded the front of the building and slid on his aviator shades. He boarded the bike, started it, then sped away fast. Anna squeezed her arms tight around his waist and damn if the weight of her didn’t feel perfect resting against him. Too perfect. He sighed and turned his head slightly to speak to her over his shoulder. “Not one word. I am impressed, ofryd.”

  “It was hard. You were evil and he wasn’t very old.”

  “He needed to be taught a lesson.” Dante raced through a red light without slowing. “Today, I am the teacher.”

  “Teacher, huh? I thought that was my job.” She dug her fingers into his sides as they headed out of Salvation and onto the open highway. Her cheek rested against the back of his neck and her warm breath tickled his sensitive scales. He couldn’t stifle a shudder.

  “Do your scars still bother you?” she asked.

  Not nearly as much as my hard cock. Instead, he gunned the engine and swerved through the smattering of traffic ahead, heedless of the human laws and the danger, hell-bent on getting her somewhere private and alone and making her come apart around him once more. “Hang on.”

  Heading east, he chose the Bighorn Forest—the perfect spot for a private fuck. They cruised on in silence for several miles until the sign for the park came into view. He pulled in then drove down the main road until they reached a deserted field of wildflowers. There, he parked the chopper, got off, then extended his hand.

  “Where are we going?” Anna asked after she removed her helmet. The breeze whipped her ponytail into her face. His fingertips itched to pull her in for a deep, long kiss, but that could wait a little longer. They had time. Time before he needed to get back and talk to Dex and Rev about what he’d just learned, time before he had to text the FBI about picking up Carlos.

  Time for them to satisfy their desires once more.

  The odd disturbance in their bond back at the diner troubled him, but not nearly as much as how much it had affected her. Dante wanted to restore the vibrant colors, the strength and sparks of fire that he’d come to associate with her, before their crazy world descended into chaos again.

  “You will see.” He took her hand and led her down the trail.

  Anna followed him through the stunning landscape. “This place is gorgeous.”

  They reached a scenic, deserted stretch of meadow and he pulled her off the trail and led her past several small boulders to a secluded spot near a deep natural spring. There, he gave in at last and slipped his arms around her waist to pull her close. “Tell me what happened back at the diner.”

  She held a hand above her eyes and squinted up at him. “What do you mean?”

  “Stop living in denial, ofryd.”

  She pushed away from him and he let her go.

  “This connection between us grows stronger each time we touch. I feel you through it—feel your emotions. You were scared back there and I need to know why in order to protect you.”

  “Protect me?” Anna rested her back against one of the boulders and shook her head. “I’ve known you less than twenty-four hours, Dante. So far, you’ve given me lies, hot sex, and a vision of my sister. That’s it. Oh, and insisting I’m this oracle you need.”

  He sighed and joined her. He had forgotten about a female’s need to talk. If she wanted some explanations, fine. “In our world, an Oracle is a creature with untold power. A woman able to harness all of the energy of the universe and channel it for the gang to which they are bound.”

  “So, you think I’m some kind of special conduit?”

  “Much more than that, but yes.” He kicked a pebble with the toe of his motorcycle boot. “You and Liz together. And I don’t think. I know.”

  “How?” Anna crossed her arms. “How do you know?”

  “Most psychics give off only a certain frequency of energy, a certain color. But an Oracle gives off an entire spectrum.”

  Anna snorted. “Great. Now I’m some magical psychic rainbow? Next you’ll be telling me I ride unicorns and poop glitter.”

  He frowned. “I do not know about excreting glitter as waste, nor have there been unicorns roaming the earth for at least three centuries.”

  She exhaled slow and gave him a pointed look. “It
was a joke.”

  “Oh.” Dante stared across the huge expanse of the horizon. Humans had coined this area Big Sky Country for good reason. “Your humor is sometimes lost on me.”

  “No!” She gave him an expression of mock horror. “Never would’ve gotten that, oh brooding one.”

  He smiled slowly. “I like this title. Brooding one. Not as much as I like master, but it will do.”

  “You are not my master.” She pushed away from his side and he missed the heat of her immediately.

  “That is not the impression you gave last night, ofryd.” He joined her near the edge of the spring. Their bond lightened to a deep purple now, tinged with scarlet, hinting at her growing arousal. “Perhaps I should make you submit to me, to prove my point?”

  “There are things you don’t know about me, Dante. Things that have happened… because of my powers. I don’t deny them. I fear them.”

  “Then allow me to train you, to show you how to control them. Then you will fear them no longer.” He traced his finger over the scars on her arm and smiled as she shivered beneath his touch. “Let me help you, ofryd. All will be well, I promise.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked, her tone tremulous.

  “I am. Now what say you? Shall I prove my dominance?”

  Their connection flared deepest crimson.

  “Yes,” she whispered, so quiet he would’ve missed it if he’d not been paying attention. “Please.”

  He removed her shirt, bra, and his vest, then pushed her back against a secluded cliff face with his bare chest. They were well hidden here, but the possibility of discovery added an extra dose of illicitness to their activities. Especially given the forbidden nature of their union. He rubbed his skin against hers as he nibbled her earlobe. “Tell me what you want.”

  She twined her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his shoulder. “To please you. To take you. Here. Now.”

  “You want me to fuck you?” He pressed his palms into the rough stone on either side of her head, knowing the same stone was abrading her back. White-hot passion blazed through their bond and he growled. She was enjoying this as much as he was.

  “Yes, please,” she begged.

  “Yes, please what?” He undid the front of her jeans, slipping his hand inside to feel the hot, wet core of her through her panties.