“As I said, I’m the only one like me. My father was a Hawthorne, the last line of purebred vampires. When he mated with my mother, it became an atrocity to all vampires. We were hunted, and my father gave up his seat on the Immortal Council to spare our lives.”
“Your father was on the Immortal Council? The same one I took out the member of in the tunnels?”
“Yes and no. My father was a part of the Immortal Council. The vampire you killed was on the Vampire Council.”
“There’s a difference?”
“Yes. The immortals oversee all supernaturals. There are two members of each faction who hold seats. Each faction has its own Council. The vampires have one, the shifters have another.”
“Kind of like their own secret government.”
“Yes.”
I consider his words and wonder just how many hunters know about the Councils. I wonder if Delaney did or if she was as unaware as I was. “Is your mother’s magic the reason you can be out in the day?”
He nods. “That and my age.”
“Exactly how old are you?”
“Honestly, I’ve lost count of the exact number. Somewhere in the realm of four centuries.”
“Holy shit.”
He grins. “Do I not look my age then?”
I swallow hard and change the subject. “Where are they now? Your parents.”
“Dead. My father was assassinated in our place, and my mother was killed three centuries ago when they killed my human fiancée.”
“Fuck.” My heart aches for the man beside me. For the pain, the grief he must have felt losing both parents and the woman he loved. “You loved a human.”
“As you know by now, I don’t care much for being immortal.”
“But a human? She only would have lived a fraction of the time you would have.”
“I was going to turn her after we were married. Her choice, of course.”
“Of course,” I repeat, turning back toward the street. The sky is dark tonight, making way for the stars to shine brightly in the sky. Delaney and I loved nights like this. Where the world was at peace and we could pretend we were just normal sisters on a normal night.
It hasn’t been the same since she died. And yet, I can’t even count how many nights I’ve stared up at the stars and wondered if my sister was watching over me.
“Your blackouts, you say it’s happened before?”
I glance up at him for a brief moment before turning back to the sky. “Yeah, a few times. The first one was when I saw Delaney’s body.”
“What happened?”
“I woke up in the middle of a warehouse covered in blood.”
“Yours?”
I shake my head. “Wasn’t much of a mystery to find out whose it was though, since I was surrounded by the bodies of vampires I’d ripped apart.”
“Well, fuck. You don’t know why they happen?”
“Not a damn clue.” I sigh and opt for a subject change. “I’m not overly fond of my legacy either,” I admit. It’s the first time I’ve uttered the words out loud.
“That right?”
“It’s not that I think keeping the balance isn’t important—it is—I just wish I had the chance to choose my own path.”
“Yet, you chose a profession where you track down monsters.”
“Human ones,” I reply dryly.
“If you don’t wish to be a hunter, then why do it?”
I sigh. “When Delaney died, I felt it was my duty to carry it on for her. My biggest regret is that I wasn’t there for her, and honestly, I think a part of me hopes this life takes me sooner rather than later.”
The metal creaks, and I glance over to see Elijah’s hands, white-knuckled, on the steel railing.
“My entire family is dead, Elijah. Everyone I’ve loved except Jane. And how long will it be before this life takes her from me too? I just don’t know how long I can do this.”
“I understand that feeling, though I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how I don’t wish to think of you dead. The world would lose an unbelievably valuable protector even if they don’t realize it.”
“I appreciate you saying that.”
Elijah chuckles darkly. “Look at us, two monsters, each with their own death wish.”
I smile. “Guess I never thought of it that way.”
“I thought you’d died tonight.” Elijah’s voice is strained, his tone sharp, so I turn to look over at him. He’s not watching me, though I get the impression he’s not focused on much of anything at the moment.
“I thought I had too.”
He turns to me now. “You don’t know what that did to me. The panic—I’ve never felt anything like it.”
I’m treated to a visual of him bursting through the door, wood splinters flying through the small room as he appeared in the doorway, ice-blue eyes blazing with power I now know comes from his mother’s side.
Before I can ask why, I reach into my bag and pull out some Skittles. If I go down that path, I may start to think he actually cares for me. And that’s a damned dangerous thing to believe.
I hunt monsters.
And the man beside me? He’s deadlier than anything I’ve ever faced.
25
Rainey
The phone on the nightstand beside me rings, pulling me out of a heavy sleep.
“Hello?”
“How you doing?” Ramirez asks on the line.
“Tired. Everything okay?”
“We got a body. Looks like it might be a jumper from one of the high-rises downtown.”
Shit. “Text me the address.”
“How about I come pick you up? Last I checked, you don’t have a way of getting anywhere. Unless, of course, that changed.”
Double shit. My bike is still at my apartment.
“I’ll bring coffee,” he offers.
“Fine. But I need you to run me by my apartment so I can get my badge and weapon.”
“You’ve got it. Be there in thirty.” The line goes dead, so I drop the phone on my stomach and run both hands over my face.
The clock on Jane’s dresser reads nine-thirty, but it feels more like the middle of the night to me. Probably because I stood outside with Elijah until the bright orange rays of the sun peaked over the mountainside.
For the most part, we’d been silent, polishing off the bag of Skittles Jane grabbed for me from the gas station on the way back to the apartment last night. Jane. I glance over, not at all surprised to see my best friend is already out of bed.
She’s probably been up for quite a few hours now, and I’d be surprised if she was even still in the apartment. Groaning, I follow suit and climb out of bed. I’d damn well better get going because I still need to figure out what I’m going to do with the sexy-as-hell vampire out in the apartment.
The hunter can go straight to hell for all I care, but Elijah—I have a feeling I’m going to still need him…for now.
After splashing some water on my face and using one of the extra toothbrushes Jane keeps on hand—thank you, SAM’s Club bulk shopping—I shrug into my jacket and step into the living room.
I’m expecting Elijah and Jack, but all I get is Elijah.
An eyeful of his bare chest as he sits in the chair and stitches his torn shirt. His gaze lifts to me, and he grins. “What? Never seen a guy sew before?”
“You’re sewing up your shirt,” I say. “Why?”
“I love this one. Got it at one of their final concerts.”
“You loved Nirvana?”
He shakes his head. “Love. No ‘d’. They’ll always be present tense to me.” He stands, pulling the now-repaired shirt over his head.
“Impressive.”
“Glad you like what you see.”
I don’t reply, just shake my head and grab a bottle of water from Jane’s refrigerator. “Where’s Jack?”
“Took off about the same time Jane did. Told her he had things to take care of.”
“I told him I would kill
him if I ever saw him again. Probably best he was gone before I woke up. I’d hate to stain Jane’s carpet. Where are you going?”
Elijah chuckles. “Back to my apartment. Cleaners should have come by.”
“Shit. I completely forgot about that. I’m surprised I didn’t get a call about the homicides. When should the cleaners have discovered the bodies?”
“Not those kinds of cleaners,” he reminds me.
“Ah, yes. The supernatural cover-up squad. I wonder, why haven’t I heard of them before?”
“Because if they’ve gotten to a scene before police, there won’t be anything to find. No reason to hear about them.”
“Interesting.” I make a mental note to investigate it more thoroughly. A supernatural cover-up squad? That would be a hell of a handy thing to have around.
Then again, I doubt they’d take too kindly to cleaning up after a hunter. “You sure it’s safe?” I ask him, and he grins.
“Worried about me, Hunter?”
“Worried I won’t get my answers. You still haven’t told me everything.”
Something flashes over his face—disappointment maybe?—I’m not entirely sure, but his features fall for just a fraction of a second before the grin returns.
“Fair enough. I’ll be in touch.” He moves to the door. “Try not to die today.”
“You too.”
Then he’s gone. Out to do whatever the hell it is vampires that can Day Walk do in the middle of the day. Maybe he goes to strip clubs or spends his afternoons playing video games. Chuckling, I lock the door up behind me and head downstairs to the lobby.
A video game playing, strip club attending, day-walking, Nirvana loving, half witch-half vampire. What a fucking combo.
Then again, who am I to talk? I’m a homicide detective, a hunter, and obsessed with Skittles. Seriously, I already told Jane that when I die, I want to be buried with a year’s supply just in case.
Ramirez is waiting at the curb, so I head right outside and take the coffee he offers me as soon as I climb in.
“Thanks,” I murmur, taking a sip and nearly groaning when the bitter liquid hits my tongue.
“Went and checked out the site of that explosion.”
“Bad?”
“Hell yeah. I’m surprised you survived.” He pulls away from the curb and moves into the flow of traffic, heading back toward my apartment.
“Same.”
“I told the captain we needed to meet with her this afternoon. She needs to be brought up to speed.”
Dammit. “You’re probably right.”
“Someone’s trying to kill you, Rainey. We can’t not report this.”
“I know.” As much as I hate to bring them into this, the department resources could be useful in figuring out who is trying to kill me. After all, they may be vampires, but they still have to function in society.
Even bloodsuckers have driver’s licenses.
Ramirez clears his throat and makes a right onto my street. “How’s Elijah doing? Can’t imagine being nearly blown up was on his activity list for your date night.”
“You could say that again. He knows what I am though, so I don’t know that it came as that huge of a surprise.”
“What?” Ramirez chuckles. “We are kind of our own breed, aren’t we?”
“You have no idea.” He pulls into a spot facing my apartment. It puts him right between the alley where I nearly died and the building. Glancing back, I scan the shadows for any movement. “I’ll be out in ten. If you text me the address, I’ll meet you there.”
“You’re going to take your bike?”
“I’ll scan it first.”
Ramirez’s mouth flattens. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“I need to be able to get places, Ramirez. I know to be more careful now.”
He’s quiet for a moment before nodding. “Fine, but I’m waiting here until you pull out. You can follow me.”
“Deal. Look at us compromising.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Be out in fifteen.” Coffee in hand, I move inside the lobby and head for the stairwell. The elevator dings, so I glance back and am offered a smile from Mrs. Mollie, the elderly woman who lives down the hall from me.
“That’s one handsome fella you’ve got, Rainey.” She winks at me.
“Who?”
“The man upstairs. He’s definitely worth bringing coffee home for.” She winks again and disappears out into the mid-morning sun.
My heart begins to race, and I reach into my holster to withdraw my private firearm. Holding it at the ready, I slowly climb the steps up to the second floor of the building. My apartment is right near the stairs, so I stop just inside the door and close my eyes, focusing only on what I can hear.
Someone drops something and curses, so I bolt out into the hall, running right into the open door of my apartment.
“Unless you want an extra hole, I suggest you come out,” I order as I scan the room, moving my weapon as though it were an extended part of my arm.
“It’s Jack.”
“What the fuck are you doing here? I thought I made myself clear?” I don’t lower my weapon, keeping it aimed at him as he straightens, setting broken glass shards on the counter.
“Wanted to check it to make sure you’d be safe.”
“I don’t believe you for even a second. What the hell are you really doing here? And you’d better start talking, I’m known for keeping my word.”
He grinds his teeth together, jaw tightening. “I wanted to talk to you without the vampire around.”
“Well, my partner is waiting for me outside, and we’ve got a dead body to deal with, so I suggest you talk fast.” I move into my bedroom, Jack on my heels. Stripping off my jacket and holster, I toss them on my bed but carry my weapon into the closet with me.
He starts to follow me, but I turn and shake my head. “You come in here, and you’re going to lose your favorite appendage.”
“Understood.” He backs out, and I shut the closet door. “You’d better start talking!” I call back at him.
“You trust him?”
“Elijah?”
“Obviously.”
I strip off my shirt and grab a clean one from a hanger. After pulling it over my head, I unlock my safe and swap weapons. My gaze travels over my hunter kit, and as an afterthought, I pull out a shot of adrenaline and shove it into my pocket.
Apparently, I can’t be too careful these days.
My badge goes over my neck, dangling from a chain, and I lock the safe behind me. “He’s a vampire,” I tell Jack. “So, no. But to be fair, I don’t trust you either.”
Jack crosses both muscled arms over his chest as I walk into my bathroom and toss my hair into a ponytail. “We’re the same, and you don’t trust me.”
“Have you ever met a hunter who wasn’t a bloodthirsty bastard?”
“Yes. Delaney.”
“Besides my sister. And, before you act like a smartass, I’m not talking about me either.”
He sighs. “No, I suppose I haven’t.”
“I’ve been nearly killed by hunters three times in my life. I ended up killing one of them. We may hunt creatures we’ve deemed monsters, but when you really look closely, we’re not much different.”
He doesn’t respond, and I know it’s because he realizes I’m right.
“I only just met you, and you’ve already lied to me. So really, you don’t have much room to talk about who I can and can’t trust.”
“You nearly killed me, and I’m planning on setting that aside.”
I narrow my gaze on his face. “You pissed me the fuck off.”
Jack glares a moment longer before sighing and running a hand through his dark hair. “He’s a vampire, Rainey.”
“Who knew my sister.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Because of some email? How the hell do you know it wasn’t a fake? That he didn’t plant it to
get you to trust him?”
I hadn’t given that theory much thought. Mainly because I want the emails to be from Delaney. Because if they are, it means a piece of her is still alive in my world. And right now, that’s what I need more than anything.
“Look, I’m going to trust Elijah until I don’t anymore.” I shrug back into my holster and stick my service weapon into it. Then, I pull my leather jacket on and grab the keys to my bike still hanging by my front door. “I’m sorry if you don’t get it, but I need answers, and Elijah is the best way for me to get them.”
Jack crosses the living room toward me. He’s handsome, the strong set of his jaw combined with piercing eyes rivaled only by the vampire we were just talking about. I can see why my sister cared for him.
“I loved Delaney,” he says. “She was who I wanted to spend my life with.”
“I’ll never forgive you for her death. You should have stopped it.”
“That’s fine. Because I haven’t stopped blaming myself since the night she died.”
“Good.” It’s harsh, but he should have been with her. Maybe then, she’d still be around.
“Stay safe,” Jack says, stepping around me. “Let me know if you need help.”
“Not a fucking chance. I never want to see you again, Jack. So if you want to survive, stay the hell out of my way.”
He doesn’t say another word, just passes me as I step out and lock the door. Thankfully, he heads for the elevator while I take the back stairs down to the garage.
I believe that Jack loved my sister. And I believe he didn’t mean for her to die.
But that doesn’t make her death or his part in it any easier to swallow.
26
Rainey
I park my bike right beside Ramirez’s car. Yellow tape is stretched out in a square, police cruisers and an ambulance blocking the public’s view of the dead.
If it was a jump from a high-rise? I can completely understand the extra effort. After flashing our badges, we duck beneath the yellow tape and step into the blocked-off area. A body lies in the center of the square, blood leaking out from beneath the yellow sheet placed over the top.
Blood Hunt Page 17