by Tamsin Baker
“Three of them are old, though not as old as us by a century or so, but the four newbies will be dead easy to take.”
“And now we have six captives,” I whispered back. “With or without Faith and Cindy, we still have to help them all.”
“Of course.” Nic squeezed his arm around my waist.
“Not willing donors, by the look of things.” Gaspard’s tone hardened.
“That’s seven against four—”
Nic cut me off with a sweet kiss to my lips. “Seven against three.”
“No way.” I didn’t even try to keep the frustration from my voice. “I’m a trained dhampir.”
“I need you to see to the captives once we eliminate any threat and get into the basement area.” Nic ran his arm from my waist to under my breast. There was nothing sexual in it, more like he was reassuring himself that his woman was fine. “I suspect most will be female.”
“And young.” Jason added.
“Seven versus four is much better odds.” You three can have an oldie and a newbie each while I target one of the newbies.”
“Seven versus three, when the three are old and powerful and four of the seven are newbies is excellent odds.” Gaspard chuckled.
“You will stay here, until the vamps are dealt with.” Nic lowered his voice, the command penetrated my head, but like before, I recognized the foreign thought and pushed it away. He kissed my ear, his breath drifting across my face. “Remember your promise and await my call.”
“Avoid danger, stay behind you and follow any reasonable directives.” I rolled my eyes at him, though I doubted he could see in the moonlight that filtered through the trees. “See, I listened and remembered.”
“And the rest.” He crossed his arms.
Oh, he saw all right. I imagined him lifting his brow, not that I could see clearly. Trust him to hone in on the last part. I almost controlled a nervous squirm, then gave up and parroted the words I remembered. “Follow any reasonable directives immediately and without question.” Nic and Ben both, would attest to the fact that neither came naturally to inquisitive me.
“Be good.” Nic kissed my forehead.
Nic and Gaspard strode to the back of the house while Jason headed for the front door. They’d already cased the joint and surmised that the captives were in the basement and that the door was most likely accessible from the kitchen. Also, the door into the laundry area was the easiest one to break into.
Their silence and predatory grace sent shivers down my spine. When Nic disappeared around the corner, I felt more alone and exposed than ever before. My stomach shrank into a rock-hard knot. My pulse raced. Even if the seven vampires in the house couldn’t smell my sweet dhampir blood, at this rate they’d hear my pounding heart from inside.
The pain of Adrian’s bite was still a fresh memory. Too fresh. Tremors shook my legs and I gripped hold of the nearest tree. I gulped down breaths to get myself back in control and stay quiet. My phone vibrated in my pocket, probably Ben, but I didn’t dare lose concentration to look at it.
At first no sounds came from the house, but it was old, and the walls were no doubt thick. Then the front door burst open with a crack. Two people stumbled toward one of the cars. The smaller of the two let out a scream, a sound full of fear and definitely female. She tried to break away but the taller one grabbed her and threw her against the car. It had to be one of the vampires with one of the captives. I held my breath, but no one else ran to help.
Looked like I’d found my target.
Nic tearing off Adrian’s head was seared into my memory, but I couldn’t rely on his intervention this time. He was probably busy with the six vamps inside. I gripped the gun and grabbed a stake from my boot. One in each hand, I channeled both Wonder Woman and Buffy, and ran across the lawn to the parked cars.
The vampire saw me and bared his teeth. He tossed the woman into the car and locked her in. Suited me, at least she was safe in there. My first shot hit him square in the chest, though not his heart. Enraged, the silver bullet hardly slowed him down.
He charged me like a wounded bull, slow enough that I saw his arms pumping. That had to mean the silver was doing its job. Time seemed to slow down. Stake gripped firmly, I focused on the center of his chest. I drove forward as he barreled into me. The force knocked me backwards and I landed heavily on my butt. He landed on top of me, the weight of him pressed heavy against my chest. I’d dropped the gun and it was too far away for me to reach.
I rammed my hands against his shoulders and reared back as my fingers touched papery, dried flesh. I kicked the skeleton off me, an arm broke away, and fine dust drifted into my face. I rounded onto my knees and dry retched.
“Louisa.” Nic’s voice, so much command in just one word. He rubbed my back. “Are you hurt?”
“I don't think so. Except for a bruised bum. He must have knocked me back several feet."
“This is going to extremes to avoid a spanking.” He gathered me into his arms.
“You were only joking anyway.” I nuzzled into his chest.
“Maybe, maybe not,” he whispered into my ear.
I tamped down my willful body’s reaction. “What about the other vampires? Did you find Faith and Cindy?”
“Three left, who have sworn their allegiance to me and vowed to follow my rules.” He helped me to my feet and dusted off the ash that clung to my clothes. “We are waiting for you to free the ladies in the basement.”
Holding hands, we hurried to the car. I smiled at the woman staring from the back window, her bulging eyes testament to her terror. Nic opened the car door and she scooted as far away as she could get.
I leaned on the edge of the backseat and held out my hand. “I'm Louisa. A member of your rescue party.”
She pushed messy strands of long, blonde hair behind her ears." You aren't with them?”
“Not with the men who took you, no.”
She looked about eighteen. Heavily made up smoky eyes dark within an ashen face.
“They drank my blood. Two of them.” Her voice shook in rhythm with her trembling hands. “I said I'd go with them, but only to the private room.” Tears ran down her face and she scrubbed at her chin.
“Come with me.” I gripped her hand and pulled her across the seat before she could argue.
Nic lifted her to his chest. “Your friend Heather is inside. I'll take you to her.”
She clutched at the front of his jacket, but didn't wriggle or complain. I followed them into a large foyer and stepped over the skeletal remains of one of the rogue vamps. The woman buried her face into Nic’s chest and I trailed behind them through a wide hall into a large family room at the back of the house. A seated woman leapt to her feet, squealed, and ran to Nic. He seated the woman from the car and both women fell into one another’s arms crying.
“The basement.” I sucked in a breath. I prayed that Faith and Cindy had somehow made it home, and I wouldn't find them locked up, or worse, in the basement of this house.
“This way,” Jason called from the hall.
“Hang on, let me check my phone in case I heard from Ben.”
A text popped up. Where are you?
I opened the text to respond, changed my mind and called him. He needed to know about this place.
“What took you so long? Where are you?” He sounded out of breath, like he was walking fast, and seriously pissed.
“Do you know the old Compton place?”
“What are you doing there? It’s not on Faith’s list.”
“I'll explain later. Get here. We found seven vampires and six victims—”
“Shit. Stay out of the way—”
“I'm with Nic, Gaspard and Jason. The vamps are dead or contained. I'm in the middle of assessing their unwilling donors.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ben shouted so loud, I’m sure every vamp within five miles heard him. “No, of course not. Better be one hell of an explanation. On my way.”
“This should be fun.�
� Nic grinned at me.
I glared at him and he laughed out loud. Asshole with bells on. I stomped past him in the direction of Jason.
Chapter Sixteen
The basement door groaned on old hinges. A dull, yellow light and the hum of a generator filtered up the stairs. Jason assured me there were no vampires down there—just the four females they’d sensed earlier—but I couldn’t help my heart rate speeding.
I made my way down carefully, expecting but not finding any rotted steps. The staircase turned a ninety-degree angle so I couldn't see inside the basement until I got to the small landing mid-way. As I stepped down, the four women huddled together on a rug in the middle of the far wall came into view.
“Hi. I’m Louisa.” I had to raise my voice to be heard over the generator noise and their whimpering. “There’s no need to be afraid any longer, my friends and I are here to release you.”
“Ms. Thompson?”
Thank the heavens and everything holy! The tightness across my shoulder blades eased and I felt ten pounds lighter.
I reached for Faith’s extended hand and clutched her fingertips in mine. “You gave us all a scare. Thank goodness you’re alive and well.”
“Alive, at least.” She slumped against Trudy, who had her hand pressed to her mouth and her eyes wide.
“Can you stand?”
“We’re all attached to this chain that runs the length of the wall. We can move to the toilet, which is that way." Faith pointed to a miserable looking bathroom behind a see-through shower curtain. “Or the bed opposite.”
“But we weren’t allowed there unless one of them was with us.” Cindy blushed from her ears to her chest.
Easy enough to guess what they were doing on the bed. All of the young women had visible bites on their necks and arms, and likely in many other places as well.
I crouched to get to eye level with them. “Is it okay if I call my friends down to help? They’re big guys but we’re here to look after you. The sheriff is on his way.”
“He’s here.” Ben’s heavy boots sounded on the steps.
He glanced at me and nodded once. “Get the guys. We can use their strength to pull these chains off.”
I darted back upstairs as Ben squatted to talk with the women. Jason and Gaspard were waiting for me at the top of the steps. I sent them down and went on a search for clean blankets and bottles of water. Nic was charming Heather and her friend in the family room.
He stopped when he saw me. “We couldn’t locate blankets but we did find six large beach towels. No bottled water, but the plumbing still works and we found six clean glasses as well.” He gestured to the table in the kitchen. “How are they?”
“Chained up and quiet. Too quiet.”
Nic left the two women cuddled together on the sofa, wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my forehead. “With help, they will recover from their ordeal. I’ll grab the towels.”
For a few seconds, I leaned into his embrace. At least we’d found them alive. “There’s a tap downstairs, I’ll take the glasses.”
“I’ll take those too.” Nic arranged the towels in his arms, a tray with the six glasses on top of them.
“Is Ben mad?”
“Crazy as a loon.” Nic motioned for me to precede him down the steps. “Also in full-on sheriff mode. He’s already called paramedics and a forensic team.”
Forensics wouldn’t be able to do much with the desiccated skeletons. Or the remaining vamps Nic had no doubt spirited away somewhere. I followed Nic back into the basement and helped where I could, until the paramedics arrived and took the women away for treatment.
It was almost daylight when Ben finished speaking with the forensics team and stomped over to where I sat in Nic’s lap. I stood to face him.
He stared at me for a few seconds. “Where is my car?”
Not the first question I expected but at least Ben was talking to me. I crossed my fingers behind my back. It wasn’t a bad neighborhood. “Still parked at the front of Quinn Underhill’s place.”
“It better be.”
“How did you get here?”
Somehow, I knew he didn’t just mean the travel. “Nic helped with Quinn and he gave us a clue, then we drove here with Gaspard and Jason, and you know the rest.”
“Look at you. Here two weeks and already on a first-name basis with the local undead.”
“I’m a dhampir, what did you expect?” I hugged my arms across my chest.
Ben’s mouth flicked up in a smile though he tried to disguise it with a cough. Perhaps he was a bit mad and a bit proud at the same time? The tightness across my shoulders eased.
Nic stood at my back and circled his arms around my arms. “Can’t we do this tomorrow? She has been awake almost all night.”
“I’m okay—”
“You look like shit.” Ben glared at me. “I expect a full, written report on my desk by lunchtime. And do not leave anything out.” He jabbed his finger at me. “Not a thing. Got it, partner?”
I cringed at the sarcasm infused in the word partner. “I did text you. You said you couldn’t talk.”
Ben shook his head, as if dealing with a headstrong child. “We will discuss this further.”
“Can I take her home now?” Nic ran his hands up and down my arms.
“Yeah. Make sure she gets home.”
“Ben.” I felt like stamping my foot, fatigue and frustration bringing out my inner child. “You are not my father, and I’m not a teenager.”
He snorted and transferred his gaze to Nic. “I see four skeletons. Any others?”
“Three have transferred their allegiance to me. I will be watching them closely at the compound.”
“I need to speak with them. If there are other Rambo vamps out there, I want to know.”
“There were no others here. I will take you to the compound tomorrow afternoon, if you wish. I want to talk with them further, myself.”
Ben twirled my braid around his fingers, and his eyes softened. “You did well tonight. I’m proud of you cousin. But don’t be late with the report or for training tomorrow.”
He kissed my cheek and left me still encircled in Nic’s arms.
“You heard the sheriff. I have to get you home, or else.” Nic nibbled my ear.
“He didn’t say or else.” A huge yawn stretched my face.
“It was implied. Come on.”
I took a step away from him but didn’t get far. He swooped me into his arms and in a dizzying blur, we were at the car with Gaspard and Jason.
#
Nic walked me from the garage with his hand pressed to the small of my back. “You have to work tomorrow?”
“It’s five am. I’m too wired to sleep and I need a shower. I don’t have any early classes tomorrow. I’ll plead for the morning off.”
“I can talk with Penelope for you.”
“Ms. Merryweather.” I jolted to a stop. “Our headmistress?”
“The one and only.”
“You know her?” Talk about a real-life, small-town, everyone-knows-everybody-else vibe.
“Extremely well.” Nic winked at me and nudged me to the front door.
“Wait. She’s not—”
“Shhhh.” Nic brushed his lips against mine. “Even older than my sire, but she loves teaching and moves from place to place as time passes and the people around her age.”
I stared at him, open-mouthed.
He took the keys from my hand, opened the door and followed me inside. Snuggles charged downstairs and threw himself at my legs, alternately purring at me and hissing at Nic.
Nic sat on his heels, gazed into Snuggles eyes and held out his hand. “I won’t hurt her.”
“You’re brave.” I laughed at the sight of my handsome Snuggles circling a totally hot Nic.
I grabbed Snugs and pulled him to my chest as I glanced into Nic’s face. “Stay for coffee or tea?” Or me, is what I really meant to say.
Nic stood and lifted my chin. “I would love t
o stay, my sweet, but for neither coffee nor tea.”
He brushed the back of his fingertips across my collarbones and slowly up my cheeks. He lingered over the bite that was only a few hours old. Heat and tingles spread through my body, an erotic reminder of how good it felt when he’d buried his fangs deep into my vein. By the time he reached my temple, I was on fire. Snugs jumped down but I couldn’t take my gaze away from Nic’s eyes.
“We both need a shower, do we not?” he purred into my ear, his slight accent amplified by his honeyed tone.
I shivered where I stood. My brain had taken a hike and left me a bundle of quivering need.
“Mon doux ange?”
I grinned at the endearment. I’d been called a few things in my life but never a sweet angel. If I could face vampires and calm Ben’s angry tornado, then I could invite this man who was claiming my heart and soul into my bedroom. I would invite him. My heartbeat ramped up.
I touched my fingers to his cheek. “My bathroom is minuscule compared to yours, but I’d like you to stay.”
He gave me one of his sexy smiles and we walked upstairs together, Snuggles darting ahead to claim his place on the bed.
“I'll just feed Snugs downstairs.” At least he'd stopped hissing at Nic. Though he started chattering as soon as I mentioned food. “Towels are here.” I lifted the lid of the picnic basket where I kept my softest bath towels.
He hung his jacket on the hanger I kept on the back of the bathroom door and ripped off his bloodied shirt. The fire burning in my nether regions turned to molten lava. I tore my gaze away and backed out of the room before I jumped his bones and ravished him on the bathroom floor.
His laughter, that half growl, half purr that drove me mad, followed me down the stairs. I grabbed salmon and kibble and filled Snuggles’ bowls while he purred and chattered in figure eights around my ankles.
“I need you to stay down here, bubs. We’ll have lots of cuddles in the morning, okay?” Lots of cuddles after Nic left, at least.
A weight settled in my chest. What if Nic didn't want to stay long? The heaviness made me realize how much I wanted to wake up next to him in the morning. I shook the fear away. He was here now, that’s all that mattered. He’d left the bathroom door open. I took a deep breath and tiptoed in.