Thirst [All-American Vampires 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Bree Younger

  At that, Cassidy peeped over her arms.

  “It’s me. It’s your sister, Claire. I’m getting you out of this stinkhole right now, Cass.” She reached out again and stroked a hand down the girl’s hair, tucking it back behind her ear as she had done so many times when Cassidy was younger. That did it.

  “Claire?”

  “Yes. It’s me, sweet potato.” The long-forgotten childhood nickname came easily to her lips.

  “Claire!” With a cry, Cassidy flung herself forward and into Claire’s arms. Claire hugged her younger sister tightly against her, aching with relief and dismay at the frail figure she held so close. Cassidy was murmuring something over and over so quietly that Claire could barely hear it. “You came. I knew you’d come. You came. I knew you would.”

  Tears flooded Claire’s eyes, and she let them fall, gently rocking her sister and murmuring words of love and comfort. At last she felt someone step up beside her. She looked up and straight into Hawk’s grim face. “Thank you,” she mouthed to him. He just nodded.

  “We need to go, Claire. No telling when Garrison’s going to show up.”

  Cassidy froze when she heard Hawk speak, and Claire rushed to reassure her. “This is Hawk, Cass. He helped me find you. If it weren’t for him, I don’t know how long it would have taken me. Let him help you out, okay?”

  Cassidy looked at Hawk suspiciously, and Claire knew she was afraid when her sister clutched her even closer. Hawk knelt down and, in the gentlest voice Claire had ever heard from him, spoke to Cassidy.

  “Cassidy, I know you’re afraid, but we need to get out of here before anyone comes back. You’re too weak to walk very fast, so I’m going to have to carry you. Is that okay? I swear, Claire will be right there with us, and you know what a tiger she can be when it comes to protecting those she loves. She won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Claire felt Cassidy’s grip loosen. “He’s telling the truth, sweet potato. Let him help you. Please?”

  “Sophia,” Cassidy spoke softly. “You have to get Sophia.”

  “Is she the young, African-American woman?” Cass nodded. “She’s my friend.”

  “We’ve got her out already. Is there anyone else?”

  Cass just shook her head.

  “Okay. I’m going to pick you up. Is that all right?”

  Cassidy finally nodded, and Claire eased back, allowing Hawk to slide his arms beneath her and lift her up.

  Hawk spoke into his headpiece. “We’re up and moving out. Everybody cover our exit and then withdraw.”

  Then they were moving. Ty lead the way, his weapon in his hand. Hawk came next with Cassidy held close in his arms. Then Claire and Justin followed behind. They made it outside in no time and began crossing the grounds at a fast pace. By the time they reached the wall, the men were there to help get Cassidy up and over it. Claire followed. When she dropped down on the other side, she moved to the back of the van, nervously watching as Ace began working on her sister, who was weeping and trying to get to Sophia. As soon as she saw Claire, she grabbed Claire’s hand and held on so tightly Claire felt like her fingers were going numb. She looked at the young woman who lay beside her sister. She’d been bandaged and looked like she was sleeping.

  Ace quickly took Cassidy’s pulse rate, checked her pupils, and examined her legs and arms. Walking over to stand beside Claire, he spoke softly, “She’s dehydrated and malnourished. Some of the wounds are infected, and looks like she’s been beaten pretty regularly. She may have a broken rib or two. She’s got older bruises beneath the newer ones. I’m not sure what other injuries she might have. We’ll get her back to the house, and I’ll be able to do more. I’m going to put her on a drip to get some fluids in her, but she’s very nervous. I think it would be easier if I put her under with a mild sedative.”

  Claire nodded her agreement. While Ace went to prepare the syringe, she bent down to her sister. “Cass, I know a lot’s going on, but I want you to try to cooperate with Ace. He’s just trying to help you feel better. Okay?”

  Cassidy bit her lip, and Claire could see her reluctance. “You won’t leave me?”

  “I swear. I’ll be right here. I want you to let Ace give you a shot, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Ace stepped forward and shot Claire a questioning look. She nodded and stepped back to give him room. It took him two seconds to swab the spot and give Cassidy the injection. He stepped back as soon as he was done, and Claire moved forward to stand beside her sister. Dear God, she looked so bad. “Cassidy, oh, Cassidy, I’m so sorry. It was all my fault. I should have stayed with you. I never should have left you alone with those bastards. Look what they did to you.”

  Claire closed her eyes trying to stop the tears that kept threatening to fall. Then she felt a tentative hand reach out to take hold of her fingers. She opened her eyes and saw her sister looking at her with an expression of such love and forgiveness, she lost the battle, and tears began streaming down her face.

  “Claire, you had to take the chance. I know that. If you hadn’t escaped when you did, there would have been no hope for either of us. I knew you’d come back for me. I knew it. That’s what kept me hanging on.”

  Claire felt as if her heart would burst. She turned her hand to clasp her sister’s tightly. But there was still something Cassidy didn’t know.

  “Cass, I know you must hate vampires, and I don’t blame you. But I need to tell you—”

  “Silly, I don’t hate vampires. After all, my sister is one.”

  Claire gasped. “You knew?”

  “Of course, I knew. The other girls told me when you fed from them. They said you were very gentle.” Cassidy sent her a sweet smile.

  “And it doesn’t matter?”

  “I love you, Claire. Just because you drink blood and can’t get a tan, that doesn’t change anything.”

  Claire gave a choked laugh and then bent to give her sister a tight hug. When she stood back up, Cassidy’s eyes were starting to drift closed.

  Ace, who had been standing a short distance away, nodded to Claire when she lifted her eyes to his and then called out to the others, “Let’s transport.”

  * * * *

  After ensuring that the two women they’d rescued were safely secured in the van, Hawk turned to Claire. “I’m sending Cade back with you.”

  Concerned eyes met his. “You’re not coming?”

  “Tyler and I have a little unfinished business to take care of here. We’ll be along soon.”

  She shot him a look of suspicion but didn’t ask any questions. Knowing she’d want to stay as close as possible to her sister, Hawk escorted her to the front of the van and into the passenger seat. Cade and the others had already gone to get the other vehicles.

  When they arrived back, Hawk split the team in two, sending half with Cade, Ace, Claire, and the two women. They watched the vehicles depart before Hawk turned to the remaining men. “We’re going back to that house. I want you to locate any computers, files, and letters that might have anything to do with Simone d’Amboise or the buying and selling of bloodslaves. Get everything you can out and loaded into the vehicles. Brady, you load everything they find up and take it back to the house. The rest of us are going to wait on Mr. Garrison and give him a little bit of a homecoming surprise.”

  The men standing around grinned as understanding hit them. Hawk had known they would. Everyone had been disgusted and appalled at the condition of the two women when they were discovered. It hadn’t sat well with anyone that Garrison would just be allowed to get away scot-free. They got back to the mansion and began clearing away the guards that had been taken out earlier. Only one had been killed. The rest were tranquilized and restrained with iron cuffs. Hawk’s men, along with the two weres, dragged them down into the basement and locked them up in the rooms recently vacated by the bloodslaves so that Garrison would not see them and realize something was wrong. Then he sent the men to take up various tactical positions so they would be able to a
pprehend Garrison and his guards with a minimum of force.

  Once that was done, Ty made a suggestion. “Let’s make this official.” He pulled out his cell phone and called one of the Council of Nine members. Ty worked for the council as a Council Shield, kind of a policeman for paranormals. Hawk listened as his friend reported what they had found and requested permission to take Garrison and his men into custody. When he got off the phone, he smiled grimly. “Thank God Quinn’s in Chicago right now. The Council is bending over backward, trying to convince him to join them.”

  “So we got the go-ahead?”

  “Damn straight. And permission to use deadly force if necessary.”

  “Perfect.” After that, there was nothing to do but sit back and wait.

  About an hour had passed when one of the men stationed outside reported on the com link that a car had just entered the gates and was approaching the house. His eyes met Ty’s. “It’s showtime, everyone. Stay on your toes. We don’t want a bloodbath here. We want Garrison apprehended. No telling what kind of intel he can give us.”

  When Garrison and his men walked into the room, Ty and Hawk were seated in two chairs flanking the fireplace. Hawk was puffing on one of Garrison’s Cuban cigars, and Ty held a glass filled with an expensive Scotch malt whiskey.

  Garrison came to an abrupt halt, the expression on his face almost comical. His two guards reached for their weapons and then froze when Hawk’s men poked their own guns into their backs. The guards were quickly disarmed and put into restraints. Hawk nodded to his men, who pulled the guards from the room. They would soon join their companions in the basement.

  “What the hell…” Garrison started to sputter.

  Hawk ignored him. He pointed to one of the weres. “Search him.”

  “Now just wait a goddamned minute…” The man ignored the sputtering, red-faced vamp and proceeded to pat him down, removing a gun from a shoulder holster and another small pistol from his ankle. Then he was escorted to the sofa and shoved down roughly.

  “Just what the fuck is going on here? Do you assholes have any idea who you’re messing with?”

  Ty took a drink of his scotch and then began reciting. “Hunter Garrison. Married to Janine Crocker in 1923. Turned in 1929 by persons unknown. CEO of Garrison Enterprises. On the board of several businesses in the greater Memphis area. Aspires to Council membership. Associate of Simone d’Ambroise. Owner of bloodslaves.” Tyler grinned. “Oh, and total fucking asshole.”

  Garrison’s face had reddened as he’d heard those last few items, but he had enough bravado to sneer, “And you are…?”

  “Tyler Buchanan.” Tyler raised the hand that held the glass and gestured toward Hawk. “My good friend and associate John Blackhawk.”

  “Buchanan?” Hawk saw the man’s face pale. “Quinn Buchanan’s your brother?”

  “The very same. I am here in my capacity as Council Shield to advise you that you are being taken into custody for the crime of buying and brutalizing women as bloodslaves. Those women have been removed from your property and will be testifying against you before the Council of Nine. The punishment, of course, is to be determined by the Council, but I’ve got it on good authority that it won’t be pleasant.”

  Apparently realizing a denial was pointless, his eyes narrowed shrewdly. “I want to make a deal. I have information about more bloodslaves.”

  “Excellent. Of course, we’ve already confiscated all your computers and documents, so I hope you can tell us something we don’t already know or won’t find out from your records. Because there’s a shitload of people that were here tonight and who saw the condition of those two girls in your basement. And they’re not feeling too sympathetic toward you right now. In fact, I think a couple of them were talking about cutting off your dick and shoving it up your ass.” He looked over at Hawk. “Isn’t that right, Hawk?”

  “Yes, it is. In fact, I believe I might have been one of the people who made that suggestion.”

  “Fuck. I can give you more. Lots more. I know all about Simone d’Ambroise’s operation. I know how you shut her down in Mississippi, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.”

  Tyler leaned forward. “Perfect. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say.” He gestured for two of his men to come forward. “Take this piece of shit to the car. And make damn sure he doesn’t get away.”

  Once they were gone, the two men sat there with nothing but the ticking of the clock on the mantel to disturb the silence. Finally, Hawk said, “Why do I feel like I need to go take a hot shower?”

  “Because he is one slimy SOB.”

  “We did good on this one, Ty.”

  “Yep. We sure as hell did.” He tossed back the rest of the whiskey. “Now, get the hell out of here and go find your woman. I know you’re dying to. I’ll wrap things up here. I’m going to send for some Shields to take our prisoners into custody. I’ll meet you back at the house when I’m done.”

  “You got it. And thanks again for coming to help.”

  “It was strictly my pleasure, my friend.”

  Hawk made it back to the house in record time. When he entered he saw his men in the great room starting to pack everything up. They stopped what they were doing when he entered. “Great job, men. When you’re done packing, why don’t you take a break. We’ve got the house for another week, so there’s no rush.”

  “Speak for yourself, Hawk. I’m tired of listening to Ace snore. He sounds like a damn train driving through the room.” This statement from Brady brought laughter from the others.

  Hawk smiled. “Now that’s as good a reason for getting out of here as any I’ve ever heard. Anyway, I appreciate all the hard work you’ve done here. You’ll all find some bonus pay in your checks at the end of the month.” This brought out grins and thumbs-up from the guys. “Now I’m going to check on our patients.”

  Cade walked over. “Cassidy’s in your room. Claire’s with her. And Libby put the other one in the room next to it.”

  “Thanks, Cade. You did excellent work on this. I want you to know that I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Hawk could tell Cade was uncomfortable with the praise. “Just doing my job.”

  Reaching out, Hawk laid a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Above and beyond, Cade.”

  “Go to your lady, Hawk.” Cade turned away, but not before Hawk saw the pleased expression that flashed across his face.

  He turned and jogged up the stairs at a fast clip. Reaching the room, he eased open the door to peer inside. Claire looked up from where she sat on the bed beside her sleeping sister. He could see that the drip had been removed, and she appeared to be resting comfortably.

  When Claire spotted him, she eased her hand from her sister’s loosened clasp and walked quietly toward him. They stepped out into the hallway and shut the door so they wouldn’t disturb Cassidy.

  Claire slid her arms around Hawk’s waist and buried her face against his chest. He held her close, relishing the feel of her warmth and sweetness.

  “I love you, Hawk.” She leaned back to look up into his face. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

  Hawk smiled and shook his head. “The feeling is mutual, Claire.” He kissed her, a short, sweet promise of things to come. “How is Cassidy?”

  “Ace said that she would be fine physically. Emotionally”—she shrugged—“we’ll just have to take it one day at a time.” She pulled away from him and walked a few steps before turning around. “We’ve been so focused on finding her that I guess I never considered what would happen when I finally found her. She’s going to need a lot of time and attention, Hawk.” She gazed earnestly into his eyes. “She’s going to need me.”

  Hawk shook his head. “She’s going to need us.”

  A smile trembled on her lips. “I can’t imagine that you ever bargained on having an emotionally fragile girl to take care of. I…I understand if…well, if you decide that we shouldn’t…”

  In one long stride he was in front of h
er, his finger pressed against her mouth to stop the rest of her words. “I love you, Claire. I don’t say that lightly. And I love Cassidy simply because you do. Whatever hardships or difficulty we have to face, we’ll do it together. Do you understand?”

  Tears welled up in her eyes, and she stared up at him with eyes full of love. “I was so afraid that you might decide it was too much.”

  “Never. When we leave here, we’re taking Cassidy to my house in Biloxi. We’re a family now, Claire. I want to marry you. To make a home for all of us.”

  “It won’t be easy.”

  “Nothing worthwhile ever is. My life has been cold and dark too long, Claire. You brought light back to my world. I’m never letting you go.”

  “I adore you.” Claire threw herself into his arms, and Hawk held her close, knowing that he held the most precious thing in the world. And he would spend the rest of his long and amazing life making sure she knew it.

  * * * *

  Quinn put down the telephone after ending the call with his brother. Crossing the room, he looked out over the Chicago skyline and considered all that he had learned tonight. With Hunter Garrison and his men in custody, his computers and files confiscated, Quinn could feel the net closing in on Simone. It wouldn’t be long now, he knew. Soon she would be found. And as the newest member of the Council of Nine, he would see to it that she would pay for the crimes she had committed. And she would pay dearly.

  THE END

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  When I was young, I discovered the power of the written word, and I’ve been a fan ever since. LOL! It always amazed and astounded me that not everyone was as fascinated by language as I was. I became an avid reader, reading everything from romance novels to classic literature. Basically anything I could get my hands on. Sometimes I would come away from those books with a feeling of profound satisfaction. But sometimes all I could think of was… No! That’s not how it should have gone!! I would have done it this way.