I hadn’t realized until that moment that it was possible for my heart to sink any lower.
Until. He’s said until. What then? Once the matter of Jared, Giselle, and Melcher was resolved would Fane leave Alaska? Leave me?
Leaving me implied that we were together, which we weren’t. We’d flirted; we’d kissed, but we hadn’t discussed much beyond the present crisis.
“In the meantime, that madwoman might burn our house down in our sleep,” Joss said.
Fane’s shoulders relaxed. “Which is exactly why I need to be at the palace to ensure Valerie doesn’t leave.”
Noel tapped her fingers lightly on the table. “What do you mean?”
Fane walked over. “I’ll trap her inside the music room. That way, she won’t be able to cause any more problems. Once we’ve dealt with Jared, Giselle, and this agency business, I’ll send her packing.”
“It would be nice if she were out of the picture,” Noel said.
It was hard to miss the smile on her lips, no matter how faint.
I leaned into the table. “What happens after she goes on mission and disappears? You think Melcher’s going to sit around scratching his head in confusion? No. He’ll send someone to check it out.”
“She took off after Sitka. She could take off again.” Noel shrugged.
“Exactly,” I said. “If Valerie disappears a second time, Melcher will be on her like a blood hound. He’ll tear the town upside down to get to the truth.”
“So I’ll move her someplace else,” Fane said.
“Where?” I asked.
“I don’t know. The bottom of the ocean.”
“Not a bad idea,” Noel said under her breath.
I knew Fane had a personal vendetta against Valerie, but I wished he’d take her connection with the agency more seriously. True, she was a ticking time bomb, but if Valerie went missing, we could end up with a more explosive problem when the agency went to investigate her whereabouts.
Joss looked around the table. “What if it appeared that she had died?” he asked.
Fane looked down at him. “What do you mean?”
“Secure her, as you said, but send the agents on a false trail.”
Fane smiled suddenly. “Joss, you’re a genius. I’ll drive her car down some backwoods road out of town. Let your agency chase their tails on that one.” His head lifted triumphantly.
Noel nodded. “It would buy us more time without arousing too much suspicion.”
I chewed on my lower lip. “Wouldn’t that make you a suspect?” I asked Fane. “I’m pretty sure a vampire ex-boyfriend would make the list no matter how well you’ve behaved in the past.”
“You said they already have their eyes on me,” Fane said. “Might as well give them a reason to look.”
My nails dug into the table. Fane had once accused me of having a death wish. What about him?
“The fact that they have a file on you should be reason enough to lay low.”
Fane’s eyes flashed. His chest rose. “I’m not the sort to lay low.” He backed away from the table abruptly. “I need a cigarette.” Without another word, he walked out of the kitchen toward the connecting living room.
I pushed away from the table and planted myself in front of the kitchen sink where I began scrubbing at dishes. There wasn’t much to keep me occupied, only my plate and cup from breakfast. Noel was an exceptionally tidy roommate. I wouldn’t have expected her to be Miss Clean, not after I first met her and saw the disarray of her room in her first place, but she’d cleaned up her act quickly.
“Can I get you another cup of tea?” I heard Noel say behind me.
I didn’t hear Joss’ answer over the rushing water in the sink.
Noel sidled up to me and whispered, “Go to him.”
“Clearly he wants to be alone,” I said.
Noel clicked her tongue. “He wants to protect you, but he knows he can’t stop you from going on this mission.”
“I want to protect him, too,” I said.
“I know you do,” Noel said. “It’s frustrating, isn’t it?” She raised her eyebrows. “I’ll entertain Josslyn. Now stop pouting and go talk to Fane.”
I shut off the water.
“Fine. I’ll talk to him.”
How had I gone from thinking about him naked to thinking about what a stubborn ass he could be within the space of half an hour?
There was a rectangular slab of concrete just outside the sliding glass door in back. The outside light illuminated Fane’s back, spotlighting him against the dark. As I pulled the sliding door open, Fane turned to watch me. He took a drag from his cigarette, lifted his head skyward, and blew out a smoke cloud.
As soon as I shut the door, Tommy appeared behind the glass and stared out. I re-opened the door several feet to let him join us. He immediately stepped into the grassy part of the yard and began exploring.
Fane took another puff off his cigarette.
Noel had told me to go after him, but now that I was here, I didn’t know what to say.
I had to go to the lodge. I didn’t have a choice. Fane didn’t have to go to the palace. This wasn’t some kind of competition to see who could bag the biggest prize at the end of the night.
Fane pulled his cigarette out of his mouth and pointed it at the security camera. “The cameras aren’t enough. They can’t keep you safe. Joss is right. If we don’t succeed in crippling the agency. We all need to leave the country. I can arrange that.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “So that’s Plan B? Flee the country?”
“Better a globe trotter than ash.” Fane lifted his cigarette and flicked the top for emphasis. The tip sparked and gray ash drifted to the ground.
“What if Dante wants to leave? Would you help him, too?”
Fane studied me a moment. “You said he’s like family?”
I nodded.
“I understand what that’s like. Yes, I’d assist him, too. If he wanted my help.”
“I’m worried about my mom and grandma.” I thought back to the surveillance photos of Selene’s family. I didn’t want Melcher to ever use them as leverage against me.
“I’ll take care of it.”
I shook my head. “It’s too much to ask. Besides, how would we get by?”
“I can show you how,” Fane said. “I’m not without experience or resources.”
I gave my head a bitter shake. “We aren’t the ones who should be running.”
Fane’s cheeks compressed as he sucked in another lungful of smoke. After blowing it into the air, he crouched down and rubbed the cigarette out over the concrete.
“We’ll try things your way first,” Fane said as he straightened. “But if it doesn’t work out, we do them my way. Agreed?”
I started opening my mouth, but before I could respond, he continued. “And if I take my clothes off for you, you better be prepared to do the same. And I do mean everything.” Fane let his eyes drift down my body slowly.
Every inch of me tingled and shivered. I didn’t know whether I was hot or cold.
I folded my arms across my chest and met his stare when it returned to my eyes.
“Just don’t go getting yourself killed before you get a chance,” I said.
Fane chuckled. “Very well, you’ve convinced me. I’ll be careful, but you have to promise to do the same.”
“No one’s killed me yet.”
Fane sobered. “Aurora…”
“I’ll be careful. I’m not about to let my friends and family down.” I stepped to the edge of the concrete and patted my thighs. “Come on, Tommy. Back inside.”
The golden retriever lifted his head and looked my way. A second later he lowered his nose to the ground.
“Tommy, come,” I said louder.
This time, he trotted over. I let Tommy into the living room and stepped in next, Fane right behind me.
We rejoined Noel and Joss in the dining room. They both sat with a mug of tea at the table.
“Lena
rd Oneal,” Noel announced when we walked in.
I shook my head. “Is that name supposed to mean something to me?”
“He’s a vampire with a thing for redheads. Everyone knows it. Best of all, he’s already on Melcher’s radar. I’ll have Henry invite him to the party.”
It couldn’t hurt. Who else could Henry invite? Maybe if we were lucky, Valerie would get abducted for real. Right, because everything had been falling into place so beautifully already. Lenard was in more danger than Valerie, but at least he would give Melcher a potential target other than Fane.
Fane nodded. “Now let’s settle the matter of Jared.”
“If he wants to walk into a trap, I say we let him,” Noel said.
“We should surround him on all sides,” Fane said. “Leave nothing to chance.”
Nothing to chance. Famous last words. We were playing a game of Russian roulette, and I just hoped that when our turn came, the chamber would turn out empty.
Friday afternoon, Levi texted me to say he and Mason would pick me up at ten. I dressed early. I wanted to be ready to go as soon as they arrived. I’d already worn two long dresses to the tastings, so I selected a short black dress with a halter top that crisscrossed over my breasts. My arms and shoulders were bare. If I had to be tonight’s bait, I might as well give the vamps easy access. The quicker we got this over with, the better.
I parted my hair on the left in front of the bathroom mirror, gathered it all into one hand and twisted it into a bun, which I secured at the nape of my neck with a metal clip.
As I put on a pair of chandelier earrings, Noel walked in wearing a midnight-blue lace corset top with a matching mesh skirt that flared over a pair of black boy shorts. She wore a lace choker and fingerless gloves. A matching set of Victorian skeleton keys hung from her earlobes.
I held the mascara wand aside and raised both eyebrows at Noel in the mirror.
“What’s with the Goth revival?”
Noel sighed. “Total Goth scene on the eastside.”
I looked Noel over again. Boy, were we headed to different parties. “Well, be safe,” I said.
Noel stared back at me through the mirror. “I’ll be the safest one tonight.”
Couldn’t argue with that. Give me a bunch of crackheads and drug dealing vamps any day of the week over cold, calculating wine snobs or a jealous ex.
Noel looked away when she pulled a tube of lipstick out of the medicine cabinet and applied it to her lips. Bright red. Even so, she resembled nothing of the sickly creature she’d been when I first met her. Her skin glowed, and her hair had an impossible amount of bounce and shine to it.
Noel nodded. “That’s a nice dress. You look like you’re going to prom.”
“Right.” I snorted. “Carrie’s prom.”
Noel flashed me a blood red smile in the mirror. “Wish I could stick around for moral support.”
“Believe me, you’re better off not meeting my new teammates, Levi and Mason.” I scrunched my nose. “Complete douche bags.”
“Are they at least hot?” Noel asked.
I frowned. “Most definitely not.”
The only thing I saw when I pictured Levi’s face was a sleaze bucket slime. Mason wasn’t much better. He stood aside and let bad things happen without blinking an eye. Total tool.
After applying lip gloss, I set the tube on the counter beside my phone, a switchblade, and the silver clutch I planned to carry with me.
Noel followed my hand with her eyes.
“What’s that? The hunter’s survival kit?”
I looked down. “Hardly. I only have room for lip gloss and either the phone or knife.”
“I’d go for the switchblade. Much quicker than 911.”
No argument there. I unsnapped the clutch and stuck the switchblade inside. There was just enough room to nestle the tube of lip gloss in with the knife.
“Besides,” Noel said. “The signal on the hillside sucks.”
Who would I call anyway? Noel, Fane, and I would be on opposite ends of the city. Nope, it was just me and Mr. Blade.
Noel smacked her lips before turning away from the mirror. “Don’t wait up for me.”
I huffed. “I’ll probably be out later than you.”
“Sure about that?” she asked, flashing me a cheeky smile before ducking out of the bathroom.
I envied her and Dante’s ability to make light of missions. My stomach always twisted up before an assignment, as though I were about to give a speech in front of a thousand people and had lost my index cards.
Noel called out a “goodbye” as she headed for the stairs.
“Be safe,” I called after her.
“You, too.”
The front door opened and closed. As I made my way downstairs, I heard Noel’s car start up and pull out of the driveway. Once she’d zipped away, I went for the blood bags in the fridge. I didn’t know where Noel had gotten them, and I didn’t care.
Tonight demanded liquid courage and super strength.
I stuck a mug filled with blood into the microwave and hit the “re-heat” button. The metal box lit up and vented a slightly metallic smell.
The microwave beeped. I pulled the mug out and dipped my pinky into the thick red blood to test the temperature. Perfect. I was getting good at reheating blood just right. I lifted the mug to my nose, it was like inhaling a handful of coins. The aroma was far from my favorite, but the euphoria blood gave me was worth the coppery zing going down.
Maybe now I could get through the night.
At ten fourteen, the doorbell rang.
I opened the door to find Levi, dressed in clean jeans and a long sleeved tee, leaning in the frame, holding up a bottle of Merlot. He looked me up and down, grinning from ear to ear.
“Hello, beautiful. I brought you a bottle of wine,” he said.
I frowned. “I hope you came armed with more than that.”
Levi reached around his back and pulled out a gun. “Like my piece?” His eyebrows jumped.
“Guns are too loud,” I said.
“That’s why I brought this,” Levi said, bending down and pulling up his pant leg. There was a hunting knife holstered and wrapped above his ankle.
“And this,” Mason said touching a knife holstered around his belt on one hip. There was another gun on his opposite hip.
“What’s with the guns?” I asked.
“Back up,” Levi said. “House full of vamps. We gotta go in armed to the teeth.” He glanced sideways at Mason then back at me. “Aren’t you going to invite us in?”
“Shouldn’t we be going?” I countered.
“Not yet.”
I blocked the entrance. “Why not?”
“Because Jared is meeting us here.”
My heart skipped a beat. “I thought he wanted us to go in first.”
“He decided we’re all going to caravan to the hillside. Now are you going to let us in? It’s cold out here.”
Vampires don’t mind the cold, I nearly snapped.
“Wait in your car,” I said. “Tommy doesn’t want you in here, and neither do I.”
Levi’s face darkened. “Is this how you treated your other partner? What’s his name? Socrates?” He looked at Mason and laughed. “Must have been a new recruit to get himself kidnapped by a she-vamp.”
“I’d like to see you go up against Giselle,” I said.
Levi smirked. “Any time. Any day.”
“Easy to say when you haven't met her.”
Jerk!
Before Levi could respond, a sporty red car with a black stripe down the hood zoomed down the street and screeched to a halt along the curb. I winced. Good thing it was late and there weren’t any kids playing outdoors.
Speaking of scumbag vampires… the door of the vehicle opened and Jared exited. A black SUV pulled up behind him, but no one got out.
As he strode up the driveway, I locked the door behind me.
Jared walked up to Levi and yanked the bottle of Merlot from his
hands. “Is this a mission or a date?”
Without waiting for a response, he unscrewed the top and lifted the bottle like a salutation. When the opening reached his lips, Jared paused and smiled. Rather than take a sip, he held the bottle out to me.
“Pass,” I said.
“Drink it, Raven.”
My fingers dug into the silver clutch.
“I said, ‘pass.’”
Levi leaned toward me. “You’re going in as a wine girl. Drink up.”
My heart pounded hard against my chest. Jared could force me to kill, but he couldn’t make me drink.
“I don’t need to drink,” I said. “The vamps are going to die after they taste my blood.”
“Come on, Raven,” Levi said. “Give the poor suckers a little taste of the good stuff before they go.”
I shot him a maximum strength glare. Talk about a clone! What a well-trained little sidekick Levi had proved to be. I always found peer pressure a major turn off. More than anything, it made me more determined to dig in my heels. I wasn’t some weakling. I wasn’t “Raven.” I was Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter. Bite me and die. They could all suck it.
“Bite me,” I said.
Jared wagged his finger at me. “Watch the attitude.”
I stared at his waving finger a moment, wishing I had the brute strength required to take down that mother sucker with my bare hands. The injustice of it all was that I could do boot camp ten times over and still not possess the power to go head-to-head with Jared. I needed more than lipstick and a switchblade. I needed a loaded gun.
“I’ll have a swig,” Levi said.
Jared stared at him for several beats before handing over the bottle. Levi took a large gulp and passed it to Mason who took a small sip and handed it to Jared who passed it directly back to Levi.
He took a sip and another. All of a sudden, he tilted the bottle and chugged it down, which had to be really hard to do with red wine.
“Easy does it,” Jared said suddenly. “I need you functional.”
“What’s the plan, boss?” Mason asked.
“The four of us lead the cavalry inside,” Jared said. “My team can handle things below. Someone needs to keep an eye on the three of you.” Jared glanced my way. “You, especially. Things didn’t work out so well the last time I left you alone upstairs. Now let’s go.” Jared yanked the bottle of wine from Levi’s hands, took a long swig and set it on the porch. He pushed me toward Mason. “Take her. Me and Jeans will follow you.”
Hunting Season (Aurora Sky Page 12