“Well, whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Pete glanced at the clock on the wall. “We’ve still got two hours or so until sundown.”
“Did you get the samples from Tom and Doug’s wounds to Millicent?” She tightened the grip on her mug. “Were either of these rogues responsible for the attacks on Ronald or the girl? I definitely picked up the scent of Rogue One, but the son of a bitch was gone by the time I got here.”
“Yes.” Pete took off his gloves and stuck them in his pockets. “The DNA in Tom’s wounds were from the rogue that killed Ronald—Rogue One—but the one you killed, that attacked Doug, was yet another rogue sibling. Meaning, the one that killed the girl is still out there too.”
“Shit,” Olivia downed the rest of the blood. “That means we still have two out there, and I’m betting on more than that.”
“Yup.” Pete nodded toward the bedroom. “How’d he take it?”
Before she could answer, the bedroom door opened, and Doug emerged looking more pissed off than he was before. And hotter, if that was possible. Dressed in full sentry garb, one of Pete’s uniforms that she kept here in case of an emergency, the man looked dangerous and sexy as hell. He oozed power, rage, and vengeance.
“Pete?” Doug asked warily.
He stalked into the room slowly, body wound tight and hands balled into fists at his side. Doug looked ready for a fight. The tension in the room was so thick, even Van Helsing didn’t move, but he kept his big brown eyes on the men as he stood by Olivia’s feet. Oreo sat next to Van Helsing, which seemed to be her favorite place to be.
“Hello, Doug.” Pete stuck out his hand but dropped it when Doug didn’t move to accept it. “Not the reunion I was hoping for.”
“You’re one of them too,” he said almost inaudibly. “No wonder you’ve been MIA, and here I was blaming your new marriage. Guess I owe your wife an apology—or my condolences.”
“If you mean that I’m a vampire—” Pete said evenly. “Yes. I am. Just like you, partner, and as far as my wife goes, I definitely got the best part of that deal. She’s the sexiest shapeshifter you’ll ever meet, and that’s saying something.”
“Shapeshifter? There are shapeshifters too?” he asked as he furrowed his brow briefly before holding up one hand to keep Pete from answering. “Never mind. Tell me later.” Doug stood his ground and flicked his eyes to Olivia. “You turned him too?” he asked quietly. “Didn’t you?”
“Yes.” Olivia looked away and rinsed out her cup as Van whined by her feet, sensing her uneasiness. “He’s part of my coven, like you are now.”
“Do you make a habit of seducing men and then turning them into freaks?” His voice rose, and he walked slowly toward Pete. “Did you fuck her?”
“Whoa!” Pete’s hands flew up in surrender. “I’m a married man, dude.” He gave Olivia a slanted glance. “Did I act like this big of a dick when you turned me?”
Doug went to grab Pete by the jacket, but Olivia flew across the room and tackled Doug, pinning him against the wall next to the front door. Pete could have handled himself, but she wanted Doug to be sure who was in charge.
“First of all,” she seethed, her lips just scant inches from his, “who I fuck is none of your business.”
His jaw clenched as she spoke, and his hands, which were curled around her waist, tightened. She tried not to remember the last time his hands were on her, but it was no use. She didn’t want to notice the way his thigh pressed against hers, or how his chest flexed beneath her weight, but it was an effort in futility.
Olivia was certain she would never escape him or his taste ever again. He was tattooed on her soul, the way that Dagger of Eternity was tattooed on his back.
“Second, I only turned Pete as a favor to his wife, Marianna. Like you, he would’ve died if I hadn’t.” She dropped her hands and stepped away, hoping she didn’t look as turned on as she felt. “Pete helped us clean up your situation and made it palatable for the humans.”
Doug crossed his arms over his chest and turned his stormy eyes to Pete. “What did you do?”
“I crashed your car and set it on fire before it went into the Hudson River.”
“What? You could’ve hurt someone.” His eyes narrowed. “Don’t have any respect for human life now that you’re a bloodsucker, huh?”
“Anyway.” Pete let out a sigh and continued. “Right now, the cops are assuming it was an accident. I glamoured two local beat cops who were on duty by the pier around sunrise. I told them that they saw you and Tom on a high-speed chase. Your car crashed, caught fire, and went into the river. Right now, they’re dragging the river for both of your bodies. Soon you’ll both be presumed dead. If it’s any consolation, the whole department is pretty broken up about it.”
“You just dumped him in the river?” Doug asked through clenched teeth.
“No.” Olivia’s voice softened. “We have his remains at the Presidium morgue. I thought you might want to have him cremated. The point is that they won’t find your body or Tom’s.” She picked up her coat, heavy with the weight of hidden weaponry, and pulled it on as she focused on keeping her voice neutral. It would do no good to have her weeping over Doug’s loss, no matter how heavily his grief weighed on her. “Did he have any family?”
“Not really.” Doug leaned against the wall and rubbed his hands over his face. “His two ex-wives hate him, and he didn’t have any kids. No family to speak of, except for me.” He looked her straight in the eyes for a moment before he said anything else. “Thank you for not tossing him in the river. I’d like to see him before he’s cremated, if that’s alright.”
Olivia fought the ridiculous urge to cry. She turned on her heels, stalked into the guest room, and grabbed the long coat, almost identical to hers and Pete’s. Without saying a word, she came back in the living room and tossed it at Doug, who caught it in midair without taking his gaze off her. His blue eyes glinted back and wrinkled at the corners, sending a clear message that he’d meet any challenge she could throw at him.
“Put it on.” She nodded toward him and pulled on her gloves. “You don’t have any weapons yet, but after you’re registered, then I’ll give you back your gun. Loaded with new ammo, of course.”
Doug said nothing and simply pulled on the coat. It fit him perfectly. He looked like he was born to be a sentry—maybe he had. Something about him was unlike any human she’d encountered. What was it about Doug that made him so unique? Was it only the bloodmate legend, or was there something more?
“There are leather gloves in the pocket.” She tore her gaze from his and went to the front door. “Put them on. Like I said earlier, sterling silver will burn you quick. You’ll heal, but it hurts like hell, and if it gets in your bloodstream, then you’re close to fucked and will beg for a sunrise.”
“I guess a stake through the heart is the real end game though?” Doug asked humorlessly.
“Sure.” Olivia smirked and arched an eyebrow. “But who wouldn’t that kill?”
“Zombie?” Pete asked, looking from her to Doug. “Gotta get those guys in the head, right?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Doug said wearily. “There are zombies too?”
“Nah,” Pete said through a laugh as he slapped Doug on the shoulder. “I’m just messing with you.”
To Olivia’s surprise, Doug cracked a smile and shook his head. “Still a ball-buster, eh, Pete?”
“Absolutely.” Pete winked at Olivia. The smile on his face faltered, and his brow furrowed with confusion as he kept his focus on his maker. “Looks like we’re partners again, Paxton.”
“What?” Olivia asked as an imminent sense of dread crawled up her back. “What’s wrong?”
His expression stern, Pete held her gaze but remained silent for what felt like forever.
“You didn’t hear me?” he asked quietly. “Are you okay?”
Olivia’s stomach dropped to her feet as she realized what he meant. He had tried to telepath her, but she didn’t hear
him. Panic swamped her as she instinctively reached out to touch his mind with hers. Pete? Can you hear me?
“I don’t know if he can, but I can hear you, and it freaks me the fuck out,” Doug snapped. “What in the hell is going on now?”
Olivia and Pete looked at Doug and then at each other.
“What the hell?” she whispered.
“Try the rest of the Coven,” Pete said calmly. He ran a hand over his mouth and looked from her to Doug and back again. “Maybe it was a glitch in the universe or something.”
“Right,” Olivia said in a shaky voice. Trixie, Maya, Sadie… can you hear me? I want you to meet our newest coven member.
“Ha,” Doug said sharply. Hands on his hips, he paced the room. “I should have known that the rest of the broads in your club are bloodsuckers too.”
“Shit.” Pete’s eyes glowed as he watched Doug before turning back to Olivia. “I didn’t hear whatever you telepathed, but it sounds like Doug did. What is going on, boss lady? I don’t like this one damn bit. Doug’s vamp turn takes hardly any time at all, and now you can only telepath with him. Not only is this fucking weird, it’s going to make communicating when we hunt a pain in the ass.”
Van Helsing whined and rubbed against Olivia’s leg. Given how dizzy she felt, it was probably the only thing keeping her from falling down. She murmured soothing sounds and rubbed the dog’s head as he tried to calm her in return. Oreo, seemingly unfazed, had curled up and fallen asleep on the sofa.
“You mean you used to be able to do this telepathy bit with all other vampires?” Doug asked with confusion and genuine curiosity. He crossed his arms over his chest and studied Olivia, while maintaining his distance. “What gives, Olivia?”
Bloodmates. That was the only answer that came to mind, but she sure as hell wasn’t throwing that little bit of crazy into the mix. Olivia squared her shoulders as the queasy feeling in her gut subsided, and she leveled a cold look in Doug’s direction, struggling to keep control over herself and the situation.
“We can only telepath with our maker, progeny, or siblings.”
“Yeah,” Doug interrupted. “But Pete just said you couldn’t hear him, and based on the look on your face, I’m betting that Trixie, Maya, and Sadie didn’t hear your last shout either. So why am I the only one who can hear you?”
“I don’t know,” she said quietly. “It may be only temporary. Maybe it’s something in your blood. At any rate, we have other problems to worry about, like getting you registered with the Presidium, and facing the music with Augustus.”
“Shane and I didn’t have any luck last night. We picked up some scents here and there, but so far, the only one that got dusted was the one that attacked Paxton.”
A series of knocks on the door and muffled giggles in the hallway captured her attention. “I called them down here,” Pete said. “I figured you’d want them to meet Doug. We should get introductions out of the way before we head to the Presidium.”
Olivia nodded. “Brace yourself, detective.” Olivia rolled her eyes and went to the door. She tightened her grip on the knob as she leveled an apologetic look to Doug. “Get ready to meet the rest of the coven and your new family.”
Pete rubbed his chin and nodded to Doug. “Welcome to the family, brother.”
The nervous look on Doug’s face almost made Olivia laugh out loud. She tugged the door open to find Sadie, Trixie, and Maya in the doorway waving frantically at Doug. They flew into the room and tackled Doug in a massive group hug. His arms at his side, he looked at Pete for help but got none.
“Give the poor man some space, ladies,” Olivia said more sharply than she intended. The three women peeled themselves off Doug, but Maya lingered on his arm. Olivia’s fangs emerged, and she lifted her lip as she spoke. “Back off, Maya.”
Maya looked immediately contrite, stepped away from Doug, and sidled in between Sadie and Trixie. Doug just gave them a curt nod and an awkward wave before adjusting his coat.
“Great.” Olivia ran both hands through her hair and forced herself to smile. “You already know Maya. After all, it was her little game that started this adventure. Trixie is our other bartender, and Sadie is our DJ. I think you met them, but now you know them, or at least what they are.”
“Hey,” Trixie interrupted. “Why did Pete call us down here and not you? Are you pissed or something? I tried to telepath you earlier, but it was weird, man. It’s like you weren’t there.”
“When was that?” Olivia asked quickly.
“Not long after you got back here with officer hottie,” Trixie said with a wink in Doug’s direction. “I heard you come in, but when you didn’t answer…”
After she turned Doug and did the blood exchange… that’s when it all changed.
“I thought it was just me,” Maya said quietly, avoiding Olivia’s gaze. “I—I tried to talk to you a little while ago, and when you didn’t respond, well, I figured you were still upset with me.”
Olivia’s heart broke when she saw the hurt flicker across Maya’s face. “It’s not because of either of you.” She looked at Doug, who was intently watching all of them. “I’m not sure what’s going on, to be honest. Listen, until we figure things out, if you need something and I’m not here, then you reach out to Pete. Got it?”
The girls nodded and sat on the couch, making themselves at home once again. Sadie scooped up Oreo, and Olivia could hear purring from across the room. Maya lay her head on Trixie’s shoulder and sniffled as Van put his head in her lap.
They were her family. Dogs. Cats. Vampires. What a motley crew. She looked back to Doug and noticed the look of contempt was replaced with curiosity. A step in the right direction.
“What about the waitress and Damien, the bouncer?”
“No,” Olivia said sharply. “Both are human, and as far as I’m concerned they’ll stay that way. I gave Suzie the week off, and Damien will be here during daylight hours as well.” She glanced briefly at Doug. “He knows about us.”
“How nice for him,” Doug said under his breath. “Listen, this little family reunion is warming the cockles of my no-longer-beating-heart, but can we get this freak show on the road? I want to find the creature that killed Tom and then get this shit over with.”
Olivia’s chest tightened. She tried to suppress the rejection she was feeling, but it was no use. He would rather fry in the sun than stay a vampire and be with her. Awesome.
“Agreed.” She turned her attention to the girls. “Maya, you have to come with us and see the czar. We can’t dance around this anymore, kiddo. You’re going to let him, or one of the senators, taste your blood and read your memories in order to prove you didn’t turn the rogue that killed Ronald Davis and started this mess.”
Maya nodded sheepishly but said nothing as she stroked Van’s head. Her uneasiness flickered through the room, and Olivia watched her nibble her lip nervously. Her large blue eyes were filled with fear and tugged at Olivia’s heart. This girl, this youngling vampire, was terrified, and Olivia had been doing nothing to reassure her. Guilt swamped her, and before she knew it, she swept across the room, leaned down from behind the couch, and wrapped Maya’s petite shoulders in a hug.
“It’s going to be alright,” she whispered against Maya’s hair before kissing the top of her head as the girl sobbed quietly. Van whined and snuggled deeper into her lap. “I’m not going to let the czar kill you.” She stood up and squeezed Maya’s shoulder reassuringly as she fought the tears that threatened to come. “I love you, Maya. You are my family, and there’s no way on earth that I’m going to let the czar or his senators hurt you. Understand?”
“Mmm-hmm.” Maya bobbed her head up and down and wiped the tears from her face.
Olivia released Maya and turned her attention to the other girls as she paced from the couch to face them.
“Trixie and Sadie, I want you to stay here. I closed the club for the week, said we were doing renovations, but I want you two on watch. At sundown keep an eye on the per
imeter of the building. If you get wind of the rogue, you telepath to Pete, but you do not take it on yourselves. Is that clear?”
The women nodded. Olivia noticed Doug watching the situation closely and evaluating the other women. Sadie was smart and almost as old as Olivia, but Trixie was still young and had a tendency to be unpredictable, which could cause more trouble. It made her feel better that Sadie would be here to keep an eye on Trixie.
“Okay. I killed the rogue that attacked Doug,” Olivia continued as she tried to regain her bearings, “but I wasn’t able to get the one that killed his partner. It was gone by the time I got there.”
“There are more.” Doug interrupted, and everyone looked at him in surprise as he stalked slowly across the room toward Olivia. “One of these rogues could make another, couldn’t it? I’d bet we’re looking at more than two. The guy that attacked me was definitely one of Moriarty’s boys. He and his crew are missing, and no one has seen them since they left here the other night.”
“Glad to see you thinking like a detective again.” Olivia gave him a nod of approval. “You’re right. Rogue One is still out there, so is the one that killed Brittany. That’s two… at least.”
Silence fell over the room, and Olivia locked eyes with Pete. She didn’t need telepathy to know what he was thinking.
“Shit.” Pete tugged his gloves on. “Whoever is making these rogues is making his own little rogue coven, isn’t he?”
“Most likely,” Olivia said evenly. “If there is a rogue coven being built, then they’re definitely holing up somewhere together. We’ve got to find their nest.”
“So these rogues—” Doug asked slowly. “They are turned by other rogues, and that’s why they’re crazy?”
“Yes.” Olivia nodded. She was relieved that he was asking the right questions and looking to solve the problem. At least it was a step in the right direction, and it gave her some shred of hope. “Well, that, or they’re turned by someone who didn’t do the blood exchange properly by not giving them enough blood. Essentially, they are starved and crazy with hunger… the turn doesn’t go right, and they get stuck in a feeding frenzy state.”
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