“You’re no fun at all,” he muttered as he soaped and rinsed himself quickly. When he finished, he leaned in for a last soft and hungry kiss, whispering something against her ear before he pulled away and left her in the shower to finish alone. The words were Irish, so she could pretend she didn’t hear, didn’t know what they meant, but the truth was . . . She didn’t need to know the actual meaning of the words, because it was there in the way he said it, in the soft brush of his lips against her ear, the roll of the syllables off his tongue. He loved her, and it was breaking her heart.
Chapter Twenty
Lucas was just disconnecting a call with Nick when Kathryn finally emerged from the bedroom, looking all rosy and well-satisfied. He credited himself with both of those things. She’d been far from either when he’d wakened earlier this evening. He’d known she was downstairs even before he woke. The blood he’d taken from her over the past few days had sung to him of her presence, letting him feel her sadness and more.
“Feeling better?” he asked unnecessarily.
She crossed to him and cupped his cheek in one hand as she kissed him. “Thanks to you,” she murmured, then stepped back and said, “If I were you, I’d burn that awful mansion to the ground with everything inside it.”
“If it were up to me, I would. But it’s not my decision.”
Kathryn frowned. “I thought since you defeated him—”
“Killed him,” Lucas corrected.
Her lips flattened, but she nodded. “Since you killed him, that everything of his would become yours?”
“If I wanted it, yes, but I don’t. I’ll hold his people safely until a permanent lord emerges.”
“How does that work?”
Lucas lifted a corner of his mouth in a smile. “I’d tell you, Agent Hunter, but then I’d have to kill you.” He moved swiftly, snaking an arm around her waist and tugging her against him. “And I definitely don’t want to kill you, Katie mine. I have much better things to do with that luscious body of yours.”
Kathryn flushed with obvious pleasure and tried to push him away. “Keep your vampire secrets. I don’t care.”
Lucas laughed, giving her firm ass a final caress before letting her go. “We’re going back to South Dakota tonight. And I think that’s where you need to look for your brother.”
She sobered immediately, and he almost regretted reminding her. Almost. Because he knew that more than anything, her brother’s absence haunted her. If Lucas could solve that one problem for her, he’d be happy, but he’d long ago given up believing in happy endings.
“You’re right,” she agreed. “This . . .” She gestured to indicate the Twin Cities, their lights glittering just beyond the big windows. “This was a bad decision on my part. I need to go back to the beginning, to first principles. I’ll start over, reinterview everybody, check every place again. I missed something. I just have to figure out what.”
“I’ll help you,” Lucas assured her. “My people will help you . . .”
“I have to find him, Lucas. One way or the other. If I don’t . . . ” She looked away, mouth tight, fists clenched as she struggled not to shed the tears shining in her blue eyes. “I have to find him,” she whispered, almost to herself.
Lucas put his arms around her and held her gently, like a piece of crystal that would shatter if you held it too tightly. He only hoped Kathryn was tougher than that, because Kurt had searched high and low, in places Kathryn would never have ventured, and he’d found no trace. Daniel Hunter had disappeared into the wind, and Lucas was beginning to think he’d stay that way.
* * * *
The Badlands, South Dakota
Kurt quickened his pace as he neared the BenReifelVisitorCenter. He’d parked his truck in the side lot there earlier, before setting off into the backcountry. He was calling it quits earlier than usual tonight. Lucas and most of the warriors had been out of town. They’d fought and defeated Klemens in his Chicago lair last night and would be coming home later tonight. The club wasn’t open, but there’d be a party of sorts at the house, and Kurt would be there to help keep things in order. Once upon a time he’d have been right there with them in Chicago, but he was a bartender now, a business manager. He might get bored with that eventually, might miss the blood rush of a well-fought battle, but for now he was content with mashing a few vampire heads now and then.
Tonight, he wasn’t mashing anyone’s head. He was looking for Dan. Kathryn Hunter had left town, following Alex Carmichael to Minneapolis. Kurt didn’t believe Alex had anything to do with Dan’s disappearance. The older vamp just didn’t have it in him to do something like that, and why would he have to? He and Dan were business associates, friends even.
No, Kurt was convinced his friend Dan was still here someplace. He didn’t know why he believed it so strongly. It was just a feeling. Maybe it was the blood they’d shared that once out in the backcountry. It wasn’t enough for a real connection. Dan had been more curious than committed to the exchange. But some gut instinct of Kurt’s kept insisting that Dan was near, and Kurt had scoured the town looking for him without success. So, he’d returned to the Badlands, thinking maybe he’d missed something. He was a better than fair tracker and had haunted the wilds of the Badlands every night looking for Dan. Sometimes it was only an hour or two after the bar shut down for the night, other times, when the bar was closed, he’d started at sunset and searched all night.
He paused, pulling back into the shadows as a truck turned off the highway and rolled through the parking lot to the small building used as a sort of office and storage by the rangers. He watched as a familiar figure leaned over to collect a Styrofoam container from the passenger seat, then climbed out of his truck and headed inside, using a key to open the locked door.
Kurt caught the scent of cooked food, and his gaze zeroed in on the Styrofoam container. Kind of late for dinner. Plus . . . he sniffed again. Meat, grilled and going cold, but rare enough that Kurt could still smell the fresh blood. And the man carrying it was a full-fledged vegetarian. Kind of a pain in the ass about it, actually.
Thankful that his truck was out of sight in the unlit parking lot near the visitor center, Kurt gathered the shadows to himself, confident that the desert night would hide him until he wanted to be seen. Once the unexpected visitor had entered the smaller building and closed the door, Kurt glided soundlessly across the parking lot. A sliver of light flashed around the side, and he slipped down that way until he was standing right outside a tiny window. He growled his frustration. The damn window was covered in some type of heavy, black cloth, so he couldn’t see anything. He could hear the meat-toting vegetarian talking to someone, though. And he could smell that steak. Someone responded to the first man.
Kurt froze in recognition. Then he had to fight every instinct as he backed away and dialed a number.
* * * *
Lucas’s cell phone rang as he followed Kathryn into the SUV outside the Rapid City airport. She’d been quiet on the flight home. It worried him on several fronts, not the least of which was that if they failed to find her brother, Kathryn would never recover. But the other thing was the clear sense that she was pulling away from him, or getting ready to pull away, which was the same thing. It was as if she’d decided the end was coming, and she wanted to ease into the separation gently so it wouldn’t tear as badly at her heart. Not to mention what it would do to his.
He checked the caller ID on his cell and frowned. Why would Kurt be calling him?
“Kurt?” he said, answering the call.
“Sire. I’ve found Daniel Hunter.”
Lucas glanced at Kathryn, but she was staring out the window, and, being human, couldn’t hear what Kurt was saying.
“Where?”
“Here, my lord. In the Badlands, near the visitor center.”
Lucas’s thoughts raced as he tried to figure out a way to ask if Daniel was alive or dead without giving away anything to Kathryn, who had now turned her attention from the window and
was half-listening to his conversation.
“In what condition?” he asked finally.
“Alive, my lord. I couldn’t see him, but I heard him speak, and his captor brought him food.”
“And who is that?” Lucas growled.
“Cody Pilarski, my lord. The park ranger. It makes no sense, but that’s what I saw.”
“Where are you now?”
“I’m there, my lord. My first thought was to go in alone, but—”
“No,” Lucas said instantly. “We’ll be there within the hour. Don’t let him leave, but wait for me if you can.”
“Yes, Sire.”
Lucas disconnected and dropped a casual arm over Kathryn’s shoulder, pulling her closer. “Mason,” he said to the vampire behind the wheel of the SUV. “We’re going to the visitor center in the BadlandsNational Park. Do you know where it is?”
“Yes, my lord,” Mason responded in a slightly puzzled voice.
“Nick, I want four of our fighters with us. The rest can go to the ranch house.”
“Yes, my lord, might I ask—”
Kathryn was staring at him now. Lucas turned his head to meet her gaze and said, “Kurt’s found Daniel. We’re going to go get him.”
* * * *
Lucas had argued for her to stay in the truck. Like that was going to happen. Kathryn pulled her duffle out of the back of Lucas’s SUV and retrieved her Glock 23, checking the magazine and working the slide to verify it was hot with one in the pipe. She clipped it to her service belt, along with her mini-Maglite, then grabbed a scrunchy and tied her hair back, twisting it into a low knot to keep it out of her way. The last thing she grabbed was her FBI ID. Whoever was in there was going into custody. There’d be no bodies in the desert this time. This might be Lucas’s territory, and she was more than grateful that Kurt had located Daniel when she had failed, but this was not vampire justice time. She was fairly certain a case like this would be bumped to at least the county level, but Sheriff Sutcliffe would be the one making the formal arrest. She’d call him herself once this guy Pilarski was in custody, and she’d kick herself later for not following up and interviewing Pilarski herself. Right now, she was going to get her brother back.
Lucas gave her a disapproving look as she joined the big vampire confab, but she ignored him. They were parked just down the road from the visitor center. The desert was nearly pitch-black, with only a little bit of moonlight to see by. The vamps could probably see just fine, but she couldn’t make out anything a few feet away. She didn’t switch on her flashlight, though. All she needed was for Pilarski to glance out a window, see her light and panic.
“There’s a small room near the back,” Kurt was saying, “along the right side of the building. It’s mostly scruff back in there, and the window’s covered up with a blanket or something, but you can tell when the light goes on.”
“Is Pilarski still inside?” Kathryn asked him.
Kurt nodded. “I’ve been watching ever since I called you. His truck’s the one without the logo. They’re not allowed to drive park vehicles for personal use, and that building he’s in is supposed to be storage. There’re a couple meeting rooms inside, but they don’t get much use this time of year.”
“What about the back room?”
“If it’s the one I think, it’s not much more than a storage closet.”
Kathryn turned to Lucas. “So what’s the plan?” she asked. That was her brother in there, but these were Lucas’s people.
Lucas gave her a dry look of acknowledgment and addressed his lieutenant. “Nick, you take the others and circle the building. I don’t want him escaping out a window. Kurt, you’ll knock on the door. He knows you, knows you hang around the park at night, so it won’t trigger his suspicion right away. Get him to walk you farther into the building, and Kathryn and I will come in behind you. I want to know how many are in there before we make a move. If it’s just Pilarski, you take him out, and we’ll get Daniel.”
“Take him out nonlethally,” Kathryn clarified. “I want him arrested and charged.”
As one, the vampires all turned to look at her.
“What?” she demanded. “He’s human, and kidnapping isn’t a hanging offense. He’ll go to jail.”
“And do it again when he gets out,” Lucas commented.
“You don’t know that. We don’t even know why he did it this time. Besides, that’s up to the courts, and I’m sworn to uphold the law, whether I agree with it or not.”
Lucas rolled his eyes in disgust. “As you wish. Nick, go. Kurt, you’re with me and Debbie-Do-Right here.”
Kathryn punched his arm, but he just laughed. Bastard vampire probably hadn’t even felt it.
It took only a few minutes for everyone to get into position. Kathryn marveled again at the vampires’ speed and stealth. It was too bad they weren’t willing to hire themselves out to law enforcement, because just offhand she could think of a half dozen situations where their talents would come in handy. Did vampire big shots like Lucas forbid vampire involvement in law enforcement? Or was it just a matter of mutual distrust? She made a note to herself to check with Lucas. Later. First, Daniel.
Kurt climbed the concrete steps and knocked on the screen door. The initial response was silence, but after Kurt knocked again, Lucas leaned in to whisper in her ear that someone was approaching the door.
The door barely cracked open at first, then went wider as Pilarski recognized his visitor.
“Kurt,” he said in obvious surprise. “What’s up, dude? It’s late.”
“Yeah, it is,” Kurt agreed pleasantly, “but I saw your truck and wanted to be sure everything was cool with you. You need a ride somewhere?”
“Oh, no, man. I’m just catching up on some stuff. You know the government, nothing but paperwork.”
Kurt laughed. “Someone needs to welcome them to the computer age. Mind if I come in?”
“What? Um. I’m not supposed to really—”
Kurt didn’t wait for an invitation. He pulled the door open and stepped inside, forcing Pilarski to move or be knocked back.
“Well, okay, I guess for a minute, it’s okay,” Pilarski hedged. “You want some tea or . . . Oh, fuck. Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Yo, Cody,” Kurt said easily. “Is that meat I smell? You been holding out on us all this time? Sneaking a burger late at night?”
“No!” he protested as they walked deeper into the building, their voices falling away. “I don’t—”
Kathryn missed whatever it was Pilarski didn’t do, because Lucas was on the move, leaping up onto the step in a single graceful bound and pulling her effortlessly behind him. He went through the door first, completely silent, no more than a shadow among shadows. Kathryn pulled her weapon and followed, keenly aware of the noise she was making in contrast. Her footsteps were like an elephant over gravel, and her careful breathing sounded like puffing bellows. She glanced around and saw that Lucas was already down the hall, gliding toward a lit doorway where Kurt and Pilarski seemed to have turned off. She heard the slide of a tea kettle on the stove and figured it must be a kitchen or break room.
“I didn’t know vampires drank tea,” Pilarski was saying to Kurt.
Kurt was standing in the doorway, leaning to one side. As they approached, he pointed to a doorway farther down the unlit hallway. “Sure, we do,” he said casually, and straightened to stand in the center of the doorway, effectively blocking Pilarski’s view as Lucas and Kathryn slipped past.
The door Kurt directed them to was at the very end of the hall. Lucas was already testing the knob when Kathryn came up next to him, but it was locked with a keyed deadbolt, and there was no key in sight. Lucas glanced over her shoulder toward the kitchen, where the tea kettle was now beginning to whistle fitfully, then he shrugged and kicked the door open.
The smell hit her first. She nearly fell to her knees in grief before she recognized it for what it was. Not death, not a decaying body, but human waste, dirt and rotting foo
d. That bastard!
“Daniel!” she called. It was too dark. She holstered the Glock and pulled her flashlight instead, shining it around the room until she found a bundle of clothes on a cot in the corner.
“Lucas, I can’t see a damn thing,” she called as she rushed forward, her light leading the way. A greasy, yellow fixture came on overhead just as she reached the cot, and she saw her brother pressed against the corner, his face pale beneath the filth, his blue eyes, so much like her own, staring back at her in disbelief.
“Kat?” he half-whispered.
She reached out for him, but he pushed back against the wall, holding out a hand to stop her. “Don’t,” he said urgently. “I’m disgusting.”
“You’re not,” she said through her tears. She flicked off her light and crouched in front of her brother. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
There was a brief flash of his trademark smile as he said, “I’m not. But I will be. Just get me the fuck out of here, Kat.”
Lucas was standing in the wrecked doorway, muttering into his cell phone. Probably calling back Nick and the guys, since the enemy in this case consisted of a lone park ranger. An obviously unbalanced park ranger, but no one they couldn’t handle. The vampire lord stepped back, and Kurt appeared in the doorway.
“Hey,” he said, his eyes meeting Dan’s. “You need a shower, man.”
Dan laughed, his eyes filling with tears. “That’s what I’ve been saying.”
Kurt crossed the room in three long strides and did what her brother hadn’t permitted her to do. He wrapped his arms around Daniel, filth and all, and Dan clung to the big vampire, his shoulders shaking as he cried silent tears of relief. Kurt pulled the blanket away with one hand, saw the metal cuff around Dan’s ankle and snapped the chain with an angry growl. Then he looked up and met Kathryn’s gaze.
“I’d like to get him cleaned up, if that’s okay with you.”
Kathryn nodded silently, and Kurt started to help her brother to stand, but at the last minute Dan scrabbled for something under the blankets and came up with a camera.
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