Havenfall Harbor: Book One

by Albany Walker

  There are some hushed gasps and sounds of appreciation from the crowd, but we both ignore it. No one here would risk their lives to get at the powerful blood spilled on the ground, his or mine. Once we’re gone, some of the baby blooded vamps who don’t have full control might come to see if there’s anything left worth consuming, but not now.

  Just as I get ready to strike again, Evan’s phone chirps. I know he’s going to look down, he takes his job way too seriously not to check. He also knows that I know, so he slams his palm forward and hits me right in the center of my chest to stave off any attack. His eyes narrow, then he reaches for the phone. “Yeah?”

  I kick him in the knee and thigh in quick succession as I’m coming back. I am distracted, I can’t believe he got that hit in on me. Evan drops his arms and blocks my next blow. “No, what do you need?” The next few seconds are filled with him trying to block me while holding the phone to his ear.

  “I need ten minutes, meet me in the gym?”

  “Now who’s distracted?” I get a good hit to his cheek and eye, causing him to drop the phone.

  Evan looks down as if he can’t believe he dropped it. His eyes rise to meet mine. “We got eight minutes. Let’s make them count.”

  Curiosity piqued, I ask, “What was that about?”

  “Not sure.” He shrugs and brings his hands up again.

  “Had to be something big, you never answered a call before, or cut this short.” I wave my hand between us, happy that no one is close enough to hear our words.

  Evan tilts his head back, lifting his chin. “It was Ms. Shaw, wants to talk in person.”

  I drop my arms. “Quinn?” My voice sounds funny, even to my own ears.

  “Yeah, you know anything about why she wants to see me?” Evan lowers his fists.

  “No, I was in her office half an hour ago. What are you thinking?” The thrill of the fight dwindles as Quinn’s face fills my head again. I still don’t know who put the dead pig in her room, not very creative, but still fucked up. If someone does some stupid shit like that again, I’m going to spill a little blood to get some answers.

  “Same as you, probably. I asked her today if she’s had any issues and she said no, but she seemed hesitant about it. You think someone is fucking with her?” Evan moves a little closer, our words low enough to be near a whisper. “When did you talk to her?” he questions me, seemingly very interested in my answer.

  “After lunch.” I bend down and swipe my discarded shirt and jacket from the bench. I didn’t even bother changing out of my suit. I look down at my slacks and see the scuffs on the knees, garbage.

  When I look up, Evan has his arms crossed over his barrel chest and he’s eying me. “What are you doing?” he inquires.

  “Getting dressed, maybe you should too.” I motion to his bare torso.

  “I can see that,” Evan deadpans. “But what are you really doing?” I have to clench my teeth to keep myself from barking at him for his implied tone. He raises his hands in surrender. I must not do a very good job concealing how I feel about the question.

  “I’m not trying to be a dick here. I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing,” Evan tells me.

  “Are you sure that’s all it is? You were sure ready to answer her call quickly,” I retort quickly, avoiding answering his question. Evan knows my history and why I never mess with human women.

  “No shit, I answered the call. I’m not the one with the human issue. I should have known something was going on with you though.” Evan drops his heavy hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “You’ve been strung tighter than a drum since she arrived. It’s been a while since you had fresh human blood.”

  I shrug off his hand and start walking to the changing rooms. He has no idea how long it’s been. Every muscle in my body is tight. He thinks I want her for her blood, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t call to me, but it’s more than that.

  I want to tell him to go ahead and have her, he’d be much better for her than I would be anyway. But I can’t force the words out of my mouth.

  I feel the ground vibrate as Evan jogs over to my side. Fucking bear, he weighs a ton, even when he’s not shifted.

  The double doors to the hall open and I see an unsure Quinn looking around. “I think we’re in trouble,” Evan mutters under his breath and his chest expands. I know he’s scenting her. I know it because I’m doing the same fucking thing.

  As soon as her eyes find me, they narrow. The unsure woman from moments ago is gone. She stomps across the mats and pushes right up into my space. My eyes are glued to her the entire time. I feel the tip of her nail as she pokes it into my chest. Quinn’s scent blooms with the steady thrum of her heartbeat.

  “It’s your fault I can’t get an appointment, isn’t it?” The adrenaline from sparring with Evan and realizing my best friend wants the same woman I do is still filling my veins, making it hard not to swoop forward and seal my mouth to hers.

  “Gym’s closed, out,” Evan hollers.

  The scurry of feet and hum of whispers doesn’t stop me from leaning forward and growling, “Yes,” which pisses Quinn off even more if the tightening around her mouth and glare are any indication.

  Instead of rising to the bait, she takes one step back from me and closes her eyes, blowing out a deep breath in the process. When she opens them again, I can still see the anger brimming under the surface, but she fights hard not to let it show. “I get it, you don’t like me, probably don’t trust me, you or Letty, and that’s fine, but not when it stops me from doing my job. I’m here for one thing.” She jerks her arm out, pointing it behind her. “Those kids. I want something better for them than this.” She can’t keep the small sneer from her words. “I won’t give up, Griffin, I’m not walking away because of your games.” Quinn turns then, facing Evan instead. Shutting me out now that she said her piece.

  “My apologies, Mr. Winters. If you still have a few moments, I could really use your help.”

  My eyes are still glued to Quinn, but I see Evan’s head nod as he stares down at her.

  Evan

  The moment the doors to the gym open, I know it’s her. Griff turns at the exact same moment I do, as if he knew it was her too. “I think we’re in trouble,” is what I say, but I’m feeling so much more. I acted like I thought Griff just wanted her blood, but I know better. He hasn’t reacted to a woman like he is now during this lifetime.

  “Oh, shit,” I mutter when I see Quinn’s face go from pliant to enraged the moment she sees my best friend. What the fuck has he done, and why do I want to punch him in the face for making her look like that? It’s not too surprising, though, since Griff can be a right asshole.

  Quinn prowls across the floor, her target in her sights. Not an ounce of fear is mingled in her scent, the bitter tinge of anger is strong though.

  “Gym’s closed, out!” The rigidness in Griff’s shoulders eases when her finger touches his chest, which is surprising, he doesn’t let anyone touch him. I watch as his mouth parts so he can catch a deeper breath. He’s a fucking vampire and barely even need to breathe, but he’s damn near panting now.

  I take note that she mentions Letty and I feel pressure build in my ears. What the fuck does she have to do with this? I’m still pissed at her for leaving Quinn to walk up to the main building.

  Quinn snaps her lips closed and pivots so she’s facing me after scolding my best friend. “My apologies, Mr. Winters. If you still have a few moments, I could really use your help.” Her about-face and complete change of demeanor catches me off guard.

  “What can I do?” Quinn blinks a few times and her eyes move over my bare chest, then to the area around me. I catch her stealing a quick glance at Griff from the corner of her eye too.

  “Quick and dirty, I need help getting a student’s sibling brought to Havenfall and I don’t know how to do it.”

  “I can do quick and dirty,” I quip, but I’m not really thinking about it the way she meant it. “You have a name and loca
tion?”

  “Jacob Masters, he’s twelve and lives in Ladue, Missouri,” Quinn supplies quickly.

  “What’s the urgency?” Surprisingly, Griff keeps his tone calm. I bet he doesn’t know which way is up right now. I’ve never seen anyone, human or supe, talk to him the way Quinn just did.

  Quinn manages to reply just as evenly. “His sister Riley was brought here for stealing food, I’m pretty sure she’s the one that’s been taking care of him. And if she’s here…”

  “She’s the girl from your office?” Griff concludes gruffly. “How long has she been here?”

  “Almost three weeks.” Quinn glances between Griff and me. “So, you see the urgency.” All the anger she was feeling after seeing Griff is slowly wafting away, replaced with the acidic smell of anxiety. She’s really concerned about this kid.

  “Why didn’t she come to someone sooner?” I ask, while Griff moves his shirt and jacket from arm to arm, searching the pockets.

  “She said she didn’t know who to talk to, but she also admitted to me that before she got sent here, she didn’t know anything about Havenfall. They didn’t know there was help out there for them.”

  A heavy weight lands firmly on my shoulders. I’ve been working with Griff for what feels like forever, and we’re still not making a big enough difference. Sure, now that supes are out in the open all the kids that used to get thrown into the human system get sent here, and places like it, but somedays it feels like we’re barely making a dent. Half the supernatural population lives as if we’re still hiding our existence from humans.

  “I need my schedule cleared for the day and I need Max ready to head out in two hours. Will that be enough time for you to get ready?” Griffin directs the latter question to Quinn while still holding the phone to his ear.

  “Me? I’m going?” Quinn looks around.

  “Yes,” he affirms.

  “Um, yeah, I can do that.” Quinn sounds a little unsure, but nods her head.

  “Looks like your plans for Bakersville will be put on hold,” I tell Quinn, while Griff finishes his phone conversation rather abruptly.

  “Yeah, thanks for reminding me. I’ll need to tell Alice. I’m not sure why I’m going.” She adds the last part in a near whisper.

  “That’s part of the reason I came to see you this afternoon. I wanted to talk to you about pickups. We often have to deal with the human authorities. As our human liaison, I think it would be beneficial to have you along,” Griff explains reasonably after ending his call. I knew he was listening to us no matter how quietly she spoke.

  “That makes sense. Will someone be accompanying me? I want to make sure the kids are comfortable too,” Quinn states.

  “I will.” Griff slides his phone into his pants pocket.

  “We will.” I stare over Quinn’s head to gauge my best friend’s response. I know for a fact he doesn’t do pickups. Unless it’s a special circumstance, but it sounds like he’s having a change of heart, so I might as well tag along with them.

  Griff meets my eyes with Quinn standing between us. For a second, I wonder if this will be the moment where things change between us. He blinks and exhales out his nose. “Be ready in two hours,” he tells me. “Quinn, find out if the kid has a picture of her brother. We need to know who we’re looking for.”

  “Riley,” she corrects Griff. “Should she come along? She might know where to find him.”

  Griff takes a minute to mull over her question. “No, not this time. There’s no telling if we’ll find this kid and what kind of shape he’ll be in if we do. I don’t want the sister running off if this goes bad.”

  “Okay, I’ll see what she can tell me about where they were staying and any likely places we might find him.” Quinn pivots and exits the same way she came in, her pace just as rushed, but for a whole new reason.

  I find myself still watching the door once she’s gone. “You don’t usually go on transfers.”

  “Neither do you,” Griff counters.

  “Something tells me this one is going to be interesting.”

  Chapter 10

  Quinn

  I tug on a pair of dark jeans. The black slacks and blouse I put on this morning seem a bit too formal. We’re headed to a small Midwest town, after all.

  I look at the oversized purse on my bed and the few pieces of clothing I pulled out. I should have asked how long we’d be gone. I didn’t even cancel my appointments for tomorrow. When I explained to Alice why I wouldn’t be able to join her tonight, she didn’t seem too upset. She appeared to be worried about Jacob also. Right before we said our goodbyes, she wished me a safe flight, but before that I didn’t even think to ask how we’d be traveling the seven hundred miles to Missouri. My stomach tightens at the thought of being on a plane.

  I glance at the clock and then hastily shove two pairs of panties and two shirts deep into my bag. I’d rather have them than not if we need to stay overnight. I leave the pants on the bed, I can wear my jeans for a couple days without any issue, that’s when they get comfortable anyway.

  My phone dings, alerting me to a text message. Only a number pops up, no name.

  Unknown: We’re in the front lobby when you’re ready.

  I assume it’s Griffin or Evan. I type back quickly.

  Me: Heading down now.

  I take one last look around before shutting off my lights and making sure the door is locked. I don’t bother waiting on the elevator, instead opting for the stairs.

  Griffin and Evan are both standing near the front desk. The same guy who brought Wes my keys the day I arrived is seated behind it.

  All heads are already trained in my direction when I round the corner. My steps slow as the weight of their stares land on me. I tug my bag higher on my shoulder. Peter, or Paul, I can’t remember his name, is the first to look away.

  “Ready?” Evan asks. His long hair is pulled into a low ponytail that falls down his back. He scans me with his dark gaze, so I let myself take a better look at him. Evan is probably one of the biggest men I’ve ever met up close. He’s easily a foot taller than me and probably over two hundred and fifty pounds. The short-sleeved, black button up shirt is fitted around his torso and over his arms, showing off his physique, but it’s not so tight that it looks like he can’t move or that he’s trying to show off…and damn, he wears it well.

  I purposefully keep my eyes off Griffin. He’s too damn confusing to deal with. “All set.”

  I’ve been ignoring the little nervous butterflies in my stomach since Alice mentioned flying. Flying is not my favorite thing to do. But I really don’t like small planes. I’ve only been on one once. After a stop in Atlanta, they put us on a small plane to fly to our airport in Mississippi. I thought it was strange to have a layover so close to our destination, but the airport was too small to take large, commercial planes. I ended up renting a car and driving back to Atlanta to avoid flying on the little plane again. I hated it so much.

  “Max is waiting,” Griffin says, pulling me from my thoughts as he walks over to the heavy door and holds it open, allowing me and Evan to pass before him.

  There’s an SUV at the bottom of the stone steps waiting for us. Evan bounces down the stairs quickly and gets into the driver’s seat. As I take my first step down, Griffin is right next to me. His hands are loose at his sides while I run my fingertips over the rough stone wall to keep my balance as we descend.

  “Is the airport far?” I find myself asking, as I get closer to the vehicle. My heart feels like it’s beating triple time, and it’s not from the exertion of taking the stairs.

  “We have a landing strip near the back of the property,” Griffin informs me, while opening the rear passenger door for me. I slide in, holding my bag close to my body. Griffin closes the door before getting into the passenger seat. “Are you a nervous flyer?”

  “I thought I was doing a good job hiding it.” I give a small chuckle.

  “I can hear your heart thundering,” Griffin mutters lowly.
<
br />   “Max is a great pilot.” Evan looks into the rearview mirror and catches my eye.

  “It’s really only small planes that bother me,” I confess, watching out my window as we drive around Havenfall. The property out back looks just as extensive as the front. “How big is the estate?” I’d really rather think about anything other than the plane I’m about to get on. The good news is the flight should only be about two hours, silver lining, right?

  “Just under five square miles,” Evan answers as a large, white and blue outbuilding comes into view.

  “Wow,” I breathe. It looks like it could hold several small planes. As we drive around the side, I see rows of runway lights, bright enough that they can been seen during the day. The small plane parked near the entrance of the runway steals my focus. The door is already open, revealing the stairs.

  Griffin is the first to get out. He opens my door and reaches his hand in, placing it over mine. “You don’t have to come, Quinn.” My eyes leave the plane and land on Griffin’s.

  “I wish I would have brought a Xanax,” I mutter.

  The car shuts off and Evan twists in his seat, drawing my attention. His eyes are trained on my leg where Griffin’s hand is still lying over mine. I tug my fingers free and tuck my hair behind my ear.

  “Griff and I can go, you can return to the school,” Evan offers.

  I indulge in the thought of going back, of not getting on the plane, but I dismiss it quickly. “No. This is part of my job. It probably won’t be so bad. It’s only a couple of hours.” My sentences are short, but so is my breathing. Griffin steps back and I slide my legs out of the SUV. Sweat is dappling my upper lip and lower back, making my shirt cling to me.

  A tall, lanky man comes out from behind the plane. “Flight plan is logged, we’re good to go,” he announces.