Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) (12 page)

“How
am
I
supposed
to
think
when
you
just
shot
me?”

“So
your
brain’s
in
your
ass
now
is
it?
Figures.”

“Ha-ha.
What
if
we
hand
him
over?”
Rico
asked,
nodding
to
where
Jon
lounged
against
the
wall,
arms
folded.
Jon
had
wiped
the
blood
from
his
face
but
it
was
still
smeared
across
his
broad
chest.
Rico’s
question
didn’t
appear
to
bother
him
in
the
least.

Alex
held
her
breath
as
she
waited
for
Skylar
to
answer
and
only
released
it
when
she
shook
her
head.

“No
deal.
They’re
not
interested.
They
want
you
all
dead.”

“Any
clue
why?”

“They’re
not
saying.
Maybe
they
don’t
even
know.
I’m
guessing
the
order
is
coming
from
up
high.
Aiden
Ross
was
a
founding
member—if
not
a
popular
one.
It
might
just
be
in
reparation
for
Jonny
over
there
killing
him.”

“But
why
kill
us?
We
didn’t
assassinate
Ross.”

“I
said
it
might
be.
But
I
don’t
think
so.
My
guess
is
Jonny
knows
something
they
don’t
want
out.
And
they
probably
suspect
he’s
already
told
us.”

They
swung
around
to
stare
at
the
werewolf.

“The
name’s
Jon,
not
Jonny.
And
it
was
a
job.
I
was
paid
to
kill
some
guy.
I
know
fuck-all
else.”

Janey
appeared
in
the
doorway,
with
Daisy
close
behind
her.
“What’s
happening?”

“We’re
being
attacked
by
the
Collective
and
are
going
to
be
blown
into
pieces
in
five
minutes.”

“Four
now.”

“Wow,”
Janey
said.
She
didn’t
appear
particularly
disturbed.
Alex
had
never
seen
Janey
less
than
totally
poised,
hair
and
makeup
perfect.
Janey
had
red
hair
like
Alex—but
that
was
their
only
similarity.

Janey
lifted
the
scanner
in
her
hand
and
waved
it.
“What
do
you
want
scanned?”

“Him.”
Tannis
pointed
at
Jon,
and
Janey
turned
to
stare.

“Double
wow,”
she
murmured.
Alex
watched
with
narrowed
eyes
as
Janey
sauntered
over
in
her
high
heels,
hips
swaying.
No
one
would
ever
mistake
Janey
for
a
boy.

“What
am
I
looking
for?”
she
asked,
running
the
scanner
over
his
bare
chest.

“Anything
that
could
be
used
to
track
us.
And
take
your
time.
We
have
four
minutes,
after
all.”

“Three.”

Beep.
Beep.
Beep
.

“Got
it,”
Janey
said.
“Turn
around
and
drop
your
pants.”

He
looked
at
her
for
a
moment.
“Just
don’t
ask
me
to
bend
over,
because
I’m
not
going
to
do
it.”

Alex
told
herself
she
should
look
away,
but
somehow
her
eyes
stayed
glued
as
he
undid
the
button
and
turned
around.
He
dropped
his
pants
and
leaned
his
arms
against
the
wall
in
front
of
him.
His
skin
was
smooth
and
golden,
his
ass
firm
above
long,
muscular
legs.

“Nice
butt,”
someone
said.

“Nice
legs.”

“Knife.”
Janey
held
out
a
hand.
Crouching
down
behind
him,
she
ran
her
slender,
scarlet-tipped
fingers
over
his
skin.
Skylar
drew
a
slim
dagger
from
the
weapons
belt
at
her
waist
and
handed
it
over.

“This
might
sting
a
little,”
Janey
murmured.

His
muscles
tensed
visibly,
but
he
didn’t
say
a
word
as
she
sliced
open
the
skin
of
his
left
buttock
and
probed.
After
only
a
second,
the
tracker
popped
out,
small,
about
the
size
of
Alex’s
little
fingertip.
Janey
picked
it
up
and
straightened.

“Get
rid
of
it,”
Tannis
said.

Janey
dropped
it
to
the
floor
and
crushed
it
with
her
shoe
as
Jon
pulled
up
his
pants
and
turned
around.

“So
what’s
the
plan?”
Tannis
asked
Rico.
“You
do
have
a
plan,
don’t
you?”

“Actually,
I
do.”

“Well,
sooner
might
be
better
than
later.
Are
you
going
to
share?”

“I
saw
this
maneuver
in
a
movie
once.
A
long
time
ago.”

“A
movie?”

“An
old
Earth
thing.
Anyway,
this
was
one
of
my
favorites,
and
I’ve
always
wanted
to
try
it.
Strap
yourselves
in
everybody.”

Alex
hurried
to
the
nearest
seat
and
fastened
the
safety
harness,
while
everyone
else
did
the
same.

“So,
the
plan?”
Tannis
asked.

“Wait
and
see.”

“Well,
don’t
make
me
wait
too
long.”

“I
just
need
to
check…Okay,
hold
on
tight
everyone.”
He
hit
the
boosters
and
El
Cazador
shot
forward,
straight
toward
the
star
cruiser,
her
blasters
blazing
shots
at
the
giant
ship.