Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) (30 page)

His
cool
breath
whispered
against
her
throat,
and
she
tried
to
distance
herself,
to
pretend
this
was
happening
to
someone
else.

She
screamed
again
as
his
fangs
pierced
her
skin,
but
more
from
shock. There
was
no
pain,
just
a
rhythmic
tugging
that
pulled
at
places
deep
inside
her.

“Oh
God.
Oh
God.”
As
she
closed
her
eyes
tight,
a
vision
of
Jon
filled
her
mind.
She
latched
onto
the
thought,
tried
to
pretend
it
was
Jon;
he
was
kissing
her
neck,
not
draining
her
lifeblood.

But
Jon’s
touch
would
be
hot,
not
bitterly
cold.

She
didn’t
want
to
die.
Too
late,
she
realized
she
would
do
anything
for
the
chance
to
live.
Now
it
was
just
a
matter
of
how
much
she
would
have
to
endure
before
death
finally
took
her.

Chapter
Eight

Rico
and
Skylar
had
vanished
as
soon
as
they
got
back
to
the
ship.
They’d
been
all
over
each
other
in
the
speeder.
No
prizes
for
guessing
what
they’d
be
up
to
right
at
this
moment.

Jon
didn’t
blame
them.
There
was
a
close
link
between
sex
and
violence, and
a
good
fight
always
made
him
horny
as
hell.
Not
that
there
was
a
lot
he
could
do
about
it
right
now,
so
instead,
he
was
unloading
the
supplies
from
the
speeder,
trying
to
keep
his
mind
off
the
subject
of
sex.
He
didn’t
trust
himself
to
behave
in
a
rational
manner,
so
the
best
thing
he
could
do
was
keep
busy.

“I
can’t
find
Al.”

Janey
stood
in
the
open
doorway,
chewing
on
her
lower
lip,
her
normal
composure
was
gone,
and
fear
flared
inside
him.

“What
do
you
mean?”

“She’s
not
on
the
ship.
We’ve
checked
everywhere.”

His
fists
clenched
at
his
sides.
He’d
known
she
wouldn’t
do
as
she
was
told.
What
had
she
said—she
wanted
some
excitement
before
going
back.
But
even
she
wouldn’t
have
gone
looking
for
excitement
with
a
murderous
vampire.
Would
she?
“Jesus,”
he
muttered,
staring
around
the
enormous
area,
as
if
he
could
will
her
to
appear.

A
hiss
behind
him
made
him
turn.
A
small
black
cat
stood
a
foot
away,
back
arched.
It
hissed
at
him
again.
Cats
never
liked
him.

Janey
frowned.
“It’s
Al’s
cat?”
She
crouched
down.
“Here,
Mogg.”

The
cat
slanted
him
a
green-eyed
glare
then
tiptoed
toward
her.
Janey
picked
him
up
and
stroked
his
head.
“He
must
have
gotten
out,
and
Al
followed
him.”

Jon
had
a
bad
feeling
about
this,
but
he
forced
his
fear
down.
He
needed
to
stay
focused.
Maybe
it
wasn’t
too
late.

“Go
find
Rico,”
he
said
to
Janey.
“Tell
him
Al’s
missing.”

“She’ll
be
all
right
won’t
she?
We
shouldn’t
have
left
her.”

“Just
go,”
he
growled.

When
she’d
disappeared
inside
the
ship,
still
clutching
the
cat,
Jon
turned
and
studied
the
cavern.
Breathing
in
deeply,
he
caught
a
faint
lingering
scent
of
Al.
He
followed
it,
moving
methodically
around
the
room,
until
he
came
to
a
tunnel
where
her
scent
hung
in
the
air
mixed
with
the
musky
stench
of
vampire.

“Fucking
stupid
little
bitch,”
he
snarled.

His
fear
and
fury
rose
in
equal
proportions
as
he
took
off,
racing
down
the
dark
tunnel.
Would
he
be
in
time?
He’d
seen
the
way
the
vampire
had
eyed
Al
earlier.
But
maybe
he
wouldn’t
drain
her.
Not
all
vamps
killed
their
victims.
Then
he
remembered
Rico’s
warning
and
knew
Bastion
would
kill
her.
Hopefully,
not
straightaway.

Why
couldn’t
she
have
left
the
cat?

“Goddamn
fucking
idiot.”

Her
scent
was
stronger
now,
tinged
with
the
faint
odor
of
fresh
blood.
Jon
considered
shifting,
but
he
didn’t
know
what
he
would
find.
Then
a
scream
echoed
down
the
tunnel,
and
he
broke
into
a
dead
run.

Finally,
he
turned
a
last
corner
and
spotted
them.
He
took
in
the
scene
immediately.
Al
appeared
tiny
clutched
against
the
vampire.
She
was
pressed
face
up
against
the
wall.
Her
head
was
back,
her
eyes
closed
as
the
vampire
fed,
but
Jon
couldn’t
tell
if
she
was
conscious.
At
least
she
was
still
alive.
Vamps
didn’t
drink
from
the
dead.

One
pale
hand
gripped
her
hair,
and
Jon
lost
his
tenuous
hold
on
his
control.

Roaring
with
rage,
he
dived
across
the
room,
his
hands
shifting
into
claws
as
he
flew
through
the
air.
The
vampire
didn’t
have
time
to
turn.
Jon’s
claws
dug
into
his
shoulders,
and
he
dragged
him
away
from
Al
and
hurled
him
across
the
room.

Al
crumpled
to
the
floor,
and
Jon
cast
her
a
quick
glance.
Her
shirt
was
torn
open
to
the
waist,
baring
the
vulnerable
curve
of
her
breasts
and
white-hot
fury
scorched
through
his
veins.
But
at
least
he
could
see
the
shallow
rise
and
fall
of
her
chest
as
she
breathed.
She
was
alive.
He
turned
around
just
as
Bastion
launched
himself
across
the
room
and
slammed
into
Jon
hard.
Jon
held
his
ground,
his
fury
giving
him
strength.

His
claws
raked
down
over
the
vampire’s
chest,
sinking
into
the
flesh
while
he
brought
his
knee
up
into
his
groin.
Bastion
groaned
and
doubled
over.
Jon
kicked
him
hard
in
the
face,
reveling
in
the
crunch
of
bone.

The
vampire
fell
back
and
Jon
made
to
follow,
but
Al
moaned,
and
he
turned
instinctively
toward
her.
When
he
looked
back,
Bastion
was
vanishing
down
a
tunnel
opposite.
Christ,
he
was
fast.

He
stared
longingly
after
him
but
shook
his
head
and
went
to
Al,
crouching
down
beside
her.
Her
eyes
were
open
now
but
blank
and
unseeing.
Jon
gave
her
a
quick
examination. Blood
pulsed
from
the
wound
at
her
neck
and
one
full
breast
had
bite
marks
vivid
against
the
pale
skin.
He
swore
softly.

A
sound
behind
him
made
him
whirl
around.
Rico
appeared
from
the
tunnel.
Part
of
Jon
wanted
to
stay
close
to
Al,
but
the
rest
of
him
was
consumed
with
the
need
to
kill
the
bastard
who
had
done
this
to
her.
He
quickly
tugged
Al’s
shirt
together
and
stood
up.
“Look
after
her,”
he
said
and
headed
off
after
the
vampire.

Bastion
was
about
to
die.

…

Alex’s
whole
body
ached.
She
rolled
onto
her
side,
wrapped
her
arms
around
her
middle,
and
tried
to
work
out
what
had
happened.

She
was
still
alive.
That
was
about
all
she
knew.

Jon
had
been
there.
Had
he
saved
her?
As
she
blinked
open
her
eyes,
a
pair
of
tall
black
boots
appeared
in
her
line
of
vision.
Rico
stood
staring
down
at
her,
his
face
expressionless.

When
he
saw
she
was
awake,
he
crouched
down.
Alex
flinched
as
he
reached
out
to
touch
her
but
didn’t
have
the
energy
to
do
anything
more.
He
placed
a
finger
under
her
chin
and
turned
her
head
so
he
could
examine
the
wound
on
her
neck.

It
was
still
bleeding.
She
could
feel
the
slow
trickle
of
blood
down
her
throat.

Rico
picked
her
up
and
straightened
so
he
held
her
against
his
chest.
Alex
struggled.
Logically,
she
didn’t
think
he
meant
her
any
harm,
but
the
reaction
was
instinctive.
His
grip
tightened
as
his
head
lowered
toward
her,
and
she
fought
then,
desperate
to
free
herself
of
his
hold.

“Hold
still,”
Rico
snapped.
“This
will
stop
the
bleeding.”

She
forced
herself
to
remain
still,
while
every
cell
screamed
to
fight
him.
His
tongue
stroked
over
the
wounds,
and
the
sharp
sting
subsided.
When
he
raised
his
head,
his
dark
eyes
were
tinged
with
crimson,
and
she
couldn’t
prevent
the
whimper
that
escaped
her
throat.

“Don’t
look
at
me
like
that,”
he
growled.
“I’m
not
going
to
finish
the
job.
Though
that’s
what
you
deserve.
Come
on.
Let’s
get
back
to
the
ship.”

“Is
she
okay?”
Tannis
asked
as
she
emerged
from
the
tunnel,
breathing
hard.

“She’ll
be
fine.
Though
she
doesn’t
deserve
to
be.
Fucking
imbecile.”

Alex
closed
her
eyes
as
he
carried
her
along
the
dimly
lit
tunnels,
only
opening
them
when
they
were
safely
back
aboard
the
ship.
He
lowered
her
down
onto
a
chair.
Some
of
her
strength
had
returned,
and
she
clutched
the
arms
and
sat
up
straight.