Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) (33 page)

Alex
thought
about
it
for
a
second,
nodded,
and
adjusted
her
wig.
“There’s
time
enough
to
sleep
when
you’re
dead.”

Or
stuck
back
at
the
Abbey.

…

The
image
of
her
tear-drenched
face
was
lodged
firmly
in
his
mind.
Jon
hated
women
who
cried.

He
should
have
left
her
to
the
vampire.
It
wasn’t
his
business,
and
she
meant
nothing
to
him.
But
he
hadn’t
thought.
Just
gone
running
straight
in
there
like
some
fucking
goddamn
hero.

And
what
now?

Like
the
stupid
dick
he
was,
he’d
gone
and
asked
Tannis
how
she
was.
The
snake
woman
had
looked
at
him
as
if
he
was
mad
and
then
informed
him
that
Al
had
gone
shopping.

Shopping
.

She’d
just
had
a
near-death
experience
with
a
crazed
vampire,
and
she’d
gone
shopping
?

Tannis
had
told
him
to
keep
an
eye
out
for
them
and
comm
her
as
soon
as
they
returned.
Apparently,
the
ship
was
fixed
and
ready
to
go.
All
they
needed
was
the
crew.

Rico
had
gotten
back
half
an
hour
ago,
his
expression
blank.

“Is
he
dead?”
Jon
had
asked
when
Rico
made
to
walk
past
him
without
a
word.

Rico
had
nodded
curtly,
and
disappointment
stabbed
Jon
in
the
gut.
He
couldn’t
believe
how
much
he
had
wanted
to
do
the
deed
himself.
But
he
reckoned
it
was
Rico’s
right
as
Bastion’s
sire.
If
it
had
been
one
of
his
wolves,
he
would
have
wanted
to
do
the
job
himself.
Rico
and
Bastion
obviously
had
history,
and
he
guessed
this
had
been
a
long
time
coming.

He
had
a
thought.
“What
was
the
name
of
the
ship
you
left
Earth
on?”

Rico
looked
at
him
with
resignation.
“The
Trakis
Two.”

“And
I’m
guessing
Bastion
was
the
captain
you
changed?”

“Yeah,
and
the
biggest
bloody
mistake
I
ever
made.
Not
that
we
had
much
choice.”

“What
happened?”

“He
kept
eating
the
Chosen
Ones.
He’d
wake
them
up
from
cryo
and
drain
them
dry.”

“And
you
objected
to
that?”

“Hell
yeah—there
was
no
need.
I
put
up
with
him
for
a
hundred
years,
then
I’d
had
enough.
I
stuffed
him
in
cryo—he’s
never
forgiven
me.
Anyway,
it’s
over
now.”
He
looked
around.
“Is
Skylar
on
board?”

“No.
They’ve
gone
shopping.”

“
Shopping
?”
Rico
sounded
suitably
incredulous.
“Who’s
gone
shopping?”

“All
of
them.
Well,
except
the
captain.”

“Al?”

Jon
nodded,
and
Rico
stalked
off
muttering
about
women
under
his
breath.

Jon
was
sitting
on
the
ramp
still
waiting
when
the
speeder
pulled
up
and
spilled
out
its
cargo
of
women.
To
his
annoyance,
he
immediately
searched
for
Al.
And
found
her.

Last
time
he’d
seen
her,
she’d
been
red-eyed
and
blood
stained.
Bruised
and
battered.
And
he
wasn’t
sure
this
was
an
improvement.
Al
was
gone
forever.

Her
hair
was
slicked
back.
Someone
had
covered
the
bruises
on
her
cheeks
and
chin,
though
her
lower
lip
was
still
puffed
and
swollen.
But
her
clothes
were
the
biggest
difference.
She’d
replaced
the
baggy
shirt
and
pants
with
a
pink
jump
suit,
skintight,
molded
to
her
high,
full
breasts—breasts
he’d
seen
naked
only
hours
before—and
her
slender
thighs.
The
pants
tucked
into
boots
that
had
four-inch
heels
and
came
up
to
her
knees.

She
appeared
animated,
chatting
to
Janey
as
they
unloaded
bags
from
the
speeder,
but
the
smile
slid
from
her
face
as
she
caught
sight
of
him
watching
her.

“Pink?”
he
said.

“Hot
pink.”

He
turned
away
and
headed
inside
the
ship,
not
understanding
the
anger
that
pricked
at
him.
Tannis
met
him
in
the
open
doorway.
“Get
on
board.
We’re
out
of
here.”

“What’s
going
on?”
Jon
asked.

“I
guess
someone
knows
we’re
here.
There
are
about
a
hundred
Collective
ships
orbiting
right
above
us.
We’re
leaving.
Now.
And
Rico
wants
everyone
on
the
bridge.”

Jon
followed,
feeling
the
rumble
beneath
his
feet
as
the
engines
fired.
Rico
was
already
seated
in
the
pilot’s
seat
when
Jon
arrived.
He
took
a
chair
across
from
the
vamp
and
strapped
himself
in.
He’d
seen
enough
of
Rico’s
flying
to
know
a
safety
harness
was
a
good
move.
The
notion
stopped
him.
Since
when
had
he
cared
anything
for
his
own
safety?

He’d
never
gone
hunting
for
death,
but
neither
had
he
avoided
it.
Now
he
realized—he
didn’t
want
to
die.

Which
was
a
real
goddamn
pity,
because
right
now,
he
could
see
no
way
they
were
going
to
get
out
of
this
alive.
The
monitor
showed
a
mass
of
small
cruisers
milling
in
the
space
above
Bastion’s
stronghold.
At
least
a
hundred,
maybe
more.
Rico
might
be
the
best
pilot
in
the
universe,
but
there
was
no
way
El
Cazador
could
break
through
that
lot.