Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) (55 page)

Chapter
Fifteen

Jon
stared
at
the
bowl
of
steaming
stew
in
front
of
him,
but
despite
the
gnawing
ache
in
his
belly,
he
couldn’t
bring
himself
to
eat.

They
were
all
present
in
the
galley
for
the
evening
meal.
Well,
all
except
Janey,
who
was
still
working
on
the
money
transfer
codes
they’d
gotten
from
Deke.
The
codes
were
their
only
lead
now.

And
Alex,
who
had
disappeared
as
soon
as
they
had
docked
on
El
Cazador
and
hadn’t
been
seen
since.
He
presumed
she
was
hiding
out
in
her
cabin,
but
from
whom
or
what
he
wasn’t
sure.
She’d
been
distant
on
the
way
back.
But
so
had
he.

Maybe
he
should
take
her
some
food.
The
thought
brought
him
up
short.
In
pack
culture,
the
offering
of
food
had
a
deep
significance.
It
symbolized
the
offering
of
self,
a
formalized
mating
bond.
Many
wolves
paired
for
life,
which
was
a
long
time,
but
always
as
far
as
he
knew
with
other
wolves,
never
with
humans.
He’d
never
come
even
close
to
wanting
to
share
that
sort
of
commitment
with
any
woman,
wolf
or
human.
He’d
been
fond
of
Sarah,
his
wife,
but
theirs
had
been
a
relationship
based
on
friendship
more
than
love.

Now,
he
couldn’t
get
Alex
from
his
mind.
But
he
was
a
killer.
Sometimes
he
killed
for
money
and
sometimes
because
he
wanted
to
kill.
Either
way,
he
was
not
a
good
person,
hadn’t
been
for
a
long
time.

He
had
no
right
to
go
after
Alex,
even
if
she
did
still
want
him,
and
he
was
no
longer
sure
that
was
the
case.

Right
from
the
start,
she’d
been
up
front
about
the
fact
that
she
wanted
his
body,
not
him,
and
in
the
past
that
was
the
exact
sort
of
arrangement
he
liked
best.
Then
she’d
told
him
she
might
be
falling
in
love
with
him.
And
he’d
tried
to
pretend
the
words
meant
nothing,
but
they
loitered
in
his
mind,
waylaying
him
when
he
was
unwary.
Now
he
was
sure
she
must
have
decided
she’d
been
wrong,
and
what
she’d
really
felt
was
grateful
because
he’d
saved
her
from
Bastion.
But
since
then,
he’d
saved
her
from
those
mercs,
so
shouldn’t
she
be
even
more
grateful?

Perhaps
he
should
take
her
some
food—after
all,
he
doubted
she
knew
anything
of
wolf
mating
rituals—and
he
could
suggest
she
show
her
gratitude.
Heat
pooled
in
his
groin,
and
he
shifted
trying
to
ease
the
tightness
in
his
pants.
Maybe
that’s
what
they
both
needed.
A
long,
hot
night
of
sex
to
get
it
out
of
their
system.

But
what
if
she
really
was
falling
in
love
with
him?

Oh
God,
he
wasn’t
ready
for
this.

He
slammed
his
spoon
down,
and
everyone
stopped
talking
and
looked
in
his
direction.

“What’s
up?”
Daisy
asked.

“Nothing.”
He
picked
up
the
spoon
and
forced
himself
to
eat,
though
he
had
no
clue
what
he
was
eating.

The
murmur
of
voices
started
back
up
around
him.
There
was
a
casual
camaraderie
among
the
crew,
a
relaxed
feeling
of
acceptance
that
jarred
on
his
nerves.
Even
Rico,
who
didn’t
actually
eat,
joined
them
for
meals.
It
reminded
him
of
mealtimes
with
the
pack,
when
problems
were
forgotten
for
a
short
while.

Occasionally,
one
of
them
would
glance
in
his
direction
and
frown.
No
doubt,
he
was
casting
a
shadow
on
their
nice,
friendly
little
get-together.

The
truth
was,
he
wasn’t
one
of
them.
He
didn’t
fit
in
here.
Hell,
he
didn’t
fit
in
anywhere.

Christ,
he
was
a
maudlin
bastard.

He
set
his
spoon
down
again
and
pushed
his
chair
back.
Rico
sat
across
from
him,
his
face
close
to
Skylar’s,
and
they
were
whispering
and
giggling
like
two
adolescents.
Revolting.
Rico
looked
up
as
Jon
got
to
his
feet.

For
a
moment,
he
thought
Rico
would
speak.
Maybe
say
something
that
would
lead
to
a
fight,
but
for
once
Jon
didn’t
even
feel
like
a
fight.
What
the
hell
was
wrong
with
him?

In
the
end,
Rico
held
his
gaze,
raised
an
eyebrow,
then
turned
back
to
Skylar.

They
were
probably
glad
to
see
the
back
of
him.

He
couldn’t
believe
the
thought.
Christ,
he
wasn’t
only
maudlin;
he
was
pathetic.

He
turned
to
stalk
out
of
the
room,
almost
colliding
with
Janey
in
the
doorway.

She
was
buzzing
with
energy;
she
must
have
broken
the
codes.
Maybe
this
was
what
he
needed.
Going
after
the
bastard
that
had
got
him
into
this
situation
in
the
first
place.

If
it
wasn’t
for
that
bastard,
he’d
still
be
out
there,
doing
the
job
he
was
best
at.

But
he
knew
that
wasn’t
true.
He’d
already
decided
to
get
out
of
the
assassination
business.
For
a
while,
it
had
suited
his
mood,
but
he’d
long
since
grown
bored
of
the
killing.
Aiden
Ross
had
been
his
last
job.

He’d
been
going
home.
The
pack
lands
were
gone,
but
he
had
enough
credits
to
buy
a
place
big
enough
to
run.
Once
he’d
longed
to
travel
to
the
stars;
now
he
had
a
yearning
to
run
through
the
forests
of
his
homeland.
Maybe
not
forever,
but
for
a
while.

He
followed
Janey
back
into
the
room
and
leaned
against
the
wall,
waiting
to
hear
what
she’d
found.
She
sat
in
the
chair
he’d
vacated.

“Well?”
Tannis
asked.
“Did
you
find
out
who
it
leads
back
to?
Do
we
know
who
set
up
the
assassination?”

“Not
exactly.
Gosh,
I’m
starving.
Is
there
any
food
left?”

Daisy
jumped
up
and
bought
her
a
bowl
of
stew.
Janey
took
a
bite,
eating
quickly
but
with
impeccable
manners.

“Not
exactly?”
Tannis’s
tone
was
grim.

Janey
appeared
unfazed.
She
wiped
her
mouth
and
put
down
her
spoon.
“I
haven’t
got
a
name,
but
I’ve
traced
the
payment
back
to
the
initial
transfer.
I
almost
lost
it—they
were
clever,
they’d
double
ended
the
transaction
with
a
circular
coding
so
it
kept
leading
me
back
to
where
I’d
come
from,
and
there
was
a
trifunctional
reference
replication
sequence—”

“Okay,”
Tannis
interrupted,
“drop
the
techie
stuff
and
give
me
the
good
bits.”

“I
told
you—I’ve
tracked
the
coding
back
to
the
computer
node
that
made
the
initial
transfer.
But
I
can’t
get
any
more
information
from
the
codes.
I
need
to
get
physical
access
to
the
computer.”

“And
that
will
give
you
the
name?”

“I
think
so.”

“Think?”

“Ninety-nine
percent
sure.”

“That’s
good
enough
for
me.
Looks
like
we’re
going
to
visit
your
computer.
Where
is
it?”

For
the
first
time,
Janey
appeared
a
little
discomforted.
“Trakis
Five.”

“Brilliant,”
Tannis
muttered.
“Just
freaking
brilliant.
Trakis
Five—home
to
just
about
all
the
Collective,
not
to
mention
the
freaking
Corps.
We’re
fucked.”

…

Alex
lay
on
the
bed
in
her
small
cabin.
Mogg
balanced
on
her
stomach,
kneading
her
with
sharp
claws.
Her
stomach
rumbled,
and
the
cat
leaped
off
her
in
alarm.
Maybe
she
should
go
get
some
food,
but
she
didn’t
feel
up
to
company.

She
needed
some
time
alone.
Everything
had
changed.

For
the
first
twenty-four
years
of
her
existence,
she’d
lived
with
her
life
intricately
mapped
out
for
her.
Every
day
meticulously
planned.
No
surprises.
And
boredom
had
been
a
constant
companion.

Then
she’d
spent
the
last
three
months
wanting
to
cram
as
much
of
life
as
she
could
into
her
time
of
freedom.
While
always
at
the
back
of
her
mind
was
the
thought
that
time
was
short
and
freedom
was
an
illusion.

Now,
her
whole
life
stretched
out
before
her—filled
with
limitless
possibilities.
Well,
at
least
until
the
Collective
caught
up
with
them
and
blew
them
up.
But
she
trusted
the
captain;
if
anyone
could
get
them
out
of
this,
Tannis
would.

Alex
could
go
anywhere.
Do
anything.
It
was
an
entirely
new
feeling,
and
she
wasn’t
quite
sure
how
to
deal
with
it.

Before,
when
she’d
presumed
she
was
going
back,
she’d
had
a
lengthy
list
of
things
to
do.
Now
that
list
had
dwindled
to
two
items
she
knew
she
wanted.
To
stay
on
El
Cazador
and
to
be
with
Jon.
And
not
just
for
sex.
While
she
still
didn’t
understand
her
feelings
for
him,
and
she
wasn’t
about
to
declare
undying
love
or
anything,
she
did
know
it
went
way
beyond
the
mere
physical.
She
knew
that,
because
she
wanted
to
make
him
happy,
see
him
smile,
banish
the
wariness
from
his
expression
forever.