Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) (70 page)

Finally,
she
was
quiet
in
his
arms.

“That
was
mind-blowing,”
she
whispered
against
his
skin.

He
didn’t
answer;
he
was
afraid
of
his
words
if
he
started
to
speak.
So
instead,
he
leaned
in
close
and
kissed
her
softly.
He
carried
her
back
to
the
bed
and
lowered
her
to
the
sheets,
kissed
her
again.
He
stared
at
her
for
long
moments
as
he
imprinted
this
last
image
of
her
into
his
memory.

But
there
was
something
she
needed
to
know.
“I
love
you.”

“I’m
glad.”
She
slanted
him
a
sweet
smile.
“I
love
you
too.”

He
stroked
her
hair,
feeling
the
tension
drain
from
her.
She
was
asleep
within
minutes,
and
this
time
she
didn’t
wake
as
he
pulled
away
from
her,
though
he
silently
willed
her
to
open
her
eyes
so
he
could
look
into
them
one
last
time.
He
picked
up
his
clothes
and
left
the
cabin,
the
door
closing
behind
him.

He
dressed
quickly
and
headed
for
his
own
room,
where
he
pulled
on
his
boots.
His
weapons
belt
lay
on
the
table,
but
he’d
hardly
need
that.
Skylar
would
be
waiting
for
him.
He
wasn’t
going
to
think
about
what
was
to
come.

She
was
outside
the
shuttle
having
a
conversation
with
Rico,
their
heads
close
together.
He
paused,
not
wanting
to
interrupt
them
and
waited
for
them
to
finish.
Rico
dragged
her
into
his
arms
and
kissed
her.
It
took
a
considerable
amount
of
time,
and
Jon
was
tapping
his
foot
by
the
time
Rico
stepped
back.

“You
come
back,
you
hear.
I’ve
given
you
a
ring
and
that
means
it’s
forever.”

“I’ll
be
back.”
Skylar
peered
over
his
shoulder
at
Jon
and
nodded.
“We
need
to
go.”

Jon
straightened
and
head
past
Rico
and
into
the
shuttle.
Rico
put
his
hand
on
Jon’s
arm
as
he
passed.

“I’m
sorry
it
ended
this
way.”

“Yeah,
so
am
I.”
He
hesitated
then
put
out
his
hand.
“Thanks
again
for
coming
back
for
me—it
meant
a
lot.”

“As
it
happens
it
was
a
total
waste
of
fucking
time.”
But
Rico
took
his
hand
and
held
it
for
a
moment.
He
let
go
then
pulled
the
silver
flask
from
his
pocket
and
handed
it
to
Jon.
“Here’s
something
to
keep
you
company.
Good
luck.”

Jon
gripped
the
cool
silver
in
his
palm.
“Yeah,
like
luck’s
going
to
help.
Watch
out
for
Alex.”

“I
will.”

He
strapped
himself
into
the
seat
in
the
shuttle,
rested
his
head
against
the
back,
and
closed
his
eyes.
He
didn’t
think
of
what
was
to
come.
Instead,
he
captured
that
last
image
of
Alex.
He
hoped
she’d
get
over
him
fast.

Or
maybe
he
didn’t.
Maybe
he
hoped
she’d
pine
just
a
little.

Finally,
he
slept
as
the
shuttle
carried
him
back
to
Trakis
Five
and
certain
death.

Chapter
Nineteen

Alex
slept
like
a
contented
baby
and
woke
to
the
feeling
that
something
was
very
wrong.

She
tried
to
ignore
the
feeling.
After
all,
Jon
loved
her.
He’d
told
her
so.
She’d
never
really
expected
him
to
get
over
his
fears
to
that
extent,
and
she
should
be
ecstatically
happy.

They
would
get
married,
live
happily
ever
after,
and
have
lots
of
adorable
little
babies
or
puppies
or
whatever
it
was
werewolves
produced.
If
they
produced
anything.

She
sat
up
in
the
empty
bed,
dragging
the
sheet
up
over
her.
Her
skin
was
sensitive,
and
at
the
touch
of
the
material,
a
shiver
of
remembered
pleasure
ran
through
her.

The
first
time
he
had
made
love
to
her
had
been
sweet
and
wonderful,
but
the
last
time
had
been
beyond
anything
she
could
have
imagined.
Full
of
raw,
primal
passion.
Jon
had
made
love
to
her
as
though
she
was
the
only
woman
in
the
world,
and
this
would
be
the
only
time
they
had
together.

She
bit
her
lip
and
searched
the
room
for
some
evidence
that
he
was
still
around,
but
his
clothes
were
gone
from
the
floor.

That
didn’t
mean
anything.
Maybe
he
was
still
in
pain
and
had
gone
to
search
out
some
more
medication.
Glancing
at
the
clock,
she
realized
she’d
only
been
asleep
for
an
hour.
He
couldn’t
be
far
away.

She
showered
and
dressed
quickly,
eager
to
find
him
and
dispel
the
nagging
sense
of
impending
disaster
that
hovered
at
the
edges
of
her
mind.
She’d
feel
better
once
she
saw
him,
touched
him.
At
the
door,
she
hesitated,
then
went
back
and
fastened
her
weapons
belt
around
her
waist.

As
she
approached
the
bridge,
she
heard
raised
voices.

“Shit,
Rico,
you
shouldn’t
have
let
them
go,”
Tannis
said,
and
the
words
deepened
Alex’s
sense
of
unease.

“It
wasn’t
my
decision
to
make,”
Rico’s
voice
was
quieter,
free
of
expression.

“That’s
never
bothered
you
before,”
Tannis
snapped.

Alex
peered
in
through
the
open
doorway,
and
everyone
went
quiet.

She
quickly
searched
the
room
but
could
see
no
sign
of
Jon.
Skylar
was
missing
as
well,
though
Janey
and
Daisy
sat
at
the
far
side
of
the
room.
They
both
looked
away
when
she
tried
to
catch
their
attention,
and
dread
twisted
inside
her.

“Where
is
he?”
Alex
forced
the
words
out.

“Why
not
ask
Rico?”
Tannis
said.

Alex
stepped
closer.
Rico
appeared
pale
beneath
his
olive
skin.
She
licked
her
lips.
“Where’s
Jon?
What
have
you
done
with
him?”

“Shit,
why
does
everyone
always
blame
me?”
Rico
shoved
his
hands
in
his
pockets
but
didn’t
move
away.
He
stood
staring
down
at
her,
an
expression
in
his
eyes
she’d
never
seen
before.
It
took
her
a
moment
to
identify
it.

Pity.

She
didn’t
want
his
pity.
She
wanted
to
know
what
was
going
on.
A
cold,
hard
lump
of
fear
filled
her
stomach
as
she
looked
from
Tannis
to
Rico.

“Tell
her,”
Tannis
said.

Rico
shrugged.
“He’s
given
himself
up
to
the
Collective.”

“What?”

“Skylar
has
taken
him
back
to
Trakis
Five.”

“Why?”
Her
legs
trembled,
and
she
reached
behind
her,
found
the
edge
of
a
chair,
and
sank
down.
“Why
would
she
do
that?”

“Because
Jon
asked
her
to.
It
was
what
he
wanted—the
only
way
he
could
see
to
save
us.”

“Save
me,
you
mean,
don’t
you?
I
don’t
want
to
be
saved
at
this
price.”

“In
a
big
part,
yes.
But
not
only
you.
Jon
knew
this
was
the
only
way
any
of
us
would
survive.”

Alex
wanted
to
rage
and
scream
that
she
didn’t
care
about
the
rest
of
them,
she
only
cared
about
Jon.
But
she
knew
she
didn’t
really
mean
that.
The
crew
of
El
Cazador
had
become
the
family
she’d
never
had.
She’d
known
once
they
accepted
her,
they
would
die
for
her.
That
was
the
way
they
worked.
But
she’d
thought
they
had
accepted
Jon
as
well,
and
they’d
let
him
go.

“He
wanted
you
to
live—that’s
why
he
did
this.”

“You
shouldn’t
have
let
him.
You
should
have
stopped
him.”

For
a
moment,
rage
flashed
across
the
vampire’s
face.

Something
occurred
to
her.
“What
about
Skylar?”

“The
Collective
will
release
her
when
this
is
over.”

“You
mean
when
Jon
is
dead?”

“
Dios
!
Yes,
when
he’s
dead.”

“And
would
you
still
have
let
them
go
if
it
meant
losing
Skylar?”

He
gritted
his
teeth
and
turned
half
away
from
her.
“No.”
The
word
was
quietly
spoken,
but
she
heard
it.

“I’m
going
after
them,”
she
said,
jumping
to
her
feet.

“And
how
do
you
plan
to
get
down
there?”

Alex
bit
her
lip.
She
had
no
clue.
All
she
knew
was
she
couldn’t
sit
here
and
let
them
kill
Jon.
She
shifted
her
hand
to
the
laser
pistol
at
her
belt,
slid
it
from
the
holster,
and
pointed
it
at
the
vampire.
He
was
half
facing
away,
but
at
her
movement,
he
turned.
He
looked
from
the
gun
in
her
hand
to
her
face,
his
own
expressionless.

“Take
me
back,”
she
said.

“Yeah,
you’re
a
coldhearted
killer,
aren’t
you?
You
think
you
can
look
me
in
the
eyes
and
pull
that
trigger?”

Her
finger
tightened.

“For
God’s
sake,
put
the
pistol
away,”
Tannis
snapped.
“You
can’t
kill
him
with
that
thing
anyway.
Unless
you’re
planning
to
kill
me,
instead.”

Despair
swamped
her
at
the
words,
but
her
hand
fell
to
her
side,
and
the
laser
crashed
to
the
floor.
“Take
me
back,”
she
pleaded.
“Drop
me
off
on
the
surface
and
I’ll
find
a
way
to
get
there.
At
least
I
could
be
with
him.
He
won’t
be
alone
when—”

“What?
Maybe
they’ll
let
you
hold
his
hand
while
they
blow
his
head
off?
Do
you
think
that’s
what
he
wants?”

“Shut
up,
Rico,”
Tannis
said.
She
turned
to
Alex.
“Ignore
him—he’s
just
feeling
guilty.
He
knows
he
made
a
mistake,
and
he
can’t
stand
being
wrong.”

“Yeah,
I
seem
to
be
getting
that
a
lot
lately.”

“I
have
to
do
something,”
Alex
said.
“I’m
not
being
reckless
this
time,
but
really,
I
can’t
let
this
happen.”