Hunting Season (Aurora Sky (16 page)

I raised my eyebrows.

“Would you care for a sip?” he asked.

“No, thanks.” What the hell? He was supposed to do the sipping, not me.

“Oh, right,” he said with a chuckle. “You're not supposed to mix wines. My apologies.” He pulled his eyes off me to glance around the room, after which he set his glass on top of a dresser. He turned back to me, stopping two feet away. “Do you taste as good as you look?”

I lifted my head. “I don't know. Why don't you tell me?”

He grinned. “You're a lot spunkier than the girl in room five.”

“Not everyone can hold their liquor,” I said.

The guy's grin widened. “I happen to enjoy a little conversation over drinks.”

“Lucky you.”

He took a step closer. My body tensed.

“Are you nervous?” he asked.

I turned my head sideways to look him in the eyes. “Actually, I'm bored.”

The man's chest rose. His lips twitched as though unsure of whether to smile or frown. Finally he smiled and said, “Allow me to alleviate your boredom.”

With that, he eased onto the bed and leaned into my neck. I waited for his wet tongue to touch my skin, but he took his sweet time breathing me in. At least he was well-groomed and hygienic opposed to some of the less savory characters I'd had to deal with.

While I was waiting for him to suck on my skin, I didn't notice his hand at my side until he ran it over my breast. I immediately sat up and slapped his hand. “What the hell do you think you're doing?”

He smiled and shrugged. “You're a beautiful woman. Can you blame me?”

Was this how he treated all wine girls? I wanted to spew. Suddenly I didn't mind killing this pervert.

“You're here to taste, not touch,” I snapped.

He held his hands up in mock surrender. “Beg your pardon, darling. I thought you might enjoy a more personal connection.”

Yetch! Was that the fancy term for
groping
? I despised this guy more with every passing second.

“Think again.”

The guy looked side to side and leaned in, whispering as though conspiring with me. “Let's not mention this little misunderstanding to Diederick. I swear I've never done anything like that before. I've never felt drawn to a woman until I saw you. There's this magnetism surrounding you that's nearly impossible to resist.”

Someone hand me my switchblade!
I was ready to stab this sucker myself convulsions be damned. My jaw ached as I ground my teeth together.

The man cleared his throat dramatically. “Let's start over, shall we?”

“Better yet, why don't you shut up and suck my blood already,” I said, turning my neck for emphasis.

“I like talking.”

“This is a tasting.”

Asshole.

His face lit up like this was all a fun game or some kind of foreplay in his sick mind. I was ready to end it.

I scooted closer to him and flashed my first smile before leaning in. “Suck my blood, and I might let you touch the other one.”

When I pulled back, his grin stretched wide.

“I knew I liked you best,” he said.

He wouldn't feel that way in a few seconds. He leaned forward. No more chit-chat. He pressed his tongue against my wound roughly, licked, and swallowed.

His eyebrows jumped. That was the last time he smiled. His body shuddered and jerked from his waist up, as though the poison hadn't worked its way down to his legs quite yet.

He tried reaching for me, but I scooted back as his fingers narrowly missed my leg. Instead, his fingers slid over the satin sheets as he tumbled off the side of the bed onto the floor.

I swung my legs to the ground. Once standing, I folded my arms as I watched him shake on the floor.

My heart held no sympathy for a groper who took advantage of drunk women. I wondered if this was how lives of crime began—this slippery slope of justification.

“You can come out now,” I called, not taking my eyes off my victim.

Although the creeper was convulsing all over the floor, his eyes widened at my booming voice. Jared appeared by my side a moment later.

“What's with the slapping?” he asked.

“That vamp touched me.” I pointed at the man shuddering on the floor.

Jared looked me up and down. “Wearing that dress? Can you blame him?”

“Bite me.”

“Can't, I'd convulse.”

Wouldn't that be a beautiful sight?

Unlike Valerie, Jared didn't lift the dagger for dramatic effect. He jabbed it into the vamp's heart in a quick, succinct motion, much like Giselle's maneuver when she stabbed Valerie.

Like father, like daughter. I shuddered.

There was something soulless about Jared's stance, as though the kill gave him neither pleasure nor pain. As though he could do it a hundred times and feel nothing.

I looked at the vamp's now-lifeless body, feeling nothing other than a nagging sense of doom that with him the last traces of my humanity had died a dark, cold death.

After Mason disposed of the groper, we killed four more vampires. Fortunately, the other four didn't want to touch or talk.

I didn't want to talk, either. I wanted all of this to be over. Until then, I shut my emotions off as much as possible. My mind wandered away, down the mountain to Bootlegger's Cove. To the palace. To Fane.

Everything going on around me was like a bad dream. Nightmare or not, when I woke up in the morning it would be over. That's what I concentrated on most—the over part.

Jared had his timing down to a science, leaving the bathroom almost as soon as my victim experienced his first twitch. He stabbed them quickly. Once finished, he signaled Mason who dragged the bodies out one-by-one like bags of rice. They had something of a factory line going on.

The steps that entered the room next were lighter than any of the previous vampires. I propped myself onto one elbow, suddenly curious.

A woman about twice my age approached the bed. She wore a tunic, slacks, and tortoise shell glasses. Curly brown hair framed her face and touched her shoulder blades.

Well, this wasn't awkward.

She pointed her nose down and stared at me over the rims of her glasses. “Finally, someone who isn't asleep on the job. Oh, but there's a smear of blood on your neck.” She sounded more disgusted than concerned. The woman tapped her chin, frowning at me with disapproval.

Anger rekindled inside my belly. Who did this she-vamp think she was?

“What are you? The tasting police?”

The woman's jaw moved from side to side. “I am a high-paying customer, and I expect my needs to be met.”

“I guarantee you've never tasted blood like mine.”

The woman's pupil's moved when she looked at my neck. She cleared her throat. “I'll be the judge of that. Now lay down.”

I did as she said. Once in place, the woman sat beside me, leaned down, took a quick lick of my neck and sat back up. She moved her lips from side to side as though swishing around wine rather than one lick of blood.

She swallowed. A second later, she dropped to the floor with a thud.

“Well?” I heard Jared ask. “How did she taste?”

I lifted my chin to look at him standing at the foot of the bed. My eyes shifted to the floor where the woman stared wide-eyed through her glasses at the ceiling as wave after wave of spasms overtook her body.

I followed her gaze to the ceiling.

“I've been told I taste like death,” I said to the space overhead.

“I wouldn't know,” Jared answered.

I sat up and swung my legs to the floor.

“Are you AB negative or positive?” I asked.

His eyes latched onto mine before answering abruptly, “Positive.”

A grin spread over my lips. “So you're an informant.”

Jared moved around the bedposts stealthily. As he knelt beside the woman's twitching body, he lifted the dagger.

“No, I'm a killer.”

With that, he plunged the dagger into the woman's heart. I winced, instantly wishing I'd closed my eyes or looked away. Blood seeped through her tunic around the edges of Jared's blade.

Half a dozen vampires in one night. How many more would we have to kill?

Jared pulled his dagger out of the she-vamp's lifeless body. He moved across the room and opened the door. A moment later, Mason entered and made his way to the latest body without comment.

He bent down and hooked his arms under hers. The woman gaped, eyes wide behind her glasses. Mason had her halfway off the floor when a gunshot rang out from what sounded like the next room.

The sound of it blasted through the entire house like a cannon going off. A man screamed.

“What the bloody hell?” Jared roared.

Mason dropped the woman. Her body whacked against the floor.

Apparently, there wasn't any reason to stay quiet any longer.

As Jared and Mason stormed out of the room, I snatched my clutch off the nightstand and followed quickly—just as eager to see what the hell was going on.

We charged down the hallway. The moment we entered the open waiting area, flaming red hair caught my eye.

Hot lava! What the hell was Valerie doing at the lodge?

She'd dressed entirely in black. Not dressy black—as had been requested at the tribute party for Marcus—but ninja black in form-fitting leggings and a halter top. She held a pistol at her side. The barrel pointed down to the ground and the body on the floor.

Levi.

He lay face down, unmoving.

Time froze. Or so it seemed.

My body ceased briefly to function while my thoughts ran wild.

Mason's face contorted in rage. He charged Valerie without bothering to draw a weapon. He might very well have succeeded in taking her down if all that muscle had been bullet proof. Valerie lifted the gun and fired. A second shot rang out. My eardrums screamed in protest.

Mason's body smashed against the floor.

I'd seen so many bodies drop that evening that it was all beginning to splatter together like graphics across the pages of a comic book.

Levi and Mason dead. Alive a minute ago. Dead now.

It didn't quite compute.

Now was not the time to shut down. Damned if I'd let Valerie gun me down, too. Apparently, hurling rocks had only been the beginning. She'd clearly gone insane.

I jumped back into the hallway, out of the line of fire. The whole house felt like it had tilted—the walls slanting irregularly. The hall suddenly stretched a mile long. There was no way out from here.

Valerie had a gun. All I had was a switchblade and lip gloss. We'd learned all kinds of combat skills at boot camp. Knife throwing wasn't one of them.

After the ear splintering gunshots, the following silence magnified the off-kilter space around me.

“I'm not here to kill you, Aurora,” Valerie called out in a sickie sweet voice. “I'm here to kill him.”

12

I emerged slowly from the cover of the hall. Both Valerie's arms were raised, pistol aimed at Jared.

“Jared?” a man's voice called from below stairs.

I expected to hear footsteps running upstairs any second. For his part, Jared remained calm. He had his eyes on Valerie as though she were the one being held at gunpoint, not him.

Jared squared his shoulders. “Everything's fine,” he called back.

I stared at Levi's and Mason's bodies on the floor. Everything was not fine.

“All clear down there?” Jared asked in a booming voice.

“Clear. Do you need us up there?”

Jared shot Valerie a smug smile. “I've got everything under control. Round up your team and head out.”

“Yes, sir.”

In the silence that followed, I heard footsteps below, followed by the slam of a door and engine rumbling to life then fading into the distance. Team two cleared out quick… leaving me behind with Evil Red, Jared, and two dead agents.

“I thought you were going after Henry tonight. What are you doing here?” I asked, still shocked to see Valerie at the lodge.

Valerie lifted her chin. “Why would I go after Henry when I heard Jared would be here?”

I shook my head slightly, still processing what had just happened.

Valerie's eyes narrowed. “You called me back. Unfinished business, remember? I'm here to finish it.”

My chest constricted. That would have been a lot more helpful if the plans hadn't changed. Now I was stuck dealing with a loose cannon.

Jared, who had stopped roughly eight feet away from Valerie, resumed his advance.

Valerie pointed her pistol at Jared's face.

He stopped and smiled. “You can't kill me.”

Valerie smirked. “Why? Because you're a vampire?” Her eyes narrowed. “Watch me.”

Jared took another step.

“I'll do it,” Valerie said. “I shot you before, and I'll shoot you again. I'm on a roll tonight, asshole.”

Jared stopped. “You can't shoot me, because I'm your maker.”

Valerie snorted. “Is that what you call attempted murder?” This time she took a step closer. “Before I put a bullet in you, I want you to beg for forgiveness.”

Jared lifted his chin. “Really, Red? Is that any way to treat the man who gave you everlasting life?”

Valerie lowered the gun a fraction. “What are you talking about?”

I didn't like the conversation's direction one bit. Valerie so did not need to know she was undead. She already acted as though she was indestructible.

“Don't listen to him. He's trying to distract you,” I said.

Valerie's head jerked. Her irises flared when she looked at me. “Shut up, you backstabbing, fang-banging whore.”

My mouth dropped open. Backstabbing? She had me confused with herself. For some reason, her words made Jared smile. Not me.

“You don't give a damn about me or Dante or anyone else—not when you're too busy spreading your skinny legs for Fane Donado even after I warned you to stay away from him.”

Blind rage shot through me like a thunderbolt. My fingers tightened to fists. “Quit making shit up!"

“I saw Fane's car in front of your house again,” Valerie said.

“He came by to talk, and it's none of your damn business anyway.”

More to the point, it wasn't any of Jared's business, and he was listening a little too intently for my liking.

Jared smirked. “Men don't just come by to talk.”

Valerie's forehead wrinkled as she glared and snapped her attention back to him.

“Why are you speaking?” she demanded.

Jared lifted his hands. “Hey, I'm not the one dicking around behind your back.”

Valerie scowled. She'd already killed two agents without a moment's hesitation. I had to defuse the situation before I ended up as another casualty.

Before I could speak, Jared said, “Wake up and smell the blood. You're a vampire. Both of you are, thanks to me.”

Jared's smile was the ugliest I'd ever seen, and all the more so when accompanied by his smug attitude.

“Liar,” Valerie said.

“You know what makes a vampire,” Jared said. “AB positive or negative blood activated by disease. The agency brought you in and shot you up with all kinds of fatal viruses. Put two and two together.”

“I'm a vampire?” Valerie repeated in a faraway voice. Her lashes fluttered. She stared down the hallway as though the walls had suddenly dissolved into an infinite horizon.

“Congratulations, ladies. You get to live forever.” Jared's eyebrows jumped. His shoulders relaxed, and he showed teeth when he smiled as though he'd suddenly turned into some kind of game show host.

And Valerie played right into his hands. Her pistol arm lowered until the gun rested limply at her side.

“No growing old and ugly. I get to stay this way forever.” Her voice rose in excitement.

“Quite the extra perk, isn't it?” Jared jut his chin out. “You've killed two agents, but Melcher doesn't have to know. I'll tell him it was one of Diederick's employees.”

The hell he would. Jared had no right to negotiate.

Valerie lifted the gun slightly, but not high enough to kill. From that angle, she'd be lucky to hit Jared's thigh.

“And why would I continue working for a vampire hunting agency?” she asked.

“Money. Protection. Housing,” Jared fired off quickly.

“I hate my housing situation.”

Jared waved his hand in the air. “I'll have Melcher change it.”

Valerie lowered the gun. “I want my own house. No roommates and no staff members.”

“I can make it happen… if you promise not to kill any more agents.” Jared glanced at Levi's lifeless body. “I was growing fond of Blue Jeans.”

“He drew his weapon first,” Valerie said.

“What's done is done,” Jared said, lifting his head. “It's not as if we can bring him back from the dead.”

“How can I trust you won't report me to Melcher if I let you walk out?” Valerie asked.

Jared stared at Valerie, suddenly all serious. “I give you my word. Consider yourself fortunate because I don't give it often, and I never rescind.”

Jared's word of honor. This was too much.

“He stabbed you! He strangled you!” I said.

Jared waved it off. “I'm required to make it look like an accident.”

“Accident?” I challenged. “You attacked her.” I turned to Valerie. “He attacked you.”

Valerie shot me a cold stare as though I were raining on her parade. “At least I got to keep my organs.”

Jared chuckled. “And I thought I liked Raven best. Ginger takes the lead.”

“Yeah? Well, she can have it so long as you keep your promise to go after Giselle.”

Valerie's eyes narrowed. “That bitch stabbed me. If anyone's going after her it's me.”

“You see?” Jared said, smiling. “We have a common enemy.”

“I want in on the mission to take her down,” Valerie said.

Jared straightened his back. “You already had your chance.”

Valerie walked over to the coffee table and set her gun down. Jared's eyes locked on the weapon, but he was too far to get to it. One wrong move, and Valerie could have it back in her hand in a millisecond.

“Bring me on this mission, and you and I are square,” Valerie said. “I'll continue undercover work—so long as I am compensated to my satisfaction—and I won't retaliate later down the road.”

Jared stared at her, considering a moment. “Very well,” he said. “You, me, and Raven. Together again for one last encore. Think you can get it right this time?”

“She's the one who let the bitch live,” Valerie said, nodding at me.

Jared's eyes narrowed. “And you shot me.”

Valerie glared back. “You stabbed me first.”

Jared's shoulders relaxed. He laughed suddenly. “Like you said, we're square.”

Valerie grabbed her gun. “When do we go after the blonde bitch?”

“It will be better if Melcher never knows you were here tonight. I suggest you complete your original mission.”

Henry. The Palace. Fane.

I did not like the sounds of that one bit. Valerie was way too trigger happy tonight. And I doubted that discovering she was undead would make her any less merciless when it came to Fane.

Jared turned to me. “Raven, call in the cleaners.” The corner of his lips lifted. “Tell them to bring in the whole crew.”

“I didn't bring my phone.” The words tumbled out. I turned quickly to Valerie. “Can I borrow yours?”

Valerie scowled. “Why didn't you bring your own phone?”

I lifted my clutch. “Didn't fit.”

“Why bring that stupid thing at all then?”

“Where else would I store my switchblade? In here?” I leaned forward and pointed between my breasts.

Jared snorted. “You wish.”

I ignored him and kept my focus on Valerie.

She huffed and pulled her phone out of her tight black pant pocket. “I want this right back,” she said, holding it up.

I walked over and snatched it. “Thanks.” I lifted the screen and saw one service bar. Remote locations had their advantages. “Damn, no signal. I'll see if I can get one from outside.”

“You're kidding me,” Valerie said.

“It's the hillside,” I said nonchalantly. “The signal sucks. I'll try from the driveway.”

I started for the staircase, not waiting for an answer. Jared swiftly stepped into my path.

“Don't go calling someone 'just to talk.'” Jared made air quotes.

“The only call I'm making is to the cleaners,” I shot back. “You can check call history after I'm done. Do you want to clean this mess up? Because I certainly don't?”

Jared stepped aside. “Make it quick.”

“Yeah, I want my phone back. Next time bring a bigger purse,” Valerie called after me as I hurried down the stairs.

I rushed through the living room and out the front door. Valerie's red Honda Civic was parked behind Mason's Hummer. I ran over and crouched beside the passenger's rear tire. As soon as I was out of sight, I snapped open my clutch and pulled out the switchblade.

Once the tip of the blade was positioned on the rubber, I pushed in carefully. I only wanted to poke a small hole in the tire, not slash it.

It needed to be enough to flatten her tire, but not too soon. If the tire leaked air too quickly, Valerie could always turn around and grab the keys to one of the many vehicles parked around back.

I'd had good car karma that week.

Here's hoping I was still on a roll.

Once I'd backed away from Valerie's car, I brought up the cleaners on her contact list and lifted the phone above my chin. Now I really did need a signal. Two bars appeared in the screen's upper corner. I pressed “call” just as Jared and Valerie appeared behind me on the front porch.

A soft crackle eventually turned to ringing and a voice answered, “Sal's dry cleaning.”

“This is Agent Sky, and we're going to need your whole crew.”

I ended the call and met Jared's eye.

He spun his key ring around his finger. “Raven, you're with me.”

Jared barreled down the stone stairs without waiting for a response and headed for his vehicle.

Valerie descended and stopped in front of me. She snatched her phone from me. “I'll take that.”

“You're really going to let him walk away?” I asked, more curious than anything else.

“He can get me what I want. He better get me what I want. He owes me for life.” Valerie looked into the distance, a smile spreading across her cheeks.

“That makes you happy?”

It wasn't the reaction I'd had.

“Of course it makes me happy! I'm a vampire. I'll never get old and wrinkly. I get to live forever.”

“For that you're willing to forgive Jared?”

Valerie's eyes narrowed. “If I were you, I'd worry more about earning my forgiveness for what you did with Fane. You better hope he's not at the palace tonight.”