Illusions (Night Roamers) Book Four (20 page)

“Ethan,” said Faye, walking back into the kitchen, this time nude. “We have to go. Quit goading Godrick.”

The guard stared at Faye’s
perfect curves hungrily while Ethan held back his laughter. Godrick had no idea how truly hideous the real Faye was, both inside and out. All he saw was the illusion and not the grotesque monster lurking inside.

“I’m coming,” replied Ethan, stepping next to her. As they walked out of the kitchen togethe
r, he looked back at Godrick and grinned triumphantly.

Nikki

Fifteen minutes after the two lycan left the ranch, Faye stepped out of the house, and she was not alone.

I gasped.

Son-of-a-bitch…

Two individual
s, who I despised more than anything else in the world, were once again reunited, and from the looks on their faces, pretty happy with themselves.

I hope they end up killing each other
, I thought, seething inside.
Save me the trouble…

Faye,
who was prancing around nude and carrying some kind of designer tote bag, kissed Ethan quickly on the lips, and then transformed herself back into the gargoyle-like creature. She grabbed the sequined tote clumsily with her claws, and leaped into the sky. As I waited to see what Ethan would do next, someone put a hand over my mouth and I heard the click of a gun.

“Don’t move,”
warned the man, a smile in his voice. “Or your brains will look like horseshit.”

I recognized Joe’s voice i
mmediately. I considered piercing his hand with my teeth, but, he had also considered it.

“You bite me, and I’ll yank them out with the pliers that I have in the back of my trunk. That is,
before I blow your head off. Then, I’ll make a necklace out of those pearly whites.”

I sighed.

“Hey, isn’t this Victor’s stepdaughter? Nicole?” asked the other lycan, as Joe pulled me toward the center of the barn.

“I believe it is,” he replied, chuckling. “Which means
that our luck has taken a turn for the better. He’s going to be thrilled when he finds out we’ve found her.”

The other lycan eyed me lewdly
. “Maybe we should take our time in telling him. Have ourselves a little fun first.”

I could feel Joe’s hand stiffen up. “I don’t think he’d like that, Jack. Not one bit.”

“We don’t owe him anything.
You
especially don’t. He killed your brother.”

“Yeah, but Tommy challenged Victor
. Tried to make a fool out him. He was left with no choice but to make an example of the dope. Otherwise, it would have been a sign of weakness.”

“That’s what he told you, but there could have been another w
ay. He wanted to kill Tommy. It was just an excuse.”

Joe was silent.

Jack looked at me and licked his lips. “You know what they say about these female vampires, Joe. They’re like nothing else.”

Joe sniffed my neck.
“I tell you what – if she tastes as good as she smells, it will be worth it.”

Crap
, I thought, my eyes darting around. I knew I had to get out of there. The lycan were both hungry and horny, and they were eyeing me like a two-for-one deal.

“I won’t tell if you won’t,” said Jack.

“I will,” I snapped. “You touch me in any way, and so help me, Victor will know everything. And I’ll also make sure that he knows you purposely tried to deceive him.”

“Then maybe we’ll never admit to finding you,” said Joe, licking my ear.
“We’ll have our way and then make sure that you’re never seen or heard from again.”

“
Believe me, killing her is much harder than it looks,” said a voice from the rafters. “So, I’d give up now and save yourselves the humility of getting your asses handed to you.”

Surprised,
I looked up and my eyes met Ethan’s. “Great, just when I didn’t think this situation could get any worse,” I muttered.

“Never underestimate fate,” he replied, smiling. “She
’s got a twisted sense of humor.”

“Apparently,” I replied, looking away.

“Who’s up there?” shouted Jack, his eyes beginning to glow. “Is that you, Martin?”

“No,
I’m right here,” growled Martin, who was now blocking the doorway, his presence menacing.

“You know, I thought you canines had a better sense of awareness.
I guess I overestimated you guys,” I said, feeling hopeful now that Martin had finally gotten back to me.

“Normally they do,” replied Ethan
, dropping down from the rafters. “But they’re practically humping your leg as it is; you’ve gotten them so riled up.”

“Thanks for that
disturbing image,” I replied, giving him a dirty look.

Joe put the gun back up to my head. “Touch me
, and she dies,” he threatened.

Martin sighed. “Really? You’re really going to do this?
When there’s three of us and only one of you?”

“
Don’t test me,” he snapped, as Jack quickly moved to his side. “If you haven’t noticed – I’ve got the gun and the… girl.”

Tired o
f him manhandling me, I elbowed him as hard as I could in the ribcage, and then shot up into the loft above before he could fire off the gun.

Ethan laughed and clapped his hands together. “That was entertaining. I guess you showed us what kind of badass
es you really are.”

“With the emphasis on ‘asses’,” chuckled Martin.

“Fool,” growled Jack, turning into a golden-brown lycan. He sprang at Martin, who grabbed him by the throat and then slammed him to the ground. He jumped on top of him and began pounding his fist into the lycan’s torso while holding his head down with the other hand.

Joe, who h
ad also turned, leaped in the air toward Ethan. They fell into the hay and I watched as he struggled to keep the lycan’s jagged teeth from getting too close to his face. Even in the darkness I could tell how pale and gaunt Ethan was. Obviously, undernourished.

I sighed and cracked my knuckles.

I suppose…

Even though
I still held a lot of resentment toward him, I jumped on top of Joe’s back and wrapped my arm around his coarse, fur-lined neck. Holding tightly, I tried not to gag. He smelled horrible, even for a lycan.

“Thanks,”
grunted Ethan, before impaling the creature with his fangs.

Joe
tried to fight us both off, but soon lost consciousness. I crawled off of him and checked on Martin, who was scowling down at his blood-stained shirt.

“You okay?” I asked
Martin, staring at Jack, who now looked like the biggest pile of road-kill ever. I turned back to him. “Wow, that didn’t take very long.”

“He
was a pathetic man, but even more so of a lycan. Had no idea how to fight or defend himself. I wonder if Victor has any idea of how weak some of his comrades are,” he replied.

“Where is Duncan?” I asked. “Did you find him?”

“No,” he replied. “I never got the chance. I was going to check on you, when I bumped into Ethan, and then we both heard these pieces of shit talking to you.”

“Is Duncan inside?” I asked Ethan, who pushed the
other lycan away and stood up. The change was incredible. His face was flush and filled in, his eyes sparkled with vitality.

“Yes,” he replied, wiping the blood from his hands onto his jeans, which had seen much better days. He looked at Martin. “Did yo
u try some of that lycan blood? It’s nasty but rejuvenating.”

“No,” he answered. “N
ever had it. Too worried I’d end up howling at the moon.”

“Shit,” said Ethan, running a hand through his dark hair. “Guess I’ll have to invest in some heavy-duty razors
if that’s the case.”

“You’ll be fine,” I replied, walking
toward the door. “I’ve had some and I’m still fuzz-free.”

“Wait – Godrick is still inside,” said Martin.

I froze and turned around. “So, let’s go kick his ass and free Duncan.”

“If you wait a few minutes, he’ll come to you. Godrick is going to bring Duncan out here and kill him.”

I sucked in my breath. “What?”

Ethan walked over to me. “I’ll st
op him before he does anything. I have a bone to pick with that prick.”

“Right,” I answered
, scowling. “Godrick is going to come out here and then you’re
both
going to turn on us.”

His eyes darkened. “Nikki, we need to talk.”

I took a step away from him. “Why don’t you save your conversations for Faye? Or better yet – Victor. Or, maybe Celeste.
You and I
have
nothing
to say to each other.”

“Someone is coming,” whispered Martin.
“Hide.”

We flew up to the rafters just as Godrick pushed Duncan through the barn door.
His face was black and blue and his arms were bound together.

Seething, I prepared to leap down, but Martin grabbed my arm, motioning for me to wait.

“Looky at what we have here,” said Godrick, staring down at the dead lycan. “Someone’s been having a party in the barn. We must have missed the invite.”

Duncan didn’t
respond.

“What – you didn’t think that was funny?” snarled the guard, kicking Duncan
in the stomach, who fell to his knees.

I clenched my jaw and tried breaking free from Martin’s grasp, but he held me firmly.

I blew out a frustrated breath.

“Ethan!” shouted Godrick
, spinning around. “I know you’re in here. I can smell your stench.”

I looked at Ethan
and whispered. “He’s right, you do stink. Shower much?”

Ethan rolled his eyes.

Godrick grunted. “Oh, you have a girl with you? I wonder how Faye would feel about that.”

I smirked at Ethan.

Ignoring me, he flew back down, landing behind Godrick. I watched as he tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, asshole.”

Godrick turned around
and Ethan punched him in the face. The giant Roamer didn’t even flinch. Instead, he laughed. “That’s all you got, pretty boy?”

Scowling,
Ethan pulled his fist back again, but Godrick grabbed his hand and twisted it, bringing him to his knees.

Martin and I looked at each other.

“I’m older and more powerful, kid,” sneered Godrick. “Why do you think she hired me to keep you pieces of shit in line?” He then grabbed Ethan by the front of the shirt and threw him across the barn. “I must say,” he yelled, leaping on top of him. “I thought you’d be a little more of a challenge. I’m disappointed Faye chose such a wimp as her mate.”