Stake and Dust (Stake and Dust series, Book I) (11 page)

Cassandra cursed softly. "Then what do we do
with him?" She waved her hand at the vamp. "We can't let him
go."

"Sure you can," the vamp said. "I won't—"

"Shut up!" Both Tremayne and Cassandra said
at the same time. Gunthorn thankfully canned it.

"We'll have to hold him," Tremayne said. "I
know someone who will help us out."

"Who?" she asked, not bothering to hide her
suspicion.

"Someone who would prefer to remain
anonymous."

She too had confidants who would only work
with her and her alone.

"Trust me," Tremayne said and held her
gaze.

Finally, she nodded. "Make the arrangements."
She glanced at the vamp and had the urge to wipe that smug look off
his face. "And quickly before I change my mind and screw this
investigation by offing this bastard." She turned away, intent on
going topside.

"Dammit," Tremayne cursed.

She whirled around as Tremayne flew into her,
knocking them both to the floor. They scrambled to untangle
themselves, but it proved too late, Gunthorn had flitted and made
his escape.

Cassandra stood and ran to the door, but she
already knew Gunthorn was gone. She looked back to see Tremayne
holding the cuffs. There was a safety pin stuck in the keyhole.

"Apparently, our friend knows how to pick
locks," he said.

"He's going to warn Lorelei," she said with
her hands on her hips.

"Not necessarily," Tremayne said and she
looked at him. "He's hurt and his hunting ground has been
discovered," he explained. "He'll run and hide for now. I don't
think he'll risk skipping town or warning Lorelei about his
compromised condition for fear she might retaliate and end his
life." He inclined his head toward the cabinet filled with
Gunthorn's mementoes. "And he'll want his trophies."

"Why would he risk coming back for
those?"

Tremayne strode over to the cabinet and
opened the door wider. "He has a large collection. Years of
collecting. I'd wager he takes these wherever he settles."

She shook her head, disgusted at the prospect
of this vamp taking out more innocent people because they had
underestimated him. "So how do we keep watch on this place and go
after Lorelei? I'd suggest splitting up, but I have a hunch taking
down Lorelei won't be easy."

"No," he agreed. "But the person I mentioned
before can watch this place and be on the lookout for Gunthorn. The
vamp will be looking for us, but he won't suspect the bloke I have
in mind to stand guard."

She shook her head. "We can't just bring in
anyone. This is a vamp who kills for the fun of it."

"Don't worry. This guy can hold his own…" he
cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head, appearing
sheepish as he said, "He's a vampire, too."

She threw up her hands with a harrumph. "Are
you kidding me?"

"Listen, he's on the up and up. He'll help me
out and he'll make the call to the GOJ once Gunthorn steps foot on
the boat. They'll handle this vamp." When she didn't answer, he
added, "You know I'm right."

She stared at him in disbelief. This hunter
worked with vampires, possibly even the GOJ. She needed a second to
digest all this, and thankfully it seemed Tremayne understood and
remained silent. "You better be right on this," she finally said
with trepidation.

He nodded. "I am." He lifted his cell phone
from his pocket.

Chapter Fourteen

Tremayne went topside to make the call, while
Cassandra searched the rest of the room for any evidence they may
have overlooked. Gunthorn wouldn't be returning anytime soon since
he needed blood and a chance to heal.

Tremayne hated to involve Bram, but what
other choice did he have? He couldn't go after Gunthorn on his own.
Cassandra would need backup if she went after Lorelei, and he knew
the hunter well enough she wouldn't wait for him. In her words, she
needed this kill. What better way to make a name for herself than
taking down a Lamia.

"Lorelei Rivers," he murmured. Gunthorn
didn’t come straight out and say it, but he sure as heck hinted
Lorelei had it out for him. Clearly she knew he'd called the GOJ on
her all those years ago and she held a grudge. She was leaving
evidence to implement him as the guilty party in this perverse game
she played. She wanted it to look like he was involved with the
killings. Payback, he thought.

Cassandra was in way over her head, even if
she didn’t realize it. Lorelei had been dangerous on a good day.
She was pissed off with him and looking for revenge, she would stop
at nothing to get what she wanted. "My head on a platter," he
muttered.

"What?" the voice on the other end of his
mobile asked.

"Sorry, Bram," he said. "I have a favor to
ask." He quickly filled Bram in on what had happened and then
stated his proposal.

"You want me to do what?" Bram's voice had
risen a few octaves.

He held the phone away from his ear until
Bram had finished his tirade of curses. "I just need you to stake
out the yacht until we catch the Lamia. I can't let Cassandra go
off on her own."

"Why bloody not? Let the hunter do...whatever
hunters do. You need to back down. You are in way over your
head."

Funny those were his exact thoughts he had
for Cassandra. He shook his head and tried again. "The Lamia is
Lorelei Rivers," he said with a sigh.

His cousin remained silent for half a second
longer. "So you've confirmed it then. You spotted Lorelei."

"Not exactly," Tremayne said, "but Gunthorn
said he was working with Lorelei. You were going to check into her
whereabouts. Did you find out anything?"

"Only she's been off the radar for almost a
century. Makes me think the GOJ had her locked up then."

"And now she's escaped their hold."

"No one escapes the GOJ," Bram said.

"We are talking about the Lamia who wanted to
gut me and feed my remains to the sharks? Lorelei would find a way
to make it happen even if it took a century to do it. She may not
be coming after me with talons, but the shameless witch is
purposely targeting men and leaving them drained with the intent to
frame me for the crimes."

"So why isn't she killing women?" Bram
asked.

"Lorelei was the jealous type. It wouldn't
surprise me – in her demented way of thinking – she doesn't want to
share me with another woman."

"Just a reminder of why I don't like the vile
sea creature."

Tremayne had liked Lorelei Rivers until he
discovered her proclivity to killing. She had a string of victims
to prove how much she enjoyed it.

They had only dated off and on in the 1920s,
nothing too serious, but he'd always enjoyed their talks about
literature and art. He thought they had a good thing going, but
he'd been a fool. Lorelei lived a double life. At night she was
with him, but during the day, she was off seducing men, using her
powers to make them famous. It was all good for a while, but a
Lamia feeds off their victim's success for the adrenalin rush, as
she slowly sucks the life out of them. Some of the men became
deranged, some committed suicide, while others became ill and
eventually died.

Then another thought occurred to him. Mr.
Green had told Cassandra he'd found the vampire involved, and had
planned to confront him at Eternal Bliss. What if… "Bram," Tremayne
said, interrupting his cousin's rant about how stupid Tremayne had
been for getting mixed up with a Lamia.

"What?" Bram snapped.

"I'm afraid Cassandra Hayes was sent here to
find me. She knew the vampire frequented Eternal Bliss thanks to
the real Mr. Green. She didn't know about the Lamia until we
questioned the Hashasheen demon. She just hasn't put all the pieces
together yet because her real partner is on ice. He must have had
the info, but didn't have the chance to share it with her. I think
that was why he was dumped outside my pub. Lorelei doesn't want a
hunter to take me out. She wants the GOJ to come after me."

"Fantastic," Bram hissed. "You do know how to
pick your girlfriends. A demented Lamia and now a hunter."

"I'm not with Cassandra."

"No? Funny, I thought you were with her
now."

"Not the same." He rolled his eyes even
though Bram didn't have the benefit of seeing it. "She's an
attractive lass. I won't go denying it."

"Go on with you. Of course she's a looker.
She's a Hayes. The family's noted for their agile abilities and
their looks to match. Lethal in every way, if you ask me. If they
can't slay you, they certainly can seduce you into submission."
Bram's words dripped with sarcasm.

"I'm not going to even acknowledge your
perverse observation of the Hayes family. Since when are you an
expert on the family anyway?"

"I've heard things and seen them in action
too. You aren't the only one privy to their abilities to charm and
kill." He sighed then.

"Are you going to help me out, or not?"
Tremayne asked again as he wondered how this conversation had
steered toward his involvement with Cassandra Hayes.

"I'm sure I'm going to regret this," Bram
murmured, "but aye, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Just remember the vampire is dangerous so
don't approach him. If he shows, just call in the GOJ and have them
pick him up."

"I never claimed I'd be inviting him back at
my place for tea," Bram barked. "I do so hate a vamp who makes us
look bad. Where do you need me?"

Once he gave Bram the information, he
ventured down below again to find Cassandra standing in front of
the hideaway filled with objects. She glanced at him as he
entered.

"There's so many trinkets," she said. "Men
and women's..."

He knew what she was thinking. The owners of
the objects were probably dead. He stepped toward her and rested a
hand on her shoulder. She leaned against him, startling him at
first. She wasn't a short woman by all means, but she was petite
compared to him and yet she felt…right in his arms.

He breathed her in. The scent of honeysuckle,
and…her…all her.

"We have to catch them, both of them,"
Cassandra's voice brought him out of his reverie. "And take them
out. For their victims." She turned to look at him, and her hand
rested on his chest. He had to swallow back the lump in his throat.
Her green eyes demanded he answer her and pledge he wouldn't stop
hunting down Gunthorn and Lorelei until the deed was done.

He reached for her and brushed a mahogany
strand away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. He wanted
to kiss her, but feared if he did, he wouldn't want to stop. He
could give her what she truly wanted, his promise.

"We will catch them," he vowed.

Chapter Fifteen

Cassandra sat in her car while Tremayne spoke
with his informant who would watch for Gunthorn's return. They'd
collected all of Gunthorn's trophies and hid them away. They didn't
want the vamp accidently reclaiming the trinkets if he somehow
managed to slip by unnoticed.

It had begun to rain, the slow patter
increasing as she waited for Tremayne and rehashed the evening of
events. Gunthorn's words kept coming back to the forefront,
suggesting Tremayne was involved with the preternatural world and
not in a good way.

He worked undercover, but to what extent? He
befriended vampires. He had at least one vamp's phone number stored
on his cell phone, for Christ's sake. What did it all mean?

Stake and dust.
A hunter didn't
befriend the preternatural world. Was she being unfair? Stake and
dust was her family's motto, not necessarily every hunter's way of
thinking. Even her brother Derek at times had hinted he didn't
believe all Otherworldly beings deserved a death sentence.
Obviously Tremayne thought the same. The Preternatural Regulating
Bureau made them take an oath. They were to eliminate all
preternatural beings. All…

She gripped the steering wheel with both
hands, but she tapped the wheel with her thumb. "What a fine line
there is between good and evil," she murmured. She'd been brought
up to believe all supernatural creatures were a threat.
Better
safe than sorry
, her father's words.

She caught sight of Tremayne jogging over to
the vehicle and she sat up straighter and started the engine. She
unlocked the door for him to get in. "All taken care of?" she asked
without having to elaborate.

"It's handled." He removed his hoodie and
water dripped down the sides of his handsome face.

They sat there for a moment, probably in
reality only seconds, but in those precious moments, she knew in
her heart Tremayne was a good man. Did he flirt with the enemy?
She'd bet he did, but as long as they were on the same page when it
really mattered, she didn't care.

"Now where are we headed?" he asked. His eyes
searched hers and her stomach flip-flopped with the way he looked
at her.

Good question. They needed a place to regroup
and plan their next move. Some place where their plans would not be
overheard. "My hotel room is safe," she suggested, but wondered how
true those words were with the way Tremayne stared at her with
those hypnotic eyes that were a dangerous shade of blue with a
promise of something delightfully sinful. She really liked that
color. Matter of fact, it was her favorite new color.

His gaze lowered to her lips. Did he feel the
pull, too? Maybe, but for some reason he didn't act on the impulse.
She should be glad he had more control than she apparently had, but
a part of her was a little miffed. He'd been sent to the States
because he acted on his impulses. Why did he have to have a
conscience now?

"Let's go then," he said and turned away as
he reached for the seatbelt.

So he was playing it safe in more ways than
one. She sighed with more regret than relief as she pulled away
from the curb.

Chapter Sixteen