Steal the Night (19 page)

“He isn’t my master.” I didn’t like the term. “He’s my husband, well, one of them, and I’m not answering any of your questions until you tell me who the hell you are.”

The men were coming back now.

“Donovan isn’t on the plane,” one of the men said. “We didn’t find anything that even vaguely resembled a coffin, though there were a lot of weapons. He’s got some wild shit in there. I don’t recognize some of that stuff.”

“I’m wondering if Mr. Quinn isn’t an arms dealer himself,” the suit said, shaking his head. “Let’s move this back to base. If the vampire is somewhere close, he won’t come after us until dark. We can get ready for him by then.” He gave a wave of his hand and everyone was suddenly in motion.

A Jeep pulled up and more men got out and began loading the wolves into the back.

“Where are you taking them?” I watched as they hauled my bodyguards away. Would I see them again? I couldn’t help the little sob that came out of my mouth.

Jacob put a warm hand on my shoulder. “They won’t harm the wolves. They’ll be placed in a holding pen while we question you. I promise no one is going to hurt you.”

The man in the suit seemed deeply disturbed by Jacob’s promise. “Are you serious, Jacob? She’s a companion. Do you understand what that means?”

Jacob stared at the other man. “I understand it more than you can. I like her. We shouldn’t hurt her. She is to be treated with respect. Trust me, Ronald. Have I steered you wrong in the past?”

“No, Oracle, you have not,” the man named Ronald answered with a deferential bow of his head. “I apologize for questioning you.”

Maybe I would have to rethink who was the boss around here.

“And perhaps we should talk to Mr. Donovan before we attempt to kill him,” Jacob offered. “I’m beginning to see an interesting pattern emerging. I must think on it for a while. I’ll meet you back at the base. I like this field. It’s peaceful.”

As he started to move off toward the field, I saw his eyes roll back and they were replaced with a glassy white I found somewhat disturbing.

“Of course,” Ronald said. He gestured to the others. “Let’s move, lads. Take the wolves to the holding pens. I’ll ride with our guests.”

“Come along, darling.” Dev put his hand in mine and led me to the limo. His head was high, as though the limo really was there to pick us up. He nodded to the driver as he held the door open.

Ronald sat across from us and we were flanked by two gun-toting guards. Dev sat back, crossing one leg over his knee and inhabiting the seat as though he owned it. I wasn’t feeling a tenth of his confidence. I wished the kid in the jeans was with us.

“Hey,” Dev said, catching my attention as the limo began moving. I was trying to watch to see where that Jeep was going. He ran a hand gently across my cheek. “It’s going to be fine, Zoey.”

“Are you on the run from the vampire?” Ronald watched our intimacy intently.

“I thought the vampire was Quinn’s partner,” the blond man with an enormous scar on his face said. He sat next to Dev and watched us like we were a particularly good TV show and he wanted to know what happened next. There was no mistaking that accent. Pure Sydney. I half expected him to say crikey at any moment. But that might just prove I haven’t traveled much.

The soldier on my side was even scarier looking, but he remained silent. He was dark to the Aussie’s light.

Ronald sat back, looking at us in a new light. “It wouldn’t be the first time a woman screwed up a profitable partnership. Terry, you’ve read the file on Quinn, right?”

“Many times, boss,” the Aussie replied. “He’s a favorite of mine.”

“And what did it tell you?”

“That he’s a moneymaking bastard who’ll fuck anything that moves,” Terry said with a laugh. He regarded Devinshea with an amused sort of fascination. “The bloke likes guns and women and booze. And there’s hell to pay if you think about crossing him. I know he took out an entire band of Nagas who tried to steal from him. They said there wasn’t much left of those snakes when he was done with them.”

I remembered the incident well. I’d been the one to catch the scam on the very night Dev and I met. I didn’t know anything about him seeking revenge. “Are they serious, Devinshea?”

Dev’s smile was predatory. “They can’t prove anything, my lover. They’re fishing. Why don’t you cut to the chase? What exactly do you want from me? What is this secret Order of yours?”

“My name is Ronald James. I represent the Order of Galahad,” Ronald explained. I could see from the light in his eyes that he was a true believer. “We’re a force of knights set up more than a thousand years ago to ensure that Merlin stays put. He was a demon who influenced our kings.”

“Obviously that isn’t your only job.” I settled in close to my husband and I could feel the SIG Sauer in his arm holster. He’d given up the handgun in his pocket. I leaned in such a way as to obscure the outline of the gun. “Otherwise why would you have files on us? Unless you’re some sort of supernatural vice squad, I can’t see why you care what we do.”

“Zoey Wharton Donovan,” Ronald said, proving my point. “Daughter of the infamous thief Harry Wharton. He did a few jobs for us over the years. Of course, he had no idea who we were, but we found him helpful in obtaining dangerous antiquities and getting them away from those who might misuse them. We actually thought about approaching you for membership at one time. We’re sadly lacking in female agents and you fit the profile. But then you became Daniel Donovan’s companion after his turn, though by all accounts you lived apart for many years. The Order doesn’t police the supernatural world, though we intervene from time to time when human lives are at stake. We keep a close watch on your world. You have a curious relationship with the rumored assassin. Did you finally give in only to find how cruel a vampire master can be?”

“I love my husband,” I said even as Dev’s hand went possessively to my knee. I smiled because it was the only indication I had that any of this was bothering him. I didn’t want this man thinking he might do Daniel a favor by killing his rival. “I love both of my husbands. Your file is sadly lacking. I married Devinshea last year with full Seelie rites. The queen sent witnesses and Daniel was there. We’re not on the run from Daniel. He merely prefers another mode of travel. We’re meeting Daniel here and we won’t have separate quarters, if you get my meaning.” They should know right off the bat that they couldn’t get us to turn on one another.

Ronald’s very cultured eyebrow went up in surprise. “Well, we heard that rumor but I discounted it. I assumed Donovan and Quinn were strictly business partners. I thought Quinn ran the businesses, legal and otherwise, and Donovan scared the living shit out of anyone who dared to take a look at Quinn’s territory.”

“You thought Danny was Dev’s muscle?” I asked, shocked at the thought.

Dev couldn’t stop his short laugh. “Seriously, Ronald whatever-your-name-is, if you wish to keep your head on your neck, don’t ever let Daniel read that file. The Council may use my partner as a mindless killing machine. He is anything but. And if you think a few hours will prepare you for him, then you’ve never dealt with a vampire king.”

Ronald’s very British arrogance faltered. He paled a bit. “He isn’t a king. That’s a rumor the two of you put out to enhance your reputations. Donovan is a common criminal. He ran small-time jobs with a two-bit crew until he met you. He may be a death machine, and that in and of itself is something that concerns us, but he’s nothing more. If he really was a king, he wouldn’t be the Council’s executioner. He would have killed the Council and taken over the way the last king did.”

“Of course, because they’re all the same aren’t they?” I replied, hating the prejudice. “Wolves are all the same. Vampires are just blood suckers. Companions are victims. Mostly I agree with you on the last point, but the rest is just ignorance. It makes me wonder why you don’t just kill us all and make this a human plane.”

Now the soldier on my side sneered at Dev and me, the hatred plain in his eyes. “Many of us would like that,” he said in a thick Russian accent. “We find the Order’s dictates confining.”

“Yuri, we’re not hunters,” Ronald replied in a voice that told me it wasn’t the first time they’d had this argument. “These creatures were born on this plane. They have as much right as humans to be here. We merely attempt to keep the demonic influence in check.”

The burly Russian ignored his commanding officer. I didn’t like the look in Yuri’s eyes as he regarded my husband. “He isn’t keeping the balance. The werewolves were dying out as they should have. Did you think we wouldn’t hear about what you’ve been doing,
sidhe
? You and your human whore? Do you know that your blasphemous ritual caused fifty new wolves to be born?”

“Fifty-four, I believe. Really, it was a good night for me,” Dev replied with a humorless smile. He leaned forward and spoke directly to the Russian. “And when we’re alone, Yuri, and I assure you I’ll find a way to get you alone, we’re going to have a discussion about calling my wife names. Have you seen the pictures of what happened to those poor Nagas? That was just money, my friend. While I take my wealth seriously, it doesn’t begin to compare to the way I feel about my wife.”

But Yuri was just getting warmed up. He moved to the other side of the limo so he could look Dev in the eyes. “You’re not from this plane,
sidhe
. Yet you come here and act like our world is your personal playground. You think you can do whatever you like and never have to deal with the consequences.”

“Yuri!” Ronald barked at the soldier.

“Calm down, mate,” the Aussie said, looking like this was a situation that could get fucked up really quickly. “I know this guy. I’ve studied him for the last two years. He ain’t dangerous unless you push him. He’s just a bloke trying to make his way. His father was born on this plane. His father was human, for god’s sake, so he has some rights. And there ain’t no reason to talk to the woman like that.”

Yuri wasn’t listening to reason. “He makes his way in the world by performing fertility rituals on creatures who should be allowed to die out. You should have stayed in Faeryland,
sidhe
.”

Yuri pulled his gun and aimed it straight at Dev’s head as all hell broke loose in the limo.

I did the only thing I could. I put myself between the bullet and my husband.

Chapter Thirteen

I fell forward into Dev’s lap as the bullet tunneled into my shoulder. I felt that horrible burn and then the agony of the metal lodging itself in my left shoulder blade. I would have screamed, but I was too busy watching Dev pull the SIG Sauer from its hiding place and without a second’s remorse, aiming and firing, the report loud in the confines of the limo.

Terry was screaming now for Dev to stand down. Ronald suddenly had a pistol in his hand. I was sure both men were aiming for Dev’s head. I shook as I managed to force myself back into my seat. The first thing to catch my eye was the corpse of the man who had shot me. I saw the neat little hole in the Russian’s forehead and the gray matter on the back of his seat. He died a fanatic’s death, and I sincerely hoped it brought him some form of peace. Dev had his gun aimed at Ronald’s head while both the Brit and the Aussie had their semiautomatics ready to splash Dev’s brains all over the car. I was just thinking about the fact that we were lucky Dev hadn’t hit the driver, too.

“Dev, I’m fine,” I said calmly, trying not to let him know just how fucking much that hurt. I could feel the wound already closing and I grimaced at the thought that Dev was going to have to cut the bullet out. My left arm hung limply at my side because any sort of movement brought a fresh round of mortifying pain.

Ronald touched his ear piece. “Keep driving. We need to get to HQ as soon as possible. We’ll try to keep the gunfire to a minimum.”

“We should try to keep the gunfire to none.” Besides being painful, it was also really loud.

“He shot you.” Dev’s jaw clenched in righteous anger as he stared at Ronald.

“He was trying to kill you, baby,” I pointed out reasonably.

“I take offense to that, too.”

“Look here, Quinn,” Terry started. He took a deep breath and I could see he really wanted to bring down the adrenaline level. He looked to his boss. “You mind if I take this?”

Ronald’s voice was tense as he stared between me and Dev. “You’re the expert. Be careful though. If we have to take him out, make it a head shot only. The female is obviously on vampire blood. We have to assume that Quinn is as well.”

“Well I, for one, am damned happy the girl is on the juice,” the Aussie said with a half smile. “I’m going to put my gun down now, Quinn.” The soldier settled the gun back in his holster and showed us his hands. I wasn’t satisfied. Only half the threat was gone. “I got assigned to this mission because Ronald is right. I’m the group’s expert on you. I’ve studied you ever since you came on the Order’s radar four years ago when you opened your third club. I don’t have any problems with you, mate. My plan was to meet you at the airport myself, take you to the nearest pub, and ask what you want with that bastard Merlin.”