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Brenna rose, her hands fisted on her hips. “I always have to stay behind. ”
Roshan kissed her on the forehead. “It's a good thing, too. You never know when I might need rescuing again. ”
Rafe grinned. Years ago, his grandmother and his father had rescued Roshan from a witch who had been determined to resurrect Anthony Loken, her deceased lover. To do so, she had needed the blood of an enemy, and his grandfather had fit the bill nicely, having been instrumental in taking Loken's life.
Brenna laughed softly, as if she, too, was remembering that time, and then she kissed her husband and patted Rafe's cheek. “Be careful, you two. ”
Rick McGee's car was easy to follow. Because Roshan felt like running, Rafe ran alongside him. The exercise eased some of his tension, and Rafe wondered if that had been his grandfather's intent.
They stayed back far enough that McGee couldn't see them, then fell back even farther when the man made a sharp left on Oak Tree Road and pulled up in front of an abandoned meat-packing plant. McGee got out of the car and, after glancing around, he knocked on the door, knocked again, and then a third time, before a tall man in dark clothing opened it.
“You're late,” the tall man said.
Rafe frowned, thinking the man looked familiar, and then he realized it was the man Kathy had been with at Sugar Babe's.
“Yeah, well,” McGee was saying, “one of my kids got sick. He wanted me to sit with him until he fell asleep. ”
With a look of disdain, the tall man stepped back. McGee went inside, and the tall man closed the door. And not just an ordinary door, Rafe noted. It was reinforced with heavy steel.
“Guess we'd better go see what's going on,” Roshan said cheerfully, and dissolving into mist, he drifted toward the building.
Grinning, Rafe did the same. Slipping under the door, he rose in the air and hovered near the ceiling. From the outside, the place looked like it hadn't been used in years, but the inside had been spruced up some. The room was empty save for a dozen or so metal folding chairs pushed up against the walls, a long wooden table, and a beat-up old wooden chest with some mystical symbols painted on the top and sides.
There was what looked like an old meat locker in one corner of the room. Curious, Rafe drifted into the other area. There were no windows. The heavy iron door had been reinforced on the outside; the inside panel had been plated with a thin coat of silver, as had the floor, walls, and ceiling. He didn't need three guesses to figure out why. All that silver must have cost them a fortune, he mused. The faint coppery scent of blood hung in the air. He wondered how many of the missing Vampires had been imprisoned in that room before they were destroyed.
Muttering an oath, he turned his attention back to the two men. They were sitting at the end of the table, across from each other.
“So,” the tall man was saying, “can you do it or not?”
McGee shook his head. “I don't think so. Dammit, Jackson, she's the mother of my kids. ”
“You can't trust her with your kids, not anymore,” Jackson said, and though his words were cruel, his voice was kind. “If you want me to take care of it, I will. ”
Rick McGee buried his face in his hands. “I don't know. Dammit, I just don't know. ”
“You don't have to decide tonight, but don't wait too long. ”
“Are you sure it's the only way?”
“What do you think? She's no longer the woman you married. I know it's hard, but you'll all be better off once it's done. Besides, it's what she wants, isn't it?” Jackson reached over and squeezed McGee's shoulder. “She already tried to kill herself once. ”
McGee nodded, though he looked none too happy.
Jackson slammed both hands on the table. “All right, on to new business. We're meeting at Barney's early next Saturday morning. One of the hunters over in River's Edge has discovered a Vampire's lair, and he wants some backup. I'll pick you up around six. ”
“Six, right. ”
“Another thing. There's a Vampire here in town. ”
“Yeah, Cordova. He's supposed to keep the peace. ”
“Cordova,” Jackson said. “I've heard of him. ”
“Are you planning to take him out, too?”
“All in good time,” Jackson said, smiling. “All in good time. ” Rising, he slapped McGee on the back. “I'll see you next Saturday. And remember what I said about the missus. Don't wait too long. The closer it gets to the full moon, the harder it will be on her, and on you. ”
Looking miserable, McGee rose from the table and left the building.
Still hovering near the ceiling, Rafe was tempted to materialize and put one Vampire hunter permanently out of commission, and then he smiled inwardly. All in good time, he thought, mimicking Travis Jackson's words. All in good time.
But first, he had to warn the River's Edge Vampire community that their lair had been discovered.
Chapter Nineteen
I went to church Sunday morning, but I was so lost in my own misery, I didn't hear a word of Reverend Paul's sermon. Staring up at the stained glass window over the altar, all I could think about was Rafe. Would I see him later? If he came over, would things be the same between us, or had I ruined everything?
At home, the hours dragged by. Determined to put Rafe out of my mind, I called my mom and dad, and then I called a cousin I hadn't talked to in months, and then I called Susie's house, but no one answered the phone. I didn't know whether to be worried about that or not. Her mother could have taken her out to lunch, or maybe Rick had taken the boys back to his mother's house and Susie had gone to visit them.
I wandered through the house and then, feeling thoroughly depressed, I curled up on my bed and took a nap.
It was late afternoon when I woke. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, I blew out a sigh and then, on the spur of the moment, I decided to get out of the house. I'd been spending too much time alone. I'd go for a short walk, and then drive over to Carrie's Café for an early dinner.
I hadn't realized how cool and cloudy it was until I stepped outside. I considered going back inside for a jacket, then decided a brisk walk in the chill air was just what I needed to clear my head.
Shoulders hunched against the cold, I set out with no particular destination in mind. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I ended up in front of Susie's house. She was my friend, and it still bothered me that she hadn't answered the phone.
I paused on the sidewalk. The house looked closed up tight. I was trying to decide what to do when I felt a sudden chill that had nothing to do with the cold slither down my spine.
“What are you doing here?”
I practically jumped out of my skin as Cagin's voice whispered in my ear. Before I could reply, he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me behind the tall hedge that separated Susie's house from her neighbor's.
I pressed a hand over my heart. “What are you doing here? I thought all the Vampires and Weres had been ordered to leave town. ”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “I didn't feel like leaving. ”
“Won't you get in trouble for staying?”
“I've been in trouble before. ”
Shivering, I folded my arms across my chest. “Why are you watching Susie's house?”
“Because two Vampires have also been watching her. ”
I didn't like the sound of that. “Why would Vampires be watching a Werewolf?”
“Beats the hell out of me,” he replied, his gaze sliding away from mine. “That's why I'm here. ”
While I was trying to make sense of Cagin's answer, Susie's garage door opened. In the overhead light, I saw that Rick was behind the wheel. Susie sat beside him. There was no sign of the boys. I wondered if they were at her mother-in-law's, or if her mother was watching them.
Cagin swore under his breath as the car backed out of the driveway and onto the s
treet.
A moment later, a tall, dark shadow emerged from the side of the house and then, in the twinkling of an eye, it was gone.
Cagin's hand tightened on my arm. “DeLongpre! Dammit!”
I frowned. Were Rafe's grandparents the Vampires Cagin had referred to? Why would they be watching Susie? Was Rafe's grandmother here, too? Time to worry about that later, I thought. Right now I feared Cagin was going to rip my arm from its socket.
“Let me go; you're hurting me,” I said, and then, seeing the feral light in his eyes, I wished I had kept my mouth shut. Staring into those yellow eyes, I felt like one of the three little pigs confronting the big bad wolf.
His eyes changed, until they were no longer human. His lips peeled back in a silent snarl, baring his teeth.
I stared at him, suddenly fearing for my life. Surely he wouldn't transform and devour me here, in a public place! Even as that thought crossed my mind, I realized that the thick shrub would prevent anyone from seeing us.
I opened my mouth to scream for help, but all that emerged from my throat was a pathetic sob.
And then, in the blink of an eye, Rafe was there.
“Let her go. ” His voice was mild, but there was nothing the least bit passive in his expression or the taut line of his body. His eyes glowed red, and when Cagin didn't release me immediately, Rafe's lips peeled back, displaying his fangs.
Feeling like a rabbit trapped between two predators, I glanced from Rafe to Cagin and back again. Would Cagin let me go, or would I be caught in the middle of a fight between two Supernatural creatures, either one of which could destroy me in a heartbeat?
“I said let her go,” Rafe repeated, and though his voice was still soft, I heard the steel underneath.
Apparently, Cagin did, too. With a growl, he shoved me aside.
I fell hard, scraping my knee against a decorative rock, but I was hardly aware of the pain as I stared at the battle being silently waged in front of me.
I told myself to hightail it out of Dodge while the getting was good, but I couldn't move. I could only huddle there in morbid fascination as Cagin transformed into a beast. It was an awesome thing to see. He shook off his clothing and kicked off his sandals as he changed. Fear tore at my heart. Surely Rafe didn't stand a chance against a Were-tiger! But even as the thought crossed my mind, Rafe's body was also changing shape. Somewhere in the back of my mind I registered the fact that his clothing simply disappeared. An instant later, a large panther stood in Rafe's place, its coat sleek and black.