Veso

  “Why didn’t your mother want you in her house?”

  “She didn’t want any responsibility for raising me.”

  “What a cold bitch.”

  Glenda’s anger surprised him but he agreed. “She had no heart. Once she had birthed me, it proved her allegiance to Decker. She asked him to make her an assassin to help kill his enemies. Decker sent her after whoever he felt had become a threat or anyone who’d angered him. I was twelve when she didn’t return. The killer ended up being killed instead.”

  Glenda’s fingers fisted his shirt. “I’m sorry, Veso. That’s so terrible.”

  “She told me when I was ten that I annoyed her with my need to touch and spend time with her. She spelled out why I had been born and the future she’d signed me up for. Enforcers never cry, they don’t have any weaknesses, and I disappointed her with my love. I was born to become an assassin for Decker. She said my affection disgusted her. It was the first harsh lesson of many before she died.”

  Glenda rubbed her face against his shirt. “I’m so sorry. No wonder you’re such a hard-ass. God. What did your father say?”

  “He told me to ignore her. Of course I couldn’t. He said loving someone wasn’t a mistake but it could be very painful when they didn’t return the emotion. He’d know. I think he tried to love my mother at first. The years changed that though. Then he began to warn me against allowing anyone to get close, because it could cause deep pain and open me up to betrayal.”

  “Is your dad loving?”

  “He’s loyal to me. He backed me when I refused to become an enforcer. I accepted guard duty instead.”

  “What’s the difference?”

  “It’s complicated but it boils down to Decker couldn’t send me to kill his enemies. I got my revenge on my mother by refusing to accept the position in the clan she birthed me to take.”

  “Well, I guess that’s good.”

  “Do you have a strong bond with your parents? Siblings?” He knew nothing about her except she was a blood relation to a master, lived in an apartment in Oregon, and had annoying neighborhood kids who’d broken a window once.

  “They divorced when I was four. My biological dad didn’t want to pay child support, so he moved away. We heard he married someone else and started a new family. He tried to contact me in my teens but I didn’t want someone in my life who’d just walked away the way he did. No thanks. My mom married my stepdad two years after the divorce. He wasn’t exactly father material but he was okay. They had my brother when I was fourteen. We’re night and day. I wish we were close but that’s not how it turned out. I babysat him a lot when he was little but then I moved out at eighteen and hardly speak to them now.”

  “I got the impression human children tended to live at home until they marry. Do you have a husband?” The thought disturbed him so much so that he actually felt rage. He didn’t like the idea of some human laying claim to what was his.

  “No. I’ve never been married. I graduated high school and got a job. I felt like a burden living in their home, mostly. They had this tight family unit and I wasn’t really a part of it. My brother got to call my stepfather daddy and I had to call him Mike. It was just awkward. I had a friend’s sister who had a job where I work now, and she got me on the cleaning staff. It paid enough to get me a cheap apartment and I took night classes. I worked my way up and then transferred into a clerical position in Oregon. I talk to my parents on the phone at holidays but that’s about it. I haven’t been home for a visit in four years.”

  “Is there a man in your life?” He wasn’t sure what he’d do if she said yes. There wasn’t a scent of one coming off her and she wore no rings, but he didn’t know when the Vampires had taken her. Time would have wiped away a human’s scent and they could have stolen her jewelry.

  “No. I work a lot. I’m going for a managing position that’s opening up. It pretty much means I bust my ass to get there earlier than everyone else and I stay late. It’s why I was eating at eight o’clock at night when I was kidnapped. I’d literally just walked in the door, kicked off my shoes, and opened the fast food bag when that window broke.”

  The wind picked up, rustling the trees. “We should rest. Morning will come soon and we need to travel a lot of distance.”

  “If you don’t get us killed crossing that ravine,” she murmured against his chest. “I still think we should go around it.”

  “It would waste an entire day. I won’t let you fall,” he promised. He’d get her down and up the ravine. It stood between him and VampLycan territory. The real problem would be what to do once he reached home. The clan would be upset if he returned with a human. They’d expect him to wipe her memories and send her back to her own people. He had no intension of allowing the Vampire to recapture her. That meant keeping her with him.

  Glenda nodded against him. “You’re warm.”

  God, she smelled so fuckable. He tried to think of anything else. Focusing on his mother helped. He’d never end up in the same situation as his father. He doubted Glenda would just hand over a baby to him and go back to her world if he accidently got her pregnant. And no way could she take his son or daughter into hers without him there to protect them both. He’d have to leave everything he knew for his child. It was best if he not risk a pregnancy. That meant controlling his urges.

  “Sleep,” he ordered. He just wished he could ask her to back away from his body but the hole he’d dug wasn’t big. He’d been more worried about depth to hide their heat signatures than width to keep more space between him and Glenda.

  Chapter Eight

  “It’s time to move.”

  Glen jerked awake to the sound of a deep, husky voice. She opened her eyes and stared up at Veso. He stood above her on the edge of the hole they’d slept in. Morning had come and they’d survived the night without being found.

  “Go to the bathroom.” He bent forward, offering his hand. “No time to waste, Glenda. I scouted at first light and found evidence that soldiers were within a mile of us.”

  She took his hand and he pulled her up, helping her climb out of the hole. Pain lanced throughout her body, sore muscles making themselves known. “What kind of evidence?”

  “Dead bodies.”

  His response sickened her. “They killed more people?”

  “Animals. They were savagely bitten and drained of blood, with multiple bite marks. I’d guess it was four or five soldiers. They got too close for comfort. We’re putting more distance between us and them today.”

  She shuddered, feeling sympathy for the poor creatures who’d died. It also made her aware of what could have happened if those creeper things had found them in the night. She turned her head and stared across the ravine. It terrified her thinking of how Veso would get her to the other side, but there were worse things, like being recaptured by those freaks.

  “Go to the bathroom and eat. I’m packing up our camp.”

  It didn’t take her long to relieve her bladder behind a tree and Veso opened a can of beans for her. They were gross cold but she managed to get half of it down. Thoughts of real food taunted her but at least she wouldn’t starve. Their meager supplies were better than nothing. Veso had packed up everything quickly and walked to the edge of the ravine, studying it at different angles.

  Their conversation about his parents had changed the way she viewed Veso. It must have been difficult growing up without a mother who loved him. It explained a lot too. It would have messed him up being told he was the result of a power-hungry woman manipulating his father by having a baby she planned to use. Veso had been a tool to trade to get what she wanted. That’s what it basically boiled down to. His cold-blooded bitch of a mom had rejected his love, and it sounded as if she’d slammed him pretty hard for even having emotions.

  It also explained why he probably viewed women as the enemy. The fact that Glen was human would make it ten times worse in his mind, since he’d made his dislike for them known. Not that she blamed him for that either, afte
r the few discussions they’d had on the subject. He’d be on a most-wanted list of every scientist and sicko in the world, something to hunt down and capture for whatever purpose they had in mind. None of it would bode well for his future.

  Veso turned, scowling as she limped up beside him to peer down at the ravine below.

  She assessed the situation. It was a long way to the bottom, probably a few hundred feet. “I don’t think we have enough rope.”

  “I knew that. I thought I’d lower you as far as possible, have you cling to something, then climb down to you. From there, I’ll lower you more until we reach the bottom. We’ll do the same getting you up the other side. I’ll climb until the rope ends, then haul you up until you have something to hold, and climb higher until we reach the top.”

  “Fantastic.” She knew the sarcasm sounded clear in her voice. “It sounds super dangerous. Woohoo.”

  “You’re hurting. I see the way you’re moving. Did you lie about having cuts?” He sniffed. “I don’t smell blood.”

  “I’m out of shape. That’s all. There’s nothing you can do about pulled muscles or bruised feet. I’ll survive. Just don’t expect me to run any marathons.”

  “Can you do this, Glenda?” He reached out and cupped her chin, making her gaze into his eyes. “Tell me the truth. I can tie you to my back if need be. We’ll have to leave most of the supplies behind but we have to get beyond this ravine.”

  The solemn look on his face told her he meant every word. “I can do it. I don’t want to end up back in that cell again.”

  He released her. “Put on your socks, multi layers, and let’s go.”

  “You didn’t eat.”

  “I had a snack before I woke you.”

  She didn’t ask, afraid of his answer. He hadn’t touched any of the cans. It meant he’d hunted his food. Instead, she did as he’d ordered and put on two pairs of fresh socks, covering her feet. Veso wrapped their tarp, the shovel, shotgun, and the blanket. It surprised her when he just pitched them over the edge.

  “I can’t believe you did that!”

  He faced her. “What?”

  “You probably broke the shotgun and the shovel.”

  “I threw them on a big bush. It will have softened the landing. If not, the tarp and blanket are all we’ll need. Hand me the backpack.”

  He made little sense to her. “You’re not throwing that too.”

  “No. I’ll wear it on my back. Raw meat might sicken you and we can’t light a fire. I won’t risk the cans smashing open.”

  She passed over the backpack and watched as he slung it on. Then he crouched next to her, using the end of the rope to wrap around her waist. She lifted her arms out of the way as he tied a knot.

  “Hold on tight and when I’m close to the end of the rope, I’ll snarl. Find a good hold somewhere and dig in while I climb down to you.”

  She got the gist of his plan. “I still think we should try to go around and find another way across.”

  He sighed, his gaze locked with hers.

  “Sorry. I felt the need to at least say it once more. But I’m starting to get to know you, and you’re stubborn. You’ve made up your mind. I just hope it doesn’t get me killed.”

  He stood fast. “I won’t allow anything to happen to you.”

  The sincerity in his tone surprised her. “Thank you.”

  “It will be fine.”

  “Just don’t drop me.” That was a real fear.

  He grinned. “I could lift a small car. You’re nothing.”

  She studied him.

  “I’m not human, Glenda.”

  “Right.” She swallowed hard. “Okay. How do you want to do this?”

  “Just go over the edge.” He gripped the rope a few feet from her, the rest of it in a pile next to them. “I have you.”

  Holy shit. I’m doing this. She turned away, gripped the rope with one hand, and went to the edge. It was a long way down but Veso had a point. He wasn’t human. He’d tossed that Vampire so hard it had busted through boards and made it at least six feet before sailing over the ledge at the mine they’d escaped from. That took a lot of brute strength. She was smaller than that creeper had been. I can do this.

  Glen sat down on the edge, her feet dangling, and grabbed the rope with both hands. “You ready? I’ll just slide off. Please don’t drop me. I promise to try not to annoy you ever again.” She glanced back to find Veso holding the rope with both hands, his legs braced apart, his gaze locked on her.

  “We’re wasting time we don’t have. We have a lot of miles to cover.”

  “Fuck me.” She closed her eyes and scooted, her butt leaving ground, and then she dropped a few feet. The rope dug painfully into her middle, the texture of it harsh against her palms, but she swung in the air instead of falling. He lowered her slowly, going about a foot at a time. She kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut for a few minutes until she felt braver. Then she looked down.

  “I wish I hadn’t done that.”

  “You’re fine,” Veso stated from above. “You’re not heavy at all.”

  She hoped he wasn’t lying to make her feel better. He’d lowered her about a fourth of the way down when she heard his snarl. It was time to find somewhere to cling to so he could climb down to her. She reached out, snagging a clump of bushes, found some rock to brace her feet on, and pulled her body against the side. Loose dirt gave way under her but she got a good hold.

  Her heart pounded. What if she fell? What if the bushes she clung to ripped out of the dirt wall? She didn’t like climbing. People were insane to do this kind of activity for fun.

  “Okay,” she called out. “I’m good but hurry.”

  “Don’t look up,” he warned from above.

  She wondered why he’d said that until some dirt rained down on her. “Shit.”

  * * * * *

  Veso felt great pride. Glenda had been very brave for a human. She hadn’t screamed or lost her composure. He pulled her up the other side of the ravine, got her over the lip, and smiled. It had taken him longer than expected to climb down and then up but they’d made it. He helped her stand, brushing dirt off her.

  “I need a bath in the worst way.”

  She looked sexy with messy hair. “We both do but we’ll worry about that later. It’s possible we’ll reach the first river we must cross by this afternoon.” He untied the rope from her waist.

  She surprised him by gripping his shirt with her fist and stepping forward, staring up at him. “Tell me that’s a joke. You’re trying to be funny but failing at it big time, right? I imagine humor is a new concept so you just suck at it.”

  “What did I say?”

  “Rivers to cross?”

  “There should be at least three of them between us and VampLycan territory.”

  “Are there going to be boats? Ferries? Bridges? Those would be good. Even if they’re those horrible swaying rope ones.”

  “We have to swim across.”

  She paled.

  “What?”

  “I don’t know how to swim.”

  That stunned him. “You said you lived in California.”

  “I did but we were poor. My mom couldn’t afford to pay for lessons. We didn’t have a pool or access to one. I went to the beach sometimes with friends but I was terrified of sharks. Those eat people and rip limbs off. I laid out on the beach but never went into the water higher than my knees.”

  He had the worst luck, and the Vampire master couldn’t have chosen a more ill-suited mate for him. She was his though, at least for as long as his instincts told him so. He reached out and gripped her hips, leaning in to stare deeply into her eyes. “We don’t have time to argue. I’ll get you across even if you’re riding my back.”

  She bit her lip.

  “I can do that. I could swim with you holding on to me. Let’s go, Glenda. We have a lot of distance to travel before nightfall. I want to be beyond at least one river so we can get clean.”

  “Fine.”


  She impressed him by not arguing and he found himself smiling. “Good.” He released her and began packing the rope in the tarp he’d managed to get up the side of the ravine. His muscles were a little sore after all that climbing and lifting but he ignored the pain. Priorities demanded he keep them moving and make up lost time.

  He kept the backpack on. Glenda’s gaze went to it when he hoisted up the wrapped tarp and jerked his head in the direction he wanted to go. He spoke before she could.

  “We’re behind schedule. I need you to move faster today. That means making it easier on you.”

  “That’s not fair though. I should take half the burden.”

  “Just say thank you and follow me.”

  “I have to pee first.”

  He sighed. “Hurry.”

  He turned his back, facing the ravine they’d just crossed as Glenda moved away. He scanned the other side, just for something to do. Movement caught his attention and he narrowed his eyes, focusing. There in the distance, between some trees, he spotted yellow.

  The shape looked like a person and the color might be a shirt.

  He turned, not caring about her modesty in that moment. It was more important to get out of the clearing. He was happy to see she’d disappeared into the trees. He followed fast, ducking behind one too.

  “Glenda?”

  “Shit! I’m right here. Don’t come any closer. I’m squatting.”

  “I spotted a human. It has to be one working for the master. Hurry up.”

  He turned his head, peeking around the trunk. He didn’t see movement again but he was sure that had been a human. It was possible that it was an innocent, but unlikely. The soldiers would have found and killed any humans who weren’t Glenda. The bodies of those animals had shown a savagery that spoke of fury. No Vamp enjoyed animal blood over human. They’d taken their rage and hunger out on those poor beasts, making them suffer.