Lavos

  “You deserve to get drunk. I told them that you came and found them. We’ll return you to the truck and get you on your way.” He reached out and his hand hovered near her shoulder. He didn’t touch her though. He dropped his hand away in the end. “Are you going to keep your word?”

  “I will.” She held his gaze. “Check their pockets.”

  He turned away, returning to the trailer.

  Jadee blinked back tears. It was almost over, and she just had to hold on a little longer. Then she could fall apart. Her father was dead but she and the others were going to live. That was the important part.

  “Jadee?”

  She turned her head, staring at Kar. “Yeah?”

  “He won’t be the one who comes after you if you betray us. Creatures from your worst nightmares will pin a target on your back. You’ll have Vamps, Werewolves, and everything else you never want to meet determined to kill you. You’ll also get him in deep shit. He’s breaking the rules by letting you go with your memory intact. It could mean Lavos being severely punished. He’s risking a lot. Do you understand?”

  “I do.”

  Kar studied her.

  “I do,” she repeated. “I’m never going to tell anyone what happened here. I heard Lavos. My dad called me and I came to visit. I found those three stranded and the river killed my dad. That story won’t ever change.”

  “Good.”

  Jadee believed Kar and what he said would happen if she ever opened her mouth. She wasn’t that stupid. A single night in close contact with Vampires had assured her she never wanted a repeat experience. Once had been more than enough. It would give her plenty of nightmares.

  * * * * *

  Lavos knew Kar worried about whether they could trust Jadee. He silently admitted his own doubts about depending on a human to keep silent. Kira had been raised with his clan and was trustworthy. Jadee was an unknown, but he thought highly of her spunk. He was almost sorry to say goodbye. He really did like her.

  The truck started when he turned the key after reconnecting the battery, and he climbed out of the cab to stand beside Jadee. “It still works.”

  “At least that went our way. I can’t believe those bastards disabled it. Mitch probably did it while my dad was trying to talk his way inside the RV. It will teach me to always lock the doors in the future, even if I’m in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Drive down this road until you hit the highway. Don’t stop for anything. There’s a soldier still out there. I doubt he went that way since I found his trail leading toward town. You hit the highway and go right. That will take you in the opposite direction.”

  “I don’t plan to stop until I’m out of Alaska unless I need gas. I was going to fly home but you said you need time to clean up this mess. Driving will waste some days. I can’t wait to return to Washington.”

  “That’s where you live?”

  “Yeah.”

  Kar sighed. “I’m getting tired of holding this one. Can we get them on the road? I bet Garson is done with his task and we could use him here. We also have to find the other soldier.”

  “I know.” Lavos didn’t look away from Jadee. “Okay. Drive safe and don’t stop until you at least hit a larger town. Don’t talk to strangers.”

  She smiled. “Especially pale ones.”

  He grinned back. “Yes.”

  She licked her lips and he watched her pink little tongue. The urge to kiss her struck, surprising him. He stiffened, every muscle tensing.

  It was probably because he’d carried her and her scent had rubbed off on him. It had been a while since he’d been that close to a woman. The hunt always made him a little horny too. He resisted his instinct to reach out and pull her closer. It was a bad idea.

  “Thank you.” She glanced at the three still humans. “Too bad I don’t have your power. I wish I could keep them like that for the rest of the trip. They’re going to argue and bitch. Did you leave them their wallets? We have to cross into Canada and then back into the US. The last thing I want is to be held up at the borders. An unplanned road trip with them is going to be bad enough to deal with.”

  “Yes.”

  “You cleaned out their pockets?”

  “I asked them to hand over all evidence. They did.”

  “Okay.”

  She surprised him when she suddenly leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. The hug was unexpected and fast. She released him and backed up before he could react.

  “Good luck and be careful. Did you implant them with the suggestion to wait until we were back in the US before they filed any reports?”

  “I did. They’re in a sense of shock from your father’s death. The authorities should believe that.”

  “All the bases are covered.” She sighed. “Okay. I’m out of here. Thank you.” She turned away, climbing into the front of the truck. “Can you ask Peggy to sit with me in the cab and have the guys climb in the back? I don’t want to hear them rambling on or bitching about how cramped four of us are on a bench seat. Mark annoys the hell out of me.”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  “Thanks.”

  She closed the door and he turned away, walking over to the waiting humans. He told the men to climb into the back, that they wanted to sit there. The woman meekly entered the passenger side of the truck.

  Lavos backed up and watched Jadee drive away.

  Kar shoved the soldier forward and paused at his side. “I hope that wasn’t a mistake. You know how risky it was to let Jadee live.”

  “Where is your compassion?”

  “Not in my pants.”

  He growled, narrowing his eyes at Kar. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “Give me a break. You wanted to jump on Jadee. You kept sniffing her and staring at her ass. When’s the last time you got laid if you were interested in that? I admit she was sexy, but you know better. You were thinking with the head below your belt instead of the one above your shoulders. She couldn’t be wiped, Lavos. That makes her dangerous.”

  “She wasn’t a typical human.”

  “You hope. She was pretty cool and I was impressed by how she handled herself, but she could turn on us.”

  “She won’t.”

  “I hope not. Our asses would be in deep shit.”

  “Nobody has to know what happened here.”

  “I’m sure as hell not going to rat you out. I’d be in trouble too. I let it go down.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You should have at least nailed her. I would have.”

  “Shut up.” Lavos turned away, sniffing. “I have a soldier to track. Jadee said he was here. You interrogate that one and get every detail about his maker that you can. I’m tired of dragging him around.”

  “You’re not the one with the cramp in his hand from holding on to him. Next time I’m bringing a leash. What happened to just killing them outright? This one has gone into some kind of catatonic state. It’s disturbing.”

  “Show a little blood and that should snap him out of it to get answers. We need to find the one who did this and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

  “I know. That’s why I haven’t killed Mitch here yet. Go track down the blond soldier and I’ll get the information we need. I’m hungry. Grab me something if you can.”

  “Live food?”

  “Anything. I missed dinner. I didn’t think this was going to be an all-nighter.”

  “I want my handcuffs back.” Lavos handed over the key, then walked the perimeter. “We took out the two that went that way. This one headed back toward town.”

  “Go.”

  The faint smell of death helped him track the soldier. He followed it toward the town…but then the scent indicated it had changed direction. A bad feeling sank in.

  It headed toward the highway.

  “Shit.”

  Lavos snapped his head up and began to run.

  What if the soldier decided to attack any cars on the highway? They seemed stupid, but it wa
s possible one of them wasn’t. He and his pals had cleared out the small town of any life. His only blood options had been locked up where he couldn’t get at them. That meant Jadee might be headed right into a trap.

  He took a shortcut toward the highway.

  One soldier could easily attack and kill four humans. They were fast enough to catch a vehicle if it was traveling slower over old roads before it hit the highway. The fact that she was driving a truck made it worse. The soldier could jump into the back and then go through the glass to take out the driver.

  It was tempting to shift but he wanted to keep his clothes on. He came across the winding dirt road and entered the woods again to take a direct path to the highway. He didn’t see or hear any signs of the soldier or the truck—

  He heard a crash. It was a loud, echoing crack, as if something had hit a tree hard enough to split a trunk.

  A horn sounded next.

  Jadee!

  He ran faster, tearing at his shirt to get it out of the way. He didn’t care if she saw what he really was, as long as she was alive by the time he reached her. He’d tear the soldier apart if he hurt her.

  He opened his mouth, sending out a war cry. It might scare the soldier. Garson and Kar might also hear him and come to his aid, but he doubted it. Garson was too far away and Kar had his hands full with Mitch.

  I’m coming, Jadee.

  Chapter Seven

  Jadee gripped the wheel with both hands. The twisting dirt path someone had dubbed a road needed major repairs. She had to drive slow to prevent jostling the passengers in the back, easing over a big pothole. The highway was just up ahead.

  She glanced at Peggy. She worried about her state of mind. She hadn’t talked at all since she’d climbed into the cab.

  “How are you holding up?”

  “I’m hanging in there. I’m so sorry about your dad, honey.” Peggy sniffed. “He tried to hook up the rig to the trailer to save it but the water rose too fast.”

  “It’s okay.” It was a better story than the truth. She wished she could forget seeing Victor after his attack. Her dad hadn’t stepped inside the RV. It had been a stranger with his face and voice.

  “It’s all gone.”

  Jadee regretted trying to get Peggy to talk. “It’s going to be fine.”

  “No. Everything is over. We should have stopped investigating this stuff years ago. I’m just so sorry. It shouldn’t have ended this way. I’m going to buy that place in Tennessee and try my hand at gardening.”

  “That’s good.”

  “I don’t think Mark is going to give it up. I’ve been thinking a lot about our relationship lately. I need a change.”

  Lavos is good. She had to give him credit.

  “Do you think it’s just the grief talking? I mean, we’ve been together for so long but I’m just not happy.”

  “You deserve better.” It wasn’t the first time she’d said those words to the woman. “Mark is a tool.”

  “He kind of is, isn’t he? I can’t believe he still plans to continue without Vic. It just isn’t right.”

  “That’s Mark. You should retire and plant a big garden.”

  “That’s what I think too.”

  “Brent should go with you.”

  “I’m sure he will. He’s as heartbroken as I am over the loss of Vic.”

  Jadee sped up when the road finally straightened out, spotting a sign warning of upcoming cross traffic. She blew out a relieved breath. They’d hit the highway soon and get the hell out of dodge. Or Weirdville. She forgot the small town’s name but it might as well have been that. They have Werewolves.

  “Do you think the guys are too cold back there? You should have rented an extended cab, Jadee. I don’t like that the men are in the back. It’s kind of dangerous and I’m not even sure if that’s legal.”

  “I didn’t exactly foresee all of you needing a ride when I chose this. Dad said I should get something that would be okay off-road. This is what they had. As for having the guys in the back, this is an emergency. I’m sure Mark can rent a car and drive himself home if he doesn’t like the truck bed. You and Brent can ride with me all the way back to Washington. We’ll get you a nice flight home to California. Then you can go online to hunt for the cabin you always dreamed of.”

  “I really want to do that. It’s important.”

  “Good.”

  Something ran into the road ahead of her. The headlights revealed the shape of a man with dark clothes and blond hair. He was directly in her path.

  Jadee gasped, and her first instinct was to hit the brakes. She recognized him though as he turned to look at the approaching truck. It was the missing Vampire soldier.

  She stomped on the gas instead.

  Peggy yelled, “Stop! It’s a man!”

  Jadee could see him—and planned to run him down. Three thousand pounds of metal slamming into him would at least hurt him enough for them to get away.

  Peggy reached across the cab and grabbed the wheel. Jadee hadn’t expected that.

  It happened fast. She had her foot all the way down on the gas, barreling at the monster trying to stop them. Peggy yanked hard and the wheels hit another pothole. The truck rocketed off the road to the right and the tree seemed to just suddenly appear in the headlights. They hit it hard.

  Something smashed into Jadee’s face. It threw her back and she slammed against the seat. The horn blared. It cut off fast and Jadee opened her eyes, seeing the air bag deflating that had exploded from the center of the steering column. The headlights were still on, despite the engine being dead. One of the lights pointed up from the hood, crushed at an angle against the tree.

  Something was on the hood, and it moved.

  Mark groaned, shifting his legs.

  Jadee was horrified, realizing in an instant that he’d been thrown forward during the crash, probably hit the tree, and had fallen onto the hood. It was too dark to make out how severe his injuries were but he was alive.

  She turned her head, seeing Peggy sagging in her seat. Her belt had kept her in place but the dash over the glove box revealed the other air bag had deployed.

  Something moved in the back, bumping against the glass between the cab and the truck bed.

  “Peggy?” It was Brent. “Oh shit.”

  Jadee remembered the blond monster about the time the truck was suddenly jarred. It felt as if something landed on it hard enough to shake the entire thing. Brent made a horrible gasping sound and the truck shifted again.

  She turned her head but it was too dark to see. The glass cracked when something hit it. Jadee made out clothing for that flash of an instant.

  She was pretty sure Brent’s body had just been used to spider-web the glass between the cab and the bed of the truck.

  They were under attack.

  Jadee frantically reached for her belt to release it, fumbling. It clicked open, releasing the pressure from around her waist. She stared at Peggy’s form in the dim interior lights from the dash that were still on. The woman’s head remained slumped but her chest moved. She was alive but unconscious.

  Someone stomped on the roof of the cab. The metal protested and she looked out the windshield, watching as the blond stepped down onto the hood. He bent, grabbed Mark by his arms, and lifted.

  Mark screamed but it was cut off as the thing attacked his neck. Red splattered the windshield. The soldier was killing him right before her eyes, drinking his blood.

  Jadee blindly reached over and hit the lock button. It wouldn’t keep that thing out for long but it was all she could do. Her wrist brushed across metal and leather, reminding her of the holster strapped there, and the gun.

  Peggy moaned, probably coming around. Jadee couldn’t look away from the horror taking place on the hood. Mark’s legs kicked out, jerking, but the thing had a firm hold on him. The red drops that had stained the windshield were slowly rolling down the glass, reminding Jadee of bloody tears.

  Shocked into action, she struggled to get the gun
free from the holster. Her left shoulder hurt, probably from the seat belt. She ignored the pain, glad her right hand wasn’t injured. She tugged the weapon free, realizing she’d have to shoot through the glass to hit the soldier. She paused.

  Mark wasn’t moving anymore. The thing just dropped his body and turned.

  She couldn’t make out the face of the monster at first. The lights were behind him. He shoved Mark right off the hood, crouched down, and peered inside. That close to the glass, his white face was ghastly with dark veins marring the surface. Blood covered his mouth and chin, running down his throat.

  She lifted the gun higher, making sure he could see it.

  He hissed and was suddenly gone, jumping off the side of the hood.

  That made it worse. She frantically glanced around, looking for the blond. It was just too dark to—

  Something slammed into the driver’s side window. The glass held but it was damaged. The thing punched at it again, making a hole.

  Jadee pointed and fired three rapid shots. She yanked on the handle, twisted in her seat and kicked the door as hard as she could. It flew open and hit him, knocking him on his ass. She got out fast, keeping her gun on him. “Fuck you.”

  He hissed at her, lifting his head. She could make out his face and those fangs. She shot him right in the mouth.

  The impact sent him crashing flat to the ground. She swiftly dropped on top of him, straddling his chest, and grabbed his throat with her left hand, digging her nails in.

  He choked a little, probably on the blood from the bullet wound through his mouth, rather than from her weak attempt to strangle him. She shoved the gun right below his nose. “Move and I will keep shooting until the top of your head is gone, you murdering bastard.”

  He jerked once but held still.

  Jadee was terrified. He would heal. She’d seen them do it. One of his fangs was gone though. She’d managed to hit it when she’d shot him. Lavos’s words came back to her. She’d give anything to trade her gun for a sword to behead the bastard. It wouldn’t get up ever again if that were the case.

  A loud sound pierced the night, a combo between a howl and some kind of banshee scream. It sent chills down her spine and the thing under her grew totally lax.