Thirst

by Jacquelyn Frank

  Her plan changed. She would take someone captive and have him or her take her to Killean. Take both her and Rafe. And an army of others. They could call in Danton and any number of vampires. They could finally get him and make them all safe. Make Rafe’s queen safe. All the diplomats safe. She would do what she had promised to do: She would help the vampire nation.

  But were these people armed? Were they simply depending on their strength and numbers or did they have weapons as well?

  It was clear they saw her as no kind of threat as she backed up against the wall of the van, hiding her hands from view as best as she was able to tell. She twisted her wrists in opposing directions, bearing the pain happily. Then with a jerk of her hands she snapped the ties. She reached up and yanked off her hood while simultaneously drawing her weapon. Her police training kicked in. She took in all of her targets at once and started shooting the nearest one first. She remembered she needed to do brain-stem shots so she aimed for the backs of their head or their throats, whichever was facing her.

  Pop! Pop!

  Two targets down in rapid succession. The other two froze as their compatriots fell over. It gave her time to take out the third vampire. Then the fourth surged forward, rushing her. She moved forward into him, bringing her elbow up into his face. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled painfully hard, skewing her ability to aim. She brought her gun up by feel, popped off a shot, sending the vampire back with a jerk. He let go of her hair as he gaped at her in surprise, his hand going to his chest where she’d shot him. That moment of surprise was all she needed. She aimed for his throat and pulled the trigger. She then aimed at the driver and shot him in the arm. He cried out and the van careened wildly. She was sent lurching forward, but she kept hold of her gun as she rolled across the van floor. As she rolled she snapped the tie around her ankles, came up and aimed at the driver again.

  “Stop the van or the next one’s right through your neck!”

  The driver hit the brakes hard, and Renee used the momentum to propel herself to her feet and forward. She grabbed the driver by his shirt and pressed her weapon to the back of his neck. The van was halted and she looked out of the window to see people staring and yelling at them for the erratic driving.

  “Now turn us around and take us back to the parking lot you took us from,” she instructed him, pressing the gun more firmly into his skull.

  He quickly did as she asked, taking them around the block and heading back in the direction of the vampire’s building. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Rafe lying there, unmoving, a hood on his head and his hands and feet bound. But she resisted the urge to go to him. She had to keep control of the driver. He was their only source for finding Killean.

  “Rafe?” she called to him.

  No response. She gritted her teeth and said to the driver, “If you’ve hurt him, I’m going to take pleasure in personally shooting you in every joint of your body. Kneecaps. Elbows. Wrists. You get the idea.”

  “Y-yes.”

  “Why did you kidnap us?” she asked. “Why me?”

  “I-I-It wasn’t about you. It’s about him. You’re just collateral.”

  “So why do you want him?”

  “I-I think it’s because he knows where every lawful vampire diplomat is staying.”

  Renee frowned. She hadn’t realized Rafe was so full of such sensitive information. He was a target. The target. That was why he’d been attacked twice in as many nights. Not just because they were all being attacked. That had to have been a red herring to cover who their actual target was. But what specific information was Killean after?

  “Why does Killean want to know where the diplomats are staying?”

  “I don’t know,” he said shakily.

  Renee nudged the gun against the back of his head.

  “I swear I don’t know!” he cried.

  “We’ll see,” she said as they pulled into the underground garage once more. They found a spot and parked. Then Renee yanked the driver out of his seat and dragged him into the back of the van. “Untie him,” she instructed him, pushing him toward Rafe. By this time the other vampire bodies had disintegrated. This seemed to shake up the driver more than anything.

  “Please. I don’t want to die and disappear into nothingness.”

  “Then do as I say. Untie him.”

  The vampire shakily withdrew a knife from his belt and Renee pressed the gun even tighter to his skull.

  “One wrong move and you’re dust. If you hurt him, I’ll kill you. Cut the ties then hand the knife to me.”

  She followed his every move, watching him carefully for signs he might use the knife in a dangerous way. She would cut the ties herself, but she didn’t want to turn her back to this vampire. He was stronger than she was. Faster. She couldn’t afford to move her gun even an inch away from his head.

  They moved carefully in tandem, the vampire reaching to pull off Rafe’s hood and then cut the tie at his feet. Renee bit her lip when she saw Rafe was bleeding from the head. He had been hit hard enough to knock him out cold and cause a deep gash in his head. It made her angry all over again.

  “Now his hands.”

  The vampire hesitated and tensed. She suspected he might try something so she took her advantage in her hands. If Rafe could be knocked out, then so could this vampire. She raised up her gun and then brought it back down hard on the back of his head. The first strike only dazed him it seemed, so she had to hit him again. Finally he slumped over, unconscious.

  She snatched up the knife and, without turning her back on the unconscious vampire, she cut Rafe’s bonds free. Then she softly patted his cheek, trying to rouse him. When that didn’t work she tried slapping him harder.

  “Rafe! Wake up!”

  He stirred and opened his eyes with a groan. He rolled onto his back and looked up at her.

  “What the hell?” he asked.

  “Blitz attack. But I got us out in one piece. Listen, this vampire knows where Killean is right now. He may be our only chance at getting him but we have to act quickly. If they don’t show up with us in tow within the expected time Killean might cut bait and run.”

  “Why the hell does Killean want you so bad?” Rafe asked, sitting up and taking in his surroundings. There was blood spatter all over the inside of the van from her having blown out the vampires’ brains. “How many were there?”

  “Five total. But now we’re down to one. And they don’t want me. They want you. I think they took me to use as a means to get you to cooperate with them. They would’ve probably tortured me in front of you to coerce you into giving away information about the diplomats that are in town.”

  Rafe touched the back of his head where his wound was. His fingers came away bloody.

  “Those sick bastards,” he said with feeling. “They’re lucky you killed them first. I might not have been so kind as to end it quickly. But it was smart thinking to keep this one alive.”

  Rafe reached out and opened the door to the side of the van. He got out then reached in for the body of the other vampire. He hauled him up over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and they left the van behind and headed for the elevators. Rafe scanned his card and they went shooting up to the sky lobby. There they switched elevators and went up to the penthouse. Meanwhile, Renee found herself having a hard time putting her gun away. She felt the need to be in a constant state of readiness, something she had learned in the academy. However, it could be exhausting to remain in that state for long periods of time. She had to behave judiciously.

  She followed Rafe out of the elevator and down the hallway to a pair of grand double doors that obviously led into the penthouse apartment. Rafe rang the bell then pounded on the door for good measure. After a short while the door opened revealing a petite woman.

  “Darcy, I need to see the queen.”

  “Yes, sir. Of course. She’s in her office.”

  To Darcy’s credit she didn’t bat an eye at the unconscious man draped over Rafe’s shoulder.
She simply turned aside and let them enter the house. Rafe was obviously familiar with the place because he headed straight down a nearby hallway and arrived at a second set of double doors. He pushed them open without knocking and they entered the room.

  A beautiful redheaded woman sat on a sofa in a large conversation area, her bare feet tucked up beneath her and a book open in her lap. She looked up at Rafe with a small measure of surprise. She arched a brow when Rafe hoisted his baggage off his shoulder and dropped it hard on the unforgiving wood floor in front of the couch. The unconscious vampire groaned softly at the abuse. The groan made Renee worry that he was coming out of his forced sleep.

  “Well, Rafe, what have you brought me today?” the woman—Renee could only assume she was the queen—put her book aside slowly, dog-earing the page she was on as if she had all the time in the world and there was nothing to get excited over. She was a graceful woman. By her smart, elegant suit, it was clear to see she was sophisticated and fashion forward. Her long red hair was swept up into an elaborately coiffed style that lifted her mass of hair off her shoulders and onto the top of her head. Renee envied her the look she seemed to wear so easily. Her own curly hair would never behave long enough to be so beautifully styled and her figure was far from elegant.

  “This sycophant and his companions just tried to kidnap me and Renee only minutes ago.”

  Alarm struck the queen’s serene features. “Are you okay?” She was on her feet in the next instant and was suddenly mere inches away from Rafe, her hands cupping his head as she inspected it. She noticed the blood and gasped in a small breath. “Rafe!”

  “It’s nothing,” Rafe insisted, catching her hands in his and drawing them down to rest against his chest.

  Renee felt the hot lick of jealousy pulse through her before she could think to check the emotion. The queen was far too close to him. Far too familiar with him. There was clearly a lot of intimate history between them. Renee could see it in the way they met each other’s eyes and modulated their voices. The queen was precious to Rafe.

  Did that mean they were intimate on a physical level? She had no idea what Rafe’s ideas of intimacy were. Was he one of those men who slept with whatever woman struck his fancy? Was she just the flavor of the week? She had not thought to ask him what the nature of their relationship was to him. If it could be called a relationship. They’d known each other a few days, they’d had sex a few times. She had no claim on him.

  So then why did it feel like she was on fire with jealousy over how close they seemed to be? She wasn’t even the jealous type! What was wrong with her? There were other more serious problems to be worried about.

  “Call Danton. And Halo. We’ll need every good man we can get. This phant knows where Killean is this very moment. We have no time to waste. If he doesn’t return with us soon Killean will know they failed and he’ll move on,” Rafe told her.

  “I’ll call right away. This might finally be the chance we were looking for! Thank you, Rafe.”

  “Don’t thank me. Thank Renee. If not for her and her police skills, we would still be held captive. Killean would have used me and killed us both when I didn’t give him what he wanted.”

  “Thank you then, Renee. I cannot express to you how special Rafe is to me. You have saved one of the true treasures of this nation. Not to mention my own personal feelings.” The queen blinked her eyes rapidly and looked away, but not before Renee could see the tears wetting her lashes. Renee’s feeling of possessiveness grew stronger and she couldn’t help herself when she moved up beside Rafe and pulled at his arm a little. He stepped away from the queen and moved closer to her and she felt immediate relief. But all the same he reached out a hand and stroked his fingers over the queen’s face fondly.

  “Don’t be upset,” he soothed her. “I am fine. We are all fine.”

  Renee had been on the receiving end of that touch herself and she felt wickedly angry emotions roiling beneath her surfaces. Did he touch all the women he knew like that? With that intimacy that made them feel like they were the only one in the world who mattered to him?

  “Now I need to focus on getting Danton here with as many others as possible,” Rafe said, moving away from the queen and facing Renee. He touched her down the length of her throat and she felt her breath catch beneath his hand. Maybe he did touch every woman he met like that. Maybe she shouldn’t assign so much meaning to it. Still, it hurt to not be special in his eyes. Especially when he had grown so special to her.

  Renee hesitated and examined that thought and the feeling that went with it. He really had become important to her, never mind the shortness of their time together. Their relationship had been forged in excitement and strife, and it had drawn them together into an undeniable intimacy fast and fiercely. At least, it had for her. She didn’t know about him.

  Rafe stepped away from her after placing a soft kiss on her lips. She was thrilled that he did so in front of the queen. She felt like it marked the nature of their relationship to the other woman. She would have preferred if he had been more heated, the kiss more of a brand. Something that showed on the outside what she was feeling on the inside.

  To that end she grabbed hold of his arm and turned him back to her. She rushed her body up against his, cupped his face in her hands, and drew him back to her mouth for a hot, blistering kiss. Her body curved into his aggressively, her hand sliding down his neck to his shoulders as his arms wrapped around her. He took over the kiss in the next heartbeat, dragging her in tight, his hard body pressed all along her softer one. Their tongues tangled and their bodies heated. But after what seemed like too brief a time, he lifted his head away from her and drew in deep breaths.

  “Soon,” he murmured breathlessly against her temple as he kissed her there lightly.

  She nodded, content for the time being with their extremely public and possessive display. She drew away from him and looked toward the queen, ready to gauge her reaction. But Simone wasn’t even looking at them. She was focused on her phone and the texts she was sending. Frowning in consternation, Renee stepped away from Rafe and crossed the room to where Rafe had dumped the body of the sycophant. She checked on his state of consciousness until she was satisfied he was genuinely out cold. She wouldn’t put it past him to fake it.

  Chapter 20

  Both Rafe and the queen were on the phone, speaking rapidly in a variety of languages until people began to show up. The first was Danton, the tall black vampire from the committee. He nodded to Renee in greeting then moved toward Rafe and the queen. He took in the unconscious phant and raised a brow.

  “Keeping a pet, are we?” he asked.

  “This phant knows where Killean is right now,” Rafe explained shortly.

  Tension immediately whipped through the other man.

  “How long?”

  “About twenty minutes. We’re running out of time. If we don’t get ready and get after him now, we might lose him. He might move before we even get a chance to mobilize.”

  Just then the sound of a phone going off filled the room. It wasn’t a full ring, but it was definitely the sound of a notification. No one checked their phones, already knowing that it wasn’t any of their personal phones. Rafe knelt by the phant and searched his body. He found the phant’s phone and read the text message that had come through.

  “It says ‘report,’ ” Rafe said.

  Rafe swiped at the phone and tried to access it. It was locked with a passcode.

  “Try his thumbprint,” Renee suggested.

  Rafe did so and he smiled when the smartphone unlocked and the text messages bloomed across the screen.

  “Killean. The texts are from Killean.”

  “What should we do? Answer it?”

  Rafe scanned through the previous texts.

  “There’s something off about these texts. They seem a little awkward. Some of them don’t make sense to me. It must be some kind of code. If we answer we might be breaking the code and tipping Killean off.”
/>   “If we don’t answer the same thing will happen,” Renee said.

  “Wake him up,” Danton said to Rafe.

  Rafe spent the next couple of minutes trying to rouse the phant. During that time the queen’s penthouse became a hotbed of activity. More and more people arrived. Until even the spacious penthouse began to feel a little crowded. With each arrival the queen explained what was happening.

  “Simone,” Rafe said, “get me a glass of water.”

  Simone did so herself, rather than delegating the task as Renee might have expected a queen to do. She came back with the water and Rafe slowly spilled it over the phant’s nose and mouth until the phant gagged and woke up, spewing water and coughing hard.

  “There we go. He’s awake,” Rafe said with a cold smile for the phant. “We need you to text your boss and tell him you’re still waiting on my arrival. And you need to do it,” he said as he handed him the phone, “in code. I know you’re talking in code to him. Tell me what it is.”

  “It…every first word of the text has to use the next letter in Killean’s name, and then it starts again from the beginning. I’m on the second L. See?”

  The phant turned the phone toward Rafe who quickly reviewed the messages to see if he was telling the truth. He nodded when he was satisfied that he was.

  “Tell him…‘Leave it to me. We’ll have him shortly.’ ”

  Rafe nodded at Danton’s suggestion and took the phone from the phant to type in the message. He hit send and held his breath.

  The phone made a sound as the response appeared. Hurry up.

  “I don’t think he suspects anything yet,” Danton said. “But he will if we don’t get our shit together.”

  “You’re going to take us to Killean,” Rafe said to the phant.

  “He’ll kill me!” the phant cried.

  “So will we. Look at it this way, you’ve had a good run. You’ve gotten the chance to run wild and debauch yourself. You’ve lived your life fully.”