Gina's Passion (Vampire Huntress Sage Book 4)

by Christina Escue

  “That would be a wasted trip,” Karma told him. “I called Woods, and it seems Agent Lynn left DC just after we did.”

  “Interesting,” Baxter said and looked around at group in the room. “Do we have any idea where she went?”

  “Woods is tracking her personal cell phone, and has her credit cards, both bureau and personal, flagged. If she uses one, we will know where she’s at,” Johnson told him.

  “Excellent,” Baxter responded and grinned. “Now, I think we should all prepare for whatever is going to happen next. I feel things are about to unravel.”

  “Caia’s awake,” Jensen said before anyone commented on what Baxter said.

  “Good,” Baxter said and smiled. “Looks like we may have some answers soon.”

  “Be easy with her,” Jensen said, and none of them missed the protectiveness in his voice.

  “We all will be,” Karma assured him. “She’s coming downstairs with Jackson.”

  “Hey everyone,” Jackson said as he poked his head around the door a moment later. “Caia is in the kitchen, and wanting to talk to everyone.”

  “We’ll be right there,” Jensen told him and inhaled deeply.

  “She’s confused, but doesn’t seem to be upset,” Jackson told him, and they all heard him exhale heavily. “But she said there are things she needs to talk to us about. Things regarding Crompton, and her mother.”

  “There are things I need to talk to her about, too,” Jensen said and looked around at the vampire in the room with him. “Things I have absolutely no idea how to tell her.”

  “You’ll figure it out,” Baxter assured him. “Johnson did, and so did I.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed, but shook his head.

  “She’ll adapt to vampire life,” Jackson told him. “And she will feel the pull that you feel. There’s no avoiding it once it’s there.”

  “Yeah,” Jensen said again. “Let’s go see what she has to say, then I will worry about everything else.”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  “Is Maggie okay?” Caia asked as soon as her eyes landed on Johnson.

  “I’m just fine,” Maggie answered as she stepped around him.

  “I am so sorry. He said he had my mother.”

  “I know,” Maggie answered softly, then looked at Johnson. “And everyone here understands.”

  “He’s pissed at me,” Caia countered as she looked at Johnson again.

  “He’ll get over it,” Maggie assured her. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m okay,” she answered and looked around the kitchen. When her eyes landed on Jensen, she quickly looked away. “My mother was never with Crompton.”

  “Did you really believe she was?” Jackson asked her. “After everything he did to you, to us, did you think he was telling you the truth?”

  “Not really, but it didn’t matter. She’s my mom, and I had to save her if I could,” she snapped out.

  “We get it,” Gina told her calmly. “I’d have done the same if it were my mom.”

  “Jackson said you wanted to talk to us,” Baxter reminded them all.

  “Yes,” she said and inhaled deeply. “Unlike last time, I wasn’t drugged as much this time. He wanted me to know what was going on. When we left Ohio, we drove for several hours then got on a small, single engine plane. It was just me and him other than the pilot, who was a vampire who worked for him. We flew to DC first, and the pilot watched me for few hours while Crompton had a meeting. Then we flew to Texas, and it was the same thing there. Once we got here, we went to a very large, what appeared to be an abandoned, house on the outskirts of a vineyard. We stayed there for about two weeks, then moved to an older house just north of a town named Cool. The house had peeling green paint, and a sagging porch.”

  “That’s close to where we found you,” Karma told her. “I know that house. When I was in school a lot of the teenagers in the area went there to get drunk and high. It’s only about half a mile from the place we found Caia.”

  “How do you know that?” Caia asked, tilting her head.

  “I grew up in this area,” Karma told her. “My hometown is Cool. It’s where I lived when my family was killed.”

  “You’re who he kept talking about,” Caia said nearly silently and covered her mouth.

  “What do you mean?” Dylan asked and wrapped his arms around Karma from behind.

  “Crompton kept talking about someone who slipped from his grasp. Someone who was only kept alive because he wanted her to be,” Caia told them. “He was talking to someone a couple weeks ago and I overheard them. Apparently, this man was placed in the town to keep watch over a child who was here. Crompton wanted this child, but never got it. He kept saying, Vincent failed me, but since I had no idea who that was, I tuned a lot of it out.”

  “I’ll rip him apart,” Karma snarled and jerked out of Dylan’s grasp. “That fucking bastard. I will rip his arms off and beat him with them before ripping his head off and drinking his blood.”

  “Karma,” Dylan said softly and laid a hand on her shoulder. She was more furious than he’d ever seen her, and it frightened him a little. “Baby, we will make him suffer for what he did.”

  “Karma,” a soft voice said from behind them, and they all turned to see Zora standing there.

  “Zora,” Gina said and scooped her daughter into her arms. “What are you doing in here, baby?”

  “Mommy, Karma needs me,” she said and wiggled her way out of Gina’s grasp. “She won’t hurt me, so don’t be scared, Mommy.”

  “Zora,” Baxter said and looked at the child.

  “She won’t hurt me, Nathan,” she assured him and walked to Karma. “You’re scaring the others, Karma. They think you’re going to hurt me, but I know you won’t. You’d never hurt someone who didn’t deserve it, even when you’re mad.”

  “He’s the one who planned everything,” Karma snarled, and Zora took another step toward her.

  “Karma, you’re a good vampire,” Zora told her and reached up to touch her hand. “You’re not like him. You’re not like the evil vampire in the world.”

  “I could be,” Karma told her. “If I had given in and joined them, I would be.”

  “You never could be,” Dylan assured her.

  “Had I not met you, I could be,” Karma reminded him.

  “But you’re not,” he reminded her.

  “Karma,” Zora said calmly, and Karma looked at her. “Remember who you are.”

  “Karma,” Caia said and Karma looked over to her. “The man who was talking to Crompton. He asked him why he killed your family. It felt like he knew them.”

  “Everyone in town knew my parents. My mom had lived there her entire life, and my dad’s family saved the town from going bankrupt. It isn’t a large place, so it doesn’t surprise me whomever it was knew my parents.”

  “What did the man look like?” Baxter asked. “Maybe if you can describe him, Karma will know who it is.”

  “All I can really tell you is he was a black man who talked with a little bit of a slur. Like he had a speech impediment, but tried to hide it.”

  “Mr. Lancaster,” Karma said and closed her eyes. “Thatcher Lancaster. He was the principle of the school. He wasn’t from Cool originally. He’s from LA, I think, and was hired after the principle was killed when I was in first grade.”

  “Do you know where we can find him?” Baxter asked.

  “Yes,” she responded and frowned. “He lives just a few houses down from where I grew up.”

  “Are you up to paying him a visit?” Jensen asked her.

  “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” Eduardo said from the other room.

  “Why?” Baxter asked.

  “If he sees Karma, he will know we’re here and we know. It would be best if a couple of the Huntresses went with a couple of the younger agents who aren’t as well known,” Ramsey told them.

  “We have Caia now, so Crompton already knows we’re here,” Karma pointed out.

&nbs
p; “That’s the other thing I wanted to tell you,” Caia spoke up. “I wasn’t with Crompton when you found me. He’d left me with a vampire named Brandy. She was supposed to be watching me, but wasn’t very good at it and I got away from her. I ended up in a field of vampire. They started fighting, and I was caught in the middle of it. I don’t remember anything after that until I woke up here.”

  “Did you say Brandy?” Baxter asked.

  “Yes,” Caia answered. “Do you know her?”

  “Long, dark brown hair, brown eyes, about your height, with a slight crook in her nose?”

  “Yes,” she answered, and Baxter narrowed his eyes.

  “Well, I guess we know where Agent Lynn disappeared to,” he told them and shook his head. “I knew there was something off about her.”

  “We can worry about that later. Where was Crompton going when he left you?” Eduardo asked.

  “He told me he was visiting one of his oldest, and most cherished creations,” she answered, and Eduardo nodded.

  “I thought I felt my sister close,” he commented and frowned.

  “Fuck,” Jensen said and moved away from the others. “If she shows up here, I’ll never forgive myself.”

  “I doubt she will show up here,” Eduardo assured him. “She has not lived this long by being stupid. She values her life too much to do anything that will surely end it.”

  “Wait, your sister?” Caia asked, her eyes wide.

  “Yes, child,” Eduardo responded. “Nanette and I were Crompton’s first sibling pair, and the only ones who have both lived nearly as long as he.”

  “And you will outlive him if I have anything to say about it,” Karma told him. “Now, let’s see who we can send in.”

  “I’ll go,” Nikki spoke up and Larson growled softly, causing her to snap her head toward him. “What?”

  “I’ll go with her,” he told Baxter and Nikki narrowed her eyes at him.

  “I don’t need a bodyguard,” she snapped at him.

  “None of y’all do,” Baxter spoke up. “But that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to watch your backs.”

  “Deal with it, Nikki,” Nevaeh told her. “Larson, you and Nikki will go, and Sally and Harrington. None of you have been seen overly much and should be okay.”

  “And we will be close if anything happens,” Karma told them. “I know that area, and know where a small group of us can watch the house without being seen.”

  “And the rest of us?” Jackson asked.

  “I have a place you can wait, too. You’ll be close, but not be able to have a visual on the house.”

  “When do we go?” Caia asked.

  “You aren’t going,” Jensen told her.

  “Fuck you,” she shot back at him. “Karma?”

  “I have to agree with Jensen,” Karma told her. “Not because I don’t think you can handle yourself, but Mr. Lancaster most likely knows who you are, and if he happens to see you, it will definitely blow their cover. Also, you’re newly turned and may not be able to handle the sun yet. We don’t want to take any chances on you being weakened, and getting injured.”

  “And, you need some training,” Jackson told her.

  “I’ll stay here with her,” Gina spoke up and Baxter frowned. “I’ll start her training right now, and I can keep an eye on Zora. You’re going to need the agents, and most of the Huntresses with you, especially if Crompton is there. I’m also a newly turned vampire, so I’ll stay here with Caia.”

  “And if vampire show up here?” Baxter asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Constance, Aleyn, and I will be staying behind,” Dristen told them. “We will not risk all of us this time. I have a feeling things aren’t going to go smoothly, and someone needs to be here to keep the peace if we lose some Senate members.”

  “Plus, if I die so does Mireille,” Aleyn reminded them. “And I cannot fathom a world without her in it.”

  “After this is over, you need to bring her here so we can meet her,” Karma told him.

  “Once this is over, I promise to bring her here to meet everyone,” Aleyn told them.

  “Good,” Karma said and grinned. “Now, let’s finish this.”

  “Yes, let’s finish this,” Eduardo said, and they all heard a finality in his voice they’d never heard before.

  He was ready for this to be over, and was prepared to give his life to end it.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  “That’s his house,” Karma told Nikki as they drove by in a dark sedan she’d rented just after they left the house.

  “Who is that standing on the porch?” Nikki asked, and Karma looked over.

  “Seeley,” Karma hissed. “This can’t be good.”

  “Who is Seeley?” Larson asked.

  “Just keep driving,” Karma told him. “I’ll explain when we get back to the others.”

  “Okay,” he responded and turned the corner, heading away from where Karma’s house used to stand.

  When he pulled into the driveway of a house on the next street, Karma was out of the car before it stopped moving and inside the house before either saw her move.

  “We have a problem,” Karma said as soon as she was inside.

  “How big of a problem?” Baxter asked, not liking the tone of her voice.

  “Seeley is at Mr. Lancaster’s house,” she told them, and Dylan hissed.

  “I thought you told him to stay away from all of this,” Nevaeh said.

  “I told him to stay away from Crompton and the vampire,” Karma told her. “I’m not sure he knows Mr. Lancaster is involved, but I know for a fact he’ll tell him I’m here. Seeley’s dad was killed in the war when we were fourteen, and Mr. Lancaster did a lot to help him and his mom. I didn’t realize Seeley was still close to him now though.”

  “Why?” Nikki asked.

  “Seeley’s mom dated Mr. Lancaster for a while a couple of years ago, but he ended it with her when his ex-fiancée moved to town and they got married. It was a huge scandal for our little town, and Seeley never really had anything to do with him our entire senior year.”

  “Okay,” Baxter said and looked at Nikki, Larson, Sally, and Harrington. “Do you four want to continue with the plan?”

  “Yes,” Nikki answered. “Neither of them know us, so I don’t think they will associate us with Karma. If, by chance, they do, we will secure them and bring them in. Larson and Harrington can officially arrest them, and no one will be the wiser.”

  “Okay then,” Baxter said and smiled at her. “We move forward with the plan, but everyone stay alert. We are walking into the unknown, and I don’t want anyone taking any chances.”

  “Yes, boss,” Nikki grinned at him.

  “What do we do if there are a lot of vampire there?” Sally asked.

  “Both Larson and Harrington will be able to smell vampire before you’re overly close to the house,” Nevaeh answered her. “If they smell more than three or four, they’ll radio Baxter and we will move in. Also, Karma, Dylan, Baxter, Jackson, Delanie, Harrison, Jensen, the Senate, and I will be in the treehouse Karma showed us. We can be out of that thing and to you in a matter of a few seconds, or Karma can anyway, so even if there are more than they smell, you will be okay.”

  “And the rest of us will be right here, and can be there very quickly, too,” Johnson told them. “We will not let anyone be harmed.”

  “Okay,” Sally said and looked around the room.

  “Sally, if you can’t handle this, I can ask someone else,” Nevaeh told her. “I know you haven’t been with us long, but you’ve gone into battle a few times already, so I figured you’d like this assignment.”

  “I can handle it,” Sally told her, and Nevaeh nodded.

  “Good,” Nikki said and grabbed Larson’s hand. “Ready to go in, sweet’ums?”

  “Sweet’ums?” He asked with a chuckle.

  “I wanted to go with sweet ass, but I thought you’d object,” she responded with a shrug.

  “Why would I object? If yo
u think my ass is sweet, that means you’ve been looking at it,” he told her.

  “Don’t flatter yourself, big guy,” she told him with a grin and patted his abs. “We’re supposed to be a couple, so I’m acting my part.”

  “Yeah,” he responded, but his grin didn’t fade.

  “Okay,” Nevaeh said and looked at the four of them. “Remember, do not go inside.”

  “We know,” Harrington said and looked at the Huntress who was supposed to be his girlfriend. “And we know that if something goes wrong, we need to get these two out of there quickly.”

  “Get Nikki to higher ground,” Karma reminded them. “She’s deadly and accurate as hell with her crossbow.”

  ****

  “You’ve failed me, Thatcher,” Crompton told him again. “You and young Seeley have failed me, and now it’s time to pay for that failure.”

  “Karma is here in town,” Seeley reminded him, again. “I talked to her four days ago. She was with a group of vampire, but there were only about ten of them.”

  “You are a very naïve young human,” Crompton told him. “If Karma is here, then the entire VEB and most of the Huntresses are here. She never travels without them.”

  “I’m telling you, I asked everyone she knows, everyone who could have possibly seen her, and they’ve only seen about ten new faces around.”

  Crompton shook his head and narrowed his eyes at the young man. “The VEB would not be seen if they did not want to be seen.”

  “Even if they’re here, they cannot get into this house without permission,” Lancaster reminded him.

  “Do you think that would stop them? Karma will burn the house down with us in it if it means getting the chance to try killing me,” Crompton told them. “I am the most wanted vampire in the world, and the VEB will do whatever is necessary to eliminate me. Do you want to take that chance?”

  “Then leave this area,” Lancaster said.

  “I cannot leave yet,” he reminded them. “My most loyal creation is here, and until I can get her to come with me, I must stay here.”

  “Then we will leave,” Lancaster told him. “Seeley and I will leave and never return.”