Blood Hunt

by Jessica Wayne

  “Where is she asleep because I’m standing in her apartment, and she sure as hell isn’t here?”

  “Who is this?”

  “Her best friend, who the hell is this?”

  “Jack, her boyfriend,” Jack lies smoothly. The fucker is cool under pressure, I’ll give him that.

  “Then how about you tell me where my best friend is? Before I call the police. She’s a detective, you know. I can have her partner track you down!”

  “No need for that. We’re at my apartment.” Fucking liar.

  “Where?”

  “Off Bench Boulevard.”

  “If you are lying to me, Jack, I’ll cut your balls off and feed them to you in a cupcake.” She ends the call, and I can’t help but grin at her. Even as terrified as I am about Rainey, Jane’s bravado is impressive as shit. “What?” she glares at me.

  “You handled him well. He’s lying, by the way. I was at his apartment.”

  “Was it on Bench Boulevard?”

  I shake my head.

  Jane mutters something I can’t quite make out. “Here’s hoping he has a second place. We going?”

  “I don’t have a car.”

  “Then we can take mine.” She shoves the pepper spray into her purse before whipping back around to me. “Just so you know, I still don’t trust you. You are the one Rainey introduced as her boyfriend, which means he’s lying. That’s the only reason I’m going over there.”

  “Understood.”

  Jane leaves, locking the door behind her before putting the phone back up to her ear. It rings as we walk until finally, “Jane, what is it? I’m nearly there.”

  “Meet us at the apartments on Bench. That’s where she is.”

  Ramirez sighs. “Number?”

  “Don’t know.”

  “We’ll find it,” I growl. If Jack’s telling the truth and he has her there, I’ll find him.

  “Who was that?”

  “Elijah.”

  Ramirez hesitates a moment. “Are you safe?”

  Jane glances over at me as we reach the elevator. “For now.”

  “I’m pulling up outside, ride with me.”

  “Okay.” She ends the call. “Rainey’s partner is outside.”

  Shit. “I really can go on my own.”

  “You aren’t going anywhere until Rainey is safe. You understand?”

  I nod. Won’t hurt to have them around, especially someone to get Rainey out while I’m busy ripping Jack apart, piece by piece. “Understood.”

  A black Malibu is parked outside, and as soon as we step onto the curb, Ramirez reaches across and opens the passenger door for Jane. “You’re in back,” he tells me as he looks me up and down, mouth set in a grim line.

  “I’ll meet you both there.” Turning, I blur down the street, my excess speed and the need to dodge moving vehicles and pedestrians the only thing keeping my fear from spiraling out of control.

  It takes me all of five minutes to make it there where it will take them close to twenty minutes to get here in a car. I stare up at the apartments. It’s a small unit, maybe a dozen or so, and only two stories.

  There’s one apartment with the lights on. Tilting my head to the side, I listen for anything that might tell me which one they’re currently occupying.

  “Let me the fuck go,” Rainey growls from somewhere behind me. It’s faint, muted, but just enough for me to pinpoint a location. I spin, racing across the street to the apartment complex situated directly across from the other. It doesn’t take me long to find the room they’re in because Rainey is muttering a string of threats at Jack.

  The door ahead splinters when I slam into it, and Jack jumps up from where he was sitting at a small table, blade in hand.

  “You dumb son of a bitch,” I growl, stalking toward him.

  “Elijah! No!”

  I turn, my eyes falling on Rainey. She’s pissed but, for the most part, appears to be fine. Cuts and scrapes cover her face and what I can see of her arms. She’s standing in the corner, jacket slung over a chair beside her. The scent of her blood fills my lungs, and I cringe as it threatens to overtake me.

  I shiver, closing my eyes and trying to focus on harnessing the bloodlust into murderous rage for the hunter who stole her from me.

  “You shouldn’t have come here,” Jack growls.

  Thankfully, the rage is currently a hell of a lot stronger than the bloodlust. Growling, I face off with Jack. He stares back at me, not at all afraid. Stupid mistake. “You stole her from that garage.”

  “She was going to die if I didn’t.”

  “You set that bomb up?” I ask, stalking toward him.

  “No, he didn’t,” Rainey says.

  I don’t even bother to look at her. “How do you know?”

  “Because he was with us the entire time. Use logic, Elijah. Unless he magically transported himself to the garage to set up the bomb in the few minutes it took us to get upstairs, there’s no damn way he could have gotten back to the apartment to let us in.”

  She’s right, of course, but that doesn’t quell my bloodthirst. I want this hunter’s head on a fucking platter. “He could have called someone, texted them to let them know we were down there.”

  Jack reaches into his pocket and slams his phone against my chest. “Then check my log, you asshole.”

  Reaching down, my fingers close over the small phone. Holding his gaze, I clench my fist and break it apart, letting the pieces scatter on the floor.

  “Really mature, Elijah. Truly the actions of someone who’s probably been around since the dark ages,” Rainey says dryly.

  “Have you forgiven him so easily then?” I demand.

  Rainey glares at me and crosses both arms. “How the hell do you think his nose was broken?”

  I turn back to Jack and look over the injuries I thought were from Rainey’s earlier ass-kicking and the blast. Grinning, I nod. “Good work. Still don’t think he should have his head.”

  “In case you haven’t realized, I don’t do things according to what you would do. How did you find us?”

  “A woman called,” Jack answers. “You bleed her dry after she got you what you wanted, Vamp?”

  “A woman? What woman?” Panic laces Rainey’s voice.

  “Jane is on her way here,” I tell her without bothering to look away from Jack.

  “Jane? Shit, put that away!” she tells Jack.

  “Ramirez is with her,” I add.

  “Ramirez? What the hell did you do? They don’t know anything about any of this!”

  “Blame your friend Jack here. Jane went to your apartment, looking for you, and when she couldn’t find you, she called your partner.”

  “Son of a bitch. This is so fucked.” She starts to pace back and forth as if attempting to formulate some kind of logical explanation for the shit storm we’ve found ourselves in.

  “They should be here any minute. Probably should go ahead and rip this asshole apart so we can just meet them outside.”

  “You can try,” Jack growls, not intimidated by my threat.

  “I don’t know why I’m surprised that you think you stand a chance. Hunters have never really been known for their intelligence.”

  “Can you two just cut the pissing contest already? You’re a badass hunter, and you’re a badass vampire. I can still kick both your asses, and I will if you don’t both put your dicks away and focus. There, we good now?”

  A smile tugs at my lips despite the rage still burning me from the inside. “Not until he pays.”

  “For what exactly? Rescuing me? Getting me away when he thought someone was going to kill me? You pissed that he left you behind?”

  Swallowing hard, I glance away from Jack and to Rainey, who’s glaring at the both of us, hands on her hips. “Fine.” I step back, far enough away that I can partially ignore the way my body is reacting to the scent of her blood.

  So I can ignore the side of me that wants to claim her as mine regardless of how fucking irresponsible
that is.

  “We need to get our story straight for when Ramirez gets here,” Rainey orders.

  “Someone tried to kill us, not much to straighten out about that,” Jack says dryly.

  “Yes, but the whole Elijah waking up alone part? That’s where things get iffy.” She glares at Jack, and I get the impression he got an earful along with the ass-kicking.

  It makes not killing him a bit easier to swallow.

  “And then there’s the part where you were a murder suspect.”

  “I thought you said I wasn’t one?”

  “We still interviewed you at the alleyway.” Rainey takes a deep breath. “This is what we’re going to say. You called because you thought you saw the blonde woman across the street.” Rainey glares up at me. “Since you introduced yourself as my boyfriend, we’re going to pretend you had taken me on a date and I wanted to swing by Jack’s place. Then, the car explodes. Jack freaks out, brings me here to save me. Sound good?”

  I cross both arms over my chest, enjoying the irritation on Jack’s face. “Sure.”

  “Yeah,” Jack adds.

  “Rainey?” Jane’s voice carries in from outside, and Rainey shoves past me.

  “I’m here!” she calls.

  “Thank God!” Jane and Ramirez rush up, Ramirez’s weapon at the ready as he moves inside.

  “How the hell did you get here so fast?” he demands.

  Elijah shrugs. “Shortcut.”

  “Are you okay?” he asks, turning his attention to Rainey as he holsters his weapon.

  “Fine. Had a bit of an exciting night.”

  “I can see that.” Ramirez’s sharp gaze travels over to Jack. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Jack called me when Elijah and I were getting ready to go out. He said he thought he saw the blonde woman from the club the other night.”

  “And you didn’t think to call me?”

  “I thought it would be easy enough to handle. I know you and Kamie haven’t had a lot of time together lately, and I didn’t want to interrupt.”

  Ramirez’s face softens. “You should have called.”

  “I know.”

  “What’s with the dirt?” Jane asks, stepping toward Rainey. “The dried blood?”

  “Car explosion. Someone rigged Elijah’s car. When we unlocked it, it blew.”

  “You were all three there?” Ramirez asks as he studies me. My injuries are nearly all healed by now, which is not characteristic of someone who was nearly blown to bits. “I had a leather jacket on,” I say. “Shielded me from the blow but was shredded after.”

  “Uh-huh.” He doesn’t look convinced. “Why would someone want to kill you?” Ramirez demands.

  Before I can answer, Rainey clears her throat. “It wasn’t him they were trying to kill.”

  Her partner whips toward her. “What?”

  “I think someone is trying to kill me. Before we came down to the garage, someone shot a crossbow into the apartment. Elijah pulled me out of the way just in time. Then there was the shooting the other day…I think someone has it out for me.”

  “But why?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m thinking we should probably figure it out.” She clears her throat and rolls her shoulders. “Now, for the love of cheese and crackers, can someone get me some fucking Skittles?”

  24

  Rainey

  After popping a handful of Skittles into my mouth, I stare out the sliding glass door of Jane’s small apartment. The street below is dark, illuminated only by streetlamps spaced apart so they cast a soft glow on the sidewalk.

  It was damn good timing that Minnie is staying with another friend for a few days. Gives us a safe place to crash for the night since Jane wouldn’t let me go back to my apartment tonight.

  She passed out a few minutes after we got here with Jack following shortly after. I glance back at the hunter who’s got an arm up over his face as he sleeps on the couch. The only reason he’s here is to lend to the illusion that he is not my enemy.

  Which, all things considered, he might not be. But the second the sun comes up, my warning stands, and he knows it. If I ever see Jack Keller again, I’ll kill him.

  My gaze drifts over him to Elijah.

  He’s sitting in the decorative high-backed chair in the corner of the living room, his large frame dwarfing the pale blue fabric. Both legs are stretched out in front of him, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

  All evidence of the explosion has disappeared from his skin, though his shirt is still shredded in some places. As he sleeps, I study the short beard covering his strong jaw, the sharp set of his nose. He’s handsome—elegantly so while also managing to pull off the whole overbearing alpha appeal.

  When he’d exploded into the apartment where Jack brought me after we nearly died—his expression was wild, panicked. As if he was there for the sole purpose of rescuing me from some imaginary enemy.

  Not that the enemy is imaginary at this point. Obviously, someone is after us—after me. I just have no fucking clue who would have orchestrated it. The Council, perhaps? Some clan of vampires I’ve pissed off? I mean, at this point, it could literally be anyone. Not like I have a whole lot of friends.

  As I turn back to the sliding glass door, I take one last look at Jack. I thought I had a friend. Turns out I was way off base. He’s fucking lucky I didn’t kill him while I was blacked out, and the only reason he’s here right now is because I can tell he cared for my sister. While I can’t bring her back, I can at least not murder one of her only friends.

  I grip the handle of the door and slide it open. Thankfully, it moves near soundlessly, disrupting neither of the two men behind me. I step outside, inhaling the crisp mountain air as I do. After I graduated high school, I’d briefly considered moving to another city.

  A bigger one, full of nightlife. But Billings is my home, and there’s just something about it that brings me comfort. I very much doubt I’d feel at peace anywhere else. I snort. Because I’m so at peace now.

  The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I stiffen. I can feel his presence, the warmth of it washing over me and pooling in the pit of my stomach. It takes all of my self-control to not close my eyes and lean back into him as one might a lover.

  But he’s not my lover.

  Hell, he’s not even my friend.

  The door shuts softly behind me, so I turn, facing Elijah, who dwarfs the patio surrounding us. His face is tight, jaw hard, eyes so damned bright I can see the shades of blue even in the dark of night. Power rolls off him as he doesn’t even bother to mask it anymore. I can’t believe I never saw it—even through whatever the hell he was doing to keep it shielded. I joked about him being an alpha—but it’s absolutely true.

  Elijah is a warrior with the manners of an aristocrat.

  A hero with the tongue of a villain.

  “Can’t sleep?” he asks, stepping up beside me on the balcony.

  “No.” My response is sharp, and I know it has more to do with me being pissed off at myself than at him. At least, currently. But how else am I supposed to feel? The way he affects me—it goes against the very nature of my being.

  And it’s frustrating as shit because a huge part of me doesn’t want to care.

  “Feel better after your shower?” he asks, gesturing to the sweats and oversized Baby Yoda T-shirt I pilfered from Jane. She may have a slight obsession with graphic T-shirts.

  “I do. It was nice to get the blood off.”

  For a brief moment, his heart rate increases ever so slightly. “May I?” He holds out a hand, so I reach into my bag and hand him a few Skittles. “Thanks.”

  “Yeah.”

  Something moves in the shadows. Narrowing my gaze, I peer down at the street.

  “It’s a feline,” Elijah says as he pops the candy into his mouth.

  Right as he finishes speaking, a cat runs into the dim light. “How did you—”

  “Your heart rate increased. I assumed.”

&
nbsp; “Stop doing that.”

  “Doing what?”

  I turn toward him. “Acting like you know me.”

  Elijah arches a dark eyebrow. “And it would bother you if I did?”

  “You don’t,” I insist. “Following me for weeks doesn’t equate knowing someone. You might know how I take my coffee, my favorite kind of candy…but it ends there.”

  He swallows hard and nods. “Then tell me something.”

  “Why?”

  “Why not? If I don’t know you, enlighten me. What makes you Rainey Astor?”

  Biting down on the inside of my cheek, I turn toward the balcony railing. Why is there a part of me that wants him to know me?

  “It’s funny to me how when you ask someone to tell you something about themselves, they freeze up.”

  “I’m not freezing up,” I snap, keeping my voice low enough that I won’t wake Jack.

  “Tell me something, anything you don’t think I know.”

  “Why don’t we start with you?”

  There’s that damned eyebrow raise again. “Where would you like me to start?”

  “Your heart, you can change the way it beats.”

  “Call it my superpower.”

  “How can you do that? I’ve never met another vampire with that ability.”

  “I am the only of my kind. And soon you’ll find there’s little I can’t do.”

  The multiple meanings behind his statement are not lost on me, and I can’t keep my mind from drifting to far less honorable things. “Why are you so interested in keeping me alive? Surely, it’s not just because you were friends with Delaney.”

  Elijah clicks his tongue. “That’s not how this works, Rainey. I tell you something about me; you tell me something about you.”

  “You didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. How can you slow your heart?”

  “It’s my superpower,” he repeats.

  I bite down on my bottom lip and glare out over the street.

  “I’m not a purebred,” he says, and I turn toward him so fast I nearly topple over.

  “You’re not full vampire?”

  Elijah shakes his head. “My mother was a witch.”

  Never would have guessed that. “That’s a new one.”