Blood Judgment (Judgment Series)

by Nickie Asher

  Julian stopped. Shit. He couldn’t kill an old man.

  “Something wrong?” the guard asked.

  “Can you tell me where the stable is located?” Xalend waved his arm as if he were lost. “They told us we can take horses on the hunt. I’d like to see the available animals.”

  “Oh, sure.” The guard stepped out of his shelter to give them directions.

  Xalend sprang forward.

  Chapter Seventeen

  RAIN-SOAKED Seattle had never looked so good to Julian after a wild ride with a teenage kid in a high performance Mustang.

  Xalend held out his hand. The two shook and clapped shoulders. “If I can ever do anything for you, you know where to find me. Or if you just want to stop in and say hello… I’d like to keep in touch.”

  “You’ll be seeing me.” Julian liked Xalend. And he felt immensely better knowing Xalend hadn’t been able to kill an old man either. He’d knocked the guard out cold and stuffed him back in the guardhouse.

  “Good. Later, man.” Xalend vanished into the shadows.

  After a short jaunt, Julian let himself into the dark, quiet apartment. Not that he would be there long. He had to find out where Saranna had been taken. He’d wanted Vali to go with him, but he didn’t have time to wait for the little imp to come home.

  He stank and his skin itched, but a shower and change of clothes would have to wait.

  As he stalked through the apartment, the truth of the situation sank in. Less than four hours of darkness didn’t give him time to locate her, free her, and find safe shelter.

  The urge to kill pumped through his veins. He fought for control. He couldn’t fuck up. One step at a time.

  FORTY-FIVE minutes later, Julian stood outside his old apartment. He breathed in the heavy scent of fried bacon and strong coffee.

  With the tools Saranna had given him, he picked the lock and slid inside warm darkness. Tommy’s scent filled the apartment, but the bastard wasn’t there.

  Without turning on the lights, he parked on the sofa and waited for his ex-friend to come home. He needed information and Tommy had it.

  THIRTY MINUTES before the first touch of light would hit the sky, Julian gave in to defeat.

  He let himself out and locked the door behind him. Out of time and options, he hurried down the stairwell and out of the building. But he would be back for Tommy-Boy as soon as darkness set him free.

  By the time he reached the apartment, Vali still had not come home. A knot of apprehension dug into his belly. Something was wrong. Vali wouldn’t stay somewhere else during the day. Something had happened to him. How long had he been missing?

  Did the others know?

  Fuck.

  What if they didn’t?

  He wanted to call Ashton and Slade, but they wouldn’t be put off about Saranna and while having their help would be a huge benefit, it was out of the question. She wouldn’t want them to know. And he would protect her every way possible.

  He had to rescue her and he had to do it alone.

  What if his silence cost Vali’s life?

  Chapter Eighteen

  FOOTSTEPS STOPPED outside Saranna’s door.

  Panic bloomed in her belly. She launched to her feet and scurried from the blankets she’d piled on the floor to sleep on.

  The door opened and Margo shoved a young female into the room. The girl stumbled and a tiny sob escaped her.

  Margo clicked in on stiletto heels. Bobby waited in the doorway and leered at Saranna.

  Anger and fear coursed through her as his eyes crawled over her with promises of pain and humiliation.

  “You two can share a room for a while. I want you to work together, so you may as well get used to each other.” Margo flounced out, locking the door behind her.

  The young female flinched. Tears ran down her face.

  “It’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid of me. I’m Saranna. What’s your name?”

  Her eyes were huge cerulean pools. “Nissa.”

  Saranna was blunt. “Did those pigs rape you?”

  Nissa sobbed and nodded. “I’m sorry.” She wiped at her eyes.

  “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

  “I… I hurt … down there.” Nissa cast her eyes to the floor. “I’d never done it before.”

  They’d stolen Nissa’s innocence in the most horrible way possible. Her heart ached for the young female.

  “I don’t ever want to have sex again,” Nissa said. “If I get out of this place, I mean.”

  “It’s wonderful with someone you love.” An image of Julian surfaced in Saranna’s mind. The pain of his death threatened to overwhelm her. How she wished he hadn’t seen her with Mick. The moment had tainted the last few minutes she’d had with Julian. Had he died thinking the worst despite her explanation?

  Worse than her guilt was the question eating her like a starved rat. How had he died? She’d heard the weapon of choice at the hunting ranches were crossbows. How many razor-tipped bolts had cut into him before one hit his heart or he bled to death? How far had he run? Had he given out, collapsing to die at their feet, or had a well-placed shot taken him down? What had they done with his body? She shuddered. Oh, Julian, I’m so sorry.

  She’d only wanted to help him. Instead, she’d caused his death. He’d stolen her heart and it had cost him everything.

  “Does anyone know you’re here?” Nissa asked, her voice hopeful.

  “No. I was with a friend when we were caught. He’s dead.” Despite her efforts to stop it, her eyes welled.

  She couldn’t bear to think about Julian.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Saranna nodded and wiped her eyes. “Make yourself at home.” She motioned to the only chair.

  Nissa sat slowly.

  “Do you want to soak in the tub? It helps the pain.”

  “Maybe later. If that’s okay.”

  “Sure. Whatever you want.” At least her first sex had been with Mick, someone who’d cared about her and tried to make it easy for her. To no avail. Despite the care he had taken, his penetration had hurt. A lot. It hadn’t improved as his thrusts speared into her while he kissed away her tears. How horrible it must have been to experience sex for the first time at the hands of a rapist.

  She turned on the television and flipped to The Late News on the Seattle twenty-four hour news channel.

  They chatted with the news buzzing in the background. A flash on the TV screen drew Saranna’s attention. Two photos captioned “The Prostitute Murderers” were displayed on the screen. “What?” Saranna turned up the volume.

  “One of the two vampires involved in the slayings is in custody,” a cheerful looking brunette said. The photos switched to a single of Vali. He looked terrified and bruises darkened his face. “He hasn’t made a confession, but Security Center officials are expecting him to offer one soon. The second vampire has been identified, but is still unaccounted for.” The brunette looked concerned then droned, “Back to you, Bob.”

  “Oh, my dear God.” Saranna hadn’t thought anything could make her situation worse, but she’d been wrong.

  Vali was in the hands of the devil.

  JULIAN CREPT around the side of a non-descript brick building, praying he’d found the right place.

  After returning to Tommy’s and finding the son of a bitch gone, a thorough toss of the apartment had turned up an address written on a slip of paper. An address in an area he and Tommy had avoided.

  Before he took off, he’d gone into the bathroom and left a calling card. Using a bar of soap, he’d scrawled on the mirror, Your day is coming, asshole.

  Let the fucker worry about what Julian might do to him. If he thought he was safe in the apartment, it was time to give him a reality check.

  A gust of wind whipped his hair into his face. He brushed it aside with an impatient swipe. The scent of another vampire, and his fear, drifted to Julian.

  He’d found it. He knew he had.

  Before the van had pulled away
with her, payment had been handed over and one of the men had made an entry in a book. Maybe that book held the destination and not just a record of the purchase price.

  Though slim, it was his best hope.

  Bright light spilled from the single window set in the basement door. Julian clenched his hands. Most likely, one or more vampires were awaiting the vans that would carry them to hell.

  He’d hoped to break in, search for the book, and get out without incident. But if he found victims, he would have to get them out. If he found traders, he would have to kill every one of them.

  Fucking up would be fatal.

  He snaked to the small door and glanced through the window. Inside, two males slumped in cages. He didn’t see anyone else in his limited view of the interior.

  He tried the knob. Locked. Undaunted, he fished his tools from his pocket and had it open in seconds. He pushed the door open and slid inside.

  The nearest captive snapped his head up.

  “Shhhh,” Julian said.

  The prisoner gripped the bars of the cage and looked hopefully at Julian. “No one’s here. Let me out … please. The keys are on the counter.”

  The second male’s head lolled against the bars. Spiky indigo hair fell over his forehead.

  Julian’s guts clenched. He walked around the cage until he got a clear view of the unconscious male’s face. Indigo. The dirty bastard.

  “Come on, let me outta here. Please,” the other male begged.

  “Yeah, hang tight.” Julian found the keys lying on the ledger. He snatched them and hurried to the cage.

  The frightened creature sprang out the moment Julian unlocked the door.

  “Thanks, man!” He took off like the minions of hell were behind him.

  Keys in hand, Julian considered the other caged male. Indigo. The one who’d stolen Julian’s life. He dangled the keys then spun them around his finger.

  He went back to the counter and opened the book with shaking hands. The dated pages held sales records with the buyers’ names and addresses.

  Flipping pages, he skimmed transaction dates. There, two entries. One male. One female. His heartbeat thudded in his ears.

  He memorized the address and swallowed down a snarl. A whorehouse. The name of the business was a dead giveaway. His beautiful Saranna… Someone was going to pay when he found her.

  He went back to Indigo’s cage and hunkered down on his heels. He grabbed Indigo’s upper arm and gave it a hard shake. Indigo groaned.

  “Wake up, asshole.” He gave Indigo another shake.

  Indigo’s eyes drifted open, but remained unfocused. Then comprehension dawned in his irises and he snapped wide awake.

  “Remember me? You stole everything from me. You destroyed my violin.”

  “Please … I’m sorry. Please let me out.”

  “Yeah, I bet you’re sorry.” Julian stood and headed for the door.

  “No! Let me out. They’ll kill me. Please … please.”

  Julian didn’t stop and he didn’t look back.

  TWO HOURS later, after hitching a ride with a cute blond, Julian lurked in the shadows near the whorehouse. Saranna was somewhere inside that wretched place.

  After slipping around the perimeter, he’d determined the back entrance was his best bet.

  Julian glided to the door and slid inside. He stood in a hallway. At the far end, a set of stairs led to the upper floors.

  A new captive probably wouldn’t be held close to a door and potential freedom. She would be somewhere on the second or third floor.

  He stalked toward the stairs, feet whispering over plush burgundy carpet. He had almost reached the stairs when someone opened one of the doors off the hallway. Julian dove for the dark recess under the stairs. He eased down against the back wall where shadows hid him.

  A man stepped out and brushed lint or some other offending item from his jacket as he walked down the hall. He passed Julian’s hiding place and stopped as the click of a woman’s high heels approached.

  “Margo, my lovely, where do you find your girls?” he said. “They are stunning and so well-trained.”

  “You liked her, no?” a woman purred in a throaty voice.

  “She was magnificent. I shall call on her again.”

  “You should see my two newest girls. Both are vampiresses. Once they’re properly trained, I’ll treat you to a night with both of them for the price of one.”

  “Are they tame?”

  “Of course not, darling, but they know better than to do anything other than show a customer a good time.”

  “I must say, your stable has variety.”

  “I pride myself on offering the best to my clients.”

  Julian’s hands curled into tight fists.

  “When will they be ready to entertain?”

  The excitement in the man’s voice made Julian want to kill him. Slowly.

  “Probably another month. They’ve only been here a short time and both are resistant. But Jeff and Bobby work with them every night.” She tittered.

  Julian’s hands clenched and a vein throbbed in his temple. He restrained himself from leaping out and ripping their throats open. Jeff and Bobby were going to die. Maybe not tonight, but he would be back to finish the job.

  “Let me know when they’re ready and I’ll take you up on the offer. I hope one of them is blond.”

  “One blond, one redhead.”

  “Excellent. I can’t wait. Now, I’ll bid you a good night, Margo.”

  “Goodnight, David.”

  The door opened. Closed. Margo moved off to the right of the stairs.

  Julian remained hidden until the clicking of her high heels receded. He slid from the shadows and ascended the stairs, gliding over the runner. Saranna was upstairs. Somewhere.

  At the upper landing, he inhaled, taking in scents of the whorehouse. Sweat. Cheap perfume. Semen.

  And a faint trace of Saranna.

  Heart drumming, he followed her scent to a room at the end of the hall where he squelched the urge to smash through the wood.

  Three locks stood between him and Saranna. With shaking fingers, he coaxed them open. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

  Saranna sat on the floor, unmoving. She stared as if in stunned disbelief. Then joy broke over her face like a sunrise, and she leapt to her feet and flew into his arms. He held her tight and shoved the door closed with his foot.

  “Julian, oh God, I thought you were dead.” She burrowed her face into his neck and sobbed. Hot tears trickled down into his shirt.

  Black rage coursed through him as he stroked her back. “It’s over. No one will hurt you again.”

  The scent of hunger enveloped her. The dirty bastards had starved her. He couldn’t afford to feed her when he might have to battle their way out, which pissed him off even more.

  He stroked her hair. “I told you I’d come for you.”

  She quieted a little.

  “Who’s your friend?” he asked.

  “Nissa. We have to take her with us.”

  He nodded. “Come on, we need to get out of here.” He motioned for Nissa to follow.

  Nissa slid off the bed and scurried to Saranna. She looked at him with big, frightened eyes.

  Saranna grabbed his arm. “The Security Center has Vali in custody and they’re looking for you.”

  “What?”

  “The dead prostitutes, they think you two did it.”

  Her words landed like a punch to his guts. “Fucking hell no. We have to get him out of there. They’ll kill him.”

  If they hadn’t already.

  Julian cracked open the door. Silence filled the hallway. He motioned for them to follow him. Saranna closed the door behind Nissa and they hurried over red and gold carpet.

  A doorknob rattled.

  Saranna and Nissa froze. Julian sprang, placing himself between them and the door. His insides knotted painfully.

  Then from behind the door, a woman laughed and shuffling ensued.
The squeak of bed springs as weight settled on the mattress attested to the occupants finding something to do.

  Julian’s gut unclenched. He motioned them forward. “Come on.”

  He led them down the stairs and motioned for them to head for the door at the end of the hall.

  But before they made it ten feet down the hall, the unmistakable click of high heels beat a Gatling gun tempo over the hardwood floor.

  Margo. Practically on top of them.

  “Shit, under here.” He pointed to the recessed area beneath the stairs.

  Saranna and Nissa dove for cover.

  Julian crouched at the edge of the shadows.

  Margo. Saranna’s tormentor. The bitch was going to pay. He snarled and waited, hands curled. His body tightened.

  The click-click of her high heels announced her approach. Julian dropped a little lower. She drew even with him and he sprang, landing in front of her.

  Shock painted a rubbery, almost comical mask on her features. His hand shot out and locked on her arm, jerking her into an embrace. He slapped his other hand over her mouth before she gathered her wits enough to scream.

  She stiffened in his grip, but only for a moment. She turned wildcat. Despite the hold he had on her arm, she went for him with her nails, slashing with both hands, going for his eyes.

  He whipped his head aside and she clawed long burning furrows down one cheek. He hissed, drawing his lip off his fangs.

  She brought her knee up, aiming for his balls. He jerked to the side, avoiding a blow that might have given her a chance to break his hold and scream like a raving lunatic.

  She slammed her spiked heel down on his foot and he bit off a yelp of pain. Snarling, he let go of her arm and clamped his hand on her throat. He’d had enough of the hellcat bitch.

  His fingers cranked shut like a vise, altering her attack into a fight to breathe. He tightened his grip until her clawing fingers fell away from his hand and she went limp. He dragged her into the shadows.

  The urge to rip her throat open tempted him, but Saranna and Nissa needed it more. Julian offered Margo’s unconscious body to the females. “Who wants to go first?”