Once again, he inhaled deeply, sighing. A sound that seemed to be made from equal parts frustration, attraction, and curiosity.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Amersyn. I can’t. But I do need you to listen to me. You are as I’ve said. You can choose to believe it or not. That doesn’t really matter to me. I do, however, need you to stop trying to kill me so I can offer you a deal you won’t want to miss.”
His tone was solemn, and my gut twisted at the thought that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to hear him out, even if he was delusional about some of his facts.
Then, I thought about what that said about me. Working with the same kind of monsters that killed my family? That would be the ultimate betrayal, yet a part of me was holding back. I could have ended Maciah already, but I’d paused for reasons I wasn’t ready to explore yet.
Maciah must have seen something in my eyes, because he released my hands. I pushed against his chest until he was no longer on top of me. I needed some major space from him in order to think.
He had a deal to offer me. He knew why I hunted vampires. He knew more about me than anyone else, and he also believed something that couldn’t possibly be true.
I was not a vampire.
I didn’t crave blood. I didn’t murder innocent humans. I didn’t have venom tainting my veins.
As I stalked back toward the kitchen, I made myself a new cup of coffee. Maciah followed me, once again sitting at the counter and waiting for me to speak. I kept my back to him—a move I probably shouldn’t have made considering I’d almost just killed him, but I didn’t need him trying to read my face as I considered what I was going to do next.
I frequented Crossroads because it allowed me to get to know my enemy better. I was capable of being in the same room as those I hunted and not killing them, all in the name of information.
Maybe I could do the same with Maciah. Maybe I could convince him that I believed his bullshit and see what value he brought to the table. If this vampire could bring me closer to the monsters that killed my family, it would be worth whatever he wanted in return.
Before I got to that, I needed to know more about him. He had more control than any other vampire I’d interacted with, and his eyes changed colors. That wasn’t normal.
With my new mug of whiskey-enhanced coffee, I finally turned back to the vampire. “Why do your eyes keep changing color?”
He shook his head. “That’s the most important question right now?” I shrugged and he continued, “I learned early on how to gain control over my emotions, something very few vampires can do until they’ve lived a century or two. My eyes react to my feelings, darkening when I’m not exactly happy.”
That was something to remember. “How old are you?” I asked next.
“Seventy-eight. I was turned when I was twenty-six. I have killed humans, but not in thirty years. Would you like to know my favorite color next?” he asked with a smirk.
I could be done with the personal questions, but only for the time being. I got back to our previous conversation. “What is your offer?”
“Do you believe what I’ve said?” he asked, suspicion filling his eyes.
“I don’t think you’re lying to me,” I answered truthfully. Vampires could sense lies a mile away. I had to choose my words carefully.
“So, you believe you’re a vampire?” he pressed.
Damn. He saw through my answer. I believed he thought he was telling the truth. There was no possibility of him being right, though.
I had my father’s eyes and nose. Everything about us was similar except my hair color. He most certainly was not a vampire, and neither was my mother.
“I think there are a lot of things to consider before I can truthfully answer that. Isn’t it enough that I stopped trying to kill you?” I asked.
He raised a brow. “For now, you’ve stopped.”
The bloodsucker wasn’t wrong about that.
“Are you going to tell me about this offer I don’t want to miss out on, or not? I don’t have time for any more games. Why were you and your friend in the alley last night, and why are you here now?” I took a long pull of my coffee, enjoying the burn from not only the temperature, but the whiskey as it slid down my throat. Maciah watched me with more curiosity as I kept the cup in front of my lips.
“I know of the group that was at your house seven years ago. Viktor, Rigo, Caesar, Igor, and Dmitri. You’ve killed all but Rigo and Dmitri. I can help you find them if you agree to kill one vampire for me before I do.”
I nearly threw my coffee at him again. “Do you think I’m an idiot? Why would I do you a favor before getting anything in return? I don’t need you. I can find these two on my own.”
He smirked, only one side of his perfect lips lifting as his eyes sparked with life. I sucked in a breath. Crap, he was sexy as sin. Too bad he was a filthy bloodsucker. No matter how hot Maciah was, I wouldn’t allow that to affect my decisions.
“Did you know Rigo and Dmitri are brothers from a Russian nest? One with a leader more ruthless than anything your human mind could fathom?”
He’d said human as a dig at my lack of belief, but I ignored that bit. “And your point is?”
“Unless you draw them out for a job, you’re never going to get near them. These vampires aren’t the street slum you’re used to killing, Amersyn. They will end you first if you continue to work alone.”
“I killed the first three just fine,” I said before taking another drink from my mug.
Maciah snorted, something I didn’t expect from the put-together vampire. “Those were throw-out vampires, ones used as a distraction for the main event to make their play. Rigo and Dmitri had no relation to them. That’s why your trail has gone cold ever since killing Igor.”
I didn’t want to admit he was right. I hadn’t learned anything new in months.
“Work with me, Amersyn, and I will get you your vengeance,” Maciah said with conviction.
My first thought was to dismiss him. I had my rules that kept me safe, but I also relied on my instincts to guide me. A wave of warmth settled over me at the thought of working with this vampire. Something foreign, but not unappealing.
Could I really do this? Could I trust a vampire?
5
Maciah left soon after dropping the bomb that Dmitri and Rigo would be harder to find than I hoped. I sat on the loveseat long after I bolted my door shut, wondering what the hell had just happened. With his departure, my mixed emotions continued to wage a war inside me, leaving my mind even more confused.
A vampire had broken into my safehouse. I had no idea how he’d found me. I’d been certain nobody had been following me, but with the vampire bite, maybe my senses hadn’t been working as well as I’d thought.
Then, the audacity of him to claim I was a monster just like him…I honestly couldn’t believe it. I was normal before that witch came along. I had no supernatural skills. Anything I was before came by hard work and perseverance. The prick didn’t know what he was talking about.
My father and mother were my only parents. I wasn’t something other than what I’d known my whole life. I was human. I was a fighter. I was a vampire hunter.
I couldn’t stop considering his offer, though. I didn’t see how it could be a bad decision. I could placate the vampire, pretend I thought he was blabbering the truth. I’d get to kill another vampire—never a bad thing—and I’d get to avenge my family.
But could I work alongside Maciah without killing him before I got what I wanted?
Worse, could I work with him and not cross lines I’d never thought were an option before?
I wasn’t stupid. Maciah was sexy, and he’d shown a kindness I’d never expect from a bloodsucker. There was an attraction between us, and it wasn’t just one-sided. I’d seen the way he’d looked at me when I rolled out of my bed without any clothes.
I shook my head before I got too distracted and got up from the couch, then made my way to the balcony. Evening had fallen. I’d sle
pt long enough to miss a whole day. I was still sore from the night before and from trying to kill Maciah, but I wasn’t incapable.
Getting out of the house was a good thing. I needed to go to Crossroads and see if there was any word about the vampires from the night before. If one died, the others didn’t normally come looking for vengeance. No, they moved on and created another bloodsucker to replace the last.
Why had they come for me?
As I leaned over the railing, taking in the sights of Portland, I knew I needed to figure out why before I went hunting again. I enjoyed working alone. Depending on just myself was the only way to ensure my safety.
Unless the vampires had grown tired of me killing them off and were working together. Or maybe Dmitri and Rigo figured out I was after them and they’d begun sending assholes after me.
I didn’t know, and I wasn’t going to find out by sitting at home.
Within the hour, I’d showered and taken my time blow-drying my long ebony hair. As I stared in the mirror, I took in my pale skin and mahogany eyes, wondering if the signs had been there all along. Could it be possible Maciah was right? Was I a vampire and had no idea?
I rubbed a hand over my arm, inspecting the mark left behind from the vampire and thankful he hadn’t ruined the tattoo on my opposite arm.
The tribal marks were a reminder of the promise I’d made the day my family died. The black lines spoke of strength and vengeance, something I could never forget. I was a hunter, not a vampire.
My emotions were at war, and I needed to get my thoughts back in order. Exiting the bathroom, I shook off any possibility that Maciah could be right. There was no way, and I needed to stick with that thought instead of continuing to waver. The witch had given me all of my enhanced abilities. That was the more logical explanation.
I went to the kitchen to grab a Hot Pocket for a quick dinner. Yes, they were disgusting, but they did the job of filling my stomach when I was in a hurry. When I opened the freezer door, I found all of my stakes, covered in frost. Freaking vampires.
Oddly enough, my crossbow was still near the door where I’d dropped it after barely making it inside my condo the night before. Maciah had only taken the items that could kill him, and he hadn’t willingly laid a hand on me.
I still didn’t understand that. Maybe a few shots of whiskey would clear things up for me.
After I ate my super healthy dinner, I drove to Crossroads in my black unmarked sports car. The two-door, hardtop Lexus was blacked-out, and unless someone was a real car enthusiast, most people never could figure out what I drove. I liked it that way.
As I parked in front of the bar, I patted the dashboard. “I won’t be long, and if anyone touches you, I’ll kill them.”
Crossroads wasn’t somewhere I trusted leaving my favorite car, but I had no other choice. I needed answers and a stiff drink served by my favorite bartender.
Walking in, the volume of voices was louder than normal. The usuals were all around, the sound of classic rock echoed around the room, and the scent of spilled alcohol wafted toward the door.
Dave was at the counter, serving a wolf shifter I’d seen around, and the other bartender Toby was in as well. I sat down, and he came right over.
He smiled bright, revealing perfect teeth and dimples as he ran a hand over his buzzed blond hair. Toby wore a tight black shirt with the Crossroads logo in the middle and ripped, light-blue jeans.
“How’s it going, Amersyn?” he asked with a nod.
“It’s going. No offense, but I’m going to wait for Dave. I need to chat with him,” I said, offering him a smile to lessen my rejection.
Toby gripped his chest dramatically. “Oh, how you wound me! Am I not even worthy to get you a double shot of Blanton’s while you wait for him to finish with Harry?”
I laughed at the flirtatious bartender. “Toby, I would love a double shot, just from you.”
He winked at me and bowed. “It would be an honor to serve you, My Lady.”
Toby turned back to the bar, and Dave nodded at me while he was talking. I didn’t miss how his eyes appraised me, checking for injuries.
“Here you are, gorgeous,” Toby said as he slid me the whiskey glass.
I offered him a smile as he moved on to the next patron. While I waited for Dave, I focused my hearing on the tables around me, searching for any sort of information that might be useful.
Murmurs of parties, turf battles, new hook-ups, and the usual crap I didn’t normally care about were all I could pick up, which disappointed me more than I cared to admit. Maciah had made me feel off-kilter—uncertain, even. I didn’t like it one bit.
With that thought, I knew I had my answer. I couldn’t trust the vampire. There would be no working with someone who acted superior to me, who thought they had leverage against me. No, I hadn’t second-guessed my choices in a long time. I wouldn’t go backwards. Not again.
I glanced back to see Dave waylaid by another customer. Damn, I could be here for a while.
My knee bounced along to the music while I continued to listen for anything worthwhile. I knew what I needed to do, and that made things easier. Once the decision was made not to work with Maciah, tension lifted from my shoulders, and I was ready for whatever the night would bring.
As I took a couple of pulls from my double shot, the door swung open so hard, its thud echoed through the room, causing more than half of us to turn and look.
A stunning female stood in the doorframe, fingers covering her mouth. “Oops,” she said before taking a step inside and closing the door behind her.
I’d never seen this woman before, and because of the red tint to her eyes, I was curious about her arrival and what I might overhear from the vampire. She had long brunette hair with golden highlights and a swoop of bangs over the right side of her pale face.
She wore a one-piece black leather suit, knee-high stiletto boots, and a silver belt around her waist that I assumed was made from platinum—the only silver metal that didn’t burn vampires.
I moved my gaze away from her once the other supernaturals and hunters in the bar did the same. I took another drink of my whiskey and checked on Dave again. He was glaring at the woman who’d slammed his door—a pet peeve of his that most people only did once. Dave could be scary when he wanted, like right then.
He sauntered toward me, eyes narrowed and lips thinned. The newcomer took a seat next to me, even though there were four other stools empty down the way. Definitely not what I was hoping for.
She waved at Dave, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she’d already irritated him. “Hey there, sex on a stick. Can you get me a Bloody Mary, extra blood, pretty please?” She fluttered her eyes, and he softened toward her.
“Don’t ever slam that door again,” he muttered before turning around. So much for scary Dave. I was hoping for some entertainment.
The vampire turned toward me, drumming her nails on the counter. I could feel her stare, but I had nothing to say, so I ignored her. That was until she kicked my boot.
“Hunter, I’d like to chat with you,” she said.
“Kindly go piss off,” I replied. I’d had enough of “talking” with vampires for the day. I had only been curious about what had brought her into the bar. If she was only there to chat with me, my interest was lost.
She continued to tap her fingers on the bar top, and I could see her lips pinched as if she was thinking extra hard.
Dave set her drink on the counter, then dropped the celery stick in. “You’re new here,” he said.
“New to this bar, yes. New to the area, absolutely not.”
That, I found mildly intriguing.
“Well, we have a few rules around here,” Dave began, but she waved him off with a soft giggle.
“I’m well aware, barkeep. I don’t mind rules, and I intend to follow them, so long as everyone else does.”
Dave nodded, then turned to me. “You good to wait a little longer? Busy night.”
I nodded. “I ca
n see that.”
Dave moved to keep working, and I considered leaving to avoid my new company.
“So, are you really not interested in what I’d like to chat about?” the vamp asked.
I turned toward her slowly. “Unless you have a vampire that needs killing, then no, I don’t care one bit.”
She grinned, showing off pointed incisors. “I do, actually. You see, my friend tried to recruit you earlier for the job, but I’ve been told he doesn’t believe you’ll accept and that just won’t do.”
Maciah. Oh, how I wish I could have killed him in my condo.
“And why is that?” I asked.
“Because Maciah is my friend and he needs you to do him a solid, which means I need you to do so as well.”
I snorted. “If that prick is your friend, then why don’t you kill the vampire in question?”
Her eyes flashed a deep crimson, and she lowered her head. “Oh, believe me. I’d love to. Extenuating circumstances prevent that from happening, though.”
“Which would be what?” Maciah was a capable vampire. A nest leader, from the sounds of it. He was also old and powerful and…I didn’t need to think of anything else. There shouldn’t have been any reason why he couldn’t handle his own business.
“Listen, Amersyn. That’s not the point. I’m here because Maciah can be a real asshole sometimes, and when he mentioned trying to recruit you for this job, I was excited. There’s not a lot to be excited about in our world, you know?”
Was this bloodsucker trying to get me to sympathize with her? Not effing happening.
“I know you hate vampires, but haven’t you ever thought beyond that rage? Don’t you realize that there are some of us out there that didn’t choose this life? That just want to do the best they can with the shit sandwich they’ve been handed for dinner?”
She was pleading with me. Genuinely trying to get me to see her as something other than a monster. What was happening with my life? First, Maciah telling me I was a vampire, then this chick and her plea? No, I couldn’t do it. I was a vampire hunter. I didn’t work with the monsters I wanted to extinguish from the earth.
Vampire Heir (Scorned by Blood Book 1) Page 4
