He jerked at the first touch, and then relaxed. Now he was feeling it, the low moan getting louder as Nikka fed, his body stiffening, his breath coming faster, and the orgasm hit hard.
“Oh shit…” he cried, Nikka feeling his body shake. Rio’s arms were out, not sure what to grab hold of. He reached out and wrapped them around Nikka and held on tight as another orgasm hit, his body now a wreck, the two of them sliding down onto the bench, Nikka finally finishing. As she pulled out of his neck, she licked around the tiny incisions, her serum closing the holes as if they were never there.
Looking into Rio’s blue eyes, she smiled at his condition. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings,” she said. “I would never try to embarrass you or make you uncomfortable.”
He was trying to catch his breath, at the same time covering his crotch, which was a mess. “No…you didn’t. I didn’t know it was going to be…what the hell happened? That was unbelievable. I’m the one who should be sorry; I had no right to talk to you like that.”
“You have every right,” she said. “I should have kept my thoughts to myself.”
“Well, about that,” he smiled. “The next time, when I get back, I was thinking, I’d like that, the sex part. I think it just might add quite a bit to this. It might kill me, but man; that was so…I don’t know how to explain it. Intense? Thank you.”
“It was my pleasure,” she smiled. “You taste pretty damn good yourself. Rio, I want your sex for something other than a blood bond. I want to have sex with you, for you. I’m not very good at saying stuff like that.”
His smile was broad across his rugged face.
“Alright then, now we’re getting somewhere.”
His arm went around her as they walked back to the house, a bounce in the man’s step.
------
Rio spent five days in California, walking away with a butt full of money from the quick sale of his mother’s bungalow.
“You’re kidding me?” was his first reaction to the realtor when told how much had been offered.
“I know, but all we have to do is counter. I think they’ll come up,” she replied, not on the same page.
“No…take it, its way more than enough,” he replied, flabbergasted that after paying the realtor, he would pocket close to 750,000 thousand dollars for a tiny cottage.
They were able to close immediately when Robert told them he was relocating. There were no hassles with inspections, banks, or paperwork. Short and sweet, and he was in his SUV on the way back to Washington. In the back of the vehicle was a small arsenal of his personal weapons, including his beloved M89 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle, and several boxes of 308 Winchester shells. He wasn’t sure if any of his weapons would be used for the Alaska job, but he had no plans to return to California. His vehicle contained only the belongings that he considered vital to his life. Everything else he left behind. The new owners could use the stuff or throw it out.
Nikka had been spot on about his reaction to her blood. He was stronger, his senses were heightened, and he never felt so well in his life. The best part was his depression had disappeared. Whether this had to do with the blood, or just being a part of this crew, he didn’t know…and really didn’t care. He knew he had found friends, and he was more than willing to go into battle with them.
He had a couple of questions that had been rattling around in his head, the long drive a perfect opportunity to think out the entire operation, find flaws, and improve on the plan.
His main question was what happened afterwards? Did they all go their separate ways, or did the vampires stay together, leaving him out in the cold? He hated to admit it, but that prospect was not one he wanted to face. He realized that Nikka was Robert’s sire, bound to each other, whatever that meant. And he also knew that Nikka and Amp were close, maybe even lovers. Did that bind them? He wasn’t sure of the dynamics of vamp relationships, but he knew that he would do everything in his power to stay with them. His job in the Ranger’s had forced him to be a loner. These new feelings were foreign; and much to his dismay, welcome.
He was trying hard to feel Nikka, wondering if the blood bond would allow them to share feelings and needs. So far, he didn’t get any of that. What he did get was a constant fantasy of the girl; of her saying she would be happy to have sex with him. He had come close to screwing the offer up. In retrospect, he realized she offered to comfort him, to make a great experience better. He prayed he would have another chance to share blood, and if there was another time, he would accept whatever she offered.
Don’t get attached to something that you can’t have, Ranger, he cautioned himself.
Amp was another matter altogether. She was like a little sister…albeit a deadly little sister. Nikka…he wasn’t sure. She was young, and beautiful, and desirable, but in actuality, she was several centuries old. Pretty weird, he thought. She has the whole package; looks, and personality, and a brutal warrior. The perfect woman, he chuckled. What the hell have I got myself into.
------
Rio pulled into the drive eight days after leaving, glad to see lights on, and activity around the house. Slamming the door of his vehicle, he hadn’t taken two steps when he was wrapped in four arms, two faces kissing his cheeks, the welcome wagon erasing many of his worries and fears.
“Hey guys, do you always kiss your snipers?” he laughed, happily hugging back. Amp and Nikka finally pulled back, huge smiles on both their faces.
“Did we ever miss you!” Amp said happily. “You came back!”
“I told you I’d be back,” he smiled at her. “Nothing in the world could keep me away. Hey, girl, how’s things?” he asked, looking at Nikka.
“Things are very good…now,” she answered, her eyes sparkling. “Did you get everything taken care of in California? You look very…good. Healthy.”
“Change of diet,” he joked, winking at her. “Yes, I sold my house and banked big bucks. A very pleasant surprise. Property in California is way overpriced.”
Robert came out of the house, shaking his friend’s hand, and asking about the trip. They unloaded the SUV and carried all of Rio’s gear into the house, most of it going into the bedroom he was using.
“We’ve been waiting for you to get back to finalize a few things, then we’re real close to getting started,” Robert said. “Why don’t we sit down and see if we’re on the same page. We have a couple things going on, including meeting tomorrow with a guy who is going to rent us a small house in Wrangell, a town one island away from Petersburg. That’s where we can set up our operation, and where we’ll hang out while you’re doing your thing. Wrangell is only 35 miles from Petersburg, but the trip can only be made by boat or plane. We take the ferry from Bellingham to Wrangell. You can take the ferry from Wrangell to Petersburg when we’re ready. That way we can take your vehicle loaded with all of the equipment. This guy we’re renting from assured us the house is a half mile from town with no neighbors. We told him we needed privacy, and for what we’re paying him, there were no questions.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Rio said enthusiastically. “When do we go?”
“That’s still undecided. A lot of that depends when you’re ready. You’re the point man, you call it. You’ve had a week of solitude to think, and I know you’ve had to have come back with some questions.”
“A ton of questions,” Rio said, looking around at the faces of his friends. “The most important one to me, and I don’t know if I’m out of line asking or not, but I need an answer; what happens after? If we go in and kill everyone, which, if we do it right, we will lay the place bare, what the heck happens? We just ride away into the sunset, everyone going their separate ways?”
“Wait a second,” Nikka started. “You said we go in and kill everybody. Your job is recon. You supply the information, and we three go in and kill everyone. You’re human, Rio. These are vampires. It’s a different fight than you’re used to.”
“I realize what you drafted me for, and I’ll do the best job I can, b
etter than anyone else can. I’m a soldier, I’m a fighter, and when the fight starts, I’m sorry, honey, but I’m gonna be right there with ya’all. We can argue that point later. First of all, what’s the plan after the fight? That’s what’s been driving me all week.”
“What do you want to happen, Rio?” Robert asked. “You got plans?”
A phone rang from the kitchen, Nikka jumping up at the sounds of her cell. “Hold that thought,” she called, wondering who could be calling her. She searched for her phone as her ringtone continued; sending out the sound of Bob Seger’s Still the Same. Finally finding it on the floor under a chair, she checked the number, and saw it was a call from Mount Vernon.
“Hello.”
“Nikka?”
“Yeah, who’s this?”
“Hey, it’s Ernie, you home?”
“Not a good time, Ernie. What do you need?”
“That little girl that was up here a couple months ago…Amp. Have you seen her around? I need to talk to her.”
Nikka hesitated, wondering what Ernie could possibly want with Amp. He was a scumbag, and Nikka’s first thought was to hang up. Instead, she tried to discover the reason for the call.
“I see her some, not for a bit. What do you want with her?”
“Just tell her to call me. She asked a favor, and I might have some good news for her. Thanks, Nikka, don’t be such a stranger.” The phone went dead, the dial tone humming in her ear as she tried to understand the man’s motive.
“Problem?” Amp asked as she walked back into the living room.
“Not sure. That was Ernie up in Mount Vernon…looking for you. Said he has some good news for you. I can’t imagine what good anything he might have, except maybe some good dope. What a clown. Anyway, he wants you to call him.”
“Okay, I’ll do that later, can’t hurt anything. Back to this…Rio, you were saying?”
“I was just thinking, driving up here, what happens when this is over? Where are you guys gonna go, and are you sticking together?”
“Funny you brought that up. Me and Amp were talking about it last night, and we thought we should wait until all four of us were together,” Nikka said, Amp nodding. “This is as good a time as any. First of all, Amp’s friends in L.A. did some pretty in-depth background research on Wilson, and his various enterprises. We’ve talked about this before, but now it’s getting close, time to get serious about some stuff. This guys worth millions, big bucks, to the tune of roughly 15 million a year. Some of it is kinda shady, but there’s enough legitimate income to catch our attention. Amp would like to take over the legitimate businesses and claim whatever Wilson has stashed. That means she would stay in Alaska, at least be based at Wilson’s estate. I think it’s a great idea. Vampire common law dictates if Amp defeats Wilson in the collection of a blood debt, she is entitled to his estate, and all properties.”
“What about you?” Rio asked. “If she stays in Alaska, where does that leave you?”
“Right next to Amp,” Nikka laughed. “We think we make a pretty good team. There’s going to be a lot of spoils from this little war; plenty to go around.”
“Bob?” Rio asked, turning to his old friend.
“I’m new to all this vampire stuff, and it’s the best idea for me to stay close to my sire for a bit. I want to, so everything’s good.”
“Rio, you insecure butt,” Nikka laughed. “We want you to stay with us, too. Did you think we were going to dump you? We hired you…then we got to know you. Now you’re one of us. When I said we make a pretty good team, I meant the four of us. If we come through this thing alive, you’re welcome to stay with us as long as you like. If we play things right, that could be a very long time. Of course, we might all be dead when this thing ends; that would cancel any plans we make now.”
“Okay, ending on that upbeat thought, I’m going to borrow your phone and call Ernie back. Let’s talk about all this tomorrow. I have a couple ideas to run past you,” Amp said, standing and holding her hand out for Nikka’s phone.
“Last number on there,” Nikka said, handing her the phone.
“Let’s go for a walk, tall, dark, and gloomy,” she said, grabbing Rio’s hand and pulling him up. “I think I might have something that’ll cheer you up.”
As the three left the room, Robert called after them. “That’s okay…I’ll be here. I’m fine; don’t anybody worry about me,” he pouted, feigning hurt feelings.
The others laughed as they separated, the meeting ending on a good note.
------
“Why don’t we load up and go together?” Nikka was asking, knowing she was fighting a losing battle.
“You and Robert go meet with the guy from Wrangell, that’s already scheduled, and we don’t need to start postponing crap now. That is our number one priority. We have a schedule, and we need to do things in a well-timed manner. This trip won’t take long, and Rio and I can take care of ourselves. It’s going to be a very short conversation; but if there is any chance these guys have something that could keep one of us from getting hurt, I want it.”
The call from Ernie in Skagit Valley had been a bit vague, but it was enough to pique Amp’s curiosity. She had called him back, not expecting much.
“You still planning your trip to Alaska?” he had asked.
“Not sure. Why the questions now? You had my full attention when I was up there at your place,” Amp answered.
“No questions…we just have a little information that might interest you. If you’re planning the same deal you asked us about, this is something you need. Trying to be a friend is all.”
They arranged to meet at his house the following evening. Amp wasn’t excited to be going back to Mount Vernon. She thought it would be a waste of time, but she wasn’t willing to take the chance. She hoped the vampires had been back to Petersburg, and come up with a count of Wilson’s men, or some other nugget of information that would make the mission a little easier.
Rio and Amp had decided they would take Rio’s vehicle, and run over to Mount Vernon, leaving at dusk. It was only an hour drive, and allowing for traffic, they should be back by midnight. In the meantime, Robert and Nikka could finalize the deal with the Wrangell guy who they were meeting in Seattle. They were also going to run by several Army Surplus stores, and pick up black SDU battle uniforms for Nikka and Amp. Robert and Rio both had plenty of their Army SDUs, but the girls had nothing but dark jeans and t-shirts. Hopefully, they could find clothing small enough. If not, they would come up with another alternative.
The drive to Mount Vernon was quick, Rio driving with a heavy foot. Amp relaxed with her feet up on the dash, listening to a Blake Shelton CD. They found Ernie’s house after getting lost twice, Amp finally calling Nikka for better directions. When Rio cruised down the lane, Amp told him to park away from the house. She didn’t want the Mount Vernon guys to know she had brought a human along, thought it might be bad form. Rio agreed to sit in the car and stay quiet, something he was very good at.
The five members of the Carnival Crew were all present when Amp entered the house, the same guys that she had met in Petersburg. There were empty beer cans all over the room, along with the strong smell of pot in the air.
The house was as filthy as it had been when Amp had been there last. They need to hire Dusting Divas, she thought to herself. This place is a pigsty. She could think of dozens of places she would rather be at this moment.
Following greetings, she got right to the point.
“On the phone, you said you had something I need,” she started, speaking at Ernie. “What’s up?”
“Yeah…, uh, we think if you plan on going through with this deal against Wilson, then it might be worth a lot to you he doesn’t find out about it. You know, that it remains a surprise.”
She was suddenly on alert, not liking the direction this was going.
“And?”
“We know about it, and it’s pretty obvious that you would be better off if we didn’t drop a dime a
nd let Wilson in on your little plan.”
Amp was trying to keep control of her temper, fighting the urge to strike out at these assholes. She had made this trip in good faith, and it turned out to be nothing but a shake down.
“This is the information you called me about, to sell me your silence? Funny, I thought Wilson was a piece of shit, but you guys fit into the same mold. I came to you as a friend…and this is how you do your friends?”
“Big talk for such a little girl,” Will piped in. “You want us to keep our mouths shut, come across with some cash.”
She stared at Will with dead eyes. Dickhead, you’re going to find out exactly how much I can back my talk up, she thought.
She told herself to remain calm, listen to their extortion offer, and go get help.
Why didn’t you let Nikka and Robert tag along, she asked herself, pissed off at her lack of preparation? This could have been dealt with right here; right now. She had to admit, though, it was going to be gratifying to walk back in here with her crew tomorrow.
“Tell me,” she said her voice free of emotion. “How much?”
“A hundred grand,” Ernie replied immediately. “Chump change for your life.”
She was stunned. They just cancelled their lives for a mere 100 thousand dollars. Nikka had been spot-on about this group; they were the lowest of the low…and stupid to boot.
“Fine. I’ll have to go to Seattle and get it. I can be back tomorrow night. Then I don’t ever want to hear from you again.”
“Sure, whatever,” he smiled. “Just bring us the money, and we get out of your business. Remember, you came to us…we didn’t come to you. This is your deal, just an operational expense.”
Kill Wilson (Petersburg Vampires) Page 14
