Sucker Punch: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (First Fangs Club Book 3)

by Painter, Kristen

  The other side of the phone went quiet. And stayed that way. Being called out apparently made him speechless.

  Donna was happy to fill the silence. “If you think you’re going to earn sympathy votes from the council and get yourself on the short list for king, you ought to rethink that. Getting punched by a human is one thing, but reacting to it so poorly that you file charges, to quote my daughter, that’s weak sauce.”

  He finally responded with a derisive snort. “It’s not my fault that you can’t keep your assistant under control.”

  “There was nothing to control. He was protecting me. Your drunkenness, combined with your loutish behavior, was rightly perceived as threatening. How about you just man up and accept that you made some errors that night?”

  Charlie cringed, and Donna wondered what she’d said to trigger that reaction.

  Fitzhugh huffed. “You’re a train wreck, Barrone. You and your whole administration. You should have never been made governor. Never.”

  “Well, I am, so—”

  He hung up.

  “He’s such a jerk.” Donna put the phone down.

  “No argument there.” Charlie had turned back to face her computer screen and was typing away.

  “What did I say wrong that made you pull that face?”

  “Nothing wrong, exactly. But I’m sure the ‘man up’ comment rubbed him the wrong way.”

  “He’s fussier than a teething baby. I’m done with trying to coddle him and play nice. That goes for everyone who wants to cause trouble for me and my team. Done.”

  Admiration brightened Charlie’s expression. “I hope it’s not too forward of me to say I love you. If Claudette had had half of your strength—” She laughed. “Forget I said that. I much prefer working for you.”

  “I appreciate that, Charlie. I’m very glad you’re my admin. Now, bring me up to speed on everything else that’s happened. How is Ishalan?”

  “You don’t remember?”

  A deep sense of foreboding went through Donna. “Oh no, don’t tell me he died.”

  “No. As you were passing out, you told Temo to take care of him. Which he did, by getting LV to take him in until he could recover. She did, too, probably because of the fae’s assistance in getting Rico back. A bunch of the wolves pulled a tapestry out of the fortress and wrapped him up in it to protect him from the daylight. One of the tapestries that wasn’t on fire, that is.”

  “Yeah, I might have started that blaze. But I don’t remember them helping Ishalan at all. I’m very glad that happened, though. Ishalan might not have been as useful as I’d hoped he’d be, but I don’t think that was entirely his fault. Plus, he took on Dredward. I’m not sure I’d have gotten Rico out if Ishalan hadn’t done that. Hopefully, he’ll continue to be an ally.”

  “I think he will. A surprising number of the fae surrendered almost as soon as the fighting started.”

  “I remember seeing groups of them with their arms over their heads when I came out of the stronghold.” It gave her hope too. “How about Neo?”

  “That drone of hers was amazing. She probably took out more fae soldiers than anyone else.”

  “Get out of here. Wow! I wish I could give her some kind of award, but she’s not even my constituent.”

  “You still could.” Charlie smirked. “But I’m pretty sure she’s about to become one of your constituents rather soon. She and Temo aren’t showing any signs of cooling down. And she’s an hour away. That’s too far when you’re head over heels.”

  “Well, I’d be happy to have her closer. What about Kace? He got hit, right?”

  “He did, but the blow had no effect. Really, the only casualty on our side was a single wolf. The fae took the brunt of it. Their magic may have allowed them to be out during daylight hours, but they definitely weren’t at full strength. And with the wolves, we outnumbered them.”

  “And now Dredward’s dead. What does that mean for them?”

  “Much like for the vampire nation, they’ll have to find a new leader. If they haven’t already. I’m sure all the royal ministers are fighting over the throne as we speak.” She shrugged. “I’m sure we’ll hear something soon, but we don’t exactly get a fae newsletter.”

  “Right. Everyone else is fine? Pierce? Rixaline? Will’s daughters?”

  “All good.”

  “That’s a relief.” She slumped back in her chair. “What day is it, by the way? I feel like I’ve lost track.”

  Charlie laughed. “It’s Wednesday. Almost 6 p.m. now.”

  “Did I miss the funeral for the wolf? I’d like to send flowers. Actually, I’d like to attend. Not just to pay my respects, but to show LV and Toni that our joint effort wasn’t just a one-time thing.”

  “It’s tomorrow morning. But a vampire out in daylight, no matter how worthy the cause, will raise eyebrows. You’ll have to use the potion excuse again.”

  Donna shook her head. “No. I’m not lying anymore. I don’t care who knows that I’m immune to the sun. When I said I was done, I meant it.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  “Governor, you know that could put you in danger.”

  “Charlie, I’ve been governor barely three weeks, and I’ve already been shot, stabbed, and poisoned twice. Maybe if word spreads that I can daywalk, it’ll instill a little fear into the next yahoo that wants to take a crack at me. Because a vampire who can daywalk isn’t nearly as vulnerable as one restricted to evening hours.”

  Still looking rather unsure, Charlie sighed. “You’re not wrong.”

  “I hope not, because I’m tired of being thought of as an easy target. Being new doesn’t help that. Look how Fitzhugh treats me. Has any other vampire come out as a daywalker?”

  “Not any governor that I know.” Charlie frowned. “There have been rumors of daywalkers but never a vampire who was really known for it. Outside of Astrid. But I think she’s more of a legend than a real vampire. Hard to say.”

  “Who’s she?”

  “A Viking shield maiden who was supposedly unkillable. This led to the belief that she was a daywalking vampire.”

  “I see. If she was unkillable, is she still alive?”

  “No one’s sure. If she is, she’s changed her name and reinvented herself. Happens a lot in the vampire world. Being the same person gets old after a few centuries.”

  Donna sat up straighter as a new thought came to her. “I bet Cammie would know about daywalkers. Considering her former profession and all.”

  Charlie nodded. “Talking to her is a good idea. In fact, I don’t want to overstep, but I think your decision to be honest about your ability is something we should all discuss. At least you, me, Temo, and Pierce. It affects us too, in that we’re around you and if you become a target, we could become collateral damage.”

  Donna nodded. “You’re right. Text everyone and have them come to the conference room in an hour. I want Cammie there and also Jerabeth. She’s part of the team, and she already knows, so we might as well include her. Although she may not feel like coming back for the meeting. We could just telecom her in. That would be fine.”

  “I’ll work it out.”

  “Thank you. Now, speaking of funerals. What are the plans for honoring Artemis? I’m assuming it’s going to be a major event.”

  Charlie shrugged. “Vampire memorials don’t always work that way. Especially when there’s no body. Anyway, I’m not sure yet. I expect there will be something, but I haven’t heard anything from her deputy, Marcus. Or any of her team.”

  “Do you think that’s because they blame me and they don’t want me to be present? Or is it because they haven’t organized anything yet?”

  “I don’t think they blame you. More likely they’re all still in shock. Although Marcus isn’t the kind to let grief sway him from his duties. He’s more the kind to soldier through and get everything handled, then collapse. I’ll reach out to them and see what I can find out. I’m assuming you’d like to attend that as well. If there is a memoria
l.”

  “Yes, I would.” Donna glanced toward the armory, her guilt over Artemis’s death still clinging to her with a tenacity that caused her almost physical pain. Maybe it would get better in time, but right now, it felt impossible to shake. She pushed to her feet. “I’m going to talk to Cammie. I’ll see you in the conference room in an hour.”

  “One hour.”

  Donna headed for the guest rooms, where she hoped to find her sister. She did. Cammie was sitting in a chair by one of the windows, just staring out and looking very much like Donna felt. A little lost and unsure. “Hey. Can I talk to you?”

  Cammie looked over, seemingly happy for the distraction. “Sure. Change your mind about letting me stay?”

  Smiling, Donna shook her head. “Never. But I need your advice.”

  “About what?”

  “About what the Venari would do if they found out I could daywalk.”

  All traces of amusement left Cammie’s face. “That’s a bad idea. Them finding out.”

  Donna sat on the end of the bed. “Why? Tell me specifically what they’d do. Please.”

  Cammie took a deep breath. “It would certainly bump you up on their radar.”

  “Is that a bad thing? So what if they’re more aware of me? I’m not doing anything wrong.”

  “I’m no longer in the Venari loop, but I know they’re not thrilled about the battle that just went down.”

  “You said that would happen.” With everything going on, Donna had pushed the consequences out of her mind. “Do you think they’re going to go forward with the kill order?”

  “No, but I can only imagine their reaction to how it ended. I mean, two fairly stable supernatural nations have been thrown into leaderless chaos because of you.”

  Donna blinked hard. “Hey, now. I haven’t heard about any chaos. And new leaders will be chosen soon.”

  “I’m just telling you how the Venari will perceive it. Things were…okay, not good between the vampires and the fae, but it was relatively peaceful. And a known quantity. Now it’s not. Things could change drastically, depending on who takes over for the fae. And the vampires. I’m sure the Venari are watching very closely.”

  “Dredward wasn’t exactly Mother Teresa, you know.”

  “No, he wasn’t. But Artemis was enough of a pacifist to keep things from escalating.”

  “Artemis was a pacifist? She was trying to kill Dredward when she died.”

  “I understand that. But as queen, she was perceived as a pacifist, and that’s how she ruled. She kept the peace. And very well too. At the battle, I think she just reached a point where she’d had enough.”

  “I know the feeling.” Donna rolled her head back and forth. Maybe a massage would help. Bliss her out long enough to give her a break from the weight of everything she was carrying. But that wouldn’t do anything to alleviate the number of things that still needed her attention. “Can you get me a meeting with the Venari? Someone with enough influence to matter?”

  “Yes. But are you really going to tell them you can daywalk?”

  “I’m tired of keeping it a secret.” She leaned back on the bed, propping herself up with her elbows. “Have you ever known a vampire who could?”

  “I was sent to…dispatch one once.”

  “Dispatch. That’s a nice word. Hardly seems death-related at all.”

  Cammie frowned. “I was doing my job. And the vampire in question lived in a residential area where several people had gone missing. Once we had irrefutable evidence, that was that.”

  “How was this vampire able to daywalk?”

  “I don’t know. That wasn’t my job.”

  Donna sat up. “But that has to be something the Venari would want to know, right?”

  “That’s above my pay grade. Or was. I was just a hunter. You want to know about vampire physiology, you’d have to talk to one of the researchers. That’s who I turned the ashes over to.”

  “Then you must know one?”

  “I know several, but they won’t have anything to do with me now. When you’re out, you’re out. Talking to me could cost them their positions as well.”

  Donna sighed. “Well, that’s no help. Do you know of any other daywalkers?”

  “I’ve heard rumors. Again, the Venari would know, specifically the data keepers. But just like the researchers, they won’t speak to me either.”

  Donna thought a moment. “How does the Venari keep records?”

  “Like any other big organization. On computers. Although they probably do more paper backups than most.”

  Donna got to her feet. “I need to talk to Neo.”

  “She’s the techie one, right?”

  “Yes.”

  Cammie’s eyes narrowed. “What are you going to do?”

  “Probably better if you don’t know.”

  “I’m not dumb. You’re going to get her to hack in.”

  “I will neither confirm nor deny—”

  “Won’t work. Their security is impeccable.”

  Donna shrugged. “I’m sure it is. That’s what security is meant to be, after all.” She grinned. “I’ll let you know how it goes. By the way, there’s a meeting in the conference room in forty-five minutes. I’d like you to be there.”

  Cammie sighed but nodded.

  Donna went back to her bedroom to grab her phone, which she’d left charging on the nightstand, and dialed Neo.

  A sleepy voice answered after four rings. “Whassup?”

  “Sorry to wake you. I need your help. Well, really, I need you to move closer. Manhattan is too far away.”

  “Mm-hmm. Seems that way to me, too, these days. What do you need help with?”

  “A computer thing. I don’t want to say more than that on the phone.”

  “Oh. Oh.” A little rustling of bed linens. “You want me to come up? I mean, over?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Cool. I’ll be there at sundown.”

  “Perfect. See you then.” Donna hung up and looked at the time on her phone. Sunset was in less than an hour. There was no way Neo would make it that quickly. Especially when she couldn’t travel during daylight. Whatever. Donna chalked it up to her being sleepy and not thinking straight. Or she was downstairs with Temo again.

  Smiling at that thought, Donna called LV.

  “Good evening, Governor. Very good to hear from you.”

  “Good evening, Alpha Medina. It’s good to be heard from. I was so very sorry to find out that one of your wolves didn’t make it.”

  “Thank you. We are in mourning, for sure, but he was a brave man who died in an honorable way. He will be celebrated.”

  “That’s good. May I ask how your grandson is doing?”

  “Very well. We expect Rico to be released from the hospital this evening.”

  “That’s great.”

  “How are your injuries, if I might ask? The last I saw of you, you were surrounded by your team and didn’t look well.”

  “After two days of rest and care from my doctor, I’m doing pretty well. A little bruised, but then, I’m guessing we all were.”

  LV laughed softly. “A small price to pay for Rico’s safe return. And I am not sorry about Dredward’s end, though I am about your queen. Artemis was a fair ruler. Her loss must be very hard on all of you.”

  Donna took a breath. “It has been. But vampires have been around since time eternal. We will continue.”

  “Any word on her successor?”

  “Not yet, no. I’m sure we’ll hear something soon.” Donna didn’t want to delve any deeper into that topic, so she shifted the conversation. “LV, I hope it’s not too forward of me, but I don’t want our collaboration to be a one-time thing. I would like very much if we could consider ourselves permanent allies.”

  LV’s voice held a smile. “I accused you of kidnapping my grandson, and not only did you not hold it against me, you orchestrated his successful rescue. Donna, the New Jersey pack will be your ally as long as there is a Medin
a serving as alpha. Hopefully beyond that.”

  “Thank you. And the same to you. As long as I’m governor, you can count on me. In fact, if you have no objections, I’d like to attend the funeral tomorrow.”

  “I have no objections, but isn’t that a little impossible? It’s at 10 a.m.”

  “I’ll make the necessary provisions. Like I did for the raid.” Donna wasn’t willing to say differently than that just yet.

  “If you’re able, you are very welcome. I’ll see you there.”

  “Good night, LV.”

  “Good night, my friend.”

  Donna hung up and went out to the kitchen. She was actually starving for real food. Pierce was sitting at the counter with the same idea, based on the sheaf of takeout menus in front of him.

  He smiled when he saw her. “Hey, how are you feeling? It’s good to see you up.”

  “It’s good to be up. I feel decent.” She took the seat next to him. He put his arm around her shoulders for a quick hug, accompanied by a kiss to her temple. She leaned into the embrace, taking comfort in it.

  “I’m glad to hear that.” He let her go and spread the menus out a little more. “Hungry?”

  “Starving.”

  “Do you need more than food?”

  “No, I’m good. I had a mug when I first woke up. Now I want real food. Something delicious and bad for me. And then I want to disappear into a good movie.” She picked out a menu and opened it up. “How about cheesesteaks? With fries. And onion rings. And pie for dessert.”

  He grinned. “That sounds perfect. You want me to let everyone know? Or is that what the meeting is about?”

  “No.” She looked at him. “It’s about me going public with my daywalking secret.”

  His smile vanished. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  “Not at all, but then again, maybe it is. Maybe it would make me seem a little less vulnerable to my enemies. You know what I mean?”

  “I do. But I worry that it could also make you more of a target.”

  “You mean more than I am now?”