Hunting Season (Aurora Sky

by Nikki Jefford

  He polished off half the drink before setting it down. The chair under him groaned as he leaned back.

  “If I don’t see something interesting soon, I’m leaving.”

  I tilted the bottle back and took a sip before answering. “Jeez, sorry. I can’t remember the exact time when she appears.”

  “This better be good.” Jared lifted the glass and downed the rest. After he set the glass down with a smack, he looked from my laptop screen to me. “I’ve finished my drink and I still haven’t seen anything.”

  I twisted my lips to the side. How long did the sleeping powder take to work? How long had it taken when Henry gave it to me? Not long, but it didn’t ever take full effect. But I hadn’t finished my drink, either.

  I refocused on Jared rather than his empty drinking glass.

  Jared raised his eyebrows expectantly.

  “Valerie came by and broke out the front window. You watched her kill two agents tonight. If she comes along, one of us could end up hurt when she loses her cool, which is guaranteed to happen. Giselle came in here and stabbed her because she did exactly that once already.”

  Jared leaned into the laptop. His nose practically touched the screen. At first I thought the footage had come up, but the same static door frame appeared on the monitor.

  I folded my arms across my chest. I was more than ready to ditch the dress and take a shower. I felt like I needed to wash all the death off myself. Even though I hadn’t stabbed anyone, I’d watched seven vampires die, two humans and two agents—eleven souls gone before my eyes. Six of them had sucked my blood. Drinking me had been the last thing they’d done.

  I blinked several times. Jared sat in the same position staring at the screen. From where I stood, I could only see the back of his head. I wished he’d go to sleep already. Maybe if I droned on long enough, the sleeping drug would have time to take effect.

  “What I’m saying is she’s going to walk in pissed, and Valerie doesn’t think rationally when she’s angry. Or at all, really. Is it really worth jeopardizing the whole operation to bring her along? Jared?”

  I leaned onto my tiptoes trying to get a better look at him.

  He didn’t answer, but he was still sitting up.

  I inched in closer. As I neared, Jared slumped forward, face landing on my keyboard. I cringed at the thought of his stubbly chin on my laptop. No time to worry about that. No time to jump for joy, either. I had to call Fane immediately.

  Seeing Jared slumped over the table looked surreal. I didn’t quite believe it. My heart sped up as much from excited energy as nerves.

  I did it! I freaking did it!

  I ditched the wine cooler on the kitchen counter and hauled ass down the hall.

  I’d feel a heck of a lot better once I restrained Jared in case he woke up before Fane arrived. But I wanted to call Fane first. Then I’d see what kind of rope or duct tape I could dig up. I had experience with duct tape.

  A car horn blasted outside. I jumped in place.

  I’d had it up to here with car horns.

  It sounded like it came from the driveway. I leaned against the door and looked out the peephole. Couldn’t see anything on the street.

  The horn blasted two more times. Tommy trotted to the entry growling. Goosebumps rose over my flesh.

  “What is it, boy? What’s going on out there?” I patted his head, never more grateful to have the golden retriever by my side.

  I’d done the impossible. I’d gotten Jared alone and drugged him. But something weird was happening in the driveway, and I was all alone except for Tommy.

  I needed Fane right away. I raced up the stairs, losing one of my flats as I charged up the steps. Tommy ran up after me as though we were chasing something through the house. Not pausing for breath, I raced inside my room and lunged for my phone.

  I touched Fane’s number and the phone began to ring.

  And ring and ring and ring until his death message played.

  I ended the call.

  No, not right now. I need you Fane.

  I tried again and again.

  Tommy sat on his hind legs staring up at me.

  At least the honking had stopped. But who could I call for help?

  Noel. That was the only other person who knew what was going on. The only other person I could count on.

  I lifted my phone and called her.

  After three rings she picked up. Before Noel answered, I heard techno music pumping in the background.

  “Hey, how did it go?” she asked.

  Relief surged through me.

  “It was a blood bath and now Jared’s at the house. I drugged him,” I rushed to say.

  “What?” Noel practically screeched.

  “He’s in the dining room unconscious right now, but I can’t get ahold of Fane. His phone keeps going to voice mail.”

  The music on Noel’s end faded and eventually stopped. Either she’d relocated or I’d lost the call. Luckily, her voice came through clear an instant later.

  “Maybe Fane's got his hands full with Valerie.”

  My lip curled back involuntarily. “She didn’t go to the palace. She showed up unannounced at the lodge.”

  “What the hell? Why?”

  “It’s a long story. Right now I need to do something about Jared before he wakes up.”

  “Okay, I’ll leave now.”

  Thank goodness. I wanted to hug Noel the moment I saw her. I was so relieved to hear her voice and have help.

  “One more thing,” I said. “I think there’s someone in our driveway and I have no idea who.”

  A brief moment of silence passed before Noel said, “I’ll hurry.”

  Tommy laid down on the carpet, resting his head on his paws. I wished I could feel half that relaxed.

  I tried Fane again, but again, there was no answer.

  Damn it!

  There was no time to waste.

  I set the phone on my desk while I pulled open the bottom drawer. Inside, I grabbed a roll of duct tape. Suddenly, my phone rang and set my heartbeat racing. I grasped it in my hand. Fane’s name displayed on the screen. Thank god.

  “Fane, I’ve been trying to reach you!” Captain Obvious, I know, but who hasn’t said something stupid when they’re overdosing on adrenaline?

  “It’s Henry.”

  “Henry?” I frowned. What was Henry doing answering Fane’s phone? “Where’s Fane?”

  “He’s here and he’s safe for now.”

  Anger quickly replaced confusion. “What do you mean, ‘he’s safe for now?’”

  I’d give Henry more than a black eye if he’d done anything to Fane. We’d saved Henry from the agency and put him into protective care. Somehow I doubted he appreciated our efforts.

  “Like I said, he’s fine, but you need to go outside.”

  My breathing came out shallow. “Who’s outside?”

  “Just go outside. They’ll bring you to the palace.”

  My heart stopped briefly. It was the kind of terror I imagined when confronting a poltergeist. What did you do in that case? What could you do? Where did you go?

  The answer was nothing and nowhere.

  There was nothing I could do and nowhere I could go except outside because nothing in the world was more important to me than Fane Donado.

  “See you soon, Aurora,” Henry said before ending the call.

  I performed the world’s quickest wardrobe change. Dress off. Dark jeans and tank top on. Securing a dagger above my ankle took a little longer, but no way was I stepping outside unarmed.

  “Come on, Tommy,” I said, clutching my phone and the roll of duct tape. “We have one last task to complete before I go.”

  The golden retriever followed me downstairs.

  Light seeped into the hallway from the kitchen.

  Dang and double dang.

  I felt like a pit bull being dragged away from a meaty bone. I had half a mind to attack whoever was outside, but that wouldn’t do Fane any good.


  After tonight, I wanted my own gun. A knife just wasn’t cutting it. Ha, ha. Excuse the pun—a sure sign that I was wired.

  I called Noel again. After several rings she answered. “Hey, I’m on my way.”

  “Good because I have to go. Henry’s holding Fane hostage.”

  “What the hell?”

  “Listen, Noel, I have to go now. I’ll be back with Fane as soon as I can, but just in case, I’m writing down Giselle’s phone number. If something happens to me, make the swap. Get Dante back.”

  “Wait, Aurora—”

  I ended the call. Before facing whoever waited outside, I walked swiftly to the kitchen and wrote down Giselle’s name and number on a pad of paper by the wall on the kitchen counter.

  Jared remained slumped over the table, breathing from his nose on my laptop.

  My nose wrinkled in disgust.

  It was a laptop. It could be replaced. Dante couldn’t.

  My fingernails dug into the tape’s seam. I yanked back. The duct tape made a thundering rip. If Jared hadn’t been drugged, this was the moment he would have woken up. Thank God he remained unconscious.

  I crouched beside his chair and taped his wrists together first. My work was quick, but tight. The tape better hold up if Jared happened to stir before Noel or I made it back. It would have to do. I’d used as much extra time as I dared to change and call Noel. I kept expecting a knock at the door, a blast of a horn, a call on my phone—or all three.

  I sat on the floor to tape Jared’s calves to the chair legs.

  Tommy panted in rhythmic bursts. I looked over at him and he stopped.

  Once straightened out, I set the duct tape on the table, went over to Tommy, and stroked his head.

  “You have to stay here, Tommy. Guard Jared until Noel gets home. Can you do that for me?”

  His ears perked up.

  “Whatever you do, don’t get hurt and don’t leave the house. Okay?”

  Tommy wagged his tail.

  Tears gathered into my eyes. I hoped this wouldn’t be the last time I saw Tommy. He seemed safe enough. I wasn’t so sure about myself.

  I put on my jacket, stuffed my phone in the pocket and headed for the door.

  Time to face the music—or whatever awaited me outside.

  When I first stepped out, I was alone on the porch. A big black SUV idled inside the driveway.

  Oh god, what if it's one of Melcher’s? What if he's on to me? No. Couldn’t be. I’d only discovered his secret within the last half hour.

  I turned and locked the door. By the time I turned back around, a large muscled man dressed in dark jeans and a loose black T-shirt stood, arms folded on the porch.

  “Diederick is waiting for you in the car,” he said.

  Sick shivers ran through me. Diederick?

  “What is he doing here?”

  The man in black had me by the arm before I even saw his arms uncross.

  “There’s no time to explain,” he hissed inside my ear. “My job was to help him escape and get him out of town, but he insisted on waiting at the bottom of the mountain. He recognized the Mustang and ordered me to follow it.”

  This had to be Melcher’s informant. In that case, why was he gripping me so tight?

  The informant glanced quickly at the striped Mustang parked on the road before returning to my ear. “Where’s Jared?”

  My heart flipped. I couldn’t have an informant knowing I’d drugged the agency’s top recruiter.

  “He escaped out the back way,” I answered quickly.

  Liar, liar, blood on fire.

  The informant gave a slight nod. “Good. I’ll do what I can for you, but for now you have to come with us.”

  Without waiting for a response, he hauled me over to the waiting SUV. The informant pulled open the back door with one hand and shoved me inside with the other.

  Real gentlemanly.

  I threw my hands out to catch myself on the cold leather seats and right myself into a sitting position. There was only a second to get my bearings before the informant leaned over me. As he did, I noticed Diederick sitting in front of me in the passenger’s seat. He didn’t turn around.

  The informant pulled out a zip tie and grabbed my wrist.

  “Hey!” I said as he groped around for my second wrist. I lifted it out of reach.

  “Give me your other wrist,” the informant said.

  “No. I’ve come out willingly. Why do you need to tie my wrists?”

  “So you don’t cause any problems. Now give me your other wrist.”

  “I won’t cause any problems… as long as you back off,” I said, pulling my wrist out of the informant’s hold.

  He tightened his grip. “It wasn’t a suggestion.”

  I glared at him. I wanted to get to Fane, but not with my arms bound.

  Diederick turned his head. Immediately, his blood-shot eyes latched onto mine. His arm lifted, and with it came a gun. Diederick aimed it at my temple and pulled the safety back.

  My heart stopped.

  It was as though everything around me froze.

  Gun aimed at head. Gonna die. Good bye, Aurora Sky.

  “Give him your wrist,” Diederick said, slow and menacing, enunciating each word.

  My throat dried. I didn’t move right away, as though I’d gone into a trance and wouldn’t snap out of it even if my life depended on it.

  “Your wrist,” the informant repeated.

  I blinked once and lowered my arm. The informant reached over and grabbed it. This time, I didn’t resist.

  “Check her for weapons,” Diederick said gruffly.

  The informant looked me in the eye then went straight to my pant leg like he’d known I had a knife there all along. He removed my blade with quick, deft fingers.

  “Dagger,” he said, holding it up for Diederick to see.

  Diederick nodded. “Let’s go.”

  The informant shut my door and walked swiftly around the SUV to the driver’s seat. Soon we were on the road headed downtown.

  I kept expecting Diederick to rage at me, but once my wrists were secure, he said nothing, not even to the informant.

  Maybe I should have felt more stressed, but I found the car ride oddly lulling. Perhaps I was simply tired from a night of slaughter. I’d finally got the best of Jared. Even if something happened to me, Noel could arrange the swap and reunite Dante and Tommy.

  Soon I’d be with Fane.

  I set my bound hands in my lap. For the remainder of the ride, I stared out the window, heartbeat increasing the closer we got to Bootlegger’s Cove and the palace. The last time I’d been there, I’d killed Marcus. Melcher and Jared had showed up right afterwards. Jared had stormed in wearing the same blue bandana as the dude driving the car that hit me. That’s when I knew bandana man and Jared were one and the same.

  I’d thought I’d walked out of the palace for good that night.

  I still remembered that evening as crisp and clear in my memory as the dark, cold outdoors enfolded me on my walk home. I’d taken the Coastal Trail to Earthquake Park. From there I walked along Lake Hood Drive, passing the airport’s fenced perimeter, finishing the last leg of the route along a bike trail that passed our street and old house. It had taken me an hour and a half to walk home.

  The cold hadn’t bothered me at all. I thought I’d gone numb from seeing Noel with Fane, from killing Marcus, from finding out that Jared had taken my life away.

  But I’d been a walking corpse. A creature of the night. A bloodsucker. A killer.

  If only I’d known sooner.

  What then?

  It wasn’t likely I would have escaped all this and be sitting on a beach in Hawaii sipping chi-chis.

  But maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t be in the position I was in now—wrists bound, Dante and now Fane held prisoner in separate locations.

  “We’re almost there,” the informant announced as we passed Westchester Lagoon.

  As if I wasn’t already well aware.

 
; 14

  Trapped

  No one spoke, not even when we parked against the curb outside the palace. There wasn’t much to say. Soon enough, Diederick would do the talking or shooting. The informant had promised he’d do what he could for me, but I had no doubt his first priority was to keep his own identity safe.

  Fane’s car was parked in front of the palace. Seeing the old beater gave me a surge of comfort. As long as we were together, everything would be okay.

  The informant parked the car then came around for me. He led me by the arm up to the set of double-doors with their custom stained glass windows.

  The informant released my arm to open the door. I walked in first, glancing sideways as I passed the kitchen. It felt like a lifetime ago that I’d sipped champagne during my first appearance with Noel.

  The step-down living room wasn’t far away. The informant passed me and stopped on the edge. Someone had redecorated. There was less furniture and statues—more open space.

  Fane sat in a leather armchair facing us, an arm slung over the arm rest. Two muscular men stood on either side of him. Our eyes met briefly before Fane’s gaze moved beyond me and turned cold. It surprised me to next lay eyes on Joss, sitting on the far end of a sofa. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to be left alone.

  Henry sat on the opposite end of the sofa from Joss, facing away from us. When he turned and saw me, he scowled. The little snitch. I knew he couldn’t be trusted.

  Diederick stepped into the living room. “Hello, Francesco. Hello, Josslyn.”

  Fane lifted his chin. “Diederick.”

  “Good evening,” Joss said, looking every bit as calm as Fane.

  Diederick stopped five feet in front of Fane. “Do you know this woman?”

  Fane’s gaze settled over my bound wrists for several seconds before returning to Diederick. “I hired her.”

  “Hired her for what exactly?” Diederick asked.

  The leather chair squeaked when Fane leaned forward. “To keep her eyes open for vampire hunters. They’ve been infiltrating our social gatherings for at least the past year. We have the name of one who was supposed to show up here tonight, but it sounds to me like he went to your place, instead.”