by Mary Abshire
Zale hit the button for the elevator. One arrived within seconds. Still holding Anna’s hand, they rode down to the basement.
Together, they strode from the elevator. Hearing a heartbeat, Zale led the way down the hall. Gordon stepped out of a room before he and Anna reached it.
“Zale, Anna, glad you could make it.” Gordon gestured toward the open door.
Anna’s hand slipped from his as she strode inside the conference room. Colin stood at the head of the long table. He wore a black suit with a white button-down under his blazer. To his left, Aziel stood, dressed in a navy blue Armani suit. The vampire director always looked classy in his business attire.
“Zale and Anna, thank you for coming.” Colin offered his hand.
Anna looked at it and then backed away. “I hope this meeting will be short. I have work to do.”
Zale accepted the vampire’s greeting. “Nice to see you again.”
“Likewise,” Colin said with a firm shake.
While Gordon headed to a seat next to Aziel, Zale strode to the side where Anna sat. She pushed a chair from the table for Zale.
While Zale understood her resentment toward Colin and the other leaders, he thought it best to stay on good speaking terms with them. Who knew what the future would be like? There might come a day when the UoJ or DS need the help of the leaders.
“I’ll be brief,” Colin said as he sat.
Zale held Anna’s hand under the table.
“Is there a problem with the deal you made?” Anna asked.
“No,” Colin said. “In fact, I came here to inform both of you as well as Aziel and Gordon that the community is pleased with your efforts. I’ve been getting several compliments each day. Vampires have noticed the decrease in the demon population. Many vampires have told me they called the UoJ’s tip-off line and left information. Within twenty-four hours, they saw a response. Vampires are spreading the word. They no longer fear going out.”
Gordon leaned back in his chair. “This is good news to hear. I can share we have noticed a huge decrease in vampire corpses. In fact, the last one we investigated was five days ago.”
Colin nodded and bounced his gaze from one side of the table to the other. “Anna and Zale’s efforts have impacted many lives and the vampire communities. They should be commended.”
“It’s a joint effort,” Zale said. “Vampires calling in with information helps.”
Aziel threaded his fingers together on top of the table. “Anna and Zale are the top field agents. They lost partners and endured great suffering to get to where we are today. While we are not as close to an outbreak as we were three weeks ago, demons still exist. Hunting them down will continue with or without the help of the UoJ.”
“Should the communities continue calling the UoJ?” Colin asked.
Aziel looked at Gordon.
“We have a back log of criminals,” Gordon said. “I’ve already started to shift responsibilities for some agents. I don’t mind waiting another week or two to resume normal operations if Aziel needs the help.” He met Aziel’s gaze.
“Perhaps a week at the most,” the vamp director said. “Then our offices can return to regular operations.”
Zale glanced at Anna. She held her gaze low. He squeezed her hand to get her attention. His efforts worked and he gained a tiny smile from her. Zale sensed the news didn’t please her.
“I will notify the other leaders,” Colin said before he looked at Zale. “Our deal has been fulfilled. I wanted to tell you personally and congratulate you.”
Anna tightened her grip.
“Thank you. I’d like to see both groups trust each other more. I think we’re making progress,” Zale said.
“As do I,” Colin said, and then shifted his attention to the two leaders. “You have a fine group of agents. I commend them both.”
Anna squeezed his hand again. Zale’s bones ached from grasp, but he refused to let go.
“Thank you,” Gordon said, and then Aziel repeated the same words.
Colin rose from his seat, smiling. “See, Anna, brief.”
She glared at him as the two leaders stood.
“I’ll walk you out,” Gordon said.
“Good luck to the both of you,” Colin said before he headed for the door.
Aziel moved closer while Gordon left with Colin. The vampire slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “I’m going to call off the Crisis Alert in a week if all goes well, which I think it will. Based on the work you two have done, I don’t believe we are on the brink of an outbreak any longer.”
“I think our agencies should continue working together,” Zale said. “The UoJ agents need to become more trusting of vampires. We can help the DS.”
“I don’t disagree, but I think the UoJ has a backlog to work on,” Aziel said.
“I want to continue working with Zale,” Anna said. “And it’s not an option. We’ve discussed this and we agree. He’ll help me and vice versa.”
Aziel bounced his gaze from Anna to Zale. “Have you spoken with Gordon?”
“Not yet,” Zale said.
“Does this mean I’d lose you if I say no?” Aziel asked Anna.
“Well… I’m not going to stop hunting demons. Whether I do it for the DS or independently doesn’t matter to me. I’d like to stay with the DS, but my partner is Zale,” she said.
“And I’ll say the same thing to Gordon,” Zale said.
“Am I to believe you’re going to continue working together?” Gordon asked as he walked into the room.
Zale stood. “Anna is my new partner.”
Anna rose as Gordon came to a halt in front of Zale. She moved to Zale’s side. “I can help him bring in vampires.”
Gordon crossed his arms. “And which job would have the higher priority?”
Zale met Anna’s gaze. While bringing the criminal vampires to justice was important and saved lives, he couldn’t deny the greater impact her job had with exorcising demons.
“Anna’s job would take precedence,” Zale said as he shifted his attention to Gordon.
His boss looked at Aziel. “I’m not thrilled about this, but I’m not losing my best agent.”
“If I don’t agree with them, I will lose my best agent,” Aziel said.
Gordon sighed and then lowered his arms. “Then I guess there’s nothing more to say.” He put his hand on Zale’s shoulder. “Except, good job.”
Joy fueled the beat of Zale’s heart. He had the perfect mate and work partner. Now he had everything he wanted.
Gordon turned to Aziel. “I guess we’ll be talking more.”
Aziel grinned. “I’m sure they will keep us informed.”
“Come on, I’ll walk you out,” Gordon said.
Aziel gave a nod before he followed Gordon out of the room.
Zale spun and lifted Anna in his arms. She giggled before she pressed her mouth to his.
“You did it,” she said.
“No, we did it. We make a great team and we can train others to do the same, with time.” He set her back on her feet.
She put one palm on the side of his face. “But I don’t want you to give up your job to help me. You should do what you enjoy and be happy.”
“I enjoy working with you, but I especially enjoy making love to you. And both make me happy. Well, the latter really excels in bringing me joy.”
Smiling, she joined her lips with his. He held her close to his body and lengthened the kiss with his tongue entwined with hers. Love and happiness filled his soul. Life was as perfect as it could get.
She pried her mouth away. “How about you show me your office?”
Grinning, he took hold of one of her hands. “Absolutely.”
The End
Other books by Mary Abshire as of August 2017
Divine Justice Series:
Demon Hunter
Demon Tracker
Crisis Alert
He
aven Sent Series:
First Kill
Second Demon
Third Love
Fourth Fight
Fifth Regret
Sixth Surprise
Seventh Heaven
Soul Catcher Series:
Claiming the Evil Dead
Catching an Evil Tail
Fighting Evil
Love Conquers All Evil
Freedom From the Evil Dead
The Evil Next Door
Project Eve Series:
The Awakening
The Quest
About Mary Abshire
Mary is a romantic at heart and a lifetime lover of the paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction. When she's not working or binge watching television, she enjoys creating fantastical stories with vampires, demons, werewolves, angels, and/or other supernatural creatures. She often adds mystery and suspense to spice up her books. For the most part, she lives a quiet life in Indianapolis. She aspires to become a full time writer one day. She also hopes to meet a vampire, werewolf, or angel who will sweep her off her feet. Hey, a girl can dream. And Mary does.
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