"We will," Winston nodded.
"Here," I pulled the cash I had with me from my jeans pocket. "Go spend the night in a hotel in Oklahoma City. Have your lady," I nodded toward the woman, "check on other property for you. I don’t think coming back here is a good idea." I handed the money to the vampire.
"I haven't touched my bank accounts in nearly twenty years; I was afraid the Council would track me," Winston muttered, handing the folded cash to his human companion. She accepted it, crumpling it in her hands in confusion. I probably had three hundred with me—I hadn't taken time to count it before we'd left Oklahoma City. It was enough for them to spend the night somewhere and buy the woman a meal.
"The Council isn't after you, Mr. Byrnett," I said. "But somebody tipped us off and my guess is they weren't vampire. I think you should gather your valuables and get out tonight." I'd seen an old truck under the carport beside the house. The woman nodded and Winston turned to help her off the mattress.
It didn't take long for them to gather what little they couldn't do without, and Tony and the others were shocked when Gavin and I walked out with the couple. Winston had a small safe he hefted into the back of the truck; the woman had clothes, photographs and a few other belongings. They were loaded up in no time.
"These people aren't connected to Xenides," I informed Bill and the others, who now stood by, watching as the truck was loaded up.
"Did you say Xenides?" The woman came over to us.
"Yes. What do you know?" Tony exercised compulsion. I swatted his arm; compulsion wasn't needed.
"Someone came to the door today and told me that an old friend of Winston's was coming to visit us tomorrow evening. When I asked who the old friend was, the girl called him Xenides. Winston says he doesn't know of anyone by that name."
Winston walked over to join the conversation. "I've never heard of Xenides," he said.
"She said that if we knew what was good for us, we'd wait until he arrived," the woman went on. "I didn't like her attitude, and Winston said since she was human, he wasn't really worried. Until you showed up tonight, that is." She raked a hand through dark brown curls, her blue eyes concerned. "We thought the Council was here to kill us," she muttered softly.
"What about Catulus?" Gavin asked. "Have you heard that name?" Wlodek had mentioned that name; Xenides had used it before.
"Fuck," Winston cursed. "You don't want to get anywhere near that one. He'll kill you and steal your women."
"How do you know this?" Gavin demanded.
"My sire knew him. Catulus killed him, along with my older brother. I was out; that's the only reason he didn't kill me as well. Catulus wanted my older brother's female and he wouldn't give her up. My sire and my brother tried to fight Catulus off but he was older and stronger."
"Then maybe you should keep on hiding until we can get rid of him," I said. "We'll let the Head of the Council know. Go on, get as far away from here as you can," I said.
"Here," Bill handed the keys to his car to Winston. "Let's transfer their things," he said. "Just let me know where you left the car," he added, "and we'll pick it up." He handed over a card, much like the one I'd gotten from Tony the first time I'd met him. Winston's eyebrows rose considerably. "We'll let Xenides think you're still here," Bill jerked his head toward the old truck beneath the carport.
"Will do," Winston nodded. "Sweetheart, have you ever lived in Texas?" he asked the woman, placing an arm around her shoulders.
"No, hon," she said. "Is that where we're going?" She looked up at him with a trembling smile.
"Maybe," Winston smiled at her.
"Here," Gavin pulled out his money clip and emptied it; there had to be at least a thousand dollars in it. He handed that to the woman. "For moving expenses," he said. The woman smiled at him and took the additional money. Bill got them inside the car; Tony and René moved their things. We watched as they drove away, turning east onto Highway 51.
"We'll all have to squeeze into the van," Bill sighed.
"We'll make it work," Winkler grinned. Roff, who'd been standing by watching everything, was completely fascinated.
"I will ride in the back, like luggage," he offered.
"Are you sure?" I asked. He grinned.
"Of course," he replied. "I have been in smaller spaces."
Gavin held me on his lap while Winkler drove. René, Tony and Lorenzo were in the seat behind us; Radomir, Thaddeus and Bill were in the seat behind them and Roff was folded up in the back. I was glad we didn't have anyone else; they wouldn't have fit. We were packed so tightly inside the van, I felt as if we were riding in a vampire clown car.
"Are we going to stake out that place tomorrow?" René asked.
"Oh, yes," Gavin replied.
"Xenides is really old. We'll have to surprise him," I said.
"If he comes himself, he'll get a surprise," Gavin muttered.
Gav is worried about you, Tony sent. He wants to strangle the bastard while he removes his head.
Tony, I want to strangle the bastard while Gavin removes his head, I returned.
You may both have to wait; René wants Xenides' death so bad he can taste it, Tony replied.
"I was hoping to find evidence of my brother," Lorenzo offered timidly, breaking up the mindspeech with Tony.
"It was a long shot, but if he's with Xenides, we still may be able to get him back tomorrow. Providing Xenides sends him, or comes himself," Tony said.
"Why is Xenides interested in Winston Byrnett?" I asked. Nobody had an answer.
We ended up staying the night at a motel in Stillwater. Gavin plunked down an impressive credit card and paid for several rooms. He and Radomir wanted to be as close to Winston's home as possible, in order to get there as quickly after sundown as we could. Bill was on his cell, calling for other agents to watch the place during the day.
"Wait," I said to Bill before he hung up. "I have an idea."
* * *
Angelo muttered softly and angrily—he didn't want to go. Dominic (under Xenides' heavy compulsion) was going with him to pick up the vampire and kill his female companion. Winston Byrnett had been missing for years and Xenides had need of vampire reinforcements. Only a few days earlier, many of Saxom and Xenides' turns had been killed in Great Britain on a single night. Xenides had rolled the dice and lost that round. Now, Xenides was actively searching for replacements to rebuild his army, and those vampires living below the Council's radar were ideal targets. Byrnett would do nicely. Angelo and Dominic could bring in the vampire; Xenides was going to stay with his newest female.
* * *
Dominic didn't want to be there. Never wanted to leave Europe. During more coherent moments, he cursed Xenides for forcing him to do unspeakable things. Dominic had been to the states before, but that had been with his sire and his brothers. Now, following his abduction at the hands of Angelo and Xenides, he was trapped in compulsion and forced to stay in mental contact with Xenides when needed. Xenides felt oily and evil to him; he shuddered whenever the ancient vampire came close. Xenides laughed as Dominic recoiled at his nearness.
"Can't abide your Dark cousin, now can you?" he'd say. Dominic hadn't a clue what Xenides meant.
"Stop daydreaming and get in the car," Angelo ordered. Dominic was older than Angelo and wasn't susceptible to the younger vampire's compulsion. Xenides, however, would punish him if he didn't do as Angelo said, so Dominic slid into the passenger seat and shut the door. Angelo started the car and drove toward I-35.
* * *
Gavin, Radomir and I were huddled inside one covered trench; Tony, Bill and René were inside another nearby. A handful of carefully selected agents were with Winkler, Dalroy and Rhett in a stand of trees behind us, far enough from the house that they wouldn't be seen, heard or scented. Gavin had ordered Roff, Lorenzo and Thaddeus to stay at the hotel; they didn't have what he called "combat experience." Thaddeus and Lorenzo grumbled that I was getting to go, but René shut them up quickly. Tony lectured them as well, but I
got him calmed down after a while. Now, here we were, waiting for Xenides or his minions to show up.
A black Mercedes rolled up the dirt road and stopped a few minutes later. Two vampires climbed out of the vehicle and approached the house cautiously. One I didn't recognize; the other was Dominic. He fit the description his brothers had given. Time to go, I sent mindspeech to everyone inside the bunkers. I misted Gavin and Radomir first, before going to collect Tony, Bill and René.
We were behind Dominic and the other vampire as mist; they were now searching through the house for Winston. We waited for them to walk out again, just to have more fighting room. One of the two—the one I didn't recognize—was cursing; he'd just realized Winston had fled. I dropped my passengers behind him and they went to work. Gavin had claws at the throat of one vampire while René collared the other, faster than the eye could follow.
"Tell him not to send mindspeech!" I shouted at René, who held Dominic with lengthy, razor-sharp claws at his throat.
"You will not send mindspeech," René hissed compulsion and Dominic sagged to the ground in relief. Radomir now held the other vampire tightly, as Gavin paced before him.
"Tell me your name," Gavin growled out a mind-bending compulsion.
"Angelo." I didn't interfere with Gavin's pacing or his growling; I learned what I wanted to know from Angelo's scent.
"You're one of the shapeshifters, aren't you?" I accused. Angelo jerked in Radomir's grip. Radomir cuffed him and he cursed.
"Answer her!" Gavin thundered.
"Yes," Angelo whined unwillingly.
"Yet you are not Dark Elemaiya," I went on. "You come from the other side. Why are you in league with Xenides?"
"He caught me and turned me," Angelo muttered as he twisted in Radomir's hands. I'd known that already—he had Xenides' taint about him.
"How many others has Xenides made?" I demanded.
"I don't know, he won't tell me. I've only been vampire for twelve years."
"Does Xenides have any misters with him right now?"
"Not now; someone killed most of what he had."
"Come, cara, we will take these two with us. The Council will deal with them. The jet is still in Oklahoma City after bringing Thaddeus and Lorenzo." At Gavin's curt nod, Radomir hauled Angelo toward the van Winkler was parking in the yard. René and Tony followed closely behind Radomir, Dominic held between them. Another van, driven by human agents, pulled up right behind Winkler.
"No," Angelo begged as Radomir shoved him inside Winkler's van. "Please kill me now. Do not send me to the Council."
"You will go to the Council," Gavin snapped and that was that.
* * *
Xenides was in the throes of a vampiric orgasm after feeding off Jordan, his newest human conquest, when Dominic's mindspeech came to him. Xenides! was shouted mentally before it was cut off. Xenides grunted, concluding that he'd have to call in other reinforcements. He'd already collected as many rogues as he could from the surrounding area, and had sent them to a designated location. A handful of his vampire children were doing the same in other places. He didn't really need Byrnett, and Angelo and Dominic were no longer a necessity. Xenides dismissed them and went back to his lovemaking.
* * *
"Brother, we will stand with you," Lorenzo was distraught; Dominic was chained and settled into a seat at the back of the Council's jet. Angelo was similarly manacled on the other side, and bound with Gavin's compulsion that he couldn't shapeshift. Who knew what he could become? I hadn't bothered to ask.
Dalroy and Rhett, acting as extra guards, were flying back to London with Radomir and the prisoners, with a brief stop in New York to spend the day. At least Thaddeus and Lorenzo had their brother back. I hoped Wlodek wouldn't be too hard on Dominic, since he'd been an unwilling victim in all this. Perhaps Wlodek could find a use for another vampire who could mindspeak.
We'd tried, numerous times, to get past Xenides' compulsion and get Dominic or Angelo to tell us where Xenides was. They couldn't give out that information. He couldn't be far away, and Bill had his people working diligently to check on recent home and hotel rentals. They just weren't getting very far. I figured Xenides placed compulsion on his new landlord to lie about it if asked. It wouldn't be hard to do.
Gavin sighed as the door was closed on the jet and the pilot prepared for takeoff. Winkler had come along as our driver; Bill had also come, fascinated by the entire process. Gavin had allowed Bill to climb inside the jet for a few minutes. He'd watched, silently curious, while the prisoners were chained to their seats.
"They don't fool around, do they?" Bill asked when he'd come out of the jet.
"No, they don't." He had no idea I was speaking from personal experience. Bill left before we did; he'd come alone since he didn't want his agents to know any more than necessary. I was more than happy to get back to the house in Nichols Hills afterward. I was still wearing the same clothes I'd worn the day before, though I'd showered at the motel.
Roff was fussing the minute we climbed out of the car, herding me toward the guesthouse. Gavin was smiling and following along behind. "Lissa," Gavin held his cell phone out to me as soon as I stepped out of the shower later. Gavin wrapped a big towel around me and settled me on the foot of the bed, drying my hair with a second towel while I put the phone to my ear.
"Hello?" I said.
"Lissa, tell me what you know of the prisoners," Wlodek ordered. Well, somebody sounded grumpy.
"Angelo is a shapeshifter and has Bright Elemaiyan blood. I don't know what he becomes when he shifts. Xenides is his sire, father. I think Merrill will have to ask some of the questions—Xenides has some pretty strong compulsion on him and Dominic."
"Merrill won't be able to get past much of the compulsion placed on Angelo, then, since Xenides is his sire. We'll have better luck with Dominic, I think. Do you think he went willingly with Xenides?"
"No. Not in the least. He finds Xenides repulsive. Only compulsion kept him with Xenides; Dominic was forced to do his bidding."
"I am still quite aggravated that Maxwell kept a mindspeaker from us," Wlodek growled. He was pacing; I could hear his footsteps. "If he had let us know, then Dominic would have been with us instead of available for Xenides to abduct." I was thinking that we couldn't know that for sure, but I also couldn't say otherwise.
"Well, Maxwell is dead, so we may never know what his purpose was, more than likely," I said.
"True," Wlodek agreed. We talked for only a few seconds more before hanging up.
"Would you like a bit of blood, Lissa?" Gavin pulled me against him, nipping my neck lightly.
"Sounds like you want some," I said.
"That is certainly true." He peeled the towel away and bent his head to my breasts.
* * *
I was hearing voices before I came fully awake; someone was talking to Gavin. I moaned and attempted to shut out the drone by curling up in a ball on the bed and lifting the sheet over my head. "Raona, you should wake now and bathe; the wolf and the others have important information," Roff pulled the sheet away from my face. I blinked up at him and then turned my head, seeing that Gavin was indeed talking with Winkler. I was naked under the sheet; there was no way I wanted to rise and parade in front of Winkler sans clothing.
"Roff, I'm naked under here," I muttered. Of course, Winkler and Gavin both heard. Winkler laughed; Gavin just frowned at me.
"Then I will bring your robe," Roff was off the bed and walking toward the bathroom. I could have misted out of the bed, but Roff had already gone to get my wrap. Sighing, I waited until he came back with it. Roff held it up so I could slip into it, though I was pretty sure Winkler was doing his best to stare. I tied the robe around me and stalked into the bathroom with as much dignity as I could gather under the circumstances. Yeah, it wasn't a lot. "Raona, would you like help?" Roff followed me into the bathroom.
"That's all right. I can get this," I said. He looked disappointed. I shooed him out the door and closed it behind h
im.
After I was clean and dressed, I walked out to the small living area of the guesthouse, located next to the kitchen. Winkler was still there, having a snack that Roff put together for him. That man—well, werewolf—could eat better than anyone else I'd ever met.
"Lissa, come and sit, cara," Gavin patted the seat next to him on the sofa.
"What's wrong?" I asked. There had to be something wrong. Nobody asked you to sit unless there was.
"They found Sara Workman's body," Winkler said. "Bill called two hours ago. She was dumped out by Crescent; some kids found her body in a ditch. Looked like she'd been savaged by animals." Crescent was a small town forty miles north of Oklahoma City, surrounded by wheat fields and farmland.
"No surprise. Xenides' shapeshifters probably got into that sort of thing. She was already dead, though." I looked away from Winkler and Gavin. This was my own personal hell, I think. People were dying because they were related or connected to me. I was running out of relatives, too. The two cousins in Kansas were the last of the lot and they were Don's relatives, not mine.
"They're doing an autopsy to determine the cause of death," Winkler went on when I didn't turn back to him. I nodded wearily.
"Cara, you cannot accept the blame for this," Gavin said softly.
"Can't I?" I turned to stare at him. "If I hadn't walked into that stupid bar after Don died, Sergio and Edward would have picked somebody else to play their sick little game with. It wouldn't have been me."
"Lissa, I'm alive because you walked into that bar," Winkler said softly. "Twice over, at least. From what I understand, Gavin's alive too, for the same reason."
"How many live because you are what you are, Lissa?" Gavin tucked me against his side. "How many will live in the future? You have no idea. You are upset and blaming yourself for this. That is understandable, but not the truth, love."
"Then why don't I feel any better?" I grumbled. "Stupid, fucking Xenides. Stupid, fucking Saxom. What did he want from all of this? What did he hope to gain?"
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