Blade on the Hunt (10 page)

“I was told to go to that address and kill anyone inside.”

“On whose orders do you act? Do not attempt to avoid answering.”

Szabo’s mouth hardened but he was weak already so he didn’t hesitate long. “I don’t know who sent the text. But the orders usually come from Lacoste or his people.”

Everyone froze at the name of one of the most influential old lines in the Nation. And it was the name they already had from Theo’s little jaunt into vengeancetown.

It was Recht who spoke then. “Francois Lacoste?”

Szabo nodded. “Yes.”

Recht and Rowan shared a look. Theo was going to lose his shit so they needed to handle Lacoste before Theo got it into his head to do it first.

“How are you involved with Lacoste?” Recht used his super spooky whisper. She’d spent years trying to mimic it but she never came close.

“Blood Front.” The words were torn from Szabo’s lips and she wanted to beat him bloody with them.

He looked to her, terrified, at the sound she made. Recht smiled and that was a blue ribbon she’d remember forever.

“Who else do you speak to in the Blood Front?”

Szabo gave the names of three other Vampires but didn’t have much more. The Blood Front appeared to work in blind cells, which limited their exposure in situations just like this one.

“Who died in that flat tonight?” Recht continued.

“She’s going to kill me!” Szabo screamed and Rowan slapped him hard enough to shut him down.

“Who is
she?
” Rowan demanded.

Szabo shook his head, gaze frantic and fearful. Rowan didn’t have their nifty power of compulsion so Warren stepped in and repeated the question.

“Gabor died. We killed him when he opened the door to us. There was another in the flat with him. I don’t know who. He and Pavel struggled but Pavel killed him. That’s when you burst in.”

She may not have Vampire compulsion, but she had other tools to get some compliance. Rowan reached down into her boot, slid the stiletto from its sheath and stabbed his hand through the table before he’d even realized she was moving.

Szabo screamed and Rowan leaned in, taking his jaw in her now-bloody hand and squeezing. “Be quiet. I know just how to stab you and not do permanent damage. Which means I
also
know how to stab you and make sure you’ll never be able to use this hand again. Shall I tell you which method I prefer?”

Once the violence hit that level the power in the room rose and crackled against her skin. She dug her nails in deep and stared into his eyes. Brigid rode through her then, that magic flowing effortlessly once Rowan called on it.

Szabo went very still, his eyes gone a little dreamy.

Rowan leaned even closer, her hands gripping the arms of the chair. “I’m done fucking around with your bullshit. You think Enyo is scary? She still only have one eye?”

He nodded.

“
I
did that. You get me? You’ve been commanded to tell your Scion what happened and why. Instead you’re dancing around wasting my time. My time is valuable so that offends me. When you offend me and then play shitty little word games to get around the question like you think you’re smart? That makes me want to choke you with your intestines. You’re a pawn, you stupid fuck. You’re a handful of pebbles she tossed my way because she knows I’m coming for her. I don’t need to kill you as scarily as Enyo, I just need to do it first. But I
am
scarier.” She shrugged and let go, wiping her hand off on his shirt. “Talk or I’ll rip your jaw off. Then it’ll grow back and I’ll ask you again.”

And he talked.

Chapter Eleven

Once they’d cleaned up the mess in the situation room, they’d begun to add all the information Szabo had given them to what they already knew.

Recht came back after he’d made a call back to the Keep. “The Lacostes will be apprehended and questioned.”

Which meant the Nation was sending the Five after them. Since Recht was with them and Nadir would need to stay back at the Keep to monitor The First, it wouldn’t be all of them, but these were The First’s personal guard, one of them could more than handle it. Three? A hearty good luck to anyone who thought they could withstand that.

Rowan sighed long and annoyed. “I
knew
this Enyo crap was going to have politics all over it. Here’s my question, boys, how the hell did this Blood Front group get so comfortably funded? And now all these old Vamps are jizzing all over themselves to get a special invite to the party? Maybe I
should
let Theo come out to play more often to keep you dumbasses afraid of him like you should be. This was going on in pretty plain view. Why was no one looking?”

“Are you insinuating I can’t hold my ground?” Warren asked.

“Put your dick away, Warren. Do you need a hankie for your tears? What I’m saying, because I don’t need to insinuate, is the Nation has been asleep at the switch and now this is a big ass mess that I’m going to have to clean up and this will most assuredly mean paperwork. And we all know how I feel about paperwork.”

“You just make David do it anyway,” Recht teased.

She sent a glare to Recht and then snorted. “Yes, but I still have to deal with Hunter Corp. bullshit and politics and I have to be nice and not punch anyone at the office even though we all know Roth Wesslyian needs a punch to the face.” Rowan smirked. “Well, another one. Also, this conspiracy stuff means I’m going to have to talk on the phone. A lot.”

“Why didn’t Hunter Corp. know?” Clive countered.

“That’s a good question.” And it was. This part of Europe had a Hunter but she was retiring, and Rowan had quite often felt she’d been pretty damned ineffective when she
was
active.

The problem was, if Rowan started poking around and it was obvious, she’d get dragged in to some quicksand Hunter Corp. administrative rules stuff. It would take forever and Enyo would have an even bigger lead and more time to dig in without Roth getting in her way.

She’d find out why, but she’d be sneaky and quiet about it until she had more information and after she’d handled Enyo.

“Sorry you made me send my Vampires away?” Warren said in such a smug voice she had to grip her pen tighter to keep from popping him one.

“Let me give you an essential Rowan Summerwaite truth. I’m never sorry to see less lackeys. I’m never sorry to not have to hack my way through Vampire ridiculousness in the form of entourages. We clear?”

“You’re very cranky.” Warren lifted a shoulder. “You’re far too powerful a being to be so angry all the time.”

Rowan paused. “I’m angry all the time because I’m a powerful being. I think about how hot Jared Leto is to keep from going nuts on everyone. We all have our ways of coping.”

“Who is this Jared Leto?” Clive demanded and she nearly giggled and swooned because it was so hot and unexpected.

“He’s Jordan Catalano, Clive. My heart is yours, but sometimes, a tiny part of my other bits think about him. Not while you’re in the room, I promise.”

“He’s an actor and a musician,” David said mildly as he placed a cup of tea in front of Rowan.

“Honestly, you spoil all my fun, David.”

Clive didn’t look any less unhappy though, so without thinking, Rowan smiled at him. “Even if he gets less than twenty percent of all my pop culture references, he’s pretty all right. I prefer him over Jared and those mile long lashes of his.”

Total surprise burst over Clive’s features and then there was nothing else to call it but love. This man loved her. And as freaked out as that made her that she’d fuck it up royally, it also pleased her. And maybe she should let herself be something more than angry all the time.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she looked at the text on the screen. “
Motherfucker.
” She put her phone down and opened her inbox to find Carey’s email and attachments. She downloaded them all and managed to get the document she needed ready. “Here’s a thing. Before I left the Keep I had Carey working on figuring out who owned each of those properties on our list of leads. Not surprisingly it was a shell of a shell of a shell with layers of corporations and trusts. Thankfully, Carey is a beast and he managed to finally distill it down.” With a few keystrokes the graphic Carey had made showed up on the whiteboard so everyone could see. “That villa we looked at earlier is owned by a front company that’s owned by someone else and that’s owned by Sangre International. Which is you guys.”

Warren looked down at the records he’d given her hours before and then back to her. “We can’t. I’d know.”

She shoved her laptop his way so he could take a closer look. “Because I’m so compassionate I’m going to say it as nicely as I can.” Clive snorted and she gave him a look. “It’s impolite to interrupt with your noises of derision, Scion.”

“Which is why you do it so often?” he replied.

Someone
was feeling sassy. She got the feeling he was all worked up over the way she’d interrogated Szabo. When they finally got naked later it was going to be the kind of session that left her bruised and sore. Which was just dandy with her.

Rowan snickered. “When I do it though, it’s necessary. You guys just do it because you’re Vampires. Like
oh no!
There’s something I don’t know? It can’t be!” She clutched her chest dramatically as she flailed.

“I thought you said you were going to be nice.”

Rowan rolled her eyes at Recht. “This is me being
super nice.
I
want
to punch people. There I was, feeling tender about my Vampire boyfriend. I was attempting to not be perpetually angry, wasn’t I? And you guys did it again so my tender feelings are all gone and I’m left with all the grumpy ones.”

She took a deep breath. “Look, it’s clear there’s a whole lot going on that none of us knew about. Hunter Corp. has its own set of complicated issues so I’m not throwing stones like that. But if you have a problem within Sangre, that’s Nation business and that means your leak is pretty highly placed.”

Clive spoke up. “She’s right. We need to get on this and ferret out all our problems before we have too much to slog through and it spins out of control.”

Rowan shrugged one shoulder. “I’d planned to get some reconnaissance done from rooftops and stuff, but as you own that villa, I say we just walk in.”

“They won’t expect it. And if she’s in there, we won’t be wasting any more time,” Clive agreed.

Warren paced. “This is appalling. You know that, yes?”

He was as shocked as everyone else had been. He wasn’t faking it. His distress that this occurred and was happening on his ground was real and she took pity on him. “I do. Look, as annoyed as I am, Hunter Corp. didn’t know either. So, there’s nothing to do but handle it
now.
How you discipline your people isn’t my concern as long as they keep their shit together, consensual and in private. That’s not happening so I’m assuming you’ll deal with them or I will.”

“Understood. This will be dealt with on our end. Let’s go,” Warren said.

Everyone else left the room but she and Clive waited a few moments. He touched her arm and leaned in close. “You and I have some things to address once all this is done.”

“That so? Will you lecture me while naked?”

“
You’ll
be. But we both know you’d ignore a lecture, even sex based.”

Touched by his silliness, she cupped his cheek for the briefest touch and he smiled.

She let herself be happy and accept what they had. “I might pretend. If you make me come hard enough.”

The arrogant expression he wore then made her all hot. “I’m insulted you felt the need to say that.”

She laughed and he hugged her to him, one armed and then stepped back.

“You do a fine job, Scion. But sometimes you need to be kept on your toes or you might take me for granted.”

His teasing look faded into something dead serious. “I know what I have in you. I’d never take that lightly.”

He was supposed to always be an arrogant ass so she could manage him and pretend it was just sex. But he of course had to go and be impossible not to love.

“I know. Thank you. Now, I’m uncomfortable being nice so let’s move this along because if all goes according to plan I get to work out my pique with my fists so we can get back here and you can address me while naked.”

* * *

Time, when dealing with a Vampire’s world, took on a different set of expectations. There were about four hours to sunrise, which would be prime work time when most humans would be sleeping.

It just didn’t seem odd to be heading over to that villa at this late hour and once they reached the front gates, though the street was quiet, it was clear the Vampires inside the house were up. Lights shone through the windows and there was some visible activity.

Warren didn’t bother with the intercom or a request of any sort to be let in. Instead, he shoved at the gates so hard they groaned and fell away with a puff of dust as they sagged to the sides.

“Nice trick. That was some superhero shit right there.” Rowan followed them through the rubble and up the drive, though she and David weren’t as graceful as the Vampires, who just sort of hopped over it easily.

Vampires came flooding from the front doors of the massive residence but they sure as hell weren’t expecting to see two Scions and a Hunter standing outside and stuttered to a stop.

Rowan smiled at them, showing her teeth.

“What are you doing here?” one of the biggest Vampires demanded.

Rowan didn’t even see Warren move, but the other Vampire was on the ground, bleeding and Warren stood over him, eyes going amber. “You dare question your Scion? On what authority?”

The Vampire on the ground froze against Warren’s words and the rising power of those standing in the courtyard just then. His eyes went wide and very round at the realization and then panic chased it away and Rowan knew they’d come to the right place.

“My apologies, Scion. We didn’t know to expect you.”

“I don’t need to RSVP. This property belongs to me. Every Vampire inside it belongs to me too. I don’t seek permission for this.” Warren grabbed him by the collar and dragged him, up the steps and into the house where other Vampires were busy arming themselves.

“Disarm and stand down immediately.” Warren’s command froze everyone in place before the weapons they’d been holding fell to the marble floor.

Warren pointed at one of them. “You, bring me whoever is in charge here. Immediately.”

Rowan flanked left, Clive went right. Recht stood in the front doorway still, his gaze flicking around the space. No doubt measuring the threat level of everything in sight.

Then he moved, heading past them and into the heart of the villa. Rowan motioned for David to take her place before she followed Recht, getting his back.

“She’s not here,” Recht said as he paused at the top of the stairs they’d just ascended.

Rowan had been listening for the power signature of every being in that house and she agreed. “You’re the oldest Vampire in this house.”

He nodded. “But there’s older energy here.” He opened a set of double doors, revealing a posh, light tight suite beyond.

Rowan found herself in the space before she’d thought about moving. “She was here though.” Brigid stirred within Rowan, agitated.

Recht smiled then, sending a burst of fear skittering over her skin for a moment, even though all that violence in his expression had nothing to do with her.

He closed his eyes as he moved slowly through the room. Rowan studied him, as she always had. Learning.

After several minutes he opened his eyes and looked straight to Rowan. “She was here no longer than a day ago, maybe two. And she’s weaker.”

Rowan harrumphed because the whole topic agitated her.

“You’ll get there, little goddess. She’s on the run. I bet she knew we were on the way and got out fast. You sent her scampering off. Well done.”

“I want to be as scary as you when I grow up,” Rowan declared.

He laughed then. “Everyone needs goals. Let’s clear the rest of this floor.”

They did, finding two Vampires hiding in a closet, a bunch of weapons, some laptops and several cell phones. Which they brought downstairs.

Warren was still pissed, arms crossed over his chest as he glared at some Vampire who’d claimed to be in charge.

Clive leaned against a pillar, his foot on the throat of a Vampire on the ground. She wondered what that story was and was disappointed she’d missed seeing him deliver a smackdown. He was really fucking sexy when he did that.

“This Vampire claims he doesn’t know who Enyo is.” Warren’s tone was amused, but it was only a thin veneer over his anger.

Rowan moved to Warren’s side to look the Vampire he’d been questioning over. “That’s a disappointing answer, huh? What’s your name?”

The Vampire actually sneered at her. “I don’t answer to you. My Scion is in charge.”

“In charge of killing you because you harbored a criminal the Nation has issued an execution order for? Yeah he is. I’m bummed naturally, because I’d love to kill you myself. But I can live with it as long as the killing you part happens. Your Scion’s been at it longer anyway. As far as you needing to answer my questions though?”

She punched him in the face. Twice.

And then wiped his blood on his clothing. She said,
you’re so beneath me I won’t even let your blood remain on my skin.

When he got that message he was even angrier that she’d punched him. He started to move to attack, but she pivoted on one foot, delivering a fist to his temple, sending him stumbling back to his ass, more blood on his face.

“Are we done yet? Sun’s coming and I would like to relax before bed.” Clive’s bored delivery made her want to grin at him over her shoulder. But she retained her
I
will kill you
face as she glowered at the Vampire who’d tried to attack her.