Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) (31 page)

They
were
in
the
conference
room.
Rico
and
Tannis
were
watching
her.
She
didn’t
know
what
either
of
them
were
thinking.
Janey
and
Daisy
were
both
staring
at
her
wide-eyed.
Alex
peered
down.
Her
white
shirt
was
stained
crimson
and
ripped
open
to
the
waist.
She
pulled
the
tattered
edges
around
herself.
Bruises
were
already
forming
like
bracelets
around
her
wrists
where
Bastion
had
held
her,
and
she
knew
there
would
be
others
all
over
her
body.
She’d
have
been
dead
if
Jon
hadn’t
come
after
her.

Panic
flared
inside
her.
Where
was
he?

“Jon?”
she
asked.

“He’s
gone
after
Bastion,”
Rico
said.

Tannis
frowned.
“Shouldn’t
you
go
after
them?”

“I
doubt
he’ll
find
him
in
these
tunnels.
The
place
is
a
maze,
and
Bastion
knows
them
too
well.”

Alex
shivered,
her
teeth
chattering
together
as
though
she’d
never
be
warm
again.

“Come
here,”
Rico
said.

She
looked
up
at
the
sharply
spoken
words
and
shook
her
head.
No
way—she
didn’t
want
to
go
anywhere
near
him.
But
his
gaze
caught
hers,
much
as
Bastion’s
had,
and
when
he
spoke
again,
she
had
no
choice
but
to
obey.

She
stumbled
to
her
feet
and
tried
to
stop
her
shuffling
steps,
but
her
body
refused
to
obey
her
mind.
She
came
to
a
halt
in
front
of
him,
holding
the
tatters
of
her
shirt
around
her.

“Which
part
of
‘stay
on
the
ship’
did
you
not
understand?”
Rico’s
tone
was
gentle,
but
she
could
sense
the
fury
beneath
his
words.

“I
didn’t
mean
to
leave.
I
followed
the
cat.”

Rico’s
eyes
widened.
“You
followed
the
cat
?
What
fucking
cat?”

“Oh,
God.
Mogg.
I
forgot
about
Mogg.
He’s
still
out
there.”

“No
he’s
not,”
Janey
said
hurriedly.
“He
came
back—I
put
him
in
your
cabin.”

She
sagged
with
relief.

“First
dogs.
Now
cats.
Bloody
ship’s
turning
into
a
zoo.”
Rico
pulled
something
out
of
his
pocket.
“Did
you
really
think
this
would
protect
you?”

The
cross
dangled
from
his
fingers.
He
must
have
picked
it
up
from
the
floor
where
she’d
dropped
it.
Holding
her
gaze,
he
clenched
it
in
his
fist.
His
skin
hissed
at
the
contact,
the
reek
of
scorched
flesh
assaulted
her
nostrils,
and
nausea
roiled
in
her
belly.
He
opened
his
hand
and
flung
the
cross
against
the
wall.
His
palm
was
a
mass
of
burned,
smoldering
flesh,
but
as
she
watched,
the
damage
healed
leaving
only
the
faint
but
perfect
brand
of
a
cross.

“I
bet
you’ve
been
wearing
that
thing
all
this
time—thinking
it
would
protect
you
against
me.
Well,
know
this—the
Church
can’t
protect
you.
Nothing
can.”

Alex’s
breasts
hurt,
her
nipple
throbbed,
the
wound
at
her
neck
ached,
and
she
was
filled
with
an
overwhelming
urge
to
sob
uncontrollably.
She
bit
her
lip.
She
wouldn’t
give
him
the
satisfaction.

Besides,
she
deserved
his
fury.
If
she’d
died,
it
would
have
been
her
own
stupid
fault.
And
if
Jon
was
harmed
going
after
Bastion
she
would
never,
ever
forgive
herself.

“Leave
her
alone,
Rico,”
Tannis
snapped.

“Why
the
hell
should
I?
Stupid
little
cow—”

“Just
shut
up.”

Tannis
shoved
Rico
out
of
the
way
and
wrapped
her
arms
around
Alex.
For
a
moment,
she
stiffened
then
relaxed.
It
occurred
to
her
that
in
her
whole
life,
she
couldn’t
remember
anyone
ever
hugging
her.
The
thought
broke
down
the
last
of
her
defenses,
and
she
was
crying,
great
heaving
sobs
that
racked
her
whole
body.

Another
first—she
never
cried.

She
was
sure
that
Tannis
wasn’t
big
on
hugging
either—the
embrace
felt
awkward
as
Tannis
patted
her
on
the
shoulder,
but
that
made
it
all
the
sweeter.

Rico
swore.
“Oh
for
God’s
sake—stop
her
crying.”

Tannis
ignored
him,
but
a
moment
later
she
went
still.
Alex
raised
her
head.
Jon
stood
in
the
open
doorway,
a
wary
expression
on
his
features.

“Did
you
get
him?”
Tannis
asked,
dropping
her
arms
from
Alex
and
stepping
back.

“No.
He
vanished.
The
place
is
like
a
maze.”
He
studied
the
two
of
them,
his
gaze
flashing
between
Rico
and
Alex,
lingering
on
her
face.
She
knew
she
must
look
a
sight,
and
she
ducked
her
head.

“What’s
the
matter?
She’s
all
right
isn’t
she?”

“Rico
made
her
cry,”
Tannis
answered.

“Hey,
that’s
right—make
out
like
it’s
all
my
fault.”

Tannis
shrugged.
“You’re
only
so
pissed
off
because
you’re
blaming
yourself
for
bringing
us
here.
You
knew
what
he
was
like.
I
thought
he
had
to
obey
you?”

“Tricky
bastard
must
have
been
feeding
day
and
night
to
overcome
his
sire’s
compulsion.”
Rico
sighed,
running
a
hand
through
his
hair.
“It
was
unexpected.
Anyway,
she
would
have
been
fine
if
she’d
stayed
on
the
ship.
Like
she
was
told.
It
wasn’t
as
though
I
didn’t
warn
her.
She’s
like
the
rest
of
this
fucking
crew,
incapable
of
taking
fucking
orders.
What
happens
next
time?
Maybe
she
gets
us
all
killed.
She’s
like
a
fucking
kid
who
hasn’t
a
clue
about
real
life.”

Tannis
rolled
her
eyes.
“Get
a
grip.”

Alex
wiped
her
sleeve
across
her
face.
No
more
tears,
but
she
couldn’t
prevent
one
last
sniff.
Rico
swore
again
then
pulled
a
silver
flask
from
his
pocket
and
took
a
long
swallow
before
holding
it
out
to
Alex.

“Drink
it,”
he
said.
“It
will
make
you
feel
better.”

Tannis
raised
an
eyebrow
but
didn’t
say
anything
as
Alex
took
the
flask
and
lifted
it
to
her
nose,
breathing
in
the
potent
fumes.
She
put
it
to
her
lips
and
took
a
big
gulp.
The
liquid
stung
where
she’d
bitten
through
her
lip
and
burned
like
fire
down
her
throat,
warming
the
coldness
in
her
belly.
She
took
another
swallow
and
held
out
the
flask
to
Rico.