Honoria Ravena (10 page)

She ignored him as she pulled over to the side of the road. “Okay, Regan. This is how it goes. You’re going to take this car and drive as far as you can in whatever direction you want. I’m going to give you some money, so when you ditch the car, you can take a taxi to a different town and get a hotel.”

I opened the back door of the car and got out. Kennedy did the same.

“Not that I’m not grateful, but why are you doing this?” I pointed to Kalen, who lay slumped over, still clutching the syringe.

Kennedy shrugged. “We watch each other’s backs. You’ve saved my life, and I’ve saved yours. It’s just my turn. While I don’t agree with you running away from this vampire, I figure I owe you. If we cross paths again, don’t expect the same treatment. I think I have to be done doing favors for you.”

“How are you going to explain this to Dara and the others? Kalen knows the truth, so you can’t lie.”

“I’ll just tell them. Paying your debts is a big thing for Dara. She won’t like it, but she’ll understand.”

Kennedy tossed me the keys before climbing into the backseat, grabbing Kalen under the arms, and pulling him out of the SUV.

“You going to drag his heavy ass all the way back to the compound?”

She snorted. “Hell no. I’m going to call for backup. He’s way too big to drag back.”

I slid into the front seat as she slammed the back door. “Good luck then. Hope you don’t get into too much trouble.”

She smirked. “Same to you.”

I shook my head. “Too late for that. Way too late.”

I shut the door and started the car. This was turning into a long-ass day, and I’d just dodged another bullet. I was feeling pretty damned lucky.

Chapter Nine

Of course, luck runs out fast.

The closest place to stay was a seedy little motel that reminded me of a place a serial killer might murder someone in.

I dragged my feet back from the vending machine outside. Chips and Little Debbie snacks weren’t very filling or nutritional, but I could enjoy a Twinkie once in a while.

Pushing the door to my hotel room open, I stepped inside. I was so tired that even the rock-hard bed with the stained blanket called to me.

I closed the door and locked it with the deadbolt and the chain. Not that those would stop a vampire. Or an axe murderer from the next room.

I tossed the “food” onto the bed and shrugged out of Zarek’s jacket so I could examine my back and elbows. At least the jacket and pants had done their job. I hadn’t gotten scraped up too badly. I was still covered in bruises, though.

My stomach growled. I sank onto the bed with a sigh as I all but heard my muscles scream, “Yes.” I groped for a chip packet without sitting up.

I really didn’t like being in this motel unarmed. I’d wasted my knives fighting Dorian and Kalen. The rest of my weapons were in my car. Well, I wasn’t entirely defenseless. I did have a tiny pocketknife. The blade was an inch and a half long, so it wasn’t good for anything but cutting ropes if I was tied up.

The door burst open, and I jumped, sitting upright. My psychic radar went off. The vampire standing in the doorway was massive. He had to be taller than Zarek. His muscles bulged under his black shirt. I half-expected it to split at the seams when he flexed. His shaved head shined in the light. A tribal tattoo covered half of his face and neck, disappearing under the collar of his shirt. My eyes drew to his side. The knife in his hand was longer than my thigh.

I hopped to my feet and grimaced at the protesting muscles as I pulled out my tiny pocketknife. This wasn’t going to end well for me. I shouldn’t be thinking that way, but I was realistic.

I attacked before he could, kicking him in the solar plexus. He flew back through the door, just like I wanted him to. I needed room to move if I had any chance of winning. Or running.

He was on his feet and coming toward me as I stepped out of the room. I darted around the corner of the building. It wasn’t in my nature to give up, but my odds of winning weren’t looking good.

I gasped as something sharp sliced my arm. A throwing knife struck the ground in front of me, but I didn’t stop running.

I was rounding the back corner of the building when he slammed into me, jerking me around before my back scraped against the bricks and the air rushed from my lungs. My head cracked against the wall, and I saw stars.

He clamped a hand around my throat. I couldn’t breathe. My vision swam as I clawed at the arm that lifted me. He slammed me against the building again and reared his knife hand back.

I was dropped. My butt hit the ground so hard that it probably would have hurt if other pains hadn’t distracted me. I curled into a ball, coughing and gasping for air.

I glanced around. Assassins didn’t just disappear. My attacker miraculously crashed through a window, and a woman screamed. A second later, she burst out the door, cell phone in hand, as she ran for her car.

I stood and stumbled away from the wall to peer through the door. I wanted to know who my hero was.

Zarek seized a lamp and bashed the hired gun over the head. I’d never been happier to see him. My attacker slammed his meaty fist into his jaw, and he flew across the room, crashing into the TV. Zarek pulled a large knife from the scabbard at his hip.

“Come on, Henry. I don’t have to kill you. Just walk away.”

Henry? He really should pick a more menacing name.

“I’ve been ordered to kill her, Zarek, but I suppose I can stand down. She’ll die soon enough.”

Zarek’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“My blade is poisoned. I just wanted to make sure the job was done before I left, but I don’t want to kill you, old friend.”

Henry sauntered toward the door, and I backpedaled. A wave of dizziness hit me, and I fell flat on my ass.

“You’re working for a piece of shit, Henry.”

“Yeah, but he pays well.”

Zarek vanished in a blur of speed, and when he reappeared, he was standing next to Henry’s headless body as it slowly sank to the ground.

“We aren’t friends if you were working for him, asshole. And you had the Scourge. I never would have let you go.”

My vision blurred, and I blinked to try and clear it. Distantly, I heard the rumble of a motorcycle over the roaring in my ears. Zarek lifted me and carried me to his car. The door flew open, and he settled me in the seat.

“What the fuck did you do to her, you leech?”

“Nathan?” I mumbled, glancing around. My vision wavered in finding him.

“I didn’t hurt her, McKay. And you would be wise to watch the name-calling, or I’ll put your head on a pike. Or I could just have your master kill your ass.”

“He wouldn’t if he could. His mind is stronger than mine, but physically he’s weak. If you’ve hurt her, I’m going to kill you, Zarek.”

“I didn’t do this. One of Dorian’s assassins was sent. And why do you care? You were hired to watch her.”

“Hired?” I croaked I managed to fix my glare on Nathan.

He took a deep breath, bit his lip, and said nothing.

“I don’t care how hurt I am. If you don’t explain yourself, I’m going to kick your ass.”

“Right.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I’m a blood-bonded, ex-vampire hunter. My master loaned me to Alaric to keep you out of big trouble. Alaric didn’t like you hunting, and when you distanced yourself from him, he was worried. I should have been here. I could have stopped you from facing Zarek.”

I rolled my eyes. “Nothing would have stopped me from fighting him. So was you sleeping with me part of Alaric’s little plo—?”

Zarek interrupted. “If we’re going to do this, get in the damned car. I need to get her to safety.”

Nate climbed in the backseat while Zarek walked around and got in the driver’s side.

I turned to face Nate. “Well?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and had the grace to look sheepish. “Nah, not really. I was supposed to do whatever was necessary to get close to you, but Alaric didn’t expect me to take it that far. What can I say? You’re hot. I was supposed to become friends with Jason, too, but he hates my guts.”

I was so dizzy I could barely hold my head upright. A bitter taste filled my mouth. “Yeah, because he’s not a sucker for big biceps and a pair of pretty blue eyes.”

He sighed. “It ain’t like that, Regan. You’re hot and smart and damned sarcastic. Hunting with you was like being back in the game, and the sex is fantastic.”

A growl came from the seat next to me, and Nathan flinched. I ignored the jealous vampire.

“How did you hunt with me when you were working for them?” My words came out slurred. My tongue felt too big for my mouth. I wondered if I was drooling.

“The hunts we went on together were sanctioned by the king. Rogues that needed killing. Alaric asked that I do them and then sent us. What better way to gain your trust than to ask you on a hunt?”

My eyes drifted closed. I tried to keep them peeled. When I could open them again, the car was moving. I glanced around and found Zarek. He was watching me instead of the road.

“I think I’m gonna throw up. And shouldn’t you be looking at the road?” My mouth felt like it was full of cotton.

“I don’t have to. I’m more concerned about you.”

“Don’t be. Nothing hurts. I’m just nauseated.”

“That’s the problem. Things should hurt. I guess I should be grateful the poison kills painlessly, but I’m not.”

“I’m gonna die, then?” That brought me back a little.

Nate’s head appeared between the seats. “You shouldn’t. You’re blood-bonded to him, which makes you immune to poison, for the most part.”

Zarek shook his head. “It’s a powerful poison. I don’t know.” Worry darkened his eyes, his frown cutting deep grooves in his forehead. His whole body was tense.

I reached over and patted his thigh. “Thanks for saving me. I never thought I’d say that to any vampire but Alaric.”

“You wouldn’t thank me if you knew what I was thinking right now.”

I laughed weakly. “Is it something dirty?”

He glared at me for a second, but the edges of his lips twitched like he was holding in a smile. He turned his attention to the road.

“Well, parts of it. You do have your hand very close to a certain area. But no, mainly it’s just something you would hate. I’ll discuss it with your brother, though. And maybe Nate.”

My ex sighed. “I know what you’re thinking. I don’t think it’s a good idea, and Jason won’t go for it either.”

The darkness called to me, but I tried to fight it. For some reason, I didn’t want to worry Zarek by passing out. I squeezed his thigh. “Explain it to me.”

But I didn’t hear his answer as I drifted into the abyss.

***

I was staring at the ceiling of Zarek’s room again. My mouth tasted like blood. God, that coppery taste was gross. I didn’t know how vampires did it.

Zarek was wrapped around me like a blanket. My head rested on his bicep, my ear pressed to his chest. The steady thumping of his heart was comforting. He was sound asleep, his breathing slow and steady. I frowned. He was cool to the touch, which meant he hadn’t fed in a while.

I wished he was warm because I was freezing, even though I was sweating profusely. My head pounded and wave after wave of nausea rolled through my gut. I ran my fingers lightly over my wounded shoulder. The skin was sealed and there was no swelling, so it hadn’t gotten infected. How long had I been out for that wound to seal?

“Not long. I gave you more of my blood to speed your healing and help fight off the poison. You have a fever because of the poison.”

My heart clenched, even though I loathed admitting it. I traced the dark circles under his eyes. “You need to feed.”

“I didn’t…”

“You didn’t what?”

He glared at me for a second before he sat up, gently lowering my head to the pillow so he could move his arm. “Nothing, damn it.”

“I’m too exhausted to debate with you. Why are you angry all of a sudden?”

He dragged a hand through his hair. “I’m angry because I’m not supposed to be this attached to you. You’re supposed to be attached to
me.
This shouldn’t go both ways. I’ve had blood-bonds before, and the feelings of attachment never went both ways. Sure, I liked them, and because they were mine, I liked touching them. But I care what happens to you.”

Surprise whipped through me. He paced, then leaned over me, one hand braced on the pillows. His glare turned fierce. If I hadn’t been close to delirious, I probably would have been afraid.

“And you, why should I care about you? You’d kill me if you could.”

I wasn’t so sure about that. He had saved my life. Twice. If he hadn’t given me access to his powers the first time, I was sure I would have been in for a fate worse than death. However, I didn’t like him looming over me, being an ass.

I propped myself up on my elbows; even that little move made me so dizzy my vision was a blur, but I made my threat anyway. “Get out of my face, or I might just kill you yet.”

He snorted but moved away from me. “You can’t even see straight, and you couldn’t kill me when you could.”

I lay back with a moan and rubbed my face. My head still spun, and my body was burning. I was drenched in sweat now.

I opened my eyes and was surprised when the world sharpened in focus. Zarek stared down at me, then turned and swung out his hand in anger. His desk went skidding across the room, leaving papers in its wake, though he’d never touched it.

I flinched as it slammed into the wall. “Holy shit. Why didn’t you ever do that kind of stuff when we were fighting? You could have ripped my knives right out of my hand.”

“That amount of power comes and goes. I’m particularly angry right now. I really didn’t mean to do that.”

I was starting to shiver now. “And you weren’t angry when you were fighting me?” The question came out garbled because my teeth were chattering.

“I was more interested in playing with you and getting you into bed. I was pretty pissed when you sliced my throat. Remember, I threw you into a door?”

“Oh yeah, I remember.”

The little shivers turned violent. The shaking made the headache and nausea worse. I curled into a ball, trying to warm myself so the trembling would stop.

Zarek walked back to the bed.

I tried to lift a hand to tell him to stop, but it just flopped. He still seemed to get the point, and he paused, waiting for an explanation.

“Your skin is cold. Don’t touch me.”

He silently tucked the blanket around me and then walked to the closet. He swung it open and knelt to dig through the pile of crap on the floor. I heard several crashes and a lot of cursing before he finally stood.

The desk suddenly came flying back across the room.

I jumped, though in the midst of the shivers I’m sure he couldn’t tell. “J-Jesus, don’t do that.”

“Sorry. I guess bonding to you gave my powers a little jump.”

He set a little space heater on the desk and plugged it in. “Hope this piece of shit still works.”

“What are you doing with a space heater?”

“It’s Laedan’s. Believe it or not, his room is messier than mine, so he shoved it in my closet, the asshole. The heating up here sucks.”