TheSmallPrint (36 page)

So he opened it.

“Look, be sensible. Let me go. I won’t say anything. My boss is thick enough to believe everything I say, but if I don’t call in, he’ll want to know why and he’ll send someone here.”

What the hell was happening? Golding didn’t go out into the field. Was he here to protect Turner?

Catch tried to get up and Golding launched a foot into his side.
Fuck.
Turner’s fists clenched and Catch willed him to keep still.

“He has a point,” Seth said. “You don’t want to bring the SBI down on us.”

“Catch is VRB,” Dava snapped.

Golding snorted. “And when the VRB are in trouble, they call in the SBI.” He kicked Catch again.

Oh fuck, that hurt.
Golding might be the head of the agency, but the guy was seriously pissing Catch off. Whose fucking side was he on? The fast shift had left Catch vulnerable. He couldn’t protect himself let alone Turner. And where the hell was Matty? He’d kill them all if they’d done something to her.

“Threaten him and let him go,” Golding said. “He’s little more than a pen-pusher. He’ll be indebted to you for his life.”

“Perhaps he’d like to join the Calling,” Gabriel said. “Once he understands what we’re trying to do, he’ll see the light.”

“I have seen the light. I’ve seen straight through you.” Catch heard Turner quietly
tsk
. Ah, maybe that hadn’t been bright.

“Kill him and eliminate the threat,” Dava said. She clutched Gabriel’s arm. “Do you have the books?”

“Not yet. Turner claims he doesn’t know where they are.”

“Then why don’t you chop off bits of him until he remembers?” She beamed. “Or even better, I’ll practice by chopping bits off Catch. I know just where to start, but I’ll make his cock long and hard first.”

“I’d rather you didn’t make a mess on the rug. It’s Persian and expensive,” Turner said.

Matty could no longer do nothing. Turner and Catch were going to get killed and all because of the stupid books. Though they were obviously important to Turner, so she didn’t want to just hand them over. Matty carefully ripped out the last couple of pages of each of them and slid the loose sheets behind a section of loose plasterboard. Leaving two books behind on the floor, she clutched the third, and taking a deep breath, emerged from her hiding place.

When she pushed open the door of the drawing room, every face but one turned in her direction. So they could all see her except Pete.
Damn.

“Is this what you’re looking for?” She held up the book.

“Matty, no, run,” Catch shouted, and earned another kick in the ribs, which left him curled in agony.

She shot Catch a “sorry” look and glared at the big guy next to Gabriel. Victor, was it? “Kick him again, and I’ll kick you, you big bully.”

Gabriel crossed the room and held out his hand. Matty glanced at Turner, and for the merest glimmer of a second a tiny smile played in his eyes. Did that mean the books didn’t matter? Matty put the book in Gabriel’s outstretched palm, and as his fingers wrapped over it, he sighed. “Where are the others?”

“You don’t get those until you’ve gone away. I’ll mail them,” Matty said. “First class post.”

Gabriel laughed so hard Matty thought he’d choke. She wished he would. Gabriel’s hand shot out to grab her by the neck. Turner jumped to his feet while Catch struggled to get free of Victor.

“Leave her alone,” Turner snapped.

“Then tell me where the other two books are,” Gabriel said.

Matty couldn’t breathe, the pressure on her neck was intense.

“I don’t fucking know,” Turner shouted, and crossed the room. “Let her go. She can’t speak while you’re throttling her. Matty, tell him where they are.”

Gabriel lifted her until her feet no longer touched the ground. “Step away or I’ll break her neck.”

Turner retreated to the wall, no smile in his eyes now. Matty looked into Gabriel’s face. The tip of his fangs showed below his upper lip.
Shit.
Setting her back on her feet, he twisted her in his arms. Matty cried out when he bit into her neck but he thrust her away with a snarl of disgust. Matty scrambled to Turner and threw herself into his arms. He pulled her close and whispered, “Give him the books.”

“You don’t taste of anything.” Gabriel stared at her. “Blood doesn’t run in your veins. Nothing runs in your veins. You’re dead? A demon? Angel? Some sort of ghost?” He frowned. “No, that phone call. You’re in the hospital.” The frown slid away and he chuckled. “I can hurt you but I can’t kill you. Still, I could kill Turner.”

“I think I’d like to leave now.” Pete sidled toward the door.

“Or I could kill Pete,” Gabriel said. “Those who aren’t with us are against us.”

A puddle appeared at Pete’s feet and he whimpered. Dava moved to his side and grabbed his hair, tilting his head to expose his neck.

“Oh please,” she said. “Let me get rid of this disgusting creature.”

It annoyed Matty that Gabriel had so quickly got the measure of her. He knew she wouldn’t want him to hurt even a guy who hadn’t been on her side. Still, Gabriel didn’t know about the pages she’d ripped out.

“All right,” Matty shouted. “I’ll give you the books. Let him go. Let everyone go.”

“You seem to be under the illusion you have some sort of influence here,” Gabriel said. “Give me the books now, or else.”

“One minute,” Matty said.

She dashed to the door.

“Victor, go with her in case she decides to keep running,” Gabriel said.

Matty heard the guy close the door behind him and he followed the few paces down the hall. She opened the secret compartment, grabbed the books and closed it up again.

“If you want to help Turner and Catch, don’t interfere,” he whispered, and smiled.

Oh God, is he on our side?

The moment she handed the books to Gabriel, all hell broke loose. Catch leapt up and pushed her behind him, a knife flashing in his hand. Furniture went flying as the place erupted in a frenzy of activity. The sounds of fists striking flesh rang out and bodies collided with solid objects as men shouted and snarled and cried out in pain. Everyone moved so fast, whirling around her, Matty could hardly work out what was going on. It was as if she was fast-forwarding an action movie on the TV.

The only one who wasn’t fighting was Pete. He’d crawled into a corner and sat hugging his knees and rocking, his face pressed into his arms. Matty longed to do the same but she wanted to help Turner and Catch. When Matty moved toward Turner, someone knocked her to one side and she collided with Dava. Matty grabbed Dava’s hair and tried to thrust her away, but it was like pushing a stone pillar. Matty didn’t see the knife coming, but she felt it slide into her chest and it hurt. She toppled backward and Dava fell with her. Matty could see Dava’s hand smoking. So was the knife silver?

“Let’s see if you can stay alive without your heart,” Dava whispered as she crouched above Matty. “After I cut it out, I’m going to fucking eat it.”

Matty didn’t think, just acted. She wrapped her hand around handle and yanked out the blade. As she twisted it around, someone grabbed Dava’s hair. Pete. The distraction was all Matty needed. She thrust the blade into Dava’s chest and Pete backed away, trembling, his hand over his mouth. Dava’s eyes opened wide as she fell onto Matty, a rush of warm liquid spreading between them.

“You
can
bleed,” Dava said.

“Not mine.” Matty shoved her to one side and rose to her feet. She looked down at her ruined sweater, lifted it to see no mark on her chest and then gulped when her gaze dropped lower. Dava’s blood was pooling on the wooden floor.
What have I done?
Dava quivered and then stopped moving. Matty shivered. Did it count as murder if Dava was already half-dead? Maybe in the vampire world there’d be a punishment for what she’d done. A hand settled on her shoulder and she yelped.

“Matty, it’s okay,” Turner said.

Dear God, it isn’t.

Turner pulled a trembling Matty into his arms. “Sweetheart, it’s all over. You were brilliant.”

“What if she gets up again?”

“She won’t.” If she did, he’d rip her head off.

“She m-might. Vampires in the movies don’t d-die that easily.”

Turner pressed his face into Matty’s hair. “The knife’s silver. It hit her heart. In a bit, she’ll…disappear.”

“Turner, I need help over here,” Catch shouted.

Catch leaned over a guy’s leg, trying to staunch the flow of blood with his shirt. The mortal had retreated to the corner. Everyone else had gone.

Turner scowled. “He’s one of Gabriel’s.”

“No, he’s not. Seth’s undercover.”

Turner pulled Matty with him to Catch’s side.

“He needs blood,” Catch said. “Mine’s not pure enough.”

Matty’s eyes opened wide as Turner tore open a vein in his wrist and pressed it against Seth’s mouth. For a moment nothing happened, and then Seth’s hands rose to clamp around Turner’s arm and he sucked.

Catch tugged Matty close and kissed her forehead. “You okay, princess?”

Matty nodded. “Are you? You’re covered in blood.”

“Most of it is Seth’s,” Catch said. “Whose blood is this?” He touched her chest.

“Dava’s. She stabbed me so I stabbed her.”

“She stabbed you?” Catch lifted her sweater and sighed in relief. “Nothing there.”

Turner removed his arm from Seth’s mouth and licked his wrist.

“That licking thing is so useful,” Matty said. “Not very hygienic though.”

Catch snorted.

“Sorry about the diaries,” she said. “I did manage to—”

Turner smiled. “It’s fine. I wanted Gabriel to have them.”

Matty gaped. “You mean all this was for nothing?”

“No, it was essential.” Seth pushed himself to a sitting position. “Thanks for the blood. That part wasn’t in the plan.”

“What fucking plan?” Catch snapped.

Seth tried to stand and Turner pushed him down. “Take it easy. I’ve Plasmix in the fridge. We could all use some.” Turner walked over to Pete and pulled him to his feet. “You need to go home. You won’t remember the last—seven days. You’ve had the flu.”

“What if Gabriel’s waiting outside?” Matty whispered.

“They’ve long gone,” Seth said.

“But I k-killed Dava. Won’t he want to kill me?”

Catch stroked her hair. “More likely thank you. No one will miss her.”

Turner followed Pete out of the room, pointed him toward the door and then made for the kitchen. Gabriel had taken the diaries and gone, which had been Turner’s plan, so why did he have this nagging feeling something wasn’t right? Had this been too easy? Why hadn’t he and Catch been more seriously hurt? Turner grabbed the Plasmix, and as he stepped back into the hall, he saw a tall guy with close-cropped dark hair, a stranger, facing the door of the drawing room. Turner flashed up behind him and wrapped an arm around his throat.
Vampire.

“Take it easy,” the guy said. “I’m on your side.”

“Open the door and walk in,” Turner ordered.

“I really am on your side.”

“We’ll see.”

Catch surged to his feet. “It’s Mason, my boss. Let him go. If anyone’s going to hurt him, please let it be me.”

Turner released him.

“How did you get in?” Catch asked.

“Mortal just leaving was kind enough to issue an invite.” Mason dropped at Seth’s side and touched his blood-soaked leg. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

When Mason smiled at Matty holding Seth’s hand, Turner growled.

“Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?” Catch shouted. “I’m knocked out and tied up by my boss, and then I find
his
boss is Gabriel’s best buddy. Have I fallen into some parallel universe?”

Seth winced. “I hit you.”

“I told him to,” Mason said.

Turner handed two bags of Plasmix to Seth, one to Catch and after offering the last to Mason, who declined, he pulled a chair upright, sat down and drank it himself.

“Why did you tell Seth to knock me out?” Catch snapped.

Mason’s mouth twitched. “I was worried you’d fuck things up. When I told Golding you were here, he wanted me to make sure you didn’t interfere. No matter what, Gabriel
had
to leave with the books.”

“Turner was expendable?” Matty whispered. “So long as Gabriel left with the diaries, then that was all that mattered? And Catch was expendable too?”

Mason shrugged. “I tried to keep Catch out of it.”

Matty grabbed Catch’s rising fist and wrapped her fingers around it, and Turner smiled.

Seth dropped his second empty bag. “This whole operation was put together long before Gabriel was released from prison. Devlin and I have been working undercover, looking for Purelight supporters. Devlin’s the black guy who left with Gabriel, Nick and Victor—rather, Golding.”

Turner’s fingers tightened on the arms of the chair. “That was Golding?”

“Who’s Golding?” Matty asked.