Mandy heard a knock on the door at around five in the morning. She frowned, grabbing a hammer.
“Hello? Mandy? Don’t attack. I’m coming in.”
“I just fixed that door. Don’t break it. Who are you?”
“Glacier sent me. I’m his brother.”
Curiosity immediately got the best of her and she unlocked the door, opening it up. There was no doubt the big man who stood in the alley was related to Glacier. They had the same handsome facial features, black hair, and sheer body size. She backed up fast, keeping her distance.
He entered, closed the door behind him, and smiled.
“Damn, you’re short. No wonder you have my brother in overdrive on the protective instincts.” He put a backpack on the floor then crossed his arms over a T-shirt stretched across his wide chest. “I’m Pest.”
She gawked at him a bit, perplexed by the name.
“Tempest, but don’t call me that. And I wasn’t named after a girl. Our mother had a thing for weird-ass names. I was born during a violent windstorm. Glacier got stuck with his name because he was born during a bad winter with big-ass ice chunks as far as the eye could see. My friends call me Tem, but my family calls me Pest. I hate being teased about my name…and we don’t want to start off on the wrong foot, do we?”
She shook her head. “Is Glacier okay?”
“He was fine, last I spoke to him.”
“Did he send you here to keep me safe from the pack in case another enforcer tries to attack me?”
“Sure. We’ll go with that.”
She frowned.
“He didn’t say much. Fill me in on this enforcer.”
She replayed what happened with Ted. Anger grew on Pest’s face as she spoke, making him look a lot more like Glacier. He made a low rumble sound when she finished.
“That explains the patchwork on the door. I’m glad my brother killed the bastard. I would have done it too. Point me to the basement and I’ll clean up the blood. I hate leaving evidence behind.”
“I already did that,” she admitted.
“You’re handy. So, what’s your story? How’d you become a Vamp?”
“I was grabbed in a parking lot. The Vampire Council had already decided to cleanse the nest responsible, and they kept me alive since I was brand new in Vamp land. I had just barely finished transforming when they stormed in. The council figured I hadn’t been mentally fucked up yet by the master.”
“Cleanse?”
“Let’s just say Cain was a shit master who ran a dangerous nest. He liked to send out male Vamps to find women to add to his harem. But he drew too much attention from humans, since he didn’t care if we’d be missed or not. His males didn’t exactly ask if the women were married, had kids or families. They grabbed anyone they thought Cain would like, regardless of the fallout with their loved ones filing missing persons reports and raising hell on local media outlets for the women to be found. The council wiped out the nest.”
“Glacier said something about you working for the council. What do you do?”
She moved over to a counter and hopped up, taking a seat. “I’m an assassin.”
He laughed deeply, obviously thinking she was joking.
“I’m serious.”
He grinned. “Sure you are, short stack.”
“I really am an assassin for the council. At least, I was. Now they hopefully think I’m dead, since your brother removed the tracker from my body and left it with an ashed Vamp that I killed.”
He moved over to another counter and leaned against it, crossing his arms again. His blue eyes glinted with some emotion she couldn’t identify but he stopped smiling. “You lure men into fucking you and take them out while their guard is down?”
“Never.”
He rumbled again, a low growl coming from his chest. “That’s the only damn way someone your size would be able to kill, unless they send you after humans only.”
“I’m a lot stronger and faster than you can imagine, Pest.” She was starting to see why his family called him that.
“How old are you?”
“Just under three decades in Vamp years.”
“I call bullshit. My brother said you aren’t a full snoozer when the sun comes up. That means you’re way older.”
“The council feeds us their blood to wean out some weaknesses and to boost our strength. We’d be shitty assassins otherwise. Newbies are too easy to kill and full day sleepers would be at risk on assignment. Any Vamp could hire a human to take us out while we were down.”
“Unbelievable.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Why are you lying to me and my brother about your age?”
She shrugged. “I’m not. Glacier knows. He knew me in nineteen eighty-nine before I was turned into a Vamp. We worked together in a dance club.”
“Dance club?” He frowned. “The cult leader assignment Glacier had?”
“I guess so.”
He paled a little.
“What? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. You’re that Mandy? Shit.”
“He mentioned me to you?”
“Yeah. We had a job together a week after he took out that cult master, and he got shitfaced drunk. That wasn’t like him. I asked what was wrong and he told me about a Mandy. You’d asked him out on a date but he’d had to turn you down, since relationships aren’t something we do in our line of work. Then you quit your job. He felt guilty as hell that he’d hurt your feelings that much.”
“I didn’t quit. I was taken by a nest that same night.”
“He didn’t know. Otherwise, he would have gone hunting. He believed he was the reason you’d quit the club, to avoid him, and not knowing he was leaving town anyway since the job was over.”
Questions floated in her head but she didn’t dare ask who they worked for. He might have the same reaction Glacier had, suspecting she was some kind of spy or something. “He said it was him, not me.”
“That’s the truth. We go from one job to the next. Sometimes we’re in a place for one night, to…hell. It could be weeks, months, or even years. It depends on our preferences. I like short-term assignments. Glacier is more patient. He’s stuck it out for months at times in the same place. Our youngest brother probably won’t ever change locations, since he’s protecting his mate’s pack. Creed is their guardian. We’re talking decades in the same job.”
“Guardian?”
He cocked his head. “You don’t know what a guardian is for a Lycan pack?”
“I’m assuming it’s a position like an enforcer. I can’t keep up with the Werewolf pack titles or their pecking order. I know they have one alpha, a bunch of elders, and I’ve met an advisor from a pack once.” She shrugged again.
He threw back his head and laughed. “You think Glacier and I are Lycans, don’t you?”
She sniffed the air. “You smell like one.” She was confused. “Are you half-breeds?”
“Oh yeah.” He grinned.
She thought about Glacier’s strength. “That’s amazing.”
“What is?”
“Your brother’s very strong for being half human.”
Now he roared with laughter. “Fucking priceless!”
Mandy frowned. “What am I missing?”
He pushed away from the counter and winked. “I’m so glad I’m here. I can’t wait to watch this go down.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Is there a spare bedroom?”
“No. There’s just one.” She pointed up. “It’s where your brother told me to stay.”
“I’m good with the floor. I’ll find a spot when I’m ready to sleep. It wouldn’t be the first time. At least this place has a roof. I’m going out to grab some food. I’ll be back before the sun rises. You going to be okay on your own for twenty minutes?”
“Yes.”
“Lock up after me. You’ll hear me when I get back.” He left then, just strolling out. She heard him chuckling though, and it made her wonder what he found so funny.
He came back with fast food, grabbed his backpack and went up the stairs. She followed. He stretched out in the hallway to eat his burger and fries.
“The sun’s coming. I noticed you boarded up the windows in there. Go ahead and sleep. Nothing will get past me but Glacier when he arrives. You’re safe.”
“Thank you. I can stay up though. I get a bit weaker after daybreak but it doesn’t put me in a coma.” She leaned against the wall. “What was so funny before?”
“Ask my brother your questions, little Mandy.”
“Are you half human?”
He grinned.
“You’re not going to answer me, are you?”
“Nope.” He finished his burger and used his pack for a pillow, stretching out flat on the floor. “Go rest. I know Glacier was going to take out a nest this morning.” He removed his cell phone, tapping the screen. “I’m going to read until he gets back.”
“What are you reading?” She was curious. He didn’t appear to be the book type.
“End of the world shit. It always amuses me, reading about zombie apocalypses and how humans think that would go down.”
“You’re a weird man, Pest.”
She walked into the bedroom and lay down on the bed. Glacier’s scent filled her nose. The sun began to rise and her body relaxed. She closed her eyes to let sleep come. It was possible that Pest might hurt her but she trusted Glacier. He’d sent for his brother to protect her from the pack. He’d have killed her himself if he wanted her dead. She’d given him plenty of chances.
She dozed—until someone touched her shoulder.
Her body tensed and she came up fast, ready to defend herself. Instinct had her hands fisted, prepared to fight.
Pest leapt back, grinning wide.
“Sorry. Just checking to see if you really could wake up. Go back to sleep.”
“Forget Pest…you should be called asshole.”
He laughed again, leaving the room. “I’ve heard that before. Night, short stack.”
She lay back down, closed her eyes, and let sleep take her before her worries about Glacier took hold.
* * * * *
Glacier motioned to the Lycans to stay behind him. The gas company uniform Graves had acquired for him and the team didn’t fit well. The building had been cleared and the teams covering the escape tunnels hadn’t reported any problems. Nor had he heard any guns going off. The basement was hidden but he located it quickly, pulling a handgun as he took the lead down the stairs.
It was a storage room full of things from the restaurant. Another door led to more of the basement. That one was locked. He lifted a leg, kicking it in.
Five Vampires slumbered on the floors. None of them moved. He walked in with Kevin on his heels.
“Shit.”
“What?” Kevin inched closer. “This has gone down better than we planned.”
“The master isn’t here.”
“How do you know?”
“You see any of these bastards stirring? Attacking us? The fucker left his nest here undefended, too. No human guards. There should be seven of them, not five.”
“Let’s kill them,” one of the enforcers snarled.
“Hang on.” Glacier pulled out his cell phone.
Kevin got in his face. “They killed our children!”
“I didn’t say you can’t kill the bastards. I just want to take photos of them and show their faces to the council Vampire. She’s met them. She’ll be able to tell me if these are part of the original nest or just newly turned ones the master left here for us to find.” Glacier allowed his irritation to show. “This is too damn easy.”
He ignored the growls from the pissed-off Lycans and snapped pics of each sleeping face. “Done. Go head. Get your revenge.”
He left them in the room, hunting the storage area for any other hidden doors or spaces a Vampire could hide. He even jogged upstairs to check out the restaurant. The master and last remaining nest member were still missing.
Kevin returned to him. “Blow it up.”
“There’s no need. Have your men sweep up the ash and check for cameras. I was going to blow up the building when I expected a bloodbath. This is an easy cleanup job.”
“The humans who own this restaurant helped the Vampires. Blow it up!”
Glacier had the urge to deck the demanding prick. “You mean the humans who were probably mind controlled against their damn will? Those humans? I’m not blowing it up. Have your enforcers clean up any ash, make sure there’re no security cameras, and if there are, take them, along with the recording equipment. I’m out of here.”
He walked toward the door.
“I’ll burn it down,” Keven snarled.
Glacier swung around. “You still have a master and at least one nest member in your town. You do that, and I’m fucking out of here. A fire could spread to other buildings, hurting innocents. Stop being a dick. You’ve killed five Vamps today. There’s no reason to destroy the place where they slept.”
He stormed out and climbed into the driver’s seat of one of the vans, starting it. The Lycans could pile into the second one. He drove away.
He returned the van to a secluded parking lot and spotted a familiar face. Graves came forward, the Lycan looking grim. “That was fast. Did they move locations?”
“The master wasn’t there. He probably took his second-in-command with him since another was missing. I’m just hoping he didn’t turn five humans and leave them there in the hopes of fooling the pack that they got the ones responsible for their dead kids. Then again, the alpha is a dick. I doubt he’d give a shit if those were the guilty ones or not.” Glacier removed the uniform he wore over his clothes and threw it into the van.
“I’ve heard that about Kevin. Hotheaded, not too bright, and his control on his pack isn’t the best. I’ve had to come to this area three times before to take down idiots who used to belong to him. He’s shit at policing his own.”
“Thanks for your help.”
Graves nodded. “You need anything else?”
“Get rid of the explosives in the back of the van and wipe it down for me?”
“You got it. I could stick around for a few days if you need help locating this master. I don’t usually track neck suckers but it wouldn’t be the first time.”
“One of my brothers flew in overnight. We’ve got this handled, but thanks with the van and uniforms. It was a high-traffic part of town. No way were we getting into that restaurant without drawing a hell of a lot of attention. The ruse worked.”
“I’ve had to make a lot of contacts in my line of work.” Graves shrugged. “No biggie. I’m always willing to help out the clans. Nobody wants humans to become suspicious. You’ve helped me out in the past.”
“Still, grateful to you.” Glacier held out his arm.
Graves gripped it and they nodded at each other. “I think I’ll hang out for a day or two, just in case. Call me if you need anything.”
“Thanks. I’m going to return to the shop and say hello to my brother.”
“Watch out for Kevin. Not kidding about the hothead part. You never struck me as one to get along well with assholes.”
Glacier chuckled. “I think we have that in common.”
“You know it.” Graves released him, striding toward the van.
Glacier went to his motorcycle and climbed on. He hated to wear a helmet but it was a human law in the state. He shoved it on, started the engine, and glanced around. The sensation of being watched struck suddenly, but he brushed it off just as quickly. It was probably Graves. He drove away, heading toward the shop.
Pest opened the door to the alley after Glacier finished parking. He hugged his brother, glad to see him. “You made it. Thanks for coming.”
“Is she really an assassin for the Vampire Council? Because I have to tell you, I laughed when she said that.”
“It’s true.”
“Fuck. I guess they get points for surprise, since who’d have thought, huh?”
“Is she sleeping?”
“Yeah. It’s why I came down to talk to you. She can actually wake during the day. Are you sure she’s as young as she claims?”
“I knew her when she used to be human. Did she tell you there’s a second assassin in town, too?”
Pest scowled. “No.”
“It’s another woman, happens to be Mandy’s best friend, and it seems the council doesn’t exactly take no for an answer when they give their Vamps an order. I’m the target the council sent them after.”
“Do you want me to go hunt the other assassin down and take her out?”
“No. I plan to avoid her at all costs. That way, I don’t have to explain to Mandy that I had no choice but to kill her bestie.”
Pest cocked his head, narrowing his eyes. “And you care…why?”
“Mandy was always a sweetheart. She still is. The change didn’t harden her heart.”
“You hope it didn’t.”
“You spent time with her. What do you think? Gut instinct, Pest.”
His brother sighed. “I thought her being an assassin was a fucking joke. She seems soft. Like maybe she was just turned and hasn’t seen any shit yet.”
“She claimed to have grown up with a domestic violence background, but wanted to be a better person back when I knew her. I don’t think that’s changed. She’s just not human anymore.”
“What can I do to help while I’m here, bro?”
“I don’t trust Kevin. One of his enforcers already came after her. I didn’t mention to the pack that you flew in. I can’t be in two places at once, and I’m here to wipe out that nest… Mandy isn’t included.”
“What the hell are you going to do with her when this mission is complete?”
Glacier shook his head. “Fuck if I know.”
“You’re in dangerous waters.”
“No shit. She doesn’t deserve to die though. You met her, Pest.”
“I also remember you being upset about a human named Mandy on that cult-leader wannabe job a long time ago. Same woman, right?”
“Yes.”
“Shit.” Pest sighed. “You still have feelings for her. It’s never a good thing, and the fact that she’s a Vamp? Monumental bad idea to get involved. You know the score. There’s no win here.”
Glacier didn’t need to be told that. “One day at a time right now.”
Pest snorted. “I’ll keep short stack safe, but you need to figure this mess out and find a solution. Does Kelzeb know you have a past with her?”
“He’s got an idea. I’ve told him enough.”
“Did you tell him I flew in?”
“Nobody knows you’re here but me, Mandy, and I told Graves.”
“He’s not one to talk. He’s in town?”
“I needed a few favors.”
“Get some rest. You look tired. I’m sleeping in the hallway outside the bedroom. Couldn’t you have found somewhere to stay with two bedrooms? And for fuck’s sake, don’t let her bite you if you do the nasty.”
Glacier clenched his teeth and entered the shop, his brother behind him. He avoided going upstairs though. It would be a bad thing to climb into bed with Mandy. “I’ll sleep on the floor down here.”