Jadee was relieved she didn’t spot Victor’s body when she climbed down from the RV. Lavos kept a tight hold on Mitch about six feet away. His friend stood alone nearby.
Kar jerked his head in her direction. “What are you going to do with her?”
“Nothing. She’s going to help us save more people.” Lavos shook his prisoner. “Where’s the other one you made?”
“I don’t know,” Mitch hissed. “Who did you kill?”
“A woman with long dark hair,” Lavos stated. “Kar? What did yours look like?”
“Dark hair, a man, shitty breath and bat-shit crazy.”
“You’re looking for a blond guy,” Jadee supplied. “Dark shirt and jeans.”
Lavos turned his head, peering at her.
She shrugged. “I said I saw them. One of them was a blond.”
“Where’s the research team?”
“I’m not sure.” She hated to admit that. “I barely found my father’s RV from the directions he gave. They always set up in two locations but never too far apart. It will be on or near a road. The trailer they use is towed by a big rig. No way did they take that on uneven or unpacked ground without risking getting it stuck in softer soil or tipping it over. They travel with two other RVs but they’re smaller, not like my dad’s. Peggy and Mark would have driven those. They used to have a tow car hooked to one, along with this one.” She paused, thinking. “Brent would have driven the big rig that pulls the large trailer.”
Lavos shook Mitch again. “What direction?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“Big mistake,” Kar muttered.
“You’re not a Vampire.” Lavos leaned in, yanking Mitch hard enough to drop the other man to his knees. “You’re a soldier. Do you know what that means?”
“I’m a Vampire.”
“Wrong.” Lavos released him with one hand.
Jadee watched as he opened his free hand and his nails grew, shock coursing through her. She managed to smother a gasp and remain still, regardless of the urge to turn tail and rush back inside the RV to lock herself in.
Lavos gripped Mitch’s shoulder and dug those claws into his skin.
Mitch screamed. Lavos jerked his hand back, wiping his bloodied claws on the back of the soldier’s shirt. He leaned down a little but spoke loud enough for her to hear.
“Every time you’re hurt, your body heals too fast. That’s the difference between a Vampire and a soldier. Your system is feeding off itself to repair any injures. It makes you go insane faster. Between the bullets she put in you and what I’ve done to you so far, you’ll be lucky to remember who you are by tomorrow night. Am I clear? I could keep going until you totally lose the ability to think anything at all, and then I’ll remove your head. You won’t come back from that.”
Mitch looked afraid. “None of that is true.”
“Oh, it is.” Kar nodded. “Have you noticed those tiny veins across your skin and the blood in your eyes? Vampires don’t have those. You’re like a hyped-up version of them, but you weren’t meant to survive as long.”
“Vampires fully heal from injuries but they do it more slowly,” Lavos explained. “You recover too fast to mend properly, causing a permanent breakdown of your body in the process. Your mind goes first.”
Mitch moaned. “Why would he do this to me?”
“Because Vampires are assholes.” Lavos jerked Mitch to his feet. “Take us to where this other group is or I’ll have no reason to keep you alive. Don’t you want me to go after the bastard who turned you? That means you need to remain sane long enough to tell me everything you know about this asshole, right after you take me to this camp.”
“North.” Mitch raised a hand, pointing toward a hill. “Right on the other side of that, next to the river. It’s probably a mile away.”
“Will the blond one you turned be there?”
“Probably. We’ve taken out everything else in this area. He’s got to be hungry.”
“Everyone,” Lavos corrected. “They were living beings.”
“They were food,” Mitch spat.
“What an idiot,” Kar muttered. “Shut up and walk, Mitch. You don’t want to piss off my friend. He likes humans.” He flashed a look at Jadee. “Obviously.”
Jadee hoped that was true. Her situation had become dire but it could still get worse. It was possible Lavos had lied to her. She wanted to survive until dawn and make it home at some point. That meant she needed him to keep his word. The guns with ammo still strapped to her didn’t make her feel safe.
“Let’s go,” Lavos said. He pushed Mitch forward.
Jadee wished for a flashlight but her eyes adjusted enough that she felt secure about not walking into a tree. The moon was out enough to show shapes. It also helped that she followed behind Lavos. His friend stayed at her back but she refused to glance over her shoulder. It took a bit for her to relax enough to stop expecting him to do something bad…like stab her in the back with his claws.
They reached the top of the hill and she made out a dark shape that looked like a river flowing into a valley. Kar stepped to her side and pointed. “I see the trailer.”
She followed the direction of his finger, squinting a little. It was the black shape of a box a few hundred yards from the water. “I see it too.”
“Take hold of this one,” Lavos ordered. “I’ll help her. The hillside looks steep.”
“I can carry her down,” Kar offered.
Jadee jerked away from him, not willing to let him touch her. Lavos made an aggravated sound.
“I said take hold of this one, Kar. Now. Keep a firm grip on him. He’s stupid and keeps trying to jerk away from me. He obviously hasn’t figured out that it would be easy for me to chase him down.”
Kar moved away from her, toward the other men. He grabbed Mitch by the back of his neck and the stockier shape of Lavos pulled away, advancing on her. He paused just feet away.
“I don’t want you to fall or trip.” Lavos spoke softly. “I’m guessing your vision isn’t very good right now. Mine is excellent. There’s lots of loose rocks and vegetation to trip over going down this hill. Will you allow me to get you down safely?”
“What do you have in mind?” She was still leery but taking a header down the hill didn’t sound appealing.
“I’ll carry you.”
It almost made her laugh but she had a feeling he was serious. “I think I’m a little big for that.”
“No you aren’t.”
“Take my hand and tell me if you see a tripping hazard.”
“That’s going to be too slow.” He stepped closer. “Let me carry you in front. Wrap around me. I can walk easily that way if you just tuck your face against my neck so I can see.”
To Jadee, that seemed too intimate.
“Can we get a move on?” Kar sounded irritated. “Decide on something. I’d like to get this over with before someone else dies.”
He made a good point. Mark, Peggy, and Brent needed help. There was still one of those things running around. She stepped closer to Lavos. “Are you sure I’m not too heavy?”
Kar snorted. “He’s not human, sweetheart. He could toss you about twenty feet without breaking a sweat or pulling a muscle. Carrying you down a hill is nothing.”
“Enough,” Lavos grumbled. “Don’t scare her, Kar.” He reached out and touched her arm.
She startled and he pulled his hand away.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Jadee. I am a man of honor.”
Is he a man? Are Werewolves human? At least the blood on him will be dried by now, I hope. But does it matter?
Nope.
She reached up and carefully placed her hands on his shoulders. They were wide and solidly packed with muscle. He was also like a furnace, putting off a lot of heat. She cleared her throat, nervous. “Okay.”
He gripped her hips and lifted. She felt incredibly awkward as she spread her legs and her chest hit his. She did as he’d asked her to do, wrapping her thighs around his waist. He was so warm and firm. Big too. He released her hip to wrap an arm around her middle and adjusted her a little higher. There was no denying his strength.
“Tuck your head,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”
She turned her head and tossed her hair so it wasn’t in his face as she pressed closer, until her nose touched his warm throat. She hated that she noticed the soft traces of his cologne. It wasn’t one she identified but he smelled good. He shifted his other hand and braced his forearm under her ass. Jadee clenched her teeth, not protesting.
He started to walk and it rubbed their bodies together. She closed her eyes and hoped he could see as well as he’d implied. To fall and have him land on top of her would suck. He was a large man and everything about him seemed hard. She didn’t feel any flab on him—and she would know, being this close.
“Can I take a picture of you with her? I doubt anyone will believe me when I tell them about this.” Kar laughed.
“Shut up,” Lavos ordered. “Keep your phone in your pocket and don’t let go of that asshole.”
“You’re no fun.”
“Stop giving her a bad impression of us.” Lavos gave her a gentle squeeze around her middle. “We really are law enforcement. It’s just that we joke around to handle the stress.”
“It’s okay.” She understood.
“Good.”
Rocks slid, the sound of them falling a bit scary. Jadee wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. She didn’t want to choke him but the sound of them smashing into other rocks far below frightened her. To die from falling would be a horrible way to go, but better than having her throat torn out by Mitch. She needed a distraction.
“Why does your friend want to take a picture?”
Kar answered first. “Lavos holding a human in his arms is priceless. I’d win so many bets.” He laughed. “He was always a little too understanding of his brother and Kira.”
“Who’s Kira?” she asked, curious.
Lavos sighed. “Enough. Hold on. I need my arms.”
He reached up for something and his entire body tensed. He jumped—to Jadee’s terror—and she felt as if they were swinging for a second, before they fell. He landed with a jarring impact but his arms wrapped tight around her so she wasn’t torn away from him.
“Are you okay?”
“What was that?” She was afraid to look to see for herself.
“A five-foot drop. I had to jump out and grab a branch to avoid landing on a boulder below.”
“Never mind.” She didn’t want to know.
A male shriek started but it cut off abruptly when a heavy weight smashed into something next to them. Jadee gasped, lifting her head and opening her eyes. She couldn’t see when she tried to make out what had been the cause.
Lavos sighed again. “You had to throw him? Come on, Kar.”
“I’m jumping down.” Something else landed next to them and it sounded heavy. “I wasn’t going to carry him in my arms.” Kar chuckled. “He’s not cute. Get up, fang boy. Next time, try to land on your feet instead of your head.”
“You son of a bitch,” Mitch whined. “That hurt.”
“Aw,” Kar muttered. “What happened to the badass attitude I heard when you were threatening a woman? You’re not so tough now when you’re dealing with us, are you? Move.”
“Don’t squeeze so hard. You’re going to break my neck,” Mitch protested.
“I don’t trust you to be smart enough not to run and I’m done chasing shitheads tonight,” Kar responded. “We’re almost to her people.”
Jadee twisted her head and peered toward the water. She saw the dark shape of the trailer. They were farther down the hill than she thought they should be.
She looked up over Lavos’s shoulder, seeing the shape of the hill. There was only one tree she could spot above. He lied to her. He had to have jumped more than five feet. It was more like twenty. It gave her chills that anyone could do something like that so easily. It wasn’t supposed to be possible but they weren’t human.
Lavos walked and she buried her face in his neck, easing her hold around his shoulders. She wanted to freak out but she would do that later. The danger wasn’t over and she didn’t have the luxury of being able to freak until she was back in her rental and on her way to the airport.
Lavos admitted to being impressed that Jadee was dealing with everything so well. He had expected absolute terror and crying from a human. He kept walking until they reached the back doors of the trailer and he bent a little, relaxing his hold on her.
“We’re here,” he whispered. “You can get down now.”
Jadee released his hips with her thighs and slid down him until she stood. Her arms were slower to let go. She backed away and turned, almost walking right into the back of the trailer. He reacted fast and hooked her around the waist to stop her.
“Easy. It’s right in front of you.”
“I can’t see all that well.”
“I can.” He felt bad for her. It must be tough to be human.
Jadee cleared her throat. “Mark? Peggy? Brent?” Her chin lifted to stare up at the top of the doors. She lifted one hand, waving it. “Can you see me? Will you please turn on the outside lights if you have them?”
Floodlights lit up from the top of the trailer. Lavos closed his eyes, temporarily blinded. He let go of Jadee’s waist and retreated a few steps, blinking to adjust to the brightness. Kar uttered a curse but said nothing more. Lavos glanced at him and saw he gripped Mitch by the back of his neck, keeping him far enough away from Jadee to prevent the soldier from reaching her.
Jadee adjusted her raised arm to shield her eyes from the direct light. “Thank you. I couldn’t see anything. I know you’re probably worried that I’ve been made into a Vampire but I’m not.” She turned, glancing at him. “They’ll be afraid that happened to me.”
A soft click sounded and a man’s voice with an accent came out of a speaker from somewhere on the underside of the trailer. “Who’s with you?”
“The cavalry.” She faced the trailer, looking up again. “They saved me and captured the Vampire. Is this tall freaky guy one the Vampires that escaped from you a few days ago?”
“Yes. Where is your father?” It was a woman who spoke.
“Dead.” Jadee pointed at Mitch. “That asshole turned him. I let my dad into the trailer but he wasn’t the man we knew. I was locked in the cage but then these two showed up. This is Lavos and Kar. They’re real Vampire hunters.”
That stunned Lavos. He couldn’t believe she’d just said that. He schooled his features though. It was obvious there were more cameras. Jadee knew about them, and the location of at least one, since she stared up at something. He couldn’t see past the lights to get a clear enough view of the top of the trailer.
“Did you say Vampire hunters?” It was the man with the southern accent.
Jadee nodded. “Yeah. They saved me.” She reached up and pulled her hair back, showing off her neck. “See? No bites. I’m still me. It’s safe to come out. They won’t let the Vampires hurt you. You can open up.”
“This is weird,” Kar muttered.
“We’re not going to do that,” the man announced.
“Son of a bitch.” Jadee lowered her arms. “Come on, Mark. Stop being such an asshole. What is it going to take to get you to believe me? You’re rescued! I’m half tempted to get in my rental and just leave your ass locked inside that container until you starve. Be thankful I like Peggy and Brent. I would never do that to them.” Jadee glanced at Lavos over her shoulder. “Can you think of a way we can prove to them we’re not Vampires?”
Lavos glanced at Kar. His friend looked as grim as he felt. Lavos bent and yanked up his pant leg, grabbed hold of the dagger strapped to his ankle and straightened. His brother would have a fit if he ever found out what he was about to do in front of cameras, but he needed to get inside that reinforced box to destroy the evidence.
“Yes.” He shot another look at Kar. “Hold him tight. He’s about to get agitated.” He motioned for Jadee to move farther away from Mitch. “You shot him a few times and he hasn’t fed.” He looked up to the top of the trailer, wondering about the humans inside. “Watch.”
He cut his left palm, making sure they could see the exaggerated grimace on his face since a human would probably burst into tears. He wasn’t about to go that far but it did hurt to draw a thin, three-inch line across his palm. He opened it, showing everyone the blood.
Mitch sniffed and his eyes widened. He hissed a second later, mouth open and fangs showing. He struggled in Kar’s hold, frantic from the smell. The noises he made were animalistic and loud. His hunger had to be causing him agonizing pains.
“Switch your hold on him and give me his arm,” Lavos ordered Kar.
His friend jerked Mitch back and got him in a choke hold, making sure his fangs weren’t close enough to his skin to bite. Kar twisted his captive and exposed his left side.
Lavos advanced and ripped Mitch’s sleeve at his shoulder, shoving it down, then used the dagger to slice open a good six-inch cut above his elbow. The soldier shrieked. It was probably more from hunger and frustration than actual pain. Lavos was glad he’d handcuffed the soldier or he would take any blood source, even cannibalize himself. It sometimes happened with soldiers when they were starved. They’d bite themselves to get blood. He also wanted the humans to have a clear view.
“Watch how fast he heals.”
The cut sealed within seconds.
Lavos looked up, trying to gauge where the camera was. “See?”
He backed up, showing his injured palm again. It had stopped bleeding but the cut remained. Nothing could heal as fast as a soldier unless fresh blood and feeding were involved. “I’m not what he is. Kar isn’t either. We hunt these things down and stop them. This one is going to lead us to his master so we can take him out.” Lavos put away his dagger.
“Happy, Mark? Legend and paranormal hunters, meet actual Vampire hunters.” Jadee glared up at the top of the trailer. “Open the damn door. Otherwise I swear I’m going to have them escort me to my rental and I’ll just leave you here. There’s one more still on the loose. The blond guy hasn’t been caught. How long can you stay in there without starving or going crazy?”
Long seconds ticked by, and it irritated Lavos. He didn’t have time for bullshit. They did need to find the blond and take him out. They also needed to hunt down the master. He didn’t want to babysit the soldier during the day and have to find a safe place to store him so he didn’t burn to death. His brother would be worried if they didn’t make contact soon. Lorn would send reinforcements. The last thing he wanted at that moment was more of his clan to show up. He liked Jadee but he couldn’t guarantee others would be willing to trust her word that she’d never say anything about what she’d seen. And her mind was too strong to wipe…
A bolt slid from inside, then another. Metal scraped as one side of the door opened an inch. He backed up and jerked his head at Kar to do the same with the soldier. Jadee wasn’t so cautious. She advanced and curled her fingers around the edge of the door, pulling it back.
Jadee paused. “Are you shitting me?” Then she shoved the door wide open so he could see inside.
Two men and one woman stood inside holding twelve-inch crosses in front of them. Two were made of wood and one looked metal.
Jadee brushed her hands on her pants and gripped her hips. “Wow. I would have packed crossbows and arrows if I’d been you. My eyes aren’t burning, guys. I told you, I’m not a Vampire.”
Mitch tried to twist out of Kar’s hold and avoid looking inside the container. Lavos wanted to roll his eyes. The idiot probably thought crosses would work on him. They wouldn’t, nor would they work on pure-blooded Vampires. He kept his mouth shut.
Jadee released her hips and started to climb inside the trailer. He was tempted to stop her but didn’t want to frighten the humans. He spotted a few guns on a desk near one of the men. They could shoot Jadee if they panicked.
“I’m going to walk right up to you and touch that thing,” Jadee announced. “So you’re sure.”
“Let me see your teeth,” the man with the accent demanded.
Jadee straightened and opened her mouth wide. She stuck out her tongue after she’d given him a few seconds to see that she didn’t have fangs. “You’re such a dipshit, Mark. No fangs.” She approached them, her hands out to her sides. She paused in front of him and slowly lifted her arm. She pushed a fingertip against the wood.
“See? Not a Vampire. I know I don’t get a lot of sunbathing in with my night job, but do I look pasty-ass white like the freak outside?”
The woman was the first to lower her cross. She burst into tears and grabbed Jadee, hugging her. “We were so worried. We heard the gunfire and the tablet went dead. We thought they’d killed you.”
Jadee hugged her back. “It’s okay, Peggy. We’re safe now. These guys are going to take us to the truck I rented and I’ll drive us out of here.” She untangled herself from the woman and backed up, glaring at the man with the accent. “You can lower the cross. You look ridiculous.” She glanced at the other man. “It’s okay, Brent. These guys killed a few Vampires but are just holding on to that one until they find the master.”
“Where’s your dad?” the older woman asked.
“He’s in a better place now,” Jadee answered.
“I need to gather our hard drives and samples.” Mark lowered the cross.
“You do that.” Jadee glanced at Lavos and winked.
He managed to hide his surprise. She was smart. The man named Mark began to collect things off a desk. That would save Lavos time. The second man, Brent, dropped the cross on the floor. He turned, helping the other one gather their evidence.
“I’m going to take the important data and then lock up the trailer. We’ll have to come back in the morning.” Mark seemed to be the one in charge. “We’ll document everything. We’ll bring in Richard Smith and his team. They’ll help salvage as much as possible.” The guy suddenly turned, staring at Kar. “Could we keep that one? I mean, as evidence? To turn over a live Vampire would prove to everyone they exist.”
Kar looked at Lavos. “Um…”
Lavos took control of the situation. He wasn’t sure how to respond either. No way would they ever allow that to happen but he needed the humans to relax. “Maybe. We might be able to work out a deal. Vampire hunting can be expensive.” Humans liked greed. They understood it.
Mark smiled. “Jadee will pay.”
“Excuse me?” Jadee gasped.
Mark glared at her. “Your father is dead and he funded our trips. That means you’re in control of the money now. I know he has you on all his accounts and listed as half owner of everything. Pay them whatever they want for that Vampire. Do you know how important this is?”
“Yes.” Jadee didn’t look happy. “I do.” She glanced at Lavos. “But he needs to talk to you first. You know, about the other Vampire on the loose and what happened here.”
That was his cue. “I’ll talk to them one at a time,” he hinted. “So I can get each of their stories. It will help us track the missing one if we get as many details as possible.”
“Good plan.” Jadee nodded.
Mitch struggled in Kar’s hold. “We already broke free from them once. I’ll do it again!”
“Shut up,” Kar muttered. “You’re an idiot.”
Lavos hid a smile. He shouldn’t be so amused with the situation but he couldn’t help it. He watched as the human team collected their belongings. Jadee walked to the back of the trailer and he realized she planned to climb down. He advanced and reached up, holding her gaze.
“Let me.”
She only hesitated for a second before she leaned over, placing her hands on his shoulders. He gripped her hips, easily lifting her and placing her on her feet. She didn’t seem afraid of him anymore.
“They’re all yours,” she whispered. “Please don’t hurt them. I’m trusting you.” She backed away, letting him go.
He waited until the older woman tried to leave the trailer. It stood a good four feet from the ground. He stepped forward, offering to help her out too. She smiled at him and allowed it.
“You’re a strong one.” She blushed a little when he set her on her feet after lifting her down. “I have a hundred questions to ask you.”
“Okay.”
“Is it like a family business or did something happen to make you hunt Vampires?”
He hesitated. “Family business.”
She looked excited. “How many generations?”
“A few.”
“You’re like the books!” She grinned. “I want to interview you at length. Can we do that?”
“Sure,” he lied. “Do you mind moving so I’m not staring at those bright lights? They’re giving me a headache after tracking Vampires in the dark for the past few hours.”
“Sure.” She stepped around so she faced the trailer instead of him. He turned with her, putting his back to the two humans still moving around inside it. He held her gaze, allowing his power to surge. Her eyes widened in surprise as she watched the blue of his eyes begin to glow.
“Shush,” he murmured. “Relax.” He was going to have to kill her if he couldn’t get inside her mind.
Her features slackened and she didn’t make a sound.
“You’re safe,” he assured her. “Repeat that and speak in a very soft tone.”
“I’m safe,” she whispered.
Someone stepped closer and he inhaled Jadee’s scent. She surprised him when she spoke.
“Is it working on her?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’ll watch them and give a warning when they’re ready to leave.”
She kept close to him, making it appear the three of them were having a discussion. He appreciated it. He needed to focus on Peggy. Kar had his hands full with the soldier.
“You came here to look for Vampires, right?”
“Yes.” Peggy suddenly looked frightened. “There were four of them.”
He executed a little more force and deepened his voice. “No, there weren’t. You arrived here and didn’t find anything.” He held his breath, waiting to see how she’d respond.
The fear vanished. “We didn’t.”
“You saw a few bears. A storm came and you parked too close to the river. That’s the most frightening thing that happened. The water started to rise and you couldn’t get your vehicles out in time.” He paused, needing to build a memory for her that would make sense. He’d take care of the trailer and any other evidence in the area.
Jadee put her hand on his arm. “There is a tow car and a rig around here that pulled the trailer, plus the two smaller RVs and the larger one that belonged to my dad. They were all messed with. Maybe you could say she caught a cold and slept a lot. It’s best if she thinks she was out of it most of the time from a high fever.”
He nodded, letting her know he heard what she’d said.
Not only did Jadee help him do his job but she gave him helpful suggestions about what to put in the human’s mind. His admiration for her grew.