Predatory

“Oh, my God!” Horror filled Cassie’s hoarse whisper behind him.



He glanced back. “I told you to let me . . .”



Cassie stared at the body, her eyes wide, unblinking. There was so much fear. She shook with it. Bracing herself against the doorjamb, she covered her mouth with her hand. To hold back a scream or to keep from throwing up? Maybe both.



Ethan could hear Dan puking into the kitchen sink. “Next time listen to me.” He sounded hard. Good. He wanted them to believe he was a cold-blooded son of a bitch. Because he was—he closed his eyes for a moment—most of the time. “Open the door and get some air. Both of you. I have to find something.” He didn’t look to see if they followed his directions.



Trying to make sure he didn’t step in any blood, he went into the bathroom. He pulled a large bath towel out of the linen closet and began his hunt. A few minutes later he joined the other two at the door with a spitting, hissing bundle of pissed off cat safely wrapped in the towel. He watched Cassie’s eyes widen when she saw the bloody claw marks on his hands and arms.



He scowled at her. “What?”



She didn’t get a chance to say anything because Dan spoke. “You’re taking the old lady’s cat with you?”



Ethan didn’t have time for explanations. “Out. I have to check the people on the other side of my place.”



Everyone was silent as they walked to the second house. Ethan knew what he’d find. The hunters must’ve left the door open because he could smell blood and death long before they climbed the steps.



Dan stopped on the porch. He put the bag of clothes down. “This is as far as I’m going.”



Ethan didn’t blame him.



“Here. Hold the cat.” He shoved the animal at his brother before stepping into the house.



Cassie walked in behind him.



He paused in the kitchen. “This will be just as bad. Wait with Dan.”



“No. I need to see it.” She met his gaze. “I’ve been afraid of the dead all my life. But my best friend is one of those dead now. This is more important than my fear. I have to see what they did so I’ll never forget, so I’ll know exactly what I’m destroying when I take these animals down.”



Ethan raised one brow. Wow, where had that come from? Beneath all her fear, something fierce lived. He looked away. He didn’t want to find her interesting in any way. “You couldn’t even imagine what things did this.”



Cassie looked puzzled. “Roland Garrity’s people, right?” Then she shook her head. “No. I can’t believe humans would do that to an old woman.”



You’d be surprised what humans would do. He walked toward the dining room. “They didn’t do the actual killing, but they held the remote.” She wouldn’t understand. He hoped she’d never have to.



They found George and Janice on the stairs. They must’ve tried to flee to the second floor. It hadn’t worked. Body parts littered the steps and blood dripped over the side onto the floor below.



Cassie didn’t last this time. She ran for the downstairs bathroom and slammed the door behind her. He waited until her retching stopped. When she finally opened the door and joined him, she was pale but steady. He said nothing, only returned to the back door. He waited until she was outside before closing it carefully behind him.



But even closed, he could still smell the blood. The Second One screamed, clawing at his soul, demanding that he feed, kill. He clamped down on his hunger. But it wasn’t the hunger for blood that would grip him soon. He hoped Cassie was gone by then.



Dan took one look at the stark horror in Cassie’s eyes and didn’t ask any questions.



Ethan talked to his brother on the way to Cassie’s car. “You’re still living at June’s place?”



Dan nodded. “Things haven’t been too great between us lately, though. I’m thinking about moving back to my own condo.”



“Don’t. At least not until things are safer.” The ones who’d found him might not know about his brother, or where he lived. But Ethan didn’t want to take a chance. Dan would be safer staying with his girlfriend for now.



“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Frustration roughened Dan’s voice.



“Yes.” They’d reached the car. “Once I figure it out myself.”



Ethan slid into the driver’s side and headed back out into traffic. He’d made sure that Cassie was beside him. She’d be easier to control in the front seat. At least she hadn’t blurted anything about what had happened at the funeral home. In fact, she hadn’t said anything for too long. Probably in shock from the last few hours.



The only one who had anything to say on the drive was the cat, and she kept up a constant stream of yowling complaints. Finally, Ethan pulled over a few blocks from June’s apartment.



“I’ll let you out here. No one followed us, but I still don’t want to take the chance that someone might see you going into June’s building.”



Dan didn’t comment as he handed the cat over to Cassie, got out, and slammed the door. Ethan watched him walk into a store that was still open. Then he pulled away from the curb. And just when he was wondering if Cassie would ever talk again, the floodgates broke.



“We need to call the police. You can’t leave those poor people alone like that in their houses.”



“I’ll take care of it when we stop.”



“Where’re you taking me?” She didn’t do a great job of covering the quaver in her voice.



“Somewhere safe for now.”



“When are you going to explain what the hell is going on?”



“Later.”



“Wow, way to ease my fears with your detailed explanations.”



“Look, it’s been a long night. Let’s save all the questions until we can relax and get something to eat.” The word “eat” drove his hunger into a frothing frenzy. It didn’t help that he could hear her heartbeat, sense the blood coursing through her veins, and knew that all he had to do was stop the car and . . . No. He stomped the hunger into submission.



He concentrated instead on the slight shifts he could feel in his facial muscles, the tingling in his fingertips, and the tightening of Len’s borrowed shirt across his shoulders. Not enough change for her to notice yet. But soon, very soon, she’d see.



There was a long simmering pause.



“Why did you bring the cat?”



“To eat. You wouldn’t volunteer, so . . .” He shrugged.



She gasped and tightened her grip on the cat. The cat rewarded her with an annoyed hiss.



If the last few days hadn’t sucked so badly, he would’ve laughed. Or maybe not. The idea that she might actually believe he ate small animals bothered him. Not comforting. Nothing she said or did should be able to touch him.



“Relax. I don’t eat cats.” He knew he sounded angry. But it seemed that everything about her made him mad. Those big brown eyes and all that blond hair don’t make you mad. Neither does the rest of her body. Okay, so maybe it was all about sex deprivation. He could live with that explanation.



She nodded and some of the tension left her. “How old is your brother?”



“Twenty-seven.”



She frowned. “Then that means you can’t be ancient.” The fact that he wasn’t seemed to bother her.



“I’m thirty-two, but I was turned when I was twenty-eight. So I’ll pretty much look that age forever.”



“But I saw you kill Len without touching him. Doesn’t a vampire have to be old and powerful to do that?”



He made an impatient sound. “Power doesn’t come with age. Wisdom does. And a smart vampire will live a long happy life.” He thought about that. “Or unlife. If that’s not a word, it should be.”



Her questions stopped for a short time while he bought cat food and litter box stuff. Once back in the car, he hoped she’d run out of things to ask.



“Why did you save me?”



There it was. The one question he’d hoped she’d keep for later. “I don’t know.” An honest answer.



She didn’t look satisfied. Too bad. Relieved, he pulled in beside Zareb’s warehouse.



Cassie seemed to finally realize they’d stopped. She looked around. “Where are we?”



“A warehouse. That’s the Delaware.” He pointed to where she could just see the river flowing dark and cold past the back of the building. “This isn’t a residential part of Philly. Once the warehouses shut down for the night, the area pretty much empties of traffic and people. We’ll be safe.”



They climbed out of the car. It was so quiet their footsteps rang loud in the darkness. Even the cat had shut up. Nothing moved. She tugged her jacket more tightly around her. The night must’ve turned cold. He felt nothing. For a moment, he considered pulling her against him, but offering warmth or comfort would only lead to other temptations. He led her toward a door hidden in the shadows.



He pressed a small button next to the door and waited. She shivered beside him, and with a frustrated curse he gave in and wrapped his arm around her. When she moved closer, he wasn’t sure if it was an attempt to get warm or a lesser-of-two-evils thing. Even a human had to pick up on the scary vibes surrounding this place.