Epilogue
I chanced one last look at the twin gargoyles flanking me, and knew it was time. The snow was coming down harder now. As I prepared to leap off the twenty-story building, I was excited to take out this particular vampire, Johnny. He had been killing humans for five years, undetected and unchecked by his coven within the Vlasé, and it was time for him to die. Again.
It only took three times for me to perfect flying. Evan’s wife, Katrina, had shown me how it was done, as I hadn’t attempted it since my leap off the bar’s roof the night I met Beckett. I was a total pro now. Evan and Katrina also showed me easier ways to create stakes, using heat and fire to mold the metal soft before I sharpened it with a sharpening steel. I also realized the sharpening steel, if perfected to a point, would make a great shank in and of itself. It was that which I held in my hand now. Next week they were going to show me how to use a crossbow pistol, and a few special guns. I was excited.
With my hair flying up behind me, and the ice-cold wind rushing against my skin, I watched as the ground flew up to meet me. Like a cat, I landed on my feet with a thud right behind the sleazeball. He quickly turned around and looked at me, shock registering on his ugly, pale face.
His brows drew together. “Where the fuck did you come from?”
I grinned darkly. “Hell. Which is where you’re headed.”
Cheesy? Yes. Makes me feel like a badass? Definitely.
He began to chuckle and bared his fangs, “You first, bit—“ but he was cut off when I drove the sharpening tool into his chest. He clutched at it, and fell to the ground, where I pulled it out and jumped off of him, watching him crack and turn to ash.
“Bravo,” Katrina said, her pale skin and bright red hair illuminated under the streetlamp.
“I got it,” Evan said with his phone up, recording.
I high-fived Katrina, and then she used a tiny electric hand-held vacuum to remove the scumbag’s ashes.
Evan then handed me fifty one-hundred dollar bills, my payment for killing Johnny.
I’d already happily quit my job at Carter Homes, as this kill I just made would pay my rent for months.
We walked down the street in the direction of Moon Chasers, and I asked, “Where do you get your info from? I mean, how did you know Johnny here”—I indicated the small vacuum that now swung from Katrina’s fist—“had been killing people for that long?”
Evan smiled. “How many questions are you going to keep asking us? We have our ways. We have connections. My brothers are very, very old. One even has a bit of a psychic gift. You don’t worry your pretty little head about it, and just learn what we teach, and we’ll continue to pay you for it.”
I nodded, and we walked in silence for a few minutes. Then I looked at Evan. “Question. Do you shift on a full moon?”
He nodded. “Sorta. I shift into something between the Wolf-Man and Bigfoot.”
I chuckled and said, “I think you and I are going to be good friends, Evan.”
As we entered Moon Chasers, I could see Beckett sitting at our favorite table with my gin and seltzer waiting for me. He’d somewhat forgiven me, but did not agree with my new profession. However, Beckett was smart and knew he should probably stay on my good side—not that I would ever hurt him. I really did cherish him as a close friend.
Ryder also sat there, both of them tolerating each other enough, and Sanja was also here. We were celebrating my quitting Carter Homes and their college graduations.
“Ugh, wolf,” I heard a vampire say, sneering as he walked by Ryder.
Admittedly, Ryder was not happy about coming to a vampire bar, but he did it for me.
I plunked myself in his lap and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for coming.”
“Anything for you,” he said smiling. Then he kissed me.
“Gross. Drink your gin,” Beckett said.
As I pulled away from Ryder’s face, I grabbed my drink and looked up to see Kellan walk into the bar, his two guards following closely. Our eyes met with intensity, and memories of what we’d done in that upstairs office weeks ago flooded me, causing me to shudder all over. This was the first time I’d seen him since then. I had wondered why he hadn’t been around, but it wasn’t like I had the guy’s address or cell number so I could ask. Not that I would have anyway.
Then he smiled knowingly at me, and I knew at that moment that I was in big, big trouble where my heart was concerned.
I dragged my gaze away from the infuriatingly handsome bastard and looked at my new friends, Evan and Katrina. They were training me to kill vampires, to be the best murder-for-hire there was. The pay was nice, but my endgame here was that I was doing for practice so I could kill the biggest vampire of all.
Linden’s murder would be slow, it would be sweet, and by my very own hand.
THE END
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