“I wish it was Saturday. Time to catch this asshole,” Ruben ground out, his eyes stormy blue. “Are you ready, Isadora? Still want to do this?”

My sweet girl looked at each and every one of us hardass vampires, resolve set in the upward tilt of her chin. “Damn right, I’m ready.”

If I wasn’t aware yet, I knew then and there that I was deeply and wholly in love with this woman. Once this operation was over with, I’d make damn sure she understood I wasn’t going anywhere.

Chapter 30

~ISADORA~

“Ready, girl?” Livvy stood next to me in the parking lot of Barrel Proof looking like a 1940s bombshell. She’d come straight from a photo shoot at Belle Chasse Navy Base. She modeled for a friend of hers who did pin-up girl photo shoots for his ultra popular website who cross-promoted the Cauldron and Maybelle’s.

While she was decked out in a tailored red dress, tight in the bust and waist then flared at the knees, I was wearing tight black jeans and a white halter-top that revealed a lot of skin but also could be tucked in. If I was going to be kidnapped and carried away by a vampire, I wanted to be dressed for the occasion.

“Ready,” I said, leading the way into the bar.

We found a two-top in the middle of the bar. The point was to be seen tonight. The place was already starting to fill up.

“I’ll grab us a few drinks. What do you want?”

“Old fashioned.”

“Something that strong?” I whispered.

“We’re supposed to look like we’re partying it up, right?”

“True.”

I made my way to the bar that stretched the length of the place. Most of the stools were already filled, but Darren wasn’t here yet. “Take What You Want” by Post Malone and Ozzy played from the speakers. I glanced at my watch. 10:10.

“What can I get you?” asked the good-looking bartender.

“Two old fashioneds please.”

There were several different gatherings in the bar. Couples and mixed boy-girl groups. So far, there were no other girl-only parties. That made Livvy and I good targets, which again had my heart pounding. I was actually doing this, and I couldn’t pretend it didn’t have me on edge. As it was, it was strange to not feel the sweet hum of magic under my skin. Jules had nulled us both right before we left, informing us she’d be in constant contact with Ruben to monitor the operation.

I was carrying the drinks back to the table right as Darren entered the bar. And another vampire right behind him. A cold sweat flashed across my neck and back. I tried not to stare, catching in a single glimpse the arrogant tilt of the second vampire’s head. Blond hair, pretty face, predatory eyes. Blake Bellingrath.

When I sat across from Livvy, I whispered, “That’s him that just walked in. And the other guy is Bellingrath.”

She leaned forward and took a sip of her drink, her red lipstick leaving a mark on the rim. “I thought they scouted alone.”

“I did, too. This is weird.”

A second later, my phone buzzed on the table. I’d carried in my phone rather than have my big handbag, knowing I wanted to go light. The phone was actually a burner phone that Devraj had given me. I unlocked the phone with my fingerprint.

Devraj: Bellingrath is with him I’m sure you see. Darren said it’s nothing to worry about.

Me: If you say so.

Devraj: We’re still a go. Unless you don’t want to. ???

I paused, glancing at the bar. Darren was ordering drinks. Blake was skimming the bar, looking for his next victim. Burning fury blazed through my belly, thinking of those poor women he had in captivity. And I could help set them free tonight.

Me: I’m a go.

There was a pause then the ellipses looped onscreen until his last message popped up.

Devraj: I’m so proud of you. I’ll show you how much later tonight.

I smiled then locked the phone and slid it into my back pocket. Leave it to Devraj to try and distract me from imminent danger with thoughts of naughty sex.

“That’s a saucy smile.” Livvy had drained her old fashioned by the time I slipped my phone in my back pocket.

“Might want to slow down there.”

She switched our glasses. “Now you go up there, stand right next to Bellingrath, and order another.”

My stomach sank. “You come with me.”

She shook her head. “I want his attention only on you. I’ll be unable to stop my word vomit.”

True. With or without her Influencer magic, Livvy beamed. She was the kind of person you wanted to look at, wanted to listen to. And though Darren had a serious compulsion glamour spell put on him by Devraj, we didn’t need any complications.

“You’ve got this,” she said, pulling out her phone and pretending to be distracted, even though I felt her attention and awareness of the room in her posture and fleeting glances to the bar.

I walked steadily toward the bar where Darren and Blake had settled. Not looking at either of them, I maneuvered on the left side of Blake, lifting a hand to get the bartender’s attention.

I felt his gaze sweeping over my face. Rather than look his way, I flipped my hair over my shoulder, knowing he’d have full view of my fading bruise from Devraj’s bite. This was a big gamble, but Devraj argued it would be good for them to see. According to him, a “human” who already engaged as a blood host would be the perfect target. She wouldn’t be as traumatized by feeding their clients. Not like Emma whose fragile mind and body couldn’t handle being a host for the kidnapper’s clients.

I wasn’t sure I agreed with his logic, but he knew how vampires thought better than I did. And criminals, since he spent his life hunting them down and bringing them to justice.

“So, beautiful, you like to play?” came the sultry voice next to me.

Apparently, Devraj was right. The term play was used when a vampire courted a potential host.

Glancing at him shyly, which wasn’t entirely an act, I said, “Sometimes.”

“Another old fashioned?” asked the bartender.

“Yes, please.”

I pulled the cash from my pocket, but Blake put his hand over mine on the bar, trapping it beneath his. I was using cash only so I wouldn’t get caught with my real name on anything.

“Let me get it for you, sweetheart.”

“Thanks,” I muttered and put the cash back in my pocket.

“So, what’s your name?”

“Isabelle.” I finally met his gaze dead-on, wishing I hadn’t.

There are some people who hold their sins in their eyes. Piercing with all the wickedness he’d committed and desired to commit, his gaze held me hard. “Why don’t you stay and party with us, Isabelle?”

I shook my head and grabbed my drink from the bartender. “I’m with my friend. Sorry.”

Darren remained still and focused on the other side of him, nodding to me. He’d relayed to Devraj that I should play it submissive tonight. Blake didn’t want fighters.

I felt his eyes on me all the way back to the table. I settled and took a deep sip, needing the whiskey to take the edge off.

“That seemed to work,” she said. “His eyes are burning a hole through you.”

“Awesome. Now I want to throw up.”

“Hang on, Iz. We’ve got him.”

She then tossed her head back and laughed like I’d said something hilarious. I joined in the laughter, though not quite as enthusiastically. Checking my watch, I had eight minutes to be outside.

Livvy smiled playfully and leaned forward. “It’s all going to be fine. Don’t you worry.”

I knocked back most of the drink in the next few minutes, listening to Livvy carry on about the karaoke contest she had planned to promote the Cauldron. I already knew about it, but it was something to ramble about while time ticked down. Finally, she set her glass down with a loud clink and stood, lifting her vintage clutch off the table.

“It was so good to see you again!” she yelled, opening her arms for me.

I gave her a big hug. She whispered in my ear, “Now go get those mother fuckers.” Then she pulled away, laughing wildly like I’d said something hysterically funny. “We’ll catch up next month.”

She sauntered off toward the bathrooms. I refused to look at the bar, but I felt them watching as I headed out to the parking lot by myself.

I’d prepared for this moment, but it didn’t take away from the solid knot of dread twisting my insides. I walked slowly through the dim lot toward my car, knowing Devraj and Ruben were monitoring not far away.

My arms were clasped from behind and the growling whisper of a vampire brushed my ear. “Time to go to sleep, beautiful.”

A jolt of persuasion punched out of him. Strangely, I figured I’d be susceptible to it since Jules had nulled my magic. But somehow, it still didn’t work on me. Perhaps because this was a passive form of my magic, not like my potent healing power I used on others.

I let my body go limp and pretended to fall under his glamour spell. He lifted me in his arms, behind the knees and my back.

“Let’s go.”

For some reason, Darren wasn’t in charge of this hit. We were told they typically worked as a group, the three scouts coalescing on the one target. But tonight, it was just Darren and Blake.

I remained unmoving in Blake’s hard grip. Not that I could do anything against him anyway. Not only was I nulled from using any telekinetic magic, which I wasn’t powerful at to begin with, but he was remarkably strong. I sensed that well enough in the ripple of his muscles as he traced away.

When the dizzying sensation of tracing stopped, I kept my body still, my head against Blake’s shoulder. He smelled of some too-strong cologne. Other men’s voices overlapped.

“Got a good one, Bellingrath?”

“Let’s see her.”

“Yeah. Wasn’t trusting Webber this time,” came his rumbling reply as he walked toward the voices with me in his arms. “Not after that last chick was a dud.”