Vengeance and Vampires- The Complete Series Box Set Page 4

  But of course, witches and shifters were lumped into the same supernatural category as the heartless, murderous vampires. A civil rights movement fought to treat all supernaturals as equals to humans. In a compromise, the government ruled that supernatural creatures couldn’t be charged for what they were, only for the crimes they had committed.

  Magic was outlawed except in special government-approved cases, and supernaturals were required to be registered as such. Blood banks were set up for vampires who’d already been changed so that they could satisfy their cravings without killing or changing more people. It was a great solution but a crappy deal. The government didn’t even pay people for their blood, but they sure liked to charge vamps for it. And people bought into the whole thing out of fear, because at least there were fewer vampire attacks.

  Obviously, however, if there are laws in place, people are bound to break them. Vampires continued to feed without consent, shifters continued to shift, and people like me continued to deliver justice in a world with a broken justice system. Magical objects and spells were sold on the black market for a pretty penny, which meant that if Bloodstone were ever discovered, I’d already have a decade or two in the slammer just for working there. If all my crimes were laid out on the table, I’d be in for life. But seriously, who’s counting?

  “Yeah…” I said to Fiona, dragging out the word as all these thoughts rushed through my head. “We probably shouldn’t get into that.”

  “Hey,” Ryland’s clipped tone came from behind us.

  Fiona and I both turned. The anger had melted from his face, but I still sensed something in his expression that told me he wasn’t entirely pleased.

  “You can stay for now,” Ryland told me.

  From beside him, Venn shot me a reassuring smile. I wasn’t sure what he’d said to Ryland to change his mind, but I was grateful that he fought for me.

  Ryland’s eyes flickered down to my thigh. “Find her a clean pair of pants, Fiona. Teagan should have some that’ll fit her.”

  “I can try,” Fiona said, “but you’ll have to wish me luck getting anywhere near Teagan’s closet.”

  “Good luck.” Ryland didn’t sound the least bit genuine. “Just be quick. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”

  My brow furrowed. “Leaving where?”

  Ryland’s jaw tensed. “To get Cowen.”

  4

  When Fiona said we’d have a hard time getting into Teagan’s closet, I pictured walking into a blonde bimbo’s glittery pink bedroom. Imagine my surprise when we entered her room just in time for a knife to whizz past my head. The blade hit the wall beside me with a thud.

  I jumped back from the door, my heart racing.

  “Tea,” Fiona scolded, ripping the knife from a board screwed into the wall. Every inch of the board was filled with nick marks. “Are you trying to scare our guest away?”

  Teagan eyed me from across the room. She was strikingly beautiful, with tan skin, high cheekbones, and full lips. Her dark hair was twisted into a braid down her back. Teagan wore a skin-tight black tank top tucked into a pair of brown cargo pants that hugged her curves. A pair of sheaths hung from her belt on either hip. My guess was that she was some sort of badass shifter who could rip a vampire’s throat out with her teeth.

  I think I’m going to like this girl.

  Teagan stepped forward and snatched the knife from Fiona’s outstretched hand. She ignored Fiona’s question but kept her eyes on me.

  “So, you’re the girl Venn brought home?” Teagan asked as she slid her knife into its sheath.

  I nodded. “The one and only.”

  “You heard all that?” Fiona asked, like it wasn’t obvious. “Maybe you can do something to calm Ryland down later?”

  Fiona made it sound like Teagan had some sort of power over Ryland. Maybe she wasn’t a shifter but was a witch… or, like me, perhaps she was both.

  My gaze traveled beyond Teagan. I took note of a queen-sized bed and two dressers side-by-side. The decor was simple and accented with neutral browns. That’s when it clicked what kind of power she had over him, and it wasn’t anything supernatural. Ryland was her boyfriend.

  I need to get myself one of those.

  The problem was, I had to actually leave the house if I wanted to meet anyone. I was never going to meet a guy while patrolling for vamps causing trouble.

  “This is Rae, by the way,” Fiona introduced. “She needs to borrow some clothes.”

  Teagan didn’t say anything as Fiona crossed the room to her closet. Instead, she kept her attention on me. She stood so close that I could smell the scent of lavender on her clothes. She was two inches taller than me and stared down at me like I was supposed to be intimidated by her. I stared back with an equally intimidating glare.

  “What are you?” Teagan asked curiously.

  My brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”

  Could she sense I was supernatural? She must’ve been a powerful witch.

  “Venn wouldn’t bring just anyone home,” Teagan pointed out. “What kind of shifter are you?”

  My eyes darted to Fiona across the room, but I only saw a glimpse of her backside in the walk-in closet. I didn’t tell people I was a shifter. The only reason Venn knew was because he saw it. Even the witch who enchanted my clothes didn’t know what I was. Luckily, she wasn’t the kind of person who asked questions. She just took the money and did her thing.

  I wasn’t about to give up my secret to a girl I just met, no matter the fact that she could probably give me a run for my money in a fight.

  I cleared my throat. “I’m a low witch. You?”

  “Vampire slayer,” Teagan said confidently, without missing a beat.

  “Seriously?” I asked in disbelief.

  Was she suggesting she was a supernatural “chosen one?” That didn’t happen in real life, did it? Then again, eight years ago I would’ve said vampires, shifters, and witches didn’t exist either.

  “Don’t let her fool you,” Fiona said, emerging from the closet with an armful of clothes. “Teagan’s entirely human.”

  “No way.” The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop myself. Teagan seemed… tougher than that.

  “What?” Teagan raised an eyebrow. “Humans aren’t good enough for you?”

  “No, I just—” I fumbled for the right words. Crap. “You really fight vampires?”

  Teagan sucked her teeth. “On occasion.”

  “You have to have shifter blood in you,” I insisted.

  “Nope,” Teagan said with certainty.

  “How are you fast enough?” I asked.

  “She doesn’t need supernatural speed,” Fiona said, like she was quoting Teagan’s own words. She dropped her pile of clothes on the bed before turning to me. “All she needs is a clear shot of their heart.”

  “Yep,” Teagan agreed proudly. “Stab them in the heart with anything, and they die.”

  I knew the drill. Vampires only dropped dead from a wound to the heart or brain, decapitation, or fire. They healed quickly from other injuries.

  “You just have to get to them before they get to you,” Teagan continued.

  “Stab first, ask questions later,” Fiona said. “That’s Tea’s motto.”

  Teagan smirked. I liked her motto.

  “Ryland would never let a vamp hurt her,” Fiona said. “Anyway, Tea, are these pants fine to lend Rae?”

  Teagan glanced at the cargo pants Fiona held up. “Not those.”

  Teagan marched across the room and scooped up the clothes on the bed and returned them to her closet. Fiona shot an apologetic look at me while we waited for Teagan to return.

  “So…” I dragged out the word, partially to fill the silence. “Venn’s a shifter, and Teagan’s human. What are you?”

  Oh, gosh. I hope that didn’t sound rude.

  Fiona sat on the bed. “Fox shifter.”

  Which meant Ryland was a shifter too.

  “Is Sondra a shifter?” God, I was nosy. If she was F
iona’s cousin, she could be anything depending on which side of the family Fiona inherited her shifter magic from. “When do I get to meet her? I want to tell her how much I love her drawings.”

  Teagan exited the closet while I spoke. She froze in place and exchanged a wary glance with Fiona.

  Fiona was the one to answer. “Sondra’s… not here right now. But if everything goes well, you should be able to meet her soon.”

  I didn’t have a chance to ask where Sondra was or when she’d return as Teagan shoved a pile of neatly folded clothes in my direction.

  “Here,” she said. “These should fit. You can change in the bathroom. It’s the next door on the right down the hall.”

  I took the pile of clothes in my hands. “Thanks.”

  Teagan grabbed a jacket off her dresser and slipped it on. It fell to the top of her thighs and covered up the knives on her hips.

  Fiona stood. “Let me know when you’re done so we can throw your pants in the wash.”

  I shot back a smile. It was nice of her to offer. It’d save me a few quarters and a night at the laundromat.

  I turned and stepped out into the hall just in time to see Venn climbing the stairs. A smile spread across his face when he spotted me. My breath stalled in my chest, and my knees went weak under his stare. What the frick? My insides were rock-solid. They shouldn’t be turning to mush, especially not for a guy I just barely met.

  Venn reached the top of the steps and stopped with one hand on the banister. “You almost ready?”

  “Yeah, I…” I didn’t know what to say. My eyes dropped to the clothes in my hands. “I just have to change. I’ll be out in a minute.”

  “Try not to be too long,” Venn suggested. “Ryland wants to get going soon.”

  I was about to turn to the bathroom but paused. “Hey, Venn.”

  “Yeah?” he asked softly, his eyes still fixed on me.

  I wasn’t sure why I stopped or what I was going to say. All I knew was that I didn’t want to step out of the room without him.

  Stop acting weird!

  “Thank you,” I finally said while fidgeting with a loose thread on the tank top I held. “I mean, Ryland was right. You don’t have a reason to trust me. So I just wanted to say thanks for offering to help.”

  Venn stepped forward and reached out like he was about to touch me, but he pulled away at the last second. I had the unnatural urge to accept his invitation and close the distance between us.

  “It’s no problem,” he said.

  An awkward silence followed, and I contemplated saying more. Several seconds passed, but nothing came out of my mouth. It felt too late to break the silence now, so I turned to the bathroom without another word.

  Inside the bathroom, I forced Venn from my mind, and my thoughts turned to Cowen. My heart pounded as I rushed to slip into Teagan’s clothes. In a matter of minutes, I’d be back on my way to tracking down the Soulless.

  Watch out, Fangs. Here I come.

  When Ryland said we were going after Cowen, I thought we were headed to kick some vampire ass. As in, I thought Ryland knew where to find him. Turns out he didn’t have a clue.

  We pulled up in front of the bar I cornered Cowen outside of last night. The sign above the door read Red Whiskey. This was a hot hangout for vamps since they sold alcohol and blood—fresh from the blood banks, thank God—but we wouldn’t find a vamp hanging out here in the middle of the day.

  “I thought you knew how to track this guy down,” I accused Venn when he parked the car.

  Venn turned in his seat to explain. “This is as far as we tracked him. We got a tip that this is his favorite hangout spot, but now that he knows we can find him here, we’re not sure he’ll be back. We’re here to figure out where to find him next.”

  “Unfortunately,” Ryland cut in, “Venn acted on pure emotion last night without calling in the rest of us, so I’ll be doing the talking this time.”

  “Or maybe I should,” Teagan offered from next to me in the back seat.

  “No,” Ryland stated sternly.

  “You scare people away,” Teagan accused.

  “If you don’t want to scare people, send me in,” Fiona argued. With her small frame and sweet smile, she didn’t look like she was capable of hurting a fly. She was right that no one would be intimidated by her.

  Before the group could come to an agreement, Venn opened his door and stepped out of the car. Ryland fumbled with his door handle and kicked the passenger-side door open. I draped my purse strap over my shoulder and scrambled out of the car behind them. Teagan and Fiona followed closely behind.

  Ryland’s long legs carried him ahead of Venn so that he was the first to reach the door. He gripped the handle so hard that I was surprised it didn’t crush beneath his grip like a soda can.

  The building had no windows, and the lights were dim when we entered. A long bar lined with stools ran the length of the building to our right, while other tables filled the rest of the space. The chairs were all empty, and the building was silent apart from the sound of an air conditioner whirring. The back of the bar housed a lounge and a pool table. The distinct smell of floor cleaner filled my nostrils, masking any other scents that may have permeated into the walls and furniture.

  Before any of us had a chance to speak, a man emerged from a door behind the bar. He held a drying towel in his hands and had a bored expression fixed to his face. He was attractive and looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. For a vamp-friendly bar, I expected to find vampires running the place, but this guy’s eyes were blue—not a hint of silver present.

  Probably a blood slave, I thought. I hated that I couldn’t tell what he was. Someday, I was going to figure out how to identify the difference between witches, shifters, and humans.

  Fiona’s eyes traveled the length of his body. It took everything I had to hold in my laughter. He was at least a decade older than her, and she was totally checking him out.

  “Sorry, folks,” he said in a smooth voice. I noticed the name on his uniform read Alex. “We’re closed.”

  “The door was unlocked,” Ryland responded, as if that was an excuse for the guy to serve us a drink—not that any of us were even of legal age. A lot had changed in the past eight years, but the drinking age was still twenty-one.

  “Our hours are posted out front,” Alex informed us, like leaving the door unlocked during off-hours was a common occurrence. “If you want to avoid the vamp crowd, it’s best to come early.”

  Ryland stepped forward until he was right next to the bar. “Thanks for the tip, but actually, we’re not here for a drink. We’re looking for someone who frequents this establishment.”

  ‘Frequents this establishment?’ He sounds so formal when he wants to.

  “Can you help us?” Ryland asked.

  Alex tossed the towel over his shoulder and leaned against the counter behind the bar, looking amused. “Who are you looking for?”

  “His name’s Cowen,” Ryland answered.

  Alex pressed his lips together. “He’s a vamp? Brown hair, scar on his wrist?”

  So Alex knows Cowen’s a Soulless. Am I the only one who didn’t know there was a Soulless running around Nocton?

  Ryland nodded.

  “Yeah, he’s a regular, but I don’t know where to find him,” Alex said.

  Too bad. I was really looking forward to beating information out of someone. Except Alex didn’t look like he deserved a beating, and I didn’t pick a fight without a reason.

  Alex cocked his head in the direction of the kitchen and raised his voice. “Hey, Kieren. Come here a minute.”

  A huge guy that took up the entire doorway stepped into the room. Ryland’s arms were like twigs compared to this guy. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have the sense to spot supernatural beings; I was totally pegging this guy as a shifter.

  “They’re looking for Cowen,” Alex explained.

  Kieren crossed his massive arms, and his eyes traveled over the group; f
irst to Fiona, then to me. I shifted uncomfortably, like I’d just been violated by a simple glance. Maybe this guy deserved a punch to the groin. His gaze skipped straight over Venn and landed on Teagan. She didn’t even blink.

  “I might know Cowen,” Kieren said in a deep voice.

  “Well enough to know where to find him?” Ryland asked.

  “That depends…” Kieren dragged out.

  “On?” Ryland pressed.

  Kieren smirked. “On how valuable the information is to you.”

  I glanced to Venn to see his jaw was tense. His eyes met mine, but I couldn’t read his expression.

  Ryland sighed, like he was hoping it wouldn’t come to this. “What’s your price?”

  Kieren still hadn’t taken his eyes off Teagan. She held his gaze without a single sign of fear. It was like she was used to guys looking at her like that—like a piece of meat. I think I felt uncomfortable enough for the both of us.

  “What are you willing to pay?” Kieren asked with a raised eyebrow.

  Ryland dug into his back pocket for his wallet and slapped a pile of bills on the bar. “Look, we don’t have a lot of money, but we really need to find this guy. Can you help us or not?”

  Kieren glanced down at the money but didn’t move to take it. Beside him, Alex looked like he was itching to snatch it up.

  “I can help,” Kieren stated flatly, “but I don’t want your money.”

  “What do you want?” Ryland asked.

  Kieren didn’t even hesitate. He cocked his head toward Teagan. “I’ll take the girl.”

  Disgust hit my stomach at the suggestion. Fiona gasped, and Venn’s expression hardened. Teagan just rolled her eyes, as if it was all too predictable.

  “No,” Ryland declined immediately.

  Kieren stepped forward and placed his palms flat on the bar. Though there was a countertop between them, Ryland took a step back to distance himself from Kieren. A tingle spread across my skin in preparation to shift.

  Cool down, I told myself. Even though I had a rule about shifting in front of people, I would shift if it came to that.