The sound of a gun cocking was heard seconds before Juliet stepped out of the shadows. She pressed the barrel against Arys’s temple.
“Let him go. Now.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Think you’re going to kill me with that toy, little wolf?” Arys snickered. “Damn you O’Brien women are feisty creatures.”
Her response was to shove the gun barrel even harder against his temple. “Maybe it will kill you. Maybe it will just blow your brains all over the pavement and leave you with a gaping hole in your head. How bad do you want to find out?”
The commotion died down as everyone paused to watch this play out. Juliet was so much like me sometimes. What a pain in the ass.
“Do whatever you have to do,” Arys said, seemingly unaffected by the weapon pressed to his skull. “Just know that by hurting me, you’ll hurt Alexa. And haven’t you already done enough of that?”
“Shut the fuck up,” Juliet barked, but her wild wolf gaze landed on me. She took in the sight of me atop Hunter. “Alexa, get off of him. Slowly. Don’t try anything.”
Coming to the rescue of Briggs was one thing. He was her superior and her lover. I got it. But Hunter? Hell no. He was mine.
“Too bad,” I said to Hunter. “And I wanted to play with you a little longer. I guess we’ll have to finish this fast.” To Juliet I said, “You’re really showing what an amateur you are right now. The only reason any of this happened is because you can’t keep your mouth shut.”
“I’m loyal to the FPA, Alexa. It was my job to give up that information. I’m sorry. I never thought it would go down like this. There’s no reason for anyone else to get hurt.”
Every word out of her mouth pissed me off. She had betrayed me, proven that she was not someone I could ever trust again. It hurt. Like a knife in my back, the sting of her betrayal burned.
“If you pull that trigger, Juliet, I will make Briggs take Hunter’s place here. And I will force you to watch while I make him beg like an animal.” It was a vicious threat, a truly ugly thing to say. And I meant every damn word.
It was a standoff. Juliet held her gun steady on Arys while we all waited for her to react to my threat.
Disgust marred her pretty face. She stared at me as if seeing a stranger in my place. I knew the feeling.
Her attention was so focused on me that she never realized there was a vampire slipping through the shadows in the parking lot, coming ever closer to her. I was aware of Kale’s sugary sweet energy as he blended into the dark that fell beyond the streetlight’s glow. He must have come out the back exit behind the building.
He emerged directly behind her. A few agents shouted a warning, but he was too fast. In a blur of motion, Kale grabbed Juliet’s gun arm and twisted it behind her back. The gun went off, firing a bullet into the ground beside them.
Briggs tried to take advantage of the moment to escape Arys’s hold. It didn’t work. He only succeeded in being forced to his knees. Arys didn’t stop there. He forced Briggs all the way down, pressing his face into the gritty pavement.
Kale met my eyes with a grin. “Alexa, I believe you were in the middle of something.”
Juliet struggled against him. He held her easily. She should have known better. Vampires love a struggle. She was only going to succeed in feeding his hunger.
“Yes, I was, wasn’t I?” I smiled. Everyone’s full attention was upon Hunter and me. He was afraid again. My seductive hold had slipped during Juliet’s brief stunt. That was fine. Fear worked just as well, maybe even better in this case.
“Don’t do it, Lexi,” Juliet pleaded. “Please, don’t. I know you’re better than that.”
“That’s just the thing, Juliet,” I replied, meeting her wolf eyes with my own. “You don’t know me at all. And I don’t know you. Maybe I never did.”
Hunter stared up at me with eyes wide with terror. Arys and Kale both watched me with eager expectation. They wanted to watch this happen. Having them there, anticipating the moment when I would spill Hunter’s blood, it drove me. Raising a clawed hand, I brought it down in one fell swoop. My claws tore through Hunter’s throat, and blood spattered my face. The blood gushed forth to puddle beneath his head.
I brought a hand to my mouth and dragged my tongue over my bloody fingers. Juliet’s hysterical cries were shrill, ear piercing. Her horror at witnessing my act of murder and retribution was understandable. She really didn’t know who I was. I myself was just beginning to find out.
Arys watched me suck a scarlet-stained finger into my mouth with obvious intrigue. Poor Kale wasn’t quite so restrained. The hunger in his enchanting eyes was palpable. I knew he wanted to join me. I could feel it. He and I made a deadly duo together.
“What do you want to do with them?” Arys nodded to Briggs at his feet and gestured to the remaining agents, most of which held their hands up in surrender.
I stood up slowly, licking the tip of a bloody claw. The rush of what I’d just done had me walking on air. I swayed as I stepped away from Hunter’s corpse, but I was as steady as I’d ever been. Empowered by the circuit of power I shared with every vampire present, I glided over to where Arys had Briggs pinned on the ground. Juliet watched me with a hateful glare.
I gestured to the tense agents awaiting a decision. “Gather your dead. Leave your weapons. And get the hell off my property.” To my vampires I added, “Hold these two until everyone else is in the vans. No more death tonight. Get Briggs on his feet.”
Arys jerked Briggs up, forcing a pained sound from him. He held the agent’s arms behind his back in a grip that I knew had to hurt more than Briggs let on.
“Don’t think for a second that letting me live will keep you alive,” Briggs spat. Rage filled his brown eyes. It was nice to see a real emotion on the usually strong and calm Fed.
I stood close enough to Briggs to smell his cologne along with his deliciously human scent. “I know you think you’ve got everything figured out, but you don’t. I’m not just Shya’s sacrifice. I’m not only a werewolf with vampire power. I am a Hound of God. A wolf called to battle evil. Do your research. Learn your shit. And stay the hell out of my way. Your misguided efforts are interfering with a greater plan. The death of your people is on you. Come for me again, and I will kill you, but not nearly as fast as I killed Hunter.”
Fury poured from Briggs. It tickled my senses, taunting my bloodlust. I was starting to understand what Arys meant when he said my anger turned him on.
“Evil battling evil. I find that hard to believe,” Briggs seethed. “You are a killer, O’Brien. Plain and simple. Warring with Shya doesn’t change that.”
I reached out but didn’t quite touch him. Instead I touched his aura, running my fingers through it with intent. He responded as I’d hoped. A shudder racked him as he found pleasure in my metaphysical caress. It was just too easy.
“There isn’t a person present here who doesn’t have blood on their hands. Get off your high horse, Agent Briggs. You’re a dirty Fed with an immoral agenda. I wouldn’t doubt that your kill count is much higher than mine.” I pulled on his energy before pushing it back with a hint of my influence, just enough to coax a groan from him. “I’ve seen the FPA basement. There are human beings suffering down there.”
All at once I dropped the metaphysical contact and stepped back. My tone dripped venom when I said, “I never claimed to be perfect. You need to stop pretending you are. I’m not the enemy, and I will not be treated like one. The next time you get it into your head that I’m the problem, remember that I let you go. I won’t do it again.”
A low growl drew my attention to Juliet. She was all fangs and wolf eyes, snarling at me like a rabid beast. “You’re a monster,” she declared, like it was news.
“We’re all fucking monsters, Agent O’Brien.” I threw down the gauntlet with the use of her government title. There was nothing personal left between us. “Some of us have just accepted it. Unfortunately, those who deny their dark nature the most tend to be the worst offenders.”
Neither she nor Briggs uttered another word. We released them, and they promptly climbed into the waiting vans. As I watched them drive away, I couldn’t help but wonder when the FPA had become a bigger pain in the ass than Shya. This wasn’t over. I knew it undoubtedly.
“That went well,” I sighed.
“You know you’re going to have to kill him someday,” Arys said. “Briggs. He won’t ever let up on you.”
“Let’s not go there tonight. I don’t want to think about it.” I joined Jez in picking up the abandoned FPA weaponry. It had to be safely stored somewhere, maybe in the storage closet beside the men’s washroom.
A pounding bass beat preceded the slick black Dodge Challenger that pulled into the parking lot. It jerked to a stop beside me and a tall, burly werewolf stepped out. He was built like a rock. I wouldn’t doubt he could bench press me with one arm. A bandana was tied around his head of short, dark hair. His short-sleeved shirt showed off a variety of tattoos. It was the pack’s moon tattoo on his neck that told me all I needed to know.
His gaze took in each of my companions in turn before settling on me. Deep brown eyes took note of the blood on my hands and face. It got no reaction from him.
“You’re Alexa?” He asked, continuing without waiting for an answer. “I’m Owen, Dayne’s enforcer. He sent me to give you this.” He handed me a small, sealed envelope. Inside was a Doghead business card with an address scribbled on the back. “He didn’t want to send it via phone in case of FPA tracking.”
“Smart,” I remarked, making a mental note to pick up a burner phone or two. “They are very much on top of tech tracking. Is there a specific time he’d like this to happen?”
“The sooner the better. He wants me to shadow you. I’ll keep my distance. You won’t even see me.”
I pursed my lips and studied him. I wasn’t an idiot. Clearly Dayne had sent his enforcer to ensure I really did the job I said I’d do without screwing him over somehow.
“Fine,” I agreed, handing an armful of guns to Willow. “We might as well get this over with. I don’t have a lot of time to spare.”
Arys broke in then, just as expected. I had to stifle a smile. “I’m coming with you,” he said, a stubborn edge to his tone.
“I need you here,” I said aloud but inside his head I said, ‘You know we can’t be alone together right now. It’s not worth arguing about.’
A muscle twitched in Arys’s jaw. His unease echoed through me. “I’ll stay, but you have to take someone with you.”
Jez and Willow both volunteered. Neither of them were right for this kill. Jez was still bouncing back from the other night, and Willow had no place helping me kill a werewolf who was unknown to him.
“Could you excuse me for just a moment?” I gave Owen a smile that I hoped was both secretive and friendly. Holding up my bloody hands, I turned toward the lively nightclub. “I just need to get washed up. I’d invite you in but werewolves tend to draw the wrong attention here.”
“No worries. I’ll wait out here.” Owen headed back to his car and watched us go.
Discussing who was the safest choice to accompany me was not something I wanted to do in front of a stranger. The Doghead pack expected me to earn their trust. I expected the same from them.
Jez followed me to the ladies room where she hassled me while I washed up. The washroom was loud, filled with women doing everything from gossiping to makeup touch ups. A few of them were wary of my presence, but I wasn’t the one feasting on them in a back hall bedroom. Yet. So for the most part, they ignored us.
“Come on, Lex. We make a great team. I need a good hunt to feel like myself again.” She took the opportunity to reapply her bright red lipstick. Her watchful cat gaze kept darting to me in the mirror.
“If the situation were different I would take you in a heartbeat, Jez. But I think I need a vampire to back me on this one.” I washed my face and hands, watching Agent Hunter’s blood run down the drain. In a matter of seconds, the evidence of what I’d done was gone.
“A vampire?” She scoffed. “Not Kale I hope. You make each other crazy.”
“Thanks for the update. I wasn’t aware.” With a wet paper towel, I cleaned up a smear of eyeliner. Then I balled up the paper towel and tossed it at Jez, who saw it coming in the mirror and deflected it expertly without ruining her lipstick.
“So what do you want me to do?” She asked, popping the lid back onto her lipstick. “Don’t send me home. I can’t sit there feeling useless. I could slip.”
“No slipping.” I gave her arm a warm squeeze. “You’re going to beat this now before it has a chance to become something bigger than it already is. Stay here with Kale and Willow. I won’t be long.”
Jez pouted, turning those fabulous full lips on me as if she’d practiced the expression a thousand times. “If any vampires take a run at me, I’m plucking out eyeballs.”
“You have my permission to pluck all the eyeballs your little heart desires.” It was impossible to keep from laughing.
“I’d rather hunt a narc werewolf. You get to have all the fun.”
When we returned from the washroom, Arys had made up his mind. “I don’t like the idea of you killing for the wolves. However, I know that’s your territory, and I have no right to argue that choice. But I want you to take Jenner with you.”
Jenner didn’t appear surprised. He had already heard this. I waited for his protest, but it never came.
“Really?” Disbelief colored the word. “All right. I suppose that makes sense.” It did. Both Kale and Arys were too dangerous to be alone with in a situation that involved blood and death. Would it ever be like that with Jenner? God I hoped not. Once I turned, this kind of thing would stop. Wouldn’t it?
“I’ll stay here in case the FPA sends anyone back. Switch phones with me in case they try to track yours. My phone isn’t under a real name. They shouldn’t have it on their radar.” Arys pressed his phone into my hand. Then he pulled me close for a kiss that was both longing and frustrated.
I shot a glance to where Kale fended off admirers across the room. “No getting into it with him. Promise me.”
Arys rolled his eyes and kissed me again. “You ask a lot sometimes, you know.”