Blade on the Hunt (18 page)

Once there, she spoke. “I won’t keep you long. I just wanted to check in with you about Theo.”

He outlined the situation at the Keep, first updating her about Theo and then the leak.

“I think it’s an old family. I think it’s a trusted family. I also think you know both those things. I can’t say more at this time. I will share what I can when I am able.” Recht’s expression said he wished things were otherwise.

Which meant he was constrained by some Vampire bullshit on what he could tell her. And since he was ranked even higher than Warren and Clive on this hunt, there was only one other being who had the power to deny her information.

“Gah. That manipulative asshole.” Theo was still pulling the fucking strings. On the verge of madness and he was keeping her where he wanted. “He’s conscious what? Three hours a day? And yet he’s got time to tell you not to share things with me. This is dumb. I know you won’t violate his edict and I understand. But I’m caught. I can’t call him out. He’s not well. It could make things worse. And he knows it.”

“On the bright side it means he’s getting better. He couldn’t plan at this level otherwise.”

“Are you kidding me with that? Why does he fuck with my head this way? It’s totally unnecessary.”

Recht smiled. “Little goddess, he wants you to need him. He’s your father. This is what fathers do. Granted, yours can take things to levels far above and beyond what most fathers do. But he’s exceptional in every other way as well.”

Was that it? He
was
like an alien sometimes—okay all the time. And he was shady as fuck in many, many ways. But then she’d see his madness through someone else’s eyes and realize she might sometimes miss nuances about Theo and his relationship with her.

He did love her. In his way, in whatever sense he connected her to his deep affection compared to everyone and everything else. It was terrifying and yet, she’d missed that while they’d been estranged.

It would likely always be complicated between them. Fraught. They would bicker. But she no longer liked the idea of not having him in her life. In some way. She was quite glad he lived on an entirely different continent so he couldn’t just drop by.

She sighed. “He’s crafty. One of these days I’m going to outmaneuver him.”

Recht found that hilarious. “Not a chance.” He headed back upstairs and she followed after making sure the security system was armed and all was locked down.

She filled a plate and settled at the table next to Clive. He handed her a glass of wine and then clinked his to it. “Eat and then talk.”

He’d gotten even bossier with her since she put his ring on. It was annoying when he poked at her to sleep and eat and that sort of thing.

But she might have also liked it. Maybe it was nice to be cared about by a man like Clive. A super uptight control freak millionaire Vampire who gave her weapons more often than pretty panties. That wasn’t such a bad bargain really.

“Fine,” she snarled as she put some more shrimp on her plate. He made that cute stuffy British sound but he had a smile at the corner of his mouth.

They were so dumb.

She’d been stupid back when she was sixteen and lost her cherry to one of Theo’s guard. Who then told her the sordid truth of who’d killed her birth parents. Spoiler alert: it was Theo.

But lots of sixteen year olds did stupid things. Aside from the bomb he’d dropped into her life, she’d headed off on a path that had been necessary to who she was right at that moment. Who she had to be.

But she was dumb with Clive. Dumb with love. He made her think about maybe one day considering making those noises people used around kittens and babies.

She should be horrified and ashamed of this entire mental dialog but the problem with love was that you found stuff like getting a handgun tucked in a high end handbag really nice. Maybe even romantic because it was thoughtful.

She’d probably been colonized by an alien pod or something.

“I have no idea what you’re thinking about, but you’re going to have to tell me later,” Clive murmured.

Ignoring him—okay not really, she found him sort of adorable—she tried some of the greens with red peppers and moaned. “So good.”

Donna beamed, happy with the praise for her cooking. “You should live here full time. You can eat at my table every night if you want.”

Rowan warmed. Yes, she would be welcome at their house any time. That was nice. Like family, only appropriately weird.

Ack. She was getting so goopy.

“I could. Stay out late, get up late. Eat. Nap. Eat. Go out. Sleep. Yes, that’s a nice life.” She finished her wine as no one in the room bothered to believe that she’d actually retire and relax.

“All right. Let me tell you how today went.”

Chapter Eighteen

Right as she slid her blade into the sheath at her back, her phone rang. A look told her it was Susan.

“I need to take this.” Rowan excused herself, going up the stairs and into her room.

“That was quite the meeting,” Susan said by way of greeting.

“Right? I’m never attending a meeting with Roth again.” Being dead meant you couldn’t go to meetings, though Rowan bet if he could, Roth would. Suck ups like him loved tedium.

“I’m not sure that’s a promise you can keep. He’s trying to stir even more trouble right now.”

“I warned him not to come for me. I hope he’s got his affairs in order.” Rowan told Susan about the information her investigator dug up. “This time I’m handling this like Rowan, not a hunter he works with. He and Hilary are up to something. One or both of them either are the leak or they know who it is. They need to be investigated.”

“This all takes time. Celesse and I are working on it at this end. When you’re done, come to London and we can deal with every last bit of nonsense once and for all.”

Being told to be patient rankled. It was normal Hunter Corp. politics sure, but this was far more serious than the usual petty bullshit she regularly ignored so she could tolerate it and not stab anyone.

“I dropped by the HC villa and it’s being watched. This needs to be addressed right now. It can’t wait until this is over.”

“Rex brought it up, opening an investigation. Celesse seconded. Roth volunteered to head it. I said no. There was more fighting.” She paused and Rowan sighed.

“Say it.”

“They’ve tabled it until you come to London to present evidence. He managed to sway enough people. Said he’d only checked in before the meeting to brief himself on what you were up to. They don’t know about the threat to David, remember?”

“Are you kidding me? They know plenty about everything else. I’m here now, in danger
because
of this leak. The person who has already interfered and endangered me on multiple occasions is far more knowledgeable about my location than any of you have ever been. I normally handle my own travel arrangements. And when I don’t that’s the time he’s suddenly so fascinated with my itinerary? It’s just a coincidence? This is the loyalty I’m going to be shown? I’m here for Hunter Corp. taking out the garbage yet again and the safety of me and the other hunters in the field is not important enough?”

“I don’t like the tone in your voice, Rowan. Don’t be rash. There is absolutely no reason to believe we won’t win on this. You’ll come and we’ll put down this ridiculous uprising.”

“I’m not being rash. I’m finally just facing the truth. I have some killing to do. And then I’m coming to London. And I won’t be sparing anyone’s feelings.”

“I wish things were different. I wish we had more ability to sway them. The information you gave me is quite powerful. I’m sorry.”

“Scrub it for anything that might identify a source’s identity. If you can do that and protect my people, you have my permission to share it with them. The relevant bits anyway.”

“All right. Hilary seems to have gotten a few more partners behind her. This Vampire you’re hunting has made your job more complicated.”

“Sure, but that’s her job. It’s not the job of the other full partners to do it too. I have to go.”

“You know Rex and I support you totally, don’t you?”

Rowan’s anger softened at the alarm in Susan’s tone. She and Rex were Rowan’s family. She trusted them both with her life. She understood what internal Hunter Corp. politics were like.

“I’ve never doubted it.”

“Excellent answer. All right, sweetheart. Go kill that nasty creature. When you get here we’ll have dinner and you can bring Clive as well.”

“Yeah, about that. I have a lot to share but I can’t get into it now.” Rowan looked at her hand, the amber threads in the ring catching the light.

“Did he hurt you?”

Despite all her worried, that made her smile. “He didn’t. It’s good news, not bad.”

“All right. Do be careful. We love you.”

“I love you too,” Rowan said and then disconnected the call.

She turned around, knowing Clive had come in. “I take it you heard all that.”

He nodded. “I’ve already said how displeased I am with the way they treat you so I won’t repeat that.”

“You totally just did.”

He fought a smile and she rolled her eyes.

“You’re powerless when faced with an I told you so, Clive. It’s part of your make up. You’re driven to say it.”

He stalked over and hauled her close with a snarl, kissing her senseless.

He finally broke away, setting her back from him. “I don’t like you put into jeopardy again and again because the very organization you’re serving is actively trying to derail you. And it doesn’t help that those doing it seem to want to wipe my kind from the planet.”

“As if. See, the problem is, they’re dangerous because they lack any real intelligence when it comes to how to deal with the results of their little revolution. I’m sure as hell not letting any cabal, not of Vampires, sorcerers or hunters, go genociding around. But I can’t do this right now. I need my head on the plan. Let’s go. One major threat at a time.”

* * *

He took her upper arms, pulling her close again, locking his gaze with hers. “I will not allow anyone to harm you.”

Six months ago she’d have bloodied his nose for this sort of touch. Maybe. They also could have ended up fucking against a piece of furniture. She really was perfect for him.

She had already been protecting
him
for months. Spent her entire life protecting other people, but it was more because it was Rowan caring for Clive. And that she was being attacked by those within Hunter Corp. made his blood boil. She was his to keep safe in ways they couldn’t possibly have understood.

But they would. They underestimated Rowan but they had no context to what he was going to do with those threatening his woman.

“I can protect myself.” Her voice was a whisper. He saw the fear in her gaze. The worry that this would turn emotional.

“You can. And you do.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “And the fact remains. I won’t allow this to go unanswered.”

“This is what happens when you have a Vampire boyfriend,” she muttered.

“I’m not your boyfriend. I’m your mate. Your husband. Now that you’re delightfully cranky again, let’s go.”

“Husband?” Her sigh was theatrical and it made him laugh as he followed her out. She called back over her shoulder as she headed down the stairs. “The only thing good about this whole trip is that I get to do crime. That’s it.”

He waited until they’d reached the bottom before taking her hand. And in full view of everyone gathered there, he kissed her knuckles. “After you get your fill of stabbing and killing I’ll take you for gelato.”

But she didn’t get mad. Surprised delight scattered across her features for a brief moment and he resolved to bring that expression to her face as many times as he could. She needed more of that in her life.

“I know a place. Open all night. You’re paying.” Rowan pulled her hand back pretending to glower.

“I’m at your service.” He bowed deeply and she flipped him off. He pretended to be offended at her vulgarity and the spring was back in her step by the time they headed out into the night to do some crime.

Chapter Nineteen

Clive knew the Villa was one a powerful Vampire had been in recently. Had rested at least once or twice. During the daytime when they were asleep, they tended to leach magic into their surroundings. Over time it created a protective spell in that place.

It was a beautiful sort of synergy and one that convinced Clive that Vampires were as meant to be on this planet as humans. Vampires had carved out their place in the ecosystem.

He made the hand sign for empty and pointed at the villa. Rowan’s brow knitted as her anger boiled over through the alley they stood in.

“Darling, you know that that does to me,” he murmured as he moved closer.

“This is bullshit. How does she keep one step ahead all the time?”

Clive shook his head. “This is just another delay. But it won’t be a long one. Or one we won’t overcome. This is winding down to its ultimate conclusion.”

He simply knew it to his bones. Anticipation hung heavy in the air. Humid, tense, that inevitable march toward whatever was supposed to happen.

“That sounded remarkably new age.”

Said the woman sharing her existence with a millennia old deity.

“Since I’m not prone to such flights of fancy, you should take my words seriously. Let’s get closer. If it’s empty we should get in there to see if we can find anything to locate and end her once and for all.”

“Yeah. We may as well speak with the others first.”

They pulled back several canals over and met up with everyone at a tiny church courtyard. Donna unlocked the gate in the little stone fence and they went inside.

Once they did, Rowan nearly gasped at the way the spell simply tightened around them as the gate closed once more. Wards were usually sort of like a gate, this felt like being squeezed into a coat. For a moment it was a little uncomfortable, but then it wore off.

Donna said, “Let’s go inside. We can speak freely.”

It was indeed a church. The hardwood floors gleamed, smooth from generations of feet shuffling over it. They headed to the front where the altar was to gather in the pews.

“The villa is deserted,” Clive didn’t waste any time getting to the point.

“I’ve spoken with the other practitioners who came out tonight. We all agree on this point. There is a great power in that villa,” Donna said.

“That I agree with you on. But the wielders of whatever power are not there. If she were there, or whoever that old Vampire was who has been lodging there, all the Vampires here would have known it,” Clive explained.

“What you’re feeling is the residual magic Vampires leave when they rest in a place for a while,” Warren added.

Donna sighed and thought about that for a while. “You may be right. But if you’re wrong, we’d like to be on hand to help. The energy there is so strong I really don’t think they’ve been gone very long.”

Rowan agreed. “I’m convinced someone powerful was there this morning when we walked by.”

Warren cleared his throat. “All right then, Donna. How about you tell us what’s going on because this obviously has a magical component you’re not entirely forthcoming about.”

“It’s not that I’m lying.” Donna’s tone was sharp. “We’re all responsible for protecting something, eh? I’ve said all along that whatever magic is being practiced in that villa is wielded by someone who doesn’t care about the cost. Which is steep.”

Practitioners—what they called all brands of witches, sorcerers and the like—had pretty live-and-let-live attitude with one another. Even the ones who worked with blood and other darker elements Rowan tried not to think about. But all the practitioners here in Venice were universally repulsed but whatever was going on. Which made Rowan simultaneously curious and resolved to never know.

“Can we ask about it or is this a secret?” Rowan asked. She was surrounded by people keeping secrets and it annoyed her, even as she had her own.

“It’s something none of us, even those who practice the darkest of arts utilizes.”

Great.

Rowan knew that was all she’d get for the moment. Eventually she’d force the issue, but they had bigger issues to deal with just then. “All right. I tend to agree with Clive and the Vampires on this. They’re good at knowing if places are empty or not because they have that built in predator instinct and great hearing.”

“You’ll make me blush with all your flattery,” Warren said.

“I’m sure you’re just misunderstood. Anyway, Donna, get your people in place.” They’d established that none of them but Rowan’s team would enter that villa or even get within a block without her permission. “David, you’ll be with me and Recht. Clive, Alice and Warren, you three head—”

“Perhaps David should be with me and Alice can be with you.” Clive tried very hard to say it, make it sound like an imperious order but also make it sound like he was asking nicely. Only a Scion level Vamp could do it as well as Clive had.

Not that it worked. But she admired the effort. “David is with me.” She could keep an eye on him better that way.

“We know the entry points,” Clive said, without referring to the subject again, “so we’ll take the north and you the south.”

Within minutes they’d headed back out.