Blood From a Silver Cross (Kat Redding) (12 page)

“I have helped you,” he said, voice dead and lifeless. It was so void of emotion, it actually caused me to shudder.

“You have,” I said. “But you’ve also gotten in my way. I think we’re even.”

“I have given you much and you have not attempted to once return the favor.”

“And how do you expect me to do that?”

A faint smile lit the corner of his mouth before fading away to nothing. “How else? You have something I want.”

I clamped down hard on my teeth. I didn’t want to antagonize the guy any more than usual, but Christ, how many times did we have to go through this?

“I’m not going to be your mate,” I said, voice low and dangerous.

“We don’t have to start there,” he said. “You could move in here. I have rooms set aside for you. You can bring anyone you please to stay with you. I will give you an entire wing if that is what it will take to bring you to me.”

Flashes of red dotted my vision. “I’m not going to move in with you, either.”

“It is only a matter of time until you’ll have no choice.”

I took a step forward. “Is that some sort of threat?”

Adrian’s eyebrow twitched in what I took to be amusement. It’s hard to tell with him.

“Call it an observation,” he said. “You have become a lightning rod for danger. You cannot help but become overwhelmed. If you remain as you are, separate from everyone who cares for you, you will not survive for much longer.”

I laughed. “You don’t care for me,” I said. “You just want the strength I can bring you.”

He shrugged, seemingly indifferent. “That is caring in its own way.” He turned back to look out the window. “I will see you soon.”

As much as I wanted to kick him square on the ass and shove him out the window, I turned and walked away. I doubted I could do it anyway, thanks to the Oath. I had yet to try anything, but eventually, I was almost positive I would. He was too aggravating not to.

I stormed out of the room, past the surprised wolves, and showed myself out. Davin was thankfully nowhere in sight. I wasn’t so sure I could keep myself from punching him simply for the satisfaction of hearing his nose break.

I checked to make sure the briefcase was where I’d left it and then mounted my bike. I glanced back toward the window, but Adrian was no longer there. I started up the Honda and sped out of his paved driveway, wanting to put as much distance between us as possible.

But no matter how far I went, I knew I’d still feel him there. The Oath would make sure of that. As long as we were bound, Adrian and I would be connected.

Someday, I’d find a way to break free of him. And when I did, I wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet between his eyes.

T
he television was on, but I wasn’t watching it. I sat on my bed, staring forward, and seeing nothing. The blinds were closed to the sun that was nearly down. It would be night soon.

Monday night.

It had been weeks since Baset had a name for me, yet I knew that when I went to the contact spot, she’d have one for me now. I didn’t have time to deal with being her assassin. It would only make things harder, add one more item to my already full plate.

I could feel the old frustrations building and was trying hard to suppress them. Now wasn’t the time to break down. I’d been doing so well lately, to revert to the always pissed-off vampire I’d once been would only serve to make things far harder than they needed to be. I needed a clear head.

I wished I could simply skip tonight and not worry about it until I took care of the Left Hand. But I knew I couldn’t. If I didn’t show, someone would get hurt. If I picked up the name and took my time taking care of it, someone would get hurt. If I did exactly what Baset wanted, someone would get hurt—only this time, the someone wouldn’t be one of my friends.

A light knock came at my door. I clicked the TV off and leaned back against the wall. I already felt exhausted and had yet to do anything.

“Come in,” I called.

The door opened and Jeremy stepped quietly inside. He closed the door behind him and then turned to face me, his expression serious.

“Ethan’s still asleep,” he said.

I waited for him to go on, but he seemed content to simply stare. I was already dressed, so it wasn’t like I was sitting around in a revealing outfit. He was fidgeting with his phone, turning it slowly around in circles in his hand. The sight of that phone had my nerves pinging all over the place.

“Has something happened at the Den?” I asked, sitting up straighter. It would be just my luck to have another body pop up just as I was heading to deal with Baset’s man.

Jeremy glanced down at his phone. He gave a nervous laugh and then shoved it into his pocket. He showed me his empty hand. “No,” he said. “I just needed something to do with my hand. I don’t smoke, so . . .” He shrugged.

“I see.”

Jeremy ran his fingers through his hair and then looked toward the covered window. He appeared agitated, which only heightened my own nerves. If he didn’t say anything soon, I think I might have been the one to explode.

“Out with it,” I said. “What’s going on?”

“Tonight’s Monday,” he said. He took a few quick steps forward and then stopped like he hit an invisible wall.

I scooted over and motioned for him to sit. He hesitated, seemingly unsure about sharing a bed with me, even if we were both fully dressed and sitting apart, but eventually came over and sat down. The bed sagged with his weight.

“And?” I asked as soon as he was seated. No one knew about my deal with Baset except for Jonathan. Had he told Jeremy at some point? If he had, I was going to have to break something. That was my business and I didn’t want anyone else involved.

“And I want to come.”

“Why?”

“I think I can be of some help.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. Jeremy bit his lip and looked away.

“What do you know?”

He cleared his throat and suddenly looked like he wanted to be anywhere else. “I know that every Monday you leave. When you come back, you sometimes have a target for a hunt. I don’t know how you get it, but I do know you don’t like it.” He took a deep breath. “And I think if you had someone else to lean on, then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.”

I studied him in an attempt to see if he knew more than he was letting on. I didn’t want anyone else to know I was being forced into being Baset’s assassin. For one, it could get him into some serious trouble. For another, it was as embarrassing as hell.

“It’s too dangerous,” I said. “I can’t risk you.”

His jaw clenched. “I’m not fragile. I want to be of some help.”

“You are helping.”

“How?” He turned violently to face me. “By sitting around here and waiting for someone to call? By baby-sitting someone who could probably take care of himself without me? What good is that really doing?”

“Jeremy,” I said, my heart going out to the kid, “you are helping.”

“I thought I could be content,” he said with a frustrated sigh. “I thought that being needed would keep me going, but it doesn’t help. I see you risk your life nearly every damn night while I sit here on my ass where it’s safe. I can’t live like this. I really thought I could, but I can’t.”

I thought back to our drinks at the bar and wondered what had changed since then. I thought he was going to be okay, that he was past his inferior feelings, but it appeared I’d been wrong. Was I really that bad of a judge of people not to have seen his frustration welling? It was clear he’d been thinking about it for a long time.

“I’m sorry,” I said, wishing I could say something else. “I need you here tonight.”

He looked like he wanted to argue, but instead nodded. He looked down at his hand and smiled weakly. “I figured you’d say that,” he said. “I thought I’d at least give it a try.” He took a deep breath and looked me in the eye. “Just promise me that you won’t leave me here forever. Tell me that one day you’ll trust me enough to take me with you.”

That one hurt. The sudden pang surprised me and I very nearly reached out to touch his arm to comfort him.

“I trust you now,” I said. “That’s why I’m willing to leave you here with Ethan when I wouldn’t do the same with anyone else.”

He nodded again and stood. “Yeah,” he said. “I guess.” He started for the door, shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Jeremy,” I said.

He stopped and glanced back at me. There was a glimmer of hope in his eye.

“One day, when things are a little less volatile around here, I’ll take you with me. I promise.”

He smiled and gave me yet another short nod. Then, he walked out of my room.

I felt terrible about it, but what else could I have done? If I’d shown up at the meeting spot with Jeremy in tow, Baset surely would retaliate in some way. She might decide to force him into her power, make him eat her flesh. I couldn’t risk letting him fall into her hands.

I really wished there was a way I could make Jeremy feel more useful without having to worry every second about whether or not I was going to get him killed. He’d been right when he said Ethan could take care of himself. He spent most nights locked behind bombproof doors in his lab. He didn’t need someone to baby-sit him.

Yet despite that, I felt better with Jeremy here. There was a growing number of people who knew where I lived. If just one of them decided to take me out, I’d much rather have someone here to slow them down long enough for me to get back and take care of them myself.

Or at least long enough for Ethan to get away.

And even that made me feel bad. I didn’t want Jeremy to get hurt. There seemed to be no good way to do this.

Jeremy was in his room when I finally rose and walked down the hall. Night had fallen and I was ready to get this over with. I could hear him moving around on the other side of his closed door. I considered knocking and telling him once more how important he was. Maybe if I kept telling him, he’d eventually believe me.

Then again, it might just make him feel worse. He already felt useless. Telling him anything different probably wasn’t going to help. He’d probably think I was patronizing him.

I headed downstairs for my weapons, thinking of Jeremy the whole way. I could start using him for daytime recon if he was willing to miss a few hours of sleep. Or perhaps I could send him to Mikael for me when I needed information. I was sure Mikael already knew Jeremy was here and that he was watching my house for me, so I doubted it would be a problem.

I threw my coat on over my weapons and headed out to the garage. I hadn’t seen Ethan. I didn’t even look to see if he was in his lab or still in his room.

The garage door opened and I sped out. There was still a faint light over the horizon, though it wouldn’t affect me. I was a little weaker, but it would pass by the time I got where I was going. The sun would be down by then.

I glanced back as the house dwindled. I wondered if Ethan was watching me. I hadn’t exactly been hiding the fact I’d been leaving at first dark every Monday night and that I often had the name of someone I needed to deal with when I got back. It was only a matter of time until someone figured it out. It wouldn’t have surprised me to learn both of them knew and Jeremy had been the one chosen to say something about it.

The ride to the abandoned building where I always met with Baset’s man was long and uneventful. There was an odd mix of Purebloods and supes on the streets. Many were going home after work in the hope of avoiding the violence that inevitably came at dusk. These were the late workers, the ones who risked getting attacked on the way home for a few extra bucks per hour. It was the only way some people could provide for their families these days.

Of course, there were those who reveled in the sense of danger. There would always be thrill seekers who figured they’d rather die doing something exciting than cowering in their homes like the more sensible Purebloods.

There was definitely something in the air tonight. There was a fear, a nervousness that had never been there before. Just looking at someone, I couldn’t tell for certain if they were a supe or a Pureblood, not unless they shifted or did something that proved them to be one or the other. But the more I looked, the more I noticed small groups of people who made me think of werewolves or vampires. They were huddled together as if afraid to be alone.

The Left Hand had definitely made its mark. People were scared. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out that all of the counts and countesses were hiding away in their mansions, sending lackeys in their stead for things they normally would do on their own. Just because they had power, didn’t mean they were invincible.

I pulled up in front of the abandoned building, a sense of foreboding settling over me. While I hadn’t been attacked here, one of Baset’s wolves had been. I’d found his body inside, blood pooled on the floor. As far as I knew, there could be more bodies inside even now.

I remained seated on the Honda and waited. Baset’s second, Henri, was usually the one who met me here when there was a name. When there wasn’t, someone else would appear, shake his head, and then walk away. I was hoping for the latter.

A shadow shifted in the alley between buildings and my heart sank. Henri stepped out, eyes hard and angry. He strode over to me and reached into his coat. He removed an envelope and handed it to me.

“You have one week,” he said, spilling his hot, rancid breath over me.

I cringed back as I took the envelope. “You should invest in some mouthwash,” I said with a grimace. I could still remember the sound of him eating Baset’s rotting flesh.

Henri smiled. “You should consider the same.”

I tucked the envelope into my coat and looked away to hide my embarrassment. I’d totally forgotten about Ethan’s concoction. The awful taste was still there, but I guess I’d gotten used to it.

“Who is it this time?” I asked.

“Someone who needs to die.”

“But why?”

He shrugged. “Because Countess Baset wishes it so.”

“You know, I do like to know who I’m killing.” I sounded sulky. “It seems only fair to give me that.”

Henri chuckled. He looked to the sky as if searching for an answer there before he shrugged again. “This man has displeased Baset. He has overstepped his bounds and
used
one of hers wrongly.” He glanced at me with a knowing grin. “If you’d heard of him before now, he would have already been on your hit list. You aren’t doing anything you wouldn’t have done on your own.”

There was a moment when I considered whipping out my gun and shooting Henri just to see what Baset would do. When I’d killed her lover, all she’d done was force me to take over Telia’s job as her assassin. Maybe she wouldn’t do much more if I did the same to Henri. I couldn’t stand the guy.

Then again, when I’d killed Telia, she’d tortured Jonathan to get my attention. I couldn’t forget about that part.

I sighed. There was no getting around it; Henri was as untouchable to me as was Adrian. To kill him would surely end with the deaths of far too many people.

I revved the Honda’s engine and prepared to leave.

“Besides,” Henri said, “you have ways to find out the information you seek. Why bother asking me?”

“It would save me a trip.”

“Would you believe what I told you?”

I didn’t have to think about it. “No,” I said, “I guess not.”

“Then there is no point to this conversation.” Henri smiled. “You have one week. I will be here Monday with your payment, one way or the other.”

I knew it was a threat as well as a promise. If I didn’t deliver, Baset would kill someone I cared about.

“I’ll be here,” I said.

Henri only smiled before walking away.

I waited until I could no longer see him before I removed the envelope from my coat. I tore it open and looked at the name on the slip of paper, half afraid it would be a name I recognized.

Thankfully, it was no one I knew. It would be just my luck if Baset gave me Adrian’s name or perhaps Nathan’s. While I might enjoy killing the first, there was no way it was happening while I was bound to him by the Oath. And for as much as I didn’t like Nathan, I didn’t want him to die either. Jonathan would never forgive me for that.

I shoved the name into my pocket and rode away. I’d have to take care of it soon enough, but first, there was something else I needed to do.