Hunting Evil (8 page)

Looking decidedly uncomfortable, York stepped forward and stretched out beside her. “I failed you. I thought I’d killed him, but you were bleeding, and I knew if we didn’t hurry and turn you, it would be too late.”

Lauren closed her eyes and sank back into the pillow. She wasn’t angry with York, but to know Armand was still out there, probably licking his wounds in some five-star resort, would eat at her until she found him again. “It’ll take him several weeks to recover, depending on his injuries.”

York laid his head on Lauren’s pillow. “No one should have been able to recover from the wounds I inflicted.”

“Believe me, I shouldn’t have been able to survive the injuries I sustained at Armand’s hands either. There aren’t many shifters in the world, so those of us who are left have been granted the gift of surviving almost anything.” Lauren ruffled Vince’s hair. “What about the police?”

Vince rolled to his side. He looked from York back to her. “I lied to them. I don’t feel good about it, but you were right, cops don’t stand a chance against Armand. I called Bently after we made sure you would be okay and told him one of the BVA officers had made it to the scene first. I asked him to check with them, but because Armand was a shifter, I believed the BVA had domain over the body.”

“And Bently bought it?” she questioned.

“Sure, once Kade Black called the Commissioner.” Vince grasped her hand and lifted it to his lips. “I’ve been asked to join the Bureau of Vampire Affairs as an investigator. I haven’t taken the job, because I wanted to talk it over with you first.”

“As part of the Rogue Hunters team?”

“Yes, they want
you
, too. Not just as a contractor but full-time.”

“But you have to be…” It suddenly dawned on her. Her hand went to her throat. “Did you?”

“Kind of. There was no other way. The wounds to your neck were too extensive.” Vince looked down at their joined hands. “I’m sorry. We took a chance with your life and you weren’t even coherent enough to agree, but there was no time for me to learn, so York and I did it together.”

Still holding Vince’s hand, Lauren reached for York. “You both?” She shook her head. “What does this mean?”

York shrugged. “We don’t know yet, but there was no time to question it.”

She felt her face for the first time. “Is that why York thinks these will heal?”

“Yes. The old scars will remain, but the new wounds already seem to be fading,” Vince told her.

“How long have I been out?” Lauren looked around the room, eyes coming to rest on Drone. The last she knew, the six-foot-six, African-American version of Mr. Clean had been in Portugal.

York answered for Vince. “Two days. We’re not sure if it took longer because of the shifter genes or the extent of the damage Armand inflicted.”

“But I’m okay now? I’m like all of you?” Lauren knew it was crazy, but she was happy with her newfound self. She’d finally belong with a group of people, the most important of whom were pressed close on either side of her.

“We’re not sure yet of your abilities. As far as we know, there hasn’t been another case of a shifter being turned. The Bureau is looking through the archives in case problems arise.” York stretched out beside Lauren, bracketing her between her two sires.

Lauren sighed. It felt right but odd at the same time. Although she felt a bone-deep connection with York, her heart still belonged to Vince. “I’ve never heard of someone having two sires, but I feel as though if either of you died, so would I.”

Vince brushed his palm down Lauren’s cheek. “York and I have come to an understanding about his place in your life and in our bed.”

“And that is?” Lauren asked, interested in what the two men had come up with.

“He’ll be welcomed as long as you want him here.” Vince looked from Lauren to each of the men in the room before answering. “As far as the rest of our new team, if they agree to protect you with their lives, they can still have access to your body if that’s what you want.”

Lauren nodded. “That’s exactly what I want.”

Vince’s gaze narrowed. “Don’t get any strange ideas in that pretty head of yours though because York is the only one who’ll be allowed to sleep in our bed.”

Lauren giggled and reached down to rub the front of Vince’s jeans. “I take it the two of you fucked while I was out.”

Vince glanced at York. “Regularly, but that’s not the point. If we’re going to work as a team, we’ll need to live as a team.”

“Music to my ears.” Lauren sat up and beckoned Drone and Benson over. It had been weeks since she’d seen or spoken to either man. “I’ve missed you two.”

Benson joined Lauren, York and Vince on the bed without qualms, but Drone held back. “You, too,” she encouraged, holding out her hand to Drone.

“It’s a special time,” Drone said, shaking his head.

“And you are special to her, to us,” Vince replied, urging Drone to join them.

“But you said—”

“That York was the only one to
sleep
in our bed,” Vince finished Drone’s sentence. “That’s true, but this bed is only big enough for three to sleep comfortably. I didn’t say you couldn’t join us while we’re awake.”

Lauren pushed down the covers as she tried to figure out exactly what had happened to Vince while she’d been asleep. Moving up to rest her back against the headboard, she decided to test Vince further by opening her legs and inviting Benson closer.

After a quick glance in Vince’s direction, Benson settled his shoulders between Lauren’s spread thighs and buried his face against her pussy. Benson’s attentions had always been about more than physical pleasure. Each flick of his tongue was a profession of his loyalty.

“I know you’ve missed me.” Lauren threaded her fingers through Benson’s long blond hair as he continued to eat her pussy.

Lauren turned her attention to Drone. “See? Nothing’s truly changed between us. We still need you.”

York moved over to lie beside Vince, giving Drone a portion of the mattress beside Lauren.

“Thank you,” Lauren mouthed to York.

York grinned and wrapped his arms around Vince. “No problem, I’ll bide my time while you reacquaint yourself with Benson and Drone.”

Vince turned his head and shared a deep kiss with York. Lauren thrust against Benson’s tongue. She thought she must be the luckiest woman in the world. When Drone’s mouth latched onto her breast, she knew she was.

A cell phone on the bedside table began to ring, stilling all of them. Lauren knew that particular ringtone belonged to Kade Black, head of vampire military for the BVA.

As York broke the kiss with Vince and scrambled to get the phone, Benson withdrew his tongue from Lauren’s pussy and sat up.

Kade rarely phoned unless it was a life or death situation that needed the team’s immediate attention.

“Yes, sir,” York answered. The muscles in his back tightened as he listened. “How did you get his phone?”

Lauren reached for Vince’s hand. Was the call about Armand? Had they discovered his location already? And if not Armand, than who? Although she’d helped the Rogue Hunters on jobs in the past, her role had always been limited to gathering information on the vampires they searched for. A feeling of power surged through her. She was one of them now, and with everlasting life came the responsibility of policing the others of her new race. She’d never stop hunting her father, but she refused to spend her new life obsessing over him, too.

After all, there were rogue vampires to catch and four men who would spend centuries protecting her. It was a pretty damn good life, despite the way it had started out.

York bounded off the bed and started to pace. “Leave it to us,” he said before ending the call.

He turned to face the bed. “Kade Black was taken hostage early this morning by Rousseau’s army of feral savages. Most of the Black Guard were decimated during the ambush, but Kade managed to pass his phone to one of his most trusted men with instructions to call me.”

“What could Rousseau hope to gain? He’s the wealthiest vampire on the planet.” Benson rose and went to stand next to York.

“Sovereignty. He wants the BVA out of Louisiana for good,” York explained. “Rousseau has given the BVA High Council until Monday at dawn to sign the decree or he’ll kill Black at sunrise.”

“What about Armand?” Vince asked.

“Without Black, the military will collapse. They follow him for a reason,” York explained.

“It’s okay.” Lauren straddled Vince’s lap. “It’ll take Armand a few weeks before he’s strong enough to take another life. We need to handle Rousseau first. Then we can concentrate on tracking and killing my father.”

Vince grabbed Lauren’s ass and resettled her over his cock, impaling her in one bold thrust. “You’ve just completed your transition. You should stay here and gather your strength.”

With her hands on Vince’s broad shoulders, Lauren rose up before sinking back down. “I’m a member of this team now, so I’ll go with the rest of you.”

York moved to kneel behind Lauren. With his hands on her breasts, he pressed his cock against her asshole until it slid inside. “We’re stronger together. Armand will be dealt with, even if we have to call in Black after we get him away from Rousseau.”

Lauren had never met Kade Black, but she’d heard stories about him since she’d first joined with Drone, York and Benson. Evidently, Kade was the fiercest warrior the vampire race had ever created. She wondered how Rousseau and his men could contain such a legend.

“Yes,” Drone agreed, stretching out next to Vince. He held his cock up and invited Benson between his legs. “We are stronger together.”

“Forever,” Lauren added.

About the Author

An avid reader for years, one day Carol Lynne decided to write her own brand of erotic romance. Carol juggles life as a full-time mom and a full-time writer. These days, you can usually find her either cleaning jelly out of the carpet or nestled in her favorite chair writing steamy love scenes.

Carol loves to talk to her readers and can be found at www.Carol-Lynne.net.

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