“Damn. You went after her? I thought I heard gunshots.”
“The soldier changed direction and attacked them on the road before they hit the highway.”
Kar winced. “Where are the rest of them?”
Lavos shook his head. He didn’t need to say they hadn’t survived or go into details. Soldiers were killers and they’d already seen what they were capable of.
“Your clothes?”
“I had to shift to run faster to get there in time.”
Kar sealed his lips, not looking happy. He glanced at Jadee then Lavos again. There was a questioning look in his eyes.
Lavos nodded. Jadee had seen him when he’d changed forms.
“Shit. This just gets better and better.”
“I’m taking her inside. Did you get the information we need?”
“Yes. Full description of the asshole who turned him. It’s not a lot to go on though. The suckhead didn’t spend much time with him or say much. No name was mentioned either.”
“It’s done?”
“Yes. His ass is ashed. I guess all those injuries he sustained helped that along, for one so new. No waiting for the sun to rise like the others.”
New soldiers left remains behind unless they were rotting faster than normal. Jadee and her bullets had probably helped Mitch get in that shape, since he hadn’t been able to feed. Full Vampires turned to ash when they died, but most soldiers needed to be weeks old.
“Give me a few minutes then we’ll talk.”
“Let’s talk now. What’s the plan?” Kar directed another glance at Jadee.
“She’s going to stay here where she’s safe. I’m going to return to where the truck is to take care of that location. I want you to get Garson. It’s time to place that call to my brother. We’re going to need some help with this mess.”
“No shit. We’ve got bodies and we’re going to need a few tow trucks. Do you think we should call Lord Aveoth too?”
Lavos shook his head. No way did he want the GarLycan leader involved. He’d never allow Jadee to return to her world with her memories intact. Since she seemed immune to mind control, the other options weren’t good.
“Remember what I said about using the head above your shoulders to think with? I’m saying it again, my man.”
“Shut up, Kar. Get Garson and drive until you find a cell signal. Call Lorn. I left the keys to my Jeep in the ignition.”
“What do you want me to say to him?”
He paused. “Give him all the facts. Tell him I’m calling in that favor he owes me. He’ll understand.” He jerked his head. “Go.”
Chapter Eight
Jadee felt better after showering. The RV had hot water but she wasn’t sure how much longer that would last. She’d have to check the water tanks and batteries. The silence bothered her after Lavos had left her alone. He’d gone to take care of Peggy, Mark, and Brent’s bodies.
She felt the worst for Peggy. She’d never have that garden or meet a man who truly loved her. Mark has been a user. Brent had been a devoted brother but he’d been as addicted to the hunt as her father. It had gotten all of them killed. It just proved to her that life was too short and it shouldn’t be wasted.
She heated up a can of soup and forced it down. She hadn’t eaten since grabbing a microwave burger at some gas station between the airport and her father’s camp. She wore one of his button-down shirts. Her backpack was still tucked behind the passenger seat of the rental, all her spare clothes inside.
“Shit. I should have asked Lavos to grab it for me,” she muttered aloud. It was too late. She’d have to keep borrowing clothes from her dad’s closet or put on her dirty ones. The oversized shirt and the pair of borrowed men’s boxer shorts she currently wore wasn’t something an airline would appreciate.
Depression set in hard and deep. There would be no funeral for her father or his team. It would be easy enough to trace that she’d gone to Alaska. She’d have to talk to the authorities at some point. It would look suspicious if she never reported them missing, especially since she could spend her dad’s money. He had put her on all his accounts. Families and friends of the team would eventually notice they hadn’t heard from them either.
She glanced toward the stove. Lavos had been gone for about forty minutes. She wasn’t even sure when he would come back. He’d demanded she give him the code to open the RV door. That conversation had been short.
“We have trust, remember?” He’d peered deeply into her eyes. “I’d have killed you already if I wanted to.”
He had made a very valid point. He’d saved her ass a few times.
“I don’t have time to waste. I need to leave. Give me the code and please don’t bar the door from inside.”
She rattled off the six digits and nodded, agreeing to his demands. She did have one of her own though. “Just you. I don’t want you to tell Kar or anyone else how to get in.”
“I wouldn’t do that. You’re a smart woman, Jadee. Don’t open that door to anyone. Do you understand?”
Did that mean she was still in danger? Weren’t all those horrific circus acts dead? Was something else lurking out in the woods that would kill her, besides bears? She didn’t voice her concerns, already beyond her limit of stuff she never wanted to know.
“Yes. I understand.”
He’d left then. She’d picked up some of the mess inside the RV that Mitch had caused with his fit of rage when he couldn’t reach her inside the back bedroom. All the broken glass had been disposed of in the trash or vacuumed up. She’d done her best to clean up the bloodstains. The remaining weapons had been returned to their hiding spot in the closet before she took her shower.
Now, every minute seemed to pass at a snail’s pace.
The slight beep startled her when it finally sounded, followed by the bolt inside the door sliding. Lavos entered without knocking. He closed the door behind him and she tried not to stare. He dropped something on the floor, distracting her from his body.
She glanced down. “My backpack.”
“I found it in the truck.”
She studied him again. He still wore just a pair of shorts. They were boxer briefs, made of some satiny material. Dirt coated his hands and almost every other part of his body. It didn’t hide the fact he was all muscle and tight skin. She locked her gaze on his face to avoid staring at his abs.
“The soldier changed direction and attacked them on the road before they hit the highway.”
Kar winced. “Where are the rest of them?”
Lavos shook his head. He didn’t need to say they hadn’t survived or go into details. Soldiers were killers and they’d already seen what they were capable of.
“Your clothes?”
“I had to shift to run faster to get there in time.”
Kar sealed his lips, not looking happy. He glanced at Jadee then Lavos again. There was a questioning look in his eyes.
Lavos nodded. Jadee had seen him when he’d changed forms.
“Shit. This just gets better and better.”
“I’m taking her inside. Did you get the information we need?”
“Yes. Full description of the asshole who turned him. It’s not a lot to go on though. The suckhead didn’t spend much time with him or say much. No name was mentioned either.”
“It’s done?”
“Yes. His ass is ashed. I guess all those injuries he sustained helped that along, for one so new. No waiting for the sun to rise like the others.”
New soldiers left remains behind unless they were rotting faster than normal. Jadee and her bullets had probably helped Mitch get in that shape, since he hadn’t been able to feed. Full Vampires turned to ash when they died, but most soldiers needed to be weeks old.
“Give me a few minutes then we’ll talk.”
“Let’s talk now. What’s the plan?” Kar directed another glance at Jadee.
“She’s going to stay here where she’s safe. I’m going to return to where the truck is to take care of that location. I want you to get Garson. It’s time to place that call to my brother. We’re going to need some help with this mess.”
“No shit. We’ve got bodies and we’re going to need a few tow trucks. Do you think we should call Lord Aveoth too?”
Lavos shook his head. No way did he want the GarLycan leader involved. He’d never allow Jadee to return to her world with her memories intact. Since she seemed immune to mind control, the other options weren’t good.
“Remember what I said about using the head above your shoulders to think with? I’m saying it again, my man.”
“Shut up, Kar. Get Garson and drive until you find a cell signal. Call Lorn. I left the keys to my Jeep in the ignition.”
“What do you want me to say to him?”
He paused. “Give him all the facts. Tell him I’m calling in that favor he owes me. He’ll understand.” He jerked his head. “Go.”
Chapter Eight
Jadee felt better after showering. The RV had hot water but she wasn’t sure how much longer that would last. She’d have to check the water tanks and batteries. The silence bothered her after Lavos had left her alone. He’d gone to take care of Peggy, Mark, and Brent’s bodies.
She felt the worst for Peggy. She’d never have that garden or meet a man who truly loved her. Mark has been a user. Brent had been a devoted brother but he’d been as addicted to the hunt as her father. It had gotten all of them killed. It just proved to her that life was too short and it shouldn’t be wasted.
She heated up a can of soup and forced it down. She hadn’t eaten since grabbing a microwave burger at some gas station between the airport and her father’s camp. She wore one of his button-down shirts. Her backpack was still tucked behind the passenger seat of the rental, all her spare clothes inside.
“Shit. I should have asked Lavos to grab it for me,” she muttered aloud. It was too late. She’d have to keep borrowing clothes from her dad’s closet or put on her dirty ones. The oversized shirt and the pair of borrowed men’s boxer shorts she currently wore wasn’t something an airline would appreciate.
Depression set in hard and deep. There would be no funeral for her father or his team. It would be easy enough to trace that she’d gone to Alaska. She’d have to talk to the authorities at some point. It would look suspicious if she never reported them missing, especially since she could spend her dad’s money. He had put her on all his accounts. Families and friends of the team would eventually notice they hadn’t heard from them either.
She glanced toward the stove. Lavos had been gone for about forty minutes. She wasn’t even sure when he would come back. He’d demanded she give him the code to open the RV door. That conversation had been short.
“We have trust, remember?” He’d peered deeply into her eyes. “I’d have killed you already if I wanted to.”
He had made a very valid point. He’d saved her ass a few times.
“I don’t have time to waste. I need to leave. Give me the code and please don’t bar the door from inside.”
She rattled off the six digits and nodded, agreeing to his demands. She did have one of her own though. “Just you. I don’t want you to tell Kar or anyone else how to get in.”
“I wouldn’t do that. You’re a smart woman, Jadee. Don’t open that door to anyone. Do you understand?”
Did that mean she was still in danger? Weren’t all those horrific circus acts dead? Was something else lurking out in the woods that would kill her, besides bears? She didn’t voice her concerns, already beyond her limit of stuff she never wanted to know.
“Yes. I understand.”
He’d left then. She’d picked up some of the mess inside the RV that Mitch had caused with his fit of rage when he couldn’t reach her inside the back bedroom. All the broken glass had been disposed of in the trash or vacuumed up. She’d done her best to clean up the bloodstains. The remaining weapons had been returned to their hiding spot in the closet before she took her shower.
Now, every minute seemed to pass at a snail’s pace.
The slight beep startled her when it finally sounded, followed by the bolt inside the door sliding. Lavos entered without knocking. He closed the door behind him and she tried not to stare. He dropped something on the floor, distracting her from his body.
She glanced down. “My backpack.”
“I found it in the truck.”
She studied him again. He still wore just a pair of shorts. They were boxer briefs, made of some satiny material. Dirt coated his hands and almost every other part of his body. It didn’t hide the fact he was all muscle and tight skin. She locked her gaze on his face to avoid staring at his abs.
