Hunting Colby

Chapter Ten

A white van stopped by the curb where we waited, drinking coffee under a store awning. Colby had called a member of his team to drive us. He directed me into the windowless back and joined me on the bench. A curtain hung between us and the driver, blocking any view through the windshield.

“Is this really necessary?”

“Ten years of experience. Trust me, the less anyone knows, the better.” He settled his arm on the chair back behind my shoulders. A casual gesture, but nothing about Colby was casual.

Taking the opportunity, I leaned against him, luxuriating in the warmth he radiated. “Your people must trust you quite a bit to keep them in the dark.”

“Everyone has a role on our team. Our drivers are the only ones who know the base location. They don’t go in the field to fight. Ever. The fighters are on need-to-know basis about the targets. And so on.”

I frowned. “Seems very complicated.” How did he coordinate anything?

“It has to be when our quarry can usually read the minds of our human members.”

“How many of them are?”

“All of them besides me.”

I twisted my neck to meet his gaze. “The casualties must be high.”

He gave me a sharp nod. “They know what they’re getting into before signing on. Red makes sure of that. Most carry a certain grudge against the bloodsuckers and aren’t looking to die of old age.”

“How can you stay impartial if you all hate them?” I could sense him stiffen at my comment. Heaviness settled on my heart. Most vampires in my care followed the laws. Many took to the idea of keeping voluntary human companions. They even loved them. My master was a perfect example.

“It’s not easy. I don’t attack on hearsay and require solid proof that the vampire is killing.” He sighed. “I know Tane has me watched. If I began slaying any vampire I saw, my team would be toast. And me…” He didn’t need to say it. My master had a cruel streak, and Colby had been in his shackles twice.

The van came to a stop. Colby opened the side door and jumped out. Our heads almost collided as I leaped to follow and he twisted to assist me out. It turned into me jumping in his arms and both of us landing on the concrete ground of a building.

The hum in the large room went silent.

Lying on Colby’s chest, I assessed the area. It appeared to be an old mechanics’ garage. Card tables were assembled together at the far side of the room with a large marker board behind it. People in all states of dress, from casual to military, had been in the process of working.

They’d all stopped to stare at us.

I waved. “Hi.” Rolling off Colby, I straightened my clothes and faced his team. I spotted Rose curled in an old arm chair away from most of the action.

She unfolded and leaned forward. “Colby?”

A growl rolled out of my chest. Her eyes bore too much hero-worship and her body screamed sex-goddess. Damaged goods or not, I couldn’t imagine any male rejecting her as a lover.

Colby stood next to me and set his hand on my shoulder. “She’d be hard to replace. Play nice,” he whispered in my ear.

Rose skipped over and hugged him tight. “I’m so glad she didn’t hurt you.” The human tossed me a sharp glare from under her eyelashes.

My attention had latched onto Rose’s hug around my mate. All logic vanished as a vapor of instinct fogged my brain. No one touched what was mine. Of its own will, my hand shot around her throat and yanked her from Colby.

Our eyes made contact as her fingers dug into the back of my hand, trying to pry it off. She made small gurgling noises and her eyes rolled in her head. Before I could toss her, a large hand wrapped around my wrist and tore her from my grasp.

Mutt gathered Rose in his embrace, glaring at me over her head.

She went stiff as a hardwood plank in his arms. The stink of fear bloomed around her and she closed her eyes.

“Pick on someone of your own race, Gwen.” He ran his hand over her back until it landed on her ass then winked at me.

The room exploded. It was the only way I could describe the noise of shouts and motion at the sight of a Nosferatu in the supposed secret slayer lair.

I dropped my head into my hands. If they staked the fool, I doubted I’d mourn right away. He’d been told to stay put at home. Peeking through my fingers, I watched as Mutt gazed wide-eyed at the armed slayers surrounding him. “Cool,” he whispered. At least he had the intelligence to keep the girl in his arms. They’d hesitate to toss a UV light grenade. It wouldn’t fry her like Mutt, but it would leave scars.

Maybe they should toss a little one.

A sigh next to me caught my attention. In all the commotion, I’d forgotten Colby. He stared at me. “What is he doing here?”

“Excellent question.” I mumbled under my breath. “Can you call off your men before someone pokes out an eye?” I reached over and snagged Mutt by the ear lobe. “Let her go. You can play with her another day.”

“Ow.” He set a stunned Rose in the arms of the closest soldier and bent toward me. “Stop that.” Swatting my hand hard, he got loose, only to have Colby grab his other one.

“How did you find us?” My mate just about growled the question.

Mutt could meet Colby eye to eye, yet he lacked the confidence the slayer carried with ease. “Uh, I can follow Gwen’s phone on my GPS app.” He held up his smart phone.

My gut cringed. Oops? I’d given Mutt my code so he could find me when I needed him. This city was big and getting lost proved easy.

“You led him here by GPS?” Colby raised a sharp eyebrow at me.

“Yeah. That wasn’t intentional.” I poked Mutt in the shoulder. “Why are you here? I told you to stay put.”

“You hung up on me before I could finish explaining about the club rules.”

“And you couldn’t just call me?”

Mutt’s eyes darted around the room at the armed slayers. “And miss this? I heard you guys have found a way to use wooden bullets.”

Colby blinked. “From who?”

Oh my God, Mutt was a slayer geek and about to go fangirl on Colby. Was there a hole I could crawl into? “What did you come all this way to tell me?” I tried to insert myself between both males.

“You can’t get in without a vampire.”

I scrunched my face in aggravation. “Shit.”

Colby let him go. “There goes that plan.” He pointed at a group of men. “Start packing the place. We move ASAP.” Then he directed his incisive attention on me. “I can’t believe you led a Nosferatu here.”

“He’s just a baby. He doesn’t know better.”

“Gwen!” Mutt tossed his arms in the air. “Stop calling me that. I’m probably older than everyone here.”

“Not yet, and definitely not mentally.” I tapped my head to make sure he got the point. Once a human became vampire, it was like their development as a person slowed, since they didn’t age. Or something.

“Really?” Colby peered at Mutt closer.

I gave a one-shoulder shrug. “He wasn’t a vampire very long when they did it.”

“Why?” Colby asked Mutt.

“Your guess is as good as mine. They don’t tell me much. Just come around every once in a while to, uh, talk with me about shit.” He pointed his thumb at me and gazed at the floor. “They sent her.”

“You could do much worse.” Colby pushed past us, striding toward the table.

Many of the slayers were in the process of packing things. A few tossed angry stares our way, and others curious ones. I wished this could have gone better. The team was important to Colby and if I was ever to fit in his life, I’d have to fit in here.

Rose hurried after Colby, stopping to gather her discarded sweater on the old chair she had occupied on our arrival. “Look, I’m going to head home.” She stuck her arms in the sleeves and gathered a purse.

“Not yet. We came here because we might need you. I haven’t had any leads on Red, and time is getting short on finding him alive.” Colby nodded at me. “She’s suggesting we talk to the Overlord. He might be able to intervene on Red’s behalf.”

I strolled after them, gathering Mutt in my wake. “He hangs out at Fangshui. It’s a—”

“A vampire club, I know.” She rubbed her throat, where my finger marks still lay on her skin. “What’s your business in this?”

“Rose.” Colby dragged her name as if losing patience.

She heaved a heavy sigh. “Like he said, you can’t get in without a vampire.”

Mutt hovered over my shoulder, taking too much interest in the human female. “You know a lot about us.”

“Too much.” She huffed and wouldn’t meet his gaze. Embarrassed, or she didn’t want him glamouring her? Pretty and smart, maybe? That didn’t sit well in my stomach. At this rate, I’d need some antacids soon. Colby’s referral to damaged goods flashed in my memory.

The Nosferatu’s greatest weapon was their mental abilities, but Mutt’s training with his gifts hadn’t started yet. He could glamour simple people, not someone who could block or fight him. Definitely not a shifter.

Mutt pointed at himself, eyes wide. “What am I?” He snorted, obviously insulted. “If you want to catch Cesio’s attention, show up at his favorite club on my arm. He’ll snatch you before I can blink.” It sounded like the kid spoke from experience.

Colby’s gaze caught mine, an unspoken question passing between us. He wanted to know if I really wanted to send these two in together to face a master vampire.

Rose stepped between us to face Colby. “I’m not going in there. Not after any Overlord, and especially not with any baby. Red told me what happened to the last bait girl.”

“You’re better trained, Rose. We need to speak with him, and I doubt he’ll be forthcoming inside the club. Just lure him out.” Colby used a soft voice when speaking with her. “This might be our only link in finding Red.”

Her porcelain skin paled to a waxy shade. “Okay.” She brushed her hair from her face with trembling hands.

“It’s not okay.” I couldn’t blame Rose’s fear. She was an appetizer to the vampire community, and the older vampires could have harsh tastes. “You can’t be frightened like this for every mission.”

Rose shook her head. “No, the club holds bad memories.”

Colby closed his eyes slowly. “I didn’t realize that had happened here in New York. You should have said something.”

“I didn’t think you’d be dumb enough to send me into the heart of vampire society.” She hugged herself. “But I’ll do it for Red.”

“No, Gwen will go in with me.” Mutt rested his arm over my shoulder. Colby shot the Nosferatu a look so deadly that Mutt eased his arm off and raised his hands up to make peace. “Okay, she doesn’t go.”

My mate shook his head. “No, she should, but you keep your hands to yourself.” His eyes narrowed with the whispered threat.

Rose made a surprised noise. “Wait a minute. Are you two…?”

Was it that shocking? I wasn’t a beauty queen but I wasn’t a dog either. “Yes, we’re together.” I glanced at Colby. “Tentatively.”

He frowned. I didn’t understand why. Shouldn’t he be happy I wasn’t laying complete claim over him? He went from running, to hiding, to let’s kiss, so I wasn’t quite sure where I fit in his crooked concept of reality. Could it be possible he didn’t even want tentative?

I nudged Mutt with my elbow. “Fine, we’ll go talk to Cesio together.”

“You can’t go like that!” Rose rested her hands on her hips. “They’ll never let you in.”

Mutt glanced at his dirty T-shirt, jeans, and running shoes. “They let me in dressed like this.”

“Yeah, you’re Nosferatu, genius. Get a clue already.” She stormed off to a trunk the team hadn’t moved yet. “I keep spare clothes here. Maybe I have something that fits Gwen.”

I think I made a gasping noise at Rose’s response to Mutt. If I wasn’t careful, I might begin to like her.