A Hunters Promise Page 7

  But, of course, she couldn’t keep it up. She was human and had limitations. One moment, she was swinging her weapon, and the next, a sharp line of fire lit across her arm. She stumbled and went down hard. The room came back into focus, and she was laying drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. She tried to rise, but her arms were shaky, and one hurt.

  Charon knelt next to her and pressed a towel against her upper arm. “Fuck, Irish, I’m sorry. I got you.”

  “What?” She glanced at her arm and saw blood. “Crap, I was too slow.”

  “Hold still,” he said and before she could protest he licked the wound. His tongue was hot against her sweaty flesh, and she shivered. Instead of the process grossing her out or scaring her, it actually turned her on. She watched transfixed as he moved his tongue over her arm, just as he had licked her nipples and between her legs.

  He looked up, and the two of them locked eyes. Slowly, so slowly she could have easily moved to avoid him, he leaned over her and pressed his lips to hers. It was the second time he’d kissed her, and it was so much more than a peck. His lips were soft and he rubbed them gently against her own. But Aislinn wanted more, so she pushed up into his mouth, sealing her lips more firmly against his own.

  She wasn’t sure what she was doing, but Charon obviously knew. His tongue eased against her lips, and when she opened her mouth, he slid in. The sensation of his tongue swirling around her own brought shivers. He tasted dark and mysterious. She liked it, liked it a lot. When he eased his tongue out, she chased it with her own. He growled and sucked at her tongue, which caused her toes to curl.

  He slid away from her. Aislinn realized she’d wrapped her arms around his neck, but he didn’t try to get away. In fact, it made her feel better to know his breathing was as ragged as her own. Apparently, whatever was going on affected him, too.

  “Let’s go back to our room,” he murmured. “I certainly don’t want anyone walking in on us.”

  “That would suck.”

  “Yeah, it would since I’d have to kill them.” He gave a small smile when he said it, but she didn’t think he was joking. She wasn’t sure what told her that, but he was incredibly dangerous. Not to her, she knew that, too, but she wouldn’t want to get on his bad side.

  He easily stood, pulling her to her feet. He picked up his blades and handed her the naginata. Taking her hand, he pulled her toward the doorway.

  Charon walked along the corridor, when all he really wanted to do was run. It took everything he had not to throw Aislinn over his shoulder. The need for her was almost overwhelming. Need, the word was a pale description of what he was feeling. Hell, he wished he understood what was going on. All he knew was he wanted her. Wanted to suck and bite and fuck.

  He forced himself to slow down, mentally and physically. Aislinn was a virgin, and though she wanted him, he couldn’t treat her as he did his past lovers. Past. He knew anyone and everyone was in the past. Only Aislinn mattered. She was his future.

  The thought brought him to a screeching halt. What the hell? Where was all this coming from? Yes, he liked her, but he wasn’t a settling down kind of guy.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, looking up at him quizzically.

  He was saved from answering when his phone beeped. Flipping it open, he saw a message from Kenshin requesting a meet in the library. A tiny part of him was glad for the interruption. He needed to get away from her. Get his head back on straight. He also needed to feed. That’s all it was. He needed to feed, then whatever the hell was wrong with him would be fixed.

  Chapter Six

  Kenshin paced, waiting for all the Hunters to assemble. He’d called the meeting to discuss what could be going on in the city. Instead of using his office, he’d told everyone to meet in the library. It was the safest location, as far as he was concerned, since he knew the leak they had wasn’t coming from any of the Ancients. He had Security working overtime trying to pin the mole down, but so far they hadn’t had any luck. Which, if he thought about it, was just the way their luck had been running lately.

  Grimm and Styx came in followed closely by Reaper. The three men nodded at one another, but beyond that didn’t say anything. Yep, Ancients the chatterboxes of the vampire world. Kenshin often wondered if they did the quiet thing only in front of him. He imagined them gabbing it up over pizza as they watched a soap opera. No, there was no way, he decided. Though the image might have brought a smile on a different day, today he felt as morose as the others looked.

  Talon came in with his arm wrapped around Joelle. Kenshin was surprised. They were usually the last ones to a meeting since Talon made it his mission in life to get his woman naked as much as possible. At least he was stable, Kenshin thought again, which was way better than it had been.

  Finally, Charon came in. Kenshin thought about asking him about Aislinn, but decided against it. The whole Ancient/Liaison bond was something none of them really understood, and if Charon hadn’t realized what the woman was to him, Kenshin didn’t want to be the one to spill the beans. Conversely, if he did know, he didn’t look happy or relaxed, which is how Talon appeared after the bond was fully in place.

  Maybe the woman wasn’t Charon’s Liaison. Or, if she didn’t want him near her, they were in for trouble. Kenshin glanced over to find Talon also studying Charon and decided to table those worries for later. They could only deal with so much shit at once, and whether or not Charon got a girlfriend wasn’t high on the list.

  “I don’t know if all of you are aware, but Styx intercepted a nine-one-one call on the police scanner.” Kenshin addressed them. “By the time he got to the address, police were already on scene. He called Talon and me in. A male was found in the residence, dead from a vampire attack.”

  “Human?” Charon asked.

  “Yeah,” Styx answered. “His name was Patrick James Flaherty.”

  “Flaherty,” Charon cut in. “That’s Aislinn’s last name.”

  “It was her older brother,” Talon said. “He was killed approximately two hours before she was attacked. We think whoever did it wanted her whereabouts, since the attacks were so close together.”

  “Why?” Charon shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Sure it does,” Joelle said. “She’s like me. Vampire mojo doesn’t work on her. I don’t know if somebody thinks that makes her a better food source, but they were after her for a reason.”

  “Grimm,” Kenshin said as a prompt.

  “I checked out the body and the bite marks. The fangs and scent indicate an Ancient.”

  “Well, fuck,” Reaper muttered.

  “Rogue?” Charon asked.

  “Don’t know,” Talon replied. “Though the neck wound is a mess, I wouldn’t say the Ancient who made them is off the leash.”

  “That could be worse,” Grimm put in. “One thing to have an Ancient running around mindlessly killing, it’s another if he’s able to plot and plan.”

  “That’s what I was thinking,” Styx said. “I also don’t think he planned on us arriving on the scene so fast. I’m sure he’s the one that made the nine-one-one call.”

  “What’s the point?” Reaper asked.

  “He wanted us running around trying to cover his tracks,” Talon said. “He figured we’d be so busy doing cleanup with humans we’d miss the signs of an Ancient.”

  “Yeah, but what’s the point?” Joelle asked. “He can’t want the Parakind Community exposed. That’s all anyone needs is a bunch of humans running around with pitchforks and torches. And that’s certainly what would happen.”

  Quenton stepped out from behind a large bookcase and eyed them. “Do none of you have an office? Or has this become the official meeting spot?”

  “Until we figure out where the leak is coming from I thought this would be the most secure place,” Kenshin said.

  “It does seem we have a whole host of problems,” the half-human said softly. “And, to address Joelle’s question, I don’t believe the renegade Ancient wants to expose
Parakind. Instead, he wants the PIA to be so focused on damage control that he quietly slips away. His failure comes from the fact that he doesn’t know the Ancients currently sitting here.”

  “Explain,” Joelle said. “Please.”

  He nodded at her with a slight smile, and Kenshin remembered back to when their exchange hadn’t been so very polite. In fact, Joelle had shoved him, and someone touching him was something Quenton did not allow.

  “It’s almost certain that this Ancient has been hidden all his adult life. He’s never been around anyone of his kind so, he assumes that Ancients cannot or will not work together. He has failed to take into account how long these five have worked together and how quickly they will call for backup. They understand one another as well as each other’s inherent strengths and weaknesses. He has no concept so he cannot foresee how they will truly react.”

  “Wow,” Joelle said, breaking the silence. “You talk real pretty.”

  Quenton burst out laughing and gave her a bow. “My pleasure. My heart sings with the realization that I’ve impressed you.”

  It was Joelle’s turn to laugh. The knot in Kenshin’s stomach eased somewhat as he noticed the others smiling at their byplay. The addition of Joelle and Quenton added a dynamic he hadn’t anticipated. Instead of making things uncomfortable or unstable, they actually brought their own unique gifts to the table. Just because they didn’t run out and fight didn’t mean the two couldn’t or wouldn’t add valuable insight and a, much needed, mood-lightener.

  “How is this Ancient tied to the blood cult?” Reaper asked.

  “That’s an excellent question,” Quenton said with a nod. “But our first question should probably be is he tied to the blood cult?”

  “I think so,” Grimm said slowly. “I don’t know how or why, but it just fits right for me.”

  “That might be another reason why no one can identify him,” Styx suggested.

  “Why?” Joelle asked.

  “Sorry, Joelle, I don’t have all kinds of fancy words,” Charon said with a slight smile, “but vampires can’t enthrall one another. But an Ancient can, if the vampire is weak enough.”

  “Fuck, yeah,” Reaper said, “feed a vampire real blood, and it totally screws with the mind. Think back to Juan, Tomas’s brother, he had no memory of what went down. Hell, he still doesn’t. Any vampire would be easy to control once blood has gotten into their system.”

  “So, what’s the plan?” She asked.

  “For now,” Kenshin said, “we continue to do what we’ve been doing. Monitor all PIA transmissions and try to find one of the enthralled vampires. If we can find one, we can track it back to its master.”

  Aislinn paced restlessly around the large bedroom suite. Charon had dumped her and rushed off to do whatever the secret text was about. She’d showered and dressed in clean clothes after the intense training session in the gym. That had taken all of fifteen minutes. She’d then pretended to nap, but could only lay with her eyes closed for so long. Finally, she’d risen and spent the rest of the time pacing.

  She thought about leaving the room to explore, but the size of wherever she was daunted her. What if she got lost? She didn’t think anyone would find her if she did. So, she very well could die in some dark corridor before someone stumbled on her. Yeah, that wasn’t how she wanted any of this to end.

  She’d even resorted to turning the TV on and flipping channels, something she never did. For a while, she’d watched a channel devoted to home decoration and hunting for houses. That had occupied her for nearly an hour, until she’d gotten antsy. So again, she paced.

  Aislinn had kept the television on for company more than anything else. She wasn’t used to all the silence and being utterly alone. In the hospital, she’d been checked on constantly. There had been nowhere she could go to get any privacy. Now, she had all kinds, and it was unsettling and a bit scary.

  The door opened, and she spun to find Joelle. She couldn’t help the spurt of disappointment when it wasn’t Charon. Jeez, she needed to stop and get over it. He’s a vampire, she thought, he drinks blood. You’re scared of vampires. But thinking about him made her far from afraid. In fact, the thoughts of him made her hot and achy.

  “I’m here to take you to see Kenshin,” Joelle said. “If you forgot, he’s the director of the PIA.”

  “Right,” she said as she dropped into a chair to pull on her shoes. “Am I dressed okay?” She asked as she smoothed a hand down her heavy fleece sweatshirt.

  “Oh yeah, the first time I went to his office for a meeting, I was in jeans. He’s real laid back.”

  The two women exited the room, and Joelle took her a different way. They walked down a long corridor until they came to an elevator. Joelle ushered her in and pushed a button. The car slowly began to rise.

  “This complex is all underground.” Joelle said. “The Ancients take up the two lowest levels. There’s apparently a number of ways in and out, but only the Hunters know them.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  “No, I trust Talon. I know he’ll take care of me.” Joelle smiled when she said Talon’s name, and Aislinn was a bit envious. This woman had someone she so obviously cared about and who cared about her.

  They rode the elevator up a floor and exited. Joelle led her down another corridor and through a large door. The room they ended up in looked like a combination living room, game room and kitchen. A pool table dominated the center of the room while a huge television took up one whole wall.

  “This is where the Hunters hang out,” Joelle explained. “It’s also the only point of entry to where we all live. If someone were dumb enough to try and get down here, they’d end up facing five very pissed off Ancients.”

  She walked across the room and pressed a button on the wall. A panel slid aside, and Aislinn saw it was another elevator. They stepped inside and the doors closed soundlessly behind them. Joelle pressed a floor and the car started up. Aislinn wondered what would happen if this man she was going to meet didn’t want to hire her. What would she do then? Would she have to go back to the hospital? If she didn’t, then where would she end up? It wasn’t like she had any skills. She had schooling since she took classes while in the hospital, but she doubted any sane person would hire her. As soon as she told someone she’d been locked up in a mental hospital for nearly ten years, they would show her the door. She didn’t blame them. She’d do the same thing, but that made her choices very limited.

  They entered an office with an incredibly efficient looking woman typing away at a computer. She looked up at them over the rim of her glasses, and Aislinn had the urge to blurt out all the suspect things she’d done over the last few days. Gad, it was like being back in boarding school again since the woman very much resembled the headmistress. Instead, she looked away as Joelle addressed the woman.

  “Hello, Miss Parsons, we’re here to see Kenshin.”

  The woman let out an audible sniff, then spoke in a very pointed manner. “Director Kenshin is quite busy. Do you have an appointment?”

  Joelle laughed without much humor. “Now, you know very well I don’t since I’m here at his direction. Just buzz him and let him know that we’re here.”

  “Names,” she said haughtily.

  “Joelle Quinn and Aislinn Flaherty.”

  “Business.”

  “None of yours,” Joelle responded.

  Aislinn saw the woman’s eyes widen and figured she’d never been spoken to this way before. Aislinn knew if it came down to it, she would address the woman with nothing but kindness. She looked like she could break both of them over her knee and not break a sweat.

  Joelle and Miss Parsons stared at one another a long moment. Finally, to Aislinn’s surprise, Miss Parsons picked up the phone and punched a button. “Director Kenshin, Joelle Quinn and Ms. Flaherty are here to see you.” If the woman could have put any more scorn in her voice when she said Joelle’s name, the subject would have burst into flames.

  “Thank you,�
� Joelle said, pleasantly as she led Aislinn past the woman and through a large door.

  “Aren’t you scared?” Aislinn murmured to her.

  “No. Why?” she asked puzzled.

  “Because she seriously looks like she could shank you in a stairwell or something.”

  Laughter greeted this statement, and Aislinn looked to find a handsome Asian man watching them. Heat crept up her face, and she wished the floor would open up to swallow her. The man was obviously the director, and now, he’d caught her making fun of his secretary.

  “I’m Kenshin,” the handsome man said as he approached her with his hand out. “I’m the director of the Paranormal Investigative Agency.”

  “Hello, I’m Aislinn Flaherty.” She shook his hand then tucked both of hers behind her back. She hated meeting new people since it always made her a nervous wreck. She didn’t have a lot of experience meeting people, especially people others would consider normal. But then again he was a vampire, so that wasn’t really normal, she reasoned. But it was, she argued, since she was now in his world. He was the norm and she still was the odd one out.

  “Why don’t you both sit down?” he said, motioning them to a seating area away from the desk.

  The room was large and beautifully decorated with a subtle mix of antique and contemporary. The rugs were thick underfoot, and Aislinn liked how she sank down as she walked. She took a seat in an overstuffed chair and watched as Joelle and their host did the same. She folded her hands in her lap, not sure what she should do next. Should she tell him all her qualifications for a job? If so, wow, there wasn’t much. She could do mobile art, speak three languages fluently, and kill stuff. Beyond that, there wasn’t much else she could do.