After Webb hung up, he punched my dashboard again. “Son of a bitch!”
My headlights bounced along the dark side street as we took flight over a speed bump. The damn streets were laden with them—for safety, according to Alia. I always swore like the sailor I was whenever I came to the estate. Tonight wasn’t any different.
I shouted several expletives in my head. “There’s no way Roman captured Abbey. Jo would never let that happen.” I had to say something to calm my nerves more than appeasing Webb’s rage.
He was practically breathing fire. “Like when there was no wayyouwere taken? How soon you forget about the drug-filled darts.”
I couldn’t argue. Instead, I careened left, and the Jeep fishtailed as I drove up to the wrought iron gates that were wide open. A man lay on the ground outside the guardhouse. The scent of his human blood drifted in through the open driver-side window.
I slammed the gas pedal and navigated the winding driveway that was lit up by the landscape lights. Before I screeched to a halt in front of the Colonial-style mansion, Webb jumped out. With vampire speed, he flew into the house, not taking any notice of another guard who was out cold on the stone steps.
Once I cut the engine, I hopped out, snagging my gun from my holster. I could use my elemental powers, but tonight I was in the mood to shoot a vampire or two until their hearts burned to ash. Cobalt was our kryptonite, and I salivated to pump several rounds into my enemies and watch them die slow deaths. Unless it was Roman. Then I would rip off his head with my bare hands.
With my weapon at the ready, I searched the sprawling property comprised of manicured shrubs and trees of all sizes. Most were on the verge of blooming. Spring was slow to kick off, since we’d had cold temps and a light dusting of snow at the beginning of April, which wasn’t unheard of in New England.
A dose of vampire blood, tangy and smelling like iron, carried on the light wind. We had a more distinct aroma than humans. Maybe that was because we drank the processed crap made with human blood that was days, weeks, or even months old that we bought from our supplier.
I darted my gaze to the tunnel of trees surrounding a brick path that led to Alia’s cottage.
I jogged in that direction, keeping my senses on high alert. I came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the lighted path. Four feet in front of me was a head that had been detached from a male body. A clean cut and Victor’s MO. The vampire was a Viking in battle with his sword as his weapon of choice.
But as I approached, joy made me smile when I realized that the head belonged to Scarface. The same asshole who had been chasing Layla out of the hospital and probably the same vampire who had torn off Lane’s head. Karma was a bitch. I had to thank Victor if in fact he’d been the one to kill Scarface.
A branch snapped, and I jerked my attention to the right, ready to fire, until a quick sniff put me at ease. My sister’s lavender fragrance announced her arrival before she came into view.
“Sam.” Jo sounded relieved to see me as she hurried over, searching in all directions.
I followed suit, my senses on high alert.
She flicked her black hair from her forehead, her inhuman violet eyes sparkling beneath the rays of the moon as she stopped in front of me, seemingly calm. “I’m okay,” she said, reading my mind. “Abbey is too. She’s in Victor’s safe room.”
I had to love her mind-reading abilities at times.
I blew out a relieved breath. “Safe room, huh?”
Her violet eyes returned to their normal silver as she hugged me. “Yeah. We’re fine, brother. Abbey’s with Alia. We got them in when the alarms went off.”
I released another sigh, this time loudly. I probably woke the birds. “Thank God.” I didn’t know what I would do if Abbey had been taken. Still, my insides were a pile of mush, knowing Layla was in the hands of our enemies.
She unleashed me from her grasp and set her worried gaze on me. “They took Matthew though.”
I reared back. Alia was going to freak the fuck out. Her son had been a product of my uncle Patrick’s experiment—a successful one. He’d turned into a full-fledged vampire with ease. Matthew was human with vampire blood running through his veins. Alia had chosen not to turn because she wanted kids, but her father, Victor, was one of us.
“She won’t take this well,” Jo said. “And neither will Victor.”
He would no doubt set the world on fire to find Matthew. I sure as hell hoped so. Our ranks were diminishing in number. Sure, we had new recruits in Hawk and Dawson, but they were novices.
“I suspect Roman wants to use Matthew as leverage,” Jo added.
I raised an eyebrow. “For what? Abbey? That doesn’t make sense. It would mean more if you were taken, since you’re Abbey’s mom.” Adoptive mom, but her mom nonetheless. Given that Jo was a vampire, she couldn’t have children, so after Abbey’s birth mom, Rachel, was murdered by Abbey’s father, Edmund, Webb and Jo stepped up to become adoptive parents. If Abbey had any relatives on Rachel’s side, we weren’t aware of them. As far as Edmund went, he had a brother and a sister, but he never spoke to them, at least not since my father had known him. Still, my dad wasn’t about to hand Abbey to anyone related to Edmund. We couldn’t risk Abbey’s life if Edmund’s siblings turned out to be as evil as he was.
She shrugged. “You might be right.” She scanned the area as though she’d heard something.
Fuck.I didn’t. I honed my hearing but came up empty, my gun at the ready.
But then a faint sound of heavy footsteps filtered into my ears before a tall, broad-chested dude took shape.
I was ready to fire when Jo placed her hand on my gun and then pushed it down. “It’s Alex, one of Victor’s men.”
