“Seems to me that Sparrow would have mentioned it. Niko’s a cunning creature. Perhaps we should keep our eyes peeled.”
When they reached the gate, Shepherd looked around but didn’t see any Vampires. All the same, he didn’t want to risk talking openly since those little fuckers liked to hide in the shadows. How much had Sparrow learned about Keystone? Probably more about the house than its tenants. Shepherd looked back at the house, completely gutted. Somewhere behind one of those dark windows, Hunter might be watching his father walk away in a nice white suit, without putting up a fight for him.
Tears stung his eyes during the long walk to the car. Shepherd quickened his pace, both hands tightly clenched.
It wasn’t right.
He needed his son.
He needed his weapons.
He needed…
“Niko,” Claude cheered as they approached the car. “We thought you might be hiding inside the house.”
Niko held his position by the front of the car, wearing all black as usual. Because his hair was pulled into a topknot, Shepherd figured he must have been working out in the gym when it all went down.
Shepherd stopped in front of him. “How did you find the car?”
Niko tapped the hood. “I saw you walking, so I knew you must have parked nearby. The engine was popping, and I noticed a trail of heat. No matter. I assume you must know what happened at Keystone or you wouldn’t have parked this far out. Who are those men?”
“We’ll fill you in later,” Claude said. “We’re meeting up with Viktor, but we just came back for the boy.”
Niko shook his head. “He won’t give up the child. Men like him see children as security. They’re not as expendable as people like me.”
Shepherd took a step forward. “Why didn’t you bring him? Why is it just you out here?”
Claude gripped his shoulder. “Shepherd—”
“Don’t tell me to calm down.” He knocked Claude’s hand away. “I want him to tell me why he didn’t fight like hell for my son.”
“They were Vampires.” Niko raised his brows. “And too many all at once. You know I can’t sense a Vampire’s energy the way I can everyone else’s. I saw emotions, but they don’t leave a trail I can see. There was no warning. One minute I was heading to the workout room, and the next, we were under siege. We played all evening together, but then Kira put him down for bed. I tried going to his room, but they were in the hall. They were everywhere.”
“How did they not sense you?” Claude asked.
“There was too much noise from all directions, so their clamor prevented them from siphoning out their enemy. I had my sword and the opportunity to kill two of them, but if I killed two, I would have to kill them all. Then I heard Kira scream. A man ordered the others to keep them alive for their master.”
“You could have surrendered,” Shepherd suggested.
“The woman and boy posed no harm to them. I did. They wouldn’t have kept me alive.” Niko shifted his gaze, reading Shepherd’s light the way he often did with them. “I understand why you won’t forgive me. You are the boy’s father, and your choices would have been different. I didn’t know your fate. I didn’t know if these men had assassinated our team, and if that was the case—”
“Then you would be Hunter’s last hope,” Claude finished.
Niko inclined his head. “Until you know your enemy, you cannot defeat him. You must learn his strengths and his weaknesses, and I still have no comprehension who we’re fighting against. Do you?”
Claude held up his palm. “Notice anything different about us? Can you see a change in our light?”
“Your light is altered, but I assumed it had to do with your emotional state. Why is there red energy gathered in your palm?”
Claude looked over his shoulder. “It’s not red, my friend. We need to get out of here before we overextend our welcome.”
Shepherd opened the passenger door to Claude’s two-seater and realized there was zero room for a third passenger. There was barely room for Claude, who always looked uncomfortable and cramped but didn’t seem to care.
Claude winked as he opened his car door. “Looks like you two are going to have to figure out who goes on top and who goes on bottom.”
“I did this once with Gem,” Niko said. “But she’s tiny.”
Shepherd stared at the space inside.No way in hell.Not unless one of them curled up on the other’s lap and hung their legs out the window.
