Janie shook her head. “Just those two?” she asked, trying to refrain from rolling her eyes.
“And anybody else who threatens you.” He captured her lips in a hard kiss, going deep until she sagged against him. Then he leaned back, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes as he slowly stood, keeping her in his arms. “Hold on, and when we get to your home, stay out of the way when your father tries to kill me.”
Chapter 15
Zane landed in a war zone: barricades, vampire special forces, so many guns pointed at him, he couldn’t focus. The Realm had quickly prepared for his return. Slowly, he set Janie onto her feet and pushed her behind him.
She tapped his shoulder. “They won’t shoot me.”
Maybe. Maybe not.
The demons had spies in the vampire organization, and Zane had no doubt one would take the shot if possible. “Just stay back,” he said, blocking her the best he could.
Barricades parted to allow for Dage and Talen Kayrs to stalk his way. Fully armed and wearing combat gear, they allowed no expression to lighten their hard faces.
Zane relaxed his stance although his mind reeled. He needed to know that Sam and Logan were all right. “Where are my brothers?”
The two vampires came to a stop.
“Janie?” Talen asked.
Janie peered around Zane. “I’m fine, Dad.”
“Walk this way, please,” Dage said evenly.
Janie stepped to Zane’s side. “I’d really rather you didn’t shoot Zane.”
Zane nudged her toward safety. The hulking vampires wouldn’t let anybody harm her, and it was too difficult to concentrate with so many weapons pointed her way. “Go to your family.”
“If I go to my family, there’s a good chance you’ll get shot,” she muttered under her breath. “Kidnappers don’t get much leniency from the Realm.”
“I understand. Now go.” He had to get her out of the line of fire. There hadn’t been time to fully recuperate from the previous day’s jumps, and today he’d already teleported three times. His strength was subpar at the moment. He focused on the king. “Where are my brothers?”
Talen stepped up. “Release my daughter.”
“I’m trying to.” Zane nudged her again.
She sighed. “I don’t suppose Garrett or your brothers broke the news to my family?”
Doubtful. The young soldiers were all too smart to be the messengers of bad news. “No.” Zane angled to the right to prevent a clean line to Janie, hoping the vampires crossed to the left. “Please get out of the line of fire.” Every instinct he owned pushed him to grab her and toss her to her family, but if he moved too quickly, somebody would shoot. He couldn’t risk her safety.
Rioting red hair came into view as Moira Dunne Kayrs shoved her way past a barricade. “Where the hell is my cousin?”
Zane frowned. Dark circles marred the pale skin under the witch’s furious eyes. “Which cousin?” he asked, a weight sinking into his gut.
“You know what cousin.” Moira pressed her hands to her hips, electric blue energy gathering on her arms. Her mate, Conn Kayrs, jogged up behind her, fury darkening his expression.
Shit. Zane was about to take a plasma ball to the face from a pissed-off witch. “For the sake of argument, let’s pretend I don’t.” He kept his voice calm and his stance nonthreatening. “Which cousin?”
She swallowed. “Simone Brightston.”
Zane huffed out a breath, his mind reeling. The witch Nickolas Veis had gladly risked exile to help. “Did Suri take Simone?” Zane asked quietly, his gut churning.
“You know he did,” Moira spat. She turned to the side and sneezed.
Did witches sneeze when angry?
Zane closed his eyes. Okay. He needed to think. “Get me a phone and I’ll see what I can find out.” If Simone had been taken to influence Nick, then Suri would know Zane had betrayed him. For the witch, Nick would’ve talked. Time was counting down too rapidly. “I didn’t take your cousin.”
