“Always.”
I blew out a harsh breath and focused on Gavin. “I might be out of contact now and again, but I’ll loop in the other council members. I just wanted to bounce this off of you and see if you had any thoughts.”
“And?” he pushed.
I gave a half shrug. “We said it all before. I won’t ever braid your hair or trust you in my study, but you want peace and vamps to thrive. That makes our goals align right now. And if shit is going down that now we have your balls or whatever bullshit, then—the narrative needs to change that we’re thefuture. Workingtogetheras we always should have is the future.”
“The idea definitely has promise, and I believe we have some currency other than money that might get your help on our security,” one of the other vamps said, his desires full of hope and nothing bad.
That was nice.
For once.
Right as I went back to the portal, I received another call that had me swearing up a storm… And apparently louder than I’d realized because Gavin and three others were standing there with shocked expressions.
“It just never ends,” I defended, changing the portal. “The snakes won’t punish their people, and now they think they won’t be punished for anything. I don’t even blame them for thinking that.”
“Take us as witnesses. We are good pressure on the snakes,” that same councilman suggested. “Take it as credit.”
He was in trouble. With his government. Papers and more, and he was worried about the embarrassment it would cause.
And how many under him were in the same position.
I nodded and sent Elijah a voice memo as I activated the portal. I was through and my phone tucked away in my next breath.
On the bright side, I had a way to get out a lot of my aggression without destroying a house.
Always a plus.
3
I went right for the nearest snake, grabbing him by the back of the jacket and flinging him away from the house. I made quick work of getting the other six away from the almost broken-in door.
Which they could haveeasilybroken, but they hadn’t. They didn’t want to directly engage with the demons inside. They wouldn’t have won that fight with only seven.
“You just came to traumatize them more,” I snarled and grabbed the arm of one, snapping it in one movement. I headbutted him and dropped him when he was unconscious. I grabbed another and shook him. “You didn’t come to fight. You came toflexthat you found their location and they couldn’t ever be free from you. That they’d never be safe.”
I threw him into the side of the house when I felt his desires that I not find proof of that on their phones.
Which meant I immediately grabbed his phone when he was unconscious.
I was beyond shocked when I looked up and saw the vampire councilmen had handled the others. I focused on Gavin. “Why?”
He cleared his throat and fixed his suit. “As I’ve also said, I won’t rescue kittens and I’ve killed when needed, but keeping people captive is an evil I cannot stomach.” He nodded past metowards the house. “And terrorizing your victims of such evil forfunis—” He turned and spat on one of the unconscious men.
“I like you more each time we hang out, Gavin,” I teased before picking up two of the snakes and tossing them towards the portal. I was glad when more security came through the portal to help and keep tabs on everyone.
I saw the house “mom” who was a rescue from the madness with the LA vampire coven actually speaking with the councilmen. I hurried over there but was pleasantly surprised that the conversation wasn’t only civil, but they were apologetic for what she’d been through and that they hadn’t checked on her yet.
She accepted their well-wishes but admitted that it would be a while before she could spend much time with vampires. It was clear it would take her more time, and that was beyond fair after the LA coven had held her captive foryearsand whored her out.
Yeah,beyondfair.
It took a bit of dancing, but then the seven snakes were being dragged through the portal to their council’s estate. I lost my temper the moment I laid eyes on the head of their council. He was a detestable man who was also a weasel and I couldn’t stand.
I slammed his head against the wall three times before strong arms like steel bands grabbed me and dragged me away.
“Your temper and never-ending energy to fight are some of your best qualities, but if you don’t pick your battles better, you will never make it to our age, child,” Elijah said gently. “You cannot fight the world, nor bear the burden of targets from all of them. You cannot.”
