Before he could push forward through the undergrowth, Cormack appeared, one of his feet using Sorley’s groin as a springboard as he leapt from nowhere and flew over the railings to land with a thud on the tarmac. Sorley folded like a paper bag, but managed to roll over fast enough to peer through the fence. He saw Cormack shoot off to the left, then almost immediately launch himself over a similar set of railings on the other side of the street.
Alec was by his side in a heartbeat. “Putain, what—”
“Get after him. Half a block up and over the other side.” It came out as a wheeze, but when Sorley grunted impatiently and waved his hand, Alec shot off.
Sorley got to his feet, fuming at the irony of having been nobbled in the same way he’d attacked Cormack. Although he didn’t think it was deliberate on Cormack’s part. He’d just been in a handy position. Willing away the nausea the well-aimed foot had caused, he clambered carefully back over the railings, bending some of the sturdier buddleia stems to give him a hoist up.
By the time he hurdled the second set of railings, Cormack was a writhing, spitting heap of furious limbs on the concrete under a triumphant-looking Alec. Sorley ran to his side and helped him subdue Cormack more firmly, then fished out his phone once more.
“Don’t tell me you’ve caught the fucker?” Edwin’s not-so-dulcet tones rang across the line. Before Sorley could answer he added, “And yes, I have your precious lover boy by my side. He’s a bit bedraggled and looks like anyone would after being hoiked out of a river, but he’s perked up and is walking and talking. We’ll try not to be too much longer.”
Sorley’s undead heart thudded in his chest to have verbal confirmation Gethin was with Edwin and was once more whole and healthy, if sopping wet and dirty. Fuming all over again about why Gethin was approaching slowly, and why he was soaked and recovering, he slammed Cormack’s head into the ground, feeling a guilty delight at the crack of a bone, probably a cheek bone. Fuck this utter bastard, in every possible way. He couldn’t even run to find and embrace his mate.
Patience,he reminded himself. Unable to voice his profound relief out loud, instead he said, “Aye, we have him. I’m quite sure Alec won’t mind having a chat with him while we wait for you two.”Hurry up and bring Gethin into my sight so I can finally take a fucking breath.Even three centuries of undead living hadn’t ridded him of sayings that made no sense unless you were human, he mused, as he resettled on the writhing piece of shit he was sitting on.
He cut the connection to Edwin and pushed Cormack’s face into the cold ground again. “Now, perhaps you’d like to answer some of my most pressing questions while we wait for our friends,” he spat.
Cormack hissed like a snake. “Why should I? Unhand me, you wretched sinner.”
Sorley’s guffaw was devoid of humour. “Me, a sinner? You’re the one doping and killing folk, Connor.”Call him Connor and he might answer you.
The vampire went still underneath him. Sorley detected a hint of pride as he rasped, “I am a man of many talents.”
“How do you mean?”
But Cormack fell silent. He tried to buck Sorley and Alec off of him, but two against one and Alec’s age giving him superior strength meant he was no match for them.
Alec eyed Sorley. “Can you hold him if we flip him over?” Sorley nodded. “All right then, on the count of three.” He held up two fingers.
Cormack screeched with rage at the simple trick, but this time Alec dropped onto his chest, bracketing him with his knees, which Sorley knew could really dig in, and twisted Cormack’s arms until his eyes rolled in his head and he begged for mercy.
“No mercy for you, m’sieur.” Alec’s tone was pure menace. He grappled with Cormack until he forced eye contact. “How did you develop such a drug? What was the point?”
Cormack squirmed. Sorley watched as he tried to fight the thrall, but he was no match for Alec. Eventually, his mouth opened.
“Mage magic, obviously. Dark stuff. I’m not giving you the details. I wanted…” He clammed up again. Alec clenched the fingers holding his jaw and Cormack winced. “All right! I’ll tell you. I wanted to make them pay for touching what was mine.” His glare narrowed on Alec, loathing oozing from him. “You. You’re one of them. You dared to touch and kiss and flirt with Saul when he was mine. Heismine. I converted him. He’s mine.”
“What the fuck?” Sorley couldn’t help himself. “Converted me? Is it even worth trying to make sense of his ramblings? He’s completely doo-lally.” A thought struck him. “D’you think he’s religious? Or was before he was turned?”
“C’est possible,” Alec conceded. “Or he might just be complètement fou. Difficult to know.” He focused on Cormack again. “Tell me where you were keeping James.” His power was so intense Sorley could feel the thrall trying to work onhim.
Cormack stammered out an address, which Sorley noted in his phone.
“We’ll check that out. What else do we need to know?”
A low whistle sounded from an alley across the far side of the space. The shadows appearing from the gap coalesced into Gethin and Edwin who hurried over to join them. Sorley, his limbs feeling weak with relief at seeing Gethin standing in front of him, snarked, “Took your time,” to Edwin, who grinned and blew him a kiss.
“You got some sauce, seeing as I had to do a bit of unexpected fishingandfind a takeaway. You’re welcome, by the way.” He elbowed Gethin jokingly, before his gaze took in the two vampires using Cormack as a kneeling pad. He jerked his thumb. “Need any help?”
Gethin pushed him aside and knelt beside Sorley, pulling open his backpack as he leaned over to press their lips together. “I love you,” he said simply, and tipped out the contents.
Sorley felt himself tremble as he answered, “I thought I’d lost you.”
Gethin paused in shaking out the contents of a smaller bag to press another lightning kiss to his lips. “But you didn’t, and I’m okay.” He kept his eyes on Sorley as he handed some of the contents to Edwin, his gaze warm and comforting.
With Cormack restrained in silver-enforced cuffs and his lower torso and legs covered by an Eqwan, any remaining fight went out of him instantly. Whimpering, probably from the weird, paralysing sensations the Eqwan generated — of course Sorley had tried it, he was too curious not to — and surrounded by four vampires, he had to know the game was up. Edwin called Baxter to inform her Cormack was immobilised, and to request a video conference call with as many senior members of the Council as was deemed necessary. “Because we ain’t heading back to Sorley’s place until the job’s done,” he intoned darkly.
“I know my rights!” A momentary bravado had Cormack glaring at the foursome.
