Scorched Ice (Fire and Ice #3)(55)
“They wouldn’t still be alive if they weren’t,” Luther said.
“I think we should stop here,” Julian said when the rock walls finally gave way to reveal woods. The area was large enough that they would be able to maneuver the vehicles around if it became necessary to get away quickly.
Luther pulled onto a large swath of cleared grass and parked the RV. The headlights illuminated thirty feet of the grass and dirt roadway before Luther doused them. Turning, Julian’s gaze fell on Quinn sitting at the table with Chris by her side. Chris had finally woken up again five minutes ago. Quinn’s fair skin was paler than normal, her scars more clearly visible as she held his phone like a lifeline.
There was no way he could talk her into staying behind. The last thing he wanted was for her to be anywhere near the clutches of The Commission. What they would do to her if they discovered her true heritage and what she was capable of…
He refused to think about it. If he did, he would take her from here right now. They’d never been this close to ending The Commission before; he couldn’t turn away from this chance. The vampires would never trust him again if he abandoned this plan and he would be putting her life more at risk if that happened. The vamps now knew what she looked like. They would come for her and try to use her.
“After Herb’s encounter with us, anyone here will know we might be able to track them to this place,” Luther said to Julian. “They know of your ability and Herb would have told them that he found us.”
“I know,” Julian said while he walked to the back of the RV. Headlights filled the bedroom as Vern’s van pulled up behind them.
“They could have fled from here,” Quinn said.
He turned back to her, memorizing every one of her proud features. “From what I’ve glimpsed of this place, it is pretty fortified. They can make a stand here against us, which means they will have stayed.”
“Are you sure about that?” Lou asked.
“Yes. Also, The Commission would love nothing more than to have my head on a platter along with all of yours. They’ll take this opportunity to end us if they think they can.”
More color faded from Quinn’s face, and her eyes became the color of molten gold. “Julian—”
“It’s never going to happen,” he said with a flick of his wrist. “Besides, they’re only expecting us. They have no reason to know, or to ever think that we would be working with a large number of vampires. They believe us to be hated by all of them. No matter how prepared they think they are here, they’re about to learn they’re wrong.”
Quinn bit her lower lip as her gaze traveled to the night beyond the windshield. She slid from the booth and walked over to the sofa where Dani sat. She waved her hands for Dani to rise. The young Hunter jumped up, and Quinn lifted the top of the sofa to reveal the stash of weapons stored inside. Reaching in, she pulled out an assortment of stakes and slid them into the ankle holsters she had within her boots.
“They’re human; guns will work,” Lou said to her.
“I’m not entirely positive about those vamps either,” Quinn replied. “There’s no way I’m not going to be prepared for anything and everything. I had a harsh reminder of that lesson in the hotel.”
She pulled out knives and more stakes, which she discreetly tucked against her sides before removing two handguns. Looking at her, no one would know she carried an arsenal strapped to her, but years of training and hiding from nearly everyone had taught her how to keep everything concealed well.
Judging by the determined set of her jaw, Julian didn’t think she would hesitate to kill any threat she encountered this time. Hunter or not, human or not. It wasn’t only her life on the line anymore, and she would destroy any who tried to hurt those she loved.
She strapped the guns to her sides for everyone to see, a distraction he realized from the rest of the arsenal on her. The others rose to gather their own weapons when she stepped away from the couch.
“How good are you with a gun?” he asked her when she came to stand by his side.
“Good enough to make someone bleed and, hopefully, die,” she replied. “I was trained with all weapons, but firearms were never my strongest point.”
He rested his hand on her shoulder, drawing her haunted eyes to him. “Use the guns first against them.”
“I don’t plan to get close enough to use anything else if I don’t have to.”
He squeezed her shoulder before releasing her. Stepping closer, he examined the remaining contents stashed beneath the sofa before pulling a small handgun free. He’d far prefer to tear out their throats with his fangs, but he had Quinn to worry about now. If something happened to him, she wouldn’t survive it. Going for the kill from farther away was the safer option for all of them.
He ignored the remaining stakes. If the vampires dared to try to double cross him, they’d pay mightily for their mistake, but it wouldn’t be quick unless it was necessary. He pulled his shirt over the gun to cover it. As much as he hated the cold, he wouldn’t be wearing a jacket tonight. The cumbersome material might only get in the way, and he needed to be able to move freely.
“Are we ready?” he asked as the others finished strapping their weapons discreetly onto them.
“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Chris said.
Turning to the door, Julian pushed the handle down and stepped into the crisp air as the wind whipped down from the mountains. A shiver ran down his spine while his gaze searched over the rocks and trees around them. His ears perked when a small clicking noise sounded from a hundred feet away.