The Way You Bite(75)

“Agreement wasn’t a part of the arrangement. I was told it was what I was going to do. I lifted the fact he was gay from Ambrose’s mind.” She tapped her head. “I used it as leverage to keep my employment. I kept silent, and he continued whatever he did in California, which seems to have been far more than getting busy with his boyfriends.”

Blay cleared his throat. “I think he has offshore accounts, or the funders do, but it’ll take time for us to determine where and get details. It’s probably Viktor, and the whole cutting-off thing is cover. But being covert about the viral technology won’t matter anymore.”

Lexan asked, “Do you have someone who can go out there and find out what they’ve already done? Maybe we can get our hands on the raw virus and do some work on it.”

“I do.” Blay gazed at Vee. “I won’t lie. The virus part of this is important, but I want to know why he killed Arie. I don’t want you hurt in this, but I need to know.”

She addressed Lexan. “I can do this. Ambrose would love to have what you want under his control, which means he’s less likely to kill me until you’re watching. He’s got a crush on you, and I bet he wants you to see whatever he does with me.”

“Put this button in your pocket. It’ll allow us to track you.” Blay handed her a metal button the size of a quarter.

She tucked it into her jeans. “Let’s find out what Ambrose is up to.” She smiled at them when both glared. “We can do this.”

Lexan caught her by surprise as he took possession of her mouth. There was no hesitation on her part. She kissed him back, melting into him.

…

Vee stood at the corner of Seventh and Church Street in downtown Charlotte.

How long since Lexan drove away? One minute? Four?

Had Ambrose meant to meet here at this time, before dusk, during rush hour? She reviewed details of their brief conversation in her mind.

She pulled the huge hoodie she’d borrowed from Lexan tight to her head to avoid the harsh rays of flagging sunshine and hugged herself against a gust of wind. Of course, the weather decided today to be a more typical October chill. The hoodie wasn’t much of a windbreaker. Dead leaves swirled across the road. Cars whizzed by. A mental scan detected no vamps or wolves in the vicinity, not even Blay’s soldiers. Either they were invisible somehow to her scanning, or this wasn’t about to happen the way she’d imagined. She had envisioned a sit-down in Ambrose’s parlor surrounded by very angry vamps and an army of wolves outside.

A dark SUV pulled up. The vamp with the ability to render her unconscious by touch jumped out of the driver’s seat. She backed away from him. “Don’t knock me out. I’ll go with you. I won’t argue or fight. That’s why I’m here.”

“Get in the car.” He held open the door.

She gazed at the open backseat door. This wasn’t the plan. Like everyone in this game, Ambrose also had an agenda. She had to trust his plan didn’t involving killing her right away.





Chapter Twenty-Eight


Lexan waited in the SUV with Eric and four other Elites for fifteen minutes before weaving through an upscale neighborhood to an isolated house buried deep in the back. All stared at the small dot on the cell phone, which had been parked in the cup holder. It flashed a red dot for Vee’s location. In the passenger seat, Eric lit a cigarette. The flick of the lighter broke the tense silence inside the SUV.

“I thought you quit,” TC said.

Eric took a puff. “I figure we’re about to walk into a fucking trap, asking to get my ass killed…all of our asses killed.”

“Pass me one,” TC requested.

Eric held the pack out to Lexan, eyebrows raised.

“No snipes for me.” Lexan waved it off. A cigarette wouldn’t make this any easier. He didn’t like the diluted tobacco used these days anyway.

“Snipe?” Eric asked, laughing. “That’s so last century.”

Lexan flashed him a middle finger.

Eric laughed harder.

Their target house was in the middle of an upscale neighborhood of mini-mansions. The neighbors were within one or two acres. He gazed down the dirt drive at a well-lit, white Colonial-style house that looked new.

He reviewed in his mind the hundreds of deaths that had resulted from Ambrose’s killing of Vee’s mother. To what end did he incite a war in the States?

Text from Blay: In position. Will secure entire area as soon as you’re at the front. She’s inside.

Lexan crawled the car up the drive, the crunch of gravel under the tires the only sound. They got out and silently marched up to the front door.

Eric knocked.

The dark vampire who answered bowed his head. “Your Majesty. An honor.”

“I will speak to Ambrose,” Lexan ordered.

The door guard opened the door wide. “You were expected.”

Of course they were.

Lexan glanced around, counting six vampires hovering. Most acquiesced to him, but no respect came his way in their dark glares. They were directed into a downstairs sitting room.

“Good evening, Lexan. I see you survived after our last…meeting.” Ambrose grinned a cold smile.

“As did you.”

Ambrose waved at a chair in invitation. “I suspected you would follow her here.”