Undead Or Alive (Bad Things #3)(18)

The vamp wanted to get on Luke’s good side? She dropped another piece of bloody glass. What else is new? Everyone always wanted to play nicely with the Lord of the Dark.

Everyone but her. She just wanted to stay away from Luke.

“You and I can both take her in. Amber…” Gregory seemed to taste her name. “Such a lovely bounty.”

Cass took a lunging step forward. “I don’t share bounties.”

She peeked around at the vampire. His gaze dipped toward her. There was curiosity on his face—and anger. A cold, hard anger. His dark stare swung back to Cass. “Reaper, I’m asking nicely. I’m giving you a choice. We can be partners here…”

“I don’t work with partners, and you know that, Gregory. Your sorry ass has been nipping at my tail for too long. You want to play in the big leagues? Fine, do it, but you won’t get Luke’s attention by stealing my prize.”

She was a prize? So insulting. Amber glanced toward the door. She inched back a bit. She also kept her right hand curled around the last chunk of glass she’d taken out of Cass. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but it was better than nothing.

“Did you follow me all the way from Key West?” Cass demanded. “From Key West to New Orleans? Then here? I thought I smelled some stench in the air. Had to figure it for the undead.”

“Watch it,” Gregory snarled. “I’m giving you a choice now. In about five seconds, there won’t be a choice on the table. I’ll be taking the pretty woman behind you, and I’ll be Luke’s new hunter.”

“You’re lucky I haven’t killed you,” Cass snapped back.

Yes…why hadn’t Cass killed him? Was it that whole “family” thing that Gregory had mentioned?

“Five…” Gregory began. “Four…”

Wait—he was doing a countdown?

Cass took another step toward the vampire.

“Three…” Gregory snapped. “Two—”

“One,” Cass fired right back. “Now get your ass out.” Then he shoved his hands—the gloves are gone!—right at Gregory. Just like in the alley, a bright burst of light seemed to fly right from Cass’s palms. That light hit Gregory and he went surging back. He fell out of the gaping hole that he’d created just moments before in the massive window and his body sank like a stone.

She ran to the window, peering down, and, sure enough, his body was a crumpled, bloody mess below. He’d hit the big statue that sat on the middle of the fountain near the hotel’s entrance, and he looked…Amber swallowed. “I’m guessing that’s a broken neck and back.”

“And Gregory won’t be down for long, so come on.” He reached for her hand, but stopped when he saw she clutched a jagged chunk of glass. “Planning to use that on me?”

“When a vampire flies in a fourteenth floor window, a smart woman holds tight to any weapon she can find.”

He shook his head. “Glass doesn’t work so well against a vamp.”

“It does if you use the glass to cut off a vamp’s head.” She gave him a grim smile. “Works great then.”

“And you’ve cut off a vamp’s head before?” Cass seemed doubting.

“Yes.” He shouldn’t doubt.

Surprise flashed on his face. Then Cass glanced back out the window. “He’s starting to move. We have to go.” He reached out for the glass.

She yanked her hand back. “Your gloves!”

He immediately froze. “Fuck. Fuck. I didn’t think—I could have—”

Could have killed me.

He spun and marched to retrieve the gloves he’d dropped on the floor. He also grabbed for her suitcase again. Good of him. She had a special prize in that bag that she’d truly hate to lose.

“Amber, let’s get the hell out of here.”

She glanced below. The wind rushed through that gaping window. The vampire was moving. Definitely time to get the hell out of here. She kept her glass and she followed the Reaper.

***

Humans were swarming around him.

“Suicide…can you believe it?”

“I saw the guy jump right out of the window…”

“Oh, God, I think he’s still alive…”

Gregory’s eyes opened. He couldn’t move his legs, not yet, mostly because he was sure his spine was severed. Dammit. Cass could be such a bastard. A selfish bastard who wanted to keep all the glory to himself.

Too bad, *. Time for a new lead hunter. I’ve got plans for Amber…and for Luke. Plans that have been in the works for a very, very long time.

A woman scrambled toward him. Her eyes were wide and worried and the faintest odor of alcohol clung to her. “We’re going to help you!”

Because he was still half-in the fountain, she had to slosh her way to his side. Gregory turned his head and realized the water around him had turned red.

Such a waste of blood.

“I’m a nurse,” she said quickly. “I need you to lie still. You’ve got some serious wounds so please, don’t try to make any sudden movements—”

His hand flew out and he grabbed her wrist. In the next breath, he’d yanked her against him and shoved his teeth in her throat.