Anarchy (Hive Trilogy, #2)(30)

“I reckon we head back in and mess up every vamp we find. What do you think, mates?” Jared called out.

The Aussie was growing on me. He was hot, he was lethal, and he was not taking shit from the Quorum any longer.

Ryder turned to Kyle. “I want you guys to go back to the locker room and wait for me. I’m going to see the Quorum. Alone.”

“I’m going with you,” I stated as Kyle turned the car around.

Ryder glared at me. “No way. The Quorum already has it out for you.”

I crossed my arms. “Yes way. Lucas won’t let them hurt me.”

I knew the second it came out of my mouth that it was the wrong thing to say.

Ryder’s features hardened, but there was a wounded look in his eyes. “I won’t let anyone hurt you either, Charlie.”

My face fell as the guys all started to stare with great focus out the window.

“I know,” I squeaked. I hadn’t meant to imply that Ryder couldn’t protect me. I just did my usual speak before thinking thing.

Thankfully a distraction arrived in the form of Kyle parking the Humvee back in the garage. None of us wasted time exiting the vehicle and dashing through the Hive. I stayed right by Ryder, even after we left the other five guys at the locker room. I could tell he still wasn’t happy about me coming along, but he was learning not to argue with my stubborn butt. Of course, I had no doubt that if he’d felt that strongly about me staying behind, I’d probably be tied up next to Kyle right about now.

We made our way to the medical wing. Before using his key card to open the door, Ryder turned to look at me. “Don’t do anything stupid.” His tone was serious, but there was a spark of humor across his eyes.

I feigned an innocent look. “Who, me?”

He pressed a quick kiss on my lips. “I didn’t get a chance to say good morning.”

Grinning further, I nodded. “It was a good morning … could have been even better.”

Hello, round three…

Damn the vampires for ruining our morning afterglow. Another reason to hate the child-turning evil f*ckers.

Upon entering the medical wing it was immediately obvious something major was happening. The staff was running around with bags of blood in their hands, all wearing flustered looks.

Out of nowhere, a big tall male vampire zoomed into Ryder’s space and placed a hand on his chest. Ryder looked down at the hand and I saw his jaw clench.

“I want to see the girl.” Ryder’s voice was clipped and deadly. I knew him well enough to know he was three seconds from ripping this *’s hand off.

“No. Your orders are to disperse the mob outside the gates,” the man said in an equally deadly voice.

Ryder flicked the man’s hand out of his way and pushed forward. “I don’t take orders until I speak with the Quorum.” His voice was so cold I was pretty sure I now had frostbite on my cheeks.

We kept moving, and the vampire seemed unsure about stopping the deadly enforcer again. Smart move, *. The next hall we crossed into was one I hadn’t been before. Each door was frosted glass. Ugh, this place gave me the creeps. I heard a strangled noise from behind and turned to find the bodyguard vampire bolting after Ryder. Dude must have found a pair of balls after all. He barely even glanced at me, so it was easy to stick my foot out and trip him. He stumbled forward but caught himself, turning to give me a deadly look.

“Oops!” I put my hand over my mouth and batted my eyelashes. Dick.

Before this shit could escalate and I no doubt got my ass kicked, Lucas and a few other Quorum members trickled out into the hallway. From the room they exited I could hear a young girl’s voice: “I want to go home! I want more blood!”

The Quorum member known as fugly, the hideous dude with slicked-back hair and a bent nose, was my least favorite of any living creature. He was the leader of the fourth house, and a total pain in my ass.

When fugly saw us, his eyes went all silver swirl and he charged straight into a faceoff with Ryder. I was about to interfere when Lucas gave me a stern look.

“Since when do you defy our orders?” Fugly sneered at us. “We keep you fed and employed, don’t forget that.”

With clenched fists, Ryder stepped closer to him. “I work for you willingly, to help save ash from making the same mistake I did. I do not help you animals infect children and cover the evidence up. Or PR goodwill to the humans. I’m thinking about joining their picket line actually.”

Holy shit. He wasn’t holding back at all. For the first time I feared for Ryder. If they wanted him dead, we were vastly outnumbered.

Fugly sneered again, which made his nose look even more crooked. “It was an accident, enforcer, calm down! The animal is in the pit.”

Ryder didn’t seem pleased with that answer. “Not good enough. I want him dead.”

Fugly barked out a laugh, which died off as his arm snaked out and he wrapped his hand around Ryder’s neck. “Who do you think you are? Demanding such things? How about I kill you and make the other robots do as I say.”

Oh hell no.

I stepped forward. “If you kill him, the other enforcers will revolt. They won’t work for you. They take orders only from him. Look outside. Do you see any enforcers breaking up that mob? No. Because Ryder told them to stand down.”

All eyes were on me now, and Ryder chose that moment to use himself as a distraction. He knocked the vamp’s hand, and despite the fact that the evil suckers were so much stronger than us, it took him barely any effort to free himself. There was anger brewing in the enforcer’s eyes, but the way they flicked between me and the Quorum, I could tell he was afraid to start anything while I was down here too.