Blonde & Blue (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #4)(77)

I nodded and kicked a pebble near my foot. I wanted to tell him that now it was his turn to do the same and call it quits with this whole vampire donor nonsense. It didn’t work that way. He had to do it on his own.

“Well, it was a mistake. It shouldn’t have happened.” As much as I regretted the pain it had caused, I couldn’t regret what Kale and I had done. Not entirely. I was glad to have that memory. Though the only person I was likely to admit that to would be Jez.

“Lex, you and me, we’re all good. Ok? I could be upset about Kale, but I’m not in the position to point fingers. And honestly, right now, I’m a little more concerned with the request you just made inside. What the hell was that all about?”

Leaning against his car, I tugged my sunglasses back into place, using the sun as an excuse to hide my eyes. “It was just a backup plan. Worst case scenario. No worries? Ok.”

He shook his head, a determined set to his jaw. “Don’t bullshit me. You’re being less than forthcoming here, and I want to know what you’re not telling me.”

I attempted to stifle a yawn. It had been a long couple of days. Before I could respond Shaz was turning me toward my own car.

“You look beat. I’m not feeling so hot myself. But, you’re not getting out of this. I’ll meet you at home.”

Chapter Twenty

Two nights had passed since we had killed Maxwell and Claire and had lost Julian. I’d had a chance to speak with both Shaz and Arys one-on-one about where I stood with Kale. Though Arys was still keeping secrets and Shaz had his own issues, I felt relieved of some of the recent tension among us. I didn’t expect perfection in our relationships. In the world we lived in, I knew better than that. However, I did expect closeness and a willingness to work through our problems. So far, so good. Of course, I still had every intention of getting Arys’ secret out, even if it killed me. Knowing me, it just might.

It was the first night of the full moon. It would be at its fullest tomorrow when I would run with the pack. Usually, I’d be running as a wolf tonight, too, which I was counting on to throw Veryl off. He wouldn’t be expecting me.

I left Raoul’s Jag a few blocks from the office and walked. Driving right up to the door might give me away. Cloaking my presence, I stole through the night with ill intentions.

I glanced back at the sleek black car with a shake of my head. Poor Raoul. He’d have kittens if he could see how I drove that thing. I sure didn’t baby it the way I did my own car. The Jaguar was my stealth machine, the car I used when I didn’t want to announce my presence with a loud, red muscle car.

My right hand was wrapped firmly around the handle of the Dragon Claw. It felt good. Empowering. Burning deep in my core was as much power as I could possibly hold inside my mortal body. It strained for release, and I had to concentrate to make sure it didn’t escape me.

I kept waiting for the nerves to creep in. It didn’t happen. I was rock solid and ready for this. It occurred to me that this might be a mistake, but I didn’t truly believe that. Veryl had hidden my own past from me and then acted like I had no right to be pissed about it. Now he was blackmailing Lilah, someone who had never done anything to make me think she deserved it. Yep. I was ready for this, maybe even a little eager.

I slipped inside the office building with little effort. A couple of locks weren’t going to keep me out. A very weak energy barrier lingered just beyond the doorway; I wasn’t sure if it was meant for me or Lilah. Regardless, Veryl’s power was minimal compared to mine, and I walked right through it.

This wasn’t going to be a showdown; I wanted it to be quick, as fast and clean as possible. At least that was the plan. I didn’t even plan to enjoy it. Though try as I might to resist it, an element of excitement was creeping up inside me. Hunting humans was driven by my weakness and in turn it made me weak. Hunting a creature of the night was a whole different ball game. It made me feel strong and powerful, which I preferred to the former.

Veryl might have been an ass**le, but he wasn’t a fool. His door was ajar, open just enough to give him a glimpse of anyone approaching. I could see him from the end of the hall where I stood. He was typing furiously, his eyes fixed on his computer screen. He glanced up with a start, cursing when he saw me.

“You shouldn’t have come, Alexa,” he called as I made my way toward him. “You don’t want to do this.”

“Don’t I?” I gripped the dagger just a little tighter and smiled.

He knocked his chair over in his haste to get up. Reaching under his desk, he produced a well-sharpened stake. Not a trace of fear came from him. Veryl had been expecting this.

“You’re a pawn, Alexa. Playing right into Shya’s hands by doing his dirty work for him. You’re better than this.”

I stood just inside the door to his office. It wasn’t all that big, and the massive desk in the center left little room for a good fight. I had to make this quick.

“Don’t talk. It’s only going to waste time.” I held my free hand up, moving it in a counter-clockwise circle. Power went out from me, pasting Veryl up against the far wall. The stake in his hand was useless.

He glared at me, still unafraid. “We’ve worked together for years. I did all I could to keep you from him. Now just that fast he has you brainwashed? Think this through.”

“You did what you could to keep a lot of things from me. You get your hands on information, and in some cases people, and you do all you can to make it work to your advantage.” I advanced on him, the dagger warming in my hand. “Now it’s caught up to you.”