Bitter Blood (Blood and Moonlight Book 3)(71)

He’d never liked that damn vamp. They rushed outside and—

“Jane!”

And they saw Heider shoving his way through the crowd on Bourbon Street. The guy was huffing and puffing and appearing absolutely terrified.

Jane ran toward him, but Aidan beat her to the ME. He grabbed the guy, holding tight to his shoulders.

“You…won’t answer your damn phone,” Heider wheezed. “Neither will Captain Harris.”

“I’m not answering because my phone was confiscated by you,” Jane replied. “Remember, when you put me in a body bag? You got all my belongings and I didn’t exactly have the chance to get them back.”

Heider opened his mouth, closed it. Frowned.

“Heider,” Aidan snarled.

The ME’s frightened gaze shot to him. “Annette,” his voice broke on the name. “Something is wrong. She needs help and the vampire—that scary ass freak Vincent—he was there.”

Vincent.

“I tried to get the captain but she wasn’t answering her phone, Jane wasn’t answering—so I came here, to you.” Heider lifted his chin and stared at Aidan. “You’re alpha, right? That means you handle the paranormals in this town.”

Aidan let go of the doctor and his fingers twined with Jane’s. “We do.”

“Good…then get to Annette. She needs you. Something bad is going down.” Heider backed up a step. Sweat coated his forehead. “I mean, it has to be bad, right? If the voodoo queen is scared…”

If Annette was scared, the situation wasn’t just bad.

It was a nightmare.

“Go to the werewolf compound in the swamp,” Aidan ordered.

Heider immediately lifted his hands. “Hold on, hold on, I’m the human here—”

“Vivian will be there. She always loses her cell signal when she goes out there. So if she’s not answering her phone, she’s still there. Get her and the other wolves and tell them what’s happening.”

Heider blinked. “What is happening?”

“We have a vamp who needs his ass put down.” Finally. I’ve been waiting to kill that bastard. “And the wolves are going to war.”

“C-can’t I just keep calling her?” Heider gulped and pulled out his phone. “I…I can just keep trying. She’ll get a signal eventually. I can—”

“Bob.” Jane said his name flatly.

He flinched.

“I know this is scary,” Jane said and her voice softened. “I know this is far more than you signed on for—”

“I’m human,” he whispered. “Not a paranormal. I get involved in this war, and I’ll be dead.”

“You’re already in this war,” Aidan said. Didn’t the guy see that? Heider had been working for the wolves for years.

“It’s okay to be afraid,” Jane continued, firing a fast frown at Aidan before focusing on Heider once more. “But we need you. I need you. Vincent is trying to destroy us—not just wolves but I’m afraid he’s out to destroy anyone in his path. We need to stop him.”

Heider swallowed and managed a weak nod.

Jane’s hand squeezed his shoulder. “Go out to the werewolf compound. The wolves know you, they’ll listen to you. Get them back to town. Get Vivian.”

“And then bring them all to us,” Aidan said. “We’ll be at the old club near the cemetery.”

Heider swiped his hand over his forehead. “You *s really need to get better cell service out at that compound.”

Aidan stared at him.

“I’m going!” Heider snapped. “I’ll find the wolves and you just—you make sure that bastard doesn’t hurt the voodoo queen, okay?” He turned away. “I…I like her, too. Dammit, you paranormals have got to stop growing on me…” His footsteps rushed away.

Jane gazed at Aidan. “Are you ready for this?”

Ready to destroy the vampire who’d tried to take Jane from him? Ready to stop the bastard who’d thought to attack his pack? “Hell, yes.”

It was Vincent who wouldn’t be ready for them.

***

They made a pit stop before they headed for the confrontation with Vincent, a fast little stop by the Voodoo Shop. Jane picked up some needed supplies and then they raced to the site of what she knew would be her last stand against Vincent.

Jane stood outside of that little building. The old BDSM club. When she’d first become a vampire, Vincent had brought her there. He’d chained her up, he’d given her blood, he’d acted as if he were helping her but…

All along, just what was your master plan, Vincent?

She and Aidan could have gone in there, fangs bared, claws out, but…

Vincent would have expected that. He’d been playing them all along, so now, it was time for her and Aidan to play him.

So she lifted her hand and she pounded on the door. She didn’t kick it in, in a giant show of force, but, oh, she was so tempted. Kicking it in would reveal that she knew Vincent’s game. Playing the scene another way…that would give Jane the chance to get killing close to Vincent.

The door opened a few moments later. Only Vincent wasn’t the one who greeted her. Lena stood there, her gaze oddly sad. “You shouldn’t come inside,” Lena murmured.