The Immortal Hunter(85)

"Are they gone yet?"

Eyes widening at that whisper from Dani, Decker caught her by the shoulders and raised her up slightly. Her face was completely bereft of any sign of sleepiness. "You've been awake the whole time?"

"Falling out of the closet woke me," she admitted on a sigh.

"Why didn't you get up or-" The question died as she glanced meaningfully at herself. He followed her gaze to see that the halter of her dress was resting on his chest, leaving her breasts completely exposed. His mouth began to water at the sight, and Dani immediately pushed herself upright to kneel between his legs and grabbed the ties of the halter to pull them up and around her neck.

Decker sighed as she covered all that loveliness, but knew it was for the best. It also reminded him that he had a bit of tucking and straightening to do as well, and he quickly took care of that before getting to his feet and offering her a hand.

"They didn't get Leonius, did they?" she asked quietly as they started up the hall.

"No," Decker answered. Lucian had merely shaken his head in answer to the question when he'd asked it. Dani, of course, hadn't been able to see that from her position facedown on his chest, but had guessed the answer. She looked so unhappy that he added, "We will. We won't stop until we get him."

Dani nodded, but didn't look as if she believed it.

Justin was sitting on the island beside the sink, Lucian was leaning against the counter across from him, Mortimer stood between the two men facing the door, and all three had a bag of blood to their teeth when Dani and Decker entered.

Decker felt Dani's fingers brush his as they paused, and he glanced down to see her watching the men with silent envy. Whether she envied the fact that they had no qualms about feeding in front of others, or that they could use their fangs to do it while she had to drink it like a mortal would, he didn't know, but Decker took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

Dani turned to meet his gaze, and smiled slightly.

Lucian suddenly tore the now-empty bag of blood from his teeth with a curse. When everyone turned to peer at him, he said, "We were wasting our time waiting there. Leo's already been and gone."

Everyone looked startled by this announcement, but it was Dani who asked, "How do you know that?"

"Because I just read your mind," Lucian answered unapologetically. "According to your memories the house was in perfect array when you arrived, and he walked straight out after leaving the three of you in the basement."

When Dani nodded a silent acknowledgment to this, he added, "But when I got there the rooster teapot lay smashed on the floor with tea everywhere, the salt and pepper shakers lay in pieces by it, and the apple pie had been smashed by a fist." He shrugged. "Leonius must have come back while you were crossing the field."

"He would have heard the tractor," Mortimer pointed out. "Why wouldn't he head straight after it rather than-"

"He would have checked the basement first," Lucian said with certainty. "He probably found it empty and just smashed the pie and swiped everything else off the table on his way back out. Leo probably did check the field then, but we may have either been on the scene or running to the tractor. Our presence would have scared him off."

"Is there a brown pickup at the house?" Dani asked tensely.

Lucian shook his head.

"Oh." She sounded relieved, and then explained, "That's what he was driving. I was afraid he might have set out on foot to watch the house again." She turned to Decker and explained, "He was watching us in the barn that first day."

Decker felt his mouth tighten, but merely slid his arm around her waist and drew her to his side.

"He was going to try to trade me for his sons," she added.

"His sons are dead," Decker said quietly.

"All of them? How?" she asked, surprise lifting her eyebrows. When no one answered right away, she said, "Leonius was in the van from the clearing to the restaurant where we stopped while Justin got gas. He was under the tarp and said he pulled the stakes out on two of his sons. He said it was enough that they should recover."

Decker exchanged a glance with his uncle, and then admitted, "The Council had them taken care of as soon as they finished reading them, Dani. They had to. We have no prison facilities, and rogues are like rabid dogs. They have to be put down to protect others."

Dani didn't comment on that, but announced, "Leonius said the tranquilizer didn't work on him, but did on his sons. He said he was too old and strong and it only affected him for a few moments."

"That's good to know," Decker said grimly. "We'll have to stick with arrows for Leonius then."

The other men nodded in agreement, and then Lucian shifted and glanced to Mortimer. "You may as well call the boys and tell them to start cleaning up everything so we can wipe the Parkers' memories and send them home."

"What if he does come back?" Dani asked, and then pointed out, "He might try to use the house as a spot to watch from again if he thinks you've cleared out."

"I doubt it," Lucian said, but turned to Mortimer.

"I'll put a couple men over there to keep watch until we catch him just to be sure," Mortimer said before he could say it, and then added, "I'll also send a couple over to our neighbor's on the other side to be sure he hasn't set up camp there instead."