The Immortal Hunter(90)

"No. Getting Dani's sister back comes first. We'll just have to go after Nicholas later."

Dani hardly heard Lucian's grunt of concession. Her eyes were on Decker as he pulled her through the lobby, and she thought she must love him after all. How could she not? This immortal had taken a bullet for her before even knowing her name, had driven her to heights of passion she'd never imagined, had watched over and nursed her through the turn, and then comforted her afterward. This was an immortal who had been tortured by guilt since the events resulting in Nicholas's escape, and yet was putting the life of a young girl he'd never met ahead of finding a rogue he'd been hunting for fifty years. He was a good man, an immortal. Her immortal if she wanted him... and she did, Dani acknowledged, and then glanced around when Decker slowed and drew her closer to his side.

They'd reached the elevators and were pressing their way through the large crowd of people gathered there waiting to take the lifts up. Dani was quite sure they'd be waiting a while, but when an elevator arrived and the people began to crowd toward it, the ones closest miraculously stopped, blocking the others from entering so that Decker could lead their party through and get on board. As the doors closed on the disgruntled people trying to get past the human blockade, Dani decided she couldn't wait until she could read and control minds. It had certainly come in handy just now, she acknowledged, wondering which, or how many, of the men had caused that little miracle.

"Find a maid and get a pass key," Lucian ordered Justin as they headed out of the elevator and turned into the hall holding room 1413. The younger immortal nodded and turned away to accomplish his task as the rest of them continued forward for several feet, but then Decker paused and turned to her.

"She's my sis-" Dani began in a whisper, but he cut her off in a whisper of his own.

"You can come in as soon as we subdue the rogue."

Dani hesitated, but then nodded reluctantly.

Relaxing, Decker pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and then turned to follow Lucian and Mortimer. The three men reached the door and paused to pull out their weapons as Justin raced past Dani. She saw him hand Lucian something and then reach for the gun he'd slid into the back of his jeans.

Heart in her throat, Dani watched as Lucian unlocked the door and swung it open, and then Decker pushed past him to charge into the room with the other three men following. She heard a woman's screaming first. It was followed by several muffled popping sounds that she thought must be gunshots filtered through the silencer, and couldn't stop herself from rushing up the hall.

"This one's alive," Mortimer said, and Decker glanced up from the older woman he'd been checking.

"So is this one," he admitted, and then straightened to frown at the couple on the bed; an older woman with salt and pepper hair, and a younger man with dark hair. The woman was probably the one taken from the airport garage, but Decker had no idea who the man was. Both of them were pale, unconscious, and had been cut several times.

His gaze slid to the blond Leonius's son had been feeding on when they'd entered, the woman he'd brought up in the elevator that morning. She'd been shrieking hysterically as they entered and struggling to escape the man sucking at the wound on her arm, but she was quiet and blank-faced now as Justin wrapped her cut to try to stop the bleeding.

"Neither of the women is Dani's sister," Lucian growled.

Decker didn't need his comment to realize that. A quick glance at everyone in the room as he'd entered had been enough for him to know the girl wasn't there.

"What do you think he did with her?" Justin asked.

Decker shook his head even as Lucian did and then glanced to the younger immortal to see he'd finished bandaging the blond, and was now scooping her up to carry her over and set her on the bed with the other two mortals.

"Dani's not going to take the news well," Justin said unhappily.

"No," Decker agreed quietly, and didn't know how he was going tell her. Rubbing the back of his neck wearily, he turned to take the few steps to the door out into the hall, thinking the sooner he got it over with the better. She was probably driving herself crazy with worry out there. He was rather amazed that she wasn't already banging on the door to be let in, and could only think she was afraid of what she might find.

As it happened, she had a right to be afraid, Decker thought grimly as he pulled the door open. His gaze slid to where he'd left her, and Decker paused with one foot still inside the room, surprise widening his eyes when he saw she was no longer there.

"What is it?" Justin asked, moving up behind him.

"She's gone," he said with disbelief and then started up the hall, eating up the distance with long, quick strides.

"This is weird, Decker," Justin said, hurrying along beside him. "Dani wouldn't leave."

"I know."

"She was too worried about her sister."

"I know," he repeated grimly.

"Someone must have taken her," Justin added, speaking Decker's fears aloud. "Do you think it's Leonius? He could have been following us again."

He didn't comment, but quickened his stride, trying to think how much time had passed since he'd left Dani in the hall, and how far she could have been taken. They turned the corner, and both came to an abrupt halt as they saw the bank of elevators ahead and that there was no one in front of them. Decker cursed and turned back.