Warrior (Relentless #4)(173)

Tristan gave her a stern look. “If the vampires weren’t killing in Los Angeles, they’d be killing elsewhere. This is not your fault.”

Roland leaned forward in his chair. “I wonder how they knew we were in LA. The vampires we ran into didn’t live to tell anyone about it.”

“What vampires?” I fixed him with a hard stare. None of them had mentioned seeing any vampires in LA.

“We, um, might have run into a couple after we left Blue Nyx,” Sara said when no one else spoke up.

Chris stared at her open-mouthed. “You killed the vampires in the alley? So you were at the club that night?”

I thought about the vampire bodies we’d found in the alley. We’d been confused because two of them had been torn apart, and one had been killed by a sword. It all made sense now.

“We saw you come in with those other warriors. Eldeorin glamoured us so we could get away.” Sara looked at me. “Why weren’t you with Chris that night?”

“I was there, just a little too late by the sound of it. We got word that two girls were attacked at a hotel, and I went to check it out.”

I silently cursed the faerie and his interference. Sara was half Fae. What had Eldeorin been thinking to allow her to run around alone in a city full of vampires and demons?

“What happened with the vampires?” I asked Sara.

“We were driving back to the hotel when we came across three vampires attacking some people.” She waved at the others. “They killed them. I didn’t even fight.”

“We found the vampires, but no human bodies, just a dead mox demon,” Chris said.

“That’s because they were attacking demons, not humans,” Sara replied.

“You rescued demons?” Tristan’s disbelief mirrored mine.

Sara nodded. “A vrell demon and his friend. They were harmless.”

I let out a breath. “You don’t endanger yourself for demons, no matter what kind they are.”

She narrowed her eyes at me, not trying to hide her annoyance. “Not all demons are bad, you know. The guy who gave me the laptop and helped me track Madeline is a vrell demon. He’s actually a very nice guy.”

Jordan sighed loudly. “We’ve learned that it’s easier if you don’t argue with her about this.” Sara gave her a look I couldn’t see, and Jordan said, “And I guess Kelvan is cool…for a demon.”

“And the vampires?”

Jordan shrugged. “They weren’t that old, no match for all of us.”

“I thought Sara didn’t fight them,” Nate said.

“I didn’t go near them,” Sara insisted. “I shot one with a crossbow, and the boys took him out.”

I raised an eyebrow at her as Chris said, “A crossbow?”

Roland laughed and Peter snorted.

“Yeah,” Roland said. “He started mouthing off to her and she shot him right between the legs.”

I remembered the vampire with the crossbow bolt in his crotch. I had to hide my smile. I didn’t want them to think I approved of their actions, but at the same time, I wished I’d been there to see Sara shoot him.

“Sara has wicked aim with that thing,” Jordan said proudly. “She definitely should start training with one.”

“What happened to our weapons anyway?” Sara asked. “Did we leave them at Greg’s uncle’s place?”

Jordan raised her eyebrows. “You honestly think I’d leave that sword behind? It would take more than a few vamps to separate us.”

Her reply made me think about the large group of vampires that had attacked us. I’d been wondering how they could have known where Sara was. There was no question about Jordan, Roland, and Peter’s loyalty to her, but what about her biker friend?

“What I would like to know is how vampires knew you were at that apartment in the first place. How well do you know that human who was with you?”

Roland raised a hand. “Dude, don’t even go there.”

Sara stiffened and tried to pull her hand from mine. I refused to let her go, and she turned her face away from me. “Greg is one of my closest friends from high school, and he would never do anything to hurt me.”

Roland’s eyes met mine. “Greg’s a solid guy. He used to watch over Sara like she was his sister. I can’t see him betraying her.”

Peter nodded. “Especially after she saved his life.”

Even Nate came to his defense. “I always thought Greg McCoy was trouble, but he did seem to care for Sara.”

“It could have been one of those demons at Draegan’s,” Jordan suggested. “They all knew Sara was playing Draegan for the blood contract, and one of them could have known who Greg was and where he was staying. I wouldn’t put anything past that bunch.”

She made a good point. Draegan had to have known where Greg lived so he could collect on the debt. It made sense that he’d told someone else, especially considering how furious he’d been after Sara won the contract back from him.

“It’s a good thing you called Nikolas when you did,” Nate said. “I don’t want to think about what would have happened to you all if he hadn’t been there.”

Tristan looked at Sara. “Promise us you won’t take off like that again.”