The click of a cane striking the hard wood of his floors became audible. He straightened and faced the core of his anguish.
Sugar rounded the corner. “What devilry are you up to?” She eyed them both with a sharp assessment. His sweet librarian kept becoming bolder. He liked it. She would not be happy when she learned Pallas was staying instead of Sam, but it made tactical sense. If he could, he’d leave everyone here to guard her.
Pallas gave her a stiff bow. “I have my own preparations to attend to.” Then he retreated.
The coward.
“We were making plans for the assault.” Daedalus strolled around her, allowing his gaze to travel along the tight curves of her jeans. Thank any gods paying attention that they’d waited until the twentieth century to invent such apparel or he wouldn’t have ever crawled out of his debauchery phase.
The seams would tear easily or cut away with a sharp knife. She used to trust him enough to play with such toys in the bedroom. Maybe she still did.
“Without me?” Her angry tone snapped his head back to face her serious expression.
“When did you take an interest in making battle plans? You abhor violence.”
“Your safety always concerns me. Who is going with you?” She placed both her hands on the handle of the cane, using it to support her weight. The weak leg must be bothering her more than usual tonight.
With his fingertip, he traced the worry lines on her forehead. She had abandoned safety and family to stay at his side. Only a few days ago she’d refused any of his attention. Last evening marked the start of a new adventure for them. She finally seemed ready to start living again. “All the Vasi will accompany me as you’d hoped.” He grinned at her satisfied nod. “But Pallas will stay at your side.”
She grimaced. “Stephen should be enough.”
“Stephen is a gardener, not a warrior. He’ll provide you with meals and, uh, better company than Pallas.” Enveloping her in his arms, he absorbed her warmth and softness.
Her green eyes sparkled as she lifted her face to his. “Kiss me.”
“I’m yours to command.” He caught her mouth against his in a clash of lips and teeth. She was so frail, yet her presence overpowered him.
The cane clattered to the floor, and delicate fingers clung to the back of his head as she opened her mouth, inviting him to possess her.
He sandwiched her body between his and the wall, then thrust his tongue to meet hers, suddenly desperate to be inside her. Gripping the empty belt loops of her jeans, he supported her hips and ground his hard cock against her core.
Her soft moans drove him mad. Passion burned in his veins so hot he feared singeing her tender flesh.
Pulling away took the determination of a thousand souls. Short of breath, he stared at her swollen lips. “I have a few hours before we leave.”
“Don’t you have to prepare?” She grasped the collar of his T-shirt, tugging him closer.
“No.” He groaned and closed his eyes. “Yes.”
“Get company back so we can return to living our lives.” She kissed the tip of his nose. “I’ll be waiting for you when you’re done.”
Chapter Nine
Daedalus chose a careful path to the wall. Sam and Clementine followed him into the shadows.
Using a small laptop, Robert hacked into the first house’s security system and opened the gates. With the microphone connected to his earpiece, he communicated any information they required from the car, with Esther to guard his back.
Daedalus stopped by the stone wall of the house. “From here we climb and enter through the window.” On their intel trip they had confirmed that the vampire leader of this nest had her office right above them. He touched Pallas’s mind. “How is Sugar?”
“Really? Am I to play pass-the-message between the two of you this evening?” Even via telepathy he sounded gruff.
Daedalus sent him a mental ping.
“Ouch. She’s fine. Stephen is making her something to eat. Have you at least reached the first target?”
“Yes, invading the home now.” He gripped the rough stone and climbed.
“Then leave me be and kill the bitch.” Pallas broke contact. Daedalus hated leaving Sugar alone with the old bastard. Daedalus’s only consolation was Stephen would keep an eye on things for him and call with any problems.
Maybe he should have left Esther with her.
He perched under the windowsill and leaned to the side. Sam had changed to his beast form, and Clementine rode on his back.
That was another mistake. He shouldn’t have dragged her into this. She didn’t have any training and would make an easy target, but he needed her knowledge. Killing innocent vampires or his possible supporters wouldn’t go over well with anyone. Clementine could prevent that.
Their quarry was in the room above him. He could sense her thoughts like a low hum of putrid hate. Some beings couldn’t deal with longevity without rotting.
Not bothering to wait for his companions to reach his position, he flexed his arms and dove through the window.
The vampire female froze at her desk. “You!”
He withdrew the wooden stake attached to his forearm, and with his mind took over her body. She couldn’t run.
Her wide-eyed gaze never broke from his as he set the point on her chest.
His thoughts traveled over her memories to confirm her guilt. Destroying one of his own never used to bother him, but time had tempered his soul.
He jabbed the stake through her heart then touched the minds of all the vampires in this nest, allowing them to watch their mistress flake into ashes. They now knew he was taking his territory back with force. Either they fled or submitted. Or died.
Clementine and Sam entered through the window.
“Let’s go greet the household. Anyone gives you trouble, Sam, kill them. Clementine, try to point out the ones you know who remained loyal.” He kicked open the office door. It wasn’t necessary, but it felt good. They still had four more houses to clean before dawn.
Stephen set a steaming cup in front of Sugar.
Gripping it, she stared at the swirling dark liquid. “Cocoa?” When had she last had this to drink? She gave him a shy smile.
“With tonight’s situation, I thought coffee would just place you more on edge.”
“I’m not on edge.” The sharp words sprang from her mouth.
“Sure,” he drawled, clearly not convinced. Neither was she.
“Okay, maybe I’m a little tense.” She gave an uneasy laugh and loosened her hold on the cup before she could shatter it. “I hate being left behind.”
“Then you should try to be more useful.” Pallas, king of kind words, strode into the kitchen and examined the night through the windows. “This place is too exposed. We’ll move to the library.”
“There’s a library?” She glanced at Stephen for confirmation, and the shifter nodded. “Let’s go.” She handed her cup to Stephen and rose to her feet. Her weak side ached from the bed play with Daedalus yesterday. Against her best intentions, she would still need to nap again this night.
She hated the way Pallas’s stare followed her unsteady gait out of the room, but she couldn’t ignore the call of books. She’d been away from this passion for too long. Daedalus hadn’t mentioned his house contained a library. He might have drawn her here sooner if he had.
Stephen walked ahead, waiting for her before turning into another hallway so she wouldn’t lose her way. They headed to the center of the house and stopped at a set of large iron doors. Sugar had seen the locked doors while searching for the kitchen yesterday. She’d thought it might have been an armory.