“TJ, the bouncer, isn’t out here,” Maya murmured. She looked around, her senses suddenly on high alert. “That’s strange.”
“What?” Sadie unlinked her arm from Maya and scanned the area with her sister. “Maybe we shouldn’t go in.”
“It’s probably nothing,” Maya said, tugging the door open. “We’ll make it quick.”
Stepping into the dark club, Maya was surprised to see that the entire club was empty. The lights were on and music was blaring, but there wasn’t a customer or an employee in sight. There was, however, the pungent aroma of blood, which made Maya’s fangs break free and sent her hunting instincts into overdrive.
“Do you smell that?” Sadie whispered.
Maya nodded, glanced to the left, and moved toward the bar, where the smell was strongest. There was a pile of dead bodies and the unmistakable residue of vampires who had been dusted. Something glinted in a pile of dust, and Maya squatted down to pick it up. It was a gold tooth.
“Oh my God,” Maya murmured. She showed the tooth to Sadie and rose to her feet. “Rat.”
Stepping away from the carnage, Maya felt a familiar, aching bloom in her gut, and her body shook uncontrollably. She turned her wide, frightened eyes to Sadie and whispered, “Werewolves. Run.”
“Come on,” Sadie whispered harshly and grabbed Maya’s hand.
When the two women turned around, a delicate but deadly net of sterling silver drifted over them in a deceptively gentle manner. They screamed when the silver seared their exposed skin, and both women fell to the ground in a writhing heap. Maya’s vision blurred from the pain, and the last image she saw before she passed out was Horace’s smiling face.
Shane sat on top of the George Washington Bridge and watched the lights of the cars below while the humans made their way from one end to the other. The wolves were at the airport waiting for their plane back to Alaska and a war had been averted. The summit had gone remarkably well, and the Emperor had put the supernatural leaders’ minds at ease regarding the changes in the vampire community.
All was right in the world.
Unless your name was Shane Quesada.
In that case, the world was turned completely on its ear and nothing made sense anymore.
After an hour of back and forth, he had finally convinced Olivia and Doug to have him transferred to Europe. Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed the new sentry when he landed next to Shane on the bridge.
“You are supposed to be patrolling Brooklyn,” Shane said without looking at the younger vampire. “This is not Brooklyn.”
“No shit.” Dakota sat down next to Shane. “I know you’re supposed to be a badass, but all you look like to me is pussy whipped.”
“What I look like is none of your concern.” Shane stilled and turned his head slowly before locking eyes with the underling. “Leave.”
“Damn,” Dakota said through a laugh. He took a lollipop out of his coat pocket, unwrapped it, and stuck it in his mouth. “Pete told me you were uptight.”
“Human candy?” Shane looked at him like he was crazy.
“What?” Dakota shrugged. “I still like how the cinnamon ones taste.”
“Do you have any reason for being here other than to irritate me?” Shane asked dryly.
“Not really,” Dakota said with a shrug. “I did a pass of Brooklyn and got bored. So I came to see where you wanted me to go next. Pete is back on paternity leave now that the wolves are headed out of town, so you are my go-to guy. So, where do I go? The sun is gonna be up in a little while.”
Before Shane could tell him to go to hell, the phone in his pocket buzzed. It was Doug’s number.
“Yes?”
“We have a problem,” Doug bit out. “Horace gave his father the slip at the airport. He told him he was going to use the can, but he never came back. Killian insisted his father go home with the others, but he’s staying behind to deal with his little brother. Looks like he doesn’t want the old man to have any blood on his hands.”
“When?” Tension radiated up Shane’s back along with an impending sense of doom.
The line was silent for a beat or two before Doug said, “Over an hour ago.” Shane swore loudly, but Doug shouted over him. “Killian just called me, man. He tried to find him on his own first but the trail went cold. He’s embarrassed, and I can’t say that I blame him.”
“Where is Maya?” Shane asked, leaping to his feet. Panic and fear filled him, recalling the look of outright fury on Horace’s face at the bridge. He was outraged when he realized that he’d been duped and Maya wasn’t coming to meet him. “Is she safe?”
“I’m heading over to the apartments now to check on her.” Doug’s voice was edged with frustration. “Olivia and the baby are finally sleeping, and I’d like to get this situation handled before she has to worry about it. Got me? I have Damien standing guard at the Presidium. You and Dakota head over to Rat’s place now because chances are that little shit, Horace, will try and hide out there. I told Killian to get a cab over to The Dollhouse, and I’ll meet you there once I check on the girls. Even if Horace isn’t there, Rat may know where he’s gone.”
“Understood.” Shane hung up and stuck the phone in his pocket. He flicked his furious gaze to Dakota and ground out, “Horace is back in the city.” Shane reached inside his coat, pulled out two magazines of ammunition, and handed them to Dakota who looked at him with curiosity. “These are liquid silver bullets. They’ll drop a vamp or wolf in a matter of seconds. It’s a guaranteed kill shot.”
“Far out,” Dakota rasped, making quick work of refilling his guns. “Pete was right. You aren’t a guy to fuck with.” He checked the mag and smirked at Shane. “This Maya broad must be somethin’ else if she’s got you all fired up like this.”
“She’s not a broad,” Shane bit out as he stuck the guns back in the holster. His jaw clenched and he pressed his lips together when reality hit him like a lead weight. No matter where he went or what he did, Shane would love Maya. It wouldn’t matter if he was in Europe or on the damn moon. Nothing he did or said would alter his feelings for her, and he felt like a Class-A fool for trying to deny it—to deny them. He only hoped that he would have the chance to make it up to her. “Maya is my mate.”
“Then I don’t know what you’re doin’ out here on a bridge all alone holding your dick in your hand.” Dakota smacked Shane on the shoulder and snorted. “You might be old, but you could stand to learn a thing or two, brother.”
Shane shot him a doubtful look before whisking into the sky. They flew swiftly and silently through the dark Manhattan night with Shane barely able to control his burgeoning anger. Dakota at least had the good sense to keep his mouth shut and followed Shane without asking any questions.
The two men landed in the alley next to The Dollhouse, and when they slipped along the sidewalk, Shane was grateful there were few humans in the vicinity. He stopped outside the club and held up his hand to keep Dakota from moving. Leaning against the door, he closed his eyes and reached out with the finely tuned senses of a sentry. When his eyes flicked open, three distinct scents filled his head with horrifying clarity. Amid the potent stench of blood and werewolves, he detected the fresh, feminine scent of Maya, and every fiber of his being hummed with rage.
Without thinking, he flung the door open and flew inside with his gun drawn. The club was empty, but he quickly spotted the pile of dead bodies behind the bar and remnants of at least two dead vampires. Dakota stood next to Shane with his gun drawn and pointed toward the stage. Written in blood on the white wall was one word…“Roof.”
Armed to the teeth, Shane and Dakota made their way up the narrow staircase toward the roof. When they reached the rooftop door, Shane pressed his finger to his lips and gestured for Dakota to hang back.