Hunting Colby Read online

  I gave him a reassuring smile and basked in his concern. “I can handle myself.” A person only worried about people he cared about. “But I could use some cash. I left my wallet at my hotel.”

  He gave me some money. Closing the short distance between us, he pressed his lips to mine. The small kiss made all the wet and cold of the evening worth it. He strode away, waving for another cab.

  I hadn’t met Cesio in person, but I did know where he kept his court. What kind of security specialist would I be if I didn’t? Protocol stated I should have presented myself to the Overlord upon arrival to the city, but since I worked for the Nosferatu as Mutt’s sitter, I had some leeway. I somehow doubted Cesio would think the same.

  The cabby took me to the Upper East Side. I paid with cash and exited to stand in front of a towering white marble building. The two doormen smelled of vampire flesh and age. The old ones were always strong.

  Glancing at my reflection in the glass door, I flinched. Maybe I should have gone to my hotel and changed first. I didn’t look like the head of security of the Nosferatu king. More like a shifter down on her luck. I gave my coat a tug, raised my chin, and strode to the door. My master had told me once that attitude was part of my image. I’d have to bank on that.

  As I drew near, a guard blocked my path. “State your business.”

  “I am Gwen Fatima Brizido of the Divorar pack, alpha to Master’s Tane personal security. I have to speak with Lord Cesio.” I made sure to thicken my Brazilian accent. It helped soften some males to my will.

  The vampire guard’s frown deepened. “I can’t let you in on just your name, Ms. Brizido. You could be anyone off these streets. Do you have a letter of introduction from your master?”

  “Our master.” The response came automatically. It never hurt to remind the regular vampire population that the Nosferatu still watched.

  He swallowed visibly. “Ours, of course.”

  “No, not on me.” It sat in my suitcase, gathering dust. I gestured to my damp and muddy clothes. “This is an emergency, not a courtesy call. Make the request to your lord.” I barked the last sentence with the authority I’d been trained to wield.

  The guard’s spine snapped straighter. He must have been from a military background. “Yes, ma’am.” Pressing on his ear piece, he passed on my request. After a moment he made eye contact with me. “Lord Cesio has already left the building. We’ll pass on the request for an audience when he returns. Is there a way he can contact you?”

  “How come you didn’t know of his whereabouts when I arrived?” Poor security habits.

  A scowl was my only answer.

  I pulled out my business card from an inside pocket of my jacket. It only had my cell phone number on it. “Give this to him and don’t make me wait too long. I’ll be forced to go over his head if I am.” I lied. The Nosferatu would only be interested in Red if his body turned up, and calling my master would trigger a reaction on such a scale that I doubt Colby would ever forgive me.

  Spinning on my heel, I strolled along the sidewalk, taking the first turn so I’d be out of their view and hearing before dialing my cell phone.

  “Gwen, where the fuck are you?” Mutt just about blew out my eardrum.

  “Thanks for abandoning me in the subway tunnels.” I paused by an alley. Something triggered my shifter senses—a familiar smell? I glanced around but couldn’t see movement.

  “No problem. I told you I wasn’t going to get in the middle of your shifter…thing. Did you find Alcide?”

  “No, he hit the surface before dawn. Then it rained. I couldn’t find anything fresh in the area. I assume he’s still not answering his cell?”

  “That’s a negative. This isn’t like him. Most of my friends took off when the Nosferatu changed me. Al stuck around, even during the worst of it. He kept me from killing and losing my mind.” Mutt confirmed my suspicions that the change from regular vampire to Nosferatu could be brutal. Poor kid.

  “The slayers want him too.” I sighed. “I can’t promise to keep him alive if he’s been breaking vampire laws, but I’ll do my best.”

  “Fuck. Where are you? Let me help.”

  “I’m in Manhattan, and you can’t come where I’m going.”

  “Where’s that?”

  “Do you know where Cesio likes to spend time? He’s not in his nest tonight. Does he have a favorite lover or club?”

  Mutt groaned. There was no love lost between these two. Cesio was older than Mutt by centuries, but he knew one day soon the pup would outmatch him. They didn’t cross paths on purpose. “There’s still a lot of conflict between the burrows. He stays close to home. Most of the time you can find him at Fangshui. It’s a private club. Vampire clientele mostly.”

  Wonderful. I hated clubs. The push of crowds made security an issue. Anyone could brush against your back with a blade, and if memory served me right, there was a lot of body bumping. “Great. I’ll call when I have more info.”

  “I’ll meet you there. I can at least watch your back.” That Mutt followed my train of thought swelled my chest with pride. He really was listening.

  “May—” A hand landed on my shoulder. I dropped my phone as I grabbed the wrist and dropped to my knee, flipping my assailant over my back. Not releasing my hold, I twisted the arm, but the ground was no longer under my feet. I hit the sidewalk, knocking my head hard enough to see stars.

  “Fuck, Gwen. Take it easy.” Colby’s voice traveled through the haze, trying to push through my consciousness.

  I blinked and turned my head.

  Colby lay on his back next to me. He must have swiped my feet from under me as he landed.

  “Hi.” I rubbed the back of my head and checked my palm. No blood. Always a good sign. “You shouldn’t sneak up on me.”

  “Lesson learned.” He rose to his feet with a groan and dragged me onto mine, then handed me my cell phone. “You’re fast.”

  “I’ll call you back, Mutt.”

  “Wait, I heard—”

  I hung up on him, not able to deal with two stubborn heads at the same time. Stepping into Colby’s personal space, I met his glare with one of my own. “What are you doing here?”

  Colby rubbed the shoulder I’d tried dislocating. “I don’t trust Cesio.”

  The fading stars in my vision were replaced by red-hot sparks of fury. “You think I’d betray you to Cesio?” I couldn’t fathom the amount of paranoia inside someone like Colby. Nothing I’d done deserved this kind of treatment.

  “They could have hurt you.”

  The haze of red vanished. “You were really worried about me?” I took a deep breath and searched for calm. Colby wasn’t raised in a pack. Actually, his fear might have solid roots, considering how his parents had died and the way he made his living. How many good vampires did he know? “I’ve worked with vampires all my life. I’m more comfortable with them than I am with humans. I know what I’m doing.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “You know vampires who wish to kiss Tane’s ass. Cesio isn’t one of those. And we’ve wasted time coming here.”

  I poked him in the chest and cracked the first knuckle of my finger. “You were supposed to go to Brooklyn. Not follow me.”

  “You were supposed to come with me, not take off on a mission of your own.” He towered over me.

  “I have my own mission, remember? Our missions just happened to coincide.”

  “You need to find Alcide, just like I do.”

  “That’s not my mission. I’ve been sent here to take care of the young Nosferatu.”

  “The one who knocked me out?” His eyes grew wide.

  “Yes. He didn’t mean to, by the way. He’s growing accustomed to his strength. I’m here to train him and keep him out of trouble. Alcide is his friend.”

  “Some friend.” Colby turned his back on me. “Are you sure this Nosferatu isn’t trying to build a small vampire army?”

  I laughed. “Mutt’s still getting used to the idea of losing all his
hair. He’s not ready for world domination yet. Not to mention he can’t fart without the brotherhood knowing.”

  “Brotherhood?” Colby’s arms eased to his side.

  “That’s what the Nosferatu call each other.”

  “One big happy family.” His voice dripped with sarcasm, but he wasn’t far from the truth. They did act like brothers—who stabbed each other in the back, but what family didn’t squabble?

  “Shouldn’t you be checking on your lead in Brooklyn?”

  “I sent someone else. We should stick together.”

  Part of me squealed like an excited little girl, but I also struggled with the warrior part that wanted to continue to kick his ass for not having faith in me.

  “You look less than pleased at the idea.” He gave me his secretive smile again.

  I clicked the tip of my tongue against the roof of my mouth. The plan I had in mind didn’t include a somewhat unstable shifter male who carried a grudge against all vampires. “Look, I might have an idea where to find Cesio, but like you mentioned, he won’t be so receptive of my arrival if you’re…looming over us with a stake in your pocket.”

  He closed his eyes slowly, as if gathering his patience. “Gwen…”

  “No, no. I’m right about this. You know it.” I couldn’t back down. This was a matter of trust between us. He had to see me as a warrior, as an equal.

  Shifter males owned the world’s worst reputation for protectiveness. It had taken me years to gain my pack’s respect. I didn’t have that kind of time to waste with Colby. I’d let him lead us in our relationship at his own pace, but outside of that, I was just as alpha as he was.

  “You’ll have a hard time talking with him in a club. We should lure him out.”

  I laughed. “You want to use your pretty bait on the Overlord of Manhattan?” Actually, it wasn’t a bad idea. It would keep me from having to go in there.

  “Sure. She’s good at it. Maybe better than Connie.”

  “Meaning she doesn’t fall for her prey.”

  “Yeah.” A sad frown was my answer. “Let me take you to our base, where we can make better plans.”

  Chapter Ten

  A white van stopped by the curb where we waited, drinking coffee under a store awning. Colby had called a member of his team to drive us. He directed me into the windowless back and joined me on the bench. A curtain hung between us and the driver, blocking any view through the windshield.

  “Is this really necessary?”

  “Ten years of experience. Trust me, the less anyone knows, the better.” He settled his arm on the chair back behind my shoulders. A casual gesture, but nothing about Colby was casual.

  Taking the opportunity, I leaned against him, luxuriating in the warmth he radiated. “Your people must trust you quite a bit to keep them in the dark.”

  “Everyone has a role on our team. Our drivers are the only ones who know the base location. They don’t go in the field to fight. Ever. The fighters are on need-to-know basis about the targets. And so on.”

  I frowned. “Seems very complicated.” How did he coordinate anything?

  “It has to be when our quarry can usually read the minds of our human members.”

  “How many of them are?”

  “All of them besides me.”

  I twisted my neck to meet his gaze. “The casualties must be high.”

  He gave me a sharp nod. “They know what they’re getting into before signing on. Red makes sure of that. Most carry a certain grudge against the bloodsuckers and aren’t looking to die of old age.”

  “How can you stay impartial if you all hate them?” I could sense him stiffen at my comment. Heaviness settled on my heart. Most vampires in my care followed the laws. Many took to the idea of keeping voluntary human companions. They even loved them. My master was a perfect example.

  “It’s not easy. I don’t attack on hearsay and require solid proof that the vampire is killing.” He sighed. “I know Tane has me watched. If I began slaying any vampire I saw, my team would be toast. And me…” He didn’t need to say it. My master had a cruel streak, and Colby had been in his shackles twice.

  The van came to a stop. Colby opened the side door and jumped out. Our heads almost collided as I leaped to follow and he twisted to assist me out. It turned into me jumping in his arms and both of us landing on the concrete ground of a building.

  The hum in the large room went silent.

  Lying on Colby’s chest, I assessed the area. It appeared to be an old mechanics’ garage. Card tables were assembled together at the far side of the room with a large marker board behind it. People in all states of dress, from casual to military, had been in the process of working.

  They’d all stopped to stare at us.

  I waved. “Hi.” Rolling off Colby, I straightened my clothes and faced his team. I spotted Rose curled in an old arm chair away from most of the action.

  She unfolded and leaned forward. “Colby?”

  A growl rolled out of my chest. Her eyes bore too much hero-worship and her body screamed sex-goddess. Damaged goods or not, I couldn’t imagine any male rejecting her as a lover.

  Colby stood next to me and set his hand on my shoulder. “She’d be hard to replace. Play nice,” he whispered in my ear.

  Rose skipped over and hugged him tight. “I’m so glad she didn’t hurt you.” The human tossed me a sharp glare from under her eyelashes.

  My attention had latched onto Rose’s hug around my mate. All logic vanished as a vapor of instinct fogged my brain. No one touched what was mine. Of its own will, my hand shot around her throat and yanked her from Colby.

  Our eyes made contact as her fingers dug into the back of my hand, trying to pry it off. She made small gurgling noises and her eyes rolled in her head. Before I could toss her, a large hand wrapped around my wrist and tore her from my grasp.

  Mutt gathered Rose in his embrace, glaring at me over her head.

  She went stiff as a hardwood plank in his arms. The stink of fear bloomed around her and she closed her eyes.

  “Pick on someone of your own race, Gwen.” He ran his hand over her back until it landed on her ass then winked at me.

  The room exploded. It was the only way I could describe the noise of shouts and motion at the sight of a Nosferatu in the supposed secret slayer lair.

  I dropped my head into my hands. If they staked the fool, I doubted I’d mourn right away. He’d been told to stay put at home. Peeking through my fingers, I watched as Mutt gazed wide-eyed at the armed slayers surrounding him. “Cool,” he whispered. At least he had the intelligence to keep the girl in his arms. They’d hesitate to toss a UV light grenade. It wouldn’t fry her like Mutt, but it would leave scars.

  Maybe they should toss a little one.

  A sigh next to me caught my attention. In all the commotion, I’d forgotten Colby. He stared at me. “What is he doing here?”

  “Excellent question.” I mumbled under my breath. “Can you call off your men before someone pokes out an eye?” I reached over and snagged Mutt by the ear lobe. “Let her go. You can play with her another day.”

  “Ow.” He set a stunned Rose in the arms of the closest soldier and bent toward me. “Stop that.” Swatting my hand hard, he got loose, only to have Colby grab his other one.

  “How did you find us?” My mate just about growled the question.

  Mutt could meet Colby eye to eye, yet he lacked the confidence the slayer carried with ease. “Uh, I can follow Gwen’s phone on my GPS app.” He held up his smart phone.

  My gut cringed. Oops? I’d given Mutt my code so he could find me when I needed him. This city was big and getting lost proved easy.

  “You led him here by GPS?” Colby raised a sharp eyebrow at me.

  “Yeah. That wasn’t intentional.” I poked Mutt in the shoulder. “Why are you here? I told you to stay put.”

  “You hung up on me before I could finish explaining about the club rules.”

  “And you couldn’t just
call me?”

  Mutt’s eyes darted around the room at the armed slayers. “And miss this? I heard you guys have found a way to use wooden bullets.”

  Colby blinked. “From who?”

  Oh my God, Mutt was a slayer geek and about to go fangirl on Colby. Was there a hole I could crawl into? “What did you come all this way to tell me?” I tried to insert myself between both males.

  “You can’t get in without a vampire.”

  I scrunched my face in aggravation. “Shit.”

  Colby let him go. “There goes that plan.” He pointed at a group of men. “Start packing the place. We move ASAP.” Then he directed his incisive attention on me. “I can’t believe you led a Nosferatu here.”

  “He’s just a baby. He doesn’t know better.”

  “Gwen!” Mutt tossed his arms in the air. “Stop calling me that. I’m probably older than everyone here.”

  “Not yet, and definitely not mentally.” I tapped my head to make sure he got the point. Once a human became vampire, it was like their development as a person slowed, since they didn’t age. Or something.

  “Really?” Colby peered at Mutt closer.

  I gave a one-shoulder shrug. “He wasn’t a vampire very long when they did it.”

  “Why?” Colby asked Mutt.

  “Your guess is as good as mine. They don’t tell me much. Just come around every once in a while to, uh, talk with me about shit.” He pointed his thumb at me and gazed at the floor. “They sent her.”

  “You could do much worse.” Colby pushed past us, striding toward the table.

  Many of the slayers were in the process of packing things. A few tossed angry stares our way, and others curious ones. I wished this could have gone better. The team was important to Colby and if I was ever to fit in his life, I’d have to fit in here.

  Rose hurried after Colby, stopping to gather her discarded sweater on the old chair she had occupied on our arrival. “Look, I’m going to head home.” She stuck her arms in the sleeves and gathered a purse.

  “Not yet. We came here because we might need you. I haven’t had any leads on Red, and time is getting short on finding him alive.” Colby nodded at me. “She’s suggesting we talk to the Overlord. He might be able to intervene on Red’s behalf.”