And To Hold: Vampire Assassin League #20 (9 page)

And this time when Malcolm dropped, he stayed down.

Zach watched Malcolm’s body thumping along the floor in death throes, with the tingling sensation of his teeth at full throttle, and a massive thirst to match. Then he turned to fetch the crossbow. Might come in handy.

“Yo! Look! It’s the kid!”

“Remember us?”

Zach looked up and across as the three Hunter guys from the coach appeared through the same tunnel Malcolm had used. They were dressed alike in full camouflage, and they’d found more weapons. They each had a crossbow in one hand, two had swords strapped to their backs, while the third looked to have a flame thrower. If he didn’t miss his guess, it probably contained Holy Water.

“How’s the weekend going, anyway?”

Zach didn’t know what to say. Or do. So he just stood there over Malcolm’s dead body, waiting for them.

“Well. Well. Looks like you have been busy.” That was the leader. Zach had him pegged from the coach. The impression hadn’t changed. The guy had the bearing and attitude of someone in charge. And a buzz cut that had stopped just shy of baldness. He was going to call him Buzz Cut from now on.

“Self defense,” Zach remarked.

Buzz Cut answered. “That works. We’ve had our eye on Malcolm, there...for some time. He was part of the objective today, even though we’re here at his invitation. Looks like a good kill. You’re pretty handy. Want to join us? We could use you.”

“For what?”

“We hunt vampires. Remember?”

“Vampires don’t exist.”

“Man. The kid is a slow learner. I’m kind-a surprised you actually got one.” That was the middle guy. Zach hadn’t paid much attention to him earlier. He wasn’t remarkable. He did have a really cool tattoo on his forearm, but it had been applied at a slant, ruining the impact.

Zach looked down to the body at his feet. Malcolm hadn’t changed. He was still a corpse. Nothing supernatural about anything.

“You’re telling me he was vampire? Come on. Why hasn’t he turned to dust like that Reginald guy?”

Buzz Cut answered. “Don’t judge anything on surface appearance. Malcolm there was half changed. Trust me.”

“Half...changed?”

The words came out in a tone of voice Zach had never heard out of his mouth before. He was surprised his throat worked. His heart stopped. His legs wobbled. His blood went cold.
Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.

“Yeah. The ones who share blood with a vampire get some of the bennies but none of the trouble. You know. They get super powers, delivered to just about everything. Vision. Hearing. Movement. Strength. About the only thing they don’t get is immortality.”

“And the blood lust,” the youngest one added. That one was named Eric. Zach remembered him. He was the jerk who’d wanted to re-stun Zach just for the fun of it.

“Oh. They get some of that. Most half-turned folks only eat rare meat. We’ve got some Hunters with that affliction. You can probably figure out which ones when we have the next conference. Well, kid? What do you say? We could use your help. You with us. Or not?”

Zach looked levelly at Buzz Cut. They guy was exactly his height. Had him by about thirty pounds of muscle, however. That was not going to be beneficial.

“With you...on what?”

That was odd. Zach was reeling inside, but nothing sounded it, and he must not be exhibiting a damn thing, either because none of the guys around him reacted. They might be fair vampire hunters, but they weren’t remotely observant enough for the private investigator business.

“We got a call from Malcolm there. There’s a vampire here. Runs the place. We tend to believe calls like that. So. We’re going to hunt it down and kill it.”

“Yeah. And we’re really going to enjoy it.”

“Why...so?” Zach asked.

“It’s a fem. They’re always more fun to kill. Or so - I’ve been told,” Eric told him.

“Fem?” Zach asked. His voice should be shaking. Everything else on him felt like it had instantly entered that condition.

Tattoo Man answered. “Female. The fem vamps have sex appeal and siren beauty in spades. But, it’s only on the outside. Once you strip some skin off, you get to the truth. Inside they’re nothing but death and decay. If you kill them slowly, it’s even better.”

“Yeah. I hear they’re so sexy, you’ll get a hard-on just from locking gazes with them,” Eric spoke up.

“Really?” Zach asked in his most nonchalant tone.

“Well. That’s what I’ve been told. Once we meet up with her, I’ll let you know. So. Have you seen anyone like that?”

“Nope,” Zach lied.

And right then, as if somebody was stage-managing the entire event, Ruxanna called out his name from somewhere behind him. That’s exactly when he knew that these assholes weren’t touching a hair on her head. Not tonight. Tomorrow. Or any other time. Roxie was his mate. There was such a thing as love. It existed. It was the supreme power. Overruling anything. Altering everything. He’d just received it. And not another damn thing mattered.

His rules were history.

So were these jerks.

Zach jumped upward, relieving Eric of first his sword, and with the drop, he relieved the fellow of his head. It took a sideways swipe of the sword. He barely felt it. This was a very sharp blade, and he had super skills. Eric’s head slapped into the front window of the dark gray sedan, and ricocheted back at him. Zach caught it like he would a basketball, and slammed it into Buzz Cut’s gullet. The guy flew backward, smacking solidly against the neighboring vehicle’s side mirror. He cried out as something snapped. Eric’s body sagged to the floor to join Malcolm.

Zach didn’t watch either of them.

He immediately went into a backspin kick that sent Tattoo Man into the side of the panel truck, probably crushing some ribs. Before the guy had a chance to groan, Zach swung the sword and took the guy’s head off his shoulders. He really liked this sword. He was keeping it. He tested it a bit as he approached the leader. Buzz Cut was on his ass, one leg cocked beneath him, the other spread out, pretty much useless. Looked like he’d taken a spinal hit. He was bleeding from the side of his mouth. Grimacing up at Zach. And trying to lift his crossbow into firing position. Zach put a foot on it, forcing the guy’s arm down.

“Any last words?” he asked.

“Fuck you,” Buzz Cut replied.

So Zach plucked the cross bow out of Buzz Cut’s hands, placed it against his heart, and repaid Reginald Leach’s earlier killing. Ruxanna was at his side an instant later, almost like she swooped in from between cars. But that was ridiculous. Nobody could fly. That was Rule...

Oh.

Screw it.

“Zach! Oh, Zachariah. I came as soon as I could. I’ve been so worried!”

Zach turned his head to look down at her.
Damn
. She had the most amazing, moss-green eyes. So warm. So full of emotion. They glowed. And right now, they looked a little shiny, as if she was near tears.

“Hi, honey,” he told her, and then he grinned.

Her eyes widened, she gasped, and then she reached for his arm and held him right around the bicep. As if worried she might fall.
Hmm
. His grin still worked. Nice to know she wasn’t immune.

“There are Hunters coming!”

“You mean these guys?” Zach gestured with the sword at Buzz Cut. She glanced to where he pointed.

“You—you...eliminated a Hunter threat?”

“You could say that,” he replied.

“Oh! Good! Then, all we have to do is find Malcolm! He’s the wretch that called them!”

He pointed over at the Malcolm. The guy was beneath Eric’s headless corpse, getting saturated with blood, but his suit coat and trousers were still recognizable.

“You mean that guy?” Zach asked.

“You...killed Malcolm, too?”

“Well. That was self-defense. The guy went nuts. Wouldn’t listen to reason.”

“You’re not hurt?”

Oh. She was so cute as she asked that! Looking up at him with such a serious, concerned expression. Zach couldn’t help it. He grinned again.

“Not a scratch. Although my blazer is going to need dry-cleaning.”

“How is that possible?”

“Rolling around on garage floors tends to dirty things. Even pristine garages, like yours.”

“Then, that hurt you?”

“I’m kidding, love. You really need to lighten up. Seriously. I’m not hurt. Anywhere. I’m trained on martial arts. You checked my history, and missed that part?”

“The kick-boxing thing?”

“Yeah. That would be the one. I’m a third degree black belt, love. I don’t lose many fights. Uh. Perhaps we should take this somewhere else.”

“We should?”

“Never mind. I keep forgetting. You’re a vampire. You probably see death and dismemberment on a daily basis. I’m not used to it. We should still leave. You know, transfer locales. I’ve got a few things to say, and all this blood creeps me out.”

“It does?”

“Okay. I confess. It’s more my reaction to it. So. You got someplace we can go?”

“As long as I’m with you, Zachariah, nothing else matters.”

“Cute.”

Zach dropped the crossbow. The next moment he had his arm about her, lifting her and plastering her to his chest. And damn! He’d been off a bit on how holding her would feel. His heart was hammering solid bliss throughout his frame. He was just swooping in for a kiss when she launched upward, taking him along for the ride. Without one iota of warning. Zach looked back at the scene of carnage as they flew from it. She didn’t stop until they were in the tunnel the Hunters had used. It led outside. He didn’t have to check. He could smell the fresh air, and feel the night breeze.

Wow.
And here he’d thought he had super powers.

She lowered them with an innate gracefulness that belonged to her. The move ruffled her skirt and sent wisps of hair across both of them. She didn’t exhibit one sign of stress from carrying him.

“Why are we out here?” he asked.

“We’re leaving. Just like you said.”

“I didn’t mean
leaving
. I meant somewhere we could talk. Oh. Hell. This will work, I suppose.”

“We don’t have much time, Zachariah! A 4-D Team is already on its way! VAL ordered it.”

“VAL? 4-D? What does all that mean?”

“I’m a member of the Vampire Assassin League. That is VAL. The 4-D stands for deploy. Destroy. Disinfect. Disappear.”

“Destroy? Oh, no. All those cars?”

“Castle Kraven has been compromised. It will be destroyed...or as much of it as is deemed necessary.”

“That doesn’t bother you?”

“No.”

“Well, it should.”

“Why?”

“Your employment is over. Got that?”

“My employment?”

“As my wife, you are not running a whorehouse.”

Her eyes went huge. She wavered. Zach’s arm tightened.

“Your days at exploiting people are over, Hon. I won’t stand for it.”

“Exploiting?”

“You have working girls here. Maybe some men. Selling themselves. That’s exploitation. And it’s over.”

“Oh no, Zachariah. No. They are contractors. They own their own businesses.”

“Right.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“Of course not. But I can’t wait for the explanation.”

“Advertisements are placed throughout the world. The castle has an enormous waiting list.”

“You have a waiting list? No way. Don’t they know what the business entails?”

“Of course. It’s in the agreement they sign. They commit to as little or as much as they like. Keep whatever funds they earn. Everyone is free to leave. Transportation is arranged as needed. How is that exploitative?”

“Why run a whorehouse if you don’t have a profit? Talk about a lousy business plan.”

“Oh. No. We keep the entry fee. Malcolm handles that. Or...he used to handle it.”

“Well, we’d better go back, find your office, and get busy writing. Your contractors are all laid off, instead of laid. And then we’re leaving. I don’t care where. I’ve got a car already picked out.”

“I have...other means of travel. And other castles. It’s not a problem.”

“Well. I don’t want to get anything else bloody.”

“Bloody?”

“I’ve got a body to transport now. And it’s going to be messy.”

“You don’t need to worry about me.”

Zach snickered. “I meant Leroy.”

“Leroy Walters? I forgot about him.”

“Not me. I didn’t do the honors, in case you’re asking. That was Malcolm’s doing. He was aiming for me. Doesn’t really matter. But I get paid if he’s delivered dead, too. And then I might have to look for other employment. No. Wait a minute. Private Investigators work nights. This vampire thing might work out just fine.”

“Leroy’s assassination has already been paid, Zach. The money is in my account.”

“Oh, no way. That was my bounty.”

“It was a VAL sanctioned hit.”

“Look. Roxie. I’ll take a lot from a woman. I think I’ve proved how much when I let you strap me to your bed. Speaking of, those are some badass knots. You’ll have to show me your method. But, in the meantime, we’re getting one thing straight. You are not stealing my bounty. No way.”

“Oh, Zach. Please. It’s only money. And you can have it. Besides, the bounty on you is probably close. It might even be more.”

Zach froze, and then actually managed to get his voice to work. “Excuse me?”

“VAL has a hit on you, Zach.”

Zach loosened his arm, slowly setting her back on her feet. He didn’t remove it. Not yet. Everything was hurting. His heart was sending shards of pain through his veins with each beat.

“You took...money to kill me?”

“That doesn’t sound very nice when you put that way.”

“That’s why you came for me? You were fulfilling a hit?”

“No. No! You’re wrong!”

Okay. Now, he had no trouble taking his arm from her. She didn’t move away. She was just looking up at him with those limpid light green eyes. How could such honest eyes hide such blackness?

“I came for you because I love you, Zachariah! Oh! How can I prove it to you?”

“By letting me go. Try that.”

She regarded him for several moments.

“If I don’t change you, Zachariah, one of the other VAL associates is going to fulfill the hit. We don’t miss. We don’t give refunds. And we don’t fail.”

“You willing to take that chance?”

She was crying. Tears slipped unheeded from her eyes, and he almost joined her.

“Zach. Please. Be reasonable. Please? It’s not about money. You can keep the fee! We can donate it. I don’t care! Don’t you understand? I waited almost five hundred years for you. I love you. I’d do anything for you. I only wish you weren’t so self-reliant. When I found you in the garage...I was there to save you. To protect you! I love you. And you didn’t even leave me anyone to kill in order to prove it.”

Her shoulders dropped next. She looked down and whisked a hand across her lashes. “You want me to let you go?” she whispered.

“You really want to help me?” Zach asked.

She nodded. He watched her inhale a big breath. He matched it without thought. And then she looked back at him. Her eyes had a frightened look to them, and her lips were trembling. And his heart felt ready to burst.

“Really and truly?” he added.

“Yes.”

He shrugged out of his jacket, moving the sword to his other hand to free both arms. He really liked this blade. He wasn’t losing it. He wasn’t losing her, either. He let the blazer drop, then lifted his right arm, the one with the bedpost still strapped to his forearm.

“Then help me get these damn ties off.”

And he grinned again.

-o0o-