Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) (38 page)

Thirty
minutes
later,
Alex
was
a
sweaty,
heaving
mass
of
aches.
She
hadn’t
landed
a
single
blow
on
Skylar
though
the
last
two
times
she
had
managed
to
stay
on
her
feet
for
at
least
thirty
seconds—a
huge
improvement.
She
pulled
the
clingy
material
of
the
jumpsuit
away
from
her
breasts
and
fanned
her
hot
face,
then
got
ready
to
try
again.
Despite
the
pain,
she
was
actually
enjoying
herself.

A
sound
from
the
open
doorway
behind
her
made
her
turn,
breaking
her
concentration,
and
Skylar
swiped
her
legs
from
under
her,
dropping
her
on
her
ass
for
about
the
twentieth
time.
Rico
chuckled,
and
she
ground
her
teeth.

“Hey,
that’s
not
fair,”
she
muttered.
“I
wasn’t
ready.”

“Life
isn’t
fair,
and
you’ve
got
to
learn
to
be
ready
whatever
happens.
Use
every
advantage
to
take
the
other
person
down,
and
don’t
let
yourself
be
distracted,”
Skylar
said.
“Keep
your
focus
on
your
opponent.”

Alex
dragged
herself
to
her
feet
and
rubbed
her
sore
backside
as
Rico
sauntered
over
and
flung
himself
into
a
chair
close
by.

“Hey,
Al’s
got
breasts.”

She
went
still
and
looked
across
to
where
he
lounged,
arms
clasped
behind
his
head,
an
amused
expression
on
his
face.
“Who
would
have
guessed
it?”

Skylar
turned
around
to
stare
at
him
through
narrowed
eyes.
“It’s
Alex
not
Al.
And
you’d
better
stop
staring
at
her
breasts,
or
you’ll
get
another
laser
shot
across
the
butt.”

“I
wasn’t
admiring
them
or
anything—I
was
just
surprised.
Though
now
you
come
to
mention
it…”

Skylar
made
to
draw
her
laser
pistol,
and
he
raised
his
hands
in
mock
defense.

Alex
had
been
terrified
of
him
when
she
first
came
on
board.
She
still
was,
but
not
nearly
so
much.
He
had
changed
since
Skylar
joined
them.
Before
that,
he’d
been
a
dark
and
mysterious
figure
who’d
kept
to
himself
and
refused
anything
to
do
with
the
crew,
well,
except
for
the
captain.

Obviously,
all
he’d
needed
was
the
love
of
a
good
woman.
Perhaps
that’s
all
Jon
needed
as
well.
Trouble
was,
she
wasn’t
sure
she
was
good.
Besides,
she
wasn’t
looking
for
love.
All
she
wanted
was
a
new
experience
before
she
went
back
to
real
life.
Love
didn’t
come
into
it.
How
could
it
when
she
didn’t
even
believe
in
love?
She
shoved
aside
the
memory
of
the
queer
little
twist
of
her
heart
when
he’d
kissed
her.
Or
to
be
more
honest—when
she
had
kissed
him.

“You
know,”
Skylar
said,
“I
can
teach
you
some
basic
moves,
to
use
as
a
surprise
tactic,
but
you
really
need
something
more.”
She
studied
Alex,
hands
on
her
hips.
“Hmm,
I’m
thinking
serious
firepower.
And
a
blade,
maybe
two.”

“Why
do
I
find
that
seriously
scary
and
an
enormous
turn-on
at
the
same
time?”
Rico
drawled.

“Because
you’re
a
pervert?”
Skylar
suggested.

“Oh
yeah.”

Alex
personally
liked
the
sound
of
serious
firepower,
and
she
followed
Skylar
across
the
room
to
the
weapons
cabinet
tucked
in
the
corner.
Together
they
studied
the
contents.

“Here,”
Skylar
said
and
handed
her
a
weapons
belt
with
a
laser
pistol.

“Are
you
sure
that’s
wise?”
Rico
asked
from
behind
them.

“Of
course
it
is.”
Skylar
watched
as
Alex
wrapped
it
around
her
waist.
“Just
remember
never
aim
at
someone
you’re
not
willing
to
shoot.”

Alex
liked
the
feel
of
the
gun
at
her
waist.
She
rested
her
hand
on
the
grip
and
practiced
a
quick
draw.

“What’s
going
on?”

Jon
stood
in
the
open
doorway,
and
the
muscles
clenched
low
in
her
belly.
He’d
showered
and
his
hair
was
wet
and
slicked
back
from
his
face.
He
wore
black
leather
pants
and
a
white
shirt,
the
sleeves
rolled
up
over
his
dark
forearms,
a
laser
pistol
strapped
to
his
waist.
Alex
swallowed.

“Skylar’s
teaching
Alex
to
fight,”
Rico
replied.

“Is
that
wise?”

“Exactly
my
question.”

“Wow,”
Skylar
said.
“Great
minds
think
alike.”

“She
any
good?”
Jon
asked,
coming
into
the
room.

To
Alex’s
amazement,
Rico
didn’t
immediately
jump
in
and
say
she
was
crap.
Instead,
he
shrugged.
“Well,
she’s
fast.”

“Useful
for
running
away.”

Alex’s
hand
tightened
on
the
laser
pistol.
But
she
remembered
Skylar’s
words,
and
she
didn’t
think
she
was
quite
ready
to
shoot
Jon
yet,
though
she
was
getting
close.
Instead,
she
shoved
the
pistol
back
in
its
holster
and
wiped
some
of
the
sweat
from
her
forehead.

At
least
he
seemed
to
have
stopped
flirting
with
the
others,
or
he
didn’t
do
it
when
she
was
around.
Which
was
just
as
well,
as
she
reckoned
that
would
be
legitimate
cause
for
a
laser
blast.

He
was
watching
her
now,
a
disdainful
expression
on
his
face.
“She’ll
never
be
a
fighter.
She
doesn’t
have
the
instinct.”

Rico
grinned.
“Oh,
I
don’t
know,
looking
at
her
expression
right
now
I
think
the
instinct’s
there.”

Jon
stepped
farther
into
the
room
and
shrugged.
“The
only
way
to
fight
is
to
presume
you
win
or
you
die.”

“Not
everyone
would
agree
with
you.”

“Yeah,
they’re
the
sort
who
do
the
dying.”

“And
what
sort
are
you?”
Skylar
asked.

“What
do
you
think?”

Skylar
nodded
toward
the
mats.
“You
want
to
have
a
go?”

He
grinned.
“Why
not?”

Skylar
led
the
way,
and
the
two
stood
facing
each
other.
Skylar
was
at
least
six
inches
shorter
than
Jon
and
half
the
width,
but
she
faced
him
with
an
easy
confidence
that
stirred
a
flicker
of
jealousy
in
Alex.

Rico
patted
the
seat
next
to
him.
“So
how
are
you
feeling?”

Alex
glanced
at
him
warily,
but
sat
down
on
the
edge
of
the
seat.
“Why?”

“I
just
wondered.
Some
people
react
strangely
to
a
vampire’s
bite.
They
get
cravings.”

“Cravings?”
Then
she
realized
what
he
meant
and
a
shudder
of
disgust
ran
through
her.
“Ugh!”