Dirty Blood (33 page)

“What the hell…” Benny said.

“If that’s what you want,” Wes said. Abruptly, he let
go of Benny’s shirt and stepped back. “What’s it going to be Benny?
You can tell me what I want to know, or you can
play
with
Tara.”

Benny looked back and forth between us, clearly
trying to decide whether Wes was serious. Then his gaze flickered
to Kat, who lay hunched over in the corner, whimpering. Blood
seeped out of her shoulder and onto the carpet, leaving a bright
red stain.

“What are you?” he asked, turning back to me.

I tilted my head to the side, still in character, but
inside I was confused. There was almost a note of awe in his voice.
“I think you know I’m a Hunter,” I said.

Benny’s brows knitted in confusion. “Not like any
I’ve seen. You feel… different.”

I shrugged. “I’m just better.”

Benny looked back at Wes again, as if for
confirmation. Like me, Wes just shrugged. A second later, Benny’s
shoulders sagged, and I knew it was over.

“Okay, here’s what I know,” he began. “There’s a guy
– name’s De’Luca. He’s been coming around, asking if I know you.”
He nodded to Wes. “Asking me how long I’ve known you and have I met
your little girlfriend over here. Just wanted information on you. I
didn’t know much, I mean we haven’t hung out for a long time. But
he paid well and he was one of us. Said he just wanted to look you
up, so I told him a little bit.” He glanced nervously at Wes again.
“Just past stuff, nothing recent or personal or anything,” he
added.

“Then what?” Wes asked.

“He kept coming back, and one night he brought Kat
with him. Said she was new around here and could I be a friend to
her. He said all I had to do was find him an empty place nearby,
something untraceable where he couldn’t be bothered. So I did it.
But I don’t know anything about a kidnapping, okay. I swear. That’s
all I know.”

“Where’s the place?” Wes asked.

Benny hesitated.

“Benny,” Wes prompted.

“He said he’d kill us if I told anyone,” Benny
whined.

“And if you don’t tell us.” Wes shot a pointed look
to where I stood.

“Fine.” Benny sighed. “It’s a warehouse. 700 Gordon
Road.”

Wes dug out his cell and dialed a number. “Jack. I
need Fee to babysit…Uh-huh. I’m at Benny’s… That’s fine. We’ll
wait…” He gave our address and ended the call. Then he turned to
Kat, eyeing her wound. “You want some help with that?”

Kat whimpered.

Wes took a step towards her.

I glared at her and stayed where I was; this time my
wariness had nothing to do with the role I was playing. “Why
doesn’t she change back?” I grumbled.

“She’ll heal faster this way,” Wes said, eyeing Kat.
When she didn’t move he gave an exasperated sigh. “Come here and
let me pull it out.” Wes walked over to where she huddled against
the wall, still in her wolf form. He reached down and gently took
her paw in his hand, holding it still. Kat yelped and jerked
away.

A quick knock sounded on the front door, and I felt
myself jump a little. I shot a glance at Benny, hoping he hadn’t
noticed, but he looked more spooked than I did. He didn’t move to
answer it and he was watching Wes and I like a deer in headlights.
Wes let go of Kat’s paw and rose.

“Is it Jack?” I asked, walking towards it.

“No, it’s too soon. They were going to get Vera
first.”

I stepped up and pressed my face to the peephole and
exhaled. “Miles,” I said. I unhooked the chain latch and pulled the
door open, letting him in.

“How’d it go?” he asked, taking in the scene
quickly.

“How’d it go? What the hell? You were supposed to be
right outside,” said Wes.

“I was outside,” said Miles, his tone unruffled.

“And you’re going to tell me, what, that you couldn’t
hear the noise she was making, trying to get at Tara?” Wes
demanded, gesturing to Kat.

“Of course I could. I ended up having to deal with
our friends on the corner,” said Miles.

“That should’ve taken all of thirty seconds,” Wes
shot back.

“They were feisty.”

Wes just glared at him and then, finally, shook his
head and went back to Kat.

“Tara, keep an eye on Benny while I get this bullet
out, will you?” Wes called, already reaching for Kat’s paw
again.

“Sure,” I said, leveling my gaze back on Benny, who’d
sunk back into his chair and was curled up, watching us
nervously.

Miles wandered over to where I still stood in the
kitchen and stopped in front of me. I glanced up at him and then
back to Benny.

“What?” I asked.

“You can put the safety back on, now,” he said.

I looked down and saw, with horror, that my fingers
were still curled lightly around the trigger. Immediately, I let
go, and clicked the safety on again. Then, I slipped it into my
pocket and let my hands fall to my side. I leaned my head back
against the fridge, while still keeping eyes on Benny.

“Did he give us a lead?” Miles asked.

“An address,” I told him. “We’re waiting on Jack and
the others before we go check it out. From her spot against the
wall, Kat howled. I looked over to see Wes holding a bullet between
his bloody fingers. Kat’s howl died out and fell into a whimper.
She caught me looking at her and tried to glare at me, but I could
see the relief in her.

“Change back so we can bandage you up,” Wes told her.
He stepped back to give her some space.

After a second of hesitation, her shoulders shook and
the outline of her fur blurred and then she was a girl again. Wes
went into the bedroom and came back with a blanket. He wrapped it
around her, tucking it under her arms to keep her wounded shoulder
exposed.

“Benny, do you have any bandages?” Wes asked.

“In the bathroom,” came Benny’s whiny response.

“Miles, go get them and bring them here,” Wes said,
kneeling down to inspect the human version of Kat’s wound.

Miles complied, without a word. He disappeared into
the bathroom and I could hear him rummaging through cabinets. A
minute later, he returned with gauze and a tube of antibiotic
ointment. He set them on the floor next to Wes and returned to his
spot next to me, against the wall.

“Tara, I need you to help me hold her,” Wes
called.

“What about Benny?” I asked.

“Miles isn’t going to let us be attacked with our
backs turned, right Miles?”

Miles rolled his eyes and then nodded for me to go
help Wes.

“Sterilizing it isn’t going to feel good,” Wes said
to Kat. “And I don’t want a surprise fist to the face.”

As soon as I got close, Kat’s head shot up, and she
glared at me, baring her teeth in a menacing scowl. “You try to
kill me and then offer to help put me back together?” she
hissed.

“You started it,” I shot back.

“You can let her help or you can bleed out,” Wes said
flatly. “Hold her arms,” he told me, without waiting for her to
answer.

I came around and pinned her arms behind her back,
police style. It probably hurt her wound worse to do it that way,
but I wasn’t taking any chances by having her teeth near my face.
Even in her human form, I got the impression she would really love
to take a bite out of me.

Wes poured alcohol over the hole and Kat’s arms
pulled against my hold. She made a sound like she was biting back a
scream, and then it was over. I let go of her arms and Wes patched
her up as best he could with the gauze.

“It’ll take a day or two, but you’ll be fine,” Wes
told her.

She eyed me. “Good, then you and I can have a little
rematch,” she said in a nasty voice.

I opened my mouth to respond, but Wes beat me to it.
His hand shot out and wrapped around her throat like a vise,
pinning her to the wall. He brought his face down so it was inches
from hers and leaned in, his lips to her ear.

“You touch her, and I’ll make you wish you were dead.
And that’s just in the first few minutes.”

Kat’s face turned from red to purple before Wes
finally let go. When he did, she choked and coughed and gasped for
air, rubbing her throat. Benny hadn’t spoken during the exchange,
though I’d been watching him carefully the entire time. His body
had quivered at the edges, when Wes had grabbed Kat. Still, he
didn’t make a move to intervene.

There was a knock on the door, and Wes went to answer
it. Jack and Fee walked in with Vera right behind them. An excited
looking Bailey trailed in after her. Behind them, Cord and Derek
squeezed inside, and closed the door. The tiny apartment was
suddenly shoebox-sized and everyone seemed uncomfortable with the
close quarters. The tingling in my skin skyrocketed and my muscles
ached against being so close to so many Weres at once, friendly or
not. But then, the bodies shifted, as Bailey and Cord helped Kat
into the bedroom, and I had to stop and simply stare at Vera. My
surprise must’ve shown on my face because she walked over to me
with an amused look.

She wore her hair pulled back in her usual silver
braid but she’d traded her business suit from earlier for leather
pants and knee high boots that managed to look elegant and
dangerous all at the same time. Whatever she wore as a top was
covered by a wool trench coat. She smiled at my expression and then
abruptly turned. “Benny, we meet again.”

Benny shifted to the edge of his chair, like he
wanted to get up, and then changed his mind. “Vera,” he said,
quietly.

Vera clucked her tongue, scoldingly. “I told you
there would be problems for you if I had to meet you like this
again.”

“I didn’t – I mean – I told them what they wanted to
know,” stammered Benny. He was on edge, and his eyes were flicking
from face to face.

I watched the exchange, genuinely impressed and
surprised. I mean, Benny hadn’t exactly been a badass with Wes and
me, but he hadn’t been a spineless tool, either. What exactly had
happened the last time he’d met Vera?

“Benny, Benny, Benny,” said Vera, pacing the carpet
in front Benny. “This isn’t good for you. Not at all.”

“If his information is good, he gets a pass. I gave
him my word,” Wes said.

Vera frowned. She seemed to be debating whether that
should save Benny. “Fine. Alright. Call us when you know.”

Wes walked over and stood in front of me, obscuring
my view of Benny. “Hey,” he said, quietly. “How are you doing?” His
forehead creased as he studied my face, and I realized it was the
first time he’d looked directly at me since we’d arrived.

“I’m fine. I just really want to get going to that
address Benny gave us.” That was an understatement. I had itched to
be on my way since the second Benny had uttered the words.

Wes nodded, in understanding. “We’re going now. I
just wanted to make sure you’re hanging in there.” He lowered his
voice to just above a whisper. “You were great with Kat, though I
almost had a heart attack when I realized I couldn’t help you
without risking Benny changing, too. And then with Benny- you were
brilliant there, too.”

My heart warmed with the compliment. “So you like my
big bad Hunter act?” I teased.

His lips curved at the corners. “It suits you.”

Something about the way his eyes bored into mine cut
off my reply. His expression held a mixture of affection, relief,
and … hunger. I suppressed a shiver.

“Wes,” Jack called. “You ready?”

Wes reluctantly turned away, and I felt my shoulders
sag as the tension in my muscles relaxed under his averted gaze.
The others were talking and planning, but I could barely focus. I
was still trying to calm my racing pulse. This was ridiculous. Here
I was, in the middle of a crisis – I’d just put a bullet in a
Werewolf named Kat – and all I could think about was the way Wes’
eyes smoldered when he stared at me and how it made my knees feel
like jell-o. Besides that, I was supposed to be mad at him. A fact
I easily forgot and was struggling, even now, to remember. I shook
myself and tuned in to the conversation I was missing, determined
to focus.

Wes and Jack were huddled in a corner of the living
room, but the apartment was way too small for their voices not to
carry.

“If we split up, we’d have a better chance of
surprise,” Wes was saying.

“I don’t want to leave anyone exposed, though. Leo’s
too smart not to see us coming. We’ve got to be careful,” said
Jack.

“Doesn’t matter. We have to do it,” said Wes.

“He’s right,” Benny said, sounding more like himself
again. “De’Luca’s smart. Maybe smarter than you guys. What’s the
big deal about one human lady anyway?”

Wes shot him a look, which he ignored. Then Vera
cleared her throat and raised her brow and he shut up.

“We should figure this out, outside,” said Wes.

Jack agreed and after a quick goodbye, we all filled
out the front door, to the patch of dead grass that served as a
courtyard. Fee and Vera stayed behind to watch Benny and Kat. Jack
gave them instructions that if they didn’t hear from us once an
hour, get out of there and get home.

I made it as far as the front stoop when I heard my
name.

“Tara,” Vera called.

I turned and stepped back into the dim hallway. Vera
was waiting at the apartment door, her arms crossed lightly in
front of her. I was struck again at how dangerous she looked
compared to our previous encounters. Our gazes locked, and she
seemed about to speak. Then her gaze flickered to something behind
me and she sighed. “Be careful.”

I nodded, confused.

“That’s all.” She stepped back and shut the door with
a soft click and I rejoined the group outside.

“What was that about?” Bailey asked me, as I reached
the edge of our loose circle.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. She creeps me out,” I
admitted.

Bailey grinned. “Me too.”

“Okay, so we’ve got an address. This is what’s going
to happen,” said Jack, his voice low but full of authority. “It’s
in the middle of an industrial area so us Weres can’t change until
we’re close. Real close. Which means, the Hunters are going in
first. Even so, we’re waiting until dark.” Wes started to argue but
Jack cut him off with a look. “The Hunters can scout the area and
let us know when it’s clear. Then we can join you, and change
before going in. We’ll work in pairs, so we know everyone’s
accounted for.”