Hunters Hit List (Fox Brothers Book 1) (4 page)

“Max, I’m confused.”

“Ryan you’re always confused by something or another.”

“Whatever, you don’t seem bothered by this hunters hit list.”

Max glanced from the road to scowl and smile at his brother. What a worrywart. “I’m the Max-o-nator. I can handle a few Dracula 2015 vamps. Remember I used to be a fanger. I know how they think.”

“Seriously bro. I remember, you were a vamp for all of about two seconds. You are far from an expert.”

“Yeah well that was your fault. If you would have had my back I never would have got bitten in the first place.”

“Yeah you are never going to let me live that one down.”

“No I’m not. That was a very traumatic time for me.” Max smiled while he joked. He could handle anything and being a vampire for a short time wasn’t that bad. Max had a strong will and he didn’t succumb to the call of the blood.

“Without Uncle Donny’s cure you would still be a vamp.” Ryan added to maybe get Max off his back.

“I only took a swig of the bat juice and I was walking on sunshine. That was the nastiest concoction I ever tasted.” Max looked over at Ryan and smiled. He remembered Max used to eat peanut butter and sugar sandwiches when they were kids. “It tasted like deep fried shit marinated in crap.”

“I wish you would take this serious. You are number one. You have a huge target on your back.”

“Ryan, come on this is just one more bump on the yellow brick road of a hellava lot of bumpy fucking yellow brick roads.”

A noise came from the back of the Range Rover, movement on the rear leather seat. A very groggy Scar peeked up from the rear seat. She drove straight from Arizona to Uncle Donny’s place. So she needed a few hours of sleep to maintain her strength.

Scar had been asleep in the backseat the entire time and dreaming. She loved to dream. It was the only time she could escape the monsters that dwelled in the real world.

She had almost forgot where she was but then she heard Max and Ryan bickering like two old ladies. She knew she was with the infamous Fox brothers. She would never let them know that she was a little star struck. There were only a handful of hunters that could say that they rolled with the Fox brothers. Now scar was on that shortlist. This made her proud. A huge accomplishment especially if she was going to be dead in a few days.

Max quickly turned back and glanced at Scar as she rose to sit straight up. He then glanced back at the open road. “Sleeping beauty. You woke without a kiss.”

“That won’t be necessary Prince Charming.” Scar playfully teased. Max’s sense of humor was growing on her. He was corny and self-absorbed but he was unique. Max was really cute. Something she tried to deny. Actually he was really sexy but she tried to demote him to cute. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been with the man. It was just work, work, work and more work.

Scar wiped the sleep from her eyes. “Where the hell are we?”

“In Tennessee, two hundred or so miles outside of Atlanta.” Max answered.

“Will we make it there before dark?” She asked. The quicker this went the better. Too much time to think made her antsy.

“With my brother behind the wheel, we’ll make it.” Ryan explained almost like he was proud of Max’s driving skills. He looked over at Max.

Max was happy. It was like he was oblivious to danger. Ryan wished he could feel as carefree as his brother. Max lived day by day without regret. Ryan envied that. He wished he had that kind of spirit. Ryan secretly envied all the courageous qualities Max possessed that he felt he somehow lacked.

RING! Ryan’s cell phone rang startling him out of his introspection. He removed the phone from his pocket and looked down at the screen.

“It’s Uncle Donny.” Ryan hit the talk button, then the speakerphone button. “Hey Donny. What’s up? We’re all here. I got you on speaker.”

“Gentlemen and lady, I got good news and I got bad news. The good news is Roy is still alive. He took out a low level hybrid vamp a few hours ago in Hot-lanta.”

“Now the bad news, Uncle Donny spill it.” Max asked.

“Roy has already left town.”

“Crap!” Max and Scar shout out in unison. Ryan’s face conveyed
that was weird
.

“So what’s our next move?” Ryan said into the phone.

“Since Roy is a solo act. I guess you should just hold up where you are. Hang tight and wait until I hear back from my source. No need in driving around aimlessly. I will call you boys and girl as soon as I hear something.”

“Thanks Uncle Donny.” Ryan ended the call.

That is so messed up.” Scar sighed from the backseat.

“No biggie, we will find him.” Max declared with certain confidence.

“I’m starved. Can we stop somewhere? I would die for a bacon double cheeseburger and a piece of chocolate cake.

Max frowned. He looked over at Ryan. Amazing. Ryan read Max’s expression, as
that’s my kind of girl
. Years together as brother’s and hunting partners had proved that the Fox brother’s could communicate without words.

They were on the road only for a while before they came upon RJ’s Bar and Grill. It was located somewhere in Laverne, Tennessee. Max had seen a sign a few miles back. He had no intentions on driving all around the world searching for one stupid vampire hunter that didn’t have the good sense to own a cell phone.

Max pulled into a vacant parking spot. He was the first to hop out of the truck. His growling stomach wouldn’t let him waste any time.

They all walked into the Bar and Grill after the long car ride. Famished was an understatement. Killing vamps on an empty stomach was a bad idea.

Scar took a seat next to Ryan in a gaudy red pleather booth. Max sat opposite them. Max and Ryan let Scar order first. The brothers were taught to be gentleman even though they lived a lifestyle that might make people think otherwise.

Max ordered the same entrée as Scar. Ryan was a healthy eater so he opted for a Chicken Cesar salad. Max and Ryan drank beer while Scar drank a whisky sour.

She didn’t normally drink while on a job but she was number two. She may never get to drink again and that was a thought that never left her since she saw the hunter’s hit list. Scar wasn’t really surprised at how fast the brother’s wolfed down their food. After only a few minutes the remnants of food and drink were spread out on the table before them.

Scar was still a woman. She was still fragile and vulnerable in many ways. Beheading vamps on the regular didn’t make her emotionless. She didn’t want to give a damn about the stupid hit list. But her life may be over soon and she couldn’t hold up her brave façade any longer.

Once the conversation hit a lull Scar decided to cut through the small talk and keep it real.

“I know it’s not hunter-like to say this.” Ryan and Max waited for Scar to finish her thought. “I’m actually a little scared. These jag offs succeeded in killing seven hunters.” Disbelief rang in her voice. Seven.”

Max half smiled. “You’re with the Fox brothers. There’s no need to be scared. We’re like Superheroes. I’m like Superman without the tights and Ryan is like Batman. He’s all dark, gloomy and brooding. He wears a mask and I let my face free to soar through the clouds.”

Ryan gave Max his best-creased forehead look. “Please ignore him. He doesn’t take much of anything serious.”

“Bullshit, I take beer and burgers very serious.” Max beamed.

Scar almost chuckled. She was grateful Max and Ryan had changed her somber mood with their wisecracks.

“So Max, seriously, you’re this cocky in real life?” She baited.

“Cocky, me?” Max tried to play modest. The look Ryan gave Scar confirmed her assessment of Max.

“So Ryan is the shy one and Max you’re the--”

“Cute one. Sexy one. Well-endowed one. ” Max smiled and winked at Scar. She almost spit her sip of whisky sour from her mouth.

“I was going to say arrogant.”

“I’m not arrogant. Okay maybe just a little. This is not the first hit list I’ve been on. I would see it as an insult if I weren’t on the kill list. I have a reputation to maintain. I’m number one for a reason.” Max eyed Scar from across the table. “I’m very impressed that you’re number two.”

“That may be good for you but I like to fly under the radar. There’s this thing called the element of surprise.” Scar added.

“I guess... So ah I was wondering why they call you Scar?”

Ryan was shocked by the intrusive question Max asked. Sometimes Max would surprise him with his grandiose attitude and forwardness.

“Max seriously.” Ryan questioned Max’s rudeness.

“No it’s okay Ryan. I’ll answer your brother’s question.” Scar looked across the table at Max. “You think I have some large hideous scar somewhere on my body?”

“Well sweetheart, it’s not on your face.”

“You want to see it?” Scar smiled and puckered her lips. She loved toying with jerks and Max was a jerk, a cute, tall, cocky jerk but a jerk. A sexy, dreamy-eyed jerk but maybe he wasn’t a jerk. Scar was confused.

Max was excited times ten. “Yes, lets see this scar.” Max rubbed his hands together, excited by the silent drumroll.

Ryan shook his head. This was another time when Max had embarrassed him.

Scar tugged at the crew neck of her shirt. “Come close.” She beckoned Max. Scar teased Max doing a
Tony Montana
impression. “Say hello to my little friend.”

Max leaned over the table. He watched and drooled, as Scar exposed her bra and dug her fingers under the satin fabric.

Ryan watched Max’s reaction. He didn’t look at Scar’s bra. He was much too gentlemanly for that.

Scar quickly removed a small pocketknife. She flicked it out and brutally stabbed the table with the knife.

Max jumped back in his seat as the pocketknife stood, face up sticking out of the table. Scar broke out into thunderous laughter. Ryan joined in.

“Very funny.” Max called out. He was disappointed. He thought he would at least get a glimpse of a nipple. He hadn’t been with a woman in a while and Scar was sexy, foxy and tanned.

Max didn’t really have a type. He wasn’t like Ryan. Ryan had a thing for blue-eyed blondes. Max bedded any woman he thought was sexy and a whole lot of women fit the bill.

“Max there is no hideous scar. My first name is Scarlet.”

Max smirked. He had never thought of that. He wasn’t the brain of the Fox brothers, obviously.

After a few more drinks the dynamic trio decided to leave the bar and grill. Ryan hoped they would get another call from Uncle Donny telling them where Roy Raymond was located. There was no such luck.

Ryan, Max and Scar walked across the bar’s parking lot to the parked Range Rover.

From around the nearest corner appeared the King of Vampires, the vampire McIlroy.

The king of Vampires was dressed in an upscale black suit and tie. He was a dark haired Elton John sans the glasses but with the cocky British accent.

“Hola, Cagney and Lacey.” McIlroy greeted the Fox brothers.

Ryan grimaced. “McIlroy what are you doing here?” The scorn could be heard in his delivery.

“I’ve been looking for you two studly hooligans.”

“We weren’t lost.” Max added as if bothered with the intrusion.

“I beg to differ. There’s no crashed airplane or Dhrama project but you two are definitely lost.”

“McIlroy we’re busy. What do you want?” Ryan asked.

McIlroy snickered. “Oh Ryan, you’re not doing so well.”

“I’m fine.” Ryan spewed. McIlroy sent a private wink Ryan’s way. It wasn’t as private as it was intended. Max caught the wink out the corner of his eye.

“Look Foxy boys. What the hell are we doing in this podunk town?”

“None of your business. What are you doing here?”

McIlroy smiled. He loved joking with the Fox brothers. “I’m here for my table read.” He pointed at himself. “Executive producer.” He pointed to Ryan and Max. “Staff writers.”

“We’re busy with a job?”

“We have bigger fish to fry. Catfish fellows. We are fishing for Drack.”

“We understand that but we have a little matter to attend to first.”Scar stood statue-like, a spectator, watching a performance.

“What trouble did the Hardy boys get into now? Another murder mystery?” The King of Vampires inquired.

“Nothing to concern yourself with.” Max scolded.

The King grinned his sinister grin. “But I am concerned. I see we have a quaint little threesome going on here.” McIlroy bent his wrist in a feminine gesture and pointed at Scar. He was impressed. “So boys, who is this back woods black beauty queen?”

Scar chimed in. “I’m Scar.”

“How fitting. So are the Fox brothers your own personal Mufasa and Simba?”

The hunters stood confused. They didn’t get the reference to
The Lion King
and the joke was lost on them. Hunting and killing vampires didn’t afford them a lot of movie time.

McIlroy rolled his vampire eyes. “Americans, no culture... Well honey I’m McIlroy, King of Vampires. I’m sure you heard of me. I have 15,666 twitter followers. I’m also related to that pro golf guy. Let’s keep that a secret honey.”