Stake and Dust (Stake and Dust series, Book I) (10 page)

She took shallow breaths and prayed the
preternatural being present didn't pick up on their scent. She
chanced a glance at Tremayne, who seemed to be handling their close
quarters rather well. Calm and collected, came to mind. Covert
missions must have been his specialty, and didn't that just make
him even more attractive.

She shifted her attention and slid the door
open just enough to peer out. Tremayne didn't seem to approve of
her curiosity. His hand snaked out to stop her, but she brushed it
away. She had to see what was going on. Since there still hadn't
been any conversation, she could conclude the
being
out
there was truly alone. In the next second, a male appeared in her
line of vision, most likely Gunthorn.

He looked like what she'd imagined a Viking
to look like with his light hair pulled back in a ponytail. He had
thick thighs and he was tall, maybe even taller than Tremayne, but
then he was from the Draugr sept, and original vampires were always
larger than hybrids. Still, all the vampire needed to prove her
point would be to conjure a wooden shield and sword, but
fortunately at this moment, weapons weren't on his mind. He held
what appeared to be a dark gray scarf. He slid the fabric between
his fingers, staring at it before he closed his eyes and lifted it
to his nose. He breathed in with a sigh. She frowned at his odd
behavior, but the weird vibe just kept getting better. He strode
over to the tall dresser stationed against the wall near the bed.
He crouched down and shoved his hand beneath the furniture. She
heard a click then the wall opened to reveal a hidden space behind
it.

What the hell?
she thought, and
glanced at Tremayne, who scooted closer to have a look.

His brows furrowed and he shifted his weight,
making her even more acutely aware of how close they stood
together. His hands gripped her waist and lifted her so she sat on
the sink, with her straddling him so he could move closer. It gave
them breathing room, but the position seemed even more intimate
than when they were standing close together.

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her
throat and forced herself to concentrate on the perp. She frowned
wondering why the vamp hadn't sensed them yet, but then he seemed
preoccupied with the scent of the scarf and what lay hidden behind
the door. Once he secreted the scarf away in the compartment, he
secured it again before walking over to the bed and plopping down
as if he were ready to take a nap. He fluffed the pillows then
stuffed it behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling with a
satisfied smirk.

Just flippin' fantastic. They would have to
make a move before his lover returned home and decided to join him.
Dealing with one preternatural being was better than having to deal
with two. She met Tremayne's gaze and knew he felt the same as she
did.

He mouthed, "On three." He lifted the hand
that wasn't resting on her thigh, and began counting off the
seconds by using his digits. One, two…three!

He threw open the door and she catapulted out
of the bathroom after him.

Gunthorn flew from the bed with a curse as
Tremayne let his dagger fly, hitting the vamp in the shoulder. The
vamp hissed, and his fangs elongated like sharp razors ready to
slice and dice into someone's flesh. Right now she had a pretty
good idea it was Tremayne's flesh he'd like to tear into. He went
after Tremayne, but she anticipated the move as she let her dagger
sail through the air, hitting the vamp in the throat. He grabbed at
the weapon as he fell to the floor. As the blood hit the
iron-fashioned blade, it sizzled and popped sounding like water
hitting hot oil. The vamp gripped the weapon's hilt, but the iron
blade had already weakened him and he couldn't pull the offensive
weapon from his flesh.

Tremayne crouched down on his haunches beside
Gunthorn. "Questioning him might take a while since he'll need to
heal so he can talk." He chanced a look at Cassandra.

"Would you have preferred I let him attack
you?" she said with a raised brow.

He pursed his lips and didn't answer. He
stared at the vamp and then reached for the dagger and yanked it
out. More blood spurted out like a fountain.

"Jaysus." Tremayne jumped back and away from
the fountain of foul.

"Must have hit an artery," she said and
strode over to the bed and grabbed a pillow. Removing the
pillowcase, she tossed it to Tremayne.

Even injured, Gunthorn tried to make a run
for it, but Tremayne slammed him down to the floor. "Stay still,
boyo
, or you'll bleed out," Tremayne warned him. "Smothering
might come later, but right now we need to have us a nice chat."
The vamp clutched Tremayne's hands, but made no attempt to escape
as he glared his hatred. "Check out his secret compartment,"
Tremayne ordered as he worked to stop the vampire from bleeding out
before they could question him.

"Already on it," she said as she used the bed
to hop around Tremayne and the vampire.

It took her a few minutes to find the release
button and pop the door open, but once she did, she stood back to
take it all in at once. Scarves, necklaces, earrings, buttons, and
other trinkets were situated either on small shelves or hanging
from nails on the door. It took her a moment, but then she
understood what she viewed. "Holy mother," she whispered. These
were keepsakes of his victims. "Sick bastard." She glanced over her
shoulder at Tremayne. "Is he dead? 'Cause I'm thinking I'd like to
slit his throat."

Tremayne glanced at her and then at the
hidden compartment. He swore under his breath. "He'll live. So
you'll have to stand in line for the next throat slashing. I think
I'd like to have my turn first."

Gunthorn made an attempt to scramble away
again, but Tremayne held him in place. "Let's bind him." She pulled
out cuffs from her back pocket and he lifted his eyebrows. "You do
come prepared, don't you?"

"You never know when you might need these.
For business or...for fun."

He choked on a laugh. "Fun? Didn't picture
you for the kinky kind of lass." His gaze shifted over her in a new
light and she found it all kinds of sexy the way his eyes took her
in. Maybe she shouldn't have teased, but it seemed she couldn't
help it where he was concerned.

"Never tried it," she said with a shrug, "but
it could be fun with the right person."

This made him laugh even harder. "I do love a
woman with a sense of humor." He flipped Gunthorn over as soon as
he realized the bleeding at the vamp's neck had nearly stopped. The
vamp must have known there was no escape, but it didn't stop him
from squirming and hissing to get away as Tremayne secured the
cuffs. The vamp's skin burned from the iron and his bellows of pain
followed. Tremayne ignored his outburst and yanked the vamp up by
the scuff of his shirt and sat him down on his rump. "Stay," he
ordered.

The vamp may be subdued due to the iron in
the cuffs, but Tremayne still had to handle the being with super
strength compared to a human. She was impressed even more with
Tremayne's capabilities, but then he rubbed his hands together and
grimaced. She wondered if he had hurt himself.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

He nodded. "I'm good." Then he leveled his
gaze on Gunthorn. "Now that we're nice and comfortable," he said,
"how about you tell us where your girlfriend is?"

"Bite me," the vamp sneered.

"You'd like that wouldn't you, fang boy,"
Cassandra scoffed as she retrieved her discarded dagger from the
floor. She approached the vamp and purposely ran the blade across
the vamps neck. The skin sizzled at the touch, making the vamp
screech in pain all over again. "You are a whiny one, aren't
you?"

"Bitch!" he screamed at her.

Tremayne backhanded him across the face.
"Watch your language."

Gunthorn then eyed Tremayne with interest. "I
know you from Eternal Bliss. Yeah, you're the owner, aren't you?
What are you doing with a hunter?" He inclined his head toward
Cassandra. "If you know what's good for you, you'd stick to serving
drinks."

"We're asking the questions," Tremayne said.
"If the hunter doesn't finish you off, I'm sure the Guards of
Judgment would love to get their hands on you." Tremayne's threat
to bring in the Otherworldly assassins seemed to sober the vamp –
at least for the moment. "Now, where is your partner?" Tremayne
asked.

"Lorelei is out and about," he spat and then
met Tremayne's gaze with a glint in his eye.

Was it her imagination or had Tremayne
blanched when he heard the Lamia's name? Before she could decipher
the truth, Tremayne lunged at the vampire, gripping the guy's shirt
and bringing the vampire up close and personal.

"We can see that you limy bastard. Where is
she?"

Gunthorn pursed his lips and Tremayne
backhanded him again and let him fall hard against the wall.

"All right already." He spat out blood to the
side. I have no intentions of letting you beat the information out
of me."

So much for loyalty to Lorelei
,
Cassandra thought, but she wouldn't argue if Gunthorn wanted to
spill his guts. Made their job a whole lot easier.

"She's with a pretty boy I picked up for
her." He eyed Tremayne. "Be forewarned, Lorelei don't like you,
man." He chuckled then, slow and with meaning. "No, not one bit.
Wants to make sure you're the one the Guards of Judgment look at
when they come calling."

Cassandra frowned. The GOJ didn't interfere
with hunter business. Even if Tremayne had somehow been involved
with the kidnappings and murder, the hunters took care of their
own. Tremayne was one of them. Then again the vamp didn't strike
her as being very smart. He gave them information without even
trying to make a bargain with them first.

The vamp laughed even harder. "Where do you
get off, Tremayne? Cavorting with hunters and acting as if you're
one of them."

"I'm one for order," Tremayne said. "Hunter,
vamp… we all have to follow rules to survive."

Gunthorn peered at Cassandra. "She don't
strike me as one to compromise. Stake and dust most likely."

She glanced at the vamp before she leveled
her sights on Tremayne. "What exactly is he getting at?"

"She don't know, does she?" The vamp
snickered. "Oh, how rich. She don't know you're not so upstanding
as you appear." He looked at Cassandra then. "He's just like me
when it comes to justice."

Tremayne lifted Gunthorn by his lapels.
"Let's get one thing straight here. I am nothing like you.
Nothing!" He shoved him away. The vamp remained quiet but the smirk
seemed to be a permanent expression.

Cassandra would like to question Tremayne
about Gunthorn's accusations, but she'd deal with that later. "I'd
be a little less concerned about Tremayne and more concerned with
your well being," she said and was glad her statement had wiped the
smile off Gunthorn's face. "Now," she continued, "where does
Lorelei take her victims?"

Gunthorn pursed his lips as if he were
finished talking now.

"Answer her," Tremayne barked.

"You two are–" Gunthorn didn't finish his
response since Tremayne's fist prevented it. "Crap, man," Gunthorn
screeched. "Whatcha do that for?"

"I could do this all night," Tremayne said
with a shrug.

"Give it a go then," Gunthorn egged on, but
soon learned Tremayne wasn't bluffing. With the vamp's wrists bound
with iron, his healing had slowed considerably. He had to be
feeling everything Tremayne gave him.

"Stop…" Gunthorn finally said. His breathing
was labored, and he cringed as he clumsily shifted his weight away
from Tremayne.

"What's that?" Tremayne asked cupping his
ear. "Are you ready to talk now? Or should I keep going?" He lifted
his fist again.

"Stop, I say," Gunthorn said. "I'll tell
you." It took him a second longer, and it looked like Tremayne
would have to convince him further to cooperate, but then he
blurted out a word, "Sutter's."

"What's Sutter's?" Tremayne asked.

"Inn. Sutter's Inn...room 306," Gunthorn
managed to spit out the directions.

"It's not too far from the marina," Tremayne
said as he glanced at Cassandra. "An older hotel, where some of the
college-aged kids rent the rooms for the summer and holidays."

"Yeah, that's the one," Gunthorn added. "But
Lorelei will be heading out. It's almost sunrise. And before you
ask, she stashes her vics elsewhere while she rejuvenates. So don't
think you can swoop in and save the day."

Tremayne and Cassandra exchanged a look and
Gunthorn groaned.

"I don't know where she stores them. She
doesn't tell me everything. All I know is she uses the hotel room
during the day to inspire their craft. She said the room is all a
part of her plan. Now take these off," the vamp had the audacity to
demand as he turned slightly to give them a view of the cuffs and
the damage the iron had inflicted on his flesh.

Cassandra chuckled. "I don't think so." She
made a move toward him with her weapon in hand.

Gunthorn picked up on her intent. "You don't
want to kill me so fast, hunter," he sneered.

"And why's that?"

"Lorelei is possessive. She likes me. I'm her
hunter
, and when she's through with her pets, I get rid of
them." He shrugged then grimaced as the metal rubbed and burned his
skin. "She's linked with me. If I'm dead, she'll sense it. She'll
know you're onto her and she'll disappear into the sea. You'll
never catch her then." He chuckled and sat back with a smug grin
plastered to his bloodied face.

She met Tremayne's gaze. "Is that
possible?"

He nodded. "I've heard of such a
bonding."

The vamp snorted, but they both ignored his
theatrical display.

"He could be telling the truth," Tremayne
said. "If she marked him, she would then have a warning system in
place on land, where she's the weakest. It would make sense."