Unseen (10 page)

“I’m rather enjoying walking hand in hand in the moonlight with a pretty girl. I’m really not afraid to let the world see us together. Are you?”

She shook her head, even though the thought of passing by the church, which happened to be on the way, made her feel a little uncomfortable. What if Tomas saw her? “If you keep talking, I’ll dump you at the bus stop so you can get the hell
outta
my hair.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “A girl who doesn’t like to be sweet-talked, what’s the world coming to?”

She mirrored his raised brow. “Are you always this annoying?”

“No, I think you bring out the best in me.”

She squeezed his hand so tightly he squirmed.

Trina hated to admit it, but holding his hand was a great cover. They probably looked like an average couple going for a walk in the dead of night. There was nothing strange about that on a Saturday night. Indeed, there were plenty of people out and about tonight.

Of course, none of them were hunting a crazy vampire.

“So, how are you enjoying our date so far?” Doug asked.

“It’s very . . . nontraditional.” She hadn’t meant it to sound sarcastic, but it was the truth. After living for so many years, there was nothing traditional left in Trina. She was a chameleon whose knack for blending in lay in the way she looked. She never stuck out in a crowd and could, therefore, go unnoticed by just about anyone. Well, except for this guy. He’d openly admitted to following her several times already, and while the stalking pissed her off, because it sounded like a plot from a bad romance story, she was curious. It had been a long time since anyone had openly shown an interest in her that wasn’t related to her Allure.

Then again, this guy also had an ulterior motive, didn’t he? He needed her help. What would happen once they killed the old dude? Would he vanish into the night and hang up his vigilante boots? Or would he still be interested in her?

I don’t want to think about any of this at the moment.

“So, what do you know about this guy?” she asked, deciding to steer them into a comfortable conversation that would save her from mulling over possibilities that shouldn’t—and couldn’t—mean anything to her.

“Well, I know his name is Luis. He’s a pretty old vampire, over 500 years old.”

“Oh, is that all?” she joked. Trina never really knew the individual ages when she took vamps out, but she could always guesstimate by their cunningness and how hard they were to track and kill. But the ultimate confirmation would come when she deposited the ash into her Allure Urn. When the power hit her, she knew just how old a vampire she’d bagged.

It’s been a while since you’ve landed an oldie.

Tonight, that would change. Just in time, because she needed the extra boost.

“That’s about all I know,” Doug continued. “Well, except for the fact that he likes to take a bite out of people and turn them. Then he dumps them aside like discarded junk and lets them run free.” Doug shook his head as they walked on for a few silent moments, kicking at the litter on the ground. “It’s not the smartest thing to do, that’s for sure. That’s why we have to find him tonight and stop him before he gets the chance to strike again.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’s already struck again. That’s how these bloodsuckers work. Once they start on a rampage, they can’t stop.” She debated whether to mention the rest.
Oh, what the hell, why not?
“He approached me the other night, you know?” She watched him closely. If she hadn’t been, she might have missed the slight flinch.

He collected himself almost instantly. “What did he say?”

“Just the usual cocky shit.
He’s got his eye on me; I smell different; he can’t wait to feast on me.” She shook her head. “I’ve heard it all before.”

“So, how long have you been a superhero vampire hunter?” He covered her hand with both of his and rubbed her fingers.

She sighed, knowing she should pull her hand from his. This wasn’t a good idea, but it felt nice. And if she spent too much time with this guy, he might slowly melt away all of her defenses against the opposite sex.

Trina took a deep breath. The cool air smelled of rain and the slight stench of garbage from the alleyways they were traversing. “I’ve been hunting vampires for a while now.” That was the best answer she could give him. He wouldn’t believe her if she told him how old she thought she was. Only Father Constantine and Tomas knew just about everything there was to know about her—the good, the bad, and the gory. “What about you?”

“Ah, not long.”

“I’m curious. How did you happen to find out about them in the first place?”

“Getting attacked by one usually does the trick.” He removed one of his hands long enough to push back the collar of his T-shirt and revealed two puncture wounds.

She took a quick glance. Even though her eyesight wasn’t perfect at the moment, she noticed there was something strange about them. Before she could figure out what it might be, he let go of the fabric, and it once again covered his skin.

“Of course,” she whispered. Just as she was about to say more, her senses spiked. She tried to yank her hand from his grasp, but he held on tight. “Let go!”

Doug slid his fingers from hers just in time to be knocked forward by a barreling body that struck out of nowhere.

“Shit,” Doug said as he landed on his hands and knees.

Trina stood her ground, staring at the old vamp she now knew as Luis. She snuck a look at Doug, who stayed on the ground, his longish hair covering his face.

“Hey, little girl,” old vampire dude said. “I told you we’d meet again.”

“Yeah, you did, and I was counting on it.”

Luis smiled, revealing his fangs, which were already protruding from his gums and resting against his bottom lip. “I’m going to change your life. From this night onward, you’ll be different. You’ll become a better, stronger version of yourself, and you’ll stay young forever.”

Trina couldn’t help laughing. She already had all of those qualities, minus the thirst for blood and killing humans.

“I’ve already got all of that and more. I don’t need you to rock my world,
old man.”
If he saw fit to call her little girl, she might as well return the compliment.

“Ah, of course,” Luis said with a knowing smile, and his dark eyes glistened in the dark.

Trina took a moment to cast a quick glance around the area. He’d attacked them in a back street, but this was no alley. The backs of houses and apartment blocks lined both sides of the street. At any moment a car could drive past, or someone could step out of their home and spot them. She had to take care of this quickly and efficiently.

“I’ve found out a few more things about you, little girl.” He licked his lips. “Someone who really wants you has filled in some of the blanks.”

Her heart pounded harder. She hated to think who or
what
from her past had decided to rear its ugly head to give this freak any insight. Most vampires she encountered were over and done with before they had a chance to hatch a revenge plot, but occasionally, some did get away. And others refused to stay dead.

“I’m glad you know me so well. Mind if I get to know you a little better too?” Trina rushed him, shoulder-charging his so hard she sent him sprawling to the ground. One of the biggest weaknesses she encountered with these freaks—and her best weapon—was their cockiness.

“Maybe some other time.
After all,” he said, pausing to lick his lips, “I intend to make you mine.”

Even lying on the ground, he refused to relinquish the upper hand. If she hadn’t been built to despise vampires, she might actually spare a moment to admire such arrogance.

Luis rose from the ground, standing only a few steps away from her. “Did you know I was part of the Inquisition? I wonder if we met.” His shiny eyes stared into hers. “No, I would remember someone like you. Then again, you
were
Soberon’s
, and he didn’t like to share.”

Her head throbbed at the sound of that horrid name. The fury associated with the memories of such a disgusting excuse for a man always pushed her over the edge.

Before throwing herself into the fight, she took one last glance at Doug. He was slowly climbing to his feet, but his face was still covered by his dark, curly hair.

She returned her attention to Luis and saw him leering at Doug. Before she had a chance to smack the ancient vampire again, he swung around and ran off.

What the hell is he doing?

“Shit, come on!” she shouted at Doug.

She wasn’t going to let this old asshole get away from her tonight. Especially since finding out he’d been part of the Inquisition. She hated those monsters, despised what they’d done to her.

“You run ahead,” Doug answered, his voice strained. “I’ll catch up.”

Trina frowned. “Are you sure?” Luis was getting away. She could barely see him in the distance, but she had no doubt that he’d make sure she was tailing him. This was a game, and he wouldn’t stop until he had her.

Doug looked up, meeting her gaze, and nodded.

“Wimp,” she whispered, before running away from the man who not only managed to get her heart pumping but frustrated the hell out of her.

First, she had a vampire to catch.

Chapter Eleven

When he could no longer see Trina, Doug straightened. He hadn’t hurt himself when he fell, but keeping his face hidden from Luis had stopped the other vampire from blurting out they knew each other. He didn’t want Trina to find out what he really was just yet, and he couldn’t lie to himself about why. He wanted to start something real with this woman, and it was driving him insane because he knew it could never happen.

Trina was a killer of vampires, and the only reason she hadn’t figured out he was one was because he hadn’t fed from a human in weeks. When he’d figured out who and what Trina was, he’d stopped feeding. Based on the stories he’d heard about her over the centuries, he’d come to the conclusion that she was more likely to spot a vampire who’d recently fed directly from a human. Since he was old enough to get by with a drink of blood once a month, and sometimes he could go for much longer, he’d decided to test the theory. Apparently he’d been right. He also knew that once she found out just what he was, she’d be compelled to kill him.

He stuck his hand in his pocket and touched the MP3 player he’d snatched from her kitchen counter when she’d gone into her bedroom to change. True to her word, the earphones attached were wound tight around it with tiny wires sticking out from the plastic coverings. Still, he didn’t want to listen to the music on it. He planned to use it to leave her a message. And since she hadn’t spotted the pink earphones he’d already dumped on her balcony, he was sure he could make this work.

Now that Luis had found them, and Trina was in hot pursuit, Doug was free to take care of his unfinished business from the other night.

He turned around and headed in the opposite direction, towards the apartment block where the
drunk
man she’d dropped off two nights ago was probably just now coming to. Doug had made sure he slept for several days by using some good old-fashioned vampire mind control tactics. Otherwise, the drunk would have awakened crazed and desperate for blood almost instantly.

Instead, while Trina was busy polishing off Luis, which he had no doubt she would do, Doug could teach Trina’s workmate some of the ropes and, hopefully, keep him off Trina’s radar. Then he’d go back to Trina’s apartment, record the message he wanted to leave for her, and then track her down.

If only he could stop thinking about how easily her small hand had fit into his, or that she’d actually let him hold it in the first place. With the vicious reputation she had, he’d expected her to be a tough, emotionless bitch. She was definitely tough, but there seemed to be more to her than the hard exterior she showed the world.

It didn’t take long to get to her workmate’s apartment block. He took the stairs two at a time, and he wasn’t surprised to find the apartment door unlocked. He’d left it that way so he could get back in without having to use force. However, it didn’t mean the kid was still inside. As he stepped into the apartment, he hoped he wasn’t too late and that the new vampire hadn’t disappeared into the night to cause havoc.

He instantly smelled the familiar scent of vampire—that almost sickly, sweet aroma they developed to conceal their age—and heaved an inward sigh of relief. The guy was still here.