Chapter 26

No one had actually retrieved my motorcycle from the warehouse, so I was stuck riding inside the SUV that Crispin had rented for the trip. I gave directions as we headed to the other side of town toward the vampire nest. Knowing who the Master was shed a whole new light on the entire situation.

I took the drive to explain what I knew about the vampire. When I had described his face the way I last saw him Crispin cursed.

“I’ve had a run-in with him before.”

“Is he someone we have to worry about?” I was thinking of the way vampires had abilities, not to mention their level of Power. If a vampire were strong in Power, they could literally force other vampires into submission without lifting a finger. It was why those who were higher up on the scale ended up in the vampire monarchy structure. Or even the Council, which was the governing body over all vampires.

Crispin snorted. “Not even remotely. His Power is mediocre at best. The reason why he has so many followers and has become a Master is because he is charismatic, and he makes big promises to vampires who have been turned away from other nests or who just don’t like falling in line with the law. He’s a wannabe gangster who is still stuck in the old west and believes laws are suggestions that he can ignore.”

“How did you know to give your men earplugs?” It was something I had wondered about since they’d shown up already prepared.

“I didn’t. But I always have supplies ready, just in case. You never know what kind of situation you’re going to walk into when you are the vampire version of the police.”

I grunted and drummed my fingers on my bloody jeans. I was a fucking mess. My shirt was torn, and my jeans had a Siren-sized bite taken out of them. I also still had the goddamn manacles attached to me. The chains were piled on the floorboard at my feet, and I wanted nothing more than to toss them out of the window.

The car slowed down and turned into a parking lot. One glance told me the driver had pulled up to a hardware store. “Fuck, I’m going to owe you for decades for all your help.”

Crispin grinned. “I’d accept, but I think I owe you far more than I could ever repay. There were quite a few close calls in that ring. Without your help, I might be nothing but brittle bones in an unmarked grave.”

I shook my head. “You know that isn’t true. For a human, you did pretty damn well holding your own.”

“Well, I’ll call us even then.”

I turned to look at him, to really take a close look at what he had become in the last almost thousand years since I’d seen him. The way he carried himself was someone full of confidence in his abilities, and he knew he was more than capable of following through on whatever threat he made to his enemies. I’d always hated vampires and thought of them as little more than rats in the dark, looking for a human to suck on. But looking at Crispin and the men he had brought with him showed me a different side to vampires that I hadn’t seen before.

“So, you’re a Councilman? Before that, you were the King of this region?”

Crispin grimaced but nodded his head. “I wish I could say I had a choice, but I had neglected my duty for long enough. Vampirekind needed me to step up into the Council role, so I finally did. It helped that my mate was pregnant at the time, so we would have had to move to the island anyway.”

“The mythical vampire island,” I mused. In all my wanderings, I had never come across the sanctuary.

He grinned. “I can take you if you want to see it. Do you think your mate would enjoy a tropical vacation after this is all over?”

I nodded thoughtfully. “She probably would. I am still getting to know her, but from what I had gathered so far, her parents kept her on a pretty tight leash.”

The car door opened next to me, and the vampire Sentinel held up a shiny new pair of bolt cutters with a grin. “You ready to break your chains?”

“More than,” I grunted and shoved my hands towards him. It didn’t take but a minute and the manacles dropped to the pavement with loud clangs. I reached down to grab handfuls of the chains and tossed them out, too. The vampire frowned down at the pile of metal.

“You shouldn’t litter.” I knew he was right, but I had already left my mate in the hands of a monster for far too long.

“After I get my mate back, I promise to come pick them up and toss them in a recycling bin.”

He inclined his head, took one last look at my mess, and then backed away, shutting the door. I heard the trunk open, then slam shut, and finally, we were back on the road. We were nearly there. I could feel my heart beating harder and faster at the prospect of the upcoming confrontation. I knew Crispin had a job to do, but if I had the chance to end that man for good, I wouldn’t hesitate. I should have completed the job the first time, and then none of this would have happened. There was a lurch in my chest at the thought that I might not have met Kallista if the vampire and Syn weren’t involved, but as much as it pained me to think that I would have missed out on meeting her, at least she would be alive and well.

I felt Crispin’s stare as we turned the corner and onto the street where the nest was located. I glanced at him briefly before turning back to watch for the house. “What is it?”

“You remind me of someone. I noticed it right away, but the longer I look at you, the more I see it.”

I looked back at him, noticing the look of contemplation as he studied my features. “Well, tell me about it later. We’re here.”

I jerked on the handle to open the door before the vehicle came to a complete stop and jumped out. I was ready to head to the door to kick it in when Crispin placed a hand on my arm.

“Why don’t I get you a weapon?”

I didn’t need a weapon, but I nodded anyway, not wanting to waste a single more minute arguing. When he placed a sword in my hand, I couldn’t stop the grin from spreading. It had been far too long since I’d held one. Swords used to be a part of life before the world changed. Swords and horses. Now, it was guns and motorcycles. I wasn’t sure which one I preferred.

Together, we strode up the front walk, past the overgrown weeds, and up to the wooden door. I raised a boot and kicked, causing the door to crash open in a spray of splintered wood.

“Knock, knock, motherfuckers,” I growled as I stalked forward into the open concept living area. Immediately, vampires swarmed, teeth bared and hissing. With just a few swings of our swords, Crispin and I were surrounded by headless bodies.

I kicked the head of a dark haired vampire who looked like he’d been about twenty-five and a meth addict when he’d been Turned. “Where to now?” I mused as I walked past the carnage and peered into what turned out to be a coat closet. I slammed the door shut. “If I were an asshole keeping human women, where would I store them?”

I looked back at Crispin, who shrugged. “Probably the basement.” I nodded in agreement.

“Let’s find it then.”

Crispin pointed at his men. “You go check upstairs, just in case. You go that way. Valen and I will check for the basement door in the kitchen area.” He turned to me. “Shall we go?”

“We shall,” I growled and moved in that direction. We both opened the doors as we went, finding nothing of importance. When I came across a door next to the kitchen pantry, I opened it to reveal steps leading down into a well-lit basement. We descended the steps with me in the lead. I stopped at the bottom, seeing a large open space with another door leading to another room. There was nothing inside except what appeared to be a metal coffin sitting in the middle of the floor.

I called out to Crispin. “I didn’t think you vamps actually slept in coffins.”

He stepped around me and grunted. “We don’t.”

“Isn’t it strange that one is here?”

“Maybe the asshole has a kink?”

A man suddenly appeared, stepping into the space from the door to the second room. He looked smug, grinning deviously, and I immediately grew suspicious.

Without saying a word, he lifted his hands, palms forward, facing them toward me. I raised an eyebrow. “What is this, a magic show? Are you going to whip a rabbit out of your ass hole next?”

Then, I felt a strange sensation that caused me to become lightheaded. I swayed on my feet, feeling as if I could pass out at any moment. He was doing something to me, though I had no idea what it was. Crispin snarled from beside me.

“You idiot. I’d ask if you know who the hell I am, but I honestly don’t give a fuck. You can’t suppress abilities from more than one person at a time, can you?”

His words caused the man to falter as he looked toward Crispin as if he hadn’t even noticed him standing there. His expression immediately turned to one of shock and then trepidation as he took a hasty step back while dropping his arms to his sides.

“S-sir. I’m sorry. I was just paid to do a job. I had no idea you would be here.”

Crispin snorted as my head started clearing rapidly. I looked back at the coffin, and the situation began to make more sense. “You were going to weaken me by stealing my ability.” I pointed at the coffin. “Was that supposed to be for me?”

The vampire swallowed loud enough to be heard across the room. “It wasn’t my plan. I swear I had nothing to do with it!” He looked back at Crispin before sinking to his knees. “Please, don’t kill me, Councilman, sir. I have a mate.”

“Does your mate know that you are a mercenary for hire? How many others have you helped destroy?” It was then that I felt it. Crispin had unleashed his Power against the vampire, effortlessly forcing him to submit.

The man couldn’t answer without implicating himself, which was all the answers needed. Crispin sighed as he stared at the vampire without pity.

“You’ve left me no choice but to send you to the Citadel for punishment.” The vampire began to cry then as footsteps descended the stairs. “Cuff him. He has some crimes to answer for.” Jared stepped around us and headed straight to the man while pulling a pair of iron cuffs from his pocket. The man continued to sob as he was dragged to his feet and up the stairs.

“What a pathetic piece of shit,” Crispin growled and turned to me, studying my appearance from head to toe. “Are you alright?”

All the residual effects from having my abilities removed had already dissipated, so I grunted. “I’m guessing that was someone the Master hired in order to capture me. I’m a little insulted. Even without my ability, I wouldn’t have been that easy to take.” I took another long look at the coffin, saw metal clamps along the base of the lid, and shuddered. I could protest all I wanted, but just the thought of what could have happened to me had ice flowing through my veins. Who knows how long I would have been trapped inside that metal box?

“I’m guessing the Master is behind that door.” I indicated the door with my chin. I eyed Crispin with a glare. “I want him,” I growled.

He just gave me a look of understanding. “I won’t stand in your way.” I gave a short nod and headed toward the door, the borrowed sword held tightly in my grasp. I had no plans of taking his head, though.

The sight wasn’t altogether unexpected, though it still turned my stomach to see the multiple women huddled together for safety. They looked malnourished, and all of them looked as if they had been abused, with bruises and blood staining their rumpled clothing.

“Well, hello there, boys. Don’t you know it isn’t polite to visit one’s home without an invitation?”

Standing there, like the coward I knew him to be, was the man who I should have killed almost three hundred years ago. My poor decision that day to leave him for dead instead had cost countless women their lives and dignity. I had a lot of things that haunted me on a daily basis, but allowing him to keep living was one I would rectify tonight.

“Raymond Hanover. You’ve been a very naughty boy.” Crispin sounded bored as he stood next to me, looking completely relaxed. I could see the signs of anger radiating from him, though, as he looked around at the group of young women. I, on the other hand, was visibly seething with rage. Kallista wasn’t in the room, which meant he’d hidden her somewhere else.

“Where’s my mate?” I growled through clenched teeth. I made to move forward, ready to grab the man by his disgusting throat, but he grabbed the nearest girl, yanking her in front of him as he produced a knife. A drop of blood appeared on her neck as he dug in the blade.

“Ah, the lovely Kallista Hargrove.” He made a show of looking around the room, then shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t see her here. Oh! That’s right!” He grinned, his sagging jowls wobbling with his movements. “She’s gone.”

“Where is she?” Ice had replaced the burning fury, and different reasons for her to be gone ran through my mind. I glanced down at my wrist, reassuring myself that she was still alive. “What did you do with her?” I demanded in a deadly tone that had several of the girls whimpering. I couldn’t take the time to worry about them, though. Someone would come and take care of them later. I needed to find Kallista now.

“Well, I suppose that depends on what the man I sold her to does with her. But me? I did nothing but house her for a few hours.”

I looked at Crispin, and he gave me a short nod. I returned his nod, then turned back to the monster. Without lifting my hand and without causing harm to anyone else in the room, I allowed my ability to seep out of me and into him.

It happened too quickly for my liking. He deserved to be tortured for hours, his pain drawn out as punishment for all the atrocities against women that he had committed over the centuries. Instead, I did what I was created to do. It may be quick, but it was going to be agonizing. It was the best I could do in the short amount of time that I had.

The woman screamed as she saw the boils growing on the arm that held her. It was her scream that had alerted him something wasn’t right. He looked down at the woman to tell her to shut up, but his words cut off abruptly when he saw his arm. As he stood there in shock, his arm loosened around the girl. She immediately shoved away from him and ran to the group of women, flinging herself into their arms.

He looked up at me with fear and anger blazing from his bloodshot eyes as a boil popped on his fleshy neck. I grimaced at the sight of him. I had to admit, it was pretty disgusting. “What did you do to me?” His voice was hoarse, and he seemed to get weaker by the second. He staggered to the side and tried to catch himself on the back of a chair, but his hand slipped. Fluid from the erupting boils was dripping down his arms and onto his hands, making them too slick to catch himself. He groaned as he fell to the floor.

I heard one of Crispin’s Sentinels enter the room right before he gagged. The vampire moaned on the floor as the boils began to form and pop at a much more rapid pace.

“Oh, man. That’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen.” The Sentinel gagged again.

Crispin stepped forward, walking toward the dying vampire. He turned his head to the women. “Look away.” Some of them did immediately, but a couple of them stared down at the man with hatred burning from their eyes.

Crispin lifted his sword and brought it down swiftly, slicing cleanly through Raymond Hanover’s neck and ending his reign of terror forever.