Chapter 19
Hawke watched the last customer stagger out the front door of the club and into the cab he’d called for him, then checked his cell phone for any word from Kohl.
He’d taken off on his bike like a bat out of hell after they’d dealt with those Parasupe fuckers, leaving the others to take care of the evidence, and Hawke wanted to make sure Kohl stayed gone until he could assess the Master’s state of mind.
Their leader would want someone to blame for this, and Kohl was the obvious answer.
Not because anyone would think he’d turned on his own coven, but because he’d allowed the human woman to live long enough to become a threat.
With a nod to Mark at the door, he started to head down to the caverns, but changed his mind and stopped behind the bar to grab a bottle of their best vodka. It wouldn’t do much to relax him, but he was feeling the intense urge to drink.
As he poured himself a healthy double shot, he heard voices coming from the hall, and then the soft click of a door closing.
The office door, by the sound of it. Curious, he took his glass with him and with a quick glance around to make sure everyone was gone, walked silently down the hall, stopping just outside the door.
The Master was talking, his voice so low Hawke wouldn’t have been able to hear him if he hadn’t been standing right outside, even with his vampire hearing.
“I’m a firm believer in ‘an eye for an eye’, but you went too far with this, boy. I don’t care who she is, or what games you’re playing, killing our own was never part of the plan!”
“She’s one of them! She was on the news!
I saw her outside, and I remembered. I remembered, Master.
You told me to take care of her. You told me not to do it myself.
You told me to make it look like Parasupe so we wouldn’t get in trouble for killing a human.
No vampires were supposed to be on the dance floor when it happened.
They weren’t supposed to be there. It wasn’t my fault. ”
“Not your fault that you compelled humans to shoot up my club? Not your fault that, when that didn’t work, your fucked up thinking got three of my best vampires burned to ash?
You were only supposed to follow him! You weren’t supposed to interfere!
Or, how about, instead of finally killing the woman as you were told, you had her tell her old company exactly where we are?
” There was a deep sigh. “They’ll be coming after us again.
You know that.” Another pause. “What the hell were you thinking, boy?”
“Parasupe killed my best friend. My brother.” Jaz’s voice rose to a whine. “I watched them cut him into tiny little pieces. And they would’ve done the same to me. They took my fang.”
“Yes, they would have. You’re lucky I found you when I did. However, now that they know where we are, you may not be so lucky the second time around.”
There was a brief pause. “He’s fucking her, you know. He’s fucking that Parasupe bitch. He wasn’t going to kill her. And you’re letting him get away with it, after what they did to us. He should die, too. He’s not one of us!”
“Jaz, focus!” the master raised his voice before seeming to remember himself and lowering it again. “What on earth made you believe putting this coven on Parasupe’s radar was a good idea?”
There was some shuffling around.
“Jaz!”
His next words burst from him like rushing water breaking through a dam.
“So you would get rid of him! If it was his girlfriend that brought them here, it would be his fault for not letting her die when she was supposed to, for not killing her when you told him to. It’s not my fault.
It’s Kohl’s fault. You let him stay here!
You let him stay here with us, even though he’s a monster! ”
“Kohl will be taken care of.”
There was a few seconds of silence.
When Jaz next spoke, Hawke could hear the glee in his tone. “Master, I have the girl.”
“What?” In his surprise, the Master forgot to keep his voice down.
“I have the girl. I brought her here for you.”
“Show me.” The Master’s voice was edged with violence.
Hawke moved fast. In the brief moment it took them to come out of the room, he was already hidden behind the bar. Footsteps sounded, going in the opposite direction, and he heard the door to the caverns open and shut.
After a few seconds, he straightened to his full height, and poured himself another drink, his mind working furiously.
Pulling out his phone, he swiped the screen and started texting.