Chapter 20
After spendinghours combing through the documents while nomming on some oven-roasted pizza, it became painfully clear they held no valuable information regarding Nash’s or Adrian’s daytime resting places. We had other options we could pursue—digging deeper into their background and owned properties, questioning local slayers again, or tapping into our broader network for more intel. But those options had downsides. Not only would they eat up precious time, but they could also expose our new location. None of us were willing to risk that, especially when we had a solid lead as to where Nash would be tonight.
The best plan, we agreed, was to act on this lead as soon as Gabriel was awake and to approach the situation en force. Stealth wasn’t as important as numbers for this operation. We needed to take Nash down. Jaden, Josh, and I, as the resident vampire slayers, would lead the charge. Avery, as eager as the rest of us to see Nash staked, demanded to be there. And I knew Gabriel would insist as well. That left Lucy and Sam, and currently, they were arguing over who would accompany us into battle and who would remain at the safehouse. When the argument started to grow heated, I lifted my hands and stepped in.
“I think you both should stay behind.”
That earned me quite the scowls.
“What?” Lucy demanded. “Why would you even suggest that? You’ll be stronger with us.”
One hundred percent accurate. But… “You guys promised each other that only one of you would risk their life at a time, just in case the worst happens. That means one of you has to stay behind. However, as a group, we all agreed that no one would go anywhere alone. That also means no one gets left behind alone.”
Annoyance flashed across Lucy’s face.
“If something happens, if we’re wrong about Nash’s location, if the slayers or hell, Adrian, find this place and attack, one of you may need the other’s help. We would be stronger with one of you there, absolutely. But I also refuse to risk anyone’s life. These are the rules we agreed upon. So, you’re both staying behind tonight to keep watch and protect each other.”
“Maddie—”
“Trust me,” I told her, pulling her into a tight hug. “We’ve got this. Jaden, Josh, and I could handle Nash by ourselves. We’re trained for that. But we’re going to have Avery and Gabriel at our sides as well. We’ve got our bases covered.”
Lucy sighed and slumped against me. “I hate this.”
“I know. But you have to think about your kids. My job is to get you—both of you—home. I wouldn’t be a very good aunt otherwise.”
Lucy chuckled, gave me a squeeze, then stepped back. “Fine. But promise me you’ll come back in one piece,” she said.
“I promise,” I replied.
“Uh, and we promise too?” Jaden chirped. “Not that anyone asked that of us.”
The room burst into laughter, which eased a bit of the tension.
“Of course we want you guys to come home in one piece too,” Lucy said, still laughing. “We’ll use the phones again, so Sam and I aren’t sitting here fretting.”
I couldn’t imagine Sam fretting. More like brooding. But I agreed to her condition.
With the plan set and everyone’s roles clear, everyone drifted off into their own corner of the house. Jaden and Josh started double-checking their gear while Avery paced through the living room, clearly unable to sit still. Sam and Lucy retreated to the room they’d claimed as theirs, likely to give everyone else some space to prepare. As for me, I ventured upstairs to wait for Gabriel to wake, just like I’d promised.
I headed into our room and closed the door behind me, sealing myself inside the darkness. I took a seat by the bed and reached for Gabriel’s hand. It felt like so much had happened today. He’d gone to sleep in one of Aimee’s guest rooms, only to wake up in an entirely different house. Not to mention tonight’s mission. He had no idea what we had planned yet. I’d have to fill him in quickly before we all left.
As I waited for the sun to set, my mind drifted to tonight. With any luck, within the next few hours, we’d stake Nash and could close that chapter of our life. We’d never met in person, but he’d quickly climbed to the top of the list of vampires I wanted to kill. Along with Adrian. And possibly Elias. With even more luck, perhaps all three of them would be at the storage facility tonight.
Doubtful.
I couldn’t think of a single reason Adrian would be there. But a girl could hope, right?
Gabriel’s hand twitched in mine, yanking my back from my thoughts. The sun had set, and I hadn’t even noticed I’d been so consumed by them.
I couldn’t help but smile as I turned to Gabriel just in time to see his eyes spring open. He jolted awake and shot up in bed, his eyes immediately locking with mine. Relief instantly washed over his features, and he squeezed my hand, the same one he then brought to his lips and gently kissed.
“Told you I’d be here when you woke up,” I said, my voice teasing.
His laughter was deep and soothing, echoing in the quiet room. “I must admit, ‘I told you so’ has never sounded so good.”
That made me laugh.
Releasing my hand, Gabriel cupped the back of my head and drew me close for a heartfelt kiss. But before our lips could touch, he paused, his attention caught by our unfamiliar surroundings. “Uh, where are we?”
I snickered at the look of pure confusion on his face. “One of the pack’s safehouses,” I explained. “Today’s been…eventful, to say the least.”
His brow furrowed with concern. “What happened? Are you alright?”
“Everyone’s perfectly fine,” I assured him. “We just had some unwelcome visitors. Turns out, our investigation into Nash didn’t go unnoticed. Some local slayers figured out our—and more importantly, your—location. A few came calling, intent on fulfilling the contract on your head. I gave them a stern talking to, made them rethink all their life choices, then sent them on their way. But after that, we didn’t feel safe staying at Aimee’s. So we relocated.”
Gabriel ran a hand through his hair, his expression a mix of amusement and bewilderment. “I must say, waking up in a different place than where you fell asleep is quite jarring. I’m glad you can safely move me around during the day, but yeah, unsettling to say the least.”
I chuckled, then leaned forward to finally claim that kiss. The instant our lips met, all my worries and fears faded away, leaving nothing but the feel of him against me. The urge to strip him bare and explore his body came upon me so suddenly I had to pull away before I acted on it.
Gabriel stared at me, his brow furrowed again. “Everything okay?”
“Mm-hmm,” I hummed, while silently ordering my lady bits to calm the eff down. We had plans tonight. Vampire slaying plans. There was no time to hop on Gabriel and take him out for a spin, much to my disappointment. “We don’t have a lot of time. If you’re awake, then so are all the other vampires. And we have a mission tonight.”
“We do?”
I nodded, then quickly debriefed him on the warehouse recon before filling him in on our plans.
Gabriel listened with rapt attention, an eagerness narrowing his eyes when I mentioned that we were hunting Nash down tonight. Quite the wake-up call for him, but he didn’t seem bothered by this one bit.
“But first, you need blood,” I told him. He hadn’t fed last night, and there was no way I would let him go tonight without full strength.
“Not from you,” he commented. “You need all your strength as well.”
“Then it’s a good thing I thought ahead and stocked the fridge for you,” I said, winking.
Gabriel kissed my forehead, then climbed out of bed and stretched. I stole a glimpse at the few bits of skin I could see, then followed him downstairs. The crew greeted him happily, and no one seemed to mind when he cracked open a bottle of blood and sated his thirst. Meanwhile, for the second time today, I strapped myself into my leather harness and armed myself to my teeth. No matter what, Nash died tonight.
* * *
We arrivedat the new storage facility location, the night air practically vibrating with tension and excitement as we waited for Nash’s arrival. Hunting vampires was our thing, and Jaden, Josh, and I often found it exhilarating. Gabriel and Avery, however, seemed a bit more subdued and cautious.
We split up the moment we stepped out of the van, taking positions that would provide us a wide surveillance range without leaving us with any blind spots. Gabriel and I took a spot with a clear view of the main entrance, hidden in the shadows to avoid detection. Josh and Jaden took the side entrance, and Avery, despite our concerns about her going off alone, took the back bay entrance.
We all connected via the group call, with Lucy and Sam on the other end, ready to offer assistance or call for backup if things went south. Compared to other hunts, this one was quite elaborate. I was used to tracking my mark alone and planning the best moment to attack. I had to admit, it was nice to have the backup, with multiple eyes and ears primed for movement.
Gabriel’s hand found mine in the dark, and he gave it a squeeze before lacing our fingers together. We exchanged a wordless glance, and I gave him an encouraging nod. This wasn’t his idea of a normal night. He was a king, more often focused on politics and speeches than hunting and staking. When he ordered a vampire’s death, his people fulfilled his order on his behalf. But this was an entirely different ballgame for him. He wasn’t in England, and he didn’t have his people here at his beck and call—much to their dismay. He hadn’t yet announced to his council that he planned to abdicate; he hadn’t yet had the chance.
I wondered now if his plans had changed. He’d intended to give the throne to his brother. But Elias was here and had possibly sided with his father. The thought broke my heart. We’d come so far and been so close to finding our happily ever after. He’d trusted Elias, but there was a chance that Gabriel’s plan was now shot to hell.
Sighing, I let go of Gabriel’s hand. He faced me, a silent question in his eyes. But I shook my head. Not only did I not want to discuss my thoughts right now, but I also couldn’t. We were on mission and I needed to give Nash my complete focus.
“Movement at the back,” Avery’s quiet voice suddenly spoke in my ear. “Could be him. Need a better visual.”
Adrenaline surged through me, and Gabriel clenched and unclenched his hands, as though to rid himself of any excess energy.
“Position’s clear. I can move closer,” Avery whispered.
“Negative,” I immediately replied, keeping my voice as quiet as possible. Nash was a vampire. Headsets or not, there was a risk he could overhear. “Nash knows your scent. We can’t risk him spotting you. Try to stay upwind, and we’ll see if Josh and Jaden can get a visual confirmation first.”
The last thing I wanted was Avery taking on Nash by herself. The man had a hold on her emotionally, and we couldn’t risk him escaping if she freaked out. It was best to let him come closer before we made our move.
Josh’s voice crackled over the line, “Got eyes on a moving target. Looks like a vampire. Tall, hair could be blond, hard to say in the dark.” Silence, and then, “Looks to be heading for the side entrance.”
“It’s him,” Avery hissed. “I’d know his scent anywhere.”
And seeing as how she was the only one of us to have ever met him in person, we had to take her word on that.
“Go,” I murmured, giving everyone the green light.
“Jaden and I are on the move,” Josh whispered. “Proceeding to the side door entrance.”
“On my way,” Avery replied. “I’ll cut off his rear retreat.”
“Gabriel and I will come in head-on,” I finished.
“Good luck,” came Lucy’s soft reply.
No one responded, seeing as how we were all too busy getting into position.
Gabriel and I darted toward the side of the building. Hugging the corner, I held up three fingers to Gabriel and silently counted down, just as I’d done with Sam earlier in the day. When I reached zero, we both stepped around the corner and came face to face with the vamp himself, just as Jaden and Josh appeared from the side, and Avery at his back. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought we’d practiced this.
Nash staggered back a step, clearly shocked to see us here. But the moment he realized who we were, a slow cat-like grin spread across his face.
“I was wonderin’ if we’d ever get to meet in person,” he drawled in an incredibly thick Louisiana accent. “How nice it is to meet you two. I never had the pleasure of introducin’ myself while you were all locked up.”
Great, he was a talker.
“I must say, I’m honored to be meeting our king,” Nash continued, his focus lasered on Gabriel.
I didn’t like that one bit, and I stepped forward, brandishing my stake. The vamp had to know we outnumbered him, yet that damn grin of his didn’t so much as flicker. I did, however, catch the slight shift in his stance, preparing himself for whatever might come next.
“Though, I suppose you ain’t much of a king here, now are ya?”
“Where are Adrian and Elias?” I demanded, drawing Nash’s attention.
His gaze flicked to me, and a flash of interest brightened his eyes. “Ah, yes. The werewolf mate. I would have loved to have gotten my hands on you.” He leaned forward and licked his lips. “I do so enjoy playing with your kind, as your friend Avery can attest.”
An inhuman snarl sounded behind me, and before I could stop Gabriel, he snatched Nash by the collar of his shirt and slammed him into the side of the building.
“Don’t even look at her,” Gabriel growled.
Nash merely sized Gabriel up, then started laughing. “So the king does have some teeth.” His gaze lifted over Gabriel’s shoulder, and he eyed me. “You like them fanged, sweetheart?” He made a show of flicking his tongue at his canines before fixing a malicious grin in my direction.
Gabriel’s response was swift and visceral—he slammed a fist into Nash’s gut, one that had the vamp doubling over from the force. Yet Nash’s laughter persisted, as grating and defiant as ever. Guess the only thing that would shut him up was a stake through the heart, which I was happy to oblige.
I sidestepped Gabriel, my resolve hardening just as Josh, Jaden, and Avery closed ranks around Nash, sealing him inside a semi-circle of vampire hunters.
“No more games, Nash,” I said, my voice steady despite the frustration boiling within me. “Tell me where Adrian is, and I’ll make this quick.”
Nash, clearly undeterred by the threat or this entire situation, smirked. “Ah, darlin’. You should know by now that I don’t like doing things quick. I prefer taking my time?—”
His taunt was cut short as Gabriel, with a ferocity that took me by surprise, gripped Nash by the throat and heaved him into the air one-handed. He slammed Nash against the building with a force that shook the aluminum siding.
I glanced at my mate, my heart jumping at the sight of him. He looked every inch the powerful vampire king, fueled by righteous anger.
“Just stake him.” Gabriel’s voice came out low and threatening, his patience clearly growing thin.
I nodded, then faced Nash and shrugged. “Guess your time is up.”
But rather than show fear, Nash’s grin only broadened, and his eyes gleamed with defiance. “Maybe. Maybe not,” he taunted, his gaze suddenly shifting past us.
Instinctively, I turned to see what had caught his attention. My heart instantly sank when I caught sight of another figure striding through the shadows toward us. A vampire I very much recognized.
“Elias,” I whispered.