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  I waited to spring my second question about relationships until Kass had eaten her full. “Is it wrong if I spy on Blake?”

  Kass’s eyes narrowed as Jerry looked between the two of us, “Why?’ she asked warily.

  “He’s in trouble, but he won’t tell me what’s going on. He won’t let me help,” I said, sadly shrugging.

  “Did you offer to help?” Kass asked.

  “Yes,” I said with a shrug.

  “What did he say?” Jerry asked, leaning forward.

  I sighed, “No.”

  “Leave it at that,” Kass warned me.

  I looked to Jerry for his opinion. “I’d spy on him.” he said honestly. “But to answer your question, most would find it morally repugnant to spy on your significant other.”

  “Unless you thought he was cheating,” Kass added.

  I shook my head, “No, I don’t think he is cheating.” I said, chewing on my bottom lip thoughtfully, there was something I had never considered. “It feels more life threatening.”

  “If he finds out you are spying on him, he is bound to not feel trusted by you anymore,” Kass said, killing my plans instantly.

  I sighed. “There goes that idea,” I huffed.

  …

  I had just finished my dirty, greasy meeting with the human pimp George who was none of my business but I made a point of checking him and his girls now and again. I also demanded free rides, in exchange for handling his supernatural problems when I felt someone watching me as I got to my car. Stopping, I surveyed my surroundings. Across the street, half hidden from the light of the street lamp was a leather-wearing thug.

  “Mother fucker,” I cursed, slamming my SUV door before storming over to him.

  He had the good sense to flinch slightly as I approached, but made no other movement.

  “What the fuck do you want?” I asked turning him around roughly to see the same sugar skull with rose eyes emblem on his jacket.

  Shoving him against the wall, I waited impatiently for an answer.

  “Our leader has requested a meeting,” he stated in a deep voice. He was muscled across his chest, but his darting eyes betrayed his fear and insecurity.

  “When and where?” I demanded, denying myself the pleasure of slamming his head against the brick building behind him.

  “Now. Follow me,” he said, walking stiffly away to his bike.

  Growling, I made my way back to my car. I did not like being given orders, but I would take this opportunity to kill the rest of the biker clan.

  Logic and common sense would have me calling into the manor for backup, but I wanted to do this one alone. These assholes had attacked me and my establishment, following me from the manor. If that stupid sleazy kid Rose fired had anything to do with them, he was next on my list.

  I followed him in a fit of fury, Twenty minutes later, when we pulled up to an empty warehouse, I drove into the bay doors and jumped out of my SUV annoyed as vampires popped out of hiding places in the shadows.

  “So fucking creative, a warehouse,” I muttered, knowing they could all hear me.

  Walking to the front of my SUV, I leaned against the hood and demanded, “So which one of you pathetic excuses for a supernatural is the self-proclaimed leader of this tragic organization?”

  “You got a mouth on you girl,” said a voice to my left still half hidden in shadows.

  “I can’t hear you over the cowardice of hiding in the shadows,” I informed him loudly. Fuck these assholes. I had gone into George’s packing. The ten vampires here posed a perfect chance to work off some of my aggression.

  I had plenty to spare.

  From directly in front of me slid a salt and peppered, long haired, biker who had been turned far later in life. Deep wrinkles lined his face and sagging earlobes as he grinned at me with a cigar in his mouth and looping his thumbs through his belt loops under his beer belly.

  “I admire a bitch with spirit,” he said. His version of a compliment? I thought.

  “Then you’re going to fucking love me,” I warned him. Based on his widening smile, I don’t think he got what I meant.

  “Pretty little thing - all we are after is some information,” he drawled out.

  “About what?” I asked, wanting to figure out who exactly I had pissed off to put these assholes on my tail.

  “Your lover vampire,” he snarled.

  Leaning forward, it was my turn to smile. They should have been terrified, the fact they weren’t was almost insulting to my reputation. “You looking to spice up your bedroom life?” I taunted.

  He spat, losing his grin as he pointed at me. “Listen here slut, I want the details on your boyfriend’s security along with the Centennial House,” he demanded, growling at me.

  “That’s what this is about Blake and his house?” I asked, tilting my head. “Why?”

  “That isn’t your place to know.” said a voice to the left.

  “You don’t know,” I mused. “That is smart of whoever hired you, knowing you are disposable once the job is complete, and spreading around the information keeps me from knowing exactly what is going on. Very smart.”

  “Bitch, we know everything,” snarled the voice to my left again. The big and ugly guy in front of me was silent and I could see in his eyes he hadn’t thought it out that far ahead.

  “Give us the information,” he growled again, having decided he was more interested in whatever his bosses had promised him than his actual life.

  “Make me,” I taunted, smiling.

  Unlike the other night, the leader came at me first thinking to pin me to the SUV by rushing me. The blade slicing his twin hearts proved he was wrong.

  Pulling it out, he sunk down before exploding into ash. I smiled, “Next.”

  Unlike the other night, they didn’t wait their turns. Arms, legs, and mouths reached for me all at once, only to be sliced or shot off. Like I said before, I was packing, with two guns under my jacket that were loaded and extra clips on my belt, not to mention the long blade strapped to my thighs or the throwing daggers lining my boots.

  Some asshole got a lucky shot in and my gun went flying as my back slammed against my SUV hood. “I want a taste,” the idiots growled, biting into my neck again.

  “I’ve really had enough of being bitten by newbies,” I grunted before pulling my legs up to kick them off.

  Pulling out my long blade on my thigh, I sliced the offending bitter’s head off, spinning to my left to dive my blade under the rib cage of another before pulling it up to cleave both hearts.

  My original count of ten had to be off, as bodies kept slamming into me. I had cleared a space using my throwing knives and I launched those as fast as my fingers would fly, less accurate than my knife, but they slowed down the flood of hungry vampires approaching me.

  Ducking under a punch, I sliced the vampire in half before stabbing through both hearts. Still crouching, I took off the arm of another who came at me with a crow bar. I missed the asshole behind me, again, as the breath forcefully removed from my lungs and I fell, sprawling down on the dirty cement.

  “Fucker,” I wheezed, slamming my head into his nose as I bucked him off before pulling to my knees to chop his worthless head off with a powerful swing. Pushing to my feet, I saw the last one standing there, the same one at Kitten who had gotten away. He watched me for a moment before darting away.

  Blowing out a breath, I checked to be sure no live bodies were lying around, waiting to surprise me before gathering wallets and cell phones.

  The back of my head throbbed and my newly healed neck was bleeding open. Great. Pushing my discomfort aside, I heaved myself back into my SUV heading for the Centennial compound. Someone knew something and I needed to get in the fucking loop.

  …

  Mal was not impressed with my haul. “Why are you bringing them to me?” she asked as I piled everything onto her desk.

  “Because I can’t find Blake,” I informed her, irritated.

  “Right,”
she muttered careful not to make eye contact.

  “Someone hired those goons and I would like to know who,” I told her, sitting on her desk and in her personal space.

  She shrugged, trying hard to avoid looking at me.

  “What did they want?” she asked, daring a glance.

  “Intel on Blake’s house and the compound.” I told her as her eyes riveted to me.

  “What did you tell them?” she asked, worried.

  I scoffed, “I killed them all.”

  She relaxed in her chair. “I am insulted you even had the nerve to ask me that.” I didn’t actually kill them all. I groaned in sudden realization.

  Mal cleared her throat, “I’ll have to clear all of this with Tate.” Her voice was timid. “But let me have someone look at your neck.”

  “Don’t fucking bother,” I dismissed her, storming out.

  Back in my SUV, I called Blake again, pulling out of the underground parking. His voicemail answered again on the first ring.

  “I just took out an entire biker gang who wanted you. Call me the fuck back or I will find you,” I warned, ending the call.

  …

  I didn’t want to end up at Blake’s after tonight’s incident, but I needed to let Alfie know what had happened and one look at my wounds and he was not letting me go without first aid.

  “Ten. You’re certain?” He asked cleaning the bite in the kitchen.

  Winching, I answered, “I think, maybe more.”

  “Dispatched by yourself?” he asked again shocked.

  “Yep,” I told him again.

  “Impressive,” he muttered under his breath, bandaging the wound.

  “You going to enlighten me on what the fuck is going on?” I inquired, agitated.

  He sighed, “Blake has been very specific in my instructions not to share his current situation with you, I regret to say. You are a powerful asset Olivia and I do believe he is trying to prove himself worthy to be by your side.”

  That took all the anger out of me as my shoulders slumped. “I wish he didn’t feel that way.” I whispered softly. “But I doubt tonight will change his mind.”

  “No,” Alfie replied, “it undoubtedly will not. How did you manage to take out that many vampires by yourself?” He was curious.

  I shrugged, regretting the movement as my neck pulled, “They were newbies, no finesse, no understanding of their power.”

  “You are very comfortable around vampires,” Alfie handed me a beer before opening his own.

  “We have a long standing history,” I informed him dryly. Vampires had been responsible for creating me, training me, and forcing me into the elite killer I was today or really the damaged elite killer I was today.

  “The fact that they embody the true undead doesn’t affect you?” Alfie asked, watching me closely.

  I smiled, “Just because their hearts stop beating and they require blood to survive doesn’t mean they are the vile, heartless, maniacs of legend.” I took a sip of beer as flashes of the battle I just fought flashed before my eyes, “At least not all of them are.” I amended to Alfie’s grin.

  “Tell me Olivia, you gallivant all over the country taking out dangerous Supernaturals?” Alfie asked me, leaning over the kitchen island.

  “I do,” I answered, wondering why the sudden interest in my day job.

  He nodded and asked, “Why? Why do you shoulder the heavy burden of saving everyone?”

  It wasn’t the first time I had been asked that. What’s wrong with you? Who wired you wrong? How did you get so broken?

  “Something important died within me, something primal and vital for a normal life,” I answered rolling my beer between my hands, “What was left behind was a pure undiluted rage and an incessant need to kill.”

  I drained half my beer and continued, “The truth is even if I wasn’t out hunting the insane and immortal of our society, I would be the hunted. Some wounds don’t heal.”

  Alfie was human and his eye widened in shock at that raw answer.

  Leaning forward, I patted his arm, “Don’t worry Alfie, I hardly ever kill humans, too messy to clean up.” I finished my beer and smiled as I headed to bed. That would keep him on his toes.

  …

  Laying in Blake’s bed, I arranged a meeting with Grams the following afternoon to discuss pressing business. I checked my text messages. There were a few from Kass regarding the dresses from today, but no message from Blake.

  After staring at my phone for far too long, I texted him, Thinking of you, hitting send before I lost my nerve. I really wanted to ask him questions. Why he wasn’t here with me? What was more important? Why couldn’t I help?

  With a deep sigh, I rolled over to my side. This was too much free time for me - too much time to think and too much time to remember.

  Chapter 5

  “This is a terrible idea,” I groaned in Gram’s uncomfortable blue chair facing her desk.

  “I agree,” she stated, turning away from her computer to gaze at me directly. “But I am charging them three times our usual rate.”

  That got my attention, sitting up straighter, “Dang when did you become such the powerful negotiator?” I asked impressed.

  She smirked at me, “I do run a few successful businesses.”

  “I deserved that,” holding my hands up, relenting.

  Turning her attention back to the screen in front of her, she continued, “We were requested by more than one alpha.”

  “Why?” I questioned shocked and wary.

  “Apparently you made quite the impression in Oklahoma,” she informed me raising an eyebrow drawing her attention back to me.

  “You have got to be kidding? I show up half dead, than leave in slightly better condition and they are impressed by that?” Sitting back in my chair, I looked off into the distance. “They should see me on a good day.”

  Grams laughed, “They should, maybe they actually will this time around.”

  “Let’s not get crazy. So what do the cranky shifters need us to arbitrate?” I asked, feeling more comfortable about this situation.

  Grams flipped open a page in her day planner, “A border dispute, ownership of a car, and wedding negotiations between the lovely bride and groom.”

  “Grams,” I began “you have got to be kidding! We have to play peace maker between Lorraine and Logan?”

  “Yes, hence why I am charging three times our normal rate.” She closed her book, pushing her glasses down, regarding me intently her slate gray eyes regarding me intently, “It shows poorly on Logan that we have to negotiate this for him.”

  I nodded, paying close attention. She was plotting.

  “We need to be prepared for his tenure as Alpha of the US to come to a close,” she said watching me closely as I leaned forward.

  “Agreed,” I wondered where she was taking this. Logan’s tenuous hold on his clans was apparent.

  “I think we should start grooming Darren.” She finished her proposal sitting perfectly straight.

  Groaning, I slid down in the chair. “If Kass wasn’t involved, I would stay the hell away from that mess, but being as she is now taking a front and center role in the Shifter Nation, I concur.” I glumly agreed.

  She nodded, smiling. That woman was damn good at knowing me.

  “Doesn’t mean I like any of this.”

  “There are fresh cookies in the kitchen.” She went back to her computer.

  “Bribery doesn’t always work on me.” I slipped out her door and heading to the kitchen.

  …

  Grams and I were setting up at the Valiant Hotel in their largest conference room, placing pads of paper and pens at each station. Our conference room would have housed everyone, but I felt a neutral location would decrease our chances of bloodshed.

  “Do you think we should set the water bottles up now as well?” She asked, looking around the cream oval table seating twenty.

  I shrugged, watching Ali and Grant hauling in the last of the supplies. “
No, let’s wait. If things get too heated it provides us a distraction to cool everyone one off.”

  “Literally.” Grant said, cracking open a bottle of water.

  Smirking, I asked, “You two clear on your responsibilities while here?”

  “Yes, Olivia, protect Grams at all costs,” Ali repeated for probably the eighth time, flopping into a chair. Ali had added blond highlights to her auburn hair and she twirled a strand around her finger. The perfect picture of a harmless human being. I huffed and thought, Until you pissed her off and her diluted blood tie to Medusa kicked in.

  Ali and Grant were assistants working for Grams and would one day take over the council. I hoped it would be a day far far away as I wasn’t very good with change.

  Nodding, I took one last look at the room. “I think we are ready.”

  “I agree.” Grams said walking easily towards the double doors, “Don’t look so worried, Olivia. They requested you.”

  “That’s what worries me.” I mumbled, watching Grams open the ivory double doors.

  Logan and Lorrain were the first through the doors, blowing past Grams’ outstretched hand in greeting and marching to the front of the oval table on opposite sides, glaring at each other the whole way. I turned, staring dumbfounded at Grams. She recovered quickly and said, “We will need two chairs at the head for Olivia and myself. Please seat yourself wherever is best.” I was impressed at her calmness.

  Logan and Lorrain were coating the room in anger, hatred, and disgust in large quantities that I could feel intimately. I watched Ali and Grant scoot behind Grams’ chair with their own rolling seats.

  Grams walked leisurely back to the front of the room and I realized I was on the side with Logan, while she was going to sit next to Lorraine. Staring at Grams hard, I saw the slight shake of her head as I moved to sit next to Logan. Okay I would keep the peace for now, but as the future alpha’s mate, Lorrain’s place was next to him, not across from him.