Smashed Read online

  Killing Brandy had been a mistake. It had never truly been my intent. Remorse wasn’t my strong suit. It never had been. Public kills were very amateur. Alexa’s park bench-kill being a prime example of that. Why Sinclair would go along with such a thing was beyond me.

  No, it wasn’t. I knew why. It was a thrill.

  Alexa was long gone when we arrived. She’d known I would come, and she’d had no intention of being there when I showed up.

  Her victims remained, however. It was easy enough to find them with the blood so heavy on the air. The atmosphere screamed with the residual energy of terror and death.

  “Fuck.” Running a hand through my hair, I stared at the mess, unable to accept that she had done it.

  Jenner surveyed the scene, nodding as he walked around the slaughter. “You two are so much alike. It’s scary. This looks just like something you’d do. Oh wait, you pretty much just did the same thing.”

  In response to his sarcastic remark, I shot him a deathly glare. “That’s helpful, Jenner. Thanks.”

  “If this is the two of you apart, I’d almost hate to see what you could do together.”

  Though I didn’t say so, I agreed. Alexa and I brought out both the best and the worst in each other. Still, I continued to believe that I could help her through the challenging aspects of being a new vampire. If only she would trust me.

  “We need to get rid of the bodies,” I said. “I don’t want to leave anything for the FPA to trace back to Alexa.”

  As soon as the words left my lips, the darkness was lit up by flashing lights. Two black sedans pulled up on the grass beside us. Juliet O’Brien got out of the first car. In her hand was a crossbow pistol ready with a bolt in place. It wasn’t all that big, but it could be deadly. She held it easily with one hand, though being a werewolf made her stronger than the average human. Evidently the FPA had upgraded their weaponry since their last run in with Alexa.

  Pointing the pistol at me, Juliet aimed for my heart and said, “You and I need to have a little talk.”

  Chapter Two

  I raised both hands in surrender, unable to stop the grin that spread across my face. “Settle down, little wolf. There’s no need to wave shit like that around. If you want to talk, I’ll listen.”

  Juliet advanced on me, using the pistol to herd me away from the bodies. “Keep going,” she said with a nod. “Over there by that tree. Your friend stays put.”

  She issued a command to her men to keep an eye on Jenner while ensuring no passersby happened to notice the murder victims. I walked backward, refusing to take my gaze off her. She was a feisty one. Unpredictable as well. Must be in the blood.

  “We both know I could blow you all sky high,” I said, doing my best to appear bored with her tough federal agent act. “If you think I did this, then clearly you haven’t studied up on my MO.”

  Her glare darkened until it was downright impressive. Only when we were out of human earshot did she speak.

  “I know you didn’t do this. It was Alexa. That’s what I want to talk to you about.” Slowly she lowered the weapon. Her finger remained on the trigger though. Apparently the youngest O’Brien didn’t trust me.

  “So talk,” I said when she fell silent.

  Taking the opportunity to study her, I determined that Juliet was experiencing regret. It was evident in the way her shoulders hunched and the faint aroma of self-pity that tainted her aura. Alexa’s sister was one of my least favorite people. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t seem to mean to cause Alexa so much distress. But she did. And I simply am not as forgiving as my better half.

  “I’ve been watching Alexa, tracking her phone and finding her victims. This is the third confirmed since she…died.” Juliet blew a stray strand of curly brown hair out of her face. She glanced back at the waiting agents. “Nobody knows it’s her. I’ve reported it as a continuation of those vampire kills we started looking into a couple of weeks back.”

  “Well, isn’t that gracious of you. That might actually mean something if your organization hadn’t just tried to kill her.” Crossing my arms, I fixed the young werewolf with a patronizing look.

  The guilt disappeared from her face, replaced by a mask of fury. “Well, I guess you succeeded where we failed.”

  I stared into Juliet’s dark-brown eyes. If she was hoping to elicit a reaction from me, she would be disappointed. Though my gaze was hard and cold, inside I was mourning. Alexa’s eyes were the same deep, amazing brown; at least, they were supposed to be.

  “Well played,” I said. “I’m not going to discuss that with you. It was out of my control. It had to happen.”

  “Then why aren’t you with her now?”

  Ah yes, the same question I’d been asking myself for days. “You’re asking the wrong person. Alexa has this tendency to run to Kale Sinclair when feeling overwhelmed. She doesn’t want to see me right now, and I’m not about to force the issue.”

  Juliet seemed to ponder this, nodding slowly. “From what I understand, the two of you are tied together somehow. Twin flames. I looked it up. It sounds like a recipe for disaster. So should we be expecting some kind of repercussions? Is it going to get worse than this?” She pointed at the corpses without looking.

  I, however, stared at the bloodless bodies. It was difficult to accept that my beautiful wolf had done such a thing. She was the good one. The light. I needed her to keep being that. To be the one that held the promise of something better.

  “It might,” I answered honestly. “I think she just needs to get it out of her system. She’s a new vampire. It’s difficult to control the urges in the beginning. There is very little sense of conscience and remorse.”

  “How much longer is she going to be a ravenous maniac? I can’t keep covering for her. I could lose my job. Or worse.” With her lips pressed tight together, Juliet regarded me with a hopeful glint in her eyes, seeking from me something I could not give her.

  “Worse? The FPA would kill you for protecting your sister? Is that what you’re telling me?”

  “It’s possible. I could always end up in other places. The lab, for instance.” She paused, then sighed and swore. “You’ve got to understand. Alexa isn’t just a vampire and werewolf hybrid to the FPA. She’s a serious threat. As long as she refuses to work with us, she remains on a watch list. Given the right reasons, the FPA won’t hesitate to take her out.”

  “And yet, you still work for them. Willingly.” I felt no pity for her. No sympathy. Maybe even a little part of me hoped she would get caught covering up Alexa’s tracks. It would serve her right for having such divided loyalties.

  “I don’t have to justify my decisions to you. That’s not what I came to discuss. Let’s not forget that you are the one who murdered my sister. A crime punishable by death. Now, are you willing to help me or not?”

  Well, nobody could ever say Juliet was a coward. Her threat was both courageous and stupid. There was no way I could allow her to think I was so easily controlled. Surrounding us with an energy circle, I grabbed her gun hand and twisted, forcing her to drop the weapon. She stifled a cry, glaring up at me with wild wolf eyes. Seeing them punched me right in the gut as my longing for Alexa threatened my self-control.

  Maintaining my hold on her arm, I pulled her close and made a show of breathing in her tantalizing wolf scent. “Yes, let’s not forget that I killed your sister. The one woman who means more to me than my own existence. So don’t for a moment think I’m incapable of draining you dry, little one.”

  An agent or two fired off a shot when they saw Juliet in my clutches. The crossbow bolts bounced harmlessly off my circle. Idiots.

  I forced her to look into my eyes, to see the abyss that lay beneath, the same abyss that would swallow her whole should I will it. “Don’t threaten me, Juliet.”

  Her pupils were dilated in fear, and the seductive aroma of it betrayed the glare she mustered. “All right. I get it. Let go of me.”

  I released her and dropped the circle, shooting
a warning glare in the direction of the waiting agents. Juliet held up a hand, telling them to hold their fire.

  “So, what did you have in mind?” I asked, continuing as if she hadn’t just tempted me to bleed her.

  Anger flashed across her face. She retrieved the fallen weapon but didn’t dare point it at me again. “Supply me with a vampire or two. Someone I can pin this on.”

  It was a good opportunity to have the FPA deal with what remained of the rebel group. Their numbers had dwindled after their last attempt to take Alexa out. Still, it would be a great way to send a message to any who still thought we were the enemy.

  “I’m sure I can do that,” I agreed. “What about when it happens again? Because it will happen again. At least until Alexa accepts that she needs my help to get through this.”

  “I can’t buy her a lot of time. Briggs knows that she’s turned. For now, he’s under the assumption that she’s feeding at The Wicked Kiss. He’ll figure it out soon enough though.” Juliet appeared conflicted, unhappy having to lie to her lover. I knew the feeling.

  She paced in the dry, dead grass. Making the greatest of mistakes, she let her guard down. Lucky for her, I wasn’t the type to take a cheap shot.

  “Just get me a vampire for tonight,” she said. “I’ll do what I can. But you need to do something about Alexa. If she keeps this up, I’ll have no choice but to hunt her down.”

  “Now there’s a loving sibling sentiment if I’ve ever heard one,” I retorted. “I’ll get you your vampire. But know this: if you hunt Alexa, I hunt you. Got it?”

  With a glower Juliet pulled a card from her pocket and slapped it into my hand. “Bring the vampire back here in two hours. If you need to reach me, here’s my number.”

  She stalked away before I could reply. With a shrug, I stuck the card in my back pocket and headed for my car, motioning for Jenner to join me. I hoped like hell that Juliet was full of big talk and bullshit because, if I had to kill my lover’s sister, I might never reclaim what I once had with Alexa.

  “That woman is damn sexy,” Jenner observed when we were back in the car. “I wonder what it would take to get her into bed. There’s no way she could resist my charm.”

  “Don’t even think it,” I warned. “Alexa’s sister is off limits.”

  “Why? Think about the benefits. I take her to bed, give her the time of her life, and turn her into my love slave. Then you would have some FPA blackmail material.” He suggested, smiling like it was his best idea yet.

  “It’s not worth the trouble. It’s also probably not the blackmail material I need.”

  I drove away from the scene with a screech of tires. Jenner lounged in the passenger seat. He watched me as I drove. It was annoying as hell.

  “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” he asked. “Obviously I overheard your conversation. But where do you plan to snag a random vampire from?”

  “I could just give her you, I suppose,” I chuckled.

  “Just let me fuck her. I’m telling you, it’ll solve your FPA problems.”

  Laughter filled the car. I couldn’t keep a straight face. “Oh yeah, that will solve my problems all right. It will also have Alexa ripping both our heads off our shoulders. Is that what you want?”

  With well-honed focus I could feel the energy of every vampire within the city. It wouldn’t be hard to find one I could hand over to Juliet. Though finding one that was a self-proclaimed rebel might prove more difficult.

  Ignoring Jenner’s insistent argument, I said, “Lucky for us, most of the vampires here don’t know you. So here’s the plan.”

  * * * *

  Sending Jenner into The Wicked Kiss was risky. He hadn’t been in town long. There was no way of knowing how many vamps knew he was linked to Alexa and me. The plan was to have him go inside and act as a rebel vampire to draw others out. It wasn’t the best plan, but seeing as I only had a couple of hours, it would have to do. If all else failed, I’d grab any vamp at random and hand him over.

  I wanted to be relieved to find that Alexa wasn’t there. Instead, I was concerned. Sinclair should be teaching her the willing victim game, not slaughtering at random on the street.

  Jenner went in first. I waited fifteen minutes before following.

  It came as no surprise to me to find him drooling all over two drunken women. They were giggling, spilling their drinks, and fawning over him like he was a new item on the menu, which he was.

  I didn’t approach but did catch his eye. Raising a brow in question, I received only a grin in response. That rat bastard was going to screw us out of time. Getting his dick wet and his fangs bloody was all he could think about. Vegas must be missing him. Because he sure as hell seemed to be missing Vegas.

  I half expected to find Willow slugging tequila at the bar. There was no sign of him nor had there been since the night of Alexa’s death. Since the fallen angel had taken Alexa’s darkness, he’d been MIA. It was disconcerting. Willow was now a demon. There was no way of predicting when he would reappear or what he would be like when he did.

  Scowling in disgust at the loathsome nightclub, I held every vampire present in total judgment, Jenner included. When a petite brunette sidled up to me with a suggestive smile, I was admittedly tempted to bleed her, though not in the manner she expected. There would be no playing by the house rules for me.

  “I’m afraid I’m unavailable tonight,” I said, much to her obvious disappointment. “See my friend over there? Why don’t you tell him that if he gets his ass in gear, I’ll let him come back here and enjoy you later? Trust me. You want what he’s got.”

  She considered Jenner, eyeing him up with curiosity. Then she adjusted her cleavage and tried once more to convince me. “Are you sure you don’t want a taste of this? I’m a gymnast. You can bend me like a pretzel.”

  “Then my friend is definitely the guy for you. Go talk to him.” I added a subtle pulse of power to influence her, and she was off, heading over to Jenner with a sassy swing to her step.

  She delivered my message as instructed. Jenner lingered, engaging in further conversation before gradually disentangling himself from all three women. They grabbed at him, begging him to stay. Ever the charmer, he took the time to flirt with each one of them. Kissing hands, murmuring playful promises, Jenner was as smooth as he’d ever been. Seducing victims on stage in Las Vegas had kept him at the top of his game. The salacious ass.

  Shooting him one last dark look, I vacated the building. Staying too long would be suspicious. It was no secret that I preferred to hunt elsewhere.

  By the time Jenner met me outside, he reeked of perfume and red lipstick marked the edge of his mouth. “I hope you’re happy,” he said proudly.

  “Because you managed to remove yourself from that little orgy you were working on in there? Yeah, I’m thrilled.”

  “No. Because with a little seduction and conversation I was able to get the ladies to tell me who in there is one of your so-called rebels. Not only that,” Jenner paused, rubbing his fingernails on his shirt to add to the drama. “They’re leading one of them out here any minute now.”

  He was quite impressed with himself. I didn’t share that sentiment. “Jenner, if you fuck this up—”

  “Trust me, Arys. It’s all good. Just relax and wait.”

  What choice did I have? Jenner’s smug expression was just one of many things that had driven me from Vegas. He’d always been the headstrong one, the one with a flair for the dramatic. But he was also one of the smartest beings I knew.

  Just as he’d said, the brunette came out of the building with a vampire in tow. He wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings. Focused on the cute little thing luring him along, he didn’t notice us. Not until we stood on either side of him.

  “What’s going on?” He was immediately suspicious, looking at the woman in sudden awareness. “Arys, come on. I don’t know what you think I did, but I promise you, whatever it is, it wasn’t me.”

  “Got a name?” I aske
d, unable to keep a satisfied smile at bay.

  The guy wasn’t new, but he was by no means a match for either Jenner or me. And he knew it.

  “Charlie.” His gaze flitted between us, but he decided I was the greater threat. “What is it that you think I did? It has to be a mistake.”

  “Let’s not play the game, Charlie. I’m running on a time limit here, and the last thing I need right now is two O’Brien women pissed at me. Rumor has it you’re part of the rebellion that’s been making trouble for my wolf.” I studied him for a reaction, pleased when I found the confirmation I needed within his eyes. He could lie, but it was useless. I could read the truth in him.

  “There is no rebellion,” he said, his words coming in a rush. “Not anymore. I swear it.”

  “How can I possibly accept the word of a liar?” With my arms crossed and a carefully neutral expression on my face, I put the pressure on him. Without raising a hand, the power followed the path my thoughts laid out.

  It forced a small yelp from him, and he threw his hands up in surrender. Jenner cast me a sharp glance, and I shrugged. My power had evidently been heightened by Alexa’s recent change. Curious. Dangerous as well, for Alexa. Having this kind of power thrumming through her couldn’t possibly help in her battle against the bloodlust.

  “Fine. I was part of the rebellion. But it doesn’t exist anymore. That’s the truth.” Charlie shook his head of shaggy dark hair and fixed me with wide eyes, imploring me to believe him.

  “Good. Thank you for your honesty. However, it doesn’t change what’s about to happen here.”

  “What are you talking about?” Charlie was frantic. He glanced about, seeking a way out.

  Jenner gave the brunette an affectionate pat on the behind and said, “Better head back inside, sweetheart. You don’t want to see this.”

  She did as he asked with a flirtatious giggle. It was all I could do not to roll my eyes. If he happened to live a thousand years, Jenner would never tire of having his ego stroked.

  “Look, Arys, it was all just a big misunderstanding. I didn’t realize they wanted to kill Alexa. Really. I wasn’t part of the attack on her.” Charlie rambled, knowing he was running out of time though not knowing what awaited him. Death would be a grand alternative to what the FPA basement held.