Although that didn’t make him any less dangerous.
“You have the laptop?” His voice held the slightest hint of a drawl and none of the cool remoteness of the other vampire.
“I do, but I’m not about to risk handing it over to any old lackey. If the man I made the deal with isn’t here, then I walk away.”
“Such an action would only result in the Fae’s death.”
“Kill the Fae, and you kill any chance of getting the notes.” A flicker of gold caught my eye. I glanced up, saw a trail of fiery red-gold plunge from the streaked skies. Tension wound through me, and it was all I could do to remain where I was, to not step back to the shelter of the trees, where I was less of a target for a marksman. But I couldn’t help adding, “Kill me, and you won’t get the laptop’s password.”
His eyebrow raised almost imperceptibly. “That is hardly a consideration when we have more than enough resources to break whatever password you may have placed on the computer.”
“Perhaps.” My gaze swept the parking lot’s boundaries, sensing movement but not seeing it. “But if you shoot me, you risk damaging the computer itself in my fall. Isn’t it far easier for everyone involved if the man I made the deal with just stepped forward?”
“Why does it matter who you deal with?” the cowboy countered.
I smiled, but it was thin and forced. “Because my deal was made with him, not you. He gave me his word on our safety. You did not.”
“A small but important distinction, I agree,” a cool voice said to my left.
I jumped and half swung around as a shadow appeared out of the trees only yards from where I stood. God, I hadn’t even sensed him—how many damn others were nearby? More than even imagination could conjure, I’d wager.
I swallowed to ease the sudden dryness in my throat and watched him walk—although to be honest, gliding seemed a more apt description of his method of movement—into the middle of the parking lot, where he turned to face me. He had what could be described only as classic male features—a wide, angular jaw, a square chin, a prominent brow, and a strong—almost Roman—nose. Both his eyes and his hair were a steely gray, and he was rangier in build than his whip-thin compatriot.
“Now, the laptop. I wish to see it.”
“And I have the same desire to see Jackson Miller. You present your offering; then I’ll present mine.”
He sighed. “And still you don’t trust me. This aggrieves me greatly, I assure you.”
“I’m sure you’ll survive my mistrust,” I said. “After all, you are a rather high-ranking member of the sindicati. I would think mistrust comes with the territory.”
“That, unfortunately, is very true.” He paused, and a slight smile touched his lips. A chill ran across my skin, and I clenched my fists so hard against the surge of fire that my nails dug into my palms. “But also somewhat earned.”
He raised a hand and made a quick “come here” motion with two fingers. Out of the shadows behind him, two more vampires appeared, Jackson gripped between them as they dragged him forward. His clothes were torn and his body beaten and bloody; he looked every inch as bad as he’d sounded on the phone. But his gaze, when it met mine, was filled with pain, fury, and fire.
It was the fire that caught my attention. It burned deep in those green depths, and it suggested he was more than ready to wield flames should the slightest spark arise.
Had the drug worn off?
God, I hoped so. Even if he wasn’t at full strength physically, we had more of a chance of surviving this encounter if he at least had some fire capability. I returned my attention to the cool-voiced vampire.
“Your turn,” he said evenly.
I swung the backpack around and pulled out the laptop.
“Start it up. I want to check that the file has not been touched.” His sudden smile held a mocking edge. “I’m afraid the lack of trust goes both ways.”
“You’re welcome to check, but the laptop doesn’t leave my hands while it happens.” My gaze skated across the shadows haunting the tree-lined parking lot. The sense of movement was increasing, as was the sense of danger. I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the tension, with little success. “But no tricks. I’m a lady of fire, remember, and flesh burns just as easily as trees.”
“Oh, we forget nothing.” It was a warning more than a statement, and it had my gaze darting across those shadows again. I had a bad, bad feeling that the “we” he was talking about was not those I could see or sense, but those I couldn’t.
Who was out there, watching the proceedings from the shadows? That silent stranger again? Or someone else? And did they intend to do anything more than just watch?
I hoped not.
The vampires already in the parking lot and those I could sense moving around were more than enough to contend with. I didn’t need any more shit added to an already overloaded plate.
A vampire came out of the trees to my left and walked toward me. I booted up the laptop, typed in the password, then held it up as the vamp stopped in front of me. He was tall and thin, as most tended to be, with thick brown hair, an aristocratic nose, and a mouth that seemed locked in a permanent sneer. He smelled of garlic and earth—an odd combination that didn’t do a whole lot for the tremulous state of my stomach.
His fingers flew over the keyboard, his touch so light I barely felt the movement. After a moment, he stepped back and glanced at his boss.
“The file has not been touched.”
“Excellent. Bring the laptop to me.”
“Not so fast.” I snatched the computer away from the grasp of the vamp. “An equal exchange, please. And you”—I added, glancing at garlic breath—“can go back to the shadows, if you don’t mind.”
The vamp glanced at his boss, then retreated as requested. It didn’t make me feel any safer. “Now release Jackson.”
The cool-voiced vampire waved those two fingers again. The vamps holding Jackson released him and stepped back. Jackson slapped to the ground like so much bloodied meat and, for several seconds, didn’t move. Then, with a hiss of air that spoke of extreme pain, he rolled onto his back.
“I’m afraid,” the cool-voiced vamp said casually, “that your friend has suffered a broken arm and leg. It is, unfortunately, a far easier way to manage captives than any regular means of restraint.”
I swore under my breath. I should have guessed the bastards would do something like that.
“Then you need to step back.” I shoved the laptop into the backpack and swung the pack onto my shoulder. “Once I have Jackson, you can have the pack.”
After that, I could only hope that they would uphold their end of the deal. But even if they didn’t, we had more of a chance against them if we could at least make a stand together.
The cool-voiced vampire raised his hands and all three stepped back to the edge of the trees. Their easy compliance only ratcheted the tension and the fire singing through me.
I studied the nearby tree line for several seconds, wishing I had the ability to look beyond the shadows, wishing I could see who was watching, who was waiting. But that was an ability—like the dreams—not often found in phoenixes. And I briefly wondered, if I’d dreamed that this would be the end result of saving Sam, whether I’d have actually saved him.
Yes, that insane bit of me whispered, you would have.
I took a deep, somewhat shuddery breath; then, my grip tight on one of the backpack’s straps, I walked toward Jackson.