Finally, finally, Jacob released his hold on Bennett’s throat, the Paladin doubled up and gasping for air as Jacob turned—all businesslike—to face the soldier. “Yes, Tyler?”
“Sir! Me and Will were searching our grid when we stumbled upon, a…uh…”
Bennett started coughing, the grating hoarseness rather painful sounding. Tyler’s gaze darted briefly to Bennett, but a quick clearing of Jacob’s throat commandeered his attention, though he still seemed unable to spit out his tale.
“What did you find, Tyler?”
His throat bobbed nervously, but then he croaked. “A body.”
“A body…not…Annie?” Jacob’s voice cracked, his hand reaching out as if he needed steadying. Gabby moved to hold him up, but he stepped away, his fear transferring to an uncontrollable tremor of his hands.
“What?” The soldier blinked. “Oh, no…Not Annie.” He shifted uncomfortably, obviously distraught that he’d upset the commander. “We’re actually not sure of the man’s name, but both Will and I are sure we’ve seen him around. He tends to keep to himself though and—”
“How did he die?” Jacob asked with a firmer voice this time, folding his still-shaking hands together behind his back.
“Vampire, sir. At first we weren’t sure because his throat was practically ripped out, but Will, he, uh, got a closer look and said he could make out the original bite.”
Jacob’s jaw worked. He nodded down at the Taser gripped in the soldier’s hand. “And that?”
“We found it next to the body. Holding down the note.”
“The note?”
Tyler nodded, his throat bobbing. “I have it right here, sir.” He dug into his pocket, pulling out a crumpled envelope. “Only…” He lifted the seemingly innocuous paper, his gaze fixed on Gabby as he said, “It’s addressed to you.”
Chapter 17
“It’s obviously a trap,” Bennett said, clipping Gabby’s heels as he followed her into her room.
“I’m aware.” She swiped up a set of throwing knifes from the table, shifting things around on her utility belt to make room to clip them on.
“I would not advise playing into it.”
“And I appreciate your advice.” She opened the drawer, grabbed the gun, checked the ammo, and stuffed it into the back of her pants.
“You have a plan?”
“Yeah, I do.” A stake, slim and reinforced with a core of metal slipped into her boot.
His brow rose.
“Give them exactly what they want.”
He grabbed her arm, yanking her to a stop. “Are you daft? You go out there alone and walk into a trap, it’s going to be a bloodbath.”
She smiled, flashing fang. “That’s the idea.”
“I meant the blood would be yours.” He shook her, rattling her teeth. “Vengeance alone will not fuel you in this fight. You think going out there and killing everything in sight until they kill you is the answer? You think Valin could stand for that?”
She jerked her arm away, hissing at him. He had no right to bring up Valin, no right to judge her. Her methods may be bloody, their actions rooted in evil, but it was her life. Her vengeance. Her choice. Her sacrifice.
Some sacrifice. Think Lucifer will be happy with it? One scrawny vampire in exchange for an army of men and women’s souls.
“You have a better idea?” she asked, grabbing up another stake. There would be no time to indulge. Get in quick, hit them hard. If she were lucky, real lucky, she could have Annie out by sunset.
And then the real hunt would begin.
“Aye, I do. Let me contact the council. They can authorize my brothers’ aid.”
“Why? So they can help rescue Annie, then turn around and lock her up themselves? Annie would be just head over heels grateful to you for coming up with a plan like that.”
“I don’t give a bloody damn about what her opinion might be if it means she’s alive to have it!”
Her eyes widened as she staggered back from the emotions pouring off of him. Holy crap, misinterpreted indeed. The Paladin was scared to death right now, and she didn’t think it was because of some sort of deep-seated sense of guilt for taking advantage of Jacob’s daughter. He cared about her. A lot. And was about going out of his mind worrying for Annie right now.
“I’ll get her back, Bennett,” she vowed.
“You and what army?”
She glared at him, drawing on all her mommy-born and stepdaughter-taught skills to make him back off and let her do her thing, but all he did was raise his brow.
She huffed out a breath, her gaze locking on her thigh holster and knife. “Wonder if that’s a trait He instilled or if that’s the human in the mix,” she muttered as she snatched them up.
“What are you talking about?”
She jerked the laces, securing the holster, and slid the knife home. She was talking about Valin in all his lovable stubborn-ass male glory. God, she missed him already.
He’ll be better off. They all will.
She shook her head, moving to the door. “Valin’s knife is on the shelf over my bed. Tell him…” She paused, her sweaty palm slick around the door handle. Of all the times to be scared. “Tell him I’m sorry. For everything,” she said and walked out the door, Bennett’s curses echoing down the hall behind her.
Frankly, she didn’t care if he went and tattled to his brothers or not. From what she’d heard and seen of the councils’ responses, it would take a bit to convince them to lift a finger for anyone who wasn’t part of their little club. And by then she would have done what she needed to do.
Jacob was still ranting as she passed by his war room. Gathering soldiers, planning their attack—as if throwing enough lives away would save the one he wanted.
The front door guard, wrapped up in a frayed trench coat as part of his disguise, glanced up when she pushed open the metal door, his mouth gaping in his dirt-smudged face when he saw the rather conspicuous arsenal of weaponry she wore.
Hmmm. Good point.
“Give me the coat.” She made a hurry-up motion with her hand.
He blinked, but set down the rifle he’d stuffed in the trench coat’s folds and scrambled to his feet, shrugging out of the material to reveal his faded fatigues and long-sleeve undershirt he’d been wearing beneath. He handed her the coat, then stood there, his gaze drifting uncertainly to the rifle by his feet.
“Probably better keep that out of sight,” she offered helpfully as she pulled the itchy coat around her shoulders. It dragged a bit on the ground, but at least it was cleaner than it appeared—i.e., it didn’t smell.
“Uh…” He eyed the coat she’d just commandeered, then looked at the door behind them.
“Keep your eyes sharp.” Confident he’d figure something out, she started down the stairs. Besides, she didn’t really expect trouble until nightfall, but that didn’t mean they shouldn’t be prepared. Contents of the note aside, she couldn’t dismiss the merker attack the other night. Yes, it could be a coincidence, but maybe not. Just because Christos’s methods had generally been to go in alone didn’t mean that the current vampire king wouldn’t be willing to work with Lucifer’s general. In fact, it was rather likely.
Stephan might have been known for his sadistic viciousness, but when push came to shove he was actually weak-spined. If Ganelon had somehow caught wind about a budding army of part-bloods, he’d be interested, and not at all averse to using Stephan and his coven to flush Jacob’s army out. And that was the real purpose for kidnapping Annie. Taunts and ransom notes aside, she knew that Stephan didn’t really want her, and she doubted Ganelon cared much either. It was just that Gabby had been the most visible with her personal eradication of her former comrades. They probably thought that she was the leader here and just didn’t realize that she wasn’t actually in charge of things.