But he had the culprit’s scent. He would recognize it if he came upon it again.
Hands clenched, eyes narrowed, he stood in the rain, his senses reaching out for any indication that Tessa was still alive.
His mind sought hers but found no connection.
And still he stood there, heedless of the wind and the rain, waiting.
* * *
“Slow down,” Luke said. “What did Dinescu tell you?”
Bailey paced the floor, too agitated to sit still. “All he told me is that a vampire has taken Tessa.”
“Taken her where? Is she all right?”
“He doesn’t know. He can’t track her.”
Luke muttered an oath.
“He wanted me to warn you that there might be more than one.”
“Okay, thanks, kid. I’m going out to scout around. If I find out anything, I’ll let you know.”
* * *
Loaded for bear, Luke drove to the outskirts of town. Huddled inside his jacket with the hood pulled low against the rain, he searched the most likely vampire hidey-holes—a burned-out building, a deserted warehouse, an abandoned motor home. All were empty, with no indication that anyone or anything had inhabited them recently.
In his car again, he drove to a club that Andrei had once pointed out as a vampire hangout. Armed with a couple of stakes and a sawed-off shotgun, he entered the tavern.
There were perhaps a dozen men and women in the place, most in goth attire. They all watched him as he made his way toward the bar and ordered a glass of beer.
While waiting, he noticed a stack of papers on the end of the bar. Thinking it was advertising a concert in the area, he picked one up. Read it. And read it again. Holy hell! A million-dollar reward. For Tessa.
Luke glanced around and when he was certain no one was looking, he grabbed the flyers and shoved them inside his jacket.
Anxious to get in touch with Andrei, he quickly scanned the patrons. He had tried to explain to Jilly how he recognized vampires, but he just couldn’t put it into words. It was just an indefinable feeling that had crawled down his spine the first time he had destroyed a vampire. It had taken him a while to realize what it was. What it meant.
But he knew now. It meant he was born to be a hunter.
* * *
Tessa woke with a groan. Her throat was sore. It hurt to swallow. When she tried to touch her neck, she discovered her hands were bound behind her back.
Fear threaded its way through her as she glanced around. She was on a bed in a shabby motel room. Rain pounded on the tin roof. Lightning flashed behind the worn curtains.
Struggling to sit up, she realized her ankles were also bound.
Andrei!
Tessa! I’m coming.
Relief washed through her, only to be swept away when the door opened and a burly man lumbered into the room. A wide smile played over his lips when he looked at her.
“You’ll die if you bite me!” she warned, scooting as far away from him as she could.
He snorted. “I don’t want to bite you. I’m going to . . .” His eyes widened as he realized someone was behind him.
Tessa gagged as a stake suddenly burst through his chest.
The cavalry had arrived.
In moments, her hands and feet were free and she was in Andrei’s arms.
He held her close a moment, his gaze scanning the room.
“He didn’t want to bite me,” she said, her whole body trembling. “Why did he bring me here?”
“I don’t know.” Andrei guided her to the bed and urged her to sit down. Kneeling beside the dead man, he searched the vampire’s pockets, sat back on his heels when he found a folded sheet of paper tucked inside his jacket. After unfolding it, he read it quickly.
“What is it?” Tessa said, worried by the scowl on his face. “What does it say?”
“It’s a wanted poster.”
Tessa frowned. “You mean like, wanted dead or alive?”
He nodded curtly.
“Who’s it for?” she asked, although she had a terrible premonition that she already knew the answer.
“Katerina has offered a sizable reward for your capture.”
“Oh,” she said weakly. “How much am I worth?”
“A cool million.” Andrei cursed softly. When word of this got out, Cutter’s Corner would be swarming with vampires and bounty hunters of every stripe. “Come on, let’s get the hell out of here.”
Lifting her in his arms, he transported them to his lair. He had just removed Tessa’s shoes and tucked her into his bed when his cell phone rang.
He stepped out of the room to answer it.
“Andrei? It’s Luke. You’re not going to believe what I found in that goth hangout on Chatham Road.”
“A wanted poster?”
“How’d you know?”
“I just took one off the vampire who had Tessa.”