He met that cool, lethal look and gave a nod of acknowledgment.
“Talk to me,” Niko said over Lucan’s earpiece. “You good in there?”
“Yeah. All clear.” He cleaned his dagger on the human’s shirt, then sheathed it. When he glanced up, Tegan was already gone, vanished like the specter of death that he was.
“Heading to the north entry points now to place the rest of these party cakes,” he told Nikolai as he ducked out of the boiler room and crept down an empty stretch of corridor.
CHAPTER
Thirty-two
Gabrielle, what’s happening? What’s wrong with Kendra? She came to the gallery and told me you were in an accident and that I had to come with her right away. Why would she lie about that?”
She didn’t know how to answer Jamie’s anxious, whispered questions from beside her in the backseat of the sedan. They were speeding away from Beacon Hill, toward downtown. Financial District skyscrapers loomed ahead in the dark, office lights twinkling like Christmas bulbs. Kendra sat in the front seat next to the driver, a thick-necked bouncer type in a thug’s dark suit and sunglasses.
Gabrielle and Jamie had a similar companion in back with them crowding them onto one side of the slick leather bench seat. She didn’t think they were Rogues; they didn’t appear to be hiding huge fangs behind their tense lips, and from what little she knew of the Breed’s deadly enemies, she didn’t expect that she or Jamie would have gone so much as a minute without getting their throats ripped out if the two men were, in fact, blood-addicted Rogues.
Minions, then, she reasoned. Human mind slaves of a powerful vampire Master.
Like Kendra was.
“What are they going to do with us, Gabby?”
“I’m not sure.” She reached over and squeezed Jamie’s hand. She kept her voice low, too, but she knew their captors were listening to every word. “It’ll be okay, though. I promise.”
They had to get out of the car before they reached their destination, that much she did know. It was the most basic rule of self-defense: never let yourself be taken to a secondary location. Then you were on your attacker’s turf.
Odds of survival would go from poor to nil.
She glanced at the sliding lock on the door next to Jamie. He watched her eyes, brow pinching in question as she stared at him then back to the lock. Then he got it. He gave her a nearly imperceptible nod.
But when he started to shift his hands into place to unlock the door, Kendra chose that moment to turn around and taunt them from the front seat. “Almost there now, kiddies. Are you excited? I know I am. I can’t wait for my Master to finally meet you in the flesh, Gabby. Mm, mmm! He’s just gonna eat you right up.”
Jamie leaned forward, practically snarling with venom. “Back off, you lying bitch!”
“Jamie, don’t!” Gabrielle tried to hold him back, fear seizing her at his naive display of protectiveness. He had no idea what he was doing, agitating Kendra or the other two Minions in the car with them.
But he wouldn’t be swayed. He made a lunge from his seat. “You touch either one of us and so help me, I’ll claw your eyes out!”
“Jamie, stop, it’s okay,” Gabrielle said, pushing him back down. “Calm down, please! It’ll be okay.”
Kendra had hardly flinched. Staring at them both, she let out a sudden, shrill giggle. “Ah, Jamie. You always have been Gabby’s faithful little terrier. Arf! Arf! You’re pathetic.”
Very slowly, obviously very full of herself, Kendra resituated herself in the front seat, giving them her back. “Turn up at the light,” she told the driver.
Gabrielle blew out a tremulous sigh of relief as she settled back against the cold leather. Jamie was bunched up against the car door, fuming. When their eyes met, he slid a fraction to the side, letting her see that the door was now unlocked.
Her heart jumped at his ingenuity and courage. She could hardly contain her hopeful smile as the vehicle slowed for the traffic light a few yards ahead. It was red, but based on the line of cars stopped in front of them, it was due to change at any second.
This was their only chance.
She glanced at Jamie, and saw that he understood the plan perfectly.
Gabrielle waited, watching the light, the seconds seeming like hours. The red light blinked off, then went to green. The cars started moving ahead of them. As the sedan began to accelerate, Jamie grabbed the door handle. Pushed it open.
Fresh night air rushed in, and the both of them made a headlong move for freedom. Jamie hit the pavement and immediately moved to grab Gabrielle’s arm to help her escape.
“Stop her!” Kendra shrieked. “Don’t let her get away!”