Night Unbound(20)

Who had done this to him? And why?
She didn’t think Seth had. When Seth punished an immortal, everyone and his or her brother heard about it. Although, as far as she knew, only she, Roland, Sarah, and Ami even knew Zach existed.
Lisette sighed as the sun set, no closer to finding answers. She touched Zach’s hair. “Zach? Can you hear me?”
Nothing.
“You can answer me mentally if you can’t speak.” Though the gifts they possessed varied from immortal to immortal, Zach clearly was telepathic. Otherwise, he would not have been able to enter her dreams.
Silence.
“I have to leave for the night’s hunt.” She rose, her fingers already missing his silky locks. “I’ll keep my Second away for the night and return as soon as I can.”
She just had to think of something to tell Tracy.
Opening the wardrobe, she drew out a change of clothing and headed into the adjoining bathroom to shower.
The wardrobe actually served dual purposes, just as those in David’s home did. Behind the curtain of black vampire hunting clothing lay a panel that concealed an escape tunnel that led deep into the surrounding forest, allowing her a safe exit beneath evergreens year-round should the need to flee during daylight hours ever arise.
She hadn’t thought such necessary until Roland, Marcus, and Sarah had been attacked during the day, Roland’s house set aflame with them inside it.
Lisette didn’t linger in the shower. The sooner she left, the sooner she could take out a few vampires and return home. Surely Zach would awaken tonight. She just hoped, if he awoke while she was gone, that he would linger until she returned.
Upstairs, she packed on her favorite weapons—shoto swords, daggers, and a pair of silencer-equipped Glock 18’s with thirty-round clips.#p#分页标题#e#
Grabbing her helmet, she headed outside and straddled her Hayabusa.
“Before I’m Dead” floated on the night.
Lisette drew out her phone.
“Did you get a good night’s sleep?” Tracy asked as soon as Lisette answered.
“I did,” Lisette lied. “Where are you?”
“I’m still at David’s.”
Which meant every immortal on the premises would hear both sides of their conversation.
Instead of responding verbally, Lisette texted her: Can you spend another night and day there?
 

Sure. What’s up?
 

Will tell you later.
 

OK.
 

Seconds later, Lisette sped down a deserted North Carolina road, her thoughts consumed with the dark immortal in her bed.
 

 

Ethan prowled Duke’s campus, full of restless energy. He hadn’t encountered a single vampire all night. Not one!
Muttering beneath his breath, he slid a dagger from its sheath and began to toss it up in the air and catch it by the blade. It had taken him a while to learn how to do that without cutting himself, but he did it now absently as his eyes perused the shadows.
He was spoiling for a fight, damn it, and couldn’t find one.
He’d been spoiling for a fight ever since he had seen that big-ass immortal sprawled in Lisette’s bed. Sure the guy had been bloody and banged up. But he had been in her bed. Her bed.
And she had been willing to risk her ass to help him. Willing to risk Ethan’s ass, too.
He scowled. And damned if he hadn’t risked it for her. Or rather for him, whoever the bastard was.
What the hell was Lisette thinking, falling for someone on Seth’s shit list? Was she crazy?
No, he answered his own question. She isn’t crazy. She’s fucking smitten.
Which was why he really, really needed to hit something right now.
Because he was still smitten with Lisette.
He had begun to fear he might always be, that he might end up like Marcus. Or like Marcus had been before Ami had come along. Marcus had pined after a woman he couldn’t have for eight centuries and had been miserable.
Ethan did not want to follow his example.
Three human women approached. College students returning from a kegger by the looks of them. Giggles abounded as they chattered and staggered up the sidewalk in tiny steps made awkward by ridiculously high heels.
Lisette wouldn’t be caught dead in those shoes. He loved that about her. She had had to conform to the binding, pinching, uncomfortable clothes of her time when she was mortal and said she would never do it again. Combat boots now dominated her nights, while bare feet were her preference by day.
Even her damned feet appealed to him.
Sheathing the knife, he swore and turned his head away so the women wouldn’t see his eyes glow with frustration.
“Yum,” one of them purred as they passed.
“He’s so hot,” another whispered.
“I’d totally do him.”
A nice stroke of the old ego, but he couldn’t care less about the trio . . . until dark figures slithered from the shadows and began to follow them.