I glanced at the Cazador, who had us both in his sights.
“What’s his number?” She paused. “Thanks, Baran. I owe you big for this. But I need some other things. Transport—something I can hide someone in—a map, and weapons if you can get them.” She looked toward the village as she listened. “I am forever in your debt, my friend.” Then she said something in Arabic and hung up.
“What did you say?” I asked.
She narrowed her eyes, obviously irritated by the question. “The literal translation is peace be upon you. We could use a little peace ourselves. Karma and all that.” She entered a number into her phone, then held it to her ear. In the distance, I heard the telltale ringing of a phone. The timing was too coincidental for it not to be her contact.
I steered Ivan in the direction I’d heard the phone ring. Rachel made a grab to stop us, but I kept moving, forcing her to come along.
“Siyad,” she said, then spoke to him in soft Arabic, looking furious that I had taken off without waiting for her to finish her conversation. She hung up and called out to me. “Slow your ass down, Lea. You can’t just barge in on him.”
“Watch me.”
The house was at the far end of the village, of course. Which was good as far as I was concerned. I knocked on the door and stood back. Rachel stopped giving me a murderous stare for long enough to grab a scarf out of her bag and cover her head.
The door opened and a short, older man filled the threshold, looking like he’d just gotten out of bed. “Rachel?”
She stepped in front of us, adjusting the folds of fabric at her neck. “Siyad, I’m sorry for our late intrusion. We’ll only stay one night before we continue on our way.” Then she said something in Arabic.
His eyes widened as he took in Ivan and me. He swallowed hard enough that the gulp was audible. I narrowed my eyes as I let Ivan go. “You three stay here, I want to take a look around. Make sure things are safe.”
Ivan gave me a nod. “Be careful.” And he pushed his way into the tiny house while Siyad was still spluttering. Rachel pointed at Antonio and whispered out of earshot of our host.
“Get in or fuck off.”
He shrugged and followed Ivan without a word. She fell in beside me. “Feeding?”
My jaw ticked. “I have to, or the threat to Antonio will become very real.”
She drew a slow breath. “Don’t be long.”
It comforted me to know she was as safe as she could be with both Ivan and Antonio looking out for her. I backed up and headed toward the center of the village, following the scent of a flock of sheep out to the surrounding hills.
Movement ahead snapped my reflexes into action before I fully registered what I saw. I dropped to the ground, my belly flat against the hard-packed dirt and my side against the closest house.
A figure edged from the corner of the same house. I caught my breath; his scent was as familiar to me as my own.
Calvin.
With a burst of speed, I leapt to my feet and rushed him. We slammed onto the ground, rolling until we ended up against a large rock. I had my hands around his throat.
“You bastard, you set those demon dogs on me, didn’t you?”
His hand clutched mine and he struggled to speak as I strangled him. “No choice. Please. No choice.”
Damn him. I eased off and he sat up, but he didn’t take his hands from mine. He squeezed them tightly instead. “You have no idea what I’ve been through. I have a master, I can’t deny him. I can’t even tell you who he is.”
“I can take a fucking guess, Calvin. How long were you swapping blood with vamps? Months? Weeks?” I’d sensed this weeks—hell, even months ago. Why hadn’t I called him on it?
Because I’d wanted to believe it wasn’t happening.
His jaw tightened. “I didn’t know, you self-righteous bitch.” And he jerked me forward. I braced for a blow to the head, so I was completely caught off guard when he kissed me.
He slid his hands around my back, taking my arms with him, pulling me into his lap as his mouth locked on mine. I groaned and leaned into the kiss, remembering all too well the one night we’d shared years ago. The heat of his mouth, the feel of his hands and body. He cupped the back of my head and pulled his mouth from mine. “I hate you,” he snarled, but it lacked the heat to make it truly dangerous. At least at this moment. Yet there was a glimmer in his eyes that suggested it was true. “This is your fault. You wanted me to be a vampire. But it won’t work. I won’t let you ever forget this is your doing.”
I jerked back and slapped him hard enough for his head to slam into the rock behind him. “I never wanted this for you. Never. I loved you.”