Replica(55)

I put my hand on his arm. “Thank you, Baran.”

He nodded and walked toward an idling truck as I grabbed the bag and pulled out the GPS. “Now, we have a real chance of finding this place.” I grinned at Lea. “We can plug in the coordinates Hades gave me.” My gaze landed on Antonio. “Do you still want him to come with us?”

Her eyes darkened. “Yes.”

“Then he can drive so I can back up my busted computer onto my new one. I estimate we’ll be there in about seven hours. Lea, you wait in the back and stay hidden.” I grinned at her. “And maybe take a nap. With Ivan.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. “I’d keep Ivan up front with me, but I don’t want to leave you alone, and I sure as hell don’t trust Antonio with you. Which means Ivan goes in the back.”

I expected an argument, but she got into the back and dragged Ivan with her. Then she stopped and studied me with a strange look on her face.

“Rachel?” she asked, her voice heavy.

“Yeah.”

“Don’t let Antonio get to you.”

I scowled. It was too damn late for that.





CHAPTER 25





LEA



The back of the truck was littered with wooden boxes, a few blankets and what looked like a large rug rolled up against the cab. Using a foot, I pried the rug open and spread it across the surface.

“You look like shit, Lea.” Ivan put a hand under my elbow as the truck lurched forward. I would have shaken him off if I could have spared the energy. I had nothing left in the gas tank, and I’d be lucky to get into the truck without help.

I let my weight drop and he helped lower me to the thick rug on the bed of the truck. My wounds ached, the bite marks from the werewolves burning with a fire I couldn’t put out. An ordinary werewolf bite would have been healed by now. Whatever Stravinsky was doing, his new weapons were dangerous even to me.

Ivan sat behind me and scooted so my shoulders were against his lower back. “The fact you aren’t arguing with me is rather concerning.”

“Ivan.”

“What?”

“The Cazador is going to come at me soon. When he does, don’t interfere. Even if he kills me.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Promise me you won’t interfere between him and me.”

“Fine, I won’t save his scrawny ass from you.” I could almost hear the smile in his voice.

My discussion with Antonio had gone poorly at best, but my point had been made and that was all that mattered.

As soon as we were out of sight of the others, his fist slammed into the side of my head. The lack of blood and the injuries my body fought to heal on the little bit of blood I’d managed to take from Rachel made me human-slow.

Still, he’d take a cheap shot and I couldn’t have the conversation I wanted from a position of weakness. I went to one knee, grabbed both of Antonio’s ankles and jerked him to the ground. I climbed up his body with the drive to feed so strong it gave me the energy I needed to move faster than he could react.

I pulled back at the last second. My mouth hovered over the throbbing vein in his neck while I kept both his hands trapped deep in the sand. “You see, Cazador. You aren’t strong enough to keep her safe. And if she turns from me now because you tell her she is bound to me, you will strip her of my protection. Imagine an army of vampires, Cazador, coming for you and her. And no one to stand between.”

“I don’t need you to protect me, puta de sangre!” he snarled.

Blood whore. I hadn’t been called that in a long while. I leaned in and nipped the skin on his neck, breaking it open. Sweat beaded on his face. I smiled, though the pain of not feeding on him all but seared my throat.

“You see? Not so tough. Fragile is actually a good word for you and your oh-so-tearable skin.” I tightened my grip on him even as my strength faded. I had to end this conversation fast. “I still hold the deal I offered you.”

“I’ll make no deals with a monster.” He tried to head butt me, but I avoided the blow.

“Until this is done, we work together. When the other vamps are dead and gone, I will lay my heart bare for you to take. A clean blow. Just as I promised.”

He went still below me. “Lies.”

Time to lay it all on the table.

“I was a Cazador, Antonio. I hunted the monsters before I became one. And now I use their strength against them. When the time comes, I will not fight you. But until then—” Using the last of my reserves, I jerked up to my feet, yanking him with me. “Know your place in the food chain and keep your fucking mouth shut.”

He took a few steps back, but I had to give credit where it was due. He didn’t run. “And if I tell her that you bonded her soul to yours? That she is damned as long as you live?”