Argeneau Family 12. The Renegade Hunter(4)

Heck, working at the bar most nights was more entertaining than this party, Jo thought wryly. The only people here who had really talked to her and Alex were Sam and Mortimer, and his supposed bandmates Bricker and Decker, as well as Decker's girlfriend, Dani, and her little sister, Stephanie. They were all nice enough, but Decker, Dani, and Stephanie had disappeared directly after greeting them, which had left Jo, Alex, and Sam as the only attendees who were female. That fact, added to the fact that every single one of the males in attendance had avoided them after their brief weird behavior on being introduced… Well, it had all put her on edge. Some fresh air and quiet was what she needed, and if she was going to be walking at night, this was the place to do it. Spooky or not, with all the security, she was definitely safer here than anywhere else, Jo thought as she started out across the lawn.

She'd taken only a few steps when it occurred to her that Bricker was working the gate tonight. He'd said he'd volunteered for the job since he already knew her and Alex. Jo had found that comment a bit bewildering. Sam had said the party was to introduce them to Mortimer's friends, and it was true they'd already met Bricker, but still…

Maybe she'd walk down to the guard station at the front gate and see if Bricker was bored or wanted any thing, she thought, turning her feet toward the end of the house. Jo liked Bricker. Not in a kiss-me-you-fool type way. He was cute, but it was obvious there was no real spark between them. He was more like the jokester younger brother of a friend—easygoing, fun to be around, but not boyfriend material. That was all right, though. Jo wasn't looking for a boyfriend. Heck, she didn't have time for one. Between working full-time at the bar and the full load of marine biology courses she was taking at the university, there was little time for friends, let alone a love life.

Maybe Bricker could tell her what the deal was with the guys inside, Jo thought as she turned the corner of the house. He'd know if they were gay or not.

Jo had barely started along the side of the house toward the front yard when movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned, a gasp of surprise slipping from her lips as she saw the fair-haired man charging out of the darkness, but it became a cry of pain when he crashed into her, body slamming her back against the side of the house. Her head hit the brick wall hard enough that stars exploded behind her eyes, and the agony shooting through her left her gasping for breath.

The man was saying something. Jo could hear the rumble of his voice, and smell his vile breath, but his words weren't making it to her stunned brain, and then he was suddenly gone.

Without his body pinning her to the wall, Jo immediately crumpled to the ground, groaning as her knee landed on something terribly hard that sent more pain shooting through her. It took Jo a moment to even care about where her attacker had gone, but then the pain slowly began to recede and she became aware of the sounds of grunts and curses nearby. Forcing her eyes open, she lifted her head and spotted the two men grappling several feet away.

Jo didn't recognize either of them from the party and was pretty sure she would have had she met them. The blond who had attacked her had a feral look about his face, and his hair was long and lank. As for his clothes, they were dark but sloppy, with various stains on them that could have been dried blood. The other man had dark hair that was not long like the fair-haired man's, but not exactly short either. He also wore faded, but clean jeans and a dark T-shirt.

The two men were grappling and spinning, each fighting to subdue the other. They also appeared to be playing for keeps, Jo realized as she saw that the blond had his hands at her savior's throat and was trying to choke him. In the next moment, the men crashed to the ground and were rolling.

Jo decided she had to get help for her would-be savior and started to get to her feet, but her knee banged against the rock she'd landed on earlier, drawing another hissing breath from her mouth and drawing her eyes down. Spotting the small, palm-sized boulder, Jo instinctively picked it up. Holding the rock tightly, she reached for the wall with her other hand, dug her fingers into the uneven brick surface, and began to force herself upward.

Once on her feet, Jo found she was more than a little shaky and the dark yard had an alarming tendency to spin. Going back around the house and inside to get help no longer seemed a very feasible idea. By the time she got there, this battle would be over, and Jo wasn't at all sure who the winner would be. She had to help. Taking a deep breath, she released the wall and stumbled toward the men as they rolled themselves across the paved driveway. She was only steps away when the dark-haired man managed to throw the blond off him. In the next moment he was on his feet, had grabbed the blond by the collar and dragged him to his feet as well, and the two were struggling again.