Betrayed in Blood (Of Blood & Dreams #6)

Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

I only spared a second to watch Devon race down the hall after Jasper. Then I turned my attention to April, who had been a bit shell-shocked, but she recovered quickly and stared at me with venom.

“What are you doing here?” April spat and moved into a standard martial arts pose. Was she kidding?

“I came for Mom.” I could have asked if she’d been the one sending texts about my father, but we didn’t have all night, so I went with the simplest answer.

She risked a quick glance down the hall to the master suite.

“Oh, don’t bother. Mom’s not there anymore.”

“How dare you come in here and kidnap her. I knew you were nuts, but you won’t get away with this.”

“How dare you prevent her from leaving the house. And from all appearances, she looks drugged.” When April didn’t respond, I added, “Or has she been mesmerized?”

April laughed. “Please. That’s not a real thing.”

“Really? And how would you know?”

“Because Jasper told me.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it.

“You don’t know anything, Cressa. Mom has been depressed since you had Dad killed. Completely despondent.”

“That’s a lie, and you know it. First, I didn’t have Christopher killed. Lorenzo Venizi had him killed, and Jasper should know that. Second, Mom had an escape plan to leave Christopher because of the dangerous people he did business with and his constant cheating.”

“He never.”

“I don’t have time for this. We’re leaving, and you’re going with us.”

She attacked. Her kick came faster than I expected since I wasn’t expecting it at all. It was simple enough to block. Most of my defensive moves came automatically now. Daily training will do that for a person.

April didn’t stop. She apparently had her own set of offensive moves, most likely taught by Jasper or the local dojo. I was more curious about when she began her training. After Christopher’s death or when Jasper began grooming her for whatever he had in mind?

I had to admit, she had game, but she had nothing on my skills. I didn’t want to hurt her. Not if I didn’t have to, so all I did was block her strikes and kicks, waiting for her to tire herself out. But that could take more time than they had.

I was deciding on which defensive move would be the least damaging when she stopped and slowly moved to find a better position to come at me. The hallway was wider than most homes but still too narrow to offer many options.

Her eyes flashed as she looked past me and smiled. Hell. Why not just tell me there’s someone behind me without saying it? I moved in quick as a snake and kicked her in her midsection, which launched her several feet backward where she landed on the soft carpeting.

I twisted around to see Jasper racing toward us, a gun in his hand. I’d heard several gunshots, but if there was any chatter from Sergi, he was keeping it localized to the various team leaders. Had we lost anyone to a gunshot? Probably not. We were wearing armored vests, and the vamps had recently fed. They’d heal quickly.

Time slowed as I stared at the barrel of the gun. The asshole was going to shoot me. Had that been their plan the whole time?

Jasper pulled the trigger.

I blinked.

I was in the coffee house in San Francisco. Why did I always end up here? Well, to be honest, I usually ended up here when Colantha was in control of the construct.

Devon had once told me that Colantha always took him to a classy pub in a Dublin hotel. She never took me there, but I was going to make it a point to request it the next time I had the opportunity.

I picked up my latte and stared at my guests over the rim of the cup. After taking a quick sip—it was too hot to drink—I set the cup down and observed their expressions. They’d spent the first minute twisting their heads around as they took in the coffee shop. Then, after April screamed for another minute, only stopping when Jasper yelled at her to shut up, they stared at each other and rather comically turned their heads as one to stare at me.

“What the hell was that?” Jasper bellowed. He wanted to be in control, and he played the game to pretend he was, but the shadow of fear in the back of his eyes, or maybe it was the dull glow of his beast, told me he was scared shitless.

Then he tried to move. He couldn’t. Not even his arms. “What are you doing? What kind of magic is this?”

I chuckled then April screamed again in a vain attempt to attract someone’s attention.

“Help us. We’ve been kidnapped.”

The coffee house was busy, and most of the tables were taken, but they couldn’t see us or hear us.

When no one looked at her, her eyes grew larger, and she began to cry. “What are you doing to us?”

“Hells bells, you two are the whiniest people I’ve ever been around. We’re on a dreamwalk. I didn’t want to show you this because we’re not ready to reveal ourselves, but Jasper, who decided to take the coward’s way out by bringing a gun to a vamp fight, gave me no other choice. Besides, I don’t think Jasper will be returning to his House.

“As for you, April. Well, I don’t know what we’re going to do with you. I’ll see if Mom has a suggestion after she comes down from whatever drugs you’ve been pumping into her.”

“What is it with you and Mom? You haven’t even been in her life since you walked away after graduation.”

“Shut up, April. For fuck’s sake, this isn’t about your mother.” Jasper stared at me. “He said dreamwalkers were real, but I didn’t believe him.”

“Was that Lorenzo?”

He nodded.

“I have to say, after spending a few rather unpleasant days with him, I wouldn’t believe much of what he said, either, but on this, he wasn’t lying.” I narrowed my eyes. “Was he the one who put you up to luring me out with some crap about my father needing help?”

His expression went blank. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I see.” I sipped my latte. I didn’t bother giving them something to drink. It seemed cruel since they couldn’t move their arms.

“How does this work? How are we here?”

“You have the wrong idea. You don’t ask the questions. You are my hostages.” I shrugged. “I’m just having a little pick me up—” I lifted the cup and took a longer swallow of the cooling drink “—until someone comes along and ties up your bodies.”

“Our bodies.” April glanced at Jasper. “What’s she talking about?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then let me clarify that one point. I know you feel like you’re in your own body.” I moved my arms around and then slammed my fist on the table, making my cup jostle in the saucer. Both of my guests jumped. “But we’re not really here. Our bodies are lying in the hallway, completely defenseless.”

“So if my vampires find us first?” Jasper asked.

I lifted a shoulder. “It’s doubtful. But should that happen, we’ll appear asleep. I imagine they’ll drag us off and probably tie me up as a prize for Venizi.” The thought made me shudder, but that wasn’t going to happen, not even if they were playing with guns.

Before he could respond, Jasper disappeared.

April startled. “Where’d he go?”

I smiled. “I think the cavalry arrived.”

April yelped before disappearing.

I finished my latte, wiped my lips, and returned to the hallway.

When I opened my eyes, Devon was staring down at me, a grim grin on his face. He pulled me up.

“I’d tell you how impressed I am by your solution to Jasper with a gun, but Simone is in trouble.”

That dropped my smile and plunged me into dread. I glanced around and saw two members of Team Four walking April and Jasper out, both with their hands zip-tied behind them.

I raced with Devon down the hall, then the stairs, and through the house to the kitchen.

All of Team Three was there, in addition to Lucas, Ginger, Madame Saldano, and one of the blood donors. The kitchen was painted in blood, and as I followed Devon as he pushed his way through, I noted the two dead vamps. No. Make that three dead vamps that had been piled next to the stove.

Simone was deathly pale. Blood smeared the side of her head, and she lay in a pool of congealing crimson. It was difficult to get anything more than glimpses because Madame Saldano kept moving between her medical bag, a tray of what appeared to be surgical instruments, and Simone.

“What’s her status?” Devon moved Lucas out of the way and grabbed Simone’s hand. I didn’t see her grip back.

Then Ginger was next to me, her arm around my waist and her head on my shoulder.

“She’s alive.” Madame Saldano shook her head. “You have Ginger to thank for that, but she’s unresponsive.”

I glanced down at Ginger and noticed the blood smear on her arm. Lucas was focused on Simone, but I understood what had happened. Ginger must have fed Simone, and Lucas healed her cut. I put my arm around Ginger, and we hugged each other, neither of us able to tear our gaze away from Simone.

“The problem is the bullet. It was silver. Her body, as you know, instinctively pushed to expel it. If it had been any other organ, the damage wouldn’t be a problem, but in the brain? The bullet could have created more harm exiting than entering.” She shrugged. “I believe she will recover, and with the right medication and time, her brain should repair itself.”

“What aren’t you saying?” Devon demanded.

“The brain is a strange thing, even for vampires. I don’t know if there will be lasting side effects from this. Memories, knowledge, motor skills, anything and everything the brain controls could repair itself differently. If it had been a lead bullet, the body would have expelled it more slowly. I’m not saying she wouldn’t still be in a critical condition, but vampire bodies push silver out faster as a defense mechanism. In the brain, that tends to do more harm than good.”

She’s alive. She’s alive. My mantra was the only thing keeping me from screaming.

“Does she require more donor blood?” Devon asked.

“Not yet. She received enough that her arm is almost healed. The brain takes longer to recover. I’d prefer a few medications before attempting more blood. But Michael will stay with us for when the time comes.” She stood with Devon’s help. “We need to move her to a place where she can remain until she heals.”

“Of course.” Devon nodded to Lucas. “We’ll take her to her room at the manor.” He glanced at the human standing next to the kitchen island. “Michael, you’ll stay at the manor for now, if that’s alright.”

Michael bowed his head. “Yes, absolutely.”

Devon picked Simone up as if she weighed nothing, and Team Three made a path for them. I stayed to help Madame Saldano pack up, but she shook her head. “I have two others to see to first.”

Ginger and I held onto each other as we followed Lucas out of the house to an even wilder scene in the front yard.

All the SUVs had been brought into the driveway. Devon was laying Simone in the back of one, and one of the Team Three members climbed in after her before the door was shut. Devon hit his fist on the back of the SUV, and it took off just as Roxie’s van pulled up. One other car followed, which would be Harlow with Trudy, Jamal, and Russell.

Sergi jumped out of the van and ran to Devon. “How’s Simone?”

“She’s alive but unresponsive. We won’t know more until she wakes. What do you have to report?”

By then, the leads from all the teams arrived except for Decker, and a vamp appeared to be standing in for him. When I surveyed what at first appeared to be a chaotic scene, it wasn’t as disorganized as I first thought.

To my far left was a stack of bodies. I assumed dead enemy vamps. Not far from them were two vamps from Team Five, who monitored three enemy survivors in zip ties—April, Jasper, and another vamp I didn’t recognize. To the far right was another small group of a shirtless Elijah, a naked Rachel sitting on the ground with a jacket around her shoulders, and a red wolf. That would be Decker. Why was he still in wolf form? I couldn’t tell from where I stood, but his fur appeared matted. Two other vamps from Team Six remained close.

“All teams have reported in,” Sergi responded to Devon’s question. “We have four injured, including one of the shifters. All of the enemy combatants have been accounted for, the best we can tell. Three remain alive.”

“What do you mean the best you can tell?” Devon’s fear for Simone had been pushed aside, and he was growing irritated. I would have gone to him, but Ginger was still clinging to me, and Devon didn’t need his girlfriend to help him with the aftermath, even if I’d been the mission leader.

“The wolves were chasing down two vampires when one shot Rachel. Elijah and Decker didn’t take that well. Let’s just say it would take too much time to put the body parts back together, so we’re doing a head count.” Sergi couldn’t help but grin at his macabre joke.

I took a closer look at the front yard and turned my head away. There were definitely body parts in the yard, and while I wasn’t sure I’d eat anytime soon, I had to give the wolves credit. I hadn’t been sure how well they’d work in a real battle when lives were on the line. The skirmish at Oasis hadn’t been the best testing ground. Now I knew.

“Get a clean-up crew here. I want it to look like Willa and April simply left.”

Sergi nodded. “Bella and Jacques took Willa back to the manor. She woke up and was disoriented and combative.” He glanced to where I stood, then turned back to Devon. “Bella gave her a sleeping aid, and they’re watching her. What do you want to do with the three we kept alive?”

“Take Jasper and the other vampire to the coastal safe house.” He gave it another minute thought, then added, “Take April there for now. Keep them separate and in chains, except for April. Make sure she’s comfortable and has food, but she needs to remain confined. I’ll decide what to do with her after I speak with Cressa and Willa. I also want all cell phones, tablets, and computers you can find brought to the manor. Let’s see if they’re the ones who’ve been texting Cressa. We’ll also retain Roxie’s security codes on the house and gates. No one comes or goes without your knowledge and approval.”

Sergi nodded and strode away, issuing orders to the team leads.

Devon waved for me. Ginger and Lucas followed.

“Get in the lead SUV. I want to do a quick check on the injured, and then we’ll be on our way.” He strode toward Elijah, and I waited as they shook hands. Devon squatted next to Rachel and placed a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded and gave him a weak smile before Devon nodded at the red wolf who sat on its haunches, his tongue hanging out. Decker wasn’t going to leave her side anytime soon.

Lucas helped Ginger into the back seat of the SUV while I climbed into the passenger seat.

This whole night had been a fiasco. My plans were a sham, and Simone might never be the same. I didn’t realize I was crying until Devon got in the driver’s seat and wiped a tear from my cheek.

“Simone will be fine. We didn’t lose anyone. We have your mother, sister, Jasper, and data to sift through. This was a successful mission.”

I wiped my eyes. “This was a cluster fuck.”

He shook his head. “All the teams performed as they should have. From what little Team Three was able to tell me, the bullet Simone took was a freak accident. We’ll know more once we get a few hours sleep. Don’t beat yourself up. It might appear messier than we expected, but it worked as planned.”

When I didn’t respond, he turned my face to meet his icy blue gaze. “If they were guarding April and Willa with guns, they have something they’re hiding. It’s just a matter of time before we know what it is. I know you’re worried about Simone. So am I. But she’d be the first to say this was a success. The same goes for Sergi.”

I snorted. “I didn’t hear him say that.”

He laughed as he started the vehicle. “After hundreds of campaign battles, I know a thing or two about Sergi. He might be what you call OCD, and I agree he’s always been a tidy man, but when it comes to battles, he likes them messy. If he’s irritated, it’s only because he had to watch from the sidelines.”