Hupotasso (Vampire Bachelor Games #2)

50

50

I turn from Jag, both of us bloodied and bruised, and make my way to my desk.

“Are you coming or not?” I grunt as I wipe the blood from my lips and gingerly move my jaw back and forth.

“Of course,” he mutters, rising to his feet and turning his neck this way and that.

It doesn’t surprise me at all that he knows exactly where I’m planning to go, and exactly what I’m planning to do. That’s just Jag.

“When he’s dead, there’ll be no more doubt.”

“I don’t have any doubt now,” Jag sighs, moving to pour himself a drink and wincing as it touches his cut lip. “And you shouldn’t either. Your paranoia over Angie knows no bounds.”

I scowl at my broken knuckles.

We’ll heal in an hour or so, but until then we’ll both feel the sting of our stupidity. We’d fought many a time over the centuries, but never over a woman.

“It’s not paranoia,” I sigh.

“I know,” Jag snorts. “You love her, Falcon. Love makes us do and say crazy shit.”

“It makes humans do and say crazy shit, Jag. We’re vampires — unaffected by such useless emotions.”

“So you keep saying,” Jag shrugs. “For all the good it does you.”

Rising, I shrug off my jacket and make for the door.

“The sun will rise shortly. He won’t expect a daytime attack.”

“You don’t want to wait a few more weeks? You seemed quite sure Sophie was pregnant.”

“She’s not,” I growl. “I have a spy in his castle.”

“You didn’t tell me that.”

“I don’t tell you everything, Jag, believe it or not. And anyway,” I add, seeing his puzzled expression, “I told Wolf. You were absent at that time, we weren’t on speaking terms.”

“I’m not going to argue with you any longer, brother,” he sighs. “If killing Spider is what you truly need to do in order to believe Angie is not under his sway, then so be it.”

“My bite didn’t work on her, Jag. No amount of ‘feelings’ I have for her can hide that truth.”

“I’ll grant you,” he frowns, downing his drink and turning for the door, “I don’t understand that either.”

“Then, to war.”

“Yes,” he sighs. “To war.”