Page 11 of Siege of Blood and Betrayal
“Scottie, now!” Jack’s command is a jolt, and I don’t hesitate any longer. “Tuck, go with her!”
I turn and run, the man from the barbershop close on my heels. The alley seems to stretch on forever, every step a battle against the urge to go back to ensure Jack is okay.
But I trust him to survive this. He’s a pro. He guarded the king for decades and still has moves I haven’t seen.
We burst out of the alleyway on York Street and race straight south toward King. The city’s noise amps up to a constant buzz, the sidewalks filled with the mass exodus of commuters hemorrhaging out of the office towers.
When there’s a break in the people and I’ve caught my breath a little, I cast a glance up at the man I’ve inherited.
The guy is obviously not a normal human. No human could chuck a vampire like he was skipping stones at the lake. And the way he moves… he’s got enhanced muscles coiled under that athletic frame.
I scan the sightlines for movement and then settle back on him as the closest threat. “Who are you?”
The man wipes blood from the scruff on his chiseled jaw, his eyes sharp as he takes in our surroundings. “My name is Tucker.”
A rush of panic hits and I do a gut-check. Jack wouldn’t have sent him with me if he didn’t trust him, right?
No. He wouldn’t.
There’s no time for distrust, but with traitors in our midst, it’s no time to expand my inner circle, either. We dart down the street, blending into the crowd—as much as a bleeding girl and a giant can blend—and when I glance back, there’s no sign of pursuit.
Not yet, anyway.
“Where are we headed?” Tucker’s voice is a deep growl and echoes a little in my pounding heart. “The underground. I’ll use the PATH to get away.”
Tucker and I hustle until we get to King and then jog up the steps to the Exchange Tower. As we join the throng of people leaving the financial district for the night, I glance along the street behind us for any sign that we’re being followed.
If they’re coming, I don’t see them.
The crowd gives me a little anonymity and I slow my mind to piece together a plan. I need to find Zane. We need to secure the diamond dagger. And I need to figure out who that bitch was who killed our fathers so we can rip out her throat and make her an example of what will happen to anyone who comes after the Toronto seat of power.
I gasp as the pain in my chest steals my breath. With a hand against my heart, I fight to keep the agony and grief locked down.
I can’t believe she killed Francesco.
I can’t believe they’re both gone.
My world spins and then I’m staring into the warm caramel gaze of a stranger. He’s got his arms around me and has moved us out of the flow of commuters.
I take a deep breath and my head spins. “Wow. You smell like honey-dipped sin.”
Wait. Did I just say that out loud?
I give myself an inward shake and blink. “What just happened?”
He lifts his hand from my side and frowns at the blood covering his palm. “You groaned and nearly passed out. If I were a betting man, I’d say it might be related to you being stabbed and bleeding.”
I frown at my side and hiss when I probe the gash. “Oh, I forgot about that.”
“You forgot you were stabbed?”
“It’s more of a slice than a stab. Either way, I don’t have time to worry about that right now.”
Union Station is where ninety percent of this crowd is going, so I get back into the flow of the commuters and join them on their trek toward the main station.
Once there, I pull out my transit card and hustle to the entrance to the subway platforms. “This is where we part ways, Tucker. Thanks for your help. Good luck.”
“Wait, what?” He grabs my wrist as I turn to leave, and I’m zapped by a surge of magical energy. It lights me up from the inside and ignites sparks of light in the dark space between us.
