He still had the scar where the silver bullet had caught him on the side of the leg.He’d been lucky it was a glancing shot that only tore skin and muscle; if it had gone into his leg he’d have been immobilized, and not just because his leg would’ve been shattered.The silver would have poisoned him and stopped him from healing.And now they’d found him.He should rip this unblooded Orlan’s throat out and leave the halfling gasping for air and begging for death.
He looked away and forced back his fangs.
“Prove your violence, Hadley,” the man whispered.
“Spoken by the man who has hunted me down like a dog.”The man blinked, and the light in his eyes dimmed for a moment.He was familiar because he was the enemy.Nix must have seen his photo in the war room.“Are you going to do it here with human witnesses?Did you bring a clean-up crew?I can’t imagine the Reids gave you permission for that.”
Perhaps he was here without permission, but it was more likely the Reids knew and didn’t care because they wouldn’t pick a side in the feud.Nix didn’t blame them.He’d never wanted to be part of the feud either.
“Come quietly.”
Nix released the man’s hand and wiped his palm on his black pants.“No.I will make a scene, so you’ll have to wipe up the blood you spill.”He leaned forward.“Have we not spilled enough blood for the war of our foremothers?”
His words were little more than a hiss.He was done with fighting, but he would not surrender himself to the Orlans to be killed.Whatever his family had done in the past was long forgotten.Did anyone even know why there was a feud anymore, or had they continued it to give them something to do and someone to hunt to keep their fangs sharp?
The man hesitated.
“Get out,” Nix said.“Pick a better time to assassinate me.”
His heart was beating hard, knowing that he could pull a gun, and put a silver bullet through his skull, and it would all be over.Sure, there’d be witnesses, but memories could be clouded.The Reids would see to that.They might even get their hands on Orlan and clean him up too.Did Orlan not care about his own life?
Orlan shook his head.“Not without you.”
“Well, I have another four hours to work.”And he wasn’t going anywhere with him.
The man lifted an eyebrow.“You really think you can live like this?You of all people?”
Nix clenched his jaw.This man knew him rather too well.“I have made a new life for myself.”He’d had four weeks of pretending he had life, of waiting every day for it to end.There would be no buying his own winery, no new start.He’d known that, even though he hoped for the impossible.People like him didn’t get to start over.They got killed.He’d been the one pulling the trigger often enough.
He swallowed and tried not to think of his kill count.The source of pride was now a weight around his ankles dragging him down.
“What have you done but hunt me?Make your report.Call in your reinforcements.I’ll kill as many of you as I can before I turn to ash.”
The man sipped the wine that Nix had poured him, watching him as though he were a puzzle that needed putting together.
Nix had things he needed to do, but he couldn’t turn his back on Orlan.He glanced at the two women in the shop, still chatting and smiling.It was all so ordinary.There was a busload of tourists due to come in later this afternoon.It would be all bustle.He liked it.It was more fun than running gambling syndicates or eliminating problems—that had never been something he enjoyed even though others had.
If Orlan really wanted him dead, though, they wouldn’t have even spoken.Personally, Nix would have waited until the end of the day.One bullet to the heart or head, and then he’d have dragged the still alive but immobilized vampire out to where the sun would strike the body in the morning.Efficient and with few witnesses, and more importantly, no body.
Killing vampires was easy.Humans, and unblooded vampires, left a lot more of a mess.
But Orlan hadn’t opted for efficiency.
“You aren’t here to kill me.”
“I’m here to take you home.”Orlan spun the glass between his fingers.
Orlan would have to take him kicking and screaming.“This is my home.How many are here?”
He should pack and flee.Actually, he didn’t even need to pack.But there weren’t many places he could run to.He’d burned through favors.Used up safe houses.This had been his last roll.The only other thing he could do would be to pack himself into a sea container and leave the country—and that wasn’t an option he really wanted to take without Zinnia.
“Just me at the moment.Do I get another taste?”
Nix put the glass in the sink.“I think you’ve had enough.”
“I think I’m going to wait here until you finish.Then you’re coming with me.”
Damn.From another man, that would have a pickup line he’d have agreed to.Nix smiled as though Orlan had meant it in the fun, soon-to-be-naked way.“As attractive as that offer is, I’m going to have to decline.I’ve just cued up an entire season on Netflix, so my night is already booked up.”
