Angels and Hunters (Stoker Sisters 2) Read online

  “She’s home. She’s not big on these late-nighters.” Alexis backed away, trying to hide her disappointment. “Besides, she has Ashwin to keep her busy tonight.”

  “Ashwin? Are you sure?”

  “Well, he was there when I left the house and he certainly didn’t seem to be in any rush to leave. As a matter of fact Ashwin was all over Sadie when I left them.”

  “Alexis, we can’t leave them alone. We have to hurry back.”

  “Why? They were more than happy to see me leave.” Though she caught the alarm in Delilah’s eyes, she couldn’t imagine what could be so urgent. Sadie wasn’t that naïve in the ways of men.

  “Why?” Delilah shot back. “Why? For crying out loud, Alexis. Ashwin isn’t there on some social call. He was sent by Skars to lure you and Sadie.”

  It was her turn to be alarmed. “What?”

  “Alexis, he was sent all those years ago to turn you. It was all Skars’ doing. All part of his plot.”

  “Everything he did? Everything he said? It was all to…?”

  “He’s good at what he does. It’s all so effortless for such a man as charming as he is.”

  “But tonight, as he looked in Sadie’s eyes… he was so…” The pain of this betrayal was like no other. Thoughts of intimate moments wrapped in his arms returned to haunt her. Tears welled in her eyes, not only for her, but for Sadie. Sadie was so innocent and trusting. “How could I not have known? How did I not see it?”

  Delilah nodded knowingly as she grabbed Alexis by the arm and dragged her out of the park. “I’d love to explain it all to you, but we really have to move it. Once Skars gets a hold of Sadie, saving her will be virtually impossible.”

  The few seconds it took to get home felt like an eternity. For all her free spirited ways, Alexis did care about Sadie, more than Sadie would ever know.

  From the sidewalk she saw the front door was open and felt a sinking sensation in her gut.

  “Sadie,” Alexis shouted as she ran inside. “Sadie!”

  She rushed to her sister’s bedroom and back into the kitchen. There was no sign of her. Returning to the living room, she saw Delilah with Sadie’s purse in her hands.

  “No,” Alexis said, shaking her head and refusing to believe she was gone.

  “He’s already taken her.”

  Chapter 6

  Sadie watched the streetlights flash by them as they veered off onto the highway and headed out of town. Ashwin’s car was comfortable and warm, just like his embrace had been. How long she’d yearned for that warm kiss. How desperately she’d wanted to find herself as she was now, alone with him.

  It had all happened so fast, she’d not even had time to leave word to Alexis. Smiling, she stared out at the darkened horizon, her skin still tingling at the thought of that heated kiss.

  When she’d pulled away from him, his eyes had been filled with such longing, such desire, she never wanted to be separated from him again.

  “Do you realize just how special you are to me, Sadie,” he’d asked as his hands had played through her hair. He leaned into her, pressing her to the wall.

  “You’ve always left me so confused, what with Alexis and…” Her gaze had left his a moment as she once again thought of her sister. She didn’t want to compete with her. She didn’t want to have to claw her way past Alexis in order to truly win over the affections of this man.

  “Alexis could never compare to you, never compare to what you mean to me. You know, for years Skars tortured me. You wouldn’t believe what he put me through. But every time I closed my eyes, it was your angelic smile that came to save me. I can’t count the number of times I thought I’d reached the bottom, the lowest of the low. Skars did everything he could to harden me like all his other Strigois.”

  Her heart pounded as she listened to him, wanting more than anything to belong to him. So prevalent was that need that she barely took note of what he’d just said.

  “I knew I’d see you again someday. I knew I’d find you. That thought alone is what kept me sane. You kept me from turning into the monster Skars so desperately wanted me to become.”

  Though her lips were still warm from his touch and her body ached to get closer still, she pushed him back to look at him, finally allowing her mind to completely process what he was telling her. “You're a Strigoi?”

  “You could say that, but I’m not your stereotypical Strigoi. Despite Skars’ every attempt, my mind proved to be a greater opponent than he’d anticipated. The depravity, bloodlust and ruthlessness he fosters among his followers escaped me, though he’s convinced he has me exactly where he wants me.”

  “Skars sees everything.”

  “Not what’s in my heart, Sadie. He has no idea how you’ve touched me and how your gentle soul saved mine.” He leaned in to kiss her, deep, powerful and all consuming.

  Her heart floated on air and the world no longer existed. His hands, his lips, his tongue; it was all more than she’d ever imagined it could be. Though gentle and patient, his every touch held restrained hunger and desire. She could just feel it, hear it and taste it.

  Sensations rushed through her veins, bringing her body to life for the first time in her eternally long life. Was this what love felt like, she wondered. If so, she wanted to love him, now and forever.

  For the moment, consequences were inconsequential, tomorrow didn’t matter and her whole world was in Ashwin’s hands.

  When he pulled away, she leaned into him, wanting more, needing to lose herself in his kiss. The absence of his lips over hers left her cold and hungry. The embrace had been far too short and far from fulfilling.

  “Come with me,” he said through heavy breaths.

  “Now?” She looked at him, wondering if she’s heard right. “Where?”

  “One of my favorite places here in California. It’s my private little heaven on earth and I want to share it with you.”

  “But Alexis. She’ll be back soon and she’d probably want to come…”

  He held her close and she knew she would follow him anywhere.

  “I want to be alone with you. Completely and totally alone. I want this to be a special time for just you and me.” He teased her with a soft and warm kiss. “As fond as I am of your sister, as charming and delightful as she can be, it’s you I love. It’s you I want to be with, alone.”

  She looked at him, wanting so badly to believe every single word.

  “I love you, Sadie. The moment I saw you with Keegan… The moment I saw how you looked into his eyes, I knew I couldn’t let you slip away.”

  The mention of Keegan’s name brought back the dire situation he found himself in. How could she have been so selfish as to lose herself in Ashwin’s kiss while Keegan was living unbearable torture? “Ashwin, we have to save Keegan. He’s being held by Skars and I have to get him away.”

  “You can’t do that, Sadie. It’s more dangerous than you realize. Please promise me you won’t try to help him. Promise me you won’t even get close to Skars.”

  “I have to, Ashwin. I can’t just leave him there. If something happened to him…”

  “No. I can’t let you do it. I won’t. You may not be too pleased to hear that, but I can’t let you go after Keegan.”

  “It’s been a while since you’ve seen me. I’ve learned to take pretty good care of myself over the years. You’d be surprised to see the capable fighter I’ve become.”

  “As well as that may be, this is outside your realm. Skars has set a trap. All he needs to do now is wait for you to fall into it. I won’t let him win… not with you.”

  “And what will become of Keegan. Am I to live with his death hanging over my head for all eternity?”

  “You don’t need to worry about him, I promise.” He shifted and looked away a moment, suddenly seeming unsure and edgy. When he returned his gaze to her it was with fierce determination in his eyes, though he was clearly agitated. “I set him free.”

  “What? How did you…?”

  “Consi
dering he’s my greatest rival, I knew I had to do it.”

  “How did you get close enough to him to help release him?”

  “I didn’t so much release him as I simply allowed him to think he’d fought his way free.”

  Sadie tilted her head quizzically.

  “I’ve known Skars for a long time. He trusts me. When I went in to see Keegan, to discuss his fate with him, I knew we’d be alone. Skars never did like getting too involved with this aspect of his plot. After a brief discussion with your charming young Keegan, our exchange became somewhat heated. Then it simply came to fists. Too much testosterone for one little room.”

  “Did you hurt him?”

  “Not as much as he did me. I wanted to set him free, remember. I held back, though I did put on a convincing performance. Don’t worry. I don’t think I even bruised him.”

  Sadie turned away a moment, confused by the conflicting emotions. She was concerned for Keegan. He’d come to mean too much to her these past months. But Ashwin… She’d clung to thoughts of him for so long. It was too heavenly being with him now.

  Her gaze still at the floor, she turned to Ashwin and looked at his fashionable shoes. It just didn’t make sense. When she brought her gaze to meet him, she saw the love in his eyes, but was too concerned with Keegan to really take it in. “Why did you help Keegan?” she asked in a voice that was barely audible.

  If he loved her so, why should he care about Keegan at all?

  He cupped her cheek and thumbed the tender skin of her cheek. “Did you see how your eyes lit up when I mentioned his name? Have you heard the tremble in your voice since you’ve spoken his name? I would have to be quite a fool not to see how much you care for him. Should anything happen to him you would no doubt be devastated. I couldn’t let that happen.”

  She smiled, touched by his sacrifice and selflessness.

  “See that?” he said, his thumb running over her lower lip. “That smile. That perfectly angelic smile. That’s why I did it.”

  Chapter 7

  Keegan ran hard, eager to get out of Skars’ realm. Freedom felt good, as did the cool air of the night. Only when he reached the city limits did he slow the pace to a quick jog and finally to a brisk walk.

  The church, his sanctuary, was just around the corner. He’d escaped Skars by proving himself stronger than that inept pansy. How Ashwin had come to be Skars’ trusted assistant was beyond him. The man was obviously ill equipped to tend to any adversary Skars could possibly face.

  This brought about the question of Sadie and Alexis’ attraction to the silly little man. Could it be Ashwin’s distant ties to royalty? Were the girls even aware their chosen dandy was once a prince?

  He doubted it. Just as much as he doubted their knowledge of Ashwin’s ties to Dracule. They probably didn’t know Ashwin was Dracule’s progeny, as was Delilah. They would surely be devastated were they to find out.

  Sadie… He stopped walking a moment as his mind caught on a vision of her. Beautiful, wise, serene and so seemingly innocent. Yes, she seemed innocent enough, but… How did she come to be involved in such a miserable story?

  Keegan had fought Ashwin off with such ease. Too much ease. Surely Sadie had not been attracted to the Lord’s strength and power, for he was sadly lacking in that department.

  Ashwin had not even been smart enough to outwit him, yet Keegan knew how Sadie was drawn to those who showed intelligence. She’d allowed that man to turn her into a vampire… there had to be something that drew her to him.

  That fight had been so easy, he mused, smiling as he took up his stride again. Almost as if Ashwin had deliberately allowed him to run. But no. With Skars undoubtedly breathing down that seedy little man’s neck, Ashwin wouldn’t be that foolish.

  No, he’d gotten away from him based on his own ability to fight strong. Ashwin was simply growing old, showing signs of no longer being the fierce fighter that once kept him at Dracule’s side.

  Keegan walked up the narrow steps that led to the side entrance of the church. His hand on the door handle, he stopped to take in one last cool breath of air. For the moment he had to set all thought of Sadie aside. For whatever reason, she’d fallen for Ashwin, and for now Keegan had to concentrate on the battle that was sure to come.

  He pulled back the door and stepped inside, now completely safe in the one place a vampire would never transpire. The scent of candles and incense gave him that sense of comfort he’d always enjoyed. After spending a few hours bond to a chair and awaiting an unpleasant fate, it was good to know he was now back on his own turf.

  A few long strides had him standing in the side aisle. Pews were empty and the only sound was the echo of his own steps. With reverence and a deep sense of gratitude he turned to the crucifix, crossed himself and turned back to take the stairs that led below the church.

  To anyone who happened along, it looked like any administrative workplace. Computers were set up on several desks while filing cabinets lined the far wall. Each desk had a phone, a comfy chair and a print of the Virgin Mary pinned to the backboard.

  But to Keegan, this was where wars were prepared for. He walked to the closet and pulled open the old oak door that still squeaked loudly. It never failed to grind on his nerves. A duster coat hung at the back and he quickly pulled it out and shrugged it over his shoulders.

  “Ha,” he let out with a loud huff. The effect never diminished. Pulling the coat on could still bring a new sense of strength and invisibility. This duster, similar to the one he usually wore, the one Skars had promptly rid him of upon his capture, was as trusty as the strongest armor for all the confidence and power it brought to him.

  No doubt Skars was aware of that fact. Responsible for Keegan’s immortality, Skars knew of all the weakness and strengths the young man had. After years as the most trusted hunter to the ultimate Strigoi, Keegan had developed a strange love hate relationship with the vampire, a sense of paternity.

  After all, were it not for the twisted needs of that old vampire, Keegan wouldn’t even be alive today.

  Today… a day that had shown Keegan just how evil Skars could be when he wanted things his way. The day when he would have to end the reign of the man who’d given him eternity.

  If he didn’t succeed, Skars would not hesitate to terminate him, just as he’d done Dr. Franz. Up until that moment when his mentor’s lifeless body had been found, Keegan had all but forgotten about Skars and the years he’d hunted for him. Now, there was no way Keegan was going to meet the same fate as Dr. Franz.

  In order to keep in Skars’ good favor, Keegan had to portray the faithful hunter he’d always been… and his first task was tending to Skars’ most annoying thorn in his side; Delilah.

  He opened a filing cabinet to find dozens of bottles that contained holy water and shoved a few in his pockets. Several stakes were then shoved into the longer pockets that lined the inside of the duster and finally he clasped a crucifix hung on a chain around his neck and tucked the cross under his shirt.

  Three long strides had him at his desk before a computer. A flick of the mouse and the screen lit up. He tapped in the coordinates he wanted and his screen came alive with the goings on at one of his hideouts. Before he returned outside and made a move, he wanted to be sure Skars hadn’t penetrated any of them.

  The first, a shabby shack on the outskirts of town, looked clean, but he didn’t want to have to go that far. The second, the attic of one of the grandest mansions in town, also seemed undisturbed, but he knew the Morrisons were now back in town and heading there could be risky.

  Then he turned to the surveillance camera he’d set up at Rusty’s Bar and Grill, a restaurant down by the beach. Keegan had known the owners for more years than he could count. From Europe, Martha and Frank had done everything they could to get as far away from Skars as they could. Vampires who truly did all they could to minimize their impact on human society, Keegan had spared them.

  Poised to stake Frank, Keegan had hesitated as Martha had mad
e an argument for their considerate and compassionate lifestyle. For once in his life, the only time in his hunting career, Keegan had turned his back to them and allowed them to escape.

  Now, the surveillance camera was on Martha, pretty with her hair pulled back and her trim figure fashionably dressed in dark jeans and pale halter top. As she chatted with a customer, Frank passed behind her, lovingly patting her back on his way to greet the couple who’d just entered.

  Frank was quick to shake the man’s hand and he nodded as he led the pair to a table. As they came closer and closer to the camera, Keegan’s eyes fastened onto the young woman with the long flowing blond hair.

  She looked vaguely familiar, but he still only had an obscured view of her, thanks to an unhappy patron who vied for Frank’s attention. As soon as the annoying patron cleared the path, Keegan could plainly see how the young woman smiled and seemed happy, elated even. Her eyes never left her date, and her heart was clearly all his.

  His recognition of the young woman came slowly, as though a dagger was piercing his heart at a torturously slow pace. He turned away, stood and walked around the desk before returning to shove his face before the screen again.

  It couldn’t be. The resolution of the screen wasn’t optimal. Perhaps it was just a play of low pixel count. Or maybe the hours spent tied and bound had affected his eyesight in some way.

  “Sadie,” he murmured as he brought his index finger to the screen and traced over her.

  It wasn’t seeing her at Rusty’s that upset him so. It wasn’t even the fact that she was with that… that weasel, Ashwin. What killed him was that smile, full of love and admiration. She was literally melting in front of the man who’d kept him prisoner and had threatened him with the eternal life of a blood sucker. And she obviously didn’t doubt what her grand Lord was up to.

  Keegan hadn’t foreseen Ashwin’s quick success in getting so close to Sadie. And he certainly hadn’t anticipated seeing Sadie so ecstatic about being with Ashwin. No doubt the old vampire held a wealth of charm that worked well on a young innocent like Sadie. Bringing her to Skars would be child’s play for such a master of the heart. Keegan could already see the smirk of victory on Ashwin’s face.