Page 15 of Marked for Desecration

“What the hell are you doing here all alone? Where’s Julius?”

“You mean the fucker that tried to shove me down the stairs? I have no clue and I don’t care.” Sitting up, I rolled my neck and discreetly looked around the now empty room. “Is the meeting over? Are we leaving?”

“Yeah. William’s been looking everywhere for you.” There was a hint of disgust in his voice. I had to force myself not to roll my eyes.

This ambitious little prick needed to hurry and eliminate him if he hated him so much.

“Come on. We have a long drive back home.”

Walking past him, I looked around the crowd before us. Everyone was a suspect in what happened in that room tonight. Who was this elusive asshole who dared to try and corner me? Human servants walked by with happy smiles and vampires were fucking left and right without a care in the world. Everyone was occupied.

The only fact I had to go on was that the stranger was an Infiltrator, just like Ian.

Jordan led us around the back side back toward the exit we came in through. William was there with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face—that was, until he saw me. His scowl morphed into disappointment.

“Where were you?”

Logan stared at me with a bored expression, turning to leave the moment I was two feet away from them.

“I was trying to keep myself out of trouble.”

William grabbed my upper arm and looked me over, turning me around and checking my body. What the fuck did he think he would find? A sign that said I’d been fucked ten ways to next year?

Satisfied, he shoved me in front of him and tipped his head to Jordan. “Let’s go. We’re done here.”

With a nod, we all headed back to the car where Julius was already waiting. Back to his broody self, he opened the door for us and didn't say a word.

Once again between two Cromwells, something in the air shifted. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but whatever happened tonight with their mission put both William and Jordan on edge.

I would pry it out of Jordan later. For now, I leaned into William’s side like the dutiful wife I was. He wrapped his arm around me and stared out the window, a look of contemplation on his face.

ChapterFive

Valka

We just passed the docks and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. A fireball hit the side of the vehicle making Julius swerve to the left, throwing us off the edge of the road and into an uneven field. The gravity inside of the car changed, making my stomach feel like it wanted to crawl out of my throat as we tumbled completely over onto the roof.

Each slam into the ground jarred my body, painfully jerking me against the belt that holds me in. I screamed as the men around me cursed under their breath. We all held onto the frame of the vehicle as best we could while it continued to flip over.

When we finally landed on our wheels, it took a moment for us to gather our senses. My head spun for a few more moments before everything stabilized enough for me to bring my hands up before me. The light scratches healed as I patted myself to find the belt’s lock mechanism. Clicking it, I quickly climbed out of the vehicle with all the guys who were already standing outside.

“What the fuck just happened?”

Jordan replied to William with an irritated growl, “Shaye.”

“Did they follow us from The Velvet Fang?”

“What the fuck do you think, Valka? Don’t be so dim witted.”

I was going to kill William when we got back home.

We looked around and found nothing—that is until another rock made of fire hits the car in a loud crash, making Jordan leap and land face first on the ground beside me.

“Fuckers!”

Jordan got to his feet and ran in the direction of the shooter on the opposite side of the road.What the hell is Shaye doing out here on Letos territory?I didn’t think they had that much audacity with how much their clan numbers have been dwindling.

William growled and ran a hand down his face while Julius pulled out his gun. Logan was nowhere to be seen until a body flew from the cover of trees nearby and landed on the ground with a groan.

---