Page 70 of The Baritone's Rival

“I’m so sorry. I did what I thought I had to do, and I was wrong. I was so wrong. I don’t know how I can make it up to him, or to you.”

Trent smiled. “You can help me save him.”

It hadn’t beenhard to slip out without Anthony seeing them. The apartment complex that housed the Grosvenor covenhouse was large, and several different stairwells led down to the entrance. Trent felt a little guilty at circumventing Anthony’s wishes, but it was better this way. He needed to take action.

The full moon shone down as Trent and Justin stood on the docks, staring out at the sparkling bay. The marina was filled with boats, from yachts to catamarans to dinghies. The smell of salt from the brackish water was a sharp complement to the residual gasoline odor that clung to the vessels moored there.

“You’re sure the bond is leading you into the river?” Justin asked.

Trent nodded. “They’re definitely out there.”

Justin sighed, then glanced around at the surrounding boats.

“Come on,” he said, running down the dock and jumping onto a small blue dinghy with an outboard motor. The thing barely rocked with the addition of Justin’s slight frame.

“What are you doing?”

“I’ll hot-wire this motor. Then we’re getting your mate and my aunt.” Justin sat by the sleek-looking machine, the moonlight catching on its shiny yellow stripes.

Trent followed after him, hopping onboard and steadied himself as everything moved back and forth. He did not have Justin’s vampiric grace. “You know how to do that?”

“I had an unconventional upbringing,” Justin said as he pried open the casing and twisted a red wire and a purple wire together. “I learned some things.”

“Like hot-wiring aboat motor?”

“Yep.” Justin picked up a yellow wire, rolling it between his fingers. “Ready?”

“Sure.”

As Justin touched the yellow wire to the other two, the motor sputtered to life. “I hope it has enough gas to get us there.”

Justin guided the dinghy backward into the marina, careful not to scratch the other vessels. Trent shivered as a cool breeze blew in off the river. The few gentle waves that reached the marina still made the vessel rock back and forth.

“We’re going to go out on the Hudson in this toy boat? Won’t we get swallowed up by the wake of some transport ship or something?”

“Well, I don’t know how to hotwire a yacht, so we’re stuck with this.” Justin smiled, his fangs glinting, and he popped the motor into forward gear, giving it some juice. “Worry less about the boat and more about how a human and a vampire who doesn’t really fight will take on a bunch of burly bloodsuckers.”

The wind picked up as they shot out of the marina onto the choppy waters of the Hudson River. Trent’s blonde hair tossed in the breeze. He brushed it out of his eyes.

“I’m prepared this time.” Trent smirked. Justin had no idea. “They won’t catch me off guard.”

Justin raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Once they were out on the water, the pull on the mate bond intensified. Trent pointed toward the Statue of Liberty.

“They’re out there, somewhere near the statue.”

Justin sighed. “Of course they are. The most obvious place on the whole damn waterway.”

As they got closer, it became clear which ship was theirs. It was floating stationary about three hundred yards from Lady Liberty. A deep orange-red, the words “Anytime Water Tours” were emblazoned in bright white letters on the side.

The strong smell of seaweed hit Trent’s nose. The salty, rotting odor made him gag. He quickly recovered, but Justin shot him a look.

“You okay?”

“I don’t love being on the water.”

Justin slowed the boat down to a crawl. As they approached, two vampires peered out from the tour boat, one at the front and one at the back. Both wore plain black clothing.

“It’s like a goddamned uniform,” Trent whispered.

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