Page 43 of Hitched to the Vampire King

Avery’s stricken expression broke my heart. She was clearly torn between her fears and the idea of sending her alpha there on her behalf. “I…I don’t know. I don’t know if I can go back there.”

“I’ll go,” Sam declared without hesitation, ever the protector. “Avery, if you can just show me where it is on a map, I’ll handle the rest. I grew up here. I know the area just as well as you.”

Aimee lifted a hand and drew everyone’s focus to her. “Why only send the two of you? Why not make a statement? Take a more aggressive approach. Show Nash we’re not to be trifled with by tearing his operation apart. I could send in the entire pack to take him out, or we could burn the entire warehouse to the ground.”

I shook my head, understanding her instinct to cause a little pain herself. But the subtler approach was crucial right now. “As satisfying as that sounds, it’s not the right move. Not yet. Let’s say we did burn his warehouse down, and let’s say Nash isn’t there when we do it. Do you know what’ll happen then?”

Realization smoothed Aimee’s face. “He’ll run.”

“Exactly,” I said. “If he runs, we’ll have one hell of a time tracking him down again, especially if he leaves the city. Not to mention, if we destroy the evidence, we’ll have no way of tracking down his clients and putting an end to his little business.”

“What makes you think he hasn’t already run?” Aimee asked. “Avery escaped, so she knows his location. A smart vampire would leave town, wouldn’t they?”

“No one said he was smart,” Avery said, though her words lacked humor. She lifted her haunted gaze and caught my eyes. “Based on what I know of him, I don’t think he’ll run. All this was a game to him. He thinks he’s invincible because he’s taken three of our pack members already. He thinks we’re weak. I think…” She heaved a long breath, her face paling another shade. “I think he’ll stick around, if only to find me.”

I gave Avery’s hands another squeeze. She’d likely just voiced her biggest fear aloud.

“We won’t know any of that until Jaden profiles him. But…” I sighed and nodded. “I would wager you’re right. Someone like him doesn’t scare easily.”

She pulled her hands from mine and wrapped her arms around herself, shuddering. Jaden, despite not knowing Avery, offered her a comforting touch.

“And what about Adrian and Elias?” Josh asked. “They’re just as much of a threat, if not more.”

“Adrian and Elias.” I mulled over their names, feeling the weight of the challenge they presented. They wouldn’t be easy prey. “They’re a different beast altogether. Adrian’s motivations are far more personal. He’s not playing a game. He just wants me and Gabriel dead. But Nashmightbe our key to flushing them out. They’re clearly connected somehow. Press on one, and we might find the other.”

“There’s a lot of uncertainty in this plan,” Aimee commented.

I nodded, not shying away from the truth. “There is. But this is part of the job when dealing with vampires. Just because we have methods, doesn’t mean they’re perfect. There’s always room for error. Which is why from here on out, we stick together. No one goes anywhere on their own now.”

“Gabriel’s gonna lose it when he hears your plan,” Lucy warned.

“He might,” I conceded. “But eventually, he’ll see the logic. This plan, as filled with ‘maybes’ as it is, is our best shot at getting ahead of Nash and, with any luck, leading us to Adrian and Elias.” I glanced at Avery. “You asked for my help because this is what I do. This is whatwedo.” I gestured to Jaden and Josh. “Believe me when I tell you we’re good at it. The only target we’ve ever missed is sleeping upstairs in my bed.”

Light laughter filled the room, easing some of the tension clouding us.

After a moment, Avery cleared her throat and drew the focus back to her. “If Sam wants to go in my place, I won’t turn down his offer.” She met my gaze, guilt darkening her eyes. “I can’t go back there, Maddie. The thought of even stepping foot in that place again…it’s too much.”

“I get it,” I reassured her, my voice soft with empathy. The thought of revisiting that den of horrors sent a chill down my spine, and I hadn’t endured a fraction of what she had.

“But I’ll mark it on a map, detail what I remember, and describe the layout to Sam.” Her mouth twisted as she considered something else before adding, “Don’t use the boat this time. It’s too loud. It’ll announce your presence to anyone with sensitive hearing a mile away. There was a road nearby. Perhaps that’d be the best way in.” Her eyes lost focus as she considered our options.

“Thanks, Avery. I appreciate whatever help you can give,” I said, gratitude swelling within me. My gaze then shifted to Lucy, whose own expression had clouded, and I was pretty sure I knew why. Sam had volunteered to go with me, which put his life at risk. We didn’t know what awaited us in the warehouse now. Not that I had any plans to charge in recklessly. But Lucy couldn’t come with us because of a new agreement she and Sam had recently made. With all the danger we’d faced lately, they’d agreed it would be best if only one parent endangered their life at a time, for the kids’ sake.

“We’ll need a solid communication plan for while you’re inside,” Jaden said. “I didn’t think to bring any of our equipment, but I can make a stop at a local electronics store.”

“That’d be perfect,” I responded.

“I also think it would be best to go during daylight,” Josh piped in, our resident schemer hard at work. “Your vampire willnotlove that idea at all. However, if he’s asleep?—”

“Then so are Nash, Adrian, and Elias.”

Josh nodded. “It’s just safer that way. And hey, maybe you’ll get lucky and find their daytime hideout. Three birds, one stake.”

“Wouldn’t that simplify everything?” I said, laughing.

“If I’m going to profile this asshat, I need to get started now,” Jaden said, rising from the couch.

“Yeah, the sooner we understand Nash, the better we’ll be at predicting his moves,” Josh added.

---