Page 7 of Property of Mako
Unable to process, I stood frozen, chest heaving.
The man turned to me, bloody fangs still out, eyes slowly fading back to a more human-like color. His voice was deep, low, and full of disdain. “You’re either brave or stupid, showing up here alone.”
I swallowed before I stammered, “Who—who are you?”
He stared at me almost as if I were a piece of gum stuck to his shoe. Or maybe dog shit on his shoe. The intensity of his gaze was unnerving and the longer he stared, the more frustrated he seemed.
“No one important,” he grumbled, not answering my question with a frown. Then as he stepped over the broken bodies, he called out, “Next time, stay home.”
And just like that—he vanished into the night, the roar of a motorcycle fading into the distance like a warning.
“What the fuck?” I asked the empty air. There was no way I saw what I thought I saw. My chest heaved as I still fought for my breath. I had to be dreaming. I was going to wake up in my own bed and Lily would be in her room and all of this insanity was simply a nightmare.
It had to be.
That’s when I realized the girl that had been bound was still over there. I raced back around the abandoned building only to find the chains swinging empty.
“Where…” I trailed off, stunned. There was no sign of her anywhere. It was as if she’d vanished into thin air—much like Lily.
I knew it was a bad idea. Likely worse than the decision I’d made tonight. But I was going to track him down. If it was the last thing I did. Because now I knew—this wasn’t just about Lily. There was something older, darker, and far more organized than I could’ve ever imagined.
Chapter 3
A Snag in the Dark
Mako
My bike roared beneath me, eating up the road like a beast barely held in check. My eyes remained on the empty stretch of highway before me. The worn leather on my gloves flexed on the throttle as the blood from earlier dried under my fingernails.
Fuck, I was pissed. Tonight had an unexpected snag, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t look back, though. I never did. The abandoned factory, the girl, the Covenant enforcers—ashes now.
Just more ghosts to add to the pile.
Hell, I hadn’t planned on killing anyone this evening. Not overtly. It was only supposed to be a recon mission. Dexter and I were checking out a rumor we’d caught wind of that the Covenant enforcers might be behind the trafficking.
All we were supposed to do was watch the drop point, confirm it was them, then pass the information on to my President Boomslang and my VP Killswitch. They would decide our next steps.
The young victim hanging like a side of beef hit on too many nerves. It had made me sloppy. But Dexter also started to lose his cool when he’d seen her and that was rare.
I’d been intentionally trying not to think of the foolishly brave woman I’d inadvertently saved.
Through the slaughter I’d dished out to those Covenant enforcers, I could hear her heartbeat as it raced like a runaway horse. My nostrils flared slightly as I imagined that thick, dark red liquid rushing through her veins. From her scent, I knew it would taste sweet with a bit of a bite.
Thankfully, I’d already eaten, because the way she had looked and smelled had my canines aching. If I hadn’t, it might’ve been me lying on the ground turning to dust because I would’ve been so distracted by her that I wouldn’t have been able to focus.
It would’ve made me sloppy—something I couldn’t afford to be.
Even now, the image of her with her arms wrapped protectively around her middle, trying not to appear as terrified as I knew she was, took over my thoughts. With the way her eyes had been dilated and her breaths had come in little rapid bursts, I knew adrenaline was rushing through her blood. Hell, I could practically smell it… mixed with something I couldn’t pinpoint. Though I considered myself a civilized being, I still occasionally enjoyed the chase because that adrenaline gave a human’s blood a delectable and zesty flavor.
Something told me she would be a delightful little snack. Nothing more.
I almost believed that.
Behind me, the lights of the town faded. Up ahead, I saw the taillights on the side of the road. Knowing who it was, I downshifted and began to slow down.
“This is going to be a problem,” Dexter said as I pulled up alongside the truck window. He had pulled over against the side of the country road to wait for me.
My brow pinched, and I looked inside the cab. The girl was now wrapped in an old wool army blanket and passed out against the other door. “What happened?”
