Page 27 of Don't Bite The Boss
“Yes,” he sniggers, “you did.”
“Fear and respect are very different beasts,” I say quietly, my voice chipped ice, as he begins to circle me, and I step carefully out of his range, my eyes never leaving his. “But you engender neither in me.”
You lie,” he barks a sharp laugh, his eyes flashing a deadly promise. “Put the gun down. Admit you have done wrong. The master will punish you, yes. I will punish you, yes, but you will be back where you belong. No one leaves the master.”
I watch him carefully as I feign consideration of his words. I can see, from his minute movements, the way he plans to dodge. I hope I’m right.
“You just did,” I whisper, as I squeeze the trigger and the silver bullet, courtesy of Tristan’s arsenal, which is actually courtesy of Christopher, hit’s Darnel’s forehead, point-blank.
I’d been right about the direction he would move.
He turns to dust before my eyes, and I look up instantly to the top lip of the bath to see Nick and Charlotte staring down at me.
“Cheating, yeah, I know,” I shrug. “I would have liked to have shot him up the ass. You remember I’m sure, Charlotte.”
She shivers.
“But hey, any old storm, any old port,” I give a half-hearted, slightly hysterical giggle.
“Where did you get a gun?” Charlotte asks, as though that were the most pertinent question right now, and neatly avoiding my reference to our years of abuse at the hands of Darnel and others like him. If she is anything like me, these memories stay buried deep, very deep, and it is unlikely Nick has any idea of the kinds of things we went through while in Solomon’s captivity – a captivity I had no intention ofeverreturning to again.
“Gift from the mafia,” I smirk, jumping up to the top and hugging her, “where did you get your mad evisceration skills?”
“Oh don’t,” she grimaces, looking down with horror at her ruined dress and bloodied hands before her eyes drift to the pile of bodies she and Nick had left behind.
I’d shot one, a powerful one, yes, but Nick and Charlotte had single-handily destroyed five vampires; one was blind, true, but still. These minions were not newbie vampires by any means, more than one of them I had recognised as key henchmen.
“H-O-L-Y Fuck,” I breathe, “who the hell are you? And what have you done with my friend Charlotte?”
Nick bursts out laughing.
“There’s more that you don’t know,” Charlotte laughs, her dress momentarily forgotten. “Tess discovered some information. We thought it was myth, but…”
She looks at Nick who is still laughing, hands now on knees, deep, loud bellows of mirth that encapsulate relief, and joy at his new-found strength.
“Take him home,” I shake my head, smiling, “whatever Tess told you can wait. I need to phone Tristan.”
Rubbing my shoulder where it still smarts from that nasty bite, I dial his number and wait longer than usual for an answer.
That they were Solomon’s minions is not under question. But why he only sent six when three times that number had not managed to take us in the past, that is a question to be pondered. Unless there are others coming, or he hadn’t anticipated Charlotte and I together, plus Nick, no one could anticipate him. Either way, now that Charlotte and Nick are safely on their way home, I need to phone Tristan and tell him to get Valerie out of the country toute suite – if he hasn’t already done so.
I hold my breath as I wait for him to answer, knowing his voice will send shivers of need down my spine, as it always does.
But the voice that answers is not the one I expect.
“Valerie?”
“Pru, is that you?”
“Yes. Why are you answering Tristan’s phone?”
“Uncle Tristan is in trouble, big trouble.”
“What? Where are you?”
“I’m at the airstrip. I went to meet him at the boat, to try and persuade him to let me stay, buttheycame. I escaped by diving overboard and hiding underneath the boat, did you know we don’t have to breathe underwater? Anyhow, now I’ve followed them here. He dropped his phone on the beach. I’ve called Daddy, but I don’t know what else to do.”
“Taken? Taken by whom? Who arethey, you rambling idiot?”
