Page 16 of Blood Bound (Blood Mafia 3)

“Only a little. Come on.” I kick his clothes into the air and catch them before tossing them at his head. “Chop, chop, Grayson. World domination waits for no one.”

Grayson stands and pulls on his clothes. “So demanding before you have your coffee,” he mutters to himself.

I roll my eyes. When he finishes dressing, we go to find the hunters. PlanTake Gerry Downstarts now.

* * *

“Pull offto the right in fifty feet,” Zander tells Colt, shifting forward from where he sits between me and Tyra and pointing to a spot off the road.

X is riding shotgun, and glances in the direction he indicates. “Good choice.”

Grayson talked Mateo into flashing ahead to scout the area and to check for any possible ambushes. I think he really did it to keep us from being stuck in a car together for two hours.

Smart man.

Business will always come before my personal drama, especially when it comes to saving a child, but there’s no telling what Mateo might say or do.

Two vehicles full of vampires follow behind us. I roll down the window and give the signal to stop—a closed fist.

Colt flicks on his signal, slows the dark green SUV to a crawl, and maneuvers as far into the trees as he can go without driving between them. The other two cars follow suit.

Zander scrubs his hands through his hair a few times before slapping his hands on his knees.

“Are you okay?” Tyra asks him.

He shakes his hands out. “I’m not really sure what we’re doing. We grew up with these people.”

X turns in her seat, eyes softening when she sees Zander’s conflicted look. “They took a child, Zander.”

Placing my hand on his arm, I give it a gentle squeeze. “You guys should stay here, watch the car.”

Then he won’t have to face his people down.

“There’re at least twenty hunters in there, Demi.” He shakes his head. “No, I’m coming with you.”

I press my lips into a thin line because we need his help. We may have twelve of Mateo’s strongest vampires, but that’s not a lot when you consider the strength of the hunters. I won’t force Zander into joining us, but if he insists on coming, I’m not going to tell him no.

“All right. Remember, we don’t want casualties if we can prevent it.”

Colt nods, arching his scarred eyebrow at me. “Ready?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” I check my weapons.

I mainly have knives, but there’s a gun holster crisscrossing over my back. The two guns it holds feel like overkill. Given Gerry’s fascination with shooting his own people, Colt insisted I bring them. We haven’t had much time for target practice since I came back to the Blood Mafia. I’m hoping to use them as a last resort or when my target is close enough for a sure shot.

Grayson and Mateo suddenly stop in front of the vehicles, having flashed from their patrol of the perimeters. Mateo’s dark eyes instantly find mine. The bond between us is like a soft caress. I squint and imagine gouging my nails down his back, shoving that thought through the bond.

His eyes darken from brown to black.

Of course he’d like that sort of thing, fucking psycho.

I ignore his stare and climb out of the vehicle, inhaling the crisp countryside air. I hold the door for Zander. Once he’s out, I slam it shut with more force than necessary but better the car than Mateo right now. I need him for this job. Going up against a compound full of hunters isn’t going to be easy.

The vampires that came with us are somewhat familiar. I recognize some from the day Mateo set them on me and I killed them. I nod in greeting, and they lift their chins in response. I’ve earned the respect of most of the vampires, and any who might despise me do so within the safety of their thoughts. Mateo made an example out of Trey.

No one wants to end up tied to a giant bed of silver nails and placed on the roof of the Blood Mafia building. Trey is currently being slowly bled out and subjected to the sun’s draining powers. I shudder at the thought of him thrashing against his restraints and only making the sharpened points dig in deeper.

“Everyone remembers the plan?” Mateo asks.

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