Annie Nicholas - Catch

“Good evening.” Archios shifted in his seat and couldn’t meet my stare. He wore a white dress shirt buttoned to his neck and gray slacks perfectly creased. A stack of files and papers sat on the table in front of him. He flicked at some imaginary dirt on his lap.

Rurik, dressed in black shorts and t-shirt, quirked an eyebrow at me while he leaned his chin on his hand. No anger apparent on his face or outraged rants after finding me with Tane again. Not happy, though. He didn’t bother to hide the hurt in his expression.

“You’re thinking too hard.” I offered him his favorite accusation and got rewarded by a small twitch of his lips.

“No, not thinking. Maybe feeling too deep.”

Tane shifted his weight behind me. “Archios has brought paperwork for you to sign.”

At the mention of his name, the vampire sat straighter. He plucked a folder from the table, opened the file and offered it to me with a pen, then turned to my lover. “I’ll need a copy of your passport as well, Rurik.”

“I have it in my luggage.” He started to rise from his chair as if anxious to leave the room.

Tane lifted his hand. “Don’t go yet. I wanted to finish discussing Colby with both of you.”

I snapped the folder shut. “What about Colby?”

Rurik sat forward, clasping his hands in front of him. “Tane saw him running through the jungle while hunting the assassin.”

“You invited him here last night.” I glanced over my shoulder. “He came to examine the body and where we found it.”

“A body?” Archios’ exclamation surprised me. I guess Tane hadn’t informed him.

Oops .

I heard my master sigh. “Rabbit and Gwen found a body in the jungle. An investigation team was asked to come.”

“I wasn’t aware of any of this, Master. Why not use our own people to take care of this problem?” I understood his confusion. It would be easier to have Tane’s werewolf force make the problem disappear.

“Can I trust all of them?” Tane plucked the file containing all my new bank information out of my hand and flipped through the pages. “My own home has a traitor.

Someone is trying to undermine my power and make me look weak.” His voice deepened and took a threatening tone, which made me scoot away from him on the couch. “These jackals in court are circling me like a wounded animal, but I will stick to our laws. No tolerance. Whoever is killing these humans will be brought to a public trial and executed.” He closed the file and set it on the side table then stood, resettling his robe.

“As for Colby,” he turned to me, “I saw him last night two hours after his team left my property. He carried a crossbow. I think my enemies are gathering to destroy me.”

“Really?” I couldn’t deny the possibilities. Colby hated Tane. “He wanted to kill me too?” That stung deep. We were never friends, however we respected each other. Ever since I left the team to be with Rurik, my relationship with Colby became strained, but I never would have thought he’d try to murder me. Even if the second arrow was a misfire, trying to kill Tane would mean my death too.

“Colby doesn’t know about your blood bond to Tane. He still thinks it’s between us.” Rurik, my voice of reason, offered this slight reassurance.

“Crap.” I leaned back into the sofa cushions and stared at the ceiling. Talk about conflict of interests . “Are you sure it was Colby?”

“No other person could have evaded me like he did. I hunted him until the dawn saved his ass.” Admiration for my former boss was apparent in Tane’s voice. “I can’t allow a wild card like him running around. There is too much at stake.”

“You should send your brothers out to hunt him,” Archios offered.

“They would kill him.” Rurik responded before I could.

Tane’s silence answered us.

I untangled myself from the blanket and rose to my knees on the seat cushion so I could touch Tane’s hand. “Don’t.”

He frowned.

“Everyone deserves a trial. Let him explain.” Who was this rational, calm person speaking? Oh yeah, me .

A stubborn set in Tane’s shoulders told me I hadn’t changed his mind. This vampire came from the eye-for-an-eye age, kill-first-ask-questions-later era.

“For me, please. Master.” I forced that title from my mouth. If Colby got proven innocent, I’d make my former boss pay. Otherwise, he’d get what he deserved.

Rurik’s eyebrows rose high enough to disappear under his bangs. I didn’t need to be psychic to read his thoughts when I called Tane my ‘master’.

“What do you suggest we do then?” Tane crossed his arms over his chest.

“We use bait.”

He barked a laugh. “You want me, I take it, to lure Colby into a trap.”

“What a brilliant idea.” Archios gaze glinted with interest. “He would definitely show up, but it would have to be away from the mansion.”

“Absolutely not,” Rurik added. “We can’t risk Tane. What if Luckard shows?”

I shook my head. “Let me finish. Using Tane would be obvious. Colby’s not stupid, he makes a living running these kind of operations. If he hasn’t already left town, he’ll be looking for information.” I glanced from Archios’ blank stare, to Tane and Rurik’s introspective ones. “I’m his go-to girl."

Rurik stared at me. “Do you have his cell number?”

“No, he’ll know the call’s a trap.” Tane rubbed his chin in thought. “We’ll use Rabbit’s idea. I’ll have a rumor spread tonight that she’s left Rurik. By morning, Colby’s contacts should hear about it.”

“How will he find me?” My heart raced. The irony that I was bait for the man who taught me how to lure vampires to their death wasn’t lost on me.

“We’ll set a hotel room as the trap and take him down when he comes to you.” Tane nodded to no one in particular while he stared at the rug.

“We can devise a better plan without involving her.” Rurik, the only one who remained in his seat, crossed his arms over his chest.

“Perhaps, if we had more time. My informants have been watching the airports, train and bus stations. They tell me Colby hasn’t left the city yet, but that may change.”

Archios frowned. “Why didn’t he run?”

My exact thoughts. Colby was a smart guy. You didn’t try to kill a Nosferatu then stick around. He should have been halfway around the world, digging himself a hole to hide in.

As if perplexed, Tane rubbed his chin. “I don’t know. Maybe it is a good idea to capture him alive. I’ve a few questions that need answering.”

“How do you plan on protecting Connie?” My lover asked in dead seriousness, his dislike of the plan obvious.

Tane faced Rurik. “If you’re concerned about Rabbit’s safety then I will place some of my wolves, which I know I can rely on, hidden in the room.”

“I want to be in there too.”

“Impossible.” Tane shook his head. “This will probably take place during the day.

Colby won’t move at night. He knows we’re hunting him.”

I could almost hear Rurik grind his teeth across the room.

We’d been in Tane’s apartment for a while, yet still hadn’t touched. It was a rare occasion that Rurik didn’t physically come in contact with me in some manner—a touch of his fingers, a kiss on the head, or a brush of his body passing mine. I missed him.

“You don’t care if she gets hurt.” Rurik vaulted from his chair to confront his master.

“She’s just a toy to you.”

Tane tore open his robe and pointed at the almost healed wound. “Does this look like I don’t care? Colby won’t hurt her.”

“He shot at both of you.”

An uncomfortable silence stretched across the room as they glared at each other.