Annie Nicholas: Hunting Colby

Wonderful. I hated clubs. The push of crowds made security an issue. Anyone could brush against your back with a blade, and if memory served me right, there was a lot of body bumping. “Great. I’ll call when I have more info.”

“I’ll meet you there. I can at least watch your back.” That Mutt followed my train of thought swelled my chest with pride. He really was listening.

“May—” A hand landed on my shoulder. I dropped my phone as I grabbed the wrist and dropped to my knee, flipping my assailant over my back. Not releasing my hold, I twisted the arm, but the ground was no longer under my feet. I hit the sidewalk, knocking my head hard enough to see stars.

“Fuck, Gwen. Take it easy.” Colby’s voice traveled through the haze, trying to push through my consciousness.

I blinked and turned my head.

Colby lay on his back next to me. He must have swiped my feet from under me as he landed.

“Hi.” I rubbed the back of my head and checked my palm. No blood. Always a good sign. “You shouldn’t sneak up on me.”

“Lesson learned.” He rose to his feet with a groan and dragged me onto mine, then handed me my cell phone. “You’re fast.”

“I’ll call you back, Mutt.”

“Wait, I heard—”

I hung up on him, not able to deal with two stubborn heads at the same time. Stepping into Colby’s personal space, I met his glare with one of my own. “What are you doing here?”

Colby rubbed the shoulder I’d tried dislocating. “I don’t trust Cesio.”

The fading stars in my vision were replaced by red-hot sparks of fury. “You think I’d betray you to Cesio?” I couldn’t fathom the amount of paranoia inside someone like Colby. Nothing I’d done deserved this kind of treatment.

“They could have hurt you.”

The haze of red vanished. “You were really worried about me?” I took a deep breath and searched for calm. Colby wasn’t raised in a pack. Actually, his fear might have solid roots, considering how his parents had died and the way he made his living. How many good vampires did he know? “I’ve worked with vampires all my life. I’m more comfortable with them than I am with humans. I know what I’m doing.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “You know vampires who wish to kiss Tane’s ass. Cesio isn’t one of those. And we’ve wasted time coming here.”

I poked him in the chest and cracked the first knuckle of my finger. “You were supposed to go to Brooklyn. Not follow me.”

“ You were supposed to come with me, not take off on a mission of your own.” He towered over me.

“I have my own mission, remember? Our missions just happened to coincide.”

“You need to find Alcide, just like I do.”

“ That’s not my mission. I’ve been sent here to take care of the young Nosferatu.”

“The one who knocked me out?” His eyes grew wide.

“Yes. He didn’t mean to, by the way. He’s growing accustomed to his strength. I’m here to train him and keep him out of trouble. Alcide is his friend.”

“Some friend.” Colby turned his back on me. “Are you sure this Nosferatu isn’t trying to build a small vampire army?”

I laughed. “Mutt’s still getting used to the idea of losing all his hair. He’s not ready for world domination yet. Not to mention he can’t fart without the brotherhood knowing.”

“Brotherhood?” Colby’s arms eased to his side.

“That’s what the Nosferatu call each other.”

“One big happy family.” His voice dripped with sarcasm, but he wasn’t far from the truth. They did act like brothers—who stabbed each other in the back, but what family didn’t squabble?

“Shouldn’t you be checking on your lead in Brooklyn?”

“I sent someone else. We should stick together.”

Part of me squealed like an excited little girl, but I also struggled with the warrior part that wanted to continue to kick his ass for not having faith in me.

“You look less than pleased at the idea.” He gave me his secretive smile again.

I clicked the tip of my tongue against the roof of my mouth. The plan I had in mind didn’t include a somewhat unstable shifter male who carried a grudge against all vampires. “Look, I might have an idea where to find Cesio, but like you mentioned, he won’t be so receptive of my arrival if you’re…looming over us with a stake in your pocket.”

He closed his eyes slowly, as if gathering his patience. “Gwen…”

“No, no. I’m right about this. You know it.” I couldn’t back down. This was a matter of trust between us. He had to see me as a warrior, as an equal.

Shifter males owned the world’s worst reputation for protectiveness. It had taken me years to gain my pack’s respect. I didn’t have that kind of time to waste with Colby. I’d let him lead us in our relationship at his own pace, but outside of that, I was just as alpha as he was.

“You’ll have a hard time talking with him in a club. We should lure him out.”

I laughed. “You want to use your pretty bait on the Overlord of Manhattan?” Actually, it wasn’t a bad idea. It would keep me from having to go in there.

“Sure. She’s good at it. Maybe better than Connie.”

“Meaning she doesn’t fall for her prey.”

“Yeah.” A sad frown was my answer. “Let me take you to our base, where we can make better plans.”

A white van stopped by the curb where we waited, drinking coffee under a store awning. Colby had called a member of his team to drive us. He directed me into the windowless back and joined me on the bench. A curtain hung between us and the driver, blocking any view through the windshield.

“Is this really necessary?”

“Ten years of experience. Trust me, the less anyone knows, the better.” He settled his arm on the chair back behind my shoulders. A casual gesture, but nothing about Colby was casual.

Taking the opportunity, I leaned against him, luxuriating in the warmth he radiated. “Your people must trust you quite a bit to keep them in the dark.”

“Everyone has a role on our team. Our drivers are the only ones who know the base location. They don’t go in the field to fight. Ever. The fighters are on need-to-know basis about the targets. And so on.”

I frowned. “Seems very complicated.” How did he coordinate anything?

“It has to be when our quarry can usually read the minds of our human members.”

“How many of them are?”

“All of them besides me.”

I twisted my neck to meet his gaze. “The casualties must be high.”

He gave me a sharp nod. “They know what they’re getting into before signing on. Red makes sure of that. Most carry a certain grudge against the bloodsuckers and aren’t looking to die of old age.”

“How can you stay impartial if you all hate them?” I could sense him stiffen at my comment. Heaviness settled on my heart. Most vampires in my care followed the laws. Many took to the idea of keeping voluntary human companions. They even loved them. My master was a perfect example.

“It’s not easy. I don’t attack on hearsay and require solid proof that the vampire is killing.” He sighed. “I know Tane has me watched. If I began slaying any vampire I saw, my team would be toast. And me…” He didn’t need to say it. My master had a cruel streak, and Colby had been in his shackles twice.

The van came to a stop. Colby opened the side door and jumped out. Our heads almost collided as I leaped to follow and he twisted to assist me out. It turned into me jumping in his arms and both of us landing on the concrete ground of a building.

The hum in the large room went silent.

Lying on Colby’s chest, I assessed the area. It appeared to be an old mechanics’ garage. Card tables were assembled together at the far side of the room with a large marker board behind it. People in all states of dress, from casual to military, had been in the process of working.