Four Centuries (Damned and Cursed Book 7) (45 page)

Victoria had been waiting patiently, next to the door.

She attacked the first man she saw, who wore all black with a protective mask.
 
Grabbing him by the vest, she tossed him across the room, sending him crashing into a table and chairs.
 
She turned to see a pile of men, all caught by surprise in Tony's office.
 
The one in front had a crossbow aimed at her chest.
 
She twisted just in time, allowing the bolt to pass harmlessly and strike the floor behind her.

Dropping to one knee, she let out swipe after swipe.
 
She avoided the mask, but his pants offered minimal protection.
 
Her claws ripped through the material.
 
Then, his flesh.
 
His partner behind him stepped forward, aiming through the lead man's arm and waist, and thrust out a handheld Taser.
 
He caught Victoria on the cheek, sending fifty-thousand volts into her.
 
She stumbled back and fell on her side.
 
Her body felt numb for a moment as a pair of men stepped over their fallen partner into the club.

One of the assailants hovered over her and aimed his crossbow.
 
Another mistake.
 
He should have fired from the safety of the doorway, but wasted the two seconds to approach her.
 
She kicked his knee, bending it backwards with a crack.
 
He shouted in pain and fired a bolt into the ceiling as he fell.
 
The next man up did the right thing, aiming carefully from behind the doorway.
 
But Victoria had already pulled the screaming man with the broken leg on top of her.
 
Holding him up with one hand, the bolt ripped through his chest, the tip stopping in front of her nose.
 
His body went limp.
 
Victoria placed her feet on his back and launched him like a missile.
 
He collided into three of his partners.

She rolled away and slid across the floor behind the bar.
 
A bolt barely missed her shoulder, lodging in the wall behind her.
 
The men didn't pursue, choosing instead to stay behind in the office and rethink their strategy.

A moment later the front door flew open.
 
She could smell the flash grenade being arched back, hoisted into the air.
 
A rather effective weapon against vampires.
 
The noise hurt their sensitive ears even more than mortals.

She emerged from behind the bar, eying the grenade.
 
It didn't take much effort to catch it in mid-air and redirect it into Tony's office instead.
 
The detonation stung her ears, but disoriented the mortals far worse.
 

Victoria charged the line of mortals coming in through the front.
 
She could have dragged the battle out as long as she wanted, even won it.
 
But she didn't think Kevin had that kind of time.
 
She took down two men with ease, turning their crossbows and knives on each other.
 
A third man caught her with a blade to her thigh, making her stumble.
 
A bolt finally struck her, piercing her stomach.

Falling to her knees, she looked down at her wound.
 
Every movement brought pain and discomfort.
 
The men continued to work their way inside.
 
One took careful, deliberate aim at her chest with his crossbow, and pulled the trigger.

The world stopped around her, along with her beating heart.

*****

Jack held the magical rock in his hand as he leaned back in one of the many seats available in his customized 717 airplane.
 
He turned Victoria's words over and over in his mind, only pausing to take a quick drink of water.
 
Several rows ahead sat Zoey and his daughter, Tiffany.
 
Most of the regular seats had been removed, replaced by items found in any normal house.
 
A couch, recliner, television, and most recently, a bed.
 
The two laughed and talked as they passed a tablet back and forth.
 
Tiffany was showing off her photography collection, and Zoey, also interested in the arts, was eating up the conversation.
 
They seemed to be getting along, and Jack wasn't sure if he liked it.
 
Given the late hour, Tiffany should have been asleep, but instead had traveled with him the past two days.
 
It would be difficult getting her on a regular schedule once again.

He'd nearly stood up to parent his daughter, tell her to get some sleep, but decided against it.
 
Victoria still ate at him.
 
He didn't have all the details, hadn't been through what she had.
 
He wanted to take her at her word when she said she knew what she was doing.
 
But he knew her, better than anyone.
 
Someone she cared about was in danger.
 
That sometimes led to her putting herself in situations where she didn't have the advantage.
 
She would take risks, be vulnerable.

Jack didn't have that problem.

He stared at the magic trinket Kevin had given him.
 
The thought of the witch nearly made him smirk.
 
Silly and stupid, at times.
 
Sometimes an amazing lack of awareness for the power he wielded.
 
But Jack had no doubt Kevin was capable of handling anyone that came to harm him.
 
He'd seen it before.

Still, concern ate at him.
 
Kevin was still young, and he wasn't immortal.
 
He also lacked a certain killer instinct.

He stood up and headed for the cockpit, passing the bed.
 
Zoey quieted down as he neared, but Tiffany rambled on.
 
He leaned into the open cockpit and nodded at his pilot.

"A slight change of plans," he said.
 
"Land at BWI, but then I need you to get immediately back to Delaware."
 
He lowered his voice as he glanced at Tiffany.
 
"And call my driver and babysitter."

"Sure thing."

He turned and eyed the two young ladies.
 
Tiffany was lost in her own world, but he had Zoey's attention.
 
He gave her a curt nod.

"A word," he said.

"Dad," Tiffany said.
 
"Can Zoey spend the night at our house when we get home?"

"Nope.
 
Not tonight.
 
Not ever."

Tiffany wasn't deterred.
 
She leaned close to Zoey to whisper, and sadly, thought she was being discrete.

"Don't worry.
 
I'll talk him into it."

The one mortal who made him laugh consistently did so once again.
 
He kissed his daughter on the forehead before leading Zoey to the back of the plane, near his office.
 
They sat in one of the remaining rows of seats.
 
Zoey had changed clothes and cleaned up before leaving Illinois, looking very pretty and much more her age, and not the assassin she was trying to emulate earlier.

"Tiffany is amazing."

Jack knew Zoey was trying to appeal to him, get on his good side.
 
That didn't mean she was wrong.
 
He'd take any chance to dote on his daughter.

"She is.
 
I've been alive two centuries.
 
There's never been another like her."

"You said you had an airplane," she said, admiring her surroundings.
 
"Not a flying house."

"It has wings.
 
It flies.
 
It's an airplane.
 
How much did you hear?"

"Hear?"

"Of my conversation with Victoria."

Zoey glanced at her legs, refusing to make eye contact.

"Nothing.
 
I was talking with Tiffany.
 
And the noise on the plane—"

"Stop lying.
 
How much?"

She looked up, meeting his gaze as she fidgeted in her seat.

"I couldn't hear her, but I heard you.
 
You don't think much of me, do you?"

"No.
 
But don't take offense.
 
I don't think much of anyone."

"Well, I think you're an asshole."

He almost let out a smile.
 
"But I do love honesty."

"Victoria isn't going to kill me, is she?"

"No.
 
Victoria is a very special woman.
 
And she thinks you're special.
 
But she has been wrong before.
 
After all,
I'm
the closest person to her."

Zoey smiled playfully.
 
"Yeah, I see what you mean."

"So, I'll be keeping an eye on you.
 
Don't disappoint her."

She nodded.
 
"I'll try my best not to."

He liked that answer.
 
No grand, sweeping promises.

"Listen," she said.
 
"I know you did it for Victoria.
 
But if you didn't show up when you did, I'm pretty sure Steven would have killed me.
 
I don't like what you did, but you saved my life.
 
So, thank you."

He nearly responded with indifference, but noticed Tiffany watching the pair over the back of the couch.
 
The young girl hung on every word Jack said, his every action.
 
She was the reason, the
only
reason, he tried to be a better person in his life, even if he didn't always succeed.
 
Tiffany would not respond to gratitude with indifference.

What would Tiffany do?

"You're welcome."

Zoey smiled, and for a brief moment, Jack almost liked the young woman.
 
At the very least, he sympathized.
 
Being a young person could be tough.
 
Not only did Zoey have to find herself and direction in her life, but she had to do it with the rules of being a vampire hanging over her head.
 
He decided to pass along some wisdom.

It would be nothing like the wisdom he shared with Tiffany.

"One day, Stray, you
will
have to kill someone."

"Uh, no.
 
I won't."

"Yes, you will.
 
And it won't mean you're a bad person.
 
You're going to be alive a long time, and during that time, some vampire hunter will trap you in a corner.
 
You're going to have to make a choice.
 
Them or you.
 
You might have to kill sooner than you think."

"What do you mean?"

"Glinda's in trouble."

"Who?"

"Kevin.
 
The witch.
 
Shit, doesn't anyone watch
The Wizard of Oz
anymore?"

"What's wrong with Kevin?"

"I'll be honest, I don't know all the details myself.
 
Victoria's behind the wheel on this one.
 
But she thinks people are out to kill him."

Zoey's face wrinkled with confusion at the thought of someone wanting to kill the friendly witch.

"Why?"

"For the same reason people hunt vampires and werewolves.
 
Because they exist.
 
Would you help?
 
Victoria wouldn't let you, if she knew I was asking.
 
But if you want to eat at the big table, you have to grow up.
 
I won't lie, it might be dangerous."

She hesitated and took a deep breath.

"Are you serious?
 
This isn't just you being fucking weird?"

"Very serious."

He watched her think it over, reading the emotions.
 
Fear, uncertainty, doubt.
 
But at the tail end, strength.
 
He would never tell her, but he was impressed.
 
Zoey was only hours removed from confronting the vampire who'd changed her and killed her friend.
 
Now she was ready for her next challenge.
 
Jack already knew her answer.

"Okay.
 
I'll help."

Jack smiled.

"Welcome to our club," he said.
 
"Here's what you need to do."

Kevin cast another glance to Leese as he stepped into his jeans.
 
His beautiful girlfriend slept soundly, a small smile still on her face.
 
He was as quiet as possible as he finished dressing, slipping a shirt over his head, tying his shoes.
 
Stumbling once in the dark, he stared at Leese, but she only responded by turning on her side and letting out a snore.
 
Tracy, her roommate, was moving about in the hallway, using the bathroom.
 
He waited until the hall light went out before reaching for his coat on the back of the chair.

He already had his night of work planned out.
 
The picture of the warehouse server room and a glass vial sat on the desk.
 
He grabbed both and nearly approached the wall, but admired Leese one more time.
 
If he didn't say goodbye she would not be happy the next time they were together.

"Leese," he said, leaning over the bed.
 
"I'm heading out."

She was barely conscious as she reached out for a hug.
 
They embraced, and she kissed his neck.
 
He laughed quietly, and then she found his mouth.
 
Leese turned their goodbye into a brief make-out session.
 
He responded in kind, smiling at her as he pulled away.
 
She stared back with sleepy eyes.