“A constitutional stroll before dawn, Detective. That’s all.” His voice was cheerful, but his body tensed as if he were contemplating going vampire super-speed on her.
“I wouldn’t, if I were you.” She shifted her gun to one hand, pointing her other hand to him. Magic crackled in her palm, sending off a small spark. More than she should do in public, but not many Normals would be out at this time of night. “I can shoot you or fry you, but I’m bringing you in.”
“And I’m helping her.” Delta stepped out from behind a tree on Selina’s right, gun aimed at Gregor’s head. “You don’t want to hit girls, do you, sugar?”
He flinched when he saw the blonde. “May I ask what this is about?”
“I have some more questions for you. They aren’t even about a crime you committed.” Selina motioned him away from the car. Adrenaline flooded her veins, making her heart pound. He was going to run, she could see it in his eyes. “What do you have to be scared of?”
He blanched and launched himself over the top of his car. Delta took two strides and sailed after him, moving almost too fast for Selina’s gaze to track. Selina planted her free hand on the hood of his car and slid across, hit her feet, and pelted down the street after them. Delta had caught Gregor around the waist and dragged him to the ground.
They hissed at each other, fangs bared, rolling across the asphalt as each tried to get the upper hand. Fog swirled around them, blocking the view of any humans who might be nearby. Selina squinted to see through it, considering and discarding a dozen spells. Most would hurt Delta as much as Gregor. Fuck, fuck, fuck. She dodged around the combatants until she got a clear shot and fired a bolt of lightning that struck the big male vampire. He shrieked in pain, and Delta winced away from the sound.
Shoving her off of him, she flew backward and slammed into a parked SUV. Selina hit him with another bolt before he could regain his feet. “Give up, Gregor. You’re coming in.”
He hissed, his eyes flashing red, and he kicked out to sweep her feet out from under her. She hit her side hard, her pistol skittering across the pavement. Ignoring it, she scrambled after the vampire. If he escaped, they’d never see him again. Her pulse raced, but she managed to catch his calf and held on for dear life. He lashed backward, his heel catching her in the chest.
Every bit of oxygen wheezed from her lungs, and dark spots swam in front of her vision. Her grip on his leg slipped, and her eyes watered as pain bloomed in her torso. She was going to black out.
With her last thought, she shot a stunning spell up his leg. He stumbled but still slipped away from her.
Moments, minutes later, she blinked, coughed, and jolted upright, her chest protesting the movement. Grunts and shouts sounded in the distance and she forced herself to her feet, breaking into a shambling trot and following the noise.
Delta had managed to catch him again, and she tore into Gregor while he tried to fend her off. They both had bloody noses and sported various bite marks where fangs had struck. Moving faster than Selina could see, he suddenly had his hands around Delta’s throat, lifting her off her feet, and she choked and gurgled. Then his eyes widened and he dropped her, backing away. “Delta, I ...”
An earsplitting howl pierced the night, and Grim materialized midair. His jaw snapped around Gregor’s arm, digging in and shaking the vampire like a rag doll. The familiar wrenched him to the ground, and blood poured from the broken flesh. Gregor struck out, but his blows seemed to glance off of Grim and never quite hit. A shield spell. Bucking upward, Gregor tried to dislodge his canine attacker, but Grim went with the movement, biting and snarling. His teeth shredded the vampire’s flesh. Selina had only seen him like this once before, the night she’d met him, before he’d become her familiar. It was scary.
Delta recovered her weapon from the ground and danced in a circle around the fight, trying get a bead on Gregor. “A little help here, O Elfish One?”
“Gregor, put your hands over your head so I can cuff you, or I’m not calling him off!” Selina pulled her handcuffs out of their holder and waited for the vampire to comply.
He did, cursing and still kicking, but unable to get the dog off of him. Her fingers shook and sweat poured down her face to sting her eyes, but she snapped the metal around his wrists. She left him there to bleed while she wrapped her fingers around Grim’s collar and used her own magic to blast him away. She didn’t worry that he’d turn on her, but her heart pounded at the sounds he made, those of a wild animal.
“Settle down, Grim. We got him. Good boy.” She stroked his fur while he vibrated with rage, growling at Gregor. She sent waves of calm out to him, magic to bring him down off the ledge.
“Get up,” Delta rasped, jerking her weapon at the big vampire. “Time to go for a little ride.”
He crawled to his feet, his hands bound before him. “Did I hurt you?”
“It’s several decades too late to ask that question.” Her gaze slitted, her eyes flashing red. “Start walking, and I swear if you try to run again, I’ll load you up with enough bullets to make sure you don’t heal.”
“I didn’t have to let you live. Then or now. Think about that.” Sighing, he turned in the direction she’d pointed him.
She snorted. “Yeah, you’re all heart.”
Selina put her hand out and dredged up a summoning spell. “Gun.”
Her weapon winged through the air and slapped into her palm. She made sure she stayed between her familiar and Gregor as they escorted him to her car. With a thought, she opened the back door and then sealed him in. He’d have to cast one hell of a spell to get out of there, and vampires didn’t have that ability. Grim squeezed into the center of the front, turning to snap at Gregor. Fortunately, the spell that kept Gregor in also kept Grim out. Both women flopped into the front seats, sighing in relief.
Gregor slid to the middle of the backseat, wincing only a little as Grim growled at him. “Sorry about that, ladies. You understand I had to try.”
Glancing into the rearview mirror, Selina arched her eyebrows. “We understand, and we still don’t like you very much right now.”
“Understatement,” Delta muttered, blowing her mussed hair out of her face. Her wounds had begun to heal themselves. The blood from the bites stopped flowing and her skin grew pink with health. She turned in her seat and kept her pistol leveled at Gregor.
Selina winced at the aches and pains that let themselves be known as she shifted the car into gear. Thankfully, it was a short drive and then she could have one of the medics Luca had on staff take care of her minor injuries.
All in all, it could have been a lot worse, considering it was Gregor.
15
“R
ound two of fun.” Delta plopped into the chair across from Gregor in the interrogation room.
Holding Grim off with a spell, Selina darted through the door, and closed it behind her. The room was warded against any use of magic, so hers stripped away the moment she got in. Not really ideal to lose her abilities, but necessary when holding a criminal like Gregor.
He smiled his cheerful smile. “I tried to keep us all from this, but you were very insistent.”
Plucking at one of his torn sleeves, he arched his eyebrows at them. His wounds had healed, and he had been given some of the serum vampires used to suppress the need for blood. He was fine.
“I’ll feel bad about that when you apologize for booting me in the chest.” Selina seated herself beside Delta.
Gregor kept grinning, but didn’t beg her pardon. Of course not.
“We have a few more questions for you, as we mentioned.” The blonde smirked at him. “Before you ran away like a scared little girl.”
His grin faded, but he didn’t rise to the bait. “I had nothing to do with your murders. I believe I said as much the last time we met. I can’t imagine what more I can tell you.”
Selina drummed her fingers against the table. “Oh, it wasn’t you who did it.”
“How do you know that?” He looked surprised for a second, then smoothed his expression to his usual geniality.
“Because this particular vampire isn’t a vampire at all. He’s Normal.” Delta smacked the table between them.
The redhead flinched and looked away. He blew out a breath, but didn’t say anything else.
Selina jumped into the silence. “What I’m saying is that you were at the crime scene after the fact. What I’m saying is that you know who my Normal vampire wannabe is. I’m saying that if you had manned up before now, you could have stopped innocent people from being murdered.”
He snorted. “There’s no such thing as an innocent person.”
“The man you saw? The one facedown on his bed in a pool of his own blood?” Delta leaned forward and got right in his face. “His wife is pregnant, due in a couple of months. That
innocent
child will never know his father now. And I blame you.”
His eyes went wide. “I didn’t kill him!”
“Not him, but there’ve been plenty of others, haven’t there?” Delta rose to her feet, swishing around the table. She put one hand on the metal surface and the other on the back of Gregor’s chair, leaning into his space. “Oh, yeah. You’ve killed dozens of people. Hundreds. Maybe thousands. It’s the only thing you’re any good at, isn’t it?”
“I have other talents. You’ve enjoyed them before.” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his voice silky.
“Once.” She drew so close that her breath ruffled the hair near his ear. “But we both know how that ended, don’t we? How you almost killed me. Because that’s what you do. Isn’t it, Gregor?”
Something that almost looked like guilt flickered across his face. “Yes. That’s what I do. Are you happy now, Delta?”
“No, sugar.” Her hand slid across the table, until it almost touched his. “I’m not happy. I want you to do something worthwhile for once in your life. I want you to help me save some people.”
“I can’t. I would do anything for you, but I can’t do that.” He closed his eyes, his expression pained.
Surprise lit her violet gaze, but her chin firmed. “You feel bad about what you did to me, don’t you?”
“You know I do.” The muscles around his mouth tightened, and Selina tried to quell her triumph. A little more, and Delta would have him. She’d break him.
“Then make it up to me, sugar. Now.” Her lips brushed his ear, and the man shuddered, naked lust mixing with the shame in his gaze. “You know who did this, who killed all these poor people.”
“No, I—”
“Yes, you do,” Delta said, her voice softer than a whisper. “Tell me the truth, Gregor. You owe me that much.”
His hands shook, and he swallowed hard. “I
did not
kill any of your victims. That’s the truth.”
“But you could have stopped it, couldn’t you?” Selina demanded, leaning forward.
“No!”
Delta slapped her hand against the table, making them all jump. “You know who did this, and you could have stopped him if you wanted to. You let this happen. Tell me the
truth,
Gregor!”
“I can’t stop him.” His head bowed, and Selina could almost hear the sound of him cracking inside. “I’ve never been able to fucking stop him. He’s never listened to me. Not once in our entire goddamned lives!”
“Who?” Delta waited until he looked at her. “Who wanted to be turned and didn’t get his wish, Gregor? Who hates anyone who gets to play with magic when he doesn’t?”
“My brother,” he whispered, the words strangled out of him. “Isaak.”
She leaned back, glaring at him. “If he was Normal, he shouldn’t know anything about magic.”
“I know.” He closed his eyes, shook his head. “I may be a criminal, but even I know not to break that law. There’s a difference between those laws that’ll get you in trouble and those that will get you dead, no questions asked.”
Selina scrawled the name on her notepad. “So, why does Isaak know? How did he find out if you didn’t tell him?”
“I was ...” Gregor folded his hands in front of him on the table. “At the time, the Conclave down there wasn’t exactly ...”
“Ethical? We know.” Delta crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing further.
“Right. Right, of course you do.” He swallowed. “My brother and I were working for them for a couple of years, doing what I do now, but as Normals. We didn’t know
what
they were, just that they paid well. When they decided I was too useful to risk mortal death, they turned me. I was more or less willing.”
“Uh-huh.” Less was more like it, but Selina had been part of the task force that had cracked down on that Conclave in the late 1980s. Corruption, lies, murder ... and that was just the starting point. Gregor wouldn’t be the only vampire whose turning hadn’t been quite legal. Then again, he’d passed the favor along to Delta. “And that involves your brother, how?”
“He found me when I was turning.” He stared down at his hands, his gaze distant. “I got out of the Conclave leader’s house and stumbled home in this psychedelic fog. I didn’t really understand what was going on, but he found me and took care of me. He knew ... something was different. He knew I could do things I couldn’t do before. See things, hear things, react faster. He also knew the Conclave gave me better assignments, paid me better, let me deeper into their circle. He was a smart kid, and he put it together.”
Selina nodded. “And he wanted it, too.”
“Yeah. He wanted me to turn him, but I wouldn’t.” His gaze lifted to Delta when she made a derisive noise, and Selina almost thought she saw pleading in his eyes. “I couldn’t go out during the day, and the Conclave owned me. It wasn’t a job anymore. They
owned
me. They could force me to do anything they wanted. They told me they’d kill my brother, they could throw me out into sunlight, they could take away everything if I didn’t do exactly what they said. I refused to put
anyone
in my shoes. Not my brother. Not my lover.”
Delta’s jaw jutted mutinously. “One night doesn’t make you a lover. And dumping me in Atlanta doesn’t make you a nice guy.”
He shook his head. “Isaak didn’t believe me when I told him what they were like. Or he didn’t care. He just wanted to do what I could do. He ... became obsessed with vampirism and magic, learning everything he could from me about how to assassinate a Magickal and how to cover his tracks from the most enhanced senses. Every day that passed, he just got more pissed off and more bitter that I wouldn’t turn him.”
“What did the Conclave have to say about you teaching your brother about how to kill Magickals?” Selina rested her elbows on the table.
Choking on a laugh, he gave her an incredulous look. “They liked it. It made him more useful to them. All that rage inside of Isaak turned to
hate
when every petition he put forward to the Conclave was refused. Nothing I said could make my brother believe he should stay human. He never listens. He’s hardheaded and stubborn.” He shrugged. “The last time I saw him, he said he would prove he was strong enough to be a vampire. But he wouldn’t even have known about vampires without me.”
Selina decided to push him a little more. “He’s after me, you know.”
“You?” His eyebrows arched, genuine surprise crossing his face. “No, he’s after me.”
“You know what his pattern is, right?”
He rubbed his hand down his face. “He kills five people in one city and then he moves on.”
“He tortures them first,” Delta helpfully pointed out.
“I know.” He stared at her, and Selina had the same feeling she did when Luca watched Tess. A man eating his heart out over a woman who loathed him. She wondered if that’s how she’d look when she saw Jack again, and then slammed the lid on that thought. Her chest throbbed, and it had nothing to do with the kick she’d taken. Those wounds had been healed. Her heart was something else entirely. And now was not the time to be worrying about heartache.
“How many did he kill in New Orleans?” she asked.
“A lot.” He spread his hands. “We were assassins for the Conclave.”
She cast him a chastising glance. “I mean in his signature style. Faking being a vampire and draining them dry, leaving them dead in their own bed.”
“Four.” The answer was immediate.
“I was supposed to be the fifth.”
“Shit.” He slumped back in his chair. “I thought ... he was in Seattle for me. His last hurrah before ...”
“Before?” Selina prompted. “Before what?”
“Before he dies. The last time I talked to our mother, she told me he’s dying of a brain tumor. It’s not yet large enough to affect him, but it’s inoperable. His time’s run out.” He looked at Delta. “And he blames me, because I didn’t make him a Magickal.”
She made a disgusted noise and jerked to her feet. “I’d feel sorry for you if so many people hadn’t died because you didn’t come forward and tell anyone about how twisted your brother had become. You may not have killed those people, but you stood aside and let them die because you’re a gutless wonder who’s incapable of doing the right thing.” She turned away. “I’m gonna see what I can dig up on your brother. I’m betting he’s got a record.”
He swallowed hard when Delta slammed out the door. “I have done a lot of bad things in my life. Before and after I was turned. There are only two that I regret. My brother ever finding out about magic. And her.”
“What about her?” That he’d hurt her? That she hated him now? There was a lot of potential regret there.
He dropped his face in his hands. “I ... turned her. Accidentally.”
“You can’t accidentally turn someone.” Selina crossed her legs, leaning back in her seat.
Apparently, he was in the mood to confess things, now that they’d gotten him talking. “I accidentally almost killed her and turned her to keep her alive. We were having sex and it was just after I was turned and everything was sharper, all my senses, my needs, and I was so
hungry.
I turned her to save her life.”
“Without her permission.” Obviously. That much hate didn’t come from a mutual experience.
He chortled, and the sound was heartbreaking. “You know how New Orleans was back then. I didn’t
need
permission. But I ... I couldn’t let the Conclave have her. There was no telling what they’d do to her. Kill her, make her turn tricks for them, anything.” He let his hands drop. “I drove her to Atlanta and left her in an office building owned by the local Conclave. I knew they’d find her and hopefully help her. It was the only thing I could do for her.”
It was ... not evil. Hardly good, but not evil either. The man had a conscience. Sort of. Who knew? She never would have guessed it. She’d have slapped him more firmly in the sociopath category than anything else, but ... well, he was a mercenary, plain and simple. She’d known those types in her life. The profession had been around for centuries. Soldiers of fortune, mercenaries, legionnaires. Their loyalties could be bought, so there was no trusting them. One walked lightly around them, but she knew some of them had wives, kids, families. This vampire was no exception, apparently.
His life seemed to have been one big pile of steaming shit, and she almost pitied him for it. Except he hadn’t come forward about his brother’s sickness. He’d let people be tortured; he’d let people die. He’d let Bess die. He’d let Darren be tortured with silver. For that, she’d never forgive him.
Delta pushed the door open, a thick sheaf of printouts in her hand. Grim bolted through, shouldering the vampire out of the way. Selina and Delta dove to get a grip on his collar while he went absolutely fucking nuts. There was no other way to describe it. He stood himself up on his hind legs, trying to pull against the collar, snapping his jaws, foaming at the mouth, barking loudly enough to puncture eardrums.