“I leave for two minutes and you’re already stepping in on my woman.” Ryder’s amused voice washed over us, and I realized he’d walked through the doorway which had been left open by Oliver and Jayden.
I wrinkled my nose at him as I stepped out of Jayden’s arms. All of the enforcers had taken to giving us crap about our make out session in the filing room. They all thought it was hilarious. “You’ve actually been gone for four hours,” I said. “But hey, who’s counting.” I tried to be pissed, but the way he called me his woman was totally hot.
He strode across and dropped a kiss on my lips, and like magic all of my pissed-off-ness just floated away. Sneaky ash bastards, using their good looks and animal charisma to cloud a lady’s senses.
He pulled back, silver eyes pulsing at me. His emotions were as heightened as mine. “Sorry I’m late, Charlie. We ended up with a call out. I had to detain and bring in a new ash. He’ll be in the next round of culling.”
My mouth popped open. “There’s another culling? I thought we were full?”
Ryder’s face hardened. “The ash that Deliverance killed opened up some spots.”
WTF! “So why doesn’t the Quorum just give the next five spots away? Why build up the numbers of ash and then make them fight for it?” My fists were balled. This was total bullshit. The more I stopped to look around, the more I felt this entire ash/vampire system was royally fucked and needed a complete overhaul.
Ryder leaned in to me. “The Quorum gives nothing away,” he whispered.
The vampires were the stronger race, and yet they sat in their penthouse apartments drinking blood wine and doing God knows what while we were fighting for our lives. But they had weaknesses we didn’t, weaknesses which could be utilized if there was ever a chance to take those bastards down.
“It’s two minutes to midnight, better move your asses,” Markus said, and I was on point again. I couldn’t dwell on this culling shit anyway. I wouldn’t be here to see it this time. But just like everything else on my bring-down-the-vampires list, I would give my all to end that barbaric practice.
As I left, Ryder and Kyle stuck close to me, the three of us silent as we took the lift up to the roof. We had to be careful at this time of night; there were vampires everywhere, and they often used the jogging track for their nighttime outdoor activities.
As soon as we were on the right level, I strode quickly, an enforcer on either side of me. I liked to think I could handle myself now. I had my weapon and the constant training—aka beat down on Charlie—was starting to pay off. But still there was something inside of me which felt safe being sandwiched between these two ash.
The fresh air was a relief, and besides a few groups of creepy suckers scattered around, the top level was fairly deserted. I swiveled my head, looking for Tessa, but there was no flash of her signature blond curls. We strode further across, and I was getting the creepy feeling that someone was watching us.
My breathing started to increase, the fear in my body catching up before the fear in my brain. Ryder and Kyle reacted in an instant. Both of them drew their weapons and fell in back to back on either side of me. The three of us were silent as we observed the area around us. We weren’t out in the open, we’d stuck close to the walls as we searched for Tessa, but something was stalking our footsteps.
Lucas popped out of the shadows then and Ryder nearly took him down. At the last second, he pulled back.
Lucas’ face was pinched in anxiety. “Charlie,” he whispered, his voice husky. “I’ve been voted off the Quorum. They no longer trust me, but I overheard them. Your mom, they’re going to take her.”
I sagged against Ryder’s side, the air knocked out of me.
Kyle had to speak for me because I was at a loss for words. “Who is going for her mom and when?”
Chattering reached me and I noticed a group of vampires coming over to us. In the center was Tessa. She was beaming smiles and entertaining, being a social butterfly as usual.
“Vampires. Working for the Quorum. It’s all going down right now. At her work … at the hospital,” Lucas murmured before turning away from us and crossing to the advancing group of vampires. He intercepted them before they could reach us. “Enjoying our little Tessa?” I heard him say. “She’s a doll, isn’t she?” He was using his best weapon to distract that group from us. His charm.
My friend finally noticed me then. She’d been a little busy laughing and sucking face with Blake. Asshole. My heart pulled in two directions as Tessa waved me over.
I shook my head at her, before turning away. “Let’s go,” I told my boys, and a quick glance back had Tessa staring after me, a frown marring her pretty face.
Not up to dealing with her pain, I turned away and practically raced off the rooftop.