“All the time,” he sneered. “You fucked with the wrong john, bitch. I’m in his pocket nice and tight.”
“Uh-huh.” I took my shirt and bra off one-handed, not taking the gun off Isaac for a second. Then I pulled my hair over the bullet wound in my shoulder, hiding it. As for the rest of the blood on me…well, there was nothing I could do about that.
Isaac’s eyes widened in the rearview mirror.
“Drive right on up and tell them you’ve brought some Yuletide joy,” I said evenly, sitting back. “I’m sure it won’t be the first time. And remember, I’ve got this trained at your head, so if you say anything else, I’ll blow you to hell.”
Isaac smirked. I knew he’d pull something, but I was hoping he’d be arrogant enough to wait until we were inside to do it.
“Nice tits.”
“Go.”
He pulled up the driveway without any more prompting. As he neared the guard station, I moved the gun to where my hip shielded it from view.
Isaac rolled down the window when he came to a halt at the gate. One of the guards poked his head out from his post.
“Hi, Frankie,” Isaac said. “Back again.”
“Twice in one day, Jay?” the man asked. “Who you got back there?”
Isaac rolled down my window as well. The glass had been tinted. When the guard saw me, he gave a leer at my breasts and then laughed.
“Never mind. I guess it’s better if I don’t know. Good timing. The missus just left ’bout an hour ago.”
“That is good timing,” Isaac drawled, sounding much more confident. “See you later, Frankie.”
We went through the gates and pulled up the one-lane drive to the house. I was about to put my shirt back on when someone without a heartbeat stepped out of the front door to announce him.
“Help!” Isaac shouted—and ducked.
The vampire lunged at the car just as I pulled the trigger. If I’d have been merely human, Isaac would have made it, but I was half vampire topped off with two pints of Bones, and he didn’t stand a chance. Isaac’s head exploded. Blood splattered everywhere, coating the windows and me in a layer of gore.
My door was ripped off its frame in the next second, but that was long enough for me to aim again. In lightning succession I fired into the vampire’s open mouth, knocking him backward, pulling the trigger over and over until there was nothing but clicks, and then I jumped him.
His face was a mess. He was healing, but with pieces of his skull mimicking Isaac’s current state, it took him too long. I snatched a knife from his belt with relief, ramming it through his heart just in time to whirl and face the other two running vampires.
One went airborne. I ducked to let him sail over me. He landed on the car instead, giving me those needed moments to sprint forward and launch myself on his partner. Swipe, swipe, and he went down, an expression of disbelief on his face. Being underestimated was the greatest thing ever.
The other vampire regained his bearings and circled me, fangs gleaming. There were screams from inside the house and the guard station. I heard Frankie calling for backup, and then the sound of him running. Dammit. Soon this place would be swarming with cops. Or worse.
I backed away and pretended to trip. Fang Face bought it, springing forward. His momentum made the knife I flung sink that much deeper into his chest. He was still snarling when he landed on me, and I rolled backward in a somersault and kicked him through the front window, jumping up immediately to follow him. Better him getting cut up making a doorway than me.
Gunfire erupted from inside and outside the house as the human security guards tried to defend their employer. I grabbed the dying vampire and threw him at two of the closest shooters, knocking them over. Then I ran through the dining room, past the stone fireplace with the lovely exposed-beam ceiling, and up the stairs. Behind me there was chaos as they scrambled to chase.
I didn’t focus on them. I heard Oliver on the phone, calling for help, and that was all I centered my concentration on. I made it down the hall, his accelerated heartbeat my beacon, and burst through the door that stood between me and my prey.
The bullet meant for my chest tore through my shoulder instead as I lurched, seeing the gun too late. Oliver fired again, hitting me in the leg. It knocked me over and I fell, momentarily stunned by the impact and cursing myself for stupidly rushing in like that.
Frankie and two more guards came huffing up the stairs. I didn’t turn around, but kept my glare on Oliver as he leveled his gun at me with a rock-steady hand.
“Isaac’s dead,” I said roughly, throbs of pain from the bullets almost paralyzing me. “There won’t be any explosion at the hospital.”
“Governor Oliver!” one of the men gasped. “Are you hurt?”
Oliver had sky-blue eyes. Very clear and bright, and that salt-and-chestnut hair was as perfectly coiffed as it had been in his campaign photos.
“Frankie, Stephen, John…get the fuck out of here,” he said cleanly.