“That’s what I just said.”
“One of them wouldn’t happen to be the vampire who gave you that mark on your throat, would it?”
“Is that a problem?” His cousin was missing because of vampires, but he hadn’t indicated that he hated them, or that he had a vendetta against them.
“If I said it is?”
“Then this conversation is over. If you mean to harm the vampires I care for, it’s best we don’t associate.” I wasn’t going to risk my life to save Disco and Jennifer only to put them in danger.
He didn’t speak for several seconds, and I wondered if he’d tell me to fuck off. Finally he said, “I don’t know what you’re involved in, but if you need a safe place, I have one you can use for a few days. No harm will come to the people you bring with you.”
“Do I have your word?”
He laughed. “People still ask for that?”
“I do.”
“Fine, you have my word. But I’ll want to ask your vampire friend some questions.”
“What kind of questions?”
“Easy ones. About my cousin. You’re not the only one who needs a few clues to find what you’re looking for. I haven’t had much luck finding a vampire willing to talk. I need this.”
So that’s why he reached out to me. Bane was on a mission. “Fair enough. What’s the address?”
“Don’t know yet, but it’ll be in Jersey City. When you’re ready to move, I’ll be waiting for your call.”
It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but it was better than nothing. I had no other place to go, even if I got Disco and Jennifer out. I had to try and get organized.
“Thank you.” Saying it felt awkward. I didn’t even know Bane. The irony was it didn’t matter. At this point, I had no choice but to rely on a stranger.
“Finally,” he chuckled. “A thank you. I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“Don’t get used to it,” I muttered. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“I certainly hope so,” he said and the line clicked off.
Taking a deep breath, I put the phone in my back pocket and went for my weapons. The Brownings and Desert Eagle were ready for action. I checked each one, making sure the clips were full, and cocked each to put a bullet in the chambers. Afterward I engaged the safeties. The last thing I needed to do was blow off a foot. Each gun went in its proper place—the Brownings under each arm and the Eagle at my side. Then it was time for the most important weapon—the only one in my arsenal that could slay a half-demon.
Sucker was exactly where I stashed it. I removed the blade, running my fingers along the edge. Although the knife was deadly, it seemed far less threatening than it truly was. A blood-drinking weapon, one that could suck a person dry or tear through their bones like twigs. I slid Sucker into the slot on my left side—opposite the Desert Eagle—and shifted my feet. Everything was balanced, exactly as it should be.
Perfect.
After I slid into my leather jacket—hiding the weapons from view—I walked to the mirror and snagged my brush and a hair elastic. I pulled the long strands into a high ponytail, making sure the style was tight enough that it stayed in place. I wanted to be able to see everything clearly, without the locks getting in the way. Once I was finished, I stared at myself in the mirror, meeting my own eyes.
The anguish wasn’t new, nor was the emptiness. Before I’d met Disco I followed the same routine—get ready to face the world, stare at myself in the mirror and remind myself that I would do what I had to because I had no other choice. Get busy living or get busy dying. When you lived without remorse or regret, putting one foot in front of the other became as automatic as breathing.
Now came the fun part.
I didn’t bother making a circle. The person I was about to summon wanted me alive, not dead. In fact, that was what I was counting on. Without her assistance, all the guns, knives, and daggers in the world wouldn’t mean shit.