Retribution

chapter SEVEN

“You need to go to the hospital.”

“No hospitals.” Reed and Maggie spoke in unison. They glanced at each other then settled their gaze on Denver.

Denver had put on another tee shirt and was now inspecting Maggie’s arm. “It’s broken. I think.”

“Yes.” Maggie stared at the deformed limb. “What are you?” He stared at Reed.

“I could ask you the same. That first thing you hit me with was not human.”

Maggie raised an eyebrow and curled the corner of his lips the same way Reed had done earlier.

“It’s still bleeding.”

“Yeah.” Maggie cut his gaze for a brief second from Reed to his arm and then back to Reed.

“You haven’t fed.” It wasn’t a question. Denver’s voice was laced with concern.

Maggie hunched a shoulder, curved the corner of his mouth.

“Why? How long since?”

“Seemed more important to get here, find you.” His gaze never left Reed’s face. “If I’d known you were here, safe--” he paused for a second, flexed his fingers and grimaced, “—with protection I might have considered it.”

Denver tugged the shirt off her shoulder, closed her eyes and turned her head away from Maggie. He quickly cut Reed a glance, grabbed her arm and sunk his teeth into her forearm. She yelped from the sudden prick of pain and surprise of his assault. The noise from Maggie’s throat as he swallowed and savored Denver’s nectar twisted his gut and pulled a low growl from the tips of this toes. It rolled out of his throat and across the room.

Maggie blinked, caught the feral look in Reed’s eyes and released her arm. He swiped his hand across his mouth and sat back on his heels.

“Thanks.”

“Next time warn me. You should have taken what I offered.”

“No. That’s too personal… now.”

He stared at Reed, nodded his head with a jerk.

Reed sat there, slid his gaze from Maggie to Denver and then back to Maggie. Reed heard the blood rushing through Maggie’s veins, pumping his heart but it was different than before. Now it raged where before it was slow and sluggish. He silently prayed her blood didn’t do to Maggie what it did to him after tasting it. Certainly their relationship was purely platonic. He hoped.

“Lycan meet Sorcerer slash master vamp.” She said it as if it were nothing, an everyday event.

Both men shot Denver a look.

“I dabble a little.”

“A little, huh. Whatever you hit me with--” Reed rubbed the center of his chest where most of the power slammed into him. It hurt like a bitch but luckily the bruise had already healed. “—Wasn’t a dabble. How many other vamps do you know?”

“You’re not so bad yourself.” Maggie nodded his head toward Reed.

Maggie stole a glance toward Denver and she hunched a shoulder. It was subtle but Reed caught it. What was that all about? Who was this man? And what did he mean to Denver? Reed didn’t like the emotions storming through him. They were unfamiliar, unwanted.

* * *

Reed paced the living room. Darkness danced behind the curtains letting them know no moon illuminated the sky. Unease tightened like a belt around his chest. Nervous energy prickled the hairs at the nape of his neck.

“So what I heard was true.” It wasn’t a question. “Laura’s dead.”

“How--” She started to ask but stilled her words mid sentence.

“Bad news travels fast.” He shot Reed a cautious glance. “Faster when others are involved.”

Denver didn’t speak, just shook her head. Her breath hitched gently, making Reed turn to look at her. He hated that this was happening to her and it was his fault. If they’d killed him, she wouldn’t have had to help him escape from the hospital and Laura wouldn’t be dead. Guilt ate at him and he knew he’d take this one to the grave.

“What are you gonna do?” Maggie asked Denver.

She stared into his eyes, her face flat, and her emotions unreadable. “Kill them.”

He looked at Reed and shook his head when Reed nodded.

“That’s not smart.”

“I’m not running.” Reed started pacing again. “And nothing else is an option.”

“They killed his family and now Laura.” Denver stood and walked over to Reed. He stopped pacing. She reached out and touched his arm. “I won’t ask you to help me but there must be some retribution for what’s been done.”

“You won’t ask me for help.” Reed leaned down and touched her forehead with his. He sucked in a deep breath and allowed her scent to rush over his body. It settled the wolf that continued to gnaw at his innards. He was bleeding inwardly and for the first time in his life it hurt. Deep.

“And if this doesn’t work—.” Maggie looked from Denver’s face to Reed’s “—you could be writing your death certificate.”

“It’s already written.” Reed stepped away from Denver. “They aren’t going to stop until I’m dead. I can’t let that happen.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“We’ll leave come day light,” said Denver.

“No. That’s not what I’m saying.” Maggie peeled the tee shirt from his arm, tossed it on the floor and flexed his fingers. He then slid his hand to the back of his head, stopping at the nape of his neck and massaged it. “Do you even know who these people are?”

“No.”

“I do.” Reed walked over to a chair and folded his large frame into the suddenly small chair. “I’ve been tracking them for two years. Almost had them before I was betrayed by a… friend.” He stared at Denver and knew she understood what he was saying. She slowly shook her head. He prayed she was right.

“I’m not your problem.” Maggie walked over to the table lamp that still lay on its side from the earlier tussle. After righting it he turned to Denver. “I’ve got a lot at stake. And-- and if I’m going to lose it all, I’d like to know why and who the hell is the cause of it.”

“So be it.” Reed stood, walked to the kitchen, retrieved three beers from Maggie’s refrigerator and returned to the living room. He tossed each of them a beer and sat back down. He’d tell it all. Every single scar, wound, and tear. Every death. He’d tell him about every person these people had hunted and slaughtered because they thought they were an abomination to the earth. Damn all of them.

“If you go in and kill-- slaughter these people, won’t that make you one of them?”

He made a good point.

“They started it.” Denver flung her hand in the air asking them to disregard that last statement. It was childish to say the least.

“Did you go to the police?”

“I am the police and no. These morons destroyed everything. My life. My family. My job. I couldn’t trust anyone on the force. They’d infiltrated that as well. After all, it was a friend who sold him out.

“Wouldn’t it be better to catch them at what they are doing and take them down that way?”

“Hum.” Maggie piqued Reed’s interest. “What do you have in mind?”

“I’m thinking you can use some of that energy, coupled with mine and raise a few heads.”

Denver flopped down on the sofa next to Reed. Immediately his senses awakened. Her scent sent a ripple of energy across his skin, resembling a feather being dragged across already sensitive nerve endings. He wanted to move away but couldn’t. Moving would mean the sensations would still. He didn’t want that. He wanted more.

“Do you remember where you were when they attacked you?” Maggie said, interrupting his thoughts.

“I could probably find the place.”

“Good, then first light we move. Just do some recon and map out a plan.” He stood and walked down the hall and entered a room and closed the door.

“What did he mean when he said if you were in shape?”

“I’ve gotten weak over the years. I used to be much stronger.”

“Mentally or physically.”

“Both.”

She didn’t elaborate but he knew exactly what she meant. He’d met a few vamps in his lifetime and they were all strong. The more powerful could roll you with their eyes, make you do things or not do things. He knew if you didn’t keep it up you could lose it. Basically use it or lose it, his father used to say. Nonetheless, from his previous tussle with Denver, he knew she was stronger than she thought herself. But, how much power and strength did she hold in that petite body of hers, he’d like to find out.

“How well do you know him?” Reed asked Denver without moving his gaze from the hall.

“Better than I know you.”

“Touché.”

“I trust him.”

“I don’t.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Don’t ever think that. I won’t trust anyone with your life but me.”

Denver stared at him as if trying to understand what he just said. It wasn’t rocket science.

“Which part of that don’t you understand?”

“I understand it. I just don’t understand why.” Denver walked over to Reed and kneeled down in front of him. She placed her hands on his knees and looked up into his face. “I don’t blame you.”

“I blame me.”

“Don’t.” She squeezed his leg and it sent a shiver straight to his groin. Damn, he loved the way he felt under her touch.

His gaze dropped to where her hand cupped his leg then slowly trailed up to her face. As if she could read his mind, she withdrew her hand. Reed stood, dragging her up with him. They stood toe to toe staring into each other’s eyes. Power crackled in the room and swarmed around their bodies. A few seconds passed before Maggie stormed back into the room.

“What the hell was that!” He had a gun drawn and was pointing it at Reed’s head.

“Put that damn thing away, Maggie.”

“God, what was that? It almost knocked me out.”

“Us.”

Maggie settled his gaze on Reed’s face. Reed wasn’t sure what he felt and he wasn’t going to ask. He knew what he felt and that’s all he could handle at that moment when it came to the subject of Denver.

Maggie turned and looked at Denver who’d moved to the other side of the room. “You look tired.” He tried to change the subject.

“I am.”

“She—we haven’t gotten much sleep over the past couple of days.”

Maggie glanced at the wall clock then looked back at Denver and Reed. “We still have an hour before light, why don’t you two get some sleep. You need to be alert. There’s no room for weakened senses.”

“Maybe.” Reed grabbed Denver’s hand and walked toward the stairs and the bedroom they’d slept in the night before.

He pushed the door closed behind them.

“I don’t trust him.”

“He doesn’t trust you.” Denver sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her legs up and tucked her knees under her chin. The position he noticed was her signature position when she was thinking or worried.

“You don’t trust him either. I can see it in your eyes.”

“He’s a very powerful vamp, but to tell the truth, Reed, I don’t trust anyone.” She stretched her legs out, turned her back to Reed and closed her eyes.

That sliced through his heart like a double edged sword. Too bad. He really wanted her to trust him.

Reed extended his legs out in front of him, leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. He wasn’t going to sleep. Concentrating, he heard Maggie moving about below them on the first floor. At one time he’d thought he was talking on the phone, but after a minute of searching the voices, he realized it was the television. Who was this man? How did Denver get tied to him? What was his story? Was it coincidence that he would come home at this time or was he sent here after them. Regardless of what Denver thought, these questions had to be answered and the sooner the better.

Reed pushed up and walked over to the window. He stood there inhaling the fresh scent of the ocean. The sound of the waves crashing against rock could be heard from a distance. The cicadas singing away the night signaled the next day was going to be another hot one. The sun was barely cresting the horizon and already the temperature was rising. A light knock on the door had him reaching for the gun tucked at his back.

“Stand down.” Two hands waved through the cracked door. Well, at least Maggie understood where he stood on this matter. He didn’t know him. He’d already drawn his blood and no, he wouldn’t hesitate in pulling the trigger. And he would if he found out Maggie was an unfriendly… a traitor. But would Denver survive losing another friend.

“We’ll be down in a minute.” Reed informed him without opening the door further. “Just let me wake Denver.”

“I’m awake.”

“You should have tried to get some sleep. I don’t know what’s ahead.”

“Did you sleep?”

“No. But--”

“But what? And please don’t say you don’t need much sleep. I don’t think I can take it if you do. Just a few days ago you were in a coma.”

“Yeah, I know.” He was going to say exactly what she begged him not to say. So he lied. “I was going to say, you can’t cover my ass if you’re tired.”

“Bullshit. That is not what you were going to say and you know it.”

Reed curled his lips in a smile that he knew did reach his eyes. A soft chuckle passed his lips.

“Yeah.”

“I’m not sure if I like this.” His voice a soft murmur as they left the room.

“I know. Promise me something before we go down.” Denver stopped and waited for Reed to look at her. “Don’t kill him.”

“Can’t promise it, but I will certainly try.”

* * *

They had been driving for several hours, heading inland, before Reed pointed to the congested clump of trees surrounding the dilapidated warehouse. It probably hadn’t been used in years. A hundred rusty holes decorated the exterior walls.

“How the hell did you end up at my hospital if you were way out here?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they dumped me thinking I was dead.”

“You were… almost.”

Reed cut her a look. She hunched a shoulder and glanced at Maggie in the rear view mirror. He shook his head.

“I’m glad you can make a joke of this,” said Maggie. “However--” Maggie cut his gaze from Denver to the scene unfolding in front of them. “Or maybe this isn’t the place and he’s f*cking with us.” His voice was hurried, rough.

Reed’s head snapped in the direction where Maggie sat. His hand immediately clutched into fists. Denver grabbed his arm, her warmth calmed him.

“Lucky for you I have a sense of humor and I’m willing to take that as a joke… for now, but don’t push me. You won’t like me when I’m angry.”

“I thought I met that earlier.”

“I didn’t even skim the surface of what I could do to you. Don’t push me.”

“Stop it, please, both of you. There’s pretty much nothing funny about any of this.” She pulled her lips into a tight frown and again silence filled the car.

Reed was the first to exit the car, then Denver. Maggie sat for another minute before pushing the door open and sliding out. Reed wasn’t sure of the emotion showing on his face. Nonetheless, he didn’t like it. So many had manifested he didn’t know which to believe.

“Do you have the video camera?”

Maggie held up his hand holding the mini cam.

“What’s the range?”

“The video has a long enough range, but if we want serious audio, we are going to have to get up close.”

“We aren’t even sure if this is the place.” Denver’s voice took on a deep tone. Different from the others he’d heard.

“It’s the place. But my question is what makes your friend Maggie think they would be here.” He emphasized the words.

“I don’t, but who knows where your friends are hanging out.”

God, he really didn’t like this man, but he prayed he didn’t have to kill him.

They’d stepped a few feet when voices floated to Reed’s ears. He stopped, help up his hand to still their movement. There were several voices, all male.

“Hold up,” he whispered.

Denver and Maggie stopped in their tracks. Their movements so precise on any other day he would have thought they were ex-military. Together, they moved toward the building. Pressing their bodies to the wall, they slowly crept toward the nearest window.

The voices grew louder and clearer. Recognition slammed into Reed. Anger boiled in his gut, searing his veins. His heartbeat pulsated in his temple. He swallowed and it hurt, his throat suddenly desert dry.

He stretched his arm out, placing Denver behind him and drew his gun. “It’s them.” Suddenly he didn’t want to bring them to justice. Suddenly videos and audios meant nothing to him. Blood on his hands made sense. Retribution made sense. Just thinking about it heated the rage in his body. That’s what made sense.