Timothy’s hand dropped. “I-I know where the other paranormals are being held.” He licked his lips. “I can give you a list of the locations.”
Good. Luke intended to free all of the others. He turned to Julian. “Take Timothy back to the island. Once I’ve dealt with Garrick, we’ll need those locations.” Then he headed for the door. There was another blood trail to follow in that hell-hole. He had to get to—
“No.” Julian’s voice was flat. Hard.
And it was the first time the guy had ever refused an order from the Lord of the Dark.
Luke stilled. He didn’t look back. “Excuse me?”
“Rose is out there. I saw them hurt her. I have to find her. I have to go after her, right the fuck now.”
Luke’s shoulders were tight with tension and fury. Carefully, he turned to face Julian. “I just pulled your ungrateful ass from the jaws of death.”
“She is out there. They starved her. Kept her prisoner. My Rose.” His hands were clenched at his sides. “You don’t know what it’s like to care about a woman this way. You don’t understand and I can’t make you, but I have to help her. She needs me, and I won’t let her down again.”
I understand plenty. He was walking around without his heart. Trying to do one job. Eliminate Garrick McAdams and the threat that his “agency” posed because Luke could never allow them to go after Mina again. She had to be safe.
Always.
Luke blew out a slow breath. “I will bring your Rose back.”
“She needs me! She—”
“She’s on the boat with Garrick,” Leo interrupted.
Luke fired a glance his way.
Leo shrugged. “I trailed them earlier. I told you this already. Remember? The boat that left thirty minutes ago? I saw them and it would have been rather hard to miss a vampire being carried around in a coffin.”
Julian flinched.
“She’s on the boat, traveling far and fast.” His twin was just the helpful one with information. “And, unless I’ve missed something in the last bit, panther, you can’t sprout wings to find her so you’re going to be grounded on this one.”
Julian took an aggressive step toward Luke. “I need her. I will trade anything to make sure she’s safe. Get me on that boat. Help me, and I’ll make any deal.”
That wasn’t the way this situation would work. He whirled away and rushed out of the cell. He followed the lingering scent of blood into what looked like a small medical ward.
A man’s still body lay on one of the makeshift beds. Long, thin, pale. Tubes and machines were hooked to the man. They beeped steadily.
“I don’t see your spiders, Eli,” Luke said as he approached the bed. He put his hand on the other man’s chest, much like he’d done with Julian. Only this time, Eli was actually much better off. He looked like shit, but it appeared as if the humans had tried to patch him up before they’d hauled ass out of there.
Eli’s eyes opened as the machines beeped louder.
“Luke.” Leo’s voice was sharp. “We really need to get out of here. You know they left these men here for a reason.”
Yes, he knew. He wasn’t an idiot. They were all bait.
“And the fact that no guards are around?” Leo pressed. The guy had followed him—everyone had followed him in there, even a nervous, foot-shuffling Timothy Lang. “Doesn’t that give off warning signs in your head?”
Luke lifted his hand off Eli’s chest. “You aren’t done yet.”
Eli gave him a tired smile. “Didn’t…think I was.”
Luke helped him to sit up.
“Wh-what will I owe you?” Eli asked.
He gave that a moment’s thought. “I could use some new whiskey. Seems some fool agent destroyed my last shipment.”
Eli laughed. A spider tattoo had appeared on his throat. It seemed to move, just a bit.
“We need to get out of here!” Leo thundered.
Luke sighed. “Yes, you’re right. The building is probably going to blow up any moment.”
“What?” That terrified cry came from Timothy.
Luke hoisted Eli over his shoulder, despite the man’s protests. “You were all left behind for two reasons.” He motioned toward Timothy. “Leo, he’s human and since that makes him yours, you carry his ass out.”
Leo gave a curt nod.
Luke let his wings spread behind him. “Where was I?” he muttered. “Ah, yes. My reasons. One…bait. Garrick knew I’d come looking for you. He left a nice blood trail for me to follow so I would come deep into this building and get you all. I’m betting he had sensors and cameras and all sorts of things rigged to watch me. So he knew the minute I arrived. That was the minute that he probably gave the order for this place to blow.”
Julian sidled closer. “Uh, to blow?”
Luke nodded. “Reason two, you see. You were all loose ends. I was a loose end, too. If we all die in the explosion that’s about to happen, then Garrick walks away scot free.” He now had Eli over his shoulder, and one hand clamped on Julian’s arm. “Not happening, by the way.”