used and knelt down beside it. Reaching under, she pulled out a chest, opened it, and held up the Rolodex. “Here it is.” Her fingers flipped through it. What do you know? It’s right here under B for Board of Elders.”
“Great! We’ll get in touch with them when we get home.”
“Why not now?” Annie shrugged. “We can use one of his cell phones.” She rummaged through a box on the coffee table and held one up. She handed it to Ivan.
“Okay.” Ivan punched in the numbers. It had a Washington, D.C., area code. He waited with the phone to his ear. God, he loved technology. To hell with the “good old days.”
Chapter Five
“Draco? Hell, is that you?”
Ivan didn’t recognize the voice on the other end, but he didn’t expect to. “No, Draco’s dead.” He held the phone so Annie could hear too.
“Then who the hell is this?”
“Ivan.”
“Ivan?” He sounded incredulous.
“Yeah, Ivan.”
The man on the other end spoke away from the phone and then came back on.
“What are you doing calling on Draco’s phone?”
“Listen, I need help. There are two assassins in town. They busted up the frenzy and killed everyone. I got away with Draco’s pet. She and I are at his lair right now.”
The silence lasted just a heartbeat.
The voice hissed. “Shit.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not too happy about it, either. Can you help me out? I’m going to need some muscle.”
“Can we meet? Somewhere safe. Let’s make it tomorrow night.” The voice was smooth now, under control.
“Sure, there’s an old warehouse behind the bread factory just as you come into town off the interstate. Midnight?”
“Right, midnight. Oh, and Ivan, bring the girl. If it’s too hot there, we may have to relocate her.”
“Sure, she’ll be with me.”
The line disconnected. Ivan sat back, puzzled.
“Great! They can help us,” Annie said.
“He didn’t say that. Something’s up, Annie. It smells.” He shook his head.
“We don’t have a choice, do we? We can’t tackle those two on our own.” Annie bit her lip. “We’ll have to trust them.”
“No, that’s a mistake, baby. Never trust the Elders. They have their own agendas.” Ivan hated getting involved in politics. Mortal politics were nothing compared to vampire politics. On their Board, if you lost your seat, your head usually went with it.
Ivan grew quiet. Annie got up and walked around the room making a last sweep.
“Guess we should get out of here?” She looked at Ivan.
“Right. Grab those bags, and I’ll get these.”
Together, they left the house, loaded the van, and drove home.
— • —
Marcos hung up the phone and swore.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!”
“What’s wrong now, Marcos?” Lila sounded irritated. He looked back at his current mistress, spread out on the bed. They’d been interrupted by the call. She caressed her breast, teasing him.
“The hit. It didn’t go down quite as planned.”
She sat up, her nipple still between her thumb and finger, her eyes narrowing. “What does that mean?”
“Ivan and some slave bitch are still alive.” Marcos lit a cigarette, inhaled, and scratched his stomach. He went back to the bed and lay down. Staring at the ceiling, he inhaled deeply and blew out a stream of blue-gray smoke from his nostrils. “That means the territory for Elsa isn’t open.” He sucked in another lungful.
“Uh-oh, she won’t like that. Not after you promised her the fourth spot.” Lila frowned, reached across, and plucked the cigarette from between Marcos’ lips. “You know I don’t like it when you smoke, darling.” She popped the lit end of the cigarette into her mouth and drowned its fire in her saliva.
“Bitch. Now I have to light up another one.” He rolled his eyes at the ceiling. Cigarettes weren’t cheap these days. “I’m meeting Ivan and the slave tomorrow. We’ll have to fly in after dark and rent vehicles.”
“Who do you want to come? They should all be there to take their
“Great! We’ll get in touch with them when we get home.”
“Why not now?” Annie shrugged. “We can use one of his cell phones.” She rummaged through a box on the coffee table and held one up. She handed it to Ivan.
“Okay.” Ivan punched in the numbers. It had a Washington, D.C., area code. He waited with the phone to his ear. God, he loved technology. To hell with the “good old days.”
Chapter Five
“Draco? Hell, is that you?”
Ivan didn’t recognize the voice on the other end, but he didn’t expect to. “No, Draco’s dead.” He held the phone so Annie could hear too.
“Then who the hell is this?”
“Ivan.”
“Ivan?” He sounded incredulous.
“Yeah, Ivan.”
The man on the other end spoke away from the phone and then came back on.
“What are you doing calling on Draco’s phone?”
“Listen, I need help. There are two assassins in town. They busted up the frenzy and killed everyone. I got away with Draco’s pet. She and I are at his lair right now.”
The silence lasted just a heartbeat.
The voice hissed. “Shit.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not too happy about it, either. Can you help me out? I’m going to need some muscle.”
“Can we meet? Somewhere safe. Let’s make it tomorrow night.” The voice was smooth now, under control.
“Sure, there’s an old warehouse behind the bread factory just as you come into town off the interstate. Midnight?”
“Right, midnight. Oh, and Ivan, bring the girl. If it’s too hot there, we may have to relocate her.”
“Sure, she’ll be with me.”
The line disconnected. Ivan sat back, puzzled.
“Great! They can help us,” Annie said.
“He didn’t say that. Something’s up, Annie. It smells.” He shook his head.
“We don’t have a choice, do we? We can’t tackle those two on our own.” Annie bit her lip. “We’ll have to trust them.”
“No, that’s a mistake, baby. Never trust the Elders. They have their own agendas.” Ivan hated getting involved in politics. Mortal politics were nothing compared to vampire politics. On their Board, if you lost your seat, your head usually went with it.
Ivan grew quiet. Annie got up and walked around the room making a last sweep.
“Guess we should get out of here?” She looked at Ivan.
“Right. Grab those bags, and I’ll get these.”
Together, they left the house, loaded the van, and drove home.
— • —
Marcos hung up the phone and swore.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!”
“What’s wrong now, Marcos?” Lila sounded irritated. He looked back at his current mistress, spread out on the bed. They’d been interrupted by the call. She caressed her breast, teasing him.
“The hit. It didn’t go down quite as planned.”
She sat up, her nipple still between her thumb and finger, her eyes narrowing. “What does that mean?”
“Ivan and some slave bitch are still alive.” Marcos lit a cigarette, inhaled, and scratched his stomach. He went back to the bed and lay down. Staring at the ceiling, he inhaled deeply and blew out a stream of blue-gray smoke from his nostrils. “That means the territory for Elsa isn’t open.” He sucked in another lungful.
“Uh-oh, she won’t like that. Not after you promised her the fourth spot.” Lila frowned, reached across, and plucked the cigarette from between Marcos’ lips. “You know I don’t like it when you smoke, darling.” She popped the lit end of the cigarette into her mouth and drowned its fire in her saliva.
“Bitch. Now I have to light up another one.” He rolled his eyes at the ceiling. Cigarettes weren’t cheap these days. “I’m meeting Ivan and the slave tomorrow. We’ll have to fly in after dark and rent vehicles.”
“Who do you want to come? They should all be there to take their
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