Shon (The Seeker Series Book 2) Page 2

  “You can do this, Laura,” she said aloud. “He’s only a man.”

  But he wasn’t a man. He was a vampire. Albeit a sexy one. And that scared her more than her past feelings for him did.

  Laura had seen Ember suffer at the hands of those monsters. Yes, she had Angel to protect her, but Angel couldn’t be with her twenty-four hours a day.

  Being with a creature of the night meant that you would never be completely safe, never trust the ones outside your circle, and even then, your inner circle wasn’t always secure either.

  Clay Harper had been the perfect example of that.

  Chapter Three

  Shon awoke with the setting of the sun. He dragged himself from bed and took a relaxing shower.

  Angel had let him stay in his old condo since he no longer needed it. The Bulgarian had moved in with Ember shortly before they’d married, but had kept his condo due to the two-year lease he had on the place.

  Dragging on his jeans, Shon pulled a white T-shirt over his head and tugged on his boots. He secured his long hair into a ponytail and headed next door to grab his plane ticket from Ember.

  Laura’s sweet essence hit him full in the face as he stepped out onto the deck. He didn’t need to glance below to see if her car sat in the parking lot. He’d know her delicious scent anywhere.

  He trailed down the deck to Ember’s door.

  “Come in,” Ember called before he could lift his hand to knock.

  Shon opened the door and stepped inside. “You should always check to see who it is before you invite someone inside, Em. I could have been a crackhead, for all you knew.”

  Ember poked her head around the corner of the kitchen. “I could smell you the second you stepped outside. And I’d never mistake you for a crackhead, dear cousin. A dickhead maybe, but never a crackhead.”

  “Very funny,” Shon remarked, sidling up next to her in the small kitchen. His gaze automatically landed on Laura, sitting at the bar, facing him.

  Keeping his expression blank, he propped his hip against the counter and nodded in Laura’s direction. “Miss Donovan.”

  “Shon,” she acknowledged, resting her elbows on the bar.

  She’s not as immune to me as she’d like me to think, Shon noticed, taking in the tinge of pink staining her cheeks.

  He wanted to reach across that damn bar and crush his mouth against hers. Instead, he remarked, “You must not have slept very well last night.”

  Indignation flashed in her eyes. “At least I do sleep at night, as opposed to running around town terrorizing poor, innocent people with a pair of deadly fangs.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted. “You have no idea what I do after dark, Blondie. I can tell you that penetration is usually involved, but not always by my fangs.”

  “Shon,” Ember scolded, smacking him with a dish towel. “Stop being an ass.”

  He decided to cut Laura some slack. After all, he had no idea why he baited her to begin with. Perhaps it was partly due to the fact that she had never given him the time of day and avoided him at every turn. He wasn’t sure, but whatever the reason, he needed to squelch it.

  With an inward sigh, Shon relaxed his stance. “I apologize, Laura. I was only teasing you.”

  “Apology accepted,” Laura conceded, sending him a small smile. “How are things in your neck of the woods?”

  He shrugged a massive shoulder. “Same story, different town. Hot, too many mosquitos, and not enough rain.”

  “I would think you’d have some sympathy for the mosquitos. I mean, you have so much in common.”

  Laura’s snark caught him off guard. A chuckle bubbled up. “Touché. And here I thought you had nothing but air in that cute, little blonde head of yours.”

  Angel sauntered into the room, wearing jeans and a black T-shirt. His feet were bare, and his damp hair had been pulled back into a ponytail.

  He grinned at Shon on his way over to hug his wife. “You aren’t growing soft on us, are you?”

  “Only in Laura’s presence. She seems to have that effect on me.” He glanced down at the zipper of his jeans for emphasis.

  Laura jumped from her stool. “I have to go.”

  “Please don’t,” Ember intervened, rushing around the bar to stop her. “He’s leaving soon, and besides. We have to talk.”

  Shon meandered off toward the hall. “I’ll just go check on little man.”

  Ember threw an arm out to stop him. “You should hear this too.”

  A wrinkle formed between his brows. “Okay. Mind if I sit next to you?” he asked Laura as he skirted around her.

  She didn’t answer, only returned to her seat to fidget with her hands.

  Ember blew out a breath and glanced at Angel. Maybe you should begin.”

  Angel rested his hands on the counter in front of him, pinning his guests with a serious stare. “We believe another Seeker has taken up residence in the area.”

  Shon’s heart jumped in response to Angel’s admission. “When you say, the area, you mean Lakeland?”

  Angel nodded, holding Shon’s gaze.

  “How do you know this for sure?” Shon pressed without glancing at Laura. He didn’t need to see her face to know her feelings. He could sense fear coming from her in waves.

  Angel pinched the bridge of his nose. “Vlad called with the news. It would seem one of Gina’s minions got a little too close to the Impaler’s lair. After a brief, calculated torture, he admitted the deception to Vlad before he died.”

  Shon stopped breathing. “Did he say who this minion might have been?”

  “It wasn’t John,” Angel softly admitted. “Ember made sure I asked.”

  Shooting his cousin a grateful look, Shon waved his hand for Angel to continue.

  “The minion didn’t know the identity of the Seeker, but he did indicate that it was a man.”

  “That narrows it down a lot,” Shon murmured sarcastically. “I can’t go to Alaska with a Seeker running loose in Polk County.”

  Angel’s eyebrows lifted. “You’d rather risk the wrath of Vlad?”

  “When it comes to Laura’s safety, you’re damn right I will.”

  The words had left Shon’s mouth before he could stop them. He’d all but admitted Laura’s importance to him in front of God and everyone.

  Angel shook his head. “You are the only one, besides me and your brother, that can track Gina down. I can’t leave Ember and Lucius unprotected, and we both know that John will be no help. It’s left up to you to locate her.”

  “Then Laura stays here with the two of you.”

  Laura swiveled her head in Shon’s direction. “What good will it do for me to stay with them? I have to work during the days while they sleep. They can’t protect me in the daylight hours.”

  “Damn it,” Shon swore, returning his attention to Angel. “She has a point. With a new threat from an unknown Seeker, who is going to protect Ember and Lucius while you sleep?”

  Angel blew out a breath, glancing at everyone in the room. “I’ve been thinking a lot about that since Vlad’s phone call. I have someone in mind.”

  “Who?” The trio asked in unison.

  “Her name is Nita Franks.”

  Ember’s eyes narrowed. “Who is Nita Franks?”

  “It’s not what you think,” Angel assured her. “I saved her life years ago from being slaughtered in an alley by some hunters back in Alaska.”

  “Are you telling me that you’ve kept in touch with her all these years?” Jealousy fairly dripped from Ember’s voice.

  Angel shook his head. “No. I haven’t spoken with her since that night.”

  Shon cleared his throat to break up the tension between Angel and Ember. “How can you be sure that you’ll find her again?”

  “That’s easy,” Angel murmured. “She’s the leader of the Kiana Shifters. Her family has ruled in Anchorage for over five hundred years. She’ll be there.”

  “Did you say shifters?” Laura breathed, her eyes huge in her face
.

  Angel hesitated before answering. “They’re shape shifters. Some of the Alaskan natives have the ability to change shape at will. Nita’s clan are descended from wolves.”

  Laura’s breath came out in a shuddered sigh. “Nothing should surprise me at this point.”

  Chapter Four

  Shon slid from the barstool and moved toward the door. “I suggest you call Vlad and inform him that I won’t be on that flight,” he informed Angel on his way past the kitchen.

  Angel gripped Shon’s arm, concern swimming in his eyes. He whispered low enough that Laura couldn’t hear. “Listen. I understand how you feel. Really, I do. If it came down to obeying a direct order from Vlad or staying behind to protect Ember and Lucius, I would protect my family at all cost.”

  “But?”

  “You don’t want to make an enemy of the Impaler. He can make things difficult for you. Laura can stay here with us. I’ll protect her with my life. Besides, if Gina isn’t found, both Laura and Ember remain in danger.”

  Shon took a deep breath, indecision warning with his common sense. Not only would Gina pose a threat to them all, but his brother was still out there and under Calimari’s control.

  “Fine. I’ll go. But Laura comes with me.”

  Understanding showed on Angel’s face. “Do what you must…and good luck with that.” He released Shon’s arm.

  With a nod of agreement, Shon slipped out the front door and headed off in the direction of the foreclosed strip mall. He needed to feed before informing Laura of his change in plans. She’d be angry for sure, and nothing turned Shon on more than fire flashing in Laura’s beautiful, blue eyes.

  Shon arrived at the strip mall in less than a minute. He’d run with vampiric speed, not wanting to be away from the condo any longer than necessary. God only knew where Gina might be lurking. Or the Seeker, for that matter.

  A shadow passed by one of the empty store windows, telling Shon that his next meal would no doubt be an addict.

  It wasn’t that drugs had the ability to harm vampires or affect them at all, for that matter. Shon simply hated the taste. And God forbid he get ahold of a meth head. They could turn a nice, relaxing meal into an Ultimate Fighting Championship that could rival Urijah Faber.

  Shon slipped silently into the building, coming to a stop outside the entrance to the room with the pacer.

  He eased the door open and stilled. There, walking a groove in the carpet was a young girl with long dark hair and an angel’s face.

  She looked up at him as he stepped farther into the room. “I need the money up front.”

  A faint bruise lay beneath her left eye, covered heavily by makeup.

  “For?” Shon couldn’t help but ask, stopping about ten feet from her.

  She glanced around, obviously nervous. “Did Horace send you?”

  Realization dawned, followed by anger. “Horace is your pimp?”

  The girl nodded. “Do you have the money or not?”

  Shon drifted closer. “What is your name?”

  “Clara.”

  “How old are you, Clara?”

  He sensed her heartbeat kick up a notch, but she didn’t back down. “Old enough.”

  Shon reached into his pocket and pulled a money clip free. Snagging a couple of one hundred dollar bills, he held them up for her to see. “How old?”

  “Fifteen,” she admitted, her chin lifting in defiance.

  Rage coupled with pity came to life inside Shon. He slipped a few more hundred-dollar bills free, took hold of her hand, and laid the money in her palm. “Go home, Clara. Leave this place and never look back.”

  Tears filled her eyes as she stared at the wad of money she held. “You-you don’t want anything in return?”

  “Information only.”

  Clara stuffed the cash into her shorts pocket. “What do you want to know?”

  “How to find Horace.”

  The tears that had gathered in her eyes spilled over, tracking down her rouge-stained cheeks. “He will kill me, mister. Just like he did, Melinda.”

  “Melinda?”

  “Another…girl that worked for him.”

  More rage took root, but Shon kept it restrained. Barely. “And how old was Melinda?”

  “A year younger than me.”

  It took everything Shon had to prevent his fangs from shooting through his gums. He took a calming breath. “You’ll never have to worry about him ever again. I promise.”

  She turned to stare out the window, seeming to consider his words before meeting his serious gaze once more. “He’s in the last office in this building. On that end.” She jerked her thumb in the direction she’d indicated.

  Sending her a gentle smile, Shon spun toward the door, stopping to glance back on his way out. “Go home, Clara. Don’t ever come back.”

  Once outside, Shon blurred his way to the last office on the left, opened the door, and stepped inside.

  “What the…” was all Horace managed before Shon had his hand in the pimp’s hair, the guy’s neck twisted at an awkward angle.

  “You like to prey on young girls?” Shon peeled his lips back, revealing razor-sharp fangs.

  The pimp’s eyes grew huge with fear, and a scream trapped in his throat as Shon struck with the precision of a snake. He fed from Horace until he stopped fighting, until the guy’s eyes drifted shut, and his pulse slowed to a stop.

  Retracting his fangs, Shon tossed Horace over his shoulder and blurred his way toward the woods.

  He stopped next to an alligator-infested lake and tossed Horace’s body into its murky depths.

  The water began to swirl with the stampede of gators nesting nearby. Horace would be gone by morning, along with any evidence of Shon’s involvement.

  Shon felt no remorse for taking the pimp’s life. The guy had forced a fifteen-year-old girl into prostitution and had taken the life of one even younger. No, he’d deserved what he got.

  Turning back toward Ember’s, Shon walked rather than ran. He needed time to calm himself before informing Laura of her upcoming trip to Alaska. She would probably put up more of a fight than ole Horace had.

  Chapter Five

  Laura sat on the couch next to Ember, watching in fascination as her best friend fed Lucius from her wrist. “I don’t know whether to be amazed or nauseated.”

  Ember laughed. “It’s a natural feeding. I’d rather do it this way than pump blood into a bottle.”

  “Jesus,” Laura gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “Now, that’s a visual I could have done without.”

  “What visual would that be?” Shon stepped through the kitchen door, closing it behind him.

  He moved around the bar and took a seat in a chair next to the couch. “I love catching the tail end of a conversation.”

  Laura glanced at her watch. “Don’t you have a plane to catch in a couple of hours?”

  Shon rubbed his palms down the legs of his jeans, resting them on his knees. “We have a plane to catch.”

  “I know you’re not referring to me.” Laura balked. “I’m not going to Alaska.”

  Angel strode into the room with cell phone in hand. “It looks like no one will be hopping a plane just yet.”

  Shon laid his head back against the chair cushion and rubbed at his eyes. “What now?”

  “Vlad is on his way here as we speak. As is Nita Franks.”

  Laura watched as Shon lifted his hand from his eyes enough to peer at Angel. “The shifter is coming with him?”

  Angel shook his head. “Not with him, but she’s agreed to come. She’ll be leaving tomorrow, and she’s not happy about it.”

  “Then why did she agree to come?” Ember snapped, suspicion lingering in her hazel eyes.

  Angel shifted his gaze to his wife. “Because—”

  “She owes you. Yeah, you told me.” Ember adjusted Lucius in her arms. “Is it really necessary to have her here? I’m not sure how comfortable I’ll be having her in my home.”

  “It
’ll only be for a little while,” Angel assured his wife. “Her debt will then be paid, and you’ll never have to see her again.”

  Laura decided to intervene. “Why the change of plans with Vlad?”

  Angel answered immediately, a grateful gleam in his eyes. “Word has reached Vlad that Gina plans on returning to Florida on unfinished business. If she isn’t already here.”

  “There you have it,” Shon growled, jumping to his feet and pinning Laura with an intimidating look. “Gina is coming here. No matter how much you dislike me, you’re stuck with me for as long as she still has a head.”

  Laura lifted her gaze to his. “I never said I didn’t like you. I’m not particularly fond of your insults, but I don’t dislike you.”

  Shon visibly relaxed his stance. “I’ll try to tone it down a bit.”

  “No, you won’t,” Laura quipped, rising to her feet. “But I’ll try to take your mentality into account and cut you some slack.”

  Shon laughed, startling Lucius and shocking Laura. She’d expected a snarky comeback or a quick-witted response. Anything but the deep chuckle rumbling in his chest.

  “My mentality thanks you,” Shon informed her, suddenly growing serious. “Now that Vlad is on his way and Nita will be staying here at the condo, we’ll need to bunk somewhere else.”

  Laura’s heart began to pound. Spending her nights with Shon was not something she wanted to consider, but with Gina Calimari lurking about, Laura would be willing to make an exception. “I have an extra bedroom. You can sleep in there.”

  Shon shook his head. “Gina can’t harm you during the daylight hours, Laura, but the Seeker is more than likely human. We can’t stay at your place.”

  “Then where do you suggest we go?”

  “You both can have my condo,” Angel offered, bending to retrieve a now-full Lucius. “I’d feel better about you being right next door also. Nita will be here to keep an eye on Laura while we sleep.”

  Shon touched Laura on the arm. “I’ll take you home to grab your things.”

  Laura glanced around at the room’s occupants. “Is this nightmare ever going to end?”