direction of my eyes. "For the chosen. As for the rest, what does it matter when they die?"
I shrugged. Sounded sort of dark.
"Would you like to meet your first lady vampire?"
"Sure."
"She's outside having a smoke. Do you smoke, Aurora?"
"No."
"Ah, of course not, you've got your future to think about."
I guessed it wasn't Rachel, then, because she was standing beside a telescope at the window with another blond woman.
"Do you have a coat?" William asked.
I shook my head. "I left it in the car."
"Then we won't stay outside long."
William hurried me along the front path. "She's smoking by the street," he said. "House rules."
I rubbed my arms. At least I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt. "You know, maybe I should meet her when she comes back inside. That's the trouble with being human," I attempted to joke. "We're susceptible to the cold."
"She's right up here," William said. "Hey, Wendy," he called. "Where are you?"
The name set an alarm off in my head. Before I had a chance to panic, William turned and looked directly at me. "There you are."
Chapter 25 Catch And Release
Stupid, stupid, stupid. How could I be so stupid? Sure, let's follow the stranger outside to the secluded street. And seriously? Who really wanted to meet a female vampire when there were so many hotties posturing like statues inside the palace - that place where there were actual people to shout out to for help?
A rusted Buick idled on the road. Two doors opened up front and a couple of scuzzbuckets stepped out.
"This her?" one asked.
William nodded. "We've found ourselves an assassin, boys."
I turned to run, but William grabbed me by the hair and yanked back. My entire head felt like it'd been whacked against a wall. Tears leaked out the sides of my eyes. I kneed him in the groin. Did that work on vampires? Thankfully yes. He grunted and let go of my hair.
One of William's henchmen wrapped his arms around me from behind. I stomped on his foot. He shouted. The third one smacked me across the face so hard I fell back and landed on the ground.
Two of them grabbed me and dragged me to the car while a third opened the back door. I was shoved inside. A scuzz got on either side of me. William jumped into the driver's seat.
I looked from side to side. "So which one of you is Renard?"
William laughed from up front. "I'm Renard."
"Of course you are," I said bitterly.
"You're not the only one who can come up with a phony name, Wendy."
"How did you know who I was?"
"Your friend Janine was very forthcoming...once I broke both her arms."
I tightened my hands into fists. "You're disgusting!"
"I'm disgusting?" Renard asked. "What do you call what you did to Ivo and Patrick?"
"Justice."
"Hmm. Justice. And that is what's coming to you, Aurora Sky."
If I weren't so focused on my impending death, I would have told him to bring it. Death was one thing. It could come swiftly; I knew from experience. A drawn-out torturous death was another matter altogether.
If I weren't squeezed in so tight between the two thugs, I might be able to reach under my jeans for my knife.
"You know, I think I left my purse at the party, so if I could just pop back in and retrieve it then meet you fellows back here."
"Funny," Renard said. "Thomas told me the boy was the funny one. When is Dante showing up?"
"He's not."
The vampire to my left grabbed me by the throat. I choked as his hands squeezed.
Renard looked in the rearview mirror. "Wait until we get her to the shack. Then we'll see to it she starts talking."
Shack? No! I'd rather die at the palace than inside a shack. Hell, I'd rather die behind the wheel of a car.
Renard drove down Minnesota Boulevard. There weren't many vehicles out, but a few. I looked over at a group of high school boys cruising beside us. Couldn't they see a kidnapping was in progress? They looked over briefly then sped ahead of us.
Unlike Thomas, I wasn't hooded. There was no need to hood me. Why had Dante covered Thomas's eyes to begin with? He probably hadn't made the decision to off him at that point. Unlike my situation. No mystery there. I'd be tortured, interrogated, and killed. At least the blood suckers wouldn't get a drop out of me.
The shack turned out to be a foreclosed house in a dark neighborhood. A realty sign was posted in the front lawn. The