The woman looked up, saw who was asking, and forced a laugh before replying in heavily accented English. “Are you with the pretty one? The vampire?”
“Is that the man you tried to kill?” Lana asked, pretending not to understand.
“Only the power of God can kill one like that.”
“Why do those men want him dead?”
“They don’t.” The woman leaned heavily against the wall, panting for breath as she looked up to meet Lana’s eyes. “You should go home, forget about him. He is evil.”
“I can’t,” Lana admitted. “I’m sworn to protect him.”
“Then you are a fool,” the woman whispered.
“Where did they take him?”
She laughed again, coughing with the effort it took. “You will die if you go there.”
Lana shrugged. “We all die eventually.”
“Do you have a car?” the woman whispered.
“Yes.”
“Take me to my home, and I will tell you what you want to know.”
Lana considered the woman’s offer. Obviously, she couldn’t be trusted. But there was no question that the men had deserted her, and, besides, Lana wasn’t that easy to get rid of.
“Fine,” Lana said. “But try anything, and I’ll kill you.”
The woman gave a small cynical laugh, as if she didn’t credit the threat, but then she met Lana’s cool stare and her laughter died. She nodded grimly. “I only want my bed. I hurt very much.”
“Good,” Lana muttered, helping the woman to her feet. “I hope whatever they paid you was worth it.”
Once they were in the SUV, the woman—Lana considered asking her name, but discovered she didn’t care—directed her to a small stand-alone house about two miles from the bar. It was generally neat and tidy, with flowers in boxes beneath the front window sills and in clay pots along the walkway. It was probably pretty in the sunlight, if one gave a fuck. Which Lana didn’t.
She parked in the short driveway, grabbed the keys and headed around the front of the SUV. Lana opened the passenger door and the woman groaned as she tried to get out. Taking her arm, Lana eased her down to the running board and then the ground. They made their slow way over to the front door which the woman opened with a set of keys she produced from a pocket in her skirt.
Once inside, she slumped exhaustedly into an overstuffed chair. “Can you get me some water?” she asked in a voice that was mostly a whisper.
“I’m not here to nurse you,” Lana said coldly. “I said I’d get you home. You’re home. Now tell me where they took him.”
“Water,” the woman rasped. “Please. So I can tell you.”
Lana was growing angrier and more impatient by the minute. She was tempted to get the water and throw it in the devious woman’s face, but that wouldn’t get her out of here any sooner. So, she opened the refrigerator, grabbed one of several bottles of water, and handed it over.
“Okay. Talk.”
“My name is Fidelia Reyes.”
Lana only stared. She didn’t give a fuck what the bitch’s name was. And if she thought Lana was stupid enough to hand over her own name, she was crazy as well as devious.
“You are a fool,” Reyes muttered.
“And you’re a dead woman if you don’t start talking.”
Reyes shrugged, then gasped at the movement and hugged herself with both arms. “Your vampire hurt me badly.”
“You’re lucky he didn’t kill you. Talk. Who sent you after him?”