"Yes. He's probably down for the day. But I'd still hurry. He wasn't alone when he came back. He had a blond with him," Nicholas announced.
"You haven't approached the room?" Decker asked sharply.
"I haven't eaten in two days chasing this bastard, cousin. I've done the hard work. Now you get to do the cleanup... Are you downtown yet? You should be. I imagine you took the Gardiner Expressway. Where are you?"
Dani quickly blurted the intersection ahead, gaining a glare from Lucian. She ignored him.
"Turn right, Decker," Nicholas said quickly.
Decker cursed and cranked the wheel, tires squealing as he took the corner at the very last possible second. Teeth grinding together, he said, "You're not at the Four Seasons, are you? You're at a different hotel."
"Very good, cousin. Nice to see you're as sharp as ever. You should see the correct hotel up ahead. I realize you probably have a small army of men already circling the Four Seasons, but you didn't really think I'd stand here waiting to be captured by one of the enforcer teams, did you?"
There was a grim silence in the van.
Nicholas continued, "I wouldn't wait for the men to make their way from the Four Seasons to here. I suggest you hit the room at once."
"Why?" Decker asked sharply.
"I told you, he had a blond with him, and judging by his pissed expression, she's not in for a good time."
"Then perhaps you should go in there right now," Lucian suggested.
"I'm too weak, I need blood," Nicholas growled. "I've been standing at the end of the hall listening ever since I found the room. There have been no sounds to suggest he's started in on her yet." He paused and then added, "By my guess you're pulling up to the hotel now."
"Yes," Dani said, glancing out the window to see they were pulling in.
"Good. It shouldn't take you long to get up here. I guess I'll head out." There was a brief pause and then he added, "And Decker?"
"Yeah?" he asked as he pulled up to the doors.
"If you don't save this girl after all the trouble I've gone to, I'm going to kick your ass."
"Anytime, cousin," Decker said grimly as he threw the van into park and shut off the engine. He was out of the van with Dani and the rest of the men following before the click sounded, ending the call.
She slid the phone into her pocket and then jogged the few steps to catch up to Decker and took the hand he was holding out behind him. The moment her fingers slid into his, he glanced back and said, "I. think you should wait in the lobby."
"She's my sister," Dani said grimly. "Besides, I'm an immortal now too, right?"
Decker's mouth compressed, but he didn't try to argue with her.
"Do you want Mortimer and me to look for Nicholas while you and Decker go after the sixth rogue?" Justin asked the question of Lucian, but it was Decker who answered.
"No. Getting Dani's sister back comes first. We'll just have to go after Nicholas later."
Dani hardly heard Lucian's grunt of concession. Her eyes were on Decker as he pulled her through the lobby, and she thought she must love him after all. How could she not? This immortal had taken a bullet for her before even knowing her name, had driven her to heights of passion she'd never imagined, had watched over and nursed her through the turn, and then comforted her afterward. This was an immortal who had been tortured by guilt since the events resulting in Nicholas's escape, and yet was putting the life of a young girl he'd never met ahead of finding a rogue he'd been hunting for fifty years. He was a good man, an immortal. Her immortal if she wanted him... and she did, Dani acknowledged, and then glanced around when Decker slowed and drew her closer to his side.
They'd reached the elevators and were pressing their way through the large crowd of people gathered there waiting to take the lifts up. Dani was quite sure they'd be waiting a while, but when an elevator arrived and the people began to crowd toward it, the ones closest miraculously stopped, blocking the others from entering so that Decker could lead their party through and get on board. As the doors closed on the disgruntled people trying to get past the human blockade, Dani decided she couldn't wait until she could read and control minds. It had certainly come in handy just now, she acknowledged, wondering which, or how many, of the men had caused that little miracle.
"Find a maid and get a pass key," Lucian ordered Justin as they headed out of the elevator and turned into the hall holding room 1413. The younger immortal nodded and turned away to accomplish his task as the rest of them continued forward for several feet, but then Decker paused and turned to her.
"She's my sis-" Dani began in a whisper, but he cut her off in a whisper of his own.
"You can come in as soon as we subdue the rogue."
Dani hesitated, but then nodded reluctantly.
Relaxing, Decker pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and then turned to follow Lucian and Mortimer. The three men reached the door and paused to pull out their weapons as Justin raced past Dani. She saw him hand Lucian something and then reach for the gun he'd slid into the back of his jeans.