Delinquents Turned Fugitives - Ann Denton Page 0,121

any demand in my post-coital bliss.

“You ready for tonight?” Z asked finally, sitting up and pulling me with him.

I took a deep breath. “I think so.”

Z grinned before he stood and held out a hand. As he pulled me to my feet, he said, “Let’s go do what we do best. Magic up a little chaos.”

39

At ten p.m., we pulled up in a van and poured out into the night like a stream of clowns from a clown car. It was not a badass image as we tumbled out of a single van, no one willing to wait and be left behind in a second vehicle. It definitely showcased the strength—or lack thereof—of our alliance.

My crew of five and I piled out. Right behind us were Callum and five of his vampires. We stood outside a small gaming café as Gray’s driver headed off, muttering about needing a goddamned drink. I supposed that Gray hadn’t told him beforehand that he’d be shuttling vampires.

I’d want a stiff drink after that too.

Inside the happy little café, the norm patrons didn’t give us a second glance because I drew the shadows darker all around us, draping black swathes of darkness over the sides of the buildings like a giant tablecloth.

We marched silently, with wide, searching eyes, toward the Institute that housed my brother.

Gray kept close. I could feel his hand near my neck, raised and ready to blast anyone who came near with a vicious wind. Knowing he had my back kept my shoulders from hiking up in tension. Though he’d been the recruit that I’d initially been less sure of, given his spoiled history, he’d really stepped up, taking his responsibility to an entirely new level.

I glanced back at him, a ‘thank you’ shining in my eyes as I glanced over his handsome face. His gorgeous lashes flicked up and down as his eyes carefully scanned the streets. My gratitude went unsaid because we had other things to do.

Later, I promised myself. Later, I’d show Gray just how grateful I was.

When I turned to face forward again, I repressed a shiver, because we’d arrived. The solemn stone structure rose a story higher than any of the buildings surrounding it. Unlike every other structure, the Institute had no windows, only walls of stone. Because it was a prison in everything but name.

A light wind licked at the shell of my ears and I fought off a shiver. For a spring night, it had grown cold; in the distance, storm clouds promised punishment. I felt my pocket one last time for the serum, my fist closing over the little red vial tightly. The goal wasn’t to use it here; we’d left Gray’s half of the vampiric cure behind in a secure location—but we’d brought mine just in case.

‘Just in case’ should be our damned motto, I thought to myself, before I released the vial and took a deep, settling breath, hoping that we wouldn’t need any of our contingency plans.

“Fuckers,” I heard Callum’s growl as he stared up at the shadow cast by the Pinnacle-owned monstrosity, though he said it so softly I supposed it was only meant for himself.

“Guard. Left,” Gray’s words had no sooner sounded in my earpiece than I felt a burst of wind and the female brunette vampire was gone. In the distance, a rotund guard fell to his knees, a rough gurgle the only sound in the night as Callum’s minion drank him dead.

I glared over at Callum. “I thought we agreed to a bloodless evening.”

The lead vampire merely shrugged back at me. “You’re asking us to fight our natural instincts already with this alliance. There’s only so much they can take.”

“And if a child wanders outside?”

Callum merely raised a brow at me, imperious, cold—forcing me to acknowledge how goddamned powerless I was in this situation. It made me furious, but there was nothing I could do. Gray’s guy—the one who’d stolen the tournament sphere—still had yet to be found. I needed Callum in order to get Matthew out safely, and he knew it. He had all the damn power in the situation.

It made my fists clench and my nostrils flare because I didn’t like being the underdog. But I shoved that feeling aside, because Callum and his vampires were a problem for another night.

Tonight was Matthew’s night.

Just as I shoved aside fury, I had to toss away the wistfulness that threatened to blow me over when I thought of my brother. I couldn’t think about the end goal.