trying to tell her everything he felt but had no words for. If their kiss tasted a little too much of desperation, that was to be expected. It also made it that much more precious.
Time to get moving. “Stay low, follow me and do what I say.”
“Yes, sir.”
* * *
Cyrus stared out into the darkness. “Where the hell are they?”
The sergeant in charge of the mercenaries shook his head. “We haven’t located them as yet, sir. They abandoned their vehicle in a barn. I sent men in to make sure that chancellor hadn’t left the woman behind before we blew it up. They won’t get far on foot.”
“Fine. Post guards. I don’t want them slipping up on us in the darkness.”
That the merc immediately looked to Richie to confirm the order made Cyrus furious. He was tempted to remind the idiot who was paying his salary; however, now wasn’t the time to get into an argument about the chain of command. Nor would he admit that he’d made an error in judgment by insisting on coming rather than sending in Richie and the mercenaries to deal with Kat Karr and the mongrel helping her.
At one time he’d had high hopes that Kat would join the cause, but she obviously had the same taste for trash as her dead sister. It clearly wouldn’t be enough to rid the world of vampires and their chancellor spawn. There’d have to be a purge of tainted humans, as well. To be sure, there would be protests from even among his fellow purists. However, eventually the survivors would understand that it had all been done for the benefit of humanity.
He would be a hero, even if they didn’t know it.
Looking around, he shuddered, the darkness giving him the creeps. Humans had always been at a disadvantage once the sun went down. Not for one second did he forget that they were intruding on a vampire estate. He’d gotten permission—of a sort. They’d agreed he could confront a human woman on their land because he’d assured them the outcome would help clear up the title for them to claim the farm for their own use. On the other hand, he’d also promised it would all be handled quietly without bringing the whole affair to the attention of the Coalition Council.
Blowing up that barn could hardly be considered quiet. Then there was the small problem of Ambrose O’Brien already being involved. That bastard had the ear of every prominent member of the Council. There was no way this was going to go unnoticed. All Cyrus could hope was that the research was far enough along that the scientists working for the purists could replicate it quickly. How sweet would it be to implement it before the vampires and their kin could interfere?
He stalked over to where Richie stood staring out into the darkness. “Well, where are they?”
Silence.
Cyrus tapped him on the shoulder. “I asked you a question.”
When Richie turned around, he was pointing a gun straight at Cyrus.
Cyrus gave his assistant a disgusted look. “Watch it, Richie. You shouldn’t be carrying a weapon if you don’t know how to use one. It could go off.”
“Oh, it will just soon as Kat and company show up. They won’t be the only casualties, though I figure you and her chancellor hero will be dead long before she is.”
In an instant the rather tentative assistant was gone, and in his place stood a cold-blooded killer. “Now shut up, or you’ll die before the party even starts.”
The night had nothing on the darkness in Richie’s gaze. Cyrus tamped down his fear and drew himself up to his full height. “Don’t threaten me, you young fool, or you’ll be looking for a job when we get back to New Eire.”
Instead of being cowed, Richie laughed. Not only that, but all the mercs within hearing distance joined in. Cyrus looked around, trying to find at least one ally in the group. It didn’t appear that he had any. Not one.
He sneered at the sergeant. “If I were you, I’d think about who was funding this little operation. If you want to get paid, that is.”
That only seemed to add to their collective amusement. Obviously he was missing something, some key bit of information that would explain what was going on.
“Richie, what have you done?”
The man in question sauntered forward. His entire demeanor had changed to the point that Cyrus hardly recognized him.
“What I’ve done, Cyrus, is drained your personal bank accounts and then