A Vigil in the Mourning (Soulbound #4) - Hailey Turner Page 0,63
shift. Blood poured over his fingers and down his wrist, soaking into the fabric of the jacket he wore. He easily dodged her weak attempts to fight back.
“You’re trespassing,” Rajesh hissed right before he tore out the woman’s throat and then slammed her face-first down into the jagged metal of the damaged boot.
Nicholas snarled loudly, the bones in his face shifting a little, but he didn’t move.
Rajesh let the woman go and jumped off the car; she never moved again. The vampire eyed Nicholas with disdain before turning to face Jono. He licked the blood off his hands with slow swipes of his tongue as he paced forward.
“I prefer human blood, but I’m never one to turn down werecreatures when they breach my territory,” Rajesh said.
“Would’ve given you a ring, but I didn’t have your number,” Jono said.
“This is not your territory.”
“Two of the packs under my protection reside in Queens. I’ve come to ensure they’re protected from you”—Jono nodded in Nicholas’ direction—“and from them.”
“Those packs have been exiled and need to leave New York. The god pack alphas ordered it,” Nicholas said.
Rajesh bared his fangs in a hard smile as he stared at Jono. “Did you?”
“My packs aren’t leaving. I’m here to talk borders,” Jono said.
Nicholas stepped forward. “That fucker isn’t in charge.”
Rajesh held up his bloody hand to Nicholas, but he never took his eyes off Jono. “Wasn’t talking to you. One more word and I’ll take your tongue in payment.”
It was telling that Nicholas shut up. He might be the dire of Estelle and Youssef’s god pack, but whatever treaties they’d managed to secure with the vampires when Tremaine was in charge had been ripped to shreds when Lucien took over.
Jono stood his ground. “Heard from Lucien, have you?”
Rajesh lowered his hand, flicking blood off his fingers onto the cement. “That one acts as the mouth to our mother. Disobedience earns us no favors.”
Clever teeth, Fenrir growled in his mind.
Jono could admit the lie Lucien was telling as truth formed a sound enough story. Jono was mindful of Patrick’s stories, of his guilt over the dead and how the world hadn’t yet learned of Ashanti’s death. He was aware of how her children still prayed to a goddess who would never hear their words again.
“Then I suppose we’re going to have ourselves a chat. I have something to attend to first.”
Jono moved past Rajesh and stalked toward Nicholas, not fazed by the god pack werecreatures who formed a protective half circle around the other man. Jono stopped in front of them, staring at Nicholas over their shoulders.
“You’ve been sniffing around the packs who are my responsibility,” Jono said.
“They’ve been ordered to leave,” Nicholas said.
“They came to me, asking for protection yours never gave them. My law rules them, not any of yours.” Jono’s fingers twitched, the shift from nails to claws a subtle change that came easier now that he was healed. “Your pack put a contract out on my head with the Krossed Knights. I’d be flattered, but I don’t hold with consorting with demons.”
Nicholas’ gaze cut away to the vampires who had them surrounded. “Seems you’re consorting with them just fine.”
“The undead aren’t demons. Right bloody bastards, but the hells want nothing to do with them, unlike your masters.” Jono nodded at the car with the body buried in its boot. “Take your dead and get out. You come sniffing about my packs and I’ll let the Night Courts have their way with you.”
“The Night Courts—”
“Have an understanding with me and mine. They aren’t the only ones. You tell Estelle and Youssef if they want a fight, then they’ll have one. Now get the fuck out.”
Jono turned his back on them and walked with a measured stride back to where Emma stood. She kept her attention on the werecreatures behind him, fingers flexing, the claws at the tips curved and sharp.
“What about the car Rajesh crunched?” she asked.
“Not our problem,” Jono said.
“It’s got evidence on it.”
“It will be dealt with,” Rajesh replied.
Emma glanced his way, shoulders tight. She smelled angry, which was better than fear or stress. “Surprised the cops aren’t here.”
Rajesh licked blood off his jagged teeth, watching as Nicholas and the god pack members that had come with him got back in their remaining vehicles and fled the scene. “No one who lives here will call them, and the cops know better than to get in my way when I protect my territory.”
Jono wondered if any of the police were on the take.