Secrets in the Shadows (24 page)

Yes, that was Ian all right, and Jules had paid dearly for not recognizing it.

“Would it please you to know I believe turnabout is fair play? Though I like to think I’ve refined his technique.”

Jules’s gorge rose. No, that didn’t please him one bit. Because he heard the unspoken threat behind the words. If he had fed any time in the last couple of days, he might have had to make a quick dash to the bathroom. As it was he had to close his eyes and swallow hard to force the sudden nausea away.

Hannah put a hand on his arm, offering silent support. Of course, with Hannah, the support rarely stayed silent for long.

“What are you two talking about?” she asked. “What did Ian do?”

Jules opened his eyes, pleading with his gaze for Gabriel to keep his mouth shut. Gabriel inclined his head slightly in acquiescence.

“You’ll have to ask Jules,” he said. Then the moment of sympathy vanished as if it were never there. “So, what say you? Do we have a deal?”

“You give me Ian first, and let it be a clean kill, and you have a deal.” He heard Hannah’s outraged gasp, but ignored her.

Another raised eyebrow from Gabriel. “You would betray your friends so you can have your revenge?”

Of course not, but he hoped Gabriel believed he would. To that end, he couldn’t sound too eager. He clenched his fists at his sides. “I don’t want to. The Guardians are good people, for the most part, and they don’t deserve to die for Eli’s flaws. But since you can force the information out of me anyway, I might as well get something for it.”

Gabriel’s nod suggested he was buying it. “A very pragmatic approach. And, of course, it’s Eli I want, not your Guardians. I won’t kill them unless they make it necessary.”

“Jules?” Hannah asked, and she sounded strangely uncertain. “Tell me you aren’t really going to do this.”

He turned his coldest stare on her. Maybe, just maybe, if she believed him a traitor, she’d get the hell out of Baltimore. Away from Gabriel, and Camille, and all the other dangers that lurked here. She’d hate him for it, but that couldn’t be helped.

“I don’t have a choice,” he said.

“Bullshit! You can’t just roll over like this!” She looked like she wanted to deck him.

Jules felt like the slimiest bastard ever to walk the planet. “You don’t get to be a hundred years old without learning to accept some of the more distasteful realities of life. Like you’ve got to play the cards you’ve been dealt. If you want to help, run back to Philly and warn them what’s coming.” He turned to Gabriel. “You’ll let her go, won’t you? You strike me as the sort who wouldn’t mind facing a challenge.”

“She can warn them I’m coming,” Gabriel agreed. “It won’t do them a bit of good.”

“We’ll see.”

Tears spilled down Hannah’s cheeks unheeded. Her pain was almost more than Jules could bear, but he maintained his stoic expression. Later, after she was gone, he would deal with his own pain that she would believe this of him so easily.

“Go home, Hannah,” he urged. “Warn them. But leave now, while I still have business to discuss with Gabriel and he can’t chase after you without me knowing he’s full of shit.”

Hannah’s eyes hardened and she swiped away the tears. “You lousy, despicable, asshole! I can’t believe I dragged myself down here to look after you. I can’t believe I saved your life. And I can’t believe I—”

Her cheeks were already red with anger, but Jules had no doubt if they hadn’t been, she would have blushed. Turning her back on him, she snatched her duffle bag off the floor, not even bothering to pack any of her personal belongings.

She came to stand within about a foot of him, looking him up and down with utter contempt. “You make me sick!”

She punctuated that little gem with a sharp kick in the shin. He clenched his teeth against the pain but made no effort to defend himself, either from her words or her dangerous hands and feet.

With a last shake of her head, she turned her back on him and stormed out the door.

“Well, that was quite dramatic,” Gabriel said with a sardonic grin.

“I’m so glad we entertained you. Now, where’s Ian?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Jules gaped at him. “You don’t know? That’s going to make it hard for you to give him to me, don’t you think?” Somehow, he’d assumed Gabriel had some idea where Ian was hiding, and it was just a matter of catching him.

“I said I don’t know yet. I’ll find him.”

“If Camille doesn’t find you first, you mean.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed, but though Jules’s jibe obviously angered him, it was impossible to miss the hint of pain beneath the anger. “Remember, Guardian, I don’t have to give you anything in return for your information. I could drag the information I want out of you by force. You would beg me to kill you before I was done.”

Hannah seemed to be able to goad Gabriel with impunity, but Jules obviously lacked the knack. “I was just pointing out a fact of life. She’s gunning for you now, and she’s older than you.”

“She’ll come to her senses.” He didn’t sound terribly convinced. “I’ve just got to give her some time to think it through. I tried to tell her Ian was behind this, but she thinks I’ve killed him so he could be my scapegoat. I’ll avoid her for now, but if we have to fight over this, she’ll be in for a rude surprise.”

The world would be a better place if Camille and Gabriel fought to the death, no matter who won. But it would be paradise on earth if Ian died first.

“How will you find Ian?” Jules asked. “For all you know, he’s three states away by now.”

Gabriel shook his head. “He wants to be the Master of Baltimore. He won’t go far. If I were him, I’d start picking off Camille’s other fledglings. Take away her support system.”

That made sense. And in truth, Jules didn’t believe Ian would have run away. Not after all he’d obviously put into trying to take over the city. According to Drake, five fledglings had died last night, but that still left Ian with seven. That they knew of. With Camille and Gabriel now at each other’s throats, Ian had to feel some sense of hope.

“So you’ll start monitoring Camille’s fledglings?” Jules asked.

Gabriel nodded. “Ian will come for them, or will at least send his fledglings for them if he’s too cowardly to come himself. When I catch one, he will tell me where Ian is hiding.”

Jules pitied the poor fool Gabriel captured. “I suppose that’s it, then. Will you want my help surveilling?”

“No.” He smiled one of his unpleasant smiles. “I wouldn’t want anything happening to you before I’ve had a chance to question you.”

Jules couldn’t say he was disappointed. The less time he spent in Gabriel’s company, the better.

Gabriel pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his jeans pocket, then held it out to Jules.

“What’s this?” Jules asked.

“I thought you might prefer to stay somewhere other than the Roach Motel. This place is quiet, and discreet, and far enough out of the way that no one should accidentally stumble across you. We frequently hunt this particular neighborhood, so it’s not a good hiding place.”

Jules felt like an idiot. The worst neighborhoods always made the best vampire hunting grounds. Much easier to make someone disappear here without arousing anyone’s attention. He should have considered that before parking himself here. Not that he was thrilled with the idea of staying in a hotel Gabriel suggested.

He must have hesitated a little too long.

“Don’t be difficult,” Gabriel said. “If I don’t know where you are, how am I going to tell you when I’ve found Ian?”

“Right,” Jules agreed with a grimace. He took the paper from Gabriel’s hand.

“It’s been a pleasure doing business with you,” Gabriel said.

The feeling was far from mutual, but Jules wasn’t about to voice that thought. Gabriel paused in the doorway, his hand on the doorknob.

“By the way. In case you’re lying to me and considering fleeing to Philadelphia, I thought you should know I’ll be keeping an eye on you. If you run, you die. Slowly. Understand?”

Jules nodded tightly, and Gabriel slipped out the door.

***

Hannah was nearing the I-95 on-ramp, tears still blurring her vision, when it struck her what an idiot she was being. She pulled into a convenience store parking lot and shut off the car, leaning her forehead against the steering wheel and taking deep, calming breaths.

Jules had been trying to get rid of her from the moment she’d set foot in Baltimore. And if last night’s escapades had shaken him half as much as they had her, he’d be doubly anxious to be rid of her now. What better way to accomplish his goal than to convince her he was going to put his desire for revenge over the life of his friends?

“Jesus, Hannah. You’re too stupid to live.” She banged her forehead against the steering wheel. She’d chalk up her gullibility to sheer cowardice. After last night, perhaps she’d been eager to find an excuse to get away.

Still cursing herself, she turned the car around and headed back to the hotel. She was stopped at a red light a block away when she saw Jules exit the hotel, suitcases in hand. Geez! If he’d looked like a tempting target before, right now he was damn near irresistible. Just where did the damn fool think he was going, anyway? She scanned the streets for any sign of Gabriel but didn’t see him. She wasn’t terribly reassured.

The light turned green, and she quickly caught up with Jules. She slowed down to match his pace—which the driver behind her didn’t much like—and lowered the window.

“Need a ride, stranger?” she asked, leaning over the passenger seat so she could see his face.

His groan was drowned out by the horn of the car behind her. There was an empty parking space a couple yards away. She pulled into it, finally silencing the asshole who’d been leaning on his horn. Jules came to a stop by the open window, shaking his head at her.

“Go home, Hannah.”

“Like hell.” She popped the trunk. “Put your bags away and get in.”

“I make you sick, remember?”

Her face heated but she did her best to brazen it out. “Can I help it if you’re a good actor? Now come on, get in. You don’t want to go this alone.”

He leaned down to put his face to the open window. “I’m most likely going to end up dead before this is all over. And yes, that I very much want to go alone.”

“Tough shit. You’ve dug yourself one hell of a deep hole, and you’re going to need help climbing out of it. Especially if you want to climb out of it without betraying everyone you care about.”

With a grunt of pure frustration, Jules stood up. The car rocked madly when he slammed first one suitcase, then the other into the trunk. She was rather surprised the trunk lid didn’t crumple when he shut it, considering the deafening bang. He closed the car door with similar force. She locked the doors and turned to look at him, but his expression was shuttered.

“So, where were you headed?” she asked.

He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his coat pocket. “Gabriel suggested I move to a different hotel, since he and his friends hunt this neighborhood on a regular basis.”

“Uh-huh. I’ve got a radical counter-suggestion for you. How ‘bout moving a little farther away than that. Like, say, to Philadelphia. Getting revenge on Ian can’t be important enough to you to risk betraying the Guardians.”

“I can’t go back.”

“Cut the crap, Jules! So you’re pissed at Eli. So what? Just get over it already.”

He shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. I meant Gabriel may be watching me, waiting to see if I’ll bolt. He said he would. Maybe it’s an empty threat, but I’d hate to test it and be wrong. As long as he thinks I’m going to cooperate, he has no reason to try to torture the truth out of me. Or to hurt you, for that matter, since you absolutely had to come back and make my life more difficult.”

She hated to admit it, but Jules had a point. Still, two heads were better than one. Especially when Jules was such a hothead he tended to make knee-jerk, temper-inspired decisions.

She pulled out of the parking spot and into traffic. Jules got the map out of the glove compartment and located the hotel Gabriel had suggested.

Hannah chewed her lip as she drove. “So, you go along with Gabe’s plan and he gives you Ian. What then?”

“I wish I knew. I have to find a way to get out of town before he questions me. I’d love it to be after I’ve killed Ian, but if it has to be before, so be it.” He sighed. “I just wish I knew how to do it without Gabriel catching me.”

“And we’ve got to make sure Drake gets out of town too. If you’re gone, you know Gabe’ll go for him.”

“True.”

That seemed to end the conversation, and the rest of the drive passed in silence. Hannah kept worrying at the problem, but she couldn’t think of a foolproof solution.

The new hotel was a giant step up from the dump they’d just left. They checked in, then lugged the bags up to the room. Hannah fought a hint of panic as the door closed behind them. She so didn’t want to be alone in a bedroom with Jules right now.

She started unpacking immediately, moving slowly. She concentrated hard on withdrawing her clothes from her bag, shaking out the wrinkles, carefully folding or hanging. When she was done, she’d take a long, hot bath. Alone. After that, she’d take a nap.

Eventually, she realized Jules was sitting on the edge of the bed staring at her. She wondered how long he’d been doing that. When her step faltered, he smiled at her.

“I was beginning to think you’d forgotten I was here,” he said.

She rubbed her hands together, then cursed herself for the obviously nervous gesture. No way in hell she could forget he was in the room. “Look, about last night …” Her voice died. She had no idea what she’d been about to say.

Jules raised his eyebrow at her hesitation. “Yes? What about last night?”

“It was just a fluke, okay?” She avoided his eyes, tried not to think about how good he had felt inside her. On top of her.

“A fluke.”

Her bag was empty already and she knew it, but Hannah fished through some side compartments anyway. Anything to keep from having to face him.

“You know, it didn’t feel like a fluke to me,” he said.