The Feeder (14 page)

Thayne

The second meeting with the other vampires local to the area was going just as badly as the first. And my sour mood since the events of the other night was not helping one bit.

Gideon had stuck to his word and kept Eve locked up in her apartment and away from me. Not that Eve was doing anything to alter the situation. Since our return, I had kept up the illusion of not having anywhere to stay during the day and continued to sleep in the room down in the cellar. I was surprised that she hadn’t ratted me out with the way things had ended between us, but Gideon hadn’t said a word about it and the guys understood and respected my reasons for the lie. “Someone needs to keep her safe from that sick bastard,” Reese had sneered when I had explained that I was going to stay behind at the club instead of heading back to the house. I didn’t even need to explain my reasons why. He knew.

“There is one other vampire that might work,” Dean struck up, his eyes moving from the group and landing on me just as I was about to call the meeting to a close. “Thayne.”

“What?” He couldn’t be serious?

“Agreed,” a chorus of voices popped up.

“You can’t be serious?” I was all for getting rid of Gideon and replacing him - fuck it was my idea - but never once had the thought of myself taking the job entered my mind. I was an assassin, a fang for hire. I wasn’t a Master vampire.

“Why not? From the moment you started here at the club things have run smoother, been more like the way things used to be before that fucker barged his way in and took Denton out. Give me one good reason you wouldn’t be great at the job? Hell, if you ask me you have already been doing the job, and doing it much better job than Gideon ever has.”

I could see his point. A Master was meant to watch over the vampires in their area, take care of them and help them. That was something that I had just automatically done the moment I’d taken on the job of training up the guys running security. Gideon didn’t care for the vampires here, and I hadn’t even thought twice about helping them out. It wasn’t just the security team either, within days of my arrival I’d gotten to know many of the other vampires and couldn’t stop myself from helping them out the moment I realised that Gideon wasn’t going to. But still, I was no leader.

Hearing the door click open behind me, I didn’t even need to turn around to see who it was. The look on everyone’s face told me exactly who it was. Sebastian had arrived.

He had called me the night before to inform me that he would be visiting me as he didn’t want to relay the information he had to tell me over the phone. But while his appearance didn’t surprise me, the words that came out of his mouth did. “I completely agree.”

“You cannot be serious?” I stormed the moment the last person walked out of the door at the end of the meeting.

Once everyone had gotten over the shock of meeting one of the most powerful vampires in our history in the flesh – and managed to stop staring at his blazing red eyes – it had been quickly decided that the vampire that would take over from Gideon after his demise would be me. And no matter how much I argued the fact they wouldn’t be swayed. Now alone with the Master vampire, I was fuming and ready to roll, not that I would stand a chance against him.

“Very. It is about time you retired from your current profession and did something you are truly good at.”

“Are you staying that I am a bad assassin?”

“No, you are one of the best.” He was right, I was. For the past decade I had been swamped with job offers, so much so that I was able to be pickier with the jobs I took. “But only because Gabriel retired.”

The bastard! “Gabriel retiring has nothing to do with it.”

Okay, so maybe that was a lie. My friend’s decision to retire from the assassin profession had definitely improved my standing. But still, did he have to state it so openly?

“You’re perfect for this, Thayne. Those guys have chosen you, which shows me that you really are the vampire for the job.”

But did I want to be?

“And you are the only one I think might have a chance of defeating him… if we can remove the source of his power.”

My throat seized. Did he know about Eve? She hadn’t admitted it to me, refused to do so, but I was in no doubt that she was the source of Gideon’s suddenly newfound strength.

“I tracked Josiah down. He’s been a very busy and naughty boy over the years since his laboratory was destroyed. He’s spent most of his remaining fortune on hiring private detectives, assassins and anyone he could in order to find his escaped lab-rat. From the samples you sent to Brad for testing I’d say that whatever he was doing to their blood to heighten the effects of it worked, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so determined to get them back. I'm happy to say, though, that he is no longer a problem, and you don’t need to worry about giving me information on the contract he put out.”

Meaning that Sebastian had killed him, hopefully painfully for whatever he had done to Eve.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that. It wasn’t me that had that pleasure. That pleasure be-longed to Sabrina.”

So yeah, very painful. 

“Have you discovered who the target of the contract was yet?”

That was the question, had I? Until Eve opened up to me, I couldn't say for sure. And if I was right, would I want Sebastian to know about her? Taking in the powerful male vampire, his long midnight hair and blazing blood red eyes, I knew the answer. Sebastian was powerful in his own right, only ousted from the top spot by his sister.

Now if she were to know, I would be worried, but only because she had one hell of an appetite and loved the strong stuff.

“I think so. But until they open up to me and admit it themselves, I can't be sure.”

“Why wait? Why not just take a taste yourself?”

“I can't do that,” I growled, angry at even the suggestion of it.

“Why not?”

“Because I promised that I wouldn't.”

The surprise at my words passed across his face so quickly that I could have easily had missed it, then understanding lit his eyes. “A female then. One you have grown fond of?”

“Yes. Very.”

“And where is she? Maybe I can attain the answers we are seeking.”

Not even consciously meaning to, I pulled the knife from its hided spot at my side and held it against the pale flesh of his neck. “You will not touch her,” I snarled.

“Of course not,” he laughed, not at all threatened by the blade I held against him. “I just meant that maybe my heightened senses can pick up qualities that her blood may hold that yours cannot.”

Fair point.

“Okay then,” I sighed, shelving my blade and relaxing my stance, a little. “And to answer your question, she is being held upstairs in her apartment, forbidden from socialising with anyone… especially me. Gideon has gotten crazily obsessed with protecting her from any contact with vampires since she was kidnapped and almost drained a few nights ago.” Not that he did anything to help find her and get her back, that was all me and the guys.

“Then it must be her. Tell me, how is he keeping you out? I didn't think that anything could keep Thayne, the great assassin, from a target.”

“Hired thugs - many of them - and I could easily get in should I wish to, but she refuses to open up to me, to tell me the truth. I thought it best to give her some time to think and to hopefully make the right decision before I advance on her again.”

“Well, it better work. From what the group said it doesn't seem that it will be long before Gideon makes a move to take you out. We need to remove his source from him before that happens.”

“Why, don’t you think I can win?” I smirked, but the mirth didn’t reach my eyes.

“You’re good, Thayne, more than good. But if he’s been feeding off enhanced blood, you stand no chance.”

Alone in my small corner of the cellar, I couldn't help my thoughts from straying to the beauty that was locked away only a few floors above me. I hadn't lied to Sebastian; I  knew exactly how to get in to see her - through the same way that fucking scumbag Vince had spied on her for fuck knows how long - but pride made me wait. If I forced a confession out of her, forced her to tell me her secrets, she would always resent me. She needed to do this on her own terms. She needed to come to me. I just hoped it wouldn't take her too long to do so.

The guys had been right. Gideon was planning to take me out, and soon by the sounds of it. All the signs were there, and the video footage I had obtained of him the night before, mumbling away to himself in his office, just concluded it. The clock was ticking.

Rolling onto my back, I sighed and stared up at the dusty ceiling, my whole body twitching with want. Was I doing the right thing, staying away? I ached to touch her again, to hold her in my arms just one more time, as I had a feeling my time upon this earth was running out.

I laid there for I don’t know how long when the sound of something heavy hitting the floor echoed through the room. “What was that?” I muttered, diving out of bed and racing to the door and up the stairs. The place was meant to be deserted now, except for me, Eve and those damn idiots that Gideon had hired. As it turned out, those idiots were not as stupid as I had hoped.

“Find out what that fucking noise was,” the largest of tonight’s thugs shouted at the other as they began stomping through the club, searching under tables and knocking over chairs. “That’s the second time tonight there has been a loud bang.”

Really? Was I so distracted with the thoughts in my own head that I had failed to pick up on an intruder?

With their attention everywhere but on me, I sent out my senses, taking a deep inhale of the surrounding air in the process just to see if I could scent anyone there that shouldn’t be. In an instant, I had my answer. There was someone here alright, someone that was meant to be locked away upstairs and guarded by these fools. Casting my gaze around the room frantically for any sign of her, I caught a quick glance of flesh under a table on the far side of the room. A table that thug number two, the one doing most of the smashing, was getting ever closer to. This was bad.

Thinking fast, I moved towards the pair, hoping to draw their attention long enough for Eve to get to the safety of the cellar. That could be the only reason for her being there…  At least, I hoped that was the reason.

“What’s going on guys? Gideon will not be happy that you’re down here making a mess of his club instead of doing the job that he is paying you to do.” Which was entirely true, he wouldn’t.

“None of your damned business what we are doing, punk. And as for Gideon, I doubt he gives a shit about this place, probably wouldn’t even care if we burned the fucker down,” thug number one sneered.

“Yeah well, I wouldn’t be too sure about that. I’ll just ring him and check, shall I?” I asked, pulling my phone from my pocket, making a big show of scrolling through the contacts and moving to press dial.

“Hey, hold on there, buddy. No need to do that,” thug number two suddenly jumped in looking a little worried, if not terrified that I would inform their employer of their lack of respect for his club – not that Gideon had any respect for the place himself. “We just heard a loud noise down here is all and thought we would check it out, make sure that no one had broken in.”

“No one in their right mind would break into a vampire owned business.”

“Yeah, but not everyone knows it's owned by vampires, though, do they?”

No, but the idiots from the local community had learnt from past mistakes that this was one business that you didn’t attempt to rob. “Like I said, no one in their right mind would try it. So why don’t you guys get back to the job you are being paid to do and let me deal with this.” I didn’t ask, I told, leaving no room for argument. The moment they were gone, their footsteps nothing but a distant memory, I raced across the room to Eve’s side. “What are you doing down here?”

“You…” Her voice shook with emotion as tears welled in her eyes.

“Come one, sweetheart. Let’s get you downstairs before those idiots decide to come back down.” Quickly herding her across the room and through the door to the stairwell, I scanned the room one last time, checking for any signs of life before sealing the door behind us. If she was here for the reason that I thought she was – and damn I hoped that she was – we didn't need anyone overhearing what she had to tell me.

Standing nervously just inside the doorway to the small room I occupied, her eyes downcast, worrying her bottom lip, Eve seemed unwilling to move. I hated seeing her like this, so nervous and unsure, but still the mere sight of her had an effect on me. I couldn’t help the longing I felt building up inside, the need I had to nibble and taste that plump pink lip of hers… and maybe a few other pink lips I was acquainted with upon her body.

In the past I had lusted after women, wanting nothing more than to have them in my bed, but once that was accomplished I’d been quick to be rid of them. Once I had had my taste, I was no longer interested. Not so when it came to Eve. It seemed that one taste had not been enough. I needed more, another… and maybe a couple of thousand more after that.

Striding past her, adjusting the straining bulge within trousers as I went, I seated myself down upon the bed.  “What do you want, Eve?”