Tall Dark Handsome Lycan, Book 2 Page 9

  The young girl was immediately concerned. “Oh, sure. The bathrooms are in that alcove near the entrance.”

  Sam couldn’t believe her luck. She could easily slip out the door. She’d noticed Leo had simply pulled a lever when he left. Thankfully, there wasn’t another panel on the inside where she had to punch in a secret code.

  With a firm mouth, she placed her cards back into her purse. Sam knew what she was about to do was stupid and dangerous. And she didn’t have the slightest idea what to do when she arrived at Leo’s, but one thing she did know. She couldn’t sit back while Leo’s life was in danger. Her cards never lied to her, and their message had been clear. There would be death at Leo’s house tonight.

  She smiled at the young couple and rose, taking her purse, and went to the bathroom. She couldn’t even appreciate the bathroom’s modern décor as she checked her purse for the gun Leo had given her and the portable stake.

  She pulled the stake out and tried it again. She pressed the button on the handle, as Leo has demonstrated to her, and the stake extended into a deadly weapon.

  Only a human or a vampire could kill Leo, and she prayed she had the guts to stab someone if she had to.

  The thought filled her with nausea.

  Sam pursed her lips and left the bathroom. She looked around the room and saw Viktor engaged in a conversation with a young man near the bar. This was the time to make her escape. No one was watching her. She pulled down the lever and slipped through the door. The candelabras were still lit and she ran up the long flight of stairs. At the top, she saw another lever and pulled it down. The wall slid open and she stepped into the dark ice cream parlour. She frowned. If this was a safe house, shouldn’t someone have been posting guard here day and night. Her question was answered when she heard snoring coming from one of the tables. She squinted into the dark and saw a man sprawled out on a chair, sleeping. She didn’t sense lycan in him and wondered if he was a vampire. Sam didn’t have time to ponder this as she crept to the door. As quietly as possible, she unlocked it and shut the door gently behind her, praying this guard would awaken soon and lock the door.

  After all she’d learned about Leo’s family and how he operated, Sam didn’t think he’d post anyone less than capable to guard a safe house. Sam hoped she didn’t place Viktor in the direct line of Leo’s anger.

  She couldn’t worry about any of these things now, she thought, as she ran onto the quiet curb.

  Sam looked up and down the street for a cab, frustration building in her chest as she waited for a few minutes. She noticed the intersection down the street was busy and she proceeded marching in the direction of the lights.

  She didn’t know what she was going to do when she arrived at Leo’s house, but she knew she would have felt worse doing nothing if she waited for him to return to the safe house. If he returned, she thought with rising panic.

  Sam saw a cab cross the intersection and hurried her steps. Slowly, a frown settled on her brow as she picked up her speed.

  She recalled her speed when she’d saved the little boy and something hit her.

  Gritting her teeth, she stopped and glanced around her. The street was practically deserted and she inhaled a steady breath, releasing it slowly as she tried to determine the shortest route.

  She clenched her fists at her sides, trying to summon her lycan speed. Sam released an exasperated breath. Nothing happened. How had she done it before with the boy?

  Sam closed her eyes and her first thought was Leo this very second fighting for his life. A sob rose from her throat. She didn’t want to live out her immortality without him.

  Her body tingled, her blood rushed through her veins, and without another thought, she sprang in the air and vaulted straight for the intersection. The houses, the cars, and the street lamps passing by in a blur.

  At the lights, she vaulted through the air and sailed above the traffic, landing on the other side of the street. Without stopping to see if anyone had seen her, she sped down the street and turned down a road leading to another intersection. She didn’t know how fast she was running, but she knew she was going to be at Leo’s house quicker using her newfound speed than if she’d hailed a cab. At this rate, she would reach his house in a few minutes.

  Sam clamped down hard on her jaw, grinding her teeth, her fear and worry mounting at an alarming pace. Three streets later, she noticed she had already arrived at his corner. She stopped dead in her tracks, gasping for air from her mad dash, as she realised with surprise how quiet his street appeared. There were no silver bullets flying, no dismembered bodies on the ground, no sirens and no bloodshed.

  The relatively peaceful road made her weak with relief. She knew she had acted on impulse leaving the safe house. Insecurities flooded her initial flash of bravery and confidence and she started to walk slowly toward his house at the end of the road.

  Leo, please be safe, she told herself. Sam knew, without a doubt, she would run into a burning building for Elizabeth. It was no different with Leo. Risking her life was secondary when love was the motivating factor.

  She was almost at his house when she stopped. An odd tingle ran up her back. Scents rose up around her, the smell of adrenalin, male adrenalin, and she shot a nervous gaze around her. There was no one on the street or on the curbs or on their door steps. Why did she pick up on the presence of males around her, like she was being watched?

  She stopped in front of Leo’s home when a menacing sense of danger slammed into her gut. She was definitely not alone.

  She spun around on her heels, facing the street and saw them. Eight men came out of the shadows toward her, the man in the front wearing a grim face.

  “Remain where you are,” he said. He stopped before her and sniffed the air. “A fledgling lycan. Samantha Hope, I presume?”

  Sam swallowed her fear and stared at him. He must have been the leader of this group. He was tall and broad shouldered, his face a ruthless mask as he glared at her. Sam gaze deeply into his dark eyes and was taken aback. She caught a flicker of something odd on his face. Was that micro expression a brief flash of concern? It was so quick she wondered if she imagined it. She must have, she thought, because why would he worry about her safety?

  The men surrounded her. Her heart raced as she tossed a frantic gaze around them. She sensed humans and lycans, but when her gaze fell on one of the men, she frowned. He was different, neither human, nor lycan. A vampire! His face was pale, almost translucent, with an almost other-worldly glow about him. He smiled and she gasped when she saw two pointy teeth. His eyes glowed red as he hissed.

  Sam’s heart was beating with the frantic drum of fear.

  “Not now, Patrice!” The leader growled.

  The vampire’s eyes returned to their normal brown and his fangs disappeared. “I wasn’t going to kill her. I just wanted to taste her. She looks like she has sweet blood.”

  “Taste her later!” Sam watched the leader point his gun at her. “Silver bullets, babe. Don’t even think about being heroic.” He glanced back up to the house before he returned his dark, ruthless gaze on her. “Move! Up the stairs, now!” He growled.

  ****

  Leo threw back his head and howled, his heart slamming against his ribs. Sam!

  “Damnation,” he growled.

  Matt spun around from his post at the window and gave Leo a look tinged with deep regret. “They have her.”

  “I know,” Leo said, hearing his voice deepen and change as he immediately transformed into his eight foot lycan beast. He ripped the remaining pieces of clothing from his body and clenched his taloned hands at his sides, his jaws snapping in rage. “Shift! We attack now!”

  Matt and the other men in the drawing room immediately transformed into their lycan forms. Bones stretched, clothes ripped, muscles expanded. Howls, snarls, and growls filled the room as his men transformed into their eight foot tall monsters with ferocious jaws, dangerous talons, and vicious fangs. Leo growled, surveying his men with satisfaction. They
were warriors who had faced many battles with him the past few centuries, brave, loyal warriors who fought alongside him longer than he could remember.

  Matt and the rest of the men grabbed their guns. “Men, if you kill one of your kind, I do not need to remind you of the consequences. You will have to live in the dark forever,” Leo said. His men growled their understanding, their grips tightening on their guns. They were loyal and brave warriors and Leo’s chest tightened with pride. “We fight here as one man,” he roared, raising his fist.

  His men growled their approval.

  “Leo, they all shifted and they’re coming up the stairs. Sam is still in her human form,” Matt growled as he glanced through the window.

  Leo inhaled sharply through his long snout. Sam was terrified. He sensed it. “Let us greet our guests, then,” he growled.

  Leo stalked out of his sitting room into the front hall as his men followed.

  The front door burst open and Leo and his men growled and snarled, assuming their battle stance.

  ****

  .

  The leader pushed Sam through the door and she stumbled into the hall, her eyes widening at the group of massive lycans standing in the entrance of Leo’s home. They all carried guns and her gaze settled on the one in the front. She recognized Leo’s beast. Sam had seen him in his lycan form twice before and she didn’t think she could ever look at his beast without her heart drumming furiously in her chest. His amber gaze met hers and a low, deep growl emanated from his throat.

  “Let her go,” Leo said in his eerie lycan voice.

  Sam knew he was ready to snap, his primal rage simmering just below his surface, waiting to erupt.

  The leader snapped his gaze to a member of his group and that member pointed his gun on Sam. She inhaled sharply. She was going to die. The Death card had been meant for her.

  Sam kept her gaze fastened on Leo, regret and sorrow welling in her eyes. She stared at his monstrous face, all jowls and ferocious jaws, and she caught a brief look pass his frightening features. It was fleeting, but for that moment his eyes softened and she recognised the same look he always gave her whenever he told her he would protect her.

  Sam drew strength from his confidence, but Leo wasn’t looking at her anymore. He was staring at the leader of Garos’s pack. She watched the imperceptible inclination of Leo’s head and two bullets rang out of nowhere. Sam flinched as she watched two of Garos’s lycans fall on the floor. They writhed and convulsed as their bodies reverted to their human form. Sam stared at the naked men, their expressions dazed. The bullets were quicksilver, she realised.

  The leader of the group growled. “Very good, Leo. Where is he? Where is your shooter?”

  “Close by, and he has two guns, the other one with silver bullets. At this moment, he has one pointed directly on you. All I need to do is give him the signal.”

  Fritz must have been Leo’s shooter, Sam realised, but where was he hiding? She knew there were six men left standing behind her and she hoped Fritz could take them out without Leo having to engage in battle.

  She was wrong. In that instant, the leader grabbed her arm and dragged her in front of him as he roared.

  “Men, attack! Patrice, take Leo now!”

  Sam was stunned when the leader pushed her down on the ground and covered her body with his. She could hardly breathe as she felt his massive lycan weight on top of her, his monstrous, taloned hands draping her face and shoulders. Shocked, she realised he wasn’t trying to hurt her, he was trying to protect her.

  She lifted her head and watched Leo battling Patrice as all the men locked in heated battle. The main hall filled with snarls and growls. Furniture crashed, doors shattered, bodies fell as one by one she heard more shots in the air.

  She fastened her gaze on Leo and watched him toss Patrice into the air, the vampire landing with a thud on a wall. She saw the vampire struggle to his feet, his gaze resting on the leader covering her body and a dawning realisation lit his face. His fangs appeared and he hissed.

  “You bastard!”

  Leo took Patrice’s moment of distraction and hurled his lycan body against the vampire. They both crashed on the wall behind Patrice and Sam gasped as they fell forward, the wall behind them dented and destroyed. The vampire was on top of Leo and with lightening speed grabbed something tucked behind his belt. He raised his hand high above his head and Sam screamed, desperately trying to dislodge herself from under the leader’s body. The silver dagger looked menacing as it glinted with shine.

  “Get off of me!” she screamed, but trying to move the lycan beast was like an ant trying to move an anvil.

  Sam barely had time to breathe as she watched Leo’s taloned hand stop the descending dagger from plunging into his chest. Sam’s tears fell, her sobs rising uncontrollably in her throat. More shots rang out and she discovered only the lycan leader covering her body and the vampire, Patrice, remained.

  “Leo, incoming!” One of the lycans growled, and Sam wondered if that was Matt. She watched the portable stake fly through the air as Leo caught it neatly with one deft move. Before Sam knew what happened, Leo roared like a demon possessed as he pressed the button and plunged the stake into Patrice’s chest. Leo flung the vampire off his body and rose, his fists clenched, his massive chest rising and falling rapidly.

  Sam watched Patrice’s body shrivel and shrink as it dried up, rapidly turning into a misshapen mound of dust. She dragged her gaze to Leo and sobbed with relief.

  She watched Leo’s men reverted into their human forms. Sam was still too dazed to even blush at the fact they were all naked, but she did manage to avert her gaze from Matt’s bare loins.

  She squirmed under the lycan’s weight and was relieved to feel his body transform back to his human. She scrambled out from under his naked form and rose. Her legs almost gave way as her knees buckled. Her gaze collided with Leo’s and in three strides, he was before her, dragging her body against him.

  “I owe you, my friend,” Leo said hoarsely to someone behind her.

  “You’ve saved my life enough times. I was just trying to even the score.”

  Sam stiffened, recognizing the voice that answered. That was the leader’s voice, the lycan who’d covered her body! She glanced up at Leo’s grim face and withdrew from his arms. Slowly, she turned around. The lycan leader was naked and she kept her gaze glued to his face.

  “Sam,” Leo began deeply. “I would like to introduce you to James, our mole. He has been in deep cover working alongside Garos for one year.”

  James inclined his head politely, seemingly unconcerned by the startling fact that he stood there without a stitch of clothing on him. “I’m sorry if I was too rough with you.”

  Sam nodded slowly. Numb with shock, she cast a quick look around her and watched Leo’s men dragging the dazed survivors together. She glanced at Patrice’s ashes. Sam winced.

  Fritz came into the hall, looking as calm and indifferent as ever, holding a large bag. He dropped the bag on the floor and one by one, the men reached into it and pulled out white T-shirts and grey sweats. Quickly, they dressed.

  She stared at Leo as he slid the sweat pants over his narrow hips and her stomach jolted with awareness as she stared at his naked loins.

  “Nice shooting, Fritz,” Leo said.

  “I only serve to please you, Master,” Fritz replied smoothly.

  Matt cleared his throat abruptly. “Yeah, but you had me worried, buddy. That one second hesitation you had almost got me killed.”

  Fritz raised a cool brow. “A justifiable hesitation, Mr Walker. I was covering the rest of the men as well.”

  A small smile played about Sam’s mouth. She was starting to realise Fritz and Matt had an antagonistic, yet oddly close relationship.

  “Matt, get on the phone with our police and get these bodies removed.”

  Sam gave Leo a questioning look.

  “Our police will take the lycan survivors to our underground prison where they will be interrogate
d. The one remaining human has the luckiest fate. One of our vampires will erase his memory and we will return him to society after one of our rehabilitators deems him ready.” Leo shot James a dark look. “It will look suspicious when you return to Garos as the lone survivor.”

  “I will take care of Garos. I’ve covered all my tracks.”

  “I still want you to watch your back,” Leo said. “If Garos starts asking questions, I am pulling you out of there.”

  “I need more time, Leo,” James said. “I’m close to finding the ledger.”

  “We will find it another way. I will not risk your life.”

  Sam frowned, wondering what was contained in this ledger. Leo caught her look and his mouth tensed.

  “Garos keeps a ledger of all the cities and locations where he hides his cells. He has names recorded, addresses. Think of it as a map to his entire organisation. With this information, we can take down his operation.”

  Sam heard sirens in the distance and stared at the naked men rising from the floor. Leo’s men grunted and circled them, forming a barricade, as they growled their unspoken threat.

  Moments later, the hall was filled with the lycan police. After a brief conversation with Leo, Sam watched the police take Garos’s men away in handcuffs. Leo nodded at his men, and they left shortly thereafter, Matt the only one remaining.

  “So you’re off to Maine tomorrow?” Matt asked.

  Leo nodded. “Do not fear. Garos will not be planning another attack for a while. He will be too busy trying to figure out what went wrong with this one.” His expression hardened. “We need to be ready to pull James out of there at the first sign of trouble, do you understand?”

  Matt nodded.

  Leo took Sam’s hand, giving her a look that almost frightened her. “I hope our trip to Maine is more peaceful than your visit to New York.”

  She looked from Leo to Matt and back to Leo again, their intent, grim expressions alarming her.

  “I’m…I’m sure it will be,” she said, realising with a start Leo had been serious. “Nothing exciting ever happens in Maine.”