Samael Page 7

  Ambrose barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. “The two having sex isn’t going to change…”

  “Hell yeah, it would. If Samael likes the goods he’s going to want to protect her. So he helps out with missions. Simple as that.”

  Sven was right. How did it not occur to him before? If Samael was becoming enamored with Jade, then he would try to protect her. His helping with missions began to make sense. “I just got off the phone with him again and asked him if he knew anything that had happened to Jade that would affect her fighting. He said he didn’t.”

  Sven sat down in front of his desk. “He might not be lying. Jade can be secretive when she wants to be.”

  Ambrose nodded. Before he could respond his cell rang. He picked it up, hoping it was Samael or Lexie. Instead it was Roger, the other founder of the Alliance.

  “Yes?” Ambrose listened intently to the news Roger passed with a heavy heart. He never wanted to receive news like this, and yet it was happening more often as of late. “All right, I’ll make the calls.”

  He snapped his phone shut and took a deep breath.

  Sven closed his eyes, the news weighing heavily on him as well. “I’ll help you call Alliance members. I’ll take care of the arrangements.”

  Ambrose nodded. “Call Lexie first and have her break the news to Jade. She’ll take it better if it comes from Lexie.”

  “Will do.” Sven got up and left the office.

  Now more than ever he wondered if something bad had happened to Jade recently. If so, this news wasn’t going to help the situation. It would make it infinitely worse.

  Chapter Five

  Dayton, Ohio

  The light snow of the past few days had given way to frigid winds and bright blue skies. The bare branches of the trees swayed dramatically and pushed the rental all over the highway. Jade cranked up the heat in the SUV. It was her turn to drive which meant she had control over the stereo and the heater.

  “What, are you trying to roast me?”

  She slid a glance at Samael. “You of all people should be used to the heat.”

  She brought her attention back to the road and chose not to respond to his muttered curse word. She’d been called bitchy plenty of times before, so it shouldn’t bother her. For some reason that sentiment coming from Samael did.

  Her day off yesterday consisted of Oprah, The View, some cooking show, and a marathon of Clean House. Boring. Samael hadn’t come back to his room until late that afternoon. He’d been gone all night and most of the day.

  Where had he been?

  It wasn’t her business. He could spend his day off in any way he chose. That he chose not to spend it with her was of no consequence. She hadn’t desired a happily-ever-after with Samael, so she’d gotten exactly what she had wanted—sex with no strings attached. It should have made her ecstatic.

  “Take the next exit.”

  She gritted her teeth and did as he commanded—commanded being the appropriate word. Nothing she could say or do could convince him she hadn’t used him, but then he’d also used her. She didn’t hear him spouting off an apology for his actions. Even though he’d thought she had some ulterior motive for having sex with him, he’d still gone through with it. So he had used her as well. Fine. They were even as far as she was concerned.

  She wasn’t some young, impressionable youth whose heart broke at the mere thought of sex without emotion. But she’d be damned if she allowed him to take some superior stance with her. She’d been in the Alliance much longer than he. Ambrose had just started hiring demons, which surprised all of the vampire assassins. To put it mildly, Ambrose never cared for the demonic species.

  Ambrose now used demons because of the powers they carried. If someone needed to be flashed out of jail—like her—or needed help fast, a demon could merely pop in and save the day. Demons were now the new elite of the Alliance, and in all honesty it was a tough pill to swallow.

  Before all their other missions Samael had a carefree, laid-back attitude that helped curb her neurosis concerning imminent death. Now he sat just as stoic and serious as she had been, which did nothing to calm her nerves. It made them much worse.

  And Lord knew she had to carry this mission. The time had arrived to prove to Samael her worth in the Alliance, or he was going to suggest Ambrose put her back on the training schedule. How humiliating would that be? Only months ago Lexie had been fired for disobeying a direct order, and now here Jade was getting put on probation. Ambrose was on the war path. She had to be good for a while, or no presents at Christmas.

  She pushed all disturbing thoughts aside and tried to focus on the mission at hand. Two vampires, six murders, in the span of three weeks. Of course the Alliance had already investigated and found the murders were linked to the vamps, so all she and Samael had to do was go in and terminate.

  She never understood why vamps still lived outside the laws of their species, especially when it meant certain death. You hooked up with a demon to feed, you found a drunk, or a willing partner. It wasn’t hard to find blood.

  Her cell rang and she picked it up out of the cup-holder. Her arm brushed against Samael’s, and the innocent touch sent a ripple of awareness through her. “Yeah,” she barked into the cell.

  “Jade? I’m so sorry I have to pass this news to you. I … I have news on Wesley.” Lexie’s voice had a frantic edge to it.

  “What happened?” Of course Jade already knew. She could hear it in the sound and pitch of Lexie’s voice. Jade could damn near feel her blood pressure spike as she gripped the steering wheel.

  “Sven just called. Wesley was killed in action last night. Three vamps took him out of commission.”

  Jade squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds and opened them once again. It wouldn’t benefit her to break down with Samael in the car. Not right before a hit. Time to suck this up. Yeah, Wesley’s death was terrible, but if Jade did the numbers … it was just about Wesley’s time to go. Wesley had been in the Alliance for over five hundred years. Well disciplined, well trained, and one of the best assassins in the Alliance.

  “Jesus.”

  Her before-battle stress hit an all-time high. She reminded herself of Samael’s presence and took a deep breath. He had more powers than Wesley, and that alone should alleviate some of her fears. She wasn’t alone.

  At the same time having Samael around could prove to be a bad thing. Masculine hands attempting to staunch the blood…

  “Ambrose is holding a ceremony a week from today. Look for an invite with your next mission. I know you knew Wesley pretty well.”

  That was an understatement. Jade had been the one to train him. They’d kept in touch throughout the years and met up at the quarterly training sessions at the headquarters. It would be strange not to see him there. “I will. Thanks for letting me know, Lexie.”

  “No problem. Stay tough. And please be careful.”

  “I will.” She snapped the cell closed and set it back in the cup holder, stunned she’d kept the car on the road. This happened to be the news she dreaded hearing most of all. It was a bit selfish to admit, but this kind of news always reminded her she wasn’t invincible. If death could take Wesley, it sure as hell could take her.

  Samael leaned toward her, took one of her hands from the wheel and held it in his. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  She nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. Of course he had heard Lexie on the other end of the line. His hearing was even better than hers. His touch was unexpected, but comforting. She couldn’t stop herself from squeezing his hand. It surprised her how natural the gesture felt, even after what had transpired between them.

  “It was his time, Jade. You’ll have to trust that. Death is just a word. What we go through is a transition. The body dies, yes, but the soul—our essence—goes on.”

  She took her hand from his to swipe a tear from her eyes. Her time was coming as well. She had no intention of weeping right before a hit. Mourning would come later. “W
here to?”

  Samael, understanding she wanted her space, settled back in his seat. “About a mile down the road you’ll make a right. Follow it down until I tell you to stop. These vamps live in a small two-bedroom house. We’ll park down the road and you can walk to their home.”

  “Okay.” She followed his directions and parked a little down the road from the house. Taking a deep breath she took stock of the houses that surrounded the car. Quiet neighborhood, a good possibility there would be tons of barking dogs announcing her presence if she wasn’t quiet. If assassins didn’t access their surroundings and weigh different issues that might come up, something would inevitably happen and the assassin would be taken unawares.

  Then again, she was just trying to take her mind off Wesley, and focusing on anything but his memory seemed a good idea.

  “If you’re sure you’re all right you will be taking this mission on your own. I need to evaluate how you would handle this situation if I weren’t here. The address is on this slip of paper.”

  Perfect. Fucking. Timing. She snatched the paper out of his hands and resisted the urge to beg him for his assistance. Damn it all to hell, she’d been doing this for hundreds of years. A small annoying voice in her head told her to hang up the towel, just quit while she could—while she remained breathing. It wasn’t as though she were under contract, as she had been for the first fifty years. Even then she could have quit, and Ambrose would have understood.

  Only the nervousness and apprehension increased with each mission, especially now that Lexie had shared her vision. It was as though she were defying death with every success she had in the field. Death came on a whim, and no one could determine their time before those few seconds of understanding, when death stood next to you, smiling in your face. She had no doubt her number was nearly up. Only time stood in death’s way.

  Fuck that. She could do this. She had to.

  Her heart did a few flips as she got out of the car. The cold wind slapped against her face, bringing her out of her self-induced stupor. She glanced at the paper in her hand and memorized the numbers scribbled on it. Just before she shut the door, Samael spoke to her.

  “If you need me, call out. I’ll be there in seconds. I’d decided you were going to do this on your own before you got that call. You don’t have to do this alone. I’m sure Ambrose would more than understand.”

  Her façade of a kick-ass assassin overcame her and she snapped back, “I’m more than capable of handling this, Sam.”

  She slammed the door and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. The big leather jacket was perfect for hiding all of her nifty little weapons, and she patted their bulk, hoping to gain strength from their protection.

  She considered it a good thing vamps couldn’t die from strokes, because the way her heart beat now, she was likely to have one. Wesley had been a damn good assassin, and if she were being truthful with herself, he’d been better than she.

  She found the blue and white house, checked the address and moved toward the back. The sun shone bright in the quaint little neighborhood, and the day had just started. She walked as though she had a purpose, a tactic she used often. If someone looked suspicious, it was because they were. She made it look like she was meant to be there. No one would take notice of her. If they did, they wouldn’t recall what she looked like, other than a woman dressed for cold weather.

  The back porch was free of glass tables, thank God. Only a few wicker chairs, minus the pads, were stacked in a corner. She had to move fast, in case the vamps were alert enough to sense her presence. Because this hit was located in a small neighborhood, she would have to use her dagger and keep quiet when she killed them. She had no choice but to get close to them—vision or not.

  The blinds were pulled, so she couldn’t peep through the sliding glass door. She checked it, not surprised to find it locked. The lever was on the inside, with no way of picking a lock.

  She walked briskly to the side of the house and peered in a bedroom window. A handsome vampire was taking his clothes off to get in a shower. She scanned his face and body, filing each detail the best she could. She noted the clothes on the floor beside him—T-shirt and jeans. Once she had a good mental picture of him she morphed into his image. This would get her access into the house without a fight.

  When he stepped into the shower she walked to the front door and raised her hand to knock, palming her dagger in the other. Before she touched the door it creaked open. Cold blue eyes met hers, first with apprehension, then with surprise. She didn’t hesitate, just walked in.

  “Jack, what the hell are—”

  She kicked the vampire back in attempt to take him by surprise and get the upper hand quickly. She shut the door behind her. Adrenaline shot through her body, propelling her through the motions. She had no time to think. It was time to kill. The vampire in the shower would hear the struggle and come running to help his friend. She had to make this kill quickly.

  She lunged forward and swiped her blade through his neck. The vampire tried to scream, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a gurgling sound—exactly what she had anticipated. Blood spurted from the gaping wound in his throat. Better him than her.

  He tried to staunch the blood flow with his hands, blocking her next move to sever the head from his body. Two of his fingers fell to the floor.

  Using the heel of her boot she brought it behind his legs and knocked him to the floor. Vamp number two chose that time to burst from the hallway, naked and wet. Jade had known he would hear her, even though she did her best to be quiet and efficient. He was a vamp after all. Seconds were precious in this business. She had to leave the wounded vampire on the floor and engage the new one. He posed the biggest threat at the moment.

  He stared at her in shock, seeing his own image.

  Her leather jacket weighed her down, whereas the new vamp had freedom of movement. Even though on the outside it looked as though she were wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans, she still wore her own clothes.

  She should have thought to shed her jacket at the door. No time to berate herself now. The new vamp wrapped a hand around her wrist and throat and pushed her back against the wall. He must have heard about the member of the Alliance who contained the ability to morph into others. He might be an asshole, but obviously not a stupid asshole-and he was much stronger than her.

  He slammed her hand that held the dagger into the wall, and the plaster gave way, creating a hole. She head-butted him and dipped under one of his arms, gaining access to his side, where she placed a solid kick.

  He kept hold of her hands, yanked them, and sent her flying into the wall once again. Her head bounced off the plaster and stars clouded her vision. If she didn’t get the upper hand quickly, she would die.

  Call on me if you need me.

  Like hell she would. The vampire struggled to get the dagger from her hands. She’d be damned if she’d give up her weapon. That remained the first and most important lesson the Alliance taught. Being weaponless meant death, plain and simple.

  Her vision cleared slightly, and with the vamps naked body only inches from her own she didn’t need a map to figure out where to strike next.

  He moaned, grabbed his balls and fell to his knees. Two swipes of her blade and the moaning stopped. She glanced at the other vamp who attempted to crawl away on his hands and knees, leaving a trail of blood on the hardwood floor. She strode up to him, grabbed him by the hair and made the final cut to sever his head.

  She let go of his hair and the head fell onto the lifeless body, then rolled onto the floor, vacant eyes staring into nothing. Just like her eyes in Kelsey’s vision.

  “Looks like a fucking massacre in here.”

  Out of breath and exhausted from her encounter, she slowly turned to see Samael in the doorway. Had he been there all along? Again, it felt as though he were coddling her, protecting her from her hits. She morphed back into herself and dismissed her train of thought. There was no reason for him to
protect her. “It’s done.”

  “Good job. You left your cell in the car. I’ll call the clean-up crew.”

  Blood coated her boots and hands. She didn’t want to use the sink to wash up, because that would force the cleaning crew to do more work. Not only did they take care of the bodies, but they erased any and all traces of assassins having been there.

  She didn’t exactly have a choice, though. Stepping out of the bloodbath, she took off her boots and made her way to the bathroom. She used the bathtub and cleaned as best she could. Another hit, another victory in the field—one more step closer to death. The blood coming off her boots mingled with the water and circled the drain. The reddish liquid held her mesmerized as she thought of the vampires who’d just met their end in the living room. How odd that she feared death, yet she brought death to other vamps almost every day.

  Irony was a twisted bitch. Jade used a rag and swiped at the droplets of blood left behind.

  Five minutes later she was walking back to the SUV. Everything looked normal in the quiet neighborhood, which was the ultimate goal. Mission accomplished. Only she didn’t feel like celebrating. Not with news of Wesley’s death fresh in her mind.

  She slid into the passenger seat and stared straight ahead. The adrenaline had worn off, and she shook slightly. Thankfully her jacket hid it well. She had no wish for Samael to see her neurosis unfolding. It had been difficult the last few missions, but she’d managed to keep him oblivious of her issues concerning death.

  “Ian, the clean-up guy, will be on his way shortly.”

  She never could imagine cleaning up after the kills. She suddenly wondered who would clean up after her death. “Great.” She ignored the glance he cast her and kept her gaze on the road as he drove out of the neighborhood.

  As the silence stretched on her anxiety hit a level so high she could feel it physically. Her body was one big jolt of electricity, and the quiet of the SUV felt like a tangible thing. Anger prodded words from her mouth. “You know, I wasn’t using you to get a better report. That’s just fucking ridiculous. I’m either going back to the Alliance in a normal capacity, or I’m going back to the training schedule. No harm, no foul.”