The Vampire SEAL Collection, page 134
Victor extended his hand. “Webb, good to see you.” He raked his dark gaze over my face. “You look tired.”
Story of my life.
After a tight and quick handshake with Victor, I nodded to everyone.
Jo slid next to me. “Victor, while we have a minute, Webb and I would like to ask you a favor. We were wondering if we could get married on your estate next month.”
Alia’s voice hitched. “Jo, we would be honored to host your wedding.”
Victor grinned. “We owe you both for saving Matthew. And as Alia said, we would be honored.”
Jo threw her arms around Alia. “Thank you.” She went to hug Victor, when the side door opened with a creak.
The air thickened when Sam jerked his head at Howell. “What is he doing here?” Sam snarled as black threaded through his green irises.
I jumped in front of Sam. “I called him.”
Howell strutted over, his bald head glistening beneath the lights. The last time I’d seen the vampire, his hair was on fire and his skin was falling off him. Now it appeared as though he was a brand-new vampire.
He arched a brow as he set his sights on me. “I look that bad, London?”
“I’m surprised your hair didn’t grow back.” As vampires, we could heal from just about anything. I was slowly learning that maybe our physical characteristics as vampires didn’t render us totally immortal.
He rubbed a hand over his head. “Nah, I shaved it.”
Sam sidled up to me with a scowl on his face. “Explain what he’s doing here.”
I opened my mouth, but Howell held up his hand. “Let me. Look, Sam, I get you’re ready to drive a dagger into my heart, but Webb saved my life, and I owe him. I’m not here to give you shit or get into a fight. The only fighting I want to do is killing the asshole who decided to blow up the building I was in.”
Sam lowered his shoulders but kept the scowl. “Then maybe my sister should read your mind before we embark on this mission.”
That was my plan before we started our meeting. “We’ll make that happen,” I said.
Suddenly, an eardrum-piercing roar caused the room to shake and sent me running out the side door. I found Steven in the hall with his fist through the wall and his phone pressed to his ear. We had several holes in walls around the base that we would have to fix.
“I will carve you into tiny pieces when I get my hands on you,” Steven yelled.
Edmund’s voice came through the phone. “I would like to see you try.”
Jo, Sam, Alia, Victor, Howell, and Matthew spilled into the hall.
I wrangled them back into the war room. “Let’s get settled. Sam, can you call Tripp and Olivia and see where they are? Jo, find Ben, please.”
Once they were back inside, I blocked the door while I listened.
Steven hit the speaker button and held out the phone with his fangs down, eyes narrowed, and face beet red.
“Agent Thomas and Wyman seem to be ignoring my calls.” Edmund’s voice echoed in the hall. “Any idea where they are?”
Steven let out a low, evil chuckle. “The humans are no concern of yours. And tell me, why would you involve the human government in your grand scheme?”
We knew the answer, but I suspected Steven wanted to hear the reason from the horse’s mouth.
Jo came out and gently moved me out of the way, or more like I moved of my own accord.
“You know that I’ve always wanted to take over the world,” Edmund said in a condescending tone.
Steven sneered. “The only world you’ll be taking over is hell.”
Edmund’s laughter rumbled through the phone. “Enough of your threats. I want my daughter. A father deserves to see his daughter.”
“Don’t listen to him, Steven.” Rachel’s tone was sharp.
Then the sound of him slapping her made Jo, Steven, and I flinch.
“You’re a sick creep,” Jo said, fisting her hands at her sides.
“My sweet Jo. I’m sad that you haven’t contacted me. I truly wanted you to work for me. I see though that your father got out of jail. Too bad. I tried everything I could to get him out of the picture.” Edmund’s tone had changed from snarky to warm. “We could’ve done great things together.”
“Enough,” I blurted out. “You will not get your daughter or anyone else.”
“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.” Edmund’s voice was sharper and more irritating than a high-pitched dog whistle. “Webb, you know better than to spit threats. Let’s not forget I have two of your top vampires. I’m sure you don’t want to lose two more men. You’ve already lost three.”
I inhaled a deep breath then let it out slowly. He had me by the balls. I couldn’t afford to lose Kraft and Kodiak. Between Bruno and Edmund’s plans for power and greed, we’d lost Quade, Crowe, and Sloan.
“Your silence tells me that you will listen to my demands,” Edmund said.
Rachel sniffled in the background.
Steven chewed on the inside of his cheek. “We know you’re in Alaska. We know that Elder Dyson has been working with you. We know Dr. Case has been feeding you and my brother information. We know you killed the Secretary of the Navy. The only logical next step is to kill you.”
“Are you saying that you don’t want to negotiate to save your men?” Edmund asked.
“You’re not getting Abbey,” Jo blurted out.
“That’s too bad,” Edmund responded.
“No, Edmund. Please don’t. Steven, you’ve got to bring my daughter to me,” Rachel pleaded.
“It’s too late for that, Rachel,” Edmund said before Rachel screamed at the top of her lungs.
Then, complete silence.
Jo slapped a hand over her mouth as tears filled her eyes. My heart sank. Steven froze, horror jumping off him.
Edmund clucked his tongue. “If you don’t want your men to end up like Rachel, then bring me Abbey, or else I’ll not only kill Kodiak and Kraft, but the wolf shifter as well.” The line went dead.
I’d heard him when he’d said he had Crysta, but I was stuck on Rachel’s demise, although Tripp wouldn’t be pleased to hear that his cousin had been captured.
Hollings ran in from the control room, panting. His dark eyes swam with rage and fear. “Dyson took Jonah. They’re both gone.”
I got whiplash from everything that was happening at once, although Jonah was the least of our concerns. Whether he was on our side or Edmund’s, it didn’t matter. He would die if he got in my way.
Hollings labored for breath. “What happened?”
Steven pressed his fingers to his temple. “I’ll fill you in later. Webb, wheels up in two hours. Get the team ready, including Dr. Vieira. Then call in Viking II. We need all the fighters we can get.”
I nodded as I pulled out my phone. Viking II was our other vampire SEAL team, and they were on standby in the event we needed their help.
“Oh my God,” Jo said. “I can’t believe Rachel is dead. How are we going to tell Abbey?”
Hollings gaped. “You’re kidding me. Rachel is dead?”
Steven stormed out. “Come on, Hollings. Let’s catch up while I pack up my weapons.”
No sooner had they left Jo and me standing in the hall than Olivia walked out of the control room with Abbey in her arms.
The little girl jumped down and ran, her black ponytails swinging and her big blue eyes focused on Jo. She leapt into Jo’s arms. “My mommy.” Abbey started to cry. “She died.”
“How do you know?” Jo asked.
We all knew Abbey had visions, but she could’ve heard us in the hall too.
Abbey flattened a palm on Jo’s face. “I’ll show you.”
Jo closed her eyes for a long minute before tears streamed down her face. “I’m so sorry.” She hugged Abbey to her, while the little girl quietly cried.
I took Abbey in my arms. “We won’t let anything happen to you.” I rubbed her back as she laid her head on my shoulder.
I didn’t know what would happen next, but one thing was certain—Edmund would die soon if for nothing else, taking Abbey’s mom away from her.
16
Jo
I stared out the window of the plane as I replayed Abbey’s vision over and over in my mind. Edmund had driven a dagger straight through Rachel’s neck. The scene, along with Abbey’s crying, had gutted me. She would never see her mom again.
I closed my eyes, listening to Dad give out orders of what to do when we landed. I should join in the discussion, but I couldn’t bring myself to think of anything other than how I would kill Edmund. I still didn’t know if I would be the one. I did believe in what my grandfather had said to me in my dream. Maybe that was the reason I didn’t care to add my two cents to the discussion.
Webb’s woodsy scent announced him before he sank into the seat next to me. “I’m worried about you. Are you up for this?”
The clouds outside the window clipped by.
“I will be,” I said in a quiet voice.
Touching my face, Webb guided me to look at him. “I’m all for you sitting this one out. But if your grandfather said you will be the one to end Edmund, then we need you at a hundred percent.”
My gaze melded with his. “I’m in. I just needed some time to process what Abbey showed me.” I leaned my head on his shoulder. “Is Abbey asleep?”
Webb interlaced his fingers with mine. “She’s sound asleep in Alia’s lap.”
Before we left Massachusetts, Dad and Webb had debated on whether to bring Abbey along. In the end, they hadn’t wanted to take any chances on leaving her behind in the event Edmund had someone waiting in the wings to snag her, like Jonah or Dyson.
The plane’s engine droned to a quiet hum as I listened to Dad. He wanted to take out every guard on the premises and replace them with our team. That could work, giving us access to get inside, although the mystery was how many more guards and soldiers were inside that warehouse. According to the feedback Crysta had given us before she was captured, she’d seen a truck full of humans. But that had been one truckload. If there were more inside, we could be facing an army of misfit vampires. And if they were anything like Blake Turner, fierce and strong, then we could be walking into a death trap.
I hated to even think that the only surefire way to get in was with Abbey. As much as I didn’t want to subject her to Edmund, we desperately needed to assess the inside of his fortress.
I lifted my head. “I have an idea that my dad should hear.”
Webb didn’t waste any time in getting up. I followed him to the back of the plane. The team was split up on both sides. Abbey had her head in Alia’s lap, sleeping. Alia’s eyes were closed. Howell and Dr. Vieira were reading on their phones. Victor and his grandson, Matthew, were sitting together, talking. Sam and Ben were playing cards. Olivia and Tripp were crowded in the back galley with my dad, where he had a drawing of Edmund’s compound.
Dad stopped talking when I approached. “What is it?”
Webb leaned against the bathroom door, and I settled next to him. “The only way we’re going to win against Edmund is if we give him Abbey. And before you say no, hear me out. If Edmund gets Abbey, then he gets me. He did want me to work for him. Anyway, he’ll be preoccupied with Abbey. In the meantime, I can assess what we’re up against.”
Dad chewed on the inside of his cheek.
Webb’s cobalt-blue eyes flashed to vampire black. “If you did go in, how would you get us the information?”
I bit my lip. “I’ll find a way. Maybe I can leave a door unlocked. Also, before I go in with Abbey, he has to release Kraft, Kodiak, and Crysta. That was the deal after all. Right? And they might have better information for you on how to get in.”
“Storming the place would only drive Edmund to flee,” Tripp said. “We do need to catch him off guard. And if we take out his guards and insert ours, then we can use their security credentials to get inside. We’ll have the man power to do that with our Viking II SEAL team.”
Dad dragged a hand over his unshaven jaw. “We do need Kraft and Kodiak. And we do need to know the ins and outs of that warehouse.” Dad pointed to the plans on the counter. “These blueprints aren’t telling us much.”
Webb’s nostrils flared. “I don’t like it. I can’t lose you again, Jo.”
I frowned. I didn’t want to die. I wanted to get married, make love to Webb for the first time, have Dad walk me down the aisle. And now that Abbey didn’t have a mom, I wanted to be there for her. As a female vampire, I couldn’t have kids. So I wanted to be the stand-in mom for her.
“One problem,” Dad said. “Your grandfather told you that we need to protect Abbey. Handing her over to Edmund is not protecting her.”
“That’s why she and I are a package deal. I’ll protect her. Besides, Edmund isn’t going to harm Abbey.” I wasn’t sure of that, but he wanted his daughter badly, so he wouldn’t do anything to her, at least not right away.
“But he could kill you,” Webb added. “Then Abbey won’t have anyone to protect her.”
I considered Dad and Webb. Both were struggling with my plan, which wasn’t surprising. The fact that we were even discussing my plan made me stand up straighter. They believed in me. They believed I could handle myself. I understood their hesitation too.
Olivia, who had been quiet, spoke up. “Edmund has been all talk when it comes to Jo. I don’t believe he ever wanted to kill her. As we know, he wanted her DNA and might still. So as far as Jo, I don’t believe he will rush to end her life. I also agree that Edmund won’t lay a finger on Abbey. He’ll be too smitten with her to react in a violent way, at least in the beginning. So that will give us time to regroup and shut him down for good. We do desperately need Kraft and Kodiak’s skills. We could use Crysta’s talent as a wolf shifter. But the only thing I caution you on”—Olivia fixated on me—“is don’t go in with your guns blazing and piss off Edmund. Keep calm. Do as he says. This is all about keeping both Jo and Abbey safe. If we’re not inside within twenty-four hours, then find a way to first kill your uncle Patrick. Without him, Edmund can’t continue to build a vampire army.” She looked at me. “And under no circumstances do you let Abbey out of your sight.”
I would do everything in my power not to let anything happen to her. I wished there was a better plan. But storming the warehouse without meeting Edmund’s demands would only get us through the door, and more people would get killed. The end result would be the same—Edmund would escape us again. With my plan, it was better to be closer to my enemy. That way if Edmund did disappear with Abbey and me, at least I could do everything in my power to kill him.
“You do bring up all valid points,” Dad said to Olivia.
Webb shook his head. “Sometimes, Olivia, I do hate you. But I also respect the way you think.”
She rolled her brown eyes. “Jo is tough. She can handle herself.”
“True,” Webb glanced at me with love and fear. “But I would like to prevent my heart from stopping again. And it will if Jo dies.”
I leaned into Webb. “I’m not going to die. I have nine lives. I know I’ve only used two,” I teased.
Webb tensed. “You have got to make sure you have all your senses open. Nothing can happen like it did with Nicki. You must be vigilant in making sure you know the room, the exits, the heartbeats, and the sounds. You took that mind-blocking potion, so he won’t be able to read your mind, but you can still read his and anyone else’s. Just don’t get too deep into their minds, or else you’ll tire yourself.”
“Jo,” Dad said. “I want you to take an extra dose of the antidote before we land. We don’t know how long you’ll be in there. And if they do shoot you with the sedative, act like the drug works. Then they might leave you alone long enough so you can do some detective work.”
I hadn’t thought that far ahead, but that was a great idea. Although if I did act as if I was passed out, then I wouldn’t have eyes on Abbey. I nodded at Dad, anyway. I would determine my next move as I went along. All the planning in the world was great, but sometimes, plans didn’t work out the way they were set.
17
Jo
We sat parked in a windowless van about two miles outside of Edmund’s compound. The weather was brisk for November in Alaska, and daylight was slowly slipping away. Aside from Dad, Webb, Olivia, Abbey, and me, the rest of the team had checked into a motel somewhere north of where we were.
Abbey was strapped in between Webb and me in the back seat. “Are we ready to see my daddy?” Her voice held a note of sadness. I suspected it wasn’t because of Edmund but because her mom was dead.
We had talked to Abbey on the way from the airport, letting her know that she and I would pay a visit to her father. With her visions, she didn’t seem surprised.
Webb hung his arm on the back of the seat as he lowered his head to Abbey. “Will you be a brave and strong girl for us and listen to Jo?”
“I’m not afraid,” Abbey said in her singsong voice.
“That’s my girl,” Webb said.
I couldn’t be afraid, either. I had a job to do, and that was to keep her safe. I didn’t want to die, but I would if it meant giving my life for Abbey’s. After all, she was an important part of the vampire world and keeping our existence alive.
Dad studied me from the driver’s seat as though he was trying to get into my mind. I was thankful for the mind-blocking potion. I didn’t want to give him a reason to worry any more than he already was.
“Are we ready to make the call?” Olivia asked.
Edmund hadn’t given us a time line for delivering Abbey. However, we’d made haste in getting on the plane, which had been fine with me. I was extremely anxious to get past the fighting and get on with my life, but dread filled my stomach.
