Page 78 of Bound by Vengeance
“Every stronghold is to evacuate now,”Nathan said. “Even if you’re not missing any hunters, you have tomove. We all know too much about each other to risk staying in ourcurrent locations. Bhavin, you have to gonow.”
Bhavin opened his mouth to reply, but beforehe could, his screen went blank.
“Oh, shit,” Roland breathed.
“Gonow!” Nathan barked at theothers. “And keep the location of wherever you’re going a secret.If you’re missing anyone, donotcontact them with your newlocation. Consider them dead. Keep your phones until you eithercall me with your new number, or I give you mine.”
Nathan didn’t wait to hear their responsesbefore he turned to Roland. “Shut down the feeds; we won’t belinked to the strongholds anymore, and issue an evacuation order toeveryone here.”
Roland stared dazedly at him for a secondbefore nodding. Turning away from the computers, Nathan strode pastthe bewildered hunters in the room. He gestured for Logan and Asherto follow him as he swiftly descended the stairs. Walking outside,he dialed Ronan as his eyes latched onto the sun sinking low on thehorizon.
They had to leave here before they lost whatremained of the daylight. Nathan didn’t have any hunters who’d beenmissing for an extended period, but he wasn’t taking anychances.
“We have a big fucking problem,” Nathan saidwhen Ronan answered. “I know where Joseph is getting some of hisnewest recruits. We’re evacuating the stronghold and going toFalmouth. Meet me there in two hours. Bring Kadence with you.Don’tlet her out of your sight.”
“What is going on?” Ronan snarled.
“I don’t have the time to explain. Kadencewill be safe if she’s with you.” He hoped she would be anyway, buthe figured she was safer with Ronan than without him. “Is Vickythere?”
“No.”
“I have to go.”
He hung up and called Vicky again, but shedidn’t pick up.
• • •
“I gotta admit, I thought I’d see you inHell before I ever saw you in a sewer,” Abby muttered as shebrushed aside a cobweb hanging from the ceiling of the tunnel.
“It’s an old sewer, long out of use, anddon’t forget I have killed a human, so Hell might not be far offfor me,” Vicky replied.
“Save me a seat there then,” Brian said.
When Vicky met his gaze, she saw anunderstanding in his eyes that she’d never seen from herbrother-in-law before.
“You killed those hunters to save yourself,”Vicky said to him.
“You were starving, and you killed to feedyourself,” he replied.
Vicky blinked at him; she’d been unpreparedfor him to try making her feel better about what she’d done. Brianwasn’t the complete asshole she’d believed him to be when theyfirst met, but he wasn’t exactly compassionate. It seemed Abby wasrubbing off on him.
“We’re almost there,” Vicky said as sheturned away from them. She didn’t know how Sister June and Duncanwould react to her bringing more vampires into their home, but shehoped they would be okay with it.
“Nathan has been doing this with you?” Abbyasked for possibly the hundredth time.
“He’s come with me a few times.” Vickystifled a giggle when the double entendre of her words hit her.Then, she was struck by the irrational urge to cry. She’d resolvedto end it with him, but she missed him.
It’s for the best.
Then why do I feel so awful?
Because she hadn’t realized how difficult itwould be to give him up, or how much she would grow to care forhim. It was one thing to miss his touch, his taste, and the way hemade her body come apart in ways she’d never dreamed possible. Itwas an entirely different thing to miss him because he’d stolen apiece of her heart and soul.
She didn’t know how many years she’d be ableto live without him, but she did know the days making up thoseyears would feel like an eternity.
“And you two were working together?” Abbyasked.
“For a little bit,” Vicky repliedflippantly. “He’s not so bad, for a hunter, and he did help medestroy Duke.” She ran her fingers over the scar on her wrist asher thoughts briefly turned to Duke and what he did to her.
