Page 86 of Bound by Vengeance
On the drive here, Logan rode with him whileAsher followed in his Expedition. Nathan had filled Logan in oneverything, knowing it would either push Logan away for good orease the divide between them these past months.
Logan remained silent for a while whenNathan finished. Finally, he replied, “Jordan’s an asshole.”
And with those simple words, Nathan knewhe’d gotten his friend back.
Stopping in the sewer, he caught the faintwhiff of jasmine in the air. Nathan hurried faster until he wasrunning. His hammering heart didn’t ease until, ahead of him, heheard voices drifting through the tunnels.
Coming around a bend in a pipe, he skiddedto a halt when he came face-to-face with a tall, blond vampire withblood-red eyes and bared fangs. Nathan almost tackled the vampbefore he recognized Brian.
“What areyoudoing here?” Briangrowled.
Ignoring him, Nathan looked to where Vickystood with her sister and Duncan. Though it would be easier to telltwo specks of sand apart, Nathan knew immediately which one of thetwins was Vicky. The pressure in his chest eased when her emeraldeyes met his. He almost held his hand out to her, but the look onher face said she wouldn’t take it.
“Nathan? Why are you here?” she asked.
“I came to find you,” he said. “We have togo.”
“Go? Where? Why? And who is that?” Vickynodded toward the man she’d seen once before, but she didn’t knowhis name.
“Logan, and we have to get you somewheresafer.”
“What’s going on?” Brian asked as he steppedcloser to Abby.
“Nothing good. I’ll explain as we walk, butwe have to move,” Nathan said.
“We have one more place to look,” Vickysaid.
“Not tonight, and it would be best ifDuncan, Sister, and the children leave here with us. I’m sure Ronanwill take them in, even if the children are human,” Nathan replied.“Now, let’s go.”
Vicky bristled against Nathan’s command.Sorrow quickly doused her initial burst of joy over seeing him, andnow she welcomed the anger. She was so tired of him and fate andeverything else.
Nathan saw Vicky gearing up for an argumentand recalled Lucien’s words about telling a woman what to do.“Please, come with me,” he urged.
That simple “please” knocked the wind out ofher. She blinked at Nathan before her shoulders slouched and someof her ire eased.
“We can stop by our last location on the wayback to Sister,” Duncan said.
The rest of Vicky’s argument faded away.“Then let’s go,” she said.
She fell in beside Abby to stay away fromNathan as Duncan took the lead. Nathan fell back toward her, andfeeling like an idiotic child, Vicky slid to the other side ofAbby. Her sister frowned at her before her eyes narrowed onNathan.
“Why are you here and what is going on?”Brian demanded of Nathan.
Nathan gave them a recap of everything thathad unfolded over the day and night. By the time he finished,they’d all stopped walking to stare at him.
Brian pulled Abby against his side as hiseyes turned a deeper shade of red. “We have to get out ofhere.”
“That’s what I said,” Nathan replied.
“Areyouokay?” Vicky askedNathan.
She’d intended to maintain an emotionaldistance from him, but she couldn’t imagine the turmoil he’d gonethrough since she last saw him. He already believed he was failingas a leader and didn’t hold up to his father. What had this daydone to him?
“Yes,” he said. “But I’d be better if I knewyou were somewhere safe.”
How did she resist him when he said stufflike that?You grow a backbone and do it, dumbass!
When everyone started into the tunnelsagain, she kept Abby and Brian between her and Nathan. Illuminatedby her flashlight, she counted the cracks in the floor of thetunnel as she tried to ignore Nathan’s cypress scent.
