Grizz
MY CELL RINGS just as I climb onto my bike. I answer with a grunt.
"Where have you been?" Parker snaps. "I've been fielding calls all day from the wolf pack. They want to know when you're returning to the Fight Club to collect the package you left."
"On my way right now. Meet me there. I need your car to transport the package."
Trey is waiting for me by the back door when I roll up.
"You here to collect the leech?"
"Yep." I resist the urge to lift the dumpster lid and check on Benny. Don't want him burning to death too soon. "Just waiting on transport."
Trey offers me a beer while I wait. At my startled expression he shrugs. "You threw a match. Won the pack a ton of money. I think everyone's pretty much forgiven you. Everyone but Caleb. He wanted to beat your ass."
"That bear has too much crazy in him. It would've been bloody."
"Who was that redhead, anyway?"
I shake my head. The fewer people know who Jordy is, the better. I know there's another fox shifter in town-or at least half fox. She's mated to one of the wolves, but things are too hot to introduce them. Keeping Jordy safe is way more important than building her social life.
"Wouldn't have guessed there's anyone in the world you cared about," Trey muses.
So much for hiding my feelings. Fates, I gotta figure out what to do with Jordy.
"If I needed safe passage for someone out of town, could the wolves provide it?"
His eyes light. "A favor?"
I swallow my pride. "Yeah."
He stares a moment, then shakes his head. "No favor required. Not if you're helping someone out of the goodness of your heart."
A day ago I'd say I was helping Jordy for the benefit of my dick. Now, I'm not so sure.
We wait in silence. The white Camaro appears as the last fingers of daylight loosen their grip on the mountains.
Trey and I load Benny's still body into the trunk of the Camaro to the soundtrack of Parker's griping.
"This is a new car! Well, new-ish. We just got it cleaned!"
I slam down the hood, silencing the complaints. "See ya around," I say to Trey.
"Yeah," the werewolf rubs the back of his neck, slaps the trunk, and disappears into the Fight Club. If everything goes right, I might not be back here again.
If everything goes wrong, I'll be dead.
"Grizz? Ya ready or what?" Declan calls.
"Yeah." I pivot on my boot and point to Laurie. "You take my bike. The rest of you, into the car." I tromp to the driver's side and glare at Parker until he scrambles out of the seat.
The club looms in the rearview mirror until I turn out of the parking lot and gun it, ignoring the further protests of the shifter Stooges.
No more nostalgia.
I've got vampires to catch, and a murderer to kill.
"WHERE ARE WE GOING?" Declan asks.
"Frangelico."
There's a flurry of frantic activity in the back seat. "We can't go there! He'll kill us!"
"Pull over," Declan shouts, grabbing the wheel.
I do. "What the fuck?"
Laurie and Parker are already out on the sidewalk.
"We made a bet that you'd win the fight."
"So?"
"So we might have borrowed a wee bit of money to do it."
I sigh. "And you borrowed from Frangelico. You don't need me to tell you that was fucking stupid."
"You were supposed to win the match!"
My hands tighten on the steering wheel. I gotta get Benny to Frangelico now. Every second that passes is another chance for the one-eyed vampire to get away.
"Get in the car," I order. "I'll put a word in with Frangelico for you."
"Really?" Parker perks up. "You'd do that?"
"He won't kill you on my watch. Won't even bleed you." They'll just be in his debt, which is arguably worse.
We pull up to the mansion and I park in front of the gate.
"Tell Laurie to park my bike out here," I order before exiting and grabbing Benny out of the trunk. The sucker gurgles as I arrange him over my shoulder. He better not drool blood on me.
"And you'll talk to Frangelico about our debt?"
"Yep." I wave without looking back. I flag the attention of a lookout camera and tip Benny into view.
The gates creak open and I jog up the hill. Benny feels lighter. Loss of blood? Vampire anatomy is so weird.
This time, no guards greet me at the front door. The king trusts me. Or he's impatient to get his claws into Benny. Or fangs.
"Don't envy you, sucker," I mutter to the unconscious vampire as the front door swings open.
Frangelico appears in the foyer, dressed in jeans and a white button-down shirt. It's the most casual I've seen him. "Is this for me?" He rolls up his shirt sleeves. I'm about to point out that white is a bad color for what we're about to do when Benny gurgles and jerks. The stake falls out and my burden starts to thrash.
"Shit, he's waking up."
Frangelico is by my side in a flash. Literally. I didn't see him move. He didn't even blur. Shit, fast vampire! My defenses stutter while Frangelico grabs his sired.
"Shh, I got you," the king croons as if he's holding his child. Which, in a way, he is. Benny's eyes flutter and land on the king's face, where they widen in terror. A moan breaks from the smaller vampire when he realizes who's holding him.
"Good evening, Benedict," Frangelico says in the fucking creepy crooning voice of his. "Have you been a bad boy?"
I turn away before I barf, just in time to miss Frangelico breaking Benny's arm. The lesser vampire screams, but the king just lifts him. "Get the door, will you?" Frangelico asks me and I scramble. "We'll finish this in the dungeon."