Page 16 of Bullets and Blood (Hunting Hearts #1)

Chapter Thirteen

It was after midnight when the phone rang. They were both stretched out on the bed, fingers and legs entwined. The taste of blood was thick on Nix’s tongue, and he didn’t want to move even though he should get up and shower. Sweat and lube and cum were glued to his skin.

Lance reached out and looked at his phone. He groaned. “I’ve got to take this.”

Nix put his finger to his lips in understanding.

His heartbeat picked up for the wrong reason.

He imagined Orlan vampires surrounding the room so there would be no escape.

His fangs flicked down, ready to fight, and his fingers curled.

The relaxation he’d found was gone, replaced by the more familiar fear and tension.

He forced himself to exhale as Lance answered.

It’s just a phone call. Get a grip.

“Yeah,” Lance said, his words slurred as though he’d just woken up.

Nix closed his eyes, half expecting Lance to tell the person on the other end he had Nix.

If he did, Nix would have to run again. Lance was right; he could go into the bush and disappear, but to him, that wasn’t living.

He’d be alive and surviving on possum blood.

He’d rather cut his wrists and go for one last surf.

He couldn’t hear what the person on the other end was saying, only that it sounded like a man. Lance sat up and turned away. “He’s in the area.”

Nix held his breath, but the betrayal didn’t come.

“I don’t know where yet.”

More talking. “Yeah, the Reids probably do know where he is, but they wouldn’t say. This isn’t their problem, and I can’t go making a scene, or I become their problem. No killing was their request of Nix, and I was given the same order.”

Lance raked his fingers through his hair.

“I was checking a few things. I need to be able to predict him better, not just follow.” Lance shot him a glance that almost broke Nix.

Whatever the man had said confirmed that Lance’s every keystroke and call was monitored.

“That was his first kill so of course I went back to the record of the peace talk. Yeah. I’ll let you know when I get something definitive.

” He hung up and so carefully placed the phone down, Nix was sure he really wanted to throw it across the room.

“You were right. They knew exactly where I’d been on the database.

” He glanced over his shoulder. “You honestly weren’t at the peace talks, were you? ”

“Unblooded vampires in my family don’t have anything to do with the business. Not even as runners or drivers. We’re allowed to pretend we have a life.” He got up, went into the bathroom, and turned on the shower. The illusion of a life and freedom was a cruel joke.

Lance followed and leaned in the doorway, tan lines on his forearms, but his stomach was the pale color he’d be after being turned and the tan faded. “If you weren’t there to fire the first shot, who did?”

Nix stepped under the water and tipped his face to the stream.

Lance waited. Just because he was no longer certain about what his family said didn’t mean that he believed Nix.

Plus, as the messenger, there was a chance he be shot for telling the truth.

“You read my family’s report. It says the same as what Zinnia told me. ”

Lance’s eyebrows drew together. “Scott Orlan. My uncle. The man who was on the phone. The one who’s been assigned to keep tabs on me.”

Nix pumped soap onto his hand and washed. Nothing he said would make any of this better. If Scott was keeping tabs, he wouldn’t let Lance fail. Nix was going to wind up back in Melbourne wishing he was dead. “I’m fucked.”

It didn’t matter what happened between Lance and him. The truce didn’t matter. None of it mattered.

“So am I if this gets out.”

“I’m sorry.” Nix held out his hand, inviting Lance to join him. Lance stepped into the shower, the water washing away the smear of blood on his neck but not the bite mark. In thinking of his own survival, he hadn’t stopped to think about what it would mean for Lance. Hadn’t cared.

Shouldn’t care.

When had he started to care?