Drantos Read online

  “I respect and love you. I’d never challenge you. You’re my father.”

  “I love you too. We show our emotions and welcome close bonds in families. GarLycans aren’t like us.”

  The door opened and Drantos’s mother entered. He shot to his feet at her forbidding look. “What’s wrong?”

  She held his gaze but then averted it to his father. “You need to gather your enforcers quickly and rush to the clearing to the northwest. It’s the small meadow with the yellow flowers in summer. You know the one.” She looked at Drantos. “I agreed to allow Dusti to try to save the girl. Lake and her should be arriving there at any moment. Go quickly. She’s waiting for you to rescue her.”

  Drantos lost his mind.

  He bellowed, his claws ripping out of his fingertips and his fangs painfully wrenching from his gums.

  “She wanted to do it,” his mother stated calmly. “She’s trying to prove she’s worthy of being a VampLycan in this clan. You will respect that, even if you don’t agree. She’s a woman, and one of mine. Have faith in her abilities to survive.”

  Drantos refused to hear any more. He started to shift, moving fast toward the door. His father cursed, following.

  He needed to get to Dusti before Decker realized he had the wrong sister.

  * * * * *

  Without warning, someone snuck up behind Dusti and gripped her upper arms. “I have her.”

  The voice was new and male. Dusti would have just gasped but she was playing Bat. Her sister would have hated to be touched. She twisted, smacking at the guy. “Get your hands off me, dirtbag! What part of ‘I’m an attorney’ and ‘will see you in hell’ do you not understand? I’m fed up with you assholes groping me.” She smacked him again and he actually released her, stepping back.

  “You’re safe now, Batina.”

  Dusti clenched her teeth and turned back around. Her grandfather stalked across the clearing, coming right at her.

  “I thought Los Angeles was bad.” She reached down and smoothed the shirt, a Bat move if there ever was one. It also put her hands closer to the gun hidden in her underwear. It had shifted so part of the handle or barrel dug into part of her inner thigh. “You need to call the police and the FBI! Dusti’s been kidnapped by a bunch of crazed lumberjacks. I don’t know where they’ve taken her. To add insult to injury, they gave me these horrible clothes, my suit was ruined, I don’t know where my briefcase is…” She huffed. “And those jerks broke my phone too!”

  “It’s going to be fine, Batina. I’m here now.”

  She turned her head, glaring up at the dark shape of her grandfather’s thug. “Back off, barbarian.”

  He did it. Decker came closer. “Let me look at you.”

  She faced him. “Don’t you people own flashlights?”

  “Get one,” Decker ordered. “She can’t see.” He reached out and took her hand.

  She wanted to yank it away but that might let him know she was aware he was a bad guy. She grasped it tight instead. “What in the hell is going on? Who was that kid? Thank you so much for rescuing me.”

  He sniffed. She hoped all he picked up was Drantos.

  “I smell, don’t I? They forced me to wear some guy’s stuff. My suit was torn in the plane crash and we were dragged through the woods to some backward town.” She tried to sound outraged. “Do you have a phone? I’ll call my legal assistant and have her send me clothing immediately.” She wasn’t sure if Bat could do that but she was willing to bluff. Every second put Lake and that child farther away and out of danger of being captured once the jig was up.

  “I’m going to take you to a friend of mine who lives near here. He’ll have a working phone and women’s clothing for you to wear.” He released her hand.

  She let him go. He was probably speaking of Aveoth. They weren’t friends and she wasn’t stupid. “But we have to find Dusti! She’s probably terrified. The poor thing gets frightened easily and she’s sick. My law firm will pay whatever they demand if they want money. I just need to contact them.”

  “They are cowards. They wouldn’t harm her.” Decker cleared his throat. “You can also bathe once we reach his home.”

  “Good.” She peered around, spotting four man shapes close to them. She lowered her voice. “Who are they?”

  “My employees,” he lied. “One of them will carry you. I see you don’t have decent shoes.”

  “They stole my four hundred dollar Italian pumps! And I don’t want to be touched. I’ve been manhandled enough. I’d actually just like a few minutes to calm down after being toted through the woods like a sack of potatoes over that gorilla’s back. Do you have any idea how traumatic this has been for me?”

  He hesitated.

  “I’ve been through hell! You have no idea, Grandfather. I don’t trust anyone after the last few days I’ve had. I just want to decompress and not have everyone looming around me. Can I have some breathing room? I need them to back off! What is it with people who live here and invading personal space? It's so damn rude.”

  “Of course.”

  The shapes moved away. Dusti lifted her hand again and rested it on her forehead. “Thank you.” She dropped her hand and did a little pacing. She glanced around, watching the dark figures blend into the woods, and noted their locations.

  “We really should get you to my friend’s home, Batina. It isn’t safe out here. Those criminals could be searching for you.”

  “Just give me a moment to meditate.” That sounded totally Californian. She slipped her hands down her body and gave him her back. She dug the gun out of her underwear. “I’m going to throw the book at all the assholes involved with what was done to me.”

  “We’ll sort this out later. We need to go,” Decker urged.

  She turned her head, peering at him. She wished she could make out his features. It would be nice to know what he looked like. It didn’t really matter though. “Mom never talked about you. Why is that?”

  “She was a foolish teenager when she ran away. She didn’t understand about duty and family loyalty. Now isn’t the time to discuss this.”

  “I disagree.”

  “I’m your grandfather.” He sounded pissed. “That’s all you need to know, and that I’m going to do what is best for you. Right now, that’s taking you far from here.”

  “And giving me to Lord Aveoth?” She figured Lake had likely had more than enough time to get a good head start. “Maybe I don’t want to become the lover of a GarLycan. Do you even care?”

  He sucked in a breath.

  She hid the gun along her hip and slowly turned to face him. Her thumb found the safety and rested there. “I know you have a phone on you. They have these nifty lights on them. Pull yours out and show me your face.”

  He didn’t move at all.

  “Are you even Decker Filmore?”

  “Of course I am.”

  “Show me your face, Grandpa. I want to see you.”

  “What the hell did Velder say to you?”

  “Show me your face and I’ll tell you.”

  He moved and she saw his hand fumbling with something. It surprised her when he actually turned on the phone and the faint glow of light lit his face. It had been a long time since she’d seen him but recognition hit. She stepped closer, studying him. He appeared no older than his mid-thirties.

  “You look amazingly good for what? Two hundred years old?”

  “Give or take a few years.” His tone grew cold. “I’m glad you know what we are. Velder lied to you. They’re a bunch of idiots who are going to get our race killed. They hide from the world like the cowards they are. We’re VampLycans, feared by all! We’re at the top of the food chain.”

  “Is that what you told my grandmother before you killed her?” She expected him to deny it.

  “That stupid bitch was always making me appear weak in front of my clan, with her nagging ways and sympathy for those who broke the laws,” he snarled. “She went behind my back one time too many. I have no use for