First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World #1)(70)
Author: Jeaniene Frost

Clever bastard. "Until tomorrow night."

He clicked the mobile shut, silently looking at the faces around the table. Everyone but Denise had heard the other end of the conversation. Mencheres looked grim.

"Why would you agree for me not to come, Spade? You know he intends to kill you, and he’ll know if I’m near. Web has spies all over Monaco."

Spade stared at Mencheres. Then slowly, his gaze swung to Cat, the former half-breed who was now the only vampire in existence who derived sustenance from drinking nosferatu blood instead of human.

"Because your power will be there, Mencheres, even if you won’t be."

Chapter Thirty-three

The SUV pulled into Fontvieille harbor, stacks of glamorous hotels behind them and luxury boats in front. The lights along the harbor were dark, however, the only consideration to the many hotel windows that would have a view of the parking lot. Since Denise could hardly see and she was down here, the cloak of darkness would be sufficient for concealing whatever would take place in the next few minutes from any high-rise onlookers.

Spade glanced back at her from his place in the passenger seat. He said nothing, but his face spoke volumes. Denise forced herself to smile. Spade shouldn’t spend any of his energy worrying about her. He, Bones, and Cat had enough to deal with trying to stay alive tonight.

And once again, she’d be sequestered safely while that was happening. Denise was so sick of being the person her loved ones fought for, instead of facing the danger herself. If she could have traded places with Spade, Cat, or Bones, she would have done it in a heartbeat. But of course, none of them would let her.

That will change, Denise promised herself. She knew the world she was committing herself to, so she’d learn the best way to live in it. It meant toughening up, but she was ready. In fact, though she hadn’t told Spade, she wasn’t ruling out becoming a vampire one day. Drinking Spade’s blood on a regular basis would be her trial run. She wasn’t the same person she’d been before, willing to wait on the sidelines. Or in the basement.

But first they all had to survive tonight.

Denise glanced at Cat. Her friend looked rattled, not that Denise blamed her. All their hopes for victory hinged on an ability Cat didn’t fully know how to operate. Bones and Spade were confident that when the moment came, she would rise to it. Denise both feared and envied Cat for that awesome responsibility. When had Denise ever been the person trusted to lay it all on the line for those depending on her?

"All right," Spade said quietly. "Let’s do this."

Oliver, the human driver for this event, stayed behind the wheel, keeping the SUV running, but Denise, Spade, Cat, Bones, and Nathanial got out. Denise looked around, not sensing the other vampires that she knew were there. Web’s people. They were probably hidden behind every shadow.

The spot on Denise’s palm itched even though the small wound healed after Spade rubbed his blood over it. Nothing was visible on the outside, but inside her palm was a minuscule transmitter capsule. Nathanial had one implanted in the same place, too. Just in case we’re separated, so Mencheres can track you, Spade had said.

Denise knew the harsher reason behind the trans mitter, even though Spade didn’t say it. In case Web wins and the rest of us are killed. Web wouldn’t kill her or Nathanial; they were too valuable. But she and Nathanial were the only ones Web intended to survive this evening.

She thought she’d throw up.

Spade’s face cleared of all expression as he took her arm in one hand and Nathanial’s in the other. Her relative hadn’t spoken at all, either on the plane ride to Monaco or the car ride to the harbor. Denise knew Nathanial had been apprised of his role tonight, but she wondered at his silence. Was he afraid of being captured again by Web? She certainly would be, if she were he, though what she intended for Nathanial was so much worse than that…

Denise reminded herself that she had nothing to do with Nathanial making the bargain with Raum in the first place, but the rationalization felt hollow. She glanced at the tattoos covering the brands on her skin. If only there was another way to remove them.

Her attention was snapped away from that when Web appeared on the end of a pier. He must have been there the whole time; that was where Spade had been walking, but not until she was on the pier did she notice him. Web’s tousled sandy hair was visible in the darkness, but those scary cobalt eyes were still too shadowed for her to see.

"Good evening," Web called out, as if this were a social call. Then he spoke into his phone. "Are we good, Vick?"

Denise didn’t hear the reply, but when Web’s casual stance relaxed even more, she could guess what it was. Yes, only the six of them had come to Monaco, just as agreed, which must be what Web’s spies relayed to him.

"Don’t you trust me?" Spade asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.

Denise didn’t know how Spade could sound so coolly unaffected. She was almost quaking at the circumstances, and she was the safest person on the pier aside from Nathanial.

"Just being cautious," Web replied lightly. "You were a bit rude during our last encounter."

Spade chuckled at that, letting go of Denise’s arm. "I’m sure you’d have acted the same way, were you me."

Now Denise was close enough to see the gleam in Web’s eyes. "Very true."

She’d known it, of course, but seeing Web’s eyes flick behind them with false nonchalance hammered home that this was a trap. Web had no intention of letting Spade, Bones, or Cat walk off this pier. Her heart started to beat faster. What if this didn’t work?

"You see I’ve brought the girl," Spade said, not looking away from Web. "Now, show me the knife."

Web pulled out a thin black case from his jacket, similar to a jewelry box for a bracelet. Denise blinked. Was the knife really that small?

Web opened the box, revealing a pale blade that was all the same cream-colored substance from sharp tip to thicker etched handle. Demon bone.

"Slide it over," Spade commanded. "And then I’ll send you the girl."

Web didn’t argue, which made Denise even more nervous. They must really be surrounded for him to feel so confident. He closed the box and then slid it along the pier, watching them with a glinting smile.

Nathanial went and picked it up, taking the knife out and holding it up in the moonlight. He nodded.

"This is it."

"And now the girl," Web said silkily.

Denise cast one last look at Spade before she walked forward, slowly. Web’s eyes slid over her in a way that felt like footsteps on her grave. Package deals. Blood selling. His plans for her would make her life a living hell, if he succeeded tonight.