Twenty-One
Had it only been two days since she’d ridden Ursula into Dexter and into Niko’s life? It couldn’t be. With the smooth hum of the engine vibrating between Rylee’s thighs and the warm autumn sun beating down on her, she could almost forget the horrors of the previous night.
Niko had done everything right. Sweet and gentle, he’d loved her body in the shower. He’d eased the tension from each of her muscles with his strong, masterful hands, then had taken her like a beast in bed, driving into her fast and hard until nothing else had mattered—nothing else existed but him and the way he commanded her pleasure. He hadn’t given her a moment’s reprieve until they were both too tired to do anything but collapse in each others’ arms and sleep.
In the cold light of day, though, she couldn’t help recalling what she’d done. That sickening push of wood through tissue was branded into her senses. When she thought about it too hard, bile rose in her throat, and she had to focus to keep from gagging. Her hands gripped the handlebars tighter, the sting of her palm further reminding her of what had happened.
She’d taken a life. Right? Well, she wasn’t sure if vampires were considered dead or not to begin with, but regardless, she’d ended the thing’s existence.
Pushing the bike around a curve, she caught sight of Niko up ahead. He wasn’t gunning it, but he wasn’t waiting around for her, either, which she appreciated. She didn’t want a Sunday drive to admire the bright red leaves on the trees. She needed the adrenaline rush of a hard ride. Niko hadn’t said a word when they’d taken the machines out of the barn, or even when he’d pressed his lips to hers before they put their helmets on, but he understood. She’d seen it in the depths of his eyes. It was like he’d chased his own demons in the past and had used the same outlet to exorcise them.
Slanting a glance at her handlebar mirror, she blew out a breath. She hadn’t spotted a tail, but something wasn’t right. Her gut was churning. It had been since she and Niko had come down for breakfast to realize Luca had already been to the house and had gone to The Narrows ahead of them. Niko had tried to play it off, but he was worried, too. When she suggested they have a light breakfast and a heartier lunch later, he hadn’t put up a fuss. If anything, relief had loosened his features, if only for a few seconds. They’d gotten ready in minutes, and each had eaten a muffin on their way out to the barn.
Up ahead, Niko slowed and signaled a turn, and she did the same. He’d warned her that the going would be slower once they reached the gravel road, but she hadn’t expected him to stop.
Pulling up next to him, she lifted her visor. Before she could say a word, he pointed to the dirt in front of them.
“Those are probably Luca’s tracks. He took the truck.”
Okay, so they knew Luca had been heading in that direction. This wasn’t a surprise.
“Those are from a bike. If I’m not mistaken, they belong to a BMW K1200S.”
“The vampire?”
“The damned vampire,” he confirmed, his voice tight.
The acid eating a hole through her stomach churned hotter. “Let’s go.”
Niko’s lips thinned, and a muscle jumped by his left eye. “The vampire can’t expose himself to the sun, so he won’t be able to drain anyone, but he’ll still be plenty strong. If we find him, don’t get anywhere near him. He’ll be fast, so stay on your toes.”
The image of the creature she’d killed the night before flashed into her mind. She had hoped never to see another one up close again, but she couldn’t turn back—not if Luca was in trouble, and everything pointed to exactly that. At least Niko wasn’t trying to make her turn back and go home. “I’ll be careful.”
He gave her a curt nod before flicking his visor and revving his bike. A moment later, gravel sprayed from under his tires, and he was gone in a cloud of dust. She gave him a few seconds head start before following, letting the cloud settle enough to see.
More than once, Rylee had to slow her bike as the rough road made it difficult to keep it stable, yet had it not been for the particles in the air his bike kicked up, she would have lost Niko’s trail. If it wasn’t for the fact he’d never be comfortable with her being alone in a strange land with a killer on the loose, she might have thought he wanted to leave her behind.
She knew better, though. He was rushing to his twin’s side and expecting the worst.
Every few seconds, she caught a glimpse of sparkling water through the trees to her left. As spectacular as the sight was with the bright sun and the fall foliage, she couldn’t pause to admire it. She was close. Up ahead, the dirt path widened, and a thicker cloud of dust puffed from beyond the trees obscuring the lake.
She didn’t ease up until she came to the clearing where the truck was parked. A bystander might assume someone was out for a day of fishing, but the heavy dread hanging in the air and the utter silence of the forest when she removed her helmet and killed her engine proved otherwise.
In that instant, her heart stuttered to a stop and then, just as quickly, pounded hard against her ribs. Where was Niko? He’d left his bike a hundred or so feet away. His helmet was on the ground where he’d cast it
