“Did you?”
“Not until I met Shannah. I would have endured anything to have her in my life.” They walked in silence for a time before Ronan said, “Don’t give up on Sara. Not yet. And …” Ronan huffed an irritated sigh. “If you ever need me, just call my name or think it and I’ll hear you.”
Before Travis could come up with a reply, his sire disappeared into the night.
Chapter 23
Olivia let out a startled gasp of surprise when Jason materialized in their bedroom late that night, and then threw herself into his arms.
He held her close for several minutes, inhaling her scent.
“I missed you so much,” she whispered. “Where did you go? Has the whole coven returned?”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he pulled her onto his lap, his arm circling her waist. “I’m the only one who’s here. The rest are holed up in some ghost town in Wyoming.”
“Are you home to stay?”
“I don’t know. Jarick found me.”
“Oh, no. What does he want?”
“He wants what he’s always wanted. A ready supply of humans. He has a long list of vampires who are waiting for their orders to be filled.” Jason swore softly. “He let so much time go by before contacting me, I was hoping he’d moved on.”
“What are you going to do? The town is different now. Some of the women have moved out and a lot of new people have moved in.”
“He doesn’t care.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked again, her gaze searching his.
When his gaze met hers, a cold chill ran down Olivia’s spine. She didn’t need to hear the words to know that Jarick had threatened to kill her and the kids if Jason failed to obey. “Have you told the others?”
“I’ll tell them later.” He ran his tongue along the side of her neck, then pulled her down on the bed, his eyes hot with desire and need. “I don’t know what the future holds for us, love, but I had to see you before I go back, even if it’s just for an hour or two.”
Chapter 24
Expanding his preternatural senses, Ronan cursed softly as he drifted away from Jason Bowman’s house. The vampire’s scent was fresh, but he was no longer at home. Or in the town.
Leaving Susandale behind, he widened his search to the surrounding areas. Three miles out of town, he found what he was looking for. He chuckled wryly when he murmured the name of the place. Aducator de Moarte. Romanian for Death Bringer. Apropos, he mused as he entered the dilapidated building and followed his nose to the club in the basement.
It was exactly as he had expected. Dark walls. Dim lighting. Sensuous music emanating from speakers mounted in the ceiling. The scent of blood mixed with red wine.
A lot of people clad in black. As was he, he thought with a faint grin.
Couples clung to each other on the dance floor or huddled together in high-backed booths. Others sat at the long polished black bar that spanned the back wall. A woman who appeared to be in her late fifties sat on a padded stool at the end of the bar. Not a vampire, he thought, but definitely one of those mortals who was addicted to the blood of the Undead.
He was aware of her gaze sizing him up as he walked toward the bar.
“Welcome to Aducator de Moarte.” Her voice was dry, like brittle leaves.
Ronan nodded in acknowledgement.
“You’re new here,” she said.
“And you are?”
“Zara. This is my place.”
“Do you greet every newcomer?”
Zara shook her head. “Just the very old ones.”
He cocked one brow. “You can tell the difference?”
She let out a cackle of laughter. “You all have that same arrogant stride, the same haughty expression that practically dares anyone to defy you.”
“I had no idea.”
“The blood of the old ones is always sweet.” She licked her lips as she slid him a sideways glance.
“Are you asking?”
Leaning forward, she murmured, “Are you offering?”
“A taste for a little information.”
“What kind of information?” she asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“The kind I can compel you to give me.”
She sat back, her expression suddenly wary. “What do you want to know?”
“I’m looking for information about a vampire known as Jarick.”
“Never heard of him.”
“What about Jason Bowman?”
Lowering her voice, she said, “He used to be a frequent visitor, but I haven’t seen him lately. I heard his coven is holed up somewhere in Wyoming. I’m guessing he’s with them. There’s a rumor they’re planning a comeback.”
“Is the source of that rumor reliable?”
Zara lifted one shoulder in a negligent shrug. “I’ve no way of knowing for sure. But something’s up. I can feel it in my bones. Can I have that taste now?”
Travis had just returned from hunting when Ronan showed up at his lair. “I thought you’d left town.”
“I thought so, too, but I took a little detour to Aducator de Moarte and had an interesting talk with the owner.”
“Zara.” Travis nodded as he opened the door. “She’s a piece of work, that one.” He frowned and then he grinned. “You fed her!”
“In exchange for some information.”
“Yeah? Must have been something juicy.”
Ronan glared at him. “Do you want to hear this or not?”
“You might as well come in.” Turning on his heel, Travis headed for the front room. “So?”
“She told me Bowman and his coven are hiding out somewhere in Wyoming. Apparently, they plan to go back to their old ways.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“No?”
Travis shook his head. “I don’t know about the rest of the coven, but if they’d left for good, Bowman would have taken his family with him.”
“A love match, huh?”
“So it seems.”
Ronan lifted his head. “It’s almost dawn. If Bowman and his bunch are coming back to Susandale, you’d best keep an eye on Sara.”
“Wouldn’t it be best if we all
