Read Online Be Still My Heart by Jackie Ivie - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jackie Ivie
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hands cocked into fists at his sides. Not a dark-haired vampire among those masses. But he couldn’t see fully. A crouch and jump sent him right at a rafter, easily two stories above his head, and there he hung, doing a hand-over-hand spin from this vantage. Nope. Not a black-haired vixen anywhere among the masses. And it was rather fun having superpowers.
Smoke was obscuring most of the large room, but it didn’t look the kind brought on by a hotel fire. That sort of smoke would cling to the ceiling first, creating a haze that hurt lungs to breathe it in. It surely wouldn’t look like someone had dropped several tear gas canisters in the middle of the floor. Nor, should it look like a weapon-toting SWAT team was streaming through the tables. And they really shouldn’t all stop in a circle below him and point myriad weapons up at him. All of which made no sense.
“Marvin Leon Ebonovski?”
One of the khaki-clothed militia asked it with a loud, barking, authoritative voice. Stuart debated it. Stay silent. Admit nothing. Just hang from the rafter like a streamer from a party popper. Or leap to another rafter, using his super powers.
Guns cocked below him as if reading his mind. He wondered absently if possessing supposed vampire powers withstood bullets ripping through him. Probably. But he wasn’t testing the theory. It was obvious that vampire assassin chick had given him an alias taken from an International Terrorist. Or something. Some mate she was turning out to be.
“Drop Mister Ebonovski, or we’ll shoot.”
Falling two stories would break an ankle. They didn’t look like they considered that bit of this equation. Stuart had never considered himself imaginative. Dull. Boring. Stuffy. Not imaginative. Yet something in him had initiated not only an episode from a campy science fiction channel, but every moment it just seemed to get worse.
“You have until the count of two!”
Two?
What’s wrong with these people? Nobody gets just two.
“One!”
Stuart dropped, landing easily and lithely, without so much as a bruise. But before he could move, they tossed some sort of net over him, and then one of the bastards slapped a cross-shaped banner right across his chest, putting him into a shock-like state.
“Who…are you people?” He was in tremors. Brought on by extreme shock. It came out in the question.
“
Hunters
.”
Hunters. In the casino. Right.
“What…do you want?” Stuart was losing consciousness. The words were slurred and nearly inaudible.
“You’re bait, buddy. Now move!”
Now he was a worm? Great. That was his last conscious thought.
CHAPTER TEN
“You found him?”
Sasha gripped the phone and watched the 60-inch flat screen Stuart had raved over. There wasn’t anything to see in the dimly lit area being projected. Nobody ever saw Akron. It’s what kept his Vampire Assassin League anonymous and therefore, efficient.
“You doubted me? Sasha.”
The plane dropped and her hands slipped on the phone. She had sweaty palms and was being teased. And the plane was experiencing turbulence. Not a good combination.
“Where is he?”
“He’s not worth it, Sasha. Truly. He’s a very uptight Ivy League educated stuffed shirt. Nothing unusual on his record. And I have it on good authority he’s a horrid prisoner. Won’t shut up. Argues ceaselessly.”
“That’s my man.”
“Truly?”
“He’s my mate, Akron. I can’t change it. Come to think on it, I don’t want to. All I want is that man back with me. So, why don’t you just tell me where he is and get out of the way?”
“It’s difficult.”
“I do difficult for lunch. Tell me where.”
“I’m assigning the extraction elsewhere.”
“What?” The word held all the emotion she was stifling. She held her breath the moment it burst from her lips. And listened to the dead silence that followed her outburst.
“You’re too close. It’s obvious. And close makes mistakes.”
“He’s my mate, Akron.
Smoke was obscuring most of the large room, but it didn’t look the kind brought on by a hotel fire. That sort of smoke would cling to the ceiling first, creating a haze that hurt lungs to breathe it in. It surely wouldn’t look like someone had dropped several tear gas canisters in the middle of the floor. Nor, should it look like a weapon-toting SWAT team was streaming through the tables. And they really shouldn’t all stop in a circle below him and point myriad weapons up at him. All of which made no sense.
“Marvin Leon Ebonovski?”
One of the khaki-clothed militia asked it with a loud, barking, authoritative voice. Stuart debated it. Stay silent. Admit nothing. Just hang from the rafter like a streamer from a party popper. Or leap to another rafter, using his super powers.
Guns cocked below him as if reading his mind. He wondered absently if possessing supposed vampire powers withstood bullets ripping through him. Probably. But he wasn’t testing the theory. It was obvious that vampire assassin chick had given him an alias taken from an International Terrorist. Or something. Some mate she was turning out to be.
“Drop Mister Ebonovski, or we’ll shoot.”
Falling two stories would break an ankle. They didn’t look like they considered that bit of this equation. Stuart had never considered himself imaginative. Dull. Boring. Stuffy. Not imaginative. Yet something in him had initiated not only an episode from a campy science fiction channel, but every moment it just seemed to get worse.
“You have until the count of two!”
Two?
What’s wrong with these people? Nobody gets just two.
“One!”
Stuart dropped, landing easily and lithely, without so much as a bruise. But before he could move, they tossed some sort of net over him, and then one of the bastards slapped a cross-shaped banner right across his chest, putting him into a shock-like state.
“Who…are you people?” He was in tremors. Brought on by extreme shock. It came out in the question.
“
Hunters
.”
Hunters. In the casino. Right.
“What…do you want?” Stuart was losing consciousness. The words were slurred and nearly inaudible.
“You’re bait, buddy. Now move!”
Now he was a worm? Great. That was his last conscious thought.
CHAPTER TEN
“You found him?”
Sasha gripped the phone and watched the 60-inch flat screen Stuart had raved over. There wasn’t anything to see in the dimly lit area being projected. Nobody ever saw Akron. It’s what kept his Vampire Assassin League anonymous and therefore, efficient.
“You doubted me? Sasha.”
The plane dropped and her hands slipped on the phone. She had sweaty palms and was being teased. And the plane was experiencing turbulence. Not a good combination.
“Where is he?”
“He’s not worth it, Sasha. Truly. He’s a very uptight Ivy League educated stuffed shirt. Nothing unusual on his record. And I have it on good authority he’s a horrid prisoner. Won’t shut up. Argues ceaselessly.”
“That’s my man.”
“Truly?”
“He’s my mate, Akron. I can’t change it. Come to think on it, I don’t want to. All I want is that man back with me. So, why don’t you just tell me where he is and get out of the way?”
“It’s difficult.”
“I do difficult for lunch. Tell me where.”
“I’m assigning the extraction elsewhere.”
“What?” The word held all the emotion she was stifling. She held her breath the moment it burst from her lips. And listened to the dead silence that followed her outburst.
“You’re too close. It’s obvious. And close makes mistakes.”
“He’s my mate, Akron.
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