Read Online Hunted (A Cyn & Raphael Novella) by D.B. Reynolds - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: D.B. Reynolds
Tags: Fantasy
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she’s damn smart.”
“Smart’s even worse. She thinks she can outwit you. She may be right,” he muttered.
“Thanks for that, asshole.”
“Gentlemen,” Raphael said with forced patience. “Whoever is behind these attacks will be dealt with, whether it’s Magda or someone else. But we have other business to discuss tonight.”
“Of course, my lord,” Aden said.
“Lucas believes you can take and hold the Midwest, Aden. What do you think?”
“The territory is mine, my lord. The challenge is simply a formality. I know my competition, and I will prevail.”
“Assuming you’re correct, and the territory becomes yours, Klemens ran a corrupt empire,” Raphael said. “Most, if not all, of his income came from illegal sources, which forced him to do business with untrustworthy humans of criminal repute. That made him weak, and I cannot afford to have a weak lord ruling the Midwest.”
He watched Aden closely, waiting to see how the other vampire would react to the implied threat. To see if Aden understood that he was being offered a place in an alliance—an alliance very much controlled by Raphael—and if he would agree to be a part of it. Or if he was stupid enough to challenge Raphael, which meant he would die here tonight.
“You don’t know me, my lord,” Aden said solemnly. “You don’t know my history. But I’ll tell you this much. I don’t consort with criminals, or with anyone whose purpose in life is to take advantage of others.”
Raphael nodded. “I had heard as much, but I needed to hear you say it. And don’t worry about Magda. Lucas and I can handle her.”
“Piece of cake,” Lucas chimed in. “She hasn’t broken the bond between us for some reason. Probably coasting on my protection for now. But it means I can find her.”
“And she will lead us to the others before she dies. It will make your path smoother,” Raphael told Aden. “There will be no need for you to expend your energy on what my Cyn would call low-hanging fruit.”
Aden laughed. “An apt description, my lord. I would be happy to assist in Magda’s demise, however. I always enjoy a good hunt, and vampires are much wilier prey than humans.”
“The hunt is mine,” Lucas said. “Or ours,” he amended, catching Raphael’s chilling glance. “Now, I say we enjoy this very fine Irish—”
All three vampires were suddenly on their feet and heading for the door as the sound of gunfire cut through the night.
Chapter Seven
“There are times when I wish I smoked,” Cyn said as she leaned against the fading warmth of the SUV’s front end.
“I know what you mean,” Kathryn agreed, zipping her jacket. “It looks so satisfying in the movies. So cool. Smoke drifting in the cold air, dramatic pauses to suck in a new lungful of tar and nicotine.”
“Until the stuff kills them, anyway. They don’t show that in the movies.”
“There is that. I wonder if vamps can smoke. You know any who do?”
Cyn thought about it. “I may have met one or two. But Raphael’s people are fairly fanatic about security, and so they tend to be health nuts, working out all the time, and forcing me to work out with them. Kidding,” she added, when Kathryn gave her a sideways look. “About the forcing, not the working out part.”
“I haven’t met that many of Lucas’s vampires yet,” Kathryn said. “I’ve seen them in battle, though, and they’re certainly serious about that. Maybe they’re health nuts, too. I’d meet more of his people if I traveled with him. He’d like me to, but the FBI prefers that its agents show up for work most days.” She smiled to show it was her turn to be joking, but Cyn sensed there was more to it than that.
“It’s difficult,” Cyn commented. “The vampire lords’ life style … it’s all-consuming.”
“And Lucas is used to getting what he wants.”
“They all are. I’ve made it my personal mission to make sure Raphael doesn’t always get his
“Smart’s even worse. She thinks she can outwit you. She may be right,” he muttered.
“Thanks for that, asshole.”
“Gentlemen,” Raphael said with forced patience. “Whoever is behind these attacks will be dealt with, whether it’s Magda or someone else. But we have other business to discuss tonight.”
“Of course, my lord,” Aden said.
“Lucas believes you can take and hold the Midwest, Aden. What do you think?”
“The territory is mine, my lord. The challenge is simply a formality. I know my competition, and I will prevail.”
“Assuming you’re correct, and the territory becomes yours, Klemens ran a corrupt empire,” Raphael said. “Most, if not all, of his income came from illegal sources, which forced him to do business with untrustworthy humans of criminal repute. That made him weak, and I cannot afford to have a weak lord ruling the Midwest.”
He watched Aden closely, waiting to see how the other vampire would react to the implied threat. To see if Aden understood that he was being offered a place in an alliance—an alliance very much controlled by Raphael—and if he would agree to be a part of it. Or if he was stupid enough to challenge Raphael, which meant he would die here tonight.
“You don’t know me, my lord,” Aden said solemnly. “You don’t know my history. But I’ll tell you this much. I don’t consort with criminals, or with anyone whose purpose in life is to take advantage of others.”
Raphael nodded. “I had heard as much, but I needed to hear you say it. And don’t worry about Magda. Lucas and I can handle her.”
“Piece of cake,” Lucas chimed in. “She hasn’t broken the bond between us for some reason. Probably coasting on my protection for now. But it means I can find her.”
“And she will lead us to the others before she dies. It will make your path smoother,” Raphael told Aden. “There will be no need for you to expend your energy on what my Cyn would call low-hanging fruit.”
Aden laughed. “An apt description, my lord. I would be happy to assist in Magda’s demise, however. I always enjoy a good hunt, and vampires are much wilier prey than humans.”
“The hunt is mine,” Lucas said. “Or ours,” he amended, catching Raphael’s chilling glance. “Now, I say we enjoy this very fine Irish—”
All three vampires were suddenly on their feet and heading for the door as the sound of gunfire cut through the night.
Chapter Seven
“There are times when I wish I smoked,” Cyn said as she leaned against the fading warmth of the SUV’s front end.
“I know what you mean,” Kathryn agreed, zipping her jacket. “It looks so satisfying in the movies. So cool. Smoke drifting in the cold air, dramatic pauses to suck in a new lungful of tar and nicotine.”
“Until the stuff kills them, anyway. They don’t show that in the movies.”
“There is that. I wonder if vamps can smoke. You know any who do?”
Cyn thought about it. “I may have met one or two. But Raphael’s people are fairly fanatic about security, and so they tend to be health nuts, working out all the time, and forcing me to work out with them. Kidding,” she added, when Kathryn gave her a sideways look. “About the forcing, not the working out part.”
“I haven’t met that many of Lucas’s vampires yet,” Kathryn said. “I’ve seen them in battle, though, and they’re certainly serious about that. Maybe they’re health nuts, too. I’d meet more of his people if I traveled with him. He’d like me to, but the FBI prefers that its agents show up for work most days.” She smiled to show it was her turn to be joking, but Cyn sensed there was more to it than that.
“It’s difficult,” Cyn commented. “The vampire lords’ life style … it’s all-consuming.”
“And Lucas is used to getting what he wants.”
“They all are. I’ve made it my personal mission to make sure Raphael doesn’t always get his
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