Page 63 of Grayson’s Challenge

“No, let’s kill them,” Zach interrupted.

“We have to question them,” she protested. “One of them might know where Abel is keeping Cain and Samson.”

“Unlikely,” Zach snapped.

Monique was about to go nose to nose with her brother, when a loud sound came from outside. She looked at the open entrance door, and saw that Wesley was already hurrying toward it.

“Helicopters,” Wesley yelled.

“Shit!” Zach cursed. “Get the rifles from the guards’ station!”

While Zach raced to the guards’ station with Hamish and Virginia following him, Monique noticed John rush to the entrance door and peer out into the dark.

Monique ran to him, her gun drawn. Through the open door, she saw that several helicopters landed in the grassy area around the palace.

Monique aimed at the helicopter closest to her, waiting for somebody to get out. The first person jumped out of the helicopter, gun in hand. Monique aimed, ready to shoot.

“No!” John pushed her hand holding the gun down. “It’s Victor. He’s come to help.”

“The vampire king of Mississippi?” Monique asked, stunned.

John nodded. “I managed to send him a text just before Abel’s men captured us.”

Monique watched as Victor approached with his clansmen. All had their guns drawn, ready to shoot, their eyes vigilant, their bodies ready for battle.

“Victor,” John called out. “We’ve subdued them.”

Victor, a vampire older than Cain, and a strong warrior, approached and looked John up and down. Then his gaze strayed past him to the others who were just as scantily dressed, before he entered the foyer and looked at the vampires lying on the floor.

“Not sure what went on here,” Victor said, one side of his lip curling up, “but if you wanted us to come for an orgy, you should have said so, John. I would have dressed accordingly.”

Victor’s men entered the foyer, their eyes widening when they noticed that several of them were wearing only underwear, and all of them were wet. Monique noticed that Zoltan was shoving Enya behind his broad back, out of view of the other men. She had to smile to herself. Zoltan was clearly protective of his mate, and didn’t want any other men to look at her. Would Grayson behave the same way toward her if in the same situation?

“It’s good to see you, man,” John said and patted Victor on the shoulder. “You could give us a hand with securing these assholes, and sweeping the palace for any others that might have managed to hide.”

Victor chuckled. “You should have left us a little something to do. It’s just polite.”

“Tell you what,” John said, “you find any more of Abel’s men, you get to kill them. After we question them.”

“Abel’s men?” Victor looked stunned. “That’ll be a very special pleasure.”

28

Grayson terminated the call and tossed his cell phone on the chair. The sun had risen a few minutes earlier. He was in Monique’s room in the palace, updating Scanguards headquarters about the events of the past few hours. Luckily, the top floor where Monique’s and her brothers’ rooms were located had a separate sprinkler system, which wasn’t activated when somebody had pulled the alarm in the basement.

Victor and his forces had helped secure the palace and made sure that all of Abel’s men were either dead or locked up. They’d identified a vampire named Oscar who’d led them while Abel was in San Francisco. Attempts at getting anything useful out of him, however, had failed. But Grayson had an ace up his sleeve, and didn’t need the thug’s cooperation.

Monique entered, a stack of dry clothes in her hands. On top of it lay two bottles of blood. “You can wear these clothes. They are from Zach.”

She handed him a bottle, and he unscrewed it. “Thanks, babe.” He began gulping down the much- needed nourishment.

“Any news from San Francisco?” she asked, placing the clothes on the bed. Then she took the second bottle of blood and drank it.

“Thomas and Eddie have already tracked down three of the five vans, and they have a good lead on the location of the fourth.”

“That’s good.” She pointed at his wet clothes. “Wanna join me for a shower?”

“That sounds wonderful.” He grinned and stripped.