Page 95 of Hunter

“She could double cross us. She seemed sincere but…” Julian. “I have to find my brother.”

“Wherever he is, he’s trying to keep you safe. Divert the wolves. Which it seems he’s done a pretty damn good job of so far.” Hunter cracked open a crab leg and slid the delicious meat into his mouth.

“We’ll find him,” Viktor assured them. “He’s powerful. Can hold his own.”

“I know he’s trying to protect me, but I don’t like the thought of him on the run by himself. If anything happens, we can’t help.”

“We’re on the run too,” Hunter said.

Viktor stood and walked into the living room, returning with the book in one hand and the knife in another. He placed the items onto the table and sat. “While you both were cleaning up, I took a look at this diabolical thing and guess what? Surprise, surprise. It has some kind of a self-locking mechanism in place.”

“Honestly I could care less what’s inside of it. I just want to trade it,” Hunter told him. “Freedom for the book. Done.”

“But she said there were spells…” Willa said.

“I could break it, but the witch…I suspect she’ll know how to open it.” Viktor shrugged.

“Normally I’d say, yeah let’s bust into it but I can’t see what we have to gain,” Hunter said.

“I agree with Hunter. If it’s made from who she said it was, he may have had royal blood, but that doesn’t mean he was a good person.” Willa reached across the table and brushed her hand over its cover. The tanned supple skin tingled beneath her fingertips. “This book still has energy. I can feel it.”

She quickly withdrew her hand and shivered. “No. If the demons want this, there’s something bad inside. Something dark. Something that doesn’t belong here. We shouldn’t open it. None of us practices the dark arts.”

Viktor raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Speak for yourself, princess.”

“Something you want to tell us, vampire?” Hunter asked, setting down his fork.

“You don’t think I’ve lived all these years off my good looks, do you?” He tilted his head. “I dated a witch a long time ago. And no, it wasn’t Ilsbeth. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. Your point is taken. This book.” He glanced at it then focused back on Willa. “It’s bad mojo. Maybe you’re right. Nothing good is going to come from opening it. I know Ilsbeth says she wants the spells, but I think we hold on to it. Let her summon the demon and we’ll get rid of it.”

“I’m with you. Ilsbeth wants the spells but I doubt she forgets her latest tour of Hell. It’s not worth it.” Hunter lifted his glass and took a drink of his whiskey.

“I don’t trust her,” Willa said.

“Something else we all agree on.” Hunter reached for her hand. “This is going to be all over soon.”

“All I know is I have exactly zero plans on going back. As far as I’m concerned, they owe me one. I was dragged there trying to do something good.” Viktor stood and lifted his glass into the air. “I do love a warm gulf breeze.”

“Nice boat, Vik.”

“Thank you. All two hundred feet of it. I enjoy being here perhaps more than anywhere else. When I’m not partying on a penthouse deck in Miami. Or New York. Love New York. Of course, there’s WeHo. Malibu. Ibiza. Ah…and Paris. Thailand. Forgot Thailand. The Mediterranean. Ah…I did love Mary.”

“Did?” Willa asked.

Viktor smiled. “A girl from Croatia. Austrian duchess. Long story but I’m afraid not enough time.”

Willa exchanged a confused look with Hunter.

“I’m going to have to flash to go get a donor. I won’t be gone long,” he promised.

“No, please.” Willa refused to be stuck in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico with a crew full of vampires.

“I’m sorry but if I don’t feed, I may not be strong enough for what we are about to do. I can’t risk not being one hundred percent when we go summoning demons from the depths of Hell. I think I just mentioned it but I’m not going back. I’ll die before that happens.”

“If any of these…” Hunter glanced up to the bridge, “vampires…well, you know. I know you’ll say you trust them, but I don’t. The only reason we’re safe is because you are here. You’re going to have to take us with you, take us back to New Orleans or…”

“Not an option. It’s not safe in New Orleans. Out in the middle of the sea makes it harder for them to find us.”

“Then drink whatever bagged blood you have on board to get you by until we get back. You can drink from a witch at Ilsbeth’s.”