AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She gulped. While she pulled on a T-shirt and shorts, I went to the head of the bed so I could reach the painting of the Adirondack chair. At least my erection had subsided enough that I could walk.
I pried the tiny surveillance camera from its hiding place in the picture frame. As I ground it under my heel, Mila finished dressing.
“Bring your shoes.” I waited until she snatched up a pair of tennis shoes and grabbed her hand, tugging her to the door. I removed the camera above it as well, and then set my ear to the heavy wood.
Silence.
Taking out my smartphone, I opened the security app and navigated quickly through the various video feeds. This hall looked clear for the moment, although I saw someone creeping through the kitchen.
Hopefully, Lougenia had reached the safe room in her apartment in time, because there was nothing I could do for her now.
Where the fuck were the vampires on duty? Had some of them joined in the attack?
A growl scraped at my throat.
Using the app, I disabled the video cams throughout the beach house because I didn’t know if I could trust my own goddamned security.
I put my mouth close to Mila’s right ear. “There’s a way out through my bedroom. Nod if you understand.”
She nodded, her eyes dark, frightened pools in her pale face.
I extended my fangs to their full length—vampires fought dirty—and eased open the door. A low shadow rushed at us. I dropped into a fighting crouch, but it was just Diesel. The wolfdog had somehow gotten in the house.
My jaw hardened as I straightened back up. Daisy was probably dead. Diesel wouldn’t have left her otherwise.
I pulled Mila into my suite, Diesel pushing in after us. When the three of us were safely inside, I input the code to engage emergency security in my suite before hurrying with Mila into my bedroom.
Behind us, several deadbolts slid home, although a locked door wouldn’t keep out a vampire for long. Even the laser beams set to slice through the body at knee, chest and neck could be circumvented if you were familiar with the system. But it should slow the intruders down long enough for us to escape.
Pulling Mila into the walk-in closet in my bedroom, I slapped a hand on the depression next to the light switch. A panel slid open behind a row of my suitcoats.
I shoved my phone into the pocket of the nearest coat so it couldn’t be used to track me, then removed a silver switchblade from a shelf. “This way.” I urged Mila into the hidden passageway beyond the coats.
She dug in her heels. “Give me a knife, too,” she mouthed.
I hesitated—not because I didn’t trust her with a switchblade, but because I didn’t think it would do her any good against a vampire—but she stared back steadily.
“Please,” she whispered.
I grabbed another one and handed it over. If it made her feel better, what could it hurt?
“Thank you,” she mouthed.
I jerked my chin at the hidden passage and then waited until she and Diesel were inside before shutting the panel behind me. We were in a narrow tunnel that lead down to the ocean and the speedboat I kept moored there. The darkness was broken only by miniscule dots of light on the walls about ten feet apart. When I’d had the passage built, I hadn’t expected it to be used by a human.
Mila flicked open the shiny silver blade with an ease that probably shouldn’t have surprised me, and peered over my shoulder.
“Stay close to me,” I said. “This leads to a—.”
She slapped a hand over my mouth, stopping me. “Don’t tell me,” she whispered.
I frowned. “You’re bugged?” I mouthed.
She nodded and took my hand, guiding it to her left earring. “Mic,” she mouthed. She brought my hand to her other earring. “GPS.”
“Hell.” We had to remove them. But maybe we could use the technology against the attackers?
The GPS had to go first. I gripped the silver hoop and gently but firmly twisted until the weld snapped.
