Hunting Tess by Kathryn Summers (best novels to read in english .TXT) 📗

back to the stage we wait for the next contestant, but after half a minute the woman handing out numbers steps up to the podium. She takes the mic, joking with a couple of men near the front before getting down to business.

Inviting all the contestants to stand in front of the stage she holds her hand over each individual, allowing the audience to cheer for their favorite. The woman places her hand over Tess’s fiercest competition who gathers a good number of patrons rising to their feet in applause. The number however doesn’t compare to Tess’s own rating which surpasses every other competitor.

Tess leaves the front laughing at something another person says, her happiness radiating. I meet her by Alex Holden who stands by his office with a sour look on his face. Unfortunately for him he’ll have to stall since his backup has yet to arrive, and I am not a patient man.

“I believe you owe us some answers,” Tess states. There isn’t any kind of tension coming from her like I expect. Instead, her hands rest lazily on her hips and she looks pleased, almost excited, for the coming interview.

“Let’s take this outside.”

A side door near the back of the bar leads to a narrow alley perfect for an ambush. I have to focus on my breathing, timing my breaths to keep from shifting into something better suited for fighting vampires which is unfortunate because the putrid dumpster next to the door is smothering any clean air. “What do you want to know?” Holden asks, opening his arms with practiced ease.

“You’ve been in contact with Bulgarian vampires. Their leader’s name would be a good place to start,” I recommend through my clenched teeth.

“Vampires are a nasty bunch,” Holden patronizes, his condescending tone bouncing off Tess’s cool demeanor.

“How many did you call?” Her blunt question isn’t enough to catch him off guard, but it is enough to make him tight lipped. “Did you ever pause to question why a girl would be asking about your relationship with vampires?”

“Curiosity?” Holden responds. “I had heard a description matching yourself and the chance for a reward was too good to pass on.”

“So if you believe vampires are after me,” she says, taking a step closer, “wouldn’t you stop to consider why?”

The hairs on my arms stand on end with the threat of violence hanging in the air. Every second we stand here talking is another second vampires grow closer. Sweeping my gaze across the brick wall and either end of the alley doesn’t alleviate my restlessness.

“I don’t care why vampires are after some human girl.”

A slow, methodical grin pulls her lips up morphing her beauty into something other, something ethereal. “And who said I’m human?”

For the first time Holden blanches, taking a shaky step back which puts him against the opposite wall. This showcase of fear is heightened to a new level, one he didn’t demonstrate when speaking of something as evil as vampires. I wonder how close his ties are to the undead community.

“A name,” Tess whispers with perfect timing. She’s mentioned her heightened sense of speed but I wonder if she can smell fear. I’ll have to ask her.

Movement flashes nearly too fast for me to track as a gun clatters to the ground. Tess’s hand reaches upward pressing against Holden’s throat as his hand, now empty, gets pinned to the wall in a painfully awkward position.

“You are wasting my time and I will not ask again.”

His lips turn white from puckering them so tightly, showcasing each crease as a glaring remark to his age. His pulse throbs in his throat beneath Tess’s hand as if enticing the vampires to hurry.

“I don’t know the Master’s name. All I know is a woman, Stephany Wares, is the one who sets up their meetings in America,” he grits, visibly upset at having no further way to stall before divulging such information. His eyes keep flickering to the bar’s door like he’s hoping one of his paid muscle will intervene.

“There now. That wasn’t so hard.” Stepping back, she adjusts the cuffs of her jacket. “Also, though I’m sure you’ve already thought about this, I would consider leaving immediately. It may not look too great when the woman you’re supposed to be stalling gets the information she wants and leaves before the other baddies arrive. Additionally, if you’ve fed me wrong information there is no hole small enough you can crawl in or tall enough mountain that will hide you from me. Keep that in mind.”

Following her lead, we saunter the length of the alleyway toward the parking lot. While I would rather throw her over my shoulder and sprint, I’m not about to undermine the impressive display she just staged.

It isn’t until we’re driving away that I feel like I can draw a full breath. “Who said I’m human?” I smirk, recalling the moment Holden almost wet his pants. The speed at which Tess disarmed him was a nice bonus.

“Human, merely human, it’s all semantics.”

“Well then, merely human, we have a name which at least gets us on the margins of this group. And then we can work our way to the top.”

***

“What is this?” she asks when she sees the dining table. We haven’t even been in the house fifteen seconds before she rattles off the question, and it takes every ounce of strength I have not to burst into a smile. There isn’t any use denying my feelings for her. She deserves to know.

“Well to me it looks like some kind of celebratory dinner.”

“Shoot, are we intruding on something? We can go grab some take out.”

Before she has a chance to turn back to the door I ease the jacket off her shoulders. “If memory serves, today was your graduation. And that is something to celebrate.”

“This is for me?” she asks softly. The way she says it makes me wonder when the last person did something special just for her. Starting a new life couldn’t have been easy, and with