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

will, go on for days, but my energy is spent. Kindly letting her know I will be refreshed and ready in the morning, I smile when she says that she’ll call me.

Climbing between cool sheets is soothing. After twisting my hair out of the way so I don’t get stuck in the middle of the night, my body relaxes into the mattress.

Then a phone rings.

I keep my eyes closed, waiting to see if Caleb is asleep or if he’s with Lorelai. After the fifth ring the phone stops. I figure Caleb must have answered it until it starts ringing again a few seconds later. It might just be possible to fall asleep despite the ringing, I attempt to reason.

My powers of persuasion need work.

Jumping out of bed I race down the stairs, following the ringing until I reach Parker’s office. The ceiling lights are off but the blue florescent light and gentle hum of the computer greet me. A cordless phone sits next to the hunk of metal and I silently question the type of person who still uses a landline. When the third set of ringing starts, I snatch up the receiver.

“Parker?”

“Uh, no,” I say, feeling like I recognize the voice. “He stepped out. May I take a message?”

“Tess?”

“Yes . . .”

“It’s Marc. Listen, the guys from Dallas just got back to me about the Master’s identity and there’s been a sighting.”

If they already got a photo of him, we should have focused all our efforts into tracking Stephany Wares a long time ago. I bet it was that guy by the window who provided the answers.

“A sighting? Where?”

“CU Boulder.”

CHAPTER 15

HIM

Leo jerks his finger toward the dead creature even though I can see it from here. A round black ball the size of a baseball covered in long razor-sharp spikes lays motionless next to a short set of stairs. I pull on the heavy duty gloves I always keep in my trunk, stretching out my hand so my fingers fit snug as a thick leather pack sits tucked under my arm.

“Has anyone else seen this?” I ask, crouching down to get a look at the creature, unfolding the bag to deposit its body. More and more of its kind have been venturing into crowded locations instead of the deep damp caves they prefer.

Leo squats next to me, running his left hand through his hair. “No. I distracted the other guard I was with long enough to kick it in this corner.”

I look at his black vans, worried he might have been pricked. “And before you ask,” he continues, “I feel fine. No searing pain racing from my foot to my heart. That’s what you said, right? The venom attacks the heart?”

Delicately picking up the creature I drop it into the open bag, nodding in confirmation. After cinching the cord, we stand. Yellow haze from sidewalk lights illuminates the concrete walkway, casting everything else into darkness. The dark is even more pronounced without the glow from illumined building windows.

“How many people are working tonight?” I ask, unable to shake off the ominous mood settling in my bones.

“There are just four of us. Not unusual, but I’ll do a sweep to make sure there aren’t any more of those things lying around.”

A man steps out from the shadows into the haze of one of the lights, his hands inside his front pockets like he hasn’t a care in the world. His feet carry him closer, strolling along the sidewalk.

“Excuse me, sir, but the campus is currently closed. I’m going to have to ask you to exit the premises.”

The advancement doesn’t stop and I have to put my arm out in front of Leo to keep him from approaching. A second pair come from the left, entering the quad which is quickly becoming too crowded for my taste.

Sizing up the newcomers becomes difficult when more individuals round various corners pinning us in. My body desperately wants to shift from the cloying scent of danger.

“How many people know you work the night shift security?”

Out of the corner of my eye I see Leo shaking, likewise controlling the urge to shift. “No one. I haven’t been working for very long.”

“Except for the people you work with,” I piece together under my breath. “Has anyone not shown up for their shift today?”

“Well, someone came in sick so my boss sent her home,” Leo answers, confused about my question.

A light breeze races through the open space bringing astounding clarity and instant rage.

“It’s a set up.”

I realize after hastily calculating the number of vampires Leo and I will be up against that we are not in a favorable position. Nimbly sliding the phone from my pocket, I go to call Caleb when I see fifteen missed calls from Tess.

Shoot.

“You’re out a little late, aren’t you pups?” one of the men sneers. I really hate to lose this top since Tess commented on how she liked it earlier, but desperate times.

Ripping through my clothes I phase in record speed, watching Leo’s back until his transformation is complete. The stench of rotting fruit assaults my nose and I wish I could cover it with a cloth. The vampires step back from witnessing firsthand the enormity of our size. At least they have some sense of fear. If Leo and I are going to try and take on the twenty vamps littering the quad then maybe that fear will come in handy.

I snarl at a vampire who gets brave, sending her right back to the safety of her coven.

“Now, now,” a tall man chides. He’s dressed like he should be shopping in Milan instead of standing on wet pavement in designer shoes. “Let’s not antagonize our guests . . . yet.”

The others shrink back when he walks by them and I can feel the saliva dripping down my canines. This must be the Master. Though he keeps his distance, probably knowing I will rip his head off the first chance I get, he looks calm.

Tension rolls off Leo