Daniel thought Brand was joking when he talked of vampires, until one, burning up from the sun, ran into the barn.
Raymond begged for help to save a child, saying a previous acquaintance of Brand’s had given his name. When Brand was taken, Daniel didn’t know why or which one had betrayed them: Raymond or the one who gave Brand’s name. He didn’t know who to trust, only that he had to save his mate, but could he? Alone?
Could he survive losing Brand if he failed?
“I’ll finish this,” Brand said, shoving clothes into a duffle bag. “Go let Philip know we’ll be gone and ask him to help Cruz keep an eye on things.”
“Cruz is going to be busy. We really need to get someone else lined up for when Silver is around. Maybe Peter and Ryan. They might like getting away from the compound some times.” Without the need to read his mind, Daniel knew from the scowl on his face what Brand thought of that idea. “I mean only when we’re gone.” With a mischievous grin, he added, “At least they’re not BDSM.”
“I don’t really want to discuss anyone else’s sex life,” Brand grumbled.
Daniel sobered. “Since Silver was so bent on killing Ryan, I don’t think it’d be a good idea for them to be here at the same time. Would he have tried to kill Raymond if you hadn’t been here?”
“Maybe not kill, but I doubt he would have helped him or invited him in and not cared if he burned up.”
“It’s true they can’t come in if you don’t invite them?”
“Yeah, so they lay in wait for victims.”
From his tone of voice and the emotion Daniel sensed, Brand didn’t approve of vampires. That he’d help Raymond anyway showed a lot about the type of man he was, especially when a child was involved. “I wasn’t sure if you thought Raymond was lying about never killing for food.”
Brand shrugged. “It doesn’t seem likely at his age, but it’s possible.” He stopped packing to tell Daniel, “You better understand if he threatens us or any human, I will take him out.”
“How?” Daniel asked in weak humor. “Sprinkle him with holy water?”
“A Taser or stun gun will drop them. Then you put a stake in their heart and cut off their heads.”
With his face twisted in disgust, he asked, “You’re not putting me on?”
“Not this time. Maybe you only need one or the other, but with them, I wouldn’t be taking any chances.”
“What was the one you saved doing in the alley?”
“Hunting and Isaac makes no bones about it. He does limit himself to pimps and drug dealers.” With a grimace, he told him, “He said when they’re high, he gets a little high, and when they’d without or coming down, he puts them out of their misery.”
“Most dealers don’t use.”
“Smart ones don’t, but I doubt he makes much distinction between pushers on the street, selling to support a habit, and the main suppliers.”
“Vampires get high?”
“It takes more, enough to kill a human, but yeah. From what I got from him, any he finds on those he kills, he uses.”
“He’s an addict?” he asked in astonishment.
“He doesn’t have to have it the way a human addict does, but he likes it.”
“Where is he now?”
Brand went back to packing. “I don’t know or care.”
“I’ll go talk to Philip.” Reaching the door, Daniel gave an undignified giggle. Yep, it had been a long time since they’d done the mile-high sex thing.
