Blood's Fury (Deadly Beauties 1)

That's the stupidest question I've ever heard.

"My mother has been missing for over a month and a half now. How would you sleep?"

"Just fine," he says with an unaffected shrug.

I'm almost shocked, which I shouldn't be.

"That's cold, even for a dark user."

He pulls a pen from his jacket and starts scratching something down on a piece of paper.

"What are you doing?" I muse while trying to look at what he's writing.

"Keeping tabs of all the hurtful things you say about my kind versus all the hurtful things I say about yours. So far, you're way out in front. Who's the bad guy?"

He smirks as I roll my eyes.

"Fine. What's the deal with your mother?"

He puts his paper back in his pocket, and then he turns his attention to the ground below.

"You'll figure it out eventually, for now, let's focus on the other reason I'm here. Are you feeling stir crazy?" he asks while looking at me once again. "I've noticed human boy doesn't let you out of his sight very much."

Stir crazy? No. But it would be nice to get out of the remote-control-clicking environment for a while.

"What do you have in mind?" I ask, my suspension radar on high alert.

His menacing smile is quickly banished, but I had a chance to catch a glimpse of it. I still don't know if I trust Gage... never mind. I know I don't trust Gage. Though he's kept a watchful eye, dark users can't be trusted.

"There're a couple of night stalkers I want to take out. Believe me when I say you don't want to know what they've done. Their council should be the ones eliminating them, but they're not here to do so."

The blood in my veins turns to ice from his bomb drop.

"Are you crazy? A night stalker is our biggest enemy. They'll freeze you stiff and draw out your life."

Idiocy apparently haunts every male - immortal and human alike.

"Believe me, if you knew the details of what they did to their latest, underage victims, you wouldn't be so quick to turn tail and run. They need to be taken care of, and this won't be the first time I've taken them out.

"Night stalkers are allowed to kill with discretion. I don't like it, but it's the way of our world. These didn't use discretion, and they sure as hell didn't show mercy. Since their council refuses to clean up the mess, my council has approved my request to do so with no objection from the bloodsucking rulers. I've got some friends coming in for the job. Problem is, I need one little thing."

Crap. I know where this is going.

"Bait." My huffed answer almost makes him smile. "Fine. Where and when? And no vaporizing me from place to place."

He pulls my hand in his to look at my watch. He doesn't shiver the way he did only moments ago when I tried to touch him. The moon is faint tonight, just a small sliver. It's a good night for hunting night stalkers.

"Meet me at my place in five minutes. I'll fill you in on the plan, and then I'll drive us there. I promise, no vaporizing."

I frown a little at the spontaneous timing. I quickly glance through the glass door to see if Kane has returned.

"Fine. I'll see you shortly."

I turn to see Gage has already disappeared, leaving me talking to his leftover scent. Rolling my eyes, I head back into the house to tell Kane... something.

"Hey," he says as soon as I join him and Zee in the living area.

"Hey. Can you pause it for a second?"