The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson Guardian 6)

"Good. I'll contact you as soon as we have any info."

"Thanks, boss."

I hung up.

"So who is this Vinny?" Rhoan said.

"An emo vamp who has set up camp in one of the abandoned government housing towers. I mentioned her before, remember?"

"No." He frowned. "When?"

"After the premiere - when you and Liander came home pissed."

Darkness ran across his face, and he took a deep, shuddering breath. "Yeah, I remember. Let's go see this Vinny, so that there is a next time."

I gave him a hug, and his arms wrapped around my waist, holding on to me briefly. I could smell the fear on him, smell the pain. Feel the quivering in his limbs that was a mix of anger and the need to hit out, to hurt those responsible.

Vinny had better not try anything on my brother.

I pulled back. "Quinn should drive, in case you get any more hits from Liander."

He nodded and thrust a hand through his hair again. "It's gone quiet on that front."

"He's okay, Rhoan. You'd know if it were otherwise." I turned and headed for the door, so he couldn't see the worry in my eyes. Him getting nothing from Liander was not a good sign.

It meant he was getting weaker, that the link between them was fading.

He couldn't die. God, fate, and whatever else might be up there watching - please don't let him die.

Quinn was no longer at the door. I led the way down the street, following his scent, and heard an engine start up. Rhoan's car, not Quinn's. There was more room in my brother's car.

Quinn reversed out of the parking spot then stopped to let us in.

"Where to?" he asked, glancing at me as I climbed into the front. His eyes were alight with anger and concern, and just a hint of hunger. He might have fed off me earlier, but the smell of blood was on me, and it was teasing his vampire senses to life.

I gave him the address, then sniffed back the blood still running from my nose. "Sorry," I said, when I could.

He shrugged and shoved the car into gear, taking off so fast the tires squealed. "I am old enough to control my hunger, Riley. And there isn't that much blood." He glanced at the rearview mirror. "Though there deserves to be."

"Try losing someone you love and see how you react," Rhoan retorted.

"I have. And people died because of it. My point, however, is that Liander is not dead, and you should not be acting like he is."

"For fuck's sake, did you have to bring him along?"

For all the annoyance in Rhoan's voice, Quinn's gentle chastisement seemed to have some effect. The scent of fear retreated a little, and the anger and determination came to the fore. Hopefully, it would sustain him through whatever the next few hours had to offer.

Hopefully, those hours wouldn't contain death. Not Liander's death, anyway.

We sped through the darkened streets at breakneck speed, Quinn's sharp reflexes getting us through red lights and what traffic there was with equal ease.

The shattered sides of the old government housing block came into sight. Spots of light gleamed here and there, but mostly the building was dark. My gaze was drawn to the top floor. No lights shone there. But then, Vinny's room had been draped in heavy velvet and it was unlikely light would show anyway.

Quinn drove over the footpath and right up to the main doors. When he stopped the car, we climbed out. The scent of vampire spun through the air, thick and cloying.

"There's a lot of them in there," Quinn said, distaste touching his expression as his gaze swept the building.

"At least forty," I commented.