Burning Days (The Firsts Book 17) Read online

  Burning Days

  C.L.QUINN

  Blak Kat Publishing

  September 2017

  All rights reserved

  One

  Ife watched the sea, each wave as mesmerizing as the first time she’d seen it in France over a century ago with her siblings, but this time she was alone. This time no one was by her side, nothing to interfere with this moment of serenity. It was terrifying…and freeing. The dropping moon cast silvered light on the pale sand where she sat, the air warm on her skin while sparkling water lapped at her feet.

  Her dress felt oppressive and unwelcome, so she lifted it over her head and dropped it to her side. Naked now, she burrowed deeper into the sand that still held the heat of the sun, more relaxed than she might ever have been in her life.

  After a rough year, she’d needed to escape for a while; she was here for one thing, and one thing only…to do nothing. There was no one here waiting for her to take care of the next issue, no one who needed something from her, not one thing waiting for her decision or to fix a problem. So many times, people forgot to stop, appreciate, breathe, and just…be.

  For the next two months, Ife’s only job was to enjoy every moment, trouble free. Vampires didn’t do it often, but today she was on vacation from her life, wonderful though it was. Lying under a calm sky filled with stars, with no responsibilities at all, she realized that is exactly what she’d needed for a long time.

  At first she’d been worried that she wouldn’t be able to do it, to leave behind her life’s work, to let it go, allow her mind to clear so she would be able to return someday soon ready to get back to it. It seemed she could; she hadn’t thought at all about the Amazon basin and her task to protect it since she’d arrived here.

  Ife fell back into the sand with a deep cleansing breath and sighed.

  “Heaven.”

  Up on a hill, near a lookout designed to stop and enjoy the scenery, Jack Remington had pulled over to watch a bright full moon set over the sea and grab a sandwich. How long had it been since he last ate? Shit, there were a lot of times he didn’t remember to eat.

  Lifting the paper-wrapped item, he looked at what Stacey had packed for him. Ham and provolone on wheat with mayonnaise. That would do nicely.

  Leaning against the stone wall, he sighed. Not enough of these quiet, trouble-free moments. He took a bite of the sandwich and moaned. Oh, that was good. He’d have to thank Stacey for thinking about it. She might be the best assistant he’d ever had. If she kept this kind of shit up, he’d give her a trophy saying so.

  “What I wouldn’t do for a few months off,” he told the surf.

  When was the last time? Oh, yeah, six years ago, for a full week, he’d spent some time with a cute little hottie in Oklahoma. Grinning, he took another bite of the sandwich. His father had busted his ass for that, but it had fucking been worth it.

  Nope, not too many company sanctioned days off in his business. His family had been in it for over a century, from his great-great grandfather right up to his father, himself and his younger brother.

  Chinging interrupted his peaceful moment. He’d ignored the last two calls, hoping to avoid his father.

  Jack lingered before he pulled his fone out. “Yeah?”

  “Where the fuck are you?”

  “Took a moment to take a breath. Why?”

  “Ben needs you.”

  “Didn’t he have the night off?”

  “Got some trouble, so answer your fucking fone and go help him.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’ll call him.”

  Ringing off, Jack let his finger rest above the return call button while he watched the rolling sea and silvery sparkles dancing on the waves from the low-riding moon.

  Something bright white on the sand below caught his eye. What was that? It lifted and moved like a huge white bird and fell to the sand. Laying his fone on the wall, he reached inside his car for binoculars and focused them in on the white shape.

  It continued to flutter as it lay on the sand, but it wasn’t a bird. A piece of fabric maybe? Moving the binoculars to the left, he saw another shape and used the electronic zoom to move in closer.

  Whoa. A woman rested on the beach, naked, full breasts lifting to the sky, a hand lazily drawing circles in the sand. He zoomed closer on the breasts, well aware it was an invasion, but he was an overworked horny guy and what guy wouldn’t look at such a spectacular body? Those were seriously lickable nipples. Moving lower, to the pale hair between her legs, he lingered on a place he liked to call heaven.

  Moving back up, the binoculars showed her face, in repose, hair as bright as the moon blew around her as she tried to capture and contain it. Suddenly, she sat up and turned to face the hill where he stood.

  Now he got a good look at what he thought might be the most beautiful face he’d ever seen. The light from the moon and the effective optics of the binoculars revealed light eyes, probably blue, that he thought might actually be able to see him watching her. It was impossible, of course, without ancillary optics. Still, he lowered the device and watched her as she stood and kept staring up at the hillside.

  Fuck, he wanted to see her standing, that body displayed for his eyes only. Bad boy, he chided, with a grin.

  Anyway, he fucking had to go and see what his brother needed. Reluctantly, he lowered the binoculars, and as he walked back to his car, he redialed the missed call.

  “Yeah?”

  Ben’s voice was calm. “Hey, I need you. We found part of the group that was on Barkley’s radar.”

  “Aw, shit. I was heading home to crash.”

  “It’s night. No sleep for vampire hunters, J. Not unless the sun is up. I sent the coordinates. See you soon.”

  Shaking his head, Jack slipped behind the controls of his car and snapped his tazer back on his belt. Time to go to work again.

  Twenty minutes later, he pulled into an empty parking lot on the corner of a quiet street and slid out. Buckling a sleek ammo belt around his waist and sliding his long knife back into the sheath on his thigh, Jack approached his brother resting against the hood of his car.

  “Shit, Jack, you look as fucked up as I feel.”

  “Yeah, bro, I was going to give you the same compliment. I’m not sure when I had the last full night’s sleep, but it isn’t recent. You too?”

  “Yep. Barkley’s had his eye on a group that we believe just came down from St. Helens. Eight, five male, three female. Tonight, he followed one of the women into Blessed Nights.”

  “Full of healthy, drunk young men and women on a Friday night.”

  “Touché. He said she selected two men and took them back to a hotel downtown. They haven’t left.”

  “And the reason for the suspicion?”

  “Bark was at a late night diner two weeks ago when the group came in, loud, obnoxious, rude to the waitress. He was ready to leave when one of the women looked up at him, flashed a tit and smiled. He says he’s pretty sure he saw a fang.”

  “Whoops.”

  “I was on my way to help him check out the hotel room tonight when he called to tell me that two of the men from her group arrived and went inside the room.”

  “So, best case scenario, three vamps, two victims. All right, I’m ready.”

  “I’ll drive.” Ben led Jack to his ordinary-looking ground car, one of the most common makes in the most common color, a vehicle that would never stand out. One that no one would remember, the same reason Ben wore a nondescript charcoal shirt with dark-colored jeans. He blended in with the locals, exactly as he was taught to do.

  None of that mattered tonight. Surveillance and recon were over. They had potential victims to save and that took priority over everything. If
the woman and her newly-arrived friends were vampires, the battle would be quick and the fight vicious. Someone would die, either the vampires or hunters. The hunter’s job was to make sure that the outcome was always in their favor.

  In over a hundred years of hunting vampires, Remington’s group had suffered six losses, all precious, all remembered on the walls of the ersatz headquarters, which had belonged to the Remington family for much of the hunter’s history.

  “Barkley’s onsite now.” Ben’s speed skirted just past legal maximum to arrive quickly but not get stopped.

  “Is San still out of town?”

  Ben grinned. “Oh, yeah. She broke that vamp from North Dakota. She rescued his victim, a hot young college professor. She said she was gonna have some scholarly fun, and disappeared. It’s been two days now.”

  “Shit. Poor dude. Two days in bed with our Sanquinetta. He won’t be able to walk for a week.”

  “That girl does have passion and stamina. Well, he might be temporarily disabled, but he’ll never forget the ride.”

  “Yep, that girl gives her all. So one on one tonight. Not the best odds.”

  “It’s okay. We’ll be fine.”

  Fine. Jack was worried about Ben’s new dismissive attitude toward hunting dangers. Lately his brother seemed to have developed a daredevil attitude. It was one thing to be confident, but another altogether to think you’re invincible. He was afraid that Ben fell into that latter category. It was a dangerous trap for a hunter.

  “Be careful, Ben. One on one makes for pretty shitty odds.”

  “It’s cool, J. We got this.”

  Yeah, Jack thought, we got this. You better fucking pray we have this.

  “Okay. It’d just fucking mess up my day if you or Barkley become vampire chow.”

  “Not happening, bro.”

  Change of subject. Ben was letting his head get into the Superhero Zone. Hunters had nearly as high a chance of the hunter getting killed as the vampire; their greatest asset the element of surprise. Ideally the vampires didn’t know they were being cased. The hunter’s second greatest asset was accumulated knowledge and skilled training. Each hunter, well versed in vampire’s abilities, weaknesses, vulnerabilities, knew how to evade the devastating skill of compulsion.

  Slowing the car as he scanned for a parking space, Ben finally made his own near the building. “Here we are. Hotel No-tell.”

  Trailrider’s Inn was a common hotel for sexcapades, one night trysts, usually paid, and the passing vampire fuck-and-eat time.

  “Off go their heads.”

  Damn’t! Jack stared at his brother for a moment. Recently, Ben’s attitude toward the family business had become like a carnival barker. It was distasteful and disturbing.

  “Bro, we go in, see if Bark’s right, apologize if he isn’t, and efficiently kill them if he is. No fanfare.”

  “Sure, sure, but…”

  “No buts. This isn’t a game. The police will be one step behind us, especially if the victims are hurt or killed. We go in fast, verify our targets and do what we need to do. No heroics, no playing around.

  “Buzzkill. Plato is right, you need a time out.”

  “Plato is in Canada, and it sounds like it’s a good idea if he stays there. You need to rein it in, Ben, you’re enjoying this too much. We hunt because these vampires are killing people. We hunt because no one knows vampires exist, they can’t defend themselves against them, but we can. It isn’t for glory or sport. I don’t know where your head is lately.”

  “Dad kept you on too tight a leash, J. You need to let loose a little. Fuck, we are heroes. We save people, man. So what if I enjoy the hunt. That’s better than brooding all the time like you do.”

  Sighing, Jack pushed his car door open. “We need to get this done.”

  “Right we do!” Ben bounded past his brother and through the door of the hotel before Jack reached it.

  Through the door seconds later, Jack, pissed at Ben’s attitude, just prayed it wasn’t going to get him fucking killed before he could straighten the guy out. One mistake, a second too late on a draw, the knife unsheathed too long after the vampire charged, and Ben would be number seven killed in the line of duty.

  Jack couldn’t let that happen to his baby brother. No matter what kind of ass Ben was being right now, family took care of family. Always. He’d try to deal with this later without involving their father. Elias Remington had never been a patient, understanding, loving father. Shit, Ben didn’t deserve that reprimand and likely punishment.

  Elias’s punishments were harsh, meant to pound a point home with brutality, although all these years later, Jack could only remember one thing about the punishments. At eight years old, tied to a wood rack in the sun on a ninety degree day, he had called out to no one, “My father is a dick!” And he’d known that if his father had heard him, it would have meant 2 more days on the rack. He hadn’t given a shit then.

  Easily catching Ben on the stairs, Jack grabbed his arm. “I’m sorry. You know I’m just watching your back. Reminding you to follow your training.”

  Ben shrugged Jack’s hand off his wrist. “I know. I know. But fucking trust me, Jack. I’m not your six year old kid brother that you have to protect anymore.”

  “Hey. You’ll always be my six year old brother I have to protect.”

  With an eye roll very like a six year old boy would do, Ben pushed open the fire door to the fourth floor. “Yeah, well, don’t tell that to every vampire we meet.”

  “Give it a try. There’s Barkley.”

  Barkley, an oversized bear of a man that would have trouble “blending in” anywhere, perched scrunched up behind an ice and soda machine. His eyes widened with relief when he saw Jack and Ben on the floor walking toward him.

  “Thank God! My legs are numb. So is my ass.”

  “Got here as quickly as we could. Any activity?”

  “None. No movement, no sound, no moaning, since the two men entered a while ago. The door is a single lock, old style, keyed, wood, easy to break.”

  “Let’s go easier yet.” Jack walked up to the door of room 416, prepared for the fight that might happen. He faced his companions. “Ready?” he mouthed.

  They were, e-sticks ready, handguns, knives accessible within a split-second.

  Using the quiet rap he’d seen real hotel employees use, Jack waited, then with no response, rapped again, and said, his voice uninflected. “Room service.”

  Moments passed without movement. Just as Jack prepared to signal the others that he was going to kick the door in, it opened and a beautiful woman with electric red hair stood against the frame. She was naked, dark eyes bright, a wide smile that he found more creepy than sexy, as she ran her eyes over his body.

  “Ummm. I’ll say.” Her tongue slid out and made a lap around her lips, the fangs obvious. Then she glanced to each side of Jack.

  “Hey, where’s your cart?”

  Showtime. United, the three hunters, Jack first, surged into the darkened hotel room, eyes assessing every corner.

  On the bed, naked, two men, unmoving, eyes wide open, panicked, had a trail of blood from between their thighs and the sheets.

  The situation was obvious; this was a vampire feed.

  Typical of a raid like this, everything happened at once. Jack turned to the female and slammed her to the floor, the blow hard enough to knock her unconscious, but he knew it wasn’t enough. She’d be awake in seconds and take him down. He barely had time to pump two bullets into her forehead before he felt a fist like stone crash into the base of his head.

  Unconsciousness threatened, but he knew if he went out, it was all over, so Jack forced himself back up from the blackness and faced the vampire who had attacked him, eyes downcast. It was also over if the vampire captured his gaze and placed him under compulsion. He’d always promised himself he’d never be a vampire’s puppet.

  “Look at me,” a deep voice commanded.

  Nothing in this world would convince a hunter t
o look up at a vampire. Eyes on a thick chest clad in satin, Jack saw thick arms lift to swing at him again, vampire strength easily enough to disable him with a single punch. Using a move he’d perfected years ago, he spun and dropped, shoving the vampire off his feet to land hard enough to wind him. Jack just had time to pull his gun to finish with fatal shots that would be all too temporary for a vampire, when he heard the quiet phoomp phoomp of two bullets fired into the downed vamp.

  Carefully lifting his eyes, he saw Barkley grinning.

  “Appreciate it, man. My head’s still spinning.”

  Both looked up to watch Ben administer a punishing roundhouse kick to the final vampire, but since he was vampire and therefore inhumanly strong, the kick merely glanced off his cheek.

  “Ah, you’ve pissed him off now,” Barkley goaded.

  “Just working out some aggression. Not done yet.”

  Ben moved left as the vampire reached for him, but he didn’t make it. The vampire used something the hunters referred to as vampspeed, which often defeated them. The fucking creatures could move as fast as the eye could see, beyond human capacity, and this one had Ben in a head-lock in split seconds, his eyes locked on Ben’s for compulsion. He had Ben’s head twisted up before he could close his eyes, and began to compel him just as Barkley and Jack emptied their clips into him.

  The final vampire killed, Jack moved to Ben. “You clear, bro?”

  Slow to answer, Ben didn’t speak for a second. Had the vamp had time to compel him?

  “Um, sure,” Ben finally said. “I’m okay. Fuck that was close.”

  Checking the vamp to make sure he didn’t have a pulse, Jack looked up at Ben. “You shouldn’t have tried to play around with him. Ben, he nearly had you. Keep this up, I’m putting you on the bench.”

  “Fuck you are! We’ll see what Dad has to say.”

  “He’ll agree with me. You know that too. Let’s get these guys out of here before the vamps wake up.”

  Barkley opened the door to a tiny balcony that held two cheap lounge chairs and looked over the edge.