Page 69 of Flesh and Fury
Ari nodded. “Because he simply sent us back out into the field and basically said, ‘find her.’”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. Anyway. I’m convinced that he’s just lost and doesn’t know what to do. Based on what I’m seeing, he’s guaranteed to report back to the brass in D.C.”
“Report what? That he has no idea what he’s doing and has no idea how to run an investigation?” Ari asked.
“It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that we need to check in with Priest and find out whether King John arrived or not.”
“You’re right.”
Eoghan glanced over again. “Will you stop worrying? King John wouldn’t let us get hurt. If he wanted to hurt us, he could have done it in that garlic field out in Gilroy.”
“You’re right,” Ari said, taking a deep breath and relaxing back against the seat.
Eoghan pulled into the parking lot in Sun Valley a half hour later. They knocked on the door and it was opened by a tall, bald vampire wearing black, leather pants and vest with no shirt beneath. He was intimidating as hell by size alone as he towered over Ari who was well over six feet himself. His eyes flared red the moment he pulled the door open.
“What?” The inhuman growl sent chills racing down Eoghan’s spine, but he stared up into the thing’s eyes with narrowed eyes of his own, refusing to be intimidated by him.
“Frank! Step back and let them in. I do believe that’s the lovely Marshal Eoghan Sapphire and his equally handsome partner, Aristotle Brown,” King John said from the interior.
The creature took a long sniff, and his nostrils flared before he bared several rows of jagged fangs in what appeared to be his version of a smile. “Which one of you smells like dinner?”
Ari began laughing and the vampire immediately lost his grin, turning to Ari at the same time as Eoghan did. He wanted to scream at him and ask why he was taking a risk insulting a strange vampire by laughing at him. While he didn’t think this Frank dude would kill them—not with the king calling him off—it was still not a great idea to poke the bear.
“Frank!” John called out, getting closer. When he came into sight, and Frank turned toward him, bowing his head, Eoghan let out a long sigh of relief.
“Your Highness,” Frank said, diffidently.
“I’ll take it from here.” John turned toward them as the vampire closed the door and locked it.
One glance around the room told Eoghan that even more supernaturals had joined their group and there were now over a hundred bodies milling around, some sitting, others talking in small groups. Priest was pushing her way through the throng and walking toward them but before she got there, John reached out and wrapped his arms around Eoghan, picking him up off the ground like he weighed nothing, and hugging him hard before setting him back down.
“Eoghan, how are you?”
Before he could answer, he was doing the same to Ari who just laughed and hugged him back. By the time he’d put him down, the chief had joined them.
“I’m good. How are you doing, King John?” Eoghan asked.
“Good! Good, my boy. I can’t really believe we’re this close to the end. I just hope there’s some of my clan left to save in Flagstaff.”
“We’re going to do our best, Highness,” Priest said. “I just wish we hadn’t been hobbled by the spies within our Agency all this time, but I am very glad this is finally happening for you.”
“So, what’s the plan, Chief?” Ari asked.
Eoghan watched him looking the room over, probably trying to pick out faces of anyone he knew just like he’d done. All the pack leaders and tribal chiefs including Joe Two Trees and Alo were walking their way. Eoghan couldn’t help but smile at the two grizzlies who’d become good friends throughout this case. They all exchanged greetings and shook hands. Eoghan watched as the grizzlies stood well away from John. And he noticed that the other shifters and werewolves in the room were keeping as much distance between their packs and clans and the vampires as they could. Judging by the number of vampires in the room, the clan from Vegas had arrived. He noticed Vance Ross talking to Frank and another big male vampire whose glowing red eyes were a dead giveaway.
“As you might have noticed, the vampires from Vegas are here,” she said, raising her hand and motioning one of them over. The vamp who walked over, wasn’t the one he’d pegged as the leader. This one wasn’t even a man. The tall female had long, unnaturally red hair and wore stiletto heels beneath her skintight, leather pants. Her full breasts nearly spilled over thetop of a T-shirt so tight, Eoghan was sure there wasn’t space for a hair between cold skin and fabric.
“Elora, these are my marshals from L.A., Eoghan Sapphire and Ari Brown. They’re the last of our party. We should head out now,” Priest said.
“Delicious,” the vampire said.
She must have been gorgeous when human, Eoghan thought. As a vampire she was exceptionally beautiful, almost too much so. She reminded him of every Hollywood vampire movie villainess he’d ever seen, way over the top in sexiness and scariness. He had no doubt she would have made short work of every drop of blood in them, had it not been for the king standing between them. Still, he judged that she just might make an intimidating fighter once she and her clan were given the go ahead to wipe out Bradshaw and his weak, underfed vamps in Flagstaff.
“That’s enough, Elora,” King John said. “I’ve warned you to behave.”
She turned and looked at him. “Alright, John, I get it. You have pet humans.” She turned and gave Eoghan and Ari the once over from head to foot before turning back to him. “When this is all said and done, I may get some myself.”
“As much as I’d love to let this conversation go on, I think it’s time we all head to our states and towns,” the chief said, interrupting the two vampires who were clearly acquainted but not friendly. She looked back at Eoghan and Ari. “What’s going on in the office?”