Undead and Unwelcome

Chapter 57

Sinclair staggered through the doorway, looking like he’d been through a hurricane. Or through a whole shitload of devil worshippers. Having vampire strength and reflexes was all fine and good, but it didn’t mean that enough bad guys couldn’t take a piece or two out of you.

His suit was in tatters; his face was streaked with blood. I imagine I didn’t look much better. At least we were both standing. Well, leaning.

“Some of them are dead,” he informed me. “Some of them ran off.”

Marc called from the other room, “And some of them are going to need medical attention! I’ll do what I can.”

Sinclair took in the ruined room, the holes in the walls, the broken windows, Laura, unconscious on the floor.

“Are you all right?”

“Shit, no. But I’ll live. How about you? You look like somebody dropped you into a blender and pressed puree.”

“What a coincidence. That is precisely how I feel.”

I went to him and hugged him, closing my eyes as he stroked my back. “Laura’s mom was here.”

“That explains much.”

“It explains mucher than you know.”

“At least you won the fight.”

I looked up at him. “She could have killed me at any time. She threw the fight when she realized her mother had been pulling her strings all this time.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah.”

I imagined Sinclair didn’t need me to spell out the ramifications for him. Given the way he was grinding his teeth, I knew he was equal parts pissed for me and frightened for me.

Because if Laura could kill me anytime—she’d hidden her strength and speed all this time, for one thing—who was really in charge around here? A mere vampire?

Or the devil’s daughter?

And what about the next time Laura and I butted heads? Much as I hated to admit it, there most likely would be a next time. I couldn’t count on her to throw every fight. Frankly, I was pretty sure she’d only thrown this one because I’d shocked her with the bald truth. There were only so many times I could play the sister card.

And next time, she wouldn’t be taken off guard.

Next time, she might kick my ass straight into hell, and then bye-​bye for every vampire she could get her hands on.

And she could get her hands on a lot. Especially since she apparently had followers who would do whatever she asked. Legions of them.

It should have been over.

But it wasn’t. We’d earned a temporary respite, that was all.