Page 24 of Love, Rekindled

Levet leaned toward the opening of the tunnel, struggling to hear the conversation.

“We were just a block away from the ambush we’d set up when a car stopped, and a vampire grabbed her off the street and drove away,” a second voice said.

Levet arched his brows. He’d assumed he was following whoever had snatched Jayla. Instead, it appeared the vamps had intended to ambush her, but someone had gotten to her first.

“Why didn’t you follow, you incompetent idiot?” voice one demanded.

“We were attacked.”

“Attacked? By who?”

“I don’t know. They were vampires, but they weren’t local. I’ve never seen them before.”

Levet exchanged a glance with Bertha. Why would strange vampires travel to Hong Kong to kidnap Jayla just seconds before she was to be ambushed and killed? Even among the convoluted vampire politics, it seemed…convoluted.

“What happened?” voice one snapped.

“After the female was snatched off the street, a half-dozen vampires swarmed out of the shadows and grabbed my brothers. There was nothing we could do.” Even though it was almost impossible to make out the words, Levet could smell the tinge of irritation in the air. It smelled like charcoal.

There was a long silence as if the first vampire was considering the ramifications of Jayla’s kidnapping.

“She must have been warned,” the voice said at last. “One of your crew is a traitor.”

“Impossible. If she discovered the plan, then it didn’t come from us.”

“You would say that, wouldn’t you?”

The scent of charcoal disappeared only to be replaced by… Levet wrinkled his snout. It wasn’t fear. Unease.

“What do you mean?”

“You were the only one not captured by the mysterious vampires,” vampire one pointed out.

“I told you, I was monitoring the situation from the gardens.”

A layer of ice coated the cement walls. One or both of the vampires was pissed off. Levet was betting on both.

“Tell me about the vampire who took Jayla.”

“I don’t know. He was big, blond hair.” There was a pause. “I think he had something tattooed on his neck.”

“That’s it?”

“I only got a quick glance.”

There was another layer of ice, and this one crawled over Levet and Bertha, coating them in frost. Levet flapped his wings, getting rid of it.

“What about the car?” It was vamp one again.

“A big, black limo.”

“And?”

“And that’s it.”

Levet flinched. He wasn’t the most perceptive creature. Hard to believe, but with all his other skills, there was bound to be one talent that was less than awesome. But even he knew that was a terrible answer.

“Either you betrayed me or you’re completely incompetent.” Vamp one was barely speaking over a whisper. Levet took a step down the side tunnel, straining to hear. “It doesn’t matter which one it is. I no longer need you.”

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