Page 10 of A Hunter Born
A prickle at her neck and a fiery rush of blood through her veins had Morgan whirling around and glaring at the shuttered windows. “Youhave gotto be kidding me.”
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Travis stood outside the gates of Rodolfo’s villa, careful to stay out of the line of sight of the numerous security cameras on the grounds. Not that he was afraid of the Born, more that he didn’t want to tip his hand before he was fully prepared for a takedown. Someday soon, he’d have everything he needed to bust through those gates and finally deliver the justice coming to that slippery piece of shit.
Narrowing his eyes, he turned his attention to the shuttered windows on the upper floors. Was she inside? Was she even now having to hide her distaste in front of her family as Rodolfo arrogantly swaggered around her?
Judging by the amount of activity happening beyond the gates despite the sun still being out, Travis had to assume some sort of event was in the works – an engagement party? A wedding?
A low rumble of a growl reverberated through his chest and he stepped back deeper into the shadow of a large oak tree before he inadvertently gave himself away to the dogs that were patrolling the grounds right along with Rodolfo’s human minions.
On the heels of that thought, a white catering van pulled up to the gates and the driver rolled down his window to push the button for admittance. For a moment, Travis contemplated jumping on the back bumper of that van and hitching a ride in. Too bad they’d be on him within seconds. Olivier Rodolfo’s security was anything but lax and all he’d gain was Rodolfo issuing a formal complaint with the force that would see Travis moved as far away as possible from any cases involving the Born. He couldn’t afford to be reckless, not when he was this close to his goal and especially not to play knight in shining armor for a woman he didn’t know, not to mention one that might not even need his help.
The thought that she might actually wish to be exactly where she was, gave Travis a sudden case of indigestion. The truth of the matter was, she was a Born and potentially cut from the same cloth as the sociopath residing behind those walls. He didn’t know her, and assumptions about her character would likely see him disappointed at best, or worse, dead because he’d been too busy mooning over a female that should, by her very birth, be his enemy.
As if his thoughts had conjured her, the woman that had occupied far too many of his thoughts throughout the day strode purposefully out the front door and scanned the area he currently occupied. She could sense him then, even from this distance, even with thick walls of wood and stone between them. Interesting. Needing to see what she’d do, if anything, he stepped out from the shadows to make his presence known.
She was dressed as she had been earlier in jeans, paired with a short, black leather jacket that his gut told him she wore in an attempt to hide a weapon – or weapons – rather than ward off a non-existent chill. Her long legs carried her past the still open gates and straight to him in a matter of moments. “Officer St. John,” she said with a small closed-lip smile that didn’t quite banish the suspicion in her blue eyes. “We meet again.”
He didn’t have to be a mind reader to ascertain what she was thinking. Had he followed her? Was he here on official police business or was he some creepy stalker she was going to have trouble with?
Throwing her what he hoped was a non-threatening smile, Travis stuffed his hands into his pockets and lied, “Purely accidental, Miss…” he trailed off, hoping she wouldn’t correct his assumption that she was unattached.
“Rhys,” was her immediate response. “Morgan Rhys. Are you friends with Mister Rodolfo?”
Mister Rodolfo. He liked the way she worded that, implying that her acquaintance with the Born was tenuous at best. If that was the case, Travis would greatly like to keep it that way.
“I’m afraid I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting the man, though I must say I admire his home.”
“Ah, so you’re a fan of southern architecture.” Her mouth quirked up adorably on one side and Travis felt his blood heat as his heartbeat picked up its tempo. This woman was dangerous to his equilibrium as well as a distraction he couldn’t afford. If he was a smart man, he’d bid her good night and get away from her as fast as his feet could carry him.
“Are you staying here?” He blurted because apparently, he was not a smart man.
Her lips pinched in displeasure for just a second before she fixed a bland expression on her face. “My friends and I are here visiting for a few days and Mister Rodolfo generously offered us accommodations.”
Friends, not family, and only for a few days, so she wasn’t being forced to marry the villain as he had assumed, and if the look she hadn’t quite been able to hide had told him anything, it was that she wasn’t happy to be housed under Rodolfo’s roof during her stay. Not that he blamed her in the least.
Now that his initial curiosity had been satisfied, he should have walked away. Too bad a host of other questions now plagued him. New Orleans might be a hotspot for human tourists, but she had to be aware of Rodolfo’s reputation, so choosing this location for a weekend, even staying in a house where she would obviously rather not be suggested that she was here for a purpose. To spy on Rodolfo perhaps? Had the Court of Elders sent her?
Yet another catering van pulled up to the gates and the intriguing Miss Rhys stepped a bit closer to him to make room for the vehicle to pass. He had to admit that he admired her strength. Being this close to him had to have her skin crawling or at least tingling or something. Being what she was, and what he was, it was unavoidable. She hadn’t been around him – or anyone of his kind, he was sure, since they were so few in numbers – enough to build up any sort of tolerance, though he couldn’t help but note that she was being very careful not to show off her teeth. Habit around an assumed human, or was she fighting the urge to attack and succeeding admirably?
The thought only increased his intrigue. “Would you like to go get something to eat? Or maybe a drink?” he asked before he could rethink what was most likely a disastrous idea.
She frowned and glanced back at the house before returning her ocean blue gaze to him. “I would, but Mister Rodolfo is throwing some sort of party. If I don’t show, he might consider my absence as a slight.”
Travis knew the way the Born operated enough to know that insulting her host could very well result in her being told to leave the territory, which again begged the question of why she was here – or more specifically, why sheneededto be here. “Rain check?”
This time when she smiled, her eyes sparkled with pleasure as well. “Tomorrow night?”
Her eagerness to see him again despite the discomfort she had to be experiencing in his presence paired with that happy expression had him suddenly needing to turn slightly to cover his quite obvious arousal as his dick lengthened and throbbed behind the snug fit of his uniform trousers. Jesus, she was gorgeous. Add to that her admirable strength, not to mention he’d bet everything he owned she was as smart as a whip. The combination was incredibly arousing. This was no damsel in distress that needed saving. Nor was she a sheltered, shrinking violet. Morgan Rhys was a warrior, perfectly capable of saving herself. And depending on her reasons for being in New Orleans, she might even prove to be an indispensable ally in this private war against Olivier Rodolfo he was determined to win.
Chapter Eight
Morgan sipped her champagne and surreptitiously kept an eye on Jamie who was currently being chatted up by two very large male vampires while Kane was entertaining a bevy of fawning females both human and Turned.
She felt practically naked in the body-skimming red dress she’d donned for the party, though she had managed to strap one of her daggers to an inner thigh without creating a tell-tale line that would be a dead giveaway that she was armed. The red heels Rodolfo had provided to complete the ensemble pinched her toes and would more than likely leave blisters on her feet but she sucked up the pain. She’d done her duty to her host and made an appearance; another hour should suffice before she could make her excuses and get some much-needed sleep. Obviously, sleep deprivation had made her half-crazy. Why else would she have set a date to meet with Travis St. John? Sure, she could use the excuse that the man might be able to provide some much-needed intel on her current mission, but the truth was that shewantedto see him again, was looking forward to seeing him again, and this, after she’d already decided that anything personal between them wasn’t worth the aggravation.
“You’re enjoying my fair city, I hope?” Rodolfo breathed against her ear, making Morgan want to cringe at his proximity. “I heard you went sightseeing today.”
