Page 5 of The Tracker's Revenge
Rosalina shook her head. “No, it’s Toni the Tiger, but that’s a good one. I should’ve thought of that.”
Eric snorted, then waved us down a set of steps that led to the lower level. We passed the training room and entered a large garage where a black Mercedes Benz with tinted windows sat waiting. It was an E-Class sedan with a slick, aerodynamic body that suggested zero to sixty in a sneeze.
He got behind the wheel. Rosalina climbed in the back seat, so I walked around and took my place next to a very serious-looking werewolf. He cranked the engine, and the radio came to life, transmitting a commercial.
Some Skews are giving away their immortality
It's an epidemic and it's spreading
It's not a parasite, not a virus
It's rhabo, and it kills vampires
Say no to drugs
Eric tapped theoffbutton with a disgusted grunt.
We sat in silence for a long moment. I wondered how much the effects the city’s drug problem weighed on him. He and Damien were responsible for its creation, after all.
“Eric You shouldn’t feel g—” I started, but he cut me off.
“We’re late.” He picked up his phone.
O-kay, no words of comfort needed.
I started humming a tune, pretending I hadn’t spoken.
What a mess!For many days, I’d been holding my breath, waiting for a full-on war to break out. Last we’d heard, Bernadetta Fiore had met with her generals to plan an attack on Ulfen. Publicly, she blamed him for rhabo, though we now knew she was behind it all. Except she’d been oddly quiet. It scared the crap out of me and made me wonder what horrors she was planning.
Eric glanced into his cell where several video feeds of the exterior of the house played in an array of tiny screens. He watched for a few beats and didn’t press the garage door opener until he was sure no one lurked outside.
As soon as there was enough room between the still-opening garage door and the floor, Eric stepped on the gas and tore out of the house like his tail was on fire. My head slammed back on the headrest. I blinked at him in surprise.
Paranoid much?
I tended to be more easy-going, always hoping for the best, but he really was cramping my style. My whole body tensed up, and my eyes didn’t stop darting in every direction as we made our way to Aaron’s house. I was especially tense when we stopped at red lights, and Eric gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled strength, his head swiveling, his gaze bouncing from one side mirror to the other. For her part, Rosalina had a hand under her jacket, ready to pull out one of her weapons if necessary.
I wriggled in my seat and scratched my forearm, itching to shift, burning to equip myself with sharp claws and fangs in case the impending attack they were expecting came true.
To distract myself, I glanced out the window and tried to admire the pretty spring morning with its clear blue sky and radiant sunshine. But that only made it worse because, catching a movement in the side mirror, I spotted a large SUV trailing behind us. I kept my eyes on it for several minutes and was about to say something when the SUV took a turn and disappeared.
Man, these two are going to give me an ulcer.
Gratefully, we made it to Aaron Blackridge’s house without a hitch. His mansion was located in the Huntleigh area. It was a sprawling home that spoke of his success as a sought-after DJ.
Eric stopped by the wrought iron gate and pressed the “call” button on the keypad. A voice crackled through the air and after Eric explained our business, the gate slid open to let us through. As we moved down the long driveway, I admired the beautiful landscaping. Perfectly trimmed bushes and lots of colorful flowers. I lowered the window to let in their fresh scent. Eric gave me a disapproving sideways glance but said nothing. The tension inside the car had eased a little. Rosalina’s hand had even come out from its hiding place, and her red-tipped fingers now rested on her thigh instead.
Eric drove around a large fountain that spewed water from the elaborate sculpture of a topless Siren. Jetting streams shot from her outstretched palms, creating dazzling rainbows. He stopped the car in front of a set of marble steps that led to a massive entrance. One half of the twenty-foot tall door opened before we even got out of the car, and Aaron strode out to meet us, hurrying down the steps, an earnest expression shaping his features. He was wearing a pair of baggy shorts, a sleeveless T-shirt, and a pair of slide-ons. He wore no jewelry, which made him look plain and not like the stylish DJ I was used to.
I quickly got out of the car and greeted him with a smile.
“Toni,” he said, extending a hand in my direction, “so glad you’re here.”
He shook my hand a bit frantically, then his dark gaze darted to Rosalina and, lastly, to Eric, who he regarded suspiciously. His nostrils flared as he caught Eric’s werewolf scent.
“You remember Rosalina,” I said, quickly making introductions. “And I’m not sure if you know Eric Cross. He’s a good friend of mine.”
Aaron took a step backward and watched Eric wearily. This was just what I’d been afraid of, just the reason I didn’t want Eric to accompany us. As much as I liked him and considered him a friend, the agency’s already precarious reputation didn’t need to mingle with his. Regardless of our relationship, it wasn’t good business. But he had insisted we needed his protection.
