Hunter's Heritage (Sterling Hunter Series Book 2)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Tabitha barely slept all night which only added to her agitation and frustration. By the time she was up and dressed and downstairs she felt like a big ball of nerves, like a bomb about to explode. Jonas asked her if she wanted him to go and when she said no, he almost begged her, not wanting to be left alone in a house of two vampires and his crush. Tabitha had taken him aside and as nicely as possible told him to suck it up and instead of obsessing over vampires to focus on Chelsea. Spend time with her, admit his feelings to her, that sort of thing. There was no time like the present and all that crap. The mention of Chelsea seemed to convince him, letting Tabitha deal with this on her own.

She couldn't explain it, Tabitha just needed to do this on her own... She couldn't help Sebastian, she couldn't even find Sebastian, but this? Knocking heads and getting information? That she could do. And that she would do. So, dressed in her black leather jacket, her yellow gloves and boots – proving that she meant business – she had Toulouse drive her to Club Midnight. She had been too pent up to have breakfast, so she went on an empty stomach, which did not help her mood.

Wisely, Toulouse seemed to sense that if he said the wrong thing he would get a stake in his heart, he stayed quiet the whole ride and only when Tabitha was half way out the door did he speak. "Be careful in there. Emilio is not one to be trifled with. He looks like one of us on the outside, but inside, he is a whole different beast."

Tabitha furrowed her brow, confused at his cryptic warning. Instead of questioning it though she just nodded, shut the door and headed to the secret entrance to the vampire club. If it was really that important of a warning Tabitha would find out what he meant soon enough. She did the stupid secret knock thing and despite knowing exactly who she was the door man was dumb enough to open the door and let her in. Seemed the party had no time restraint. Just like last night the lights were flashing, the music pumping and the bodies jamming and swinging. This time she wasn't enamored or interested in the dancing or the lights or the addictive atmosphere. There was no Sebastian to wrap her arms around and dance with. There was only business. Only the mission. Tabitha had missed this. Without having Sebastian here to create a gray area everything felt so much clearer. Yes, she still loved him and yes, she wanted to find him. Her heart ached, and she felt like she was split in two without him there at her side, but she knew he would understand. He would understand her putting the mission and the wellbeing of others first. Tabitha liked to think he would do the same.

She strode past the dancing and the lights; this time bypassing the bartender and went straight for the door. Someone behind her shouted at her to not open that door and she ignored them, turning the knob and pushing it open to find a scene she hoped to replicate soon. Emilio stood with fingers wrapped around a vampire's throat, the vampire's feet dangling off the ground and his back and head smooshed against the wall. Emilio looked in the middle of a threat when she burst in, both of them pausing the interrogation to stare at her.

The vampire's eyes flashed red, but not out of hunger but out of fear. Pleading with her, a vampire hunter, to save her. What had Emilio done to the guy? He was shirtless and looked like he had been through hell: beaten and bruised, none of it healing which meant Emilio must have used silver. It hurt to stare at the dude.

"Can I help you?" Emilio drawled, his eyes glancing over her, noting the jacket and boots.

Tabitha put her hands on her hips, showing off the silver stake strapped to her side. "Yeah. See Jonas and I went to check out the cabin like you said and didn't find what we were looking for. Care to enlighten me as to why the cabin was empty?"

Emilio gave her a look of indifference. "Perhaps you didn't look hard enough."

"Oh I'm pretty sure we did. I think you lied to us," she said, pointing the stake at him.