It had been yet another reason Tessa had trusted Gershom.
“No,” she responded. “The man I was with isn’t just dressed like an Immortal Guardian. He is one.” She thought it best not to mention that she was, too. Not yet anyway. Reed looked pretty twitchy.
He took a step back. “What? Then why the hell are you with him? Did they capture you?”
“Yes, but—”
His expression darkened. “Did they hurt you?”
She held up her hands in a calm-down gesture. “No. They helped me, Reed. And they can help you, too. Gershom lied to us.”
“Bullshit.” Anger tightened his jaw. “Is that what they told you? Did they brainwash you or something?”
“No. That’s what Gershom did,” she stated, keeping her voice placid. “He was controlling us, Reed, in ways I never guessed possible until I was away from him.”
“How do you know they aren’t the ones lying to you and controlling you?”
“Because they can prove it. They have proven it. Without a doubt. And they can prove it to you, too.”
He shook his head, but a hint of indecision entered his expression.
“Gershom had telepathic and empathic abilities he used to manipulate us,” she explained, “to keep us from doubting him or questioning his orders.” Pausing, she lowered her hands as uncertainty struck.
If Reed had been out from under Gershom’s influence for months, shouldn’t he have long since begun to question the wisdom of following Gershom’s orders? Shouldn’t doubt over past actions have crept in by now?
Her gaze shifted to the limp figure draped over his shoulder. “Why did you take the woman, Reed?” Sean had told her she’d be able to tell who was worth saving and who wasn’t. Did Reed fall into the latter group?
His hold on the woman tightened. “I didn’t want the other vampires to hurt her.”
Some of her anxiety retreated. “You were protecting her?” That was a good sign, wasn’t it?
“Yeah. Those vampires were crazy. You should’ve heard the sick shit they were bragging about.”
“If they were crazy, why were you with them?”
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I couldn’t reach Gershom. Or find any of the rest of you. I knew Immortal Guardians were hunting us and figured… safety in numbers, you know?”
During her brief time with the immortals, she’d heard that hunting in packs—which used to be rare—was common among the vampire population now. “You said the other vampires were crazy. You don’t want to end up like them, do you?”
He met her gaze. “No.”
“Then let the Immortal Guardians help you like they’re helping me.”
The sound of someone swiftly approaching carried to their ears.
Stiffening, Reed glanced past her again. “He’s coming.” In one quick motion, he flipped the woman off his shoulder and hurled her at Tessa.
Surprised, Tessa fumbled to catch her as Reed raced away. Though Tessa could easily support the other woman’s weight, they were almost the same size. And getting a good enough grip on the unconscious form to keep her from sliding out of Tessa’s hold and hitting her head on the pavement was awkward as hell.
Sean skidded to a stop beside her. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Where’s the vampire?”
She nodded in the direction Reed had fled. “He threw the woman at me and ran.”
Sean shot off in a blur.
Guilt pricked Tessa as she shifted the woman and cradled her like a baby.
Should she have told him that Reed said he took the woman to save her from the others? She hadn’t been able to discern whether he told the truth. And Sean might slay him on sight without asking questions.
Sticking to the shadows, she strode back the way she had come. Sean had no doubt left four dead vampires decaying beside two unconscious women.
When she reached the scene of their initial confrontation, Tessa stopped short.
Nicole stood with her feet braced apart, aiming a tranquilizer gun at her. Upon seeing Tessa, she relaxed her stance and lowered the weapon. “Where’s Sean?”
“Chasing the vampire.”
She frowned. “You couldn’t catch him?”
“Sean?”
“No, the vampire. You’re faster than Sean. Faster than the vampire. You should’ve been able to catch him.”
“I did.”
Nicole gave her a quick head-to-toe glance. “Are you injured?”
“No.”
“Then how did he get away?”
Hesitant to admit she’d tried to recruit him, Tessa indicated the woman in her arms. “I couldn’t attack him while he was holding her. I was afraid she’d get hurt. Then the vampire heard Sean coming, threw her at me, and took off.”
Her face filling with concern, Nicole holstered the weapon and motioned for Tessa to set the woman down. “Is she dead?”
“No. She’s still breathing, just unconscious.” Tessa gently laid the woman down beside the other two. “Are the others okay?”
“Yeah. Looks like we got here before the vampires could take too much blood. They’re both just out of it from the bite.” And would have no memory of being attacked when they awoke.
Nicole knelt beside the third woman and touched her wrist. Checking her pulse, perhaps? “We’ll have to call in a network cleanup crew to give the women a medical exam, confirm they’re okay, and see them home.”
“They also need to check the security cameras. We sped past at least two.”
“You and the vampire?”
“Yes.”
Nicole nodded. “Her pulse is strong, so he must not have taken much blood.” The diligent Second proceeded to check the woman over for injuries, beginning with her wrists and the bends of her arms, popular targets for vampire bites.
“I didn’t realize you were shadowing us,” Tessa murmured.
“Neither did Sean.”
Had Nicole shadowed them because of the bad feeling Sean mentioned her having or because she didn’t trust Tessa?
If it was the latter, Tessa’s next words would undoubtedly increase that distrust. “I knew him.”
“Who?” Nicole asked absently.
“The vampire.”
Nicole froze for several long seconds, then sat back on her heels and looked up at her. “What?”
“I knew him. He was a member of Gershom’s army. I only hunted with him once and assumed he’d been killed, either when Seth and the others descended on home base or in the final battle.”
All expression left Nicole’s face. “You hunted Immortal Guardians with him?”
Tessa nodded. Would she ever rid herself of the shame that spawned? “He didn’t know Gershom isn’t around anymore. He said he took the woman to protect her from the other vampires, so I thought…” A long sigh escaped her. “I don’t know. I thought he might be worth saving and was trying to talk him into surrendering when he heard Sean approaching.”
“And then he threw the woman at you?”
Tessa nodded. “I think he was just scared.”
Several heavy seconds passed. “Well, Sean should be able to catch him.” Nicole went back to examining the woman.