Chapter Two
Elias
I shouldn’t have used my powers in front of her but when I saw the vampire charge her, I lost it. I was hit with an overwhelming sense to protect her, to keep her safe.
That wasn’t my style at all. I don’t play nice with others and I sure as shit don’t care if a random hunter goes down. I was here for one reason only. Vengeance. And now my only lead in my sister’s murder was dead.
I needed this vampire alive. He wasn’t worth the blood he drank, but I needed the information he had. And now he was dead because I decided some stranger’s life was more important. That was a costly mistake I shouldn’t have made.
“What are you?” The hunter took a step closer to me.
“I told you, I’m a royal enforcer,” I said.
She shook her head. “Not that. What the fuck are you? I’ve never seen anyone take out another creature like this.”
I could sense her fear. She was terrified of me even though she didn’t show it. Girl had guts, that was for damn sure. The few others who had seen my powers didn’t react this calmly. Not that I let any of them keep their memories after. Which was what I should be doing with her. I should be erasing her memory of even meeting me and sending her on her way, but I was hesitating.
“You owe me two thousand dollars.” She put her hand on her hip and glared at me. “If you hadn’t shown up, I would have had him locked down.”
Even covered in blood and gore, she was hot as hell. With silver hair, full lips, and bright blue eyes, she was captivating. Add in the curves of her athletic build and she was literally everyone’s type.
In a different life, I might have pursued her. But that’s not possible here. I’m on a mission and she would be nothing but a distraction.
I reached inside my jacket pocket and re-pulled out the envelope of cash. The enforcer gig might be my cover, but my real boss kept me well supplied in bribe money. “Two grand.”
“You might as well keep your money. I’m telling the Guild this was my kill,” she says. “I’m not losing my perfect record on your account.”
I froze. This was when I needed to erase her memory and send her packing. She could easily tell them she took care of Vincent or I could alter it so she didn’t even remember chasing him in the first place.
My chest tightened. The thought of wiping our encounter from her mind completely sent an uncomfortable pain through me. I liked this woman. I didn’t want her to pass me in the street with a blank expression if we ran into each other again. And despite my training, and as much as I knew it was wrong, I wanted to see her again. Even if it was just in passing.
“You can’t tell the Guild about me,” I said.
She lifted an eyebrow. “And why is that?”
“I told you, this whole thing was classified,” I said.
“So? I’ll tell them I made the kill, and I’ll get paid,” she said.
“Okay,” I said, then I passed the stack of bills toward her.
“I told you, I’ll get my fee,” she looked at the money in my hand with disgust. “I don’t need your bribe or whatever that is.”
“They gave it to me for this case, you might as well take it,” I said with what I hoped was a casual shrug.
“Why?”
“The royals are loaded, just take it,” I said. “I’m sure there’s something you could use it for.”
She looked down at her clothes and wrinkled her nose before looking back up at me. “I don’t think you can dry clean vampire entrails out of leather.”
“Get yourself some new pants.” I extended my hand again.
Slowly, she reached out and I moved faster, grabbing her hands in mine.
“What the hell are you doing?” She tried to pull away, but I was stronger and held her fast. While my memory magic was powerful, I couldn’t do it without touching my victim.
I knew this was when I should be altering her memory. And that was my plan when I grabbed her, but I just couldn’t do it.