“Wait,” Xander said. “Stash the book under the seat. Just in case.”
My senses were alight with vampires, but that was normal here. “You think something’s off?”
“I’m not sure, but I don’t want to chance that,” he said.
I shoved the book under the seat. It was probably better than drawing attention to it in my arms if we were jumped. Even if it was just a couple of thugs looking for a wallet.
We left the car and met on the sidewalk, quickly walking side by side toward the apartment. A few figures milled about and as we got closer, I realized none of them were going anywhere. They were waiting.
I slowed down, Xander falling into step beside me.
“We have company,” he said.
“Yep.” I would kill for my stake. I’m never going anywhere without that again. The knife I could leave behind, but I needed something. And no self-respecting shifter would mind if I had a wooden stake with me. I was pretty sure that my dislike of vampires was the one trait I shared with my full-blooded brethren.
“Hey, you have any smokes?” One of the waiting vampires asked. He was dressed in dark jeans and had the black hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his head.
“Sorry, I quit a few years back, man,” Xander said.
“What about your little wolf?” He moved closer, his hands tucked in his front pocket.
I could feel the vampires gathering around us. The others who had been loitering in front of the building were walking toward us. My senses prickled and I knew we had others coming in behind us.
We were very outnumbered. And I had no weapons.
Today was not my day.