"It's time." I adjusted my tie and slipped my hands into my pockets, before walking toward the terrace doors. Wynn passed Piper off to Allister before making his way behind me. He'd stop and chat with a few people first before joining me. We didn't want anyone to get suspicious. It would have been perfect if Valentine had started a fight with one of the other guests like he usually did, but it seemed that tonight Valentine was on his best behavior.
I stepped out into the night air and scanned the terrace for that familiar back. I frowned. He wasn't there. Walking farther out onto the terrace, I scanned the area for him, but didn't see him or the glow of his cigarette anywhere.
"Looking for me."
I forced myself to not react as his form appeared behind me. I slowly turned around to face him. "I thought we could have a chat." I let my lips curl up at the edges as I watched him tap the end of his cigarette. "Now, what could we talk about. Oh, I know. How about how much of a fucking bastard you are?"
Valentine's brows rose and he clutched a hand to his chest. "You wound me, brother. Are you really going to let some little human slut come between us?"
My jaw clenched and I stepped toward him, erasing some of the distance between us so I could look him in the eye. "Do not talk about Piper that way."
Grinning like a fiend, Valentine took a long drag of his cigarette before flicking his it away. "Oooh, big brother. What ever will you do about it?" He moved in until we were inches apart. "Are you going to kick my ass? Does she mean that much to you? Or is she just that good of a lay? I mean, I could see it. Her blood was oh so sweet." He put one finger after another into his mouth like he was licking off her blood right there. "Come on, give me your best shot."
Wynn appeared behind Valentine and my lips ticked up. "No, but he will."
Grabbing Valentine by the chin before he could even call out for help, Wynn snapped Valentine's neck. I searched around for anyone that might have heard us before reaching down to grab Valentine by the shoulders. "Come on, we have to get him out of here before he wakes up."
Wynn picked up Valentine's legs and we hopped over the balcony, landing in the outside gardens. "This way." Wynn jerked his head to the right of the path. "This takes it to the center of the hedge maze. It'll take forever for anyone to find him."
Not wasting any time, we hurried down the stoned path and into the tall, green hedges. Moving as quickly as we could, we almost didn't stop soon enough when we heard a giggle and then a groan. Dammit. Of course, someone would decide to fuck out here tonight.
"Wait," I told Wynn.
We listened as the sound of the two lovers moved farther away before moving once more. "It sounds like they are going to the stables."
Wynn snorted. "Fucking stables. Like he even rides them. Those beasts are too scared of his ugly mug to let him anywhere near them."
I chuckled along with him, but then quieted as we came to the center of the maze. There was a well here with a bench. Our master was a whimsical kind of vampire. It made for an odd pairing to the madness inside of him. Usually, I'd roll my eyes at his display of whimsy, but tonight I was thanking him for giving us such a convenient place to get rid of a body.
"Shit, he's waking up." Wynn shifted Valentine's legs in his arms. "I don't remember him recovering this fast before."
I scowled. "He just drained a whole woman. I should have known he'd wake up sooner rather than later." I leaned my portion of him against the bench. "Hold him."
Wynn dropped Valentine's legs and walked around the back of the bench, reaching for Valentine's arms so I could stake him. Just as Wynn touched him, Valentine's eyes flipped open and he snarled. He grabbed Wynn's hand and sank his fangs into it.
Wynn yelled and tried to pry him off of him. "Fucking stake him already. He's going to bite my fucking hand off."
I pulled the wooden staked I'd hidden up my sleeve out and rushed him. Valentine's eyes shot to me and he kicked out, hitting me in the chest. I flew back and into the nearby hedge, dropping my stake. Valentine released Wynn and grabbed the back of his head, before slamming it in the stone bench. The bench split in half and Wynn was out cold.
"You thought you could take me? With just you and the man whore?" Valentine swiped his face with the the back of his hand as he climbed to his feet. "You should have brought Marcus, at least then it would be a fair fight." He picked up my discarded stake. "You know, I could forgive this if it was for a good reason, but for her? A human? Come now, brother. When did you become so weak?" he growled, then kicked me in the stomach before I could get out of the way.
I grunted and clutched the area. "I'm not weak. I just realized I didn't want to be in bed with the devil anymore."
Valentine tried to kick me again, but I grabbed his foot and twisted. He fell to the ground and dropped the stake. I scrambled over him to grab it, but his hand found it again. We struggled on the ground, each of us trying to get the upper hand.
When Valentine had me pinned to the ground, he threw his head back and laughed. "Better to be in bed with the devil than licking his boots. Now, you'll go to hell, but don't worry, I'll send your whore with you soon enough." He lifted the stake in the air, but as it came down, he was launched off of me.
Wynn tackled Valentine to the ground, his own stake in his hands. Valentine was so surprised, he didn't even realize Wynn had one as well until it was sinking into his chest cavity. Valentine made a gurgling sound in his throat, his eyes going to me. His mouth moved, but no words came out before his eyes closed and he slumped to the ground.
Sighing, Wynn wiped the blood from his forehead before looking up at me. "Well, that didn't go as planned."
"No," I agreed, dusting myself off. "It didn't."
He stood and then kicked him with his foot, but Valentine didn't move. "Now what?"
I jerked my head to the well. "We get rid of the body and get back to the ballroom before anyone suspects."
As he picked up Valentine's dead form, Wynn chuckled and murmured, "Oh, someone will suspect. They just won't be able to prove it was us."
I hoped Wynn was right. I prayed he was. But when did anything in life or death go just our way?