"Enough of the cock tease, Mizuki," I snapped, getting tired of the cryptic. "What’s going on?"
Mizuki finally looked away from Allister and stepped back to meet my questioning gaze. "There have been ten murders, all of them female. All of them blood whores who frequented Club Dead."
"And did you get the vampire responsible?" I prodded, hoping that the inkling in the back of my head wasn't what I thought it was.
"No. We didn't." Mizuki turned that intense glare back to Allister.
Allister frowned. "You can't think I did it?"
"What proof do you have?" I pushed myself between them, knowing I only had my dagger if it came down to a fight. If I was quick, I could grab my gun, but that's only if I could do it before Mizuki got to him.
Mizuki stared over my head at Allister until I waved a hand in her face. "Hello? You can't just come into our house and make accusations. Do you have any proof?"
"No," Mizuki looked at me. "If you hadn't bolted from the fight, you would have been there to get it as well."
My stomach was in my throat as I asked, "Well, where is it?"
"The bartender claims several of the victims were seen with your vampire on the nights they were murdered." Mizuki's blood-red lips curled up into a cruel smile.
Allister moved behind me, and I held a hand up to stop him. "That's not proof. That's a coincidence, at best."
"Proof enough. We've killed vampires for less."
Allister snorted. "Yeah. Like existing."
"It's our way."
Mizuki moved closer, so I was pressed between the two of them. I couldn't get to my dagger, but I could almost reach my gun. Darren saw what I was going for and pushed the gun closer to me. I grabbed hold of it and pressed it to her stomach.
Mizuki froze.
"Back off," I demanded through clenched teeth.
"You dare to betray us?" Mizuki looked away from Allister to survey me.
I barked a laugh. "I'm not the one here using this sham to try and kill one of my guys. If anyone is the traitor, it is you."
"He's a vampire. What other proof do you need?" Mizuki moved her attention back to Allister, forgetting all about me. Big mistake.
Not wanting to kill her if I didn't have to, I shoved her away and then swiped my foot behind her knee, bringing her to the ground. I placed a foot on her chest and aimed for her face before she could react.
"You forget, Mizuki," I seethe, my finger itching to pull the trigger. "I'm not one of you. I'm one of them. So, unless you have more proof than that, I suggest you leave. Or do I need to bring this up with Vincent?"
Mizuki studied me for a moment. "You wouldn't do it. You're too human to kill another of your kind."
I took the safety off and cocked the gun, lining up the shot. "We are not the same."
"What’s going on here?" A voice from the kitchen doorway distracted me. It was enough time for Mizuki to pull one of her own blades and drive it into my leg.
"Shit!" I screamed and went down, giving Mizuki enough time to get out from under me. She didn't try to attack me or anyone else. She was just gone.
"Fucking hell, Piper!" Jack Biggs knelt at my side, his face pale. "She stabbed you."
"Yeah," I let out a painful laugh. "She did."
Darren moved across the room, probably headed for the first aid kit while Jack freaked out.
"We can't just let her get away. I'll call the cops. An ambulance." Jack moved to get off the ground, but Allister stopped him.