The suggestion sounded casual, but there was something in his tone that latched on. She looked up to find his eyes glinting with purpose.
“What do you mean?”
“Would you like to revisit your old clan territory?”
Chapter 11
It took multiple explanations, another meeting between Angelo and Anne, and avoiding most of the people who wanted to know about Nico’s relationship with her before they were finally granted freedom to venture out under one condition: to make sure they wouldn’t leave traces behind that could lead to the Bennett Clan. The journey itself was fast, as Anne matched his kin when it came to trekking the forest, sometimes even surpassing them in terms of stealth and senses.
“Did anyone ever catch up to you while you were alone and wandering from city to city? A clan or a rogue?”
“I stumbled upon a lot of clan territories but never got inside. You are trapped once you are inside, and there was no point. Stealing from a clan and having them find out is as good as suicide. Humans were much easier to take from, especially when they could easily return to the city.” She jumped over a long line of uprooted trees and contemplated. “A loner almost got me.”
“Loner?”
“Wolf shifter. He had a nasty streak and liked to set traps to get human flesh. I ruined most of the elaborate traps that probably took him months to make. He found out, and we had a long month of him hunting me down and me trying to stay alive. In the end, I escaped because he refused to cross a border and was too injured to try to outrun me.”
“How injured?”
“I might have broken a few bones. Shattered more. He will survive but won’t be able to outrun campers when they spot him.”
He winced, a flash of how painful his broken ribs had been coming to life. But he nodded in approval. “Good. We don’t need creatures like that giving the rest of us a bad name.”
“What was your greatest fight?”
“None as isolated as yours. The clan always had my back.”
They dwindled into silence as they trekked some more, then turned towards the streets and found the garage where they kept some of their cars.
“How rich is your clan?” she asked, studying the car’s interior.
“Rich, but not filthy rich. The richest in the city would be the most powerful vampire clan—Iz’s and Jan’s clan. We fell from that status after the old clan leader’s death, but Angelo’s brewing business and other ventures slowly brought us back into the market. It helps that we do our own thing, even separate small businesses.”
“What’s your thing?”
“Guarding.” A pause. “I used to be a consultant for a couple of security firms. I earned enough that I could quit that job and focus on my clan…what?”
“You are rich.”
“My clan is.”
“No, you are richrich.On your own. Personal savings. No one quits unless they are set for life.”
He could counter that not everyone had that kind of mindset, but she wasn’t wrong about him. He nodded reluctantly. “I just got lucky.”
“No. You work hard, and you are still working hard for your clan. No wonder you have a lot of women throwing themselves at you.”
The directness had him bursting into laughter before he smirked. “And I only need one throwing herself to me.”
“I only did it once. And it wasn’t throwing. It was riding.”
Yes, it was. The memory feathered in and rapidly turned him hard, so he shifted in his seat and convinced himself there would be no stopping for car sex. Anne’s gaze avoiding him cemented that she was probably fighting the same feeling, and it made him feel terrible enough, considering they should be focusing on what she would be facing.
His arousal deflated. He kept driving until the skyscrapers turned to suburban houses, then deserted lands. They took a pitstop in a motel, then continued until he was parked in a garage a few states away. The scenery was so different now, a placidity that contrasted the hustle and bustle he was used to. Even in his secluded forest, he knew the noise was in the distance and part of his life.
“Did you ever venture off in the other direction?”
“Yes. I circled and returned to states without any particular destination.” She swallowed. “We are here.”