"Lover At Last" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ward, J.R.)

Supremacy made him smile for a momentтАФuntil his eyes went around the room. For some reason, he thought of that Febreze commercial, the one where theyтАЩd shit up some place, spray like madmen, and drag тАЬreal people, not actorsтАЭ into the scene to sniff around.

Man, except for the food remnantsтАФwhich were a no-show, because slayers didnтАЩt require eatsтАФeverything fit: the mold on the ceiling, the ratty furniture, the dripping over at the sinkтАжand especially the crap that went along with a multi-chemical addiction, like syringes, spoons, even the two-liter Sprite-bottle meth lab over in the corner.

This was not a seat of power. This was a common crack house.

Connors went over and snagged the little shitтАЩs cell phone. The screen was cracked and there was some kind of sticky patch on the back. The thing was not password-protected, and when he went into the messages section, all kinds of kiss-asses had blown up the phone, the texts blah-blah-blahing congrats about the induction ceremony that was going on tonight.

But the Fore-lesser hadnтАЩt known about it. WasnтАЩt his gig.

Connors wasnтАЩt going to retaliate, however. Those brown-nosing douches were just trying to stay alive and would suck anyoneтАЩs dick to keep breathing: He fully expected the same list to be hitting him up, and he wanted them to. Spies had their purpose in the grand scheme of things.

And, man, there was work to be done.

From what he had figured out during his own blessedly short period of ass-kissing, the Lessening Society had few assets left in terms of weapons or ammo or property. No cash, because what did come in from petty robberies had gone up the little shitтАЩs nose or into his arm. No master list of inductees, no troop organization, no training.

Lot of rebuilding needed to happen fastтАФ

A cold draft shot into the room, and Connors turned around. The Omega had arrived from out of nowhere, the EvilтАЩs white robes shining brightly, the black shadow underneath looking like an optical illusion.

The repulsion that went through Connors was something he knew he was also going to have to get used to. The Omega always enjoyed a special relationship with his Fore-lesserтАФand maybe that was why word had it they rarely lasted very long.

Then again, given who he pickedтАж

тАЬI took care of him,тАЭ Connors said, nodding to the scorch mark on the floor.

тАЬI know,тАЭ the Omega replied, that voice warping through the fetid, chilly air.

Outside, a gust of wind blew snow against the windows, the gap on one sill letting some snowflakes in. As they entered the space, they fell to the floor in a shimmer, the temperature cold enough to sustain them, thanks to the masterтАЩs presence.

тАЬHe is back home now.тАЭ The Omega came forward like a draft, with no evidence that any kind of legs were moving him. тАЬAnd I am very pleased.тАЭ

Conners told his feet to stay put. There was nowhere to run to, nothing to escapeтАФhe just had to get through what was going to happen next.

At least he had prepared for this.

тАЬI got some new recruits for you.тАЭ

The Omega stopped. тАЬIndeed?тАЭ

тАЬA tribute, as it were.тАЭ Or more like a defined endpoint to this shit: He had to head out soon, and heтАЩd carefully planned these two events close together. The Omega, after all, was into his playthings, but liked his Society and its purpose of eliminating vampires even more.

тАЬYou please me to no end,тАЭ the Omega whispered as he closed in. тАЬI do believe we are going to get along just fineтАжMr. C.тАЭ





FOUR