Endless

Alick's Offer | Nick

Ryan shook his head and followed the vamp into the light.

I had to smile. "I bet if I'd told you you'd be harboring who you are, and having a vamp for back-up, you'd have laughed and told me to stop drinking."

"Probably," Ryan said, shrugging.

Vince gave us a mock salute, then went off at speed.

"Is he really that good of a shot?" Ryan asked.

I shrugged. "He used to be. He did a tour of duty as a sniper before joining the police. Who knows if he still has the focus."

"Great," Ryan said. "So he might kill us instead."

"Maybe no one'll get killed," I said.

"If we're lucky."

I let that hang in the air and focused on sensing past the huge ball of power next to me. Someone was definitely moving in. A griff. A big player.

"Alick's coming," Ryan said. His range was much wider than mine. A little bonus for being a couple of hundred years older than me.

Alick slowed down just out of sight, then walked up to meet us. "Well, well," he said. "Here you are." He inspected Ryan from top to toe. "Found a phoenix lately? You look like the day you'd left."

Ryan just stared back. "What does the Firm want from me?"

"Your father wants you back in the fold, Ryan. Both of you." Alick's gaze slid away, briefly resting on me. "The Firm's weakened from the inside. We need strong hands to put it back on its course."

"And to wipe out the traitors to our secret," I said. Might as well call a spade a spade. We'd be hunting our own, and it wouldn't be pretty.

Alick glanced my way. "He's offering amnesty to everyone who returns. Even you."

I smiled, but it tasted sour. "Good God, you are desperate."

I had been the first big player to go rogue in ages. My leaving had set me up as their greatest target for centuries. Presumably until Ryan had followed my example.

Alick scowled. "Don't push my buttons, Niko. I haven't the patience for it."

"Nick," I shot back. "I stopped being Russian in the 1800s."

"Not to mention a griffon."

"We both have," Ryan interjected, surprising us both. "So you might want to watch what you say, Alick."

His words made Alick stiffen. "Look. If I had my way, I'd take you out first."

"Too bad you'd die in the attempt." Ryan's lip curled. "Tell my father I'll clean up his mess, but you lot stay away from me. I'm not interested in your piece of shit politics." He turned on his heel and marched away.

Ryan had just publicly turned down his chance at not being hunted. That took guts. Alick glowered my way, but I only shrugged. "Should have watched the attitude."

He narrowed his eyes then shot forward like a flash, aiming straight for Ryan. Before I even had a chance to go after him, something caught my eye. A bullet, buzzing slightly as it flew past me. It slammed into Alick's thigh, plowing him into the sidewalk. He cursed profusely and sat up, inspecting the damage. Blood gushed from the wound.

"Want me to finish the job?" Vince shouted from somewhere nearby. A green dot appeared between Alick's eyes.

I glanced to Ryan. It'd be a lot safer to say yes, but there was something deeply repulsive about killing another griffon. There'd be enough of that soon enough anyway.