Whiteout (Aurora Sky by Nikki Jefford Page B

to get the kinks out was by ending this disgusting bloodsucker .  
    â€œWhat’s the lowdown ?” Dante asked.
    â€œThese vamps are accustomed to having girls delivered to them. From what the deviant said, something happened to the last girl. She might be dead.”
    â€œWe’ll make sure that never happens again,” Dante said.
    â€œThis is a bad idea,” Giselle muttered.
    â€œWe h ave a duty,” Dante responded.
    They were both right. But whether I liked it or not, I was an experienced vampire hunter and these ones needed stopping before they hurt anyone else. I could no more turn my back on this than on a drowning child.
    L ike other mi ssions, this felt equal parts wrong and right. The thought of ending murderous vampires from preying on girls gave me an unexpected thrill, like I really could make the world a better place. This is what we’d trained for and nothing boiled my blood more th an women being turned into victims. I knew what it was like to be at a vampire’s mercy. It was one of the worst feelings in the world.
    Arlo and Pierce were the type of predators I had no problem taking out.
    Â 
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
    Â 
    The drive to Arlo’s cabin lasted roughly twenty minutes. Half of that time was spent jostling around on more dirt roads. You’d think I’d be used to it by now.
    â€œSportsman Road. This is it,” I said.
    Dante took a right onto a gravel road worse than the one before. This one was filled with po tholes. A frozen lake appeared through the skeletal trees. There were houses farther in, encroaching on the icy shoreline. Some had smoke rising from their chimneys and some looked vacant.
    As we drove down the road, the properties became less distinguishab le. Soon we were passing narrow driveways that led into a thicket of spruce trees and alders. The spruces became so dense we could no longer see the lake.
    â€œLook for a rock with the numbers 1451,” I said.
    Giselle stretched her neck toward the window. “There ,” she said at the same time my eyes landed on a boulder with the numbers spray - painted on it in orange.
    I sat up in my seat. “ This is it . ”
    Dante passed the driveway, and he didn’t stop the truck until rounding another bend farther down the road. Once the drive with the reflective lights was out of sight, he put the truck in park. Dante looked at Giselle.
    â€œAurora and I will go in first. We’ll take care of Arlo and wait for Pierce to show up. Once they’re both disposed of, I’ll radio you. Same as before. Sta y out of sight.”
    Giselle gave a curt nod before opening the door and stepping down. I slid out after her. While she walked around the front of the truck to the driver’s side, I headed down the road. Dante caught up, jogging up beside me.
    â€œThree down and an other two this afternoon. We’re on a roll. Who needs the agency?”
    Dante bumped my shoulder with his when I didn’t answer.
    â€œThis really isn’t the kind of detour I had in mind,” I replied, cool air slipping down my throat as I spoke. “The plan was to lay low . I know it has to be done, but I can’t help thinking this is reckless.”
    â€œNo one will ever know.”
    â€œRight. Dead vamps tell no tales,” I said with an eye roll.
    Dante grinned deviously. “They also don’t bite.”
    My boots left faint imprints in the dusting of sn ow along the gravel road. We’d backtracked south a bit, but the storm that had hit the fishing lodge earlier could easily work its way down at any moment. The entire state was in the grip of an early winter.
    Dante and I walked side by side. I could sense h im inching closer to me. A quick sideways glance confirmed he had a big ol’ smile pasted on his lips.
    â€œWhat?” I asked.
    Dante’s grin widened when he spoke. “I’m proud of you. At the beginning of the year you were