“You’re right. I did say I wanted all that, but things change. Everything with Maslow and the war are escalating. Laing is planning an attack, but since we don’t have the most accurate info, I was afraid I’d lose you.” She’d only given him a partial lie. As a hunter, he was a damn good shot. He caught what he shot and very rarely missed. As a man…he left a little to be desired.

Ben winked. His brown eyes sparkled. “Fair enough. Should I escort you home?”

“I heard Laing’s army is growing. He’ll take over the world. We’re better to play it safe and be as subtle as possible.”

“Smart. I’ll wait for you to go, then I’ll leave.”

“Go ahead. I can handle anything in these woods. Get a good rest so we’re fresh for tomorrow night.” She patted his arm. She meant the move to reassure him, but instead he smiled and trailed his fingers down her cheek. She fought off the shiver.

“Until tomorrow night.” He winked and climbed into his truck. The man didn’t wave or flick his lights to say good-bye. Instead, he peeled out in the dirt and sped away. She waited for his taillights to disappear on the edge of the woods.

“Thank you,” she whispered. She headed back to the vampire. A thought occurred to her. He wasn’t fully dead. If he was still there, then he could’ve been playing at looking deceased. Did he want to lead her on? She doubted he was playing possum. She’d learned the ways of the vampires, and she’d done her research on Laing’s group. His army was supposed to be dangerous, but everything she’d learned pointed toward defense. They weren’t out to rule the world, just save themselves from death by the hunters.

Another thought occurred to her. The vampire could drain and kill her, especially if he wasn’t dead and was playing her. Christ. She was supposed to be a badass vampire hunter—not stupid as shit.

She located the brush and kicked at the vampire’s foot. He hadn’t moved, and his burns seemed darker. Her heart lurched. He wasn’t going to move. Not now. Burns shouldn’t have darkened unless the sun exposure had taken its toll on his body. He was truly dying a slow death. She gauged his size. Could she pick him up? Possibly.

Emily grasped his ankles and dragged him out of the brush. To her shock, he moved easily. The dead weight she’d expected wasn’t there. Leaves covered parts of his upper body, preventing her from seeing his face. She moved the debris from his burns, revealing him little by little. In another life, he’d probably been handsome. Dark hair matted to his head and scruff covered his cheeks, but the sexiness still shined through. The sickly paleness wasn’t attractive, but with a little blood and some soap, he would clean up nicely. Maybe that was the problem. She was attracted to him.

She rolled her eyes at herself. With a little blood? Attractive? Who was she kidding? He could kill her, and she was trying to figure out how to save him. She should finish him off and spare him the rest of a lingering death—except she wasn’t a bloodthirsty pleasure killer like her partner.

Argh.She scooped the vampire into her arms, shocked by how little he weighed, and carried him through the woods to her vehicle. She kept an ear out for the sounds of other hunters or Ben. When she reached the Jeep, she growled. Where in the hell was she going to put him in the two-seater? If she had him up front, someone would definitely see him. Headlights in the distance grabbed her attention. Shit, shit, shit.

Emily dropped him onto the ground and opened the gate of the Jeep. He’d have to suck it up in the cramped space. Once she stuffed him into the small alcove behind the seats, she shoved the gate door shut.

The light shined on her, temporarily blinding her. Thank God she’d closed the door. She noticed the shape of the vehicle. Ben’s truck. Damn it. He’d come back for her.