Free Handsome Bastard by Kate Hill Page A

crafty female but might send several warriors armed with weapons meant to destroy a blood-drinker. Those particular hunters valued their secrecy. They didn’t like making obvious attacks that drew much attention but would do so if driven to it.
     
    Yes, he and Sextus must leave Rome tonight, as would his blood-drinker servants. The mortals would be safe enough to leave behind and continue with the villa’s upkeep. Many of their families had served him for centuries and had cared for his property during his many journeys abroad.
     
    He could escape, but what of Leotine? Hunters by nature were cruel and unforgiving. What would they do with a failure? Worse than a failure, one of their kind who had fall in love with a blood-drinker. To them nothing was worse. Leotine would no doubt be punished. How severely, Cyprian couldn’t begin to guess. Perhaps they would put her to death now that she had turned traitor in their eyes.
     
    “Cyprian, you know we cannot stay here,” Sextus said. “Others will come for you. For us.”
     
    “Prepare to leave tonight. Inform the rest of our household that everyone is to follow the usual procedure.”
     
    Sextus headed for the door. He paused before stepping out and glanced at Cyprian over his shoulder. “For what it’s worth, at least she returned your feelings. Had she not been poisoned by We Who Serve Humanity, she might have stayed with you. Then you would have had the chance to see if your love could last.”
     
    “I believe they will kill her, Sextus.”
     
    “That is likely.”
     
    Cyprian nodded. “Continue with your duties. We haven’t much time.”
     
    * * * * *
     
     
    Leotine stood in the atrium of Julius Titus’ home, doing her best to keep her anger in check. Rather than look at the man, lest she surrender to the urge to do him physical harm, she fixed her gaze on one of the painted walls.
     
    The faction leader spoke sharply. “We cannot excuse this, Leotine. It’s bad enough you failed to kill Cyprian Augustus, but you also left him with the knowledge that we’re hunting him.”
     
    “He knew about us long before I came.”
     
    “But not when or where we intended to strike. Now he’ll be more watchful than ever. We’ll be lucky if he stays in Rome long enough for your replacement to succeed where you failed.”
     
    “You sent someone else already?”
     
    She had returned just hours ago and during that time Julius had only left her briefly. Apparently he had used that moment to assign another warrior to Cyprian.
     
    “As soon as you told me he still lives. Not that it matters. It’s a two-day journey to his villa. He is probably gone by now. We’ll have to seek him out all over again. This is beyond inconvenient. How could you have been so incompetent? I’m sorely disappointed in you.”
     
    Leotine couldn’t care less what Julius thought. She hoped Cyprian had fled. The thought of him dying shook her to the core. Why had she been such a fool, returning to Julius and the cold world of hunters when she could have spent her life with Cyprian?
     
    “Wait here, Leotine,” Julius ordered and left the atrium.
     
    Sighing, she paced the room. As soon as Julius dismissed her, she would return to Cyprian. If she traveled night and day while changing horses frequently, there was a chance she could reach his villa before the hunter Julius had sent.
     
    She turned sharply as four armed guards stepped inside and advanced on her.
     
    “What are you doing?” she demanded.
     
    The first man reached for her and she knocked his hand aside.
     
    The others drew their weapons, but her training kicked in—training no average Roman woman would have been allowed. We Who Serve Humanity had taught her. Now she turned those lessons against them. She dodged the guards’ thrusting blades and grasping hands.
     
    Her fierce kick struck the nearest man’s groin. When he bent in pain, she rammed her elbow into the base of his skull. Two more men grasped her