Where’s Drake? The thought had just crossed his mind when a thick gas began to flow into the room. Brian’s eyes darted up to the vents he hadn’t noticed at the top of the wall when they’d first entered. He stepped to the side to avoid the next lunging vamp and slammed his foot into the man’s back when he fell to the floor. The crack of the spine beneath his foot sounded as more gas spilled into the room.
The vampire wailed beneath him. Raising his foot, he planted his boot into the back of the vamp’s head, driving it into the floor. His throat burned, and his eyes watered as the gray gas filled the room like smoke from a fire. He had no idea what was being pumped into the room, but he could feel a strange lethargy starting to take him over as his head spun.
“We have to get out of here,” Declan choked out and stepped toward the door.
Brian held his breath as he lunged for the handle of the door. He yanked at it as another vampire staggered toward him through the smoke. Before the vamp could reach him, his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed on the floor. His fallen form was promptly swallowed by the gas permeating the room. Brian jerked on the door handle again. From the other side of the door, a loud click echoed.
Killean elbowed him out of the way and seized hold of the handle. His eyes blazed a fiery red, as the handle remained unmoving in his grasp. All around them, the remaining vamps collapsed to the floor.
Brian’s vision blurred, and he tightened his grip on his stakes as darkness beckoned invitingly to him. He stumbled into the wall, leaning heavily against it as he tried to keep his rubbery legs under him. He had to stay awake; he’d never wake again if he went under now. Declan fell beside him, his crossbow clattering against the tile floor as it skittered away. Killean slumped against the door then sank to his knees as the gas took hold of him.
Unable to withstand the burning of his lungs anymore, Brian sucked in a greedy gulp of air then coughed against the gas searing his lungs. He’d promised Abby he’d return for her. He realized now, he wouldn’t.
Abby, her name was a blaze of agony across his mind as his legs gave out. He’d failed to protect his family again, and now she would lose her life too.
* * *
Abby bolted upright in bed. Sweat coated her body and her nightgown was tangled around her legs as cold dread slid down her spine. She’d dreamt of Brian the past three nights he’d been gone, but they’d been dreams of longing. This had been a nightmare the likes of which she couldn’t escape. He’d been choking on something, unable to breathe, her name the last thing on his mind before he was dragged away from her.
He was in trouble. She knew it as surely as she knew she was right-handed. Throwing back the sheets, she almost toppled off the massive bed in her rush to get out of it. She snatched at her phone on the nightstand and hit his number. The ceaseless ringing set her teeth on edge. She’d spoken with him earlier and he’d been fine, but she couldn’t shake the certainty he needed help.
She didn’t bother with her robe as she rushed toward the door and flung it open. She ran down the hall, but she had no idea where she was going. No idea which room was Lucien’s.
Finally, she gave up and started shouting his name. “Lucien! Lucien!”
She ran down another hall, her heart thumping more wildly with every passing second. “Lucien!” Her screams were becoming shriller, her voice raw from her cries. “Lucien!”
“Abby? What are you doing?” she turned to find Vicky rushing toward her.
“Where is Lucien?”
“Right here.” Abby spun to find Lucien standing behind her. She had no idea where he’d come from, and she didn’t care. His sandy hair stood up in tussled spikes, and his sweats hung low on his waist. His pale chest was bared as he hadn’t bothered to put a shirt on. His sleep-swollen eyes focused on her. “And not at all pleased about being woken at this hour.”
Abby didn’t give a shit what pleased him. “Brian’s in danger.”
Lucien rolled his eyes. Abby almost punched him in the face for the reaction, but managed to keep herself restrained. “You probably had a bad dream.”
“It wasn’t a bad dream!” she snapped at him. “I have to find him!”
“Abby—”
She shrugged off the hand Vicky rested on her shoulder. “I’m not screwing with you,” she snarled at Lucien. “You have to call one of your friends, now.”
“I don’t take orders from anyone except Ronan.”
He was a good eight inches taller than she was, but they were standing toe to toe as she glowered at him. “Then call Ronan because I am going after him.”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Spinning away from him, she ignored the startled looks of the other recruits who had joined them in the hall as she rushed by them. She shook off Vicky’s hands again and put her shoulder down to shove her way past Aiden and David when they stepped together to block her way.
“Abigail!” Aiden shouted as she broke through them, adrenaline and panic enhancing her strength.
“Get back to your rooms!” Lucien barked behind her. There were some scurrying sounds followed by the thumps of doors closing and the ringing of a phone.
Abby flew back into her room and raced around it as she tugged clothes on. She didn’t care about her things, but running out of here half-naked in search of Brian wouldn’t do her any good if he were in the city. She didn’t have his ability, but she would find him. She didn’t let herself doubt that; she may lose her mind if she did.
She snagged two stakes and a crossbow from where Brian had stashed them in their room just in case. A shadow fell over the doorway while she was shoving her feet into her hiking boots. “I’ll kill you if you try to stop me,” she spat at Lucien without glancing up at him.
“I’m looking at her right now.” She spun toward him, crossbow raised. She was prepared to fight to the death to get free of this place. He calmly lifted a hand to forestall her trigger finger while he listened to whoever was speaking through the phone. “We’ll be there soon.”
He hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket. “Ronan wants to see you, now.”
“Where is Brian?” she demanded.
“Brian, Declan, and Killean have vanished. He’s hoping you can help find Brian.”
Abby’s heart sank. She’d known something was wrong, but the confirmation of it was a knife to her soul. Not dead, missing. If he were dead, I would know it. I’d be dying too.
“Let’s go,” she said brusquely and threw the crossbow onto her back.
“Can I get dressed first?” he inquired.
“No.”
Chapter Thirty
In the end, Abby had to wait as Lucien, Vicky, Aiden, and David all dressed. She’d paced ceaselessly back and forth, fighting the urge to scream as the five minutes had dragged endlessly on. She’d practically ripped the door off the Range Rover Lucien pulled in front of her, earning her another glare from him. She ignored it as she dove into the passenger seat.
“Blindfolds,” he said and gave her a warning look when she heaved an exasperated sigh. The others all pulled theirs on, except for Aiden who silently urged her to do so with his eyes.
“I can run from here,” she said. “And probably get there faster.”
“You’ll never make it beyond the gates on foot. Put it on or I’ll sit right here all night.”
She almost pointed out that would probably only piss off Ronan, but she was wasting time. Reluctantly, she pulled the blindfold over her eyes and sat back in the seat. Her foot tapped against the floor. Not being able to see did nothing to ease her growing anxiety.
Still alive. Still alive.
It was all she kept telling herself as she listened to the gates rattling closed behind them and the vehicle descending a hill. The others tried to draw her into conversation, but she was having none of it as the tires hummed on the road and she sensed the flashing of headlights washing over them through the blindfold.
Her fingers dug into her palms as the soun
ds around them changed. Blood welled forth beneath her nails, but she couldn’t stop herself from tearing at her skin. “You can take them off now,” Lucien said.
Abby tore hers off and flung it aside as she drank in the sights around them. They weren’t in the city, but what looked like a large, run-down town that progress had forgotten as they passed empty businesses and crumbling, boarded-up homes. There was a fair amount of people on the streets and wandering through what businesses remained open at this hour, mostly bars and strip clubs.
Lucien pulled the Rover to the side of the road behind a sleek, black Mercedes. Abby jumped out of the passenger side of the SUV before he came to a complete stop. Her gaze flashed around the area, and her nose wrinkled at the scents assaulting it. Exhaust, decay, sewage, and body odor all combined into a mix the likes of which she hoped to never encounter again.
She barely glanced at the Mercedes when the driver and passenger doors opened. From what she’d heard about Ronan, she assumed it was he who emerged from the driver’s side due to his reddish-brown eyes, sable hair, and the air of authority he emitted in waves. The other vampire with him had dark-blond hair that hung in curls to his collar and vivid hazel eyes.
Her attention was drawn across the street when a loud squeal of laughter pierced the air. Ignore it all. Ignore them. Focus on Brian. You can find him.
Abby forced herself to smell past the hideous odors burning her nose and to open her mind to the pathways connecting her and Brian. The bond between them was more sealed off than it had ever been before, but she could still feel the tremulous thread of it calling to her and connecting them.
“I brought you here because, as his mate, I believe you can track Brian, and hopefully find my men.”
Abby didn’t glance back as these words were spoken just behind her. The depth of the power washing over skin told her it was Ronan without having to look. Abby closed her eyes as the cool breeze drifted over her face. She scented the air again, but it wasn’t a smell that drew her onward. It was something else, something within her blood.
She didn’t look back at the others as she fled heedlessly down an alley.
* * *
“I suppose you’re curious as to why you’re still alive,” a voice said from somewhere within the white room Brian had awoken to find himself in.
The effects of the drug still pulled at his eyes, and his head pounded as he strained against the bindings holding him to the table. He tried to look down, but found he couldn’t move his head. His forehead was also locked down with a metal binding, the same as the ones strapped over his limbs and torso. Metal bit into his flesh and broke his skin when he flexed his muscles. He gritted his teeth and pulled against the holds as violently as his drugged body would allow him to.
“Enough of that,” the voice chided. “We’ll have to give you another dose if you can’t behave.”
He fell limply against the table, shaking as he inhaled a breath. The small burst of strength had left him weakened. He tried to hide the tremor in his muscles, but he was aware the voice had seen them when he heard a chuckle.
“Might just keep you alive,” the voice purred.
Why am I still alive?
He blinked against the harsh glow, but he couldn’t lift his head to look at who was speaking to him. “Oh, forgive me. I forgot you can’t move.”
The rays of the lamp positioned beside him lit the vamp who stepped forward with a halo that burned Brian’s irises when he tried to focus on him. Closing his eyes, he counted to five before opening them again. A sneer curved his lip when he recognized Drake illuminated by the light. Brian lunged against the restraints, a snarl escaping him when the movement failed to gain more than a couple centimeters of space between him and the table.
“I’m going to rip your throat out and bathe in your blood!” he spat at Drake.
Drake’s thin lips quirked into a twisted smile that caused the grotesque right side of his face to pull back awkwardly. Judging by the left side of his face, Drake had once been handsome enough with his jade green eye and refined features. An accident as a child had left the right side a sunken mass of twisted scars and flesh. He had no ear on that side, his eye was a socket, and the hole in his cheek revealed his teeth and tongue beyond.
In public, Drake usually wore a mask to shield the ruined side of his face, but Brian had already seen him without it and wasn’t shocked by his appearance now. He kept his face impassive as Drake moved his tongue within the hole, purposely playing with his teeth on that side.
“What a colorful image you paint,” Drake replied and folded his hands before him. “Unfortunately, I don’t think you’re going to get the opportunity.”
Brian stared relentlessly at him. “Where are Declan and Killean?”
“Safely locked away. Their blood is what I need.”
“And what do you want from me?” he demanded.
That hideous smile tugged at his face again. “You’re going to bring me the prize I seek.”
A sick feeling, which had nothing to do with the gas he’d inhaled, twisted in his stomach. “I’m not bringing you shit.”
“Oh, but I believe you already are.” Drake stepped forward and leaned over him to inhale deeply. A sigh escaped him, and his tongue clicked against his exposed teeth. “One of my men was hidden in the warehouse. He saw you leave with the twins; I want them back. One alone made me a lot of money, but two of those pretty little darlings will draw a lot more vamps here and fetch me a high price. Judging by your scent, you’re mated to the one I didn’t possess. The fresh blood so to speak. She’ll come for you; I’m sure of it. She will find you through the bond. I could never forget what her sister smelled or tasted like, and I can’t wait to find out how your little darling tastes too.”
Brian howled and jerked against the bindings holding him. The effects of the gas were wearing off as his muscles strained against the restraints and adrenaline coursed through him. The veins in his arms stood out starkly as he thrashed against the bonds. At first Drake watched him in idle amusement, but when something popped and a few bolts gave way, Drake took a hurried step back and left the room.
Gas began to fill the room when Brian tore his right arm free of the restraints. “I’m going to kill you!” he roared as the effects of the gas seeped into his system once more.
* * *
Abby stood across the street from the club, her heart racing as her blood pulsed through her body. She took a step into the street, but Ronan grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back. “You will stay out here,” he commanded brusquely.
“No, I won’t,” she replied.
His reddish eyes narrowed on her. Aiden stepped forward and rested his hand on her shoulder. She resisted his grip when he tried to draw her away. “Abby—”
“I’m not arguing,” she cut Aiden off. “I’m simply stating a fact. I won’t stay out here. I… I can’t.”
Ronan’s nostrils flared, and the power emanating from him increased, but he bowed his head in acquiescence. “If that is what you want.”
“It is.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Aiden said.
“He is her mate. She will die if he does. She has a right to defend her life and his, if she can,” Ronan replied.
Her brother opened his mouth to protest further, but Ronan turned away from him. Aiden took a deep breath. “Stay close to me,” he told her.
“I’m stronger than I look,” she retorted.
“Maybe so, but I’d prefer to have you where I can see you.”
Abby wasn’t going to spend the time arguing with him over it. “I’m coming too,” Vicky said. “No way I’m staying behind if Abby and Aiden are in there.”
“Stay out of the way,” Ronan said and stepped into the street.
Lucien and the other vampire walked by Ronan’s side while David, Vicky, and Aiden stayed near hers. Abby kept her gaze focused on the club as she tried to contain her excitement and dread. He was in there. She knew he was, but
would they be able to get him out? Were Ronan’s men in there with him, or were they somewhere else?
She swiftly descended the steps, nearly colliding with Ronan’s back when he stopped abruptly outside the door at the bottom. He gave her a look that caused the others to take a step back. She had to fight the urge to shove him out of her way and plunge into the club.
Ronan thrust the door open and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He pinned her firmly against his side as they stepped into the shadowed interior. After club Dracul, she was pretty much prepared for anything. She barely noticed the people and vampires grinding against each other as she frantically searched the crowd.
She went to step away from Ronan, but he pulled her back. “I agreed you could come, but you will not run off on your own or draw unnecessary attention to us.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but the look he gave her silenced her. He was being benevolent right now, that wouldn’t last if she pushed him. Clamping her lips together, she gave a brisk nod. He kept his hand firmly on her shoulder as they walked through the crowd.
Abby followed the pull of her bond with Brian to the back wall. She stood, staring at it in helplessness and frustration. “I don’t understand,” she murmured. “He’s here, I know he is.”
Ronan gazed over the wall before turning to the vampire who had arrived with him in the Mercedes. “Saxon, Lucien, see if you can find something.”
They both faded away into the crowd. Still holding her shoulder, Ronan maneuvered her to face the dance floor as he leaned against the wall. Abby glanced behind her again before looking at the powerful vamp holding her. His eyes surveyed the room with a casual air that belied the tension she felt in the rigid body beside her.
“What is going to happen if they can’t find something?” Abby asked Ronan.
“Then I will find a way to get these humans out of here and tear this wall down with my bare hands if necessary.”
The Vampire Awakenings Bundle: Books 1-5 Page 141