by Leilani Love
Gesturing for her to lead, he walked behind her as they headed back downstairs toward his office. Aithne didn’t say a word while they walked. When they got to his office, Scott and Chase were there, waiting for them.
“Everyone ready?” Viktor asked, looking at Chase.
Chase nodded, picking up Aithne’s phone and putting it in his pocket. “Kassandra left with the guards who’re going to be hanging back, getting in position. She wanted to make sure they were spread out enough and hidden in spots with thick coverage, so they’d be harder to see.”
Nodding, Viktor looked at Scott. “I have five guards that will be closer. Before Aithne ‘hands’ over Chase it would be best if her sister is close...”
Aithne nodded. “I was going to keep him in the car until Lazzaro handed her over. I think that will still work.”
Viktor looked at Chase. “You’re going to have to hold yourself still with your hands behind your back and something over your head. You going to be okay with that?”
Chase snorted, grabbing his hand gun. “I’m going to put my gun under the seat. Should be easy enough to reach when the time comes.”
“Let's head out then.” Viktor announced, as he gestured for Aithne to walk in front of him.
It would take them a couple of hours to get there. After Chase texted Lazzaro, he would lay down in the back and act like he was sedated. Viktor would be following right behind her with Scott. Viktor had never put a girl in the front. Kassandra had fought beside him, but he never put her in a position to be the one in front without someone by her side.
When they got to Aithne’s SUV, he stopped her and grabbed her arm. Turning, she looked at him. Pulling her arm free, he put both hands on the door behind her pinning her in. “What?”
Smiling at her annoyed tone, he didn’t say anything for a moment, then said “If for any reason you think he’s going to double cross you, get out. Do you hear me? If we need to, we’ll find another way to rescue your sister.”
Aithne’s blinked up at him for a moment, taking in his words. Nodding at him, she turned to go under his arm, and he stopped her again, by leaning in and capturing her lips with his. Viktor’s arms went from pinning her in, to pulling her toward him. His tongue caressed her lips open and captured her tongue with gentle nudges.
Releasing her just as quickly as he’d grabbed her, he smiled down at her and watched as her chest quickly rose and fell. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, as she looked at him and he pushed a stray hair behind her ear. “A kiss for luck.” he said simply, and walked toward the suburban he was going to be following in with Scott.
Getting in, he saw Scott looking at him with a big grin on his face. “Shut it.”
Scott chuckled as he shook his head, starting the vehicle. Just in case the roads were being watched, Viktor was going to need to keep his distance from her. The roads were pretty windy, so he would lose sight of her soon, but Scott had planted a tracking device in the back panel of her Durango. Even if she did try to double cross them, they would be able to follow.
Aithne got in and started the engine. Looking in her rear view mirror, she saw Viktor frowning as he talked to Scott in the SUV behind her. Her eyes fell on Chase, whose golden brown eyes were sparkling with suppressed laughter. “Your king has issues.”
Chase let out a loud laugh before shaking his head. “Oh, I don’t know. I think he knows exactly what he’s doing.”
“Whatever.” she mumbled, ignoring him.
Finding herself wondering why Viktor had kissed her, she fought a smile when she remembered his words. For luck, really? He had to be the most bipolar guy she’d ever met. Putting her in a room with guards outside, then sometime in the night, crawling into her bed, ignoring her all day and then kissing her before leaving. Was he trying to make her crazy?
If Aithne was honest, she wasn’t any better. Every time he kissed her, she would forget that she was trying to put some distance between them. Instead, she would give in and sink into him. Aithne had never lost herself in a kiss the way she did when Viktor kissed her.
Trying not to dwell on it, she concentrated on the drive ahead. When the time came, Chase shot off a text and tossed the phone into the passenger seat. He put the black pillow case back over his head and laid down in the back, his hands behind his back. “Comfy?” she asked, glancing in the rear-view mirror.
She heard him snort, but he didn’t reply. “Chase, I’m really sorry about why we met. I want to tell you how thankful I am for your help though. I know I don’t deserve it.”
Aithne felt a little uncomfortable as the silence stretched on between them. Finally, she heard him sigh before replying, “I understand why you did it. You were stuck, but if you double cross us Aithne, I’m not opposed to hitting a girl.”
She smiled at his words. “Understood,” she replied before leaning back in her seat. “We better quit talking, just in case someone’s watching for us.”
Chase went quiet, and she glanced in the rear-view mirror. Viktor and Scott were far enough behind them that she couldn’t see them for a few minutes. When their SUV came out from behind a bend, she felt herself relax, knowing they had her back.
Chapter 39
Viktor drove down a side road. From the tracker on Aithne’s vehicle, he saw she had pulled down the road that was a mile up and had already stopped at the location she was supposed to meet Lazzaro.
Finally getting to the location he was supposed to wait at, Viktor put the suburban in park and he and Scott got out. This spot looked down on the area where Aithne was to meet Lazzaro, and he could clearly see her SUV below. Standing behind one of the trees, he let his dragon come to the surface, enabling him to see Aithne perfectly. He could even make Chase out in the backseat, as his chest rose and fell.
Scanning the area, he held back a growl as he noticed several shadows approaching from the south. Lazzaro’s hair stood out, glowing in the moonlight. Behind him were two guards holding a woman that Viktor presumed, was Aithne’s sister. If he hadn’t known they were there to save Aithne’s sister, he would have never guessed who she was. Where Aithne was tall and lithe, her sister was short and curvy. Her hair was as black as night, where Aithne’s hair looked like flames in the moonlight.
When Aithne saw Lazzaro, she got out of the vehicle and stood in front. He smiled when he saw her holding a dagger in each of her hands. Fire, that’s what she was. Lazzaro stopped when he entered the clearing and slowly smiled, his fangs shining in the moonlight. Even as far away as he was, he could see them and his hands tighten into fists.
Aithne stood in front of her Durango, blades in hand. Her daggers gave her comfort, when Lazzaro smiled at her. He made a ‘tsking’ noise before speaking, “Aithne, Cara Mia, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you don’t trust me.”
Smirking, she looked past him and almost let out a sigh when she saw her sister. “Lazzaro, I think it’s cute you actually think I would.”
Lazzaro’s head went back, and his laughter echoed in the quiet of the woods. His men started to come forward with her sister.
“Are you okay?” Aithne asked her, wishing the area was more lit so she could see if her sister was wounded.
Her sister nodded, and Aithne realized her sister looked more annoyed than concerned. When her sister went to take a step forward, the guards tightened their grips on her. “Ouch, let me go!” she said in a very annoyed tone.
“Chase is in the back. I shot him with a tranquilizer. He should be out for another couple hours.” Lazzaro started to walk forward, and she shook her head. “Not so fast Lazzaro. Send my sister over, and I’ll toss you the keys. You can drive away with him. Me and my sister will go on our merry way.”
Lazzaro tilted his head, smiling. “My dear, why’re you in such a hurry to leave?”
Aithne fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Lazzaro, I did what you asked, I got the dragon you wanted, now release my sister.”
Lazzaro laughed and turned to look at her sister. “You know, you
r sister is a rare beauty. But beauty is only skin deep. You, however, are very useful. What would it take for you to stay?”
Her head tilted back as she laughed at his question. “You thought you could blackmail me to do you a favor, then just hire me for a job if I lived?”
The predatory smile he gave her, let her know she wasn’t too far off. “I knew you would live and bring me back what I wanted. The offer for you to stay is simply because I could use a girl with your... special set of skills.”
“I’m going to have to decline, but thanks for the offer. Release her, I’ll toss you the keys and we’ll be on our way.”
“Your sister can go, I have no need for her, but you my love, are staying.”
Before Aithne could even move, the two guards behind her sister were at her side, grabbing her arms. They knew they were stronger and faster, and she would have to use that to her advantage. Before she could react, she heard a loud roar behind her that shook the ground. The guards looked behind her. With them distracted, she pulled hard, then turned the blades in her hands, stabbing them both in the arm simultaneously. Surprised, they both instantly let go of her.
Lazzaro shouted and she saw shadows coming out of the woods, surrounding him, as well as putting a barrier between her and her sister. Feeling a gust of wind, she looked up to see a dragon flying over her. He landed next to her, so big he could barely fit into the clearing. She saw puffs of smoke as he exhaled and scratched the ground. He was a golden bronze color, with the tips of his wings and the spikes along his back fading into black, but his eyes were a neon blue. “Viktor.” she whispered, surprised at how fast he had arrived at her side.
Hearing Lazzaro’s favorite ‘tsking’ noise, she turned to see him, his icy blue eyes almost white as his teeth lengthened. “My dear, I’m surprised you would have joined up with them.”
Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chase sidle up next to her, gun in his hand. “Well, you’ve been so honest with me thus far.”
Lazzaro chuckled and motioned with his hand. Aithne saw the men holding her sister pull her back, dragging her with them. Her sister cried out and Aithne bit her lip, her eyes narrowing as she tensed, ready to run after them.
“Wait.” She heard Chase say low and under his breath, as if he saw her about to move. With another wave of his hand, Aithne saw several shadows quickly move through the woods and heard a loud roar from Viktor that caused her to flinch. With a rapacious smile on Lazzaro’s face, he attacked Viktor. The impact of those two hitting each other caused the ground to shake and tremble.
Chase shot at the guards, and Aithne took off after her sister. One of the vampires attempted to block her advance but with a quick move, she sliced into his stomach with her dagger. The silver dagger cut deep into his skin, and as he howled out in pain, as she continued after her sister.
Her sister was fighting them hard, doing everything she could to slow them down. Aithne was forced to stop again, when two vampires jumped out in front of her. Both of them were tall and they looked at her, licking their lips, “Lazzaro said he wants you alive, but that doesn’t mean we can’t play with you first.”
Dropping low to the ground into a fighter stance, she looked at them. Both men easily stood six foot tall and wore shirts that clung to their chests. Their smiles showed their fangs. “Lazzaro must think you boys aren’t strong enough to handle the real fight. What does that say about you? He sent me to fight with dragons and left you to ‘guard the female.’”
With a growl they both attacked her. Dodging one, she felt the other connect with her jaw, and her head swung back. Falling back a step or two, she heard a loud growl, as a panther jumped out of the bushes and attacked the vampire that had just punched her, leaving her to focus on the other.
Her leg struck out, kicking him in the knee. When he fell, her knee smoothly connected with his jaw. He staggered back, as she swung around both of her blades, slicing down his side. With him down, she saw Scott had shifted back from his panther form, into human form, except for his claws which he was using to attack. “Go.” he growled toward her as he ducked to avoid a punch. Not needing to be told twice, she took off, following the trail her sister had left.
Chapter 40
Viktor grunted when Lazzaro hit him. He reached down and grabbed him with his teeth, flinging him away. Shifting back to his human form, but keeping his dragon close to the surface in order to use his power, he saw Lazzaro charging at him again. Thankful for his dragons strength, he punched Lazzaro in the jaw hitting him so hard that he flew backwards from the impact.
Viktor glanced in Aithne’s direction, needing to know where she was. He grunted as he felt a punch connect to his gut, causing all the wind to leave his lungs. With a quick upper cut, he felt Lazzaro’s jaw connect with his fist and received a bit of primal satisfaction as he watched Lazzaro’s head snapped back.
Stepping back, Lazzaro circled him and smirked. “Are you here to protect those little witch sisters, or are you here to protect that fierce red head, I can’t wait to taste. I could smell you on her.”
Viktor lunged at him, gripping Lazzaro by his neck as they exchanged multiple punches. Lazzaro’s words caused him to see red. “You’ll never touch her.” he growled as they wrestled for dominance.
Lazzaro chuckled and Viktor growled louder, knocking him to the ground. Before he could jump on him, Lazzaro rolled away and jumped to his feet. Wiping the blood from his lip, he made a ‘tsking’ noise and motioned in the direction that Aithne had gone. “You haven’t claimed her Viktor, which means she’s up for grabs. If I’d spent as much time with her as you, I would have claimed her and marked her.”
At Lazzaro words, everything went red and Viktor’s dragon fought to be released. His skin itched in his need to change. He had to keep his wits together if he was going to only keep his dragon on the surface, and not fully transform. His dragon gave him strength and speed he wouldn’t have had on his own, and he used this strength for every attack he launched at Lazzaro. Their fists connected at a speed he knew would be nearly impossible for the human eye to see.
“The birth of five earth witches from the original line isn’t just to help your people, Viktor,” Lazzaro growled as they continued to fight. “They can also restore balance back to my people and release us from the shadows!”
Viktor’s right hand connected with Lazzaro’s jaw in an uppercut that sent him flying back. “You cannot force them to your will Lazzaro.”
Lazzaro snorted as they traded a few more blows. Hearing a loud roar from above, Viktor looked up to see Kassandra in the sky. Her dragon, a majestically colored white and blue form, was flying over his head. She dove down at them and nipped at Lazzaro who punched at her while jumping back. Looking around, Lazzaro smirked. “Those witches are fated to help more than just your kind, dragon. You can’t keep them from the rest of us forever.”
With those words, Lazzaro was gone before even Viktor’s dragon could see him or react. Looking around, he spotted Aithne and took off in her direction. The vampires that Aithne and Scott had been fighting took off as well, following Lazzaro in his escape. Aithne ran to her sister, who had collapsed where she stood when the guards let go off her.
Viktor walked toward Aithne, only to have her sister stumble into his arms. Looking down, he was surprised to see her lick her lips before she brought her hand up to his chest. Viktor tried to help her stand up on her own, but she suddenly fluttered her eyes and he felt her go limp in his arms. “Everything’s going to be okay. We’re here to take you home.” Viktor said trying to figure out how to untangle himself.
Viktor looked up at Aithne as he bit back a growl of his own. Her shirt was torn and he saw bruises on her face, as well as cuts along her arms. When he took a step toward her, he felt her sister tighten her grip on his neck before her body seemingly went limp again. He effortlessly leaned down and picked her up, in order to keep her from falling. After getting a hold of her sister, he turned to Aithne and asked, “Um
m, Aithne are you okay?”
He saw Aithne’s eyes go to her sister in his arms. She nodded and he noticed how tight her body was. He could almost see herself distancing herself from him.
“Good, we need to get you back to the house in case Lazzaro comes back with more men.”
Chase stepped out from behind the trees, joining them. He and Scott walked on either side of Aithne, guarding her. Viktor wanted to assure her it was for her safety, but the look on her face said she thought they were going to imprison her again. Not sure what to do about the girl in his arms, he took her back to Aithne’s SUV.
Aithne walked behind Viktor, glaring at his back. Scott and Chase were flanking her, and she wondered why Viktor was keeping her guarded now. They had saved her sister from Lazzaro, and had no reason to think she would run now.
There was a moment when Viktor stepped forward that she thought he was going to check on her. Her sister, however, had stumbled right into his arms. Viktor looked down at her, concerned as he held her. She should have known he would fall under her sister’s spell. Her sister had always been able to spot the richest and most powerful man in a group of men. From the vampire king, to the dragon king. The time frame had to be the shortest ever, but her sister never was one to let an opportunity escape her.
When they get to her Durango, Viktor opened the back door and helped her sister into the back seat. Biting back a groan, she got into the driver’s seat, but Chase stopped her. “Hey, why don’t you let me drive. That way you can sit with your sister.”
Aithne smiled at him. She was worried about her sister, annoyed, but also worried. Sisters, the only people in the world you can hate and love at the same time. “Thank you.” she told him politely and moved to get into the backseat.
Grabbing the door handle, Viktor was suddenly before her, blocking her from entering. Looking up him, her temper flared as she remembered the way her sister had looked in his arms, her hand on his chest. “What?”