“Looks like Brody was right. Definitely Vipers men. I’ve seen a few of them in past stakeouts. This is a large shipment, so odds are that Viper is here.” He grabbed a walkie-talkie from his dash and held it up.
“Alpha Team, hold positions. Viper is around here somewhere. Keep your eyes peeled and signal if you see a possible match.”
One by one his team checked in.
“I’m assuming now we just wait?” Sloan asked from the passenger seat.
Hollis inclined his head, not taking his eyes off the vampires. “Yep,” he turned in his seat to face me. “Lucy, I need you to watch and let me know the second you see Viper.”
I agreed and set my sights on them as well.
We sat there for at least an hour, none of us really talking and only the occasional check in from Hollis’ men. I was starting to doubt anything would happen, when suddenly one of his team members shouted over the walkie-talkie.
“Three are coming at me! They found us out! They’re -,” a scream was heard from the man before the signal went static. Hollis tried yelling for him over and over, but only silence greeted the other end.
Gunshots echoed through the quiet night, making my heart pump with adrenaline. Sloan cocked his gun and yelled at me to do the same. Hollis had only given me a brief explanation of how to turn off the safety and get it ready to fire, so I was a bit out of sorts. He too grabbed two of his guns from the holsters in his vest and opened his car door, leaning down to shout at us.
“Sloan! You watch her! I have to go help them!” Sloan nodded and Hollis turned to me. “Stay in the car, Lucy,” he commanded, then slammed the door behind him and ran into the night.
There was only one street light illuminating the dark block, so I lost sight of him fast, even with my excellent night vision.
Sloan turned to me and grabbed my hand, bringing it up to give it a long kiss across the knuckles. “Don't worry, Luce. He’s going to be just fine and I've got you covered.”
I nodded my head quickly, my mind on red alert as the gunshots still echoed off the buildings. Shouts came in through the walkie-talkie, worrying me that Hollis had left it when there was a good chance he needed it.
“I’ve got six on me!”
“Shit! They're everywhere!”
“Sir! I can't overpower them!”
Each call that came through only brought my fear level higher. I’d never feared much in life, but here and now was terrifying. Sloan held onto my hand as we watched several of Hollis’ men attacking the vampires that had been manning the crates. Flashes from the guns firing were like strobe lights in the dark night.
“Fuck. This is bad, Sloan,” I said, my voice shaking with fear.
He squeezed my hand. “I know. I won't leave your side, Luce.” His body trembled a bit, and when he looked at me, I saw he was bringing himself close to shifting. He was ready for a fight should it come.
And come it did…
The gunfight had moved around the building, the sound of shots getting a bit fainter. I was starting to hope everything was coming to an end and that our guys had gotten the upper hand.
The thing about hope is, sometimes it's just not enough.
Something slammed into the back window of the car, making me scream and duck as glass shattered all over me. Sloan growled and planted himself with his back to the dash, his gun raised. But nothing was there.
I went to lift my head, but Sloan’s hand pushed me back down.
“Stay down, Luce.”
My heart hammered in my chest as I lowered myself to the floorboard of the car, basically sat in fetal position.
Then two more things hit each side of the car, shattering the back windows as they did.
“Fuck! They're ramming the car!” Sloan began firing randomly out each window, a roar of fury coming out as he did. I heard him let out a laugh.
“Ha! Got one!”
His victory was quickly squashed as hit after hit came at the car, the vampires a blur of speed. Sloan was getting knocked all around as the car bounced side to side with each hit. I could hear the hissing and cackles of the vampires as they mercilessly attacked over and over.
“Lucy! Imma have to get out and fight them. The car is blocking my shots. Do not get up!” He roared, flinging open his door and shooting.
My panic only escalated as I heard him fighting, and couldn't help poking my head up to look through the window to make sure he was okay.
Three vampires were on him as he fought. He was half shifted, so only his arms and feet were covered in fur, his claws coming out and attacking. I mentally cheered him on as he got the upper hand, dusting two by simply ramming his hand through their chests and ripping out their hearts.
When there was only one left, I sighed in relief, knowing he’d be just fine. Then, a voice came from behind me.
“Well, look what we have here! The girl the boss is after.”
It was Viper.
“Lucy!” I heard Sloan desperately cry out for me, but I was too scared to say or do anything except cower on the floor with my back to the door.
He smiled wickedly at me through the broken window on the drivers side. I remembered my gun and held it up, firing at Viper. He dodged each one with a speed I had never seen a vampire use, laughing as each shot missed.
“You really think that’ll save you?” He asked. Suddenly, at least eight other vampires were standing behind him. Each one hopped up on BloodLust.
“LUCY!!” Sloan shouted more frantically before bellowing a series of wild howls. It hurt my soul hearing him like that.
Then the vampires converged, ripping the doors from the hinges. Viper latched on to my ankle and I kicked at him furiously. It was no use though. He was much stronger than me and managed to yank me from the car roughly.
My body slammed into the glass covered asphalt, pieces of it sticking into my hip where I landed hardest. Viper grabbed me by the throat and held me up, my back to his chest.
I finally saw Sloan, who was wrapped up in chains of silver, each end held by four other vampires. His eyes were wild as he thrashed at the chains, trying to get to me.
“LEAVE HER ALONE!” He roared, pulling at the chains harder. The silver was burning into his skin, leaving bloody blisters everywhere they came into direct contact.
Blood filled my eyes as I cried, Viper tugging me backwards away from him. I struggled, but it was no use.
“SLOAN!” I wailed in agony through Viper’s chokehold, my eyes completely blinded by my bloody tears. They were going to kill him!
Where was Hollis?
That’s when I heard his voice, calling for me in the distance. However, my hope was pulverized when Viper spoke next.
“Ah! The agent has discovered we have you. Too bad for him, he won't make it in time.” He sneered happily as he dragged me towards another vehicle waiting in an alleyway off to the left of where we were parked.
I kept screaming for Hollis and Sloan over and over, trying to remain within Sloan’s sights. Just as Viper and his men were about to drag me into the alley, I saw Hollis running from the direction he’d left us to earlier.
“Lucy!” He yelled, just before three vampires crashed into him from the side.
I screamed again, but something came over my mouth and gagged me. Viper quickly shoved me into the car that was waiting. I landed across the back seat and was held down from the other side as they roped my wrists and ankles with silver chains. I’d never in my life touched silver. It burned unlike anything I'd ever felt. I whimpered into the cloth they gagged me with, all sense of hope that my men would save me was lost.
One vampire climbed into the back seat with me and grabbed my legs to keep me from kicking out, while another got in the front passenger seat. Viper climbed into the driver’s and glanced back to smile at me.
“Hate to do this, dear, but we're gonna have to knock you out. Can't have you seeing where we take you.”
I thrashed again. My mind spinning out of control with panic for
not just me, but for Hollis and Sloan. The two men I couldn't live without.
They were my last thought before something hard came down on my temple and knocked me out.
***
I awakened to the sound of dripping water and cold concrete against my cheek. I shifted a little and heard the clang of metal as I moved.
It took a second to get my eyes open, since the blood from crying had crusted over and made my lids stick together.
When I finally managed it, I saw I was lying on my side in a small nine by ten-foot cell. The entire room was concrete with only a door that had a small inset window which gave minimal lighting in the otherwise pitch dark room.
I strained to get up, sitting so my back was leaned against the stone wall behind me. I lifted my wrists and saw I was chained on either side to the floor, but my ankles were free.
Both were scarred and blistered from the silver I’d been tied with. I rubbed at them absently and tried not to think about where I was or that Hollis and Sloan may very well be dead.
Don't think like that, Lucy! I chastised myself.
I was about to test the strength of the chains, when footsteps sounded from outside the door. I stood and pressed myself to the wall, letting an expression of anger fall over my face.
The light was blocked out by a figure just before the heavy metal door creaked open and slammed against the opposing wall.
I couldn't see the figure, having been blinded by the light now flooding in. But I did hear an unknown voice that sent chills down my spine.
“Welcome, Lucy. I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you.”
To be continued…
Coming Soon
Find out what happens next in Part Three of the Under the Skin Serial:
Blood and Bondage
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Of Death and Darkness
by Brandy Slaven
Other Books by the Author
Under the Skin Series
Blood and Ink: Under the Skin Serial Part One
The Conduit Trilogy
Make Me a Wish (Book 1)
Acknowledgements
To my readers for falling in love with Blood and Ink, you have astounded me with the amount of support I’ve gotten in my first venture of authoring alone.
I was so scared to put this story out there, but that fear melted away the moment those reviews you left came in. It is incredible and I am so humbled by you all.
Thank you for being such an amazing group of people and I hope I don’t disappoint with the coming books in this series and in all others I write in the future.
Also, to Brandy Slaven for allowing me to use her book in mine :) You're an amazing author and great friend!
About the Author
K.B. Ladnier is from a small city in Southern Mississippi. She has one daughter and three cats who she claims are stealing her soul in only tiny doses so she won't notice. She is a cyborg and spends most of her time hiding from her tiny human so she doesn't have to share her snacks as she reads her favorite books. She hates the beach, yet lives only ten minutes away from it and daydreams of mountains and snow. She is married to a hot nerd and loves him dearly even though he hordes cookies and occasionally hides her prosthetic leg from her so he can get a quick escape when she’s mad. She plans to write as long as people continue loving what she does, otherwise she's going to say screw it and do her second dream of owning a coffee shop. Though, she may still do both.
Blood and Lust: Under the Skin Serial Part Two Page 6