Ravaged (Vampire Awakenings, Book 7)

by Brenda K. Davies

  When Carha glanced over her shoulder, she discovered Maggie staring at her. Maggie held her gaze; she’d already been caught, glancing away was pointless. Smiling at Carha, Maggie took a swig of her beer. Malice flashed through Carha’s green eyes, and her exquisite face scrunched up. Then she smiled, turned back to Aiden, and rested her hand on his bare chest in a gesture that screamed intimacy.

  The impulse to tear Carha’s fingers off hit Maggie so hard that, for a second, she felt as if someone had taken a sledgehammer of jealousy and bashed her with it. She looked away from the two of them before she leapt off her barstool and smacked Carha with her bottle.

  She’d had some violent encounters in her life, knocked a few people out, but she’d never done it because she was jealous. And certainly not because she was jealous over a guy who’d done nothing but put her in jeopardy since she’d had the misfortune of meeting him.

  I’m losing my mind, or maybe it’s already gone.

  She couldn’t stop herself from glancing back at Carha and Aiden. He’d told her Carha wasn’t his girlfriend or his ex, yet there was obviously something between them. However, he'd just kissed her in the bathroom.

  Yeah, like you’ve never been kissed by a guy who was only looking to get laid before.

  But Aiden’s kiss had felt different. There had been a yearning in it she’d never experienced from another before.

  Or did you want it to feel that way because of how badly you desire him?

  She couldn’t deny that was possible. And maybe Aiden was only using her to make Carha jealous. Maybe there hadn’t been Savages outside and he’d only brought her here to get Carha’s attention. Her stomach knotted at the possibility.

  Maggie turned back to find Zeke watching her. She didn’t see pity in his gaze, but an understanding that made her like him more.

  CHAPTER 18

  “Thought you might like this, hon,” Zeke said and nudged a fresh beer toward her.

  “Thank you.”

  “Would you like something else?”

  “A foot massage; my feet are killing me.”

  Zeke smiled at her and patted her hand. “I hear that. Far too much time on my feet tonight, and it’s just getting started.”

  “Those gel inserts for your shoes help,” she told him and lifted her foot. He leaned over to look at her black boots. “Seriously, these things killed me before I discovered those inserts.”

  “I’ll have to check them out.”

  “Well, hello, Red,” a voice purred from beside her.

  Maggie glanced at the man who had walked over to stand by her left elbow. She wasn’t in the mood to be hit on tonight, especially not by a vampire—which, judging by the way he glanced at her throat, he was. She somehow managed to keep her face blank as eyes the color of the sky stared back at her. His blond hair had been styled in the best way to enhance his extremely handsome features. She suspected it had taken him hours to get his hair to look as if he hadn’t done anything to it.

  This vampire was more handsome than Aiden. He possessed the smooth, polished look of a GQ model, but unlike the way Aiden made her feel, she didn’t experience the tiniest flutter in her belly when she looked at him.

  Focusing on Zeke again, she ignored the vamp as she continued their conversation. “I get them at Walmart for only five bucks.”

  Like Aiden, Zeke probably didn’t have to stress about paying for things, but he was a bartender, which meant he worked for some reason. And from what she remembered of the income she’d earned while tending bar when going through EMT school, he might be looking for a deal like she always was.

  “That’s my price range!” Zeke declared.

  “Would you like a drink, Red?” the handsome vampire asked.

  “Got one,” she replied and lifted the fresh beer Zeke had brought her.

  “How about something stronger?”

  Maggie turned on her stool to stare at him. “No, thank you.”

  His smile faltered before he showed all his pearly whites again. “Come on, Red, I’m trying to be friendly.”

  “Seriously, no. I’m not in the mood.”

  Zeke straightened behind the bar as he glanced between her and the vamp. Then, he looked to where she’d last seen Aiden. Her hackles rose when she saw this. With her back now to him, she couldn’t see Aiden anymore, but she was quite capable of taking care of herself.

  “Red—”

  “Blond guy,” she interrupted as she set her beer down. “Let me give you a clue. One”—she lifted her index finger—“men who hit on women by calling them Red or Blondie are annoying. We know the color of our hair; no need to remind us. Do yourself and all women a favor, find a new line.

  “Two”—she lifted her middle finger to hold it next to the other one—“when a woman tells you no, she means no. Three, I have a drink.” She continued to lift her fingers as she counted off her points on them. “Four, when someone is speaking to someone else, that is not an invitation for you to insert yourself into their conversation. It’s rude and, once again, annoying.”

  The smiled faded from handsome’s face before she counted to two. Now his eyes glittered with malice. This man was unaccustomed to hearing no, but more than that, he was the type who expected her to be fawning all over him. She’d fended off her share of unwanted male attention over the years. This was the first one who could snap her neck between this breath and the next, and he looked pissed enough to do it.

  “Let me tell you something,” the vamp said as he leaned so close she could smell the peppermint toothpaste on his breath.

  “Back off, Nigel, now,” Zeke stated in a steely tone that had replaced his casual air.

  “First off, Red,” the vamp sneered.

  Maggie’s hand tightened on the neck of her beer bottle in preparation of braining him with it if it became necessary. When his hand wrapped around a chunk of her hair, another hand shot out so fast in front of her that she didn’t see it until it enclosed on Nigel’s fist gripping her hair.

  “Let her go.”

  The frigid tone of Aiden’s words sent a shiver down Maggie’s spine even as his body heat warmed her on the side he stood against. Nigel’s eyes shot past her. Maggie risked the tug on her hair to turn her head. When Nigel’s grip on it caused her hair to pull taut, Aiden’s eyes flashed down to it, and a crackle of power radiated off him.

  Maggie’s breath caught. The wrath emanating from Aiden caused some of the other patrons to slink away from them. She glanced at Nigel to find he’d bared his fangs. Nigel was either extremely brave or a flat-out fucking moron. She was guessing the later.

  She was trapped between two immortal, formidable beings, yet she felt no fear as Aiden stepped protectively closer to her. Nigel could snap her neck in a second; Aiden could tear his throat out in less time than that.

  “Easy, fellas,” Zeke advised. “Nigel, let her go.”

  Nigel’s hand constricted on her hair. Maggie didn’t make a sound; she feared if she cried out, Aiden would kill him. Then, Nigel gave a small tug on her hair, pulling her toward him. Crimson bled through the green of Aiden’s eyes and the muscles in his forearm bulged until the veins stood out against his skin.

  Maggie didn’t know what Aiden was doing until she heard bones snap, crackle, and pop like a bowl of cereal. Nigel howled as Aiden’s fist continued to compress on Nigel’s. She couldn’t suppress a gasp when she realized Aiden was crushing Nigel’s hand within his grasp.

  She didn’t have a chance to blink before Nigel released her hair and Aiden swung his other hand up to punch Nigel in the cheek. Blood spurted out of Nigel’s mouth, but none of it splattered her as Aiden had somehow already moved around the barstool to stand between her and Nigel.

  His hands twisting in Nigel’s shirt, Aiden lifted him. Aiden propelled him three feet back into the wall as if Nigel weighed no more than a toddler when he had to be at least two hundred pounds. The wall shook, and plaster cracked and rained down around them.

  Releasing his
shirt, Aiden thrust his forearm up into Nigel’s throat. He lifted Nigel until his toes dangled a good foot off the ground. Wheezing for air, Nigel kicked his heels against the wall; his face turned beet red as his eyes bugged out of his head.

  Blood rushed through Aiden’s ears as the need to kill pounded inside him and his darker urges rose to the forefront. Death. He needed death and blood. Needed to feel the life slipping away from another and the rush of their warm blood filling his mouth. He trembled with the restraint it took to keep from destroying Nigel.

  Stay in control. Don’t lose it. Not in front of Maggie.

  But this man had dared to touch her. He’d placed his hands on her, he’d pulled her hair, and he’d been pushing her after she’d told him no.

  He never should have left her alone. Her beauty was a homing beacon to every vampire in this place, as was the sweet scent of her blood. But after their encounter in the bathroom, he’d needed to steady himself before seeing her again. When he’d looked up and discovered her gone, he hadn’t immediately gone after her because he half feared he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from taking her into one of the back rooms to finish what they’d started.

  And there was no way his first time with her was going to be in this place.

  When he’d finally stabilized enough to leave the bathroom, Carha had intervened. He had to tell her what happened outside her club. He would never return to this place for her services again, but he couldn’t make an enemy of her either—not while Maggie was in here, vulnerable and exposed. Carha was also a good source of information as she learned a lot of what happened in the vampire world from the many vamps who frequented her club.

  Carha’s eyes had flashed red when she’d asked him who Maggie was and what she was doing here with him. His constant refusal of Carha had annoyed her; bringing Maggie here infuriated her. It had taken more to placate Carha than he’d liked, and this vampire had mistakenly assumed Maggie was fair game.

  Aiden should have been able to control himself enough after the bathroom to keep her safe. He didn’t know who he was more furious at, himself or Nigel. Nigel’s eyes bugged further out of his head. His good hand tore at Aiden’s arm to pull it free, but Aiden only dug his forearm deeper into Nigel’s windpipe.

  “There is no fighting in my bar!” Carha shouted from behind him.

  “Nigel crossed the line,” Zeke said.

  “I don’t care!” Carha spat. “I do not tolerate fighting in my place and especially not over a fucking woman!”

  Maggie bit her lip when Carha sent her a scathing look that also somehow dared her to say something. Maggie hadn’t survived this long by running her mouth when she shouldn’t, and the whiskey hadn’t loosened her tongue enough for her to say something stupid. She sensed their situation was precarious, and she’d prefer to see tomorrow.

  “Aiden, let him go!” Carha barked, her attention turning back to the men.

  Aiden showed no signs of releasing his hold.

  “What’s going on here?” a voice demanded.

  Maggie turned to find a handsome vampire with blond hair and hazel eyes shoving his way through the crowd. She hadn’t realized they’d gathered so many onlookers, but a circle had formed around them. The new arrival stopped short when he reached the front of the group. His eyes flashed over all of them as he took in the situation.

  “Stop him, Saxon!” Carha snapped at the new arrival.

  “Aiden, let him go,” Saxon commanded.

  Aiden remained rigid for a minute before his muscles relaxed and he set Nigel on his feet. Maggie heaved a sigh of relief and glanced at Zeke who gave her a wan smile. Aiden’s face was a mask of stone when he stepped to the side to let Nigel pass. His eyes followed Nigel’s every move as the wounded vamp kept his good hand on his throat.

  “You’re going to have to leave, Aiden,” Carha ordered. “Don’t come back here again for at least a month.”

  “Whore,” Nigel was brave enough to hiss at Maggie while Carha spoke.

  Maggie didn’t even glance at him. Uncertain of what he would do, she didn’t want to give Aiden any indication Nigel had said something more to her. She’d been called worse in her lifetime, and the battered vampire was the least of her concerns. Her main worry was for Aiden as she sensed he teetered on a dangerous precipice. He’d released Nigel, but his eyes still shone the color of lava, and his chest heaved with his breaths.

  She didn’t think anyone else had heard Nigel, but Saxon’s eyes flashed toward Nigel as Aiden charged forward.

  “Idiot,” Saxon hissed.

  CHAPTER 19

  Unwilling to attack Nigel with his back turned, Aiden grabbed his shoulder and spun him around before driving his fist into Nigel’s face. The scent and sticky feel of the blood bursting over him provoked his bloodlust, and he gave into the ever-present brutality coursing through his veins.

  Nigel wailed and threw up his hands to protect his nose, but all that did was hammer his hands into his face when Aiden punched him again.

  “Whoa!” From the corner of his eye, Aiden saw Saxon lunge forward and yank a stool away from someone. “This is between them. You don’t want more of us involved.”

  “Enough!” Carha shouted. “Saxon, tell him to stop.” Saxon stared wordlessly back at her. Carha glared at him before focusing on Aiden again. “That is enough! If you don’t stop, Aiden, I’ll ban you for life! And that means from my services too!”

  Aiden lifted his head to glower at Carha when she revealed this in front of Maggie. His brief distraction allowed Nigel to punch Aiden in the jaw, but he barely felt it as he pummeled Nigel’s stomach.

  Maggie gawked at Aiden as he battered the vampire and Carha shouted at Aiden to stop before promising to cut him off from her services. Maggie’s mouth fell open further, and her stomach rolled. What services? Was Carha a prostitute? She didn’t see why Aiden would need to use prostitutes. With his looks, he could get a lot of women, but men were weird, and vampires were stranger.

  She forgot all about Carha when Aiden flattened Nigel’s nose. Over the years, she’d seen countless violence, been on the receiving end of it more than a few times, but she’d never witnessed anything like the rage driving Aiden. She’d caught glimpses of his control slipping, but it appeared to be completely gone.

  The stench of blood permeated the air, and the sounds of punches hitting flesh resonated through the club. Aiden was doing this because of her. Nigel was an asshole, but she did not want this. However, she had no idea how to stop it. Aiden had become a mindless, killing machine who would only be satisfied with death.

  Saxon paced back and forth in front of the fight, keeping back anyone who might try to get involved. The crowd shrank away from him when he smacked his fist into his palm.

  “I think he’s had enough, Aiden,” Saxon said, but whereas his words had stopped Aiden before, he showed no response to them now.

  The slightest touch on her hand drew her attention to Zeke. Full of concern, Zeke’s eyes held hers as he spoke. “If you tell Aiden to stop, he will.”

  She glanced at the growing pool of blood spreading beneath Nigel. She had no idea what Zeke was talking about; Aiden wouldn’t stop until he’d beat Nigel to death.

  “I wouldn’t touch her,” Saxon said in a low warning.

  Zeke yanked his hand from hers before he continued speaking. “He will stop if you tell him to.”

  Maggie glanced from Zeke to Saxon who gave her the briefest of nods before he glowered at a vamp who was edging too close. She turned back to the bloody scene before her as Nigel’s cheekbone gave way beneath Aiden’s next blow.

  “Stop.” The croaked word barely traveled beyond her. “Aiden, stop. Please, stop.” The words came out stronger this time.

  In the process of drawing his arm back to batter Nigel’s already half-smooshed face some more, Aiden froze. Maggie held her breath as she waited for the brutal beating to continue. Instead, Aiden lowered his arm until both his hands rested on the ground beside Nigel’s h
ead. His back hunched and his shoulders curved forward like a wolf guarding its prey.

  Maggie’s eyes widened on his back when she realized his wound had completely closed. The still reddened skin around it made the white scars slashing across his flesh more visible. There was no denying those marks had come from the lashing of a whip or some similar type of weapon.

  “Oh,” she breathed, her hand flying to her mouth as sorrow mixed with dismay. What had he endured in his life? Who had done this to him and why?

  Aiden grappled to get control of himself as Maggie’s frightened voice replayed through his head. Nigel had touched her and called her a whore, but he shouldn’t have gone after him like that. Not in front of Maggie, not ever. He was closer to the edge than he’d realized. Tasting her blood without claiming her had accelerated his need to complete the mating bond as well as started to unravel him faster.

  It didn’t matter; he could control himself, he would control himself, for her.

  Slowly, he rose to his feet and braced himself to see her revulsion of him before he turned to face her. He expected her to shrink away when he stepped toward her, but she stared at him with an expression he couldn’t quite read. Her eyes ran over the fresh blood coating his chest and face.

  “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have seen that.” He reached a hand toward her, but when blood dripped from his fingers, he lowered it.

  “Here,” Zeke said and handed a wet rag over the bar.

  Aiden took the rag and wiped most of the blood from him before setting the cloth on the bar. Maggie remained unmoving on the stool when he held his hand out to her. She gazed between him and Nigel for a long minute before she slid her trembling hand into his.