We’d practiced it: one person the attacker, the other the victim.
“If you decide to go for it, don’t hesitate,” the teacher had emphasized. “Give it everything you have.”
A second ticked by, then another, while I stared at Stefan’s nape. My breath turned icy in my nostrils. I’d never killed before.
But it was them or us.
I rose to my feet, slowly, stealthily—and lunged, bringing my arm up high and stabbing the blade with all my strength into the back of Stefan’s neck. I yanked the blade down toward the spine.
He grunted and swung around. The momentum wrenched the knife from my hand. “You stupid…bitch.”
His eyes were a foot from mine, a demonic blue-ringed brown. He raised his switchblade and then swayed, blood bubbling from his mouth. The knife dropped to the sand. Another heartbeat passed while I froze, not even daring to breathe. Then he collapsed at my feet like a marionette with its strings cut.
I backpedaled until I hit the rocks. Someone was making a high, keening sound. I clapped my hands over my ears until I realized it was me.
My face felt wet. I scrubbed at it with my T-shirt, then stared, horrified, at the dark stain.
Blood.
Oh, God. My stomach lurched. I fell to my knees and threw up on the sand.
When I looked up again, Stefan was moving feebly, and Andre had Gabriel down, his mouth latched onto Gabriel’s throat. Neither man had a knife. Gabriel was trying to push Andre off, but the other vampire was stuck to him like a leech.
Gabriel’s struggles grew weaker.
It was up to me. Dragging myself across the sand, I rolled Stefan onto his stomach. The switchblade was lodged firmly in his spine, so I scrabbled around in the sand for his own knife, but came up empty-handed. Maybe he was even lying on top of it, but there was no time to look.
A glance at Gabriel told me he was barely moving now.
I grabbed the handle of the knife in Stefan’s spine, closed my eyes and jerked, but it caught on something.
My breath sobbed in. I straddled the vampire and wrapped both hands around the smooth silver handle. The metallic scent of blood made my stomach heave again. Bile burned my throat.
I yanked again. This time, the blade released. I rolled Stefan back onto his back. His eyes were closed but his hands clawed at the sand.
I raised the blade above my head and plunged it into his heart, then froze, holding my breath. But he went still and didn’t move again. His skin darkened and then started to crumble to ashes.
My gaze swung back to Gabriel and Andre. Gabriel caught my eye and reached out a hand, wordlessly asking for the switchblade.
I licked my lips, nodded. I pulled the bloody knife from Stefan’s still-disintegrating chest and crawled off him, holding it as far from me as possible.
“Oh God, oh God, oh God.” I didn’t know if I was praying or swearing.
I scrambled, spider-like, across the beach and put the switchblade in Gabriel’s palm. His fingers closed on it. Sucking in a breath, he reared up and thrust it into the side of Andre’s throat.
The vampire hissed but still didn’t stop feeding until Gabriel gave him a hard shove. With a snarl, Andre released him.
Gabriel heaved Andre off him, and he fell to the beach. Gabriel crawled a few yards away to collapse, panting, on the sand.
I crouched beside him, keeping a wary eye on the motionless vampire while I glanced frantically around for a switchblade. But the beach was so dark, I couldn’t locate any of them.
Andre moved first. He pulled the blade out of his throat and with a grunt, came to his feet, one hand pressed to the wound, the other gripping the knife.
His gaze took in the two disintegrating vampires before swinging to me. Rising to my feet, I backed up, looked frantically around for another switchblade. All I saw was a small rock. I bent my knees and picked it up without taking my gaze from Andre.
His T-shirt was torn, the ragged black flaps fluttering in the wind. He staggered, caught his balance.
Gold eyes scorched mine. “That,” he said, “was a mistake.”
All the spit left my mouth. My heart threatened to smash out of my chest. But I raised the rock threateningly. “Go. To. Hell.”
He fingered the switchblade, eyeing the still-prone Gabriel. With an animal-like growl, I threw myself in front of Gabriel.
In the beach house above, lights came on. A searchlight swept over the beach, casting Andre’s face in demonic relief. He swore and staggered toward the boat dock, seeming to gain strength with each step. By the time he reached the speedboat, he was strong enough to leap aboard.
Panic gripped me. He was getting away—and he still had Joey.
“No,” I rasped. “Come back here, you bastard.”
I sprinted toward the dock, but the motor had already roared to life. Without turning on the running lights, he cast off, swung the boat around and zoomed off into the night.
“No,” I shouted after him. “Come back here, damn you. Take me instead!” A sob tore through me. In desperation, I hurled the rock at the boat, but it fell, unnoticed, into the dark waves.
I staggered into the surf, tears streaming down my face. I was up to my waist before I realized what I was doing.
Behind me, Gabriel called out weakly. “Mila?”
With a shudder, I dragged my gaze from where the speedboat had disappeared into the night, and, still sobbing, turned to go back to Gabriel.
He was hurt. He needed me.
And there was nothing I could do for Joey now. I’d just have to pray he’d hang on until he was rescued.
I moaned his name. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “So sorry.”
“Mila?” Gabriel again.
I stumbled back up the beach, chest jerking. A few feet away, I paused to scrub away the tears before dropping to the wet sand next to him. “I’m right here.”
His hand clawed at the sand, seeking me. I gripped it between mine.
“You okay?” He tried to lift his head. “They’re…gone?”
“I’m fine. And two of them are dead, or whatever you call it. But…” I swallowed, tried again. “Andre got away. In your boat.”
“Fuck.” His gaze searched mine. “Joey?”
“He…” I could barely push the words past the painful constriction in my throat. “Andre…he said he’d keep Joey as a blood slave if I didn’t help him.”
A low, vicious growl. Gabriel tried to sit up, and grimaced.
“No—stay.” I grabbed his shoulders. “There’s nothing you can do right now. The lights are on in the house. Help is on the way.” At least, I hoped it was.
He let me press him back to the sand. “You sure…you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” I took a steadying breath and focused on Gabriel. “But you—you’re hurt. He was feeding on you,” I added with a shudder.
“This?” Gabriel touched the wound on his throat. “It will heal. But…” His hand hovered over his stomach.
“What? I can’t see anything, damn it.” I was shivering so hard now, I had a hard time keeping my voice steady. “It’s s-so freaking d-dark out here.”
“Maybe…for the best.”
“Damn it, Kral. You’re scaring me here.” I eased up his T-shirt—and bit back a gasp. His abdomen was covered with blood. I could see at least two deep, ugly slashes.
I leaned closer, fighting down terror. Because it looked like he was still bleeding. A dark pool soaked the sand beneath him.
The searchlight swept over our heads again. Distantly, I registered that they couldn’t see us hunkered down in the cliff’s shadow. But I was reluctant to show myself until I knew who’d won—Gabriel’s people or Andre’s.
Gabriel gave me a crooked smile. “Don’t worry…I cut him…good, too. That’s why…drank…my blood.”
“Jesus.” I took a deep breath, glanced at the ocean. “Maybe I should clean your wound? Salt water is good for that, right?”
“I’ll be all right.” Gab
riel’s eyelids drooped. “Just…don’t leave me. Promise?”
“Of course not.” I took his hand. The fingers were ice cold.
It’s just reaction. He’s hurt, lost a lot of blood.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “Should never…have…kissed you. Done anything…with you.”
My stomach tightened. What was the matter with him?
“Stop it. It was me as much as you.”
“Noo,” he insisted, the words slurred. “I’m…shorry. Should’ve kept…away.” His eyes closed.
“Gabriel!” I gripped his hand. “Stay with me. Please.”
His fingers closed on mine. “Love you, Mila.”
The words were weak. Too weak, like he had to get them out before it was too late.
I nuzzled the unhurt side of his face. “Maybe I love you, too. But if you leave me now, I’ll hate you forever. Understand?”
He didn’t say anything, but his lips curved.
“You don’t believe me, do you?” Tears stung my eyes. “Well, you’re right. I won’t hate you, but I’ll never forgive you.”
The only sound was the slap of the waves against the beach.
A sob escaped me. “Talk to me, damn it!”
I looked up at the beach house. Should I leave him to get help? But what if the person manning the searchlight was one of Andre’s vampires?
Gabriel groaned. His mouth worked like he was thirsty.
Suddenly, I knew what I had to do. He’d lost too much blood. To heal him, I had to feed him.
A few weeks ago, I might have hesitated. For three years, I’d been on the run from the Syndicate. A part of me was still wary of Gabriel’s vampire side.
But mostly I was just grateful I could do something to save him, because Gabriel Kral was my everything, dhampir or not, enforcer or not.
I brought my wrist to his mouth. “Drink,” I urged.
“Mm,” he murmured, but his lips remained lax against my wrist.
I glanced back at his abdomen. The blood still flowed sluggishly out, and the dark pool on the sand beneath him had increased.
How fast did a man bleed out, even if he was a dhampir?
My eyes went to the switchblade that Gabriel had stabbed Andre with. But it was dark with Andre’s blood—vampire blood. I had no idea what that would do to me.
Gabriel’s breath shuddered out…and didn’t come back in.
My heart seized. Snatching up the blade, I darted to the ocean and rinsed it in the salt water before hurrying back to Gabriel. Gritting my teeth, I set the blade against my wrist and slashed open a vein.
“Drink.” I brought my wrist to his mouth.
He lay still as death.
“Gabriel!” I gave him a shake. “Do you hear me? Wake up and feed, damn it.”
Another few seconds ticked while I waited with baited breath. At last, his mouth moved against my skin. He took a tentative lick and swallowed noisily, as if it hurt even to do that. He took a second lick, then started lapping at my blood.
“That’s it.” I closed my eyes, dizzy with relief. “Take all you need.”
He gripped my wrist, holding it to his mouth. His eyes were wide open now, shining in the dark like an animal’s. His fangs had lengthened, too. The sharp points touched my skin, but he didn’t sink them into my wrist, just sucked.
I glanced at his abdomen. The deep gashes were healing before my eyes.
Thank God. “Keep going,” I encouraged. “You’re already getting better.”
He licked my wrist, closing the cut, then released me. “That’s…enough.” His eyelids drifted shut.
I wiped the switchblade clean on the wet sand and then settled his head on my lap, tucking the still-open blade carefully beneath my thigh.
“How do you feel? Is there anything else I can do?”
“No. But…hurts. Need…rest.”
“Okay.” I stroked his hair, wincing at the lump behind his left ear. “Damn. They really worked you over, didn’t they?”
“Should be…dead. Good thing I had…secret weapon.”
“And what’s that?”
He turned his head to press a kiss to my palm. “You.”
My stomach clenched. I resumed stroking his hair.
“Yeah,” I muttered under my breath. “But whose secret weapon?”
Voices came from the cove on the other side of the rocks. I stilled, heart slamming, afraid to call out.
Two long, low shadows shot over the rocks. Gabriel’s pet wolves.
Amber eyes narrowed on where I was crouched over their master. They growled in unison, a harsh, menacing sound.
I gulped and stretched out a hand, palm down. “Good dogs?”
They moved forward, sniffing my hand, and then to my relief, trotted over to examine the two piles of charred bones and ashes that were all that remained of Stefan and Martin. When they returned, they settled on either side of Gabriel. One nuzzled his face while the other let out an anxious whine.
His lips turned up. “Daisy. Diesel.” He rubbed their muzzles. “Sit.” They obediently dropped their hindquarters, panting softly.
Two vampires—Airi and a wiry brown-skinned man named Umar—followed the dogs over the rocks, dropping to the sand on either side of us.
Gabriel pushed himself up on his forearms while I looked on tensely. For an agonizing moment, they considered the two of us. Without taking my gaze from them, I moved my hand to the switchblade concealed beneath my thigh.
Umar held out a hand. “Can you stand?”
“Of course.” Gabriel took the hand, and the two vampires helped him to his feet.
“He’s hurt.” I scrambled up next to him. “His stomach, and I don’t know where else.”
Gabriel draped an arm over my shoulder and squeezed, silently warning me not to say anything further.
“I’m good.” Training a look on the vampires, he spoke in a voice that was pure ice. “Let’s get back to the house, and then you can tell me what the fuck happened.”
18
Gabriel
Something in a supernatural’s blood reacts with silver. Worse, the metal weakens us. But thanks to Mila, I’d healed enough to fake a strength I didn’t feel.
Airi and Umar helped me over the rocks, but I made my own way up the stairs even though with each step, my gut felt like it was being ripped open all over again. And already, the silver poisoning was making me feel lightheaded and feverish.
I clenched my jaw and bore it. Until I knew exactly how my security had been compromised, I couldn’t risk anyone—especially the vampires on my staff—seeing how shaky the attack had left me.
Back in my suite, I downed a large glass of blood-wine. Mila looked on anxiously, her clothes bloody, her pretty face streaked with more blood and dirt.
Remorse fisted my heart. I hated like hell that she’d been dragged into this, but it was too late now.
I smoothed the backs of my fingers over her cheek. “Why don’t you take a shower, cher?”
“What about Joey?” She gripped my wrist, eyes bright with fear. “Andre’s going to make him a blood slave. He said he’ll give Joey to his coven.”
“We’ll find him,” I promised grimly.
And then Andre Redbone was dead meat. This wasn’t just about me and my place in the Syndicate. By dragging humans into it—my humans—he’d crossed the line.
This was war.
“I think I know where he is,” Mila said.
I stilled. “Joey?”
An eager nod. “In Manhattan—an apartment building on Fifth Avenue. That’s where they took me. Joey was there, too. Andre let me see him. He was trying to be tough, but God, he was so scared.”
A black fury filled my head. “Where, exactly?” I asked as calmly as I could.
“On Fifth Avenue, across from Central Park. They kept me in the basement.”
I felt my eyes go vampire. I swore, low and vicious.
Mila blinked, heart rapping so hard I could almost feel it in my own chest.
<
br /> “Damn it,” I grated, too on edge from pain and anger to mince my words. “Don’t you be afraid of me. You know I wouldn’t harm a single fucking hair on your head.”
She looked at me another moment, then brought a hand up to stroke my temple. “I know.”
The light touch felt like a blessing. I nuzzled her palm, still on edge, but beneath was the peace she’d always brought me. I’d almost forgotten how good it felt, how right.
Like the world was a better place than I knew it to be.
I drew her into my arms, ignoring the pain that stabbed my abdomen. “You’re safe now. I swear it on everything I hold holy.”
She rested her head against my chest. “I know.”
“All right, then.” I blew out a breath. “So. Tell me about this basement.”
She pulled away, thinking. “I can’t tell you much—I was locked in one of the cells the whole time. But I can tell you there’s no elevator to the basement. We took an elevator to the first floor, then went down another flight of stairs. There were six cells all together.”
“Would you know the building if you saw it?”
“Yes.” Her whole face lit up. “I didn’t see a building number, but it was just north of East Seventy-Sixth Street. And I had a good look at the front.”
“That’s all we need to look it up on Google Earth.” I limped into my office and sank carefully into my chair, trying not to groan.
Mila laid a hand on my shoulder. “Let me do it.”
I nodded and opened my laptop. As soon as I’d entered the password, she leaned over me to open the geolocation app, narrowing the search to Manhattan’s Upper East Side. A short time later, we were viewing the buildings on Fifth Avenue between Seventy-Sixth and Seventy-Seventh Streets.
“That’s it!” She zoomed in on a building near the corner of Seventy-Sixth and Fifth.
My jaw tightened. The building was owned by a member of the Louisiana Coven. Not Redbone, but Brenda McFadden, the vampire liaison between Louisiana and my father.
“You’re sure?”
“Positive. I remember the orange trees.” She pointed to the potted trees on either side of the walk.
Pursued: A Vampire Syndicate Paranormal Romance (The Vampire Syndicate Book 1) Page 14