“What do you see?” Mike asked.
“Just the woods,” Doug murmured. “They’re torturing someone.”
Mike was turning back toward Scott when he glimpsed the arc of an arm swinging at him. He twisted to avoid the blow, but he couldn’t avoid the stake entirely. It pierced through the flesh of his shoulder and tore through muscle before coming to a stop against his bone.
“No!” Mollie cried.
From her angle, it looked as if the stake had gone straight into Mike’s heart. Something inside her broke at the idea of losing him. Tears of fury and agony burned her eyes as she leapt forward, swung the rifle around, and bashed the butt of it into Scott’s chest.
A rib audibly cracked before he staggered into the bookcase. Artifacts clicked together as they teetered back and forth; some settled into place while others toppled and shattered on the mahogany floor. She spun the rifle back around and aimed it at Scott’s chest.
“You so much as twitch, and I’ll kill you,” she snarled. “Mike, are you okay?”
She didn’t dare take her eyes off Scott. The bastard had made her feel sorry for him and then attacked Mike; she trusted him less than a rattlesnake.
“Mike?” She couldn’t keep the note of hysteria from her voice when he didn’t respond to her. He can’t be dying! I can’t lose him! I won’t lose him!
Her finger twitched on the trigger as a killer instinct she hadn’t known she possessed surged to the forefront. If she did lose him, she would make sure Scott paid for what he’d done.
“I’m fine,” Mike assured her, though his pride had taken a bit of a kicking.
He pulled the stake from his shoulder and dropped it on the floor before resting his hand on the barrel of her gun. The look on Mollie’s face was one of retribution, and he feared she’d kill the prick before they learned if there really were humans here.
Mollie lowered the gun and glanced anxiously at him. “Oh,” she breathed when she spotted the blood seeping through the hole in his shirt and the bloody stake lying at his feet.
“Doug, can you get Scott?” Mike asked as the scream outside abruptly cut off.
“No problem.” Doug strode forward, and seizing Scott by the throat, he pinned him against the bookcase. The look on his face was nearly as murderous as the one on Mollie’s.
“What did he do to you?” Mollie swung the rifle onto her back and stepped closer to inspect the bloody wound.
“It’s fine,” Mike assured her when she reached for the hole in his shirt. “Really, Mollie.” Clasping her hand, he brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them. “It will be healed before we leave this place.”
Mollie swallowed the lump in her throat and enclosed her hand around his. Careful of his injury, she slid her arm around his neck and rose on her toes to hug him. “I thought I lost you.”
“It will take a lot more than that to take me away from you,” he assured her as he slipped his good arm around her waist.
Mollie turned her head into his throat and kissed him before reluctantly stepping away. She yearned to stay in his arms, but they had far too much to deal with here. She glanced at Doug to find him staring at them with a grin that was oddly out of place, considering what just happened.
Mike kept his temper tightly leashed as he stalked toward the human and stopped before him. Scott didn’t shrink away from him, but Mike hadn’t expected it. Mike couldn’t do anything worse to him than anything else he’d endured these past five years. Those years had warped him into nothing more than a puppet for the vamps who controlled him. Mike suspected Scott had also been promised immortality in return for his service, but that promise would never be fulfilled.
Mike shredded the sleeves of Scott’s jacket and shirt to reveal two holsters strapped to his wrists. One of them still contained a stake, but the other was empty. He found two more stakes tied to Scott’s calves, a knife at his ankle, and a handgun and keys attached to his waist. Mike divided the stakes with Doug before pocketing the knife.
He cursed himself for not checking Scott earlier, but he never thought a group of vampires would allow a human to remain so well armed in their midst. He never could have guessed how thoroughly they’d corrupted this human.
“Are all these weapons in case the clients get out of line with you?” Mike inquired as he handed Mollie the gun.
“They’re in case filth like you gets in,” Scott replied with a sneer.
“They’ve warped you,” Doug murmured.
“These are real bullets,” Mollie said as she closed the cylinder on the revolver.
“To keep the humans in line,” Mike said. “Or I suppose they qualify as filth too.”
“They do,” Scott confirmed.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“So, if you’re keeping the humans in line, then that means there are other humans here?” Mollie asked.
When Scott clamped his lips together, Mollie almost lifted the gun and fired a round into his temple. He wouldn’t tell them any more, and he didn’t deserve to live, but she couldn’t bring herself to kill him in cold blood.
“He was reaching for the cat,” Mollie said. “I don’t think he planned to try anything against us until we were distracted, and the scream provided that distraction. Try tugging or moving or doing something with the cat.”
Mike returned to the bookcase and gripped the cat, but when he lifted it off the shelf, nothing happened. “Is there a basement in this room?” he asked Scott. “I can make you tell me.”
Scott snorted and rolled his eyes. “You don’t think my masters haven’t protected me from the likes of you. Go ahead, try messing with my mind; it won’t do you any good.”
Mike resisted the impulse to bash the smug smile off the arrogant prick’s face, but though the Savages had most likely made it impossible for him to gain control of Scott’s mind, he still might need the human. Gritting his teeth, he forced his attention back to the bookcases lining the room.
“You’re right,” he said to Mollie. “I don’t think he planned to try anything until we were distracted. Which means, he would have been as honest as possible so we didn’t become suspicious of his true nature. I think there’s something hidden in this room.”
“Then let’s find it,” Mollie said.
Doug led Scott away from the bookcase while Mollie and Mike went to work examining the shelves. He focused on the higher shelves while she concentrated on the bottom ones. Mollie didn’t care what anything might be worth, or its history, as she started tossing artifacts and books from the shelves in the hopes of locating something to help them.
She tried not to think about the fact Scott might have been leading them into a trap, but the possibility niggled at the back of her mind. Even with the niggling, she didn’t stop; they had little else to go on, and she had to find Aida, or at least learn what had become of her.
She grasped a book and went to heave it aside, but it slipped from her grasp when it remained stuck in the bookcase but tipped forward. Mollie jumped back when something clicked, and the bookcase swung toward her. At her side in an instant, Mike lifted her up and spun her away from the opening door.
Mollie held her breath as she waited for something awful to come charging out at them, but nothing emerged when the door stopped moving. She glanced over at where Scott sat in the armchair Doug had shoved him into. Scott’s face remained impassive, but he couldn’t hide the beads of sweat dotting his brow.
Mike released Mollie and stepped around her to examine what the open bookcase revealed. A steel door with a single silver lock was tucked behind the shelf. Gazing at the thick steel, Mike knew there was no way he could break through it. Then, he recalled Scott’s keys.
Stalking over to the human, he bent and ripped the keys from where they were secured to his waist. “Tie him up,” he said to Doug, “and gag him.”
Doug went to work tearing Scott’s clothes off him to use for binds. Mike returned with the keys and sorted through them until he found a larger key that loo
ked like it would fit the lock. Mollie hovered at his side as he slid the key into the lock and turned it. The bolt slid free with a click.
Stepping protectively in front of Mollie, Mike rested his hand on the door and nudged it open. The well-oiled hinges didn’t make a sound as the door swung open to reveal what lay beyond. The light from the library illuminated the top of a set of wooden stairs, but the bottom half of the steps remained in shadow.
“Aida,” Mollie breathed.
He glanced over his shoulder at Doug as he shoved Scott’s sock into his mouth. Doug twisted another piece of cloth around Scott’s head and cinched the gag in place. Doug smiled smugly when Scott grunted.
“Mollie, stay up here with Doug,” Mike said.
“No, if Aida is down there—”
“We have no idea what is down there, and until I do, I need you to stay here. I’ll let you know if it’s safe to come down.”
He couldn’t have her storming down there to discover her sister’s body, or numerous bodies, piled below. Mike saw her starting to gear up for an argument as Doug approached.
“Please, stay here,” Mike said.
The please made her shoulders slump. She didn’t care what lay below; she wanted to plunge down those stairs and discover whatever it was, but the look on Mike’s face froze her words. He seemed in control now, but anguish etched his features, and his eyes had grown more red than blue.
“Okay,” Mollie relented. “But take Doug with you. Scott is secure, and there’s no one else in the house. You may need help down there.”
“No, he’ll stay here with you, and no arguments.” He glanced at Doug who looked about to protest his decision too, but Doug closed his mouth. “I’ll be back soon.” Drawing Mollie close, he kissed her forehead before releasing her.
Pulling the steel door further open, he discovered a switch on the wall. When he flicked the switch, a bulb at the bottom blazed to life and revealed all the steps. He kept hold of a stake and slid Scott’s keys into his pocket before descending.
Mollie’s shadow fell over the stairs, and he glanced back to find her standing at the top, anxiously watching his every move. When he reached the bottom, he turned to discover another steel door on his right.
He pulled Scott’s keys from his pocket and searched for the one that opened the door above. Hoping it would work for this door too, he slid the key into the lock and smiled grimly when it clicked. Cautiously, he pushed the door open.
Scurrying sounds followed when light from the hall spilled into the room beyond. Whimpers filled the air, and the reek of terror drifted to him. In the back of the room, people huddled together and held each other while they gazed at him.
Beside the door was another switch; he turned it on. The humans cowered further away as they turned their heads away from the single, glass-encaged bulb hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. The light stung his eyes as it reflected off the white walls, floor, and ceiling.
All the mattresses spread across the floor had a blanket and pillow on them. A tray sat beside each mattress, and judging by the remains on some of the plates, the prisoners had last dined on steak and potatoes. In two corners of the room, open doors revealed the bathrooms beyond.
None of the people looked at him again, and of the sixteen humans, all the women wore black, flowing gowns and were barefoot. All the men wore black shirts and pants and were also shoeless. They also all had bite marks covering their exposed flesh.
Suddenly, he understood what these people were for. The Savages had come for the hunt, but they had to feed while here, and they couldn’t drink from the captives in the barn as they would weaken their game more than the orchestrators of this hunt wanted them weakened.
To deal with the food problem, they selected certain humans and removed them from their cages. From what he could see of their faces and figures, only the best-looking humans were chosen.
These people were meant to keep those above satisfied and fed. The Savages could inflict suffering on these victims by tormenting them and forcefully draining their blood until the other captives were freed and the vamps could hunt. But the club would have to keep the humans here well-fed and clean to make their clients happy, which also explained the kitchen.
“I’m going to get you out of here,” he told them. They only whimpered and clustered closer together. “Is Aida here?”
A ripple of movement came from the group in the back corner, but no one responded. Noise from above drew his attention to where he’d left Mollie. Doug went to grab her when she started down the stairs, but she’d already fled beyond his grasp as she ran.
He stepped in front of her before she could see into the room. “Mollie, wait.”
Whispered words sounded from within, and then a single head popped over the group. Wide eyes, more gold than brown, met his before the girl ducked again. Aida. Lowering his arm, he allowed Mollie to slip past him. She hesitated on the threshold, and her hand flew to her mouth as she gazed at those within.
“Aida,” Mollie breathed.
From the back of the group of people, her sister’s head emerged. Mollie gasped and struggled to accept that what she was seeing was real. After everything they’d discovered, it was almost too good to be true to find Aida alive.
Aida blinked at her, seeming to feel the same way as Mollie as she didn’t separate herself from the people who were turning their heads to gaze at Mollie and Mike.
“Mollie?” Aida asked.
The sound of her small, much-loved voice broke Mollie’s paralysis. With a cry, she ran toward Aida as her sister separated from the group. Aida staggered toward her with her arms open before they reached each other. Tears streaked Mollie’s cheeks as she embraced her sister and they fell to the ground together.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
With her head buried in Mollie’s chest, Mike only caught some of Aida’s rushed words, but it was enough to confirm what he suspected. These people were the food supply until the hunt was over. They’d been forced to shower and change daily as well as eat the meals brought to them. Their blood was taken against their will, which made the experience excruciating for them.
While the sisters spoke, the rest of the people started separating from each other and creeping toward the door.
“Are you really going to get us out of here?” a man asked Mike.
It would be more difficult to reach the boat ramp with a bunch of shoeless humans in tow, but he couldn’t leave them here. “Yes.”
The man, whose neck was covered in bites, released a small sound and looked to the ceiling as he blinked back tears.
Grasping Aida’s cheeks, Mollie pulled her sister away to gaze at Aida’s beloved, beautiful face. Her ivory skin was paler than normal, but that only made the gold in her eyes stand out more. Her waist-length, curly black hair shone in the light.
The sight of the bites on Aida’s neck and wrists caused red-hot rage to boil within Mollie; it was so intense she thought she might choke on it. Her sister’s gushed words revealed much of what was done to her, but seeing the evidence on her hammered home how badly Aida had been abused. Mollie went to touch one of the bites before snatching her fingers back. They looked sore enough without her prodding at them.
“What did they do to you?” she whispered.
“The same thing that was done to you,” Aida said as she touched Mollie’s neck just above Mike’s bite.
“No,” Mollie whispered. “I think it was completely different; I gave willingly.”
Aida’s eyes darted to where Mollie had last seen Mike. “To him?”
“Mollie, we have to go,” Mike said.
Mollie took Aida’s hand and helped her rise. “We have a lot to discuss, but it will have to wait.”
“If he’s a vampire, we can’t trust him,” Aida whispered.
“Yes, we can,” Mollie insisted.
“No,” Aida said, digging her heels in. “You don’t understand, Mollie. They can make you see and do things—”
<
br /> “I understand, but Mike’s not like that, and neither are his friends. He’s saved my life more times than I can count, and he helped me find you. They’re not all the same. You have to believe me, Aida, because we can’t stay here. The things that kept you here are going to come back.”
Aida paled further when Mollie mentioned the return of the Savages. Having overheard their conversation, the other people were glancing distrustfully between her and Mike.
“Please, Aida, trust me,” Mollie pleaded.
Her sister relaxed a little before bowing her head and nodding her agreement. Keeping hold of Aida’s arm, Mollie hurried to join Mike where he waited in the doorway. He gestured them toward the stairs, and Mollie looked up to find Doug standing there.
“You okay?” Mike asked her.
“Yes,” Mollie replied, and the smile she gave him lit her beautiful eyes. “I can never thank you enough for this.”
Mike cupped her cheek in his hand before bending to kiss her. “Don’t ever thank me for it, Mollie. I will do anything for you.”
Mollie clasped his hand and rested it against her cheek as love swelled in her chest. So sweet, those words were spoken from his heart, and he meant them.
“Go on,” Mike urged.
Mollie nudged Aida, who was gawking at Mike like he was a talking dinosaur. He watched as they started up the stairs before turning back to the room.
The rest of the prisoners stood uncertainly within. “You can trust me, you can stay here, or you can take your chances on your own in the woods once we’re free of this place, but we’re leaving. Fair warning, the hunt is in full swing.”
“The hunt?” a woman asked.
“We’ll discuss it later,” Mike said. “You’re also going to have to travel through the woods barefoot, and if you choose to stay with us, you will have to keep up.”
He couldn’t leave them here, but he wouldn’t risk Mollie’s life for them either. They all exchanged looks before one of the women broke free and crept toward him. Two of the men followed her, and when Mike stepped back to let them climb the stairs, the rest of the group rushed forward.
Consumed: The Vampire Awakenings, Book 8 Page 22