by L. E. Wilson
After trying every inch she could reach with the same result, Laney had to give up. She now knew why Dante had leapt to the very top, instead of climbing it. But it was at least twelve feet up, if not more. There was no way she could make it up there. She couldn’t jump that high, and the walls offered nothing to grip.
Trying not to feel discouraged, Laney picked up the candle and went back the way she had come. She wasn’t giving up. There had to another way out of there.
When she reached the vampire’s “room” again, she walked the perimeter, searching for another entrance. The candlelight threw shadows everywhere along the uneven brick walls, but her vigilance paid off. She found a doorway she hadn’t noticed at first that revealed a makeshift bathroom of sorts that was really nothing more than an antique commode, and another passageway on the opposite side of the room. No, not a passageway. More like a tunnel. As she walked past the lit candles on the floor, she picked up a second one. Blowing it out, she stuck it in the outside pocket of her backpack. It wouldn’t hurt to have a backup.
Laney dropped to her hands and knees, and started crawling down the narrow passage before she had time to talk herself out of it. It was slow going with her holding the lit candle. She had to crawl forward on only one hand, slowly, so it didn’t go out. She tried to stay away from the sides, and anything that might be scurrying along outside the ring of candlelight. More than once she thought she heard the scratching of little feet up ahead in the dark, but she gritted her teeth and kept on.
Within a few minutes, a smell that reminded her strongly of copper wafted toward her. Laney wrinkled her nose, but kept going. Shortly thereafter, she came to another room. It felt larger than the one the vampire slept in, the shadows crawling further into the corners. As she crawled the rest of the way out of the tunnel, she lifted the candle and made her way slowly into the interior. Her steps faltered and eventually stopped as she took in the scene around her. Horror froze the blood in her veins.
“Oh my God,” she whispered.
Similar to the other room, the walls were made with brick, and the floor and ceiling were wooden planks. To her right were former archways, now closed off with brick. But there were chains anchored into the brick with wrist and ankle shackles on the ends. Laney’s eyes travelled the length of the room. Everywhere the candlelight touched, she saw devices made of wood with chains, leather straps, and sometime rope. Some were tables, some were like upright wheels, some were benches. Some she had no idea what they were or what they could possibly be used for. A lone wooden chair with arm and leg straps sat directly in front of her, waiting for its next victim. Its surface had some kind of dark stain splattered all over it. And scattered among the different pieces were hooks on the walls with blades glinting in the flickering candlelight. Knives of every type and length, and other things that she’d never seen before. She could only imagine their purpose.
Moving the candle to the right, she found a flat wooden table covered with things she’d only read about: handcuffs, whips, leather straps with metal spikes sticking out of them.
Laney realized then what the dark stains were. They were bloodstains. A scream began to form in her throat, and she slapped her hand over her mouth to smother it, fighting to get her emotions under control. She needed to get out of there, and she needed to get out of there now.
Forcing herself to stay calm and focus on what she was supposed to be doing, Laney walked the circumference of the room with the candle held in front of her, searching for another way in or out. But there was nothing. She even felt along the walls for secret levers or seams not visible to the naked eye. But all she found was old, crumbling brick that nonetheless was completely unmovable. Setting down the candle, she stuck her hands on her hips and looked around for something to use as a ladder that would get her to the top of the cave in. She tugged at the chains, thinking she could throw them to the top and maybe it would catch on something so she could pull herself up. They wouldn’t budge. Everything was bolted down or welded together. There was nothing here that would help her.
Grabbing one of the knives down off the wall, she stuck it into her pack, made her way back to the tunnel and got the hell out of that room as fast as she could crawl, for Laney swore she could hear the ghostly wails of the tortured souls that had suffered at the hands of the vampire following her. His words about the woman he’d murdered by orgasm popped into her head. Surely, he hadn’t had sex with that woman in that room.
Laney cut off that train of thought as she made her way back to the vampire’s room. She searched it again, and repeated her trek up and down the first passageway without any luck. The truth of her situation began to hit her. There was no other way out. She was well and truly trapped.
Physically exhausted and emotionally numb, she went back to the vampire’s room. Sinking down onto the mattress, Laney rolled over onto her side and pulled the thin blanket over herself. It didn’t do much to keep the dampness out, and she curled herself into a ball. As she lay there trying to get warm, she wondered why Dante hadn’t taken her directly to his room of torture. Because her instincts were telling her that this room that she was in was not a place he normally brought “guests.” It was a big deal that he left her here. Somehow she knew that. But what she didn’t know was if he would change his mind.
She thought about the knife she’d taken out of that room, and it occurred to her that she could take the decision out of his hands. A stillness came over her at the thought of taking her own life, and for a few minutes, she seriously considered it. At least that way she would die on her own terms. But in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to act upon it. She was a survivor. She’d survived running from her home with her father. She’d survived his death, and she’d survived even greater loss. And she would fight for her life until she couldn’t fight anymore. Because that’s what she did.
It was funny, but as Laney lay there in the dark, surrounded by his things, by his loneliness, she felt a sort of kinship with the vampire. He was a killer, yes. But so was she. It was a fault in both of their natures. The only difference being that he did it by choice, and thrived from it. The first life Laney had snuffed out had been necessary. The second had taken her heart and soul with it.
Is this my punishment then?
If it was, it was nothing less than she deserved. She hadn’t meant to do it that second time, and as the tears started up again, she wished there was a way to go back before it had happened. So she could hold him once again.
Chapter 14
Dante burst from the elevator, strode through the lobby, out the main doors, across the sidewalk, and straight out into the street in front of the apartment building. A late night Uber honked its horn as it swerved to miss him, and he slammed his fist into the back end of the car as it passed. Tires squealed as the driver frantically righted the vehicle, then glanced up in the rearview to see what the hell he had hit. Dante bared his fangs at the idiot.
He had to get the fuck out of there. Had to get the fuck away from that woman and the things she made him feel. Taking deep breaths of the cold night air, he backed up a few steps and stood in the middle of the sidewalk, not caring that he made the humans walk around him. There weren’t many out this time of night anyway.
He needed to get rid of her. And he needed to do it five fucking minutes ago. So why hadn’t he?
“Dante?”
He knew that female voice. A moment later, Shea’s concerned green eyes appeared up in his face. “Shea,” he greeted her.
“Oh my gods. You’re back!” She reached out for him, then thought better of it and dropped her arms back to her sides. He took no offense. Shea was unable to touch a male without paralyzing pain. He knew what her deal was, and he had no desire to cause this particular female any suffering. She was a vampire, like him. And he still needed to change his clothes. A fact that he’d completely spaced on after he’d gotten the woman here. All he’d been able to think of was getting her out of sight before anyone saw her, so he c
“Are you okay?” Shea interrupted his thoughts. “You look a little…not quite right.” She gave him no time to answer. “Where have you been? What the hell happened to you? I came to look for you and Christian, but you were both gone—”
“Where is Christian?” he asked. “Was he taken, too?”
“We all were,” she said. “All three of us. But he’s back now, too. You’re the last one to return. Have you not been upstairs yet?”
He shook his head.
“How long have you been back?” Waving at his clothes, she said, “I would think it was recently, but one can never tell with you.” She smiled.
“Just an hour or so ago,” he told her distractedly.
Her smile faltered before dying altogether. Shea searched his face for so long that he narrowed his eyes at her. “What.”
“Are you all right?” she asked point blank.
He exhaled. “I’m fine. Let’s go upstairs.”
After another searching look, she nodded. “Everyone will be happy to see you. Luukas told us that you were on your way home.” Reaching out to him again, she touched his arm with light fingers for a fraction of a second before yanking her hand away with a hiss. “I’m glad you’re home, Dante. And that you’re okay. And I’m sorry that I got there too late to help you. I failed you, and for that, I sincerely apologize.”
Dante knew the pain that touching him must have cost her, even so briefly. “It’s not your fault, Shea. Shit happens.” Turning away before she got more emotional on him, he headed back into the apartment building. He didn’t wait to see if she would follow, knowing she would. “I have to make a stop in the parking garage first,” he said over his shoulder.
Sure enough, he heard her soft footsteps directly behind him as he headed back to the elevator. Punching in the number for the parking level Laney’s car was on, he didn’t offer up any explanation, just went to get his new friends.
Shea raised an eyebrow when she saw the furry faces in the car window. “So we’re an animal rescue now?”
“Something like that.” The doors were locked. Smashing his fist through the passenger side window, he unlocked the car and handed her the cat’s food and litter while the dog wagged his entire back end with excitement. Dante scooped him up and tucked him under one arm, letting him get in a lick or two before silently telling him to knock it the fuck off. Hanging the cat over the other arm, he kicked the door shut again. Shattered glass fell to the pavement to scatter at his feet.
“Did they come with the car?” Shea asked him. “Where is the driver?” She knew he didn’t drive. “I can smell her on you.”
Guess that would give it away, too. “Not here. And I found the dog before the car. The cat came with it,” he answered.
“The car or the dog?”
“The dog.”
“Huh.” She shrugged and headed back toward the elevator with her bags.
This time he hit the button for the very top floor—Luukas’s penthouse apartment. They didn’t speak the entire ride, and that was one of the things that Dante appreciated about this particular Hunter. She knew when to keep her mouth shut. At least with him.
The elevator doors opened and they stepped out in unison. When they reached Luukas’s apartment, Dante stopped, threw the cat up onto his shoulder, and knocked twice. Fraidy curled around his neck, purring loudly, and hung over the opposite side to get a lick from the dog. Dante caught Shea’s smirk out of the corner of his eye. “What?” he asked.
“Why is it you only knock on Luuk’s door? I still need to fix the hinges on mine from the last time you came to visit.”
A small smile lifted one side of his mouth. “I only do that for Christian’s benefit.” He offered no apology. Not that she would’ve expected one.
“I know,” she answered with a roll of her eyes.
The door swung open and Dante found himself face to face with the Master Vampire that he had sworn his allegiance to so many years ago. “Hey, Luukas.”
Luukas took in his dusty clothes, the animals he was wearing, Shea behind him holding bags of supplies, and raised one eyebrow. “I hope you’re weren’t planning on leaving those beasts here.”
“I was going to put them in my apartment.”
“Good.” He slapped Dante on the shoulder. “I’m glad you made it back to us,” he told him sincerely. Then he stepped back out of the way to let them enter.
Dante strode inside, only to come up short before he’d even made it out of the foyer. His fangs shot down into his mouth as the familiar scent of sweet human blood blasted him in the face, and for a brief second, he thought Laney had somehow made her way up here in the few minutes he’d been gone. He hissed, his eyes shooting left to right as his thirst hit him full force. The thirst he hadn’t quenched as he had planned, because he was too twisted up by the other things the female had done to him.
And what he hadn’t been able to bring himself to do to her.
Before he realized what he was doing, Dante was standing in the bedroom door. The door that he had just smashed open. A small, dark-haired female was staring at him with wide, hazel eyes. She was wearing nothing but a thin robe that barely concealed her full hips and breasts, her damp raven hair tumbling around her shoulders. At first glance, only her hazel eyes and the pale tint of her skin differentiated her from Laney.
Dante bared his fangs, and she narrowed her eyes in challenge. His thirst raged, the blood lust messing with his head. A growl ripped through the room, and he realized that it had come from him. The female was unmoved. She faced him and smiled.
He took a step toward her, but that was as far as he got before something large and powerful flashed by him, knocking him to the side. Luukas appeared in front of the female, fangs bared and eyes wild. For a moment, Dante was confused, for it seemed that Luukas was threatening him. He dropped the dog, forgotten in his arms, and the cat jumped down after him. They were quick to get out of the way. Copying Luukas’s stance, Dante prepared to fight for his prey.
“The witch is MINE,” Luukas growled in a low voice.
A muscular arm was suddenly around Dante’s throat and a quiet voice with a British accent spoke in his ear. “You’ll want to back off now, commander.”
Dante tried to throw Aiden off, but then Nik’s blue eyes cut off his line of vision to the female. Getting right in his face, Nik told him, “Dude. You really don’t want to go there.”
“Fun as it would be to let Luukas rip your bloody head off, we only just got you back,” Aiden chimed in cheerfully. “Let’s save it for another day, shall we?”
Dante roared his displeasure at being kept from his meal. She smelled faintly of the female he’d left below ground, and he was suddenly dying of thirst. Hauling back his fist, he punched Nikulas in his pretty jaw and threw his head back in an attempt to shove Aiden’s nose up through his skull. Unfortunately, the vampire on his back saw it coming and moved his face out of the way.
“Really, commander? I’m hurt. I really am. I thought I was your favorite.”
With Nik out of the way, he had a clear view of the vampire blocking him from his meal. Luukas’s eyes glowed with a crazy light as he hissed and snarled from his protective stance in front of the female. She, on the other hand, didn’t look the least bit frightened.
“Stop!”
The shout came from his right, and Dante tried to turn his head in that direction, only to find that he couldn’t move a single muscle.
“Hallo, poppet,” Aiden said as he dropped off Dante’s back. “No need to get your knickers in a twist. We had it handled.” As he came into Dante’s line of vision and picked Nik up off the floor, he saw a tiny, prickly head with a black nose pop up out of the hood of Aiden’s ever-present hoodie.
“Is he okay?” the female he couldn’t see asked. “Nikulas! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he grumbled, wiping the blood from his mouth with his arm. “Dammit, man. Why’d you have to hit me in the face? We never go for the face. It’s the rule.”
The familiar scent of his female was stronger now, and Dante ground his jaw in frustration from his frozen position.
“Just keep him right there please, Em, until I can calm Luukas down,” the dark-haired female said.
“Take your time, sis. I’ve got this.”
Luukas shifted his weight from side to side, ready to pounce at the slightest threat. The dark-haired female moved to stand in front of him. “Calm down, vampire. No one is hurting me.”
Luukas’s crazy eyes stayed rock steady on Dante’s face, fangs bared in warning. But as the female put her hands on him and spoke in soft tones, he eventually stopped snarling, and his eyes lost their glow of crazy, though his fangs stayed distended.
“What the fuck is going on?” Dante gritted out from the haze of his blood lust.
Aiden spoke from where he leaned casually against the wall. “Just that you’re threatening to eat the fated mate of our fearless leader.”
Fated mate? The words bounced around his head, but he couldn’t pin down their meaning. “What?” Fighting to get his own sanity back, he managed to gain enough control over his thirst that the burning in his throat was little more than a strong simmer.
“Keira is Luukas’s mate.” Nik sounded like he had a mouth full of cotton. “And her stunning sister over here that’s keeping you from getting killed is her sister, and my mate, Emma.”
“Disgusting, isn’t it?” Shea spoke up from behind him. “I was going to let you feed on her.”
“Whatever.” Keira smiled over her shoulder, but stayed where Luukas could touch her. “You love me.”
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