Burn: A shifter and vampire rock star romance (Underground Encounters Book 4)

by Lisa Carlisle

Seeing him hurt her triggered me to react. I lunged at him, knocking Layla out of his grasp. Stefano turned to me with bared fangs and attacked. Layla shrieked and jumped onto his back. The three of us whirled into a wall and crashed into it, knocking one of the paintings off.

  “Get off him, Layla!” one of the bodyguards shouted.

  Both Lee and Garrett were in the doorway. Fuck. More bloody vampires.

  They ran toward us with their fangs bared and eyes tinged with red fury.

  I maneuvered out of Stefano’s grasp as I leapt in their direction, transforming into a lion mid-air. My clothes shredded to rags and fell to the floor.

  “Damn shifter!” one shouted.

  Garrett pulled out a knife and leapt at me. I maneuvered away from the knife aimed at my torso and knocked him from the side. He fell on his back and groaned. Before he could recover, I tore into his throat. He covered his throat with both hands, but the blood burst forth like a garish fountain.

  Lee whizzed with vampire speed to the wall and reached for one of the swords mounted there. Shit.

  I shifted back to human form and grabbed the knife that Garrett had dropped. It wasn’t much compared to a sword, but it was better than nothing.

  Lee ran for me and swung. I spun out of reach. With vampire speed, he continued his forward assault and knocked the knife out of my hand. I dropped to the ground and kicked his legs out from under him. When he fell, I grabbed the sword from him.

  Before I could wield it, Lee lurched up and sank his fangs into my throat. I hollered at the intrusion. Pushing the revulsion away, I gripped the sword and rammed it into his side. Sweet satisfaction filled me as it sank into his flesh. When he pulled his fangs away and shrieked, I yanked out the sword and crashed it into the side of his neck.

  With his neck partially severed, he screamed, but didn’t stop moving. His red eyes glared at me, as vivid as my blood dripping from his mouth or his own spilling on the tile floor. With one hand on his neck, he reached for me with the other.

  I jumped to my feet and pulled the sword overhead with both hands. With a roar, I swung it down onto his neck and cracked through flesh and bone until the sword clanged on the floor. His head separated from his body. Finally, Lee stopped moving.

  Garret’s body still twitched. If I didn’t administer a fatal blow, he might recover. Grabbing the sword and raising it to my chest level, I then plunged it into his heart.

  When I turned, Stefano had pinned Layla to the ground and sank his teeth into her throat. She fought against him, kicking and punching, but her blows were ineffective on such a powerful vampire.

  “Get off her!” I roared as I ran at him.

  Stefano pulled his fangs from her throat and hissed at me. Her blood dripped from them. Rage thundered through me. Already fueled with adrenaline, it pushed me over the edge, throbbing with a mantra to destroy him.

  He flew at me with such speed he was nothing but a whir. Since he wasn’t armed with a weapon, I shifted back into a lion form before he crashed into me.

  Stefano might be powerful, but my lion form surpassed it. We lashed at each other with sharp teeth, but I had an advantage with deadly claws. When he attempted to tear into my throat, I slashed at his chest with them. Blood spurted from his chest cavity as his eyes flashed crimson with bloodlust and the intent to destroy.

  When he next lunged for me, I followed animal instinct to pounce. With my strength, I pinned him to the floor. Then clamped my teeth on his throat and ripped it open.

  Blood flowed like a crimson stream onto the floor. He appeared to be dead. But he was a motherfucking vampire. Immortal. Ripping his throat open was only a temporary diversion.

  As if reading my thoughts, Layla appeared over Stefano with the sword I’d used on the guards.

  “I’m sorry it had to come to this, Stefano.” She plunged the sword into his dead heart.

  His eyes widened, staring at her before they fell shut. Blood trickled from his mouth. Layla watched him for a few seconds.

  His closed eyes and non-moving body gave him the appearance that he was dead, but I wasn’t taking any chances.

  I shifted back to human form. “The head, Layla.”

  She took a deep breath as if steeling herself before she pulled out the sword. When she raised it over her head, it appeared as if it would weigh her down. She thrust the sword down with such force, it severed his head from his body.

  My quickened breath echoed in the sudden silence. She dropped the sword to the ground and stared at the destruction around us. Three bloody vampire corpses. Two of them were missing heads, which had rolled from the body. I took the sword to finish off the third.

  Layla appeared even more pale than usual. Spattered blood marred her porcelain skin.

  “It’s over,” I said.

  When she brought her gaze to mine, our eyes locked. So much passed between us in that palpable moment. All I wanted to do was take her into my arms to know for sure she was okay.

  When I spread them open, she rushed into them, pressing her head against my bare chest. I wrapped my arms around her, relieved she was finally safe. I breathed in her scent, and it comforted me.

  “Yes, over,” she repeated.

  “Not quite,” A woman’s voice rang through the room.

  What the hell?

  Two people strode into the room—a woman who appeared to be in her forties with dark hair pulled back on the top of her head and a man about ten years younger than her.

  Fuck. More vampires.

  Chapter 10

  Devon

  My muscles tensed as I stared at the vampires. Who were they and were they a threat?

  “Gayle, Jon,” Layla said. “I’m—uh—so sorry. They tried to kill us.”

  “Layla, Layla, Layla,” Gayle said. “So young and oh so—” She turned to the vampire I assumed was Jon. “What’s the word I’m thinking of?”

  “Daft.”

  She laughed. “I was going more for something like inexperienced, but that’s fine. We’ll go with daft.”

  “What are you talking about?” Layla asked. “What’s going on?”

  Gayle turned her attention to me, and her gaze lingered as she perused me from my head down. Since I’d shredded my clothes when I’d shifted, I was naked.

  “Shifter, you’ve been paid. Now leave,” she demanded.

  My feet remained planted. “Not until I know Layla is safe.”

  “What do you care about a vampire?” Gayle sneered.

  “What are you planning on doing with Layla?” I asked.

  “That’s not your concern,” Jon said.

  Gayle waved her hand. “Just follow the trail of bodies you’ve left to find your way out.”

  “Fine.” I walked to the front door while considering my next move.

  Layla watched me with a dejected expression. When Gayle and Jon weren’t looking at me, I placed my fingers to my lips to indicate she should be quiet.

  Gayle moved into the hallway to make sure I walked out. I opened the door, but held the bolt down. When on the other side of the door, I slid in a business card from my pocket, so the lock wouldn’t catch.

  I ran to my car and pulled on some clothes stashed in the trunk. Then, I retrieved a bag with some basic weapons I had hidden. At least there were no guards left to confiscate them.

  When I slipped back into the house and down the hall, I heard Gayle say, “Bravo, Layla. Bra-vo.”

  I pulled a silver knife from my bag and held it aloft.

  “Why do you say that?” Layla asked.

  “Because you took care of some of the messy work for us, you silly twit.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You got rid of the guards. And, as a bonus—you got rid of Stefano. We couldn’t have planned that better, could we, Jon?”

  “No, darling,” Jon said. “It’s working out better than expected.”

  Through a crack in the door, I watched them.

  Layla stood before them. “Why would you want Stefan
o dead? You’ve been with him for—like forever.”

  “A century.” Gayle glanced at the ceiling and sighed. “Imagine how bored you’d get with someone after a hundred years.”

  “You conspired against him together?” Layla’s gaze flickered from Gayle to Jon.

  “We recruited Lee and Garrett as well. They were easy; just promised them a chunk of change.” Gayle laughed. “We don’t even have to deal with that issue now, do we, Jon?”

  Jon smirked. “No, we don’t.”

  “How could you betray Stefano?” Layla asked.

  What the hell? Why was she concerned with him after all that had happened?

  “You should be more concerned about yourself rather than a vampire who wanted to kill you.” Gayle glared at Layla.

  “He only wanted me dead because he thought I’d stolen from him. But it was you.” Layla pointed at Gayle. “And you had the guards convince me to run, to make me look guilty.”

  “You’re finally catching up,” Gayle replied. “You twit.”

  “You’re the perfect little scapegoat,” Jon added. “If anyone bothers to come look. But who would? We’re under the radar, living in the shadows. We’re so glad you came into our lives, little Layla.”

  Gayle glanced at Jon and he nodded. He crouched as he moved toward Layla. The hair all over my body rose on seeing Layla in danger again. I raised the knife and barreled into the room, taking Gayle from behind and aiming at her throat.

  “Get away from her!” I threatened Jon.

  He turned from Layla and hissed at me.

  “Run!” I told Layla.

  She started, but then stopped. “What about you?”

  “I’ll catch up to you,” I said.

  “Shifter,” Gayle said with clear contempt. “Stay out of our affairs.”

  “Go back to the rest of the animals,” Jon added.

  “Devon! Be careful,” Layla said.

  She didn’t run. What was she doing?

  Gayle said, “I expected more from you, Layla, than to stoop for an animal.”

  “You do realize that I can end your life in a nanosecond,” I said.

  Jon took an offensive stance, hissing as he extended his fangs.

  “We’ve taken out three vampires so far, including an old and powerful one.” I motioned to Stefano’s ashes. “You will not be much of a challenge.” I stared Jon down. “Let us go in peace. Or we’ll add your decaying carcasses to this carnage.”

  “Leave them,” Gayle called Jon off.

  I’m sure this had something to do with the knife at her throat. She would be the first to go.

  “Run!” I commanded Layla. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  She complied this time. Holding Gayle in front of me, I backed down the hall, keeping my eyes on them for any signs of movement. I kept the knife pointed at her throat, prepared to strike at any provocation.

  Once we stepped outside, I pulled a twine of rope with silver from my bag. I tied Gayle’s wrists behind her back.

  “You will regret this,” she said. “You won’t survive the night.”

  Jon stepped out the front door. I pushed Gayle at him and she knocked them both down. I ran to my car.

  Jon cursed as he struggled to get to his feet. I jumped into the car and drove. Where the hell was Layla?

  After a couple of minutes of searching for her, I pulled into a secluded spot off the main road. Making sure nobody was within eyesight, I climbed out of the car, undressed, and tossed my clothes into the car. Then, I shifted into a hawk and soared into the darkness above.

  Using my enhanced night vision, I searched for Layla below. When I spotted her several blocks away, I descended. She shrieked when she saw me approach. Once at ground level, I shifted back into a human form.

  “Devon!” she said. “It’s you.”

  She threw her arms around me. I held her close, smelling her floral-scented hair.

  I grinned. “I’d never thought you’d be so pleased to see me.”

  “You saved my life.” She pulled back and searched my eyes.

  Her gaze lowered, appraising me, and her cheeks reddened.

  “I didn’t know vampires could blush,” I teased.

  “Shut up. I’m standing in front of an attractive naked man.”

  “Do you like what you see?” I quirked my eyebrows.

  She turned her head, ignored my suggestive remark.

  When she faced me again, her eyes were full of wonder. “Why did you do that? You risked your life to save me.”

  It wasn’t like me to stick my neck out for someone I’d been hired to find, let alone a vampire. Nothing about this situation was typical. But, she did something to me. Something I couldn’t ignore.

  I glanced back in the direction of Stefano’s house. “Once Jon figures out how to get the rope off Gayle without hurting himself, they’ll come after us.”

  “Then let’s get out of here,” she said. “And get you some clothes.”

  I smirked. “After that smoldering eye fuck, I thought you’d prefer me like this.”

  She laughed. “You’re back to—being you!” She planted her hands on her hips. “Eye fuck? You wish, shifter.”

  I moved closer and stroked her cheek. “No. I’d prefer the real thing.”

  Layla

  It was difficult to ignore Devon’s charms when he looked at me like that and touched me. But, we had to get away from Gayle and Jon.

  I swallowed and broke our gaze. “Where’s your car?”

  He took my hand. We ran down the dark, quiet roads, listening for signs of Gayle and Jon. We found his car several streets away and climbed in.

  After he put it in drive, he said, “They are most likely not going to let this slide. They will be looking for us, so we shouldn’t go to my flat in London. And we need to get you shelter before daylight. I have a little cottage near where my family lives in the Forest of Dean. It’s only about ninety minutes from here. I think that’s our best bet—unless you have another plan.”

  I shook my head. “My plan since I became a vampire has essentially been winging it to stay alive.”

  Devon glanced in all directions, as if assessing for signs of danger, before merging onto the main road.

  “If they know who you are, won’t they figure out where you have property?” I asked.

  “We don’t know how much Stefano told either of them. I don’t have a website or anything advertising who I am and where I live, my clients generally come through word of mouth. But they might have seen my license plate. It’s registered to a business, so it won’t be as easy for them to find me.”

  “Maybe they’ll hire someone like you,” I suggested.

  Devon gave me a stark stare. “There is no one like me, Layla.”

  I raised a brow. “Cocky much?”

  “No. Just telling the truth. How many shapeshifting bounty hunters with military training, animal senses, and computer savviness do you know?”

  “Come to think of it, one too many.” I gave him a sassy grin.

  He laughed. “You’re quick. That’s one of the things I like about you.”

  My eyes widened in surprise.

  He reddened. “You’re okay for a vamp.”

  I’d never seen him blush before.

  “You’re okay for a shifter,” I replied.

  We drove in silence for several minutes after that awkward exchange. Having Devon on my side was peculiar. With Stefano dead, so was any chance of him extracting more money from him. What was in it for him? He’d risked his life and killed to protect me. Why?

  To break the silence, I said, “Military training—were you in the army?”

  “Royal Marines.”

  “For how long?”

  “Not long.”

  Okay, that took a total of ten seconds before the awkwardness returned. “Mind if I put some music on?” I asked.

  He handed me his phone. “Here, plug this in. I don’t know if I’ll have anything on it that you’d like.”
<
br />   I tilted my head. “I listen to more than hard rock and heavy metal, Devon. I’m open when it comes to music. I’d show you on my phone, but somebody chucked it into the ocean.”

  “Ah, right. I’ll get you a new phone. And one better than that crappy one you had.”

  “We don’t all need the latest technology,” I said.

  One side of his mouth curled into a smile. “Fine, I’ll get you another crappy phone.”

  Time to keep my mouth shut. “No, I’ll take a better phone.”

  Devon had the Rolling Stones Hot Rocks albums on his phone. I could live with that.

  After listening to Time is on My Side, I said, “I should pick some things up at the store.”

  “What do you need?”

  “Clothes. Toiletries. Hair dye. I don’t need this eye-catching style anymore. And blood.”

  “We’ll get the first three on the way. The last, I don’t know. Do we need to find a blood bank?”

  “No. I’ll be fine. I don’t have to feed every day. And if I get thirsty, we’ll be in the forest, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, I’ll hunt.”

  Devon gave me a peculiar look and then stared straight ahead.

  Devon

  My mind churned with conflict. I was bringing a vampire into the forest where my family hunted—where Muriel had been attacked by one. My chest tightened with the typical constriction that seized me with that memory.

  Was I betraying Muriel by helping a vampire? I took deep breaths to ease through the anxiety, and it soon passed.

  Layla was different. Right? She wasn’t a cold killer like the vampire who had killed Muriel.

  When I thought of Layla with me, something lighter filled the space in my chest cavity. She would be hunting—with me.

  “You sure?” I teased. “I can get more pouches of blood.”

  She turned and raised a brow. “I’d prefer to hunt than drink from a microwaved pouch.”

  “Even when someone as sexy as I am feeds you?” I stroked my chin and grinned.

  “Especially then.”

  I laughed. “Interesting. I thought it was hot.”

  “That’s because you’re a strange bird, Devon St. Clair.”

  “I can shift into any kind of bird, as a matter of fact. Strange or not. What kind of bird do you think is the strangest? Ostrich? Flamingo?”