“S-she w-wasn’t into v-vamps…” Gasped out.
Better. At least the asshole wasn’t denying he’d seen the woman anymore. Niol had gone through three demons and one shifter to get to this asshole. Connecting the fucking dots. Everybody remembered something. Remembered seeing someone, somewhere.
This guy-Lane Mims-he was the link Niol needed.
“Who was she interested in?”
“D-demons. Only w-wanted to w-watch d-demons…”
Niol’s muscles tightened. “Why?”
“L-let me go!”
“Tell me what I want and maybe I will.” He shoved the weapon a good half-inch into the vampire’s chest. “Tell me nothing and I’ll kill you.”
Blood coated the vamp’s shirt. “D-don’t know wh-why. She-she just watched d-demons.”
Because she wanted to slice them to bits?
“What else do you know about her?”
“She-she was a student at MU.”
Mellrune University. Niol’s blood heated. What were the odds?
Lines of pain etched onto the vamp’s face. “F-followed her one n-night.”
Yes, he knew that. Knew that old Lane made a habit of following human women-and sometimes doing more. When he’d been human, the guy had landed in jail twice for rape. Becoming a vampire sure hadn’t changed the guy for the better, and Niol knew his human habits hadn’t faded. “And?”
“W-went to some lab at the u-university.” The vamp’s breath blew into his face. Rancid.
“You mean to tell me you followed the blonde back to the university one quiet night…” Lane only hunted at night. “She went into a deserted lab, and you didn’t take a bite?” Niol shook his head. “Lane, I’m disappointed.” By your bullshit.
The vampire’s eyes narrowed and the evil inside showed its face. “B-bitch wasn’t…alone.”
Niol eased up the pressure on the vampire’s chest, just a bit. “Really?”
“Some ass-asshole with her. S-started m-making out w-with h-him the minute…she w-went inside-place smelled l-like f-fucking bleach-”
Niol bet the lab had smelled better than the vamp. He clenched his back teeth and ordered, “Tell me what the man looked like.”
The vamp’s head shook. “C-couldn’t…s-see much-”
Niol smiled. “I know you, Lane. I know you like to watch.” Watching and hurting. That was the way Lane got off with his prey.
A smile, trembling with pain but wide with memories. “N-never know h-how close…to-to d-death they are-”
His fingers tightened around the wood. No, some people never knew.
He’s not an innocent. After the jerk finishes telling me what I want, no reason I can’t stake his ass.
Holly’s face flashed before him.
“What. Did. He. Look. Like?”
“T-tall. B-blond.”
Every damn dot connected. Fuck.
“B-big d-dick-”
His cell phone rang.
The call that saved the asshole’s life.
“Hold him,” he snarled to the demon on his right.
Thomas gave a grimace but took over vamp duty.
Niol glanced down at the phone and felt his gut tighten. Holly’s guards. But, no, it wasn’t them.
It was a number he’d never seen before. His eyes on the squirming vampire, he punched the button to take the call. “Who the hell is this?”
Laughter. Cold and high.
“Got somethin’ of yours.” The voice was female. Mocking.
“Do you?” He’d never sounded calmer or been more afraid. Not Holly. Not her-
A lamb among wolves. And she hadn’t even known it.
“I’m going to slice her open, from groin to neck.” More laughter.
Niol fought not to incinerate everyone and everything around him. “Don’t touch her.” The demons around him stilled at his fury.
They knew his moods well and he saw their eyes jerk to the exits.
“Try and stop me.” A taunting whisper.
The vampire whimpered.
“If you really want to save the demon reporter, then come and get her.”
A trap-one meant to catch and kill him. Niol didn’t care. The crazy bitch had the perfect bait. “Where?”
More laughter. “You come alone- and you tell no one -or you’ll find Storm in pieces.”
The woman had just asked for her own death. “Agreed.”
A sound that could have been a purr. Then she rattled off the address and said, “Can’t wait to see you, love. ”
The call ended and the rage exploded.
She was bait. Holly curled against the floor of the van. Bait to lure Niol to his death.
“You’re awake, aren’t you, demon?” That voice seemed familiar.
Holly didn’t move.
“I know you are.” Screamed.
Not even a flinch. She wasn’t about to let her body betray her.
Where had she heard that voice?
“Your lover’s coming, and I’m going to have so much fun playing with him.”
The van jerked to a stop. Holly let her body roll forward. Her head rammed into some kind of bag.
“Dammit, she’s still out.”
Not alone. Holly forced herself to keep breathing slowly. The psycho woman was talking to someone else. Holly had only heard the woman speak. She’d woken just before the bitch called Niol.
“You think he’ll really come after her?” The woman asked, her voice high and shaking with excitement.
One of the van’s doors squeaked open. A second door opened immediately after.
Definitely not alone.
Christ. Where have I heard that voice before?
She could have told the woman that, yes, Niol would come after her. Holly didn’t doubt it for a minute. He’d come after her and bring hell’s fury in his wake.
She’d seen the fury before and knew that she’d see it again.
Provided, of course, she could stay alive until he came for her.
The doors slammed shut. One, then the other.
Breathe. Breathe.
Squeaks and groans as the van’s back doors opened.
Then hands closed around her ankles and yanked her toward the killer.
“Come on, Holly, you’re not fucking fooling me.” A man’s voice.
And this voice-she knew it instantly.
No.
He jerked her up and ripped away the blindfold.
Holly blinked and stared up at the face she knew too well.
Zack.
She shook her head. This isn’t happening. Why would Zack want to hurt her? Or Sam? Or-
“Fucking demon.” He turned his head toward the woman. “See her eyes, Michelle? I told you she was just like the rest of them.”
Michelle. Blond grad student Michelle. Ms. I’ll-Do-Anything-for-that-A Michelle.
Michelle smiled at her, smiled with her perfect capped teeth, and said, “This is really going to hurt you.”
Holly almost choked on the gag.
“Let’s get her inside and on the table. We’ll keep her alive until he gets here.” Zack licked his lips. “I can’t wait to cut him open. Those other demon bastards said he was the strongest-”
They’d probably been willing to say anything before they died.
“I’ll find the secret with him, I know I will.”
The secret?
I was engaged to this freak?
She shook her head again. No, Zack couldn’t be in front of her, he couldn’t be planning to kill her, to slice her up and-
And Zack made his living dissecting specimens and studying them.
He held up a syringe. “For old times’ sake, I can make this easy on you.” He reached for the gag and wrenched it out of her mouth.
Holly licked her lips and tasted blood. Probably from that nice smack she’d taken into the concrete.
“What do you say, Holly? You don’t have to feel the pain. One little stick and you’ll slide right into the darkness.”
The darkness. “Fuck you, asshole.” She wouldn’t make this easy on him. Not Zack. This couldn’t be happening.
His lips tightened. “Then, demon whore, get ready to scream.”
And she did. A loud, long desperate scream that she really hoped someone would hear.