It was a long shot.
Ty tried to form the words. Tried to speak. The man you love tried to kill you so he could have Ana. You’ve always been second best to him.
Nothing came out.
But Gloria saw him struggling to speak and laughed.
She came closer and cupped her palm over her ear, pretending to strain to hear him.
“What is it? Are you trying to beg for mercy? Go ahead. Beg.”
“Read … mind,” Ty breathed.
Her eyes narrowed. “No such luck, mi amigo. I’ve been trying to do that since you got here. Strange, since it’s something I’m quite good at.”
He gritted his teeth and tried to speak again. It took several tries before he got out, “Off … chain.”
“For God’s sake, I have no idea what you …” Her eyes widened and her gaze bounced to Ty’s throat. “Take off your chain? Your necklace? Is that why I haven’t been able to read your mind? Or Ana’s?”
Ty didn’t bother responding. Gloria chewed her lip. Finally, she crouched down and ripped the necklace off him. Ty immediately felt a tickling sensation in his brain. He saw the moment Gloria read his thoughts in the widening of her eyes.
“No, you’re lying. You’re lying. You’re. Lying!”
She’d started to scream. “Miguel loves me. I know he loved Ana, but he said he always loved me, too. He wouldn’t have hurt me.”
She’d read the truth in Ty’s mind but still denied it.
“You’re wrong,” she said. “You’re wrong and I’m going to prove it. Then I’ll be back to see you burn and suffer, you son of a bitch.”
With that, she was gone.
He’s drinking too much.
One moment, Ana felt her life draining out of her and in the next, she sensed Miguel being ripped away. Something wet splattered on her face. Her torso. Instinctively, she knew it was blood. As she crumpled to the ground, she heard muted screams. She tuned them out, struggling to breathe and get her pounding heart under control.
In the next instant, a shadow hovered over her. A face and form came in and out of focus, one she didn’t recognize. It wasn’t Ty, she thought sadly. Even though someone or something had just killed Miguel, she was still going to die, and she was going to die without seeing Ty again or telling him that she loved him.
“Ty …”
Her savior pulled her into a sitting position, propping her up against the wall. He caressed her face. “You’re hurt and bleeding, but your sister has him, m’ija. I must go if I’m going to save him. I’ll bring him to you. You wait here. Just wait.”
Instinctively, she tried to reach out and stop him from leaving. She wanted him to get Ty, just as he said he would, but she was cold, so cold, and she knew the specter of death was near. She didn’t want to die alone. It didn’t seem right. Didn’t seem fair.
Once he disappeared, however, she began to think maybe she wasn’t going to die after all. Her throat burned where Miguel had bitten her but the pain was easing somewhat. The more she blinked, the more her vision cleared. She could make out distinct shapes now. Colors.
A few more blinks and she saw Miguel, lying on the floor in front of her.
His blood pooled around his body from a mortal wound to the chest.
A knife, she thought. It had to have been dipped in liquid nitrogen. Whoever had saved her had known how to kill a turned vampire, per the instructions of the Vampire Queen.
Had the queen sent a vampire to help them? Had someone from Belladonna broken into the compound? Maybe Peter?
Not him. Her rescuer was someone who’d known her before, she thought confusedly … someone who’d called her m’ija … but only Miguel had ever called her that …
Miguel and Gloria.
Gloria.
Had she already killed Ty?
Ana.
She heard her name, spoken in Ty’s voice. Muffled. Barely there. But yet … there.
Ana, Miguel and Gloria want to hurt you. They’re coming for you. Run!
Fear ripped through her. Fear and doubt.
Was that really Ty in her head, warning her that Gloria was coming for her?
She wouldn’t believe it … except she knew he’d been in her head before. When they’d had sex. When he’d heard her screaming no even when she’d let Louis paw her outside that club. But where was he? Why wasn’t he coming for her?
I love you, Ana. I can’t live without you. Save yourself.
Her body jerked upon hearing Ty’s confession.
He loved her. He was trying to save her.
And as much as she’d wanted to believe her sister would never hurt her, she knew that was a lie now. She loved Ty. And she believed him.
But she couldn’t wait for him to save her. For some reason, he knew that wasn’t possible; that’s why he’d inserted himself into her mind.
She couldn’t stand. She couldn’t run.
But somehow … she had to save herself.
A rabbit was sitting not six inches from Ty’s outstretched hand.
If he could just grab it and bring it to his mouth, he could drink its blood. The influx of fresh animal blood might counter the effects of whatever poison or drug was still running through him.
Might give him some hope of getting to Ana and saving her before Miguel or Gloria harmed her.
His fingers moved closer toward the rabbit. Just three inches away now.
He could see the rabbit’s damn nose twitching.
Help me, he thought. Help me help Ana.
Ty almost had it … almost had it …
With a burst of strength, he lunged out, frantically grasping for the rabbit, but it bounded away.
Ty groaned, an inhuman sound of frustration and despair that was cut off as suddenly as the fleeing rabbit was picked up. He hadn’t moved his fingers more than an inch.
He blinked when someone grabbed his shirt and yanked him into a sitting position. A man who looked vaguely familiar stared back at him even as he brought the rabbit to his mouth and tore open its neck. Then he held the carcass over Ty so the rabbit’s blood dripped down on him.
“Drink. Ana needs you.”
Ty already had his mouth open and was swallowing the rabbit’s blood, but the man’s words caused an influx of power all on their own. They meant everything to him because they told him Ana was still alive. And that he could still save her.
The more blood he swallowed, the more his head cleared. The more his muscles awakened. The more his rage promised vengeance.
He recognized who the man was in front of him. Ty had seen him talking to Miguel inside Bobbie Hernandez’s head. He’d been the one who had sent Officer Southcott after Ty. He’d been the one protecting Ana. And now he was giving Ty the chance to save her life.
I’m coming, Ana. Hang on, baby. I’m coming.
Though she’d tried to prepare herself, Ana couldn’t help it—she jolted when her bedroom door was thrown open and Gloria walked in. Their gazes immediately met and held, just before Gloria’s eyes dropped to the floor where her lover lay in the center of the room. Ana had positioned herself in the corner farthest away from Miguel, her back protected by the wall.
Shock flooded Gloria’s expression, followed swiftly by grief. With a feral shriek, she flung herself at Miguel’s body, her screams growing louder as she realized he was indeed dead. She cradled him in her arms and rocked back and forth until her anguish faded away.
After several minutes, she looked up at Ana.
“Eliana?” she whimpered, her voice that of a little girl seeking comfort. “Eliana, what happened? Are you—are you okay?”