A loud crack from above was accompanied by falling debris. It hit us with more force than I’d anticipated. It knocked the Dragon Claw from Linden’s hand, and I scrambled to pick it up. As my fingers closed around the hilt, a large piece of metal crashed into my skull.
Wiping tears from my burning eyes, I whirled to find Linden holding a piece of debris ready for another smack. Unable to breathe, I lurched toward the exit, or at least where I thought it should be. Linden followed, determined to keep me from escaping him. I swung the dagger and just barely missed him. Shit!
I fell to my knees, fighting to see my way out and avoid the next blow headed my way. The outline of a wolf loomed in the distance. The exit must have been farther than I thought. Shaz dodged fallen debris and flames as he came to my aid. With fangs bared and a growl rumbling in his throat, he leaped at Linden, knocking him away from me. The two of them struggled. There was a crack of bone.
The roar of flames was loud in my ears. Every snap and crackle promised a horrible fate. I heaved myself toward the door, the dagger dragging on the floor behind me. A hand wrapped around my ankle, jerking me back. Linden fought hard. With Shaz on his back, attacking furiously, he pulled me close. I swung wildly with the dagger, connecting with rubble.
The warehouse groaned. The screech of twisting metal pierced my ears. I looked up in time to see the roof bow dangerously.
If I was going down, I was taking Linden with me. I thrust the dagger forward in a last ditch attempt. Whether it struck home or not, I didn’t know. The ceiling came down, and I had only seconds to cover my head with my arms and hope for the best.
* * * *
“I bet you have a bitch of a headache.”
The disembodied voice floated above me. I opened my eyes to find Jez’s face, upside down as she leaned over to scrutinize me. My vision tilted to one side, and my stomach rolled in a nauseous wave. Contrary to her assumption, my head didn’t feel all that bad. In fact, my entire body felt numb. My throat was dry, my mouth like cotton. It took great effort to do more than lay there and groan.
“You were a mess when Shaz dragged you out of that warehouse,” Jez continued, brushing the hair back from my face before helping me sip some water. “Bad concussion. Blood, bruises, the works. Arys healed the worst of it. You looked so much worse. Wow, he has a hell of a healing touch, huh? Packs a bit of an erotic punch. I was so not prepared for that.”
I rolled over and sat up, unable to focus on the rambling leopard. My head swam. “Can we go home now?”
“You’re singing my song,” Jez muttered. “I have never wanted my own bed as bad as I do right now.”
I was on a bed at The Wicked Kiss. The soft silky feel of the blankets against my skin shouldn’t have so easily caught my attention. My club back home was getting a makeover if I had to pay for it myself.
“Where’s Shaz? Did he get everyone out of there before the building came down? What happened to Linden?” I swung my legs over the side of the bed and, still feeling good, stood up.
“Downstairs. Yes, he did. And nobody knows. You know vampires, Lex. It takes more than a collapsed building to kill them.”
“And Sloane?” I hadn’t encountered her during my escape. She and I had a score to settle.
“On the run. Jenner figures she’s already out of the state.”
It felt so damn good to be free of Falon’s manic energy. It would be a cold day in hell before I’d do that again.
I took a few minutes to use the en suite bathroom. It was small yet still somehow maintained a semblance of class. Instead of just a shower, it boasted of a tub big enough for two. A perusal in the mirror showed a pale blonde with disheveled hair and tired brown eyes. Ah brown, that was what I wanted to see. A faint bruise darkened the skin around one eye. A pink scar was all that remained of both dagger wounds.
All things considered, I felt better than I should. I also felt hungry. Demanding nourishment, the bloodlust echoed my mortal hunger.
We went downstairs to where Arys and Shaz sat around a table with Jenner and Roscoe. “They don’t have him locked up or something?” I asked Jez as we crossed the noisy dance floor in making our way to them.
She shrugged, her lips twisting into a disapproving grimace. “That’s what I said, but apparently being family or whatever gets you some kind of free f**k up pass.”
“Not in my family it doesn’t.”
I stalked through the nightclub with one thing in mind. My pace quickened. I wasn’t at full strength, but one should never underestimate how strong rage can make you.
Arys looked up at my approach. His relief immediately turned to shock when I grabbed Roscoe by the throat and dragged him out of his chair. I forced him down on his knees before me.
“Give me one reason to let you live,” I growled into his face.