Each time he struck, I dodged and evaded, and he mirrored my movements as I did the same. As he drew back to swipe his talon-like fingers at me, I countered and forced his hand aside, using the opening to direct the knife toward his bared chest.
The knife vanished into the area over his heart, and when it was fully embedded, I stepped back, judged the distance, and spun around to deliver a kick that would send the hilt farther into his chest. To my shock, the entire knife vanished, buried so deep the only way to remove it would be to cut it out.
He howled as he fell to his knees, his furred face lifting, his wild gaze finding mine. There was disbelief there, but my heart sank when I saw something I never expected—relief.
He toppled over and spasmed on the floor. His legs twitched as he emitted a death rattle. I stood over him, panting shallowly, as the vampires began clapping all around me. The wretched fuckers acted like they’d just watched a fucking opera versus the death of two men.
The tug at my ankle brought my attention to the girl who was no older than seventeen. She wrapped her arms around my leg, as if I was some Arthurian protector come to save her from a horde of bandits. Her pitiful face broke something in me, reminding me of a time not so long ago when I’d clung to a police officer who’d lifted me from a bloody bed and helped me onto a stretcher.
“Excellent!” Victoria rose from her chair and the room went silent. “To the victor go the spoils.” She motioned at the girl and told the vampires at her back, “Take it and clean it. You can hand the mutt over to her new owner once she’s free of vermin.”
“No.” I didn’t move, facing off against the bitch that I was growing to hate more and more. When Victoria arched a brow, I said in a level tone, “I’ll clean her up myself.”
An evil grin spread across her face. “So it isn’t just men you find amusing. Fine, then. Enjoy your new toy. Tomorrow I’ll expect you to take care of my poltergeist.”
I didn’t have to turn to know the hand that wrapped around my forearm was Paine’s. The mark was fully open between us, allowing me to sense his rage, his concern and his fear for me. Without breaking the contact, I helped the girl to her feet.
“What’s your name?” I asked softly, torn by the confusion and terror in her eyes.
“J-Jennifer,” she stammered.
Jennifer.
My breath caught, and I remained standing by sheer willpower alone.
Sometimes serendipitous things occur in our lives. Like tragic events, you never see them coming. I couldn’t save my sister, but I could save the girl who shared her name. Perhaps there was some hope in that, some sense of justice.
I lowered my head, trying to keep myself from falling apart as the girl sobbed at my feet. Even though I felt as if something inside of me had been torn apart, shredded into pieces, and irrevocably broken.
Chapter Eleven
After we arrived in Paine’s abode, Jennifer clung to me like a life vessel. The poor girl had been terrified to let me out of her sight. I’d learned a lot of fucked-up shit as I’d coaxed her into the bathtub and made small talk to calm her, such as the fact that she’d been living in the kennels all of her life. I didn’t ask for details, too afraid to delve into questions about her parents, how she was raised, and how in the hell the vampires had started breeding their own personal kennels.
Once she was clean, I tucked her into a bed in one of the extra rooms. She’d fought sleep, as if she was afraid she’d drift off only to wake up in the same terrifying nightmare. As someone who suffered nightmares of my own, I understood and stuck around until she was fully out.
“She’s finally asleep,” I whispered to Paine as I strolled into the living room.
The mark between us was still very much open and alive, something that was foreign and new, as Disco always kept that link between us carefully locked away unless necessary. Because of our link, I was aware that Paine was furious with me, but an underlying worry for my safety was also present. I knew the exchange went both ways, and he would be able to sense my own issues.