“Get me out! Don’t you smell the gas? Don’t you—”
Julian grabbed the guy’s arm. “You drugged her. Were you part of that team in the alley? Were you there for her all along?” Because the club was an obvious place to hunt for a vampire. With drinks flowing so heavily, with people dancing and getting lost in the moment—a club like that one was practically a dream vampire destination. And a vampire hunter would have known that. You just waited there, didn’t you, hoping that the vamp in the area would come in…
The answer was on the man’s face. “Get me out.” Now he was pleading. “And I’ll tell you everything.”
A siren shrieked in the distance. The woman he’d sent away—she’d probably called the cops. He sighed. Humans. Always asking for more trouble.
“You drugged her.” He didn’t need any other explanation. “That was your mistake.”
Fire ignited near the back of the vehicle, flames shooting up into the air.
The human screamed. “Get me out now!”
“Looks like someone is about to burn.” He smiled. “Like I said, you made a mistake.” Then Julian left the bastard. He went back to Rose, ignoring the man’s screams. She was still out cold, dammit.
The blond roared. “Get me out—and I’ll tell you everything I know!”
Julian stared down at Rose.
Her lashes began to flutter. His lips parted as he crouched before her. “Come on. Come back to me.” He let his claws slide out and he raked his forearm, a deep enough cut that blood trickled to the surface. Then he gave Rose that blood, knowing it would help heal her.
At first, she didn’t drink.
The sirens grew louder. The scent of smoke and the crackle of flames were louder.
“He has a muse! She’s locked up! A muse and an angel!”
Rose’s lips pressed to Julian’s forearm. She began to drink. The icy tendrils finally released his heart.
“He’s got a witch locked up, too! The guy wanted a mermaid, but he didn’t get her. The vampire is next on his list—he wants her because she wasn’t bitten or born, but created from magic. Oh, shit, dammit, the flames are almost on me! Get me out! Get me out!”
Rose’s green eyes were open. She pushed his arm away, frowning. “Julian?”
The human screamed again—this time, the cry was ripe with pain.
“He’s burning.” Julian didn’t move. “Do you want him to live or die?”
Horror flashed on her face. “Live.”
Because she was still a human at heart. She didn’t get that some monsters were better off dead. After the hell she’d been through, he’d thought she would have learned that particular dark truth by now.
“Only for you,” he said then he leapt away from her. If it had been his call alone, that wanker would have burned. In seconds, Julian was back at the SUV. He crawled through the passenger side. The flames ate at his arm, burning the forearm he’d offered to her moments before. Then he was shoving against the steering wheel, freeing the worthless bastard who’d hurt Rose. Julian dragged the guy out of the SUV, and the blond was groaning and moaning the whole damn time.
The sirens were closer now. The human cops would be arriving soon. Not much time for talking…
So he’d cut right to the chase.
He brought his claws up and shoved them against the man’s throat. “Where were you taking her?”
Fear—he could smell it. The guy reeked of fear. A human who was in way over his head. “I-I was…”
“Where.”
“To…to a boat down on the dock. My boss…he has a boat there.”
Julian let his claws cut the fool’s skin. “The name of the boat.” Not a question. An order.
“Th-the Pandora.”
Because the bastard liked to put creatures into a box? “Where are the others you mentioned?” Julian barked at him.
“I don’t know, I swear!” The human was shaking. “I don’t—”
The cops were almost there. The sirens were blasting in Julian’s ears. “I have your scent. Wherever you go, I can find you now.” He smiled and knew his elongated teeth would flash. His beast was far too close to the surface. “Never make the mistake of going near Rose again. If you do, I’ll rip the flesh from your body.”
“Julian…” Rose’s soft voice. “We…we need to leave.”
He dropped the human. Just let him fall into a pile of waste on the ground. Then he turned toward Rose. Now she’s ready to leave with me. Good choice, love. Good choice. Rose was on her feet, but she was trembling—not the hard shakes of the human, but small tremors that rocked her body. He caught her hand in his, and his fingers smoothed over her wrist, a delicate caress that seemed second nature to him.
He pulled her toward the motorcycle. He got on and brought the engine snarling to life. She stood beside the bike, staring at him, her eyes so big and deep.
If a man had a soul, he could get lost in eyes like hers.
But Julian had traded his soul already.
Traded it for her.
The wind caught her thick, red hair, tossing it around her face. His fingers itched to brush it back. Control your shit, man. Focus.