Authors: Jez Strider
Just before he pinned me to the mattress I heard him whisper, “Once a whore, always a whore….
Murder?
I wondered.
No, self-defense.
Retribution for centuries of pain.
Definitely.
Casually I glided my hands up underneath the pillow I was lying on.
The movement wasn’t unusual for a woman with lips feasting on her cleavage while she writhed in pleasure.
I wrapped my right hand around the shot of concentrated blood thinner.
One…. I counted down in my head as Dante kissed his way back up to my lips.
Two…. The sound of motorcycles in the near distance interrupted his advances and he turned his head slightly toward the broken doorway, listening.
Three!
Not an ounce of hesitation.
When he turned his head I could sense the faint pulsing artery in his neck.
The needle hit exactly where I had aim it and I pushed the stopper injecting every last drop of the drug into his body.
Immediately, the vampire enraged, grabbing my neck and holding me down against the bed.
Where was the knife?
I fumbled around underneath my head, struggling for air as his fingers coiled tighter around my throat.
Eventually, the cold touch of steel hit my palm, gashing open the flesh.
Closing the butterfly knife before hiding it would have made it too difficult to attack with, but now I’d cut myself and the scent of my blood would push the vampire further over the edge.
The whites of Dante’s eyes turned red as he glared down at me.
In his fury, he hadn’t pulled the needle from his neck.
A lower set of fangs extended on his bottom row of teeth.
Never had I seen anything like it.
It was a horrific scene to witness.
He was a monster.
Pain from his grip made it hard to think and I was running out of oxygen fast.
The leather choker was digging into my flesh.
“Ungrateful slut!”
Droplets of his spit splattered my face as he hissed down at me.
“Death is too good for you, but it will satisfy me!”
And then he lunged at me with all four fangs.
I brought the knife around and stabbed him in the opposing side of the neck.
This time he stumbled back and the knife clattered heavily to the floor.
I rolled off the bed gasping for air and making my way toward the desk.
The stashed kitchen knife was right where I had hidden it when I jerked open the drawer.
God, I wished it was a gun instead.
I brandished the weapon at the evil bastard.
“Stay back!”
The threat in my voice was real and he knew it.
Evelina
Angelis, the one he abused, was long gone.
Evelyn Angel wasn’t taking anymore shit from Dante
Sanuto
.
Blood profusely gushed from the open wound and it was not healing as it normally would.
He jerked the needle from his neck and tossed it to the floor.
My plan was working.
I’d done a small test on my own blood in a glass and the effects of blood thinner on vampire blood had been promising enough for me to take this risk.
Fighting had broken out in other parts of the house when the motorcycles had arrived.
I heard gun shots, screams, and furniture breaking.
If I could get out of this bedroom, I could probably find some support.
Dante taunted me, walking side to side with his arms ready to catch me if I ran.
“You’re dead.
You know it’ll take more than this to kill me.
Trapped again, my love.”
He made a tsk sound and mock pouted at me.
“I could have loved you for saving me.
But, no.
Nothing was ever good enough.”
Stalling seemed like a good tactic.
The longer he bled, the weaker he would become.
“Were you always like this?
Self-absorbed and cruel?”
I questioned him and I was honestly curious.
The desk was between us and I was hoping to keep it that way.
He let out a maniacal sounding laugh.
“Oh,
Evelina
, when you have lived as long as I you will be much the same.
Even after all this you will find yourself changed, much more….” He tried to pick the right word for me, taking his time as if I wasn’t a real threat.
“Cynical?” was the word he finally chose.
“You don’t think I loved?
Cried to the heavens and wrote poetry about my heart breaking?”
He asked.
Whether or not he was being truthful or mocking me was impossible to tell.
My hand throbbed from gripping the knife handle so tightly.
“I’ll never be like you.”
I spit the words at him and I hoped he could tell how much I hated him.
“It’s true.
You won’t live long enough to be like me.”
With that, he finally came for me.
Instincts can be powerful, so I just let them guide my actions.
The desk was thick, heavy wood but when I gave it a shove it went careening into my foe.
I had the knife still gripped tightly in my hand.
In the split second that Dante stumbled I made a run for the door.
Since it was broken it gave me just enough time to get through before he could grab me.
There were people everywhere.
Vampire against vampire, humans crying for help, and bikers beating up anyone in their path.
Where did these bikers come from?
I didn’t have time to think about it.
The vampire leader was on my trail chasing me at full speed down the hallway.
I ran as fast my legs would take me.
I turn briefly when I reached the end of the long hall and ran smack into someone who’d just charged into the corridor.
Someone must have flipped a switch and slowed down time during the next few seconds.
The jolt of the collision knocked the blade from my hand and it dropped to the floor.
I didn’t know if the person I’d run into was friend or enemy.
My gaze turned to the person, but he wasn’t looking at me.
He just slipped his arm around me and held me close to his chest.
His other arm was extended, pointing down the hallway at my pursuer.
One shot rang out and after a brief moment I heard the heavy
thunk
of the body hit the floor.
The shooter guided me over to the body.
A single bullet hole was in Dante’s forehead.
It was incredible, but the vampire still wasn’t dead.
His hand was lifted and he was reaching out toward me.
Marcus glanced at me and time returned to full speed when he unloaded the rest of the clip into the vampire’s vital organs.
“Babe, I like your friends.
Except for the damn vamps.”
It was so good to hear his voice.
He removed the choker from my neck and tossed it onto the corpse of my maker.
Chaos ensued around us, but we seemed to be apart from it.
He took my hand and led me toward the main room.
His biker friends had secured that much of the house.
I followed his lead in mute shock.
Antonio was yelling at the person who’d just set him free. He was wearing a long leather jacket now to cover his nakedness. I assumed one of the bikers gave it to him. “Get out of my way.
I have to find, Eve!”
He gave the man a shove and started the hunt.
It was a short hunt, but I was grateful nonetheless.
When he saw Marc and then me, he walked up pulling me into a tight hug.
“I’m so glad you’re alright.” He was still badly wounded, but I could visibly see him healing before my eyes.
“I’m sorry how everything happened and how I blamed you.”
I told Antonio and he kissed my cheek softly.
We were good for now.
After a few moments he pulled away from me and turned to face Marcus with an extended hand.
“You saved her.”
Marcus accept Antonio’s hand shake.
“Of course, I did.”
Suddenly, Antonio pulled Marc into a hug as well, giving him a firm pat on the back.
I would have probably laughed at the awkward look on Marc’s face if I wasn’t still standing there in shock.
“You’re a good man, Hart.
Eroe
!”
Antonio cheered, calling him a hero in Italian.
He’d gained freedom just as I had and I could see the weight lifted off his shoulders.
“I don’t even know what that means, but thanks.”
Marcus said and put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to him.
It finally dawned on me that I didn’t see
Taya
anywhere.
“Where’s
Taya
?”
I asked with concern.
Antonio’s expression grew grim and he shook his head.
“She ran when they let her go.
When I get this place under control, I’m going to hunt her down.
Whatever happens with her, it’s not your fault.
Okay?”
He waited for me to respond and I nodded.
“Take her home.
We’re going to have a vampire beheading and burning.
It’ll symbolize me taking control and
Evelina
doesn’t need to see any more of this.”
He was right, but I rolled my eyes.
I’d been the one with the plan that defeated the vampire.
Now they were back to taking care of me.
I worried about Dante’s followers still in the house, but the fighting had mostly died down now.
The only thing I was hearing was everyone talking heatedly.
“My friends will hang out until you have everything settled.
I paid them well.”
Marcus told Antonio before turning away and guiding me out of the building to where his motorcycle was parked.
In the distance, I could hear the new leader of the vampires shouting out orders and directions.
It was a great excuse for me to get out of there quickly.
I used to miss the things from my past but now I just wanted to live in the present and forgot it all.
Marcus and I stood there in the moonlight next to his bike just looking at each other.
Once again, I didn’t know where our relationship stood.
Marc seemed to be having the same problem.
He reached into jeans pocket and pulled out my engagement ring.
“This….” He held the ring up at my eye level.
“This means no more secrets, no more tricks, and no more running away.”
My hand was shaking when he reached out and took it, holding it steady as he slipped the ring back on my finger.
“No more crazy vamps.”