“We already know where she is,” Elgin told her in a bored tone.
“Liar,” Shayla accused weakly.
“It’s true,” Corbin agreed. “Before you were delivered to us, we were planning to go over there and start killing people to get to her. You can save lives by giving us the code to your phone so we can call Mason. He’s with Talia, isn’t he?”
“Stay away from Mason!” the breeder snarled.
Elgin laughed. “Stupid breeder. If you don’t help us, I promise he’ll die first. A bullet to the head should do the trick.”
Leaning in closer, Corbin spoke quietly near her ear. “You can save him. We don’t want to kill him or you. Give us the code for the phone so we can negotiate with him rather than killing everyone in that house.”
“He’ll never negotiate with you,” the breeder insisted, her head dropping to the ground when he released her hair.
“Then why avoid letting us call him?” Corbin asked. “Give us the code to your phone, and we’ll find out for ourselves.”
Elgin leaned forward and waved the phone in front her face. “We’ll get what we want one way or another. Are you really so selfish you’ll allow others to die rather than letting us use your phone?”
Corbin was surprised when the breeder quickly got to her knees and shoved him back. Jumping to her feet, she kicked out at Elgin. Her kick caught Elgin’s wrist, sending the phone flying across the room. Shayla punched Jared in the diaphragm and ran toward the phone. Corbin signaled for the others to wait as the breeder raced out of the room, phone in hand.
He stalked the breeder at a leisurely pace, making his way out of the room in time to see the breeder knock two of his vampires down the stairs. Corbin was impressed with her skills, even if she was a fool for thinking she could escape.
Shayla unlocked the phone and spoke into it as she tried to fight her way out of the house.
“Mason!” she shouted. “They know where you are. Get out of there before they kill you.”
Corbin wasted no time, making his move. Rather than trying to block her blows, he slammed into Shayla’s body, knocking her to the ground and sending the phone flying.
“Shayla!” Mason shouted from the other end of the line.
Elgin grinned down at Shayla as Corbin pinned her to the ground.
“Don’t listen to them,” Shayla shouted.
“Hello, Mason,” Elgin said in a pleasant voice.
Chapter Forty-Six
Mason put the call on speaker, so they were all being as quiet as possible while he spoke to Elgin. With the way Mason was clutching his phone, Drew was surprised he hadn’t crushed it.
“If you hurt her, I’ll kill you,” Mason warned through his teeth.
Elgin laughed. “The little breeder is a hellcat. I’m surprised you haven’t had her put down. We could always take care of that for you.”
“Stop playing games and tell me what you want,” Mason snapped.
“I want the experiment,” Elgin replied. “Talia is her name. She comes with us, and you can have your little breeder back.”
“Don’t do it!” Shayla shouted.
Drew was surprised she was trying to protect Talia. From what he could tell, Phoenix was the only person Shayla cared enough about to protect.
Mason looked at Talia and then back at his phone. Drew could see his struggle. Either way, he’d be failing someone he loved.
“I’ll agree to the trade,” Talia said loudly.
“It’s very rude to put people on speaker,” Elgin admonished. “I’ll forgive you since it appears Talia is listening. That is you, Talia, isn’t it?”
“It’s me,” Talia replied. “What do you want from me?”
“Get the others out of the house,” Elgin began. “I know you aren’t alone. Get Mason and the other women out. We’ll have people watching them leave. Once you’re alone, we’ll come for you. Shayla can stay in the house when you leave with us if you behave yourself.”
“Fine,” Talia agreed. “Mason and the others will leave. Anything else?”
There was a pause while Elgin listened to someone. “That’s a good idea,” he told the person in the background before returning to the call. “Have one of them tie your hands behind your back before we arrive. They should leave the front door unlocked. You have half an hour to comply or we’ll kill Shayla. That is, we’ll kill her after we have a little fun with the hellcat.”
The call ended, and there was stunned silence in the room before Mason finally reacted. “We need to find another way to save Shayla.”
“There is no other way,” Talia told him.
“She’s right,” Drew agreed, continuing when Mason was about to argue. “If I thought there was any other way, I’d suggest it. We don’t have time to sit around here trying to come up with a better idea. We have thirty minutes. That means they’re close to us.”
“Maybe Isaiah can trace Shayla’s phone,” Caitlin suggested.
“That’s a good idea!” Mason almost shouted. “We’ll find her and rescue her.”
“They’ll already be on their way here,” Talia argued.
“She’s right,” Tempest agreed. “This could still work. They don’t know the house is being watched.”
“I also doubt they know how many people are in the house,” Drew added. “That means some of us can stay behind. Mason’s been seen, so he has to leave. Who else has been visible at windows or has gone outside since Talia contacted Corbin?”
“I’ve been watching the upstairs window with Willow,” Ivy replied.
“I was probably spotted looking out the front window,” Caitlin admitted.
“Damn,” Drew muttered. “It would have been nice to have a mind reader in here.”
“We don’t read minds,” Ivy argued.
“I know,” Drew said. “You just read projected thoughts. Caitlin can also scare the fuck out of people. She did it with my mom.”
“She’s also extremely recognizable, so we need to send her out with Mason, Willow, and Ivy,” Talia told them.
That left them with four people. He was tempted to suggest Lydia leave, too, but they needed the extra person.
“This is a very bad idea,” Mason muttered.
“It’ll be fine,” Drew assured him, hoping he was right.
When Mason stormed out of the room to gather his things, Talia slipped her arms around Drew from behind. “Everything will be fine. You do know that, don’t you?”
Drew turned in her arms and brushed his lips against hers before responding. “I really hope you’re right. There’s something I need you to understand before they get there.”
“What’s that?” she asked, pulling back some to meet his eyes.
“I’m going to kill anyone I see as a threat to you,” he told her in a cold voice. “I won’t warn them, and I definitely won’t feel an ounce of guilt.”
Talia leaned in to kiss his cheek. “You aren’t telling me anything I don’t already know. That’s one of the reasons I’m glad you’re here.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
“Under other circumstances, this might turn me on,” Drew murmured close to Talia’s ear as he secured her hands behind her back. “We should definitely try this later.”
Talia shook her head. “This isn’t the time for one of your sexual fantasies.” Even as she admonished Drew for his suggestion, she was glad he was trying to lighten the mood.
“How are you really feeling?” he asked as he moved around to stand in front of her.
“Annoyed,” she admitted. “I’m also a little nervous about seeing Corbin. We’re related by blood, but he left me there to be used as an experiment for years.”
“You’re related to all the vampires coming here today,” he pointed out. “Don’t let that depress you. I’m sure the family has people who aren’t complete assholes.”
“I don’t really care either way,” she assured him. “Getting to know them is not a high priority for me.”
“They should
be here any minute, but I wanted to say something,” he began nervously.
“This had better not be about sex,” she warned playfully. Everyone was tense, not knowing how many vampires were on the way. Isaiah was watching the place with four people from his security company—all armed and ready to deal with anyone on the outside. Tempest, Drew, and Lydia would all be hidden from view. They wanted the vampires to believe it was just Talia so they’d let their guards down.
“It’s not about sex,” Drew told her. “This is a lot harder than I expected.”
“Maybe we should talk about it later,” Talia suggested. “You need to get into position before they get here.”
Drew cupped her chin and leaned forward to brush his lips against hers. “You amaze me. You’re the one.”
“I know,” she agreed with a wobbly smile. “I feel the same about you. Now, go hide so you don’t end up getting us both killed.”
Drew kissed her one last time before moving to his hiding place upstairs. What they were doing was risky, and Talia had no clue if it was going to work, but something had to be done.
After about ten minutes of pacing the front room, the door finally opened and seven vampires entered. All had pale blond hair and brown eyes. One of the men had Shayla’s limp body slung over his shoulder.
“You look remarkably like my mother,” Corbin stated, sounding awed. Talia easily recognized Corbin’s voice.
When she said nothing, the vampire at the back of the group moved forward to study her. Dressed in black skinny jeans and a gray t-shirt, he looked young. His blond hair fell forward, framing his thin face.
“You must be Talia,” he stated in a bored tone as he walked around her. “I’m Elgin. It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”
“Are you here to kill me?” she asked, refusing to pretend they were having a pleasant conversation.
Corbin shook his head. “We just need you to come with us.”
“Why don’t you put Shayla upstairs on one of the beds?” she suggested.
“Why would we do that?” Elgin asked with a mocking smirk.
“You agreed to let her go,” Talia reminded him impatiently. “I’m here just like you asked. Now, put her upstairs, and then you can kill me or whatever else you have planned.”
“You seem very interested in the well-being of the breeder,” Elgin mused. “Perhaps, we should keep her with us. It might encourage you to behave better. At this point, I’m not at all impressed with your attitude.”
Talia knew she needed to get them to put Shayla down before any fighting started. The vampires had already proven they’d use Shayla to get their way, and they’d probably have no issue using her as a shield.
“Please,” Talia begged, trying to sound meek. “Just leave her here. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Put her upstairs,” Elgin told the vampire carrying her, and the vampire nodded before hurrying up the stairs.
“Thank you,” Talia told him with a fake smile.
“You’ll have plenty of opportunities to show me your gratitude,” Elgin murmured as he moved closer. “I’m sure you’re wondering what we’ve decided to do with you.”
“You won’t be hurt,” Corbin quickly added. “I’ve made sure you’ll be safe.”
Elgin’s laugh had a sinister quality to it. “As long as you know your place, you’ll be fine. Corbin has arranged a wonderful life for you. It’s far more than you deserve, considering your filthy hunter genes.”
Talia needed to play along a little longer. Once Shayla was safe, she and the others would try to take down Elgin and his vampires. The one who’d gone upstairs would be dealt with first. “You really enjoy playing games, don’t you?” she asked.
Elgin frowned. “Games? I suggest you watch your tone. You are being offered the chance to be the mother of my children, and you’re acting like an ungrateful bitch.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” The words just slipped out of Talia’s mouth as she reacted to the shock of what Elgin had said.
“Don’t push him, Talia.” Corbin’s warning sounded more like a plea. “This is the only way to keep you alive.”
“He’s right,” Elgin said as he moved around behind her and pressed the barrel of a gun against her back. “You either do as you’re told, or I’ll kill you. Not with the gun. I’ll only injure you with the gun before I spend days torturing you and the little breeder upstairs. It’s a simple choice. You can do as you’re told or die. Which is it going to be? Either way, I’ll get to enjoy you.”
“She’ll behave!” Corbin interrupted quickly. “Just do as you're told and everything will be fine, Talia.”
With Elgin pointing a gun at her back, the others wouldn’t make a move yet. She needed to create a distraction that would throw the vampires off.
“How do you expect to get me pregnant?” she asked Elgin. “Hunters can’t have children.”
Elgin laughed before leaning in to graze the side of her neck with his distended fangs. “We already know you aren’t a hunter. You weren’t born with a mark. That makes you a breeder since you were living among hunters. They hid you well. Originally, I’d just planned to kill you. It was Corbin who pointed out how interesting it would be to see if you could birth powerful offspring. You are related to a very powerful vampire family.”
“I’m more vampire than breeder,” she stated.
Elgin jerked back. “Don’t be so arrogant!”
“I’m not,” Talia assured him before opening her mouth to allow her fangs to distend.
The other vampires in the room gasped, and Elgin gripped her shoulder to turn her to face him.
“This is impossible,” Elgin breathed out, holstering his gun so he could reach out to touch her fangs.
“I wouldn’t put your hands on my woman,” Drew warned.
Elgin turned, hand reaching for his gun, just as Talia sank her fangs into the side of his neck.
Chapter Forty-Eight
All hell broke loose the moment Talia bit Elgin, and Drew knew he needed to get to her fast. While not normally helpless, Talia’s hands were tied behind her back and she was surrounded by vampires. He wanted to even up the odds for her. To do that, he launched himself at one of the vampires near Talia’s back, knocking him to the ground.
Lydia wasted no time jumping into the fight, her hair recently cut off so it wouldn’t get in the way. Her fist slammed into the cheek of one of the vampires, causing him to stumble back. She followed up with a blow to the jaw. Tempest had to be nearby if the two vampires dodging flying objects were anything to go by.
The vampire Drew had taken down tried to pull a gun, but Drew disarmed him with little effort. Slamming the butt of the gun into the vampire’s nose, Drew grunted at the satisfying crunch. Getting to his feet, he found Talia’s fangs still in Elgin’s throat. Elgin had regained his composure enough to try reaching for his gun again.
“Get back, Talia,” Drew shouted. Thankfully, Talia trusted him enough to listen. She released Elgin’s throat and spit blood on the ground as she jerked back.
Just as Elgin pulled his gun, Talia spun and landed a roundhouse kick to his wrist, sending it flying. “Bitch,” Elgin snarled, before his fist made contact with Talia’s chin, knocking her to the ground.
Drew was certain Talia could handle Elgin on her own if her hands weren’t bound, but right now, the asshole definitely had an unfair advantage.
“That was a stupid fucking move,” Drew told Elgin as he casually walked toward him. Lydia and Tempest seemed to be doing fine dealing with the other vampires, and Corbin had yet to join the fight. That left Drew free to deal with the man stupid enough to hit the woman he loved.
“Don’t get in our way or you’ll end up dead,” Elgin warned.
Drew chuckled. “Do you really think I’m afraid of some little bitch like you?”
“You should be,” Elgin told him. “I have the power to destroy you and your family.”
“Gonna be hard to follow through with that thr
eat,” Drew told him. “You’ll be dead soon. Not too soon. My mother taught me the joys of toying with my kills.”
“You can’t kill me,” Elgin said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I have a dozen of my people outside. They’ll be in here soon to find out why I’m not already on my way out.”
“Your vampires have other things to worry about at the moment,” Isaiah interrupted as he walked into the house with his weapon drawn.
Drew grinned. “Looks like this day is going to shit fast for you, Elgin.”
“Can someone untie me?” Talia asked.
“I got it,” Lydia offered, having dealt with the vampire she’d been fighting. Drew decided he wouldn’t doubt her in the future.
“We can’t kill Elgin,” Isaiah told Drew.
“He has to die,” Drew argued.
“I agree.” Those were the first words Corbin had spoken since the fight broke out. He’d moved to the side of the room and watched in silence.
Drew didn’t take his eyes off Elgin, knowing the moment he did, Elgin would go for the gun he’d dropped. He’d let the others worry about Corbin.
“Put the gun down, Corbin,” Talia ordered.
The deafening sound of the gunshot was enough to make every vampire in the room cry out. Elgin collapsed to the ground, blood pooling from his chest wound. When Drew turned, he found Corbin wildly waving the gun around. It took a moment for the ringing in his ears to let up enough to hear what was being said.
“Do you understand me?” Corbin shouted, probably having trouble hearing himself after the gunshot.
“Set the gun on the ground,” Drew told him.
Isaiah already had his gun aimed at Corbin.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone. I just want to leave here,” Corbin assured him. “Come with me, Talia.”
Talia snorted. “I don’t think so.”
Corbin frowned. “Do you know how many people I’ve killed to protect you? You’re my daughter, and you’ll come with me. We’ll be a family.”
“I am a science experiment gone wrong,” she ground out.
Wicked Crazy Vampire Love (Psy-Vamp Book 7) Page 20
