by Bree Younger
“Tsk, tsk, your pauvre head, it must ache so.” Another stroke, pushing her hair to the side. “Such a nasty bump. But we must make you more confortable. Come, Robert, help me turn the petite over.”
Libby felt hands on her, pushing and tugging until she was flopped over on her back. The new position was not better. Her hands were now painfully digging into her back in an awkward angle, and her head ached even more than before.
“There, that is much better. Oh, my. You are a very étrange-looking femme, n’est pas? So tiny. Like a fée, almost. And your hair. Most peculiar. I’m afraid I do not see what my Tyler sees in you. Most intéressant. He likes fucking you, non?” A hard yank on her hair sent another dart of pain through her head. She felt nauseous, but she bit her lip, determined not to moan again. She didn’t want to give this sadistic bitch the satisfaction. “Do you find her très jolie, Robert? Would you want such a maigre bag of bones in your bed? She has not breasts. No hips. She looks like a garçon, doesn’t she?”
More footsteps and then a rustle, and she knew the man knelt down beside her opposite the woman. She could feel his knee brush against her hip. “Well, I don’t know about all that. She’s cute enough. I’d do her. I kinda like that wild hair of hers. She’s a little bit of a thing, that’s true, but I bet that pussy of hers would be tight as a vise grip.” He laughed, and she felt his hand moving across her abdomen and lower. She squeezed her legs together, trying to keep his hands from touching her more intimately, and he laughed again. “Oh, yeah. Nice.”
Libby swallowed nervously. Please, God. Not rape. Let them just go ahead and kill her. She knew they were going to, but she didn’t think she could stand the feel of that man’s hands on her another minute.
A light tinkling laugh came from the woman. “Oh, vous hommes. You are all the same. As long as a woman has breasts and a pussy, you desire her. Don’t you agree, petite?”
As the woman continued to carry on the bizarre one-sided conversation, the man’s hands continued to touch her body intimately, tunneling under her shirt and playing with the button closure of her shorts. She tried to move away, but there was nowhere for her to go.
“Very nice.” The man squeezed her breast roughly, pinching the nipple hard and making her moan in pain. She felt him catch the sides of her blouse in his hands and flinched as he jerked, sending the buttons flying. She couldn’t stop the cry of rage and fear.
“No! Please, oh God. Please don’t—”
“Oh, petite, don’t worry. Robert will not be allowed to have you. No matter what he would like, there just isn’t the time for such jeux. Move away, Robert.” The woman petted her arm, and Libby breathed a sigh of relief before she felt the vampiress bending closer as if she were going to whisper something in her ear. Then she bit. It hurt. God, so bad. Libby tried to pull away but was held in a tight grip. Then she knew the horror of feeling the faint stirring of arousal caused by the vampire’s bite. She wanted to fight but could only manage a pathetic cry which sounded a lot like a moan of pleasure. Finally the vampiress pulled back. “Umm. Délicieux. I think I begin to realize what Ty wants with you, petite. If I only had a bit more time. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that our little hiding spot will soon be découvert. Apparently Tyler and Quinn have managed to capture and then recapture one of my lieutenants. And he is aware of this endroit.”
Libby felt the woman push to standing. “I gave her a venomous bite, Robert. Get two of vos hommes. Three more bites with venom. That should kill la fille. No more. I don’t want her turned. I want her dead. Vous comprenez? More than that will give her immortalité. The dark life. I don’t want her to become Ty’s eternal amoureux. I want her morte…painfully.”
The man beside her sighed. “I understand, mistress. It’s a shame, though. You should let us have her for a while. Just for some fun.”
“Non. I already told you there is no time. Do you not understand, idiote? I’m leaving now. You take care of her and les autres—the others—and then follow me. I do not want to be here when they find this place. And they will find it. I know.”
“All right. We’ll take care of everything.”
“Bien. Then meet me at the river house in New Orleans when vous avez fini, oui?”
“Yes.”
“Do not mess this up, Robert. You will not like les conséquences.”
“I’ll do as you ask, mistress. Don’t worry about it.”
“And you, petite.” Libby cringed back as the woman’s voice was directed at her. “It was a plaisir meeting you. I’m so sorry things have to end this way. C’est la vie.”
As the voice of the vampiress faded, Libby began struggling against her bonds. The horror of what they planned to do to her sent her into a panicked haze.
A chuckle sounded above her. “My mistress sure knows how to come up with some painful ways of killing. There’s not much that hurts worse than dying of venom poisoning. ‘Cept maybe cooking in the sun all day. I bet that boy was looking pretty damn bad when you found him out there, huh?” Libby could hear the admiration in his voice. The he yelled, “Rudy. Earl. Come here. I got a treat for you.”
Libby wanted to scream as the vampire called Robert bent over her. He jerked down her bra, and she felt his teeth sink into her breast. Then she did scream when the others joined him.
* * * *
Quinn’s phone rang. Ty halted the pacing he’d been doing in Libby’s living room for the past two hours and turned to where his brother sat on the sofa. Diaz strode in from the kitchen along with two of his weres. Quinn quickly checked the number before he clicked open the cell. “Yes, Hawk. What have you got for us?”
Ty distantly heard Hawk’s voice giving Quinn an address. As soon as Hawk finished speaking, Ty and Quinn were heading for the front door. “Excellent work, Hawk. And Cumbest? Good. We’ll meet you there.”
The weres and other vampires who were waiting outside followed them. Quinn paused to speak to Diaz. “This isn’t your fight. You don’t have to come.”
Ty saw the dark look Diaz shot Quinn. “He killed one of mine. I’m going.”
Ty and Quinn exchanged a quick glance, and Ty nodded at his brother. They could use all the help they could get. And Diaz and his weres were tough as nails. A little rougher around the edges than the vampires, but well-trained and battle-ready. He wouldn’t want to have to go up against them in a fight.
“Let’s do it, then,” Quinn said. “They’re at a house in the northern part of Harrison County.” He gave them all the address to program into their GPS units. “Not sure how many will be there, but I can tell you that they will be armed and extremely dangerous. Plus there will probably be some bloodslaves as well as the hostage they’ve taken. We’ll need to be careful. Follow us.”
Soon they were on their way. Ty checked over his weapons to make sure they were fully loaded. The cartridges were lead base but with a silver outer layer which made it harder for the vampire bodies to heal the wounds. Silver wasn’t poisonous to vampires like it was to the weres, but it definitely slowed them down. His knife was also coated with silver.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Libby, what she was going through, how frightened she must be. He couldn’t let himself imagine that she might already be dead or badly hurt. Staying positive was the only thing that was keeping him halfway sane.
At the exit from the main road, Hawk and several other vamps and werewolves were waiting for them. Quinn flashed his headlights and the two new vehicles fell in behind them.
By the time Quinn made the turn onto the dirt road which led to the vampires’ lair, Ty was ready for action. They stopped and pulled into the woods, hiding their vehicles back in the bushes. They wanted to go in as quietly as possible, hoping to surprise the vamps. Vampires and weres spread out in a loose circle and slowly began creeping forward, making sure to stay silent as well as downwind of the vampires with their superior senses. Ty had to force himself to hold back and not go rushing in. He knew it would do Libby no good to go dashing in without an
y idea what to expect. That was the way to get them both killed.
The buildings finally came in to view. A large ranch-style home sat cozily on a huge piece of land. Several cars and a van were parked in the circular drive. To one side and slightly back was what appeared to be a three-car garage. Using hand signals, Quinn sent Hawk and another vamp for a closer look. Ty squatted down beside his brother behind a large tree and waited for the scouts to report back the situation. When they returned, Quinn called everyone together.
They squatted down in a small clearing, and he briefly sketched the target sites on the ground. “Here’s the situation. There are perimeter guards located at four strategic locations. Here. Here.” He pointed. “Here and here.”
He pointed to the side. “The outbuilding, or garage, is also guarded with two vampires. Inside we believe are the bloodslaves. I’m not sure how many. Probably no more than five or six.” He waved in the direction of the main building. “We assume that whoever is in charge is there. There is some movement going on. I think they’re getting ready to desert this location. They probably figured we’d find it.”
Ty nodded. “That’s probably where they’re holding Libby, then. They’ll want to keep her close. They know we’ll bargain for her.”
“Yes,” Quinn agreed. “Diaz. I want you to take your men and try to get the bloodslaves out as quietly as possible. Take the van. You’ll have to hot-wire it, I’m sure. See if you can move them out in that.”
Diaz nodded, signaling to his men.
Quinn continued. “The rest of us will go for the main house. It’s the most heavily guarded. Our prime concern is to get Libby out and to try to take the leaders if possible. But if not, kill them. Do not let anyone escape. I want them captured or killed. No exceptions. Does everyone understand?”
Ty saw everyone nod.
“All right, then. Good luck. Let’s go.”
Ty lead the way, staying low to the ground and as quiet as possible. He knew they wouldn’t be able to get very close because of the vampiric hearing of the guards, but they’d get as close as possible. Just then a shout came up, and Ty saw the weres rushing toward the garage.
Without waiting any longer, he pulled his gun out of his pants and began racing toward the main house. The sound of gunshots pierced the night. He headed for the front door, dodging bullets and charging vampires, all he could think about was getting inside and finding Libby.
He let Quinn and Hawk handle the vamps outside the house who came around and tried to cut him off. He just kept going, determined to get in that door. Just as he got up the steps, the door opened and another vamp stepped out. Ty’s eyes narrowed as he recognized him. It was Robert McElroy, the vamp who’d staked him out and left him to burn.
McElroy brought up a pistol and aimed it straight for Ty’s heart. Without pausing, Ty jumped to the side, rolling across the porch and avoiding by inches the bullet that streaked past his head. He sprang to his feet, bringing his own weapon up, hesitating. As badly as he wanted to take the vamp out, they really needed McElroy alive if possible.
Making a split-second decision, Ty rushed forward instead, and McElroy met him halfway. The two men tangled, pushing and shoving at each other, McElroy trying to bring his gun around and Ty trying desperately to stop him. They fell against the wall by the door side by side. Ty’s hand was wrapped around McElroy’s gun, trying like hell to keep the muzzle pointed away from anything vital. Straining with every ounce of strength he possessed, Ty managed inch by inch to move his own weapon until it was almost pointed straight at McElroy’s head.
McElroy dropped down, flipping Ty over and causing him to lose his grip on his gun. Ty kicked up, connecting with McElroy’s gun hand with such force that the pistol dropped to the ground. He could see the fury in McElroy’s eyes as the vampire raced toward him, fangs out. The vampire landed on Ty’s chest, his intention clear. One moment, hatred and bloodlust glittered in the eyes that stared down into his, the next, Ty’s knife was embedded in the vampire’s chest, killing him immediately.
Ty paused for a moment to catch his breath before shoving the dead weight off of him. Fuck. He’d needed the vampire alive.
He got to his feet, his gaze sweeping around the front lawn. Quinn and the others seemed to have everything in hand, so he turned and strode through the open door. “Libby?” he called, racing from room to room. At last he came to a door at the end of a long hallway. Pushing it open, he saw a body lying on the floor.
“Libby!” He raced to her, the stillness of her body and the awkwardness of its position telling him the painful truth even before he got close. He reached her, dropping beside her still form. Too late, he thought. Too fucking late. Her eyes were open, staring sightlessly at some distant point. Desperately he checked for breathing, for a pulse. Nothing.
He picked up her limp form and hugged her to him, rocking her back and forth, his eyes burning with unshed tears. That’s where Quinn found them a few minutes later.
“Ty?” He heard his brother’s voice as if from far away. “Ty, let me see her. Let go.” He could feel someone trying to pry his hands from around Libby, but it was as if he had lost all power over his limbs. He couldn’t let her go. “Come on, brother. We might be able to help her. Let me have her.”
Finally Ty felt the cold paralysis beginning to melt and released Libby’s body into his brother’s hands. He looked down and studied the still figure before him, noting every detail. They’d stripped her completely except for her panties, and her body was pale and blood-streaked. She had what looked like a torn piece of fabric over her eyes, and her hands were tied behind her back.
As he watched, Quinn gently eased her body back onto the floor. He and Hawk examined her, taking note of the bite marks which riddled her pale flesh. One on her neck, another pierced her left breast. A third marked her stomach and the last one was on the inside of her thigh. Four bites total. Not enough to turn her. Just enough to cause her excruciating pain. Just enough to kill her. His hands clenched and his jaw locked in an effort to keep the welling grief contained inside him.
He saw Hawk check again for a pulse before looking up at Quinn and shaking his head no. Ty could feel a great pain starting in his chest. It grew and grew and grew. When he could stand it no longer he screamed with the agony and injustice of it all.
An arm wrapped him, and he was pulled into a tight hug. Quinn’s voice finally pierced into his consciousness. “She’s gone. I’m so sorry, Ty. God, man. I’m so sorry.”
He looked again at Libby’s body, barely able to stand the sight of her with the obvious signs of the violence she experienced. He moved toward her. Gently he untied the blindfold, throwing it to the side. When his brother saw what he was doing, he moved to help roll Libby to the side so that Ty could untie her hands. Then Ty jerked his shirt off his head, and, with Quinn’s help, he pulled it over her, covering her nudity and preserving what little decency for her that he could.
Quinn touched his arm. “I had someone go and get the truck. It’s out front.” Ty nodded and rose with Libby in his arms to begin making his way outside so that he could take Libby home.
He looked down into her face. It was so hard to believe that he’d only known her such a short time. A week didn’t seem like nearly long enough to find the love of your life, but he had done just that. And now…
Her eyelash moved. Jerking to a stop, he looked again. Had he imagined it? Had his mind just shown him something because he wanted it so badly?
No. There it was again. “Quinn? Quinn, she’s moving. I think she’s still alive.”
Hawk walked up. “That’s impossible, Ty. She had no pulse. She wasn’t breathing. She’s dead.”
Ty stopped and turned around. He walked back inside and moved through the house until he found a sofa. Setting Libby down gently, he studied her face. Had he imagined it? No, there it was again. Just the slightest flutter of an eyelash.
“There, did you see it? He turned to look up at Quinn and Hawk who were hoverin
g anxiously.
“Ty, don’t do this to yourself.” Quinn’s eyes met his, and he could easily read the sympathetic disbelief on his brother’s face.
“I swear, Quinn. I’m not hallucinating. She’s—”
At that moment, Libby’s body began jerking in hard wracking shudders.
“Oh, shit. She’s changing.”
“What the hell—”
Distantly, Ty was aware of Hawk’s observation, but all of his focus was on the body writhing and contorting in front of him.
“Hold her down, Ty. You have to keep her from hurting herself.” Quinn reached out to help hold her arms down as she went into an even stronger convulsive seizure.
Chapter Nineteen
Libby hurt. Everything had been black and empty, and then there was the pain. It had come from nowhere. Wrenching her body. Slamming through her like a knife. And it was everywhere—head, gut, legs, arms. It was as though she were being slammed against a rock over and over again. No relief. No pauses. Just constant, piercing pain. Her body arched against the hurt, trying to escape if only for one moment.
For a while, all she knew was the pain. She could hear a distant sound of screaming and vaguely realized it was her own voice. Then came the cramping, low in her stomach, that had her rolled into a tight ball of misery. Nausea as she’d never known made her heave and expel whatever food she’d had in her belly. She was so miserable she just wanted it to end. If she was dying, then why didn’t she just go on and die?
Gradually she became aware of hands holding her down while her body contorted. She could hear someone speaking soothingly in her ear as she was turned over so the vomit would not choke her. Then a cool rag was wiped across her face before the whole thing would start over again.
Voices she couldn’t recognize spoke in concerned whispers. She thought she heard someone say, “Doc,” but she wasn’t sure if it was real or if she’d only imagined it. Was she in a hospital?
