Dorian

by Angela Cameron

  “Dammit.” Jonas grunted. “It can’t be good if you’re freakin’ mutes.”

  “Try to move your feet,” Michael said.

  They all watched, but Jonas’s feet didn’t budge.

  Michael looked up to them. “Get something to clean this with.”

  “Did they move?” Jonas asked.

  “No.” Michael’s tone was flat.

  Blane disappeared, then reappeared with a gallon jug of water. Michael looked at it, then up at him with a raised brow. “Don’t ask.”

  Dorian smirked. He guessed the water was to put out spontaneous fires caused by the hybrid’s new powers.

  “Do a good job. I don’t want to be the only garante on wheels.” Jonas managed a laugh, but Dorian didn’t buy it. He was scared.

  “I don’t want to have to worry about you running over my toes either. You can’t drive for shit.” Michael laughed, but his was genuine.

  “My driving’s fine. You’re just losing your vision in your old age.”

  Michael laughed again and went to work on Jonas, rinsing the wounds, then bleeding onto the wounded flesh. The muscles started stitching itself together again. “Wounds are cleaned, and I started the healing. Can you move your toes yet?”

  Dorian looked down to see Jonas’s left boot move down just an inch or so.

  “His boot moved,” Blane said. “I’ll go get something to use as a backboard.”

  Michael balanced Jonas on his side to keep the healing wound clean. “We’ll get you into the Escalade and back to the mansion.”

  Blane disappeared again. This time he came toward the group from the house with an interior door in hand.

  “Good. LeAnne can play nurse,” he said with a snicker.

  Dorian snorted. “Don’t push your luck when you can’t fight back, crip.”

  Jonas chuckled.

  Blane laid the door on the ground next to Dorian. They slid Jonas carefully onto the wood, keeping him on his side. They carried Jonas to the Escalade, where Grace and LeAnne had the seats down, ready to slide him in.

  “I’ll ride back here,” Dorian said and climbed in to stabilize Jonas. Michael smiled, nodded, and closed the hatch. The garante might have just been joking about LeAnne, but he wasn’t giving him the opportunity to get as close to her as he had to Tori. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes Michael had.

  “Oh, come on. Give a handicapped guy a break. LeAnne makes a much more attractive nurse,” Jonas said.

  Dorian yelled up to the front seat. “You won’t care if I break his jaw too, will you?”

  Michael laughed. “Be my guest.”

  He smiled down at Jonas, who flipped Michael the bird. Although they were obviously close, Dorian had to wonder if Michael had broken his jaw before. He wasn’t sure how he hadn’t if he’d always been the way he was with Tori.

  Chapter Thirteen

  He raised his gun but couldn’t get a clean shot because Michael leapt onto the wolf. Without hesitation, the padrone had the thing in a bear hug. Bones crunched. The wolf let go of Jonas and howled in pain.

  Michael ripped the head off that one, too.

  When the padrone moved the carcass, Jonas tried to sit up. He only moved a few inches, then let out a yell and fell back.

  “Shit.” Michael leaned down and grabbed his garante’s shoulder. “I’ve got to look.”

  “Fuck.” Jonas groaned. “Do it.”

  He rolled Jonas onto his side. Michael and Blane eyed each other grimly.

  Dorian stepped around Blane. On the other side, he saw what they’d been disheartened by. A large portion of Jonas’s lower spine was exposed and dirty. His vertebrae were visible in one spot. Nerve damage was a given.

  “Dammit.” Jonas grunted. “It can’t be good if you’re freakin’ mutes.”

  “Try to move your feet,” Michael said.

  They all watched, but Jonas’s feet didn’t budge.

  Michael looked up to them. “Get something to clean this with.”

  “Did they move?” Jonas asked.

  “No.” Michael’s tone was flat.

  Blane disappeared, then reappeared with a gallon jug of water. Michael looked at it, then up at him with a raised brow. “Don’t ask.”

  Dorian smirked. The water was, he guessed, to put out spontaneous fires caused by the hybrid’s new powers.

  “Do a good job. I don’t want to be the only garante on wheels.” Jonas managed a laugh, but Dorian didn’t buy it. He was scared.

  “I don’t want to have to worry about you running over my toes either. You can’t drive for shit.” Michael laughed, but his was genuine.

  “My driving’s fine. You’re just losing your vision in your old age.”

  Michael laughed again and went to work on Jonas, rinsing the wounds then bleeding onto the wounded flesh. The muscles started stitching itself together again. “Wounds are cleaned, and I started the healing. Can you move your toes yet?”

  Dorian looked down to see Jonas’s left boot move down just an inch or so.

  “His boot moved,” Blane said. “I’ll go get something to use as a backboard.”

  Michael balanced Jonas on his side to keep the healing wound clean. “We’ll get you into the Escalade and back to the mansion.”

  Blane disappeared again. This time he came toward the group from the house with an interior door in hand.

  “Good. LeAnne can play nurse,” he said with a snicker.

  Dorian snorted. “Don’t push your luck when you can’t fight back, crip.”

  Jonas chuckled.

  Blane laid the door on the ground next to Dorian. They slid Jonas carefully onto the wood, keeping him on his side. They carried Jonas to the Escalade, where Grace and LeAnne had the seats down, ready to slide him in.

  “I’ll ride back here,” Dorian said and climbed in to stabilize Jonas. Michael smiled, nodded and closed the hatch. The garante may have just been joking about LeAnne, but he wasn’t giving him the opportunity to get as close to her as he had to Tori. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes Michael had.

  “Oh, come on. Give a handicapped guy a break. LeAnne makes a much more attractive nurse,” Jonas said.

  Dorian yelled up to the front seat. “You won’t care if I break his jaw too, will you?”

  Michael laughed. “Be my guest.”

  He smiled down at Jonas, who flipped Michael the bird. Although they were obviously close, Dorian had to wonder if Michael had broken his jaw before. He wasn’t sure how he hadn’t if he’d always been the way he was with Tori.

  For the first portion of the ride back, he sat in back with Jonas and picked the silver flakes out of the wound on his arm to stop the pain while he listened to the garante talking on the phone to Elena, calming her. He really seemed to love her.

  Once they were clear of the most secluded areas, he helped Jonas onto his stomach and snaked his way up to sit beside LeAnne, who was alone in the back seat. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and leaned his head against hers. She was cooler than normal. She would have to feed soon.

  A few minutes later, LeAnne stirred beneath his arm. He glanced down to see her sniffing his arm where he’d been cut.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m hungry.” She snuggled closer against him and smelled his bloody shirt.

  Dorian leaned away, trying to remove temptation. “Should I take the shirt off and throw it out?”

  “Mm-hmm,” she groaned.

  Michael glanced back and then drove faster. “She’s pushed it too far, Dorian. Hold her.”

  Dorian reached to put his other arm around her.

  LeAnne grabbed his arm. With a high-pitched growl, she clamped her mouth down on his wrist and bit down hard. Her new fangs were sharp, and she had little skill to her bite. It was desperate, just as her drinking was, and ripped
a yell from his mouth. She pulled in long, sharp drawls that would weaken him fast. Luckily, she was drinking from a place he could easily remove her. If it had been his neck, he’d be in trouble.

  Jonas laughed. “Payback’s a bitch!”

  Dorian flipped him off with his free hand.

  LeAnne let out a muffled moan.

  “Change of plans,” Michael said. “Going by the club, J. She needs to feed before we go home.”

  “All right,” Jonas yelled back. “What about Tori?”

  “I’ll just have to deal with it now.” Michael glanced back again. “Dorian, get her off you. Just in case we need you to help fight again.”

  The vehicle made a series of quick turns as Dorian coaxed LeAnne off him. She snarled when he pulled his arm away and tried to attack, but he held his arms around her tight. “Just a few more minutes.” He whispered in her ear. “Get control of it.”

  She nodded and swallowed hard. After a few deep breaths, he felt her muscles relax a little. He almost let go, but decided to keep his hold on her until they made it to the club. It was a good decision.

  “Please,” she said in a sultry tone that threatened to undo him. A moment later, her hand snaked up his leg and across his zipper. She turned in his arms and slid up onto his lap, straddling him.

  “Get control of her, Dorian.” Michael sounded worried.

  Dorian grabbed her shoulders and held her far enough away to keep avoid her bite.

  LeAnne licked her lips, then sucked the bottom one in and bit it. Her eyes were dark and heavy lidded. Where his innocent LeAnne had been, a vixen now held her place. She leaned as close as she could and hissed, “Kiss me.”

  Her lips were so close that he could feel the heat off them. His blood warmed them, and Dorian wanted the warmth back. He wanted to kiss her long and hard, and do dark things to her.

  “Dorian!” Michael stopped the vehicle hard enough to throw her into the back of Grace’s seat. It broke the spell she’d had on him. If Dorian didn’t know better, he’d think she had a bit of succubus in her bloodline.

  “Now who can’t drive for shit?” Jonas grumbled.

  Dorian held LeAnne at bay and eyed Michael when he opened the door. The padrone didn’t look straight at him, but he helped him get LeAnne on her feet in the parking lot. Grace stayed with Jonas until Blane and Greg could help him inside. They headed to the side entrance, each of them holding onto one of her arms. Together, he, Michael, and LeAnne wove through the maze of halls until they ended up in a back room of the club with PRIVATE marked on the door. Inside, it was a black box of a room with subdued lighting and a monochrome color scheme. The right wall was covered in whips and shackles. Straight ahead was a long black couch. Dorian was sure he didn’t want to know what Jonas did in here.

  Michael typed on his phone while he spoke. “Jonas may have someone handy.”

  “Michael, could we pleeeeease have a little privacy?” LeAnne crooned, pulling herself toward Michael.

  Dorian planted his feet to keep LeAnne from getting any closer to their padrone. He felt a little like he was holding a Doberman on a leash, and if the strap broke or the clasp slipped, they’d all be in danger. She was a little thing, but the change had made her formidable. With a little martial arts training, she could be deadly.

  Michael raised his eyes to her and tucked his phone in his pocket. “No.”

  “Please?”

  “Not a chance.” Michael rubbed his forehead with his free hand. “Tori will be in here any minute. I’ll take her into another room for this.”

  Dorian tried not to pay attention to the sensual vibes LeAnne was putting off. “It’s going to get ugly, isn’t it?”

  “Probably. Just keep her safe. Tori will never forgive herself if she hurt her.”

  “You think the human can?”

  “She almost killed me once, before the vincolo.”

  He smirked. “They’ll be a dangerous pair if Tori’s ever changed.”

  Michael looked away.

  Dorian immediately regretted his words, but there wasn’t time to relay this sentiment. The door opened behind him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dorian turned in time to see Blane and Grace helping Jonas inside. Behind them, Tori and Ewen walked in with two human girls who could barely stand in tow.

  Michael glanced from Tori to Ewen. “There were no sober ones?”

  “Not much to choose from this early, boss.”

  Tori glanced at LeAnne. Her brows knitted.

  “Dorian, I’ll find you in a bit.” Michael headed toward Tori, but he wasn’t fast enough.

  Despite Dorian’s best effort to hold her back, LeAnne started toward the humans.

  Tori took another step toward Michael, but as soon as LeAnne got within a few feet, she stopped. Her mouth fell open and eyes went wide. She glanced at Dorian, then to Michael, and finally to Jonas, as if she were checking the possible creatores off a mental list while Ewen led one girl to Jonas .

  Finally, her eyes narrowed at Dorian. “What did you do to her, you piece of shit?”

  Instead of speaking, he released LeAnne’s arm. She pounced on the human, biting her on the shoulder and taking her to the ground like a lion in less than the blink of an eye.

  Tori gasped. “Oh my God!”

  The girl screamed, then the sounds of slurping and moans filled the room. The sight of what her friend was answered the question without Dorian having to take the heat for Michael’s actions. A part of him hated Michael for turning her, too. This was as close to revenge as he could get.

  She whirled on Michael. “How could you let this happen? I was only gone a few hours!”

  “It was an accident, inammorato. Dorian took too much last night.” Michael stepped closer to Tori. “She bled out.”

  She stared at him, taking in his words with a sort of disgusted shock on her face.

  Dorian moved closer to LeAnne so he could grab her if Tori turned on her friend. When he stopped moving, he looked up. Tori kept staring at Michael with questioning eyes. Behind the padrone, Jonas fed from the girl he’d been brought. He was standing now, probably almost healed. Blane and Ewen were gone. Grace moved to stand beside him.

  “Why do you feel—” Tori’s hand went to her chest, over her heart. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her voice was careful, like she was afraid of the words. She gasped. “No! Oh God no. I…I…”

  “Tori, please.” Michael stepped closer and reached for her. “Just li—”

  She batted his hands away. “How could you?” Then she whirled around and started toward the door.

  The movement, and the human’s lack of consciousness, brought LeAnne around. She sat up, wiping her mouth, and let Dorian help her up. He pulled her behind his body.

  “Inammorato, don’t…” Michael’s voice was pleading. He darted and jumped in front of her.

  She turned, saw he was no longer behind her, then turned again. Tori jabbed her finger at him as tears rolled down her face. “Do not ever call me that. You ruined everything! Get out of my fucking way.”

  “No. You’re going to listen.”

  “Fuck you.” Tori turned around again and took a few steps back into the room.

  Michael was in front of her again. “I won’t allow you to leave when you’re like this.”

  “Leave me alone! Don’t you get that now I’ll die an old woman while my best friend lives forever…with the love of my life?” Ewen turned again, but Jonas had moved around them and now blocked the door. She belted out a frustrated scream.

  She almost stepped on the human’s leg as she stomped toward the exit. Jonas stayed in front of her. “Move the fuck out of my way!”

  Jonas folded his arms across his chest. “I know he’s a dick, but I’m not letting you walk out there when you’re this upset.”

  She whipped her pisto
l out and aimed it square at Jonas’s chest. “I said fucking move!”

  “Shoot me if it will make you feel better.” Michael held his arms out to the side. Dorian was pretty sure he would let her shoot him.

  Tori turned on her heel and aimed straight at his heart.

  Dorian winced and waited for the blast. It didn’t come. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Tori’s lip quivered. Then it poked out. Her forehead wrinkled as her brows drew together. “Why her? Did I do something wrong?”

  “Tori, stop,” LeAnne said.

  “Shush,” Grace said.

  LeAnne poked Dorian so hard in the back that it would leave a bruise. He didn’t care. She was not going to be involved any more in Michael’s drama than she already was, and he sure wasn’t losing her to that emotional detective.

  Tori pointed the gun at LeAnne and Dorian. “Weeks I’ve been trying to get him to turn me and you know him a few nights? What did you do to make him want to turn you?”

  Dorian could hear LeAnne start to speak. He squeezed her arm with one hand and held out the other. “Put it down, Tori.”

  She glanced back to Michael. “You barely know her.” She jerked the pistol back and pointed her it at her chest. “I thought you loved me.”

  Michael stood there with his arms out at his sides, palms up. “I do.”

  “Wh—wh—” Her chest jumped as she fought the sobs building inside her. Tori was running out of anger to with which to defend herself. The steady deflation reminded Dorian of an escaped balloon running out of air. “Why not me? Even Kh-Khalil wanted to turn me, but y-you chose her.”

  Jonas slid up behind her, draped his arm around hers and slowly pried the gun away, as if she posed no threat at all. She wilted into him, sobbing. Jonas turned her, wrapped her in his arms. To Dorian, he held her the way Michael should have.

  Nevertheless, the padrone didn’t. He buried his face in his hands. Standing there in the wake of Tori’s meltdown and his own misstep, Michael seemed smaller, less powerful. Dorian had a feeling it would be much easier now, if he had wanted to. All he would have to do is push Tori into leaving, and Michael would gladly die.

  Dorian’s heart hurt for Tori now. He half regretted breaking the news to her the way he did. Seeing someone as strong as she driven to a puddle of tears made him want to turn her just to cheer her up. The thought surprised him. Tori was a human, which would generally garner her little respect beyond that of a sex or food object, but loving LeAnne had apparently changed his view of the mortals. It had weakened him, and he wasn’t completely sure this was a bad thing.