I cringed quietly as I braced for another strike. If Adrienne could just keep her damn mouth shut for a couple minutes, we could both avoid the abuse Massimo was so fond of.
The old vampire growled again, and the hair on my arms stood straight up. “Drive to the tallest building. We’ll start there.”
I braced for another smart comment from Adrienne, but it seemed she’d learned her lesson. Finally.
We drove in silence for a couple minutes, the only sounds the perpetual mayhem of the city. Adrienne pulled to a stop at a red light and turned to Massimo.
“There’s the tallest building on this street,” she said as she pointed out the windshield. “Now what?”
“Bring me to it.”
She sighed but kept driving until we’d pulled up outside the building. Massimo reached for the doorhandle but stopped at the last minute.
“On second thought, you go,” he said to her.
“Go where?”
“Go find John Steele’s home and break into it.”
She turned in her seat to face him, her brows dipped low over her eyes. “Are you kidding me? First of all, we don’t even know if he lives here. What? Am I supposed to start knocking on doors? There’s got to be hundreds of apartments in that building! And what if I do find him? I don’t even know how to pick a lock!”
Massimo was quiet while she raged, but I knew that wasn’t a good sign. Sure enough, as soon as she was done, he twisted in his seat and reached back to grab me by the hair. I didn’t bother struggling as he pulled me into the front seat, his knuckles digging into my scalp.
“What would you like me to break this time, moglie? This is your doing, after all.”
“Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with this.”
He shrugged before fisting his hand and slamming it into my ribcage. I felt several bones break immediately as I gasped for air and curled in on myself.
“Stop! Stop! Stop!” Adrienne yelled, her hands fluttering uselessly in the space between us.
“Find John Steele,” he answered, his voice devoid of any emotion.
I was panting, tears streaming down my face as I watched Adrienne try to pacify the psychotic vampire.
“Okay. I’ll find him. Just give me my phone back and I’ll Google him. Maybe he’s listed.”
“No phones.”
Her eyes almost bugged out of her head. “Then how the hell do you expect me to find him?” she yelled.
I squeezed my eyes closed because I knew what was coming next. Massimo pulled his fist back before letting it fly again. The bones broke immediately. One actually tore through my skin, leaving a bloody stain blooming on my shirt.
Massimo froze in his seat, his wide eyes focused on my bloody top.
In that moment, I knew I’d never been in more danger.
I tried pulling my arm from his grasp, but it was useless. He was a hundred times stronger than me, and I had no hope.
I wished for the millionth time that I was already a vampire. It might not have been much in the face of such an ancient and powerful being, but it was a hell of a lot better than this.
Massimo bent his head and sniffed me as I recoiled as far as I could. My stomach tightened with dread as I braced for his bite.
“Why don’t you send Charlotte?” Adrienne asked, her voice high-pitched and anxious.
“Who’s Charlotte?” Massimo grumbled, his eyes still focused on my bloody shirt, the spot only growing.
“This is Charlotte,” she said, pointing to me. “We should send her in to find John Steele. He won’t expect a human.”
Massimo lifted his head, eyes narrowed with suspicion. “That might be a good idea.”
The vice around my insides lessened the smallest bit as he straightened in his seat and let me go. I scrambled as far away from him as I could get, but my eyes never left him.
When he spun around to face me again, I swear my blood ran cold. I wasn’t used to being the center of his attention, and I didn’t like it one bit.
“Go and find John Steele.”
I nodded right away. “Okay,” I wheezed. My lungs felt constricted and my ribs ached as I reached for the doorhandle, the excitement of my pending freedom zipping through my veins.
I put one foot onto the street outside when someone nearby yelled. “Romano!”
We all froze before turning toward a group of men standing near the building I was supposed to be searching.
“Drive!” Massimo screamed.
When Adrienne didn’t move fast enough, Massimo pressed his own foot on the gas and the van lurched forward. I lost my footing when I was thrown back, but I scrambled over to slide the door closed.
There was a loud crash of metal on metal and the vehicle jolted sideways. I glanced out the window to see the sports car we’d just mangled on the road.
“Stop!” Adrienne yelled. “Get off the gas!”
“We need to go!” he roared.
Adrienne’s hands gripped the wheel tight as she tried her best to navigate through the city streets, driving way faster than she should have. But Massimo’s foot was still pressing the accelerator, and she had no choice.
I closed my eyes as we narrowly avoided a city bus, only opening my lids a few seconds later when there were no sounds of impact.
“Just get off!” Adrienne yelled. “I’ll drive! Just get your foot off the gas!”
Massimo finally retreated to his seat, but immediately spun around to watch what was going on behind us. We drove silently for a few minutes before the old vampire let loose a string of Italian that I probably didn’t want translated.
He spun back around and punched the windshield. I watched as the crack spread across the glass like a spiderweb. We were all quiet for a moment as we waited to see what Massimo would do next.
“Do you know how to get to Brooklyn?” he asked, his voice deadly quiet.
Adrienne nodded immediately.
“Good. Take us there now.”
“Okay,” she said softly.
I breathed a sigh of relief that it seemed she was done poking the bear. Not only did I not like to see my friend injured, but Massimo had a bad habit of taking his anger at her out on me. I’d had enough bones broken in the past twenty-four hours to last me a lifetime.
The ride to Brooklyn was tense and quiet, which was better than the alternative.
“We’re here. Now what?” Adrienne asked quietly.
“We need to find the Moonlit Terrace. Ivan said it’s on Main Street.”
Adrienne nodded. “Okay. I can work with that.”
I relaxed again as she navigated the busy roads and finally pulled over in front of an ordinary-looking apartment building. Massimo immediately exited the vehicle, and I breathed a sigh of relief until he opened my door and dragged me out after him.
“What are you doing with her?” Adrienne gasped as she jumped out of the driver’s seat and hurried around the van.
“She’s my guarantee you’ll behave,” he said, his fingers digging into my arm. “Let’s go.”
I struggled to keep up with his quick pace as he pulled me into the building. He led us to the stairwell before nodding toward Adrienne. “You go first. Tenth floor. Now.”
She glanced at me warily before climbing up the staircase.
“Faster!” he yelled as he slung me over his shoulder and sprinted up the steps. Blinding pain raced through my body as my broken ribs landed on his hard shoulder, but I didn’t dare make a sound. He grabbed Adrienne by the arm on his way as we all raced to the tenth floor.
He burst through the heavy metal door and stood in the hallway, his towering presence intimidating even in the weak light. He set me roughly on the ground and I stumbled before catching my balance. “This way,” he said before gripping my arm again and heading down the hall.
My fingers were going numb, but I didn’t dare complain. We stopped in front of a non-descript door before Massimo raised his hand to knock.
It was such a common thing. So innoc
uous. So timid. It was a jarring juxtaposition from how he usually behaved.
But it worked.
The person on the other side opened the door just wide enough to peer through. “Hello?”
Massimo didn’t waste time with pleasantries. He shoved the door open, smashing the poor woman in the face and sending her flying across the apartment. My stomach fell to the pit of my stomach as I watched her body lying crumpled on the ground.
Massimo threw me aside as he slammed the door closed and locked it. I watched wide-eyed as Adrienne scurried over to the woman and knelt beside her.
“Hey, are you okay?” she asked.
The woman slowly sat up with Adrienne’s help. Her face was streaked with crimson and her nose was crooked, so I was sure it was broken. But as I watched, the blood slowly stopped flowing, and I knew then she wasn’t human.
“Who the hell are you?” she asked, her voice nasal.
“Don’t worry about who I am,” Massimo said as he stood tall and imposing in front of her. “You won’t live long enough to need that information.” He turned to Adrienne. “Dispose of her.”
My former roommate jumped to her feet. “Hell no. I’m not disposing of anyone.”
Massimo was quiet as his gaze darted to me. I had just enough time to be scared before he was across the room with his hand around my throat. “You really want me to kill her, don’t you? It would be so easy, moglie.”
Adrienne’s eyes flashed dangerously before she sprinted across the room, her hands already curled into claws. “Leave her the fuck alone!” she screamed as she launched herself at him.
Massimo released me and I fell to the ground as he turned his attention to Adrienne. The struggle didn’t last long, though.
The older vampire caught her fists easily, twisting them until they snapped and fell limp at her sides.
But he wasn’t done.
He reached out both hands to wrap around her neck. Her face immediately started changing colors as her eyes widened in fear.
“You’ve displeased me for the last time, wife,” he spat. “I’m going to do now what I should have done the first time you defied me.”
I jumped to my feet, stuffing a shaking hand in my pocket to retrieve the silver. This might not be the ideal situation, but we were out of time. If I didn’t do something now, he was going to kill Adrienne.
And if she was dead, he’d have no need for me.
I didn’t think too hard about it. I couldn’t. All my rational, self-preserving thoughts told me to just run and never look back. But I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t do that. If I was getting taken out by this asshole vampire, I was doing it fighting.
I wrapped the ends of the chain around each hand before taking off at a sprint. I ran as fast as my legs would go toward where Massimo was slowly ripping Adrienne’s head off. At the last second, I jumped and landed on his back.
Massimo froze for a moment. But it was all the time I needed.
I wrapped the silver chain around his neck and pulled tight. The smell of burning flesh hit my nose seconds before his screams filled the room. He scratched at his throat, but the delicate metal was already imbedded deep in his skin.
When he realized he couldn’t remove the garrot around his neck, he decided to try to remove me.
Massimo turned around and slammed me against the wall, sandwiching my body between his and the plaster. The blow knocked the wind out of me and sent sharp pains through my chest, but I still held on.
I had no choice.
If I let go, we were all dead. But fuck that. I hadn’t survived all the bullshit in my life just to die now.
The ancient vampire pressed me harder into the wall, compressing my organs and threatening to break my spine. I knew I only had seconds left before I had no choice but to let go of the necklace.
So, I pulled tighter on the silver.
Massimo let loose a howl of pain, loud enough to damage my eardrums. I was moments from losing this fight when Adrienne appeared out of nowhere. I barely had time to register her presence before she placed her hands on either side of his head and pulled.
Massimo’s head tore from his neck with a loud crack and a ripping sound I knew I’d never be able to forget. The silver chain came loose in the space between his head and neck, and I let it fall from my fingers.
The headless vampire’s body crumpled to the ground with me still wrapped around it. He fell on top of me, knocking the air from my lungs again. I had time to take one quick breath before the front door exploded inward.
Alexander and Nicholas burst into the apartment simultaneously, their bodies crouched and ready to attack. Their expressions were mirror images as they both assessed the scene quickly before straightening back up.
“Charlotte!” Alexander yelled before he raced to my side. He pulled Massimo off before gathering me in his arms and squeezing tight.
I gasped in pain, the movement sending another sharp ache through my abused lungs. Alexander let go immediately, and I almost fell to the ground without his arms supporting me.
“What is it?” he asked, his eyes darting around my body, likely looking for injuries. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I said as tears filled my eyes. I sniffed hard, willing them away. They were clouding my vision, and all I wanted to do was look at my vampire. “It’s just been a rough couple of days.”
Alexander let loose a chuckle before pulling me close again, although far gentler this time. “It was the longest two days of my life,” he whispered in my hair. He held me for a long time as I just breathed him in.
Finally, he laughed softly, his breath sending my messy hair flying. “Turns out you didn’t even need me to save you this time.”
I shook my head before meeting his gaze. “I’m always going to need you.”
He cupped my face as he stared deeply into my eyes. Finally, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against my forehead. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Chapter 17
Adrienne
“Adrienne?”
I heard my name being called, but it sounded so far away. Like it was underwater. Or maybe I was underwater. It honestly did feel like I was drowning.
My lungs ached for air, but I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t inhale. Couldn’t do anything but stare at the severed head in my hands.
I looked into Massimo’s black eyes and let myself feel everything I’d been trying to suppress for the last couple of days.
The fear.
The anger.
The uncertainty.
The anxiety.
It all swirled inside me until I felt my eyes fill with tears that slowly dripped from my lashes.
“Adrienne.”
My name was said with such reverence, it was enough to make me look away from the third person I’d murdered that day.
Nicholas was standing less than a foot away from me, his handsome face drawn in concern. I stared into his warm hazel eyes and finally took that breath.
“Nicholas,” I whispered.
He inched closer slowly. Just one half-step at a time.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.
My eyes burned as another wave of tears fell from them. I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
His expression fell as he closed the distance between us and reached for the head still held between my hands. “Give that to me. I’ll take care of it.”
I looked down at Massimo’s head again, and suddenly the anger was back. But it wasn’t just anger, it was fury.
For myself and everything he’d stolen from me.
For my friend and all the injuries she’d sustained at his hands.
For all the poor people who’d been killed by him.
For all the vampires he’d made me kill.
This was for all of us.
I gripped his head harder and squeezed. I used every ounce of power I had in my body to crush his skull between my hands. It gave resistance at first, but I kept pressing until it started
to crumble.
But I didn’t stop.
I kept compressing the mess of blood and bones in my hands until there was nothing but pieces left. They fell from my fingers onto the carpeted floor and I crunched them beneath my shoe for good measure.
My bloody tears dripped onto what was left of Massimo’s head for a moment before Nicholas pulled me into his arms. He dug his face into my hair and just breathed me in, like he’d been deprived of air while I’d been gone and only now could he use his lungs again.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered against my head. “Please.” He paused and took a deep breath before speaking again. “Please forgive me.”
I pulled away so I could look in his eyes. “Why would I need to forgive you?”
His eyes were full of guilt as they darted away from me. “I never should have delayed our bonding. If I hadn’t, we never would have been at the training facility to begin with.”
I shook my head. “Massimo would have gotten to us no matter where we were.”
He nodded slowly. “That might be true, but I would have been able to find you through our bond. You wouldn’t have been lost to me.” The last words from his lips were haunted, and I wrapped my arms around his waist.
“It wasn’t your fault,” I said into his chest.
He held onto me tight, like he was afraid I might be snatched from his arms again. “I swear I’ll make this up to you. I’ll spend the rest of my life atoning for this.”
I shook my head. “There’s no need.” I pulled away again to look into his gaze. The first thing that had felt like home in a long time. “I love you.”
He squeezed his eyes closed. When they opened again, they were so full of emotion it almost knocked me back a step. “I love you too.” He leaned down to kiss my lips sweetly before pulling away again. “Let’s get out of here.”
“You don’t have things to handle here?” Nicholas was an important member of the vampire government. After everything that had happened, I imagined it would be hours before he was free to leave.
He shook his head and grabbed my hand. “Someone else can handle it.”
We turned just in time to see Alexander dragging Charlotte out of the apartment.
Blood Lust Page 15
