“Mike. Stop.” The soft voice barely penetrated the rage driving him as he battered Raul’s face into what could only be considered mush. “Mike, stop. Please.”
His knuckles hit wood with the next blow, and a hand fell on his shoulder. Recoiling from the touch, he spun on whoever dared to touch him. Mollie released a small squeak as she threw her hands up and stumbled away from him. The pallor of her face, her quivering lower lip, and the terror in her eyes finally pierced through the all-consuming bloodlust.
Mollie didn’t dare move as Mike’s red eyes remained pinned on her. She’d seen enough wildlife videos to know movement only triggered an attack from hunters, but her heart beat so fast, she was sure it bruised her ribcage. She didn’t think he’d attack her, but the man facing her was not the Mike she’d come to know so well.
She saw little of the man she loved in the vampire gazing at her like he wanted to devour her.
Mike struggled to leash the part of him clamoring to drag her beneath him and turn her. Make her immortal! Saliva filled his mouth as he recalled how amazing she tasted and how powerful her blood was.
“Mike,” she whispered. She was frightened of him, but she was more afraid that what faced her was what he’d remain.
The look of fear on her face caused self-hatred to drown out his more destructive impulses. Not afraid of him; she couldn’t be afraid of him. What had he done?
“Mollie,” he breathed. She stopped backing away, but she didn’t stop looking at him like he was a Savage about to strike. And he couldn’t deny a part of him had been as Savage as any of the monsters hunting them, maybe more so. “I won’t hurt you, Mollie.”
She nodded, but distrust lingered in her eyes; unable to stand seeing it there, he turned his attention away from her. Over Mollie’s shoulder, he spotted Doug helping Aida to her feet before he gazed at the mess beneath him. He’d beaten Raul so severely that nothing remained of his head except fragments of pulverized bone, flesh, and blood. He’d effectively decapitated the man with his fists.
He never should have done this in front of her; he should have retained enough control to keep this side of him hidden from her. He’d cautioned her this could happen, and he’d known it could, but he hadn’t anticipated the complete mindlessness that would overtake him when he saw his mate suffering.
If she ran screaming from him, he wouldn’t blame her, but unfortunately, she didn’t have that option. The other Savages would have heard the gunshot, and there was still enough night left for them to come.
Turning away from her, he used Raul’s clothes to wipe the blood from his hands and face before rising. “We have to go,” he said, barely able to meet Mollie’s troubled gaze.
When he strode toward her, he expected her to cringe away from him, but she didn’t. “Are you okay?” she whispered.
His self-hatred only grew. She’d just been viciously attacked, yet she was concerned about him.
“Are you okay?” he asked instead of answering her.
He went to cup her cheek with his palm but lowered his hand before he touched her. Blood had caked in the lines of his knuckles, and he didn’t want Raul’s blood anywhere near her.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t worry about me, Mollie. We have to go; more of them will be coming.”
She paled further.
Stalking around the walls of the lighthouse, Doug peered over the side as he went. “I don’t see anyone out there,” he said. “We should make a run for it now.”
“And go where?” Aida asked.
“We have a place,” Mike said and then felt a warm hand sliding into his.
He glanced down when Mollie’s fingers gripped his. For a second, he couldn’t look at her as his chest constricted and emotion swamped him. He didn’t deserve her understanding, but he had it. Slowly, he lifted his head to find her beautiful green eyes filled with love while she gazed at him.
Chapter Forty-Two
The sun had risen an hour ago, but Mike wanted to make sure it was high in the sky before they left their small alcove. He also wanted to give Mollie and Aida more time to sleep while he and Doug plotted their next move.
Normally, he would go out to hunt, but if their plan worked, they would make it off this island today, and he couldn’t risk something going wrong while he was hunting and cooking for Aida and Mollie. He’d gone out to get them water shortly after sunrise, and it waited for when the sisters woke.
“The boat ramp is about two miles from here,” Doug whispered as he pointed at the map. “If we carry them, we can cover the distance in no time.”
“What about Jack?” Mike asked. “We can’t leave him behind.”
“I’ll go with you and make sure you get to a boat safely, but I’m staying on the island.” Doug lifted the map, rolled it up, and put it away again.
“Not alone,” Mike said, but his eyes involuntarily traveled to where Mollie sat with her sister in the back of the cave. Her arms were draped around Aida’s shoulders as Aida slept with her head on Mollie’s chest. Mollie’s chin rested on top of Aida’s head.
“You have to get them out of here,” Doug said. “I’ll stay and look for Jack while you find land, contact the others, and bring back help. Actually, bring back an army so we can nuke every last one of these bastards off the face of the earth.”
Mike would like nothing more than to do exactly that. If he had his way, he would torch this place until nothing but smoldering rock remained. “Jack might not be alive anymore. You can’t stay here alone,” Mike said.
“Yes, I can. I survived alone before I found you; I’ll do it again. And no, you can’t send them for help and stay with me,” Doug said as he guessed at Mike’s next words. “You’d never allow Mollie to leave this island, return to the mainland, and fend for herself even if you think you can let her go. Besides, you have something more to live for now, Mike, someone to live for. That’s more than either Jack or I have, and you can’t risk losing it; I won’t let you.
“Take care of her, get her to safety, and come back with help for us. Besides, I do not want to be stuck on an island with you if the bond isn’t complete and you have no idea where she is, or if she’s safe. That would make you a bigger risk to Jack and me than every Savage here.”
Mike ran his hand through his hair; Doug was right, but the idea of leaving his friends behind tore at his insides. Before Mollie, he never would have left this island without them, but he had to get her away from here. He couldn’t force Doug to come with them, and he couldn’t leave Jack completely alone here.
Doug rested his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. “I understand why you have to go, and Jack will too.”
“I will come back for the two of you,” Mike vowed.
“I have no doubt.”
Tears pricked Mollie’s eyes as she watched the two friends; she despised the anguish Mike exuded. “You should come with us,” Mollie whispered.
Mike and Doug turned to her. “I can’t. If Jack is still alive, I’m not leaving him behind,” Doug said.
Mollie knew he didn’t want to consider the possibility, she certainly hadn’t with Aida, but she gulped and made herself ask, “And if he’s dead?”
“Then I’ll find his body and get it off this island, but I’m not leaving him to these sick bastards.”
Mollie’s hands clenched on Aida when Mike closed his eyes. She feared he might change his mind and decide to put them on a boat while he stayed to find his friend. She’d refused to leave without Aida, so she wouldn’t blame him if he decided not to go without Doug and Jack, but she couldn’t leave this island without him.
Aida released a small snort, and love swelled in Mollie’s chest. If she stayed here, then Aida wouldn’t leave without her. No matter how much she loved Mike, Mollie couldn’t let Aida stay here. She had to go now that she’d found her sister. Aida had suffered enough at the hands of these monsters; she wouldn’t let her endure any more abuse.
&
nbsp; Mike glanced at Mollie and Doug, feeling torn between his best friends and his mate, but in the end, there was no competition. The life of his mate came first.
“I’ll bring back an army,” Mike promised.
Doug smiled. He’d been around enough mated vamps to understand the way things went. Mike would never forgive himself for leaving his friends behind, especially if something happened to one of them, but Doug had already forgiven him.
When the time came to leave their hiding spot, Mike carried Mollie and Doug piggybacked Aida as they followed the map to the pathway leading to the boat ramp. He and Mollie passed by the area a few days ago, but the path was in an area where the woods were fifty feet away from the cliffs. He hadn’t ventured into the open to look at what lay below.
Setting Mollie on the ground, Mike examined the map over Doug’s shoulder before gazing across the open land separating them from the cliffs.
“The path should be right out there,” Doug said.
“Where?” Aida asked with her eyes squinted against the sun.
“We probably won’t be able to see it until we’re closer,” Doug said. “It appears to be carved into the cliffs.”
“The only thing we can do is go out there and find it,” Mike said.
“And if something is waiting to attack us?” Mollie asked.
Mike glanced at the sun blazing down from above. “If there is anything out there, then they’re not strong Savages. We’ll be able to take them out.”
He spoke with such confidence, but Mollie couldn’t shake the unease churning in her gut. “Security will be guarding the boat ramp,” Mollie said. “They have to expect someone might accidentally stumble across it at some point.”
“I’m sure there are guards nearby,” Mike replied. “We’ll get by them.”
Mollie gulped, but what else could she say or do? She despised the idea of going out there and exposing themselves, but they couldn’t wait here until night descended again, and without a boat, they would never get free of this island.
“I’ll go first,” Mike said.
“No,” Doug said. “I’ll go. Stay with them.”
Before Mike could reply, Doug slipped from the trees and strode across the open expanse of land as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Mike rose to go after him but froze when Mollie’s scent drifted to him; he couldn’t leave her alone. He didn’t breathe when Doug stopped at the edge of the cliffs and peered over before strolling further along.
Doug didn’t glance at the woods while he continued his examination of the cliffs. Mike tore his attention away from his friend to study the trees around them. The birds and squirrels scrambled and flitted from branch to branch. Fifty feet away, a rabbit poked its head from its hole before hopping out.
They’d stood here long enough that the animals had grown accustomed to their presence, but if something else were stalking Doug through the woods, the animals wouldn’t be so open in their movements. When he turned his attention back to Doug, he found his friend partway down what must be the path as only Doug’s top half remained above the edge of the cliffs.
Climbing back to the top, Doug turned and waved to them.
“Let’s go,” Mike grated.
Taking Mollie’s arm, he moved her in front of him to keep her protected in case something was waiting for them to emerge before attacking. Holding on to Aida’s elbow, Mollie held her close to her side while they walked.
The second they stepped from the woods, Mike almost snatched Mollie back against his chest and retreated into the woods with her. Just keep walking. This is the only way.
Mollie didn’t breathe as they crossed toward the edge of the cliffs. With every step she took, she waited for something to rush out of the woods at them or to fire a shot. Her anxiety didn’t lessen the closer they got to the cliffs either; instead, it increased. They couldn’t make it to the pathway this easily.
Yet, somehow, they did.
Mollie stopped at the edge of the cliffs when the twisting pathway carved into the rocks came into view. It was more of a death trap than any real path as it was only two feet wide, lacked a handrail, and looked like an ant’s weight could crumple it, but it was the only way down to the three boats bobbing on the waves below.
And those boats! They were some of the most beautiful things she’d ever seen as they were their chance at freedom. Two speedboats were tied to the metal dock jutting a hundred feet into the water. The third boat, a yacht, was bigger than her house and moored about two hundred feet away from the sandy shoreline.
A boathouse, about the size of her house, was tucked against the cliffs and away from the shoreline. The sun glinting off the windows made it impossible to see if anyone was inside the building, but it looked empty, and she saw no one on the beach.
Gathering her courage, Mollie stepped onto the trail behind Aida as Doug led the way. Usually, heights didn’t bother her, but she was not a fan of possibly unstable paths that could give way at any second.
She focused on Aida’s back while she counted each of their steps in the hopes of keeping herself distracted from the imminent death facing them if the path gave out, or if they made one wrong step. Mike’s tension vibrated against her skin, but she didn’t dare turn to look at him.
So fixed on Aida, Mollie didn’t realize they’d come to the end of the path until her next step was onto the sand. Her head lifted, a smile curved her mouth, and she beamed at Mike. Her smile slid away when she saw the lethal look on his face.
When she reached for his hand, he shook his head, and Mollie pulled the rifle from her back. She’d attempted to wipe the gun clean with the bottom of her shirt, but in the daylight, she saw some of Raul’s blood still staining the barrel.
She tried not to recall what happened last night—the viciousness of Raul’s attack, and the brutality Mike unleashed on him afterward—but the blood brought it all back. The pain of Raul’s bite was something she would never forget, nor would she forget how out of control Mike had been. He’d warned her what he could become if she were in danger, but she still hadn’t expected it.
Now she sensed that same potential for violence simmering beneath his surface.
“I won’t hurt you,” he’d said. “But I can become a threat to others.”
And right now, he looked as if he’d kill anyone who came near them. Mollie glanced anxiously at her sister, but Mike had to know if he did anything to Aida, she would never forgive him, and there would never be any future between them.
“What if the boats don’t have keys in them?” Aida asked, drawing Mollie’s attention back to her.
“What?” she asked.
“The keys, what if they’re not in the boats?”
“Then we’ll look in the boathouse,” Doug said.
But Mollie’s heart had already sunk. Of course, they wouldn’t leave the keys in the boats, and of course, the damn things required keys to run! Why hadn’t she thought of it sooner? Probably because her knowledge of boats didn’t go beyond the fact they floated, but still, she should have known they would require keys.
What would they do if there were no keys for them? She could pick a lock, but hotwiring a boat went far beyond her area of expertise. Her gaze traveled to the yacht. Maybe the Savages wouldn’t expect anyone to swim out there and would have left the keys in it. They could swim out there; they would be more exposed, but they could make it.
You’re getting ahead of yourself. The keys are most likely in the boathouse. Yes, that was what made the most sense, but this had been too easy so far, and she didn’t dare let herself hope it could continue.
Shells and seaweed crunched beneath her feet as she followed Doug and Aida toward the dock. The tide had rolled out, and the briny scent of the ocean was stronger as small waves lapped against the shore. The sun glinted off the water as seagulls circled and cawed overhead. After the screams, howls, and carnage of last night, the serene scene was almost surreal.
Doug was the first to step onto the metal dock
.
“Stay here,” Mike said to her and glanced at the cliffs before following Doug onto the dock. He saw no one above, but if anyone happened by, they’d be less likely to see Mollie and Aida than him and Doug.
Mollie held her breath while the dock jingled and clanked as it bounced beneath their weight. Mike and Doug seemed not to notice as they strode forward like they were enjoying a day at the beach instead of trying to flee the Island of Death.
Doug climbed into the red speedboat on the right side of the dock while Mike stepped into the yellow one on the left. Mollie held Aida’s shoulders as her eyes darted over the shore and cliffs. She didn’t see anyone out there, but she couldn’t shake the sensation of eyes burning into her back.
“No keys,” Doug said.
“Same here,” Mike replied.
They climbed out of the boats and strode back to the shoreline together. Mike still didn’t see anyone on the beach or cliffs, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched by more than just Aida and Mollie.
“Mike,” Mollie whispered when he stepped off the dock. “I don’t like this.”
“Neither do I,” he admitted, but what choice did they have?
He had no idea what they would do if the keys weren’t in the boathouse. He might be able to figure out how to hotwire a boat if he had to, but David was the one who knew the most about boats. Mike could operate one, but hotwiring one was an entirely different ballgame. It didn’t matter, he would figure it out if it were possible.
He kept Mollie and Aida in front of him as Doug led the way across the wet sand to the boathouse. Reaching the door, Doug glanced back at him before turning the knob. The door creaked open, and Doug poked his head inside before entering. Mollie and Aida stepped into the doorway, but only walked a few feet inside before stopping.
Sliding in behind them, Mike closed the door as he examined the boathouse. White tiling made up the flooring, and at the far end of the building, a spiral staircase led to a loft with a bed and a white comforter. The tiki bar under the loft faced the sliding glass doors overlooking the beach.
Consumed: The Vampire Awakenings, Book 8 Page 25
