Beating Hearts

by Lucretia Stanhope

  Jesus, Kate, keep it together, she thought.

  Her mind reeled, someone was in the house, maybe with the intent to hurt Nick while he slept. She peeked again into the room and didn't see anyone.

  She tightened her grip on the gun, about to round the corner. Her reaction was fast when she sensed someone behind her. She spun around to see a man dressed in black sneering at her.

  With the gun pointed at him, she stepped backward into the main room.

  “Kate?” he said, and took a step toward her. “Put the gun down, I need to have a word with you.”

  “Don't move, don't you dare move,” she said, and rested her finger on the trigger. She thought back to last time one of the thugs was there. Maybe since she had a gun on him she could get him to sit and let her tape him up. The tape was in the kitchen. “Walk back into the kitchen.”

  “Kate?” he asked, again.

  “You are going to wish you never came here,” she said, and stepped toward him.

  He reached out to take the gun and she started to squeeze the trigger, but found she didn't have it in her to shoot a man in cold blood.

  As he reached closer she swung the gun, which hit his hand and made a loud pop as it smacked his knuckles.

  He pulled his hand back and laughed. “You are using that wrong,” he said, and stepped forward into her space.

  She swung the gun again as he grabbed for her and connected with the side of his head.

  He stepped back a little, stunned from the blow.

  She used his hesitation as a chance to swing again, this time making a connection with his nose.

  He screamed out, and fell to the ground. He was holding his nose, and there was a fair amount of blood, but he was already getting back up.

  She kicked him in his side, two, three times, kicking wildly, hoping to wind him enough he would lose consciousness. She heard something behind her and started to turn, when suddenly she felt a shot of pain, and everything when black.

  A man stood behind her, smiling at the other guy. “Jesus, she is a brave one, pistol whipped your ass.”

  “Bitch, isn't going to be so brave when she sees Warren again,” he said, spitting out blood and holding his side.

  “Right, I've never seen him so pissed off about anything,” he leaned down and picked her up, tossing her easily over his broad shoulder. “Get the door, and don't forget to leave the card on the couch where it can be easily seen.”

  The man on the floor pulled himself up and tossed a card on the couch. He tried to catch his breath as he walked out behind the man who was carrying Kate.

  K ate woke with a headache. She didn't even open her eyes, just reached up to feel a sore spot on the back of her head. There was a knot and it was very tender. She felt like she was moving and opened her eyes. It didn't take her long to realize she was in the back of a van.

  Don't panic, she told herself.

  They were taking her to Warren, she knew that and she knew that she had gotten away from him before. Well, Nick had gotten her away from him before. Nick would come as soon as he woke, she would just have to stay alive until then.

  She sat as close to the door as possible, trying hard to stay awake. Her head pounded and she felt dizzy, but she hoped to get a first swing in. If she could do that, she might have a chance to get away before Warren woke up. She wondered what time it was. It had still been fairly early in the afternoon when they snatched her and it took less than three hours to get to the club so she guessed it would be getting close to sundown.

  She rubbed her head and leaned against the door, waiting for the van to stop. Once it did, she sat still, holding her breath, listening closely to the men moving around. She heard their footsteps, and two men talking as they neared.

  Dear god, she thought, how am I going to fight off two muscle-bound stooges. The door slid opened and she saw the same man she had held the gun on, she swung an uppercut and connected with his jaw.

  He backed up a step and she jumped out on her very unbalanced feet and started to run. She felt pain as he reached out and grabbed her hair. “Not so fast,” he said and pulled her back. “Get the door will you,” he shouted to the other man, and let go of her hair as he snatched her arm, pulling her with him.

  She saw the door, saw the other man and started to hit the one who had a hold of her. She swung, hoping to hit his already bruised nose, but missed.

  He grabbed her free hand and pinned them both behind her back, his fingers pinched the skin of her wrist against the bone.

  A million bad endings raced across her mind and she knew she couldn’t break his grip to end any of them, so she let her feet go out from under her and fell to the ground.

  As she intended, he let go of her hands but before she could react he reached down, grabbed under her arm, and pulled her up.

  Panicked, she swung again wildly, first with a left and then a right.

  Even though she connected his grip remained. His eyes narrowed, he smacked her hard and shoved her forward into the other man's grasp, who shoved her inside.

  Her knees hit the ground hard as she stumbled and fell.

  Both of the men followed her in and when she heard the bolt lock the door behind them, she struggled to fight off a wave of hopelessness.

  “You are lucky he wants you alive,” the man she hit said, and rubbed his jaw.

  Kate crawled a little, got to her feet, ran to the back door and tried the handle, it was locked. She heard laughter.

  “Running to the monster for safety?” the other man said. “I hope he lets us watch. You sure provoked his ire. I don't think he has ever had one so full of fight here before.”

  Her eyes looked around the room. The guy she hit, the one who wasn't above smacking a woman, stood at the main door. She was stuck. Her eyes looked to the clock and she panicked when she saw only an hour remained until Warren would wake. She didn't have time for a plan and she wasn't going to be able to sweettalk either of these two.

  “I can pay you,” she offered weakly, having to at least try. “More than he has.”

  “Don't make me shut you up,” the other man warned, and started to walk closer to her.

  She waved a hand and looked around again, this time she looked for anything she could use as a weapon.

  “You want some ice?” the man asked to the one standing at the door.

  “Screw you, asshole,” he spat. “What I want is one more swing at her pretty little face.”

  Kate backed as far from the two thugs as she could, and sat at a table in the corner. Her head pounded and she couldn't think clearly. She needed to find a way out of there before Warren turned up.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  W arren woke and smiled instantly. He could hear the maddening beat of Kate’s heart, close. So close it enveloped his thoughts and begged him to rip it out of her and drink from the hole it left. He walked to gather his breakfast so that he could better resist the urge to take her as soon as he laid eyes on her. He ate in a rush and then headed to the club floor. He didn't want to waste too much time since he knew Nick would be on the road as soon as he woke up.

  When he opened the door, his eyes instantly locked on her.

  She sat in a corner and her eyes watched his every move as soon as he stepped in. He guessed from the bruise on her face she still had some fire left in her. There was still no mark on her, and that made his smile even bigger.

  “As you asked,” the man at the door said.

  Warren turned his gaze to the man and then laughed. “Did she?” He looked back to Kate. “Oh Kate. Did you do that?”

  “She beat his ass with a pistol back at her house, and when we got here she decked him, twice,” the other man said, and laughed with Warren.

  “Did she now? What a lovely, lovely creature,” Warren said. “Welcome home Kate. We are going to have such fun, you and I.”

  Kate stood up, and looked at Warren. She could still see evil behind his eyes. Her eyes went to the door and then looked at the other
man who was behind the bar. If she hadn't been able to get past those two before, she wondered how she could now that Warren was there too.

  “Kate, you have one opportunity to do this the easy way. Come here,” Warren said.

  She started to cross the floor and made it half way when her fear response kicked in again and she turned and ran toward the door.

  Warren watched her with an entertained and perplexed look as she snatched a chair and ran straight to his bouncer.

  She swung and connected, causing him to stagger back. Her hand reached for the bolt and started to slide it.

  The man shook his head and yanked her back, then smacked her again, opened handed across the face, knocking her onto the floor.

  Warren laughed again. “I really am so happy to see you have some spunk left, Kate.” He had a jovial tone. He watched Kate get to her feet and then looked at the man. “She likes you I think. Are you going to be able to work tonight? We do have bigger things than this little creature that you may need to handle.”

  The man nodded, wiped the blood from his nose, and said, “Yes, sir.”

  “Come here, Kate. I will not ask nicely again,” Warren said.

  Kate stood and slowly walked over to him. She stopped out of his reach and didn’t look into his eyes.

  “That's better, now then, do tell, why were you here last night? It was rude not to stay and say hello after all we have been through together.”

  She hated him with every fiber of her being. Her eyes rose to meet his, and she looked into his deep, dark brown eyes.

  He didn't entrance her, just watched her, and listened to her heart beating.

  “Nothing to say? Come now, show me that spirit,” he said. “Are you ready for your night with a vampire? I happen to be free tonight.”

  She spat at him, and swung a right that connected with his chest. It had less effect on him than it had his bouncer. It didn't even knock him back or make him flinch. Her hand ached and felt like she had punched a wall. She started to back away.

  His eyes flashed with a look of hate and he reached out, snatched her, and pulled her to him. One of his hands grabbed her hair and yanked her head to the side while his other wrapped tightly around her.

  As his teeth sunk deep into her neck she felt a hot searing pain, followed by a burning pull as he fed. Everything started to go black and she went limp in his arms.

  He pulled back before taking too much and let her drop to the floor. It wasn’t his intention to do that right there, but she was so full of fight, and smelled so delicious. Watching her attack his bouncer, when added to her defiance with him, pushed all of his buttons. He wiped his mouth and looked down at her on the floor, then he stepped over her and walked to the bouncer.

  “I will be out tonight. I assume Nick will be here. I would appreciate if you can try to keep him outside.” Warren paused, thinking, and then he walked back to the bar, reached around, and grabbed a napkin and pin. He scribbled a note that read: Sorry you missed us. Then he walked over to Kate, wiped a finger in the blood from his bite and smeared it on the card. “See that he gets this,” he said, handing him the napkin.

  Warren picked up Kate and carried her in one arm as if she were a child.

  N ick came out of his room and instantly knew something was wrong. The front door stood opened, and the fireplace held only ashes.

  “Kate,” he called out, though deep down he knew she would not answer. He knew she was gone, and he knew he had to go now too. He was going to be three hours behind whatever Warren was up to.

  He quickly drank some, grabbed his stake and left.

  The whole ride there he chastised himself for thinking they would be safe, even for a day. He should have hidden her away somewhere. Anywhere but his house. Warren wasn't likely to be playing around this time. There would be no subtle gifts, no threats. It was going to be the monster he knew Warren to be, and that monster had his Kate.

  I'm coming, Kate. I'm so sorry.

  When he pulled into the club, he was crushed that he couldn't sense Warren, that meant Kate wasn't likely to be there either. He tried calling Paul to see if he could get there any earlier, but there had been no answer, which could mean Paul was also in trouble or it could just mean Paul reached his kindness limit for this decade.

  Nick parked and walked to the door. A man cracked it open and stepped outside. “Warren says you are not welcome here, my friend.”

  Nick looked at his bruised face and hoped that Kate had done that. He flashed a fanged smile. “Where is Warren?”

  “He left you this.” The man reached in his coat and handed Nick the napkin.

  Nick looked down, read it, and could smell the blood, her blood, his Kate. That son of a bitch already hurt her. A deep animal sound came from his gut, and the man stepped back, trying to get inside.

  He was too late, Nick took him by the throat and tossed him in the door, which he bolted behind him.

  “You…” Nick said, his voice hissed. “Touched my Kate.” He could smell her on him. He knew from the scents at his house this had been the man that snatched her and brought her there. He reached for the man and pulled him close. He sank his fangs in, drained him, and then tossed him aside.

  Nick scanned the room. He heard a deafening mix of human and vampire heartbeats. He walked around, breathing in the air, no one moved, they all watched him and watched the door. Kate wasn't there, he would smell her, even over the mix of all these distractions.

  “Humans, over here,” he shouted, no one moved. “Now!”

  A mixture of junkies and clean medallion-wearing humans slowly separated from the crowd and Nick let them out, bolting the door behind them.

  “You must be Nick,” a lanky vampire said as he walked over. “I am sure we can come to some sort of arrangement.”

  “Where is Warren? Where is my Kate?” Nick growled.

  “I don't know where they went,” the man said.

  Nick reached in his waistband, pulled out his stake, and slammed it into the man's chest. He turned to the crowd. “Where is Kate?”

  No one answered. No one knew and he couldn't sense Warren. Nick's eyes flashed solid black as he lost himself to the agony he felt. The monster inside of him took over, he couldn’t have stopped it if he wanted to. The vampires tried to swarm him but they were met with an uncontrolled beast.

  When his monster quieted and he looked around with his own eyes, he saw that there was no one left standing. There was no one left to tell him where Kate was. He felt his heart break into a million pieces. “I will find you, Kate,” he said to the room of dead vampires, and walked out.

  After leaving the club, he drove to Paul's house and found things just as Warren had left them. He stood over the only remains of Paul, a pile of ash, and said a few words for one of the few creatures he could consider a friend.

  He got back in his car, feeling even darker, and drove around the city, trying to catch even the faintest hint of Warren to latch onto. The hours passed at what seemed to him a maddeningly fast rate, and they came with no results.

  Out of time, Nick went to the same place they stayed at before and found the same man behind the counter.

  “Welcome back, you alone tonight?”

  “Yeah, I need a quiet room,” Nick said.

  The man looked at him, noticing he was covered in blood. He could smell it was vampire blood. “I don't want any trouble here.”

  “I'm here to clean up and sleep. I will leave at dusk. I will pay you well, if I am left undisturbed.”

  “Sure, sure, the vending machines are full,” he said, and handed him a room key. “It is in the back. No one else is back there tonight.”

  “Thank you,” Nick said, and made his way back to the room.

  He cleaned up, and tried to settle his rage enough to reason out where Kate would be. His mind filled with awful images of what Kate might be suffering as he smelled her blood on the napkin that was clenched in his hand.

  Time ran out, he felt the pull of s
leep.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  K ate felt a cool hand on her face and smiled, not opening her eyes. “Hello lover,” she said softly, and reached a hand up to touch him. He was so cold, his skin felt too cold, it wasn't sweet, wasn't magical. She realized it wasn't her Nick. Her eyes flashed opened to see Warren standing beside her, looking down. She tried to sit up, but the room started to spin.

  “Easy Kate. You might find it a little hard to think for a while. It will pass,” he said in a chilling tone.

  She pushed his hand away, and tried to swing at him but her aim was way off.

  “You my dear, are going to be so much fun to break. So much fun.”

  She tried again to sit up, with the same results. Her eyes closed once more while she waited for the spinning to stop. When she opened them again, she looked around. It was a dark, small room with no windows and one door. There was the bed she was on, a small uncomfortable bed and a little table beside it that had nothing on it.

  A flood of memories came rushing back. She remembered being taken, being shoved into the bar, seeing Warren, and then the bite. Jesus, he had bitten her and she was still groggy from that. She reached up and felt her neck, it was tender to the touch. She backed away from him, reaching the edge of the bed and falling onto the floor. She looked up at him and scooted back to the corner.

  “You bit me. You monster.”

  “Yes I did, and I am going to bite you again. I am going to bite you a good deal more,” he said as he walked toward her.

  She was backed as far as she could go, the wall was pressed into her back. Pressed against it, she used the wall to help herself to her feet. “Don't touch me, don't you dare touch me.”

  “I'm going to do more than touch you, Kate.” He watched her struggle to stand, with half his mouth curled up.

  She put both of her hands behind her on the wall for balance. Once she was centered, she took off running, trying to get passed him, but she only made it a few steps before her balance was lost, and she started to fall.

  He reached out and caught her with one hand, gripped tight on her arm and pushed her back toward the bed.