But that didn’t seem right. How would he know I cared if I didn’t endlessly badger him? I was about to ask about our destination when I stopped in my tracks. Grim continued a few more steps before he realized I’d halted. Ice cold dripped into my stomach.
Closing the few steps back to me, Grim said in a gruff tone, “We need to go.”
“Something’s…wrong.” I swallowed hard, unable to better convey the strange feeling that held me captive.
The lobby blurred, bringing certain elements into focus. Through the overwhelming scents of lush greenery and flowers, I detected a whiff of copper. It was blood, familiar blood. Twisting around, moving as if I were in water, I saw the two figures standing still by the front doors while everyone else walked by, not noticing a thing.
“Oh god, Miranda,” I breathed.
I felt Grim next to me.
Bruiser was there, holding Miranda West in front of him. Despite the anger and hate radiating from her eyes, she remained motionless. To anyone else, he must have appeared to be an affectionate boyfriend the way his body pressed against the back of her. From the vantage point Grim and I had, Bruiser’s mouth hovered mere centimeters from her neck, ready to tear it out. Even if I streaked over with superhuman speed, the sekhor would have plenty of time to kill her.
The broken boxer’s face curled into an evil grin. He knew he had me.
Next to me, Grim’s power whipped out like a cloak, surrounding me in the same feeling I’d had the first time I met him. Like I was standing on the edge of everything and nothing. It made me feel as though the floor were falling out from under my feet as an all-consuming blackness closed in on me. I focused in on Miranda’s deep frown, grounding myself in her fear.
Screams erupted around us, but they weren’t because of Bruiser. He’d yet to make a move. From the other side of Grim, a man pulled a gun out from under his designer jacket, a wild look contorting his face. It was Bradley. From the dark circles under his bloodshot eyes, and the smell of bourbon that wafted off him, America’s sweetheart hadn’t been right since his last encounter with Grim at Wolf Town.
“You,” the actor stuttered. “You’re a monster. And you can’t take me to hell if I send you there first.”
Fan-freaking-tastic. Fratboy gone loco.
The smirk on Bruiser’s face told me this wasn’t part of the plan, but he was amused.
Grim held up his hands, though I doubted he was as concerned about his own safety as he was everyone else’s. “Bradley, listen to me—”
Bradley did not, in fact, listen. The gun went off with a crack and more screams echoed throughout. Then Grim was there in front of him in a flash. His death mask flickered as he grabbed hold of Bradley. No, not Bradley…his essence. A ghostly likeness to the actor shimmered and grew brighter under Grim’s hold. With a sickening crack, Grim separated the actor’s soul from his body. The scream was shrill and deafening, but it didn’t emerge from Bradley’s open mouth. The soul itself was screaming in pure agony, as if it were being tortured. Bradley’s eyes were round, horror-filled orbs, and I knew he could also see what Grim was doing to his spirit.
Bruiser spoke, drawing my attention back to him. I heard his words from all the way across the lobby. “The master wanted me to pass along another message for you.”
Bruiser’s fangs sunk into Miranda’s neck. Her eyes flew wide, revealing the whites of them. The scent of her blood filled the air as he punctured her skin. My stomach rolled, then dropped.
“No.” The word came out no louder than a murmur as I focused in on Bruiser, who was staring right at me. I harnessed the same power I’d used to glamour the orderly, connecting to the sekhor across the lobby. Like a seatbelt clicking in place, I locked on his mind. Bruiser stopped right before he was about to rip out her throat.
I could taste Miranda’s blood on the air, but I put all my focus onto the oversized vampire. Confusion flickered in his eyes as I forced his head to lift away from her neck. He had planned to make a big graphic show of killing her, right here in the lobby in front of all these people. Make sure I saw her die in a horrific spectacle.
Apparently, the master wasn’t satisfied with sending a girl flowers. He wanted to woo me with bloodshed and violence.
Something pushed against my mind, trying to loosen my hold on Bruiser. “Oh hell no,” I ground out between my teeth. “You leave her alone.”
The master’s voice invaded my mind.Release my servant. Let him extinguish your false ties. Come to me. We belong together.
I didn’t respond because the concentration it took to hold Bruiser was physically draining me. It felt like trying to ride a bull that was doing everything it could to buck me off. I dug in my proverbial heels and held on for dear life. If I didn’t, Bruiser would kill her in an instant.
Bruiser’s hands tightened around Miranda’s arm until I heard an audible crunch. She grimaced and groaned. Still, I was winning. Bruiser’s face was ever so slowly but steadily moving farther away from her neck.
This was what the master had done to Bruiser and Milky-eye. They’d gotten too violent, so he grabbed hold of their minds and stopped them. But he was stronger or had more practice than me.
I was beginning to fatigue. My concentration wavered and my body felt like it was being buried under tremendous weight. If I just let go of Bruiser’s mind, I would be free of the strain.
No. I had to save Miranda. She was the only one who would help me find that guy, help me find my past. And wouldn’t you know, I was too damned stubborn to let anyone take away my chance of finding what was mine.
When I forced Bruiser’s grip to loosen with one last push, Miranda didn’t miss a beat. She cut loose and ran like hell until she was at my side.
Not wasting any time either, Bruiser lunged at a woman who’d gotten too close. I tightened my grip around his mind, and he tripped. The woman dodged out of his way.
Panic welled in me. There were too many people. I could sense the bloodlust in this hateful vampire’s being. Hunger wasn’t driving him. Hewantedto torture, maim, and hurt those around him.
