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“Hey,” a voice called out. It was quiet, muffled. But there.
“Did you hear that?” John whispered.
“Yeah.” Nick listened, and the faint cry came again. “Careful. It could be a trap.”
Cautiously, he moved forward. He crept down the corridor until he came to the last room on the left. Taking a steadying breath, he kicked in the door. Rushed in, ready to do battle.
And stopped short at the sight of Tom, chained to a bolt in the cold concrete floor. His clothes were filthy, his face gaunt. But the younger man gave them a weak smile as he raised his head.
“What the fuck took you guys so goddamn long?”
Nick hurried over, and without Kalen there to spell the shackles, getting the man free took some doing. Finally, someone found a key on the upper floor and the mechanic was unchained. Zander checked the man from head to toe, scanning for injuries.
“You’re anemic and we need to get some food and water into you, but you’re going to be fine,” he told Tom.
The man looked relieved, though his hands shook with nerves. “I’m glad. After what that crazy fucking vampire did to me, I wasn’t so sure.”
“His name was Ivan Cardenas,” Nick told him. “How did he get you?”
“Was Ivan?” The man zeroed in on that word like a hawk.
“I killed him.”
“Good,” Tom spat. “Was on my way to work one day. My car was run off the road, and the vampire snatched me before I even knew what was going on. He brought me here and has been feeding off me ever since. Only, he hasn’t come back since last night, and now I know why.”
“Tom, this is important. Did the vampire mention how he was able to pull off putting another mechanic in his place?”
“Yeah. Asshole bragged about it. Said that Sorcerer of his spelled Grant to think I’d quit and sign off on hiring the Sorcerer in disguise as some guy named Morgan. Grant never knew, according to the vampire.”
Damn. Jarrod was going to feel terrible about this, even though it wasn’t his fault. But they’d deal with that later.
“The important thing is, you’re going to be all right,” Nick told him, giving him a reassuring smile. “We’re going to take you back to the compound where you’re going to be on strict rest for a few days, and that’s an order.”
“My job?” he asked anxiously.
“Is still yours. That wasn’t even a question.”
“Thanks, Nick.”
Tom was fading fast, and needed medical attention. They whisked him back to the compound, and Nick left him in the capable hands of his medical team. Once Tom had been taken away, Tarron turned to Nick.
“I’m going to go. Give my sister my love, and I’ll see you both soon.”
“I will. And thank you, for everything.”
The vampire smiled, showing off a hint of his fangs. “I’d say we helped each other. Besides, there’s no thank-you necessary among family.”
Family. Nick had one now. A real family. His life truly had turned into a walking miracle.
He couldn’t ask for more.
* * *
When Calla awoke, the first gray streaks of dawn were just beginning to spread across the sky, chasing the darkness back to the other side of the world. She knew exactly what had awakened her.
Nick was wrapped around her, but he wasn’t asleep. Not even close. He was nuzzling her neck, one arm draped across her, his fingers tracing the swell of her breasts.
“Baby, are you awake?” he whispered playfully.
