Mike’s hands froze on Holden’s head and throat. He’d been about to break the man’s neck when Mollie’s pleas and the frantic tone of her voice cut through the haze of fury enshrouding him. Never in his life had he wanted to destroy someone as badly as he did Holden, but he found himself hesitating forher.
“Hethrewyou to them!” Mike spat.
“I know.” Mollie kept her tone as calm as possible. She couldn’t let Mike see how irate the knowledge made her or how unsettled she was by the incident. Instinctively, she knew both of those things would send him over the edge. “But you told me the killing of humans and innocents is what turns a vampire Savage. I don’t want that for you. You can’t kill him.”
A fraction of Mike’s rage eased when he realized she was telling him to stop because she was concerned abouthimand not the human filth in his hands.
“He’s not innocent,” Mike snarled.
“No, he’s not,” Mollie agreed. “But heishuman, and his death will affect you.”
Mike wouldn’t experience any guilt over destroying Holden; however, her safety was his primary concern. He knew vampires who had killed humans and maintained their humanity, but they’d all experienced discomfort from the sun afterward, and he couldn’t be hindered in such a way while they were caught up in this mess.
Besides, he didn’t have to kill Holden to protect her, but they might encounter other humans who would pose a more significant threat to her and who would have to be eradicated. If he killed those people too, he would be walking a treacherous line between retaining his humanity and losing it. Gazing at Holden, another idea for the bastard occurred to him.
He eased his grip on Holden’s head, lowered him to the ground, and released him. Bloody streaks from his hands marred Holden’s pale face. Shifting his hold, Mike kept his hand on Holden’s neck. He resisted squeezing until Holden’s head popped from his shoulders. Holden wheezed as he leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees.
“Gather your things, Mollie; we have to go,” Mike said.
When his hand started constricting on Holden’s nape, Mike focused on Mollie as she lifted the rifle and inspected it. Seemingly satisfied with it, she slid it over her shoulder before gathering the quilt, folding it, and tucking it under her arm.
Holden’s toes scraped the ground when Mike hauled him to the front of the cave and outside. “What… what… are you going to do to me?” he panted while Mike dragged him across the sand.
“Nothing you don’t deserve,” Mike replied as turned toward Holden. The man was easily a good five inches shorter and seventy-five pounds lighter than him, but Mike felt no sympathy for the weaker human. “Since you like sacrificing those weaker than you, I see no reason not to do the same to you.”
Seizing Holden’s arm, he pulled it forward and ripped the makeshift bandage from it. Holden squealed when Mike grasped his healing flesh and pulled it apart until blood spilled free. Next, he tore the bandage from Holden’s neck.
“The gunshot will draw others here, and they’ll find only you,” Mike said as Holden’s blood spilled down his arm and dripped onto the sand.
“Wait! No!” Holden cried, his eyes rolling in his head. “You can’t leave me here! I’ll follow you! I’ll tell them where you went, and I’ll—”
Holden stopped speaking when Mike lifted his head to look at him. “Are you threatening me?” Mike growled.
Mollie didn’t breathe as she waited to see what Mike would do. She’d felt a snapping in him with Holden’s threats, and she didn’t think her interference would stop Mike from killing him this time. When Holden’s eyes rolled toward her, Mike stepped in between them and blocked Holden from her view.
“Are. You. Threatening. Me?” Mike bit out each word.
“No… I… you… you can’t leave me here!” Holden cried. “You have to keep me safe! I’ll follow you!”
Mollie winced; even without seeing Mike’s face, she knew it was the wrong thing to say. “Mike—”
But he was already speaking. “Remember, the louder you scream, the faster they’ll find you.”
“What?” Holden sputtered.
A cruel smile curved Mike’s mouth before he stepped back and rammed his foot into Holden’s knee. He watched impassively as the joint gave way and Holden crumpled to the ground like the sack of shit he was.
The quilt fell from Mollie’s hands when she clapped them over her ears to block the sounds of Holden’s tortured screams, but it did little good.
Mike crouched before Holden and rested his hands on his knees. “Keep screaming,” he murmured as Holden’s tear-filled eyes met his. “They’re on their way.”
Rising, Mike ignored Holden’s cries as he snatched the quilt up along with the discarded cup and pot that had contained Mollie’s water. Next to the pot and cup lay two dead rabbits covered in sand. He’d dropped everything on the beach when he heard the gunshot. He slid the cup and pot onto his belt and made sure they couldn’t bang together.
Mollie didn’t resist Mike’s arms when they wrapped around her, but she couldn’t stop herself from cringing when she recalled the ease with which he’d unleashed such brutality. Holden’s screams had died down, and his hands were grasping at his ruined leg. She briefly met his gaze before closing her eyes. She couldn’t see anymore, and she didn’t want to be here when the others came for him.
Clasping the quilt against Mollie’s back, Mike slid his hand around her head and tucked it into his neck. Then he ran.
Chapter Twenty-Three
