Fuck!He owed Simone nothing, yet he continued until he tracked down the human he sought in an alleyway. Killean slid away from the dim glow of the streetlights to stand in the shadows cast by the two buildings while he watched the human he’d marked for death.
This man and nine others were on his list of possible victims. He didn’t plan to kill them all before seeking out Joseph, but he wanted options if it did become necessary for him to kill so many.
Once he decided this was the course of action he would take to find Simone, he spent a few hours yesterday researching some of the worst of humanity. This man, Arlo Holt, was arrested for rape five days ago. It was his sixth arrest for the crime, and yesterday, it was the sixth time his victim dropped the charges. Killean didn’t know what Arlo did to those women to get them to change their minds, but he suspected it was nothing good.
And those were only the six women who reported him, Killean was sure there were more who hadn’t. Not only was rape one of Arlo’s favorite pastimes, but he also had a penchant for assault and battery, robbery, drug possession, drug dealing, and DUIs.
If he had to kill, then Killean would at least keep it to the worst forms of human life. It was a small piece of twisted, moral judgment—and he was the last vampire who should be passing judgment on anyone—but he could live with himself if he stuck to men such as Arlo.
Arlo spoke in a low whisper with a young kid who resembled a walking skeleton instead of a human being. They stood between two dumpsters overflowing with trash and rats that didn’t care about the presence of the humans. The skeleton handed Arlo some money and received a small bag of white substance in return.
The skeleton slunk away with his head bowed. Arlo started toward Killean and was nearly on top of him before he realized Killean was there. The man, in his mid-twenties, came to an abrupt halt when he spotted Killean.
“I’m closed for the night, buddy,” Arlo’s racing heart belied the bravado of his tone.
“I’m not here for what you’re selling,” Killean replied.
Arlo’s hand fell to the gun tucked into the waistband of his jeans. Killean followed his movements, but he didn’t try to stop him from pulling the gun. He didn’t care about the weapon; he was far more interested in Arlo’s blood.
His fangs throbbed as his gaze fell to the vein in the side of the man’s neck. He regularly fed on humans, but this was the first time he’d be able to let go of all the restraint he’d kept himself under for over four hundred years. The first time he could give in to the impulse to kill that had obsessed him for most of his life.
Before Simone haunted his dreams, graphic images of murder, death, and copious amounts of blood sliding down his throat had filled them. He’d woken from them drenched in a cold sweat, with his fangs fully extended, and his fingers digging into the mattress to keep himself from launching out of bed, fleeing into the night, and slaughtering every human he came across.
On those nights, his dreams were so vivid that he woke with the coppery scent of blood in his nostrils. Over the centuries, they’d nearly hurled him to the brink of madness more times than he could recall, but because of Ronan, and the mission he’d accepted when he joined with Ronan, Killean somehow kept himself from unleashing his murderous impulses.
But tonight, if he went through with this, he wouldn’t have to restrain himself anymore. In his life, the only thing that excited him more than this knowledge was the kiss he’d shared with Simone.
It could already be too late for her. You don’t have to do this.
But as he thought it, he knew there was no other recourse.
“Hey, asshole, get out of my way,” Arlo said and waved his gun at Killean.
Killean seized Arlo by his shirt and propelled him into the brick wall of the nearby building.
“What the fuck, man?” Arlo complained, and lifting his gun, he pressed it against Killean’s chest.
Before Arlo could pull the trigger, Killean gripped the barrel and wrenched the gun from his grasp. Arlo’s eyes rolled as sweat beaded his forehead and he squirmed in Killean’s grasp. The rapist and drug dealer punched Killean in the cheek.
Killean could have dodged or blocked the blow, but he gladly took it, and the next one Arlo delivered. The punch of a human was nowhere near as strong as the many he’d received from Savages over the years, but he welcomed the blows. He planned to end this man’s life, the least he could do was take a few punches from him.
“Get off me, man!” Arlo yelled.
“Calm down,” Killean commanded as he allowed his ability to manipulate the minds of others to slide free; Arlo’s struggles eased when Killean took control of him.
Killean breathed in the scent of Arlo’s blood. Unlike his customers, drugs didn’t taint Arlo’s blood, and the coppery tang of his blood called to Killean. His fangs lengthened and saliva filled his mouth as his heart raced with excitement. Killing Arlo would finally set him free of the constant struggle dominating his life since he became a fully matured vampire at twenty-four.
Don’t do this! You can find another way!
The tiny piece of conscience he still had pleaded with him, but his conscience had never been much guidance in his life. His loyalty to Ronan, and his mission to destroy Savages had kept him on the straight and narrow, until now.
Ronan.His friend, his mentor, and the man who had saved his life more times than Killean could recall. The man who would ruthlessly hunt Killean and strike him down for choosing this path.
Iwillcome back.
No one has ever come back from being a Savage before.
And no one has ever endured the things I have and survived before; if anyone can do this,Ican.
