Gerald’s smile revealed all his white teethand two fangs. “That’show you know me.Youkilled mybrothers.”
“You and your brothers were trying to kill awoman.”
“We’re vampires; they’re humans. Killing iswhat we do.”
“That’s not whatwedo,” Juliansaid.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Cassidyedging toward the right, probably in the hopes of cutting Geraldoff before he could flee with Aida. Gerald hadn’t spotted her yet,but Julian didn’t want to know what would happen if he did. Hecouldn’t draw attention to his sister by telling her to backoff.
“That’s whatIdo, and it was whatwedid for centuries. You had no right to interfere,” Geraldsaid.
“You had no right to try to take that woman’slife,” Julian replied. “Three vampires on one human wasn’t fairodds.”
“Yes, these are much better odds,” Geraldsaid.
“Have you been following me since thatnight?” Julian demanded.
“It took me a couple of days to find you, butI’ve been following and plotting what would be the best way to makeyou pay for what you did. And I found her.” Gerald bent to run histongue up the side of Aida’s cheek.
“Don’t!” Julian shouted.
Aida twisted to avoid his touch, but shecouldn’t get away from him. Julian stepped toward them and frozewhen Gerald made a move to choke her again. Gerald chuckled as hehugged her close and kissed her cheek.
Aida’s eyes shone with rage and a calmnessthat hadn’t been there since she learned vampires took control ofher mind. The tentative smile she gave him eased some of thetension in his chest. She may not know what happened or why thiswas going on, but she had decided to trust him.
“I’m going to get you out of this,” hepromised her.
“You have as much chance of getting her outof here as my brothers did of surviving your ambush.”
“I didn’t ambush you. And maybe one of themwould have survived if you hadn’t run off like a coward and leftthem behind.”
The red of Gerald’s eyes deepened as he baredhis fangs. Aida croaked when he jerked her off her feet. She kickedas she tried to find the floor again, but her feet were a fewinches off the ground. As her face reddened, Julian’s hands fisted,and he ran toward Gerald but skidded to a halt when he rested hisfangs against her throat.
Aida’s eyes bulged, and a vein throbbed tolife in her forehead as her legs kicked wildly. She tore intoGerald’s skin until his blood spilled down his arm and dripped onthe floor as she tried to pull herself up to breathe. Cassidy wasclosing in on Gerald’s other side, but she wouldn’t be able to getto them before Gerald killed Aida.
Gerald lifted his fangs away from Aida’sthroat as he cleared the last of the crates. Now, it was only fivefeet of open space before he was out the door. “You get to watch medrag her out of here and live with the knowledge that I am going tofuck her to death,” Gerald said as he fumbled behind him for thedoor handle.
There was no way she was going to let thisbastard take her out of here alive. Dying now was far preferable towhat Gerald planned for her. Her lungs burned for air, and her neckfelt like it was stretching toward a breaking point, but she had todo something.
Releasing Gerald’s arm, she bashed her elbowinto his gut. The wall of his abs caused her arm to bounce off him,and though he gave a little oomph of air, she had little effect onhim. Desperate for some way to hurt him, she dropped her hand andswung it back to grab his junk. She squeezed and twisted to theside. It was a risky move considering his hold on her, and it mightjust piss him off, but she’d tear his dick and balls off before hekilled her.
“Bitch!” Gerald exploded.
He punched the side of her head. Stars burstbefore her eyes, and blood filled her mouth when she bit hertongue. A bellow filled the room. At first, she thought his blowwas causing her ears to ring, but then she realized it was comingfrom Julian as a blur raced toward them, and the back dooropened.
Gerald pulled his hand back to hit her againbut froze and swung her toward Julian as Kyle came through thedoor. He spun her toward Kyle before realizing his mistake andtwisting back toward Julian. A hand encircled Aida’s arm asJulian’s fist plowed into Gerald’s face with the force of Thor’shammer.
Bone gave way with a sickening crunch, andhot blood splashed over her and spilled down her side, but Geraldrefused to release her. Caught between two vampires, Aida worriedthey might tear her in half as Julian tugged while Gerald choked.Her neck was going to break; it couldn’t take much more of this,but she continued to crush his nuts until they were on the verge ofpopping.
Then Julian released a series of punches thatstaggered Gerald backward and loosened his grip on her. She inhaleda ragged breath as Julian tore her from Gerald’s grasp and pulledher against his chest. She lost her ball-crushing grip, but shedidn’t care; she was free of his hold.
She didn’t have a chance to get air into herlungs before Gerald recovered and dove forward. His weight knockedJulian back as Gerald wrapped his arms around his waist and draggedhim down. Julian released her as he fell, but Gerald caught herwrist and dragged her down with him.
Aida’s knees and hands screamed in protestwhen she crashed onto the floor. She jerked at her arm, butGerald’s fingers tore into her flesh and bruised her bone. Sure hewas going to break her arm, Aida swung out with her other hand, buthe barely noticed her punches when she caught him on his shoulderand ear.
Then, Kyle and Cassidy were at her side.Cassidy grabbed her arm as Kyle seized Gerald’s hand and squeezeduntil Gerald released her. When Kyle went to hit him, Juliansnarled, “Don’t! He’s mine.”
Kyle’s arm remained in the air for a secondbefore he lowered it. Grasping Gerald’s shirt, Julian rolled to pinthe vamp beneath him. Gerald pummeled Julian’s chest and face, buthe was so gone to the bloodlust consuming him that he didn’t feelthe blows.
