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The painthat should have registered in his shoulder from where he splintered the door to Flora’s room was overshadowed by the unbridled rage that coursed through him. He stood in the shards of wood, panting and ready to murder Petey, who stood over a scantily dressed Flora with his knee on her chest and his knife at her throat.
He was going to have to have a few words with Mateo and Kade about what it meant to ‘not come back’. While Petey looked like absolute shit with matching black eyes and a dozen other bruises blooming, he was definitely not gone.
Flora craned her neck against the blade as far as it would allow to meet his gaze and let out a soft plea for help.
Draven took a step toward her, knowing with the utmost confidence he would have no issue ripping out Petey’s throat before he could press down with the knife.
“I wouldn’t take another step if I were you, pretty boy.”
He froze and swung his gaze toward the door where a second man stood dressed in all black, a wicked smile on his face and a handgun with a silencer trained on Draven’s chest.Thatwas going to be a little harder to avoid, but not impossible. He wasn’t opposed to the challenge of escaping a speeding bullet, but he couldn’t escape it and get Flora out of harm's way before the asshole could reload.
And she was all that mattered.
His wolf howled in agreement, but for Draven the thought was a sucker punch delivered at the worst possible moment. The weight of Kade’s words earlier only added to his epiphany.She was something.If it were any other human, he could walk away. Find another one to handle the stone. Callum would get over her loss eventually, and if he was honest he didn’t care what the hell his half brother wanted as long as the supernatural world remained at peace. Which it would once he got the stone. But she wasn’t any other human. She was Flora.
She was his.
Once glance at Flora’s teary blue eyes, and he knew it was the truth.
He’d allowed himself to be sucked into her depths and there was no coming up for air. This woman had buried between his ribs and wedged herself in the place where his heart once belonged. The space where his wolf currently resided and purred at the thought of keeping her.
Of course, he had to save her first before he could entertain the idea.
Tucking away his epiphony to examine later, Draven focused on the man he’d very much like to rip apart. His fangs lowered, and his lips tugged back into a murderous grin. “I would think very carefully about where you’re pointing that thing.”
There was a malicious twinkle in the man’s blue eyes. Eyes that looked eerily similar to the woman he sought to protect. “Ah, you’re one of them blood suckers. So you’re the one protecting my little girl?”
Draven raised his voice, loud enough he knew Mateo and Kade would hear if the sound of the door splitting hadn’t woken them. “That would make you the father who abused his daughter and sold her virginity to the highest bidder?”
“Jimmy Valentine.” The piece of shit gloated, proud of his disgusting betrayal. “I hear from my sources it’s still intact. Your asshole vampire prince didn’t have a use for her after all.” He took a step forward, the gun still trained on Draven’s chest. “I should thank you for delivering her to me free of charge. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to kidnap her from your fancy castle. Now I suggest you leave us to what’s ours.”
“I don’t think so,” Draven growled, his mind working overtime to figure out how he was going to get Flora out of this unscathed.
Jimmy snarled, his finger moving to the trigger. “You already had your chance, although you look like you’d pay a pretty penny for her.”
“Flora is not a good to be sold. She is a treasure to be hoarded, and you are a piece of shit to ever think differently.” Out of the corner of his eye, Draven saw the shadowed outline of Kade and Mateo at the busted doorway. “I suggest you walk away now before your blood, along with your associate’s, stains the floor at your feet.”
It was a mere formality for Draven to offer him the chance to live. Unless Flora gave him a compelling reason not to end his life, it was already forfeit. And even if she did, there was a chance he’d still bathe in his blood. They’d not only threatened her life, but they’d been responsible for the shadows that plagued her.
They’d never darken her pretty little head again.
Jimmy chuckled, though he was clearly the only one in on the joke, because as far as Draven was concerned, he hadn’t said a damn thing that was funny. “Not gonna happen. That little shit escaped me once, lost me a lot of money. I am not going to let the golden ticket slip away again.”
A wicked smile tipped Draven’s lips. Those words were practically permission to dole out punishment as he saw fit.
With a nonchalant shrug, he gave his men a subtle nod. “It’s your head.”
They moved in choreographed succession, Kade lunging from the shadows at Flora’s father with Mateo right behind him.
Kade grabbed the gun, knocking it to the side. A loud bang sounded, and a crack followed, but Draven was nowhere near where the bullet split through the armoire.
His lips twisted into a cocky smile for a heartbeat as he turned toward Petey, intending to pull him off Flora’s chest. Pete cursed under his breath, and an instant later, the scents of mint and copper filled Draven’s nose.
At Flora’s throat a line of crimson formed, not deep enough to maim, but enough to seal Petey’s fate. Draven’s wolf clawed at his insides, the vampire sounding its agreement.
“I didn’t meant to cut her, but you fuckers surprised me. And you’re not taking her either. She’s mine, bought and paid for,” Petey declared shrilly, shifting his weight so he straddled Flora’s chest.
Her small frame struggled to breathe against his weight.
