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“We’ll take another way,” he says, his breath heaving.
“If you catch my Ruby, you can have a night with her as well!” Alexander adds, his breath heaving as Sawyer punches him in the gut.
Knox growls and aims his gun, firing at a vampire who rushes from the fight. It draws more attention, and I clench my jaw, my heart going wild with fear. What the actual fuck?
“Stay back!” Opal’s voice rings through the air. “Don’t touch her!” She materializes from her place near one of the slot machines and punches her fist through a vampire’s back, sending his heart out through his crushed sternum.
Three guys fly at her, getting her away, and a fourth one steps in front of Knox, blocking his way. “Come on, Knox. Give her here. You have plenty of your own damn donors. Let her be mine. We’ll call an alliance if you give her to the Wy Crew.”
Oh fuck.
“There is nowhere for you to run. Make it easy or we’ll cut your dick off.” Another grumbly voice mutters from behind.
I screech and swing my hand, slapping a dirty guy across his face as he tries to sneak up on Knox. “Get back!”
Sawyer’s yells cut over the pounding in my head, but I can’t look at him.
The shock alarms kick on, shrilling through the casino, dropping the guys around us to their knees. Knox wobbles on his feet but manages to hop over a guy trying to grab him. I whip my attention around the casino, and my heart drops into my stomach, threatening to spill across the floor.
Alexander pins Sawyer down with his hand shoved into his chest. The edges of my vision shadow, and I gasp and release a scream.
“Get her out!” Sawyer yells, grinding his teeth.
Knox hesitates for a second, but Sawyer yells again, gripping his hand around Alexander’s wrist, stopping him from removing his heart.
“My doll! Hayley! I don’t want a fucking war with the Bella Crew, but if you leave, there will be one.” Alexander flashes his fangs and tries to twist his hand, making Sawyer holler. “It won’t be just this one asshole. It’ll be all of them. Their donors. I will get the leaders of the Strip to agree with me that they’re too much of a threat. We will destroy them. And when we do, I’ll bring you back and you will wish for your death. But it won’t come. I won’t give you that luxury.”
I whimper, my whole body turning cold with his words. “Knox, please. Let me down.”
“Fuck that.” My voice kicks him into action and the world blurs.
“Knox! Stop! Put me down! I don’t want to go with you anymore!” I slap him across the face, my whole body aching with the action. I don’t want to fight him, but I’m afraid he’s lost himself in his need to possess me that he can’t actually hear the truth of Alexander’s threat. “I don’t want to go! I don’t want to risk it!”
“I’ll protect you, Hayley,” he argues, darting between slot machines.
“No! You don’t get it! Put me down. This is my choice. I’m not going to be the reason he destroys everything. You won’t force that guilt on me.” I whack him again, flailing and struggling to escape his grip. “We’ll find another way. Just please. Don’t treat me like your possession. Let me make my own decision.”
The world suddenly stops, and I find myself on my feet. Knox flashes his fangs with his anger, his silver eyes solid with his rage and hunger. His annoyance that I just asked him to let me go.
“Alexander, you win,” I say, heaving a breath. “You fucking win. Just don’t do this. Let everyone go.”
A soft hum reverberates through my bones, and Alexander drags Sawyer along, his hand still in his chest cavity. “That’s my good girl. Finally using your disobedience for something I can agree with.”
Knox growls from behind me, remaining close without touching me. Two figures blur through the casino, and I spot Opal shoving Monroe in our direction. She tightens her mouth, refusing to look at me. Another strange man materializes on her other side and he holds the backs of two other Bella Crew members. One last strange vampire tosses Walcott and Govan to the floor, and I try to figure out what the fuck is going on and who these guys are.
“Thank you, brothers,” Alexander says, smirking at the two strange guys. “Thank you, my sister. I understand how difficult things have been, but I think this arrangement will work best for all of us as long as you can get your gem to agree.”
I tighten my jaw. His brothers? I had no idea that Alexander had coven brothers. I’ve never seen them around. And Opal? I try to grab her attention again, but she trains her eyes on Alexander.
“She will. She will understand her place as long as you keep to the agreement. I will not stand for another disagreement.” Opal smooths out her dress and finally turns her attention to me. Our eyes meet, and silver flickers like streaks of lightning across her gaze.
My mouth refuses to open, my body shutting down and turning compliant. I’m afraid that if I speak up, one of these vampires will hurt me.
“Go on. I’d like to get things back in order and back to business, so our brothers can return to their homes,” Alexander says, narrowing his eyes at me.
Opal steps forward and tries to take my hand, but I cross my arms. “Hayley, I was wrong to think that it would be better if you left with the Bella Crew, and I’m sorry for my poor judgment. You belong to us, and it is pivotal to our hotel that the show goes on. You understand, right? But I know you’re unhappy, so you’re no longer headlining.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
