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I don’t know if I should slam the door in her face, so I just keep it cracked. “Can I help you?” I ask, my nerves getting the best of me.
“I’m your escort to the gym. Something came up with Cooper. I figured we’d get an early start since I’m pretty fucking sure we’re going to be together in the ring again.” Killer remains firm in her spot, staring at me with a wicked, confident smile on her face. “So, hurry up. I don’t like being in this trash section of the hotel.”
Something’s wrong. My human instincts go crazy, and I know damn well that if my guys said Cooper was coming, then he would be coming. I don’t think Lawrence would even allow Killer to come and get me.
I try to slam the door in her face, but she’s too quick. She shoves her hands to the wood hard enough to send the door flying into my face. It smacks me off my feet, and I fall to the ground on my ass.
I don’t get a chance to move before she jumps on me and grabs my throat. Instead of biting into me, she squeezes, cutting off my airway. I thrash and try to break free of her grip, but nothing seems to work. I scratch her and kick my legs, doing everything I can think of to get her to let me go. She wants to knock me out. Why? Probably to drain me later. I don’t think she’ll do it here. There are too many chances of being caught. If I pass out, I’m probably dead.
“Stop fighting and make this easy on both of us. You’re not getting away from me. You made me kill my most compliant donor, and there is no way in hell I’m dealing with you at the show. I don’t want to fucking fight you night after night. It’s going to get fucking old.” Killer hisses with her words, leaning down and getting into my face. She tries to make eye contact with me, but I don’t let her. I look up and away.
With one hand, she holds my throat, and with her other, she pinches my chin, trying to get me to look at her again.
It’s the only thing that gets her to let me go. I swing my arm and punch her in the side of the face, knocking her off me. I roll over and get on my hands and knees, reaching for my side to pull out one of the knives Monroe armed me with. Her fingers lock around my wrist, squeezing so tightly that I scream and yank away, afraid she’s going to break my arm.
“Make this easy on yourself. You have five seconds to comply, or I’m going to make it fucking hurt.” Killer growls deep in her throat, the noise more animalistic than human. She grabs a fist full of my hair and drags me back. Using my legs, I swing my body up and tumble toward her, kicking her in the stomach. It’s only enough to get her to drop me for a moment. But that’s all I need.
I grab for another knife and manage to jerk my hand out and stab her in the side. She wails and snarls, her anger more powerful than her pain. She launches at me with vampire speed and snaps her teeth, sinking them deep into my shoulder.
Pain swells through me, and I stab her again, trying everything I can to get her off.
The scent of her potent blood wafts through the air, stealing my attention. My stomach roars with a sudden angry hunger, giving me the strength to shove her off again. She yells and catches herself on one hand, using her other to block me.
“What the fuck! You shouldn’t be this strong!” Killer screeches, hitting her back on the floor.
I ignore her as I climb on top of her and pin her by her throat. “I’m going to fucking kill you. I’m going to kill you and eat your damn heart.”
Killer startles at my words...no, she startles at my expression. I’m nearly certain my eyes look similar to a vampire’s as my dhampir nature controls me.
“Oh, shit,” she mutters, grabbing at my hair. She tries to yank me close to her to take another bite, but I resist her strength, tensing and steeling myself toward her power.
“Fuck! Hayley!” Cooper’s voice rings through the air. The door slams, and he materializes next to me, his shadow looming over Killer.
“Get her off me!” Killer screams, struggling against my death grip.
“She knows I’m different. We have to do something. My secret can’t get out. It’s already bad enough that so many know.” I heave a couple of breaths, trying to control the raging savage inside me. It takes everything in me not to sink my teeth into Killer’s throat. I want so badly to bite her. I want so badly to taste her blood and have her know what it’s like to be someone’s prey for once.
She would deserve it. She deserves a terrible, painful death for everything she’s done. I don’t give a fuck if she was forced into this position. She’s taken this role so seriously but I’m certain it has consumed her. Cooper was right about the performers. They do take on their persona, shutting out their previous lives.
“Cooper!” The high pitch of Killer’s scream stings my ears, and I slam my hand over her mouth, muffling the noise. She sinks her fangs into my palm, sending shooting pain up my wrist and into my shoulder, but I don’t release her. I can’t.
Growling and baring my teeth, I prepare to bite her. She hollers against my palm. I don’t know if it’s the sudden fear scrunching her face or my savage blood hunger, but I jerk my head down and bite her hard on her neck, yanking her head to the side in the process. I rip and spit a chunk of her skin, my brain screaming at me in disgust, but my body refuses to listen. This is what I need to do to survive.
“Hayley, slow down. Let me help you.” Cooper shifts beside me, not rushing to yank me off. “I can hold her. I’m afraid she’s going to overpower you.”
I don’t say anything to him as he reaches down and locks his fingers under Killer’s arms, hoisting her to her feet. I cling on to her, and he drags me up at the same time. Killer flails her arms, trying to fight, but she can’t. I tear into her throat too much, so she can’t even make a noise any longer.
“Hayley, please. I know you want her blood, but no one deserves this slow and painful of a death. Please.” Cooper’s voice whispers to my ear. He speaks as if I might attack him next if he talks any louder.
It’s the only thing that gets me to stop sucking. Easing away, I inhale a deep breath and stare into Killer’s wide eyes. Her mouth opens and closes as she gasps, but I’m nearly certain she’s suffocating. Maybe drowning on her blood. I might’ve crushed her chest in the process as well. I don’t know. She looks weird.
“I can do this for you. Just give me a bit of space.” Cooper locks his gaze onto mine, but he doesn’t react. He remains expressionless.
“No.” The sharp tone of my voice makes him hesitate. My mind whirls. I need to do this. I don’t know what it is about this moment, but I feel as if the only way I’ll ever be okay is if I end this monster’s life myself. I want to do it so that Cooper doesn’t have to.
Unsheathing another knife, I grind my teeth and jab it into Killer’s chest. It slides in, her sternum broken already. Blood pools over my hand, and I retract the knife and drop it to the floor. I can’t help myself as I bring my fingers to my mouth and lick her blood. It satiates a feral, sadistic part of me I never knew existed. Cooper’s eyes flash silver as he watches me, but he doesn’t say anything. All he does is hold Killer tighter, but it’s pointless. She’s not going anywhere. She no longer has any fight left in her as her body sags. But it’s not over yet. She’s not dead.
Shoving my hand into the gaping wound from my knife, I cringe as I touch something soft and slimy yet pieces of something hard mix with it. And then I yank, pulling out her insides, not even sure if I grabbed her whole heart. I’ve never done this before. I hope to never do this again.
