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I count my heartbeats and listen to her breathing, using it as an indicator of where she is. I wish Knox would quiet down for a second, but I hear Monroe mumbling next. As for Sawyer, I still can’t tell where he is. He could be too far away. Regardless, this renegade vampire is going down. He’s not taking Hayley from us.
The rubble shifts, and I watch as the vampire’s fingers crawl around one of the broken slabs of concrete. I ease myself back, hoping to stay out of sight long enough to attack him first. The small pocket of air is barely big enough for me. I’m afraid that Hayley will get hurt in the process.
But he’s coming regardless of whether or not I’m prepared. I just have to focus on him and not Hayley. If I can get my knife at the right angle, I can cut his heart out before he can even fight back.
Pieces of concrete crack and clatter against the slab beneath me. The vampire sticks his other hand through a crevice, supporting the slab with both of his hands. This is it. This is how I will take him out. Squatting down, I clutch my knife and watch as the slab eases up. I catch sight of Hayley’s legs first as she rests on her knees, and it takes everything in me not to swing out and try to snatch her away first. The fucking vampire renegade must die.
More debris shifts and falls, creating another cloud of dust in the air. My lungs burn as I try not to cough. I hold my breath, hoping that he can’t hear me. Because if he hears me, I won’t get the opportunity to surprise him. I just need a few more seconds. I need him to lift the debris a little higher.
A few more inches.
A few more seconds.
My body ripples with my movements, and I jerk my arm out and stab my blade into his chest, smashing the point to his sternum. Hayley screams out and reaches her arms for me, and I grab her by the wrist and drag her forward, risking her legs getting crushed as a vampire drops the slab. She screeches, and I shove my back into the debris, knocking pieces of it away. The world explodes around us. I grip onto Hayley protectively as we fall once more with the crumbling rubble.
I brace for impact. I brace to break every bone in my body.
What I don’t expect is for two strong arms to encircle around me, catching me before I splatter on the sidewalk outside of the demolished building. Hayley vanishes as someone grabs her from me, and it takes everything in me to get my mind and body to chill out. I can smell Monroe’s blood, but I can’t see him. I do know he’s the one to take Hayley before Knox sets me down and turns to the two of them.
I lay on the ground, heaving a breath and coughing the smoke and dirt from my lungs. Hovering in front of Monroe and Hayley, Knox inspects every inch of her, looking over her scrapes and using his sleeve to try to wipe away the blood, trying to determine whether it’s hers or not.
“Where’s Sawyer?” Hayley asks, wiggling in Monroe’s arms. “Sawyer!” Her voice echoes through the air with his name, and again he doesn’t respond.
I push to my feet, holding my broken ankle off the ground and balancing on one leg. I hop my way closer and meet Hayley’s gaze. I know she fears the worst. All she can think about is that maybe Sawyer didn’t make it out of the building alive. And if that happens...fuck. He can’t be gone.
“Hayley, try to stay calm. I know you’re afraid and shaken, but Sawyer is tough. An explosion like this wouldn’t have killed him. He’s probably trapped somewhere, and we can’t hear him. I want you to go with Monroe and Cooper back to the Bella. I’ll stay here and find him. I promise.” Knox turns to Monroe. “Send the others. They should be around here somewhere. They probably stayed back with the explosion.”
“None of you are going anywhere. You’re coming with me. I’ve already told you there is no other option.” The familiar vampire stands a dozen feet away, his clothes dirty and disheveled. He holds out his com device. “Tell them, Mr. Noble.”
I shift my gaze to his small com device and spot Sawyer’s face in the video. Blood drips down his forehead, and his eyes shift back-and-forth as if he can’t keep focus. How the hell did somebody get him?
“Tell the Bella Crew to stand down. We’re going to meet with the renegades,” Sawyer says, his voice groggy and gravelly.
“What the fuck?” Knox asks, his muscles bunching with his anger.
The vampire holds his finger up. “Be careful how you react. You heard your leader. If you deny his command, then that is considered treason. You will be executed for it.”
Confusion swirls through my mind. Sawyer would never consider that treason. All of this is just a fucking shitshow, and I need to figure out what the hell to do to help out. I’m not as strong as the others. I’m not as strategic either. But I know how to survive, and I have been doing so my whole life. I also know how to help Hayley unlike anyone else. And right now, we need her dhampir strength. We need to kick her nature on and empower her in a way that she’s never known before.
I’m afraid of what will happen if we don’t.
We need to show this whole fucking city that she is not one to be controlled. She is not one to bow down or to be caged.
Hayley is meant to lead.
“Just do as he says, Knox,” Hayley whispers, her voice lacing with concern. “I know you don’t want me to be in this position, but I’m not allowing these fuckers to use Sawyer against me. We will hear what they have to say and go from there.”
Her words come too soft for the vampire to hear, and he narrows his eyes as if he tries anyway.
Knox bobs his head. “Monroe, help Cooper. I’ll take Hayley.”
“I knew the Bella Crew could be reasonable.” The vampire flashes his fangs, motioning us to head towards the Strip. “Now be good little blood sources and follow me.”
If only I didn’t feel like he was leading us to our executions.
Chapter thirteen
Hayley
