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Someone’s coming.
Twisting, I look at the door to the lobby outside of the panic room, and I spot another figure. I tense and stare at the shadow, expecting Alexander to finally come marching in to face me. But I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. I knew he would be too chickenshit.
It’s one of the renegades. One of Cicero’s brothers.
Raising an automatic weapon, the vampire opens fire, spraying bullets across all of us. One grazes my arm, and I screech at the burning pain. The final leader takes advantage of the situation and throws himself at me, locking his arms around my waist. I don’t even get a chance to move or call for help before he chomps his fangs into the flesh of my stomach. Blood gushes from his bite, and he snarls and tries again. Monroe grabs him by the back of the neck and slams him to the floor. I’ve never seen someone dismembered so quickly. Monroe takes his head while Sawyer cuts off both of his legs at once and Knox and Cooper each sever one of his arms.
Walcott and Tatum team up and slaughter the renegade vampire, and Govan and Mya each take out one of the weak coven members.
Sawyer and Knox finish off everyone else, leaving blood and guts and body parts lying in front of the camera, now tilted to face the tile floor and the massacre.
My stomach tightens and pain radiates through me. The edges of my vision shadow. I can’t believe this is happened. I can’t believe he bit me in my stomach. And the blood...my hands aren’t working to get it to stop pouring.
Knox rushes to me and Sawyer gets in front of the camera, demanding that the vampires bow to the crew members on the street. He cuts the visual off and everyone turns to me, but I can’t see their expressions through my blurry vision.
“He bit her with venom. We need to get her out of here. We need to take her to a medical facility immediately. Something’s wrong.” Knox scoops me into his arms, and the sudden jostling of my body sends another wave of agony through me, stealing my breath away.
Fear clenches my chest, and I stare at the bite continuing to lose blood across my torso.
“Hayley, drink. Please. You need to drink as much blood as possible.” Knox bends his neck only to have Sawyer slice a blade across one of his arteries, spilling his blood quicker than I have seen.
I can barely get my mind to focus, and it takes Knox guiding my head forward to get me to even taste his blood. My fingers are numb and coolness washes on my legs. What’s happening to me? Why is the world full of shadow in late? It’s as if I’ve been staring at the stage lights for far too long, and now I’m just left with haze in my vision.
Another intense cramp radiates from my stomach, and I gasp and release Knox, my whole body shaking with the seemingly unending sharp pain.
“Shit. What is that?” Monroe growls with his words, but I don’t know what he’s talking about.
“Her water broke. She’s going into labor. We need to get her to a clinic now. We need to monitor her. You guys clear the way.” Knox adjusts me in his arms again, bringing his lips to my ear. “Hayley, I know you’re in pain, and I think the stress of the situation put you into labor. The bite didn’t help any. But you’re going to be okay. I promise.”
I open and close my mouth, trying to respond. A thousand thoughts swirl through my mind. What about the baby? What if the vampire bit deep enough to get to it? I don’t know enough about my own body to know if that’s possible.
“Our baby girl’s going to be fine too. I swear to you.” Knox rubs his hand over my back and picks of speed, blurring the world around us.
Baby girl? He knows the sex of a baby. Of course he knows.
A part of me wants to shout no, that I can’t know that sort of information right now. A girl? A girl in this world?
But then another part of me knows that having a girl will only solidify our future. Because I know my guys will fight harder than ever to bring a future for her. For us.
“I know it was going to be a surprise, but I did look at the paperwork. I’m sorry I couldn’t help myself.” Knox mumbles the words, keeping them low enough to where it’s only me who can hear. “No one else knows. I’ll let you decide. I just thought you should know. Because I need you to hold on for me, Hayley. I need you to fight for our daughter. And I know that knowing this kind of information will help you. Please. Please, you have to hold on for me.”
Again, I try to respond but the words don’t come. The world is too blurry, and I’m not even sure if I’m conscious or not. Maybe this is all a dream. Maybe I didn’t hear Knox. Maybe it’s all in my head.
Fuck. I need to open my eyes. I need to see everything as it happens. If I don’t see any of the threats coming, I can’t protect my guys. I can’t protect myself or my baby.
“Move out of the way!” Sawyer shouts, and the world turns from light to dark with a smattering of star like orbs illuminating around me. The air shifts, in the scent of burning wafts to my nose. “Put the city on lockdown. No one’s allowed in the streets until we have Hayley situated. Make an announcement. We will begin the reformation in one week. Until then, no one leaves any of the hotels. All Strip dwellers must take shelter in the nearest ones.” Sawyer shouts the words, commanding the Bella Crew. Dozens of voices sound around me, and I know that it’s more than just my guys and Mya, Govan, Tatum, and Walcott. Our crew has come for us. They are the manpower we need.
If only I can get my stupid eyes to focus. If only I could get the pain to subside.
“You got it, Sawyer.” Monroe releases a loud whistle and something hisses before an alarm rings through the air.
I jerk and thrash in Knox’s arms, my body freaking out from the sudden shocking sound. A cool hand covers my ear, and the scent of Cooper’s blood trickles across my senses.
“Drink from me next, Hayley. We’re almost there.” Cooper runs beside Knox, and I can’t see much apart from the glow of his com device. Sawyer and the others clear the street around us, ensuring we have a straight path.
The darkness of night shifts and bright lights turn my vision red. I must’ve closed my eyes at some point, and now that they are, I can’t find the strength to open them. I hurt too badly. My stomach won’t stop cramping and my muscles keep seizing.
“Down the hall on the right. Do you need an obstetrician, Misters Noble?” I don’t recognize the voice, but it’s feminine and soft. I could recognize a donor anywhere.
