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Brien’s daggers jumped into his hands. “You still have that switchblade?” he asked me.
“Two.” I grinned at his raised brow, brandishing the one Matthew had forced on me. “I’ll explain later.”
He grunted. “Stay close,” he ordered.
I nodded. I would’ve done it anyway; I was more use guarding Brien’s back than fighting on my own.
I retrieved the second switchblade and dropped into a crouch, one in each hand. I pressed the catches and the blades slid out with a satisfying snick.
The vampires split into two factions. Most took Brien’s side, including Prosper, but a third person joined the vampires fighting on Clarisse and Matthew’s side. Talon was fighting both Matthew and the new attacker now. In the uproar, Clarisse wrenched herself free of Cain and faded into the shadows.
“Bloody Lilith.” Brien shoved me toward the nearest door. “Go! You’ll be safe in my apartment. Lock the door and don’t come out for anyone but me.”
I stumbled a few steps in the direction he’d pushed me, then caught myself. No way was I going to cower in Brien’s apartment while he—my mate—fought for his life.
The fight picked up. The air swelled with unearthly snarls and hisses, like a swarm of demons had broken out of Hell. Goosebumps popped up all over my body, but the fear was mixed with exhilaration. Adrenaline surged in me. I darted around a couple of battling vampires, a switchblade in each hand, heading back to Brien.
Meanwhile, Matthew evaded Talon and lunged for Brien with a wicked-looking silver dagger. He halted long enough to taunt Brien, a sneer on his coyote-lean face.
Matthew’s mistake—it allowed me to slide behind him.
“You were supposed to be in your final grave by now,” the enforcer told Brien.
“Guess you backed the wrong man,” he retorted.
Slipping one switchblade into my pocket, I crept closer to Matthew, the second blade gripped in both my hands. Brien noted me with a brief flicker of his eyelashes.
Raising the switchblade above my head, I brought it down, stabbing the sharp silver point with all my strength into Matthew’s nape. I dragged downward, severing his spinal cord. He jerked and dropped to his knees. My only regret was that he’d never know it was me who’d slain him.
Brien was there as Matthew hit the floor. He drove his dagger into the older vampire’s chest as insurance.
“Sonuvabitch.” Matthew’s mouth gaped like a startled fish. “Should’ve staked…you…the day…you were born.”
Brien smirked. “Too late now,” he said and came back to his feet. His gaze swung to me. “Why am I not surprised you’re still here?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re welcome.”
His jaw tightened. “D’you think I give a fuck about surviving if it means I lose you?”
Matthew’s body was smoking. His eyes had already burned up, leaving him with two empty sockets in his rapidly blackening face. Putting a foot on his shoulder, I wrenched Brien’s dagger from his chest.
“Here.” I tossed it to Brien. “And by the way, I love you. That means I don’t want to lose you, either.”
He snatched the blade out of the air in a movement too fast to see. “You—.” He crooked an arm around my neck and gave me a hard kiss, then released me. “You do realize that I’m your primus now. That means when I give an order, you obey it.”
I snorted. “Good luck with that.”
His lips twitched, and I could tell he was trying not to smile. “Stay, then,” he said, half-growl, half-laughter.
“Yes, Primus,” I said with a grin.
He just shook his head as Clarisse dropped out of the shadows a few feet behind him.
“Brien!” I pointed over his shoulder, and he spun to face her.
Clarisse’s dark hair had pulled free of its chic updo, and she’d kicked off her high heels and lost the jacket, leaving her in a black bra and crayon-red pants. She evaded Brien with a vampire-fast move and stalked toward me, murder in her eyes.
Brien grabbed her shoulder, and she turned on him, rage twisting her fine features. “Mate,” she spat at him. “A human? You must be soft, to want her when you could’ve had me.”
