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Sam looked out the peephole again, but Chase was gone. He sagged with relief, but he still wasn’t putting the knife down. Sam was too spooked. Who could blame him?
He’d gone to his couch and sat down, wondering where Cable was, when the door crashed open. Sam screamed and jumped up, backing away.
“It’s rude to ignore you neighbor,” Chase said as he advanced toward Sam. “I really am hungry and wouldn’t have bothered you if I hadn’t seen that hunter leaving your apartment.” He slid his tongue over… Sam’s eyes bulged when he saw a set of fangs in Chase’s mouth. This couldn’t be real.
“I can still smell his scent in your apartment.” Chase moved slowly around the couch as Sam continued to back up, gripping the knife like a lifeline. He wasn’t even sure he could hurt a vampire. Would stabbing Chase have any effect on him?
“Nelo is the new ruler of Ridgeway. He’s got a plan for those mutts. A brilliant plan, if I do say so myself. But draining you will send that hunter over the edge, and I do so love to watch the pain I’ve inflicted on others.”
Sam’s mind was racing as he tried to come up with a way to escape. He had no idea who this Nelo was and didn’t care. All he knew was that he needed to get away from Chase, who was slowly but steadily closing in on him. Sam felt the cold metal of the knife in his hand, and he knew that he had to use it if he had any chance of surviving.
He tightened his grip on the knife, ready to defend himself. He wasn’t a match for a vampire, but he had to try. As Chase advanced, Sam lunged with the knife, hoping to hit something vital.
Chase easily dodged the attack, laughing. “You poor, foolish human. Your kind is so insignificant.”
“You won’t get away with this,” Sam said, his voice shaking. He tried to sound brave, but he knew there was little hope for that. Not when he was ready to piss himself.
Chase laughed. “Oh, but I already have. Your hunter friend is nowhere to be seen. He left you vulnerable, and I plan to take full advantage of the situation.”
He advanced toward Sam again, but Sam took another step back, his hand shaking.
In a flash, Chase grabbed Sam by the throat and hoisted him off his feet. Sam struggled and kicked, but it was useless. He was outmatched.
“You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?” Chase said, his eyes gleaming with hunger. “But it’s no use. You’re going to die, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Sam pulled his leg back and kicked Chase in the nuts as hard as he could. The vampire released him and bent over, curse words flying out of his mouth. Sam hit the floor, but he scrambled to his feet and hauled ass out of his apartment before Chase could recover. He flew down the steps and burst through the entrance to the building, no destination in mind.
He just had to get away from Chase.
Sam had run two blocks when he spotted a familiar face. It was one of the guys who’d rescued him the night before. Sam didn’t know the guy’s name, but if he’d been with Cable, then the stranger had to be a hunter.
He closed in and stopped, holding his side as a stitch forced him to double over.
“Are you okay?” the hunter asked. “Wait, you’re the guy from last night.”
Sam tried to speak, but he couldn’t catch his breath. He wasn’t used to such exertion. Fuck. He needed to get more exercise in his life.
“Take your time,” the hunter said.
“Vampire,” Sam managed to get out. “My apartment. Tried to attack me.” He pulled himself up and took a few deep breaths. Then he was finally able to speak coherently. “Cable left to handle some business, but he hasn’t come back like he promised. My neighbor from across the hall just bust into my apartment.” He told the hunter what Chase had said about Nelo. “I never suspected Chase was a vampire, but now that I think about it, I only ever saw him at night.”
“Cable was at your apartment?” the guy asked.
Sam wasn’t sure if he should show the guy his mating mark, but Cable had said he was in a pack, and if this guy was a hunter, he could be a part of that pack. Sam had to take a chance because he needed to find out what had happened to his mate.
He held up his hand and showed the mating mark.
The guy cursed. “I’m Talon. I’ll get you somewhere safe, and we’ll figure out where Cable is.”
“I’m Sam.” Thank god Talon was helping him, because Sam wouldn’t have been able to run any farther. He was winded, and his side still hurt, plus he was now desperate to find out where Cable was.
Talon led him to a black SUV. “I’ll take you to our pack house. You’ll be safe there.”
Without hesitation, Sam climbed into the passenger seat. Talon jumped in the driver’s seat and then sped off. Sam wanted as much distance from Chase as he could get. Too bad he couldn’t have locked his apartment, but after Chase had crashed in, Sam doubted the locks had survived.
Luckily he didn’t have anything worth stealing. In his neighborhood, an open door was in an invitation to take what you wanted. Just as long as his tulips weren’t touched. Sam treasured them. He also hoped he had pots and pans and even food to come home to.
If he went home, Sam wasn’t sure what he was going to do. Now that he knew his neighbor was a ravenous vampire, he didn’t want to step foot in his apartment ever again.
