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TWENTY-FIVE

catalina

Just as Iwas about to lunge into the hiding spot with them, a truck careened around the corner of the street and the engine revved as it pulled up next to the SUV. People spilled out in military looking garb. They flooded into Crimson Nights through the same entrance my vampires entered.

No! I gasped, stepping forward to follow, but gunshots started up again. I dropped onto my butt, covering my head. Holes burst through the bumper, and I screamed, getting on my stomach.

The shooting cut off and this time, when it started up again, I wouldn’t be able to avoid it. Asphalt scrubbed against my jeans with my roll to the side. I pushed into a crouch. I peeked out and sprinted toward the little alleyway across from where Maddy and the other girl hid. I didn’t want to lead attention to them.

I huddled against the wall, shadowed by the tall buildings. There were no lights, so I would be hard to be detected. I pressed my back against the wall. I just had to wait for one of my vampires to come get me. Vampires and humans spilled from Crimson Nights in droves.

One shot through the heart and vampires were dust. I gawked at the pile of ash feet away. The poor female vampire hadbeen running away when the bullet sliced through the air and right through her. She crumpled into herself, her body shriveling slowly into itself.

Screaming and snarling erupted from the side of the building near the destroyed vehicles. Ren tossed bodies, ripping through humans with ease. He scanned the lot.

“Cat,” he roared. I tried not to pay too much attention to the mangled humans he left behind. I sucked in a breath to shout for him.

Ren avoided another bullet and sank his fingers inside a chest. I followed the line of the gunshots.

The shooter hiding behind the large truck diagonal to the back entrance crouched lower, angling the barrel toward Ren. No! I was already moving, so fast that it made me dizzy. He didn’t see me coming, because he was focused on shooting Ren.

I threw myself on the large back, slapping my palms over his face. He immediately straightened, taking me with him. I hooked my legs around his waist and sank my fingers into his face harder and harder, until he let go of the machine gun. It fell onto the bed of the truck with a loud thud. He hissed and jabbed his elbow back. My fangs erupted from my gums. I grunted, sucking in a breath.

Grabbing onto his hair, I yanked to the side to offer me space to bite him. I sank my fangs into the side of his throat. My teeth met resistance of the thick vest he wore. He bucked and turned, slamming my back into the truck. I yanked to the side and tried to bite him again. My fangs sank into his throat. He gasped and he staggered. His blood flooded my mouth.

This one was a vampire. His taste flooded my mouth. It was nowhere close to what I was used to. I let it leak out from the corner of my mouth. I sucked blood from his wounds and his head fell forward, with a moan.

I slackened my grip and yanked my mouth from his skin.

The vampire ripped out of my hold and turned to punch me in the face.

I whimpered, cupping my stinging lip.

The vampire came at me again and I moved to the side with a flinch. His first slammed into a wall, causing dust to plume and a crack to shatter through the stone. My eyes widened on the fist coming for me again. It moved in conjunction with the stake.

I put my hands up to protect myself, but the attack never came.

I peeked through my fingers. Bastien held the back of the vampire’s neck. He took hold of his hair and pulled back. Skin from his neck stretched and continued to stretch until it began to tear. My stomach lurched. I could see inside his throat. Bastien ripped his head off and blood splattered across my face. I gawked as the body crumpled into itself, turning to dust.

Bastien cupped the side of my head, and I had to crane my neck to look him in the eyes. I held my breath, not wanting bloodlust to take over.

“You okay, Little One?” I nodded hesitantly, still not able to articulate anything. Bastien turned in time to catch the vampire coming at his back. I yelped at the thud of his body hitting Bastien.

“Where’s Maddy?” I shouted over the noise. Snarls, screaming, and gunshots exploded through the night. I shoved past Bastien, but he stayed glued to my side as I hurried to the alley she’d hidden in.

Red splashed the ground, and I followed it to a body leaning to the left of the garbage bin. It was that girl she’d hidden with. Her eyes were open, staring up at the sky sightlessly. Her throat was ripped through, like she’d been shot repeatedly in the neck.

“Maddy?” I shouted over the chaos.

“Catalina,” Bastien murmured in my ear, his hand on my shoulder guiding me down the alley. A wet cough exploded offthe walls. I ran toward the sound until her feet came into view. There was so much blood. I dropped to my knees beside her torso. Blood seeped into the fibers of her clothes, all dripping out of her raw, open neck. She’d been shot. She took a gasping breath, her eyes flicking side to side.

“Maddy?” I struggled to push the words out. She would not survive this. I sank my fangs into my wrist and pushed it against her lips, but they didn’t move. Her eyes were peeled wide—scared.

She coughed up the blood.

“Syd.” She gurgled. “Please.” She mouthed the last word. Tears dripped on her face. I’d been too late. I pressed my palm to my stomach like I could contain the hollow sensation. She had Sydney. I sniffled in, still holding my wrist against her mouth insistently.Come on, drink.

“She’s dead, Little One.” Bastien wrapped his arms around my torso, holding my arms to my chest. He stood me on my feet, but I couldn’t feel anything.