Page 55 of A Bond Beyond Blood (The Butcher’s Daughter Trilogy #1)

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Though days passed without incident, it wasn’t long before Carmine Donati sent word of the discussions happening within the now-defunct Council of Lords . So I was prepared when the remaining members struck, ready for their sad attempt at taking me down.

Imagine.

Taking me down, a king .

I snorted as I stepped outside, scanning the yard and the surrounding trees as two dozen vampire soldiers circled the humble home I’d been squatting in.

Canting my head, I listened to the breeze, counting heartbeats and footsteps until I had a better idea of how many surrounded the small glen. Another dozen or so remained hidden within the tree line.

Scanning the men nearest me, I snarled as I realized the traitors behind this little attack were not even present. A show of disrespect if ever there was one.

“Where is Frances?” I bellowed. “And Micheal? They couldn’t be bothered to show their faces?” I taunted. “Such mighty lords you all worship.”

An older vampire charged toward me, a long wooden stake held in one hand. With a roar, he released his weapon—

And I swatted it to the side like a fly.

“Do better,” I growled, baring my teeth at him. “Get on your knees.”

He did as I commanded, but I was forced to turn away before I could compel him to swallow his own tongue, as one of his brethren came at me from behind. He slammed into my side as I turned to face him, propelling me across the front yard and slamming me up against a stout tree trunk.

“Oomph!” I shook my head as I pushed the vampire off of me and righted myself. “That wasn’t very nice.” With one hand, I swiped his head from his body, curled my arm back, then propelled the man’s noggin into one of his comrades like a bowling ball, knocking the man clean off his feet.

“Strike!” I shouted gleefully. “Slice off your head,” I commanded as I passed the vampire I’d just knocked onto his knees. Eyes wide with surprised horror, he brought his sword up to do as he was told, just as another charged toward me.

I swung my arm, catapulting that one into the sky.

With a sigh, I straightened the lapels of my coat. “Are these your very best?” I shouted into the glen.

Then I crouched, raised my fists up to my face, and waited.

A brave little soldier strode toward me, a sword in one hand and a stake in the other, murder bright and crimson in his eyes.

“Well that’s not fair; I don’t have any weapons.”

He snarled, baring his fangs at me, then whipped both weapons to the side and curled his hands into fists.

Much better.

Not that it would be a fair fight, per se, but at least we’d both be fighting like men.

He swung first—of course he did—and I dodged out of the way, then I swung my fist in an arc and slammed it into his side.

He grunted but quickly responded with another punch.

This time, he got me in the jaw and my head swung to the side.

Blood dripped from my lip and I licked the wetness, then turned back to him and sneered as I charged forward.

With two quick punches, one immediately following the other, I drove my fists into and then through his torso.

He stumbled back and I strode toward him.

I retrieved his sword from the ground as I loomed over him, then raised it quickly, shish-kabobbing one of the others as he charged for me.

The sound of his blood gurgling onto the sword curled my lip.

I looked over at the vampire, watching him grasp at the sword, cutting his hands every time they scraped along the steel, then I jumped up, positioning myself above him so I could tilt him backwards and stab the sword inches into the ground, pinning him to the earth like the wings of a dead butterfly in a display box.

“Stay,” I said, then I turned back to the one I’d punched matching holes into and squatted over him. Grabbing his dark blond curls, I ripped his head off, then spun quickly and tossed it at the head of another advancing vampire, knocking his skull right off his shoulders in the process.

I shivered at the thrill of it all, then turned toward the next incoming vampire.

By the time I’d put all but one of them down, I was drenched in blood and bored out of my goddamned mind.

With a sigh, I surveyed the area. Blood stained everything in the vicinity. Body parts littered the walkway and unmanicured lawn. Brain matter and... oh, dear... are those entrails? ... scattered across the front porch.

When the owners returned from holiday, they’d be none too pleased with my redecorating.

“Right, then.” I dragged the one remaining soldier behind me and strode to his vehicle. “Time to find a new place to live.” I chuckled as I tossed the badly-beaten vampire into the passenger seat, then climbed behind the wheel. “I hear the House of Lords has had a recent vacancy.”

The vampire groaned, but his face had already begun healing. He’d be fine in no time.

I drove toward the garish castle the Lords had built for themselves, considering the myriad ways I’d have to update the place to make it feel more like home sweet home.

The horrendous topiary garden came to mind, first and foremost, but there was also the small issue of that iron gate with the tacky skulls, the spires—

“What...” The man’s throat gurgled as he tried to speak and I rolled my eyes.

“What...” I repeated. “Let’s see if I’m any good at this game.

What do I want? What am I doing? What is my favorite place to holiday?

” I side-eyed him as I turned onto the highway.

“What I want is order, young man. Order and peace between our kind and theirs.” I scoffed.

“And by theirs , I mean the humans, obviously, in case you’ve taken one too many hits to the head and can’t follow along.

” At that statement, I slammed my fist into his head once more.

It did deliver such a satisfying sound. “And I’m doing what needs to be done, though I had hoped that was obvious.

” I turned on the radio and scrolled until I found a suitable station; as a modern classical melody filled the car, I commanded, “Don’t move or speak again. ”

When we reached the House of Lords, I stopped at the guard gate, pleased when the guard opened the gates without a word. “Good on you,” I told him with a mock salute. “Some of us do learn.” I winked as I drove past.

I drove the SUV right up onto the front steps of the building, laughing as the vehicle lurched and shook, shaking the vampire beside me right out of his seat.

I climbed out quickly, then dragged the wounded foot soldier from the vehicle, surprised by how well he’d already healed during the drive over.

“You’re older than I thought. Pity all that time on earth didn’t strengthen your sense of survival.

” I dropped him at the doorstep and said, “My favorite place to holiday is the Isle of Unbrak, a secluded little island just south of the Sea of Hebrides.”

Two guards I didn’t recognize pulled the doors open, taking one look at me and dropping to their knees. Whether from reputation alone or the fact that I’d been painted by the blood of their fallen brethren, I didn’t know or care.

“Remain on your knees,” I said as I strolled forward. “Lords!” I bellowed into the great foyer. “Come out and face me like men!”

The sound of two vampires charging toward me reached my ears only a split second before stakes pierced my skin, one through my front and one through my back, making a pin cushion of my poor heart and sending excruciating pain through my body.

My knees buckled, but before I fell, I managed to spin swiftly and snag the throats of the two vampires who’d surprised me, dragging their heads together in front of me as I crumpled to the floor.

“Well done, boys,” I said, the words strained as I struggled through the pain. I detested the burn of cherrywood stakes, and two at a time was truly a lot to expect a man to tolerate. “Now, hold still.”

Sleep called to me, clawing at me and trying to pull me under, but Frances Whitcomb and Micheal Rhoades needed to be dealt with before I could succumb to the rest my body needed so that I could heal swiftly.

A staking—or, two , in this case—would not kill a born vampire, but it did render me far more defenseless than I would have liked.

Immobilized, as it were, in the home of my enemies.

I did hope this wouldn’t be the way my existence ended. What a disappointing climax that would be.

I needed time to heal properly, and with two stakes skewering my heart, the healing would not begin until they were removed. But I must put these two vampires down first. Priorities, and all that.

“A sneak attack is cowardly,” I said as I held their heads so close together the sound of their skulls beginning to crack from the pressure echoed in the foyer.

“It’s a pity your last stand was such a gutless production.

” To the one on the right, I murmured, “Such wasted potential, Micheal. Your poor mother.”

He winced, but I wasted no more time on him.

Flexing my hands, I pressed their heads together with all my remaining strength.

Their eyes bulged as their heads smashed into one another, popping and squelching as two became one in a grotesque display even I didn’t have the stomach for at the moment.

I gagged, then ended the performance swiftly by ripping what remained of their shattered skulls in opposite directions and tossing them across the room.

I dropped onto my side, too weak to retrieve the stakes from my torso.

Damn my incessant need to handle everything by myself. I could really use an extra set of hands.

“Your majesty,” a man said, shaking me until I opened my eyes.

“Ah, Lieutenant Sam,” I murmured, then closed my eyes again. The wounds in my chest and back had begun to knit themselves back together. He’d removed the stakes, the dear boy. “I just need a moment.”

“You can’t stay here. There are still defectors. My men are... cleaning house, sir.”

I frowned, but sleep really was a mighty temptress.

“King Bristol, sir, we need time to prepare the castle for you. Let us extinguish the vermin while you recover somewhere safe.”

I smiled at that. Vermin, right. That’s what they were. Vermin that needed to be dealt with before I could take residence. Good. Yes.

“Sir?” Lieutenant Sam shook me awake once more. “Is there somewhere safe I can take you?”

“East Brooklyn. Fiorino’s Meats,” I murmured, then I drifted off as the young lieutenant hefted me into his arms, thoughts of Franco’s daughter filling my mind.