Page 26 of Feeding Frenzy (Crimson Coven #3)

TWENTY-SIX

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“You guys didn’t give up on me!” I shouted, pacing back and forth. She would be okay, right? I sat on the cushion of the rounded couch across that Pepto pink room, where one of the vampires placed Maddy.

Her body hadn’t moved from the bed. She lay so still. Asher sank next to me, his palm rested on my back. He patted me in soothing circles.

“Cat, this happens with humans?—”

“Stop trying to pacify me,” I shouted, getting back to my feet to pace. “She mattered, she wasn’t just a human .” Asher looked chagrined.

Ren gripped my arm and dragged me toward the room. I stumbled after him as he shoved me inside, guiding me until I faced Maddy’s limp body. A bandage was wrapped around her neck, covering the injuries.

“What are you doing?” I hissed, fighting to get out of Ren’s grip. Tobias shoved Ren back and broke his hold on me.

“Being rough about it will get you nowhere.”

“She’s in denial. And that will not help her.”

I glared up at him. Bastien was suddenly in front of Ren. As the two biggest males, watching them glare at each other shouldn’t have looked as intriguing as it did. Ren shook his head and put his hands up.

“Breathe in her scent, Catalina,” Tobias said gently, bringing me back to him. I licked my lips and shuffled closer to the bed. Maddy had been cleaned of all the blood, I wasn’t sure who did it, but Talia ordered it before she left to collect Sydney.

I breathed in as Tobias asked me to.

A putrid scent slapped my senses. I gagged and clasped my hand over my mouth, holding my breath again. It was a mix of rotting cabbage and spoiled milk.

It hadn’t worked. I couldn’t change her. Her body was already decaying. I could tell in the dip of her cheeks and the hollow of her eyes.

“That’s cadaverine, skatole, indole, putrescine, and hydrogen sulfide. Bacteria create it during decomposition,” Bastien said, his voice coming from right behind me. “It will only become worse with each hour that passes.”

My lip trembled and I closed my eyes, turning into Bastien’s arms. He rubbed my back, and I let a sob out into his chest.

“Sires, we handled human law enforcement,” a female voice called from the threshold of the room. Handled was a pretty way of saying they compelled them all.

Bastien stiffened and he suddenly snarled toward the interloper. He pulled me into his side, backing us up until he was flat against the wall. His eyes held none of that sharp intelligence that was usually present when his mind was. I held onto his arm.

The female vampire with multicolored braids disappeared as fast as she had arrived. I peeked up at Bastien and his head still swiveled around. I wasn’t sure how long he would last this way. Some ‘moments’ stretched longer than others. I hooked my arm with Bastien’s.

“You should rest before the girl arrives,” Tobias murmured.

I smiled wryly.

“Vampire, remember?” Resting did nothing for me.

“There’s a bath in there and you should take Bastien in there while he’s . . . like this.” Tobias waved a hand. “There are too many vampires around you and it’s not a question about ‘if’, but ‘when’ he will attack one of them.” I remembered how crazed he’d been when I first encountered him. He’d not allowed any of them near me either.

“Okay,” I muttered. I hated how defeated my voice sounded. Jax frowned down at me and he turned to guide me to the bedroom. Bastien trailed after me, my grip not loosening on him.

Asher no longer lounged on the round couch. Jax lead me to the door across from the pink room. Upon opening it, I was surprised at how normal it looked. Just a simple bed with a ruffled bed skirt and a quilt.

I pulled Bastien inside with me and peeked over my shoulder. Bastien’s red eyes were fixed on me. This side of him, instinctual, and rash, held a soft spot for me.

“The shower is over here.” Jax turned right and through a rounded alcove. I followed the sound of the sputtering shower.

The floor to ceiling mirror reflected my blood-stained clothes. So much blood. I slowly lifted my hand to the smear across my cheek.

Steam filled the bathroom, fogging up the mirror. I squeezed Bastien’s hand.

Perhaps I was giving in much too easily. He’d sodomized me, and that remembered trauma would never fade. I wouldn’t be okay with that . . . but why did I want to keep hold of his hand. I should be running the other direction. Now that I was a vampire, I could run—yet I stayed.

I could attribute it to a fear of Imogen, but she didn’t know I lived. And as defective as these males were, they wouldn’t betray me. They may hunt me down and search for me until they found me, but I didn’t believe they would harm me anymore.

“All ready,” Jax said, flicking water from his hands. “I’ll get you a change of clothes.”

“And for Bastien too, please,” I mumbled, still half lost in my thoughts.

I let go of Bastien’s hand to shuck my ruined clothes. I stepped one foot into the bath before turning back to the still clothed vampire who hadn’t taken his eyes off me.

Wrapping my fingers into his hem, I studied the clothing stained with gunk that would never be fully rubbed out of the fabric. Instead of struggling to take it off him, I tore it, baring his chest. The shirt fell to the ground. I reached for his pants and unhooked the loop. With a little shove, they pooled at his ankles.

I ran my fingers over the divot of Bastien’s chest. He made this rumbling sound, shuddering as his eyes slitted shut. If I continued feeling him up, then we’d run out of nighttime.

I stepped into the shower, making sure to scoot closer to the water pelting into my hair, so Bastien fit with me. Water splashed my face. I just stood there, allowing the spray to fall over me and the pinkened liquid to swirl down the drain.

I sank my fingers through my hair, but palms settled on top of mine, taking their place.

“Bastien?” he hummed in answer. His mind had returned. I let my hands drop to my side and embraced his long, strong fingers rubbing into my scalp. Soap dripped down my chest. I let him wash me off. The soothing rub of his hands calmed my racing thoughts. It felt good to have him touch me.

“You seem more comfortable with the Hyde version of me,” Bastien murmured. His deep rumbling voice vibrated in my chest.

“The irony isn’t lost on me,” I said wryly. “This Jekyll version of you—I don’t know him.”

His palm settled on the side of my neck. His hand was so large he could probably wrap one hand around my entire throat.

“Your heart stuttered.”

“You do have your hand around my throat.”

“I would never hurt you.” He grunted. “I’m yours to command.”

And butterflies shouldn’t go off in my stomach at his dark promise.

“For such a big guy, you’re a softie, aren’t you?” I said wryly.

He laughed breathily.

“Only for you, Little One.”

I didn’t doubt it one bit, after watching him tear someone’s head off.

“I have the clothes,” Jax announced from the bedroom. I shook myself from the thrall of our intimate conversation and shut off the water. I plucked the towel from the cubby to the side of the shower and wrapped myself in it, quickly stepping out and into my sneakers.

Bastien didn’t say anything. A good thing because he made me feel fluttery and unsteady.

I shuffled to the bed, where Jax had placed the pile of clothes.

Asher opened the door in the middle of me pulling on sweats and a long-sleeved shirt. The scratchy material sucked, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

“The girl is here,” Asher said, brushing my wet hair back. I tossed the towel I’d scrunched my hair with.

Stepping out into the main room that webbed into all the bedrooms, I scanned for her, but there was no sign. Steps echoed from down the hall. I hurried around the couch as Talia entered with Sydney right behind her.

Sydney didn’t look at me, she stared straight ahead with a blank look on her face.

“Release her from this.” I glared at Talia. She turned the compelled girl and tipped her chin up.

“Sydney, return to yourself.”

The young girl gasped, her wide, frightened eyes flaring.

“Wh-where am—Catalina?” Her wide eyes went from Talia to me.

“Hey, Sydney.” I grabbed her hand and tugged her to the room beside the Pepto one for some privacy. I didn’t want her to have to fall apart in front of everyone. Jax moved to follow me, but I put a hand up, staying him. I wouldn’t want some stranger watching me while receiving bad news. She didn’t know me well, but at least she recognized me.

“Where’s my mom?” She looked around, nose wrinkling.

I closed the door in Jax’s face and turned to Sydney. She slowed, looking around the room, with her arms crossed. All of the walls were painted black and there was a plush couch circling a center table with built in shackles. She settled her eyes on mine.

“Weird,” she whispered but I could hear her from my position across the room. I should have returned her to the bedroom Bastien and I had been in, it was the most normal looking one.

“Your mom told you about vampires.” Her eyes widened and her heartbeat picked up. The thud, thud, thud, of her heart pounded in my ear.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said it so quickly her voice melded together. I pursed my lips. Now she avoided my eyes. And I could see the pulse in her throat.

“Sydney,” I murmured. “She asked me to look after you.” I struggled to find the words. What did one say to the person that lost everything. Once upon a time, I’d been in her shoes, but at least I had Peter to look after, he’d kept me going, because I knew he couldn’t survive without me.

“B-but why? Where is she?”

“Sydney.” I slowly approached. She backed up.

“Spit it out,” she shouted, her eyes welling. She knew, some part of her had to know.

The doorknob jiggled.

“Catalina?”

“Wait out there,” I shouted. Thank God, I’d locked it.

I returned my gaze to Sydney. She swiped the back of her hand across her eyes.

“Who?” Her eyes filled with tears.

“We don’t know.”

“A vampire?”

“A gunshot wound.”

“D-did they turn her?” Her eyes widened and she hurried toward me and grabbed my hands. “Those Crimson vampires she worked for? She’s okay, she’s a vampire now, right?” Her shoulders dropped, visible relief on her face. “That’s okay, she can be a vampire,” she said it under her breath, like she was talking to herself.

“They tried,” I whispered. She didn’t seem to hear me. Then she went quiet, and her legs gave out. I crouched next to her. Her head dropped forward and she sobbed.

I pressed my hand on her back and watched the young girl sob. Tears gathered in my eyes and trickled down my cheeks.

Sydney swiped the back of her arm across her face.

“Why are your tears pink?”

“I’m a vampire.” I sniffled.

“Vampires can cry?”

I could only nod, joining her in another bout of tears. She would go through all of the emotions. I had to let her. She let out another wrenching sob.

“The people that hurt her will pay.”

“Promise?” She hiccupped.

Her arms wrapped around me, and she sobbed into my chest. I patted her back, letting her cry the next bout out.

Eventually, the loud, gut-wrenching sobs tapered off and in between were shoulder wracking hiccups.

“I know it wasn’t the vampires she worked for. She talked about how they helped her.” Sydney sniffled and dashed the back of her hands across her nose. “She loved one called Talia, but my mom never let me meet her.”

“She knows who you are.” I smiled softly. “Do you want to see your mom’s body before she’s buried?”

“She wanted to be cremated.” She hiccupped and sniffed in hard. I nodded slowly and stood, holding my hand down toward her. She reached for me, and I pulled her to her feet.

I didn’t let her hand go as I guided her to the pink room. The door was already open, and Talia sat at the edge of her bed, combing Maddy’s hair back.

Sydney pulled free and leaned over the other side of her mother. I swiped my fingers across the few tears that escaped.

“You’re a sensitive little one,” Bastien murmured into my hair. He kissed the top of my head and straightened.

“Let’s get her home,” Asher murmured. Talia stood from the bed, giving Sydney privacy with her mother.

“Sydney will stay here with me. I’ll make sure she’s safe.”

I turned to look at the young girl not letting go of her mom’s hand.

“Please call if she needs anything,” I said with effort. Talia finally looked at me and nodded.

“I will call my Sire, if I need to contact you.” I didn’t pay any attention to the slight bite in her tone. There was a bit of possessiveness to how she spoke about Asher, but there were more important things to worry about.

***

Ren turned the SUV onto the main road Crimson Manor sat upon. We’d all packed into one vehicle, which was how I ended up wrapped up in Asher’s arms, reclining on his lap. Light flickered in the sky. The orange hue a striking difference from the dark backdrop. I straightened, leaning forward.

“What is . . .”

“Fuck,” Ren hissed. Ren stepped on the gas. The inky fog came closer and closer. The top floor of Crimson Manor was on fire.

Smoke plumed into the sky and dark smog coated the house. Fire engulfed the garden and sputtered out of the broken windows.

My hands began to shake. Again?

“My things,” I whimpered. There goes everything I’d collected since the last time, but this round hurt just a little less. “My laptop,” I shouted. I crawled over Asher’s lap to press my palms to the window. Yellow and red flames flickered from the top of Crimson Manor. Everything I’d collected.

My lip trembled. The car jolted to a stop.

A door snicked open and closed, in the same breath.

“Where are you going?” Asher shouted. “Ren!”

All I saw was his back as he disappeared through the gate. I yanked at the door, but Asher kept it closed.

“You’re not going in there.”

I kept yanking even though I knew Asher wouldn’t give in. “What is he doing?”

The siren of a fire engine spilled through even the closed doors of the car. A sudden slam rocked the SUV side to side.

Ren, soot covered, slipped into the SUV and shut the door. He put it in drive and peeled around to race away from the burning building.

“Why would you do that?” I screamed, shoving at his shoulder.

He lifted something and the light of the fire behind us glinted off the metal from my laptop. My lip warbled.

“You shouldn’t have done that.” I smacked his shoulder again. Ren only wiggled the laptop toward me. I finally took it, hugging it to my chest. “If you do something like that again, I swear to God,” I whispered.

Arms wrapped around my waist, and I was tucked against a chest. I looked up at Jax. He smoothed his palm down my arm in a rhythmic pat.

I nestled close to him. What sucked the most was, if we had stayed home, we would have been roasted in the fire, especially if it had happened while the sun was out. The attacks kept coming and closed in on us.

And the guys. I studied them all one by one. They seemed stoic, but it was that very stoicism that told me they craved ripping into throats.

Ren revved onto the freeway.

“Where are we going?” Tobias asked.

“A different property,” Asher answered.

“That we have thanks to my insistence,” Ren drawled.

“And what about the pile of ash?” I asked wryly.

“One of the humans we have on payroll will handle everything with officials while we sleep. They’ll package anything that was not destroyed,” Tobias said.

“Already texted Talia to get one of her people on it,” Asher offered. That would have been Maddy’s job if she was still alive. My nose burned with restrained tears.

Jax readjusted me on his lap, so my head nestled on his shoulder. I closed my eyes tightly and breathed his scent in. A slight burn stung my gums, but I restrained my urge to sink my fangs into him and drink.

“Where are you driving to?” Tobias asked.

“You’ll see,” Asher intoned ominously.