Page 60 of Inhuman Nature

“You know,” came Lawrence’s voice, casual and conversational, as if he hadn’t been scratching at their front door like a feral alley cat. “Fires aren’t all that uncommon inBrighton. An old building like this? It wouldn’t take much for the whole thing to go up.”

Shaun’s eyes went wide. “No.”

“Or perhaps I should start picking off the neighbours,” Lawrence continued. “The flat on the top floor has a couple of toddlers that might do for a midnight snack.”

“No!” Shaun shouted. He pushed past DJ and went right up to the door. His hand hovered over the handle, but he didn’t make the final move to turn it. “Lawrence, you can’t do that. You know you’ll just expose yourself. The others won’t stand for that in their city.”

Lawrence laughed, low and mocking. “They can’t stop me. Neither can you, or your little human protectors in there. Shaun, I’m going to take them apart right in front of you.”

“I’ll never let you touch them.”

“You cannot watch them all the time.”

“If that’s what it takes, I will,” Shaun promised.

A loud bang shook the door on its hinges and Shaun leapt backwards. DJ yelped in surprise as he found himself with an armful of shaking vampire.

An honest-to-god cackle came from the other side of the door.

“Leave, Lawrence!” Shaun spat out.

“You bore me, Shaun. I’ll find myself another plaything.”

A few seconds of silence passed. DJ braced himself for another attack.

“He’s gone,” Shaun said.

“Gone, gone?” DJ asked. Not that he didn’t trust Shaun’s senses, but Lawrence seemed like the sort to trick them into relaxing before taking another strike.

Shaun shot over to the living room window, DJ and Rake following behind at a human pace. The three of them stood at the glass, watching Lawrence’s back as he strolled down the middle of the road away from the flat.

“He won’t give up,” Shaun said.

Rake placed a hand at the back of Shaun’s neck, then hooked the fingers of his other hand under DJ’s necklace at his nape. “We’llbe ready,” Rake said.

Chapter Fourteen

Shaun

Rake and DJ’s front door looked like it’d been ravaged by a pack of wild animals. Deep gouges mottled the wood, chunks of it lying around the stairwell. The hinges seemed intact, but there was no way the door could just be sanded down and repainted. The whole thing would need replacing.

“Well, shit. There goes our deposit,” DJ said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I’ll find a way to pay for it,” Shaun said. Not that he had any legal means of getting money, but he’d figure it out.

“It’ll be fine,” Rake said.

“Your door’s destroyed,” Shaun pointed out. Thanks to him, he didn’t need to add.

“It’s just a thing,” DJ said. “Things can be replaced. People can’t.”

Shaun stared at the door, imagining the damage being done to Rake and DJ instead, should Lawrence have got hold of them. The idea of them being torn to pieces was so sickening that he had to look away. His nails dug into his palms as he fought to keep his anger at Lawrence under control.

“What do we do about this?” DJ asked him. “He knowsyou’re here, and I feel like it’s only a matter of time before he figures out how to get to you.”

The second Shaun had chosen to go to Rake and DJ’s flat instead of hunkering down in the closest place possible, he’d put them in danger. He needed to keep them safe now.

“I can talk to some of the other vampires and ask for help.” It wouldn’t be his first choice, but Lawrence’s attack gave him few options for recourse.