Page 10

Chapter Nine

Enzo

Joy’s screams faltered and she stopped pounding on my back as soon as I came up on Steve. She went utterly still on my shoulder, her body rigid with shock. Her silence stunned me harder than all her previous struggles.

The idiot stood in the corridor, blood running down his chin, his eyes wild with frenzy. Rage flooded through me, hot and overwhelming.

The metallic scent of spilled blood saturated the air, threatening to awaken my own hunger.

But stronger than that primal urge was the dread of what would come next.

She was already devastated seeing her brother as a vampire—what would happen when she discovered I was the one who had done this to him?

That I had transformed her precious Steve into what she now viewed as a monster?

I snagged his red hair, dragging him away from the man with enough force to make him snarl. My fingers tightened, wanting to punish him for his lack of control, for the pain he was causing her.

“Move, you fool.” I trembled dangerously with barely contained fury. My command left no room for argument, cutting through the chaos like a blade. I pulled him closer, close enough that only he could hear my next words. “You’ve done enough damage tonight.”

The mission was going to hell, and every second we lingered increased the risk.

But the weight of Joy’s silent horror against my shoulder eclipsed even tactical concerns.

The tears I could smell on her cheeks, the way her breath caught on suppressed sobs—each a painful reminder of the revelation still to come.

And that was a conversation I wasn’t prepared to deal with while bullets were flying and our escape route was rapidly closing.

“Lorcan, I’ve got her.”

He stopped fighting with Maximo, who had a sword. He was quite gifted for a human, matching Lorcan stroke for stroke with unexpected skill. The Unseelie’s face showed rare surprise as he disengaged from the fight, dark magic swirling around his fingertips as he prepared to follow me.

Maximo stretched out his hand, his face contorted with rage and desperation.

“No.” The word echoed through the blood-soaked hallway, chasing us as I fled with my prize.

His voice carried a note of genuine fear that satisfied something primal within me—the predator recognizing the prey’s realization that it was too late.

“Guards!” he bellowed. “Stop them! Don’t let them escape with her!”

I burst out into the night air, the cool breeze a stark contrast to the stifling heat of violence inside.

Joy’s heartbeat fluttered against my shoulder like a trapped squirrel, her scent—clove and vanilla—briefly overpowering the copper tang of blood that clung to my clothes and skin.

I tightened my grip, feeling the warmth of her body through the thin fabric of her gown.

With my free hand, I grabbed Steve by his collar and tossed him out onto the ground.

He landed with a dull thud, snarling up at me with blood-drunk eyes, his stained fangs still extended.

Behind us, the sounds of boots pounding against marble floors grew louder, accompanied by shouts and the metallic slide of weapons being drawn.

Stalker growled and snarled at the mansion entrance, his massive form silhouetted against the light spilling from inside.

The wet sounds of tearing flesh punctuated his movements as he kept the first wave of guards from coming out.

When he saw me, his dark eyes gleamed with recognition before he disappeared into the woods, his powerful muscles carrying him swiftly away, most likely returning to Trystan’s Moonmist Manor, just like I had planned.

The soft padding of his paws faded quickly into the darkness.

“Lorcan, take Steve back to Court of Thorns.” My fangs ached behind my lips, demanding satisfaction I couldn’t afford to give in to yet.

“If he’s left to his own doing, we’ll have more bodies than we can count.

” I swallowed hard, tension coiling in my shoulders at the thought of what was to come.

“Angelo is going to be furious when he finds out about this.” The mere mention of his name sent a chill along my spine despite the heat of battle still pulsing through my veins.

We were like brothers, but he was still the king and I had initiated a battle without his consent, but then, what would he do if the roles were reversed and it was Serenity being sold? He had literally gone to hell and back to save her. Could he expect me to do any less for Joy?

Joy twisted and turned. She was slipperier than an eel. “No, I want to talk to him.”

“Joy.” Steve stepped toward her.

I shoved him away from us. This wasn’t the time for a family reunion.

Lorcan put his sword underneath Steve’s throat, a blade glinting with an unnatural blue light. “It’s deadly to vampires. Come with me now.”

Steve glared at me, his pupils still dilated with bloodlust, but he allowed Lorcan to escort him away from Ravenwood Estate. Their shadows disappeared into the darkness, leaving me alone with Joy.

I could hear the tires crunching on the gravel driveway on the other side of the mansion.

The buyers were coming, their expensive cars purring up the long drive, but I doubted Simon would have an auction tonight.

Not with all the carnage. The smell of blood would be impossible to hide, the bodies even harder to explain.

He couldn’t afford to tell the buyers about us.

That would be his death sentence. Our world remained hidden for a reason.

“Enzo, please let me talk with him.”

Lorcan and Steve had already melted into the shadows.

I headed in the opposite direction. “No.”

Joy smashed her fist on my back with each word. “Then we have to save those girls.” She pushed her hands against my shoulders as she tried to get off my back. “My friend Zoe is still in here. All those girls?—”

Her pleas weren’t enough to stop me. Getting her to safety was all that mattered and we were too close to Ravenwood Estate. I refused to lose her again. I tightened my grip and pushed deeper into the swampy wilderness surrounding the property.

Sangue Reale was Angelo’s houseboat, and it was about fifteen miles from Ravenwood Estate, deep in the bayou where the water ran black as midnight and cypress trees created a natural barrier against unwanted visitors.

Simon wouldn’t know of its location. The Santi family had kept it secret for generations, a place of refuge when needed.

By car, it would have taken about a half hour navigating the winding, poorly maintained roads, but using vampire speed, I was able to get there within fifteen minutes, my feet barely touching the ground as I raced through the night with Joy safely in my arms.

I paused at the edge of the clearing, taking a moment to catch my breath—not that I needed to.

Joy’s face was partially illuminated by the sliver of moonlight filtering through the cypress canopy.

Her usually vibrant features were now etched with worry, shadows accentuating the delicate curve of her cheekbones.

Despite everything, a quiet determination shone in her eyes, reminding me why I’d been drawn to her from the beginning.

Her heartbeat, strong and steady against my chest, grounded me in a way I hadn’t expected.

I gently put Joy down in the living room once we were inside the Sangue Reale . Relief flooded over me that she was safe, away from those assholes.

She shoved me hard, her small hands connecting with my chest with surprising force, but it didn’t even move me an inch. Her frustration radiated from her like heat waves, her scent sharpening with anger and distress. “What did you do? Why did you keep me from my brother?”

I cocked my eyebrow and crossed my arms, my blood-stained shirt pulling tight across my shoulders.

A mixture of amusement and irritation flared within me at her accusatory tone.

“What? No thank you?” My fangs threatened to descend as I spoke, the adrenaline from the fight still coursing through my system.

She stepped back, panting. Her pulse jumped erratically, the sound filling my sensitive ears like a tantalizing drum.

A flash of fear flickered in her eyes as she took in my appearance—the blood spattering my clothes, the predatory stance I couldn’t entirely suppress.

I inhaled deeply, savoring the complex blend of her emotions.

“It’s not that I’m not grateful…I am. But I’ve missed my brother.

I’ve missed him so much.” She brushed away a tear.

“And then those poor girls…I can’t just leave them! They need me.”

I met her gaze, allowing some of my mask to slip so she could see the steel beneath.

My jaw tightened as memories of the chaos we’d left behind flickered through my mind.

“We couldn’t save them. Our only objective was to get you out.

” I took a step toward her, unable to resist the pull she exerted on me, watching as she struggled not to retreat further.

Something inside me both exulted in and hated her fear—the predator and the protector at war within me.

Her purple bruise caught the dim light of the houseboat, the discoloration stark against her fair skin.

Something primal stirred within me, a darkness rising from deep in my core.

My vision sharpened, the edges of the room taking on a reddish tint as rage coursed through my veins like liquid fire.

“Who hit you?” The words came out as a low growl, barely recognizable as my own voice.

No one hurts what is mine. The thought hammered through my mind with each beat of my heart, a truth I couldn’t deny even if I wanted to.

She looked down as if embarrassed, her lashes casting delicate shadows on her cheeks.

The scent of her shame mingled with lingering fear, creating a complex aroma that made my nostrils flare.

“Marsha,” she whispered, one hand unconsciously rising to touch the bruise before falling away. “I didn’t want to wear this... dress.”

It was definitely too revealing. Her breasts struggled not to spill out of the low cut dress and a slit went up to the top of her thigh, exposing skin that seemed to glow in the soft lamplight.

I forced my gaze away, jaw clenching so hard I could hear my own teeth-grinding.

Every instinct screamed to cover her, to shield what others had tried to display like merchandise.

My fingers twitched with the impulse to drape my jacket over her shoulders, but I held back, not wanting to frighten her with sudden movements.

Marsha was a sadist, a sadist that needed to be punished—enforcer style.

The thought of her hands on Joy, causing pain, marking what was mine, sent a tremor of fury through me that I struggled to contain.

I took a deep breath, trying to rein in the beast that clawed at my insides, demanding retribution.

“But why just rescue me? Why not the other girls? I’m no better than they are.” She trembled slightly, guilt shadowing her features as she wrapped her arms around herself.

“Because you’re Serenity’s best friend and Angelo ordered me to find you.

” That was true but there was so much more, more that I wasn’t sure she was ready to hear.

My chest tightened with the effort of holding back the words that threatened to spill out.

I inhaled, smelling jasmine and rain on her skin.

The bayou had left its subtle mark on her scent, filling my senses and calling to something primal within me that I fought to keep chained.

Each beat of her heart seemed to echo in my own body, a maddening rhythm I couldn’t escape.

Not yet.

She sat down on the red leather couch in the living room, the leather creaking softly beneath her weight. Her fingers traced absent patterns on the armrest, her gaze drifting to the dark water visible through the houseboat’s window. “Is Serenity nearby? Is she safe?”

“She’s at Crescent Manor, married to the vampire mafia king.” I moved toward the large picture window, needing distance between us. The floorboards groaned beneath my feet, the sound mixing with the gentle lapping of water against the hull.

“She married him? Willingly?”

I winced at the disbelief coloring her tone as if Serenity had made a dreadful mistake. The judgment in it scraped against my nerves like sandpaper. My fangs pressed uncomfortably against my gums, a physical reaction to the challenge in her words that I couldn’t entirely suppress.

“Yes. They’re fated mates, destined to be together.” I turned to face her, my hands gripping the edge of the counter hard enough that the wood protested. “Do you have a problem with that?” The question came out sharper than I intended, heat rising up my neck.

“I don’t know.” She tilted her head, studying me with those impossibly deep eyes. “Does she love him?”

“That’s important to you?” I forced my grip to relax, aware of the indentations my fingers had left in the countertop.

“Yes. I never wanted myself or Serenity to be locked in a loveless marriage like Serenity’s mom had been.

My parents’ marriage had been a storybook.

” She lowered her head. “Until Mom died.” Her voice softened, a hint of vulnerability breaking through her defenses.

The genuine emotion in her words sent an unexpected ache through my chest, a longing for something I’d never allowed myself to want.