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Chapter Thirteen

Joy

The number of men I had kissed was few..

. they weren’t even men... they were boys.

But this wasn’t just a man, this was a vampire, an enforcer who kissed with centuries of experience.

His weight pressed me gently into the couch cushions, not crushing but grounding, as his lips moved against mine with confident precision.

Each caress sent electricity racing through my veins, awakening parts of me I hadn’t known existed.

His scent enveloped me completely—cold stone and iron—overwhelming my senses until I could focus on nothing else.

The world beyond this couch, beyond his touch, seemed to disappear entirely.

As his hand cradled my face with surprising tenderness, I arched up into him, my body responding to his in ways my inexperienced mind could barely comprehend.

In that moment of complete surrender, I knew with absolute certainty that I was being thoroughly ruined for any other man.

I ran my hands over his broad back, his muscles moving underneath my palms like living steel wrapped in silk.

Every shift of his body against mine sent new waves of sensation cascading through me.

Curiosity emboldened me, and I ran my tongue along his, accidentally rolling over the sharp points of his fangs.

A small thrill of danger shot through me, but they didn’t hurt me—it was as if he was holding back, maintaining perfect control even as passion threatened to consume us both.

The realization that this powerful predator was being so careful with me made something warm unfurl in my chest, a feeling that went beyond the heat of our kiss.

I grabbed the tight bun at the back of his head and pulled it loose, his dark hair cascading around his shoulders as my fingers tangled in it, feeling the raw, electrifying power surging through him—this vampire, this formidable warrior.

Terrifying to many, even to my captors, yet here, he revealed a different facet of his being, brimming with untamed passion.

His kiss intensified, a fierce claim, filled with lust and unyielding power, ensnaring me completely.

Desire coursed through me as I longed to feel the warmth of his skin, so I gently slipped my hands beneath his shirt.

Underneath the fabric I discovered a landscape of strength, a testament to the power that resided within him.

Yet as my fingers traced the contours, I encountered scars—each one a silent story etched into his flesh, marking the trials and battles a warrior had endured over countless centuries.

He trailed fervent kisses down my throat, each touch igniting a fiery path on my skin. His fangs grazed against my neck with a tantalizing scrape that sent a shiver of electric exhilaration coursing through my entire body, leaving me breathless and craving more.

His fingers brushed lightly against my skin as he slid his hand up my shirt, the fabric rustling softly with the movement. Cool air rushed against my bare skin, heightening the sensation as my breasts, full and aching with anticipation, were liberated.

Enzo tensed and lifted his head.

I gasped, not wanting him to stop. “What’s wrong?”

“Someone’s out there.” He rolled off me, his eyes widening with alarm, his shirt hanging loosely over his rumpled trousers. “Stay here,” he whispered urgently, his warm breath tickling my ear. “I won’t lose you again.” His fingers squeezed mine with desperate intensity before letting go.

Fear pulsed through me like an electric current, making my heart hammer against my ribs.

I sat up shakily, the cool air raising goosebumps on my exposed skin.

With trembling fingers, I pulled my T-shirt down.

The fabric felt rough against my sensitized skin, the sound of my ragged breathing suddenly too loud in the tense silence.

Enzo watched me with a gentleness that contradicted his supernatural strength, waiting until I had composed myself. Only when I met his eyes again did he flash to the door, faster than I could track him.

He pressed his back against the wall between the large curtain window and door. I crawled onto the floor, feeling like a sitting duck.

Through the window, a pair of red eyes peered through the shadows, glowing with malevolent hunger. A flood of goosebumps rolled over my skin. Was that a vampire? Or something even more terrifying? The hair on my arms stood on end as a cold shiver rattled my bones.

“Stay down,” Enzo warned. His jaw clenched tight as he gripped the doorknob. He shot out the door, the wooden frame rattling in his wake, leaving me alone with nothing but the sound of my own rapid heartbeat pounding in my ears.

My mind raced with possibilities as I scanned the dimly lit interior, the gentle rocking of the boat beneath my feet a stark contrast to the danger lurking outside.

I heard an agonizing scream—a sound so raw and primal it froze my blood. I raced to the door, my pulse thundering and sweat beading on my forehead as I charged toward whatever horror awaited me.

Enzo. He was in trouble. That same protective anger surged through me like a raging river, hot and unstoppable. The chaotic beating in my chest nearly stole my breath as adrenaline flooded my system. Shadows slid along the wall as if they were an army at my command.

I burst out the door and gasped, the cool night air shocking my lungs as my eyes struggled to process the horrific scene before me.

The red-eyed creature bending over Enzo was Maximo!

His familiar face was twisted into something inhuman, his mouth stretched into a grotesque smile revealing pointed teeth.

How could that be—he was a man, not a vampire!

He lifted his hand that had long bloody fingernails gleaming wet in the moonlight, poised to deliver a killing blow.

“No!” The shadows slipped around me like liquid midnight and headed over to where Enzo had fallen, his body crumpled and vulnerable on the cold ground.

Maximo’s nails retracted with a sickening sound as the shadows swirled around Enzo like a protective box, creating a barrier between him and certain death. The darkness pulsed and undulated, responding to the frantic beating of my heart.

“Come with me, Joy,” Maximo purred, his voice like velvet over broken glass, “or I’ll kill your hero.” His eyes glowed brighter, twin embers of malice in the darkness, as he extended a now-human hand toward me in mock invitation.

My shoulders sagged, matching the hollow feeling spreading beneath my ribs.

I still could taste Enzo’s lips on mine, sweet and intoxicating, the memory burning through me with unexpected intensity.

I had felt safe in his arms, knowing that no one could harm me with him holding me close, his strength a sanctuary in this nightmare world of shadows and monsters.

But this creature before me...man or beast or pure evil.

..Maximo might have the power to bring down my brave vampire.

The very thought carved a hollow of dread in my chest, threatening to swallow me whole.

That wasn’t something I could live with—the guilt of watching Enzo die when I could have prevented it would haunt me forever.

He had risked his life to save me, had thrown himself between me and death without hesitation, his protection unwavering despite barely knowing me.

And I wouldn’t let him die. The decision crystallized within me, turning my fear to steely resolve, my confusion to fierce determination.

My hands trembled but my gaze remained steady as I faced the monster before me, ready to sacrifice myself for the vampire who had awakened something dangerous and powerful within me—something I was only beginning to understand.

I blinked away tears, each one a tiny crystal of fear and regret, and headed outside into the night air that suddenly felt colder against my skin.

My feet were bare, vulnerable. The sandals had been discarded next to the couch where Enzo had kissed me just moments ago—a lifetime ago.

My cheeks still tingled where his stubble had brushed against my sensitive skin, the sensation a lingering reminder of his touch, now the only physical evidence that his lips had ever found mine.

I had to save him. Maximo left me little choice.

I braced my shoulders and forced myself down the steps of the houseboat, each sound seeming to echo across the dark water.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped from the dock onto the marshy ground of the bayou.

Stickers and sticks dug into my feet with each hesitant step forward, tiny daggers of pain shooting up my legs.

I winced and pressed my lips together to keep a groan from escaping, unwilling to give Maximo the satisfaction of hearing my discomfort.

My toes curled against the hostile ground, desperately trying to minimize the contact with the sharp objects hidden in the darkness.

Maximo didn’t make a move to help me across the sticker path and almost seemed to enjoy my pain, his crimson eyes gleaming with cruel amusement as I stumbled.

The shadow manipulator in me wanted to lash out, to wrap him in darkness and squeeze until he couldn’t breathe, but I restrained myself—Enzo’s life hung in the balance.

I took his hand with my shaking one, feeling the unnatural coolness of his skin against my trembling fingers, bile rising in my throat at the contact.

He whisked me over his shoulder like a sack of laundry, his grip tight enough to bruise, knocking the breath from my lungs.

The world tilted sickeningly as blood rushed to my head.

Then we moved faster than I expected, trees and bushes blurring into streaks of shadow as the wind whipped my hair painfully against my face.

My stomach lurched with each impossible leap and bound as we disappeared into the darkness, deeper into the unknown.

My last glimpse back showed me the protective shadow barrier still surrounding Enzo’s crumpled form.

Enzo was wounded but not dead. That single thought became my anchor, the only comfort in this storm of terror.

I clung to it desperately as Maximo carried me away from everything familiar, from the vampire who had somehow, in the span of a single night, become my unlikely protector—and perhaps something more.