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Mila

“Hey! Haven’t you ever heard of personal space?”

Bec’s aggravated words made Mila pull out of the group cuddle with Gio and Carter. They all turned to see Danzig, still in snake form, rubbing the side of his head against her.

“I want to smell like you,” he said, his low voice needy.

“I didn’t know world serpents had fated mates,” Gio said. “I hope she likes twins because if she’s fated to Danzig, then she must be fated to Marduk. Those two don’t do anything apart."

“What?” Bec squeaked as she tried to push Danzig’s head away. She must’ve heard Gio. “Twins?”

“You’ll love my brother,” Danzig said. “He’s great. I’m the prettier one though.”

Mila knew Bec was still questioning her sanity, but she wasn’t in distress.

Bec handled distress with violence, either against a punching bag or face.

If Bec really didn’t want Danzig to touch her, she’d poke an eye out.

The fact that she was complaining without action told Mila that her friend was conflicted.

“Can fated mates feel a draw before they meet?” Mila asked, turning her head to Gio.

“Sometimes,” Gio answered, understanding the reason behind her question. “Perhaps the serpent brothers are the reason Bec decided she didn’t want to return to South Dakota.”

“Do you guys see my parents anywhere?” Mila asked.

Gio frowned. “Why would your parents be here?”

Mila bit her lip, not sure if she should tell him the truth. “They got mixed up in all this,” she said, being deliberately vague.

Carter was frowning also. “What aren’t you telling us?”

Mila didn’t want to have this conversation right now. She gave Carter her best sad dog eyes. “I just want to make sure they’re okay and then go home. I'm tired, and my face hurts.”

Carter’s and Gio’s expressions immediately went from frowning to concerned.

“We should call Faith," Carter said.

“She’s human,” Gio gently reminded him. “She needs a hospital.”

“I don’t think I’ll need a hospital,” she murmured. “My face is doing better now. Give me some painkillers and bed, then I’ll be fine.”

Gio leaned over to look at her closely, his expression was one of absolute concentration. Then he stepped back as far as their linked hands would allow and looked at the air around her. “That’s unusual."

“What?” Mila and Carter asked at the same time.

“You’re pulling from us and healing yourself,” he explained. “I can see magic being siphoned from our auras into you. I didn’t think a human could do that. We’re not even soul bonded yet.”

“What does that mean?” Carter asked for her.

“Look at her face,” Gio said. “The swelling is already down. As long as she remains close to us, and we’re strong, she can draw from us.”

“You’re well fed,” Carter joked, making Gio wince and look guiltily at Mila. It took her a moment to understand why a vampire might look guilty.

“They deserved it,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze. “Now let’s find my parents.”

A look around showed her that the place was wrecked. The van they’d kidnapped her in was on its side. Guns, shells, and empty magazines littered the hangar floor. There were bloodstains on the floor and walls, but no bodies.

Familiar people were all over the place doing things. She recognized so many vampires and flock members along with Mikey and people from his pack. She’d hoped Carter and Gio would get help but never expected such a turn out.

Dave and his fellow tooth-pullers hadn’t had a chance.

Bec made a grumpy sound, drawing their attention again. She was holding out her hand to keep a naked man an arm’s length away.

“No touchie!” she said. “Absolutely no touchie the human! Got it?

Was that what Danzig looked like in his human form? Wow, Mila was impressed. Carter and Gio might be the loves of her life, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate a fine body!

Bec turned away from Danzig to step in front of Mila. When Danzig moved to stand next to her, she turned with a frustrated huff. “Don’t you have any clothes?”

He tilted his head and put his hands on his hips. “You don’t like my body?”

“I didn’t say that,” Bec grumbled. “But you should have clothes on. You could get cold.”

Danzig grinned and wiggled his hips a little. “Do I look cold?”

Bec pointed to the open hangar door. “Find clothes!”

“Nope,” Danzig said. “Can’t let you out of my sight. I’m sorry my brother isn’t here, but he’ll be back soon. Probably sooner when I tell him about you. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”

“I don’t want to meet your brother,” Bec stated, although she didn’t sound entirely sure of that. Deliberately turning away from Danzig, Bec met Mila’s eyes. “I think I saw Barb pull James into the office.”

“Good,” Mila said with a nod. “Hopefully they’re still in there.”

“We have a nice house,” Danzig said as they all walked to the office. “Sometimes our mom visits, but that’s it. You won't have to worry about being interrupted. If you want to redecorate…”

Mila ignored Danzig trying to flirt with Bec. It would be hilarious later, but worry made Mila focus on her goal.

The window in the office door was shattered and there were bullet holes in the wall, but they were all high. As long as Barb and James stayed low, they probably hadn’t been hurt. The thought that they might be silently bleeding out made Mila rush the little group.

Mila nudged the door open with her toe to see Brad with a gun to her father’s head. James was pale and barely staying on his feet. Judging by her father’s disheveled hair and the ripped clothing, he’d tried to fight Brad off and lost.

“Get me a car or I'll kill him,” Brad threatened. His gaze focused on Mila. “You have to believe me, I wasn't with those guys. I was as much a victim as you.”

Mila couldn’t believe Brad’s audacity. He was the one who went to Dave with information about Gio and Carter.

He had manipulated her parents into revealing their itinerary.

He was the reason this had all happened.

As angry as she was, she couldn’t say anything while he was holding her father hostage.

“We—” her father tried to say something but started coughing. It was only Brad’s hold on his shirt that kept him up right.

“Quiet,” Brad hissed, then turned his gaze on her. She could tell he was trying hard to look tough, but his eyes kept bouncing to the men on either side of her.

“You piece of shit!” Bec yelled. It was only because Danzig grabbed her around the waist and picked her up that she didn’t charge past Mila and into the office.

Bec was usually in better control of her temper, but Mila couldn’t blame her. Today was nothing but extreme circumstances.

“Let my dad go, and you can walk out of here,” Mila said. She hated that Brad wouldn’t face justice, but maybe they could do something about him later. Briar was always claiming she could destroy someone's life with her hacking skills. Maybe Mila should set her loose on Brad.

“I know better,” Brad said, the hand holding the gun shaking a little. “You say I can go but then one of these freaks will attack me the moment I don’t have security. If you want James set free, then you have to take his place.”

The twin growls coming from Gio and Carter told Mila that wasn’t happening.

“If we get you a car, will you leave Dad alone?” Mila asked.

“He comes with me until I’m safe!” Brad insisted. He moved the gun away from James’s head to point at her and then around the room. “I won’t hesitate to shoot all of you to save myself.”

He accidentally fired it over their heads, making James cry out and Brad jump with surprise. He was quick to push the hot barrel of the gun against James’s temple, making the older man gasp.

“That was a warning shot!” he announced, acting as if he’d done it on purpose.

“Please calm down,” Mila begged. She was more scared that Brad would shoot someone by accident than his threat to execute James or anyone who got in his way.

“We’ll get you a car,” Gio said as he and Carter tried to pull her back.

“Mila can’t leave my sight!” Brad screamed, waving the gun around again. “She has to stay where I can see her. One of you freaks gets the car.”

“Brad please,” Mila begged. “Don’t do this.”

A gunshot sounded again, but it wasn’t from the weapon Brad was holding. He jerked and opened his mouth wide. His entire body crumpled to the ground, revealing Barb standing behind him holding a gun in both hands.

Tears were pouring down her face, but her expression was absolute determination. She stepped closer, gun still pointed at Brad as if waiting for him to spring up and attack. When it was obvious he was dead, she lowered the gun and spat on him.

“You won’t hurt my family ever again!”

“Barb?” James whispered, then collapsed to his knees with a coughing fit. Barb dropped the gun to the ground and rushed to his side.

“We need to get him to a hospital,” Mila said, pulling away from Carter and Gio. They let go of her hands, but stayed close as she joined Barb kneeling next to James while he struggled to breathe.

“We’ll take care of it,” Gio promised. She heard him start making calls. Trusting Gio to arrange everything, Mila looked at her mother.

“It’s going to be okay, Mom,” she murmured, reaching out to touch Barb’s arm.

She was too focused on James to hear Mila.

The man’s face was turning blue and there were flecks of blood in some of the coughs.

There weren't any obvious wounds, but he could have a rib puncturing a lung or something. The fact that her mother wasn’t attempting any medical intervention meant Barb was in more distress than she’d ever been in her entire life.

“James,” Barb sobbed. “Please don’t leave me!”

“Help is on the way,” Gio said, returning to her side. “They’re going to take all of us to a small private hospital.”

Barb nodded her head that she heard Gio but didn’t stop telling James not to die.

Gio knelt behind her, and Carter moved a little closer to her side. Having the guys touching helped her stay calm despite her father’s condition and mother’s distress.