N. Walters - Damek's Redemption

Maybe it didn’t open. Maybe it was permanently shuttered to protect him. That saddened Sonia and made her chest ache. This place was so big and lonely and dark. It was hard to imagine Damek here alone day after day, week after week.

A sound broke the quiet and she tilted her head to one side, trying to figure out what it was. It sounded metallic. She hurried down the hallway and peeked into the bedroom. Nope, wasn’t Damek. He was still asleep.

She went back to the living room and turned in a slow circle. There it was again. It was coming from the front door. Was someone trying to get in? Maybe it was one of Damek’s employees. Sonia had no idea what his usual routine was. For all she knew he had a housekeeper or butler or something.

The fine hair on the back of her neck tingled. Something wasn’t right. If whoever was out there was supposed to be here, they’d have a key. Her instincts were screaming that she was in danger. She didn’t question them and started looking for a weapon.

Sonia glanced around the room, searching for something she could use to defend herself. Other than the furniture, there was a smattering of books and artwork on the shelves. Nothing she could use.

She skirted behind the bar in the corner and looked beneath the counter. Nothing. The kitchen. She scurried off, keeping one eye on the front door. The only knife she could find was a small paring knife, which was basically useless. But there was a heavy cast-iron skillet in the cupboard by the stove. She grabbed it and was satisfied with the weight. She could crack a man’s skull with this.

The key to success was to be in the right position when whoever was trying to break in finally succeeded. On silent, stockinged feet, she hurried to the closet just inside the front door. She opened it and stepped in, pulling the door closed so it was open only a crack. Whoever broke in would have to pass by her. Damek was asleep and defenseless. It was up to her to save him.

Luther Kostas drew the large wooden stake from the holder at his back as Aaron finished setting up the last charge on the locks. They couldn’t pick these, as they’d run out of time, so they were going to blow them. They’d have to move fast, make the kill and clear out. No telling what kind of alarms the bastard had on his lair. He might even have a minion or two guarding his resting place. That happened sometimes, and those creatures that protected vampires had to die too.

“Almost ready.” Aaron worked on the last lock while he and Barnes looked on.

Luther knew Barnes was more than ready to kill the vampire for tampering with his mind. Poor bastard would never be the same again. He had seen it before. Once a vampire had messed with a hunter’s mind, the hunter never had the same confidence again. Killing the vampire would help.

“We’re a go.” Aaron moved back to where Luther and Barnes were standing. Barnes held a heavy wooden stake in his hand while Aaron drew a wickedly long knife. They’d behead the vampire after they shoved a stake through his heart. Then they’d burn the body. Luther had learned a long time ago to do a thorough job. Those fucking bastards were tough and could come back if you didn’t do the job right.

Luther nodded. “Go.”

There were several small bangs and they rushed the door, hitting it hard. It popped open into an opulent living room. Most vampires he’d hunted over the years didn’t live this well, which meant this one had to be old and dangerous.

Luther pointed to the kitchen. Better to be safe. Vampires didn’t always sleep where you expected to find them, usually hiding their resting place.

A brush of air behind him had him spinning. A woman yelled and swung at him with a weapon of some kind. He ducked at the very last second and struck out with the stake, driving it deep into her belly. She froze, her mouth wide open. The weapon, a cast-iron frying pan, fell to the floor with a heavy thunk. Her hands went to her stomach as Luther withdrew the stake and pushed her away. She fell to the floor, her eyes wide open and her lips parted on a silent moan.

“That’s the bitch you had me watching.” John moved alongside him, keeping his eyes moving around the room.

“If she’s still alive when we’re finished, we’ll have a little chat with her.” Luther turned away and focused on the task at hand. “First, we have to kill us a vampire.”

Sonia was losing blood at a fast rate. Her stomach burned and the pain was almost overwhelming. Somehow the man had known she was behind him and had attacked before she’d been able to use the frying pan to bash his head. She recognized one of the men as the one who’d assaulted her in her hotel room.

But none of that mattered. She knew she was probably going to die. The wound was too deep and had to have hit something vital. Damek was alone in the bedroom. Helpless. In her mind, she sent a cry out to him. Damek!

Damek’s eyes shot open and he flew out of bed, eyes burning and fangs flashing. Sonia was in trouble. Faster than the human eye could see, he sped down the hall into the living area of his home. Three men were there, all armed with stakes and knives. It was so medieval he almost laughed. The vampire hunters did like their traditions.

They would expect him to be helplessly lying in his resting place, waiting for them to stake him in the heart. It would never occur to them that while he might be relatively weak, he was far from helpless.

Then he saw Sonia lying on the floor in a pool of blood, her eyes wide and unfocused. Her heartbeat was faint and getting weaker.

With a roar, he threw out his hand and all three men went flying into the wall, stuck there like flies in a web. Plaster cracked. Glasses at the bar all shook and several toppled over, crashing to the floor, sending shards flying everywhere. He ignored the hunters’ struggles and slurs as he hurried to Sonia’s side.

“What have you done?” He eased her head into his lap while he examined the wound in her stomach.

“You can’t save her, bloodsucker.”

Damek raised his head and stared at the man pinned to his wall. He ruthlessly drove into his brain, searching for answers, but didn’t stay long. Holding them all captive at the height of the day was draining him and he needed all his remaining strength to save Sonia. “You had better pray she lives, Luther, or you’ll be begging for death before I’m through with you.”

“How can he be awake?” Barnes muttered as he struggled to move one of his arms. “This isn’t right. The fucker is supposed to be in a sleep coma.”

Damek ignored them and dragged another breath into his lungs. His hands were shaking as he ripped her sweater from her body and used it to try to staunch the wound in her belly. “You’re going to be all right. I’m going to call an ambulance.”

She shook her head. “Too late. Don’t risk yourself.”

“No.” He shook his head in denial. This couldn’t be happening. He’d brought her here to protect her, to keep her safe from the hunters. “You can’t die. I’m too close to the edge, too close to bloodlust. Only you can save me.” The scent of the blood was getting to him. His body craved it, needed it.

Sonia raised her hand to touch his face and he kissed her bloody palm. The taste of her went through him like a blast of power. “I can’t lose you.”

She coughed and a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. “There’s nothing you can do.” Her breath was laboring and she was struggling to speak. Every time her heart beat, her blood was pumping from her body at an alarming rate.

“Don’t talk. Save your strength. Is there anything your family can do for you? They’re close. You said they were on their way to Chicago.”

She shook her head. “Lo—” She coughed and tried again. “Love you.”