Sara Humphreys - Vampire Trouble

“I’m heading over to the apartments now to check on her.” Doug’s voice was edged with frustration. “Olivia and the baby are finally sleeping, and I’d like to get this situation handled before she has to worry about it. Got me? I have Damien standing guard at the Presidium. You and Dakota head over to Rat’s place now because chances are that little shit, Horace, will try and hide out there. I told Killian to get a cab over to The Dollhouse, and I’ll meet you there once I check on the girls. Even if Horace isn’t there, Rat may know where he’s gone.”

“Understood.” Shane hung up and stuck the phone in his pocket. He flicked his furious gaze to Dakota and ground out, “Horace is back in the city.” Shane reached inside his coat, pulled out two magazines of ammunition, and handed them to Dakota who looked at him with curiosity. “These are liquid silver bullets. They’ll drop a vamp or wolf in a matter of seconds. It’s a guaranteed kill shot.”

“Far out,” Dakota rasped, making quick work of refilling his guns. “Pete was right. You aren’t a guy to fuck with.” He checked the mag and smirked at Shane. “This Maya broad must be somethin’ else if she’s got you all fired up like this.”

“She’s not a broad,” Shane bit out as he stuck the guns back in the holster. His jaw clenched and he pressed his lips together when reality hit him like a lead weight. No matter where he went or what he did, Shane would love Maya. It wouldn’t matter if he was in Europe or on the damn moon. Nothing he did or said would alter his feelings for her, and he felt like a Class-A fool for trying to deny it—to deny them. He only hoped that he would have the chance to make it up to her. “Maya is my mate.”

“Then I don’t know what you’re doin’ out here on a bridge all alone holding your dick in your hand.” Dakota smacked Shane on the shoulder and snorted. “You might be old, but you could stand to learn a thing or two, brother.”

Shane shot him a doubtful look before whisking into the sky. They flew swiftly and silently through the dark Manhattan night with Shane barely able to control his burgeoning anger. Dakota at least had the good sense to keep his mouth shut and followed Shane without asking any questions.

The two men landed in the alley next to The Dollhouse, and when they slipped along the sidewalk, Shane was grateful there were few humans in the vicinity. He stopped outside the club and held up his hand to keep Dakota from moving. Leaning against the door, he closed his eyes and reached out with the finely tuned senses of a sentry. When his eyes flicked open, three distinct scents filled his head with horrifying clarity. Amid the potent stench of blood and werewolves, he detected the fresh, feminine scent of Maya, and every fiber of his being hummed with rage.

Without thinking, he flung the door open and flew inside with his gun drawn. The club was empty, but he quickly spotted the pile of dead bodies behind the bar and remnants of at least two dead vampires. Dakota stood next to Shane with his gun drawn and pointed toward the stage. Written in blood on the white wall was one word…“Roof.”

Armed to the teeth, Shane and Dakota made their way up the narrow staircase toward the roof. When they reached the rooftop door, Shane pressed his finger to his lips and gestured for Dakota to hang back.

Shane threw a prayer to the universe, turned the doorknob, and slowly pushed the creaking metal door open. The sky had brightened considerably, and though he could feel the warning pull of the sun, Shane barely felt it because all he could see was Maya.

Maya was staked to the roof by her arms and her legs with chains of silver wrapped around her wrists and ankles. Aside from being able to smell her flesh burning, he could see wisps of smoke drifting up from the wounds. Sadie was staked out the same way, and Horace sat cross-legged between them with a gun against Maya’s temple. Every muscle in Shane’s body hummed with barely contained violent rage, and though he wanted to shoot Horace full of liquid silver, the gun at Maya’s temple gave him pause.

“If you want to live, then I suggest you let the women go,” Shane bit out.

“Let me think,” Horace said dramatically. “Nope. I took care of that scumbag, Rat, and his whore dancers. He was helpful at first but then he turned into a whiny pain in the ass, so he outlived his usefulness.”

“Shane,” Maya whimpered and winced in pain.

The sound stabbed at Shane’s heart like a knife, and he flicked his attention to her tearstained face. “It will be alright, youngling.”

Dakota stepped forward, raised his gun, and fired but Horace dodged the bullet, pulled a gun with his other hand, and fired two shots. One hit Shane and the other slammed into Dakota, who was sent flying down the stairs. Shane struggled to stay on his feet, but the silver bullet remained lodged in his chest. Although it missed his heart, the damage was severe. Pain burned through his veins when the silver festered in his body. He blinked and his vision blurred, but he kept his gun trained on Horace, who was kneeling between the two women.

The sun crept higher and Shane knew their time was running short.

Shane stumbled and fell to his knees. His left arm hung uselessly at his side, and he fought to keep the gun in his right hand, focused on Horace.

“Let the women go,” Shane sputtered and bit back the bone-melting pain. “You can have me instead. I’m a sentry for the Presidium, and killing me will be a much bigger coup for you than eliminating a couple of women.”

“I’m sick of bitches like her trying to make me look stupid.” Horace rose to his feet slowly. “Besides, killing all of you will make trouble for my old man and that’s fine by me. I hate the old fucker and my brother with his holier-than-thou attitude. They don’t deserve to have the power of the wolf because they fucking tamed it. Men like them are holding our race back when we could be ruling the world.” He snorted. “Why am I even wasting my time talking to you?”

The world wavered and Shane steeled his strength before taking a shot at Horace. The bullet bounced off the edge of the building, missing his target completely. Horace’s bullet, however, did not. Two more rounds of silver penetrated Shane’s torso and sent him to the ground in a useless heap. He landed next to Maya and could feel whatever life he had draining from him along with the blood. With his last bit of strength, Shane turned his head so that the last sight he would see on this earth would be the woman he loved.

Blistering pain seared through Maya’s body from the silver burning her flesh, but nothing wounded her more than watching Shane get shot. She watched the life began to fade from his eyes and the sight turned her pain to rage. Her fangs erupted and she screamed with pure, unadulterated fury, which only elicited a laugh from Horace. Tugging on the chains at her wrists and with pain shooting up her arms, Maya screamed against the pain and kept trying to break free.

“I think I’m going to fuck you quick before I go,” Horace said in an almost matter-of-fact voice.

He placed the gun on the ground and began to undo his pants while he stood over Maya. She flicked her gaze down to see that he was fully aroused. He shed the rest of his clothing and tossed it aside. Dropping to his knees, he kissed her cheek and looked at Shane while Maya continued to pull against the chains.

“I bet you like to watch.” Horace scraped his fingers over Maya’s arms.

With his unwelcome touch and his disgusting erection pressing against her hip, every ounce of anger inside of Maya erupted. With a primal scream, she pulled the restraints out of the roof and rammed her hands onto Horace’s chest. A massive surge of energy, just like the one that night in the bayou, gathered in her chest, shot up her arms, and blasted into Horace. The look of shock on his face was almost as satisfying as watching him fly naked through the air and slam against the building chimney. He tumbled to the tar roof in a pathetic heap before pushing himself to a sitting position. A look of terror covered his face while he pressed his hands to his chest.