Sarah opened her eyes to the last traces of the debilitating pain she’d felt at John’s touch. How long had she been out? Shade covered the area completely. Maybe five, ten minutes? Hopefully that was the end of her knockout events. They were giving her a headache.
The gag was long gone and she could breathe freely, but her throat constricted when she remembered John collapsing. So much blood. So much pain. Regardless of what he had told her, how could he survive all that?
However, she was still alive and bound to the tree, so he must have survived. Why keep her if he’d died?
Sounds of ripping and laughter filled the air. What the hell was going on? She scooted around the tree to see what the commotion was about and nearly burst out crying.
Oh God. What was Steven doing?
Using a knife, he cut the clothes off John and tossed them aside. John lay still as death, with a stake protruding from his chest. He was covered in blood.
“John!” Oh please don’t let him be dead. She strained to get free, but the cable ties weren’t any looser and they cut into her tender skin again. Damn it, she’d gnaw her wrists free if she could.
John blinked.
Thank God, he was alive, but he wouldn’t remain that way when the sun came up. Steven was making sure of that. Or make that Danielle—wherever the hell she’d disappeared. No doubt she was controlling him. He’d never even flinched when Sarah had yelled John’s name.
If only she were a vampire, she’d be able to snap these restraints free. She stared at her sleeve, covered in blood. John’s blood. Was that the answer? Would it turn her? Hell, what did she have to lose? Nothing, that’s what. She sucked off all she could reach. It tasted sweet, not the coppery flavor she’d experienced whenever John bit her. After ingesting what she could, she waited. Please let it have worked.
A small cramp formed in her stomach and lasted a few seconds. That was it? She’d gotten the impression turning hurt a lot. Whatever, as long as it worked. She took a deep breath and yanked on the ties.
Pain shot up her arms and she cried out, but the plastic never budged. Oh God. She rested her forehead against the tree. How was she going to get them out of this alive?
* * * *
John stared up at the darkening sky. Two shots in the front, one in the back and they all hurt like the dickens. But the worst pain came from his chest and it had nothing to do with the stake. He’d failed Sarah.
Steven cut the jeans and shirt free, not caring about nicking his skin. As if he wouldn’t notice another stab wound or four. Several tugs later, John lay naked to the universe. Come morning, if he wasn’t freed, he’d be one crispy critter and Sarah would be…what? No matter what Danielle had in store for her, it couldn’t be good.
Steven left him and headed for the barn.
John wiggled his fingers and toes and hope flared. A stake to the heart should have rendered him immobile from the neck down, so if he could move, then the stake hadn’t completely pierced his heart. If Danielle got wind of that, she might readjust it. Better to play it cool and hope for a chance at freedom.
Sarah called him for the second time. He’d been afraid to look at her earlier, but sucked it up and turned his head. Oh, what she must be going through. Danielle had been remotely curious as to why Sarah screamed out the way she had before passing out. If only he could take back that touch.
“Ah, I see the little freak has come back to join the living,” Danielle said as she emerged from the barn. “And how are you, John? Are you comfortable?” Laughing, she sat on the ground beside him and gazed at his body, especially the lower half. “What a shame.”
“What are you going to do to him?” Sarah asked.
“What does it look like? I’m going to execute him.”
“But why? He’s never hurt anyone.”
“Danielle doesn’t care about anyone but herself,” he said as he struggled for breath.
“Now John, is that any way to treat me? If it weren’t for me, you’d be an old man by now, if not dead, wouldn’t you? I gave you the greatest gift anyone could give and all I asked in return was for you to love me. Instead, you sentence me to death and fall in love with that freak. That whore.” She stood and ambled over to Sarah. “That’s why I’m doing this, dear Sarah. Revenge.”
“But he wasn’t involved in your sentencing,” Sarah said. “You have to know that.”
“He was the reason behind it all. That’s what I know.”
“So how did you escape?” John made sure he sounded weak, although his raspy voice was real enough. His lung was most likely punctured. But the more he could get her talking the better his chances of getting him and Sarah out of here. He just needed time. Time for Barnet to arrive. Time to heal. Time for the stake to completely dislodge from his heart. Unfortunately, he didn’t think he could get Danielle to give him an hour. Or three.
Danielle strolled back to John. “Luck, pure luck. My guard took pity on me and freed me. We stole the cremated remains of a human and put them in my place. In return, I gave him sexual pleasures. However, I got bored with him and he became belligerent. The risk of him blabbing everything became too high, so I made sure he met with a fatal accident.”
“But now your secret’s out.”
“No thanks to you. You just couldn’t keep it in your pants, could you? As long as you were miserable, I was happy. And I made sure you were miserable, if not downright frustrated. Did you have fun with those steps?”
“That was you?”
“I really thought when she stabbed you, that would be the end of it, especially when you were forced to tell her the truth, but no. You had to go and make up.” Danielle puckered her lips in an evil sneer and made kissy noises. “You two make me sick. I want to be happy. So if I have to come out to be happy again, well, then…” She shrugged. “I got away once, I can do it again. It’s not like the Committee has all these resources to find me, you know.”
“But they know you’re alive now. You don’t think they’ll catch you?”
She tipped her head back and laughed. “They’ll try, I’m sure. But you see, I don’t have any problem manipulating humans like they do, and human lackeys come in very handy during the daylight hours, especially when they’re…pliable. When the human wants to do what you suggest, it makes it less problematic. And downright fun.” She walked over to Sarah. “I have to say, Sarah, Steven is quite the lover. Although he’s not nearly as endowed as our dear John, he did show me a trick or two. I’m amazed you ever left him. But then, he never beat me. Of course I never gave him reason to.”
Sarah winced. “Is that how you always knew where we were? You made Steven follow me?”
“That was part of it,” Danielle answered. “The bug I put in your apartment helped. Steven only made it more interesting. I sure did enjoy your expression when he kissed you at the hockey game. I only wish I could have seen what he did to you in your apartment. Did I hear you moan in pleasure?”
“Stop it,” John said.
“Or what, John? Hmm? You going to come to her defense?” Danielle paced between John and Sarah. “You know, I didn’t make you for her. I made you for me.”
“And what I wanted never came into play?”
“If you had given me a chance, you would have come around. But nooo. What was it about me you didn’t like, huh? You seemed to enjoy everything I gave you up until the bite.”
“The truth would have been good.”
“Fine. Then I’ll give you the truth. You broke my heart, John. First when you rejected my love and again when you started loving her.” She pointed at Sarah. “Now I want you to feel the pain you’ve caused me. To suffer as I’ve suffered all these years. And what better way to make you suffer than for you to know Sarah will be with Ray until her final breath and that there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“What?” Sarah yelled.
Ray emerged from the barn.
“No!” Oh, God. Not Ray. John’s chest tightened. “You’re the reason he never turned himself in?”
“Dear John, I intercepted in all your do-goodings. He’s just the first you noticed.” Danielle wagged her finger back and forth. “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to interfere?”
“And what the hell is this? Please don’t do it. Even you can’t be that cruel.”
“Then you don’t know me very well. But to show you I’m not completely heartless, I’ll let you say goodbye. That’s more than you ever gave me.” Danielle headed for the barn. “Sarah dear, I plan on freeing you. Do be good and not run away or fight, because if you do, you’ll be leaving with Ray immediately and won’t be able to say goodbye to John. Do you understand?”
Sarah nodded, “Yes, I understand.”
Danielle zipped inside the barn and returned with small pruning shears. She snapped the ties that bound Sarah, who immediately started rubbing her wrists.
Danielle kicked Sarah in the hip. “Go on. I don’t have all night. But you even touch that stake and you’re out of here.”
Sarah nodded and crawled over to him, shaking her legs in the process. She knelt beside him, her face lined with worry and spotted with his blood. Damn. How much had he gotten on her?
If only he could reassure her. Tell her not give up hope. Ask her to feed him. But not with Danielle hovering about. Why propel her to speed things up?
“Oh, John.” Sarah reached out to touch him.
“Don’t. I can’t hold back the pain for you.”
Ignoring him, she cupped his cheek and winced, but when she closed her eyes, the pain dissipated. He took a long, painless breath.
Danielle squatted beside them. “You must be a witch, dear Sarah. However did you do that?”
“Sweetie, don’t tell her. Don’t tell her.” John closed his eyes. What he wouldn’t give to talk to Sarah freely.
“I…I don’t know. John? Did I hear you in my head?”
He opened his eyes. What the hell? “I don’t know. Did you?”
Danielle frowned for a moment before her face lit up. “You know, there is this story about the Perfect Mate. Could it be possible? Oh, this is too delicious. Too perfect. Have you fed from her? I bet you did. Maybe I should sample her before I give her over to Ray.”
“No!” John yelled. “Don’t you touch her, Danielle.”
“Well, now you’ve made up my mind.”
Danielle grabbed Sarah by the waist, disconnecting their link and the relief she brought him. The pain hit him anew and he gasped. Sarah struggled, but threats of Ray made her stop.
Standing behind Sarah and holding her still, Danielle pulled Sarah’s hair back and yanked her neck to the side. The look of horror on Sarah’s face ate at John. In one swift movement, the vampire sank her teeth into Sarah’s neck. But before Sarah had a chance to cry out, Danielle pulled away and spit out the blood.
“Oh yuck!” She threw Sarah to the ground and spit a few times before wiping her mouth. “That is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted.”
Blood oozed from Danielle’s mark, leaving two little trails down Sarah’s neck. It might have been disgusting to Danielle, but her sweet scent caused his fangs to extend.
“That wasn’t any fun,” Danielle said. “I’m ready to end this now. Sarah, say your goodbyes. You have five minutes.”
Sarah crawled over to him and held his face. “I love you.”
She couldn’t erase his pain. Her fear was too strong. “Promise me you won’t give up.”
“I’ll try. But John—”
“No try. No buts. Just promise. You’re a smart woman. If anyone can escape Ray, it’ll be you.”
“Okay.” She brought her lips to his and kissed him softly. “What about you? Will my blood help? Can you bite my lips, tongue, anything?”
He still couldn’t get over communicating this way with her and tried to lighten the otherwise dour mood. “I thought you’d never ask.”
She smiled against his mouth, and for a moment he thought he’d succeeded, but then a tear dripped onto his cheek. “Oh, John. I’m so scared.”
“I know you are. I am too. Just know I’ll do everything I can to find you, okay? Now press your tongue against my fangs.”
She did as he instructed and he bit down. Her sweet essence trickled in his mouth and sent a shocking jolt through his system. Damn. When had she gotten so potent? Energy rushed through him: healing him, giving him strength. The power that charged through him from the small amount he sucked made him wonder what it would be like if he struck a vein. He’d probably heal in minutes instead of hours.
“Good Lord.” Danielle yanked Sarah up by her collar. “I’d tell you to get a room except I don’t want you two together. Now say night-night.” She stuck a needle in Sarah’s neck.
“I love you,” were the last words Sarah spoke before passing out. Danielle flung Sarah to the ground. She landed beside him, her hand limp on his chest.
“Sarah? Sarah!” Silence greeted him. “No!” He couldn’t lose her, not like this.
“How touching—not. Okay, Ray. You can have her, now.”
If John was to save Sarah, this was his only chance. Her blood was working wonders through his system. Once Danielle left, he’d be able to remove the damn stake on his own and go after the killer. Danielle’s death would come later. Of course, it all hinged on Danielle; if she kept control, he was sunk.
As Ray approached Sarah, John said, “You lay a hand on her and you’re dead, do you hear me?”
Ray bent close and laughed in John’s face. “I don’t think you’re in any position to threaten me.”
John couldn’t have planned it any better than if he’d commanded it. He spit in Ray’s face and—praying it worked—sent a verbal command. “Grab my throat and tell me to go to Hell.”
Ray followed the orders, but with that zombie look. Wouldn’t take long before Danielle noticed.
“Where are you taking her?” An address flashed across his vision. Yes, he’d been there. “You will not harm Sarah. You will release—”
Danielle slapped his face, cutting off his connection. “You don’t think I’ve noticed how you’ve been moving? And how you controlled Ray? Seems I missed a vital organ.”
She held another stake. As she brought her arm down, he shot his up and grabbed her by the wrist. Her eyes widened in shock. He sat up and reached for the weapon, but a punch to the jaw—courtesy of Ray—distracted him, giving Danielle the advantage. She wrenched free and plunged the stake into his chest. Excruciating pain exploded as his heart split in two. He cried out and collapsed to the ground, no longer able to move his arms or legs. Damn her!
She spoke to Ray. “You will do to Sarah whatever brings you pleasure. Now take her and leave.”
Ray slung Sarah over his shoulder like a sack of grain and walked out of sight.
John used everything inside him to get Ray to stop, but either Danielle was controlling him or that stake had done its job. The rage inside overtook the pain and John roared. “This isn’t over Danielle. Barnet is on his way.”
Danielle knelt beside his head. “I hate to break it to you, but it is over. I really don’t care if you’re saved or not because you’ll never find her in time, if at all. Sarah will be dead in a most unpleasant way and I’ll have my revenge. Now forgive me, but I must gag you. Don’t want the neighbors hearing you scream when you’re frying in the sun. You understand, don’t you?”
Holding his head still, she shoved a ball into his mouth and secured it in place with a leather strap, clamping his jaw in place. He couldn’t bite the ball free and loosening the straps would be impossible without the use of his hands.
“Bye-bye, John.” She waited as Steven emerged from the barn and together they walked away.
This wasn’t over. Barnet would arrive in time and John would find Sarah. She was strong, she would survive. Hope was all he had left. He looked to the sky and prayed.