Chapter 53

Aiden waited in the office area in the warehouse in Sparks. He heard a car pull in, a door open then shut, and the crunch of footsteps on the gravel. He was dressed in the scientist's white lab coat and also had on a surgical mask. When the scientist had called Victor, he had told him that he was a little under the weather, but getting the update of the serum into Victor was critical, so the scientist had said he would wear a mask.

Aiden took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. Right now was where he was the most vulnerable. He didn't like having his back to a full-bred vampire, but he had to take his chances because if Victor paid too much attention and pegged Aiden, shit would go south quickly. He thought of Holly, Natalie, Brandon, Emily, and Thaddeus. It was critical that this plan went perfect, and he was the catalyst. Victor had been responsible for too much heartache, too many deaths, and Aiden promised himself he wouldn't lose his temper and mess it up. Vlad had a lot of blood on his hands, and it was time for it to come to an end.

Victor walked in and began thanking Aiden for calling with the update on the serum. "It's apparent you care a great deal for your work, just as I do," Victor said as he lay down on the cot and rolled up his sleeve.

Aiden nodded and coughed. A blinding rage went through him as he listened to Victor, making his hands shake, and sweat form on his brow. Visions of eviscerating Victor swam before his eyes, and he could barely contain himself.

He took a deep breath and concentrated on calming down. He needed to get it together and go through with the plan, not go off half-cocked. If he did that, he would most likely end up dead. And Victor wouldn't. Sure, Aiden could do some damage on his way out, but Victor would live, and that wasn't acceptable. He calmed himself by thinking that if he could get the shot into Victor, then he would get his revenge. Victor's death.

"Thank you for wearing the mask as well. I would hate to fall ill when I have just found my freedom."

Aiden turned, keeping his eyes lowered, but he couldn't help but take a quick glance at Victor as he approached.

He looked so normal. Just a good-looking vampire with brown hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a nice black suit, and Aiden could see how so many women fell for him. Aiden knew the horror that hid behind the pretty facade.

As he approached Victor, he again had the urge to say the hell with the needle and drive his knife in Victor's heart. But being full-bred vampire, Victor could move quickly with deadly strength. They needed him to have the shot before they killed him.

Victor shut his eyes as Aiden slid the needle in with efficiency, glad he had watched Holly administer shots when she stitched everyone up. Aiden pushed the plunger in slowly, just as he had watched her do. He didn't know what would happen if he just slammed the plunger, but this was their one shot at killing Victor, and he wasn't going to screw it up.

Victor's eyes suddenly flew open and met Aiden's. Aiden didn't know how long it would take for the shot to cause the paralysis they needed, but he was certain it needed some more time. He jammed the plunger with his thumb, efficiency be damned. They needed as much of the drug in Victor as possible.

"This feels different than last time," he said, his eyes narrowing.

Aiden slipped the needle from his arm and shrugged. He turned to go back to the desk and put the needle away. Shit, he really hated having his back to Victor.

He spun around as he heard a thump on the floor. Vlad had de-cloaked from his Victor disguise, and Aiden was staring into the face of a full-blooded vampire who had just swung his feet to the floor.

"Reveal yourself to me before I kill you," Vlad hissed.

Aiden backed up as Vlad slowly came closer. He felt his heart go into overdrive, a ribbon of fear threaded through him. He could hold off a full-bred vampire for a little while, but not long. Shit, when was that stuff going to take hold?

"What was in that shot?"

Aiden looked at the being in front of him. He felt such rage and hate build up in him as he thought of all pain Vlad had caused, he pulled off his mask, the fear and the weak dam that had held back his anger gone. "Your death, motherfucker."

Before Aiden knew what hit him, Vlad was on top of him, slamming him to the ground with his fangs bared, hissing and growling, obviously looking to remove Aiden's jugular. Aiden wrapped his hands around Vlad's neck and was barely able to hold him off. Vlad's claws were doing a number on the white lab coat, shredding it as he tried to reach Aiden. Aiden could feel the blood beginning to well on the scratches on his arms as the coat was destroyed.

Aiden knew he was in trouble. He could feel the strength of the full-bred vampire, and felt his own weakening. He thought about Holly and Robert, and knew he needed to live—he couldn't leave them now, not when they had all finally found each other, not when he had finally come to terms with the past.

He also thought of Natalie, and hate rippled through him. Vlad had been responsible for Natalie's death, but he wasn't going to be responsible for Aiden's. With renewed purpose, he locked his arms and grimaced as he shut out the pain as Vlad's claws ripped at the skin on his arms. Then he remembered Thaddeus was supposed to be back-up.

Where the fuck was he?

Two things happened at once.

Vlad all of sudden went still and silent, and Aiden could feel the male's strength depleting. Their eyes met, and Aiden saw a flash of something that looked like fear, but then the hate and menace returned.

Thaddeus then appeared over Vlad's shoulder. Thaddeus grabbed Vlad and hauled him off, sending him into the wall across the room. Aiden stood up slowly, his breathing heavy and his arms bleeding.

Thaddeus removed his gun from his holster and fired into Vlad's chest. "That's for Emily and Brandon, you cocksucker," he said with deadly quiet.

Vlad's black-pitted eyes were still open, they could still hear his breath. He began to snarl, but he couldn't move. Aiden brought out the knife from his back and flung it at Vlad, landing dead center in his chest.

"That's for taking Holly from me," he said. "And now, this is for Natalie." He unsheathed a knife from his ankle and stepped up to Vlad. He crouched right in front of the male, taking in his face. Aiden wondered if the last thing Natalie had seen had been this face with the long, bony white skull, the black pitting eyes, and the extended fangs. He hoped not. Aiden met his eyes for a brief second, and then dragged the knife across Vlad's throat.

There was a gurgle, and then silence.

He had done it. He had finally gotten revenge for Natalie's murder. He felt the final nail of closure seal that part of his life. It was over.

"Let's get rid of him," Thaddeus said quietly.

Aiden stood up and nodded. "There's a field behind the warehouses. Lot's of tall grass. He can fry there in the morning."