I squinted to be sure I was seeing clearly.
For fuck’s sake.
I darted over a low wire fence like a gazelle running from a lion. My pulse beat for freedom as I stepped in mud, almost getting stuck. I gave it everything I had and ran up to the firepit. The good news—no fire. The bad news—Sam was handcuffed to the top bar, dangling over the pit, his ankles shackled in cobalt and several darts embedded in his back.
Holy hell. I prayed he wasn’t dead. There would be so many repercussions if he was. One, the vampire military would descend on Montana as if fighting an enemy army. Two, Jo Mason would go on a killing rampage. Sam’s twin sister scared me more than any of the others in her circle of vamps. She came off as reserved and quiet, but underneath, I knew without a doubt that she could wield more power than Sam. Finally, and most importantly, my heart would split into a million pieces. I couldn’t lose Sam. I liked what we were building. I liked the possessive, strong, cocky alpha male. He fit my personality to a tee. We might argue or banter or claim we hated each other, but the truth was far from it.
Sam was right when he’d said I was his. Up until that point, I’d been fighting my own feelings about him, afraid to admit I was falling for a vampire. More importantly, there was a metaphysical connection tying us together, and if that connection snapped, I was afraid we would both die.
I inhaled, shivered, then frantically searched for the platform we used to hoist a victim. Another crack of lightning made me squeal, seeming far too close for comfort. I trudged through the tall grass, looking for the wooden platform, but it was nowhere to be found.
I shook Sam. “Sam, wake up. Sam.” I was trying to keep my voice low. If he awoke, he could probably free himself. After all, he was one of the most powerful vampires around. His elemental powers alone could help him. Or I prayed they could. I dug my nails into his leg. “Sam.” That time, my voice was hard and a bit louder.
But I was striking out. With Sam not in any immediate danger at the moment, I picked up two large rocks from the firepit. I had to improvise. Rocks wouldn’t kill anyone unless I hit them in just the right spot to cause a fatal head injury.
I started for the dilapidated house when heavy breathing sounded from behind me. I sucked in air. Sam was awake. But when I whirled around, my hopes died.
Noah aimed the dart gun at me. “I’m glad you made it, cousin. You’re about to find out what we do to vampire lovers.”
Laughing, I sized him up. Noah was wearing a ball cap, rain gear, rubber boots that climbed to his knees, and a grin that reminded me too much of Roman Brown. “Where are Rianne and Jordyn?”
For all I knew, he’d drugged Rianne into doing as he said.
The sound of thunder made me jump.
He laughed. “The supposed tough one in the family. You’re afraid of your own shadow.”
Rianne stepped out of the copse of trees to the right of Sam. She must’ve been watching me trying to help him.
She ponied up to Noah, and like him, she was dressed for the storm or a bloodbath. “Noah, take it down a notch. I’m not in this to hurt my sister.”
Could’ve fooled me. “Why do I get the feeling you were planning this all along?” I asked.
Rianne pushed the dart gun down so Noah was aiming it at the ground. “We didn’t know Sam was coming to see you.”
“But the minute we did,” Noah said giddily, “we jumped into action. You know we’re always ready to burn vampires.”
I needed to take an extremely long shower to get the scum of Noah off me.
I lasered my gaze on Rianne. I was still dumbfounded by her change in attitude. “Did you enlist in the air force? Or was that a ploy?”
“I’ve decided to join Uncle Jack,” Rianne replied. “It’s time I take a stand and follow my true calling.”
Rain slid over my eyes and cheeks and into my mouth. “Yeah, and what is your true calling?”
“Not sleeping with vampires,” she chided.
My mind was blown. “Who are you? I think Noah brainwashed you.”
The bill of her ball cap kept most of her expression in shadow, but that snarl she was wearing said it all. “No. He made me see the light. What happened to you while in Sam’s company made you weak,” Rianne said. “He made you a nutcase. I mean, who is to say you’re not pregnant?”
Noah jerked back. “For fuck’s sake. Can that happen to you?”
Rianne glared at me. “Think about it, Noah. If it’s true, and my mom had vampire blood in her, who’s to say Layla doesn’t have the right blood type to get pregnant?”
I snorted. “If I do, then you do too.” That wasn’t entirely correct. My sisters and I could have had different blood types. Still, to infer I had Vel-negative blood just because there was a vampire or two in our lineage was a stretch. “Rianne, please rethink what you’re doing,” I pleaded.
She stood taller. “I know what I’m doing. I’m ridding the world of one of the most powerful vampires. When I’m done, his sister is next.”
Noah grinned like he was proud of her. “I’ve been waiting for Rianne to wake up and join the family.”
“Sam saved your life,” I reminded her. “Are you forgetting that? You were all over him after he did.”
She flinched slightly.
Yeah, I hit a nerve. That was my opening to push harder. “Rianne, please.”
Noah dug into his coat pocket. “Wow, you’re really into the bloodsucker.” He pulled out a lighter and flicked it. “Time to say goodbye.” Then he threw it in the firepit.
I screamed at the top of my lungs as I ran toward Sam.
My vision blurred as two things happened simultaneously. I bumped against Rianne as she blocked me, and Sam woke up.
His green eyes glowed as he examined himself. When he did, he growled so loud that I was sure the coyotes and any other animals ran for the mountains.
A ring of fire circled the pit as flames flickered upward, grazing his boots.
Outwardly, Sam was calm as the ocean on a warm summer day. Inside, I would bet my life that he was raging like the storm around us.
He closed his eyes and dipped his chin to his chest as though preparing himself to break free.
Noah aimed the dart gun at Sam.
I pushed Rianne hard and ran past her. I had no idea how to help Sam, but I was hoping the rain would drench the fire. At the moment, it wasn’t anywhere near roaring like it should have been.
Just as I gripped Sam’s ankles, Rianne pulled out a dart gun. “Get away from him, Layla.”
With two dart guns—one pointed at Sam and the other me—we didn’t stand a chance. If I passed out, Sam would burn.
I swallowed the dryness in my throat. I raised my hands and slowly backed away.
Rianne lowered her gun, seemingly relieved that she didn’t have to shoot me.
“Sam, I don’t know what you’re doing, but please get on with it,” I said, keeping my eyes on Rianne and Noah.
Noah fired the gun, and the dart landed in Sam’s thigh.
Sam’s eyes shot open, and silver overpowered the green as his fangs descended. He let out a guttural growl, and within seconds, the earth beneath our feet was shaking so hard, the ground was splitting in two.
“What’s happening?” Noah asked as he looked at his feet. Then he quickly pointed the gun at Sam’s head and pulled the trigger.
The dart landed on Sam's forehead.
A sound I’d never heard before came out of Sam’s mouth. He sounded like one angry fucking bear.
I dropped to my knees and started digging and throwing dirt on the fire. “Rianne, if you know what’s good for you, help me. If Sam dies, we’re all dead. His sister will make sure of it.” I had no other tactic but to scare the heck out of her. Rianne wasn’t frightened easily, but I had to try.
The embers danced in the wind as I threw more dirt on the fire.
Sam swung his legs forward then backward. When he did, he clipped Noah’s chin. Noah fell as the gun dropped from his hands.
I crawled to my feet and lunged for the gun when Rianne beat me to it. I shoulder checked her as we both tumbled to the ground.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked as we rolled around.
“I hate them!” she shouted above the whistling wind and whipping rain.
A loud explosion split the air, giving me the opportunity to shove Rianne off me. I stumbled to my feet but lost my balance and fell backward. Before I could stop myself, my head hit a rock.
Air punched from my lungs. The sky above spun, and pain dug its claws into me. I blinked several times, breathing in, hoping to fill my lungs with necessary air.
Voices droned around me.
Rain fell.
Thunder boomed.
I blinked again, inhaled painfully, and oriented my vision as I tried to sit up, but Noah rammed his foot into my chest and pointed the fucking dart gun at me. “Say good night, cousin.”
“No!” Sam shouted. “I’ll kill you, human, if you so much as touch her.”
Noah let out an evil laugh. “Too late, vampire.” Then he pulled the trigger.
It felt like pinpricks on my chest before warmth traveled through my veins.
I removed the dart and threw it at Noah. “Fuck you, cousin. You will not get the best of me.” I planted my hands in the muddy ground, pushed myself up, and swayed. The drug was in my system, but hopefully not enough to knock me out.
Noah laughed again. Rianne watched in horror as though frozen. I couldn’t tell if she was regretting her actions or she was actually frightened. But fuck everyone. I stomped over to Sam on shaky legs, not as gracefully as I would’ve liked, but I made it, nonetheless. I grabbed the structure that Sam was hanging from and tried to move it.
Jordyn ran up, screaming like a bad actress in a horror movie. “I will gut Noah, but first”—she turned to Rianne—“you’re not my sister anymore.”
Conrad jogged up and dove into action, tearing the structure down.
Before I could help Sam out of his handcuffs, something sharp pierced my neck.
Shouts tore through the storm. Screams hurt my eardrums.
The only voice I registered was Sam’s. “Layla, no!”
Then the voices died as I plummeted into the abyss.