18

I bristled at his low-key criticism but said nothing. I trusted Kyle to lead this mission right.

He twisted the doorknob, and the entire thing crumbled under the flick of his wrist and squeeze of his hand. “Oops,” he murmured. “How careless of me.”

He pushed the door open, and we followed him into a mudroom of some kind. The room was stone walled with a stone floor, with metal rings secured to both. The scent of fear and death lingered in here, too.

“That bastard,” I breathed, and my heart rate picked up until I could only hear my blood rushing through my ears. I’m coming, Leia. I only hoped she was strong enough to hold on.

“This way, I think.” Kyle led us forward. “You just let me know if you pick up on her scent.” He paused. “Same instruction to Sebastian, I guess?”

My gums ached and I could only nod as my lips stretched tighter over my mouth at my effort to keep my fangs at bay. Sebastian and I definitely still needed to have a chat about things that belonged to me.

“We have to move quicker,” Kyle said. “They have to be aware of us now. An ambush is almost guaranteed at this point.” He left the small stone room and we entered a kitchen.

A girl, possibly a maid, arranging flowers in a giant vase, squealed and turned to run but Kyle descended on her and twisted her head, snapping her neck before she even reached the door.

He turned, pain etched on his face before it cleared, becoming line-free again, the mask of a soldier. “She was too young.” But that was all he said.

I crouched and fingered one of the petals of the calla lilies she’d dropped on the floor beside her.

“Wedding flowers?” I glanced up to meet the eyes of my men. Maybe we weren’t too late.

“We have to keep going. No sentimentality over fucking flowers, Nic.” With a regretful glance at the girl on the floor, Kyle strode forward, his words less an instruction to me and more one for himself.

I closed the girl’s unfocused eyes and followed.

Then Kyle stumbled backward as a large vampire threw himself onto my head guard, his fangs primed over Kyle’s throat.

I roared and leapt forward, my fingernails raking the vampire’s cheek. He howled in pain, and I sensed the guys behind me moving into a defensive formation.

“I think we just announced our arrival,” Jason said. “Better get this finished up quickly.”

I ripped the vampire off Kyle, digging my nails into his throat and tearing through his windpipe. Blood spurted from the hole I’d pierced through his jugular, and he collapsed to the floor.

Kyle kicked him out the way, his boot connecting with at least one rib. “She’s upstairs,” he ground out. “Francois isn’t exactly secretive about his guest. Temple seems to know a lot of shit about how this house works.”

A face appeared at a partially closed door to my left, then it closed further until only an eye was visible before the door clicked into place. “Come on,” My voice was a low growl as it caught in my thick throat. My heart seemed to be trapped there rather than sitting in my chest. “If you think any one of these goons isn’t phoning their prince right now, you’re wrong. He’ll be on his way back before Temple can even try to delay him.”

A movement above us caught my eye and a second burly vampire launched himself from the second-floor landing, knocking me to the floor. The breath squeezed out of my lungs, and razor-sharp fangs slid against my skin before piercing my neck.

“Fuck.” Jason’s shout sliced through my struggle.

“Brother!” That was Sebastian, but it was Kyle who appeared first when he ripped the man from me, and blackness dimmed my vision as my neck tore and pain blazed through me.

“Nic.” Jason dragged me to standing, and Sebastian appeared in front of me, but his face blurred in and out of focus.

“Brother,” he murmured again before he lifted his wrist to his mouth and ripped a chunk of flesh away before spitting it on the floor. He mashed the bleeding vein to my lips, and I clamped on, sucking as I applied pressure to my neck.

Holding myself together while I healed.

“Come on, Nic. We’re nearly there. Don’t die in Francois fucking Ricard’s house while he’s planning his marriage to your mate.” Jason’s voice was clearer now, and I released Sebastian’s wrist, licking over it to speed his own healing before he drew it away.

“Brother.” I acknowledged his deed with a nod.

He returned the gesture and added a small bow and amused twist to his lips. “Hopefully that goes some way to settling my debt.”

I nodded again.

“If you’re done with the family reunion?” Kyle asked, his arms folded over his chest.

The vampire who’d jumped me lay at Kyle’s feet, his head twisted at an awkward angle. My head guard was a cold-blooded mercenary killer, and I’d never been more glad of it. As we moved forward, he drew his gun.

“None of the fuckers are getting anywhere near us again,” he said. “That was too close.”

We climbed the stairs, and I glanced around at Francois’s unhappy home. It reeked of sadness and sorrow, but also of Leia. Her scent wound through everything else, calling to me, a beacon of light in a very dark place.

“Jesus, if this is what Francois’s home looks like, I’d hate to live inside his head.” Jason kept his voice low, but I was pretty sure he was saying what we were all thinking.

“I think she’s nearby.” Her scent had intensified. I glanced at Sebastian for confirmation but at first, he only tightened his lips. Then he nodded, the movement almost grudging, like he knew his ability to track my mate wasn’t exactly a welcome one.