“Too damn much, bro,” Mr. Muscles says with a grunt and a laugh. “Help me get her fat ass in the car. Did you get the security camera?”
“Taken care of,” Muscles Two says as he grabs Shandra’s feet.
Together, the two meatheads are able to tuck Shandra into the backseat of the car. “Damn,” Muscles Two says as he finally gets a good look at Shandra beneath the car’s dome light. “She’s ugly, too.”
“Trolls aren’t exactly known for their looks, dumbass.”
“A troll?” Muscles Two whisper-hisses as he shuts the door. He glances all around the alley, as if suddenly afraid a boogie man is going to jump out at him. “You swiped a troll?”
Mr. Muscles hurries around to the passenger side of the car. “Yeah, and I bet we only have a few minutes before her two troll friends come looking for her, so get your ass in the car, and let’s get the hell out of here.”
Muscles Two’s face drains of color. “Two more? Shit! Are you insane? Those things go berserk. Just one troll could level an entire city in a rampage.”
“Yeah, but, dude, imagine having that kind of power. She’s the best thing anyone could get their hands on. There’s three guys competing, and only two spots to fill. Elijah said species matters. This’ll get me voted in for sure.”
“If we live through this,” Muscles Two grumbles as he climbs behind the wheel.
The car peels out of the alley, and the scene goes black.
I come back to reality with a gasp, feeling like I’m about to puke. I’ve never pushed my body to the limit like this before. Parker reaches for me when I stumble, and I fall against his chest. His arms come around me instinctively. “Nora?”
The numbers of the car’s license plate are on the tip of my tongue, but all thought flies from my head when I look into his deep blue eyes. He’s holding me in his arms, and our faces are just inches apart. I shudder, shocked by the closeness, and the sudden desire that sweeps though me. His pupils dilate, and he sucks in a sharp breath, as if he can feel my desire. He probably can. Dammit. This can’t happen. I refuse to be attracted to a vampire, even if he is looking at me with smoldering eyes that are warming parts of me that have no business being warm right now.
“Nora…” His voice, thick and husky, sounds agonized. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” I rasp. Shit. I even sound like I want him. What the hell is wrong with me?
Henry’s growl as he rips me from Parker’s arms could match Wulf’s. The violent jostling of being pulled from one man’s arms into another’s makes my vision blur and my stomach roll. My head pounds so hard that I can’t even fight Henry as he slams me against his chest. “She is mine. You’re pushing my limits tonight, Parker.”
“Forgive me, Sire. I was only worried about her. She looks as if she’s about to pass out.”
Henry’s eyes snap to my face, and his brow furrows. “You do look unwell. Come, let’s find you a place to rest for a bit.”
Henry carries me out of the hallway into the main dance hall. Parker rights an overturned couch. After he brushes it off, Henry lays me down as if I’m Sleeping Beauty and pushes my hair off my forehead. I glare at him, but I can’t hold it because my head hurts too bad. I close my eyes with a groan and throw an arm over my face.
“It’s going to be all right, love,” Henry says. “Terrance, could you please get Nora a glass of water? We need to have her feeling better if she’s to continue.”
Gee. How thoughtful of him.
“No need to continue,” I say, swatting his hand away from me. “I got the license plate. Michigan. 4BX 36K.”
When silence follows my statement, I move my arm from my face to find everyone gaping at me. “The kidnapper’s license plate?” Wulf asks. He and Terrance are wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Parker and Henry are only slightly less surprised. I feel like I should be insulted. Did none of them have any faith in me?
“Yeah. 4BX 36K. Someone write it down. Once I soak up an imprint, it’s gone for good.”
Terrance finds a pen and paper behind the bar, and after he writes down the number, he pulls out his phone. “I’ll call it in to Gorgeous.”
Whatever the hell that means, Henry doesn’t seem thrilled about it. He dashes over to the bar to stop Terrance from making his call. “No. I will have Parker look into it.”
“But Gorgeous is already working the case.”
“No!” Henry snaps. “I don’t want the FUA to know about Nora. They’re power hungry. They will ask too many questions.”
Terrance’s face flushes red, and he takes a menacing stance. “The FUA is our best chance at finding Shandra and the others. I won’t ignore that just because you want to break a few rules.”
Henry sputters at the accusation. “Nora is human. I have broken no underworld laws.”
“Then you won’t mind if I call Gorgeous and let him run the plates.”
Henry and Terrance fall into a heated argument that has Parker and Wulf trying to voice their own opinions and play peacekeepers.
I’m not quite sure what they’re talking about. I’ve never heard of the FUA. It almost sounds like they mean the cops. But there’s no way underworlders would work with the human police.
Whatever they’re arguing about, they’re getting really riled up over it and aren’t paying the least bit of attention to me. Now could be the chance for escape I’ve been waiting for. It’s a long way from my couch to the exit, but it’s my only chance. I have to try.
There’s nothing for me to do but stand up and walk away, so I take a deep breath and get up. When no one notices anything, I casually head for the door, trying to be as quiet as possible. It’s slow going because it’s difficult to step quietly with all of the debris on the floor. As I weave my way around what used to be some stools and a bar table, I notice one of the chair legs has been splintered off and has a rather pointy end. I can’t help thinking it looks like a great wooden stake. It’s in my hands before I can even debate whether the wooden stake myth is true or not.
“Fine, ask him to run the plates!” Henry shouts. “But leave Nora out of it!”
Shit. I’m out of time, so I make a mad dash for the door. Henry’s on me before I get two steps, grabbing me from behind. His hands clamp around my arms, and he hisses in my ear, “Are you trying to leave me?”
The anger in his voice sends a chill up my spine. I clutch the broken table leg close to my chest as Henry pulls my back against him. “Can you blame me?” I ask.
Henry’s hands tighten around my arms enough to make me cry out in pain. “I am tired of this game, Nora,” he growls. “You. Are. Mine.”
“The hell I am. I’d rather die.” My words may be brave, but my entire body is shaking.
“So be it.”
The tingling of my intuition kicks in. The hairs on my arms and neck stick up, and pure dread washes over me. For the first time since I met him, Henry means to do me harm.
Henry releases one of my arms to sweep my hair away from my skin and runs his nose along the side of my neck. “In death you will adore me,” he murmurs. “With a proper sire bond, you will want me as desperately as I want you.”
I shiver, and not from the breath blanketing my neck. He’s going to turn me—make me one of his vampires. “Don’t you dare!”
I thrash in his grip. I don’t have a chance in hell to escape him, but I can’t help my body’s natural fight or flight instincts. I can’t become a vampire. I just can’t turn into one of the monsters that killed my mom. I couldn’t live with myself if I did.
My only option is the piece of wood I’m holding. It’s not much, but I’m not going to just stand here and let him make me a vampire without a fight. “Turn me around,” I say, gripping the makeshift weapon. “Look me in the eye when you take my life.”
Henry can’t resist the challenge. He whirls me around, never realizing I have something in my hands. I don’t think. I just shove the wood into him with every ounce of strength I have. I half expect him to be impervious to it, but the stake pierces his skin and sinks a good six inches deep into his chest.