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I took a deep breath as I squeezed my eyes closed. “We’ll be there within the hour.”

  I turned to find Alexander’s face covered in questions. It was clear he’d heard the conversation and was just as confused as I was. Why was Massimo taking the risk of attacking a senior level Parliament member? It just didn’t make sense.

  “We need to get back to Manhattan. Now.”

  Alexander’s face melted into a grin. “Fucking finally.”

  Chapter 14

  Adrienne

  “Ow! What the hell was that?”

  I lifted my injured hand to my face to look at it. Even in the pitch-black room we’d been locked in, I could see the burnt flesh.

  “What do you mean? What’s going on?”

  It would be so much easier if she were a vampire, and I cursed her stupid boyfriend for not changing her before now. If he had, she’d have been able to see the burn on my hand as easily as I could. She’d also be a lot harder to kill, and she’d have been able to heal on her own.

  After I’d ripped Sutherland’s head off, Massimo and Ivan had hurried us out of his apartment and into the stolen van. I’d had to carry Charlotte because my psychotic maker had broken her foot and both arms. She’d passed out from the pain and hadn’t woken up until we’d arrived at a new apartment and been shoved in a dark room.

  I’d had to give her a lot of blood to even get her to wake up, but I could still see her arms weren’t back to normal. I just hoped she healed soon because she didn’t need any more disadvantages while we were facing off against these two vampires.

  I’d thought about just changing her myself. She’d even asked me to do it, but I’d had to say no. Eventually we both agreed it would be too dangerous to have her unconscious for three days while her body was transformed into a vampire.

  There was also no telling what Massimo would do if he found out I’d tried to change her into a vampire. As unpredictable as he was, it wouldn’t have surprised me if he killed her just to spite me.

  Charlotte was all I had, and I couldn’t risk that.

  But more importantly, I couldn’t let my friend die because of me. There were already too many deaths on my shoulders. The vampires at the training facility, the poor people that lived in that house we took over, and now Sutherland. I didn’t know when this bloody trail of bodies would end, but I refused to let my friend become another casualty.

  I shook my head and concentrated on the angry wound on my hand instead. “I don’t know. I bumped into you and got burnt.”

  Charlotte frowned as she gingerly patted her sides. I winced as her hand moved in ways it shouldn’t have. It seemed her arm still had some healing to do.

  “Oh,” Charlotte gasped. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a necklace.

  A silver necklace.

  “Keep that away from me,” I warned her. I’d had enough silver burns to last me a lifetime. If I never saw that offending metal again, it would be too soon.

  My friend’s wide eyes met mine as she clenched the necklace in a shaking fist. “Don’t you understand what this means?” she breathed.

  I inched closer so I could actually hear her whispered words. “No, what?” I said, just as quietly.

  She leaned in until her lips were at my ear. “Now we have a weapon.”

  I jerked back, my eyes wide as they darted from her to the necklace in her fist and back again. “You mean…”

  She nodded slowly. “This is our ticket out of here.”

  “But you’d have to use it. I can’t even touch it.”

  She shrugged as she stuffed the necklace back in her pocket. “That’s okay.”

  I shook my head as my eyes widened further. “Charlotte. No. You can’t go up against Massimo. That’s a death sentence.”

  She shrugged again. “Look around, Adrienne. How much longer do you think he plans to keep me around?”

  “No. I won’t let him kill you.”

  “How could you stop him? Maybe if Ivan wasn’t around, you’d have a shot in hell, but with the odds two against one? There’s no way. He’s going to use me until I’m not useful anymore, and then he’s going to kill me.”

  The way she said those words so calmly sent a chill racing down my spine. It was like she really didn’t fear death.

  “At least this way, I have a chance,” she continued.

  I was still shaking my head as she leaned back with a satisfied smile on her face. “Charlotte, I can’t let you do that. I can’t guarantee I’ll be allowed to heal you again next time.”

  “It’s okay. I got this. Just be there to back me up when I make my move.”

  “Charlotte. I’m serious. You can’t do this.”

  “It’s the only way. It’s the only advantage we have. We don’t have a choice but to use it.”

  I hated that she was making sense. But I hated it even more that my friend was so ready to put her life on the line like that.

  What if it didn’t work?

  With Massimo and Ivan working together, I didn’t see how we had any shot at taking either of them out. But I guessed if we could separate them somehow, we could kill one and then the other.

  But that was a big if.

  The only time they’d been apart was when Massimo left to go steal the van they’d dumped already. That and every time we made it to a new apartment, Ivan went up first to break into it.

  The problem was, there was no way to tell how long Ivan would be gone. At Sutherland’s penthouse, it had been a solid half an hour before he waved us inside. But with this last apartment, it had only been a few minutes.

  If we attacked Massimo and Ivan showed up before we killed him, we’d both be dead. I had no doubt about that. Yesterday, I might not have cared, but now I knew there was a chance that Nicholas was still alive. Now I had a reason to keep fighting.

  I knew Nicholas was somewhere doing everything in his power to find me. The least I could do was work as hard to keep myself alive until he did.

  A loud yell preceded another scuffle, and I had a feeling whoever owned this apartment was home now. I held Charlotte’s hand as I listened to the fight, hoping this was the time that Massimo and Ivan didn’t win.

  But of course, we weren’t that lucky.

  The door to our dark room swung open and Ivan stood in the doorway. “Massimo wants you both out here.”

  My stomach sank because I had a really bad feeling I knew what came next. Charlotte jumped up next to me, but I took my time. Apparently, I wasn’t quick enough, because Ivan crossed the room in a flash with a loud huff and yanked me to my feet.

  I ripped my arm out of his grip and glared at him. “I got it.”

  “Next time, when I say come, you come.”

  “I’m not a fucking dog.”

  Ivan reared back and slapped me across the face, hard enough to rattle my teeth and for stars to pop up in my vision. I turned back to find a satisfied smirk across his face. “Don’t talk back to me either.”

  I growled softly and took a step in his direction when I felt a sharp pain in my back. Turning my head, I found Charlotte with my skin pinched between her fingers and a warning look on her face. I sighed again before turning back to Ivan. “It won’t happen again,” I spat between gritted teeth.

  He looked surprised for a moment before he cleared his face and nodded. “Good.” He waved for us to walk out of the room ahead of him, and I grabbed Charlotte’s hand as we left. Ivan shoved me forward a couple steps, but with patience I didn’t know I possessed, I gritted my teeth and kept walking.

  When we made it to the foyer, Massimo was standing above another man covered in the silver blanket, and my stomach fell.

  “Moglie, come here.”

  I shook my head and squeezed Charlotte’s hand. “No. I’m not doing that again.”

  “Wife,” he barked. “I said come here.”

  I just kept shaking my head as I took one slow step backward, but that was as far as I got. Ivan came up behind me and grabbed my arm before dragging me toward
my maker and the poor vampire burning on the ground.

  Massimo’s smile was wide and cruel as he watched me struggling in Ivan’s hold. “It gets easier every time.”

  I shook my head as I clawed and kicked at the arms around me. “No! I’m not fucking doing it! I’m not killing for you again!”

  Massimo’s eyes narrowed slowly before he shrugged one shoulder. “Remember, this was your choice.”

  As those chilling words settled around me, Massimo darted across the space between him and Charlotte. He stopped right next to her before kicking out one heavy boot into her knee. A loud crack filled the air along with her screams as her leg bent the wrong way and she fell to the ground.

  Her pain filled my body, like a shadow of the real feeling. It hurt me, so I couldn’t imagine what she was feeling.

  “No!” I screamed as I thrashed in Ivan’s grip. “Leave her alone, you son of a bitch! She has nothing to do with this!”

  Massimo crouched down beside her as he watched me closely. “She has everything to do with this. She’s the key to getting you to behave. You defy me, and she gets hurt. Really, moglie, this is your own fault.”

  He turned to watch his fingers trailing down her uninjured leg before looking up at me again. “She’s got another knee, wife. What will it be?”

  I shook my head as bloody tears filled my eyes and streamed down my face. “You can’t ask me to do this,” I said pitifully.

  Massimo shrugged and fisted his hand before slamming it into Charlotte’s kneecap. She howled in pain, her back arching and her nails scraping at the hardwood floor. My heart fell to the pit of my stomach and my own knee ached as I watched my friend writhing in agony.

  And it was all because of me.

  “Okay! Okay! Stop it! I’ll fucking do it!” I screamed, my voice high-pitched with hysteria.

  Massimo stood to his impressive height and folded his arms over his chest. He nodded toward the vampire still on the ground between us. “Go ahead.”

  I jerked out of Ivan’s hold, almost falling forward when he unexpectedly let go of me. My eyes roved over my friend’s too-still form on the floor. I could hear her heartbeat and even see her chest rising with her breaths, but thankfully, she was unconscious. That meant she wasn’t awake to live through all the pain she was in.

  That also meant she didn’t have to witness what I was going to do next.

  I walked slowly over to the prone vampire, every step feeling like it was a mile, but each one bringing me impossibly closer to my fate.

  I’d never even hurt anyone in my life up until a couple hours ago. And now I was about to commit a second murder.

  I fell to my knees beside the injured vampire and forced myself to look into his face. To memorize his features. To know who I was about to kill.

  What shocked me was, I actually recognized him.

  I didn’t know his name, but he was one of the board members who’d presided over my case against Massimo. I only remembered him because he’d been sitting next to Sutherland.

  Now, I wished I knew his name, if only so I could apologize properly.

  I sniffled as the blood poured from my eyes and dripped onto the floor. Inching closer, I tried to calm my heart and slow my rapid breaths, but it still felt like I was running a marathon.

  “Today, moglie.”

  I glanced toward Massimo and leveled him with a glare. He just rolled his eyes and jerked his head toward my victim.

  Creeping closer a few more inches, I swallowed hard before reaching out to grasp the sides of the vampire’s head. But the moment I touched him, he gasped, and his eyes flew open.

  I fell backward with a squeak as his head started to thrash back and forth. “What the fuck?” he yelled. “Who the fuck are you? What are you doing here?”

  I glanced at Massimo, but he had a bored expression on his face. “He’s incapacitated. Just rip his head off.”

  At the mention of his impending doom, the board member’s movements became even more wild and erratic.

  “You can’t do this to me! Do you know who I am?” the vampire continued to yell.

  Massimo was at my side in a flash, his giant body overshadowing both me and the helpless vampire.

  “Of course I knew who you are, puttana,” he hissed. “You’re one of the bastards who threw me into that hell hole of a prison.”

  The vampire’s eyes widened as he stared up at Massimo. “Romano?” he asked, his voice incredulous.

  The ancient vampire spit in his face. “Yes. You remember me, but most importantly, I remember you. Now, you’ll pay for what you did to me.”

  The vampire’s eyes were bright with fury as he stared up at the man who changed me. “They’ll kill you for this.”

  Massimo laughed. “If they catch me.” He turned to me. “Now, moglie. Kill him.”

  The vampire on the ground turned his wide gaze to me, recognition instantly filling them. I closed my eyes and reached for his head. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

  He screamed, but I didn’t stop. I grabbed him by the sides of his face and pulled as hard as I could. His head detached from his body as easily as the last one, and I dropped it just as fast.

  The tears were blinding now as I sat there looking at what I’d just done. At the second life I’d taken.

  “Get up,” Massimo said as he rose to his feet. “We’re leaving.”

  My head jerked in his direction, and I opened my mouth, ready to let all the vitriol inside me spew toward him, but I caught a glimpse of Charlotte and snapped it closed instead. She needed me now.

  I closed my eyes again as I climbed to my feet, willing the rage to quell inside me. I didn’t want it to die, just to settle into a burning ember that could be stoked when the time was right. My eyes jumped to the pocket I knew Charlotte had that silver necklace in as I let out a deep breath.

  We had a weapon. An edge they weren’t expecting. And like Charlotte said, we’d bide our time and use it wisely.

  But, oh, I couldn’t wait to watch that bastard burn.

  I scooped Charlotte into my arms before they hurried me from the apartment. We all ran down the stairs and out into a nearly deserted alleyway. I followed Massimo, and Ivan trailed behind me as we ran past the vehicle we’d arrived in.

  A few blocks later, we came upon an unlocked utility van and Ivan ushered me into it. I sat in the back corner amongst tools and debris I couldn’t name as I cradled Charlotte in my arms. As discreetly as I could, I bit into my wrist and pressed it against her mouth. When I saw her throat bob with a swallow, I knew she was awake again and soon she’d be all right.

  Which was just one less thing I had to worry about.

  We weren’t driving for long before we pulled into an underground garage and found a spot in the back. Ivan slipped out of the vehicle like he had the past two times, but I was barely paying attention. I was too focused on watching my friend slowly heal from the injuries she’d sustained.

  Even though I hadn’t been paying attention to the time passing, I still noticed that Ivan had been gone for a while. And apparently, I wasn’t the only one.

  Massimo was in the front seat, cursing and fidgeting, his eyes darting from mirror to window to mirror like he was on the lookout for someone. Finally, he yelled loudly in Italian and spun around in his seat.

  “Get up here and drive.”

  I froze in place, only my eyes moving as they widened. “What?”

  His gaze turned manic, his jaw clenched tight. “I said, get up here and drive. Now.”

  I carefully placed Charlotte on the ground as I climbed into the driver’s seat. “Where are we going?”

  “Just start driving.”

  “What about Ivan?”

  “Fuck Ivan. We’re leaving.”

  I started the van and slowly backed out of the parking spot before driving out of the lot and back onto the New York City streets. Apparently, getting them separated was going to be easier than I thought.

  Chapter 15

  A
lexander

  “I’m driving.”

  Nicholas waved a hand in my direction as he put his phone to his ear. “I need every guard we have at my disposal. Now.”

  I figured that was as much of an answer as I was going to get, so I slid behind the wheel and fired up the engine. “Where are we going first?”

  Nicholas shook his head as his brows dipped in concentration. Without an answer from him, I hopped back on the highway, heading toward Manhattan.

  “I need a team sent to every board member’s home immediately,” he continued. When he blew out a frustrated breath, I turned to see him rubbing the space between his eyes again. “No. I don’t need someone sent to my place.”

  Nicholas gave me a look I had no trouble interpreting. I laughed loud and turned back to the road. “Bet you wish I was on duty right now.”

  I was supposed to be Nicholas’ right-hand man. The one he went to with whatever he needed. But things had been different in the past couple of months. Between me getting suspended and all the time I’d taken off to be with Charlotte, he’d had to deal without me. And apparently, that wasn’t working out so well.

  “No, I don’t need someone at Sutherland’s either.” He pulled the phone away from his face to scream into the receiver. “Why would I need a team of guards to report to a dead man’s home?”

  He put his phone down and squeezed his eyes closed as he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Finally, he picked the cell back up and put it to his ear. “Send men to the remaining eleven board members’ homes. Now.”

  The poor bastard on the other end of the line kept talking, but I tuned them out. I was too focused on the information we’d learned to care what he had to say.

  Turned out, the plot between Massimo and Ivan went a lot deeper than we’d ever imagined. Not only did they have plans to flee the country, they were also trying to take out the entire board in the process.

  I figured the only way they could have pulled one over on old Sutherland was with that fucking silver blanket they’d used on us. That shit hurt. But it wasn’t just the pain of the metal burning your skin you had to contend with. The silver also drained your energy, so you weren’t even strong enough to shove the blanket off you.