The hair on her nape rose and Dee spun around.
He stood in the doorway. The bastard who had haunted her nightmares. Tall and lean, his hair streaked with gold and his eyes pitch black. “Been a long time, little Sandra Dee.” Grim paused. “I knew the fools hadn’t managed to take you out.” His dark stare swept over her body, slowly. Not sexually. No interest there. Just an assessment. Thorough. He shrugged. “I thought you’d be easier to kill.”
“Yeah, you’re not the first person to make that mistake.” She’d never forgotten his face and his soul-less eyes.
Beside her, Simon stood as still as freaking stone. The bastard was trying to get back in his head. She didn’t have to be a mind-reader to know that was coming.
Even though she was a mind reader now.
Deliberately, Dee stepped in front of Simon. Her turn.
Grim’s lips quirked, but he made no move to attack. “You’re too late to save her.”
Dee’s gaze darted to the bed.
A cold laugh. “Not her. She doesn’t matter.” He smirked. “The witch.”
Her blood iced. No, no, he was just screwing with her. Catalina was long gone. She’d run so she wouldn’t face the fire.
“She had her uses, I’ll give you that.” He lifted his hand, then pointed right over Dee’s shoulder. Straight at Simon. “After all, with just a little fire, she gave me…you.”
Her gut knotted. Why had the fire been in that old stable? If Nina were attacking, why hadn’t she set her fire here in the main house?
“Can you feel me, ass**le?” Grim snarled at Simon, and the smile left his face. “Because I can damn well feel you.”
Dee glanced back. Sweat coated Simon’s face and his eyes flickered back and forth, back and forth, from black to gray. Torment etched deep lines onto his face. “Get…out,” he growled.
He’ll turn on you.
Screw this.
“Witches can burn so fast,” Grim murmured, “but your witch, I made sure she—”
Dee leapt forward.
“Do you want me to kill them all?” Grim shook his head and lunged to meet her. One hand ripped the stake from her fingers and her wrist cracked beneath his hold. His right hand grabbed her neck, held tight, and he lifted her off the ground. “Do you? Because I can kill every one of those bastards you brought to my land. Your demon, your stinking animals—”
Zane. Jude. Hell, Erin.
“The witch let me back in.” He brought his face close to hers. “She didn’t want to touch the dark magic, not at first, but when the fire started, she was all too eager.”
Dee couldn’t breathe. If he snapped her neck, she’d be helpless. Paralyzed, but still living, until her body could heal. He wouldn’t give her the time to heal. He’d stake her. Behead her. Burn her—
Like he’d burned Catalina?
Why wasn’t Simon helping her? Attack. Get the bastard! Her mental cry blasted out, and she tried to reach him desperately on their blood link.
And she slammed into a brick wall. A wall that hadn’t been between their minds before.
Grim.
He yanked her close to his face. “I had him first, and I have him again.” He threw her against the wall. Dee hit, hard, and her body shuddered at the impact.
She glanced up to see Grim studying Simon with raised brows. “You’re the one who caused all this trouble for me.”
A fine tremble worked down Simon’s stiff length.
Grim shook his head. “Usually, the willing are the easiest to control. And you were willing, weren’t you, Chase? So ready to live forever.”
His choice. Dee shoved up to her knees. Simon?
Damn brick wall. She couldn’t see it, but she knew it was there and she wanted to smash her fist right through it.
Simon’s eyes jerked toward her. A flash of smoky gray. He lifted his leg, as if he were going to take a step.
“A puppet on a string.”
He froze.
Grim laughed again. “Too damn easy.” He turned his head toward her. “I can make him do anything, you know. Anything.”
Dee’s fingers brushed against her ankle holster. Not packing a gun. Old faithful.
“I wonder…” His gaze rose to the broken window. “Do you think she’s still alive? The flames should have taken the stable by now.”
But the flames had flickered. She’d seen them waver right before she’d heard the scream. The scream had brought her here, instead of to the fire.
“You’re a f**king liar.” Dee rose to her feet, keeping her hands close to her sides. “Catalina is nowhere near here.”
“My men caught her right after she left the motel.” He shrugged. “I knew where you were, every minute. I knew.”
And he’d gotten his vamps to follow and attack her and Simon. Then to attack Zane. Yeah, he’d told her all about his run-in with the vamp crew.
Had Grim gotten to Catalina, too? Her heart kicked up in her chest. If I go with you, I’ll burn.
Maybe Cat had been seeing her future after all.
Dee’s gaze jerked to the flames she could see in the distance. Was Cat still alive?
The flames danced.
Sweat began to slick her palms. Couldn’t afford that, not now. “Simon.” She said his name deliberately, injecting fury into the word.
His head jerked.
Grim’s brows pulled together. “You know, I was going to kill you…but it’ll be more fun if he does the deed for me.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “I’m all about fun.” Time’s running out. The fire.
Grim’s attention shifted totally to Simon. “Kill the bitch.”
Simon’s lips peeled back, revealing his fangs. “Fuck…off.” He shuddered, shaking so hard it looked like he was convulsing.
Or fighting one very strong compulsion.
Fighting for me.
Just like she’d fight for him.
When Grim’s jaw dropped, Dee attacked. She jumped at him, ready for his attack this time, and when he went to grab her, she drove her right hand into his side. Her claws dug deep, and the broken bones throbbed in a sickening wave. She rammed her head into him and her left hand came up, the stake ready.
She drove it right at his heart. It plunged into his flesh, but he twisted and she knew she’d missed her mark. Dee wrenched the stake, jerking it to the left, and Grim snarled.
Then she took him down. Her right leg hooked under his and she tripped him, knocking him flat like Pak had taught her so long ago.