Once Bitten, Twice Burned

Tell her you love her.

Ryder didn’t even know why he sent the command, but Rhett’s voice rasped, “I love you.”

Sabine’s eyes squeezed shut, as if she couldn’t bear to look at her brother. “I love you, too, and I swear, I’ll make this up to you. I swear.”

Rhett lifted his hands. Pushed hard against his temples once more. “In . . . my . . . head.”

Stop.

“Hurts,” Rhett whispered, sounding lost.

Sabine opened her eyes, frowning at him. “What hurts?”

Perhaps this human wasn’t as weak as he’d originally thought. Walk away, now. Ryder focused harder and actually got the guy to move. One foot. Another.

A few more steps, then Rhett opened the door.

Don’t look back.

Rhett’s body trembled. The human had one strong will. Stronger than any Ryder had encountered before. “Keep her . . . safe,” Rhett rasped. “Or I’ll . . . stake you.”

You can try. Ryder gave another hard mental push, and Rhett left the cabin.

Sabine stared after him. She didn’t speak until she heard the car crank up. Then drive away.

“Thank you.”

She shouldn’t really thank him. Once Rhett got far enough away, the guy might just be able to fight that compulsion.

And come back.

So they didn’t have time to waste. “We need to get to the bar.”

She nodded.

He crossed to her. Caught her shoulders in his hands. “I’m going to have to kill today.”

Her breath whispered out. “Keith—”

Perhaps, but first he had a few other priorities. “I can’t let my enemies go any longer.” The longer he waited, the more dangerous they became. When you were betrayed, you had to strike back. A fast and brutal strike. “If I don’t go after them, they’ll come for me. And for you.” Because needing her so much was a weakness that others would try to use against him. “Wyatt and his scientists used you against me in Genesis. No one else can do that. Ever.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Vampires sold me out before, so vampires are dying today.” The trap should be set. He’d given the orders. Put the plan into motion.

Now it was time to kill.

“If you don’t want to watch what’s coming, then you need to stay here.”

“They’re—you think they’re going to try and kill you?”

He laughed at that question. “You’re not the only one with enemies on your trail. They’ll try. They’ll fail. I’ll succeed.” Because the minute he got close enough to the traitorous vamps, the battle would be over.

He’d compel them. Control them. End them.

Maybe he didn’t want Sabine to see this fight. Watching him control her brother had been bad enough. Watching him get a group of vamps to stake themselves . . . well, that wouldn’t exactly be a warm and fuzzy memory for her.

“Stay here,” he said, voice deepening. Not so much a question any longer, but an order.

She shook her head at him. “You need me. I’m coming.”

“I don’t—”

“I’m coming with you, Ryder.” Shrugging, she said, “Besides, if I stay here, all alone, who knows what could happen? Maybe Rhett was followed, maybe—”

Hell. “Just don’t try to stop me.”

She shrugged again. The shrug was no answer. They both realized that.

“Sabine.” Her name came out on a sigh. “Don’t try to stop me. They’ve got this death coming.”

Her brows lowered. “How can you know that you’ll be targeting the right ones?”

“Because I have a spy in their camp.” One who had been assigned the job of rooting out the vamps who’d sent him to hell. “And that vamp is ready to serve the others up to me.”

He just had to go in.

And deliver his justice.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Bran’s Castle didn’t look nearly as . . . exciting during the day. There were no glasses filled with blood. No vamps lurking in the corner.

There wasn’t much of anything happening there. The place could have been any human bar.

“Ryder.”

Okay, so maybe there was one vampire lurking around. Sabine turned and saw Grayson heading out of the back room. The scent of blood followed him.

“We’ve got a big problem,” Grayson snapped. He shot her a quick glance.

She tried to look cool and in control.

“Where are they?” Ryder demanded. He sounded cool and in control. She wanted to be like that.