Part 24 (2/2)

”What secret, Edward? That you're a sick old-” It happened quickly. Even if it hadn't, Ryder and Sebastian would have been too powerless to prevent it. Edward backhanded Melissa again. Her head whipped back from the blow with a sickening snap, then lolled forward limply onto her chest.

Ryder rushed forward, moving almost too quickly to be seen. Sebastian realized it wasn't the human reacting, but the demon, angered and apparently out of control.

Edward whirled and opened fire at the blur of movement, emptying the gun. That didn't deter Ryder. Together, he and Edward crashed into a table holding beakers and a lit Bunsen burner. Gla.s.s shattered at the impact of their bodies. The table groaned and finally buckled with the weight of them and their struggle, for Edward was frantically trying to fight off whatever was attacking him.

There was blood. A lot of blood as Ryder vented his rage.

Sebastian didn't delay to see what would happen next. He rushed to Melissa's side. Her face was bruised and a trickle of blood slipped from the side of her mouth. ”Melissa,” he said as he worked at undoing the ropes binding her ankles, aware of what was going on just a few feet away as Ryder and Edward continued their struggle.

The Bunsen burner was on its side, a small blue flame still spewing from it. Some of the jars had broken open. The liquid they had once contained oozed out onto the floor and Sebastian smelled a sweet odor. One he couldn't place at first, but when he did...

He had but a moment to throw himself over Melissa's unconscious body as the flame ignited the spilled ether. A small explosion ripped through the room.

After the initial blast, his ears were ringing and the heat of the fire that had erupted at one end of the room seared his back.

Ryder was much closer to the explosion, he thought with fear, but he couldn't wait to see if the vampire was okay. Using all of his remaining strength, he deadlifted Melissa, chair and all, and rushed through the opening, the fire chasing after him as the dried hay and gra.s.s ignited.

He burst through the sliding livery door and stumbled while trying to be as gentle as he could with his burden. He managed to place the chair on its feet before he turned to go back into the building for Ryder. He was surprised to see Ryder crash through the door behind him, a bruised and battered Sloan slung over his shoulders.

As Ryder dropped to the ground, Sebastian realized that while Sloan was bleeding a little, it was Ryder who had suffered the most injuries from the shots Sloan had fired.

A moan drew his attention.

”Melissa.” He kneeled before her and cradled her cheek. She was coming to. He quickly worked at freeing her from the ropes still holding her to the chair. When she slumped as he released the last of her bindings, he steadied her.

That was when he heard the sirens and realized Ryder was still lying on the ground a few feet away, in the partial shade from the trees, but in vamp mode with a.s.sorted bullet holes in his body. ”Melissa.” As her gaze focused slightly, she seemed to understand the nature of his concern.

”Get Ryder out of here.”

He slipped to Ryder's side and finally noticed that Sloan was busy crab-walking away from the vampire, a look of fright on his face. Before Sebastian could do a thing, Sloan stood and raced back into the burning building.

”Sebastian,” Ryder said, gripping Sebastian's arm as he struggled to sit up.

”Hold on, Ryder.” Sebastian eased his shoulder beneath Ryder's and helped him stand. Together, they did a shuffle-walk back into the woods and kept to the thicket of trees, working their way slowly back to Ryder's van. As they did so, the lights and sirens of a.s.sorted vehicles flashed by them.Sebastian ignored them, certain Melissa could handle it, hoping Diana would be with the crew that had just arrived. Finally Ryder and he stumbled to the van. Sebastian helped Ryder crawl onto the backseat. ”What can I do?” he asked, although it seemed as if there was already less blood coming from Ryder's injuries.

”Go back. Help Melissa. Let Diana know what you can.” Ryder's voice was tight and his face showed the strain of his condition.

It made Sebastian hesitate for a moment, but then Ryder turned his electric gaze on him and said, ”You did well, Sebastian. Now, go.”

It hurt when he smiled at Ryder's words, but that didn't diminish how he was feeling. ”We'll be back soon, Ryder. Hang in there.”

He locked the van, pocketed the keys and returned to the dirt road, following it back to the parking area. When he arrived, Melissa was sitting on the chair. Diana and another man stood before her. As he approached, his sister rushed up to him and embraced him tightly. ”Are you okay?”

”I am, but Ryder needs a little help.” He inclined his head in the direction of the road. ”Up a ways. He's in his van.”

Melissa was seated and giving her report to a tall blond man. Sebastian noted the NYPD Detective's s.h.i.+eld and a.s.sumed it was Peter Daly, Diana's friend. A moment later, a local sheriff approached, his pad in hand.

Diana chose that time to excuse herself. ”This is your collar, remember. I need to go.”

Sebastian handed her the keys and she walked off.

Daly watched her with interest. A decidedly interested kind of interest, Sebastian thought. When the other man's gaze accidentally collided with his, a flush came to his cheeks. ”Detective Daly, I presume,” Sebastian said and offered his hand.

”Sebastian Reyes. You look a lot like your sister,” the detective said. ”Are you as stubborn?”

Sebastian chuckled and kneeled by Melissa. When she smiled despite her bruises, he knew she would be fine. ”You scared the c.r.a.p out of me.”

”I'm fine, thanks to you. Are you okay?” Melissa reached up and brushed back a lock of his hair, exposing the bruise and cut at his brow. She winced.

”I'll be okay once we know Sloan won't be bothering us again.”

He glanced back to the stable, which by now was engulfed in flames despite the efforts of a number of men with hoses. ”He ran back in there.”

Peter tracked his gaze. ”If he's in there, he's toast.”

”Could he have made it to the woods?” Melissa asked.

”We have men searching the area now,” the sheriff interjected and immediately launched into a series of questions.

Melissa slipped her hand into Sebastian's as she answered, and he knew all was right with them. Gazing back up the road toward the van, he hoped all was well with Ryder and Diana.

Chapter 32.

D iana cradled Ryder in her arms. He was still bleeding and although healing, weak from his injuries. Very weak. From what she could see, at least four bullets had struck him. ”I can help,” she said, brus.h.i.+ng back a lock of dark hair plastered to his pale forehead with the sweat that came whenever his system was taxed.

Ryder shook his head. ”There's some medicine-” ”You know that's not what you need.”

Gently she eased him up, a little afraid of what she was proposing, but undeterred by her fear. While she held Ryder with one hand, she moved her hair to bare her neck.

”What if I can't stop?” he said, his voice lower with the edge of the animal in its tone. Despite his question, he nuzzled the side of her neck and took a deep breath as if inhaling her scent.

”You've stopped before.” She twined her fingers through the hair at the back of his head, bracing herself.

”Once,” he replied, and licked the side of her neck, tasting her. ”I had more control then. Not like now. Now...”

Diana didn't get a chance to reply as he sank his fangs into her. Searing pain blazed along her nerve endings. She gripped the back of his head tightly and called out his name. The pain was gradually replaced by a strange and wondrous languor that travelled along her veins and spread throughout her body.

”Ryder,” she murmured again and clung to him. Pa.s.sion replaced the pain, tightening her insides with need for him.

Ryder fed on the sweetness of her, drawing her life's blood into him, merging it with his. Her warmth spread throughout his body, recharging him with its energy. With each sip, he felt stronger, experienced a sensual charge. With each sip, her body grew more limp. He battled the desire to keep on sucking until there was barely any life. Until he could offer up his own life's blood and make her like him. Bind her to him forever.

<script>