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The vampire hit Claude and they fell into a dance too fast forhis opponent a hair Then the gun flew, through the doorway and into the kitchen beyond I almost went after it before reality hit I wouldn’t just have to get through the vaating around their fast, brutal fight--but I’d have to get past Luc, too

Moveaze back to the door, where another vaood look at Because he didn’t bother to run in at vampire speed He sauntered in after the other va a freaking sword

Nicolas Chevalier

I vaguely wondered if the neighbors would be calling the police

If there were any neighbors Were we in a city? Out in the middle of nowhere? No way to tell from inside the house

Luc watched as Claude wrestled with one va for the knife, and Nic closed in behind theht of that knife Vah to kill, but not i freaking knife

My brother backed up a step, looking unsure I felt uselessly for un? The vampires seemed to think the same, because their focus was entirely on Claude

My answer stared atthe vaht with; they et past all of theant, prodigal son, he atching his lackey fight Claude--weakening hileeful expression left little doubt that he’d participate in I had faith that Claude could take out the vaht stay out of the fight--until things looked bad for the the door so nervously He’d known they were co He’d betrayed me--us--to Nicolas The man who’d al hiht Shit Sure, he hadn’t always ht choices in his life But to betray me to someone he had to know intended to kill round and grabbed the coffee table Cheap and light, parts of the wood covering had rubbed or ripped away to reveal the particleboard beneath It practically screamed Ikea But it was a sith

I used my whole body when I threw it at Nicolas I kneouldn’t hurt him, but for Claude to survive, I needed to keep his attention Claude was my only hope

And I was his

Nicolas reacted immediately to my attack The vampire flew at me, and I didn’t even see him move until he was on top ofme sickened me Between us, it was personal It was about trust It was intimate A show of love

But Nicolas didn’t bite me He threw me

I hit the wall and for a moment I felt like I was in a vision Sound disappeared I couldn’tback I sucked in a breath of air and sharp pain spiked from the back of my ribs where I’d hit the wall I slid down the surface of the wood paneling to the floor

Across the rooister’s son seeer a threat, because he turned his back to me and faced off with Claude

The va as cru pile at Claude’s feet Claude held the vampire’s bloody knife There was so much blood On the vampire On the floor On Claude’s hands

But others were there noo more vampires had come in at some point and, based on their proximity to Nicolas, I didn’t think they were there to help us

Like a light snuffed, the bit of hope I’d nursed that we’d ht of the but, like in rasp what he said His expression had turned dark, his eyes narrowed in worry, and he gestured at Nic and Claude

I struggled tofro with ht arm worked just fine, and I would be da

The two vampires who’d entered while I was on the floor circled Claude, and he kept them at bay with the knife and a fearso, his back to ht The man didn’t like to risk himself when he wasn’t certain of the result That was okay I really wanted to hit hirabbed the leg I swung it like a club, hitting Nicolas It didn’t break under the strength of only one ofit so haphazardly, but bounced off his back, instead

But it got his attention

"Asshole!" I yelled when he turned

"You’ll pay for that," he growled

"Probably But you’re still an ass"

Then I was hitting the wall again, but this time the vampire was attached to my throat In the distance, I could see Claude cry out tohih my body fro arainstslowed down, and an almost pleasant fuzzy haze covered the scene beforehis mouth and chin

"Messy eater," I arbled