Page 34 of Taken By The Vampire King

And now Dad had gambled me away to Nicolas. Someone far less reliable, apparently. Someone who had actively brought me somewhere really dangerous, if my current situation was anything to go by.

Beyond the three men, laughter still rang out in the street, but I couldn’t make a sound. My voice was lodged like a stone in my chest. I could barely breathe around it.

The leader nuzzled against my neck. “Mmm… I can smell her master, too.” He lifted his head. “Why hasn’t he claimed you yet, darlin’?”

Holy crap, the guy was on drugs. My fear turned cold. He was high as a kite, obviously. There’d be no reasoning with him. Shit. Maybe they all were.

One of the others laughed roughly. “Must be our lucky day, finding such a sweet treat wandering the streets.”

The third one laughed too, his nose still in my hair. “The perfect dessert. I could die happy just smelling her.”

I gritted my teeth. They were pissing me off. They weren’t doing much more than smelling me, but I’d taken a shower today and I wasn’t wearing perfume. I huffed a sigh and started to push forward, trying to work my way between them, but the leader pushed me back, slamming me against the wooden door.

“That’s not nice, cher. Why’re you leaving so soon? We’re not finished. Stay and sample proper New Orleans hospitality.” He grinned maliciously as he grasped my thigh, digging his fingers in like he might rip a chunk away.

I sucked in a fractured breath, and his grin widened.

“Even her fear is sweet.” He inhaled deeply, and there was the unmistakable sound of a zipper.

“No.” I found my voice as I tried to push through them again.

“Hold her,” he growled, and as I watched him, his brown eyes blazed to red, like two jewels shining in his face.

I took a breath to scream, squeal, shriek… anything, but one of the men pressed his hand over my mouth.

“Make sure she can breathe,” the guy with the red eyes and his hand down his pants commanded. “I prefer them conscious.”

“Hurry up, though. I want my turn.” The third guy, who’d turned his back and appeared to be keeping watch, laughed. “But I don’t care if she’s conscious.”

I expected to cry or try to scream or fight my way forward again, but I stood, numb, and watched as the men discussed me like I wasn’t even there. The guy who’d had his hand down his pants stood in front of me and bent toward my neck, his breath mostly alcohol fumes.

“Where to pierce first?” His words were a murmur as he grabbed me between my legs. “This untouched pussy or her pretty little neck?”

“You’re killing me,” the guy with his back turned said.

“I vote neck.” The guy with his hand over my mouth spoke, and his eyes glowed a dim red, too, but surely that was wrong.

One of the neon signs nearby must have been casting the light. Or I’d had too much to drink at the restaurant. That would also explain my slow reaction times. Usually, I was a fighter. But the more scared I became, the less I seemed able to do. The man with his hands on my body drew back and grinned, and I gasped, jerking my head back so it slammed on the wood behind me, sending pain lancing through my skull.

Fangs.

Holy shit, his teeth had grown, and he had fangs.

With a malevolent chuckle as I made a list ditch struggle, he bent to my neck, and his warm breath was followed by the scrape of teeth. I couldn’t even think. My mind had nothing left to give.

As he waited, those impossible fangs resting lightly against my skin like he was savoring something, there was an inhuman roar, and a shadow whirled in front of me, ripping the man away from me. I collapsed to the ground without anyone keeping me on my feet, and the other two men stood for a moment before a flurry of curse words colored the air and they ran away, their out-of-rhythm footsteps echoing the pounding of my heart.

Before my eyes closed, the whirlwind of a man who’d dragged my attacker away took off after the escaping pair and took them both to the ground. But before I could see what happened, my eyes drifted closed, and I almost ignored the footsteps beside my head. It was so nice just to rest.

No. That was wrong. I forced my eyes open again as adrenaline pumped through me. I couldn’t collapse on a street in New Orleans. Those guys had already shown me it wasn’t safe.

“Miss Boucher?” At Jason’s familiar voice, I finally gave in and let myself drift away.

Chapter 10

Nic

I’d never known rage like this. It consumed me completely, and rational thought became impossible. I acted on instinct, turning my fury into brutal revenge as I methodically destroyed the men in a back alley, turning them into a pile of unrecognizable body parts before I finally stopped, exhausted but still on edge.

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