Page 70 of His UnBearable Touch

The fact that she could ruin his sadistic plans was satisfying. Painful, but satisfying.

And all she could think about beyond her next breath of air was Valerio. How she wished that he were there… because she loved him and she needed to touch him one more time.

* * *

The heavy door barely made a sound as he wrenched it from its frame. The age and amount of rust had weakened it beyond what it could withstand. It didn’t matter if it had been a brand-new door, he would have found a way through it.

Allegra’s scent was stronger now, the normally subtle scent of her tea tree oil shampoo and body wash turned his head, but it was the heady spice of her skin that called to him like a hunger. He moved further down the tunnel and turned his head to listen.

Voices, tinny and sharp, as if magnified by a speaker, sheared off the concrete walls. The building had been cleared by the firefighters. He’d heard the news through intermittent alerts through his earpiece. Their men were keeping people back from the theater. Salvatore had spoken to Essa and explained the situation. All they were doing was waiting for word from him.

He turned another corner-

“No!”

It slammed into his chest like a punch.

Allegra’s fear was only eclipsed by her bravery.

He felt her heart pumping blood like a jackhammer, pushing blood through his own veins at the same speed.

It felt as though she gave him her strength, spurring him on.

He didn’t worry about the element of surprise. She was in pain and he would stop it any way he could.

And he got his chance as soon as he entered the next room. The cavernous space was decorated like a loft apartment in an upscale building in Soho. He barely made note of the setup as his eyes fell on Allegra.

The roar that tore from his throat was more animal than human and had the desired effect. The man on top of her let go of her throat, bracing his hand down on the floor to turn toward the sound. He exposed enough of his throat that Valerio was able to wrap his hand around his pasty skin in a crude imitation of what Lance had done to Allegra.

The two tumbled into the couch, shoving the heavy piece of furniture a fair distance away.

Valerio turned his head to look at Allegra, thrilled to see her moving, trying to sit up. His distraction cost him as Lance landed a punch to the side of his head, but the blow barely turned his head.

“You should have stayed away.”

Lance got up on his knees, grabbing a hold of Valerio’s shirt in his fist. “And you should keep out of my business!” He swung another blow and it had less effect than the first one. “Who are you?”

Valerio turned the tables a moment later.

He opened the gates, let his bear push deep into his gaze. They both enjoyed the look of shock on Lance’s face as the man reared back.

“What are you?”

His lips pulling back into a fang-baring smile, Valerio held on for a few more moments. “I’m the man who’s going to make you pay for your crimes.”

Lance stumbled, falling down onto his back, struggling to use his hands and legs to put some distance between them. “Look, you don’t understand,” Lance was nearly sobbing as he kicked out his legs to ward Valerio off. “This is all her fault!”

Valerio knew the moment Lance realized how wrong he’d been to speak. He saw the way the other man’s jaw went slack and the flush of anger left his face and turned his skin to a dull greyish tint. His last human thought as he loomed over the other man was the grim satisfaction as he saw the terror in the man’s eyes.

“What I’m going to do to you,” Valerio barely managed to heave each breath through his lungs, “no doctor will be able to fix.”

“Wait, please! Wait-”

Lance’s words turned into incoherent babble as Valerio shifted before him. Human rage melted into animal bloodlust and bared teeth turned into snapping jaws.

Instead of choking Lance, Valerio’s bear ripped out his throat, leaving it a mess with blood spurting from ruined veins. Heavy paws lifted and fell, crushing through ribs, puncturing a lung, robbing Lance of what oxygen he had left.

As his head lolled to the side, his cheek falling to the cold concrete at an unnatural angle, the last thing Lance ever saw was Allegra, her face alight with love as she wrapped her arms around the neck of a bear.

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