Page 25 of Tears of Revenge

Her body shook, but she followed his guidance as his hand wrapped around her neck and pushed her down.

“Good little girl.” He knelt behind her, the praise feeling more like an insult. “How about I make you remember how it feels to be mine?”

She choked out a sob. Her thighs clenched trying to keep him from invading her.

“Relax, Ava,” he grunted, shoving a hand between her legs.

She whimpered, but words abandoned her.

“Do as I say, and it won’t hurt.”

His grip loosened on her neck, then the cool metal barrel of the gun trailed up her spine. Goosebumps appeared all over her skin as it crept up to her neck. She tensed, another sob pushing past her lips. Then he pointed it at her temple and repeated his threat with a deep, impatient rumble.

“Do as I say, and it won’t hurt.”

Troy pressed forward, and she tried to ease the tension in her body. There was only one thing she could think to do…

Survive.

Ten

Varos

Though Lysander didn’t approve of their little hunting adventures, Varos always enjoyed them. With the rapid pace in which the world changed, it got harder to hide who—what—they were. They mostly survived off of donated blood from blood banks, but once in a while they ventured away from home and treated themselves to a hunt.

Varos had followed his target for two days before deciding that the man needed to die. Not only was he a waste of a human being, but he was also one that took advantage of women for his own pleasure. That was how he justified draining him dry. The hot blood dripping down his throat tasted like heaven. It felt good to finally sink his fangs into flesh as the juice of life filled him.

While many of his kind enjoyed a… feisty meal, Varos had learned to enjoy his victims quietly. The man had lost consciousness before Varos had even extended his fangs. Of course, he’d made the man pay for his crimes, but feeding was something Varos liked to enjoy in peace. He drank until his victim was drained before he dropped the man onto the floor.

Varos collected the man’s “trophies,” placing them where they could easily be found before dousing the building in gasoline and setting fire to it. He wanted to make sure that the world knew what he’d done—and for his victims to know that he’d paid for it.

Just as he threw the match, Marcus appeared next to him. “Ah, I see you’re ready to leave too. Did you have fun?”

“It was refreshing.”

“Wonderful,” Marcus cheered, eyes sparkling as the building lit up in front of them.

“You seem to be in a good mood too.”

“You know, just the usual. I’m not as picky as you are. I take what I want, when I want.”

“Of course, you do.”

“Let’s get home, I don’t want to miss our date with Avalon.”

They turned and sped off. To a human eye, they would have simply vanished. Being a vampire had many perks, one of which was lightning speed. It wasn’t long before they reappeared in their Houston residence.

Lysander was fast asleep, so he and Marcus poured themselves a glass of blood and sat on the porch to watch the sunrise.

His mind drifted to thoughts of Avalon, admiring the strong, vibrant woman she’d become over the years. He’d thought of her often, though he never imagined he’d see her again. The moment she’d stepped foot into the elevator, she’d taken his breath away—metaphorically. Though she was much more fierce, she hadn’t lost her delicate touch.

“Are you thinking of her?” Marcus asked, knowing him far too well.

“I am.”

“Me too. I was hoping she would let us turn her.”

Though not intended, Marcus’s words stung, ripping open a wound he’d been trying to heal for a hundred years. His mind darkened with his sweet Vanessa’s final moments, her lifeless corpse in his arms, his fang marks on her neck. Unwilling to let those pictures resurface, he shot to his feet.

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